This evening my dear friend and co-worker in the Dharma fields, David Rynick will receive the final approval from his teacher, acknowledgment at least in a ritual sense as a “Zen master.”
Of course whether he is or not will be proved by his life over the next, I hope, many years.
The evidence of the last few years suggests his teacher has made the right call.
As far as formal training and acknowledgements within the lineages of the Zen Dharma establish anything, David has shown his determination, his eye and his heart & fully deserves the recognition.
No matter what his protestations to the contrary…
This evening at our Boundless Way Temple in Worcester David’s primary teacher, Zen Master George Bowman will join him to the Linji line of Zen as passed through the Korean master Seung Sahn. David had previously been authorized as a teacher with some limitations. While called “sensei” or teacher for the last couple of years in the Boundless Way, following our preference for Japanese terminology, his formal title as given by his teacher was actually Ji Do Poep Sa Nim, roughly translating as “guide to the way” or “Dharma master.” From tonight at the Boundless Way when he can’t otherwise avoid it David will have to let us refer to him as a roshi, again, using that Japanese term. Roshi is an honorific, literally meaning old teacher (or, as one of my mentors said, “old fart”), and generally used as an acknowledgment one is a senior teacher in the lineage.
Yunmen once said “Everyday is a Good Day.”
This certainly is one…
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