Every time "Mel" comes up in Shunryu Suzuki lecture archive recently updated version on shunryusuzuki.com - these excerpts are just copied and pasted unedited by dc
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City Center transcript originally transcribed by Brian Fikes and checked by Mel Weitsman. Entered onto disk by Jose Escobar, 1997. ---------------- from 67-09-00-A
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Roshi: “My idea is exactly the same [about branch zendos]. My hope that they become separate groups when they are strong enough, have more teachers.” Expenses etc. should be discussed each time. I want to help people who want to sit.
…
Roshi: Mel, as a Zen Center member helping people in Berkeley area to sit, not
in terms of helping Berkeley Zen Center. The Board is not responsible for the
affiliate zendos. I hope that the time will come when we must help them when
they organize themselves to be branch of Zen Center. If possible count the kind
of activity of helping now as Zen Center.
Best to have zendos become branches, formally, get closer to Zen Center - Roshi.
But, now the zendos are separate, Board has no responsibility, and only members
are personally affiliated, must become practicing members usually of Zen Center
and participate, to train later at Tassajara.
_______________
Source: Board Meeting Notes - December
19, 1968
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Student B [Mel Weitsman]: The other day when I
was doing the mokugyo, there was this small spider that crawled across the top
of the mokugyo. And there was nothing I could do [laughs, laughter]. I went a
little bit off to the side, you know, but he went right into it. It was too
powerful for him to escape, you know. And the next--
SR: You didn't kill it.
Mel Weitsman: Something did [laughs, laughter].
SR: By mistake. Happened in that way.
Mel Weitsman: Yeah, but I couldn't stop.
SR: But you hit some other place.
Mel Weitsman: Some other place, but he still went right into it.
SR: Yeah. You know, it can't be helped. Buddha killed him [laughs, laughter].
He may be very happy. Mokugyo [as an aside to someone]. Yeah, you know, to live
in this world is not so easy.
Mel Weitsman: No.
SR: Not at all easy, you know. When you see children playing, you know, by the
stream or, you know, on the bridge, you will be really scared, you know. And I
think-- I always thought, “Oh, how can I survive,” you know, “in this way? How
could I survive without, you know, “making any accident? On the freeway, many
cars is going zoom, zoom, zoom.” Something happens, that's all. You know, it is
very-- It is-- If you think, you know, about it, if you stop and see and think,
you know, you will be terrified [laughs].
---------------------------- from 70-05-27
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Although it is, you know-- things are interrelated, you know, or because things are closely interrelated, you know, everyone, every being, each being can be a boss, you know [laughs]. Because, you know-- each one of us can be a boss because we are so closely related. You know, if you say “Suzuki,” you know-- ”I-- I'm very much closely related to you, so I can be president of, you know, Zen Center.” So if you s- [partial word-- ”say”?]-- I say “Mel,” Mel already is not just Mel [laughs], you know. He is one of the Zen Center students, and to see Mel is to see Zen Center. If you see Mel, people understand what is Zen Center [laughs]. So, you know-- but if you think, “Oh, he is Mel” [laughs], then your understanding is not good enough. You don't know who is Mel. So if you have-- if you have good understanding of things, that, you know-- things will-- by things you will understand whole world.
------------------------------------ from 70-06-03
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Look what discussion Mell gets started here:
Student A [Mel Weitsman]: Roshi, when you say
“independency,” I'm confused with whether you mean “independence” or
“interdependency.”
SR: “Interdependency.” Oh, no. “Independency.” Excuse me. Interdependency is
more dependency, you know [laughs].
Mel Weitsman: “Independence” is--
SR: Independent-- you know, idea of independency and dependency.
Student B: Roshi, in English we have no word “independency.” We have the word
“independence”--
SR: Oh! “Independence.” “Independence.” Excuse me. “Independence” means
[laughs] to me, you know, it is not fit, you know, so well. “Independence”
means, you know, may be noun, but more-- what I mean is, you know, noun, but
maybe same thing.
Student C: We have a noun “dependency” so we can have “independency.”
Students in background: Right. Yeah.
Student C: We have the other. “Dependency” is a good English word.
SR: Mmm-mm. And you have no in--
Student C: No “independency.” [Laughs, laughter.]
Student B: Now we have an “independency”!
Student D: You limp on one foot.
SR: One foot. [Laughs.] “Independent” is so strong, you know. So there is no
need to have [laughs] so delicate word. [Strikes the table with his stick.] If
you are independent [strikes table again], that's all. [Laughs, laughter.] You
don't care anything. [Laughs, laughter.] “Shut up!” [Laughs, laughter.] That is
not what we mean. So, you know, independent, you know-- when you are
independent, you know, it is very, you know, vulnerable and weak situation--
dangerous, at least.
Student E: Isn't this idea that people get of their own independence a delusion
that they get? They don't realize that-- [2-3 words inaudible].
SR: Yeah. Delusion, yeah, actually so. When, you know, when they think, you
know, “I am independent,” it is not true, you know. You are dependent on
everything.
------------------------------- from 70-06-25
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;Suzuki uses Mel's name here as an example and Mel thinks he's being called on then he and Suzuki both in term respond reflexively for a sec.]
SR: After you receive ordination, you know,
strictly speaking, you know, we should use his n- [partial word: name]-- his
Buddhist name like Sojun, you know. We'll do it, you know. “He is Sojun!”
[Laughs.] Uh-huh.
Mel: Hai.
SR: Hai. [Laughs, laughter.] Ohh--
Three Wisdom-- we explain the Three Wisdom. “And the Six Unrestrict-- -- Unrestr- -- Unrestricted Ways of the arhats may be always with us in our unceas--- unceasing effort to renew Buddha's way to save all sentient beings from the world of suffering and confusion.” “World of suffering and confusion” means the mappo. “And to keep Buddha's way always new to our-- always-- our al- -- world always.” That is the spirit of Dogen.
Mel: Can we visit you?
SR: Mmm?
[Gap in tape.]
