excerpt from Zen Women by Grace Shireson from Wisdom Publications, 2009 pages 147-151; note that the end of the section is missing here Western Zen's Sewing Ancestor Kasai Joshin Kasai Joshin (1914-84), called Joshin-san by her American students (and in this book), was an inspirational Japanese nun who had a profound effect on contemporary Western practice. As mentioned earlier, nuns were often trained by a number of teachers that often included male masters. Joshin-san's complex lineage relationships are well illustrated by the chart on p. 148 created by contemporary Zen sewing teacer Jean Selkirk of the Berkeley Zen Center. 175 In tracing the history of how Westerners took up the devotional practice of hand-sewing Buddhist robes, a practice that had become nearly extinct in Japan, Selkirk shows the web of relationships that linked two nuns, Yoshida Eshun Roshi (1907-82) and Kasai Joshin-san (1914-84), to their intertwined Japanese roots and to their subsequent relationships with Western male founding teachers. Joshin-san is discussed here with her primary male teacher, Sawaki Kodo Roshi. Clearly, actual teacher-student relationships and transmission are far more complex than has been portrayed in the traditional charts of patriarchs' lineages, and women's lineage relationships are even more complex. Joshin-san was invited to San Francisco Zen Center (SFZC) to teach traditional Buddhist sewing and trained SFZC's Zenkei Blanche Hartman Roshi )1926-) in the art of sewing Buddha's robes. Zenkei Roshi became abbess of SFZC and has since trained many Western sewing teachers, instilling in them a love and devotion to this profound and ancient practice. Hand-sewn priest robes (okesa for priests and rakusu for laypeople), while a rarity in contemporary Japan, have now become an important part of training at Western Zen centers. The revival of the hand-stitched priest's robe is attributed to Joshin-san and another nun, Yoshida Eshin Roshi (1907-82), through the lineage of Hashimoto Eko Roshi (1890-1965). 174 Joshin-sn was ordained by Hashimoto Eko Roshi and also trained at Yoshida Eshun Roshi's temple. This is where she learned the stule of hand-sewn robes (called nyohoe) 175 that was also used in the lineage of Sawaki Kodo Roshi, to whom Joshin-san later transferred her discipleship from her original teacher, Hashimoto Eko Roshi. Joshin-san's transfer of discipleship spoke volumes to the rigor underlying her gentle and easy-going exterior. When she decided to change her teacher from Hashimoto Eko Roshi to one of Hashimoto Eko Roshi's peers, Sawaki Kodo Roshi, she could not obtain approval from Hashimoto Eko Roshi or encouragement to go forward from Sawaki Kodo Roshi either. Certain that she wanted to make the change, but uncertain as to how to accomplish it while showing adequate respect and sincerity in her practice, she decided to cut off part of her little finger. As legend reports this incident, rather than a quick cut, Joshin-san spent most of one night removing the finger joint since she did not have a sharp knife. Her story is told below by a priest she knew at Antaiji, Sano Kenko. The Story of the Nun Joshin-san, by Sano Kenko Kasai Joshin-san (1914-84), given name Kikue, was born in Mine-gun, Yamaguchi prefecture, the second girl of four siblings. Her father was a doctor who committed suicide when she was just a baby. She was told that her father was a man witha keen sense of justice. Kikue's mother died at age 46, so she was raised by her grandfather. Kikue was described as a child with a hot temper. Kikue was married in her early twenties to a clothing store owner; they had been introduced by a friend. Kikue soon learned that her husband had the dissipating habit of visiting geishas, 177 so she left and divorced him after (approximately) six months (of marriage) and moved in with her paternal aunt, Soko, in Toyko. Her aunt was a student of Harada Sogaku Roshi, 178 and was helping him with his zazenkei. 178 Joshin-san joined her there, participating in the zazenkai. After awhile, she was ordained by Hashimoto Eko-Roshi and practiced okesa sewing, zazen, and takuhatsu 180 at Kaizenji, 181, a nun's temple of Hashimoto Roshi's disciple [Yoshida Eshun Roshi] in Aishi prefecture. A few years later, she started to have doubts about her way as a nun. She was scolded by her siblings: "Isn't this what you chose for yourself without listening to our cautions?" Once again she went to stay with her aunt Soko in Tokyo. Around this time she first heard Sawaki Roshi's teisho [teaching] at his zazenkai, and she aspired to become his disciple. It was not easy to change one's teacher, but since Hashimoto Roshi and Sawaki Roshi knew each other, it was not impossible. People around Hashimoto Roshi didn't accept or encourage her aspiration to change her teacher. Sawaki Roshi didn't say yes, either. Thus the cutting off of her [little] finger happened. [Joshin-san said] "I wanted to be Sawaki Roshi's disciple so much that I became desperate. I don't know why I did such a thing. . . ." Her words sounded heavy [to me]. In 1982, it was getting more difficult for her to live in Antaiji through winter, during which time the temple is covered in deep snow. She moved to her older sister's house in Tokyo. I learned her location from a friend and started to visit her there. She was very glad to see m e, and I was able to ask her about her life, and about the extraordinary Sawaki Roshi, whom I had never met. [This is what I learned from her.] Joshin-san said, "After I became Sawaki Roshi's discple, I never had any doubt and serve him in peace. Sawaki Roshi found a temple in Kobe for me to live with another nun. But I couldn't get along with hyer, and it suited me better to live like Ryokan-san 182 without being constrained by a temple so I moved out. [Sawaki Roshi] said [ruefully], 'Oh well, there's nothing to be done for it! It can't be helped.' He was disappointed, but put up with me [my temperament and my decision]. Later in Sawaki Roshi's life, he was worried about me and offered to adopt me. 183 He had so many disciples, and I was content to be just one of them. [I was concerned that] the adoption might also hurt his reputation, so I declined." "After my death there is to be no funeral. Bury my ashes at Antaiji. My belongings should go to Narita Shuyu Roshi, Sawaki Roshi's first disiple in Akita. My okesa and koromo go to Myogenji in Nagoya. Thank my sister." She was in the hospital for about six months, and deceased on May 29th 1984. After her long illness and time in the hospital, her hair had grown out, so I shaved her head in preparation for her [nun's funeral]. Hearing the rough sound of it, I imagined Joshin-san saying, "Ouch, you're clumsy!" 184 I had a gathering with her sister's family to say farewell. I kept her ashes for a while in Jiso-an in Akagi, where I was living at that time. Then I asked Sakai Togjugen Roshi [a Sawaki Roshi disciple] to take care of them. He told me that someone from Myogenji would be kind enough to take her ashes to Antaiji, so I handed Joshin-san's remains to this person on the platform for the Super Express at Tokyo station. I then delivered her belongings to Akita and Nagoya. Her older sister said, "Joshin must be happy for she lived out her life in the way she wished." Six years later, my son and I visited Hamasaka, the town where Antaiji is locaed, for the occasion of her 7th memorial service. Her gravestone was behind Sawaki Roshi's, and from there, it looked like she could watch the view with ease. I peacefully chanted a sutra for her. Joshin-san was passionate about her practice and about sewing Buddha's robes. Her delight in sewing and teaching sewing practice was an inspiration to Zenkei Roshi here in America. Sewing has become one of her main teaching venues, and she was moved to this practice, despite her doubts about sewing as women's work, through her relationship with Joshin-san. Through Joshin-san's passion and devotion she transformed the practice of Zen in America, where most priest robes (okesa) and lay robes (called rakusu) are now sewn by hand. Suzuki Shunryu Roshi, the founder of San Francisco Zen Center, was not familiar with or disposed toward sewing the robes; initially, the robes were purchased. He was persuaded to endorse the sewing practice by Katagiri Dainin, who had also been a student of Hashimoto Eko Roshi and knew Yoshida Roshi. Yoshida Roshi because the first sewing teacher at SFZC, but she could not continue her teacher beacuse she was ill. Joshin-san, who was described to Zenkai Blanche Hartman Roshi as a genius with the okesa, was enlisted. Joshin-san first visited SFZC in 1974, after Suzuki Roshi's death, but it is generally believed that they had met at Antaiji when Suzuki Roshi was . . .