by Lida Prypchan
Experience by Lida Prypchan, Elmhurst District – Kosenrufu Gongyo, August 6, 2006
My name is Lida Prypchan. I come from Venezuela where I graduated as a medical doctor in 1986. I have been practicing Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism for 18 years.
In 1988, while working as a medical doctor in my country, I was introduced to Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism by a friend of mine. So I began to recite the Lotus Sutra and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with the expectation to make my dream come true – to come to the United States to revalidate as a medical doctor. Shortly after, I was able to introduce my sister Cristina to the practice and she also joined SGI. After six months of chanting, my father offered his financial support for my dream. So in April of 1989, I moved to Pittsburgh. By August of 1989, I was receiving my Gohonzon.
To be licensed as a medical doctor in this country, it is necessary that I pass a series of four exams. Usually this process takes three years. But in my case, despite my earnest study, I could not pass. Each time, I would fail by one, or two or three points. I finally passed the first two revalidation exams in 1994, but it was basically because my sister Cristina, who is also a doctor and an SGI member, studied with me for two years.
After passing the first two exams, my Buddhist practice deteriorated. It was as though I knew how to deal with failure, but not with success.
In 1995, I was accepted to do my residency training in psychiatry at Harvard University, but after three months of training I resigned because I had difficulties dealing with the pressure of being in the American medical system for the very first time. In addition, I faced financial difficulties and I couldn’t adapt to the Boston area. I was totally overwhelmed with my situation, and I missed the support of my SGI friends in Pittsburg.
In October of 1995, I returned to Venezuela. My parents were very disappointed in me and they turned their backs on me. I went to live with my sister Cristina and I began to recover my Buddhist practice again.
In December of 1996, I started my residency training in psychiatry in Caracas, Venezuela and by December of 1999, I graduated as a psychiatrist. This graduation was tremendous proof of the power of the Gohonzon and my own human revolution. During my residency, I experienced constant harassment both from my professors and my fellow students and endured relentless ridicule, even personal attacks on my speech impediment.
In June of 1999, my father became very sick. After three years of separation from my parents, I decided to reconcile with them. The result was that during the last four months of my father’s life, I was able to enjoy a good relationship with him for the first time ever. I am very appreciative that I was able to accomplish this while my father was still alive.
By February of 2000 and after five years of saving money, I was able to return to the United States, where I was in Miami preparing for the additional examinations I needed to take while gaining experience in an American hospital.
In July of 2001, I was accepted at Elmhurst Hospital Center for my residency in psychiatry. By this time, I was 41 years old. Thanks to my Buddhist practice, I had the energy and the perseverance necessary to fulfill the demands of the four year program, which often required 36 hour shifts. In addition, as a city hospital, Elmhurst serves a huge population of patients. Most of my peers in the program were 30 years old, and even they were tired! Since 2002, I have been chanting one hour of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo every day to be able to deal with the stress of my profession. This also enabled me to be in the right rhythm of life to solve the myriad of problems that came my way every day.
I completed my training program in adult psychiatry in June of 2005 and I began my training in child psychiatry in July of 2005, finishing in June of 2007.
Since 2004, I have been preparing for the last step of the revalidation examination which I had already failed four times. But I was determined not to give up. My sister Cristina came to New York in June and we studied together 12 hours a day for one month. After 12 years, this was my last chance to pass. I went to the mailbox on Saturday, July 29th and my hands were shaking. I had to carefully rip open the three sides of the envelope and I got the results: I passed! Now I can say I am a licensed medical doctor in the United States!
When I began my practice in 1988, I felt as though I was a leaf spun around by the wind, but 18 years later, I feel more like a tree, robust and rooted in the ground of reality.
In Nichiren Daishonin’s Gosho, A Ship to Cross the Sea of Suffering, he states: “The great Teacher Miao-lo stated, ‘Even a single phrase cherished deep in one’s heart will without fail help one reach the opposite shore. To ponder one phrase and practice it is to exercise navigation.’ Only the ship of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo enables one to cross the sea of sufferings of birth and death.”
