Finding My Voice, Finding My Mission

I encountered Nichiren Buddhism at one of the lowest points in my family's life. During my final years of school, my father's thriving business collapsed, leaving us burdened with debt and struggling to meet even our daily needs. We had to leave our hometown and start over in a new city with the support of relatives while my father searched for work.

Watching my parents sacrifice everything deeply affected me. My mother worked tirelessly doing small tailoring jobs for very little income, while my father struggled repeatedly to rebuild his career. I was determined that somehow I would transform our family's destiny.

Around this time, I had just graduated from college and started working as an intern at a radio station. Soon after, I attended my first discussion meeting and immediately began chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with all my heart. I wasn't simply praying for financial improvement—I was determined to change the karma of my entire family.

I also prayed to discover my own purpose in life.

Ironically, although I worked in radio, I had always disliked my own voice. Throughout school, classmates teased me because it sounded different from what they expected. For years I wished I had a softer, more pleasing voice and believed this was one of my greatest shortcomings.

Faith gradually helped me see myself differently.

I immersed myself in Buddhist study, purchased the Gosho with my modest earnings, participated wholeheartedly in meetings, conducted home visits, and accepted increasing organizational responsibilities. More importantly, I began applying Ikeda Sensei's guidance in my daily life instead of merely reading it.

As my confidence grew through human revolution, something remarkable happened. The very voice I had once rejected became my greatest professional strength.

I began hosting radio programs, received opportunities from leading stations, and eventually became a prime-time radio presenter. Listeners consistently described my voice as warm, distinctive, and comforting. What I had once viewed as a weakness had become the unique quality that defined my career.

Beyond entertainment, I also found opportunities to use my platform for meaningful causes. My programs supported public awareness campaigns, encouraged social responsibility, and inspired people to contribute to their communities. Through my profession, I discovered what it truly meant to create value for society.

Looking back, however, the greatest benefit was not career success but the transformation taking place within my own heart.

During various organizational campaigns, I often found myself asking when my "big victory" would finally arrive. Yet through consistent chanting, home visits, and studying Sensei's guidance, I gradually realized that faith is not about waiting for dramatic results. It is about continuously transforming oneself regardless of circumstances.

That understanding changed everything.

As my life condition expanded, external victories naturally followed. My income increased significantly within a relatively short period, my father's career also stabilized, and the constant anxiety about money gradually disappeared. More importantly, the underconfident young woman who once doubted herself developed the courage to encourage countless others.

New opportunities continued appearing. I was invited to speak with students, share my experiences with young people, pursue my passion for yoga, and challenge activities I had never imagined possible. Step by step, I began building a life based not on fear but on purpose.

One of my deepest prayers had always been to express gratitude to my parents for everything they had endured. Through persistent faith and sincere effort, I was eventually able to help provide them with a home of their own. Watching my family move from years of uncertainty to stability became one of the most joyful moments of my life.

My relationship with my father, whom I had once silently blamed for many of our hardships, also transformed completely. Instead of resentment, our relationship became rooted in understanding, compassion, and gratitude.

As I deepened my mentor-disciple spirit through study and organizational activities, I came to appreciate the profound meaning of Ikeda Sensei's guidance:

"The heart of the great vow for kosen-rufu and the life state of Buddhahood are one and the same."

These words helped me understand that genuine happiness comes not from personal achievement alone, but from dedicating one's abilities to encouraging others and advancing kosen-rufu.

Today, I continue using my voice in many different ways—not only through my profession but through dialogues, encouragement, meetings, and friendships. Whether speaking on air, supporting a member through a difficult moment, or sharing hope with someone encountering Buddhism for the first time, I strive to make every conversation meaningful.

Looking back, I now smile whenever someone compliments my voice. The quality I once wished to change became the very instrument through which I discovered my mission. More than building a successful career, I found the confidence to believe in my unique purpose and the joy of using my voice to bring courage, hope, and happiness to others.

With profound gratitude for my mentor, this philosophy, and every person who believed in me, I am determined to continue raising capable young leaders, advancing kosen-rufu through compassionate dialogue, and proving through my own life that every weakness can become our greatest strength when illuminated by the Mystic Law.