Category Archives: Nature

Experiences in the Peruvian Jungle, by Garyo Gertraud Wild

Again we have the opportunity of having Garyo’s exquisite travelogue with her special experiences and splendid pictures staying in the Peruvian rain forest for five weeks.     Experiences in the Peruvian jungle     A little over a month … Continue reading

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Festival of Cranes

    Dear Friends,   A few days ago, I visited the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge south of Albuquerque in New Mexico. The refuge was established in 1975 for migratory birds coming from the Northern part of America … Continue reading

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Awakening Action and Awakened Attitude

  Good morning! Today we have our one day sesshin. I recently received interesting information about Dr. Toru Abo, an immunologist, who recommended life like our practice. He said stress is the source of sickness. We must live a wholly wholesome life in time and space. Life, using glycolysis for energy production, started about 4 billion years ago, bacteria with chlorophyll started producing oxygen about 2 billion years ago, changing the atmosphere for life from anaerobic to aerobic, producing eukaryotes containing mitochondria using oxygen for more and longer energy development. Our life reflects these properties and processes in nature.     Glycolysis type cells and tissues (white muscle, skin, bone marrow, sperm, cancer) multiply rapidly and energize instantaneously with much feeding in earlier life, while mitochondria type ones (red muscle, the heart muscle, neurons, ovum, general) change little and energize lastingly with less feeding in later life. The former activate in hardship, fight and flight mode, even becoming cancerous, while the latter remain in a normal state, peace and prognosis mode. Adulthood is a balance of these two, but stresses cause regression to the former type (cancer, hair regress into skin, etc.).     Decrease in stresses or even an increase in favorable conditions for mitochondria (warmth, more oxygen, gratitude and following natural ways) cure cancer, etc. This is more fundamental care, not a shortsighted cure of symptoms (which cause more hardship). Stresses on the heart, brain, etc. cause sickness with excessive strains in the circulatory and nervous systems (high blood pressure, excessive sympathetic nerve use, etc.) causing a malfunction or illness of organs. Changing one’s life style, keeping warm, breathing deeply, staying calm (balancing autonomous nerves, with more parasympathetic nerve use) contribute to a healthy life.     Zazen is good for a healthy life, but is far beyond it. Zazen is for anyone to still karma (action, action results: habits, heredity) and see the dharma (phenomena, truth/law of them), leading to nirvana and bodhi (awakening), thus allowing anyone to lead an awakened (buddha) life. It is to transcend karmas and take care of them from this vantage point, freeing and fully functioning in holy (wholly wholesome) harmony, health, and happiness. The Doomsday Clock was advanced closer to midnight due to recent situations. The Awakened Way is more urgently needed. Let us all practice well for all.   … Continue reading

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Colorful Colorado Cosmos

Monica, our member, kindly contributed her and Cole’s trip to Colorado : Tashi Gomang Stupa in Crestone, the Great Sand Dunes, Rocky Mountain National park, and several other beautiful places. . . . . . . . . . . … Continue reading

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Nature Nurture

  Good morning!   We have a beautiful spring Sunday morning with flowers, though the temperature goes up to over the 80s and 40s, with a fist-size hail storm – strange and scary. The last chapter title of Uchiyama Roshi’s … Continue reading

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Pictures from Japan

  Mr. Otsuka, whose pictures we have been enjoying, kindly sent me the following ones exhibited in his town, Shimoda, Izu, Shizuokaken, Japan:                                   … Continue reading

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Cool Circulating Constellations

        Expansive Constellations in the Sky above Peaks of Yari-Hodaka Mountain Ranges taken  by Mr. Masayoshi Hirasawa from Chogadake Peak 寒中お見舞い申し上げます。 蝶ヶ岳の頂上で震えながら撮った写真です。  タイトル  槍・穂高連峰の空に広がる冬の星座          

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Moon, Morning Sun, Sea, Ducks, Daffodils

                                                Photos thanks to Mr. Otsuka from Shimoda, Izu Peninsula, Japan Facing Pacific Ocean with wintry wind, … Continue reading

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Beautiful Buddha Nature Noted?

                                                                                … Continue reading

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Nature Nurtures

We are integral part of nature nurtured with our hubris and humbling: http://www.weather.com/news/science/weathercoms-top-100-photos-2013-20131216  

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