Shundo David Haye – Zen Priest

‘Through sewing you learn a lot about the dharma, buddha’s teaching. It’s not just sewing! One stitch. Tiny stitch. When you think how many yards you will sew, chanting the the buddha’s name with every stitch, if you count all the stitches, you say, “I cannot do it!” But, if you do this stitch: one stitch. one stitch. one stitch continuously, you will finish. If you stop, if you quit, even if you are very good at stitching, you will never finish. Just continue! And when you continue with the stitching you will have many problems. Experience. Yes. That is your life. You can learn about oneness just chanting refuge in the Buddha with every stitch, and your life, that is dharma stitching.’ (from the Minnesota Zen Center website)

Katagiri Roshi’s widow has just died, at an advanced age – many years after her husband. I never met her, but have reason to be grateful to her for taking on the teaching of traditional robe sewing – something I am currently deeply practising with my okesa and rakusu – along with Blanche Hartman, who helped me to sew my first two robes, and who taught every other sewing teacher I have worked with

I cannot help but compare this with okusan, Mitsu Suzuki, who I do remember as an elder lady visiting Tassajara a couple of decades ago, walking vigorously up and down. Her specialities were tea and poetry. Each found their purpose even as their husbands’ dharma work dominated much of their lives.