Author: Michael Stevens

Fool’s Journey

The Dalai Lama arrives to offer teachings in Bend. He is staying with me and we soon discuss the best day for him to teach. I suggest April 1, April Fool’s Day, would be...

Heading Home

The horse I am riding, an older Appaloosa named Denver, has a mind of his own—and a voracious appetite. He is happy to be a partner on the trail until tasty bit of grass...

Time Keeps On Slippin’

Some folks keep time by the sun, others by the moon. Still others follow the seasons and qualities of each day. I think Buddhists may not worry so much about time as it is...

Taking Care of the Basics

Sometimes beginners on the Dharma path forget to take care of basic food, shelter, clothing, relationships, etc. because the teachings suggest we not become preoccupied by them. However, if we do not take care...

Analog Revisted

Although we live in an increasingly digital world, we remain analog beings. Nothing digital can replace visceral human touch, taste, smell, sound and breath, and sight. The highest megapixel image cannot convey the sensual...

Trees of Awakening

I have a love affair with trees. I carve them into useful items (after asking permission). I play guitars crafted of various species sustainably sourced by a local company. My wandering in the forest...

Quantum Mind

In quantum theory, a particle does not really exist as a tiny bit of matter located somewhere but rather as a cloud of probabilities. If observed, it collapses into the state through which it...

Code of Silence

A person passes me in the atrium outside a cafe where I am enjoying a cup of tea. He appears “unhoused” and definitely unkempt with rumpled clothing and a definite aroma. But that is...

Open Water, Open Heart

The recent winter blast that brought temperatures down to zero or below made it difficult for birds to find a place to drink or bathe. People often do not understand why birds need to...

The Earth Breathes

I recently attended a lecture on the geology of Central Oregon. Most of the talk focused on the way our landforms are created and re-created through the action of tectonic plates. The entire globe...