2012 conventions 2012 election 2013 session arts arts and culture author ballot measures basketball bomb books boy scouts budget bullying business charlie hales children clackamas climate change coal college courts crime culture culture club democrats drugs economy education environment family film fluoride food gay rights guns handguns health health care health insurance high school history housing immigration internet kitzhaber law legislature lgbt literary arts living marijuana marriage media medicine mental health military minor parties mohamed mohamud movies music native americans news newspaper obama olympics oregon our town parenting pers photography police politcs politics port portland portland business journal president prevention public safety religion republicans rnc romney rural salem sam adams sandy hook schools science shooting sports suicide supreme court taxes technology terrorism theater third parties transportation union university of oregon washington wildfire women

Bad joke of the day:
Q: What did the Buddhist say to the hot dog vendor?
A: Make me one with everything.

I was raised Catholic, yet my parents-especially my mother-seem to teach me a way of understanding the Catholic faith not so much through religion, but a spiritual connection to others and living by the Golden Rule. Compassion became the cornerstone of my faith and understanding of the world.
The evolution of my spirituality and connection to Buddhism grew after reading The Art of Happiness. I had peace flags hanging in my garden, etc. but it seems contrived to me now, because I hadn't understood or lived The Way until I became intimate with that connection.

Could Robert Thurman please address Karma, and his general view or concept of how Karma shapes our present lives and possibly the next, respectively?

I have a thirteen-month-old son whom I would like to have blessed by Buddhist nuns, could he comment on this for a brief moment, as well?

Thanks so much,
Karla

posted 4 years, 7 months ago
view in context

I grew up helping my parents 'preserve the harvest' every year, some fruits and veggies from our own garden, and the rest was a bounty throughout the Willamette Valley.
I later rediscovered in my adult life how much fun (and delicate) the process can be when I was given a big bag of home-canned goods from a college instructor. I would bring him eggs from my chickens and other vegetables from my garden. This bag he gave me included pickled beets, dilly beans, pickled eggs and EGG NOG!
He inspired so much more than process of canning and preserving, he inspired the importance of food security, health both in diet and soil, not to mention the idea of "embodied energy" in mass-produced foods, and rekindled my pioneer spirit.
This year, I've canned tomato soup, chicken stock, tomato sauce, pickles, beets, jams jellies, roasted red pepper spread, and more. I've frozen brocolli, peas, corn, rhubarb, strawberries and more.
This morning I've been preparing cabbage from my garden for sauerkraut and baking bread to finish off last years jellies.
I really encourage more people to get involved in preserving their own foods and look forward to sharing preservation of food with my son as he grows older, for now he is just banging pots and pans.

posted 4 years, 7 months ago
view in context