I have been a teacher for deaf youths for over 20 years in a secondary school in Negeri Sembilan. Throughout these years, I have upheld the ideals of Tsunesaburo Makiguchi (1871 – 1944), who established the value-creation philosophy. Each day, I strive to help deaf youths break through their limitations, contribute to society and live with dignity and confidence.

My Buddhist practice began when I was ten, following in my parents’ footsteps and embracing faith in Nichiren Buddhism. Subsequently, I immersed myself in SGM Hope Fife-and-Drum Corps (also known as Kiboo Kotekitai) cultural division activities and eventually became a person-in-charge for the corps in Negeri Sembilan. The corps’ motto, “Clear Goals, Never Give Up” has since became the guiding light of my life.

After graduating from Form 6, I enrolled in a Diploma program majoring in the Primary School Standard Curriculum (KSSR) at a teacher training college in Johor Bahru. Later, I was fortunate to be assigned to a primary school in Port Dickson, also in Negeri Sembilan, where I secured a full-time position.

During that period, I had a profound conversation with a Women’s Division member, which deepened my understanding of special education. To enhance my teaching abilities for the deaf and respond to my mentor SGI President Ikeda‘s encouragement for youth to attend university, I applied to Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) for a Bachelor’s programme specialising in education for deaf individuals.

I vividly recall the joy of receiving the admissions letter from the university, despite my then-superior’s advice to give up due to the anticipated challenges of working with special needs children. Facing her comments with a smile, I remained steadfast in my goals, drawing inspiration from the Kiboo Kotekitai motto.

I felt protected as I continued to receive half of my salary as a teacher during my studies, relieving financial stress. At that time, I chanted Daimoku fervently, praying for a return to Negeri Sembilan upon graduation and assignment to the only secondary school for the deaf.

My prayers were answered, and now, 20 years have passed since I began serving here.

Deaf students are not inferior, not in any way.

My primary subject is mathematics, and communicating with my deaf students using sign language is no easy task.

However, regardless of the challenges I encountered, I would identify the root cause, analyse, and discuss potential solutions with my colleagues. My chanting and prayers to the Gohonzon were crucial in supporting me through these challenges. I prayed for wisdom in both myself and my students, enabling them to learn and excel in exams.

Although other teachers advised me to lower my expectations for the deaf students, I believed they could achieve more. I did not expect them to merely pass; I believed they could even earn A’s. Guided by my Buddhist belief in each person’s innate Buddha nature and limitless potential, I continued to give my all. As a result, the Form 3 students not only passed but also achieved A’s and B’s in Mathematics. It was a delightful surprise!

During the Movement Control Order (MCO) in 2021, the Special Education Department organised an online competition involving sign language performances. My school selected two students to participate, with me as their trainer.

Although competing in singing competitions was undoubtedly challenging for deaf students, they managed through facial expressions, sign language, and body movements. This posed a high level of challenge for both me and my students, as none of us had prior experience. Nevertheless, we persevered.

To deliver a good performance, students needed to be proficient in sign language, and synchronize with rhythm and music, as the video would be recorded without edits. Driven by a sincere wish for their success, I volunteered for extra practices and even went to the extent of picking them up from their homes.

I am grateful that my dedication to them was met with their persistent commitment to self-improvement, leading to their progress and even culminating in one of them achieving 4th place at the national level.

In a recent event in August 2022, I brought two students to participate in a reading competition. They did well enough to breeze through the district and state-level competitions but were caught in chaos at the national level due to other commitments. They lacked sufficient time to prepare adequately.

One student considered withdrawing from the event, influencing the other. Confronting their negativity, I sincerely encouraged them to persevere and develop self-confidence. In addition to training, I chanted for them to manifest strong memorisation skills and wisdom to respond to real-time questions from judges.

The results were remarkable. On competition day, both students delivered outstanding performances and confidently addressed the judges’ queries. They each won titles in the national championships. This incident solidified their never-give-up spirit, which I believe will guide them through life.

Working with deaf students has shown me the power of Soka humanistic education, which enables individuals to explore and manifest their unique potential through the principle of ‘cherry, plum, peach, and damson.’

The core spirit of education is to ‘Believe in People.’ Despite the social barriers faced by the deaf community due to their hearing impairment, I trust my students fully and help them cultivate warmth and security in a world filled with sounds. It brings me great joy that these students continue to stay in touch, even after establishing their own families, including visiting me during the festive Chinese New Year season.

President Ikeda once said, “Only by conquering adversity can one grow as a real person.” I am determined to continue overcoming challenges alongside my students until the end of my life, helping them and their parents realise that a wonderful life is attainable despite disabilities.

Adapted from Cosmic February 2023