Up to Me

Everything began with our district team’s united prayer. We organized weekly chanting sessions to address the low attendance and lack of new friends. Not only did we chant, we also connected. We shared our personal struggles, and we grew closer to one another. In the process, we realized that we needed to shake things up! Youth like exciting new things, and we determined to make our meetings more appealing to them. So, we tried some new things.

First, we borrowed from the speed-dating concept and called it the “Speed Orchid Room.” Friends sat in pairs for a few minutes and spoke on a predetermined topic until a timer went off, then switched to a new pairing—with someone they had not yet met. We also added a “Culture Corner” to our meetings, where members or guests could share their creative work with everyone, including writing, music, rap and artwork. We also have potlucks at the end of the meetings, where both the food and the conversations are equal parts joy. 

The district team visits the members and guests to build bonds of friendship and make sure everyone knows about the next meeting . As a result of our team effort, we have gone from six members and two guests in March to 15 members and a record 17 guests in July! 

We make it a point to keep in contact with our guests too, and many have been returning for many months now.

Before I started practicing Buddhism and was exposed to Ikeda Sensei’s encouragement, I lived in the world of animality, constantly reacting to others. But now, when I share Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with people, they trust me, because they can sense I’ve been where they’ve been. 

Last month, I gave my experience at an introduction-to-Buddhism meeting where I personally brought seven friends—many of them attending their first SGI meeting! Since Sensei’s passing, I feel a deep mission to share my Buddhist practice with others, especially young people. And I feel that our district team has created an environment where every one of them can feel welcome and at home. 

Friends for Life

Main Street Mountain Warriors District
California
Adya Mohanty
Young Women’s Leader

I received the Gohonzon two years ago. I had struggled with anxiety throughout my life, and when my father started practicing Buddhism, I thought I’d try it out. I was looking for something to just ground me. My Buddhist practice has done much more than that. It completely transformed my life to the point where I no longer avoid social events. I’ve become more comfortable interacting with others, and I am able to pursue with confidence my career as an actor and singer. I now even view my anxiety as a superpower, which gives me heightened empathy and sensitivity as an artist.

When I joined Main Street Mountain Warriors District, I was the only young woman attending meetings, receiving great care from the district leaders. I had arrived at a time when they were leading a charge to bring more youth to the district, and I was eventually appointed as the young women’s leader.

One by one, members began inviting youth to the district meetings, and one by one, our young women’s membership grew. It was like this steady snowball effect. A chapter young men’s leader brought a young women’s guest to our district, and she joined. A men’s division member told a young woman about Buddhism. She happened to live in the neighborhood, and she joined. Another young women’s member moved to Santa Monica and joined our district. All of a sudden, there were two, three, four, then five young women practicing in our district, thanks to the determination of the district leaders and members to share this practice with others.

Ikeda Sensei states, “When we change our inner determination, everything begins to move in a new direction” (Hope Is A Decision, p. 4).

I have never experienced being around so many young women who want to change their lives and the world, based on the practice of Nichiren Buddhism. 

We are trying to respond to the interest of our new members. When a young woman said that what really grounded her is Buddhist study, we decided to hold a gathering at her apartment where we asked each person to bring something they are studying about this practice, so we could all read it together.

At the end of the night, an incident occurred that bonded us forever. The host got locked out of her apartment while seeing us off. So we all banded together and, through some hoisting and climbing, we gained entry back into the house. It turned out to be a team-building exercise at the end of a great gathering. From that night on, we’ve called ourselves “The Buddha Babes.”

In February, many of my friends in faith came to my birthday party. Of course, we started talking about our Buddhist practice. And some of my friends, who were not practicing, found our conversation and camaraderie interesting. So I invited a couple of them to our next district discussion meeting. They were so moved by the warmth of our district and how fun and genuine everyone was.

One of my friends has been practicing for six months, and she just shared an experience at our district meeting. Another friend, who I co-created a show with, has been chanting and attending meetings. 

In our district, we’ve created an environment of deep friendship, where each young woman feels really supported regardless of their level of practice. We have one young woman who hasn’t been chanting as much recently and is unsure whether she wants to continue practicing. But it’s so important for us that we just continue that friendship no matter what. Our feeling is: Once you are a Buddha Babe, you are one of us for life.

Emerging One by One

Palm Beach Chapter
Florida
Tracy Cooper and Tom Truscio
Women’s and Men’s Leaders

A few years back, we didn’t have many youth members attending our meetings. We sincerely wanted to reply to Ikeda Sensei and create an environment where many youth could stand up in faith for the future of kosen-rufu in our local area. That was our mission. It took some time, but now momentum is building where young people are beginning to emerge in our districts. It’s occurring as a result of prayer, unity in purpose and allowing the youth to come up with innovative ideas for activities.

It started with one of our district leaders seriously chanting for youth to emerge in her district. Then, a young woman who was practicing elsewhere moved into her area and began attending meetings. Everything began to build from there. One by one, young people began emerging and attending our local district meetings. Part of maintaining and building our youth movement is the unity between the chapter and district teams. We all share the same vision of helping many youth participate in the districts, especially during this Summer of Shakubuku. We are creating the space for youth to take the lead.

We are learning that the language of the youth is different from what we grew up with. So one of our main focuses is being flexible on how we introduce youth to the practice and conduct discussion meetings. As each district is unique, our chapter team is going all-out to make sure our districts feel supported.

The young people in the districts are coming up with creative ideas to make the chapter introductory meetings more youth friendly. For example, we decided not to do gongyo at the beginning of the meeting. We start out very casually with conversation, an experience and open dialogue about the practice; and then everyone is invited to chant and do gongyo at the end of the meeting. Also districts have created an environment where, when guests walk into a meeting, they can instantly become participants, not simply observers.

The district members are becoming increasingly excited about inviting their young friends to these meetings because they know their guests will enjoy them. One couple even created a hangout space on the side of their home so youth can just come hang out. One chapter gathering with 17 guests, included a fireside chat. Youth are looking for trust and friendship, and our districts are creating such environments.

At one discussion meeting, the youth asked everyone which song really resonated with them and their Buddhahood. The youth made a playlist combining parts of all the member’s selections and played it at the end of the meeting. The members loved it!

August 8, 2025 World Tribune, pp. 6–7