Andrew has grown up on Cape Cod for the last 43 years. His mother was from Japan and was a practicing Nichiren Buddhist. She was divorced with three kids when she met Andrew's father who also had two adult children. They divorced only a couple years after Andrew was born so for a majority of his youth he was witnessing his mother use Buddhism and not just survive but achieve her goal of owning her own home. Andrew learned how to practice this Buddhism and chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo like his mother to overcome any obstacle in his way. He shows how to transform seemingly negative situations into sources of enlightenment.