March, 2026 Archive

Agrarian Spirit Book Club

Friday, March 20th, 2026

First meeting took place last night.  Of the nine people enrolled, two were no-shows, three cancelled in the last minute, and one person I’d never met, Chris, friend of Sequoia, took part.  That made five of us.  The last minute cancellations had me discouraged, especially since they consisted of three preferred members, and after I’d spent alot of time organizing, preparing the session on Wendell Berry, cleaning house and setting up refreshments.  Nevertheless I felt exhilirated throughout the two hours and afterward.  My personal intention to share some of my teaching, scholarship, and personal history with beloved City Farm colleagues was fulfilled. And  it was unexpectedly enhanced by the presence of Chris a Navy Veteran, outdoor enthusiast, Diablo Canyon Supervisor, who had done the homework with interest and care.  Most enjoyable for me, still the inveterate English teacher, were the moments of close reading when hidden meanings and patterns of the words suddenly came to light through group scrutiny.  There’s hope that the sessions will continue.

Copied below are some preparatory documents. (more…)

Posted in City Farm SLO, Lund 1970's, Scholarship, Teaching | No Comments »

March 14 2026

Monday, March 16th, 2026

March 14, 2026

Yesterday included figuring out how to get text of Fado songs in Apple music and then how to translate the sung lyrics into English.  A long awkward googling session which ended up just starting Google translate, clicking mike icon, and seeing them appear as sung.

Installed small signs for Engtanglement and River of Wood.  Met Lucas at Creek at noon and we planned college corps session to cut big euc logs for swing risers and plan cutting of prominent dead willow tree.  He showed up with large Stihl gas chainsaw Allie gave him for his birthday.

Accomplished both, rendering Zunga complete

 

While I saw Dr. Devine to set up cortisone shot for knees, Claire organized birthday party at octagon table

In attendance were Claire, Allie, Lucas, Ian, Jan and me.  A great time.

IMG_9594

Posted in Claire, Family, Miscellaneous, Prefumo Creek Project | 1 Comment »

AI catches up with me

Monday, March 9th, 2026

I had Apple Music’s selection of Leonard Cohen songs on my earbuds during last night’s Physical Therapy exercises. Afterwards I was prompted to check out the Dharma talk on Cohen I’d given twelve years ago.  Rather than searching the blog index, I entered the title into Google.  On a whim, I clicked “AI Mode” and found:

Steven Marx is an English professor and scholar who has extensively written about and explored the Buddhist themes in the life and work of Leonard Cohen.

Marx highlights how Cohen’s spiritual journey mirrors those of other North American “renegade” writers like Henry David Thoreau and Jack Kerouac, who combined a longing for transcendence with “earthy iconoclasm”. Key insights from Marx’s analysis and Cohen’s Buddhist background include:

  • Monastic Practice: Marx notes that like Thoreau at Walden or Kerouac at Desolation Peak, Cohen spent five years (1994–1999) in monastic isolation at the Mt. Baldy Zen Center.
  • Ordination: Cohen was an ordained Rinzai Zen Buddhist monk, taking the Dharma name Jikan, which means “Silent One” or “The Ordinary Silence”.
  • Relationship with Kyozan Joshu Sasaki Roshi: Cohen served as the personal cook and assistant to his Zen master, Sasaki Roshi, whom he viewed more as a deep, enigmatic friend than a strictly idealized master.
  • Theological Synthesis: Marx emphasizes that Cohen did not abandon his Jewish roots for Buddhism; instead, he remained a “Jewish Buddhist monk,” using Zen practice to refine his creative inspiration and offer refuge from secular distractions.
  • Literary Connections: In his “Dharma Talks,” Marx compares Cohen’s “cold and broken hallelujah” to traditional Buddhist reflections on suffering (Dukkha) and the “broken” nature of existence.

At the bottom of this summary, I was asked: “Would you like to explore Steven Marx’s specific essays on Leonard Cohen, or are you interested in Cohen’s other religious influences?” I typed in “specific essays,” producing this: (more…)

Posted in Bible as Literature, Buddhism, Computer, Miscellaneous, Reflections, Scholarship | 1 Comment »