On Saturday, October 17, 2026, I went live on YouTube for the 162nd time. This time I shared what really happened to me in October — a month when destiny kept piling up. Here is a summary.
An October Spent Unwell
From the start of October, for a week to ten days, I wasn’t well — right on the edge of catching a cold.
I’m the type who can’t rest unless I’m growing and taking on challenges. I’m bad at taking breaks. If I don’t act right away, it bothers me. I talked about that side of myself, too.
A Butsudan That Arrived Damaged
In the middle of all that, a large butsudan we had sent to the Kansai region arrived at the customer’s home damaged. It was this Tuesday.
We packed and shipped it under our usual contract. The delivery from the local center to the customer’s home went without a problem, too. What happened in between, we still don’t know.
This customer had thought it through carefully, through hard times, and decided: “This is the one.” And the moment it arrived, they were left thinking, “What is this?” That hit me so hard I couldn’t sit still.
What worried me most was that this might affect the customer’s own faith. That would be something no one could undo.
“I Trust You, Mr. Shima”
We canceled the order and refunded the full amount.
The customer told me, “It was an accident. Everyone handled it sincerely, calmly, and carefully, so I have no hard feelings.” And then: “I trust you, Mr. Shima.” And even: “When the time comes to buy a butsudan again, I’ll buy it from Oubaitori.com.”
In a short time, we were able to rebuild our trust.
As long as we entrust shipping to others, accidents can happen. To share that fact honestly, I spoke about it on the live stream — anonymously, and with the customer’s permission.
Letters in the Middle of the Storm
“Destiny, destiny. Please, spare me. Help me.” Even in that state, I kept chanting more than 10,000 daimoku every day and recharging my life force.
And then, on the very day of the accident, sweets arrived from a different customer. Since then, letters and gifts have come almost every day. (I shared them with permission.)
The first letter explained why she had bought her butsudan: her old one had worn with age, her husband had overcome a serious illness, and she was determined to move forward toward the 100th anniversary. And her dream: to take on Soka University’s correspondence course. She even wrote, “If I’m born again, I want to study to my heart’s content at Soka University of America.”
I have taken on the correspondence course myself, and my next dream, from next year on, is to take it on again. Reading her letter, I saw once more that there are people who share the same wish.
Why did she choose Oubaitori.com? “I had become a fan after watching your videos.” The day after the butsudan arrived, her husband shared his experience at the community center, and she enclosed a copy of it. The butsudan was on the larger side, and the item she had asked an acquaintance to make for it arrived the day before — so they could set it up with peace of mind.
The second letter came from someone who had bought my book, Let’s Daimoku! Though unwell, encouraged by the book, they have kept chanting two to three hours a day. (“Sometimes it’s just one hour,” they added with a smile.)
The Protective Forces Move
Destiny kept rising up, one thing after another. Even when I came close to breaking inside, I couldn’t lose this battle of my life.
When you chant with all your heart and try sincerely to fulfill your work and your mission, people like these appear. I see them as the protective forces of the universe.
The damaged butsudan is still being worked out. I’m chanting and leaving it to the Gohonzon. I believe the branch office and everyone involved in the shipping will now become protective forces themselves, and things will move in the best direction.
Nichiren Daishonin teaches us to keep chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, “regarding both suffering and joy as facts of life” (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 681). Chanting with faith like flowing water, and living out my own mission — that, I said, is what matters most.
It’s Not About Others. It’s About Me.
Every morning I chant 10,000 daimoku. From the experiences of faith in the 24 hours that follow, I pick one, share it on YouTube in the morning, and write it down. That day marked entry #1,193. I’m getting close to 12 million.
A man who once struggled with daimoku decided on 10,000 a day — and kept going. Because of the foundation of the first 10 million, I feel I’ve been able to transform my destiny in a big way with the million that followed.
Faith is between the Gohonzon and me — between President Ikeda and me. It’s not about how others are. It’s about how I am. Sharing how wonderful faith and daimoku are, for happiness for both self and others, is part of my mission.
Believe All the Way — My Drama of Human Revolution Starts Today
A revolution in health, in finances, in our own lives — we are all on the way, and all kinds of things happen.
In the middle of it, the one thing we must keep taut is faith: believing all the way. To bring out, at the turning points of life, the state of knowing that the life of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is my own life. To chant even when nothing is happening, to hold conviction, and to win in reality. Never to give up on yourself.
I’m in a great current of transforming destiny. Toward November 18, as a disciple of President Ikeda, I want him to be able to say, “I see. Well done.” So today, I begin my drama of human revolution once again.
Let’s Daimoku!
Bloom your own way, at your very best.
Oubaitori.com — Japan’s specialist in Soka Gakkai Buddhist altars
📱 Talk directly with us (LINE)
Comments