Roshi: because Jean cannot attend the entire period she has refused [to be Shuso]. My idea--someone like Dan can take her place while she is away. She had a very good reputation at Eiheiji. Even though most of the teachers have changed there, she is still known. She practiced there long enough and sincerely enough. In our school nuns are treated uncertainly.
1) I want us to improve the way of treating nuns/women students.2) Jean is at Monterey--we can help her and she can help us. An advantage for Zen Center for her to be there. She should be a teacher. I don’t want to follow just formality. In the future we will have different kinds of students. I want to have some system.
3)Jean’s family situation is uncertain. I want her to do it now when she can do it. I haven't discussed fully our schedule. We can make plans now. --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 69-01-25-bn - as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching.
DC Comment: Not all entries in our lecture archive are lectures. Except for the Letters, this archive contains any spoken or written words from Shunryu Suzuki. So last year relevant excerpts from ZC board notes was included. What's happening here is Suzuki saying that there will be no shuso for the 1969 winter/spring practice period, that Dan Welch can fill in while we waited for Jean to be able to come which she did the following fall.