Laughing in the Face of Illness

Ten years ago, my sister introduced me to Nichiren Buddhism during one of the most painful periods of my life.

I was going through a separation.

At that time, I was emotionally fragile, pessimistic, and constantly overwhelmed by negativity.

Life had already tested me deeply long before that.

At the age of 10, I lost my mother to breast cancer.

After my father remarried, maintaining harmony within the family became difficult.

Then after my own marriage, things became even more painful.

I faced verbal abuse almost every day, and my partner eventually gambled away all our savings.

Somewhere deep within, I had stopped believing that life could ever truly improve.

Then Buddhism entered my life.

For the first time in years, hope slowly began returning to my heart.

Learning To Live With Hope Again

After my separation, I began practicing sincerely.

I attended meetings regularly and challenged myself to chant consistently.

Little by little, my inner state began changing.

And along with it, I started experiencing victories too.

But life’s hardships did not disappear completely.

During the COVID pandemic, my father passed away.

The loss devastated me emotionally.

Still, I refused to collapse internally.

I chanted for hours, immersed myself in study, and worked wholeheartedly for online meetings during the pandemic period.

Those efforts helped me maintain a strong life state despite the grief.

After COVID, however, my work became increasingly demanding.

Gradually, my rhythm of faith weakened.

Every morning, I would determine:

“Today I will fight harder in faith.”

And yet, many days, I failed to sustain that determination.

Then, in December 2023, everything changed suddenly.

The Diagnosis That Shook My Entire Life

I developed acute back pain and had to be hospitalized.

Investigations revealed lesions across my spine.

Initially, after the biopsy came negative, doctors started tuberculosis treatment.

I responded by strengthening my faith even more.

I increased my daimoku and study with the determination for complete recovery.

Despite the severe pain, I continued striving as a district chief.

After office hours, I regularly attended meetings at BSG Headquarters.

For home visits, I physically walked to members’ homes while wearing a support belt around my back.

The more I challenged myself for members’ happiness, the more my district atmosphere transformed.

As a result:

Discussion meeting attendance doubled

Three inactive members attended meetings again

Two New Friends attended the May 3rd Meeting

I felt deeply encouraged.

But soon, an even greater challenge emerged.

In June, I developed unbearable nerve pain.

The pain became so severe that I could barely straighten my body.

Every day, it worsened.

Fresh tests revealed a mass in my spine pressing directly against the nerves.

Doctors advised immediate open spine surgery along with testing the tissue for malignancy.

During my six-hour surgery, my entire district chanted daimoku for me.

Miraculously, after surgery, the severe pain in my leg disappeared completely.

But then came the biopsy report.

The tissue was malignant.

And the cancer had not originated in the spine.

At that moment, it felt as though the ground beneath my feet had disappeared.

Facing Stage IV Cancer

My family and I were devastated.

As a single mother raising my 11-year-old daughter, one fear consumed me constantly:

“What will happen to my child if I die?”

I started suffering panic attacks.

My upper body became partially paralyzed.

At times, I could barely speak properly.

One guidance from Sensei became my determination:

“Laugh off the devil of illness.”

(WCHP-1, Happiness, 299)

And these words from the Gosho became my lifeline:

“Illness gives rise to the resolve to attain the way.”

(‘The Good Medicine for All Ills’, WND-I, 937)

Gradually, various protections also began emerging.

My workplace assured me that:

My job would remain secure

I could work from home as long as needed

My CEO personally wrote me an encouraging note and even increased my insurance cover.

Then the scans finally revealed the complete diagnosis.

A tiny node in my breast had metastasized to my spine.

It was Stage IV cancer.

The doctors told me I might only live for two more years.

I cried deeply that night.

But afterward, I made one determination:

I would show actual proof of this practice.

I refused to let fear become stronger than my faith.

Choosing Courage Over Fear

After returning home from the hospital, members began chanting with me daily.

Their support became a tremendous source of life force.

Rather than withdrawing into suffering, I continued participating in kosen-rufu wholeheartedly.

During the July 3rd WD Smile Campaign:

I held five dialogues

Three friends attended the meeting

Meanwhile, our district challenged two million daimoku toward the South Asia Youth Division Training Course in Japan.

As we chanted unitedly, members began reporting wonderful victories.

My own family also transformed:

My two sisters became active in meetings

My Future Division daughter started participating joyfully

Then came another incredible breakthrough.

One of my medical reports showed highly favorable results.

As a result:

I did not require chemotherapy

I avoided the harsh side effects usually associated with cancer treatment

My treatment began with mild medication instead

The more I chanted and exerted in my district, the stronger my body became.

Slowly:

I regained strength

I started walking properly again

My paralysis reduced significantly

Before my first scan in October, I completed one million daimoku with one powerful conviction:

That the disease would regress dramatically.

Even while waiting in the hospital for my scan, I held two dialogues.

I realized that as long as I continued advancing for kosen-rufu, my spirit would never be defeated.

The Scan That Changed Everything

Only three months after my diagnosis, my scans revealed extraordinary improvement.

The disease had reduced by more than 50 percent.

There was:

No new growth

No abnormality

Healthy hemoglobin levels

My spine also showed visible healing.

Most encouragingly, my doctor advised me to gradually resume normal life.

From being unable to even stand properly…

…to now walking steadily again, my journey became undeniable proof of one truth:

My life itself is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

A Line That Stayed With Me

“Laugh off the devil of illness.”

Reflection

Serious illness does not only attack the body.

It attacks:

Hope

Confidence

Peace of mind

The will to keep living

But Buddhism teaches that even the harshest karma can become a mission.

My journey taught me that courage does not mean absence of fear.

It means deciding:

“Even though I am afraid, I will still move forward.”

And often, the greatest strength appears when we stop asking:

“Why is this happening to me?”

and begin asking:

“How can I use this struggle to encourage others?”

Key Takeaways

Faith can awaken extraordinary courage during life-threatening illness.

Supporting others strengthens one’s own life force deeply.

Even fear and panic can transform through consistent prayer.

Unity and sincere encouragement create powerful protection.

The “never be defeated” spirit changes everything.

Forward With Determination

Today, I remain deeply determined to:

Report complete regression of this disease

Chant another one million daimoku

Foster five youth division members in my district

Introduce five new friends to the practice

Hold 150 dialogues before my next scan

Above all, I determine to become living proof of the Mystic Law until the very last breath of my life.

Inspired by a published Buddhist experience and retold with commentary, reflection, and adapted storytelling.