Good morning, good friends in faith! My name is Sunantha, and I want to thank you all for the opportunity to share my experience today. First, I want to share a small portion of the “Song of Human Revolution” (written and composed by President Ikeda).
The song opens:
Take your stand, and I will take mine, too, each in our own realm of kosen-rufu, standing up alone.
The “Song of Human Revolution” continues to inspire members throughout the world, encouraging us to dispel the dark clouds of suffering and rise up courageously with the sun of hope in our hearts. It is a song of victory, celebrating ordinary people as monarchs of humanity who can transform even life’s harshest trials into a source of joy.
Finding the Sun of Hope Within
I’ve been practicing Nichiren Buddhism since 2006, and I’m beyond amazed at how my inner life and environment have transformed. Before encountering this practice, I was seeking ways to deal with death when it arrived. Also, to learn and understand how to bounce back quickly from sadness, depression, emptiness, anger, or regrets.
Overcoming Heartache through Buddhist Practice
My first encounter with death was the passing of two close friends. This experience didn’t go well since it was during the first year of my Buddhist practice. This obstacle led me to chemical substances and isolation. This lesson took countless weeks to overcome the heartache and despair.
Although I had many good friends in faith, and they taught me how to share Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with others, my life, faith, practice, study, and very little understanding about the oneness of the mentor and disciple relationship weren’t strong. I lacked the understanding to do my human revolution (inner transformation).
Throughout the years of deepening my faith, practice, study, and understanding my relationship with my mentor, Daisaku Ikeda, I learned many lessons of human revolution, encountered countless good friends in faith, attended district meetings, and attended over 10 FNCC (Florida Nature Culture Center) conferences. My wisdom grew, and my life became stronger.
The second encounter with death came with the passing of my 94-year-old grandmother last September. Her loss was deeply felt by our entire family. She was the heart of our family, the one whose warmth and presence brought everyone together in her home. We all miss her dearly.
The third encounter with death was the passing of my 49-year-old sister. Before I begin this encounter with death, let me give you a little background on what being in rhythm in this Buddhist practice means to me.
Compressing 36 Years into 3 Days
When my grandma was in her last weeks or days of life, my dad texted me and said, “Sunantha, you need to think about visiting your sister.” They live in Florida. My husband and I decided that I needed to go. My dad paid for the airline ticket.
Then another family member asked, “Can’t you reschedule? Grandma is dying.” I said, “No matter when grandma passes away, whether I’m in Austin, Florida, at work, or here by her side, I don’t have any regrets.”
I chanted 1-3 hours a day to our Gohonzon and attended study and district meetings to get my mind, heart, and life stronger. My encounter with my sister was beyond phenomenal. It would take too long for me to explain; however, we compressed 36 years of separation into 3 days.
The best moment was when I taught my sister how to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and she said it beautifully.
Before leaving Florida, she said, “Let’s make a promise to live the most joyous and strong lives!” I said, “Yes! Let’s do it!”
My family and I had decades of human revolution and karma to change, and it was up to me to be that change. I left home at age 14 and never looked back. After all these years, I never knew how it affected my sister until I met her last September.
When traveling back to Austin, I thought, “I have many more years to spend with her. I can’t wait for my husband and I to travel with her and to have many wonderful conversations and experiences.” Fast forward: my grandma passed away nine days after returning home.
The following days, weeks, and months went by, and my sister and I spoke on the phone, laughed, texted each other, sent photos, shared Ikeda Sensei’s encouragement, and continued to bond. Then we were so busy with work and life that days and weeks went by without communication. My husband would ask, “Have you reached out to your sister lately?” Or my sister would text me and say, “Please call me; I need a few moments of your positive energy.”
Fast-forward to the beginning of April 2023. My sister said, “I have three weeks of vacation, and I want to come to Austin to visit you, Dimitri, and get to know your children.” We planned it for five days during the Memorial Day weekend. We were super excited, and we were counting the days.
A Heart Reborn: Facing the Loss of a Loved One
On April 23, my dad called to say that my sister had passed away. She died from a serious encounter, but she fought for her life until the very end. I’ve never cried so hard. It felt like my heart had broken into a million pieces.
The moment I got home, I hugged my husband and went straight to our Gohonzon to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. I chanted for two hours. The more I chanted, the more my heart became whole again.
Before traveling to Florida to attend my sister’s funeral, I chanted for two-to-three hours daily. My husband and I studied some writings of Nichiren Daishonin volume II, attended meetings, and I received countless pieces of guidance from Women’s Division leaders. The best encouragement was to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo joyfully.
Thank you to all the women’s division leaders who chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo for my absolute victory.
Throughout our road trip to Florida and back to Austin, my husband and I shared Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with as many people as possible.
Conclusion: Building Treasures of the Heart
In conclusion, I would like to share a quote from my mentor, Daisaku Ikeda.
As the Buddhist teacher Nichiren states: “More valuable than treasures in a storehouse are the treasures of the body, and the treasures of the heart are the most valuable of all.” “Treasures of the storehouse” refer to money and other forms of material wealth. “Treasures of the body” are skills and abilities, as well as physical health. “Treasures of the heart” are the riches that we build within our lives. This indicates the kind of inner strength that cannot be defeated by any tribulation. It refers to the power to live out our lives in a creative way, with constant joy, fulfillment and vitality.
— Daisaku Ikeda, daisakuikeda.org
