Watch the video above. The imposing man on the screen was a depiction of the character Big Brother from the book Nineteen-Eighty Four by George Orwell. Mr Orwell also wrote another book called Animal Farm. Ikeda Sensei shared Animal Farm in one of his lectures. You can also read about it here in Quiet Revolution (Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3).
In the advertisement above, “Big Brother” said the following:
“My friends, each of you is a single cell in the great body of the State. And today, that great body has purged itself of parasites. We have triumphed over the unprincipled dissemination of facts. The thugs and wreckers have been cast out. And the poisonous weeds of disinformation have been consigned to the dustbin of history.
Let each and every cell rejoice! For today we celebrate the first, glorious anniversary of the Information Purification Directive! We have created, for the first time in all history, a garden of pure ideology, where each worker may bloom secure from the pests of contradictory and confusing truths. Our Unification of Thought is a more powerful weapon than any fleet or army on Earth!
We are one people. With one will. One resolve. One cause. Our enemies shall talk themselves to death. And we will bury them with their own confusion! We shall prevail!“
The commercial above is a legendary and controversial commercial signifying the launch of the Apple Macintosh computer. What’s interesting in the commercial is that it portrayed a vision of Orwellian era, where humans are automatons and only followed instructions blindly. The advertisement took place in an auditorium where rows upon rows of slack-jawed, drone-like workers was watching an image of Big Brother spouting ideological doctrines on a huge screen.
That’s the vibe coming out from yesterday’s (12 March 2017) All Leaders Meet. When a group of WD raised their hands to ask GD some questions, the MC quickly announced something, the music played and right on queue, the audience clapped. The claps drowned out the question while Big Brother sat up there, posing for the live telecast, as though nothing happened just 10 meters in front of him.
And what’s scary was that outside, a few police officers were on stand by, called by SGM earlier in anticipation of another demonstration.
And yet, the people in the hall clapped again when the WD stood up for the second time to ask questions, the thunderous clapping drowning out her questioning.
Big Brother subsequently brought up the topic of social media. He asked the congregation not to read blogs and social media because when one read these websites, one will start to have doubts and start to ask questions. And when one have questions, one is already defeated by the devilish functions.
Big Brother is telling all of us on IPA that day not to use our own judgement when reading. And that we should not start to ask questions. Because asking questions are evil.
It’s Nineteen Eighty Four all over again. That video above is a scary reminder why we should all break through and not become a drone who blindly accepts and follows out of fear of authorities.
A quiet revolution 
I was there, witnessing the whole episode until GD speech half-way I cannot “tahan” I walk out from IPA. All I can say is SGM is becoming like a cult with the top leaders brain washing us. We are not allow to ask question, not allow to read social website especially DayLight and quiterevo. What is wrong to read this site? After chanting we should have the wisdom to distinguish what is right and what is wrong. Why want to stop us and threaten us from reading. It make us more curious want to read more…
I’m very sad seeing all this..
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I just can’t imagined that SGM leaders have gone so low., to the extend of prevent members to ask question.. They are either too lazy to answer question or have no courage to face the question or have no answer. Whatever the case, it’s absolutely wrong to use such dirty tactics to prevent others from putting forward a question. SGm preached that gakkai is a place for sincere dialogue. What happen. Furthermore, it’s against the principle of Buddhism. SGM should be an organization that truly and fully practice Buddhism. This event surely have revealed that the top SGM leaders have misguided the organisation away from ND Buddhism.
I sincerely ask that you top leaders, please come to your senses and wake up from your delusions. What you are doing is not contributing any value to kosenrufu but just creating a cult organisation.
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Whatever happened to Sensei’s constant guidance that sustained dialogue is the only way for human beings to move forward to resolve all issues.
The explanation and insistence, I have heard from ECC is that, it is the fault and the barriers created by the other party that is the cause and failure of dialogue. This is a lame excuse.
The way most people can see it is, as long as there’s no coming together of those who serious and concerned questions and doubts to a open dialogue in our culture centers, there won’t be any complete understanding of the present crisis of the org.
I ask again, does the ECC sincerely or has the will to hold an open hearing or dialogue from both parties at Bunka Kaikan?
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I am very disturb on the way the top leaders especially ECC, speak and act in these 2 years. The whole agenda in the recent March ALM is to instill fear, to threaten and to “brainwash” the sincere leaders. I do not want to use the word “brainwash” as it sound so terrifying but I can’t think of any other words. Right from the start of the meeting with YMD chief explaining on 3.16, WD chief and Vice GD (from Klang) on the recent SGI seminar sharing which become a kyosen sharing by attacking the NBA and finally the highlight of the day, GD speech.
The worrying part is that those sincere and committed leaders in the IPA who has taken faith for many years believe what GD and the rest are saying without questioning. I can understand them as not long ago I was one of them that support GD and top leaders 100%. What GD said is correct and we must follow and whoever question and accuse GD of wrongdoing are against Gakkai, are devil people with bad intention to destroy Gakkai. And this is probably what the majority of the leaders in the March ALM were thinking. They agreed with what GD and the rest are saying, they clapped hands to prevent the WD from asking questions as a form of protecting Gakkai. Minority are being oppressed and GD just pretend the WD who stand up did not exist. Is this how you treat a WD? Is this how Sensei would have acted is such a situation? It is heartbreaking to see such a scenario on that day.
And to add salt to wound, GD speech was defensive and threatening up to the point that he mentioned those who create disunity will fall into the hell of incessant suffering FOREVER and that your future generation will also suffer. This alone will stop many leaders from questioning and challenging the top leaders. No doubt creating disunity is one of the 5 cardinal sins but to use it in the context on those who challenge and disagree with the ECC on governance, financial and administration issue, is totally irrelevant and absurd.
GD arrogantly concluded his speech by asking those with intention to destroy and split Gakkai to leave the organization as these members are not “fit” to stay.
Is asking question and seeking clarification on financial and governance matter fall into this category of not “fit” to stay. All GD wants is those obedient leaders who don’t ask question and just work selflessly for Gakkai. And even if they are in doubt, they should just follow instruction silently. The moment the leader start to question, then they are considered “against Gakkai”. To Mr GD, you are either “for Gakkai” or “against Gakkai”. There is no in between.
On one hand, GD is asking those not “fit” to leave and on the other hand he is asking all leaders to work hard to achieve the 20,000 new shakubuku target in these 2 years. Such a contradiction! Does he know that it is not easy to shakubuku even 1 person let alone foster that person to become a leader. How can he so arrogantly ask those not “fit” to leave and terminate those he don’t see eye to eye. Salute him for doing just that!
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Goodness, isn’t that a sin to ask members to leave SGM? Wow, Mr. GD, I am speechless. Don’t you know that the 8000 ++ contributors who didn’t contribute were the ones contribute the most by living in frugal to save for contribution? You have the stats, do the calculation yourselves. Also ask yourself how much those 45,000 people contribute compare to those who didn’t! Mr. GD, I really salute your action, I totally lost the respect for you.
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[…] using fear tactic, saying that reading itself can be slanderous. Just stick to official materials. 1984 all over again. Why so afraid if what we say is not true and baseless? But if it is true, and the […]
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When questions and seeking answers to resolve doubts and skepticism are not allowed, when you are being told by your leaders not to ask sensitive questions and just follow what the leaders says, you can be sure this is an authoritative organization and a Cult. You can check this facts in Wikipedia.
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[…] find this comment by BoE very enlightening and should be a post by itself. So, here […]
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hmmmm…..
GD and ECC’s behavior reminds me of the videos that SG used to show how Nikken acted – his unruly behavior, his total authoritarian nature and his demand for total obedient to his rule – and those times, we were always reminded how bad Nikken was and how his behavior is liken to someone filled with rage, animality, jealousy and greed.
Frankly, I see all the similar traits in the SG leadership, the traits that we were told were evil and must be suppress and eliminated.
But, in relation to the anti-gakkai members, we are told to dialogue with them, embrace them, and convert them back to SG members. And we willingly did that and accepted them back. But now, we discredit our very own leaders and members that ask a few questions and label them as worst enemies than the anti-gakkai.
I dunno….they should make up their mind. Full of contradiction and making clowns of themselves. Much worst then GD and ECC are the consenting leaders that supports them. They are the worst, and rightly, will suffer the most.
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Dear drunkard bird,
I also feel sort of deja vu. Just the reversal of roles. During the 1990s, Soka Gakkai printed out a lot of materials and booklet to explain each and every argument. These were supported by evidence of documents. We knew exactly what were the points raised by the Nikken Sect and how to refute it with gosho and reasoning.
But today, we have nothing. Or just a few brief memo. And a lot of bashing and angry words of being betrayed and evil hands behind. But nothing on the points of mishandling of funds, conflict of interest, Region Chief exceeded his authority, etc. Zilch.
As for the memo, it also took some interesting development. If you notice, it started with GD issued memo. Then ECC. After that, KL Region chief, Mr Matahari, and followed by the Soka Spirit Com were given the task of bashing. And now, we have a Soka Action Com. Is GD trying to distance himself and not claim responsibility? Interesting.
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