Ancient Egyptians believed that upon death
they would be asked two questions
and their answers would determine
whether they could continue their journey in the afterlife.
The first question was, “Did you bring joy?”
The second was, “Did you find joy?”

I believe that Stephanie could answer both questions with a BIG YES. She brought joy and found joy. She was joy too. Her life story was inspirational and she leaves a legacy to be carried on by her amazing children Alena and David, her husband Bob and her grandchildren.

It’s sinking in that I’ll never be able to receive warm encouragement and strict guidance from Stephanie over emails or even on WeChat now. Her last email was a short encouragement replying to the current struggles in my new assignment here in Bangladesh. (her last email :”Yay you!! Stephanie”).

Her last word gives me limitless strength to fearlessly take on my current challenges in life. Never to be afraid, even when confronting death! It certainly puts into perspective all my daunting challenges in life that: what doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger! I have to change poison to medicine!

I didn’t quite understand Stephanie declaring that she is Bodhisattva Medicine King! So I went to do some research into the scriptures from Nichiren Dashonin’s gosho about the affairs of Bodhisattva Medicine King. In the scriptures, it teaches about the eternity of life (I believe Stephanie must have internalized this in the depths of her life-how hopeful!). It also teaches about Bodhisattva Medicine King appearing timelessly in response to the ills of all living beings-by prescribing medicine to cure and alleviate their suffering. How compassionate!
The scriptures also describes that: “If in the last 500 year period after the thus come one has entered extinction there is a woman who hears this sutra and carries out its practices as the sutra directs, when her life here on earth comes to an end she will immediately go to the world of Peace and Delight where buddha Amitayus dwells surrounded by the assembly of great bodhisattvas, and there will be born seated on a jewelled seat in the center of a lotus blossom.” What immeasurable and boundless good fortune!
On this note, I also believe Stephanie isn’t just going to sit idly by blissfully, but instead I envision she’s probably just taking a short vacation to chill, and before long will make her appearance again to take on the unending challenge to rid misery and suffering from all living beings with her compassionate action!

I am greatly inspired to live out my mission in life, just as Stephanie has brilliantly lived hers and through her eternal encouragement, I’m determined to be victorious! Hwaiting!

Stephanie, we miss you already.

Among one of the relatively recent additions of your world, you inspired me to seek a full existence in a way that I had not believed possible on Earth. Meeting you came as I was transitioning into a new awareness of life. At that time, I hesitated to make relationships with other people. You helped me to comprehend myself and accept myself with human dignity. You taught everyone that human dignity means discovering the realities which are important for all people to thrive. You showed us that people want to be human together.

Whenever I spoke with you about my perceptions, I was amazed at how easily you comprehended what I would say. Your clarity enabled me to build a bridge from myself so that my life would connect with the universe in a powerful way.

Now having witnessed the life, the will, the vital force, and the compassion of Stephanie G. B. Tansey, “Changing poison into medicine” has become a life philosophy that shows the world how our life’s circumstances do not control us; but rather, they create opportunities to aide us along our journey. So, we fulfill our aspirations, destinies, and hopes.

I had such a difficult time accepting the fact that Stephanie’s gone. But I’ve realized that she’s not gone. She vividly lives in our hearts. What a beautiful person she was!
I have a number of fond memories of Stephanie. Visiting her and her family in Beijing in March of 1996 was one of the best. Most recently, I got to see her at the World Summit of Educators held at Soka University of America in June 2016. I’m so glad I asked her to join us, and she was able to come. Her contribution was enormous. That was the last time I saw her. What a great soul she was!
There are quite a few projects that Stephanie and I discussed and have not finished. She was such a visionary I feel I could not keep up with. She’s so wise, courageous, and compassionate… She was indeed a true “global citizen” — as defined by Daisaku Ikeda.
I am determined to continue learning from her vision for humanity and passion for education… to keep her legacy alive.

Thank you, Stephanie, for being in my life! I miss you dearly. Love, Tomoko

Stephanie has been a beautiful guiding light and we’ll remember the time we spent with her fondly. I’m comforted by the fact that she really led an amazing,  a very rich and productive life, contributing so much to so many people and so many things, and knowing that she was a Buddhist, and that they focus on the eternal and the timeless, not  the body so much as the soul, is so very comforting . I’m sorry for your loss, for my loss, for Bob’s loss, and my thoughts are with them. Rose sends her condolences for Stephanie’s loss.

I first saw Stephanie on stage at FNCC (a panel discussion). It was an Educator’s Conference and heard her talk about starting a school in China based on Makiguchi’s value creation principles. I thought those on the panel were some kind of immortal Buddhists having made such momentous accomplishments. After that, I came to Culture Department Conferences every year accept the year I was completed my Master in Art Ed. I was a peripheral friend, because our contact was limited. Never-the-less, she always included me in her plans to create a broad based inclusion of her missions. I never ceased to feel honored. In the photo at her memorial, I am the one standing to Stephanie’s left in a white shirt and hat. This photo was taken at South Beach and, although not playing any major role, I was there at the inception of Creative Educators International Network. From Columbus, Ohio, where Culture Department was not heavily endorsed, I would use my gained experiences to inform my district, the annual United Nations Festival and my role as a teacher. From Stephanie, as a role model, I learned to take action and appreciate even the smallest contributor. Thank you, Stephanie! Please come back soon, the world still needs you!

Stephanie’s vision, determination and heart immediately won my trust. Writing and sharing the Earth Charter led us on a global journey of the highest intention, traveling throughout communities and villages, sharing hope and empowerment everywhere. From royalty to grassroots, the message of peace and ethical integrity grew with every seed planted. Always a joy when our work united, Stephanie brought out the best in me. I will carry her mission of love in my heart forever. Her spirit allows those who knew her to spread our wings and soar in her light. NMRK

In everything she did, Stephanie was a bridge between people and cultures. She lived her life with meaning and fulfillment. She wanted to see a world where people had a shared understanding of the importance of taking care of nature, and taking care of each other. In her book, “Recovery of the Heart,” she interviews people who have this kind of understanding. For me, this book was a way to connect with her after I heard about her passing. I felt very sad when I heard the news, so I went home and picked up her book from my bookshelf. I looked at the lush green covers, read the dedication inside, and felt like I was a bit closer to her. The dedication read, “Thanks for being there for Bob!”

I knew Bob first, and only met Stephanie a few times, but I could see very clearly how the two of them enjoyed their partnership, and lived by their shared values. Indeed, Bob’s work in both the foreign service as well as The Nature Conservancy has served the purpose of building bridges in a similar way as Stephanie’s work with sustainable communities and Chinese students studying in the US.

Stephanie’s passing is a loss to all the communities she engaged with, and of course to her family and close friends. But we can be comforted by the idea that death cannot take away everything she has built so far. Her legacy will remain, and her spirit will live on in all the people she touched.

Great people don’t need to be with you for ages. A snap encounter with them is enough. This for me describes my great friend’s mum, Stephanie Tansey. The first and last time I was invited by Alena to meet you and your husband during my PhD studies in Colombo Sri Lanka did not leave me in doubt of your personality. You engaged me in bouts of conversations that left me wondering. You took me to my first Italian restaurant and meal? on the same day. Even after meeting YOU, the impression lives on. Adieu!!!

We are all heart-broken and full of tears when we heard that you suddenly passed away.

Your noble and great personality has become a model for us to learn from. You are a gentle woman and a global citizen.

The New School of Collaborative Learning and The Earth Charter Communities Network you established provided an effective platform for cultural exchange and development between China and the United States. the Dialogue Skill Course that you created and taught yourself even more led us to pursue and create the value of life through actions, realize a meaningful life, and people from all over the world benefit from it.

Thank you for your great selfless help and dedication. Thanks for what you did for cultural exchanges. Your Chinese friends will cherish and treasure you in their hearts always.

Your whole life has been one of hope, enlightening countless souls, and we believe you will always be with us. Love and blessings will always surround you.

Bob…

The gravity of the loss- in its kaleidoscope of facets- only began to seep in yesterday afternoon:

That I could be as pained as this over the loss of someone I only knew for mere DAYS is stunning- and undeniable- proof of Stephanie’s profound substance:

Your service was the only truly triumphant memorial I have ever witnessed.

I now know that I will learn more about Stephanie posthumously than I had a chance to, in this mysterious life…

Her humbling dignity was such that she was leaving subtle yet indelible gifts- despite her suffering- for all who she encountered- ESPECIALLY strangers- right up until her bright finale… I cannot help but sense that her most immediate legacy- for us- was to entrust us to each other, as one last resounding, magnanimous gesture… The ultímate meaning of this all-too- brief cosmic encounter remains to be seen…

And it is with THIS singular beauty of hindsight- that my first- and LAST- impression of Stephanie will remain reading in tandem one of the last, prescient passages from the renowned American and Buddhist poet, Merwin- who was himself lost to us- only 3 weeks ago…

“So after weeks of rain
at night the winter stars
that much farther in heaven
without our having seen them
in far light are still forming
the heavy elements
that when the stars are gone
fly up as dust finer
by many times than a hair
and recognize each other
in the dark traveling
at great speed and becoming
our bodies in OUR time
looking up after rain
in the cold night together”

————————————

Love,

Loren, Tatiana & Elliott

Mulher possuidora de grandes sonhos, determinada em se doar! Escreveu uma linda história com sua própria vida. Saudades…

Woman with big dreams, determined to donate! She wrote a beautiful story with her own life. Miss you…

Dear Stephanie, you and Bob made my stay in Beijing in the fall of 2015 so much easier to adjust, with your welcoming home and your home-cooked breakfast every Sunday. I had the pleasure of seeing you back in DC since we both returned in early 2016, and whenever I got to talk to you, you had something new that you’re working on or fighting for to tell me. I am forever grateful for those Sunday breakfasts in Beijing to keep me from feeling lonely there, and the dialogue we had. Now I am completing the doctoral thesis that is partly based on my 2015 stay in China, and I’m going to continue to grow as a scholar and as a person with the cherished memory of you.

“‘Corpo de Diamante’ é uma condição de vida na qual você sente tanta, mas tanta alegria que não consegue se conter, tamanha é sua felicidade. E isso simplesmente pelo fato de estar vivo. Ao adquirir esse “Corpo de Diamante”, você fica fartamente dotado de sabedoria, energia vital, boa sorte e felicidade indestrutíveis, por toda a eternidade. E, além disso, passa a ter força vital para caminhar compartilhando e salvando as demais pessoas. Ser assim é ter um corpo de diamante. ”

Nesta passagem do primeiro ano de seu falecimento e com estas palavras de Daisaku Ikeda, do fundo do coração, muito muito obrigado Stephanie, pela nobre missão que cumpriu e por ter nos dado a oportunidade de compartilhar com você, esta missão. Muito obrigado Stephanie, Rainha da Paz e da Felicidade de Corpo de Diamante!!! Muito obrigado por tudo que me ensinou!!! Thank you so much!!!
Michel Nader

“‘Diamond Body’ is a condition of life in which you feel so much, but so much joy that you cannot contain yourself, such is your happiness. And this is simply because you are alive. By acquiring this” Diamond Body “, you he is abundantly endowed with wisdom, vital energy, good luck and indestructible happiness, for all eternity. And, in addition, he has the vital strength to walk sharing and saving others. To be like that is to have a diamond body. ”

In this passage of the first year of his death and with these words from Daisaku Ikeda, from the bottom of my heart, thank you very much Stephanie, for the noble mission that she accomplished and for giving us the opportunity to share this mission with you. Thank you very much Stephanie, Queen of Peace and Diamond Body Happiness !!! Thank you so much for everything you taught me !!!

Stephanie and my maternal grandfathers were brothers Andrew and Jeremiah Harte from Skibbereen, Ireland. Our mothers were first cousins who never met. Fortunately for me, through the intercession of Michele, I was able to meet Steph and Bob just a couple of months ago when they happened to be on Cape Cod for a wedding. We spent a wonderful day together, touring the Outer Cape and having lunch in Provincetown, sitting at a table with a bay view. I did not have the pleasure of spending as much time with Stephanie as many others who write here, but I assure you that the short time I spent with her will never be forgotten and that I will remember her fondly.

I first got to know Steph when I was based in Tianjin and took an hour and a half to spend quality time with fellow Soka members in the comfort of her and Bob’s home in Olympic Green. Treasuring those moments and reflecting on the warmth and huge hearts in which Steph and Bob welcome a fellow member into their home, showed me how to have that same standalone spirit and thirst for new experiences.

My prayers for Stephanie that she be reborn into a family practicing the Daishonin’s Buddhism and carrying forward her mission as a Bodhisattva of the Earth. Bob, please take care of yourself and your family. I will remember her and her intense joy for life in my daily prayers. She will be missed by all who knew her.

Wee Keng

I appreciate your warm supports in Beijing.
Every Sunday breakfast was one of my best events in my Beijing life.
Your US style breakfast and Japanese style breakfast, rice and miso soup…
They were so amazing!

After you went back to US, I finished MA in 2016.
Then, I continued to study in Phd program in China.
I will finish Phd program in this July.

Because of your great support, I launched my academic life smoothly.
Due to that great launching, I continue to study in China till now.
Thank you very much, Stephanie.

Best regards,
Masaki Onuma

Through Alena, I met Stephanie, Bob, David and Corinna Tansey. In 2012, I searched for ways to augment my own spiritual practices as a Christian. With Alena’s and Stephanie’s encouragement, I gave SGI and Buddhist chanting a try. While I did not build upon the practice, nor did I remain a member of SGI, finding meditating and yoga more amenable for my spiritual goals. Stephanie’s efforts to build a relationship with me and, further, her efforts to do her part to bring people together in peace across the world remains a powerful example to me for how to be in such a complex world and at a complex moment in history. Not ever did I think there to be only one way to the Divine and I am glad to see such spiritual diversity present on Earth, able to be explored by people from all walks of life as we all seek to become holistic, psychically integrated beings, doing our part to bring peace and understanding so that people may thrive in greater harmony. That’s my most optimistic hope, anyway. Stephanie’s transition came as a surprise to me as I hadn’t been in contact with her and her family for some years. However, as I meditated the other morning, Stephanie came to my mind and she was on her way into the bright light and without a backwards glance. I know she’s on her way to her next station and I am glad for the gift of having met her briefly, for her inspiration remains eternal. To know now her last words, I believe with my whole heart she’s a bodhisattva and for this I have been blessed to have been in her presence. I send all my love, support and prayers to the Tansey family and to all who loved the remarkable being we knew on Earth as Stephanie Tansey. May The Creator of all things keep us all in sight! Bless you and keep you, Stephanie. You welcomed me and that kindness will never be forgotten!

Stephanie, I am contemplating a trip to see Falling Waters – which made me think of you and your marvelous house in Japan. I have wonderful memories of playing there as a child! I did not know you had died. It sounds like you lived a marvelous life; I am sorry I never knew you as an adult but I am so glad I knew you when we were young. Enjoy this next adventure!