BODHI ZEN CENTER~ JEMEZ SPRINGS

this is a late entry from way back on jan 9th.... you are probably too young to remember that era..... sorry~

jan 9th~ 2013

i took a walk to the BODHI ZEN CENTER today..

 i set off around 1pm with plans to get back to raymond's for tea time. bodhi is approx. 1/4mile from raymond's homestead. you need to pass the valles caldera research center, (who knows what goes on there with their group of scientists... all male. they drink a lot.) then walk pass my favorite "retreat for naughty priests"~ the mother of mary~ priest's,

 (i'm not  kidding) church & rectory, and the sisters of the sacred blood, (again i'm not kidding) nunnery. after the "sister cemetery" and the "nun walk," ~ a 1/4mile contemplative path for the nuns to reflect~

(the sister cemetery)

 (the infamous nun walk)

(wild rose hips!)

 i reach the bodi zen center~ a Buddhist retreat. 

a very special sanctuary for meditation and truly a sacred spot. depending on their moods the Buddhists can be very generous, or stingy with the natural hot springs on their property. today after clearance from a few young male Buddhists i am allowed access.

 what can i say about the fountain of youth..... the springs have healing powers and will make one feel that there truly is heaven on earth. i soak in the springs for at least two hours. at first listening to the chant of a visiting dalai lama sharing the pools with me. his chant is melodic and soothing... simply the most reassuring sound one can witness.  after his chant he introduces himself and says he is from arkansas. who knew there were Buddhists in arkansas?!

(the founder of bodhi zen center)

 later i am joined by a woman from montreal, canada. she has a heavy accent and the prerequisite short hair worn by all Buddhists. we have a peaceful chat which ends in her asking me where she can get a nice bottle of wine. turns out she made a spaghetti sauce and feels a bottle of red will be all she needs to complete the meal. she is right of course.
 i direct her to ponderosa winery which is approx. 2 miles from jemez. raymond later tells me that it's actually 20 miles away.... it is hard to tell distance in jemez springs.. one mile seems like ten.