Thursday April 7th

This is a late entry, as my computer was unable to connect to the internet last night...

Yesterday (Thursday) we focused on getting paint off the base of the Long Life Stupa. We decided to use the power washer alone, as it did work, even if in tediously small increments. A large portion of the day was devoted to working on this, but in the end, we resigned ourselves to having to apply yet another coat of stripper. A good amount of paint was removed, and we'll finish going all the way around the base in this same manner before re-spraying, in hopes that this next coat will be the final one for the stripper. It is effective, but expensive, so we're trying to maximize the benefit with a little elbow grease.

We also spent some time working on the small Stupa repairs. Some mortar that was not finished properly (we're learning this art...) was scraped down. More tedious work, but there is benefit in every movement of that scraper.

Our hearts are firm in doing whatever it takes to restore these amazing structures to a condition reflecting our devotion to them. It is, of course, much more satisfying to engage in the drama of scraping off the stripper and seeing lots of change in a short time. We're now getting down to the details though, where patience and perseverance are cultivated. We've got more crowd pleasing drama around the corner, when we paint, and when we strip another Stupa, but the diligence we put into the repair work will pay off when the top coat goes on. Ultimately, the goal is to really be mindful, and restore them to the very best of our ability. They are the very presence of enlightenment in the world, here for no other reason than to benefit beings, whether human or non-human, Buddhist or non-Buddhist. We are privileged with the honor of caring for them, preserving them, and keeping them available for many lifetimes to come! So what some call tedious, we call focused.
: )

Please come visit us if you're in the area! If not, we invite you to share this profound experience with us here. We'll do our best to keep you posted daily, and provide lots of photos (when we remember our cameras!). The Stupas are here to bring blessings to all beings who see them, hear of them, or even recall them. They pacify the negativity of the land around them, and bring peace and prosperity. They are an offering to anyone looking for relief, for a refuge. What you see on these pages is absolute proof there are ordinary folks working diligently, every day, to make such a refuge possible, to keep it available to anyone or anything that needs it.