A Journey of Gratitude
Lauren Tang

Lauren Tang on a visit to the sand dunes near the Shumei International
Institute’s headquarters in Crestone, Colorado, where she attended
‘Liberty Camp’ in the summer of 2007.

Lauren Tang, currently age fourteen, became a Shumei member in 2006. She is involved in taiko and in the youth group at her local center in New York City. Lauren's hopes are to do well in school and continue as an active member of Shumei.
The following originally appeared in the May/June 2008 issue of Shumei Magazine (#275).

After I became a member of Shumei, I experienced a miracle and much happiness. From birth, I have been attending Shumei's New York Center. Because I started early, I became very used to going to the Center and very familiar with my surroundings there. Even when I was younger, I liked going to the Center. It was fun making crafts, figuring out how to read the chants, drawing, playing, and eating cake at the end. To me at that time, getting to play and eat cake after sampai if I behaved was a good deal. Now it is not because of cake or any other material thing that I go to the Center. Now, I go because of something deeper, I go because of Meishusama's teachings and presence.
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I received my ohikari in 2006 after I felt I was ready and that it was time for change. My parents never brought up the subject before that to me because they felt that this was a decision that I should make on my own. They felt that when the time was right, I would bring it up. When I requested to receive my ohikari, my parents were very supportive and approved of my decision. But because they wanted me to cherish my ohikari and appreciate it more, they said I was to pay for it myself .1 I believe that they were doing the best for me. My parents also allowed me to earn some of the money, since I was trying to limit any spending from my savings. Although I earned the money slowly, I eventually reached my goal with some help from my savings.

When it came time to pay, I handed the money to my mother so that she could deal with the money properly. The day I paid, something unbelievable happened, and by the end of the day, I had gained back all the money I paid and more. Since my grandparents and other family members knew I would be traveling to Japan soon and that I was doing well in school, they gave me money to spend.

After I received my ohikari, I experienced one of Meishusama's miracles. During the summer of 2005, while I was visiting Kishima Island and Misono, I had a huge wart in the middle of my forehead and a few other small ones on my face. The one on my forehead was nearly three–fourths of a centimeter in diameter. My family and I had hoped that the light from both of my visits would help me. As the summer progressed, though, so did the wart. It got worse and worse. Everywhere I went, people were asking me what was on my head, and it was very hard to explain. While I was in Misono, I received Jyorei from Kaicho–Sensei. While she was giving Jyorei to me, I felt tingles on my wart. After that, when I got home, it slowly died away after a few weeks. I was very lucky. If I had gone to the doctor and had it freeze–burned, I would have had a scar double the size of the wart.
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I am very grateful for having the opportunity to visit Misono and Kishima during the summer of 2005. I went to the Tri–country International Program in Kishima along with other Shumei America Youth Group members. There, we all learned a lot and met new friends. I learned how to cook rice without the convenience of a rice cooker, how to build a tent from pieces of cloth and wood, how to withstand many mosquito bites, and more. But the most important thing I learned was to be grateful for what I have. In Kishima, you do not have all the luxuries that you have at home. You have to conserve water, walk, take shorter showers, and more. A lecture that we received in Kishima told us of gratitude. We must always say thank you, even when a bad thing is happening. We used this advice from the lecture during our volleyball competition, and won. We kept saying thank you no matter whether we won a point or not. We finally won by having the most points.

In Kishima, everyone worked very hard, and somehow we all felt happiness. Some of my favorite things about Kishima were their juicy watermelons, the air, the beach, and the stars. The watermelons were so sweet and juicy that you could even eat the white parts. The air was clean and crisp. The beach had cool, calm water even under a blazing sun. Finally, the most beautiful things to see while on Kishima were the stars above. If you looked up at night and gazed at the stars, you would see so many that it seemed to have no limits. Also in Kishima, there was the actual calligraphy of Meishusama. Even though the campers were not allowed to stay long to look at it, we still did have a look. The strokes of ink on the calligraphy were so perfect and powerful. Kishima is a powerful and breathtaking place. Our Kishima trip turned out to be a great experience. I had wanted to go to Kishima for a couple years before I did, and am glad to have participated with the other Shumei America youth members.

Since then, I have continued to contribute as much as I can to Shumei and be an active member. Last summer, in 2007, I went to Crestone, Colorado, which is one of Shumei's three sacred places. There, I took part in their Liberty Camp program, where I saw some of nature's most magnificent, beautiful creations, and made friends who I still keep in touch with. After that experience, I felt that I had received a lot and that I wanted to give back to the world that gave me so much. I wanted to be more involved and do more for the community, and now I am doing just that. I currently volunteer, take part in taiko, and participate at my local Center's Youth Group.

I am very grateful to have been able to visit all three of Shumei's sacred grounds in such a short time. After becoming a member of Shumei, I have been very happy in different ways, as well, and hope to continue as an involved and active member.

I would like to thank Meishusama for allowing all this to happen, Kaicho–Sensei for her Jyorei, Sensei Eugene Imai and Sensei Chisako Fukushima, who have given me their continuous support and help, and my family who were always there for me when I needed them.