An Invitation To Sit

The Redwood Grove Retreat Sanctuary is situated in the forested hills of Felton, CA. Practitioners from all traditions are welcome to come and spend time in quiet reflection or simply to enjoy the clean air and sweet bird songs in the forest.

He he....

Well, I used to live in a home that my housemates and I called The Project San Francisco Mansion. Now, why not call my home the Redwood Grove Retreat Sanctuary! Why not?! For now, it's my little retreat sanctuary, and it's paradise on Earth.

Although it's my mom's place, I am paying rent and she encouraged me to really consider it my own while I'm here. So, I turned the living room into a little meditation hall that could actually sit quite a few meditators comfortably. I don't expect any big meditation parties soon, however, as most of my friends still aren't quite as meditation obsessed as I am. But, the invitation really is open for anyone to come and join me sometime in a quiet sit (or lying on the couch or standing on your head, or however you prefer to enjoy the silence).

I've already had one guest to the house, who says "...." (yikes... I've even got testimonials?! This is funny.)

I've got another friend planning to stop in the next week or two. So, if you want a little retreat time of your own, to escape the non-stop bustle of the American Dream, send me an email.

Wake up bell is at 5:00AM (on a good day)

Free Tibet! - Uprising Day

It's Uprising Day - the 51st anniversary of the 1959 uprising in Lhasa, Tibet.

If you don't know the story of Tibet, now is a really good time to educate yourself. I don't know much myself, but from what I've learned so far, it's brutal and disgusting what China has done and continues to this day. Other than cruel tortures, and blatant human rights violations, they have forced Tibetans to give up their robes and wear Maoist uniforms, they've forced them to stop practicing their religion, and have even done things like make them use their treasured scriptures as soles for their shoes! Messed up!

And, this is China! You know... the country that makes all that stuff you buy which says "made in China" on it! You know... one of the major superpowers in the world! (By the way, I'm officially boycotting "made in China" goods starting today)

If you thought George W. Bush was bad, well... at least we've got democracy. At least you're not wearing a uniform right now and forced to pledge your allegiance to the nation.

Really, I'm not an expert on this, but please exercise your right to free information (which China also doesn't have), and educate yourself on Tibet today! (In China, the citizens probably won't ever even see a blog post like this.) Allowing the truth to shine through is probably one of the best remedies for this horrendous situation.

Not to mention that the Dalai Lama has been trying to get into peace talks for 30 years, not even asking for an independent Tibet. All he's asking for is for the brutality to end. All he's asking for is for the Chinese to actually live in line with the principles set out in their own constitution.

If it seems like I'm chastising you...
It's Uprising Day! Speak Out!

Here are some resources I've found in a 2 minute google search:

Human Rights in Tibet

US relationship with China and Tibet

How You Can Help


~Peace~

Taking Action with Karma Yoga

A poor child begs for food. A crippled man lies on the muddy road. A dying puppy shivers...

One can't fully engage in an exploration of India without feeling some sense that something needs to be done.

Karma Yoga: the path to divine union through worldly action. This is one of the practices given a big emphasis at the recent Dharma gatherings that I've attended. And the teachers don't just preach, they walk the talk too.

In Bodh Gaya, we were invited for a closer look at some of the charity work that Christopher Titmuss and friends have started over the last 36 years.

The afternoon after the end of the Bodh Gaya retreat, a group of us went to the nearby Prajna Vihar School. Every year, the school puts on a dance recital with performances from all grades - one through ten - for the benefit of the co-founders (including Christopher, and a big-hearted catholic nun from India named Sister Mary.) There is a video of the school online, if you want to see more. It is an inter-religious school for the poorest of the poor children in Bodh Gaya.

The dance recital was great fun, and a couple of the kids had some real talent! They were all very cute. The whole event ended with the Indian national anthem, and then a Bhangra dance party.

Only $40 (US) pays for one child's education for an entire year. There is very little infrastructure, no middle man, and the money goes right to the school. So, it's worth mentioning that if you have $40 to spare, then you can practice your Karma Yoga too. Info about donating is on their website.

We were also introduced to some other organizations: People First International, and also a young man who uses his physical therapy skills to help victims of polio in the village.

The next day, we came back for a tour into the nearby village land, to see some of the work that Sister Mary does through her organization, The Center for Women's Awakening.

Four Jeeps drove us to the outskirts of town where first we visited a small coaching center where local girls received tutoring for their high school certificates. Two girls had already gotten high school certificates and a handful more were working their way through the program.

Next, Sister Mary took us to the home of a local woman where we had a little cultural exchange gathering with about 30 local village women. It was a typical lower class village and the women told us that a typical wage might be about $2.00 (US) for work in the fields.

This small local women's movement was growing in strength. They were smiling over a small victory - they no longer refer to their husbands by the Hindi term that translates to "husband-god." They dropped the "god" and seemed quite happy about that.

When Sister Mary asked if any of them could read or write, about 4 of the women raised their hands with big grins. Apparently, these women were recently taught to write their names for the bank, and that was it.


Most of us agreed that despite the harsh conditions, these villagers had a certain dignity in their clay huts that was missing from the trash and cement of the city.

So, where to start with all the problems to solve? Throughout it all, I still feel my calling for solitude right now. I know the action will come. I'm taking one small action just writing this to you now. And, perhaps it fuels your karma yoga as well. From the stillness comes action, and in the action comes stillness. Now is my time for quiet retreat (rather than down and dirty action), but perhaps I can simply walk through the world just a little more open, a little more ready to share a smile. The little bits add up.

The photos are from the various outings, if you point your mouse over the photo, you can read the caption for each one. Enjoy!

Mother India, Please Take A Bath

I'd like a moment to just be frank with you, India. You're dirty and you stink.

I remember people telling me all this before I left the US. One friend told me how he had to throw out his girlfriend's clothes after her return from India, because they couldn't get the smell out.

I heard the stories, but found it hard to imagine the smell. So, let me give a brief description for your nostrils.

The first thing to hit your nose as you step off the airplane might be a warm dusty staleness with a hint of various fossil fuels. As the taxi pulls away, the exhaust fumes of traffic will ripen on the palate with more heat, sweat, and perhaps something burning nearby. Driving past a creek or river (which is really more of a garbage swamp) you'll get your first taste of rotting funk. The pungent swampy pile will reek of urine and feces (both human and animal), and possibly a dead carcass, along with rotting food and trash.

And then the real pièce de résistance, the completion of the fine bouquet: Burning Plastic! Especially in the mornings and evenings when small rubbish fires light up on nearly every street corner to burn whatever will burn. And what burns easier than plastic?! However, you can rest assured that whatever plastic doesn't get burned might be swallowed by the cow who provided your fresh yogurt lassi.

By the time the small beggar child with runny nose walks up and sneezes on you or coughs on you, you may be ready to sew your mouth and nose closed and never take another breath.

This really only leaves the occasional scent of fresh spices steaming out of an Indian kitchen. This will either be a small blessing from the Divine, or a torture when the next waft of burning plastic hits your lungs.

I haven't stopped coughing since I arrived, so I'm now going for refuge in the holy dust mask.

Maybe this paints a more vivid picture to bring a little bit of India to you.

There are some people doing something about it. I met one dedicated woman from Sacred Earth Trust (sacredearthtrust.org) She is working hard to clean up Bodh Gaya. And, I've also been inspired by the story of Veer Bhadra Mishra who has made it his life's work to clean up the Ganges river.