When I first joined the SGI-USA on August 6, 2000, my life was a big fat mess. I was really struggling in the computer day training program. I was falling behind in the course and while computer programming is another language, unfortunately it wasn’t one that resonated with me. I ended up getting kicked out of the program.
I received so much support in the early days of my practice. This is something for which I am eternally grateful. Although sadly I did not appreciate it much at the time. I was consumed with my own life and struggles and was unable to see the efforts other people were making on my behalf.
My friend Robert gave me a lot of moral support. He took the time to teach me the liturgy of Nichiren Buddhism. The liturgy included excerpts from the second and sixteenth chapter of the Lotus Sutra. It was written in Japanese and spelled out phonetically in English. Members of the SGI recite the liturgy morning and evening and then follow it up by chanting nam myoho renge kyo to their heart’s content. There are no rules about how long a person should chant. This is something that is very individual. I recall that when I first started practicing, even chanting nam myoho renge kyo for five minutes was an enormous challenge. Robert would call me every day to ask me if I had chanted. I came to dread his regular phone calls. However, decades later I am filled with gratitude. Robert and I would also walk to our friend Simon Thompson’s house to chant with him. Simon had introduced Robert to the practice. I affectionately referred to Simon as grandpa. We chanted together several times a week. I also received a lot of support from Angela. She was in the women’s division of the SGI-USA and was a few years older than me. Like clock work she came over to my apartment every Thursday to recite the liturgy and chant nam myoho renge kyo (also called daimoku).
I also received a lot of support from Sarah Michaels. She was in the women’s youth division like me. She gave me countless rides to district meetings. District meetings take place in different neighborhoods around the world. The district is the safest place to learn and grow. Early on in my practice, I participated in district meetings. I further developed my communication skills by supporting my district. I got to be emcee on many occasions and shared my writing at meetings. I wrote a short play about obscurity and darkness two characters who were introduced to Nichiren Buddhism and their journey from darkness to light and achieving enlightenment. When I wrote that piece, I had only been practicing a short time and wasn’t even an SGI member yet.
I recall starting a chanting circle with some other women in my district. Sarah, Teresa, Angela and I wrote down each other’s goals and chanted for everyone. Of course, we also chanted for our own goals as well. I recall my goal was to obtain the perfect job for me making $30,000 a year. At that time this goal seemed impossible. I had not worked in years and was still in the beginning of my recovery journey. But with great sincerity I chanted for the other women’s goals and for my own as well. I did this for several weeks. As it turned out I saw an ad for a position as a marketing assistant for Diamond Saw Works in Chaffee, New York which is a town outside of Buffalo and applied for the job. I was contacted by Tom Kerry who said he would like to interview me. I did have some experience as a public relations assistant for the Center for Dispute Settlement in Rochester. I worked with Claire Johnson, and she taught me skills in public relations that helped me land that interview.
My friend and fellow young women’s division member offered to give me a ride to the interview. I am so thankful for Melissa Brown. The interview was at a Starbuck’s in Buffalo. I was very confident and even tossed out some marketing terms. I had taken a book out from the library and read about marketing. I didn’t know much about it, but used marketing terms like I knew what I was talking about. Tom was impressed and said that I knew more about marketing than people who had applied for the job with marketing degrees. Tom ended up offering me the position. I got a job as a marketing assistant making $30,000 a year. I felt like my prayer had been answered. I was absolutely delighted and felt like I had achieved a major victory. I truly felt that I won because of my practice for self and others.