Author: Michael Stevens

We have a wandering herd of mule deer in our neighborhood. They seem right at home, browsing on all the lovely trees and plants we humans hope will survive their munching. It is a...

Buddha’s awareness in his awakening revealed to him the fundamental essence of our existence remains constant and unchanging. This essential presence (Rigpa in Tibetan) is a natural trait  stripped of any artificial constructs and...

I often refer to an area east of Bend, an ancient channel in the landscape of what we now call a dry river. It has been thousands of years since water flowed regularly through...

I love landscaping—moving stuff around to create a space for plants and critters. But mostly I like to move rocks; the hard things that frame the soft things. I think my DNA memories must...

With all the wild change in our political and social realms, it is important to stop and recognize what is truly important. Krishanamurti said when we are seeking solutions to a problem we tend...

I was invited to speak at a protest rally with a unique twist. The event was titled “Joy, As Resistance,” and it was sponsored by a coalition of progressive churches in Bend. I usually...

Spring snowmelt and rain are conspiring to make the Deschutes run wild. I am hiking in the Riley Ranch Preserve and wander off the main path down the riparian access trail to the river...

His eyes were very kind but he had a somewhat detached presence. After all, I was a white guy showing up unannounced at his adobe home on First Mesa in the Hopi lands. I...

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today; And give us not to think so far away As the uncertain harvest; keep us here All simply in the springing of the year. This excerpt...

When I was a senior in high school, my English teacher said to me, “Whatever you do in your adult life, it should include writing. You should be a writer.” It took me another...