I am thankful for my religion, which has me sitting zazen at sunrise

each morning, greeted by the same robin, as he awakes and sings of

his morning chill in the cold spring air after the morning shower. In

this life, we also have showers and storms. But, like the flowers, the

rain nurtures us and the storms teach us resilience. The sun

returns - and, because we have drunk the rain of suffering, we can

now flower.

~ Kokyo/ Spring 2010