Shunryu Suzuki Stories - Suzuki Stories Index

MEMORIES OF SUZUKI Roshi FROM WIND BELL AND DC FILES

Letters on Suzuki Index - with more on these letters

Jerry Ray

Jerry Ray's YouTube music site of his live recordings of mainly Fort Worth, TX, bands.

Jerry is an old friend of mine from Fort Worth, TX. In '66 and '67 he was living for a while in San Francisco. He's a piano tuner in FW whom I get together with when I go back. We'll go sit zazen with a group in Fort Worth that meets on Thursdays. It's associated with the Maria Kannon ZC in Dallas. - dc

Suzuki Roshi. You [DC] me took me into office [fall of 66]. I noticed in his eye a joyful gleam.

First spiritual person I met. I'd been raised Southern Baptist. Walking into room with Suzuki Roshi and you he was standing there in robes talking to people ‑‑ just inside front door to left ‑‑ presence that filled the room. Was a short little man. So heavy. Nothing needed to be said. First experience in real world with someone like that. Before had all been in books. It was real. I didn't know it existed.

Have to mention Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind ‑‑ first sentence of the first lecture I heard. I considered coming back to Suzuki Roshi to study Zen but in Fort Worth I met Alden (AJ) Truesdell Christ Truth to me Christian Zen. His favorite guy was Meister Eckhart. So I didn't do the culture switch to go with you. So Truesdell and his wife Nell were the second and third spiritual people I'd met. They'd established here in Fort Worth in '38 coming from Dallas, I think. Now it's all on the news with Candles [get name] with his heirs and me and my friends were glad we're out of there.

Warren and I were sitting zazen there & occasionally O'Riley. We built a building with church dollars. When I saw the guy wasn't going to straighten up I turned Judas and tried to get rid of him and he cancelled elections. I couldn't muster support to get rid of him. Churches are hard to change. He came (Dr. Bob Applegate) to zazen once and stomped out. We meditated with him in the morning but he got to where he wanted to talk all the time so Warren and I started sitting zazen and one day he came and found Warren here when Warren got up to walk and chant Lord's Prayer and he stomped out. His quest was on the surface. It was heartbreaking. Learn the hard way.