Lau Hui Cheng
Men Division
I started chanting daimoku (Nam-myoho-renge-kyo) in Primary Two. My mother encouraged me to chant, telling me that I could improve my studies by chanting daimoku. Initially, I just chanted for the fun of it and was easily distracted. Without putting much effort in my studies, I received unsatisfactory grades for my Primary Two end of year examinations. I broke down in school, fearing that my mother would scold and beat me. A good friend witnessed it and upon returning home told his mother what happened. His mother in turn called my mother immediately and advised her not to punish me. To be spared from the rod seemed like the first benefit of faith tome at that time!
My mother had a strict demeanour. She had high expectations on my behaviour and actions. Every morning, she would make me chant together with her before I left for school. I attended discussion meetings at a flat in the same block. I remember being fascinated by the people from all walks of life attending the discussion meetings. I enjoyed listening to the leaders and members sharing Nichiren Buddhism and their experiences even though I did not understand everything I heard.
A Milestone in Faith for My Mother and Me
Entering Primary 3, I began to chant with increased seriousness and greater focus. I prayed for the wisdom to understand what was taught in school and worked hard for all my tests and examinations. I was overjoyed to achieve first position in class, including a perfect score of 100in Mathematics during the Primary Three streaming examinations. In a way, the experience strengthened my conviction in what I could achieve through serious Buddhist practice.
As a result, I participated actively at discussion meetings, Young Men Division (YMD) and Student Division (SD) activities and grew under the care and guidance of the leaders.
In my first year of university studies, with heartfelt gratitude, I accepted the mission of a YMD district leader. As a Young Men Division (YMD) district leader, I visited members under my care to offer support, encouraging them in faith and involving them in SGS activities.
One day while riding the bus home from a meeting with another leader, he suggested that I set a goal to encourage my mother to enshrine the Gohonzon at home. Many Women Division (WD) leaders had encouraged my mother to enshrine the Gohonzon but were unsuccessful. My mother believed that she must possess unwavering faith before she would consider enshrining the Gohonzon.
Besides being a YMD district leader, I was a Student Division Campus In-Charge. I juggled these responsibilities and my studies as a third-year undergraduate in National University of Singapore. I put in tremendous efforts in my studies and chanted abundant daimoku. When the results were released, I was overjoyed to be the last student in my class to be admitted to the Honours cohort. I told my mother that I had made a pledge to enshrine the Gohonzon if I made it through to the Honours year. Seeing the actual proof I had obtained, my mother finally agreed to receiving the Gohonzon after 16 years of faith!
Cheng, father Lau Lim Swee and mother Ng Lee Kiow) continue to grow in faith as they face life challenges together, always mutually supporting and encouraging each other.
Gaining Valuable Lessons Through Child Rearing
As I entered marriage and welcomed the birth of my son, I tried hard to find a balance in fulfilling my role as a teacher in school, a Soka Gakkai leader, and a father. Despite my best efforts, people around me often criticised me for only attending Soka Gakkai activities and not spending more time on my son.
I remember feeling depressed and confided in my YMD Zone leader on the phone one day. He listened patiently and urged me to overcome my challenges through strong faith in the Gohonzon. With his encouragement, I persevered, striving to give my best in every aspect of my life. After graduating from the YMD, I continued to take on leadership responsibilities as a MD District Chief.
My son, En Cheng, was diagnosed with mild intellectual disability at aged six. I often lost my temper at his slow learning progress while coaching him. Sometimes I felt deeply ashamed that despite being a teacher, I could not teach my son well.
One day, a senior in faith visited and encouraged me to chant with strong resolve and strengthen my study of Nichiren Buddhism. Together with my wife, I chanted for En Cheng to have a conducive environment for learning where his potential can be developed to the fullest. After the Primary School Leaving Examinations, En Cheng was allocated to Northlight School. Under the patient and loving guidance of his year one form teacher, En Cheng gradually gained self-confidence. He started to develop keen interest in drawing, dancing and horse-riding.
Under collaborative events between Northlight School and external artists from Be.kollective, En Cheng took part in an art exhibition. His artwork was printed on laptop bags and other accessories on sale to public during the exhibition.
En Cheng’s passion for dancing began when he attended Zumba classes at Northlight School. The Zumba instructor noticed En Cheng’s remarkable ability to remember dance moves and dance in syncwith the music perfectly. His dance performances were broadcast multiple times on the “SHINE” platform because of Covid-19 restrictions prohibiting live performances. En Cheng also choreographed for the SGI song “Eternal Journey with Sensei”. The video was streamed during the online Chapter General Meeting in November 2020. In May 2022, En Cheng’s love for dancing persisted and he collaborated with the TikTok sensation Uncle Raymond in performing several iconic dance moves.
In addition, through the Equal Ark programme organised by Northlight School, En Cheng developed strong interest in horse-related activities. Thereafter, I enrolled him for private horse-riding lessons. Within a year, En Cheng acquired independent horse- riding skills, an incredible achievement!
En Cheng received many awards from school for his outstanding performance in music and drama. He graduated from Northlight School last year and is enrolled in ITE College Central this year.
Ikeda Sensei mentioned in his guidance, “Just as cherry, plum, peach and damson blossoms all possess their own unique qualities, each person is unique. We cannot become someone else. The important thing is that we live true to ourselves and cause the great flower of our lives to blossom.” (From Soka Gakkai Global website)
Through these experiences, my wife and I realised that En Cheng possesses notable talents. Our constant support, prayers and tireless efforts had unleashed En Cheng’s hidden potential. Ikeda Sensei says, “Watch over your children with warm affection and encourage them. Discover and praise their strengths, building their confidence. Become their unfailing allies, support them, shower them with love and believe utterly in their potential. Respect each child’s individuality. That’s a parent’s role.
“Our society and our schools may operate on the unfeeling principle of competition, judging and selecting people by their abilities and appearance. That is all the more reason why it is important for the family to be a place of fairness and equality, where everyone is valued as a unique and irreplaceable individual.” (Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace Part 2: Human Revolution, 13.4 “Advice on Raising and Educating Children in the Home”, p. 97)
In the process of raising En Cheng, I feel that I have become humbler and have grown as a human being. We are also grateful that En Cheng could be nurtured in the Soka family enabling him to grow into a confident individual. When En Cheng was young, he spontaneously shared experiences at discussion meetings. I was always worried that he would share haphazardly or be out of point. However, the members always embraced and encouraged him with their warm smiles and applause.
En Cheng still remembers the look of admiration on the members’ faces when they watched him dance, and the little gift a WD member gave him after a meeting.
Making Illness an Opportunity for Demonstrating the Greatness of Faith
At the end of 2016, I developed a health condition. My heartbeat was irregular and accelerated. I was out of breath; just walking or going up the stairs was very difficult. The discomfort was unbearable, and I went to the hospital. The doctor conducted an ECG test on me but detected nothing abnormal. I was dismissed without further medical advice. Then, I sought advice from a cardiologist at a private hospital who conducted a treadmill test. Again, there was no diagnosis.
During this period, I chanted fervently for the wisdom and good fortune to meet a doctor who could provide me with a correct diagnosis. Finally, I consulted a doctor from a private clinic and an incredibly high cholesterol level that shocked the doctor was discovered through a blood test. I also consulted a Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor who meticulously probed into my medical history and concluded that both my heart and lung functions were weak due to previous infections that had weakened my body’s immune system. The doctor prescribed medication and I took them as per instructed.
The recovery process was a gradual one. Nevertheless, I continued to exert myself in both my work and Gakkai activities despite my poor health condition. Ikeda Sensei says, “When the suffering of illness occurs amid our efforts for kosen-rufu, it is the working of devilish influences trying to obstruct our attainment of Buddhahood. As such, we mustn’t let illness intimidate us. The Daishonin teaches us how to bring forth courage to face illness and attain Buddhahood in this lifetime. “When you experience illness, the important thing is to rouse even stronger faith. Keep chanting Nam-myoho- renge-kyo with the determination to make this illness an opportunity to demonstrate the tremendous power of faith and achieve truly amazing growth as a human being.” (Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace Part 1: Happiness, 8.2 “Transforming the Sufferings of Birth, Ageing, Sickness and Death”, p. 272)
After three years of perseverance, my health slowly improved. In 2019, I was approached to assume the position of Men Division Chapter Chief. For me, being a leader gives me an opportunity to express my gratitude to the organisation, my seniors who had fostered me and my mentor, and to actualise my human revolution. I learnt from my seniors how to encourage others and with prayers treat them with patience and humility. I also learnt how to create more value amidst hectic schedule and the limited time I have.
Moving forward, I am ever determined to face all my challenges seriously, never retreating a single step, with faith, practice and study as my basis every day!
(Adapted from December 2023 issue of Creative Times)
