Experience by Shailendra Pratap Jain (Seattle) Living Buddhism, November, 2011
BASING MY LIFE ON THE GREATEST ROLE MODEL – By applying SGI President Ikeda’s guidance to his life, Shailendra Jain reveals his greater self.
I was born in India to a family steeped in financial difficulties. As a child, I watched my grandfather die penniless and in debt, and I saw my father spend close to 20 years without a job. I felt the weight of pity from relatives and acquaintances due to our money issues. As a result, when I encountered Nichiren Buddhism as a young man in 1988, I was solely focused on achieving financial success.
A great benefit I experienced early in my Buddhist practice was being admitted to the marketing Ph.D. program at New York University. I moved to the US in 1990 to pursue my dream of becoming a marketing professor. But, after living in NY City for two years, I became so homesick that I wanted to quit my PH.D. studies and return home. I had kept in contact with a fellow member in India, Shalini, and she encouraged me to come back and support SGI President Ikeda’s visit to India in February 1992. I packed my bags, not intending to return to the US.
While in India, I attended three meetings and events with President Ikeda. During this time, I wrote him a letter explaining that I wanted to discontinue my Ph.D. program. He wrote back immediately, saying, “I’m praying for the successful completion of your Ph.D.” That message was a defining moment for me, and I decided to return and continue my studies. But I did not leave India empty handed.
I had known Shalini to be a passionate woman of conviction and wisdom. Before my trip home, I had chanted for six months to know whether she was the right person for me. It turns out, she had been chanting for the same six months about me. Shalini and I were married later that year, and she moved to the US with me.
After successful completion of my Ph.D. program in 1995, I joined the faculty of the Simon Graduate School of Business, University of Rochester (NY) as an assistant professor of marketing.
When I began teaching, my focus was on my own performance. The classes were filled with students’ confused or blank faces, frequent yawns and furtive glances at the clock. My first reaction was to make a sweeping judgment about the students.
During this time, I served as a men’s leader in my local SGI-USA organization and strove for the happiness of my fellow members. One day, I read a poem by President Ikeda about breaking open the shell of our lesser, self-centered selves and revealing our greater, more compassionate selves. I was reminded that President Ikeda always focuses on the happiness of each person. I realized I hadn’t been thinking about the happiness of my students. I decided to shift my focus from my ability as a professor and instead chanted to treasure all my students and help them bring out their best.
Gradually, things changed. I went from suffering sleepless nights worrying about my performance to cutting back my sleep in order to prepare more for my classes so that I could better stimulate my students. Rather than viewing them as nameless masses, I spent time learning their names and backgrounds of each of my 250 students. Instead of merely doing my job, I now worried about their health, worked to prepare them for job interviews and chanted passionately for their professional success and happiness. And in 1997, I received my first Teaching Excellence Award from the graduating class.
After all this, in 2000, I learned that my contract at the University of Rochester was being terminated. I was deeply discouraged and even thought about giving up my Nichiren Buddhist practice.
I sought guidance from a senior in faith and told him that when I chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo or studied Buddhism, I felt no joy or inspiration. He encouraged me to continue my daily practice and to keep studying, even if nothing registered.
Following his guidance, I studied President Ikeda’s and Nichiren Daishonin’s writings regularly and came across Nichiren’s words “But still I am not discouraged” (WND-1, 748). I chanted to engrave these words in my heart.
As the months wore on, I became increasingly concerned about my finances. I had been sending money home to support my mother in India, and my wife was dependent upon me. On some level, I feared I might find myself in the same situation as my father or grandfather.
In November 2000, I read an experience in an SGI-USA publication about a woman who had used her Buddhist practice to transform her life from one of running from creditors and almost being jailed to one of tremendous success.
At once, all of President Ikeda’s and Nichiren’s writings that I had read over the previous six months seemed to penetrate deep within me. With my life itself, I felt Nichiren’s words “But still I am not discouraged.” And I knew with unshakable conviction that I would be victorious.
I made a determination that by March 16, 2002, I would have seven job offers. I set a challenging chanting goal for myself each day, increased my participation in SGI activities and introduced many people to Nichiren Buddhism. I also applied for jobs like crazy.
By March 21, 2001, I had received seven job offers and decided to accept a visiting professor position at Cornell University’s Johnson School of Business.
Even though this job paid better and offered more prestige, I still held a grudge against my former employer and considered myself a victim of wrongdoing.
Again I received encouragement from a senior in faith, who suggested I chant to feel true appreciation for the University of Rochester for ending my contract. He said that our obstacles and suffering provide us with an amazing opportunity to learn about ourselves, undergo our human revolution and reveal our greatest potential. Therefore, I should appreciate the university for being the catalyst for my growth.
As I chanted with this mind, I had a moment of clarity. My performance at the University of Rochester had been subpar. Professors have three principle responsibilities: research, teaching and administrative service. My teaching and administrative service had been great, but my research had truly been lacking. I had even asked myself, Why should I do research? Frankly, I just hadn’t believed in its importance.
It dawned on me that President Ikeda is the foremost researcher about life. It is his intensive research and study of Nichiren’s writings and other wide-ranging subjects, such as literature, science and history that make his life and encouragement so profound. This realization put things into perspective for me. To become a true disciple of President Ikeda, I needed to apply myself to research.
In 2002, as my wife and I welcomed our beautiful daughter, Naira, into this world, I started a new job at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, where soon I was routinely researching 16 hours a day. I still found time to drive four hours each way to attend discussion meetings or to visit members.
Between 1003 and 2002, I had published only three research papers. Since 2002, I’ve published 14 and am currently working on about a dozen more.
My earnest effort to live out President Ikeda’s model and vision as an educator has generated results far beyond my imagination. I have been honored with two research awards and 12 student-nominated teaching awards. In 2008, I joined the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business as a tenured professor, and in 2009, every one of my students received a summer internship, despite the struggling economy. That same year, I won the PACCAR Award for Excellence in Teaching, one of the highest MBA teaching awards nationwide. In my annual review last year, my department chair rated me the most-valued professor on the faculty, and this year, I was promoted to a full professor.
When I was at my lowest, I started applying President Ikeda’s guidance to my life. Increasingly, I came to realize why I need a mentor and why he is the greatest mentor I could have eternally. President Ikeda is my role model for how to behave and live – in all areas. I constantly strive to put his encouragement into action, for when I do so, I am always victorious. For that reason, I feel that every victory I have achieved is because of President Ikeda.
He writes: “’Buddhism is about winning’ is not simply a motto or maxim. It is the very heart and essence of the mentor-disciple relationship in Nichiren Buddhism” (July-Aug 2011 Living Buddhism, 56). I will continue showing actual proof in order to repay the immense debt of gratitude I feel toward President Ikeda.
BASING MY LIFE ON THE GREATEST ROLE MODEL – By applying SGI President Ikeda’s guidance to his life, Shailendra Jain reveals his greater self.
I was born in India to a family steeped in financial difficulties. As a child, I watched my grandfather die penniless and in debt, and I saw my father spend close to 20 years without a job. I felt the weight of pity from relatives and acquaintances due to our money issues. As a result, when I encountered Nichiren Buddhism as a young man in 1988, I was solely focused on achieving financial success.
A great benefit I experienced early in my Buddhist practice was being admitted to the marketing Ph.D. program at New York University. I moved to the US in 1990 to pursue my dream of becoming a marketing professor. But, after living in NY City for two years, I became so homesick that I wanted to quit my PH.D. studies and return home. I had kept in contact with a fellow member in India, Shalini, and she encouraged me to come back and support SGI President Ikeda’s visit to India in February 1992. I packed my bags, not intending to return to the US.
While in India, I attended three meetings and events with President Ikeda. During this time, I wrote him a letter explaining that I wanted to discontinue my Ph.D. program. He wrote back immediately, saying, “I’m praying for the successful completion of your Ph.D.” That message was a defining moment for me, and I decided to return and continue my studies. But I did not leave India empty handed.
I had known Shalini to be a passionate woman of conviction and wisdom. Before my trip home, I had chanted for six months to know whether she was the right person for me. It turns out, she had been chanting for the same six months about me. Shalini and I were married later that year, and she moved to the US with me.
After successful completion of my Ph.D. program in 1995, I joined the faculty of the Simon Graduate School of Business, University of Rochester (NY) as an assistant professor of marketing.
When I began teaching, my focus was on my own performance. The classes were filled with students’ confused or blank faces, frequent yawns and furtive glances at the clock. My first reaction was to make a sweeping judgment about the students.
During this time, I served as a men’s leader in my local SGI-USA organization and strove for the happiness of my fellow members. One day, I read a poem by President Ikeda about breaking open the shell of our lesser, self-centered selves and revealing our greater, more compassionate selves. I was reminded that President Ikeda always focuses on the happiness of each person. I realized I hadn’t been thinking about the happiness of my students. I decided to shift my focus from my ability as a professor and instead chanted to treasure all my students and help them bring out their best.
Gradually, things changed. I went from suffering sleepless nights worrying about my performance to cutting back my sleep in order to prepare more for my classes so that I could better stimulate my students. Rather than viewing them as nameless masses, I spent time learning their names and backgrounds of each of my 250 students. Instead of merely doing my job, I now worried about their health, worked to prepare them for job interviews and chanted passionately for their professional success and happiness. And in 1997, I received my first Teaching Excellence Award from the graduating class.
After all this, in 2000, I learned that my contract at the University of Rochester was being terminated. I was deeply discouraged and even thought about giving up my Nichiren Buddhist practice.
I sought guidance from a senior in faith and told him that when I chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo or studied Buddhism, I felt no joy or inspiration. He encouraged me to continue my daily practice and to keep studying, even if nothing registered.
Following his guidance, I studied President Ikeda’s and Nichiren Daishonin’s writings regularly and came across Nichiren’s words “But still I am not discouraged” (WND-1, 748). I chanted to engrave these words in my heart.
As the months wore on, I became increasingly concerned about my finances. I had been sending money home to support my mother in India, and my wife was dependent upon me. On some level, I feared I might find myself in the same situation as my father or grandfather.
In November 2000, I read an experience in an SGI-USA publication about a woman who had used her Buddhist practice to transform her life from one of running from creditors and almost being jailed to one of tremendous success.
At once, all of President Ikeda’s and Nichiren’s writings that I had read over the previous six months seemed to penetrate deep within me. With my life itself, I felt Nichiren’s words “But still I am not discouraged.” And I knew with unshakable conviction that I would be victorious.
I made a determination that by March 16, 2002, I would have seven job offers. I set a challenging chanting goal for myself each day, increased my participation in SGI activities and introduced many people to Nichiren Buddhism. I also applied for jobs like crazy.
By March 21, 2001, I had received seven job offers and decided to accept a visiting professor position at Cornell University’s Johnson School of Business.
Even though this job paid better and offered more prestige, I still held a grudge against my former employer and considered myself a victim of wrongdoing.
Again I received encouragement from a senior in faith, who suggested I chant to feel true appreciation for the University of Rochester for ending my contract. He said that our obstacles and suffering provide us with an amazing opportunity to learn about ourselves, undergo our human revolution and reveal our greatest potential. Therefore, I should appreciate the university for being the catalyst for my growth.
As I chanted with this mind, I had a moment of clarity. My performance at the University of Rochester had been subpar. Professors have three principle responsibilities: research, teaching and administrative service. My teaching and administrative service had been great, but my research had truly been lacking. I had even asked myself, Why should I do research? Frankly, I just hadn’t believed in its importance.
It dawned on me that President Ikeda is the foremost researcher about life. It is his intensive research and study of Nichiren’s writings and other wide-ranging subjects, such as literature, science and history that make his life and encouragement so profound. This realization put things into perspective for me. To become a true disciple of President Ikeda, I needed to apply myself to research.
In 2002, as my wife and I welcomed our beautiful daughter, Naira, into this world, I started a new job at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, where soon I was routinely researching 16 hours a day. I still found time to drive four hours each way to attend discussion meetings or to visit members.
Between 1003 and 2002, I had published only three research papers. Since 2002, I’ve published 14 and am currently working on about a dozen more.
My earnest effort to live out President Ikeda’s model and vision as an educator has generated results far beyond my imagination. I have been honored with two research awards and 12 student-nominated teaching awards. In 2008, I joined the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business as a tenured professor, and in 2009, every one of my students received a summer internship, despite the struggling economy. That same year, I won the PACCAR Award for Excellence in Teaching, one of the highest MBA teaching awards nationwide. In my annual review last year, my department chair rated me the most-valued professor on the faculty, and this year, I was promoted to a full professor.
When I was at my lowest, I started applying President Ikeda’s guidance to my life. Increasingly, I came to realize why I need a mentor and why he is the greatest mentor I could have eternally. President Ikeda is my role model for how to behave and live – in all areas. I constantly strive to put his encouragement into action, for when I do so, I am always victorious. For that reason, I feel that every victory I have achieved is because of President Ikeda.
He writes: “’Buddhism is about winning’ is not simply a motto or maxim. It is the very heart and essence of the mentor-disciple relationship in Nichiren Buddhism” (July-Aug 2011 Living Buddhism, 56). I will continue showing actual proof in order to repay the immense debt of gratitude I feel toward President Ikeda.
