Our young women's division members, whose lives sparkle with dazzling brilliance,
are the diamonds of Soka Gakkai. The realm of the Soka Gakkai and Nichiren
Daisonin's Buddhism is one where women are respected and valued to the
most.
(Photo & words by Daisaku Ikeda)
File 010: May 2007
January Anne C. Besona
(YWD Chapter Chief)
This month, we interviewed Ms. January Anne C. Besona, a Chapter Chief
of the young women's division in General Chapter I.
Born as a fortune baby, Jaja has grown up in a Gakkai environment. Attending
discussion and gongyo meetings was just a part of her daily routine. In
the wake of her mother's disease however, her passive attitude towards
doing SGI activities improved for the better and she became aggressive.
Specifically, she started to stand alone in doing SGI activities and encouraged
her fellow members. Now, other Young Women's Division members began to
stand up in faith in her chapter.
with YWD members
Q & A Interview
Q1. Please tell us about your experience in faith that made you deepen your
faith.
My mother became ill in 2003. It was a terrible skin disease called contact dermatitis, and other than this, she had a combination of gallbladder disease to boot. Due to that, she has grown so thin because she didn’t want to eat, and was just lying in bed the whole day. It seemed like she was losing her life force each passing day.
My father is an ordinary employee, and my mother, a housewife. Having to
send my brother and me to school did not leave us room to set aside extra
money to afford my mother to see a good doctor. As I saw my mother getting
weaker each day, I told myself that I had to do something other than merely
helping out in the household chores.
So, I determined to myself to chant 3 hours of daimoku a day for her to recover. Meanwhile, my father started to work in earnest both in his work and in doing SGI activities. To make a long story short, my mother was able to meet one of the best doctors in the Philippines at the Philippine General Hospital where everything is free except for the medicine. And eventually, her skin disease was cured with only very minimal expenses for the medicine. For her gallbladder, she was supposed to undergo an operation as advised by her doctor. However, it was also cured with medication alone. Through this tremendous experience, my faith in the Gohonzon was deepened.
Q2. How did your life change since you actively joined SGI activities?
I was able to establish the Gohonzon-first attitude in my life in which whatever kind of problem comes my way, I sit in front of the Gohonzon and chant before anything else. And also, I gained courage to introduce the Daishonin's Buddhism to others.
Previously, I didn't have the courage to invite my classmates to our SGI meetings. This was because I did not want to have any form of argument or quarrel to break up between me and my friends over the issue of religion. Other than this, I was the only Buddhist and all my friends were all Catholics.
However, after my mother's experience, I started to invite my classmates
to our meetings. I still don't encourage them to join the SGI or take faith
in the Gohonzon because I believe that it is something they must decide
for themselves – not by me. What I do for them specifically, is to show
them a good example as a Buddhist. I am happy with my friends because they
attend our meetings and we maintain good friendship.
Q3. Please tell us about any SGI activity into which you have put most of your effort.
I am also one of the in-charges of the Boys & Girls Division. I am
presently teaching them how to chant and pray. At the same time, we, as
Boys & Girls Division in-charges, show them President Ikeda’s anime
series called “Happy Tales”. I fervently hope that President Ikeda’s idea
will be planted in the tender hearts of those children.
Q4. Please share your favorite guidance of Sensei and describe the bond
between Sensei and you.
Actually, I just came back from the Young Women's Division Training Course
held at the Grand Culture Center today. During the training, we learned
a great deal of Sensei’s guidance and the one I like the most goes:
"A tree doesn't grow strong and tall within one or two days. In the
same way,
successful people didn’t get to where they are in only one
or two years.
This applies to everything."
I guess this will be my new favorite guidance from now on.
Q5. Please tell us about your personal dream for the future or your aspiration
in life.
I will be graduating from college next year. I would like to be a stewardess so I can travel around the world and introduce the Daishonin’s Buddhism to as many people as I can. (Smile)
