Becoming the Great Mountain

By Raashi Ahluwalia

Young Women’s Chapter Leader

North Vancouver, B.C.

    

At the age of 23, when I graduated from law school, my dream job seemed like a distant mirage, and my seven-year long relationship had brutally ended. At that juncture, a dear friend in Chandigarh, India introduced me to Nichiren Buddhism. I took to it like a fish to water! Chanting enabled me to believe in myself like never before. 

As I started feeling complete as an individual again, both the job and the companionship I was looking for naturally came to me. My partner and I fell in love, got married, and spent seven years of our life together in Mumbai, the commercial capital of India. I worked as an in-house lawyer for an entertainment conglomerate. During that time, I learned a great deal about my life, and I deepened my understanding of this Buddhist practice. I received the Gohonzon,[i] and I truly accepted Ikeda Sensei as my eternal mentor. I took on leadership responsibilities in Bharat Soka Gakkai (BSG), the SGI organization in India. Owing to my sincere faith, practice and study, I was able to exponentially step up my performance at work, becoming the youngest lawyer in the company to advise business units in South-East Asia. 

My partner is a passionate filmmaker with a sensitive heart. Despite working very hard, his work relations in Mumbai were clouded with uncertainty. At that time, it appeared as though financial instability was the only thing keeping us from being happy. We kept waiting for the sun to dawn on his career. The night was the darkest when he went through bullying at the hands of his co-cinematographer whom he had treasured as a professional mentor. I was not able to fathom the intensity of his suffering, and I often found myself doubting and judging him. I remember howling out of helplessness before the Gohonzon. Although nothing visibly changed, one thing surely did —I began to reach out to my fellow SGI comrades who helped me to develop the correct attitude in faith. 

My attention was drawn to Volume 30 of Ikeda Sensei’s novel The New Human Revolution, “Great Mountain” chapter, and in particular, I connected with these words from President Makiguchi: 

Although there is a saying that even dust, when it accumulates, can form a mountain, there are in fact no mountains that have been made from accumulated dust....Real mountains are formed by sudden dramatic shifts in the earth’s crust.[ii] 

Ikeda Sensei explained this by saying:

“If we must fight, let it be a towering struggle! Let us win an explosive victory, an overwhelming victory!”[iii] 

Immediately upon reading those words, I determined to become a “great mountain” by fundamentally changing my life. Chanting helped me to reflect upon myself honestly, using my deep-rooted arrogance, lack of compassion and self-centredness as the fuel for developing genuine appreciation.

Raashi with her husband, Suvikram


Nichiren Daishonin writes:

The more gold is heated in the flames, the brighter will be its colour; the more the sword is whetted, the sharper it will become. And the more one praises the blessings of the Lotus Sutra, the more one’s own blessings will increase. Bear in mind that the twenty-eight chapters of the Lotus Sutra contain only a few passages elucidating the truth, but a great many words of praise. [iv] 

Daimoku[v] helped me to appreciate my partner just as he is—humble and tenacious. I began to appreciate that, despite the unpredictability of our finances, we had never really fallen short. I realized that he was the catalyst for my human revolution, and the backbone of my practice. With this shift in attitude, my chanting felt in complete harmony with the universe, and together we felt a fresh surge of love like the drops of dew on green grass on an early winter morning. We happily agreed upon a sudden and dramatic move from India to Canada, inspired by a deep rooted prayer to become “global citizens.” 

Ikeda Sensei describes global citizens as persons who perceive the interconnectedness of life, have the courage to respect the differences of culture, and empathize with those suffering in distant places.[vi] In the fall of 2019, we set foot on our new land of mission. 

The multicultural city of North Vancouver became our new home, and the Lynn Valley District was our new SGI family. My heart overflowed with gratitude for the wealth of experiences (the good, the bad, and the ugly!) that we had brought with us. Even though I felt doubt and fear when I realized that we had to establish our vocations all over again in Canada, I saw it as an opportunity to demonstrate the power of the Mystic Law. A guidance that Ikeda Sensei gave to members during his visit to Canada in 1993, known as the “Vancouver Declaration,” served as a compass showing me the way:

            Live with sincerity and diligent striving

            Live with latitude and generosity

            Live with optimism and good cheer

            Get along with others

            Live with pride and self-respect 

After having almost given up on his filmmaking dream, my partner summoned up the courage to apply to the International Cinematographers Guild. He got selected! Simultaneously, he joined SGI Canada. He chants whenever his heart calls him to, and is enjoying great bonds of friendship and trust in the Canadian film industry. His spiritual and creative growth pushes me to chant even more so that we can stand as emotional and financial pillars of strength for our entire family. He is truly pursuing his mission of using cinema as an instrument to share powerful stories of hope. 

Developing my own career as a lawyer in Canada has not been easy! I failed my first equivalency exam and I messed up several interviews. This caused me to become resentful toward the profession. Despite chanting a lot, I could not see myself moving forward until my prayer became strong enough to transform the situation. During that difficult phase, the young women’s group of SGI Canada embraced me. A series of united and wholehearted efforts to encourage one another ensued, especially as we learned to nurture connections virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. My daimoku began to feel joyful again, and my life began opening up. 

I started viewing the barriers to the legal profession as steppingstones for my human revolution. Chanting helped me to bring out my passion for restorative justice by using my voice to protect the vulnerable. Soon I was given an opportunity to help at the criminal court in Vancouver’s downtown east side, supporting clients who may have had substance abuse or mental illness issues. Now, my days are spent making a difference in the lives of Indigenous and non-Indigenous children, youth and families, through my work as a liaison with the provincial and the municipal governments. 

SGI Honorary Women’s Leader Mrs. Kaneko Ikeda says: 

Nevertheless, my husband and I have not forgotten our beginnings, and no matter how far we have come, we have never lost sight of our common objectives. To maintain the enthusiasm of our youth throughout our lives, we have discovered that mutual encouragement is essential. We are both human and every human being needs encouragement to thrive.[vii] 

As I imagine growing old with my partner, I seek inspiration from the relationship that Mrs. Ikeda and Ikeda Sensei share. “Mutual encouragement” is the foundation of our marriage. 

When I look back and reflect, it feels as if our spiritual, marital and professional life has been staged as a delicate and intricately intertwined dance to the tune of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. The journey has always been about awakening to the supreme potential of our individual lives, and of our life together. Changing karma is the natural result of bringing forth our innate Buddha nature. 

With Canadian kosen-rufu[viii] in the centre of my heart, I am determined to become a friend and a lawyer who emanates Buddhist values. My mission is to work for the happiness of my partner, family, friends, community, motherland, new homeland and the world, in a never–ending pursuit for justice and equity. Through my own human revolution, I will become the “Great Mountain” day after day, and I will empower others to become “Great Mountains” as well.

 

Published in September 2021 New Century

 

[i] Gohonzon: The object of devotion in Nichiren Buddhism. It is the embodiment of the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, expressing the life-state of Buddhahood, which all people inherently possess. Go means “worthy of honour” and honzon means “object of fundamental respect.”

[ii] From SGI President Ikeda’s Essay Series “Thoughts on The New Human Revolution” titled “Being Ever Victorious Each and Every Day”

[iii] Ibid.

[iv] The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, “The Blessings of the Lotus Sutra,” vol 1., p. 673

[v] Daimoku: Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with faith in Nichiren Daishonin’s teachings.

[vi] Discussions on Youth, p. 83.

[vii] Kaneko’s Story – A Conversation with Kaneko Ikeda, p. 54

[viii] Kosen-rufu: Literally, it means “to widely declare and spread [the Lotus Sutra]”; to secure lasting peace and happiness for all humankind through the propagation of Nichiren Buddhism. More broadly, kosen-rufu refers to the process of establishing the humanistic ideals of Nichiren Buddhism in society.