Diary 1963 - Murshid Sam's Living Stream

Diaries 1963-2While appealing for funds, for social, physical and other help he seemed to have about as muchrespect for other persons and Sanghas as a newspaper man has. Indeed I had to appeal to others andnot to him that there are about four groups in California and that you among all persons were best tocontact them. That there was a general Buddhist organization involving a number of groups of differentceremonial patterns if not “beliefs,” and that in addition to your being the recognized leader(by all the actual self-less persons), you were much closer to Rev. Yamada than the Rev. Jack. In fact Iguess I “spoke the truth with discretion” by either asserting or pretending that you were the mouthpieceof Roshi Yamada and that if you were not recognized and some degree respected, neither thebishop nor the Zen devotees elsewhere were going to support Rev. Jack who, being “selfless” doesnot wish to be called “Jack”—he did not tell us what he wanted to be called.I am almost sorry I brought in your name for after that the selfless married man went to bat oneverybody and I am going to put this on record and name names. For I was compelled to Fudo fromthat point on but also to do it in such a way as not to antagonize everybody, a point at which he faroutdistanced me.Rev. Jack is not recognized by Dr. Kato. Now this man is a very good friend or mine and I havebeen able to have real Zen-communication and communions with him. Your probably have met himby now or will meet him. He stands in the peculiar position of being recognized on the one handby all the “veddy-intellectuals” who Dzen, as well as by the actual practitioner of meditation anddharma. He is almost the only one is that dual position.Next Jack went on to stress his ordination and under-stress the ordination of others. My ownexperience at Sojiji, Tsurumi, was to be offered robes on sight but this was refused by me for two“reasons”: (a) I know I completed Soto training in a former life (will not go into that now but thinkI told Gina Cerminara the details—they are in my diary.) The dharma transmission has come threetimes from Sokei-an Sasaki, Nyogen Senzaki, Asahina Sogen, all stemming from the great ShakuSoyen of Rinzai. But there is not one negative note I can make of Soto and the highest Buddhistteaching ever received—as against the ineffable—came from a Soto Abbot, and in a sense were repeatednow.The coordination of JM came from Rev. Tobase whom I do not hold in practically high regard.He was a jolly social companion, was great with marriages and ceremonies, but showed (to me) nogreat insight in the Dharma. But when Rev. Suzuki did not regard JM as being particularly wonderful,he questioned whether this was correct for on American soil JM was recorded so a Zen teacherprior to Sensei. It has become a sort of military listing rather than spiritual prowess.Now I took part in the building of the Buddha Universal Church which started with one lot,one foundation well, one skilled laborer, 30 volunteers and a debt of $300 and has today a veryornate structure with all sorts of luxuries that have only a vague connection with the life of SakyaMuni. But at least they do teach some form of Dharma and wish all being to be blissful, peacefuland happy, in which they are not joined by all the Sangha-leaders here who omit everything that isBuddhistically-Buddhist.