[Buddha-l] John Daido Loori Roshi obit

[Franz Metcalf]

Dan et al.,

Sorry to reply so late, but I do have a remembrance of Daido Roshi,  
and it is very appropriate in this context.

I think the first time I saw Daido Roshi (at that time just Sensei)  
was at Maezumi Roshi's memorial in 1995. Not the big public one  
downtown, but the more intimate one in the back garden at Zen Center  
of Los Angeles. Naturally there was a whole parade of dharma heirs who  
passed by Maezumi's ashes and spoke to the crowd. The one who made me  
cry was Daido. The memorial had begun with rituals and speeches by  
Soto teachers/family from Japan. It was Daido Roshi who made the  
transition from that formal Japanese ritual to an emotional American  
ritual. He had been at the official funeral in Japan and, as his tears  
began to well up, he remarked how he was surprised there were still  
more that needed to come out. His openness allowed the rest of us to  
cry as well.

Farewell!