Standing Undaunted as a Golden Pillar
When Vivek Rao first began practicing Nichiren Buddhism in Hyderabad in 2008, his faith fluctuated constantly.
Some days, he was full of enthusiasm and determination.
Other days, he became passive and discouraged.
“My faith was like fire,” he reflects. “Burning brightly one moment and fading the next.”
In 2009, Vivek moved to Delhi-NCR for work.
There, supported by senior leaders and fellow members, he gradually deepened his practice through meetings, activities, and volunteer responsibilities at SBTG.
During that period, a major family crisis struck.
His parents’ home in Uttarakhand caught fire, leaving both of them seriously injured.
Vivek immediately brought them to Delhi for treatment.
His fellow practitioners rallied around him with immense support and encouragement.
His father eventually recovered from severe burns, and his mother healed from multiple fractures.
Those experiences taught Vivek the meaning of fighting alongside fellow comrades in faith.
During this period, his leaders also repeatedly encouraged him to develop a stand-alone spirit and avoid becoming complacent in faith.
Later, Vivek married and introduced his wife to Buddhism.
Together, they became parents to two sons.
Mastering the Strategy of the Lotus Sutra
In 2021, Vivek relocated to Chandigarh to work as a project manager in an IT company.
In a completely new city without relatives or close friends nearby, the local Gakkai family welcomed them warmly.
Soon, their home became a center for meetings and activities.
Both Vivek and his wife began practicing more sincerely than ever before.
Vivek took responsibility as district men’s division chief and later chapter chief.
He supported activities behind the scenes and handled chapter statistics as well.
His wife also took responsibility for a district while serving as a White Lily member and statistics in-charge.
Their elder son became regular in doing gongyo and chanting daimoku.
Faith gradually became the center around which the entire family’s life revolved.
Then came another major challenge.
In May of the following year, Vivek’s company placed him on notice.
He immediately began searching for jobs.
But wherever he applied, rejection followed.
Again and again, he cleared multiple interview rounds only to face rejection at the very end.
During this difficult phase, a leader encouraged him to report complete victory during the men’s division campaign.
Vivek based himself on the study of “The Strategy of the Lotus Sutra” and “Winter Always Turns to Spring.”
With renewed determination, he restarted his job search.
When Hope Began Fading
Vivek began waking up early and chanting up to five hours of daimoku every day.
At the same time, he prepared for the BSG Introductory Exam and passed successfully.
The chapter also held a successful men’s division meeting.
Yet despite all these efforts, there was still no breakthrough in employment.
He contacted everyone he knew in the industry.
At one point, he became willing to accept almost any position available.
Meanwhile, the family’s savings began disappearing rapidly.
They stopped buying anything unnecessary.
Every expense was carefully reduced.
The hardest part for Vivek was watching the situation affect his children.
Slowly, hopelessness began creeping into his heart.
For a brief period, he even distanced himself from the Gohonzon.
Sometimes, the greatest battle is not external hardship — but the silent loss of hope within.
Standing Up as a Golden Pillar
During this painful period, his leaders never stopped encouraging him.
This passage from Nichiren Daishonin deeply struck his heart:
“In battles soldiers regard the general as their soul. If the general were to lose heart, his soldiers would become cowards.”
(“The Supremacy of the Law,” WND-1, p. 61)
Vivek realized that this was the moment to stand up as a true “Golden Pillar” for his family and chapter.
With fresh determination, he returned fully to Buddhist activities.
Whenever discouragement arose at home, his son Shaan would share passages from Victory Gosho.
Vivek also drew immense strength from the men’s division song “Bring It On!”
Even amid personal hardship, his chapter continued growing.
Future division participation in his wife’s district increased significantly as well.
At one critical point, when finances became extremely tight, Vivek unexpectedly received his income tax return refund.
That money helped sustain the family for another month.
He also began learning to manage finances more wisely.
Rather than allowing difficulties to divide them, the struggle strengthened the family’s unity.
Winter Turning Into Spring
Eventually, the situation became so difficult that moving back to their hometown seemed like the only practical option.
The family decided to leave Panchkula on December 22nd.
They even began selling their furniture.
Yet despite everything, Vivek and his wife’s faith remained unshaken.
Together, they increased their daimoku to nearly eight to ten hours daily.
Then, on December 5th, something unexpected happened.
Vivek woke up to find an email from an IT company in Chandigarh that had earlier rejected him.
This time, however, they offered him a higher salary and a higher position as Team Leader–Project Manager.
The offer felt almost unreal.
The joining date was only four days later.
Just when winter seemed unbearable, spring quietly arrived.
A Victory Beyond Employment
Looking back, Vivek feels immense gratitude for that difficult phase.
Through abundant daimoku and shared struggle, he and his wife forged a much deeper bond as partners.
Their unity and determination strengthened profoundly.
Their children excelled in academics and extracurricular activities despite the challenges.
Most importantly, harmony remained alive within the home.
Vivek realized that the real victory was not merely getting a new job.
It was developing the strength to remain undefeated during the harshest winter of his life.
A Line That Stayed With Me
“If the general were to lose heart, his soldiers would become cowards.”
Reflection
Financial uncertainty often attacks more than material stability.
It slowly weakens confidence, hope, and self-belief.
But Buddhism teaches that true leadership begins when we refuse to surrender internally even amid overwhelming circumstances.
Vivek’s journey shows that faith is not the absence of fear.
It is the courage to continue advancing despite fear.
Sometimes, becoming a “golden pillar” simply means standing up one more time when life tries to break us.
Key Takeaways
Challenges can strengthen family unity when faced together.
Faith requires perseverance even when results are delayed.
Encouragement from others can revive hope during difficult times.
Financial hardship can become an opportunity for human revolution.
Winter always turns to spring when we continue moving forward.
Forward With Determination
Today, Vivek remains determined to:
Chant daimoku and study daily
Strengthen his financial wisdom
Encourage members sincerely
Continue living as a true disciple of Ikeda Sensei
Above all, he is determined to stand undaunted as a golden pillar for his family and fellow members.
Inspired by a published Buddhist experience and retold with commentary, reflection, and adapted storytelling.