Eric Arnow link page

Eric Arnow has his own web site now. For years I've been putting his letters from Asia here. From now on they'll go on his site, the Bumble Buddhist which also now has all the previous ones from cuke and photos more. - dc

Interview with Eric about Suzuki and his SFZC history (includes this letter)

Since Eric mentioned Suzuki Roshi in the last letter of 4-17-07, I asked him what he remember of Suzuki and those days. - DC

4-18-07 On Shunryu Suzuki

Hi David,

I haven't written in quite a while. This was the first retreat time I had done in about a year and I kind of "blame Achaan, because I kept waiting for him, not realizing that he was deliberately putting me off. "Testing" or just being a jerk?

I came to ZC in March 1971. god that is a long time ago, no?

I heard  few of his lectures and sat my first couple sesshins with Suzuki Roshi and Katagiri. Had dokusan with Katagiri. I was sitting there at 8:30 at night, wiggling in pain, when Suzuki Roshi said, "someday you may be dying of cancer and there will be nothing you can do. DON"T MOVE!"

Little did I know. But I remember him talking about "things as it is" deliberately mixing plural and singular, and this teacher does too. That is the main similarity.

I never actually engaged him, but was rather intimidated and awed so never spoke with him. but I gather he gave out a lot of Metta (loving kindness).

This guy is obviously more severe. I have to say I don't really like him.

But he does have a following, maybe among the masochist school of Buddhism, of which I was a strong adherent at one time, as you probably remember, David.

Cheers,

Eric