Message from the Zen Buddhist Temple of Atlanta

In a very real sense this is a sad time for those of us who knew Ray. To us at the Zen Buddhist Temple of Chicago, he was Suirin. He was our colleague and friend. He shared his devotion to Zen Buddhism as a teacher and as a model for Zen practitioners. To say that he was an integral part of our temple would be a vast understatement. His passing leaves a deep sense of loss for all of us that knew and loved him in his role as a Zen teacher. To those of you who knew Ray in his role as husband, father, brother, or friend we want you to know that we realize that his death leaves you with a deep sense of sorrow that we can appreciate perhaps only partially. We do want to make you aware that in the over fifty years of his association with the Zen Buddhist Temple of Chicago, his compassion and caring manner has left very deep impressions on those of us who came to know and love him – as Ray Whitham and as Suirin Daido, Sensei. In a very real sense we can see this time of loss and sorrow as an opportunity to reflect deeply on the fact that in passing he has left a legacy of memories and love that will enrich each of us. During his many years of officiating at our temple Zen Meditation services, Suirin often presented teishos [Zen sermons] during the meditations. Some years ago, he transcribed and assembled these talks in a manuscript that he considered publishing. While he never went forward with formally submitting this to a publisher, we have attached a copy. Please note that he dedicated the manuscript to his Zen teacher Kongo Richard Langlois and to his brother. (Please refer to the attachment above). Tessen Stuart Ericksen Zenku Jerry Smyers Myo Shin Dorota Zak Kozan Jim Matson