Carrying on My Mom’s Fighting Spirit

by Jasmine Pogue
33 years old 
Baton Rouge, LA.

I was 15 when my mom died from cancer. I tried to understand and reconcile what had happened.

Around that time, a friend told me that by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, I could reconnect with my mom’s life. I wasn’t seeking spirituality, but a few years later, I accepted her invitation to an SGI meeting. I longed for a sense of community, and the Buddhist concept of not relying on an outside deity motivated me to start practicing. I received the Gohonzon in 2007.

I had always felt a lot of anger inside, and not knowing what to do with it, I just let it sit in my heart. As I chanted, I understood why I felt angry and, more importantly, how to transform it and create value.

Buddhism also answered the questions I had about my mom’s passing, helping me recognize the unique mission and beauty of her life. Throughout her battle with stage 4 cancer, nurses said my mom was always cheerful, bringing smiles to their faces.