EL PASO, TEXAS—Beneath warm desert skies, members and guests gathered with anticipation at the SGI-USA El Paso Buddhist Center on June 28. As they greeted one another, some carried homemade dishes for the afternoon potluck, while others—including several youth holding mariachi instruments—made their way into the center, foreshadowing one of the day’s most memorable and encouraging moments.
In 1996, during his final visit to the United States, Ikeda Sensei traveled to Costa Rica and Mexico before making a stopover in El Paso on June 29. There, he met briefly with the local SGI-USA members and thanked them for their tireless efforts. Sensei also dedicated a poem to the members, titled “To the Great Pioneers of Kosen-rufu of El Paso.”
Tony Benitez, who met Sensei during that stopover, recalled the unexpected phone call informing him that Sensei’s chartered plane would briefly land in El Paso to refuel. During that encounter, Sensei personally handed him the original manuscript of the poem, which remains preserved at the El Paso Buddhist Center.
Three decades later, the vast majority of those in attendance at the commemorative celebration—including the youth in the forefront of every aspect of the meeting—had only heard stories of Sensei’s brief stop in the city 30 years earlier. Yet the pioneers’ stories and their unwavering encouragement over the years have left a lasting impression. On this day, they gathered not just to remember history, but to move it forward.
Setting the tone for the celebration, young women’s division member Christina Rice and her future division son, Orion Hale, served as emcees. Jee Moon, Southwest Zone women’s leader, gave opening words, reminding attendees that the gathering was about much more than looking back. “Today’s gathering isn’t simply about remembering a visit that took place 30 years ago,” she said. “It’s about carrying forward the same spirit.”
Reflecting on how Sensei’s encouragement transformed her own life as a young woman, Moon said she came to realize that “the greatest encouragement isn’t something we say; it’s the way we live.”
One of the meeting’s most moving moments came when Hiro Uga, a young man preparing to begin his studies at Texas Tech University this fall, read excerpts from Sensei’s poem:
O El Paso!
where the Rio Grande flows powerfully
and the vast sky stretches endlessly
In this city too
are courageous pioneers
valiant and respectworthy
blazing the trail of kosen-rufu[1]
Later, the poem expresses Sensei’s confidence in the future of the members’ efforts:
Like the timeless Rio Grande
beginning from a single drop
from the peaks of Colorado
the great river of El Paso kosen-rufu
flows boldly and serenely
growing ever wider and higher
toward a new century of humanism[2]
Looking back on that 1996 enounter, Benitez said that Sensei’s compassion left the greatest impression. “He reached out to shake my hand, and I hugged him instead,” he recalled. “In the 30 minutes he spent with us, he poured his heart into encouraging each of us to become absolutely happy.”
That same spirit of peace and encouragement was recognized throughout the city. Earlier that week, the City of El Paso proclaimed June 29, 2026, “El Paso SGI-USA World Peace Day” in honor of the 30th anniversary of Sensei’s visit. The El Paso Chamber of Commerce also named the SGI-USA El Paso Buddhist Center the day’s Official Starlighter, illuminating the iconic Franklin Mountain Star in celebration of the milestone.
The Future Takes Root
The commemorative meeting also reflected the future Sensei had envisioned. Akeena Salazar shared how attending the student division conference at the Florida Nature and Culture Center helped her overcome her fears and deepen her faith. “The night before it was time to leave, I was scared,” she said of her first time flying alone. Inspired by the friendships, encouragement and guidance she received, she returned home determined to chant consistently and introduce 10 young people to Buddhism by the end of 2026.
Salazar’s determination has begun taking shape in her own community. She invited six of her high school friends to perform as a mariachi ensemble at the commemorative meeting, filling the meeting with music, celebration and friendship. Their lively performance energized the audience, drawing enthusiastic cheers and applause.
Her band friends remained after the performance, enjoying the meeting and connecting with members. Two later attended the following week’s kosen-rufu gongyo meeting and expressed their desire to continue learning about Buddhism.
Closing the meeting, Apoorvee Sawhney, Vice SGI-USA and West Territory young women’s leader, challenged attendees to transform appreciation into action. Quoting Sensei’s diary, she said, “Either our determination is destroyed by the environment, or we develop a condition of life powerful enough to reconstruct the environment.”[3]
Reflecting on the significance of the anniversary, she added, “We are no longer standing across from Sensei—we are standing beside him to open the way forward.” Inviting attendees to envision the next 30 years of kosen-rufu in El Paso, Sawhney asked: “What if El Paso became the number one place for giving hope to people? What if El Paso became known as the city with the happiest people in America?” She concluded with Sensei’s words: “The purpose of life is to be happy. We should not be pessimistic. Let us always be optimistic—joyful, strong and bright.”[4]
Following the meeting, members and guests gathered outside for a potluck featuring homemade dishes, cake and conversation. Laughter filled the courtyard as the young musicians continued playing mariachi songs long after the official program had ended.
For the organizers, the anniversary was never intended simply as a remembrance. “We really wanted people to connect to Sensei,” said Tami Wilson, El Paso Chapter women’s leader, noting that many of the attendees had not yet been born when Sensei visited El Paso.
Looking toward the future, she shared her determination “to involve as many people as possible” in introducing youth to Buddhism through the “One Youth. Infinite Hope” movement. Benitez echoed that resolve, sharing his determination to continue fostering friendships with young people and introducing them to Buddhist practice.
As dusk settled over the border city and the Franklin Mountain Star illuminated the skyline, it stood as a visible reminder of a promise first made 30 years ago. Just as Sensei praised the pioneers for creating a “great river of El Paso kosen-rufu,” today’s members departed the center with the same determination—to ensure that current continues to flow, expanding friendship, raising capable youth and illuminating hope for generations to come.
July 17, 2026 World Tribune, pp. 6–7
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