To those of you who have been drawn to Suzuki-roshi and maybe even own and have started to read Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind or Not Always So, I offer these talks by way of making what he teaches more accessible.
Roshi has a way of saying things that are unexpected yet touch a nerve of truth. “Yes,” you say, “this is so, but I’ve never been able to say it so clearly.” His ability to articulate what lies between knowing and not knowing, or almost knowing but not being about to practice in your life, is amazing and wonderful. One feels seen on a very deep level and wants more but isn’t quite sure what “more” means or how to get it.
“What we learn we should teach,” Roshi has said. Having studied both with him and with him in my heart for fifty years, it is time to help others who feel intrigued yet mystified by his mind. To you I extend, in Roshi’s words, “a warm hand” that perhaps can make a difference.