This year marks the 30th anniversary of the land purchase for Mountain Water, when the project began to become real. The years since have been a series of miracles leading up to now. Generosity being a special kind of miracle. We moved into the studio building in late summer of 2019, just before the pandemic set in. Since then, many artists, friends, and family have come, many for repeat retreats. The place works its own miracles.
Three recent gifts deserve mention; they come from very different parts of the galaxy. The first is a handsome stone incised with a gold image of Padmasambhava, the celebrated 8th century Indian teacher, revered for his pivotal role in introducing Buddhism to Tibet. This gift was part of a global effort initiated by Vanessa Wang, a Chinese philanthropist, who has overseen the placement of thousands of these beautiful steles all over the world, with the intention of pacifying the increasing chaos of humanity. In keeping with the recommendations, the stone is placed outside at Mountain Water at the base of an ancient ponderosa pine. Read more about this initiative at Awam Lhasa Ling, a Buddhist Group in Poland.
From elsewhere in the galaxy Mountain Water received a Wish Battery, made by artist Noah Phillips. Noah was a student in our Naropa University classes some years ago; he is now teaching at Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design. The Wish Battery contains over 1,400 good luck copper pennies found by Noah himself over the years, along with a message of generosity and good will. The pennies and message are contained in a custom-etched stainless steel time capsule buried near the Mountain Water building and adjacent to the remains of a century-old schoolhouse. Visit Noah’s website for a more detailed description of the Wish Battery.
Also installed this year is a triangular marble proclamation with the inscription “To All The Beings.” This is a gift from Deborah Haynes, our long time friend and colleague. Deborah lived in Jamestown, Colorado, when the catastrophic flood of 2013 came through. Most of her artwork and materials were washed down James Creek never to be seen again. The triangular piece of Colorado marble seen here was recovered downstream after the floodwaters had receded. It now resides in front of the Mountain Water studio with its message dedicated to the welfare of all beings.
Throughout all of human history artists have persevered in good times and bad. Creative activity is a powerful antidote to nihilism and harmful behaviors. The times we are witnessing can be taken as encouragement to reaffirm a commitment to sanity and caring.
As Toni Morrison said, “This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal.” This is our purpose at Mountain Water.
In addition to self-directed retreats, we offer in-house tutorials in drawing, painting, watercolor, and general creativity, all in the context of contemplative inquiry. Both of us have many years of training and teaching in studio arts and mindfulness meditation and can assist you in designing a retreat that includes instruction and lots of studio time. Numerous writers have also found their way here; they find the simple solitude the perfect thing for concentrated work.
Your retreat can be any duration of your choosing; it could be solo or with a group of like-minded friends. Let us know if this interests you. Please feel welcome to come for a retreat before too long. Mountain Water’s embrace of beauty, space, and conviviality works its magic quite reliably.
