My Religious Experience:

Braille Service Book

I was born with poor vision and night blindness. I lived on a farm, my father was a vegetable farmer and lived far from Seattle, WA before WWII. We could only attend the Seattle Nichiren Buddhist Church on special occasions due to my father's busy schedule.

As a child I was always interested in learning the Lotus Sutra. I was curious to know what the sermon was all about. So I often asked my father, "What did the sensei say?"

After learning Braille I often thought how wonderful it would be to read the service book along with the rest of the members. I felt that it would be difficult, tedious and a time consuming task for a non-Japanese speaking person to transcribe the print into Braille.

I prayed and chanted Odaimoku daily; hoping someday that this would be possible. One day I mentioned this to Wendy Villalobos, a fellow member of the Los Angeles Nichiren Buddhist Temple. She offered to type the contents of the service book, DHARMA, into a computer file that could be translated into Braille. I was so ecstatic that I was beside myself. My prayers had come true. It was a dream came true. Now I am able to read portions of the DHARMA

right along with the rest of temple members. I owe my gratitude to Wendy for help in making this possible.

Sincere thanks also go to Julia Moyer, who is an excellent proof reader at the Braille Institute, Julia translated the file into Braille. If there is any blind person interested in having a copy of the Braille service book, please let me know and a copy will be made for them.

By M.C.T.

Bulletin Lotus #34