CategoryProfiles

by Rajani Falcone Cambridge, Mass.  For many years, I suffered from anxiety and depression. I was locked into a narrow view of myself and had lost sight of my potential and what I could accomplish. Even though I wanted to be a positive person and had many dreams, I was in such a dark place mentally

Highlighting SGI-USA members from Georgia applying Buddhism to daily life.

by Heather AngellSalt Lake City I was introduced to Nichiren Buddhism in 2020 by a co-worker in New Orleans. Shortly after, the pandemic began, and I moved back home to Salt Lake City. Growing up, I didn’t feel worthy or that there was a place I belonged. So I feared going back to my hometown

Highlighting SGI-USA members from Northern California applying Buddhism to daily life.

Featuring SGI-USA members from Chicago.

by Masami Kelly Cambridge, Mass.  At the start of 2022, I asked myself what I needed most for my happiness. My negative self-talk often says that other people don’t like me or won’t listen to what I have to say. But I realized that I needed to live not based on anxiety but on the

The power of relentless Buddhist practice amid difficulties.

If one lights a fire for others, one will brighten one’s own way. (“On the Three Virtues of Food,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 2, p. 1060) by Nadia UllahHouston The greatest benefit of my Buddhist practice has been the awareness of choice. I can break patterns of behavior that cause me suffering and grow into

Featuring members from New England.

by Marion FeldmanManhattan I’ve worked as a cello professor at New York University since 1999 and the prestigious conservatory the Manhattan School of Music since 1974, which was one of my first big benefits. This May, I will be awarded the President’s Distinguished Service Medal there. And next year will be my 50th year of

Featuring members from Hawaii.

by Daniela RyanPalm Desert, Calif.   In June 2021, between the stress of the pandemic, the end of a bad relationship and what seemed like the start of another, I was feeling emotionally dysregulated.  Why couldn’t I get a handle on myself? This was my exasperated contribution to one memorable phone call with a friend

by Hiro UryuNew York Last year, I experienced the sudden and tragic loss of a dear friend. I couldn’t pick myself up and began questioning the meaning of life, faith and kosen-rufu. I desperately chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and sought guidance from my seniors in faith. I felt that chanting on its own wasn’t enough. I also

Featuring members from Texas.

by Courtney Pogue Little Rock, Ark. My cousin, who has been practicing Buddhism for 14 years, introduced me to Nam-myoho-renge-kyo in 2019. Since the birth of my first son, Negus, I began experiencing health issues making it difficult for me to walk, so I started chanting with the desire to find a different way to

by Susan Jacoby Auburn, Washington I was walking down the street, crying, when someone asked me if I was OK and if I had ever heard of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. I was 19 at the time and extremely unhappy. I went to an SGI meeting that night and have been practicing Buddhism since. Recently, I had been

Featuring members From Washington, D.C.

How SGI-USA youth are using their Buddhist practice to win at work.

Featuring members from Southern California

by Mike Daniels Denver About 30 years ago, when I was a college student, someone gave me a Nam-myoho-renge-kyo card and told me briefly about the SGI. I didn’t think much of it, but it always stuck with me; the words were memorable. Years later, I learned more after reading that Wayne Shorter, a musician