1) Haiku should be written in three lines of 10-17 syllables total (5-7-5). While Japanese haiku contains 17 stops/syllables, the translation from Japanese to English is difficult and incomplete sometimes. Haibun should contain five lines of roughly 31 syllables (5-7-5-7-7)…
Blog Archives
Nelson Mandela
“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love…
Tagged with: Apartheid, brotherhood, compassion, death, fellowship, harmony, human heart, humility, journey, Nelson Mandela, pathway, peace, simplicity of life, Three Treasures
Posted in Informaitional, Musings
Posted in Informaitional, Musings
The Tao of Forgiveness or The Potato Sack
The following Taoist Parable is taught by Dereck Lin. It illustrates the ideal and philosophy of forgiveness and how not forgiving transgressions affects our lives. One day, the sage gave the disciple an empty sack and a basket of potatoes. “Think…
Tagged with: calm, Dereck Lin, emotions, empty sack, forgiveness, harmony, learning, parable, patience, peace, potatoes, reflection, sage, self, sermon, symbology, tao, transgression
Posted in Informaitional, Musings
Posted in Informaitional, Musings
Stress and Relaxaition
In a fast paced modern world, our lives are often full of stress. Children, school, work, activities, family, friends…each one of these singly has the opportunity to add to our daily stress levels. Taken in multiple doses of one or…
Tagged with: bend like a reed, calm, change, community, family, growth, harmony, life, meditaition, optimism, Progressive Muscle Relaxaition, relaxaition, strength, stress, stressors
Posted in Informaitional, Musings
Posted in Informaitional, Musings
Mid-Autumn Festival
Mid-Autumn Festival (content shortened for space) by Elizabeth Reninger The Mid-Autumn Festival (Zhongqiu Jie) is a traditional Chinese holiday and Taoist festival that is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, around the time of the autumn…
Tagged with: beauty, caltrope, change, community, Elizabeth Reninger, Festival of Reunion, Lantern Festival, life, love, Mid-Autumn Festival, Moon Festival, mooncakes, reflection, snails, symbology, taoist, taro, Zhongqiu Jie
Posted in Informaitional
Posted in Informaitional
Pathways
Today in Dona Ana county, New Mexico (home of the Retreat), the County Clerk began to issue marriage licenses without any gender bias. While not politically involved in the situation beyond a simple supporter, there have been several friends and…
Tagged with: Dona Ana, love, marriage, marriage equity, marriage license, New Mexico
Posted in Informaitional
Posted in Informaitional
Guerrilla Gardening
Civil disobedience, in many forms, can be seen in the actions of Gandhi, Rev. King, Thoreau, etc. It has taken many forms ranging from the violent protests of the 1960’s counter culture to Home Rule to the more recent Arab…
Tagged with: civil disobedience, garden, gardening, Ghandi, guerrilla gardening, Liz Christy, nature, peace, Rev. King, self, spring, symbology
Posted in Gardening and Nature, Informaitional
Posted in Gardening and Nature, Informaitional
New Look
Over the past few days, the Retreat has been on again, off again. This was primarily due to a refurbishment of not only the style but the content of the pages. I have made much of the site more accessible…
Tagged with: Desert Panda, moving forward, new content, refurbishment, retreat, upgrade
Posted in Informaitional
Posted in Informaitional
Summer Solstice
Today is the Summer Solstice at the retreat. This marks the longest “day” of the year, with day meaning sunlit hours. The midsummer festival, present in many different religions and faiths, celebrates the strength of the sun as both a…
Tagged with: Geshi, growth, life, Litha, midsummer, peace, solstice, summer, summer solstice
Posted in Informaitional
Posted in Informaitional
Nian Xióng Hall 