Help
Sign In
big sur
August 2009 
Tassajara safe from flames
Posted on Jul 14th, 2008
by 
ashramdiarist
ashramdiarist
Friend and Camaldolese oblate Matt Fisher has sent us the latest on Tassajara. I summarize:
David Zimmerman, the director of Tassajara Buddhist monastery in Big Sur, tells us about the five members of the community, who stayed behind when the others were evacuated to Jamesburg. They report what they went through fighting the fires and the extent of the damage to both Tassajara itself and the surrounding land at http://www.sfzc.org/tassajara/display.asp?catid=4,209&pageid=1283. An amazing story, “Now that the fire has passed.” It concludes:
“Gratitude courses through this valley and our veins, for we and our community are well and safe, supported in a thousand ways known and unknown by the generosity and efforts of so many beings, so many bodhisattvas, so many buddhas. And finally, deep bows to the fire, whose undeniable dharma teaching of impermanence has earned our awed respect and attention.”
The fire continues to be very active on the east side of the valley where Tassajara is located, threatening even Jamesburg, the place where the other community members were evacuated. Information about the status of things is at http://thefirelane.blogspot.com/.
David Zimmerman, the director of Tassajara Buddhist monastery in Big Sur, tells us about the five members of the community, who stayed behind when the others were evacuated to Jamesburg. They report what they went through fighting the fires and the extent of the damage to both Tassajara itself and the surrounding land at http://www.sfzc.org/tassajara/display.asp?catid=4,209&pageid=1283. An amazing story, “Now that the fire has passed.” It concludes:
“Gratitude courses through this valley and our veins, for we and our community are well and safe, supported in a thousand ways known and unknown by the generosity and efforts of so many beings, so many bodhisattvas, so many buddhas. And finally, deep bows to the fire, whose undeniable dharma teaching of impermanence has earned our awed respect and attention.”
The fire continues to be very active on the east side of the valley where Tassajara is located, threatening even Jamesburg, the place where the other community members were evacuated. Information about the status of things is at http://thefirelane.blogspot.com/.
Access: Public
I'm glad they are safe. Fires are so scary. I am always happy to see rain up here even when it washes out my road. If things are damp then it's harder for things to ignite. I feel sad for all the animals that lose their lives in these fires. Last night I saw two little black balls go zipping up a tree in the forest next to my cabin.I thought at first that they were raccoons, but then I saw their mama, a medium-sized black bear. So I banged some pots and turned on my boombox to scare them. Unfortunately,they do kill small domestic animals so its not good to feed them or have them in the yard.Then this morning I looked out and saw a mamma deer and her lovely new baby fawn.