Apprenticeship Shunryū Suzuki

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.