As we drive a winding narrow dirt road into the Greenhorn Mountains of northeast Oregon, we come to a cattle guard and a “no trespassing” sign. Realizing there is no place to turn around, we have to venture into the private property to find a wider spot to redirect our truck. I find an area…Read more …
On either side of the Buddha statue on our altar, near his folded knees, stand two symbolic skullcups (kapalas) made of yellow metal. One represents the essence element of the male principle and the other represents the essence element of the female principle. Essence (thigle) is the pure light creative principle of the universe. In…Read more …
Sometimes I discover something rare. A flower blooms in a remote corner of the high desert that I have never seen. It is at the edge of its usual range so it does not arise as often as other species in its genus. But here it is, now, at my feet, in the sandy bed…Read more …
Gina waa dluxan gud ad kwaagid – “Everything depends on everything else.” This traditional saying in the Haida language is a wonderfully simple distillation of the law of interconnection. In this moment, I am hiking up a trail that encircles an area of blue-green claystone in John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. The Haida wisdom…Read more …
I often visit national parks and monuments. One thing I have observed over the years is that most able-bodied folks have a general hiking limit of one quarter mile. It seems getting a brief taste (and a selfie), perhaps with the purchase of a tee shirt or commemorative mug, suffices to prove one’s experience. One…Read more …