With the SGI-USA’s focus on friendship, community and raising successors, the World Tribune sat down with Renee Benson, the Louisiana-Mississippi Region women’s leader, to hear about their united effort as a Soka community to support youth.
World Tribune: Thank you for speaking with us, Renee, on behalf of the members of Louisiana-Mississippi Region. To start, could you share a bit about the SGI community there?
Renee Benson: Yes, as the name of the region suggests, it covers the vast area of two states. In some areas, it can take hours to go see another member.
Last September, I took on the responsibility as the women’s leader. Shortly after, the area was hit with Hurricane Francine. It was a hectic time that accelerated my meetings with local members and leaders, and I was so moved by how everyone rallied to check in on one another.
Through this experience, I witnessed a deeply rooted understanding among the members—that obstacles are to be expected and that our Buddhist practice enables us to transform fear and suffering into a source of joy and appreciation.
WT: How did that spirit impact your efforts to support the youth?
Renee: When we saw our youth struggling and growing distant from their Buddhist practice, personally, it came back to what I was taught as a youth: Everything begins with prayer.
Based on prayer, the women’s division began a weekly rhythm to discuss our vision for 2025, asking ourselves: What did we want to see? What was our determination? One clear challenge was that we urgently needed young women’s division leaders.
We knew we couldn’t harbor doubts in tackling this. It was our responsibility to show the youth, through our example, Ikeda Sensei’s spirit to run to the Gohonzon when obstacles appear, not away from it.
With that, we established a weekly rhythm of chanting. We started right away to prevent any room for devilish functions to creep in. Whoever was able to make it, we welcomed. Little by little, we saw that these chanting sessions were building joy. In addition, we also planned get-togethers with the youth, like dance parties (bodhisattvas emerged dancing, after all) and pizza hang outs.
WT: Then you kicked off this year with the highest attendance at New Year’s gongyo, with each Byakuren member that supported having great victories leading up to it.
Renee: That’s right. Some members had to drive 6 to 7 hours to attend. With deep appreciation, we prepared care packages for them for their travel back. This is truly the result of the tremendous support of the leaders at the front lines of our community.
It’s the same with the growth of our Byakuren. Together, the women had been visiting them, listening to their struggles and attending their district activities with them. We were their friends in faith, and it was a “family” effort to ensure their victory. We are determined that each of the nine Byakuren members who are standing up continue to transform their lives this year.
Now we are hosting weekly chanting sessions together with the youth with the determination to foster many district young women’s division leaders. We are thoroughly looking name by name, asking ourselves: How can we better support them? What are the barriers between us? What are they teaching us?
WT: What have you realized is key to supporting youth?
Renee: I think it’s about letting them help us help them. It starts with us chanting to the Gohonzon and having the most open heart when we’re with them. My personal motto is “less words, more daimoku.” Sometimes they want to chant, or they want encouragement or they just want to be heard. I need to listen to have the wisdom to know where they’re at in that moment.
Also, I think creating an environment of mutual support among all members and leaders trickles through. In addition to chanting together, it’s the little things to show our appreciation, like getting coffee together or sending holiday cards. When we start with appreciation, families are easier to build; and bigger challenges call for a bigger family to tackle it.
WT: Recently, there was the tragedy on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. How do you see these efforts to unite as a community and raise youth connect to these ongoing societal issues?
Renee: We are in a battle to believe in our own lives. And once we succeed in that effort, then we’re tasked to believe in the life of another. Sensei showed us through his life that one person can be powerful enough to move the universe, to awaken another person.
Each of our SGI activities are different tools and opportunities to become experts in believing in ourselves. I used to be the “resignation queen,” always doubting and wanting to give up. But it’s thanks to the support I received and the many opportunities in the SGI that I have developed my resolve. I have to repay that debt of gratitude, deeply engraving in my life this responsibility to foster the next generation and allowing nothing to stop me in this effort.
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