Last week we had a “Lotus Lounge” gathering for the Young Women’s Division (YWD). There were several leaders present in that meeting, as were guests (folks attending for the first time). I, as a practitioner (and newly appointed YWD leader) instinctively took over explaining the introductory concepts of Buddhism to new members as I noticed that they felt a bit lost. I impromptu led this concept & keyword introduction, by the end of which the guests felt grounded and like they knew what was going on. The rest of the room was stunned and impressed by how smoothly I did so. Several older members asked me how I was able to breakdown concepts so easily, as they found it hard to do so when they met non- practicing but curious folks. This was unexpected, but it came super naturally to me. I remember attending this meeting for the first time two years ago in the exact same house, when I was still relatively new to the city. I would speak & occupy space, but my confidence and judgement was nowhere near as strong as it is today. Back then, I would have never been able to just take over like this and answer questions for new members in the way that I did this time. My growth felt so visible to me. I am happy & proud of how far I have come in the way that I show up ☘️😇
I was appointed as the Young Women’s Division Vice District Leader this week! I also brought a friend to the meeting who I had met super randomly for the first time while walking on the street the day before- an incoming Ph.D student at my Alma Mater school Super excited to take on this role & support all the young women in my district. I shared some determinations when this was announced at the monthly discussion meeting: - Help young women around me with the deepest compassion & commitment, whether or not they’re Buddhist - invite more youth to our district, shakabuku (introduce them), have greater attendance at Tosos and discussion meetings - Home visit every member, truly get to know them & pray for their challenges to transform - Chant 2hrs everyday to transform all of my own challenges - Show actual proof of my practice through significant victories in dating, career & immigration, something I see all young women really struggle with around me, universally In pictures: a selfie of the folks in my district + the friend/ meeting guest reciting the prayer towards the end of the meeting
This past week has been filled with beautiful coincidences! Last Thursday, some of the biggest names in rap music, Asap Ferg & Denzel Curry were performing at Markus Garvey park in Harlem for FREE (unheard of) as part of a festival and one of the opening acts was a rapper called Hunter BDE (boddhisatva of the earth) whose part of my local Buddhist practice!! My recent music mentor who I met in my new Buddhism district in Harlem has a program that pushes rappers & music producers to release music more efficiently - he was present on stage with Hunter and his baby! How cool is it that the musicians from my Buddhist practice OPENED for such major hip hop stars! While I was hanging around at the festival, I met another member of my Buddhist practice who was an alum of my graduate school at as well. His child (who looked part Asian) was also present there. The next day, my local Buddhist leader was visiting me with 2 other members I didn’t know. One of them (Asian herself) came with her adorable Asian looking baby girl who I’d seen before in meetings. Turned out, she is the wife of this other Buddhist member from my school who I met at the concert! It felt like such a small world. More so, the other member who was visiting me who I didn’t know prior narrated a victory experience of a girl who happened to be someone I know well as she is from my city in India and went to grad school with me here! It was RAINING coincidences 🥰
In Buddhism, & Kabbalah too (as my fav speaker David Ghiyam says), I’ve heard that “everything can change in one single moment”. On the other hand, the popular adage is “Rome was not built in a day”. So which one is true? To believe things take time or that they don’t have to take so much time to manifest? I think: it depends on timing itself! Sometimes, the timing is so divine, & karmas so beautifully culminating, that everything does change in a single moment. However, at other times (& we have a deep knowing when), we instinctively know that it will take a looong time before things truly change. What do you think is true for you in this moment? That everything can change in a single moment, or that Rome was not built in a day, so it’ll take suuuuper long before anything truly changes in your life?
I am going to be leading introductions at the monthly Buddhist discussion meeting in my district tomorrow and performing my favorite SGI song “dare to believe” 💜🌟🙌 (I’ll be singing it & playing it on my guitar) https://youtu.be/gkloEa2382U?si=f_Tvwz61-aCVhTuf I couldn’t find the chords to this song online so I just figured them out by ear right now. Good start to the prep!
Daily Encouragement July 10 Humanism is not a special way of living; it’s the simple act of empathizing with others’ feelings—reaching out and encouraging those who are striving hard or suffering, and sharing the joys of those who are happy. —Daisaku Ikeda [The New Human Revolution, Vol. 26, “Banner of the Law” chapter]
Daily guidance June 29 The important thing is to advance brightly and strive to be victorious at each moment, right where we are; to begin something here and now instead of fretting and worrying over what will happen. This is the starting point for transforming our lives. Gosho of the day The fourth volume of the Lotus Sutra states, “[I will send . . .] men and women of pure faith, to offer alms to the teachers of the Law.” The meaning of this sutra passage is that the heavenly gods and benevolent deities will assume various forms such as those of men and women, and present offerings to help the persons who practice the Lotus Sutra. There can be no doubt that this refers to you and your wife being born as a man and a woman, and making offerings to Nichiren, the teacher of the Law. The Izu Exile (WND-1, 35)
JUNE 19, 2025 Buddhism enables us to concretely express our true dignity and recognize the dignity of others, making both a reality in daily life. It teaches the supreme practice of affirming the dignity of both oneself and others. From The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 3, revised edition, p. 429
It felt deeply meaningful to start my Saturday morning this weekend by reading quotes at a Gosho study—a gathering of over 100 Buddhist practitioners from the Harlem district. The entrance to the venue was alive with the sound of a beautiful jazz band, setting a joyful and welcoming tone. I was honored to be one of four people on stage, serving as a reader alongside two lecturers who brought the Gosho to life with powerful examples from the modern day.
