A birthday and a memory

Today is Katagiri Roshi’s birthday. He would have been eighty-five. Not so old, really. I think of him everytime I’m driving my car and see a dead animal on the road. That’s because whenever he was riding as a passenger and saw an animal lying dead, he raised his hands and offered it a solemn gassho. No matter how tired he might be after a week-long sesshin at Hokyoji, or how sick he was feeling from chemotherapy, he would show respect for the animal’s suffering. Ever since I saw him do this, I’ve followed my own version of his practice. I nod my head to dead animals, accepting their reminder of impermanence, and appreciating the lesson I learned from my Roadkill Roshi.  In peace, Andrea