Dainin Katagiri (1928-1990) was the first abbot of the Minnesota Zen Meditation Center. Steve Hagen has assembled and edited this collection of talks and lectures by the Zen master.

Katagiri salutes zazen as a practice that can help individuals live in the present moment. He calls it perfume because it scents all that we do. "So, if you truly want to change your life, you should just form the routine of doing small things, day by day. Then your life will be changed beyond your expectations. If you practice continuously, day after day, you will become a peaceful, gentle, and harmonious person."

The abbot talks about compassion as "spring water," wisdom as "seeing deeply into life," and wholeheartedness as "how you take care of life day by day." One example of manifesting Zen insight is accepting what is. Or as Katagiri puts it: "Beyond your likes and dislikes, you have to obey winter as it is. Then winter will penetrate your life, and you will learn what winter really is." These teachings contain glints of wisdom that sparkle in the heart and mind.

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