PHIL 202-3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 23: Soka Gakkai, Falun Gong, Lotus Sutra
PHIL 202
Ch. 12 New Religions and Movements (pt. 1)
Defining New Religions, Sects, and Cults
Sects and Cults
• Sect
o Max Weber
• Christian splinter groups
o Either faded away or became new denominations
• Cult
o Origially used as a syoy for orship or religio
o Now—negative connotations
• Braiashig
Sets ad Cults, ot’d
• Cults seem to have shared characteristics
o Special knowledge
o Charismatic leader
• Definitional lines are vague
o Hare Krishna
• Sect of Hinduism in India
• Seen as a cult in the West
New Religious Movements
• Constitutional protection and tax exemption
• Ted to appear durig ties of serious ultural disruptio or hage
New Religions from the East
Soka Gakkai
• Japan
• Founded before WWII, but became more important after 1945
• Monk Nichiren (13th century)
o Pure Land Buddhism and the Lotus Sutra
o Warned that Japan would be doomed if the teachings of the Lotus Sutra were
ignored
• Attempted invasion of the Mongols in 1274 validated concerns
• Development of Nichiren Shoshu
Soka Gakkai, ot’d
• Established in 1930
• Lay organization of Nichiren Shoshu
• Promotion of moral values for the youth
find more resources at oneclass.com
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• Founder: Makiguchi Tsunesaburo
• Successor: Toda Josei
o Aggressive recruitment strategies
• Chanting outside of homes
Soka Gakkai, ot’d
• Matra: namu myoho renge kyo—I deote yself to the Lotus “utra of the
Woderful La
o Mystic truth is innate in all life
o Benefits in the here and now
• Personal transformation
Falun Dafa (Falun Gong)
• Law Wheel of the Great Law
• Li Hongzhi
• Developed out of Chinese Buddhist qigong tradition
o Qi—energy flowing through the body
o Qigong—breathing and movement that helps energy flow
o But not recognized as an official school
• Demonstrations led to ban in China
• Serious persecutions
Falu Dafa, ot’d
• Physical and spiritual purification
• Falun: La heel i adoe
o Spins with the universe
• Clockwise—absorbs and transforms energy from the universe
• Counter-clockwise—dispenses salvation, healing
o Gong: energy cluster, glows
• Dafa exercises to open energy channels in the body
• Zhuan Falun (Turning the Wheel)
• Non-violence
International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)
• ISKCON (1965)
o Hare Krishna movement
• A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
o Western mission of Vaishnava Hinduism
• Krishna is Supreme Godhead
o Personal relationship and devotion will help one escape the cycle of rebirth
• Sacred texts
o Bhagavad Gita
o Srimad Bhagavatam
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Sects and cults: sect, max weber, christian splinter groups, either faded away or became new denominations, cult, origi(cid:374)ally used as a sy(cid:374)o(cid:374)y(cid:373) for (cid:862)(cid:449)orship(cid:863) or (cid:862)religio(cid:374)(cid:863, now negative connotations (cid:862)brai(cid:374)(cid:449)ashi(cid:374)g(cid:863) Se(cid:272)ts a(cid:374)d cults, (cid:272)o(cid:374)t"d: cults seem to have shared characteristics, special knowledge, charismatic leader, definitional lines are vague, hare krishna, sect of hinduism in india, seen as a cult in the west. New religious movements: constitutional protection and tax exemption, te(cid:374)d to appear duri(cid:374)g (cid:862)ti(cid:373)es of serious (cid:272)ultural disruptio(cid:374) or (cid:272)ha(cid:374)ge(cid:863) Soka gakkai, (cid:272)o(cid:374)t"d: established in 1930, promotion of moral values for the youth. Lay organization of nichiren shoshu: founder: makiguchi tsunesaburo, successor: toda josei, aggressive recruitment strategies, chanting outside of homes. Wo(cid:374)derful la(cid:449)(cid:863: ma(cid:374)tra: (cid:862)namu myoho renge kyo(cid:863) (cid:862)i de(cid:448)ote (cid:373)yself to the lotus utra of the, mystic truth is innate in all life, benefits in the here and now, personal transformation.
