Ted Osaki was born into an American-Japanese Catholic family. His father loved to fish. One day while his father was fishing on a lake, the boat's gas tank leaked gasoline, caught fire, and the boat sank. The gasoline on top of the water continued to burn, so his father was faced with drowning or burning. Even when he came up for air, there was little oxygen. He drowned, burned, and suffocated.
Young Ted Osaki went to his parish priest to ask why this happened to his father. He was told that it was God's will. Mr. Osaki found this answer lacking. Later, Mr. Osaki encountered a Buddhist priest who told him that it must have been his father's karma to have died that way; perhaps, he said, as punishment for killing fish. Mr. Osaki found this explanation unsatisfying as well.
Mr. Osaki became cynical about religion. After marrying and having two children, his wife was diagnosed with cancer of the liver. The doctors told her that they could not do anything to keep her from dying an early death.
Mrs. Osaki was determined to see her children grow.
She became involved with the fanatical Soka Gakkai. They told her that she could definitely overcome cancer if she practiced Buddhism with the Soka Gakkai. This angered Mr. Osaki. He thought it was cruel to give her false hope and use her to promote their religion. He knew that all religion, including that of the Soka Gakkai, was powerless.
His wife ignored him and spent much of her remaining days doing Soka Gakkai activities. She was dying. He felt that she was neglecting him and their children. He was furious. He was sure the Soka Gakkai was a Communist front. (Communism was the scapegoat de jour at that time.)
He decided to infiltrate the Soka Gakkai. He would pretend to believe, and when he had enough information, he would expose the Soka Gakkai for the fraud that it was, and rescue his wife.
But then his wife overcame cancer. The doctors were amazed. Osaki was happy, but confused.
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