Paving My Way Forward Courageously
Bernadette with Alegria, the neighbour who introduced
her to Nichiren Buddhism
By Bernadette Biggs
Regional Maple Leaf Group Leader
Toronto
I began practising in June 2012, after my dad had suffered a stroke. One day, our neighbour, Alegria Narvaez, asked me what was wrong, and I explained about my dad’s condition. Right away, she encouraged me to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.[1]Alegria gave me a card so I could learn to pronounce it, and she chanted with me for one minute. Then she invited me to her house for an upcoming Buddhist meeting. I said “okay,” and I asked if I could bring my mom, and she said “yes.” I told my mom, and we went together—and it was the best thing that could have ever happened for my family.
I felt right at home at that first meeting, and I’ve been practising ever since. I joined SGI Canada and received my Gohonzon[2] on August 4, 2013. Now, I take responsibility in the organization as a chapter young women’s leader, and as the Central Region Maple Leaf Group[3] leader, supporting activities from behind the scenes.
During 2019, I was my parents’ part-time caregiver; and when the pandemic hit, their health became my full-time responsibility. There were times when I struggled in my practice, but I always reached out to fellow members and leaders for support. Sadly, I lost my mom in June 2021, and then my dad passed away in April 2022. I took a month off from my SGI responsibilities, but I didn’t stop chanting.
In time, I started applying for jobs, and slowly I started to live again, for me. It was very hard, but it was something that I knew I needed to do. I came back to my SGI activities in full force on May 1, and I was able to make an SGI Canada Special Fund contribution, in memory of my parents. I then set a goal of finding my “kosen-rufu job”[4] by the two-month anniversary of my dad’s passing. However, June arrived, and I felt frustrated because my goal date had passed.
SGI President Daisaku Ikeda said:
No matter what happens, the most important thing is to continue chanting. If you do so, you’ll definitely become happy. Even if things don’t work out the way you had hoped or imagined, when you look back later, you’ll understand, on a much more profound level, that it was in fact the best possible result. This is the way of tremendous inconspicuous benefit.[5]
At this crucial juncture, my district leader reminded me that Nichiren Daishonin clearly states:
And yet, though one might point at the earth and miss it, though one might bind up the sky, though the tides might cease to ebb and flow and the sun rise in the west, it could never come about that the prayers of the practitioner of the Lotus Sutra would go unanswered. (WND-1, 345; “On Prayer”)
Then she gave me great guidance, and she encouraged me to keep going with an even deeper prayer, because maybe the right job just wasn’t ready for me yet! So I changed my way of chanting.
My new prayer was this: Gohonzon, I need my kosen-rufu job. I have to pay my rent, and I have bills to pay, and I need to buy groceries. I want to be able to continue contributing to the Kosen-rufu Fund every month. I want to be able to introduce this practice to my new colleagues, and to be able to help them become happy.
Shortly after starting to chant with this simple and totally honest prayer, I met up with a good friend who knew that I was job hunting. She told me that her bank was hiring, and that she would like to refer me for a job, if I was interested. She explained the job to me, and right away I was interested! She sent me the posting the next day. There were quite a few obstacles on the website, so I chanted that night and the next morning to be able to complete the long and complicated application. It took me two hours, but finally I did it, and then I sent my résumé to my friend so that she could hand it to her boss directly.
Mystically, on my mom’s birthday a few days later, I received a call from the Human Resources department of the bank, asking if I was available for an interview the next day or later in the week, and I told them that the next day was great.
That night, I chanted with friends for the interview to go smoothly; but on the day of the interview there were technical obstacles. First, the interviewers could hear me on the video, but I couldn’t hear them. Finally, they called me on my cellphone; and after that, the interview went very well. They told my friend that they liked me and that they were considering me seriously, especially because I had indicated that I would be willing to move around within the company to learn new jobs in the future.
While waiting to hear back, I kept chanting and checking out other jobs. During this entire time, I was very active in my Buddhist activities. Together with youth leaders in Central Region, I was a founding member of the “United Behind the Scenes Academy” which we launched in February 2022. In addition, I supported large activities from behind the scenes, including the first-ever international, virtual, and multilingual SGI Canada Nationwide All Leaders Meeting, held in June 2022.
My mentor, Daisaku Ikeda, said:
Those who challenge themselves earnestly, aligning their lives with the Mystic Law, kosen-rufu and the SGI, lay the foundations for eternal happiness and realize ultimate victory in life.[6]
One week after my interview, I was offered a position! However, the next challenge was completing a full background check; but a kind and caring man called to walk me through exactly how to supply all the information they needed. I chanted for the background check to go through without any issues, and on July 25, I learned that I had met all the requirements. The job was mine, with a starting date of August 2. That was 14 months after my mom had passed away, and almost four months to the day since my dad’s death. My prayers were answered! I sat and cried for 30 minutes before letting anyone know my good news.
Bernadette with her father, Bernard,
and mother, Maria in 2016
However, our practice works in even more wonderful ways. On July 27, the company called and asked if I would like to start in a different department right away, and not the one for which I had been originally hired. I said, “Sure, I’d be happy to.” When they explained the responsibilities, I was even more happy. When I messaged my friend to tell her what they had offered, she said, “Wow, you’re already getting promoted without even starting yet!” She explained that the new job was actually at a higher level than the original. I was shocked.
Daisaku Ikeda summarizes my experience in faith as follows:
Through faith in the Mystic Law, we can develop the ability to change all that is negative in our lives into something positive. We can transform all problems into happiness, sufferings into joy, anxiety into hope, and worry into peace of mind. We will always be able to find a way forward.[7]
After working for several months, I can honestly say that this is my dream job. It’s a behind-the-scenes role for the bank, which is quite fitting for me, since one of my roles in SGI is being the leader of the Maple Leaf Group for Central Region—which supports meetings from behind the scenes!
In addition, the company is awesome. They truly care about their employees, and the employees’ families; plus this job comes with benefits, sick days and vacation time. In addition, the pay is higher than I thought it would be, and the schedule is exactly what I wanted—weekdays only, with evenings and weekends free for my SGI activities.
The location is perfect too—right on the subway line near Union Station. If I walk one block west along Front Street, I arrive at the Royal York Hotel, where my mom worked for 20 years. If I walk one block west on Wellington Street, I’m at the TD Towers, where my dad worked for many years until he retired in 2016.
I know that my parents would be very proud of me, knowing how much I love my job.
Published in April 2023 New Century
[1] Nam-myoho-renge-kyo: The fundamental Law of the universe expounded in Nichiren Buddhism, it expresses the true aspect of life. Chanting it allows people to directly tap their enlightened nature and is the primary practice of SGI members.
[2] Gohonzon: The object of devotion in Nichiren Buddhism. It is the embodiment of the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, expressing the life state of Buddhahood, which all people inherently possess. Go means “worthy of honour” and honzon means “object of fundamental respect.”
[3] Maple Leaf Group: (White Lotus Flower) Group, the training group for young women dedicated to supporting meetings and other Soka Gakkai activities.
[4] Kosen-rufu job: Second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda shared that a job for kosen-rufu or world peace is one that consists of having beauty, value or good and benefit. He states: “There are three standards for selecting a job: the three values of beauty, benefit and good. Everyone's ideal is to get a job they like (beauty), that is materially rewarding (benefit), and where you can contribute to society (good).
[5] Daisaku Ikeda, Faith into Action, World Tribune Press, pp. 91-2.
[6] www.sokaglobal.org/resources/study-materials/buddhist-study/the-wisdom-for-creating-happiness-and-peace/chapter-3-10.html
[7] www.sokaglobal.org/resources/study-materials/buddhist-study/the-wisdom-for-creating-happiness-and-peace/chapter-1-1.html