Rising Again Through Human Revolution

I began practicing Nichiren Buddhism as a Young Lion in 2011.

At that time, I was extremely shy and underconfident.

I weighed 120 kilograms and was constantly bullied because of my appearance.

Even as a child, I carried deep insecurity inside me.

Initially, I viewed chanting as some kind of magical solution to all my problems.

But gradually, with the encouragement of my mother and senior leaders, my understanding of faith matured.

I slowly began realizing that Buddhism was not about escaping problems.

It was about transforming myself from within.

Facing Academic Failure And Self-Doubt

As an engineering aspirant, I dreamed of studying computer science in institutions like IIT and NIT.

But when my entrance exam results came, reality hit hard.

My score was far below expectations.

I could not secure admission into:

My dream colleges

Tier-2 institutions

I felt like a complete failure.

The fear of judgment became so intense that I avoided conversations with people.

Eventually, I joined a semi-private engineering college in my preferred stream.

Then another shock followed.

I learned that placement opportunities there were barely two percent.

For someone already struggling with self-worth, this felt devastating.

Challenges At Home And College

Adjusting to college life became extremely difficult.

I was still carrying:

Trauma from bullying

Body-image insecurity

Fear of failure

As a result, my academics suffered badly.

I barely cleared exams and even accumulated backlogs.

Then our family discovered a huge bank debt.

Collection agents frequently started visiting our home.

Their harsh words and constant pressure disrupted the peace of our household.

At one point, it felt impossible to focus on studies.

Yet strangely, this difficult period became the beginning of our family’s deeper unity.

For the first time, we began chanting together regularly as a family.

Those shared prayers transformed the atmosphere of our home.

Instead of collapsing under pressure, we slowly regained courage.

Beginning My Human Revolution

During that phase, I threw myself wholeheartedly into Gakkai activities.

As a mission group member, I:

Did four home visits every week

Participated in every concept study

Supported meetings behind the scenes

Distributed Value Creation sincerely

One guidance from Ikeda Sensei deeply impacted me:

“When we change, the world changes. The key to all change is in our inner transformation.”

(‘Golden Autumn’, NHR-1, 45)

I decided to challenge myself seriously.

Slowly, I transformed my lifestyle completely.

I reduced my weight from 120 kilograms to 70 kilograms.

That victory changed something fundamental inside me.

For the first time, I genuinely believed:

“Change is possible.”

Creating Opportunities Despite Limitations

To support my family financially, I started a zero-investment export business while continuing my studies.

Life became extremely demanding.

My days were spent:

Attending classes

Preparing for placements

And my nights were dedicated to reaching out to international buyers.

I faced rejection after rejection.

But I refused to stop trying.

Then, on the day Ikeda Auditorium was inaugurated in September 2019, I executed my first business order.

That moment felt deeply symbolic to me.

Around the same period, something remarkable happened at college too.

I secured the highest placement package among students in well-known companies.

The placement package in our college itself increased nearly tenfold.

Meanwhile, our family’s financial condition improved significantly and we managed to repay around 60 percent of our debt.

Rising Again After Professional Failure

Around that time, I joined a new company.

But after just five months, I was laid off due to underperformance.

The old fear returned immediately.

I started doubting myself again.

But this time, instead of collapsing emotionally, I determined to transform the fear itself through faith.

I:

Reached out to YMD leaders

Increased my daimoku

Started weekly home visits

Studied the Gosho daily

Slowly, I rebuilt my confidence.

I eventually secured another job with higher pay.

Still, internally, fear continued haunting me.

Every assignment felt like a test I might fail.

Yet through continuous efforts in Gakkai activities and supporting student division members, I learned invaluable lessons about:

Leadership

Resilience

Collective growth

Those lessons directly transformed my professional life.

Within six months of joining, I was promoted to mid-level developer along with a salary increment.

That became my first major step toward long-term professional stability.

Fulfilling My Parents’ Dream

For years, we had lived in rented houses.

My parents always dreamed of owning a home.

I determined to fulfill that dream.

Toward that goal, our family once again united around prayer and action.

Through persistent effort and unwavering daimoku, we finally secured:

A flat

A basement space

in a prestigious society in Gurugram in August 2023.

Today, the basement is used for joyful Gakkai activities.

That space constantly reminds me how suffering can truly become the seed of mission.

Balancing Multiple Responsibilities

Balancing:

Work

Family

Gakkai responsibilities

often felt overwhelming.

So I strengthened my prayers and reassessed my priorities carefully.

I improved my time management and gradually created better harmony in my life.

Professionally, I was promoted again — this time to lead an entire team — along with a 30 percent salary hike.

At the same time, I revived another dream:

starting my own company.

After overcoming numerous struggles, my co-founders and I launched our hospitality and travel-tech startup in May 2025.

Advancing Together With Youth

Filled with gratitude, I plunged into the July 3rd Campaign.

I determined to:

Chant three hours daily

Conduct seven dialogues every week

Reach out sincerely to YMD members

Study The New Human Revolution every day

I also resolved to complete one million daimoku.

Today, more than anything else, I want to help youth overcome the same insecurity and fear that once dominated my own life.

A Line That Stayed With Me

“When we change, the world changes. The key to all change is in our inner transformation.”

Reflection

Bullying and repeated failures can quietly damage one’s self-worth.

For years, I believed:

I was not capable enough

I was not smart enough

I was not worthy of success

But Buddhism taught me that confidence is not something we are born with.

It is built gradually through:

Consistent effort

Human revolution

Encouraging others

Refusing to give up

I also realized that external transformation becomes sustainable only when inner transformation happens first.

The greatest victory of my life was not weight loss, promotions, or financial stability.

It was transforming the fearful and insecure person I once believed myself to be.

Key Takeaways

Human revolution begins with inner transformation.

Consistent effort gradually builds confidence.

Failure does not determine one’s future.

Family unity strengthens resilience during crisis.

Encouraging others helps heal one’s own insecurities.

Forward With Determination

I now determine to:

Strengthen bonds of friendship

Foster capable youth

Advance wholeheartedly for kosen-rufu

Achieve absolute victory in every sphere of life

Above all, I determine to continue rising again and again with unwavering faith.

Sensei, you can count on me.

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