And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack
 And you may find yourself in another part of the world
 And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile
 And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful
 wife And you may ask yourself-Well…How did I get here? …
Category: Life of Carmen
On a day off with Georgia
I wake at 5:30, pink streaks in the desert sky, full moon fading to pale. It is my “personal practice day”—my day off! I toast the charcoal in the candle flame, lighting the incense burner for my favourite service—Enmei —a rousing chant dedicated to Avokiteshvara Bodhisattva, perceiver of the cries of the world, whose heart …
Going offline
The first snowstorm of the year came yesterday, high howling winds, blowing snow, and a power outage. It was no big deal, Upaya stayed warm, and thanks to the gas stoves lunch was served on time. But something very different did happen. For the first time in my three months here, residents drifted into the …
Albuquerque Amtrak blues
I rode the Rail Runner from Santa Fe to Albuquerque (with bike), then Amtrak to Gallup, New Mexico. To visit Ruth-Claire on the Navajo rez, just over the state line in Ft. Defiance, Arizona. In Albuquerque I pedalled the sturdy Diamondback over a long red bicycle bridge spanning the wide Rio Grande, spectacular in fall …
The lady in the chemo hat
I am the jikido (timekeeper) for evening zazen meditation. This duty involves sparking up the candles and incense in the zendo, guiding lost visitors to a cushion, and keeping the time. I strike the heavy temple bell to begin the sessions and signal the breaks. At the hour’s end I chime the chubby brass handbell …