15
May
Farm, MWA Newsletter, Zen, - May 15, 2023
Mountains and Waters Alliance: Summer Newsletter & online invitation
Hello and welcome. Here’s catching up with a little of everything.
Events:
Online:
- Summer Wednesday nights will be in semi-vacation mode: First and third Wednesdays, drop in for Q&A about Zen, spiritual practice, or related matters. Hopefully we’ll have some good. discussions. I’ll be there at 6:30 pm Central Time, and stay until 8 or end when the energy is over. Latecomers please arrive by 6:45.
- Fall Wednesday nights will return to the read-and-discuss format, starting September 6. We’ll be exploring Casting Indra’s Net by Pamela Ayo Yetunde.
- Monday morning zazen continues but we might change the time. If you think of coming, please ask about details.
Farm:

With new resident Perry Post, there’s lots of activity in the garden. Perry is a permaculturist and experienced gardener and landscaper, and he welcomes help.
- Volunteers will find this a good way to learn; I’m enjoying helping and learning instead of managing by guess.
- Visitors for days or weeks will also find opportunity to learn.

- Occasionally we hire help.
The best way to get involved is to let me know so we can get in touch when there’s an appropriate opportunity. After conversation so we know what you’re up for.
Retreats:
I’m holding the schedule until after I return from the Kincentric Leadership Training (late May) because I expect to have new ideas. But there will be land care retreats, ceremonies, work days and work retreats, and sesshin.
Personal markers:
I’m noticing anniversaries.
- Last week marked 75 years since my birth. It’s been an amazing journey.
- It’s just over 10 years since I received dharma transmission, authorization to teach in the Soto Zen tradition. Which in a way marks the beginning of my adulthood – accepting the work that is mine to do. I didn’t know that before.
- And it’s about 10 years since I set off on the Compassionate Earth Walk, through the Great Plains, along the KXL route. That journey not only brought me into deep connection with the land itself, but also began my connection with indigenous people, as individuals, with their collective struggles, and embracing their spiritual and political leadership.
- Mountains and Waters Alliance is not quite 8 years old; that story is here.
Gratitude:
This is for the many people who’ve supported Mountains and Waters Alliance through the years; I won’t name them individually for reluctance to miss someone, but we have these groups:
- The Advisors, who meet with me monthly, help with decisions, and help me believe in what I’m doing.
- Donors, who have faithfully sent money every month, with the result that MWA can afford things (though it can’t yet afford to pay me), or who have given tangible things that we use daily.
- Farm volunteers and supporters, some of whom have donated valuable professional time, others who have put in hours digging, cutting, hauling, weeding, cooking, painting, cleaning, sewing, and the like.
- Practitioners and students, who have joined in the many kinds of spiritual practice, here and online and in every way.
- Residents, who have given a try at living this life and exploring what community might mean.
- Of course, the land, the river and creeks, the weather, the soil. And also spiritual tradition, both the Soto Zen Buddhism of my training, and the many others that have offered their gifts here.
May it continue.
New possibilities
I’ve been invited to participate in the Kincentric Leadership Training, which will begin next week. I know just these things about this:
- The leaders involved are people I have read and quoted for years, and have longed to study with.
- The language they use matches my understanding of how the world works and how we need to interact with it, as we go forward.
- I am too easily tired and discouraged, even though I feel strong hope that healing and change are possible. Both networking and leadership training would be helpful.
The book is nearing completion. Working title is Being Earth: Unleashing the power of the natural world.
Donating and support:
It’s going like this: donations support the land and facilities. I’ve never been paid, but MWA rents space at the farm, and covers some of my retreat and study travel. Working half time makes that harder but supports the whole thing. In 2022 I borrowed money to upgrade the house to have space for four residents. Four would pay the loan down fast, but there’s one plus me. So I’m working extra, and doing less study and teaching.
- If you’d like and are able to offer financial support, look at this page.
- If you don’t have extra money, look at iGive, on the same page. This is a program that automatically sends us a small percentage of purchases from participating online stores, at no cost to you. It includes several airlines and some bookstores plus a lot of smaller stuff. (It’s automatic once you’ve set it up.) There’s a special offer right now, doubling the payment for purchases in May.
Spring is here.




Warm and cold, sunny, rainy, blossoms everywhere, spring ephemerals; the fiddleheads have come and gone, the nettles are offering themselves for eating, and when the rain stops we should find morel mushrooms in the woods.
The world is doing what it does.
Looking at the violence and polarization all around, I think societal collapse is well along the way. That thought helps me forgive the individuals involved. At the same time I see a thousand – no, a million signs of renewal. Reasons to be Cheerful is a pleasant place to hang out to see encouraging news. One of these days I’ll write about world issues again. Maybe.
- Meanwhile, if you have time to support Thacker Pass please do. They are getting ready for an indigenous-led camp on the scale of Standing Rock, bodies and prayers in the way of the bulldozers, protecting land, beings, and sacred spaces. Or engage with your own people or cause, closer to home.
- If you like politics watch your local elections or run for office, and support the National Popular Vote program when it comes to your state.
- And if you pray, or chant, or do energy work – please bless all of us. If you like, use some words from my chant dedication. (Last page at the link.)
What else is there to say? Life is good. Even when it isn’t.
Shodo – thank you for all that you do!