TagPlanting Seeds

by Saori HisayamaCullman, Ala.  I was a young women’s division member in Tokyo when my sister, who lives in Colorado, introduced me to a man she met there. We got married, and I moved to the U.S. in 2010. Originally, we stayed in Colorado, but soon after my husband got a new job and we

by Alina Marrero San Juan, Puerto Rico “We have no active youth!” That’s how Ruta 66 Chapter felt for years. Members always made causes, and our meetings have always been joyful. But with the pandemic, something needed to change. I’m a journalist, playwright and theater critic. In the arts, a time of crisis can be

by Lio Spinelli and Willie Noto New York Lio Spinelli: It was a serendipitous moment returning to New York last year. I was born in New Jersey and spent my first few years in Brooklyn before moving to England. In 2006, when I was 4, my mother and I were in a motor accident that

by Sudarshan Srinivasan  Fargo, N.D. When I was 13, I had the opportunity to welcome Ikeda Sensei and Mrs. Ikeda to a culture festival in New Delhi, India. It seemed to me that Sensei’s life state was like the ocean, encompassing the auditorium and everyone in it. The atmosphere completely transformed when he entered the

by Ray Gutoski Tampa, Fla. I encountered Nichiren Buddhism in 1967 in New York, on the lawn of Stony Brook University’s Earth and Science building, where students were holding an introductory meeting. I’d thought it was interesting, potentially quite meaningful, but I didn’t take it seriously until later that same year, when out of the

by Lulani Tomaszewski Seattle I share Buddhism with others for three reasons: first, out of gratitude for the benefits I’ve received; second, to provide hope to others; and third, so that the wave of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo will touch the hearts of my family members who don’t practice, especially my children. In 2002, I was homeless and

by Karen Kaplan Miami A friend of mine sat in my car’s passenger seat, crying, desperate for answers. An auto company had just called to remind her of an overdue payment. Her partner didn’t think it was a big deal, but she scrambled to resolve it immediately. She felt the burden of solving every problem

by Robert E. Lee Hanover, Penn. Back in ’82, I was told that propagating Buddhism is the quickest way to change your karma. I’ve found that to be absolutely true.  Before Buddhism, I depended on drugs to feel good. But chanting and sharing Nam-myoho-renge-kyo got those monsters off my back. I’ve since been as clean

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

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

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

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