Trailblazer
Ruth Tabrah
February 28, 1921 – April 4, 2004
Ruth was born in Buffalo, New York. Her humble life was filled with hardship. She grew up in a multi-generational home and moved 17 times because her family couldn’t pay the rent. Her life is like a lotus blossoming out of muddy waters. And now following up from Bloom’s eulogy:
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“Ruth graduated with honors from the University of Buffalo at age 16. She taught at a school for refugee students under the guidance of Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt and completed graduate studies at the University of Washington in Seattle. She married Dr. Frank Tabrah and had two sons, Joseph and Thomas. The family moved to Kohala, Hawaii, in 1956.
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She joined the Democratic Party, served on the State Board of Education (1966-78), and later chaired the Democratic Committee for the island of Hawaii.
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After her divorce, she lived at her beach house at Puako.
Ruth was a woman of strong conviction and great strength. In an effort to find herself, she embarked on a world tour even though she had very limited assets. The Pan Am round-the-world ticket allowed her to travel whenever and wherever the plane flew. She visited Turkey, India, Pakistan, Tibet, Inner and Outer Mongolia, China, and New Guinea. She came home with $2.00 in her pocket, refreshed and renewed.
The Red Shark was published in 1970. Besides writing the book, she created all the illustrations.
As an author, Ruth wrote novels such as Pulaski Place, which described the life of Polish-Americans in Buffalo, NY. The Monk Who Dared, about Shinran, the founder of the Hongwanji tradition, and The Monk’s Wife, about Eshinni, have been read widely and bring ancient figures to life in our modern world. She also wrote Emily’s Hawaii, a children’s book.
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As an editor, Ruth organized the Buddhist Study Center Press, giving Buddhism a voice in international and intercultural contexts beyond Hawaii through publication.
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As a scholar, she participated in the International Association of Shin Buddhist Studies, writing summaries of many conferences and contributing to the journal Pure Land.
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Ruth was an artist. Her paintings embody her view of life and reality. Her pictures reflect her positive and optimistic perspective through her use of colors.
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As a social activist, Ruth was a member of the Hawaii State Board of Education, representing the Big Island. She was very interested in women’s issues and wrote about the rights of women in Buddhist ordination. Her novel, Voices of Others, anticipated women’s liberation later by recognizing the independent woman.​ Ruth received Tokudo ordination in Kyoto in 1982. She paved the way for a different kind of minister, unattached to a temple but creative and active in Dharma propagation.
​​“Our lives are like dewdrops, disappearing in the noonday sun, yet the water nourishes the soil and sparkles in the blossoms. A dew drop has vanished from our sight, but not from our hearts, as she continues to nourish our spirits.” Alfred Bloom
