Editor’s note: Sumi Tanabe, a Minister’s Assistant at the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin, wrote the following remembrance of George Teraoka of Fowler, who she first met as a child attending Sunday School. Tanabe has been a member of the San Jose Betsuin for 60 years, a Board Member for 30 years, and has served as President twice. She was also a BCA Vice President for three terms and a longtime member of the BCA Endowment Foundation. She received the BCA Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s National Council Meeting in Sacramento. The Wheel of Dharma is honored to publish her remembrance of George Teraoka.
After World War II, Fowler Japanese Americans were recuperating from the internment camps. I was about 9 years old when I started Sunday School in the hall, which served as a community hall and as a church. Buddhist ministers were all Japanese speaking, and the Fresno Betsuin was the main temple in Central California.
My first meeting with George Teraoka was memorable because he spoke English. His broad background in general Buddhism and Jodo Shinshu made understanding easy. He was self-taught, and his knowledge was valuable to not just young people but to everyone.
As a child of the internment camps, I was extremely shy and lost my self-esteem. Racism and greed made us vulnerable, and we were made to feel guilty for something we did not do. But listening and learning from George, I found myself hanging on to his words. He taught me that I am never alone, that hate can be overcome by compassion, that I am supported wholeheartedly by Amida Buddha and that I can be like the lotus in the muddy waters.
As the years passed, I assisted George in his Sunday School classes until I had a class of my own. I still depended on George's assistance. Some of the Buddhist concepts are difficult to teach, but George's guidance helped me. Concepts like Amida, Tariki, Jiriki, Nirvana, Shinjin, and Pure Land were made easy by George.
I moved to San Jose in the early 1960s, but kept in contact with George through the years. As a Dharma School teacher, I would see George at the Federation of Dharma School Teachers’ League conferences. We would greet each other with hugs and big smiles. It was always so heartwarming to see and talk with him. He taught Dharma School well into his 80s and 90s. Thousands of students benefited from his teachings.
I am just one of those thousands, and I am so grateful to have had George in my life for he was my teacher, my mentor, and my friend.
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George Teraoka’s impact on those around him is beautifully captured in Sumi Tanabe’s heartfelt remembrance. His role as a teacher, mentor, and friend left a lasting legacy that continues to inspire the community. Just as njmcdirect makes traffic ticket management straightforward, George’s guidance made life’s challenges easier to navigate for those he touched.