Hi. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Pooja Ruprell. Thank you for the opportunity of sharing my experience with you. I have been practising for 10 years now and as I say during every experience, practising ND's Buddhism has completely changed my life. Without this, I would probably have been a person with many regrets and full of complaints. I have had numerous experiences in past 10 years, the most precious one being the human revolution I have undergone and the positive changes in my attitude and thinking, however the experience I would like to share this afternoon is about my journey along with my family for the past two years in Canada.

We came to Canada on February 3, 2006, from our home in India, full of apprehensions and a little scared like very new immigrant. Jag, my husband & I came with enough money to survive for two months only and if things did not work out we would have to go back. But, here I am, almost two yrs later sharing my experience, so definitely things did work out for us wonderfully well.

Our first home in Canada was a one room apartment, where we stayed with our two kids falling all over one another and wondering every day if we had done the right thing by leaving everything we owned and all the people we loved to come here. And my first job was with a call centre as a customer Service exec @ 12.00. I got this job within 23 days of being here. And I worked there for 1.5 months. 

Our 2^nd home was a little bigger, a one bed apartment and it still did not compare to our home back in India in terms of size and comfort, my 2 ^nd job which I got within 1.5 months of the previous one was as a sales co-ordinator at almost double the salary.  And I worked with them for 3 months.  

My goal was to rise back to the same level career wise, professionally and personally as back in India. And slowly, but surely I did just that. Through the power of my chanting and my sincere efforts towards every meeting that I attended, I accumulated good fortune in my life, thereby changing every obstacle to an opportunity for growth and learning.   Somewhere in the midst of changing jobs and moving homes, I took a determination to chant 10 million daimoku towards 2010. This meant chanting 125 mins per day and I sustained that & continue to do so. I completed my first million in December last year and by that time we had moved into our 3 ^rd home – a 3 bedroom house in one of the better communities in Vancouver, very close to the cultural centre, we had 2 cars and I was on my 3^rd job having landed a management position with a salary that had doubled again. And this, after I was told a hundred times that immigrants have to earn minimum wages and take whatever jobs they can get! My heart is filled with sincere appreciation towards the Mystic Law and the power of this practice when I think of all that I have received in the past 20 months. My kids are well settled and doing well, Jag is happy with his job and making great progress and I am shining at my work place as Sensei wants.   

I completed my 2^nd million in April this year & the 3^rd in October & am currently on my 4 ^th million. And, our 4^th place (within a period of 18 months) was a 4 bed town home that we bought in Richmond and my 4 ^th job was with a raise once again and this time not double but definitely better than my previous job in terms of the remuneration, responsibility and the senior management is the best I have ever worked with so far in my career. I have worked with my current organization for 7 months now & have received a 10% raise this month as well as a promotion. I am receiving recognition through my senior management and my clients like I never have before in my life. I have always had acute boss karma and with every job it has always been a challenge to get recognition & appreciation from my boss however I seem to have completely uprooted that karma over the past few years by chanting for the happiness of all the people who I have reported to. As Sensei says in Discussions on Youth, "It is vital that you become indispensable wherever you are" & that is what I determine every morning during my prayers – To be the best I can in every aspect of my life, personal as well as professional, to be able to live a life of abundance and be the Sun as Sensei expects of the women's group members. This practice is my life line and the source of all that is good and positive within me.

When I look back and think of the times a year back & how I questioned every single day why my family & I had moved here. At that time, I was still shaken within at the move to this strange new country and the 3 job changes; I am amazed at how much I have grown. Every morning, when I'd chant I would read this guidance from Sensei, "When your determination changes, everything else begins to move in the direction you desire. The moment you resolve to be victorious, every nerve & fibre in your being immediately orient themselves towards your success. On the other hand, if you think this is never going to work out, at that instant every cell in your being will be deflated, giving up the fight. Everything then will move int eh direction of failure. I want you to understand the subtle workings of the mind How you orient your mind, the kind of attitude you have, greatly influences both yourself and your environment" I chanted then to understand my mission and the reason for my move to Canada. I did not see it then but I do now, so clearly.   I have a mission to prove the power of the mystic law in my life and encourage all new immigrants to this country with my personal growth. I have the mission of helping members from my country who have been chanting back home and now moved here, adapt to this new country & be successful encouraging them with my own struggles. I have a mission to work for kosen rufu in my new district and chapter. Every day in Canada has been a new beginning and an opportunity to learn and grow. My most precious gift is the unconditional acceptance I have received from the SGI members here and all their support from the very first time I walked into the cultural centre within 48 hours of coming here.

I conclude with my determination : to continue to chant till the last day of my life, no matter what & to support my mentor, Dr Daisaku Ikeda by working for KR with the same sincerity, dedication and commitment that he did, fostering many capable people for KR and true disciples including my children, Aman and Reyna. Thank you for a patient listening.