Photos of Shunko

Memorial page for Shunko Mike Jamvold with three photos so far. Anything one wishes to add could be sent to dchad at cuke dot com (as in dchad@___.com). Here's one photo sent by his temple mate in Kyoto Jirai Reinhard Mehl. 

RIP Shunko Mike Jamvold

Just received the most sad new in an email that Shunko Mike Jamvold has died of pneumonia in Kyoto. The email came from Jirai Reinhard Mehl, a German monk with whom Shunko has been living in a small temple in Kyoto - just the two of them I believe. Katrinka and I visited with Shunko a few times in May and June of 2014 in Kyoto and we've had some email back and forth. Known him since the early seventies at the SFZC. Wish I'd known he was ill. Farewell dear friend. - DC Jirai's email is below

Kaz Tanahashi in SausalitoTonight!

Don't be late. - dc - Facebook folks click on this to go to cuke blog and see flyer.

Check it out for sure

Uncertainty Club - New online magazine from the Pacific Zen Institute, head teacher John Tarrant.

A Brief Morning Zazen Talk

We have one more day. Don't be attached to your attainment as a result of past effort. Or don't be attached to the refreshed stage you attained mechanically. Open up your mind wider and be more subtle, ready to accept things as it is, and practice -- continue your practice. This is the meaning of sesshin. The mind you attained is not even quite newly refreshed mind. It is nothing itself -- itself, free from all attachment. I am very much grateful to sit with you in this way and to have more chance to sit. Let's make this sesshin more meaningful one. Thank you very much. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-08-19-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Copy and paste the name into the search box there to get to the transcript.. Edited by DC - Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. - Go to cuke.com What's New [now at blogger] to see more daily posts.

Arise

Suzuki is commenting on the Shushogi, giving his own spin on it, it seems with:

"There is no buddha who did not arise way-seeking mind, who did not practice our practice, who did not have bodhisattva-mind, who did not attain nirvana."  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-08-19-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Copy and paste the name into the search box there to get to the transcript.. Edited by DC - Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. - Go to cuke.com What's New [now at blogger] to see more daily posts.  ----------"Arise" is not used in standard English as a transitive verb taking an object but replacing it would seem a shame. It's got a unique feel. Searching through all his lectures as found on shunryusuzuki.com we find 126 instances of that word. To me it has a better feel than to raise the way-seeking mind. Subject and object merge. - dc

Photo with Anagarika Govinda, 1968, fall 

Good place for a walk and surprises

Visited the Sangeh Monkey Forest about an hour from Sanur. It's in a Nutmeg forest spread out and pleasant to walk around. While we were standing in front of the temple a monkey leaped up on my back surprising me. A guide nearby ran over and the monkey leaped off me to a statue. The guide said the money was hoping I had food. They're like to grab things from or off visitors. Anyway, it was not rough or scary after the initial shock, sort of like having Clay jump on my back unannounced which he used to do.  We were also there for feeding time for 700 of them. There are three gangs with leaders and they have to feed them separately.

Sleep and putting Human needs first

 Just read the Huff Post article on the Fourth Industrial Revolution, human beings, and sleep. I hope that Arianna's take on things is not just wishful thinking and that governments and business will move toward being human rather than investor centered. As for sleep, it's interesting to me how this is at the center of concern about people. We think of food, clothing, shelter, clean water and air, but sleep? Good for her.

Ecology and Population

from the Guardian

Shinshu Roberts with

two memories of Mitsu Suzuki. 

Doomsday Clock

The Union of Atomic Scientists are not asleep.


cuke page for Species Threat #1 - Nuclear War 

Mitsu Suzuki Photo and Film page

Go here for photos and links to Slide show with traditional Japanese music and film segment with Mitsu at Sokoji - together or separately on Shunryu Suzuki dot com and YouTube Cuke Video. 

A few new posts on cuke

Yehudah (Alan) Winter remembers Tim Buckley

Yvonne Rand remembers Mitsu Suzuki

Beggar's Mind - An excerpt from Marian (Derby) Wisberg (Mountain's) Zen Environment sent by a fan of hers.

from Shungo Suzuki, step-grandson of Mitsu

[L to R Shungo, Kanryu, Kumi, Chitose]------

Thank you very much for your kind message of condolence .The funeral has been done by many people solemnly without hindrance. Mitsu was very proud of the relationship with everyone. She talked before “I’m happy because I can see my husband again in Nirvana”. We feel relieved now.

Thank you.
Nine bows,
Shungo

Non polluted

So no duality -- not “duality”-- non polluted mind is mind itself is buddha. All the buddha is buddha of non-polluted buddha.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-08-19-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Copy and paste the name into the search box there to get to the transcript.. Edited by DC - Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. - Go to cuke.com What's New [now at blogger] to see more daily posts. 

Mitsu Suzuki in the KQED film on You Tube Cuke Video

Edited section with Mitsu Suzuki in the zendo and seeing Shunryu off, from the first part of the film, Zen Mountain Center, which takes place at Sokoji where the San Francisco Zen Center was born. Starts with zazen - that's her sitting on the right with her husband Shunryu walking past with the stick. The full Heart Sutra follows, a snippet of Shunryu talking with Richard Baker, Dainin Katagiri sitting quietly. Shunryu and Richard depart for Tassajara with Mitsu and Dainin seeing them off. Shunryu Suzuki dot com ZMC film page in the Video Section with stills [but You Tube is better for viewing videos]

Pollution

This is a famous word -- non-duality. Zen -- no attachment. Attachment is not only positive but also negative. There is negative attachment and there is positive attachment. “I should not see such a thing”: that is negative attachment [laughs, laughter]. “I want to see something good” [laughs, laughter]: this is positive attachment. So this kind of attachment is, you know, polluted mind.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-08-19-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Copy and paste the name into the search box there to get to the transcript.. Edited by DC - Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. - Go to cuke.com What's New [now at blogger] to see more daily posts. 

Eijun Linda Cutts Attends Okusan’s Funeral

Linda Cutts is Central Abbess of the SF Zen Center. Here's her report with photos on Mitsu Suzuki's funeral in Japan.

Mitsu Suzuki cuke page

Not Two

the teaching of mind itself is buddha means non-duality.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-08-19-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Copy and paste the name into the search box there to get to the transcript.. Edited by DC - Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. - Go to cuke.com What's New [now at blogger] to see more daily posts. 

People don't realize

The Risk of Nuclear Catastrophe Is Greater Today Than During the Cold War - former US Sec. of Defense, William J. Perry.

cuke page for Species Threat #1 - Nuclear War 

Mind again

[He's reading dogen] When we say mind, mind includes everything. When we say whisk or chair, whisk or chair include everything. So there is nowhere-- no place for mind [laughs]. No place for special mind.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-08-19-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Copy and paste the name into the search box there to get to the transcript.. Edited by DC - Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. - Go to cuke.com What's New [now at blogger] to see more daily posts. 

Pray for Rain

Hot and not raining in rainy season. Hira and Depak own the organic store we go to quite a bit, Satvika Bhoga, They're Pakistani Hindus born in Jakarta - parents had to leave after partition when their home was taken by Moslems and they were run off. They've been in Bali twenty years or so. She says she's never seen a rainy season so dry. It is raining some in higher areas which is more important because there's farming there. Strange how the weather reports keep saying we're going to have rain and dark clouds drift by. El Nino comes from a warming in the north equatorial Pacific as I understand it. With the oceans warming there significantly, wouldn't more El Ninos be expected?

Okusan from cuke interviews etc

 Suzuki Roshi really cared about his wife. And she was nice to him. That was a kind of nice to see and I appreciated it the early days. - Taizan Maezumi

Mitsu Suzuki from here and there on cuke pages - Not all of it for sure but lots. 

Wonder who that is with her in the photo.

Word's goin round

Terror threat right here. - from News dot com AU

RIP Stephen Levine

Wikipedia page - had to fix this link. - Thanks Andrew Main

Levine Talks dot com

Another Okusan post

Mitsu Suzuki in the SFZC Wind Bells from 1972 to 2004.---Quite a bit there on her, by her, photos.

Pale Sky again

Back Cover of Gail Sher's Pale Sky, "a poetic evocation of the Tassajara zendo ... on the day Suzuki Roshi died."

Amazon link

Night Crane Press (November 23, 2015)

Gail Sher dot com

cuke bibleography

BBC article

on Indonesian Islam and Extremism - thanks Camille Koue

Mitsu, Shunryu, and Huston

Been working in the Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind section of cuke and recalled this story from Huston Smith's Preface which was included starting with the paperback edition.------------------

When, four months before his death, I had the opportunity to ask him why satori didn't figure in his book, his wife leaned toward me and whispered impishly, "It's because he hasn't had it"; whereupon the Roshi batted his fan at her in mock consternation and with finger to his lips hissed, "Shhhh! Don't tell him!" When our laughter had subsided, he said simply, "It's not that satori is unimportant, but it's not the part of Zen that needs to be stressed."------------posted on Mitu Suzuki's cuke page - working on her section too.

Huston's cuke page

Jakarta Attack

The attack in Jakarta a couple of days ago did get people's attention here in Bali, but it was so inept that there isn't that big a difference in the mood here in the small sampling around me. A young Javanese woman last night said that she hadn't seen much about it on social media, just more of the same fashion talk and selfies. We're definitely less inclined though to go to Kuta and Seminyak, the busy tourist areas and Starbucks attendance will go from hardly ever to maybe never. 

ZMBM 2000 edition changes, part 2

Changes made to the 2000 edition of Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind - Preface and Introduction --- sent by Victor Sergeyev who also sent changes that were made in the main body of the text earlier and new errata and comments. Victor with Gvido Trepsa has put everything concerned with ZMBM under his high def magnifying glass and come up with a number of keen observations. Here's a page for a list of his main contributions. - dc 

Condolences from Israel

from ZENSHIN EITAN BOLOKAN
Department of East Asian Studies
Tel-Aviv University, Israel. I want to express my deep condolences for the passing of the beloved Suzuki Mitsu sensei.
Her tender and wise teachings will always resonate in my heart. 
 

I am happy to tell that the Hebrew translation of Temple Dusk has made the name Suzuki Mitsu a known one in the Israeli circles of poetry, Haiku, and Japanese culture in general. Her graceful art lives now also in the heart of many Israelis.
 

Posted on Mitsu Memories page

On the Hebrew translation of Temple Dusk 

Malls in Asia

Malls seem to me to be at the apex of Asian dreams. Good for the rich, good for the masses, cleaner air, cool, food, shopping, play areas, even sports. And walkers use them too.  Experienced that in Kuala Lumpur. Heard about them in Jakarta. My sister just wrote about them in Hong Kong - even one at the top of Victoria Peak. Major airports now double as malls. Here in Bali there are a few I know of - modern as heck with vegetation.  

New Book with Shunryu Suzuki Memories

Pale Sky by Gail Scher 

Night Crane Press (November 23, 2015)

Gail Sher dot com

cuke bibleography

At the SFZC City Center Founder's Hall

Photo of Mitsu bowing at the kaisando, taken from the SFZC Sangha News Obituary just sent out. Okusan would bow to all of us after the monthly services for Shunryu there on the eve of the 3rd and the morning of the 4th.----------

Mistu Suzuki main cuke page

Noticed While Eating Out

After taking orders for a table, waiters here in Bali, invariably repeat the order to make sure they've got it right. Experienced that also in Malaysia and Thailand so guess it's a SE Asian thing. Certainly reduces the error rate. I've had them do it even in little places that cater almost entirely to locals. Before picking up a plate, bowl, or glass, they always ask if you're finished - even if it's completely clean. Lastly, they don't bring a bill unless one asks. We usually just get up and pay on the way out. 

Lewis Richmond

Thoughts for January 2016. --- 

Discouragement and what Shunryu Suzuki had to say about it.

---- Lew's cuke page

Linda Ruth Cuts in Japan for Mitsu Suzuki's ceremonies

1-13-16 - I am in Japan and will go to Rinso-in tomorrow. I will write something about the ceremonies—a Tsuya tomorrow the 13th which they translate as “wake”, and the funeral on the 14th. - Bowing, Linda----------posting at Mitsu Memories page.

Gala Gala

Niece Camille and I ventured down into the Gala Gala Underground House on Lembongan Island off Bali the day before New Year's Eve. A Hindu priest spent 15 years cutting away little tunnels and rooms below. A little claustrophobic for me. More on it here. - dc

Memories of Mitsu continued

I remember her saying, “You Americans do everything backwards." - Mary Watson-----------------------------------

Posted on cuke at a page for recently received remembrances of Okusan.  Photo of Mel Weitsman and Mitsu at 1980 wedding of Jack Weller and Mary Watson accompanies her touching piece on her tea teacher, Suzuki Sensei.

RIP Earl McGrath

Earl McGrath, Zentatsu Richard Baker's oldest and most dear friend, called Uncle Earl or the Earl of McGrath by Chris Rand (Yvonne's son) who also wrote on Facebook, "Earl was one of the most amazing people I've ever known. So so sad to hear of his passing. One of my all time favorite people. RIP Earl McGrath with much Love." I used to send Earl tapes of my songs and receive kind notes in return (He was president of Rolling Stones International, Jim Carroll's manager, and much more through the years. Farewell Earl. - dc

Koponakan Compassion

That's an Indonesian word for niece or nephew, the former in this case. When niece Camille, sister Susan, and I were taking a walk in the hot sun on the nearby island of Lembongan, Camille noticed a scrawny, mangy dog lying on the side of the street. She'd met a woman visiting there who worked with dog rescue in Bali and emailed her about it. Later she got a message that the dog had been picked up and given care but was too far gone so put to sleep. I hadn't noticed or if I did I forgot. That's the street - off the web.

Remembering Mitsu Suzuki

Mitsu once asked him, “What are you thinking about all the time?”-------“How to establish Buddhism in America,” he answered.----------

Memories page for Mitsu-------------

Photo off Facebook Larry Hanson message from Sweeping Zen which got it from cuke. 

Sanur Timeless Critters

Our wall clock stops running every few months. Each time I'll put in a new battery and more often than not that doesn't help. I'll give it to Nyoman Dogen and he'll come back with the old works in a bag and new ones installed and a bill for a few dollars. This time though there was a different story. Ants had made a home in the works. 

RIP Mitsu Suzuki

Mitsu Suzuki, widow of Shunryu Suzuki died on the evening of January 9th at a hospital in Shizuoka Japan. She was 101. This is the edited message received from her grandson Shungo: "Mitsu Suzuki passed away peacefully two hours ago cause of senility." That would put the time in Japan at about 9pm. (9:30pm confirmed - 4:30am California time 1/09)]. Farewell Okusan, my Japanese mother. - dc-----------Mitsu Suzuki cuke page

Ancient Sage said

Therefore the ancient sage said, “If you understand what is mind, there is no earth, there is no soil on the earth or there not a piece of soil on the earth.”  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-08-19-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Copy and paste the name into the search box there to get to the transcript.. Edited by DC - Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. - Go to cuke.com What's New [now at blogger] to see more daily posts. 

Another Wave Tale

There's a saying never turn your back on the sea. Now and then I read about kids mainly being unexpectedly swept away by a rogue wave on a northern California beach. George Wheelwright who sold/gave the SFZC Green Gulch (for $300,000 as I recall), said that one day he was walking his dog on Muir Beach and a giant wave came in unexpectedly and swept them both out. They both got back in. - Posted this on ZC Stories

No Universe

Mind itself is everything. So if you say I know what is mind, the earth will become thicker. Or if you pick up the earth, there -- there is no earth or there is no universe even.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-08-19-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Copy and paste the name into the search box there to get to the transcript.. Edited by DC - Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. - Go to cuke.com What's New [now at blogger] to see more daily posts. 

When Waves go Bad

Yesterday's post about respecting the sea brought up some memories. One was a truly close call at a beach near LA. It was September, 1985. Kelly and I had taken a train to Santa Monica to get a brand new Toyota at a very low price because the family of a friend at Green Gulch owned the Toyota dealership there. Drove from the dealer to the beach. We drove right up to a beach and there was no sidewalk or store there. The waves I was dealing with were nothing like this photo. Didn't seem so threatening.

Mitsu Suzuki

Nothing new. In the hospital. 101. Fading. This photo was taken by Paul Rosenblum in September, 2013. A couple of more recent ones and older ones (thus younger) on her cuke dot com page. Her husband died 44 years ago. -------------

Special Thing

So it is impossible to recognize some special thing as mind. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-08-19-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Copy and paste the name into the search box there to get to the transcript.. Edited by DC - Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. - Go to cuke.com What's New [now at blogger] to see more daily posts. 

Must Tell You about

Another World - posted in DC Writ

Not all dreams have happy endings

Family and friend just spent six days on Lembongan, a small island off of south Bali. No cars. Lots of motor scooters and some small trucks with seats to move people around. For many, it's one of the best places to be round here. Last three days at Dream Beach with its somewhat rocky beach, strong waves. A little dangerous. That photo and all I found on web  picture it when the tide's out without any sizable waves. It can get rough there. Still there'd be a dozen people in the water including kids, most staying near that sandy trough and not too far out. I realized I'd gotten too far out and the current to the side was almost too strong for me. Wasn't pulling me out and I could have gone in there but managed to get back at the less rocky spot to come in. So exhausted. Thought if the tug there were just a bit tweaked it might have  been a different story. Note to self: Don't get careless with the sea.

Thicker

Or we say if you recognize the mind, the earth will be thicker -- will become thicker by three inches [laughs]. That is extra, you know [laughs]. It is impossible to make the earth thicker by three inches [laughs]. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-08-19-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Copy and paste the name into the search box there to get to the transcript.. Edited by DC - Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. - Go to cuke.com What's New [now at blogger] to see more daily posts. 

More Trash

Met a Dane - it was a while back - who said that there was lots of trash on Bali North shore when he was there and could smell the burning plastic in the air from offshore in a boat way out. Said there's an island of trash off Pucket that typhoons wash into the sea and there was so much trash on the beach at Phuket people gave up and left. So many problems like that here. That and smog and burning smoke - and the media mostly ignores and movies and news shows so orten depict Bali and Thailand and super smogville Beijing in a most ideal way, often as crystal clear. This stuff effects the whole globe. Whole globe people must respond because the whole globe surely will.

Mitsu Suzuki

Received this message today:

Dear teachers,

A happy new year.
Mitsu Suzuki is senility and have last time of her life hospital now.
Doctor said it may be a few days but we don’t  know reality.
Please inform to important person about this situation.
Thank you.
nine bows,
Shungo [Suzuki, Mitsu's grandson]-------

Mitsu Suzuki cuke page

Burst?

If you recognize what is mind, heaven and earth will vanish, or it said heaven will fall down and earth will be broken-- will burst out. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-08-19-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Copy and paste the name into the search box there to get to the transcript.. Edited by DC - Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. - Go to cuke.com What's New [now at blogger] to see more daily posts.