Shōgaku Shunryū 祥岳俊隆, Suzuki Roshi in zazen in the old Tassajara stone zendo, c. 1969. (All images on this page are borrowed from David Chadwick’s Cuke.com and Archives.**)
Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind—a few weeks with Suzuki Roshi
(Saturdays 4:00-5:30 PM through October 8 NOW ONLINE ONLY. In-person attendance FULL.)
Class is led by Sara Hunsaker of Monterey Bay Zen Center's Teaching Council. Sara is a priest and teacher in the Suzuki Roshi lineage.
Shunryu Suzuki Roshi arrived in San Francisco from Japan in 1959. In his 12 years of life in California, his influence was vast.
From Richard Baker Roshi’s memorial address: “ . . . He gave us from his own true nature, our true nature. He left us as much as any man can leave, everything essential, the mind and heart of Buddha, the practice of Buddha, the teaching and life of Buddha. He is here in each one of us if we want him.”
The seeds of Roshi’s teachings continue to flourish, rooting and reseeding, here and there, creating dharma flowers and producing Bodhisattvas.
Please join us for the continuing harvest.
Saturday sessions, 4:00-5:30 PM, through October 8. Participants are welcome to register and attend right up to the final class.
Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, the only book of Roshi’s talks and lectures published during his lifetime, will be the text for the class. Various copies and formats of early editions are available, including Shambhala Publications editions in print:
Individual classes are $15, or as affordable, with donations to the Monterey Bay Zen Center; $60 includes the full class series, $75 suggested donation includes any or all classes and an add-on to help cover MBZC banking costs for classes.
For more class information:
Sara suggests you read David Chadwick’s biography Crooked Cucumber, the Life and Teaching of Suzuki Roshi. (This link goes to cuke.com, David’s site for the book and his Suzuki Roshi archive.)
Crooked Cucumber is readily available in various formats, and there are copies in our library you may arrange to borrow through Sara.
This fine archival giclée portrait of Shunryu Suzuki is now available for donations of $50 (down from $150, or more to Cuke Archives. (Follow this link to make your donation, read carefully, and be sure to add Monterey Bay Zen Center to your donation notes.) The print is signed by artist (and early Suzuki Roshi student) Willard Mike Dixon and comes with a certificate of authenticity.
SFZC’s Awakening the Archive
Remastering project with Suzuki Roshi talks and transcriptions.
Shunryu Suzuki bemused with first rice 'crop' at Tassajara. c. 1968.
Shunryu Suzuki at Eihei-ji Monastery in Japan leaving for takuhatsu (“begging practice”). He is dressed in medieval monk pilgrimage robes. c. 1930s.
Shunryu Suzuki and Kobun Chino (founding teacher of Santa Cruz Zen Center). “Smiling”. At Tassajara in front of the Stone cabins. c. 1967.
At the famous Human Be-In in SF’s Golden Gate Park in 1967. Photo provided by Lisa Law.
Roshi at the Tassajara Wind Caves, leaning on “crooked” stick cane. He seems dressed for a rock search.
Shunryu Suzuki and Richard Baker during zazen at the Los Altos Haiku Zendo. Most of the talks in Beginner’s Mind were transcribed from the lectures given here in the 1960s.