Thank You and OK!
An American Zen Failure in Japan
Changes
Departures in Audiobook from text
In the Preface and later in Ashes to Dust it says that Katagiri came to join Suzuki at Sokoji in 1965. Actually he came in 1964.
Further, in the Preface, the book reads: "He [Katagiri] had come to San Francisco in 1965 to assist Suzuki in ministering to the transplanted Japanese-American Soto Zen community and in guiding the zealous non-Japanese devotees of Zen practice." It wasn't entirely non-Japanese. So the narration in the audiobook is, "He had come to San Francisco in 1964 to assist Suzuki in ministering to the transplanted Japanese-American Soto Zen community and in guiding the zealous mainly non-Japanese devotees of Zen practice."
In Gangbuster Zen, the end of the last line of the Four Vows is changed from "The Buddha's way is unsurpassable, I vow to become it" to "I vow to realize it."
In Titles of Respect it reads: "Until just before I came to Zen Center in '66, Shunryū Suzuki was called Suzuki Sensei." Narration in the audiobook adds that he was also called Reverend Suzuki.
In Jakushin on the Bottom, Marital Bows, and Lecture Pres, with one exception, the word Eta for the so-called Japanese untouchables was replaced with Burakumin. The one exception is in Lecture Prep when Keiks reacts with revulsion when I use the word Eta and tells me not to use it. In working on the translation for Crooked Cucumber I learned how extremely offensive it is, according to Fred Harriman, "Worse than the N word in English."
In Prisoner of Peace, "The practice here feels good, even though it seems there's not a good teacher for foreigners, at least not after Katagiri leaves." [Katagiri is already gone so this was changed to "not after Katagiri left" in the audio.
Jakushin on the Bottom - "Why are they called Koreans" I asked him, "if they're permanent residents here? Most of them were even born in Japan. That's not Korean. That's Japanese." Took out "if they're permanent residents here" and changed to "Why are they called Koreans" I said, "that's not Korean. That's Japanese." Lots of permanent residents are foreigners so it's not a valid argument.
Period Theater - "chou bei clou bei" - the mejiro call should be "chou bei choe bei" - It's just a typo but is pronounced differently in the audio than how it reads in the paperback.
Changes for the audiobook to come
Add to Intro to Audiobook - Oh yes, and thank you Jun Mink, my wonderful Japanese teacher at the Monterey Institute of Foreign Studies, whom I studied with there for five months in 1969. Forgetting to thank her in teh print book is something I always regretted, especially when she showed up at a book signing in Carmel. Maybe she knows how many times I have thanked her in my heart.
Creepin' Mukade - It reminded me of The Treasure of the Sierra Madres, in which Humphrey Bogart claimed that if a gila monster bites, you can cut off its body but the head stays clamped on till sunrise. - Not said by Howard (Humphrey Bogart) but by Curtin (Tim Holt) - thanks Scott Sambler.
I now reads: It reminded me of The Treasure of the Sierra Madres, in which the character Curtin claimed that if a gila monster bites, you can cut off its body but the head stays clamped on till sunrise.
Knockin 'em Dead - We walked in to a standing ovation from about fifty guys in their thirties or so, all in suits and ties.
Change to
We walked in to a standing ovation from about fifty guys in suits and ties.
[certainly not all in their thirties]
Reading Palms - A quarter moon popped over the top and rather quickly rose white and bright in the clean mountain air.
Change to
The moon popped over the top
A quarter moon wouldn't be rising as the sun went down. It's the full moon that
rises at sunset. The date is wrong as on that day, on May 21, 1988, there was a
crescent moon. May 31, 1988 was the full moon. But dates aren't being changed.
Better to eliminate them all together. - thanks Nancy B
A Letter from Norman - He'd been back a year and a half but it's dated Sept. 12, 1990 and Katagiri had Died in March 1 of that year. Will be Sept. 12, 1991.
Driving me Crazy - A week later I came went back
Jakushin on the Bottom - the allimportant harmony of
- They've got his fingerprints oin record