Friends will be friends

Since my last blog, a lot has happened in my life. After announcing at a combined Young men's and Men's meeting that I decided to be a Keibi at our National Cultural center for the next 5 years, I learned that the Keibi group was due to disbandment. Off course I heared this as a rumor earlier, but still it came as a shock to me that this actual happened. Especially because the weekend that I was Keibi and I heared this terrible news, I was celebrating my anniversary of being 5 years Keibi.

The reason that was given for the decision of disbandon the Keibi group was, that we had to less Keibis anymore and that most tasks forfilled by the Keibi group could be also done by the Byakuren and Sokahans. These tasks were manning the desk and answering the phone, opening and closing of the butsudan in the main Butsuma and providing secrity services during the weekends without any regards wether or not there was a course going on or not. Also another reason was that the fire department didn't clear the building for overnight stays of groups any longer.

That Sunday our national Womens Division leader came to me and asked me how I felt, so I told her. When she learned that I was 5 years Keibi, she asked me what I wished to most for except for the continuation of the Keibi group. I answered that it must be an omimori (travel) gohonzon. I also told her that I expressed this request to the secretary of SGI Netherlands, since he is also the keeper of our Cultural Center. She promised that she would make a plea for my wish to be granted, because in her opinion I had deserved one for my relentless efforts as a Keibi over the last 5 years. This story will be continued....

Then there is my ongoing struggle with the migraine attacks I've having. After a small period of not having any, I start suffering again from migraine attacks. Part due to stress in my personal life, part of having to proof myself again at my work. Then there is the fact that my neurologist can't seem any defined reason why I have these Migraine attacks. So I got new medication again which I have to try.

The personal stress is caused by some new guys who start living in the house I live in now. It's a kind of student house for working people. These guys are French and just don't want to adjust to the other inhabitants of the house. When they moved in, they complained the same evening about the noisiness in the house and they demanded that it would be quiet at 21.30 hrs. And this is still an ongoing battle ever since. I call it a battle, because the rest of us respect the house rules as put down by the landlord but they keep looking for reasons to complain. It makes for me very difficult to practice properly. I think most of the readers who are SGI members know how difficult the relation is between the French government and SGI France.

Since a few months I'm no longer the only practitioner of the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin. One of my house mates started also chanting. He is a German who at first was only interested and decided to try. He is my shakabuku and when possible we try to chant from time to time to together. So this is also becoming a bit more difficult because of the complains of these French guys. Till now we tried talking with them but till now without any result. It's very difficult to keep a dialogue going when the other party don't want to.

Then I learned last week that one of my Internet SGI friends suddenly passed away. This friend lived in West-Hollywood and wrote scrips for movies, television programs and was writing a screen play. She used to encourage me from time to time and showed me how to deal with various issues in life and the coherency with SGI Buddhism. I'm sure,knowing her, that she is discussing with Toda Sensei about the Gosho and Buddhism. She was a true Boddhistava of theearth. I'm sure that with me, a lot of SGI-USA members will miss her.
NMHRK, NMHRK, NMHRK,
André