Recently, as you may have already heard, as someone is going to write you, during which we tried to imagine what kind of relationship to Zen Center you would most like and be most beneficial to you, period. Everyone here would like it very much if there would be some way in which you could join our practice, leading a sesshin, leading sesshins, or leading a practice, period, teaching us. The possibility still of your coming, still, the possibility of your coming still to this

[01:03]

Winter-Spring practice period was discussed, but everyone felt that maybe you would prefer to be in Minnesota at this time and not have to come out here. So, unless you're especially willing and would like to come out here for a month or a few weeks of this practice period, we're intending to finish it. It seems to be, finish it, we're intending to find a way, we're intending to find a way to complete it. Even though I'm only able to be here about 7 or 8 weeks, of the 12 weeks it seems to be going okay, period.

[02:28]

A great many other alternatives were discussed next Fall, next Winter practice periods, with the possibility of your coming for a sesshin and then give a special series of lectures on Dogon or any subject that interested you in the city for 3 weeks or a month. And also we talked about the fact that maybe you would like to go to Japan for a vacation to see your family and be able to bring your wife and children too and not find it necessary to stay. And be able to have the freedom to stay in ryokans.

[03:33]

And if your houses, homes of your relatives, of your family are too crowded already, we would like to give you that kind of vacation to Japan, if you want and when you want. You certainly went for so many years without ever bringing your family back to Japan, we would really enjoy helping you do that. Somebody even thought you might prefer to go to India, and if you prefer to go to India, we'd give you a vacation, we'd want to give you a vacation, a month in India, if you wanted. Anyway, all of this comes out of a very deep gratitude in Zen Center to everything you've done for us,

[04:45]

that you are Zen Center even, that you are still, that you are Zen Center even if you're in Minneapolis, you can't escape from us completely. And comes from a very deep love for you. I hope your center is going well, I would very much like to visit you sometime. We seem to be, Zen Center seems to be in pretty good shape. The students are taking on a great deal of responsibility, which is necessary if we're going to take care of Zen Center.

[05:55]

And relieving me of a lot of things, so, relieving me of a lot of responsibilities, period. Ginny and I are well, we both had the flu, which is still hanging on, but, no, we are fine. We fixed up cabin five, right next to this cabin in Tassajar, that you and I have used, so that it has a Roka, and is very beautiful. It's an improvement over this one, and we fixed it up as, for your cabin, when you come.

[07:03]

The two cabins will be connected by a small covered walkway, and actually either one, you can use either one you prefer when you're here, if you ever do find it possible to lead a practice period. Wishing you well in this new year, affectionately, Richard Baker. Habit and Zen Center, I guess, is okay. I'll just sign my name, Dick. Thank you, Miss Lucy. Thank you, Miss Lucy. Dear Houston.

[08:16]

Dear Houston, this is to Houston Smith at, in Massachusetts. You know, MIT. Sent it to his home address. Dear Houston, I have here in my hand the, in my hand, a Buddhist Bible. Dwight Gard's A Buddhist Bible. I, of course, had heard about the book for many years, and never really looked at it. Got the new Beacon Press paperback edition from the library some months ago, and just today took it down from the Zen Center library, and just, you know, took it down and found that you wrote the introduction,

[09:24]

a very beautiful introduction, and very accurate. After, did Lucy just say a very beautiful introduction, and then don't say a very accurate, and we'll say a very beautiful introduction, period, and then the same. The feeling of Dwight Goddard that comes through, throughout the book, is really wonderful. I would like to know more about him. I hope I run into some information about him. Thank you. I met an interesting, just an aside, in parentheses you can put,

[10:31]

I met a very interesting woman recently named Blanche Mathias, who was a friend of Ruth Fuller at the time she came, had lunch with her, at a time, was friends with Ruth Fuller, Sasaki, before she went to Japan. And Blanche had lunch with her one day, Blanche was a friend of, a follower of Krishnamurti for many years, and a theosophist before that. Had Blanche and Ruth Fuller at that time, put at that time in commas after Fuller, had lunch, maybe her, was Fuller her maiden name? They don't put it at that time, but, Fuller in the parentheses, comma, if Fuller is her maiden name. She may have had a first husband named Fuller. They had lunch together in Chicago, and Ruth asked Blanche if she

[11:40]

knew anything about studying Buddhism in Japan, and Blanche introduced her at that time to a man named McGovern, who had been ordained in Taiwan, and he was a professor at a college there in the Midwest, I forget. Period. Close parentheses. Thank you. You always have such a completely accurate understanding of Buddhism, that I'm surprised when you say something like you have some doubt about the Anatta doctrine, A-N-A-T-T-A. Or doubt beyond that which is the doctrine itself.

[12:46]

Period. Certainly your quotations, your, certainly your comparisons from Kant, Freud, Heidegger, H.E.I.D.E., G.G.E.R., Sartre, and Norman O'Brown, are are are, could be are, could be as presented in your introduction statements of Buddhism.

[14:01]

A new paragraph. I notice in the book that your introduction is copyrighted by you, and I don't know if we copyrighted the preface to Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, to you. We just sent it, I don't remember, so I'll, if you want that done, please let us know, and I'll, we don't know when the paperback will come out, but I think Lucy has written a letter asking when it will come out. And if we, what we find out, we'll let you know. Enclosed is a enclosed is a enclosed is a column by Nicholas von Hoffman, who I brought to meet

[15:07]

Huey Newton, that might interest you. Huey and I have become very good friends in the last year or so, and he has a great interest in Buddhism, or should I say he finds his way of solving problems and coming to very deep, functional understanding of the world corresponds to Buddhism. His years in solitary were no were, his years in solitary of course, as von Hoffman points out, contributed to his to contribute to the Buddhist process the Buddhist process in his thinking. Period. New paragraph.

[16:12]

Still I look forward to seeing you. Sincerely, Richard Baker Abbott Sincere. Bye. Lucy. Please add to the Katagiri Roshi letter a PS that Yvonne or Reb is writing him a letter too. Thank you. Thank you.

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