What Am I Reading These Days?

Deep Ecology for the 21st Century is a 488 page compendium about the basic tenets and historical roots of deep ecology, wilderness, conservation biology, ecofeminism, and ecological approaches to being in the world. Wonderful writings by Arne Ness, George Sessions, Gary Snyder, Jack Turner, Dave Foreman, and Thomas Berry. All of my favorites.  I am actually reading this book for the second time. Makes a nice companion to some of the readings highlighted here (and in four subsequent posts). [NOTE: Thomas Berry's chapter reflects on how to be a viable human. We could all use a little work in this area]. 

Goodbye

Woke up this morning and sat two periods of zazen at EHZC. On the way to work, the thought arose that 1,860 posts and over seven years was probably a sufficient investment in blogging. Use the time for other stuff, e.g. books, and community forestry, and more zazen. Bows of gratitude to everyone who visited these pages over the past years. Later. [NOTE: Image above shows me anticipating the last post of "thus i have seen" years ago at Angkor Wat]. 

Housecleaning at Ananda Temple

Worker cleans and polishes one of the numerous statues of Buddha lining the corridors of Ananda Temple in Bagan.  This impressive temple, frequently referred to as the "Westminister Abbey of Burma",  is named after the Venerable Ananda, the Buddha's first cousin and personal assistant (see Ananda). 

Bagan

On my upcoming trip to Myanmar (with son, Luke), after finishing up in Nam Sabi (see Nam Sabi VMA and VMA Inventory) and then spending a few days in Mandalay, we will go visit Bagan (shown above). Thousands of stupas and pagodas stretching back from the Ayeyarwady River over 40 square kilometers. Yippeee!!

Thambuddhei Paya IV

My thoughts are turning to northern Myanmar in anticipation of my upcoming trip. Shown above, still another image from the Mohnyin Thambuddhei Paya in Monyin (see Thambuddhei Paya, Thambuddhei Paya II, Thambuddhei Paya III, and Tiger Balm). Buddhas and pagodas, and more Buddhas and pagodas, and glorious blue skies. Can't wait.

From U.S. Marine to Zen Monk

Lovely video by tofu media about Scott Mangis, a former U.S. Marine who now lives as a Zen monk in Japan. Lot of great smiles. Love the exchange with his teacher (Jinen-san at Anon-ji Temple outside of Tokyo) at 6:00.

"The me before my mother and father met". A beautiful nine minutes. 

Stepping Down/Stepping Up

We held two important ceremonies yesterday at the Empty Hand Zen Center (EHZC). First, a Stepping Down ceremony for Myozan Dennis Keegan (shown above), Head Priest and Teacher at EHZC, who skillfully guided the center after the passing of Jion Susan Postal (see Jion Susan Postal) in February 2014. And then a Stepping Up ceremony for our new Guiding Teacher in Residence, Konin Melissa Cardenas (shown below). And then a delicious lunch (thx, Frank et al). I saw a lot of old friends and am pleased/encouraged/challenged by the possibilities of having a new Zen teacher in New Rochelle. [NOTE: The big chair next to the altar in the top photo was used by the teacher in each ceremony. Script read "teacher takes seat in fancy chair". We spent a lot of time trying to find such a thing].  

Sigh Of Relief

I have spent the last eight weeks, in Italy and New York, writing a book of stories about my thirty years of working with communities around the world to manage tropical forests. And now I'm finished. Fifteen chapters and two hundred and twenty five pages. A lot of stories and wonderful memories.  [NOTE: Glad to see that my little bark paper journal from Oaxaca (upper left) made it into the photo].  

Duomo de Milano

The Duomo di Milano, or Milan Cathedral, is really, really big. It's the fifth biggest church in the world and the second largest in Italy (after St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican); the central approach to the main altar, i.e. the nave, is 45 meters tall. And not only is it big, it's real old, too. Construction was started in 1386, several hundred years before St. Peter's.  Breathtaking, awe-inspiring, humbling. Exactly as it was designed to be, I would imagine.  

God

Just so you know, this is what God was thought to look like in the 16th century. Sculpture by Battista da Corbatta (1554) of gilded and painted wood, from the exquisite Milan Cathedral. I stopped in front of this statue for quite a while, reflecting on God and religious iconography and large churches. I assume the sphere in God's left hand is the Earth.