Strong statement by Jimmy Carter on women's equality and religion

Losing my religion for equality - Published July 15th 2009 on this online site (according to Daily Kos). I don't think that's a very good name for it. Titles of pieces are frequently added by publications so maybe it wasn't his. More like clarifying his religion. - thanks Elizabeth Sawyer - dc

Off to Malaysia

Katrinka and I are flying to Kuala Lumpur tomorrow. Back on May 4th with new Social/Cultural visas good for six months if all goes according to plan. And tomorrow's Sunday, my no online day. Ta ta! (That's Hindi for goodbye) - dc

Far-reaching Eyes

To set up the foundation is the most valuable work, and if you want to devote yourself, choose some fundamental work rather than visible conspicuous work. We have to work with far-reaching plans or far-reaching eyes. 

Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-08-28-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com - Edited by DC  

NRCAT 2014 Report

The National Religious Campaign Against Torture 2014 Annual Report

Here's their website

Ripe Green Bananas

That's right. They're green and ripe and last the longest and Ben of Annapurna was over and I showed him some and he said that's what he buys too. I just we'd just discovered them. Woman with a banana stand suggested them and I said but they're green and she gave me one to eat and it was good. Now I know what to look for it's go green. He also said that our blender was the best one, what he used in the restaurant, and Katrinka said but it's the cheapest one and he said, yep, it's what the street vendors use too. Last long and easy to fix. Said his mom bought an expensive one and it broke down the first day. Maybe we should blend some green bananas with some mango juice. Yum.

Love Returns by Gail Mueller

Brigid Meier sent the following note.

Gail Mueller has ovarian cancer and she is in hospice in Hawaii. If people would like to write her she can be reached at: Gail Mueller / 590 Kapi'olani St.Hilo, HI 96720. She sent me some of her poems and I produced a small chapbook of her work called Love Returns.  If anyone would like a copy, please email: <brigid88 at gmail.com>.

Quinn Mueller says "Help me help my mom." SFZC alum Gail Mueller is in need of help

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To Pass On

Because we are so attached to individual existence like this we have fear of death but after we resume to our true nature there is nirvana. That is why we say to attain nirvana when we die. It is the same word. We say to take nirvana is to pass away -- to pass away is not such an adequate expression. To pass on.

Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-08-19 as found on shunryusuzuki.com - Edited by DC  

Dedicated to Tim Buckley who just passed on. - dc

A Century Ago

A Rare Historical Look At Old Indonesia - 25 Photos Taken Pre-1920

Chose a photo from the group for here of a Balinese woman spinning because in Northern Thailand a year ago I sat with a woman in a traditional village who was spinning hemp. I watched her go from raw material to usable thread or string. The scene looked much like that photo. Some of the other photos are much more far out.

A Card Reading Gone Wrong

Clay and I were visiting with Mike Gilmore in Desert Springs a few years back. Mike was an old Zennie who was the worst drunk we ever had at ZC that I can remember. He sobered up in the early eighties and became a rather successful artist and Tarot reader to folks in that area.

Dr. Grace Damman Reflects on the Experience of Filming States of Grace

From the SFZC's Sangha News

Grace has come a long way from the day a car slammed into hers on the Golden Gate Bridge. What an effort! 

That bridge is dangerous. When we first got Green Gulch there was an unofficial rule not to drive in the left-hand lane. Some cab and trucking companies had that rule. I've always followed that rule and insisted other drivers do so if I or my kids are in the car. I remember once a car with FBI agents ran into a car with Russian consulate employees, one of which died (as I recall). There's always some plan being discussed or promoted to get a barrier between the traffic going both ways. When rush hour traffic subsides they closed off one or both left hand lanes with traffic cones - until this year. Now, thanks to the efforts of Grace and others,