(Thank you for sending this in Natasha! GO Buddha GO!
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Good morning all . . . . .
My Name is Natasha Gondi, Practicing this philosophy from
past 10 years. I was introduced by my Uncle in India.
I came to USA (New Jersey) for my Masters in January 2014
and graduated in May of 2015.
Once international students graduate in USA, they need to
apply for their work permit which usually takes 90 days to
process, which I did.
Meanwhile in that 90 days period had loads of fun,
my parents were
here too
And the struggle begins, on the 90th day I just went
online
on USCIS website to check the status of my work permit,
and was so
shocked to see, it says “Your work permit is
denied, you will get to know the
reason in a week”, was
completely blank and I didn't know what to do that entire
week without even knowing the reason behind my denial
status.
In USA if your work permit is denied for a genuine
reason then they should get back to their home country
(India) which I didn't want at any cost as I had to pay back
my loan of 20 lakhs which I took for my
studies or else they
have to join for second masters again which also I didn't
want as it wasn’t affordable for me and my family.
I rushed to Gohonzon, cried, chanting with full of tears in
my eyes and somehow managed to do my gongyo with lots
of pain inside.
I took guidance from SGI-USA East territory YWD leader
Mitsuko
Ogawa O’Malley. She came all the way just to
meet me and give guidance, one of
the most wonderful
guidance of my life – she says sensei’s words – “whatever,
however,
wherever let anything happen, just chant as much as
possible about it
without thinking about how it’s going to
work out, put your heart into it, and
then tell me if your
prayer is not answered, I will give my LIFE”.
And this gave me a boost, started chanting from then and
there with her 5 hours that day. Everyday 5 hours I chanted
with full of
gratitude.
Then I found Jamie’s Blog:
Posts!
And a week later I got the reason saying I have made very
silly mistake while filling up the form and asked me to re-
apply.
Thanks to Gohonzon with a big smile on my face and
thanked everyone who supported
me.
I reapplied and now it was so tough to wait for another 90
days. Another chapter YWD leader “Greicy Goto” came to
visit me suddenly
without even me asking her, and told me
to chant that I should get the permit
within 50 days and
not more than that, I asked her – “but how can it happen,
it's
USA government rule and it’s been followed from so long
that processing
time will take 90 days”. She just said
“Chant for what your heart wants because
heart is what
matters and everything else comes later, this is the time to
test
the power of this mystic law, to aim for something
impossible and see the
miracle that occurs by Gohonzon”.
Which encouraged me so much.
I kept on chanting for 5 hours a day.
Sensei says with respect to Diamoku
“Quality matters over Quantity but if
you add quantity to
the quality, you can change the world”.
So I did a focused diamoku of 5 hours
every day, did lots of
activities, took 15 shifts of byakuren that month and
worked so joyfully, took care of members, did 2 shakubukus
and also did
alliance diamoku with Rakhi Debnath – Thank
You so much Rakhi, she sent me
inspiring quotes from
youthful diary every day.
One sudden day I get an email from my college saying “My
work permit has come and asked me to come and collect”, I
didn't know what to do,
I thought I got this email by
mistake,
I opened the calendar and saw it was
just 30
th day. I called up college and asked if I got that email by
mistake, I told her to read the name on it properly, she is
reading my name, I
was so happy, was not able to express
the happiness.
Chanted for 15 minutes and went to collect.
And I am the only amongst 6 students who reapplied and
got
it next time, the other 5 students got denied again.
All my friends had started to work already and I was just
starting to search for my kosenrufu job.
I continued to chant with all other activities, gave
interviews
for almost 50 days and on November 3rd 2015 was my first
day at work.
Now I'm working at “New York Power Authority” as a
“Microsoft SharePoint Developer”
in New York City.
I got the job which I wanted, in the field I wanted with a
very big office and New York skyline view from my work
location window and very
good people around in the team.
I am working like a Buddha, like a byakuren, taking care of
my team as bodhisattva member, creating the joy in
everyone.
“Prayer – is the revolution that rewrites the scenario of
our
destiny” Daisaku Ikeda.
My small article was published in July 2016 Living Buddhism
Here are my joyous pics from work location New York:
