"We sit to settle the self on the self and let the flower of our life force bloom."

Katagiri Roshi 
cited by Zenkei Blanche Hartman in
Seeds for a Boundless Life: Zen Teachings From the Heart

"The robe has some symbolic nature, but I don't think of it as symbolic. I think the robe is a material manifestation of our Buddha nature. We take a piece of cloth, cut it into many pieces and then sew it back together again in the image of rice fields. This is the way everything in the world exists. Originally, everything is one piece, one whole cloth, but we only see the little pieces of this and that put together." - Sojun Mel Weitsman

"We do not make our robe just for ourselves. We are making something greater, which will include everything, which could be everyone's." -  Shunryu Suzuki 

Dear Sangha,

I don't know about you but I am experiencing a bit of whiplash! Weather changes constantly from cold to balmy, rain to snow showers, thunder and lightning to brilliant blue skies. The political and social realms fluctuate almost hourly leading to the experience of watching a tennis match. In this state of uncertainty and relentless bombardment of disturbing news from around the globe it is easy to become overwhelmed. But I would like to point out that spring is here and the daffodils, forsythias, and pussy willows are popping and it is time for rebirth and renewal. . .

Lots happening in March…