Diary 1963 - Murshid Sam's Living Stream

Diaries 1963October 19, 1963Bodhisattva Harold:This is really my diary and not a letter. Yesterday was my birthday and there has been a happyrecurrence all over the world again and again that it has fallen either on a religious holiday or onsome commemorable occasion, that I am found among just the type of people I should wish to associatewith here, there and there. Here it was with the chief Zen Archbishop. As I am a news gathererrather than a fixed joiner, one can only so write. But my greatest spiritual experience in Buddhismhave all come “from” or “with” Rinzai Roshis, a fact rejected almost unanimously by the Rinzaiwallahsin America and on the other hand my social relations, or my personal reactions to the Sotopeople has been the best imaginable. No doubt the extreme case was with Phra Sumangalo but evenat the party last night I met my oldest and best local Japanese friend—which involves a number ofwonderful stories, but of the past.We had a service Thursday night and there were two gatherings yesterday at the temple but Iwas too busy writing to attend. Anyhow I showed up at the dinner and noticeably absent from allthese proceedings are the various Buddhist leaders with their personal or organized Sangha. Theone man who did show up was Rev. Jack MacDonough of Stockton and it is necessary to write atgreat length on this subject. For it is going to lead either to “Pure Land” or Gahanna and the decisionmay be in you hands.I did bring to the dinner three picture of myself before the steps of Sakya Muni in Japan. Thisbecame important afterwards because like the Jude Belt, this had to be earned—it was not a nicety,nor a courtesy to a foreigner. One picture was given to the Archbishop, one of his secretary, one ofRoshi Suzuki here. I may have more nods for distribution for Roshi Yamada, your good self and others.The item that it had to be earned became must important in the afternoon. So I’ll skip detail ofone of the best Japanese dinners.I warned them not to have me drink Saki, but when all the monks did I did, and later put ona Japanese dance and this changed the whole complexion of the evening, raising my popularly butnot in a “holy” direction. Like all the Zen monks I have met, these men did not behave like the “ZenMonks” paraded by the writers whose books cover the stores and who earn their livelihood in writingabout “non-existent “Zen.” I have still to meet a mondo-wallah, or an enigmatic sage, but on theother hand have had multi-ordinal communication, one several places at once, or in complete unionproving that actual “theosophy” which I suspect all your Ojai people would flee if they had to meetits reality (Irony and cynicism are triumphant at the moment.)My friend Bella Geerts invited all the Americans and some Japanese to her home and Rev. Jacktook ever. I think everybody wanted him to. We spoke at length of his plans for a Soto Zen monasterynear Jackson, Amador County. I won’t go into details which may be obtainable from him orfrom other—for several persons have been to Middle Bar. Nor shall I argue concerning the worthinessof the project.When he completed, I asked if he knew you, and wow! The fat was in the fire.