Carpe Diem
First let me just say for those of you who may be wondering (coughcoughFATHERcoughcough) that I am in fact going to start a Flickr site that will display my work for the curious eye - so keep an eye out as I will hope to add it soon (so many pictures to go through..). In case you want to go through the trouble of just searching for me, my flickr name is whenshelaughs. Bob's is Krelianbob and as always his pictures are beautiful =p
In this post I'd like to give three examples of how to carpe diem in your daily life:
1. Talk to a crazed out Soka Gakkai member (in his messed up crazed Japanese)
2. Climb mountains with your Vice Principal and your significant other
3. Head out to look at the castle at night and watch a concert by the moonlight (and ask those old ladies about fake mochi).
So, the first one. Now, this actually happened some weeks ago so the danger to my physical being has significantly passed and I can look back at the utter ridiculousness of it all and laugh heartily. This is actually part of a larger story arc in which I was leaving my visit school early so I could join Ikebana club so I was waiting at the train station for my train to come and whisk me away. I must have misread the schedule cause it was taking the train a lot longer than I thought it would to get there. Anyway, I was just sitting on a bench waiting patiently when I man came up to me and started saying things like "Is it okay, May I?" in Japanese. I just thought he wanted me to move my bag to let him sit down too so I was like "Sure, whatever." LO AND BEHOLD, he starts speaking to me in rapid fire Japanese and, even though my Japanese is pretty good, I can't understand crap at 90 miles an hour. So eventually we exchange details such as we're not going to the same place and that I come from America and that he is crazy.
It's all pretty hard to take in normally and his Japanese was super fast so eventually I convinced him to write down what he was saying so I could look it up in my electronic dictionary. After writing a bit in his questionable Japanese I recognize the second sentence: he's a member of Soka Gakkai. Now, I'm not usually one to discriminate but I'll be flat out and say that there are certain groups of people that I just naturally try to avoid: Druggies and other escapist types, the inherently rude, Jehovah's Witness junkies, and Soka Gakkai members. To me there's no question that the majority of these people are just plain unsavory and/or crazy. In case you're like, "Alright Ashley I get the first ones but what's so bad about Soka Gakkai?" take a gander:
http://www.sgi-usa.org/
looks innocent right? Wait for it:
"
In spite of their declared mission for peace, culture and education, the SGI and Soka Gakkai are also a focus of criticism and controversy. Soka Gakkai, the Japanese organization, has a reputation for involvement in Japan's political arena. Though officially the two are separate, it is closely affiliated with the New Clean Government Party (also known as the New Komeito Party), a major political party in Japan. Though SGI and New Komeito both publicly deny any relationship, and declare that they are separate organizations[7], accusations that Soka Gakkai in effect controls New Komeito persist.[8]
Soka Gakkai and Soka Gakkai International are perceived by some critics to be a cult or a cult-like group. Their concerns are that Soka Gakkai places an emphasis on recruitment, that it demonizes perceived opponents, and that it uses phobia indoctrination and peer pressure. French and Belgian anti-cult movements and parliamentary commissions have also accused SGI of engaging in cult-like practices, but there are groups critical of these governments citing they are religiously suppressive.[9] Some critics also assert that SGI emphasizes dependence on the organization for spiritual advancement.
Another point of contention concerns SGI's application of the mentor–disciple concept. According to SGI, the mentor-and-disciple relationship is a very important aspect of living a full life, for every human being; detractors see SGI’s version of the mentor–disciple relationship as a cult of personality for its intense focus on SGI President Ikeda. SGI defenders argue[citation needed] that in most cultures, and for most human beings, the idea of looking to those who have come before us, and finding a person who one can feel a kinship with, that one may look to as an example for how to live s life, for guidance, encouragement and support, is a common part of human development, and that their establishing a lasting relationship with such an individual is an important part of life.
SGI members attribute this view to the mentor–disciple relationship of Nichiren Buddhism, which they describe as the central pillar upon which the practice and the organization have developed: Shakyamuni was the mentor to Nichiren; Nichiren, the mentor to his disciples; and they, mentors to future practitioners. Makiguchi took Nichiren as a mentor in his life, while Toda took Makiguchi as his. Ikeda continued the tradition with Toda as his mentor, and now members throughout the world have chosen Ikeda, along with Toda, Makiguchi, Nichiren, and Shakyamuni, to be their mentors.
To critics of Ikeda and SGI, this relationship is viewed as symptomatic of a cult of personality. Critics also question the authority and authenticity of Ikeda's writings. The use of the familial term sensei (“teacher,” “master”) to refer to Ikeda is looked upon with suspicion and considered to be symbolic and further evidence of a cult of personality. Many SGI members view Ikeda and his life as a great example of how to use the practice in their own lives. He is viewed as an inspiration and an example of the power of one person to have a substantial positive effect on our world. For many members, Ikeda, as well as Shakyamuni, Nichiren, Makiguchi, Toda, and a host of other like minded philosophers, and thinkers around the world, are taken as models for how one may build their own lives around ideas of peace, culture, and education, and within all levels of their lives—family, work, friends, and society at large.
Critics of SGI and Ikeda are suspicious of the way he is considered by members to be a living embodiment of the power of the practice of SGI Buddhism. They assert that members are pressured to view Ikeda as their mentor in life. They are also suspicious and distrustful of the idea of mentor-disciple relationships, and question the motivation behind SGI’s application of the concept.
There is controversy about the degree of religious tolerance practiced by Soka Gakkai members. Official materials state all other religions, including other Buddhist denominations, are viewed as valuable in as much as they are able to support the happiness, empowerment, and development of all people. SGI claims that religious tolerance and a deep respect for culture are strongly emphasized in the organization.[10] However, there has been an acrimonious rift between SGI and Nichiren Shoshu."
MORAL OF THE STORY? As far as my studies are concerned (and yes I did legitimately study new religions of Japan such as Soka Gakkai) they're primarily known for tricking and pressuring members into giving large sums of money: such as several thousand dollars for a funeral plot in Hokkaido...... THE JAPANESE DON'T BURY THEIR DEAD and if they did they don't pay thousands of dollars just for the plot of dirt miles and miles away from their families or purchasing works of art for the organization. Money given to the group is seen as a means of creating good luck with business and personal matters.
Now Here is the important part.
HE MANAGED TO DROOL ON ME IN HIS CONVERSION ZEAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! UGH GROSS!!!!!!!!!! JEEEEEEEEEEEZ!!
So then.. what do I do? I have two options:
1. Tell him he's really gross and run away as fast as I can.
2. Pretend it didn't happen and just feel personally mortified.
So of course I chose option two. No idea why except that after something like that I was just plain confused and more than a little irritated. So after giving off the hey-our-train-is-coming-soon-huh vibe he finally let me alone. And by that I mean he just kept on telling me to join Soka Gakkai as soon as I made it back to America.
SIGH.
Anyway, let me show you some pretty pictures of how awesome I am at Ikebana =D
And a pretty sunset outside of the school:
.And of course, a video to make everything cozy:
And now on to story two, to be continued in the next post!
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