CategoryLife Stories

Discovering a friend in a childhood rival, I grasp in the depths of my soul that people can change for the better.

Living based on a vow, we transform the karma of our families and lay the foundations of a happy home.

Through film and Buddhism, I build a bridge to my true self and cross it with my family.

Handed the key to happiness, I was able to open educational and athletic opportunities for myself and hundreds of young athletes. I’m Karen Dennis from Columbus, Ohio.

Practicing for self and others, I transform my family from the inside out.

An encounter with my mentor awakens me to my mission to teach in New York.

Over my 56 years of Buddhist practice, I’ve overcome family discord, troubles at work and illness, based on my vow to strive for kosen-rufu in America with my mentor, Ikeda Sensei. I’m Rod Burke from San Luis Obispo, California.

I arrived in New York with a dream. The city forged my faith and showed me what I’m made of.

Basing ourselves on a vow for the happiness of the people, my wife and I forge a bond transcending time and space, and even death.

Gaining and losing all, I discover the foundations of a winning life. I’m Sherman Hom from Prescott, Arizona.

Taking home the Soka Gakkai spirit, my kids show me the power of prayer.

Finding Buddhism in my 60s, I awaken to my mission to demonstrate what’s possible in life’s golden years.

In Buddhism, I discover a long-sought path to empowerment.

From a state of confidence, endings appear as the means for fresh growth. I’m Sylvia Dare from Galloway, New Jersey.

Chanting to see my mother’s humanity, I unlock my own.

Returning to a forgotten lake, I find more than memories—love and a sense of mission.

Praying for my daughter’s life, I grasp my mentor’s heart and vow to impart hope to youth.

Though illness stirs up long-held doubts, it prompts the courage to align my life and career with my mission as a Bodhisattva of the Earth. I’m Harold Rubinfeld from Lancaster, California.

Determined to turn the grief of untimely death into the joy of renewed life, I affirm that victory in Buddhism is guaranteed.

SGI-USA member Ken Lee, of Chateaugay, New York, is co-founder and co-CEO of Lotus Foods, a sustainable rice company that promotes human and environmental welfare. He and his wife, Caryl Levine, started the company in 1995 and have since been recognized for their efforts to mitigate climate change through regenerative rice production. Their company is