With Pure Appreciation

Toward the May Commemorative Contribution this year, the SGI-USA features the video experiences of Randy Pfannenstiel, of Denver, and Chika O’Berry, of Ashburn, Virginia. In a brief conversation with the World Tribune, Randy shared the following.

World Tribune: What does May Commemorative Contribution mean to you?

Randy Pfannenstiel: As a family, we reflect on how much our lives have transformed over the decades, starting with my mother and stepfather’s practice. Being able to live with unshakable confidence in the Gohonzon is the greatest fortune. So, every May Commemorative Contribution is my way to give back, with pure appreciation, to this wonderful Buddhist practice.

At the same time, it’s an opportunity to challenge myself anew, set a financial contribution goal and strive toward that goal with courage. Whether in the highs or lows of my life, I never once gave up contributing. I ask myself, Is this Buddhist practice and the Gohonzon important to me? And I simply strive to match that sense of value with my contributions. It’s never a sense that I’m losing or sacrificing anything—again, it’s just appreciation.

As I share in the video experience, I was laid off 32 years into my career. Had this happened 15 years before, when I was a single parent going through financial difficulties, it would’ve been devastating. Maybe it was my karma to face obstacles in my career at some point, and I’m not sure what more I have in store. But I believe it’s through the good fortune I’ve accumulated through financial contributions that I can face my karma, be absolutely protected and come out victorious.