Thomas D. Polk the buddha next door Buddha N da Hood

09/07/2026

08/25/2026

08/15/2026

I grew up in Harlem, N.Y., in the 1960s and ’70s, where, as a young adult, my experiences of indignity because of my race started to involve the police. Whenever there was racial strife at high school, the police and school always sought me out. In college, my roommate and I were held at gunpoint just because we were in a predominantly white neighborhood and someone had called the police on us. I was hit by a car while riding my bike, and I was arrested for confronting the driver. After getting my Master of Business Administration, I landed a full-time job at a major bank on Wall Street and worked my way up. I thought that, now, as a financially successful member of society, I’d gain some respect and dignity. But that wasn’t the case. I had to navigate the world differently, and anger and resentment built up inside. In 2000, it all came to a head. I was at work and had a breakdown. That day, I retrieved the Gohonzon from my closet, enshrined it and started chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. I didn’t know if I’d ever be whole again, but I just knew I had to keep on chanting. With the courage derived from my SGI Buddhist practice and Ikeda Sensei’s guidance, I was able to continue and worked my way up to the upper echelons in my profession. Many times, I am the only person of color in the room, and my colleagues have different beliefs and life experiences. But I stand proud to be who I am—a Black man and disciple of Sensei—and I am not afraid to speak up. I have built a different career, one that I could never have dreamed of, and now sit on the Board of Directors of four publicly traded corporations. I am also on the SGI-USA Board of Directors and serve on its Endowment Committee, which is one of my greatest honors. Every day, I ask myself: How am I fighting to create a better world? How do I bring the teachings of Nichiren to life through my own behavior? Some days are better than others since I’m human after all. But I challenge myself to make the guiding philosophy of my life that of the oneness of mentor and disciple. And it is this foundation that gives me the strength, courage and wisdom to keep going. — Sherman Edmiston III, Brooklyn, NY

08/13/2026

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

07/25/2026

07/25/2026

60 Seconds with the Buddha Next Door: How I Chanted Through the Fear of Losing My Job

07/25/2026

60 Seconds with the Buddha Next Door: How I Chanted Through the Fear of Losing My Job https://youtu.be/LhNMTHsMwzU?is=keVfZxCUvtNdISog