Shunryu Suzuki Stories

MEMORIES OF SUZUKI Roshi FROM WIND BELL AND DC FILES - from

Paul Reps, 1895 - 1990

Index of Letters on Suzuki - with more of these letters

Paul Reps was a great zany character who is best known for the great early Zen book he did with Nyogen Senzaki, Zen Flesh, Zen Bones. I remember him being around the Zen Center some, especially when Richard Baker became abbot. Reps got us into fat pants which Alaya Stitchery started making. He did two large paintings on the wall of the barn at Green Gulch in the housing area, one of which can still be seen - a large YES on yellow as I remember. I hope the NO is still on the adjoining wall to the left inside the room. These are treasures to be protected. So is the following poem from Reps. Adding this to ZMBM at 40 Notes. - dc

Pilgrim’s way bookstore
carmel

thank you for the fine photo
of shunryu suzuki
whose book is now tops on
my best seller list,
having demoted the zen
teaching of huang po to
second place.  I think
it's going to stay there
because he was challenged
by young minds in usa
and came through big.
He jettisoned all buddhism
and extra baggage and came
up with something that even
now has baker puzzled.
thanks again,

reps

posted 6-05-11 and 10-14-13 -  posted PDF, correction of poem to match original and more links