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CHAPTER 1

Techniques and Principles

Thousands of repetitions and out of one's true self perfection emerges.

Zen Saying

Suhara Osho left Chozen-Ji for Japan four days after I arrived in Hawaii. I left for Japan four months after that. I had planned my stay in Japan so that it would be convenient to train with Suhara Osho. My wife and I both arranged part-time teaching jobs through the University of Maryland's Far East Division. I had chosen Yokosuka as my teaching site in order to be close to Suhara Osho's dojo in Kamakura. Even though my plans were based on training with Suhara Osho, I hesitated to ask him directly, before he left Hawaii, if I could study with him in Japan. I thought that such a blunt question, coming from a near stranger, would be a violation of Japanese customs. Instead, I told him I was planning to spend some time in Japan and that I would be working near Kamakura. He gave me his address and invited me to stop by and see him.

I called Suhara Osho the day I arrived in Japan. Through an interpreter I explained I had trained briefly with him in Hawaii and that he suggested that I look him up. I had no idea if he remembered who I was. To my dismay, he told me he was very busy and that I should call him back in two weeks. Exactly two weeks later I called again and was told that he was still very busy and could not see me for one month. My disappointment grew. My time in Japan was limited; I wondered if I would be able to train with him at all. Exactly one month later I called back and this time was told that he could see me later in the week. He gave me instructions on how to get there and told me he would have somebody there to interpret.