Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.)
–Walt Whitman, Song of Myself, 53
[Soen Nakagawa] had many faces: he was a simple monk, a “crazy wisdom” Zen master, a genius in the arts, a spiritually realized being of the highest attainment, a dedicated student of the Dharma, a master manipulator, a troubled human being, a skillful politicians, a tactful diplomat, a stupendous host, an inspired guest. He was refined yet could be wildly unpredictable.
–Eido T. Shimano, Endless Vow: The Zen Path of Soen Nakagawa, 8.
