I had a surprise this weekend. I got an email on Thursday asking me if I would be the guest speaker at a yacht club dinner event. Totally a surprise. I have helped Yoh Sensei with a talk in Lad Vegas but this would be my first invite on my own. Shocking since I am no one special. Hmmm ok, I was told I could speak on a topic on my choice. I chose ” Zen and the faces of sailing”.
I figured I could touch on several things in one shot. Zen and sailing, the Zen 24 boat and the Pacific Eco- Passage. I did not have much time to put together something. I worked at the marina office on Sat so I used that time to organize my talk.
What is Zen and how the art of sailing is a form of Zen practice was the starting point of the talk. Zen is not just about sitting peacefully crossed leg with a blank mind. There is a form and a formless practice. From there I went into Yoh Sensei and the Zen 24. Next I spoke on expanding the thoughts and practice of Zen and the compassion aspect life. This philosophy of interdependence included showing compassion for all life with our actions toward to the planet and oceans. This really is a selfish act because what we do to the Oceans we do to ourselves both the good and bad all cones back to us in some form via food or water.
The end section of the lecture dealt with the Pacific Eco-Passage, the Eco Flag Organization, and supporting companies that have Eco-minded products, such as Green bottom paint, Plant based plastic-ware and services like The Blue Pelican. Re-cycle, Re-duce, Re-think
The lecture seemed to go over well there was a fair amount of interest and comments. It was good practice.
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