Building an Enduring Foundation of Peace

Now, in the time after Sensei’s passing, we are renewing the SGI-USA student division. I can’t help but feel the profound mission we have to advance kosen-rufu in this new era and show the greatness of our mentor.

Thinking of students ages 18 to 25 years old, they are at a crucial juncture when they transition into adulthood and develop their sense of self and ideals. 

Dee Gopi (SGI-USA Student Division young women’s leader): That’s right. My uncle introduced me to Buddhism when I was a teenager. But it wasn’t until I came to the U.S. to pursue my master’s and struggled with this new life on my own that I finally sought out and connected to the SGI.

When I attended my first student division conference at the Florida Nature and Culture Center, it opened my eyes to the group’s history and the struggles that other young people were facing. I was so afraid of making mistakes then, but seeing how others were challenging their insecurities and circumstances gave me hope and courage. I realized my struggles weren’t meaningless; they were there to encourage others. I still had fears, but this completely shifted my perspective on my life and other people. I learned to be fearless.

Doubts and fears may especially be pervasive for this generation of young people considering the backdrop of global conflicts and division.

Dee: Yes, very much so. That’s why it’s so important to develop a strong foundation in life—which for me was fortified in the student division. It’s not that I have overcome all my problems and fears. It’s that the Gohonzon has become the core of my life, which enables me to face whatever comes my way.

In this age, we need to be strong to transform society and have hope. Buddhism teaches that my life and environment are not separate. That means it’s up to me to have courage in the crucial moment. It’s up to us to become people who can build friendships.

Koichi:I agree. The benefit of what we learn and cultivate through SGI activities becomes more apparent as time passes. When those crucial moments come, we can respond with courage and win in all aspects of our lives.

When I was a student in Japan, I was hesitant about practicing Buddhism. But a student division leader took me along everywhere so I gained a variety of experiences. One day, he took me to meet with a friend he wanted to encourage. Surprisingly, his friend became upset and started criticizing him. Heading home, we were both silent. He must’ve felt terrible. But he showed me an example of a person who didn’t criticize back but only continued to encourage his friend. That night, it became clear how I wanted to live my life.

We can see the impact the student division has had on your lives. When it comes to the student division’s focus of university campus clubs, what can a platform like this provide for young people?

Dee: This coming generation of young people are so capable and have so much to offer. They’re curious, they care about goals that contribute to a bigger picture, and they bring a creative, more inclusive vision. I see it as: How can we collaborate and learn from one another? How can we support them in achieving their goals?

It comes back to being a good friend to them in their journey, to embrace and support them just as they are. These campus clubs are safe spaces where students can meet people they otherwise wouldn’t and talk about things they may struggle to express elsewhere. Where other clubs may be about the group itself, what’s unique about SGI-USA campus clubs is that you learn to become happy and that you have a mission.

Koichi: That’s right. That being said, each campus club should have its own approach based on the students. Maybe some are centered on the SGI’s view of promoting peace and resolving conflicts. Maybe some are more like intro-to-Buddhism meetings. Either way, what’s most important is introducing as many students to the philosophy and heart of Sensei and the SGI.

I also want to add that connecting to the local district is key, too. The district is where we come in contact with the most diverse group of people. It’s easy to be among our peers, but as young people, we need to have the courage to work with and among diversity.

Any closing thoughts toward this new era of the student division?

Dee: It’s my determination that we will be the driving force for building a culture of respect, hope and human happiness. This is such an important time. I am who I am today because someone took Sensei’s spirit to heart and didn’t give up on me. I want to be that person for someone else.

Koichi: When I think of what’s the greatest treasure we can give young people, it’s faith in the Mystic Law. If even one more young person can get into the orbit of chanting, studying and participating in SGI activities, that cultivates a new foundation that will endure. And friends in the student division and our campus clubs are the greatest protective functions toward that end.

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Communicating Sensei’s Message

Name: Lio Spinelli
City: New York City 
School:The New School

Living Buddhism: Hi Lio, thank you for speaking with us today about your efforts to restart the SGI campus club at your school. Why is it important to do so?

Lio Spinelli: Up until two semesters ago, we held campus club meetings here. What I loved about them was the openness with which people shared vulnerably about what they were going through. We are working on starting them back up this semester. 

In your 20s, life is a fresh canvas. There is so much that a young adult has to deal with—school, education, finances, domesticity, being away from home. It’s so easy to get lost in it all. My father lives in England, so for me, coming to New York was a huge undertaking. It was the first time that there was an ocean between us for an indefinite amount of time. 

Our Buddhist practice helps us get through the day, be on top of our workload, have a social life, keep things at home afloat and have a mindset toward the future. Members in the SGI are always moving forward toward something. I think Buddhist practice can benefit students to navigate all of these things.

There is an attitude that thrives in any space, especially in a big chaotic city like New York. This practice has helped me stay on track and be well in that space and show up well in that space for myself and for my peers. 

How did you discover the practice?

Lio: A friend of mine who practiced under the same piano teacher in England moved to New York first to attend The New School. He encouraged me to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo when I was applying. Within six months I got in. When I moved to New York, I began to chant with him and learned gongyo. But I started drifting away from the practice, until I had an experience involving my mother.

My mother passed away when I was young, in a car accident that I was also in. Around her anniversary I was grieving her loss, and I remembered encouragement from a fellow SGI member telling me that even though she had passed, I could still chant for her happiness. I decided to see if chanting could help me transform my grief.

I can’t explain it, but when I started chanting for my mother, I felt an intense connection with her, more than I had felt since her passing. I realized that grieving is the purest form of love—I could now understand that with my life. Chanting brought me closer to her, and for that I am forever grateful. 

Wow. What a beautiful experience. What do you hope for your future?

Lio: I’m graduating this semester and determined to do so without regrets. I’m chanting to make the most of the last few months here at The New School. Looking ahead, I’ll be working on the film score of a feature length film after graduation. Then I’m chanting to get into the best master’s program in film scoring in the next couple of years. 

With the campus club, I’m determined to revive it this semester so that we can sincerely communicate the message of Sensei to our peers and colleagues. 

Thank you, Sensei! I’m so grateful to this practice!

From the April 2025 Living Buddhism