District discussion meetings are the heart of the SGI. They are a safe space for people to connect and support one another. I just came home from a district meeting earlier tonight. I was asked to give an experience at the meeting. I shared about my presentation today at the Downtown Central Library for my wellness workshop, “Chanting for Change: Buddhism is for Everyone.” It was a resounding success. I engaged with my audience, and they asked questions.
My supervisor David asked me if I would like to present at a mini conference that was being run by the Mental Health Empowerment Project (MHEP). The Director of Statewide Training used to work for Western New York Independent Living (WNYIL). Chris knew me from the days when he used to work at WNYIL.
I was quite anxious about my presentation. One thought that I had several times was, “Don’t think that somehow everything will work out just because you practice Buddhism.” I did work on my presentation for many hours. I did a lot of research for it. I practiced the power point a few times. Not as often as I would have liked. I would have preferred to have practiced it many times. I am a perfectionist is some ways. Sometimes, I was worried that I wasn’t putting in enough effort. That’s why I had that thought about not thinking everything will work out just because I practice. To achieve goals, we do need to put in a lot of effort and preparation. Chanting nam myoho renge kyo is not magic. But when we put in tremendous effort and chant nam myoho renge kyo we win.
We also win when we put our Buddhist practice in the center of our lives. When you put the practice first everything else falls into place. When you work for kosen-rufu or world peace you will receive benefits in your life. Any action that we take to support the Mystic Law is a great cause. If you really want to change your karma, the best thing you can do is to sincerely share the practice with others.
I am so thankful that I practice Nichiren Buddhism with the SGI-USA. We had a wonderful district discussion meeting tonight. A guest came to our meeting with his five children. There definitely is an energy change in the room when children are present. I was so happy to see them at our meeting. Carrie gave them prizes and candy after the meeting was over.
I know that children are the future leaders of society. I think it’s terrible that older generations have done such an effective job of destroying the Earth they will inherit. I know that they are concerned about the environment. We all need to be worried about it. The sad thing is that this isn’t anything new. Scientists have known for decades that we are destroying our environment. Why hasn’t there been the political will to change things? Why are we so short sighted? We are caretakers of the planet not only for ourselves but also for our children, our children’s children and many generations to come. Unfortunately, in this world capitalism and profit are king. More people are concerned about making a buck than saving the planet.
I started volunteering for a local environmental organization because I wanted to make a difference. I am a volunteer ambassador for the Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper. I really believe that we need to think globally and act locally. One of my dreams is to write about the environment in a way that is accessible for all people. I want to share about the environment in a way that even individuals with limited formal education can easily understand. I thought that to do so that I would need to go back to school to study science.
I did enter the environmental science program at Erie Community College. I am about 1/3 of the way through the program. Right now, I am taking a break. I am focusing on my Buddhist practice, my job and my blog. Maybe I don’t need to go back to school? But I do want to understand more about science. I even had a dream of becoming a scientist. But I am 56 years old. My husband recently retired. Is now the time for me to forge a new path?