Dharma Bum

Obon Festival

This last weekend Michele and I attended our second Obon Festival. Our first was last year in Seattle, this year it was a little closer home at the the Orange County Buddhist Church in Anaheim. If you haven't done an Obon Festival before I recommend you give it a look, it's a lot of fun. Your typical Obon Festival consists of lots of food, Taiko drumming and toward the end of the day Bon Odori Dancing, which is like a big community square dance. Next year both Michele and I are going to take the dancing lessons so we can participate. We don't want to miss out in the fun. For those interested the OC Buddhist Church practices Shin Buddhism which is the largest form of Buddhism in Japan but very little known outside in the west. I plan on taking some classes there soon and am very glad I found them. Here are some phots, enjoy:
 

Heroes

Believe it or not, sometimes while surfing the internet, you may actually find yourself getting inspired. Today that happened to me when I stumbled across Maggie Doyne's blog. I'll let her tell you her story:

After my senior year of high school, as my friends were heading off to college, my parents dropped me off at Newark Airport where I boarded a plane and set off to travel the world. It was just me and my backpack on my first solo trip away from home. Four countries and 20,000 miles later, I was trekking through the Himalayas in war-torn Nepal, where I began to meet hundreds of orphan children. I fell in love with their bright eyes and beautiful smiles, but was shocked to see them barely surviving without the most basic things that I had grown up with as a child.

As I shared my dream to build a safe home for these children, with my hometown in Mendham, NJ, I was astounded by the outpouring of support. This past year, I officially opened the frontdoor of Kopila Valley Children's Home, built brick-by-brick, by me and the local community in Nepal. There are now twenty children living in our home. We have been able to enroll sixty children into school, facilitate life-changing operations for children in need, and create a village outreach program to improve schools in remote areas. I truly believe that if every child in the world is provided with their most basic needs and rights—a safe home, medical care, an education, and love, they will grow to be leaders and end cycles of poverty and violence in our world.

It's story's like this that still give me hope for humanity....and the internet. Maggie, you are a light to follow.

Buddha's Planet

VIA

Best Cup of Coffee?

I was talking to my friend Jerome today who is currently in Seattle and the topic of coffee came up. I asked him if he'd been to Stumptown Coffee yet? Seattle is coffee central and allegedly Stumptown is the best in Seattle. I would have to agree. Last summer when Michele and I were in Seattle Stumptown was the best of all the different we tried. But what usually happens when Jerome and I start talking coffee is we both begin to immediately reminisce about the best cup of coffee we both have ever had. Where would this magical place be? In Taos New Mexico of all places. Yep, the best cup of coffee I have ever had is at World Cup Coffee in Taos. If you don't believe me look at all the reviews. Jerome said he's going back to Taos in Oct. to take care of some business, I just might have to join him. Below is an old video of Michele and I sampling some coffee..

Coffee from Dharma Bum on Vimeo.