April 15th

Today we began removing stripper from the Enlightenment Stupa. In technical terms we were successful. : ) The stripper worked, the paint does come off....but it is VERY difficult work (see PHOTOS). That's cool though, we all admitted we might have some fairly heavy karma to burn off.

We found that it takes much longer than we had thought to remove. Consequently I was there power washing until after dark. We're going to try working differently next time, to try and catch the stripper when it has worked but not yet begun to dry. We're going to start spraying smaller areas on more sides of the Stupa so the power washing can start sooner. We had a good turn out today though, which helped a lot. This paint became like rubber, which could be removed, but it took lot of elbow grease. The more elbows we have, the quicker it goes. Although I must say "quick" is not a word I'd use much in this project. : ) "Faster than it could be" would be a better way to put it, as the process is slow and tedious.

For those of you that associate "slow and tedious" with "unpleasant" you'll be pleased to know that after a while, the sense of tedium does dissolve into a peaceful acceptance. The pure joy of having the opportunity to engage in such auspicious and meritorious activity arises once the will to resist the effort involved becomes exhausted. Though we'd all like to see the project completed quickly for the sake of the Stupas, the work itself is a source of great joy. Come on out and try it, it really does produce happiness, now and in the future. No one will question you if you try it and decide it is too much. You can come when you can and leave when you want...but look out, this work can be habit forming! You'll note from the photos on this blog that almost everyone who has come out to help keeps coming back. : )

That said, we are open to faster options. It is, after all, our goal to completely restore ALL the Stupas on the property this summer! Suggestions are welcome, and we are going to look into "sandblasting", though I understand now that there are alternatives to sand as the abrasive agent. We'll go slow if necessary to protect the concrete (see PHOTO ABOVE), but we're hoping someone with a skillful understanding of the process can get past this "stucco" layer without harming the concrete underneath. We'll keep you all posted!

By the way, the Baking Soda Blasting option has been pretty much ruled out. The estimate came back, and it is about 5 times as much as we have in our account right now, so we'll stick with old fashioned manual labor unless we find a more affordable alternative.

May all virtue and merit generated by this activity be devoted to relieving the suffering of every sentient being! May all those with the good fortune to witness this process, in person or via this blog, gain confidence that there are real people, ordinary people, who are willing to set aside their days, evenings, and weekends to engage in tedious, difficult activity in order to keep these precious Stupas in the world. The Stupas exist only for the purpose of benefiting beings. They are the Enlightened Mind in form, out in the open air, welcoming all beings without judgment or preference, with complete equanimity. We ordinary folks dedicate our effort and time in order to offer these precious structures to you. Please do join us, either here on the web or in person at the temple if you can. It will change your life if you let it...