This picture of Charles reminds me of many fine moments we had together in early 60s teaching in the same college [National Taiwan University in Taipei] (different departments though). We ate at the same cafeteria. Once we were both at Thome's [the late Professor Thome H. Fang], he was there sometime before me. I remember him recommending UC Berkeley in preference to UCLA, but I already took UCLA. Had I been thus advised earlier, I might have taken another course.

Charles told me in 1976, in Denver, Colorado, that Thome [Fang] gave him a book list on Buddhist studies, including 300 tomes. To Thome he was always grateful for initiation, though temperamentally he found himself closer to Professors Hsu Fu-guan and Mou Tsong-san, according to his own autobiographical account. He even intimated me that Fang's scholarship in Buddhism IS really remarkable! What was the Master's [Professor Fang's] impression of him? "Of all my students teaching abroad or in the US, only Fu Wei-hsun is working really hard; the others all fool around. . ."

In 1984, in Stony Brook, NY, we had a brief talk in his room; he said half-seriously and half- jokingly, "There is one aspect of our Master Fang which only you, Old Sun, can continue and develop?" "Which aspect?" "His literary brilliance (wen cai), his poetical talents and quality,... no other students have such affinity with him as you do."

We had not been very familiar with each other, though we shared the same space in the same college at Taita during in our undergraduate days. We had met no more than three times for a more or less close conversation, in Athens [Georgia] (for an interview), in San Francisco, and in Stony Brooks (for the ISCP conference). In San Francisco, Charles said, "George, I always take you as a Taoist, like Chuangtzu; to my surprise, you also can be a Legalist as an administrator. . . . Toast!" Beer was dear to both of us then. In Stony Brook, he told me, "We haven't met often. But each time we meet, you impress me (a little) more deeply . . . ," adding he read my translation of Thome's major work and other stuff. Did Charles sometime sound like a diplomat if he chose to? He was deceptively blunt and rude. When we were at the same table in Taipei, Lewis E. Hahn asked me, "Who is that young scholar who seems to be rude?" I told him who he was.

He kept his whole being in good cheer. He told me, of all music, he loved Beethoven most. Neither "tragedy" nor "comedy" is a fitting characterization for Charles the man and his career.

WITH DEEP RESPECT TO CHARLES FROM SUNNIE
James W. Kidd, Ph.D., University of San Francisco

I am thankful for this opportunity to have Sunnie D. Kidd’s short introductory to her major works to be included on this website as a Friend of Fu. Sunnie once told me that Charles was a well-discipline scholar.

Sunnie and I were first introduced to Charles, by Sandra A. Wawrytko, at a Conference in San Diego in the 1980’s. Sandra mentioned to Charles that I had studied Heidegger. Charles immediately launched into a dialogue saying that philosophy was nothing. After a little bit of conversation with Charles I decided that there was no way I could argue something, substance, with one that sees the world as change. Anyway that is what I thought at that time.

Later I asked Sunnie what she thought about Charles. She told me that Charles was a disciplined thinker that loved dialogue and getting people to reflect.

Sunnie met Charles again. Sunnie and I were invited to a conference in Madrid and at the same time came an invitation from Sandra to go to a conference in Taiwan. Sunnie said she was going with Sandra. In the conference Sunnie presented a paper in a Plenary Session. It was here that Sunnie had conversations with Charles throughout the conference.

When Sunnie come back from Taiwan. She told me things about the conference and Taiwan. In speaking of Charles, she told me that he was one of the most respected philosophers in both conferences she attend in Taiwan.

Not only did Sunnie have respect for Charles but for Sandra too! Sunnie worked with Sandra instituting a Society and a Journal. Sunnie met with Sandra in conferences in Berkeley, San Francisco even Las Vegas. When Sunnie heard that Sandra and Charles got married Sunnie smiled and just said, discipline likes discipline.

I think what Sandra is doing is a great honor to the Life and Work of Charles.