Noah Fischer
Noah Fischer Good letter Lichen. I did not hear about this. I hope that the ZC sangha can somehow avoid falling prey to the reactionary mind that is prevalent today, very often while trying to do the right thing.
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Kelly Chadwick
Kelly Chadwick Well written and informative. Thanks for sharing!
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Jack Elias
Jack Elias Thanks for sharing all the important details from the tapes! Just spent a wonderful cooking/meditation weekend in Seattle with your Dad.
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Victoria Austin
Victoria Austin Thanks, Lichen. I listened to the tapes, made a summary of what I heard, and sent feedback.🌎🌏
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Hannah Meara
Hannah Meara Dear Lichen! I am very impressed and heartened by your thinking, your letter. Love, Hannah Meara
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Linda Hess
Linda Hess Beautiful letter, Lichen. Mature, wise, compassionate. I didn't know about these events. I know & love Ed. I hope that people involved in decisions at ZC will reflect deeply on their response. It's not something to be decided quickly. Could a wise & skillful person facilitate a conversation between Ed and the person who was offended? Perhaps some of the responsible people at ZC could also be present? Many of the things you say ring true (which in no way invalidates the feelings of the person who was disturbed by what he said, as you understand). May wisdom and compassion embrace in this situation. Love to you.
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Elizabeth Burgess Sawyer
Elizabeth Burgess Sawyer Dear Lichen,

Thank you for your letter.

I can't help but feel for your dad. I dont know the other person but I wonder if she intended or is satisfied with the outcome.

I wonder if the woman who spoke out against Senator Al Franken and accepted his apology expected him to get kicked out of office. We lost a good, intelligent, sincere public servant.

I hate to think that we will loose a good, intelligent, sincere practitioner because no process ensued that might provide an opportunity for Ed to apologize and listen addressing a possible misunderstanding.

If it hasn't happened already, I ask that there be an offer of a facilitated meeting.

I support your suggestion that there might be a temporary injunction rather than a permanent one.

I have not listened to the talk but I have known Ed for 48 years.

The only thing I can think of that justifies such a dire response is if there have other been credible complaints. Or things were said outside of the dharma talk.
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Laurie Baccash
Laurie Baccash Thank you, Lichen.
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Nevada Lane
Nevada Lane Wonderful and compassionate letter. I hope ZC can remember that what we mean to communicate is not always what others hear, and will consider a more measured response. I’m surprised that there’s not more room for compassion for both sides here given Ed’s very long connection to the community.
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Taiyo Lipscomb
Taiyo Lipscomb Thank you Lichen ... i know nothing about this incident and hope that it is worked out/thought out to ALL Beings Wellbeing.
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Amber Malini Hoadley
Amber Malini Hoadley This is so very well written Lichen Brown, I wish you had included me in your tags, but I am glad to have come across it. Your thoughts are well expressed and very kind and open , as are you.It came mind that my father is also a direct student of Suzuki Roshi who has as of yet, never been inviteed or requested by Zen Center to teach or share his experience. You've inspired me to write a letter of my own. I think t is so important that those of us with deep experience with and perspective on ZC share our thoughts and insights with the powers that be, there.David Reich Chadwick Emila Heller Arlene Lueck Kelly Chadwick Noah Fischer Aron Fischer Marsha Angus Peter Schneider Elizabeth Burgess Sawyer Kendra Cunov Mary Cunov Jessamyn Meyerhoff
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Lichen Brown
Lichen Brown Hi Amber, Thank you for the compliment. I did not intend to exclude you. Any omission of tagging is purely accidental. I was scrolling through my list of fb friends and tagging anyone with zc connections, which includes you, but I may have accidentally omitted a few people. There were a few I tried to tag and couldn't, for some reason, but I don't know if any of those were you. Sorry about that :)
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Lichen Brown
Lichen Brown Thanks to you, I scrolled through again and found more people to tag. Also, I believe that the friends of anyone tagged can see the post, so it is probably helpful that you tagged some people in your comment.
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David Reich Chadwick
David Reich Chadwick Amber - your father, Silas, was giving dharma talks at ZC when Suzuki Roshi was alive. Only he and Richard as I recall. Suzuki told Jerry Fuller not to worry about him dying, that he had Richard and Silas.
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Amber Malini Hoadley
Amber Malini Hoadley David Reich Chadwick right. And still no outreach on ZC ‘s end. I really hope someone there will make the effort to invite him to share his experience and good heart
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Amber Malini Hoadley
Amber Malini Hoadley Lichen Brown 💙
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Arlene Lueck
Arlene Lueck Amber Malini Hoadley
Amber let’s connect via messenger about this. I think your not connecting to the right people. Love you
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Arlene Lueck
Arlene Lueck Lichen Brown Honey,
I love you so much as i love him and we both know there is so much history with your Dad and ggf and this is not the fist time there has been an issue of right speech.
I had not heard about this until your dad called me and when I called him back he couldn’t talk so I hope he will call me back
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Lichen Brown
Lichen Brown Ok Arlene, your message got truncated so I'm apparently not seeing the whole thing. I didn't realize that there had been a history of other complaints. But I guess it would make sense that it would take more than one complaint for him to be banned. Like I mentioned in my letter, I think it was in large part the way he reacted after the letter was brought to his attention. Let's see how this plays out.
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Amber Malini Hoadley
Amber Malini Hoadley Ok. Love to see you in person too
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Arlene Lueck
Arlene Lueck Lichen Brown let’s talk I message you ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
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Arlene Lueck
Arlene Lueck Amber Malini Hoadley I’ll message you my number so we can talk ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
David Reich Chadwick



Kamala Hahn
Kamala Hahn What a well thought out, constructive letter. I hope they take it in the manner it is being offered.
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David Reich Chadwick
David Reich Chadwick Well said!
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David Reich Chadwick
David Reich Chadwick A page for this on cuke.com with links to the audio of the talks. barred-from-sfzc.htm
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Margot Koch
Margot Koch I was so impressed with the balance expressed in this letter, particularly knowing it was written by someone whose authority comes in part from starting her life at Zen Center. Touched by your effort to keep the flame illuminating rather than singeing.
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Bergen Nelson
Bergen Nelson Dear Lichen, thank you for bravely writing and sharing this big-hearted, thoughtful letter. And thank you for making us aware of these unfortunate events. I know so many people who have loved your dad's teaching, writing, cooking, and friendship, over many years. This is a loss for SFZC. I'm sure my parents would want to know about this so I'm tagging John Nelson here also.
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Kasey Ruga Balin
Kasey Ruga Balin Lichen,
I just read your letter and cried. It is so clear and articulate and kind and rings true on all levels. I have so many fond memories of being with you and your dad at the Zen Center and Tassajara, and I know it to be true that your father has had a positive impact on thousands of people’s lives- my own included. Please let me know if I can support you in any way at all. In the meantime I send you love and peace.
Xxo
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Elizabeth Burgess Sawyer
Elizabeth Burgess Sawyer Tony Patchell
Deb Huntley
Deb Huntley Lichen, wonderful letter! I hope SFZC considers it carefully. Ed certainly deserves clear justice and not just knee-jerk assumptions that may be the basis of punishment. all the best, this is a very good letter. dh
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Deb Huntley
Deb Huntley I just read the complaint letter. Who is calling the shots now at SFZC that that was enough to ban one of its long-time teachers who was a direct and valued student of Suzuki Roshi? The complainer admits that she had never been there before, yet judges the brief experience as if it should have resembled a support group that she might be more accustomed to. Zen training is old and offers deep self-reflection, not identity building.
Deb Huntley
Deb Huntley As far as the tapes go, I didn't hear anything that should have insulted anyone. If there was something, it wasn't clear. Speaking up is fine and we are all masters of complaint, but SC certainly has not handled this well, in any case.
David Reich Chadwick



Renshin Bunce
Renshin Bunce Lichen, I appreciate your letter so much. Thank you for your heart and your clarity.
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James Kenney
James Kenney Thank you Lichen Brown, for writing and sharing this letter. It is moving, thoughtful, balanced and tender. I have known your father since you were born. I appreciate him and the path he teaches. I have offered to go with him to SFZC and talk with the administrators there.
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David Reich Chadwick
David Reich Chadwick I've suggested he tell them no hard feelings let's give it a rest and move on.

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