Sharing Buddhism Creates Trust

Since I started practicing at age 19, I have shared Nichiren Buddhism with many people in my life, from family members and friends to neighbors and acquaintances. Some were responsive and some were not. One person actually returned all the letters I had written to him about Buddhism. There were times when I wondered why so few people sought Nichiren Daishonin’s teachings.

But no one can avoid the sufferings of birth, aging, sickness and death. Deep down, everyone longs for the Mystic Law, the key to overcoming these ups and downs of life. I prayed earnestly and spoke to as many people as possible, wishing to enable them to forge even a small connection with Buddhism and wishing they would become happy. Nothing brought me greater joy than when my sincere and steady efforts at dialogue resulted in someone deciding to practice Nichiren Buddhism.

Mr. Toda once joined me when I shared Buddhism with someone. I was deeply grateful to have a wonderful mentor who would support me in this way, inexperienced youth that I was.

“We create trust when we share Nichiren Buddhism,” Mr. Toda used to say. We pray for the other person’s happiness and speak with them seriously. Whether they decide to start practicing, our sincerity is sure to reach them.

I have stayed in touch with those friends I shared Nichiren Buddhism with in my youth but who didn’t embrace faith. Back then, I wrote in a poem, “May you find happiness, my friend!” This wish for each of them remains unchanged, even though we took different paths. All of my efforts to share Buddhism are golden treasures of my life. And those challenging experiences contributed positively to my later dialogues with world leaders and thinkers. (For Our Wonderful New Members, pp. 28–30)