by Kazue Elliot
[Excerpted from the June 29, 2001 World Tribune]

I was visiting a friend, when a Soka Gakkai member (Mr. Ishizuka) came to talk to my friend about Buddhism. I said to him, “If it’s such a great religion, why don’t you ask my mother to practice?”

At that time, my mother had a very serious paralysis due to a brain hemorrhage. I was a nurse at the time and I knew her case was hopeless.

When I got home that evening, I was surprised to see Mr. Ishizuka was there, talking to my mother. He was a person of pure heart who simply wanted to tell others about Buddhism, unconcerned with any self-interest.

That same night, after talking with Mr. Ishizuka, my mother managed to get into a taxicab and go to a discussion meeting.

She took a bus on her way back, without any help from others. When she returned home, to my surprise, she was walking around in front of me.

Shortly after this we received the Gohonzon. Soon my mother’s condition improved even more, and my sister who was disabled was able to enjoy a normal life as well. My family’s actual proof deepened my faith in the practice.

I found out later that Mr. Ishizuka, to whom we owe so much, could not read or write. He learned how to do Gongyo by listening to others.

Mr. Ishizuka was nicknamed “Mannen Honcho”, which means “permanent group leader,” because he remained forever in the same position in the organization.

Our Mannen Honcho is one of the great treasures of the SGI.