Richard Baker commenting on tape confusion

Shunryu Suzuki Transcript

Monday, August 15, 1966

Operator's Recorded Contemporaneous Commentary
For Tape No. SR-66-08-15-A-D
[Operator is Richard Baker -- DC]

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This is a rather mixed-up lecture, with this lecture, which I've called on the back of the box “Number D”1-- ”Letter D”-- starting on tape No. 1, marked tape No. 1, and ending on tape No. 2, starting on the end of Track 2 of tape No. 1 and ending on the end of Track 2 of tape No. 1-- of-- ending on the track-- Track 2 of-- excuse me-- ending on Track 1-- so it's very complicated because the plastic reel is numbered 2, and it should be really Track 1. It's actually Track 1. Maybe I'll rewind it and leave it on-- and then there'll be 1 on the other side-- uhh-- let's call it track Side 2, Track-- or then that would be same as Track 2.

Well anyway, D ends on Track 2 of tape No. 2-- begins on Track 2 of tape
No. 1 (near the middle). The first words of Lecture D were-- are missing. Just the sentence, “There are many ways to study Buddhism”-- approximately that sentence-- which is the beginning sentence of the lecture, which begins on Track 1, Lecture D.

The transition between tape No. 1 and tape No. 2--, several minutes were lost: Four, three-four minutes, two-three minutes-- in which he described how, when you turn your hands forward, or turn your hands so that there's a-- thumb and forefinger are a parallel line-- this turns your arm, and your arms are out from your body. This turns your arms out a little and opens your chest up at the top. And for the beginner-- so the upper part of your lungs, right, and your shoulders are used-- for the beginner this is important because he finds it difficult both to maintain good posture and to breathe deeply with the diaphragm, pushing everything down to make more room for your lungs. Later, he can both deep-breathe with the diaphragm pushing down to make more room for the lung and maintain good posture, which keeps the upper parts of his lungs functioning so the hand position isn't very important.

He does say, and I don’t know if this was missed or not, that the little finger should touch the stomach if possible. And then the thumb and forefinger should be in a parallel line-- parallel vertical line. However, for more extrovert-type people, and I don't think this was lost-- it maybe all right to turn it in so both little finger and even thumb more turned up somewhat touch the stomach, or toward the stomach so it's not a vertical parallel but at an angle-- of course, still in line but not vertical. And for more introvert people it should be more open out.

Umm. I think that's the gist of what was missed between the two.

Sorry. Thank you. Goodbye.

1This is probably Lecture A in the current numbering.

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File name: 66-08-15: Richard Baker commenting on tape confusion (Verbatim) File dated 660818D (Baker, no Suzuki)

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