Clear Sky Update from Cranbrook July 2005 Dear Friends, Well, I confess that I am not objective, but nonetheless I do declare that Clear Sky is an incredibly beautiful, wonderful place, just humming with potential for dharma practitioners. We've had a small group of eight here for the last several days, and we are all walking around in a bit of a blissful stupor. There are deer on the hill out the window, horses with their heads in the windows, elk lowing in the distance, hawks crying from the tree tops, bright bluebirds ("of happiness" they say) flying by, and coyotes marking the beginning and ending of our meditations with remarkable accuracy. We've started IDing local plants, with eyes and nostrils wide and fingers flipping pages (the mariposa lily is a local favorite, and an introduced "weed" supposedly cures dysentery). And this is just the first few days! We are very much feeling a small part of the extraordinary Web of Life. This is meant as a quick update on some of the developments that have been crystallizing with the center, since I last wrote some months ago. Thanks to Edmund Jones, Cheri Brand and their able team of family and friends, the main building is beautiful and functioning. We have been lending our helping hands, bodies, and minds, finishing details like oiling the banister and hanging towel racks, painting the trailer interior and setting up recycling. If you're coming out to Clear Sky, pack some old clothes and work gloves, and be ready for anything. This week we'll be meeting staff from the Land Conservancy of B.C., to walk the Clear Sky property, learn more about its ecosystem, and discuss the TLC land stewardship program. This is thanks to a tip from our friends at Crystal Mountain, who generously shared some of the exciting work they've done on their Galiano Island property with a local conservancy. TLC's program will help us identify conservation and management issues specific to the Clear Sky land, which is a mountain grassland, reportedly BC's most endangered ecosystem. As mentioned in a previous update, the 23'x23' garage commands too fine of a view for inanimate objects (cars/trucks) to appreciate, and so one project slated for the summer is converting the garage into a meditation/teaching room. This will make the center more functional for the immediate future, since the other potential teaching/meditation space is located infortuitously, between up & down stairs and the kitchen/dining area. Plans are afoot to add a new building, a meditation/teaching hall, as soon as the Foundation is able. We've begun initial consultations with architects and other professionals who specialize in sustainable design. Sharing our plans with supporters and professionals has already shaped our vision in positive new ways, as we've heard about and observed, for example, building projects and techniques that other sangha members have undertaken. A couple of sangha members have given us great suggestions for potential grants Clear Sky is eligible for, as did one of the architects we consulted. Wouldn't it be great if we could raise funds for Clear Sky *outside* of our sangha! Interestingly, apparently there are a lot of grants available for sustainable projects, as it helps Canada fulfill its obligations as a signatory to the Kyoto Accords. A number of members of our Japan sangha were at the conference in Kyoto when those Accords were drawn up. Given that our sangha has a lot of members from Kyoto, tying our interest in sustainability at Clear Sky and the Kyoto Accords is something of a no-brainer. We're hoping that this could be a fine way to create a bridge across the Pacific for our international sangha, a very fine way to help Canada fulfill its Kyoto Accord responsibilities, and a very, very fine way to get financial support for the center. Speaking of finances, much adventure has been had by all with the ongoing negotiations on topics like charitable status and bank mortgages. No definitive news on any of these fronts, but thanks to generous support from many, progress is being made and we hope to have good news on these subjects in the near future. The central room in Clear Sky's main building has gimongous windows overlooking Bull Mountain, and we've had the pleasure of observing all the weather conditions and light angles passing over and above all the mountain's contours over these several days. Something like Hakusai's "25 views of Fuji" ukiyo-e prints, except that this view changes while we more or less stay put. It's been a wet year and so the normally-dry land is very green, and we've had one good day of rain rewarded with a breathtaking, juicy rainbow over Bull Mountain's foothills around dusk. Just now I'm facing these big picture windows; it's night and dark as ink outside, but I can see the field of margarita flowers just in front, each white blossom apparently floating in space. We're only able to enjoy all this thanks to the generosity of many beings. Thank you for your support in its many manifestations. May all our efforts and prayers benefit all beings, for many generations. Please feel welcome to this beautiful jewel called the Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre. We hope to have new photos for you soon at www.dharma-japan.org. In the meantime, basic info (addresses, directions), past updates and photos from last year are there for your perusal. If you'd like to visit, please contact Duncan Cryle. Also, please note that internet connections here are currently very slow. Please keep email correspondence to a minimum (and pass the word). Thanks. In service to the Triple Gem, Catherine Pawasarat