TagFinances

How our family defied all odds to accomplish our dream of owning a home.

by Byeong Hwa Yun Minneapolis Faith is—to fear nothing, to stand unswayed, the power to surmount any obstacle. Faith is the source from which all solutions flow. Faith is the engine that propels us in the thrilling voyage of life, a life victorious and transcendent. (Ikeda Sensei, Nov. 6, World Tribune insert, p. C) In

“Faith first” is the blueprint for victory.

by Valerie Giterson-Pantophlet St. Maarten If a woman makes offerings to the Lotus Sutra now in the last five-hundred-year period, this bodhisattva’s benefits will all be bequeathed to her without exception, just as a wealthy man transfers his entire fortune to his only son. (“The ‘Entrustment’ and Other Chapters,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol.

Swapna BhideBOSTON Living Buddhism: Thank you, Swapna, for sharing your experience with us. Where did you grow up? Swapna Bhide: Thank you for the opportunity. I was raised in Pune, India, in a conservative family. I spent the majority of my time with my grand- parents, who were quite religious, and I was taught to

How the power of prayer and appreciation transformed my life state, inviting boundless protection and benefits into my life. by Yuko LittleCANTON, MICH. Five months after our family moved from North Dakota to Michigan in December 2015, my husband filed for divorce. For 14 years, I had been a full-time housewife, supporting his career and

How a spirit of appreciation helped me realize I am not a victim of my circumstances. by Erin Dayanan Honolulu I grew up as a third-generation Filipino American whose grandparents immigrated to the sugarcane plantations on Oahu for a better life. The values of hard work and sacrifice were passed down to my parents, who,

Enrique MaganBrooklyn, New York Living Buddhism: Thank you for sharing your experience with us, Enrique. What was your life like before you started practicing Buddhism? Enrique Magan: My family was very poor, so I decided to brave the journey to the United States to help support us financially. I moved to Brooklyn, New York, from

With appreciation and a fighting spirit comes deep transformation. by Nick Kano ATLANTA In Spring 2014, I was 21 years old and arrested for selling drugs. Due to my intense financial struggles, dealing drugs, I thought, was the only way to make money. Fortunately the charges were dropped, but my challenges continued. One by one,

by Masayo Mukumoto GARDENA, CALIF. I learned the spirit of financial offerings from my mother. When she joined the Soka Gakkai in Japan in 1962, my family’s business had gone bankrupt, and we had many financial problems. I was 19, and the only one working. I couldn’t afford lunch, so I would tell my co-workers

How my prayer to advance kosen-rufu “set the universe in motion” for my victory. by Moonjung Cho NORFOLK, VA. In fall 2016, when I first heard the announcement about the 50,000 Lions of Justice Festival,my husband, Ram, and I determined to go all out to support the youth of Virginia South Region, while achieving our

How dedicating my life to kosen-rufu, based on appreciation, saved my life.

Deepti Kedare Jain Emeryville, California Living Buddhism: Thank you, Deepti, for sharing your experience with us. How did you encounter Nichiren Buddhism? Deepti Kedare Jain: I moved to Southern California from India in 2008 to pursue a master’s degree in occupational therapy. Living apart from my family in a new country proved to be difficult.

by Melissa Miles Newark, N.J. Before practicing Buddhism, I blamed my parents for everything that was wrong with my life. I was angry because they had not provided me with the type of life that many of my friends enjoyed as a result of their parents’ wealth. I was resigned to what I thought was

Brian Nakamura Woodbridge, New Jersey Living Buddhism: Thank you, Brian, for sharing your experience with us. How did you start your Buddhist practice? Brian Nakamura: I grew up attending SGI activities with my parents, but when I became a teenager, I felt the practice was not for me. In 1999, my mother signed me up for