In the Footsteps of the Buddha pilgrimages with Shantum Seth across India and South Asia. Other spiritual journeys that transform. Mindful travel.
Environment |
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The World Without Us
I came across an Elephant Journal tweet that took me to this, by Jay Winston: Hell, pumping every kind of toxin into our ground, air, and water while carelessly wasting every natural resource we can find is perhaps the single most defining characteristic of human society. Nonetheless, in big-picture terms, our total effect on Mother Earth really hasn’t amounted to anything more serious than a bad case of planetary eczema or psoriasis. And, the way things are going, we won’t be bothering her for long. Take a look, it's a good, short read. More » -
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Attack of the Killer Tomatoes
It's spring and I'm trying to grow growing tomatoes on my balcony. Here's a picture of the plant: More » -
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China plans world's largest dam on Tibet's last great undammed river
Chinese engineers recently proposed a plan for the world's largest hydroelectric dam on the Tsangpo-Brahmaputra, considered Tibet's last great undammed river. Tibet's river systems water much of China itself, as well as south and southeast Asia, and India has raised concerns that Beijing will try and divert water away from south Asia, but this concern is probably far-fetched. China leads the world in building coal-powered plants—at the rate of one new plant every week*—and the country's need for power is great. China is the factory for a huge proportion of goods eventually sold in the United States, Europe, and all over the globe. More » -
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The Way of the Green Bodhisattva: Patience
Clark Strand discovered—or re-discovered—the practice of Green Meditation during a long bout of sleep trouble he experienced a few years ago. Looking for reasons why he was having such trouble sleeping through the night, he realized something much deeper and more important: Our relationship to the dark, and to nature itself, is completely out of whack. What Clark was experiencing was not a sickness, but rather a kind of cure for modernity, where our lives are run by clocks and high-wattage bulbs, instead of the cycles of light and dark in nature that guided our ancestors. More » -
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Shall we offer flowers?
Hearing a poet read his own work adds new dimension to a piece of writing as it allows us to listen to the words and pace of the poem the way the author meant for it to be heard. Such is the case with Andrew Schelling's poem "Shall We Offer Flowers?" which was featured as the dedication of merit in the summer issue of Tricycle. Now, hear Schelling---a poet, essayist, and translator---read his previously unpublished poem "Shall we offer flowers?" aloud. You can listen to it here. More » -
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Organic architecture in Ladakh, India
The monastery photo from yesterday’s blog post on Bhutan made me think back on my trip through Ladakh, India a couple of years ago. I went with a friend who was involved with Himalayan Health Exchange, a health care service program that works in medically under-served Himalayan communities. I was so moved by the architecture in Ladakh—it felt so organic, in harmony with the landscape. Here’s a couple photos from that trip and some journal scribbling. Behind the main range of the Himalaya in northwest India, secluded in the south of Ladakh, the mountains of Zangskar rest on a morning blue backdrop. I’m walking through a wide river valley with massive dry, brown peaks calling my attention. The open sky and jagged rock mountains fit together perfectly. More »
