We Still Have Treasures of the Heart

Lisa Yagi (L.A. Coastal North Region^[1] Women’s Leader):When we heard that a fire broke out in the Pacific Palisades, we quickly worked with our local leaders to contact members in that area to ensure they were able to evacuate safely.

Chapters with members in the evacuation warning zones immediately organized to ensure that everyone had an evacuation plan in place, especially our older members or those without cars. Along with our neighboring region, we organized a location where members who had evacuated could chant daimoku and receive encouragement. Over the following days, we relied on our SGI training and contacted every member in the affected areas, confirming their safety and letting them know we were sending daimoku. We received many appreciative responses, even from members we had never met before.

While some had lost their homes, we are thankful that everyone is safe. Though it will take some time to fully recover, amid the devastation and heartbreak, members in our region are reaffirming our bodhisattva vow, using this moment to strengthen our community and striving to bring hope wherever we go.

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Kenny Sara (Pasadena Chapter^[2] Men’s Vice Leader): For some reason, I was really drawn to the Gohonzon that day. At some point while chanting, I sensed a shift in the environment. When I stepped outside, it was pitch black and my neighbors were frantically loading their cars.

I packed what I could, and from within me was this strong voice, “Get the Gohonzon.” Driving through the embers and looking at my house in the rearview mirror, I felt that this was going to be the last time I’d see it and my 40 years of life in Altadena.

My home burned down, but I’m so fortunate to have a wonderful daughter that I can stay with. Every day, I check in on a neighborhood message thread, and everyone’s trying to pick up their lives. These are neighbors that brought me food and left me notes after I had heart surgery, people I’ve shared my life with. I get rattled, too, but I have to be there for them, and that means daimoku and strong life force has to be at the center of my life.

When second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda was released from prison amid devastation in Japan, what did he do? He went on to rebuild the Soka Gakkai. All of this is tragic, but it’s an opportunity to transform our karma, to bring about great good from great evil. I understand what President Toda meant when he said the Soka Gakkai was more important than his own life. To me, the SGI is that women’s division member who stayed on the phone with me when my wife died in 2020, and this time again, it is the members of SGI that were front and center.

I think back to when I met Ikeda Sensei. Seeing his life, I understood that treasures of the heart were most important. No matter how hopeless things look on the outside, there’s hope when we’re connected to Sensei. We still have treasures of the heart. I can still wake up every morning, and as Nichiren says, “But still I am not discouraged.”^[3]

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Heidi Hayashi (L.A. Coastal North Region Young Women’s Leader):I just moved to Santa Monica one month ago, and I barely knew the members, let alone the neighborhoods here. But seeing the example of the women’s division leaders and thinking of what Ikeda Sensei would do, I chanted to be able to lift any heaviness or anxiety of whoever I could get a hold of.

I spoke with a young woman who was stuck in traffic with the fires quickly approaching her. The phone disconnected many times, and I questioned if calling her like this in a time of emergency was even helpful. When I finally reached her, she said she was on the verge of panicking and that it would help her if I stayed on the phone with her. I did until she was safe.

Over the next few days, I saw her and the youth who were affected by the fires standing up as pillars for their families and friends. Many youth also voiced that they wanted to help. Trusting that even one sentence can give hope to someone, we got together to make cards with Sensei’s encouragement for the leaders to bring on their visits to those affected by the fires.

I’m realizing it’s no coincidence that I’m here. I’m determined that because of this tragedy, we’re going to turn everything around.

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Kenichi Hackman (SGI-USA Young Men’s Leader): That first night, a lot of the guys, including myself, were starting to feel antsy just watching the news. We wanted to do something. When we put the word out, a dozen guys quickly gathered at an SGI center. We couldn’t find much info on ways to support, so we decided to just go to a local evacuation center. And we took our blue Soka Group hats with us.

When we arrived, people told us on their way out that the center wasn’t taking any more volunteers. But noticing how hectic the parking lot was, we continued asking around, explaining that we were from the SGI and that we could help with parking. Then, we got an OK!

Our Soka Group training kicked in right away: We organized ourselves into sections; established a flow for visitors based on priority; diffused an argument; guided a drop-off of elderly patients; quickly and neatly set up beds; and kept track of the status of the cars in the lot.

At the end, one of the center’s key people shared that they knew about the SGI and that they wanted to relay our efforts to the mayor’s office to thank us. We all walked away that night seeing how valuable our training truly is in society. More than anything, we went from feeling powerless to experiencing the power of taking action for others.

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Sophia Nakabayashi (Coastline Chapter^[4] Women’s Leader): Coastline Chapter has had a history of wildfires and evacuations. And I’m reminded once again of the importance of our bonds with one another, and how it makes all the difference in times of crisis.

Throughout my life with the SGI, I saw how my parents and the pioneer members responded to support others. There was never strategizing, just sincerity. They learned that behavior from Ikeda Sensei. Over the course of my practice, I’ve come to internalize that same spirit, and I’ve felt that now it was my turn to carry it on to the next generation.

The members I visited who were affected—even in their vulnerable moments—shared things like: “Fortune cannot be burned,” “Life is most precious,” “I’m resilient and hopeful,” and “Suffer what there is to suffer, enjoy what there is to enjoy.”^[5] I witnessed how they were putting into practice and activating the power of the Mystic Law, how they’ve internalized Sensei’s message over the years. 

I might not have eloquent words to say in such times of devastation, but I always and will always take action for our members with the utmost sincerity. We are a village, giving one another hope and optimism.

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Alon Friedman (L.A. Mountain View Region^[6] Men’s Vice Leader):My home was just a few streets away from the fire, so my family and I had to quickly evacuate. I was confident; as long as we were safe, we could always figure it out, especially with our Buddhist practice.

Once we were settled in a hotel, I started calling the members in the area. And when we learned that the SGI-USA San Fernando Valley Buddhist Center was going to open for evacuees, I quickly coordinated with the King Castle Group (the men’s division behind-the-scenes group) to ensure we had enough support for the coming days. As hectic as things were, I didn’t think twice—people were counting on us. 

But I was uncertain if I should still go to the SoCal-Pacific Territory Leaders Conference at the SGI-USA Florida Nature and Culture Center that weekend. I couldn’t imagine leaving everyone at such a time. When I shared this with a senior in faith, they reassured me that we’d support the members together and encouraged me to go to bring back encouragement for everyone here. I decided to do just that.

Upon returning, I jumped into visiting the members that were affected, sharing Buddhism with some young men in the National Guard and at every opportunity. Everyone was processing things differently, but each visit became a reminder for me: It’s about life and people, and our mission is to make respect for life the foundation, starting with our communities.

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Kristina Krofft (Palisades District Women’s Group Leader): When I started practicing Buddhism as a teenager and struggling, I was encouraged to memorize Sensei’s guidance and passages from Nichiren’s writings. One was: “The darker the night, the closer the dawn.”^[7] And I’ve learned in the depths of my life that through chanting, we can absolutely change any poison into medicine.

I don’t understand why and how everything played out the way it did for me during this fire. Although our entire neighborhood burned down and is no longer accessible, my house was the only one left standing. The fire had somehow stopped right at the room with my Buddhist altar. All I can say is that I experienced this so I can advance kosen-rufu.

More profound for me, though, were the transformations in my relationships. The past few years were marked by so much loss—I divorced, my daughter stopped speaking with me and my dad passed away. I had also grown distant from my two sisters. Before the fires, I had been chanting to not slander and have appreciation for them.

But through this tragedy, my sister and I chanted together for the first time in years. My other sister is sharing my experience and Buddhism with others in the community. I went beyond any negative feelings and reached out to support my ex-husband. For the first time in 20 years, we cried together. Actually, he, our daughter, son and I ended up staying at the hotel together during evacuation, and we had dinners together.

Another great benefit: I found a new place—which is like finding a needle in the haystack right now. My ex-husband came with me and my son to inspect it, and I overheard them talking about where I can put the altar. I can’t wait to host meetings again. 

I know I’m going through this so I can help others realize that they’re a Buddha, too. Along the way, I’m sharing Buddhism with everyone I encounter. My heart is broken, but no matter what, I return to my prime point—that our suffering can absolutely become beautiful.

February 7, 2025 World Tribune, pp. 6–8