From “Down Under” by way of England

Yan Paul Thompson flew from England to America to "have a cup of coffee" with Kitabu Roshi but in addition to a fresh cup of Zen, he worshipped at Third Baptist Church, the boyhood church of the Roshi. Kitabu Roshi had said, "leave your preconceived thoughts at the door with your shoes," as a precondition of the visit....and Yan did just that.

When Yan Paul Thompson said that he wanted to have a cup of coffee with me he was in Sidney, Australia. I insisted that he Skype me first. Even after that session, and after I had put other barriers in front of him, he still wanted to meet me face to face. He flew to his home country, England, to get married, then on to America before the honeymoon. With such dedication and devotion, Yan got more than a full cup of coffee at the Soul Sword Zendo. By his own admission, he returned home and to his bride spiritually "full." Such things are possible when you approach the teacher with the right attitude...and the Roshi remains self-effacing. He came for a cup of coffee but returned with a steaming cup of Zen.

Yan, standing in the Soul Sword Zendo.