the zen studies society DAI BOSATSU ZENDO KONGO-JI 4O th ANNIVERSARY Table of Contents Realizing the Dream: A Dai Bosatsu Zendo Chronicle 2 Poetry by Karen Dodds 40 Returning Home by Kyo-on Dokuro Jaeckel Osho 42 Haiku by Ryoju Jack Lynch 48 O-An by Donge John Haber 50 Full Circle by Carol Lindsay 56 Haiku by Jika Lauren Melnikow 58 Selling Nothing by the Pound by Muken Mark Barber 60 Poems by Lorraine Coulter and Evelyn Nenge-Ryushin Talbot 56 In Such A Place, In Such Company by Kevin Zach 68 Haiku by Shinge Roshi 74 and 82 Return To The Root by Eshin Brenda Shoshanna 76 Realizing the Dream: In 1897, D.T. Suzuki returns to the United Soen Shaku teaches at the Russell home A Dai Bosatsu Zendo Chronicle States to translate Chinese texts into in San Francisco where Mrs. Russell has English and to work on begun leading a small Zen The Pioneering Years: the editorial staff of the group. He then tours the A Vision on Mt. Dai Bosatsu journal The Open Court, United States with D. T. published in La Salle, Suzuki as interpreter. Talks It’s 1893. Soen Shaku Roshi, abbot of Illinois, by Paul Carus. given during their travels Engaku-ji in Kamakura, Japan, is invited are later compiled as to address the World Parliament of In 1905, Soen Shaku Sermons of a Buddhist Religions in Chicago. and D. T. Abbot (since reissued as He is attended by his Suzuki are Zen for Americans). 23-year-old student invited to San Daisetsu Teitaro Suzuki, Francisco Nyogen Senzaki takes all who translates his talk for a long sorts of odd jobs in San into English. The Dharma visit by Ida Francisco, learning English effect of their coming to Russell and her husband, during the few hours he isn’t working. the United States will be Alexander. Soen Shaku asks Soen Shaku passes away in 1919. From the creation of the Zen another of his students, the 1922 on, Senzaki gives lectures on Studies Society in 1956 monk Nyogen Senzaki, to Buddhism whenever he can afford to to support D. T. Suzuki’s accompany them, but due rent a hall, calling these meetings his scholarly work. to illness the latter has to “floating zendo.” postpone his trip until later that year. Among those who are deeply affected by He arrives in Seattle by freighter and In 1931, he moves into a small apartment Soen Shaku’s lecture is a woman named makes his way to San Francisco; after in Los Angeles, where he meets Kin Ida Russell, who becomes the first Zen a brief stay with the Russells, he is Sago Tanahashi and her husband, who student in America; she later travels to on his own. Photos this page: Soen Shaku and D.T. Suzuki; opposite Japan to study with him. page: Soen Nakagawa, Nyogen Senzaki and Ruth Mc- Candless—Ryutaku-ji 1955 2. run a laundry, and their son, Jimmy. She impressed that he sends a letter to Soen they offer sesshins at various places in becomes his Zen student and in 1932 Nakagawa; an intensive correspondence the United States. Tai-san continues his he gives her the Dharma Name Shubin, and profound friendship begins. training with Yasutani Roshi; the two “Autumn Sky.” They meet in 1949, when Monk travel around the world in 1963. Soen comes to California for a long In 1931 and 1932, a young poet-monk visit. Their deep spiritual connection Tai-san moves to New York City, named Soen Nakagawa is doing solitary nurtures the Dharma activity that will arriving on January 1, 1965, and rents retreats deep in the forest eventually result in the a small apartment on West 85th Street, on Mt. Dai Bosatsu, establishment of Dai establishing a zendo where students, near Mt. Fuji, having Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-ji many of whom have already done been ordained on April in 1976. sesshins with Yasutani Roshi, can gather 8, 1931, at Kogaku-ji, for zazen. Word spreads, and more which was founded by In 1951, Soen people come for public meetings on attendant. However, on May 7, 1958, the great Bassui Tokusho. Nakagawa receives Thursday evenings. On February 14, Nyogen Senzaki passes away. He ceaselessly chants Dharma Transmission 1965, the first all-day sitting is held. a mantra of his own from Gempo Yamamoto As the group grows, Tai-san realizes it At Soen Roshi’s suggestion, in invention, “Namu Dai Roshi and becomes would be helpful to have the guidance 1960, Tai-san continues his academic Bosa” (uniting with abbot of Ryutaku-ji of an organization, and recalls that education at the University of Hawaii. boundless Bodhisattva- in Mishima, Japan. the Zen Studies Society had been He is invited to meet with D. T. nature). Monk Soen Nyogen Senzaki, established in 1956 to support the work Suzuki when the latter, now over 90, envisions “a training center for accompanied by his disciples Kangetsu of D. T. Suzuki. comes to lecture at the East-West producing great bodhisattvas on that Dai Ruth Strout McCandless and Kokin Philosophers’ Conference. Bosatsu ridge.” Louise Peddeford, makes his first and He gets in touch with Bernard Phillips only visit back to Japan in 1956; he stays and George Yamaoka, original Board On a visit back to Japan, Tai-san is In November 1934, Soen Nakagawa’s with Soen Roshi at Ryutaku-ji. In 1957, members of the Zen Studies Society, introduced by Soen Roshi to Haku’un poems are published in a magazine Soen Roshi decides to send one of his which has been in a period of Yasutani Roshi, and in 1962 he read by Shubin Tanahashi. She shows students, Eido Tai Shimano (Tai-san), to organizational dormancy since the 1962 accompanies Yasutani Roshi on a trip them to Nyogen Senzaki, who is so the United States to be Nyogen Senzaki’s arranged by Soen Roshi, during which Opposite page: Soen Nakagawa in California; Haku’un Yasutani Roshi; this page: Eido Tai Shimano 4. passing of its principal donor, Cornelius Street is purchased and renovated newspaper The National Era, galvanized Crane. In 1965, new through the generosity of a the abolition movement. members are elected, donor who asks to remain including Yasutani anonymous. On September The Sangha is told that the first deed of Roshi, Soen Roshi, Tai- 15, 1968, with ceremonies the property was signed in 1776, the san, George Yamaoka, led by Yasutani Roshi, Soen very year of this nation’s Independence. and Bernard Phillips. Roshi, and Tai-san, New York Zendo Shobo-ji is formally In 1971, Soen Roshi comes to see Tai-san is able to opened as the new home the newly purchased property. He arrange a visa for of the Zen Studies Society. immediately falls in love with it, saying, Yasutani Roshi to Weekend sesshins are held “This is like the site of an ancient come to the United there and seven-day sesshins temple!” He and Tai-san name it States, and finds a take place at the Daughters International Dai Bosatsu Zendo. larger apartment at of Wisdom Retreat Center in West 81st Street and West End Avenue Litchfield, Connecticut. Left: Soen Roshi; below: unidentified monk from Japan, where they can live; it becomes the Soen Roshi, Tai-san home of the Zen Studies Society. In 1970, after an evening sitting at Professor Phillips, who is chairman of Shobo-ji, Tai-san announces that the the Department of Religion at Temple perfect property for the Zen Studies University, arranges for Yasutani Roshi Society’s own country retreat center to give a series of lectures there. Tai- has been found. It’s in the Catskill san’s wife, Yasuko Shimano, comes from Mountains, situated on 1,400 acres that Japan to join him in his Dharma work. surround a sparkling lake. There is also a house on the property that was With Yasutani Roshi’s profound formerly owned by Henry Ward teachings and Tai-san’s dedication, Beecher, brother of Harriet Beecher visionary leadership, and charisma, Stowe, the famed abolitionist. Her 1852 the Sangha outgrows the apartment. A book Uncle Tom’s Cabin, first published former carriage house at 223 East 67th in installments in the antislavery weekly 6. In his collection “Ten Haiku of My the monastery that will soon be built. Carol Snyder, Daishin Steve Levine, Choice,” Soen Roshi writes, “It so Soen Roshi’s friend Father Maxima, and Richard D’Eletto. happened that the dream of building a Japanese artist who is also a Greek a training place on that Dai Bosatsu Orthodox priest, spends several months While sitting in Rohatsu sesshin at New ridge came to fruition through the painting a mural in the first-floor York Zendo Shobo-ji, the Sangha is told spontaneous activity of the Dharma, Dharma Hall of the Beecher but not in Japan. It happened on sacred House depicting the Buddha’s land deep in the Catskill Mountains transmission to Mahakashapa. of New York State, a place like Yamato On one weekend, a large bronze Prefecture in ancient Japan, where deer Buddha is precariously rowed to visit and play. There is a clear lake called “the other shore” and is seated Beecher Lake surrounded by thousands on a rocky ledge overlooking of acres of national forest. It is an almost Beecher Lake. infinite wilderness and is a place where true Dharma friends can gather from Tai-san formally asks Soen Roshi all over the world, a place not limited to become Abbot of Dai Bosatsu just to Buddhism or Zen.” (from Endless Zendo, and Nyogen Senzaki is Shunryu Suzuki Roshi Vow: The Zen Path of Soen Nakagawa, named Honorary First Abbot.