Osamu Abe, Hidaka, Saitama Prefecture. Liner Chief Engineer

I heard the news about the great earthquake (Mar 11, 2011) while at sea in the Pacific. I called my parents in Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture, right away and told my mother to evacuate to higher ground. My father, a fisherman, rushed to his ship to get it as far away from the coast as possible. My brother, a member of the fire brigade in his community, was subsumed by the waves while racing to his garage, but just managed to escape death. It was only several days later that they confirmed all were safe.

All through the voyage I chanted daimoku wholeheartedly. All I could do was pray for the victims. I landed 10 days after the tsunami and met my family who had found shelter further inland in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture. Then I went to Onagawa, where I was left speechless when I saw the remains of my hometown that had been completely wiped out. I continued walking for two weeks, asking whether my relatives, friends and fellow Soka Gakkai members were safe. I made every effort to help those affected.

“Never yield! The treasures of the heart can never be destroyed.” When I read this message from SGI President Ikeda, I said to myself, “I am really together with my mentor and fellow members,” and was unable to stop my tears of gratitude. From the bottom of my heart, I felt how happy I was to have taken up faith in Buddhism.

The sea upon which most of us in the affected areas had relied on for our daily bread now simply washed away the very basis of our life. Many of us have even become afraid of the sea since then. I spend two-thirds of a year on the sea for my work. I have experienced the threat of the sea many times, but at the same time I have realised how wonderful it is. It connects countries around the world and make us feel nature’s great energy of life. In order to repay my debt of gratitude to the people in my town, I am determined to convey hopeful messages from the sea and bring the heart of SGI President Ikeda to everyone with whom I will strive to recover from the disaster. (2013)