In memory of Tomoe Katagiri

Hello,

I was sad to learn that Tomoe Katagiri passed away. In honor of her sewing practice, I've started a sewing section on the resources page, and hope to add to it over time.

--Erin

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In memory of Tomoe Katagiri

Today, I thought I would take a moment to remember Tomoe Katagiri who, as Dr. Yoshida informed us, passed away on May 30 at the age 94. Tomoe sensei taught the sewing of Buddhist robes in accord with the Dharma, Nyoho-e, first at San Francisco Zen Center in 1970, then beginning in 1972 when she and her husband Dainin Katagiri moved to Minnesota to help found the Minnesota Zen Meditation Center.

These past several weeks I’ve been summarizing here parts of Eko Hashimoto Roshi’s commentary on the Fukanzazengi, and there is a connection. After Hashimoto Roshi passed away in 1965, his Dharma heir, the nun Eshun Yoshida (1907-1982), compiled and edited his notes for the work, which was printed in 1977 under the title Fukanzazengi no hanashi. Yoshida Roshi also sewed robes and was Tomoe sensei’s teacher. I’ll quote from an article by Andrea Martin that describes the connection:

Yoshida Roshi was an heir of Katagiri Roshi’s much admired second teacher, Eko Hashimoto Roshi. Although the usual practice in Japan is to wear purchased okesa and rakusu, Hashimoto encouraged hand sewing them according to the principle of nyoho-e, clothing that is made and worn in harmony with the dharma. Although he didn’t require it of others, Hashimoto made his own robes. In this, as in many things, he honored the teaching of Eihei Dogen, who wrote about the right attitude toward clothing in the Shobogenzo. As a young monk, Katagiri Roshi made a rakusu and okesa while training under Hashimoto at Eiheiji monastery.

“Tomoe Katagiri, Sewing the Path of Zen”

By Andrea Martin for MZMC Dharma Journal,

January 28, 2012

The article notes that “It was Katagiri Roshi who suggested that students [at the San Francisco Zen Center] could sew their own rakusu. He hoped the skill could be learned in America so that it could continue into the future. Suzuki agreed and Yoshida was willing to teach.” Tomoe sensei and others studied with Yoshida Roshi, and Tomoe sensei taught sewing herself until she retired in 2011. She wrote the book many of us used to sew our rakusu: Study of the Okesa, Nyoho-e, Buddha’s Robe. Maybe some of our members sewed their rakusus under her guidance in the early days of the Missouri Zen Center.

On a personal note, I’ll relate that my friend Kathleen Copple and I had the great opportunity to attend a rakusu sewing retreat taught by Tomoe sensei at Great Tree Zen Temple in North Carolina in January of 2012. It was really wonderful to sew in the company of others, and to meet Tomoe sensei. She was a focused, no-nonsense teacher, and very kind.