The 3-Minute Gosho is a brief presentation to be given by a youth member at district discussion meetings, sharing how they can apply Nichiren Daishonin’s teachings to their daily life. Dylan Oh, a future division member entering high school, gave the following presentation at a recent discussion meeting on developing the “stand-alone spirit.”
by Dylan Oh
Colorado
Good morning, everyone. I’m going to share the August 3-Minute Gosho, “Sharing Buddhism With Sincerity, Perseverance and Passion.”
Now, let’s read the Gosho passage together: “At first only Nichiren chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, but then two, three, and a hundred followed, chanting and teaching others” (“The True Aspect of All Phenomena,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 385).
When I read this, what stood out to me was that Nichiren started by himself. It explains that he continued sharing Buddhism even though he faced many persecutions and difficulties. He didn’t give up, and little by little, more people began practicing and sharing Buddhism with others.
Ikeda Sensei says that this shows us the importance of having a “stand-alone spirit.” To me, that means not always waiting for someone else to take action first. Even if you are only one person, you can still be the one who starts something positive.
This made me think about my own life, because I’m about to start high school. I’m really looking forward to meeting new people and having new experiences. I’ve always been pretty outgoing, and I like talking to people and making new friends. So, I realized that I can use that part of my personality in a positive way. If I notice someone who doesn’t know many people, I can include them in a conversation. If someone is having a bad day, I can check on them or try to cheer them up.
To me, that’s one way of having the stand-alone spirit—seeing something I can do for another person and just doing it.
When I thought about sincerity, perseverance and passion, I thought about how I can use these in my own life. Sincerity is really caring about my friends and the people around me. Perseverance is not giving up on someone, even if they are going through a hard time. And passion is being confident about what I believe in and being willing to share it with others.
I think I can do all three in high school—by being there for my friends, encouraging people when they need it and being open about my Buddhist practice when I have the chance. I don’t think sharing Buddhism has to start with a big conversation. It can start with being a good friend and caring about the people around me. And if someone asks me about Buddhism or why I chant, I can just be myself and share my own experience.
As I start high school, I want to use my outgoing personality to connect with different people, encourage them and hopefully make a positive difference. And when I have the opportunity, I want to share Buddhism naturally in my own way—with sincerity, perseverance and passion.
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