Meeting Sensei - Daisaku Ikeda,
the President of the Soka Gakkai International
I will never forget this day.
I will never forget the Spring of 1993 when Danny Nagashima was leading San Francisco. On New Year's Day he told us all he'd written more than 250 goals for himself. I followed his lead and made out my own huge list of goals and put the wish to meet Sensei personally.
We were all chanting to bring him to San Francisco. We were part of a totally unified movement, led by Danny.
The room for anyone to come and chant Daimoku at My Golden Palace of Kosen Rufu (the SF SGI center) was always full!
We knew our Daimoku was working...we knew he was coming...we were all chanting for the highest life-conditions to welcome him. No one knew if we were actually going to see him or not, but we kept our spirits high.
Right before President Ikeda was supposed to come we got word that his trip had been cancelled to San Francisco because of a pressing matter in another part of the world. I felt so connected to him. I ran to the center and threw myself into chanting for him. I chanted for whatever it was he was facing that was keeping him from San Francisco. I told the Gohonzon "Join my prayer with his! Whatever is happening ~ add every ounce of my Daimoku to his!" I did not do this just so he would come to SF. I did it because I knew that if there was something important keeping him from coming...if it was important to Sensei, it was important to ME. I didn't have to know what it was. My prayer was his prayer. It was a pivotal moment for me of joining my prayer with my mentor's prayer. I chanted so strongly they all made me lead the Daimoku for the room. Energy was pouring out of me.
And the next thing we knew his trip to SF was back on, but I was not going to have the opportunity to meet him. (For various reasons there were no large meetings planned)
I remember chanting in the center's Gohonzon room on another day knowing he was here, but I wouldn't see him....I called one of my "fathers" in faith and said "Amos - I really want to see Sensei!" and Amos Snell, my dear friend and mentor who was recently written up in the World Tribune for having marched with Martin Luther King, said "Chant to meet him. You want it? you chant for it!" And I thought OKAY! I went back in and chanted with all my heart to meet my mentor.
I swear...a few minutes after I finished chanting I got a call from a friend telling me that Wednesday at 11:30 Sensei would be given the key to the city at the Civic Center. My prayer was answered. I went alone to City Hall. Only one other member was there. Caley Guida. We stood to the side and waited patiently, and did not interfere in any way.
I will never forget watching Sensei come out of the car at the steps of City Hall. The Soka Gakkai flag was flying above him from the building.
I anticipated that he would move pretty quickly...you know...a man on a mission. Goodness knows I spent a lot of my life racing around. But he moved slowly. He stepped out...looked up...saw the flag and opened his arms wide, put his head back and took in the vision of the flag flying from the San Francisco City Hall. Writing this now, tears are coming into my eyes at the memory of that sight. He took the moment to take it in. He did not hurry. He took it in.
He went in and up the big steps inside, accompanied by his aids and translator. Caley and I went in and stood to the side, quietly getting to know each other. After a time he slowly descended the steps and stopped to comment on a bust in the foyer.
Then as he was walking towards us, he looked at us and waved. I felt him say "You can do it. YOU can do it!" It wasn't until days later that I found out Caley had taken a picture of the moment. It is the best photo I have ever seen of him...and he is looking directly at me...and all of us. I decided I would spread this picture far and wide...because he was waving to us all.
At this crucial time ~ today!~ we must be strong, stand for a world without war and chant for kosen rufu.
I am going back to chant my second hour for Kosen Rufu and for you all to achieve all of your dreams and overcome the karmic suffering that you chose as your mission to overcome this lifetime. We are all in this together. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo my dear friends in faith.
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Jamie
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