Correspondence

The following is an update I sent to the London Sangha for posting on the website. I’m not sure of the exact date, only that it was during November and after the first snowfall that amounted to any accumulation.

Hi again,

Best wishes to everyone in the London Sangha. I think of everyone there often and miss the encouragement and companionship of like-minded people. Life in the bush continues to be an inspiration and a dream come true. Certainly it can be demanding, both physically and mentally, but meeting the daily challenges has proven to be exceedingly satisfying. If it’s true that we learn best from the obstacles which we face, and I believe it is, then I’ve learned an awful lot in the past three months. Much of what I’ve learned is about frugality concerning all those things we take for granted in the city like electricity and water and heat are concerned. I can no longer take any of them for granted. Necessities have become luxuries. 

Last winter, when I told friends and family of my plans to pursue this lifestyle the most frequent question was “But what will you do all day?” My reply was that I would spend most of my time ‘just living’ which, it turns out, was truer than I’d imagined. But I’m not complaining, in fact, it’s very refreshing to be living in this manner and I can only see that it will continue to improve. 

To make up for the fullness of my days, the nights are a time to relax and enjoy my surroundings. There is something about having a single eight-watt lightbulb or a couple of candles burning in the house while sitting about reading or answering e-mail or doing research on the internet that is very satisfying. And then there are those nights, most nights in fact, when I awaken in the wee small hours of the morning, glance out the window strategically placed where a headboard would normally be to see Orion and the Pleiades, the Seven Sisters, lingering there just above the trees, more brilliant than any city dweller could ever imagine. It’s moments like these which serve as reminders of why I chose to forgo many of the luxuries of city life.

This morning, about five I think it was, I looked out my headboard observatory to be greeted by a sure sign that winter had arrived. A shimmering ghostly white blanketed the ground, limbs of the trees reaching ground-ward  under their newly acquired burden.

Later as Molly and I ventured outside, it felt great to breath in the cool, clean air that freshly fallen snow seems to bring with it. As we walked, a quick glance backwards revealed our wanderings imprinted in the snow, intermingled with those of all the creatures which had been out during the night. Never have I felt closer to nature, never so free. Never have I been more aware that I am an integral part of my environment, that everything is connected. As we continued on our walk, the gap between subject and object, between self and other, grew less and less. With every day that passes it becomes more and more apparent that everything is truly connected.