Phone: 507-384-8541
Mountains and Waters Alliance
Mountains and Waters Alliance
  • Home
    • About Shodo Spring
    • Words From My Teacher
    • History of Mountains and Waters Alliance
    • MWA Board of Advisors
  • Zen
    • Heart Sutra Study Materials
  • The Farm
  • The Alliance
    • In detail
  • Support
    • Membership
    • Volunteer
    • Donate – Support
  • Blog
    • All News & Articles
  • Resources
    • Audio / Video Dharma
    • Links and Online Resources
    • Reference Essays / Links
    • Photo Galleries
      • Farm Gallery
      • General Images
      • Rock People & Waterfall Spirit
      • Compassionate Earth Walk
      • Activism
    • Compassionate Earth Walk
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Events Calendar
  • Contact
    • Visitor information

Articles and Posts

02
Mar

By: Shodo

activism climate change collapse cultural change Vairochana Vairochana Farm

Comments: 0

Farm, Journal, -  Mar 02, 2015

Reflections on process

It’s a little warmer today. Sunny. The days seem very long – light by 6 am and still very light at 6 pm.

old chicken house
old chicken house

I just spent three days at the MOSES conference – Midwest Organic and Sustainable Educational Services – and four days before that in sitting meditation.
Something very restless has settled down. What’s strange is that I felt the settling after getting home from a very busy, interactive, noisy conference with over 3000 people. After the meditation retreat, I was still irritable. And I was starting to question the reality of my thoughts, to want to stop believing them. (Of course I know my thoughts are just thoughts, but I am often caught believing them anyway.) There was a little opening – and then I was thrown into the maelstrom of the conference, exciting and exhausting. Somehow, by the end of the conference I was at peace.
Several people are coming this spring, some thinking about living here now or later. This raises so many hopes – and hope is so powerful. I will do my best to maintain equanimity as we test each other out. It’s so much easier to join a community than to join one person and imagine what the community will be like. Yet that’s what we’re doing at this stage.
And there are little things. Research and decision-making about the water heater, and on photovoltaics, and on maple syrup equipment. Continuing to seek apprentices and a possible farm manager. Fundraising, brochures, and website just get to wait for a while. Now we have an appointment for the water heater, likelihood of some skilled farm help, and a barter for maple syrup equipment. I brought the seed-starting things into the house. It moves slowly, yet it moves. Soon we will actually be doing maple syrup, then planting the orchard, deer fences, foraging, living outdoors again.

The basic task is staying calm, allowing energy to come together at its own pace – while taking care of the day to day stuff. One of these days I will get that grassroots appeal out; one of these days I will contact the foundations that have been suggested. Of course you can always join iGive and let your purchases come here – they’ll give me $5 for everybody who joins and actually shops by March 31, and you can send a few dollars through Paypal – use VairochanaFarm@riseup.net to get to the right place. (Klutzy, I know. A few people have just up and sent me money for the farm, without being asked. I fantasize about asking on Facebook and having thousands of dollars show up. But I will do a real campaign, just as soon as all the fires are out. Probably before – that might be too long. The water heater will be $1354.
The photos are from mid-February but it still looks the same. I can’t imagine spring. But the movements of spring are here – people, energy, even possible markets for our nettles and mushrooms and syrup. And inside me spring is starting; I’m able to work again.
Thank you all!
Shodo

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Sidebar
Upcoming Events
  1. Spring Work/Practice Period

    March 1 - July 31
  2. Dharma Talk – online – March 28, 2021

    March 28 @ 9:00 am - 10:30 am
  3. Dharma Talk – online – April 11, 2021

    April 11 @ 9:30 am - 11:00 am
  4. 5-Day Sesshin at the Farm – June 17-22

    June 17 @ 8:00 pm - June 22 @ 3:00 pm
  5. 5-Day Sesshin at the Farm – September 16-21

    September 16 @ 8:00 pm - September 21 @ 3:00 pm

View All Events

Tags
activism ceremony climate change collapse cultural change Martin Prechtel potluck Vairochana Vairochana Farm wetiko
Mountains and Waters Alliance

The Alliance reaches out to the public through teaching, writing, and retreats, offering this vision of the human role in the community of life, grounded in the tangible reality of holding and caring for the shared land.

Mountains and Waters Alliance

16922 Cabot Ave

Faribault, MN 55021
507-384-8541
shodo.spring@gmail.com

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 79 other subscribers

Copyright © Mountains And Waters Alliance 2018. All rights reserved.

Development: North of the River Design