Steal Yourself

Another nice linoleum block print from Case Peters (see Ganesha (with Coffee)). Mythological Mayan Vision Serpent with glyphs - and a cup of coffee. Need to stay awake and alert when you are the king and central axis of the Mayan cosmology.

Case (shown above in his studio at Earlham College) printed numerous copies of "Steal Yourself". All looked perfect to me, although there were, apparently, tiny imperfections that only the artist can see. No matter, I ended up with the original (shown above in frame).

Case and I are off next Monday to Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia for a couple of weeks. Hanoi, Hue, Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Phnom Penh, and Siem Reap (Angkor Wat). A bit of work and play. And spending time with my oldest son.

Bounce, Bounce

Lovely, whimsical video for the track "Bounce, Bounce" from Silfra, a collaboration between violin virtuoso Hilary Hahn and prepared-piano master Hauschka (Volker Bertelmann). Video is by Hayley Morris. Both the video and the music are unique and deeply beautiful. Best viewed at full screen with a little volume - to hear the bouncing ping-pong balls in the piano. [NOTE: No computer efects were used to make the video. Just drawing, painting, sculpture, paper cutting, weaving, lighting, and a lot of imagination]. 

Avalokiteshvara

Is the Bodhisattva who:

"doing deep Prajna Paramita perceived the emptiness of all five conditions (skandhas) and was freed of pain". The record and pithy explanation of his/her deep realization, The Heart of the Perfection of Great Wisdom Sutra, is chanted daily in many Zen centers. 

[NOTE: Exquisite statue is willow wood with traces of pigment from 11th century China.  The decidedly relaxed posture of the Bodhisattva with right knee raised and the left leg crossed before the body is said to represent the "Water Moon" manifestation. Photographed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art].

Elephant Parking

Elephants awaiting their next job at Chitwan National Park in Nepal. I was so much looking forward to spending a day on an elephant counting one-horned rhinos (see Rhinos, More Rhinos, and Elephants in the Mist). Had a great time and saw a lot of rhinos, but it really wasn't a very comfortable place to sit. Bet the elephant wasn't too carzy about it, either. [NOTE: Image scanned from an old slide].

Siberian Iris

The Siberian Iris (Iris sibirica L.) that I got from my dear friend Anne Humanfeld last year is finally up and open and is a striking addition to the spring flora in my front yard (thx, Anne).  

Ichigo Ichie

The Japanese saying ichigo ichie translates as "one time, one meeting". The expression is frequently associated with the Japanese tea ceremony (chadō 茶道), where the intereaction between the tea, the host, and the guest is unprecedented and unrepeatable. Each meeting, each sip, is unique.

The saying also works well for students of Zen who come to appreciate that all encounters are unprecedented and unrepeatable. All new, all perfect - if you really pay attention. There is no "same old, same old".

[NOTE: The lovely tea cup, as well as the Bāozhŏng oolong tea in it, were gifts from a student (see Go Drink Tea). The tea table is a cross-section from a very large, old tea tree (Camillea sinensis L. Kuntze) from Yunnan, China].

Billion Bug Highway (From The Archive)

Revisiting this post because of the beautiful spring day - and the high probabilty of insect encounter. Wonderful NPR video about the web of life that extends into places that we never imagined. Humbling to think about the karmic implications of international air travel. 

More Mỹ Sơn

One more image from the ancient Hindu ruins at Mỹ Sơn in Central Vietnam (see Mỹ Sơn).  It seems I always visit these beautiful ruin complexes in the drizzling rain. The forests are greener, the stones are redder, my feet are wetter.

Just Enough

Ōryōki is a mindful form of eating that involves the carefully choreographed use of nested bowls, a spoon, chopsticks, a bowl cleaning scraper, and a cloth for tying the whole set together. Basic objective is to pay close attention to what you are eating (in silence), finish completely all of your food, and then rinse out your bowl when you're done.  The practice originated in Japan and is used for formal meals in many Zen temples in the U.S. 

The three Japanese characters comprising the word ōryōki (応 ō,量 ryō, and 器 ki) translate to "just enough". Careful attention, no waste. Go here for a more detailed discussion of ōryōki as practiced in the Soto Zen tradition. [NOTE: Image is from a beautiful ōryōki demonstration at the Empty Hand Zen Center (thx, Dennis)].

Wall of Cane

Close-up of a storage shed next to the house where we had lunch in Acateyahualco, Guerrero (see Meeting in Acateyahualco and Experts). The walls of this decidedly-provisional structure are made from dried cane and old posts. Don't know how well it works as a wall, but the texture and color are incredible. [NOTE: A high resolution copy of this image can be downloaded here. Makes a great desktop].