Shozo Kotera, SGI-Netherlands Executive Advisor

I attended the opening ceremony for the Paris Community Center, and was supposed to return to Rotterdam the same day. But I missed my train, so I called a colleague at the hotel where I worked, who promised to cover for me. With that stroke of luck, I decided to do some sightseeing to learn more about Paris. When I returned to the hotel in Rotterdam the next day, however, the general manager gave me a fierce scolding. At first, I apologised profusely, but he was unrelenting and kept on berating me for so long that I finally lost my temper and said: “All right then, I quit!” When I realised what I had done, I was at a complete loss, so I chanted daimoku and then went to see President Ikeda in Amsterdam.

When President Ikeda heard the story, I was amazed by the extent of his concern for me. He asked if there was any chance that I would be allowed to return to my job at the hotel, whether I had enough money, and told me that I could always turn to Dr Yamazaki (the central leader in Europe then) for help. In his concern, I felt the warmth of a parent, or even more than a parent. President Ikeda said: “You came here to the Netherlands with a mission. The important thing is to try your hardest and see it through to the end.” When I heard that, I said to myself, “That’s right!” I had previously planned to return to Japan after completing my training period at the hotel. Now, I realized that the Netherlands was my place of mission, and I felt as if my eyes were opened to a new future.

President Ikeda then said with compassion and reassurance: “You have my total support.” Once I resolved to dedicate myself to kosen-rufu in the Netherlands, my worries about my job and my future disappeared. President Ikeda then addressed all the members, saying: “Let’s do gongyo and chant for kosen-rufu in the Netherlands.” That became the day that the Netherlands Chapter was established. SGI members have always reached out to those who are struggling, no matter what their problems may be, and warmly and persistently encouraged them. They have done their utmost to help and reinvigorate those who are suffering and have lost hope in life, those filled with negativity and dissatisfaction. (2014)