The Butterfly & The Bulldozer by Richards Rick

Author:Richards, Rick
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-08-13T16:00:00+00:00

20

A BABY

…Born Again

As I write this part of the story, today is June 15, 2009. Yesterday was my daughter’s 35th birthday. Let me tell you how that happened.

In the summer of 1969, Lynn and I went to Japan with a large group of members from SGI-USA. Coming up with the money could be a book in itself, but we made it happen with a lot of chanting and determination. One of the most wonderful characteristics of the organization is the continuous encouragement to challenge yourself through prayer and action. This trip was just such a challenge. I knew that I wanted to learn all I could about Nichiren Buddhism, but I wasn’t sure just how involved with the SGI I wanted to get. Everything told me to continue going forward except the little voice in the back of my head that wanted me to go out and play the games that would put me back on the path of my old bad habits. Those games were always going downhill. By this time in my life I wanted to make that voice shut up.

There were some things about that trip that took my mind back to the whole Waterfront Hilton experience. It was that the organization wanted everyone to dress the same. On the Hawaiian trip we all wore blue and white Aloha shirts with white pants and the ladies matching muumuus. For this trip to Japan everyone was dressed in white pants or skirts and a white and blue seersucker jacket, a white shirt or blouse and of course a blue tie. Even the cardboard suitcases matched, blue for the men and red for the women. Again it was get in line and wait. I made it this time without the flipping of the finger and without having to look for vegetarian food. I was back to meat and potatoes.

After Hawaii, I began to participate in SGI activities pretty consistently. I found that I truly wanted to introduce people to Buddhism and I wanted to study the teaching. I wanted to win over my negativity and become able to get in control of my life without having to resort to anger to get my way. Prayer was becoming my primary tool. The more I was able to direct my chanting and prayer to taking responsibility from within my heart for what was happening in my environment, the more the result became a desire to awaken in both myself and others the potential for good. If I wanted a conclusion of value or good, I would have to come from that position in my heart. I can’t tell you how wonderful the realization was that I didn’t have to resort to anguish. This didn’t happen overnight, but just the hint that it was beginning to happen was like opening the door on a cage.

Mr. Kikumura once explained it this way.

“It’s the skunk-skunk principle. If every time you turn around skunks are coming your way, you can bet your last dollar they’re attracted to the skunk in you, Cowboy.

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