Читать книгу Autumn Light - Edwina Norton - Страница 4

I want to thank the many friends who over the years encouraged me in writing this book. One of them, writer Carol Yoon, gave my project an early, needed boost by referring me to writing coach Deb Norton (no relation). Deb introduced me to the “narrative arc” and pointed out the importance to my story of a vivid dream I had at Tassajara. Zen friends Bernadette Prinster read two early drafts and gave me kind and useful advice; and Carrie McCarthy generously offered to proofread the final manuscript. Life-long friend and scholar Ellen Dissanayake suffered through an early, rough draft, yet volunteered to review later versions and encouraged me throughout the writing process. Poet friend Luther Allen’s criticisms made me realize some readers might question my story, so I added more information about Zen practice. For two years, Joan Connell, journalist, author, editor, and professor, guided me in organizing and polishing the manuscript. Her patience, knowledge, and encouragement were invaluable.

I also thank the Tassajara Zen practice period leaders, who gave me feedback on the manuscript sections pertinent to them. They appear in my story mostly in conversations with me or in dharma talks to the community. Although I use the convention of quote marks for these conversations, the leaders’ words are not verbatim. Instead they are paraphrases based on the journal notes I kept during practice period. (As a kinesthetic learner, my habit is to write down what I am learning, to better understand and remember it.) All the leaders accepted my renderings of their presentations. My deep thanks go as well to former San Francisco Zen Center abbots Tenshin Reb Anderson and Zoketsu Norman Fischer for verifying my accounts of their teachings. Special thanks also to Red Cedar Zen Community guiding teacher, Nomon Tim Burnett, for ordaining me as a priest, for his resolve that I practice at Tassajara, and for reading my manuscript twice.

Finally, I am grateful to my sons, Alec and Dan, for their support of this project. They were intimately affected by what led me to Zen and what it has meant for my life. Without their kind permission, I would not have published this memoir. Lastly, I want to emphasize that this book is the story of my experiences and understanding of Zen Buddhism and Tassajara’s practice period, not an authoritative or scholarly work. I extend to the reader the traditional apology the Head Student makes to the Zen assembly after answering their tough questions during the Dharma Inquiry Ceremony: “Friends, if my actions and words have misled you, please wash out your ears in the Dharma’s pure harmonious silence. . . .”