Sunday, September 11, 2011

Ser Chö Ösel Ling

A hot moon weltering in the blood of pine forests: the wind could sweep our new-built cloisters away with the careless back of its hand. "The Place of the Clear Light Golden Dharma," in Goldendale, Washington, is threatened by wildfire. But the latest news seems to be good, They're holding the line of the Little Klickitat River, and there's a fallback line at Highway 97. But a number of homes have been lost, already. There's a fire haze over Portland, though from other, nearer fires, I think. After the coolest summer I can remember (while the rest of the country was broiling) we in the Pacific Northwest have surfaced into an intense late summer, now, in the second week of September.

Monks from other traditions, Tibetan and Zen, as well as regular members of sanghas round about, have come to help improve the fire defenses. Mostly lean, tough-looking, shaven-headed men in reddish skirts and heavy brush boots, to judge from the photos. I haven't been out there myself. Possibly it's not the image most Americans have of their native population of Buddhist monks. (Do most Americans know they have a native population of Buddhist monks? Good question. I doubt it.)

3 comments:

Zhoen said...

Lots of fuel for fires out west. The winds will make all the difference.

We may not know about the monks, but most of us aren't surprized once we find out.

Dale said...

Yes, we've gotten off easy (so far!) compared to Texas.

marly said...

Texas is startling--that's a lot of houses gone. And some people. Wish I could slop some water out of Lake Otsego on the places that need it. We now have more than our share.