We have been attending a number of introductory meetings. The following are short versions of some the experiences that we have heard:
1. Angela said that before she started chanting, she thought that she was happy. Her main desire at that time was to make money. She worked 10 hour days. Her life was mostly working, eating, and sleeping. She had no social life. After she started chanting she lost her job. She felt depressed, and worthless. She did not know what to do, so she just chanted and cried. As she chanted she realized that she really had no life before. She got a job that was close to where she lived that pays for her to continue her education. She now has time to spend with her friends and family. She feels like she is living for the first time.
2. Reggie joined the SGI along with his mother just after his mom and dad separated. He saw his mother become a happy, capable, and forgiving person. One day, his mom suggested that they chant together for the happiness of his father. His father was a well-to-do businessman, with no known problems. Reggie knew that his father would never practice, but still he chanted for his happiness anyway. After about 12 years, his father came and visited. They went to the SGI community center together, but his father refused to get out of the car even after much coaxing. Eventually the father came inside and later remarked: “There are so many different kinds of people there -- all enjoying each other’s company. Now I know why you do this.” The reason for the visit was that his father was going to remarry a woman who lived in California. Before his father flew out to see his bride-to-be, she told him that she had a secret that she would share when he arrived. The secret was that she was going to receive the Gohonzon. They married and a year later, the Reggie’s father also received the Gohonzon. He said that he has never known such happiness.
3. At some meetings we go around the room and have people answer the question: “What motivated you to come to this meeting?” A woman said that she began her practice at the Temple. When she received her Gohonzon, the priest told her “No matter what you do, do not contact the SGI”. She had never heard of the SGI before then. So she found us in the phone book and called asking, “When is your next meeting”. After the meeting she remarked: “I knew something was wrong at the temple, they are so negative and secretive, and gloomy.” She went on to say that she thought the SGI intro meeting was “Open, warm, and inspiring.” She wants to practice with the SGI from now on.
4. A young man said the he came because he had a friend in India who remained positive even though he knew that his friend was going through great difficulties. He came to learn his friend’s secret.
5. Kianna learned about chanting through her Mother-In-Law (Renee). When she visited, sometimes she could hear her Renee chanting in the other room. It sounded nice. So she asked Renee to teach her how to chant. Each time Kianna chanted, she felt a warm feeling in her heart. She told Renee how chanting made her feel and Renee invited her to a meeting. Kianna said “Chanting with other people made that warm feeling grow even stronger. She also liked the great diversity of people at the meeting – something that was missing from her church experiences.
6. A woman (BJ) who is not a member was asked many times to go to the FNCC by her SGI member girlfriend. She didn’t want to go, but finally she gave in. It was one of the greatest experiences of her life. She felt totally accepted and it was an empowering experience. She was particularly inspired by a lecture that was given by Linda Johnson. (There is an internet version of this going around, but Linda wants to write it up and have it published in the World Tribune -- Look for it, this is great work.) In any case, the guest hopes to be able to receive her own Gohonzon soon.
7. There was a young man (Dan) who moved to Chicago to help his father who suffers with a mental illness. At first, Dan just wanted his father to see his doctors and take his medication. Dan saw his father’s situation as burden. But getting his father to see a doctor and take his medication turned out to be harder than he thought it would be. Dan’s father did not trust him. Then one day, Dan began to see his father not as a burden, but as a human being – a Buddha. When Dan began treating his father with respect, the situation completely changed. Dan’s father agreed to see a doctor and ultimately started taking the right medicine.
8. Marva had a friend at work, that she said “Hi” to everyday. One day she heard her friend crying in the bathroom. Marva took her friend to a quiet place and they just sat down and talked. It turned out that Marva’s friend had a 22 year-old-son, who had been smoking PCP and had been struck by a car. The young boy had both legs broken and had his jaw wired up. Marva’s friend said of her son: “We used to be such great friends, now we rarely speak. I don’t know what to do.” Marva took her hand, explained a little about Buddhism to her friend and then asked “Will you chant with me?” Her friend agreed and before long her friend felt good enough to go back to work. Marva’s friend started chanting everyday every time she felt sad or hopeless. Two weeks later Marva ran into her friend and her friend said: “Guess what? That chanting works. My son and I sat down yesterday and had the best talk we have had in a long time. We talked all day long. Now I know what he is going through, and he knows what I have been going through. Thank you Marva, I have my son back.”
Shortly after Mark’s mom and dad broke up, Mark’s mom started chanting. Mark and his brother did everything that they could to keep their mom from chanting. They hid her beads and Gongyo book, they threw away the phone numbers and addresses of SGI members when they found them. But then they saw their mother grow into a strong, compassionate, capable woman who did everything that she could to raise them as strong capable young men. When they were invited to be in the youth band they joined and haven’ t regretted it at all.