Today we’re speaking with Krystal Kalima, a 22-year-old college student from Hawai’i who started practicing SGI Nichiren Buddhism when she was in high school.

Krystal’s story is a lesson in what it takes to overcome shame and become proud of where you’re from. Growing up, she and her mom experienced extreme financial hardship, which led her to feel ashamed about sharing her circumstances with other people.

Around this time, she started chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to address the deeper feelings she held about her circumstances, and one by one, she tackled each thing that made her feel less than, turning each one into fuel for her dreams.

CHEAT SHEET

1:28 Introduction to Krystal

2:07 How she started chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

5:48 The financial challenges she faced growing up

12:58 The epiphany that helped her change her perspective

15:48 How she began to tackle feelings of shame through her Buddhist practice

21:14 How her family’s situation started to change

24:55 What it means to transform family karma

26:08 How she decided what to challenge next

30:29 Battling her own self-doubt

35:05 Battling stigma in her environment 

42:58 How being part of a Buddhist community has helped her become who she is

47:46 Advice for anyone struggling with feelings of shame or powerlessness about their background