Monthly Archives: September 2014

A magical place

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Ithaca, NY is a magical place. Most people would have a hard time disagreeing. For us, it has so much to offer: amazing beauty, great hiking opportunities (we live within 25 mins. of 4 state parks and the national forest), wine country, abundant fresh local produce, a wide range of cuisines to choose from, open/liberal points of view, artisans galore, theater, and cultural opportunities to name a few. Ithaca seems to find it’s way onto almost every top ten list: Most Exciting College Towns, Wine Tours of the World, Best New York art spots that aren’t in NYC, America’s Most Romantic Towns, Best College Town, America’s Top 10 Lakes to Visit this Fall, 10 Most Livable Cities, #1 Smartest City in America, Best River Towns in America, 10 Best Places to Retire ~ you get the picture?!  It’s a great place to live or visit.

Apparently, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama thinks so too.  His Holiness picked Ithaca to be the North American Seat to his personal monastery — the Eastern branch being in Dharamsala, India, next to His Holiness’ home in exile. In 1992, Namgyal Monastery was located in a turn-of-the-century home in downtown Ithaca. Then in early 2004, the monastery received a generous donation and was able to purchase 28-acres located in the South-Hill neighborhood of Ithaca, which enabled them to expand housing and facilities for retreats. His Holiness named the retreat, Dü Khor Choe Ling, The Land of Kalachakra Study and Practice. The complex is yet to be finished but much of it was completed this summer, including a housing and dining hall for resident monks and visitors. When complete, the 13,000-square-foot complex will resemble a Mandala comprised of five buildings surrounding a central courtyard.

Namgyal Monastery

Namgyal Monastery

Not too long ago, I stumbled upon it while exploring the area. Well, not the Monastery itself but the beautiful arch entrance and land covered with prayer flags. I drove into the driveway marked Tibet Drive and paused right before the archway and noticed a 4 point buck deer pausing a little bit beyond the archway. We stared at each other for a couple of moments and then both left. I never entered, as there were “No Trespassing” signs and I did not want to intrude. Interestingly, Mathew’s school is located less than ½ mile from the Monastery.

Tibet Dr

archJust recently, the Monastery was opened to the public for 2 weeks. We took this opportunity to visit on several occasions and experience some of their ceremonies. Seventeen monks from Ithaca and India came for the 14-day ceremony known as Kalachakra. The ritual and teachings are for world peace and all prosperity. Kalachakra is a Sanskrit word meaning wheel of time. It’s connected to some of the most complex teachings in the Buddhist tradition. The two weeks were filled with Kalachakara Ritual Prayer Ceremony, Kalachakara Sand Mandala Construction, Kalachakara Ritual Dance, Kalachakara Fire Puja and Kalachakara Six Session Guru Yoga Teaching and Practice Retreat. Unlike most Sand Mandala construction, which are swept away after completion this one will be viewed under a glass case for a whole year and then swept away, which speaks to the sacredness of this event.

The beginning stages of the Kalachakara Sand Mandala. Each grain represents the over 700 Tibetan deities.

The beginning stages of the Kalachakara Sand Mandala. Each grain represents the over 700 Tibetan deities.

The completed Kalachakara Sand Mandala

The completed Kalachakara Sand Mandala

We also had the honor of watching the Fire Puja ceremony where offerings are made to the over 700 Tibetan deities. It was an amazing experience, full of chanting, music,colorful costumes and hours of offerings to the fire.fire puja 3fire puja 2fire puja 4

fire puja

When I stop and pause to think about all the experiences we have had since moving here, I am filled with gratitude.  Sure, the world over is filled with amazing opportunities to experience great and beautiful things, but rarely are so many found in such a small area. Yes, indeed Ithaca is a magical place.

Alter inside the monastery.

Alter inside the monastery.

 

 

 

 

Local or Organic, how do you choose?

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early morning farmHow much thought goes into what you buy at the grocery store or farmer’s market? How do you make your decisions? Do you choose your produce based on looks, price, organic, how locally it was grown or simply that you just want it? Until 2006, the average person did not give much thought into where their food was grown or what chemicals were used to grow it. But Michael Pollen illuminated the process of growing food in “Omnivores Dilemma.” Then in 2007, Barbara Kingsolver wrote about it in “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.” For me these books helped opened a dialog for the average citizen to think and talk about their choices. Now eight years later, organic and locavore are terms that have become part of normal daily life. People are starting to think about how their food is grown and how it affects them and the planet’s health. I love how this information is becoming mainstream and is making people think about their choices; educating them.

For our family, local is more important than organic but the best, if affordable, is local organic. I spend a lot of time talking with the growers. I have found that they spray as little as possible because every time they turn on their tractors, it costs money, which they have to pass along to their consumers. They need to think about how they raise their crops and maintain the health of the land along with the animals they raise. Their livelihood depends on it. The growers who are selling their produce to larger markets and ship long distances tend to have to make tougher choices about what they are spraying and when they pick their produce. It’s important that their produce can handle traveling long distances and still be edible on the other side. So, some items may have to be picked before they are ripe. I believe that produce picked ripe is taster and has more nutritional content. The local growers who sell to the locals feel their customers are more understanding that their produce may not be cosmetically beautiful, but tastes so good nonetheless. This fact helps them decide how and what to spray and when to pick.

When animals are happy, taken care of humanly and fed a healthy diet, they do not need to be given antibiotics, except on rare occasion.  We take this into account when purchasing meats and eggs.

Every year, it is getting easier to find local produce. Farmer’s markets are springing up everywhere. In 1994, there were only 1,755 farmer’s markets in the entire USA but in 2012, there are at least 7,864.  We are so fortunate that local produce is becoming more widely available. Sometimes I feel like a farmer’s market groupie, which is easy in the area I live in. During the summer, there are five farmer’s markets weekly and since I seem to always forget something, I have been to know to visit them all in a week.

What factors guide your choices? Please share and I will continue to share.