Feb 23: Apprecation for New Centers

As I look back on "Actual Proof" in my life, there are so many and I need to edit them first! But I do know, as a child, remembering my momma taking me to the Kaikan (Community Center) in Mt Rainier, Washington D.C. area for Meetings. Last year, they have a new location on Embassy Row in Washington, D.C.!! We have a new Activity Center in Fort Worth, Texas!! We have a new Community Center in Dallas, Texas! Also in Addison, Texas! This is fantastic! Not only that, just think about all the SGI Members now in 192 Countries! I have been chanting for as long as I can remember, and I will be 49 years old this year! I will blog back with more personal "Actual Proof" soon!

Thank You,

Name: Margie Aguirre (picture on rt)
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Organization: Fortune District/DFW Chapter

Feb 22: Never Giving Up

Hi everyone,

I feel my victory is about never giving up on myself or other members. I have a good friend who was a strong SGI member and left the organization. I stayed in touch with him and his wife over the last eighteen years and recently they both started chanting again. I also learned that they have very strong ties to the temple and I am working very hard to disassociate both of them. It is not an easy road but I will not give up. That is my greatest victory because I feel that I am totally supporting President Ikeda.

Name: Elaine Bridges

Feb 21: Nothing is Ever Wasted

"The bigger the problems we have, the higher the state of life we can develop. The more deeply we pray to overcome our problems, the more profound the wisdom we can tap. The harder we challenge ourselves right to the end, the greater inner strength we can forge. Nothing is ever wasted in Buddhism.” (Kaneoko Ikeda, Jan-Feb LB p. 16)

I have developed a trusting friendship with a co-worker of 14 years so much that he and his fiancé will be lifetime friends. They have known about my practice for many years but never showed much interest. However, about 9 months ago, he told me about some of his frustrations which led to a discussion on his philosophy, which enabled me to share Buddhism in greater detail. Through several conversations he decided to try chanting at home. However, he was inconsistent; he chanted only when he was frustrated and would not come to a meeting. I even began teaching him Gongyo in my car in the parking garage during our lunch hour!

Months went by and my expectations began to frustrate me, he would not comply with MY agenda and campaign goals! My motivation was to get a result; it wasn’t about him. No wonder he wasn’t interested! Where was my compassion? Where was my heart? I became so focused on “getting” him to chant I stopped introducing the practice to others. Once I realized this I began to chant to find my heart, to get my motivation from a place of compassion. I also began to chant to find those Bodhisattvas that were looking for the Gohonzon. As long as I nurtured that compassion, opportunities to share this Buddhism with others came frequently and easily. This resulted in meeting two complete strangers who immediately showed interest and received their Gohonzons within a month. I did not have to say clever philosophical things; my encouragement and actions came from my daimoku for their victories.

I was so preoccupied with my two new members, I almost gave up on my co-worker, once again thinking if he didn’t adhere to my agenda then he wasn’t going to follow through and join. I would then have to chant again, to continue the human revolution to make that paradigm shift to be motivated by compassion. Two weeks ago, he opened up to me about a problem and this time I spoke from my heart about how amazing this practice is and how it would enable him to breakthrough. I encouraged him to attend a MD toso that evening, he said OK!!!! At the end of the work day when it came time to go, he was gone, he went home without saying anything to me. I was so disappointed, so I re-determined with deadly serious daimoku that he would come this week, and he did! For his first meeting, he chanted an entire hour! I will not give up on him!

Name: Ellen Wadsworth

Practice: 35 years

Location: Austin, TX

Position: Texas/OK Zone Women's Leader

Feb 20: The Joy of Sharing Buddhism

"Just last Sunday, Feb 15th, I had 2 people receive the Gohonzon and one join SGI from O'Hare District. Amazing things happen when you do Shakubuku! Michelle, who is my neighbor's best friend, has 2 kinds of cancer. When her 3rd husband learned she had cancer, he left her and her friends stopped calling her. It's was too difficult for them to handle. But this past Sunday her husband drove her, her daughter and me to the Chicago Culture Center to receive her Gohonzon; her 14 year old daughter joined SGI too. He was very impressed by all members he met at the center.

The other person was my tenant, a 32 years old ex-Marine. He began chanting last November and after just one month, he was reunited with his missing brother. They had not seen each other for 14 years. He lost his mom when he was 11 years old and has had a rough life. When 10 members enshrined his Gohonzon in his tiny (10 x 10 ft) room, he cried with joy. I asked his girlfriend to be his sponsor because our Campaign this month is "Let’s Win Right Now, Let's Win Together."

We held a new member's celebration party right after we enshrined his Gohonzon;15 guests and 14 members attended this party. One of the guests I invited is interested in attending next Saturday’s district meeting, if he decides to join, I will ask a Men’s Division Chapter leader to be his sponsor. Through my own Shakubuku experience, I feel so fortunate to be with such a great organization, and I am proud to be a member of the SGI Family, where people truly create happiness in their lives.

Thank you!

Name: Michiko Ishikawa (bottom rt in photo)
Practice: 33 years
Location: Chicago West Region Women Div. Leader

Feb 19: Our Hearts Decide Victory

Here's a portion of one of SGI President Ikeda's lecture series, The Hope-Filled Teachings of Nichiren Daishonin on "The Strategy of the Lotus Sutra." The entire lecture can be found on in the March-April Living Buddhism starting on page 51.

If you don't subscribe yet or need to renew, now's your chance! Click here to begin your bi-monthly subscription of Living Buddhism!!

* * * * *

[President Toda] would often say, "When you are young, it is very important to believe in yourself." And: "It is essential for young people to have something they can truly believe in. They need to trust their own hearts." The purpose of faith is to make our hearts strong and steadfast, to develop inner strength and conviction. Everything depends on our minds and our hearts. The ultimate conclusion of Nichiren Buddhism is summed up int he words: "It is the heart that is most important" (WND-1, 1000).

"Buddhism is primarily concerned with victory and defeat. It is a struggle between enlightenment and ignorance. Kosen-rufu is a battle between the Buddha and devilish functions. The heart is what decides our victory or defeat in all things. Spiritual victors can lead lives undefeated by anything. The secret to adorning our lives with brilliant victory is the "strategy of the Lotus Sutra" (Mar-Apr Living Buddhism, p. 53).

Feb 18: A Most Glorious History of Victory

Here's a portion of SGI President and Mrs. Ikeda's message for our February District Discussion Meetings celebrating Women's Month! The entire text can be found on page 1 of the February 13 World Tribune. If you don't subscribe yet, now's your chance! Click here to begin your weekly subscription!!

"...There are steep valleys of suffering and rocky mountains of adversity in the long journey of our lives. Some of you may be struggling in the midst of the rough waves of the global economic recession. However, no matter what difficult situation you are in, if you are resolved to never be defeated and maintain your strong determination, you will definitely be able to break through the thick wall of any difficulty.

"A life based on solid optimism will not experience defeat. You will definitely obtain victory in the long run. Nichiren Daishonin states, “If one’s mind is strong, then their protection is great” (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 2, p. 668). He also says, “Fortune comes from one’s heart and makes one worthy of respect” (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 1137). Faith is the ultimate driving force to enable us to absolutely win in our lives. Those who embrace the Mystic Law will create a most glorious history of victory, even through the worst crisis...."

Feb 17: Waves of Joy

We are in the midst of District Discussion Meeting week!! Let's welcome many new members and have wonderful women's led meetings just as SGI President Ikeda wrote in today's “To My Friends."

--TO MY FRIENDS--
History is created
from small gatherings.
"Showing [them] the same respect
you would a Buddha,"(*)
let's praise the participants
and create tens of thousands
of waves of joy.

(*)THE RECORD OF THE ORALLY TRANSMITTED TEACHINGS, "Chapter Twenty-eight: Encouragements of the Bodhisattva Universal Worthy--six important points, Point Six," p. 192 A quote from the 28th chapter of the Lotus Sutra. ["You should rise and greet him from afar, showing him the same respect you would a Buddha."]

(To My Friends is SGI President Ikeda’s daily encouragement which appears in the Soka Gakkai daily newspaper, the Seikyo Shimbun)