Biography Shunryū Suzuki

1 biography

1.1 childhood
1.2 apprenticeship
1.3 higher education
1.4 eihei-ji , sōji-ji
1.5 san francisco zen center
1.6 publications

biography
childhood

shunryu suzuki born may 18, 1904. father, butsumon sogaku suzuki, abbot of village soto zen temple. mother yone daughter of priest , had been divorced first husband being independent. shunryu grew older half brother mother s first marriage , 2 younger sisters. adult 4 feet 11 inches (1.5 m) tall.

his father s temple, shōgan-ji, located near hiratsuka, city on sagami bay fifty miles southwest of tokyo. temple income small , family had thrifty.

when suzuki entered school became aware family poor. suzuki sensitive , kind prone quick bursts of anger. other boys ridiculed him shaved head , being son of priest. preferred staying in classroom playing in schoolyard, , @ top of class. teacher told him should grow great man, , needed leave kanagawa prefecture , study hard.

apprenticeship

in 1916, 12-year-old suzuki decided train disciple of father, gyokujun so-on suzuki. so-on sogaku s adopted son , abbot of sokagu s former temple zoun-in. parents thought young live far home allowed it.

zoun-in in small village called mori, shizuoka in japan. suzuki arrived during 100-day practice period @ temple , youngest student there. zoun-in larger temple shōgan-ji.

at 4:00 each morning arose zazen. next chant sutras , begin cleaning temple others. work throughout day , then, in evenings, resume zazen. suzuki idolized teacher, strong disciplinarian. so-on rough on suzuki gave him latitude being young.

when suzuki turned 13, on may 18, 1917, so-on ordained him novice monk (unsui). given buddhist name shogaku shunryu, yet so-on nicknamed him crooked cucumber forgetful , unpredictable nature.

shunryu began again attending upper-elementary school in mori, so-on did not supply proper clothes him. subject of ridicule. in spite of misfortune didn t complain. instead doubled efforts @ temple.

when shunryu had first come zoun-in, 8 other boys studying there. 1918, 1 stayed. made life bit tougher so-on, had more time scrutinize him. during period suzuki wanted leave zoun-in equally didn t want give up.

in 1918 so-on made head of second temple, on rim of yaizu, called rinso-in. shunryu followed him there , helped whip place in order. soon, families began sending sons there , temple began come life. suzuki had failed admissions test @ nearby school, so-on began teaching boys how read , write chinese.

so-on sent students train rinzai master while. here shunryu studied different kind of zen, 1 promoted attainment of satori through concentration on koans through zazen. suzuki had problems sitting koan. meanwhile, other boys passed theirs, , felt isolated. before ceremony marking departure suzuki went rinzai teacher , blurted out answer. master passed suzuki; later shunryu believed had done kind.

in 1919, @ age 15, suzuki brought home parents, suspected mistreatment so-on. shunryu helped out temple while there , entered middle school. yet, when summer vacation came, @ rinso-in , zoun-in so-on train , out. didn t want stop training.

in school suzuki took english , did quite well. local doctor, dr. yoshikawa, hired him tutor 2 sons in english. yoshikawa treated suzuki well, giving him wage , occasional advice.

higher education

in 1924 shunryu enrolled in soto preparatory school in tokyo not far shogan-ji, lived on school grounds in dorm. 1925 1926 suzuki did zen training dojun kato in shizuoka @ kenko-in. continued schooling during period. here shunryu became head monk 100-day retreat, after no longer merely considered novice. had completed training head monk.

in 1925 shunryu graduated preparatory school , entered komazawa university, soto zen university in tokyo. during period continued connections so-on in zoun-in, going , forth whenever possible.

some of teachers here discussing how soto zen might reach bigger audience students and, while shunryu couldn t comprehend how western cultures ever understand zen, intrigued.

on august 26, 1926, so-on gave dharma transmission suzuki. 22. shunryu s father retired abbot @ shogan-ji same year, , moved family onto grounds of zoun-in served inkyo (retired abbot).

later year suzuki spent short time in hospital tuberculosis, recovered. in 1927 important chapter in suzuki s life turned. went visit teacher in england had @ komazawa named miss nona ransom, woman had taught english such people last emperor of china, pu-yi, , more wife, last empress of china, jigoro kano (the founder of judo), children of chinese president li yuanhong, , members of japanese royal family. hired him day translator , errands. through period realized ignorant of japanese culture , religion of buddhism. respected little , saw idol worship. 1 day, when there no chores done, 2 had conversation on buddhism changed mind. let suzuki teach zazen meditation. experience significant in suzuki realized western ignorance of buddhism transformed.

on january 22, 1929, so-on retired abbot of zoun-in , installed shunryu 28th abbot. sogaku run temple shunryu. in january 1930 ten e ceremony held @ zoun-in shunryu. ceremony acknowledged so-on s dharma transmission shunryu, , served formal way soto heads grant shunryu permission teach priest. on april 10, 1930, @ age 25, suzuki graduated komazawa daigakurin major in zen , buddhist philosophy, , minor in english.

suzuki mentioned so-on during period might interested in going america teach zen buddhism. so-on adamantly opposed idea. suzuki realized teacher felt close him , take such departure insult. did not mention him again.

eihei-ji , sōji-ji

upon graduation komazawa, so-on wanted shunryu continue training @ known soto zen temple eihei-ji in fukui prefecture. in september 1930 suzuki entered training temple , underwent zen initiation known tangaryo. mother , father stayed on @ zoun-in care temple in absence.

eihei-ji 1 of largest zen training facilities in japan, , abbot @ time gempo kitano-roshi. prior coming japan, kitano head of soto zen in korea. 1 of founders of zenshuji, soto zen temple located in los angeles, california. suzuki s father , kitano had tense history between them. sogaku had trained kitano in zen training , felt such high priest due familial status , connections. shunryu did not see in kitano, however. saw humble man gave clear instruction, , shunryu realized father wrong in assessment.

often monks assigned duties @ monastery serve masters. shunryu assigned ian kishizawa-roshi, known teacher @ time had studied under 2 great japanese teachers: oka sotan , nishiari bokusan. renowned scholar on dōgen s shōbōgenzō, , acquaintance of father childhood.

kishizawa strict not abusive, treating suzuki well. suzuki learned him, , kishizawa saw lot of potential in him. through him suzuki came appreciate importance of bowing in zen practice through example. in december suzuki sat first true sesshin 7 days, ordeal challenging proved rewarding toward end. concluded first practice period @ eihei-ji.

in september 1931, after 1 more practice period , sesshin @ eihei-ji, so-on arranged suzuki train in yokohama @ sōji-ji. sōji-ji other main soto temple of japan, , again suzuki underwent harsh tangaryo initiation. sojiji founded great zen master keizan , had more relaxed atmosphere eihei-ji. @ sōji-ji suzuki travelled zoun-in attend temple.

in 1932 so-on came sōji-ji visit shunryu and, after hearing of suzuki s contentment @ temple, advised him leave it. in april of year suzuki left sōji-ji regret , moved zoun-in, living family there. in may visited ian kishizawa eiheiji and, so-on s blessing, asked continue studies under him. went gyokuden-in instruction, kishizawa trained him hard in zazen , conducted personal interviews him.

sometime during period suzuki married woman contracted tuberculosis. date , name of woman unknown, marriage annulled. went live family while focused on duties @ zoun-in.

suzuki reportedly involved anti-war activities during world war ii, according david chadwick, record confusing and, @ most, actions low-key. however, considering wholesale enthusiastic support war expressed entire religious establishment in japan @ time, fact significant in showing of character of man.

san francisco zen center

on may 23, 1959 shunryu suzuki arrived in san francisco attend soko-ji, @ time sole soto zen temple in san francisco. 55. suzuki took on interim priest, wako kazumitsu kato. suzuki taken aback americanized , watered-down buddhism practiced @ temple, older immigrant japanese. found american culture interesting , not difficult adjust to, commenting once if knew this, have come here sooner! surprised see sokoji jewish synagogue (at 1881 bush street, historic landmark). sleeping quarters located upstairs, windowless room adjoining office.

at time of suzuki s arrival, zen had become hot topic amongst groups in united states, beatniks. particularly influential several books on zen , buddhism alan watts. word began spread suzuki among beatniks through places san francisco art institute , american academy of asian studies, alan watts once director. kato had done presentations @ academy , asked suzuki come join class giving there on buddhism. sparked suzuki s long-held desire teach zen westerners.

the class filled people wanting learn more buddhism, , presence of zen master inspiring them. suzuki had class zazen 20 minutes, sitting on floor without zafu , staring forward @ white wall. in closing, suzuki invited stop in @ sokoji morning zazen. little little, more people showed each week sit zazen 40 minutes suzuki on mornings. students improvising, using cushions borrowed wherever find them.

the group sat suzuki formed san francisco zen center suzuki. zen center flourished in 1966, @ behest , guidance of suzuki, zentatsu richard baker helped seal purchase of tassajara hot springs in los padres national forest, called tassajara zen mountain center. in fall of 1969, bought building @ 300 page street near san francisco s lower haight neighborhood , turned zen temple. suzuki left post @ sokoji become first abbot of 1 of first buddhist training monasteries outside asia. suzuki s departure sokoji thought inspired dissatisfaction superficial buddhist practice of japanese immigrant community , preference american students more interested in zen meditation, more @ insistence of sokoji board, asked him choose 1 or other (he had tried keep both roles). although suzuki thought there learn study of zen in japan, said had grown moss on branches, , saw american students means reform zen , return pure zazen- (meditation) , practice-centered roots.

publications

a collection of teishos (zen talks) published in 1970 in book zen mind, beginner s mind during suzuki s lifetime. lectures on sandokai collected in branching streams flow in darkness, edited mel weitsman , michael wenger , published in 1999. edward espe brown edited not so: practicing true spirit of zen published in 2002.

a biography of suzuki, titled crooked cucumber, written david chadwick in 1999.