photo by Lisa Law

Brief Memories
of Shunryu Suzuki,
Zen Center
back then, etc.

 


from Mike Daft

posted 10-16-14


Click to enlarge photo of Shunryu Suzuki working with Bob Watkins at Tassajara in 1967 - SR0233 in the Shunryu Suzuki photo archive with notes.

That's Mike Daft in the middle of the photo. He was a quiet, unassuming guy with a dry sense of humor. I wonder what happened to him. I don't think he was around for a lot longer, at least not into the mid seventies. Like many of those who'd been around longer, he called Suzuki, sensei, not roshi. The only specific memory I have about Mike is that he told me that once he was in Sokoji when no other students were around and Suzuki Sensei and Okusan, his wife, were having an argument in the kitchen. Mike said that Okusan got so frustrated she grabbed a big bunch of flowers out of a vase and smashed her husband over the head with them. Mike tiptoed out, deciding to talk to his teacher some other time.