Unger is the Missing Link

Brian Unger sends this news from Missing Links Press including an announcement that his illustrated novel, San Sebastian, will be out soon. 

Q and A bout our wedding priest

Andrew Main wrote:

You write that the wedding was performed "by a Buddhist priest in the Theravada tradition." This is the first I've heard of a Theravada priesthood; so far as I knew, the Theravada community consists of monastics (bhikkhu, bhikkhuni – though there've been none of the latter for some centuries – and several junior versions of same – samanera, mae chi, etc.) and laypeople, but no priests as in Zen and other Mahayana schools.
This guy doesn't look like a bhikkhu – layman's hair and clothing, though the coat is the traditional saffron color. Is this a special Indonesian/Balian version of Theravada?

DC answered:

Yes - he has a family and was a businessman. I think I commented somewhere in one of these Wedding label posts about him being a priest. It seems to be just something here in Bali. This isn't like Thailand - loose in a different way. We call the Theravada monks, Bhante and he's a pendeta which covers from ministers to Hindu priests. The Hindu priests get married etc. I've seen Muslims here put out offerings which is to spirits which sure isn't a Muslim thing to do. Hinduism here is voodoo. Culture is strong. It's all beyond me. I don't try to understand it. In a prior post 've got a link to his temple which is only six years old or so - on the site of a Hindu temple I think. He told me that the banjar, neighborhood governing body, supports his temple but clearly so do some wealthy Indonesians (I surmise). The one where I did the retreat has had a lot of money both for buildings and supporting vipassana retreats. I met a man representing the foundation that supports it and he was from Java - they are of Chinese descent but the teachers are from Burma and Thailand. I was pleased to find this here, am not a fan of most Chinese Buddhist temples in terms of anything other than sightseeing.

Dinner

Eating half a kilo of shrimp bought at the Sindhu Pasar, morning market (in photo). Shrimp not so large - (about three bucks US). Used to get the woman to clean them which she'll do for no added cost but we've learned - from Malay Lai Mun - that the flavor is better if cooked before cleaned. So mainly now we clean them while we eat using newspaper between our plates to put the shells etc on. Katrinka steamed them in filtered water (we filter our own - don't buy it which the Indonesians I know also do), steamed with lemon grass and basil.

That with a brown-red rice mix and veggies sauteed with dill, shallots, and garlic - bok choy, tomato, and what she calls interesting mushrooms that she gets at the market. We go out much less these days and eat at cheap local places in shacks more when we do, but the best food is what she makes - usually while I read to her. Put the shrimp cleanings out in the field. Apologies to strict vegetarians. - dc

A Glimpse of Bali

Mention an article in the Bali Advertiser here now and then. It's really excellent - know that sounds funny with a name like that. But the Sanur Weekly is good too. Just wanted to feature one article, the one on page 40 titled Water Source Choking on Plastic. It's by far the most important item in the issue. But their website only gives the option of viewing the whole thing and didn't want to go to the trouble of extricating it. So here's a link to the whole issue.
It's a PDF that you can read in your browser. Also note that prosecutors are appealing the one year sentence for two guys who were caught smoking pot on the beach and had a joint. They want the full four years. Welcome to paradise.

Soen Nakagawa brush painting

I have to sell this treasure from my meditation room inorder to send to my daughter to an out-of-state university.

N.J. Pierotti - a long time cukester 

See it larger on this page for it on Etsy.

Thank You and OK!

Since plugged Zen Is Right Here Yesterday, thought would plug this book today - published 21 years ago as a Penguin book, now Shambhala.

Thank You and OK cuke page

Labor Practices

The tradition here is for people to work everyday and take off when there's a ceremony and there are a lot of ceremonies. But still it seems to me they get taken advantage of. Blind Londoner Philip next door has Nyoman who's with him all day everyday. Philip's wife Rini has a helper named Ilu who's with her and her baby, Mary, all the time. She's living there.
They don't seem to have days off and I bet they get paid a shocking little.  Ilu came back with Rini recently from the village where they come from. Ilu had never been to the big city, Denpasar - and Sanur is on the edge of Denpasar - and this is not a big island - four hours to get anywhere. I don't think it occurs to anyone including Ilu that maybe she should see something, some sights - the beach a block away. Think I'll bring it up with Philip and Nyoman (whom Philip calls Neuman) while they're at the pool drinking beer - or maybe while they're at the porch drinking beer. [That image is from a local nanny service website]- dc