The Joy of Never Giving Up
In October 2016, on the evening of his father’s death anniversary, Dr. Biswanath Kundu’s life suddenly collapsed.
His wife left him.
It was the second marriage for both of them.
The separation deeply shattered his confidence and left him emotionally devastated.
For days, he struggled with feelings of humiliation, failure, and disbelief.
Then, during this painful period, a college friend — who also happened to be his office colleague — introduced him to Nichiren Buddhism.
At his very first discussion meeting, something profound happened.
As he listened to the sound of daimoku filling the room, tears flowed uncontrollably from his eyes.
For the first time in a long while, he felt he had found something he could trust completely.
That very day, he made a determination:
To do his absolute best in faith, practice, and study.
What began as emotional collapse quietly became the starting point of a new life.
Healing Through Practice and Contribution
As time passed, Dr. Kundu slowly recovered within the orbit of the Soka Gakkai.
Rather than isolating himself emotionally, he immersed himself in Buddhist activities.
He found joy in:
Home visits
Encouraging members
Sharing Buddhism with family and friends
Preparing for BSG study exams
Participating in meetings and cultural activities
One especially joyful moment came when he performed in a chorus during the inauguration of the Kolkata Culture Center.
Gradually, the pain of abandonment began losing its grip on his heart.
But just as stability seemed to return, life presented new challenges.
His mother suffered a major cerebral stroke that left the entire left side of her body paralyzed.
She became bedridden.
Then, within the very next month, his sister divorced her husband and returned home along with her adult son.
Suddenly, daily life became overwhelmingly demanding.
Responsibility arrived from every direction simultaneously.
Balancing Duty, Work, and Faith
Professionally, Dr. Kundu worked as a Principal Scientist in a prestigious central government organization.
His work demanded constant intellectual growth and high-level performance.
His responsibilities included:
Guiding students
Leading research projects
Publishing papers internationally
Registering patents
Writing book chapters
Technology transfer initiatives
On top of that, his office commute alone consumed nearly three hours every day.
Before leaving for work and after returning home, he remained occupied with household responsibilities and caring for his mother physically and emotionally.
At times, exhaustion and sluggishness overwhelmed him.
Whenever that happened, two guidances from Ikeda Sensei became his “prime point.”
“If you fall down seven times, you get up on the eighth.”
And:
“Life is about striving all out to achieve our aims.”
These words repeatedly helped him stand back up whenever discouragement appeared.
Through steady effort, he gradually discovered that perseverance itself creates life force.
Transforming Anger Into Compassion
Then in 2019, another painful challenge emerged.
After three years of estrangement, his wife filed a domestic violence case against him and demanded large alimony payments.
Initially, the emotional pain was intense.
But senior leaders encouraged him to pray deeply to understand the real meaning behind the situation.
Gradually, Dr. Kundu realized something important.
From the perspective of faith, the conflict was not merely about another person’s behavior.
It was an opportunity to transform his own deep-rooted karma.
His seniors encouraged him to replace anger and resentment with gratitude and compassion.
This was extraordinarily difficult.
Yet he sincerely challenged himself to do exactly that.
Instead of focusing on revenge or self-pity, he immersed himself in campaigns, daimoku, and sowing the seeds of Buddhism.
Eventually, the domestic violence charges were dropped.
However, alimony payments and financial responsibilities continued.
He still needed to support:
His mother’s treatment and attendants
Daily physiotherapy and medicines
His sister and nephew
Yet surprisingly, he never felt emotionally burdened by finances.
As he continued chanting sincerely, something even more remarkable happened.
He gradually let go of hatred and humiliation toward his wife.
That inner shift quietly transformed his entire environment.
Hardship Without Suffering
The divorce proceedings dragged on for years because of multiple complications including:
The pandemic
Mediation delays
Repeated hearing postponements
One judge passing away during proceedings
Yet despite the prolonged legal struggle, Dr. Kundu’s honesty and straightforwardness remained consistently recognized by the court.
During this same period, he was inducted into the Soshokai and appointed MD Chapter Chief.
This became another major turning point.
Working shoulder to shoulder with forty-eight MDs and other members — many facing deep relationship struggles themselves — he found fresh mission and purpose.
He intensified his efforts in:
Studying the Gosho
Reading The New Human Revolution
Attending discussion meetings
Organizing daimoku meetings
Home visits
Supporting subscriptions for VC and FDT
Behind-the-scenes activities
In every activity, he challenged himself to polish his inner life while helping members experience hope and victory.
Even during the pandemic, from June 2020 onward, he physically attended office every single day without fail.
For him, every moment became an opportunity to create good causes and deepen his human revolution.
Gradually, he discovered that hardship did not necessarily have to create suffering.
The True Reward of Perseverance
Eventually, the long legal process finally reached resolution.
His wife agreed to a mutual divorce settlement and one-time alimony arrangement.
In July, the divorce officially concluded.
Meanwhile, his mother recovered significantly.
She regained the ability to walk with support and began chanting regularly with him and his sister.
His sister and nephew both secured stable jobs and rebuilt confident lives.
Professionally too, Dr. Kundu received a well-deserved promotion on merit.
Yet despite all these visible victories, he considered something else his greatest achievement.
He had developed a life condition where no adversity could fundamentally discourage him.
One line from Nichiren Daishonin perfectly captured that transformation:
“Still, I am not discouraged.”
(“The Essentials for Attaining Buddhahood,” WND-1, p. 747)
For Dr. Kundu, the real treasure was no longer external resolution — but inner joy and unshakable strength.
A Line That Stayed With Me
“If you fall down seven times, you get up on the eighth.”
Reflection
Many people assume happiness means the absence of problems.
But Buddhism teaches something much deeper.
Real happiness is the ability to remain undefeated internally even while facing challenges externally.
Dr. Kundu’s journey shows that human revolution begins when we stop blaming circumstances and begin transforming our own hearts.
Sometimes, the greatest victory is not changing other people.
It is discovering compassion, dignity, and joy within ourselves despite everything life throws at us.
Key Takeaways
Human revolution begins with transforming inner negativity.
Perseverance gradually builds deep inner life force.
Compassion can transform painful relationships.
Consistent efforts in faith create lasting confidence.
Hardship does not have to mean suffering.
Forward With Determination
Today, Dr. Kundu remains deeply determined to:
Continue his lifelong human revolution
Support members sincerely through encouragement and study
Advance kosen-rufu alongside his chapter members
Base every action on the Mystic Law of Cause and Effect
Above all, he remains committed to reporting the complete victory of his chapter to Ikeda Sensei through his life and actions.
Inspired by a published Buddhist experience and retold with commentary, reflection, and adapted storytelling.