Life Without Soka Is Too Scary

You must never leave the castle of Soka. But if you do, we will be sad for you and wait for your return with open arms. We have read the Lotus Sutra and know that some of the Buddha's sick children are so deluded that they run away from the only medicine that can cure them.

We know that you will come back to us because life without Soka is too scary. If you leave Soka, you will have difficulties and problems that can only be cured by coming back and giving selflessly to Soka.

You will be depressed. When you leave Soka, you will be overwhelmed with a sense of meaninglessness. You will feel regret for your lost years. Your self-esteem will suffer because you will foolishly think that you have been used.

You will be lonely. You will be leaving your true friends of Soka, people who understand the jargon of your religious faith. No one will understand what you are talking about and they probably will not care. Who will you talk to? People will shun you because they will sense your wounded dismay at having given so much of yourself to a questionable Japanese religious corporation. No one will want to be your friend. You will miss Soka and start questioning your decision to leave. We will welcome even stupid, angry people like you back to Soka.

You will be indecisive. What would Sensei do? Ah, you can no longer base your decisions on what you assume Sensei might do. You will be unable to challenge your problems with a resolute daimoku campaign, as is done in the realm of Soka. You will be torn, not knowing whether your Buddhist practice is based on self-serving Soka interpretations or on Nichiren's actual teachings and intent. You will no longer be able to look forward to a new, encouraging motto each year. You will have no chanting, study and shakubuku goals to challenge. You will no longer read the Soka publications. What will you do with yourself?

You will not be able to concentrate. Soka has trained you to be happy and to look cheerfully on life. When you leave Soka, you will not know how to feel about life or how to deal with daily realities. You will be lethargic and Soka guidance will ring in your head much louder than your own intuitive faculties. You will be confused because you won't know which voices you should trust.

You will fear Soka. You will retain some residual belief in the Soka doctrines of strict punishment, and this will haunt you. You may experience mild dissociation, deep preoccupations and temporary altered states of consciousness. Some sincere, caring members may make efforts to get you back by calling you, dropping by unexpectedly -- or even talking to family, friends, co-workers and bosses, telling them how concerned they are about your irrational action of leaving Soka. We stalk because we care!

You will feel ridiculous. New friends, co-workers and family members will be staring at you, wondering how you could have joined a cult.

You will have to explain yourself. You will be at a loss to fully convey the subtleties and power of cult recruitment procedures and how you were indoctrinated. People will mock you for your foolish belief in the existence of cults. You will not be able to explain why you did not simply walk away from a cult. You will have to give a long and sophisticated explanation about social and psychological coercion, influence, and control procedures, and no one cares enough or has time to listen to your pseudo-scientific drivel.

You will feel guilty. Significant parts of cult activity are based on deception, particularly fund-raising and recruitment. The dishonesty is rationalized as being for the greater good of the cult or the person recruited. As you take up your personal conscience again, you will be consumed with remorse. How pitiful that you did not understand the true nature of Soka!

Your altruistic spirit will be damaged. How will you be able to put your altruistic Bodhisattva spirit back to work without becoming a pawn in another manipulative group? Ah, Soka made it easy for you. Now you must suffer.

You will no longer be special. As a Soka member, you could have saved the world. You were in the vanguard of history, a Bodhisattva of the Earth. But now you are nobody. Get used to it.

Still not convinced? Read more.