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Thread: [EcoDharma] ECO-Life

  1. #51
    Thank you everyone for keeping this going while I've been away and with such inspiring posts.
    Kyonin, you are an inspiration. This is exactly the kind of lifestyle that I aspire to and I hope to get nearer to fulfilling that in time.
    Today I took the Extinction Rebellion pledge not to buy any new clothes for a year - this is not just about ugly and unnecessary consumerism, but about how land that could be used to grow food to feed people is instead being used to grow cotton to satisfy our endless and overwhelming demand for fashionable new clothes. I was very proud of myself on my visit to the UK not to fall prey to the temptation of Primark - Neil and other Brits will know what I mean!

    Please keep the ideas and good practices coming, I'm finding a lot of inspiration in this thread and I hope others are too.

    Oh and Neil I'm so glad you loved this beautiful island - in fact as we are fairly isolated and imported goods are very expensive, this is an ideal place to try to live a simpler life.

    Gassho
    Meitou
    sattoday

    Neil thank you for your lovely comments about Sardinia, this is a good place to live a more simple life. I'm in Alghero, did you visit this area?
    命 Mei - life
    島 Tou - island

  2. #52
    Although not of our tradition, I really enjoyed this article in Tricycle about a Theravada Forest Tradition monastery which has been established in BC Canada by Ajahn Sona, a monk somewhat ahead of his time in his dedication to nature and eco dharma. I particularly liked his stories about his early 'pioneering days', but doubt he misses them!

    https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/ajah...c066-307791069

    Gassho
    Meitou
    satwithyoualltodaylah
    命 Mei - life
    島 Tou - island

  3. #53
    Quote Originally Posted by Meitou View Post
    Although not of our tradition, I really enjoyed this article in Tricycle about a Theravada Forest Tradition monastery which has been established in BC Canada by Ajahn Sona, a monk somewhat ahead of his time in his dedication to nature and eco dharma. I particularly liked his stories about his early 'pioneering days', but doubt he misses them!

    https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/ajah...c066-307791069

    Gassho
    Meitou
    satwithyoualltodaylah
    Very cool! I was hoping for more details about how they live, it's really amazing and beautiful.

    Gassho,
    Jakuden
    SatToday/LAH

  4. #54
    Quote Originally Posted by Meitou View Post
    Although not of our tradition, I really enjoyed this article in Tricycle about a Theravada Forest Tradition monastery which has been established in BC Canada by Ajahn Sona, a monk somewhat ahead of his time in his dedication to nature and eco dharma. I particularly liked his stories about his early 'pioneering days', but doubt he misses them!

    https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/ajah...c066-307791069

    Gassho
    Meitou
    satwithyoualltodaylah
    Thank you. That was interesting.


    Tairin
    Sat today and lah
    泰林 - Tai Rin - Peaceful Woods

  5. #55
    Quote Originally Posted by Meitou View Post
    Thank you everyone for keeping this going while I've been away and with such inspiring posts.
    Kyonin, you are an inspiration. This is exactly the kind of lifestyle that I aspire to and I hope to get nearer to fulfilling that in time.
    Today I took the Extinction Rebellion pledge not to buy any new clothes for a year - this is not just about ugly and unnecessary consumerism, but about how land that could be used to grow food to feed people is instead being used to grow cotton to satisfy our endless and overwhelming demand for fashionable new clothes. I was very proud of myself on my visit to the UK not to fall prey to the temptation of Primark - Neil and other Brits will know what I mean!

    Please keep the ideas and good practices coming, I'm finding a lot of inspiration in this thread and I hope others are too.

    Oh and Neil I'm so glad you loved this beautiful island - in fact as we are fairly isolated and imported goods are very expensive, this is an ideal place to try to live a simpler life.

    Gassho
    Meitou
    sattoday

    Neil thank you for your lovely comments about Sardinia, this is a good place to live a more simple life. I'm in Alghero, did you visit this area?
    Yes, the temptation to pick up some cheap clothes in Primark is, well, tempting!

    We nearly visited Alghero but the first time opted for a few days in Cagliari then 10 days or so down the coast in Pula. The second time we were at a wedding on the east Coast near Siniscola but did make it up in the mountains to Nuoro, I think. If we visit again it will definitely include Alghero!

    On the Eco front we're now looking at how we can remove plastic from the bathroom - bamboo toothbrushes, shampoo bars rather than bottles are a few easy wins, I think.

    Gassho,

    Neil.

  6. #56
    I have a neighbor who has turned about half of their front yard into the most lovely garden. I love walking by in the evening and seeing all her veggies coming up. It is truly amazing, because I tried for a couple years to grow herbs in my front yard and they kept getting destroyed by stray cats. If I see her out working the garden I always comment on how nice it is, because I know it's an odd type of front yard to have.

    Seeing it the other night it reminded me of this family, who turned their house into an urban homestead. They live on a normal size lot in southern California and are able to produce all the vegetables they eat, and have enough extra to sell to people. While I don't think I'm going to quit my day job to do urban homesteading, it is interesting to see what can be accomplished in small places.

    IMG_1467-1024x683.jpg

    http://urbanhomestead.org/

    Remember "one raindrop raises the sea"; any small step makes a difference.

    Gassho,

    Shoka
    sattoday

  7. #57

    ECO-Life

    Quote Originally Posted by Shoka View Post
    I have a neighbor who has turned about half of their front yard into the most lovely garden. I love walking by in the evening and seeing all her veggies coming up. It is truly amazing, because I tried for a couple years to grow herbs in my front yard and they kept getting destroyed by stray cats. If I see her out working the garden I always comment on how nice it is, because I know it's an odd type of front yard to have.

    Seeing it the other night it reminded me of this family, who turned their house into an urban homestead. They live on a normal size lot in southern California and are able to produce all the vegetables they eat, and have enough extra to sell to people. While I don't think I'm going to quit my day job to do urban homesteading, it is interesting to see what can be accomplished in small places.

    IMG_1467-1024x683.jpg

    http://urbanhomestead.org/

    Remember "one raindrop raises the sea"; any small step makes a difference.

    Gassho,

    Shoka
    sattoday
    Wow! That is an inspirational photo. I struggle with gardening for some reason but my mother and aunts do it- here (California) in our backyards and in the Philippines. Fortunately, I don’t have a front yard full of thirsty grass, but I do have a smaller backyard.

    I am starting small with herbs, but I am trying again! We have also started to be more eco-conscious in our home- less meat, re-assessing what we use and don’t use, recycling with more consistancy, etc.

    Thank you for renewing my commitment.

    Gassho
    Krissy
    Sat/lah today


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
    Last edited by krissydear; 07-31-2019 at 07:10 PM.
    Thank you for teaching me.

    I am very much a beginner and appreciate any words you may give me.

  8. #58
    Kyotai
    Guest
    That is impressive

    Gassho Kyotai

    Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk

  9. #59
    Shoka, that is amazing, it's so beautiful as well, truly inspiring. I'm definitely going to try harder next year with growing veg in pots and containers.

    Talking of vegetables, I've just finished a plant based week of eating as part of a Vegan Society initiative, and today I've just seen another project for three weeks vegan eating in September. I'm being made increasingly and uncomfortably aware of the negative impact on the environment I'm having by eating animal products, and also today an article about vegetarianism and Buddhism ( yes that old chestnut) also pricked my conscience. My problem is that whenever I try plant based eating, it doesn't seem to agree with me, carbs seem to have a bad effect on me. I'm just wondering if anyone here has any advice regarding this - I keep seeing people saying how healthy they feel on a plant based diet, yet there's my experience, not feeling healthy and putting on weight too. Ugh, what am I doing wrong?!

    Gassho
    Meitou
    sattodaylah
    命 Mei - life
    島 Tou - island

  10. #60
    Quote Originally Posted by Shoka View Post
    I have a neighbor who has turned about half of their front yard into the most lovely garden. I love walking by in the evening and seeing all her veggies coming up. It is truly amazing, because I tried for a couple years to grow herbs in my front yard and they kept getting destroyed by stray cats. If I see her out working the garden I always comment on how nice it is, because I know it's an odd type of front yard to have.

    Seeing it the other night it reminded me of this family, who turned their house into an urban homestead. They live on a normal size lot in southern California and are able to produce all the vegetables they eat, and have enough extra to sell to people. While I don't think I'm going to quit my day job to do urban homesteading, it is interesting to see what can be accomplished in small places.

    IMG_1467-1024x683.jpg

    http://urbanhomestead.org/

    Remember "one raindrop raises the sea"; any small step makes a difference.

    Gassho,

    Shoka
    sattoday
    That is a great story Shoka, and I love the picture.

    Just to be a little tangential - the picture reminded me of a TV show from the 70s/80s (yes I am old) that ran on PBS here in the US. It was called Good Neighbors here and The Good Life in the UK where is was shot and filmed. The premise was that a person who had a successful career as a plastics designer (toys) decided to give it all up and become self sustaining on his home in a wealthy suburb in the UK. His neighbors weren't happy. My recollection was that his yard looked much like your picture.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Go...975_TV_series)

    I guess the show was a bit ahead of its time.

    Gassho, Shinshi

    SaT-LaH
    空道 心志 Kudo Shinshi
    I am just a priest-in-training, any resemblance between what I post and actual teachings is purely coincidental.
    E84I - JAJ

  11. #61
    Hi Meitou

    Maybe you could describe the “negative effects” eating plant based has on you. Maybe they aren’t as uncommon or negative as you think.


    Tairin
    Sat today and lah
    泰林 - Tai Rin - Peaceful Woods

  12. #62
    Quote Originally Posted by Meitou View Post
    Shoka, that is amazing, it's so beautiful as well, truly inspiring. I'm definitely going to try harder next year with growing veg in pots and containers.

    Talking of vegetables, I've just finished a plant based week of eating as part of a Vegan Society initiative, and today I've just seen another project for three weeks vegan eating in September. I'm being made increasingly and uncomfortably aware of the negative impact on the environment I'm having by eating animal products, and also today an article about vegetarianism and Buddhism ( yes that old chestnut) also pricked my conscience. My problem is that whenever I try plant based eating, it doesn't seem to agree with me, carbs seem to have a bad effect on me. I'm just wondering if anyone here has any advice regarding this - I keep seeing people saying how healthy they feel on a plant based diet, yet there's my experience, not feeling healthy and putting on weight too. Ugh, what am I doing wrong?!

    Gassho
    Meitou
    sattodaylah
    I have the same problem, I get digestive discomfort, gain weight from the carbs and generally feel hypoglycemic and yucky if I don’t have at least a small amount of animal protein.

    Gassho
    Jakuden
    SatToday/LAH


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

  13. #63
    Quote Originally Posted by Shoka View Post
    I have a neighbor who has turned about half of their front yard into the most lovely garden. I love walking by in the evening and seeing all her veggies coming up. It is truly amazing, because I tried for a couple years to grow herbs in my front yard and they kept getting destroyed by stray cats. If I see her out working the garden I always comment on how nice it is, because I know it's an odd type of front yard to have.

    Seeing it the other night it reminded me of this family, who turned their house into an urban homestead. They live on a normal size lot in southern California and are able to produce all the vegetables they eat, and have enough extra to sell to people. While I don't think I'm going to quit my day job to do urban homesteading, it is interesting to see what can be accomplished in small places.

    IMG_1467-1024x683.jpg

    http://urbanhomestead.org/

    Remember "one raindrop raises the sea"; any small step makes a difference.

    Gassho,

    Shoka
    sattoday
    Amazing

    Doshin
    St

  14. #64
    Quote Originally Posted by Meitou View Post
    Shoka, that is amazing, it's so beautiful as well, truly inspiring. I'm definitely going to try harder next year with growing veg in pots and containers.

    Talking of vegetables, I've just finished a plant based week of eating as part of a Vegan Society initiative, and today I've just seen another project for three weeks vegan eating in September. I'm being made increasingly and uncomfortably aware of the negative impact on the environment I'm having by eating animal products, and also today an article about vegetarianism and Buddhism ( yes that old chestnut) also pricked my conscience. My problem is that whenever I try plant based eating, it doesn't seem to agree with me, carbs seem to have a bad effect on me. I'm just wondering if anyone here has any advice regarding this - I keep seeing people saying how healthy they feel on a plant based diet, yet there's my experience, not feeling healthy and putting on weight too. Ugh, what am I doing wrong?!

    Gassho
    Meitou
    sattodaylah
    Hi Meitou,

    If you're cooking beans and lentils, I'd definitely experiment with adding stuff like Asafoetida, Coriander leaves, Cloves, Cumin, Cinnamon etc. With vegetables especially, a little bit of garlic and ginger works great. Post meals, we pop a bit of jaggery around here to help it go down. All great digestive aids (assuming no food allergies of course )

    Gassho
    Anant
    SaT

  15. #65
    Quote Originally Posted by Meitou View Post
    Talking of vegetables, I've just finished a plant based week of eating as part of a Vegan Society initiative, and today I've just seen another project for three weeks vegan eating in September. I'm being made increasingly and uncomfortably aware of the negative impact on the environment I'm having by eating animal products, and also today an article about vegetarianism and Buddhism ( yes that old chestnut) also pricked my conscience. My problem is that whenever I try plant based eating, it doesn't seem to agree with me, carbs seem to have a bad effect on me. I'm just wondering if anyone here has any advice regarding this - I keep seeing people saying how healthy they feel on a plant based diet, yet there's my experience, not feeling healthy and putting on weight too. Ugh, what am I doing wrong?!

    Meitou,

    So I'll tell my story on my GI track and why I can't be vegan or vegetarian. (I'll try to keep it short without all the gross stuff.)

    A few years ago, I was sick for months. There was at least a 6 month period, when I was always hungry even after eating a big meal I never felt satisfied. My body wasn't gaining weight but I looked two sizes bigger. And I was deficient in several vitamins. I spent a few months doing tests, tracking what I was eating, and doing some procedures to check my insides. Something was clearly wrong, but we weren't having much luck figuring out what. So on a whim my doctor said to cut gluten and dairy and eat as bland as possible for a week. I had chicken and white rice soup mainly. And I felt amazing! Yippee!

    Then we started adding foods back in, fruits and veggies cause they are good for you, right? Suddenly things started to not feel as good anymore. My system was having a hard time again, and I wasn't processing the food correctly.

    The end of the story is that I'm gluten intolerant, and allergic to dairy. I also can't handle veggies which are too fibrous like kale and cabbage (even through I love them so). Really any sturdy veggie is hard on my system. Also fruits alone as a bad plan, something with the sugar levels and my body over reacting to it.

    For me, I can eat vegan or vegetarian for a day or two; but after that the fiber levels get too high, sugars get out of whack and my body stops processing things correctly. So it's not a sustainable diet for me.

    The reason I'm sharing this is because it took months of trail and error to figure out what was wrong. Everything you read or see, says an apple should be good, kale is great for this, eat a banana for for potassium... etc, etc. But I believe that every body is different; a diet that works wonderfully for someone won't necessarily work for everyone.

    If switching to veganism is something you really want to do, then talk with your doctor about the side affects and see what they say. You never know there could be something else or they might suggest a better way to transition so your body is happier.

    Gassho,

    Shoka
    sattoday

  16. #66
    I work in construction (as I think most everyone knows by now), so I wear jeans almost all the time and ruin them pretty fast. Earlier this week I had a relatively new pair that got snagged on something at work and split a seam.

    I was really close to tossing them out, when I decided to take just a few minutes to stitch them back together. I grabbed my small sewing kit that I have from sewing rakusu and use the exact same stitch to gently close the seam.

    They are good as new. Many the three Rs should become four Repair.

    Gassho,

    Shoka
    sat/lah

  17. #67
    Quote Originally Posted by Shoka View Post
    Meitou,

    So I'll tell my story on my GI track and why I can't be vegan or vegetarian. (I'll try to keep it short without all the gross stuff.)

    A few years ago, I was sick for months. There was at least a 6 month period, when I was always hungry even after eating a big meal I never felt satisfied. My body wasn't gaining weight but I looked two sizes bigger. And I was deficient in several vitamins. I spent a few months doing tests, tracking what I was eating, and doing some procedures to check my insides. Something was clearly wrong, but we weren't having much luck figuring out what. So on a whim my doctor said to cut gluten and dairy and eat as bland as possible for a week. I had chicken and white rice soup mainly. And I felt amazing! Yippee!

    Then we started adding foods back in, fruits and veggies cause they are good for you, right? Suddenly things started to not feel as good anymore. My system was having a hard time again, and I wasn't processing the food correctly.

    The end of the story is that I'm gluten intolerant, and allergic to dairy. I also can't handle veggies which are too fibrous like kale and cabbage (even through I love them so). Really any sturdy veggie is hard on my system. Also fruits alone as a bad plan, something with the sugar levels and my body over reacting to it.

    For me, I can eat vegan or vegetarian for a day or two; but after that the fiber levels get too high, sugars get out of whack and my body stops processing things correctly. So it's not a sustainable diet for me.

    The reason I'm sharing this is because it took months of trail and error to figure out what was wrong. Everything you read or see, says an apple should be good, kale is great for this, eat a banana for for potassium... etc, etc. But I believe that every body is different; a diet that works wonderfully for someone won't necessarily work for everyone.

    If switching to veganism is something you really want to do, then talk with your doctor about the side affects and see what they say. You never know there could be something else or they might suggest a better way to transition so your body is happier.

    Gassho,

    Shoka
    sattoday
    Thank you, Shoka. Although my diet is mostly vegetarian (I can't handle much meat), I'm glad I'm not alone in food sensitivities. Foods like broccoli, legumes, onions, cabbage, and dairy put me in severe pain. I avoid most gluten by default.

    I drink almond or soymilk, and stick with a small range of foods I know are safe, with yogurt and nuts.

    Gassho
    Kim
    St lh

    Sent from my SM-G930U using Tapatalk
    My life is my temple and my practice.

  18. #68
    Quote Originally Posted by Shoka View Post
    Meitou,

    So I'll tell my story on my GI track and why I can't be vegan or vegetarian. (I'll try to keep it short without all the gross stuff.)

    A few years ago, I was sick for months. There was at least a 6 month period, when I was always hungry even after eating a big meal I never felt satisfied. My body wasn't gaining weight but I looked two sizes bigger. And I was deficient in several vitamins. I spent a few months doing tests, tracking what I was eating, and doing some procedures to check my insides. Something was clearly wrong, but we weren't having much luck figuring out what. So on a whim my doctor said to cut gluten and dairy and eat as bland as possible for a week. I had chicken and white rice soup mainly. And I felt amazing! Yippee!

    Then we started adding foods back in, fruits and veggies cause they are good for you, right? Suddenly things started to not feel as good anymore. My system was having a hard time again, and I wasn't processing the food correctly.

    The end of the story is that I'm gluten intolerant, and allergic to dairy. I also can't handle veggies which are too fibrous like kale and cabbage (even through I love them so). Really any sturdy veggie is hard on my system. Also fruits alone as a bad plan, something with the sugar levels and my body over reacting to it.

    For me, I can eat vegan or vegetarian for a day or two; but after that the fiber levels get too high, sugars get out of whack and my body stops processing things correctly. So it's not a sustainable diet for me.

    The reason I'm sharing this is because it took months of trail and error to figure out what was wrong. Everything you read or see, says an apple should be good, kale is great for this, eat a banana for for potassium... etc, etc. But I believe that every body is different; a diet that works wonderfully for someone won't necessarily work for everyone.

    If switching to veganism is something you really want to do, then talk with your doctor about the side affects and see what they say. You never know there could be something else or they might suggest a better way to transition so your body is happier.

    Gassho,

    Shoka
    sattoday
    Thank you Shoka and everyone who has replied to this. I've been doing some reading and find that I'm really ignorant about recent developments - still living in the 70's I think! I've learned that there's now a perceived difference between vegan and plant based, and I've come around to thinking that in the past my vegan eating wasn't very healthy - I was kind of aware of that anyway, but buried my head in the sand with the thought that I wasn't eating meat or dairy - ergo I was eating better. Wrong. I agree Shoka, it takes a lot of time, trial and flexibility to find what suits, one size doesn't fit all. I'm currently reading Forks Over Knives which is all about whole food and plant based eating which I think may suit me better. Has anyone else read this?

    And yes to repairing clothes - the Japanese have made an art form out of it of course!

    Gassho
    Meitou
    satwithyoualltodaylah
    命 Mei - life
    島 Tou - island

  19. #69
    Some thought for you from our friend Susan Moon

    https://tricycle.org/magazine/stop-shopping/


    Tairin
    Sat today and lah
    泰林 - Tai Rin - Peaceful Woods

  20. #70
    Quote Originally Posted by Tairin View Post
    Some thought for you from our friend Susan Moon

    https://tricycle.org/magazine/stop-shopping/


    Tairin
    Sat today and lah
    This was a delightful read, thank you for sharing Tairin

    Gassho
    Anant
    SaT

  21. #71
    My friends,
    The fires on Siberia and Amazon are constantly on my thoughts these last days. I'm very sad with what is happening and angry (difficult to overcome) with my government's responses to it. The fires in Brazil were probably men made and are a result of many inadequacies in our economy and politics. It is a little common to have fires here where I live, in the cerrado (which is a savannah kind of vegetation) and the caatinga (a semi-arid vegetation), in the Center and Northeast of Brazil, as these are very dry areas. But the Amazon is a rain forest, full of humidity and regular (in some places even daily) rain. It is most unusual that a rain forest burns with fires. A clear sign that something is really wrong with the environment.
    I kept thinking “what can I do?”, and the only answer that came is this: stop to by agricultural products from non-sustainable sources. The fires are made in order to create new land, mainly for cattle, soy and cotton. The only thing I can do is to stop financing the agrobusiness, specially the plantation owners that keep these unsustainable practices. It’s even worse when I remember the amount of pesticides that are being used.
    So my wife and I have decided to stop buying non organic or non-agroecological vegetables, stop buying meat (I already don’t eat meat, but she does) and find alternatives from trustworthy sources. For us here, in a small town, it will be a lot harder (I still couldn’t find a supplier of onion that met the organic/agroecological criterion). This is easier for you, my American, European and Asian friends, to do, as I simply urge you to stop buying Brazilian agricultural goods. It is a little thing we can do in order to press the Brazilian agrobusiness to stop.
    Gassho,
    Mateus
    Sat today/LAH
    怠努 (Tai Do) - Lazy Effort
    (also known as Mateus )

    禅戒一如 (Zen Kai Ichi Nyo) - Zazen and the Precepts are One!

  22. #72
    Yesterday my washing machine decided it would be fun to dump gallons of water all over the laundry room and kitchen floor, I'm guessing a washer inside failed. But it was broken. And I had work today, without any clean socks or pants. So I got to experience hand-washing in the bathtub.

    It's funny because as I was doing it I thought, "wow, this would be a real pain to do with all the clothes I wear every week." Then I remembered something my grandma had told me about their house (which was an old farmer house). They had built closets in the bedrooms sometime in the 80's. I laughed at that and said, "What did people do with their clothes before that?" She said, "Well we didn't used to have as many clothes as we have today. They just had pegs on the wall, because a woman might only have 2 or 3 dresses, and one nice Sunday dress."

    It's seems an oddity in today's society to have so few clothes. But it makes sense since it has become so convenient to wash and dry them, why not have a bunch? This experience might have impressed me to try an experiment.

    Gassho,

    Shoka
    sattoday

  23. #73
    Quote Originally Posted by Shoka View Post
    Yesterday my washing machine decided it would be fun to dump gallons of water all over the laundry room and kitchen floor, I'm guessing a washer inside failed. But it was broken. And I had work today, without any clean socks or pants. So I got to experience hand-washing in the bathtub.

    It's funny because as I was doing it I thought, "wow, this would be a real pain to do with all the clothes I wear every week." Then I remembered something my grandma had told me about their house (which was an old farmer house). They had built closets in the bedrooms sometime in the 80's. I laughed at that and said, "What did people do with their clothes before that?" She said, "Well we didn't used to have as many clothes as we have today. They just had pegs on the wall, because a woman might only have 2 or 3 dresses, and one nice Sunday dress."

    It's seems an oddity in today's society to have so few clothes. But it makes sense since it has become so convenient to wash and dry them, why not have a bunch? This experience might have impressed me to try an experiment.

    Gassho,

    Shoka
    sattoday
    Hello Shoka,

    My wife didn't have a washer when I moved in with her. I'd washed things by hand before, but never as my main method of cleaning clothing. At first my hands ached, and I found I could only wash a couple pairs of clothing at a time before it was too painful to continue. We hoped to buy a washer, but money was tight and eventually my hands stopped aching and hand washing everything became normal. I've washed everything by hand in room temperature water since.

    I've found I don't need much clothing - although those old farmers had much less than I do. I need three of anything I wear daily in a given season - one to wear while the other two are washed and hung up to dry. Having a couple additional pieces is nice during the rainy months when it's hard to dry clothing. More than five of the same thing is unnecessary surplus for how I live (how many you need really depends on how you live). Since I don't have many items, I wear a few plain colours that all match. Now I never spend more than a moment to decide what to wear.

    Everyone will has to find their own balance.

    I'm curious to hear more about your experiment.

    Gassho,

    Nanrin

    Sat today

    P.S. For anyone considering regularly washing clothes by hand, I'd highly recommend getting a basin for the task. Sinks tend to be too small, bathtubs too big, buckets are too small and too narrow. If you use a non-toxic soap/detergent, the waste water can be used to water plants too.

  24. #74
    Quote Originally Posted by mateus.baldin View Post
    My friends,
    The fires on Siberia and Amazon are constantly on my thoughts these last days. I'm very sad with what is happening and angry (difficult to overcome) with my government's responses to it. The fires in Brazil were probably men made and are a result of many inadequacies in our economy and politics. It is a little common to have fires here where I live, in the cerrado (which is a savannah kind of vegetation) and the caatinga (a semi-arid vegetation), in the Center and Northeast of Brazil, as these are very dry areas. But the Amazon is a rain forest, full of humidity and regular (in some places even daily) rain. It is most unusual that a rain forest burns with fires. A clear sign that something is really wrong with the environment.
    I kept thinking “what can I do?”, and the only answer that came is this: stop to by agricultural products from non-sustainable sources. The fires are made in order to create new land, mainly for cattle, soy and cotton. The only thing I can do is to stop financing the agrobusiness, specially the plantation owners that keep these unsustainable practices. It’s even worse when I remember the amount of pesticides that are being used.
    So my wife and I have decided to stop buying non organic or non-agroecological vegetables, stop buying meat (I already don’t eat meat, but she does) and find alternatives from trustworthy sources. For us here, in a small town, it will be a lot harder (I still couldn’t find a supplier of onion that met the organic/agroecological criterion). This is easier for you, my American, European and Asian friends, to do, as I simply urge you to stop buying Brazilian agricultural goods. It is a little thing we can do in order to press the Brazilian agrobusiness to stop.
    Gassho,
    Mateus
    Sat today/LAH

    Thank you for your concern and practice for change.

    Gassho
    Doshin
    St

  25. #75
    Treeleaf Unsui Nengei's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Minnesota's Driftless Area
    I am currently in the process of drastically reducing my wardrobe, and am attempting to follow a single, default look. I found information about something called Project333 that got me started. The idea is to wear only 33 articles of clothing for the next 3 months. Your wedding ring, underwear, sleep wear, lounge wear, and workout gear don't count (as long as you actually wear them for those things). But any outerwear, shoes, and accessories do count. Everything else gets put away.

    My default look at this point is a plain, dark evergreen T-shirt (I have 4 of them) and a pair of brown cargo pants (I have 2 of them). I have selected one button-up shirt to wear if I need it. It's easy at this point because I am currently job-hunting, so I am not required to wear a particular thing. Once I land a job, I will have to be more selective to keep my wardrobe down to 33 items. The "rules" of the project are that if you truly can't keep to 33, it is okay to choose a number that is realistic for your circumstances. I may add work clothes in as "no-count" items.

    Anyway, I have been doing this for two weeks and I like it much, much better than I thought. I thought I would have a hard time letting go of a lot of my differently coloured, logo T shirts, etc., but I don't miss them at all. I like the default look just fine.

    Gassho,
    然芸 Nengei
    Sat today. LAH.

    You deserve to be happy.
    You deserve to be loved.


    Quote Originally Posted by Shoka View Post
    Yesterday my washing machine decided it would be fun to dump gallons of water all over the laundry room and kitchen floor, I'm guessing a washer inside failed. But it was broken. And I had work today, without any clean socks or pants. So I got to experience hand-washing in the bathtub.

    It's funny because as I was doing it I thought, "wow, this would be a real pain to do with all the clothes I wear every week." Then I remembered something my grandma had told me about their house (which was an old farmer house). They had built closets in the bedrooms sometime in the 80's. I laughed at that and said, "What did people do with their clothes before that?" She said, "Well we didn't used to have as many clothes as we have today. They just had pegs on the wall, because a woman might only have 2 or 3 dresses, and one nice Sunday dress."

    It's seems an oddity in today's society to have so few clothes. But it makes sense since it has become so convenient to wash and dry them, why not have a bunch? This experience might have impressed me to try an experiment.

    Gassho,

    Shoka
    sattoday

  26. #76
    When we first moved here we had to wait a couple of weeks before we could get a washing machine. I hand washed everything, either in the double sink or over the bath for bigger items. I found it really hard and decided back then that the one item essential to living was a washing machine.
    Then I thought about my mum; she never had a washing machine, she raised two of us in the time of towelling nappies, which she boiled everyday in a 'copper' on the stove top, she then put everything through a hand turned mangel/wringer, and I have not very fond memories of helping her put dripping sheets through the wringer (outside!) in weather so cold that they dried on the washing line as stiff as boards.
    And I couldn't deal with a couple of weeks of hand washing! I'm more mindful these days of how often I use the washer (conserving power, water etc) and have never owned a drier - thank heavens for our fresh air and mild winters.
    Now that I'm not buying new clothes for at least a year, I'm taking more care of the clothes I have, sometimes handwashing them, repairing when I can and repurposing stuff which is too far gone - salvaging what I can to crochet rugs , rags for cleaning etc.
    I like the idea of a what we might call a capsule wardrobe, as I look closer at the whole issue of fashion and consumerism, I too feel some ideas germinating. Once I start to think about these things, it becomes very hard to unthink them!
    Thank you everyone for continuing to contribute to thus thread.
    Gassho
    Meitou
    Satwithyoualltoday lah
    命 Mei - life
    島 Tou - island

  27. #77
    Quote Originally Posted by Meitou View Post
    Thank you everyone for continuing to contribute to thus thread.
    Thank you, Meitou and everybody, for this thread. I don’t contribute very much here with ideas or stories, but your comments and suggestions have been giving me so much and made me change a lot of things in my life.

    Mateus
    Sat today/LAH

  28. #78
    I managed to buy my winter coat last week on eBay for £11 including shipping!

    We also had to say goodbye to our car in July and since then have had to borrow my wife's mother's a couple of times which has worked well. I know it won't work for many but I do wonder if car pooling/sharing could be a good option for people if done properly.

    Gassho,

    Neil

    StLah

  29. #79
    Quote Originally Posted by mateus.baldin View Post
    Thank you, Meitou and everybody, for this thread. I don’t contribute very much here with ideas or stories, but your comments and suggestions have been giving me so much and made me change a lot of things in my life.

    Mateus
    Sat today/LAH
    Mateus, I always regard you as one of our most sincere and dedicated practitioners and contributors - that you are often a presence here is a contribution in itself, Thank you.
    Gassho
    Meitou
    sattodaylah
    命 Mei - life
    島 Tou - island

  30. #80
    Quote Originally Posted by EnlistedHipster View Post
    I managed to buy my winter coat last week on eBay for £11 including shipping!

    We also had to say goodbye to our car in July and since then have had to borrow my wife's mother's a couple of times which has worked well. I know it won't work for many but I do wonder if car pooling/sharing could be a good option for people if done properly.

    Gassho,

    Neil

    StLah
    Excellent! As I'm not buying new and we don't have charity or thrift shops here, I'm hoping I haven't 'outgrown' my old winter coat
    I never learnt to drive, yes incredible I know, and although my husband has a car, I walk everywhere if I can. I'm lucky that I live in a small town and can walk to supermarkets etc.
    I think car sharing is a great idea, I'd bet there are other people in your community who would be up for that - as well as investigating public transport, often so underused and inexpensive. I've always felt that the more people use public transport, the better it would become in response.
    Gassho
    Meitou
    sattodaylah
    命 Mei - life
    島 Tou - island

  31. #81
    Member Onka's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2019
    Location
    Rural Queensland, so-called Australia
    Not so sure my partner and I make that much of a positive difference in terms of ecological impact but certain elements of what many have said in this thread resonate especially Kyonin and Ninrin.

    We almost live completely off grid in an illegal dwelling that can't be secured and has few windows but do get electricity from a neighbour who has solar panels. Our drinking water supply is from a rainwater tank but we do have access to 'rural water' which is essentially water from the river. We don't have hot water and wash ourselves using a bucket, around 10 litres. We don't have an oven so all cooking and heating of water is done via a small camping style gas ring. I don't remember the last time we bought clothes, but we make and repair many of them. We have a grey water system than waters our plants and have a septic tank for black waste. We have a twin tub washing machine which means we can use one lot of water to do more than one load of washing. It also allows us to use the left over grey water to water our bamboo. We grow whatever we can and we have the approach of accepting whatever we can grow in a particular season as what we'll be eating a lot of. Sometimes for example we have more pumpkins than we can eat while other times we have more zucchinis than we know what to do with. We don't have too many gardens as such, more that we throw out seeds and scraps and whatever comes up comes up. We don't have a phone line and mobile reception is patchy. When we go into town we try to avoid plastics as there is no recycling program where we are. All sounds pretty idillic and eco friendly but our closest town is around 30km away, there's very little in terms of public transport, a twice daily bus service that is about 7km from where we live, and we drive a diesel ute which we need to carry round bales and stock feed plus I need to get us to many regular medical appointments so that possibly undermines everything else. Anyway...
    Gassho
    Anna
    ST
    穏 On (Calm)
    火 Ka (Fires)
    They/She.

  32. #82

    Death of a Swiffer mop

    For those that don’t know what I am talking about https://swiffer.com/en-us/shop-produ...op-starter-kit

    I grew up close to both sets of grandparents. My grandparents were survivors of the Great Depression and like many survivors it led them towards humble, frugal lives. Both my grandfather and my dad are quite handy. My grandfather in particular was quite adept at repairing items. He also kept random bits and pieces of stuff around just in case he needed them. That rubbed off on me. If something breaks down my first instinct is to try to repair or salvage it. What I am finding is that it is getting increasingly harder. The Swiffer mop is a good example. My wife bought it years ago. It is primarily made of plastic with a hollow metal rod. It has started to wear out where it no longer squirts cleaning fluid consistently. Yesterday i took it apart to see if there was anything that could be done to fix it. Sadly no. The plastic is just wearing out. It isn’t a serviceable item. No one would even think of repairing these things. Just buy a new one. Sadly we are in that position too. I’ll keep the metal rod. I may be able to find something I can use it for. The plastic will end up in landfill. It isn’t recyclable material.

    It struck me that when we think of a ecologically friendly life we need to consider our purchases and the the life cycle of those possessions particularly in a economic climate that expects us to buy, use and discard/replace.


    Tairin
    Sat today and lah
    泰林 - Tai Rin - Peaceful Woods

  33. #83
    Hello Tairin,

    your name means Peaceful Woods, so I was thinking why not use the cuban mop
    https://www.amazon.com/IMUSA-I522-28...=fsclp_pl_dp_1

    Just an idea, nothing more.
    Gassho, eva

    sattoday and also LAH

  34. #84
    I’m grateful for this thread and for everyone working around the world and here trying to make a difference. I have been interested and concerned about environmental issues ever since I was a child. Seeing the rest of the planet as ourselves is very much part of this practice. Given deforestation, pollution, decimation of species etc. it can seem very daunting indeed to even know where or how to make a difference. As other’s have stated any small thing is a step in the right direction. However, our passion for these kind of efforts can sometimes get us worked up to the point where we can act without wisdom, and given the capitalistic nature of the business world, there’s no shortage of charlatans trying to take advantage of those passions, marketing products that aren’t necessarily as environmentally sound as they claim. We must balance compassion with wisdom. For example, electric cars sound like a good idea on paper, but the exotic metals mined to create them might be having more of a negative impact than normal cars. You can have your milk delivered in bottles rather than plastic, but if everything you buy has to be delivered separately then how much of an impact is that having? My point is we must really try to be objective, thoughtful and wise about all this and not get caught up in some emotional movement that only makes us THINK we are doing something.

    I have a yard and keep a good 20% of it completely wild. When I was working in my small garden this week, pulling “weeds” away from my tomatoes; I noticed a butterfly landing and continually coming back to certain types of the weeds. So I even kept a small part of my garden for the weeds,which are part of the butterfly flapping it’s wings everywhere.

    Gassho
    Ishin
    Sat today/ lah
    Grateful for your practice

  35. #85
    Quote Originally Posted by Eva View Post
    Hello Tairin,

    your name means Peaceful Woods, so I was thinking why not use the cuban mop
    https://www.amazon.com/IMUSA-I522-28...=fsclp_pl_dp_1

    Just an idea, nothing more.
    Gassho, eva

    sattoday and also LAH
    Neat idea. Thank you. I am sure I could make on of these.


    Tairin
    Sat today and lah
    泰林 - Tai Rin - Peaceful Woods

  36. #86
    Quote Originally Posted by Anna View Post
    Not so sure my partner and I make that much of a positive difference in terms of ecological impact but certain elements of what many have said in this thread resonate especially Kyonin and Ninrin.

    We almost live completely off grid in an illegal dwelling that can't be secured and has few windows but do get electricity from a neighbour who has solar panels. Our drinking water supply is from a rainwater tank but we do have access to 'rural water' which is essentially water from the river. We don't have hot water and wash ourselves using a bucket, around 10 litres. We don't have an oven so all cooking and heating of water is done via a small camping style gas ring. I don't remember the last time we bought clothes, but we make and repair many of them. We have a grey water system than waters our plants and have a septic tank for black waste. We have a twin tub washing machine which means we can use one lot of water to do more than one load of washing. It also allows us to use the left over grey water to water our bamboo. We grow whatever we can and we have the approach of accepting whatever we can grow in a particular season as what we'll be eating a lot of. Sometimes for example we have more pumpkins than we can eat while other times we have more zucchinis than we know what to do with. We don't have too many gardens as such, more that we throw out seeds and scraps and whatever comes up comes up. We don't have a phone line and mobile reception is patchy. When we go into town we try to avoid plastics as there is no recycling program where we are. All sounds pretty idillic and eco friendly but our closest town is around 30km away, there's very little in terms of public transport, a twice daily bus service that is about 7km from where we live, and we drive a diesel ute which we need to carry round bales and stock feed plus I need to get us to many regular medical appointments so that possibly undermines everything else. Anyway...
    Gassho
    Anna
    ST

    Sounds like we have a lot in common. Thanks for your practice comrade.

    Nanrin

    Sat today

  37. #87
    Quote Originally Posted by Anna View Post
    Not so sure my partner and I make that much of a positive difference in terms of ecological impact but certain elements of what many have said in this thread resonate especially Kyonin and Ninrin.

    We almost live completely off grid in an illegal dwelling that can't be secured and has few windows but do get electricity from a neighbour who has solar panels. Our drinking water supply is from a rainwater tank but we do have access to 'rural water' which is essentially water from the river. We don't have hot water and wash ourselves using a bucket, around 10 litres. We don't have an oven so all cooking and heating of water is done via a small camping style gas ring. I don't remember the last time we bought clothes, but we make and repair many of them. We have a grey water system than waters our plants and have a septic tank for black waste. We have a twin tub washing machine which means we can use one lot of water to do more than one load of washing. It also allows us to use the left over grey water to water our bamboo. We grow whatever we can and we have the approach of accepting whatever we can grow in a particular season as what we'll be eating a lot of. Sometimes for example we have more pumpkins than we can eat while other times we have more zucchinis than we know what to do with. We don't have too many gardens as such, more that we throw out seeds and scraps and whatever comes up comes up. We don't have a phone line and mobile reception is patchy. When we go into town we try to avoid plastics as there is no recycling program where we are. All sounds pretty idillic and eco friendly but our closest town is around 30km away, there's very little in terms of public transport, a twice daily bus service that is about 7km from where we live, and we drive a diesel ute which we need to carry round bales and stock feed plus I need to get us to many regular medical appointments so that possibly undermines everything else. Anyway...
    Gassho
    Anna
    ST
    Wow Anna, I am impressed by your off grid life, it's my dream to live in a very small dwelling, preferably a caravan and be as self sufficient as possible. However I can imagine how difficult your life must get sometimes, and I wonder if the temptation sometimes arises to go an easier route, it would for me, so well done for sticking with it and having such a great attitude . I really liked your comments about eating food in season - we do mostly that here in Sardinia and in fact when we came here in 2002 it was rare to find anything imported, even from mainland Italy, although that has changed somewhat - at a price. My Sardinian husband was born in the very small town that we now live in, but when he was around 5 years old, his family were given land under a scheme created by Mussolini , in which people living in absolute poverty were able to move out of the towns into small holdings. I remember Stef talking about how sick he used to get of having to eat peppers, zucchini and melanzane all summer! It's still much the same really but he no longer complains, we are aware of how good the quality of our food is and I try only to buy local produce. My one extravagance is the occasional avocado - imported, so therefore expensive. Stef's sister still lives on the small holding which today is part of a thriving cantina co-operative - we get eggs from her free ranging chickens and grapes from her vines. Again all sounds idyllic, but I know it's a lot of very hard work, and lliterally full time - plants don't care about holidays!

    I follow Dr Michael Mann on Twitter and he has some great stuff to say about climate change and is a real mover and shaker, but he also stresses that while it's great that as individuals we all take these steps to change our lives, the real change has to come from a huge shift in corporate thinking and behaviour.While keeping that in mind, perspective is needed. Yes it would be really easy to just say to hell with it then, I'll continue living as I always have and wait for big business to change, but I think it's really important that individuals start to take responsibility for how they live, rather than measure what they're doing against an impossible yardstick. In a way that fits in well with our vows to save all sentient beings though beings numberless etc - an impossible task but we commit to it anyway.

    Tairin - built in obsolescence is seriously one of my pet peeves and has been for about 30 years, long before we knew anything about climate change, and thought that giving up hair spray ( a big sacrifice in the 80's!) was going to save the ozone layer TV's, fridges, washing machines were all built to last a lifetime. I bought a washing machine about 30 years ago and was told it would last 10 years max. Now if I have to buy white goods, I'm told the life expectancy is 5 years max - but my experience has been that things last about one month after the guarantee has run out, so 2 to 3 years. It's not always that we perpetuate consumerism, sometimes it's thrust upon us.
    I like the cuban mop, I'd never heard of that before.

    Gassho
    Meitou
    sattoday
    命 Mei - life
    島 Tou - island

  38. #88
    Quote Originally Posted by Anna View Post
    Not so sure my partner and I make that much of a positive difference in terms of ecological impact but certain elements of what many have said in this thread resonate especially Kyonin and Ninrin.

    We almost live completely off grid in an illegal dwelling that can't be secured and has few windows but do get electricity from a neighbour who has solar panels. Our drinking water supply is from a rainwater tank but we do have access to 'rural water' which is essentially water from the river. We don't have hot water and wash ourselves using a bucket, around 10 litres. We don't have an oven so all cooking and heating of water is done via a small camping style gas ring. I don't remember the last time we bought clothes, but we make and repair many of them. We have a grey water system than waters our plants and have a septic tank for black waste. We have a twin tub washing machine which means we can use one lot of water to do more than one load of washing. It also allows us to use the left over grey water to water our bamboo. We grow whatever we can and we have the approach of accepting whatever we can grow in a particular season as what we'll be eating a lot of. Sometimes for example we have more pumpkins than we can eat while other times we have more zucchinis than we know what to do with. We don't have too many gardens as such, more that we throw out seeds and scraps and whatever comes up comes up. We don't have a phone line and mobile reception is patchy. When we go into town we try to avoid plastics as there is no recycling program where we are. All sounds pretty idillic and eco friendly but our closest town is around 30km away, there's very little in terms of public transport, a twice daily bus service that is about 7km from where we live, and we drive a diesel ute which we need to carry round bales and stock feed plus I need to get us to many regular medical appointments so that possibly undermines everything else. Anyway...
    Gassho
    Anna
    ST
    Oh wow, Anna, you really do live your anarchism!

    Gassho,

    Neil

    StLah

  39. #89
    I have been contemplating the issue of clothing (in America at least). I know many of us patch and repair clothing to make our clothes last longer. However, in every workplace I've ever worked in (even industrial ones) there are very strict dress codes in place against "worn" clothing. A couple places I've worked have been as strict to not even allow clothing to be worn that is slightly faded in appearance. Tear a small tip in a pair of work pants? You have to buy new pants in those places since patching and sewn marks arne't allowed. Any frayed clothing, any holes, stains, tears, scuffs, or other wear marks render that article unwearable at work in those places. The only repair that can really be made while keeping to the dress code is resewing loose seams. Many of those places with those dress codes are low-wage jobs like fast food places, retail, factories, etc. meaning when the employee now has to replace something it's very likely they then also go for the cheapest option (since replacement is required so frequently). This drives fast fashion, encourages waste and overconsumption, and also has a very unhealthy dose of attaching value to people based on what they are wearing. Does a small patch on a pair of pants or a stitched tip on a shirt REALLY mean an employee is somehow less capable or less professional? I would definitely say NO, however that is the general mindset of many employers who worry customers look at their employees that way - critiquing their attire as if that person is somehow "dirty", or "lazy", or "underpaid" (which would make the company look bad). The school system dress codes are also VERY similiar for our students. No rips, holes, tears, patches, etc are allowed to be worn at school which also presents a serious problem for low income families.

    This is a difficult barrier, socially, we need to overcome.

    While my current employer is a small business and doesn't have a written dress code I'm sure I couldn't get away with wearing visibly worn clothing in my position without it at least being mentioned or looked down on. The vast majority of my clothing would be totally unacceptable in most work places, and something as simple as a drop of ketchup landing on a pair of pants can render an article totally unwearable again at those jobs.

    The same issue goes with shoes as well, and even extends to moral issues somewhat. No scuffs, no worn soles, no messed up strings, and my previous employer required their retail workers all wear REAL leather shoes - no synthetic leather, no canvas. This wasn't even based on safety, it was in place for comformity and standardizing appearance - they thought shoes that weren't real leather were "cheap" and "unprofessional". Keep in mind those employees made $8/hour hanging clothes and running cash registers. While I am not a vegan, I posed the question to them anyway about requiring vegans at our company to use animal products and was met with "these are the rules they will follow". Same applied to religious headwear (not allowed), and jewlry (only a wedding ring was allowed).

    All in all, with such unyielding and strict dress codes, it might be a large part of our mindset when it comes to consumption of clothing.

    Gassho
    Kendrick
    Sat/LAH
    Last edited by Kendrick; 09-23-2019 at 02:57 PM.

  40. #90
    Member Onka's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2019
    Location
    Rural Queensland, so-called Australia
    Quote Originally Posted by Kendrick View Post
    I have been contemplating the issue of clothing (in America at least). I know many of us patch and repair clothing to make our clothes last longer. However, in every workplace I've ever worked in (even industrial ones) there are very strict dress codes in place against "worn" clothing. A couple places I've worked have been as strict to not even allow clothing to be worn that is slightly faded in appearance. Tear a small tip in a pair of work pants? You have to buy new pants in those places since patching and sewn marks arne't allowed. Any frayed clothing, any holes, stains, tears, scuffs, or other wear marks render that article unwearable at work in those places. The only repair that can really be made while keeping to the dress code is resewing loose seams. Many of those places with those dress codes are low-wage jobs like fast food places, retail, factories, etc. meaning when the employee now has to replace something it's very likely they then also go for the cheapest option (since replacement is required so frequently). This drives fast fashion, encourages waste and overconsumption, and also has a very unhealthy dose of attaching value to people based on what they are wearing. Does a small patch on a pair of pants or a stitched tip on a shirt REALLY mean an employee is somehow less capable or less professional? I would definitely say NO, however that is the general mindset of many employers who worry customers look at their employees that way - critiquing their attire as if that person is somehow "dirty", or "lazy", or "underpaid" (which would make the company look bad). The school system dress codes are also VERY similiar for our students. No rips, holes, tears, patches, etc are allowed to be worn at school which also presents a serious problem for low income families.

    This is a difficult barrier, socially, we need to overcome.

    While my current employer is a small business and doesn't have a written dress code I'm sure I couldn't get away with wearing visibly worn clothing in my position without it at least being mentioned or looked down on. The vast majority of my clothing would be totally unacceptable in most work places, and something as simple as a drop of ketchup landing on a pair of pants can render an article totally unwearable again at those jobs.

    The same issue goes with shoes as well, and even extends to moral issues somewhat. No scuffs, no worn soles, no messed up strings, and my previous employer required their retail workers all wear REAL leather shoes - no synthetic leather, no canvas. This wasn't even based on safety, it was in place for comformity and standardizing appearance - they thought shoes that weren't real leather were "cheap" and "unprofessional". Keep in mind those employees made $8/hour hanging clothes and running cash registers. While I am not a vegan, I posed the question to them anyway about requiring vegans at our company to use animal products and was met with "these are the rules they will follow". Same applied to religious headwear (not allowed), and jewlry (only a wedding ring was allowed).

    All in all, with such unyielding and strict dress codes, it might be a large part of our mindset when it comes to consumption of clothing.

    Gassho
    Kendrick
    Sat/LAH
    Nice observations Kendrick and well said.
    Gassho
    Anna

    ST
    穏 On (Calm)
    火 Ka (Fires)
    They/She.

  41. #91
    Quote Originally Posted by Kendrick View Post
    I have been contemplating the issue of clothing (in America at least). I know many of us patch and repair clothing to make our clothes last longer. However, in every workplace I've ever worked in (even industrial ones) there are very strict dress codes in place against "worn" clothing. A couple places I've worked have been as strict to not even allow clothing to be worn that is slightly faded in appearance. Tear a small tip in a pair of work pants? You have to buy new pants in those places since patching and sewn marks arne't allowed. Any frayed clothing, any holes, stains, tears, scuffs, or other wear marks render that article unwearable at work in those places. The only repair that can really be made while keeping to the dress code is resewing loose seams. Many of those places with those dress codes are low-wage jobs like fast food places, retail, factories, etc. meaning when the employee now has to replace something it's very likely they then also go for the cheapest option (since replacement is required so frequently). This drives fast fashion, encourages waste and overconsumption, and also has a very unhealthy dose of attaching value to people based on what they are wearing. Does a small patch on a pair of pants or a stitched tip on a shirt REALLY mean an employee is somehow less capable or less professional? I would definitely say NO, however that is the general mindset of many employers who worry customers look at their employees that way - critiquing their attire as if that person is somehow "dirty", or "lazy", or "underpaid" (which would make the company look bad). The school system dress codes are also VERY similiar for our students. No rips, holes, tears, patches, etc are allowed to be worn at school which also presents a serious problem for low income families.

    This is a difficult barrier, socially, we need to overcome.

    While my current employer is a small business and doesn't have a written dress code I'm sure I couldn't get away with wearing visibly worn clothing in my position without it at least being mentioned or looked down on. The vast majority of my clothing would be totally unacceptable in most work places, and something as simple as a drop of ketchup landing on a pair of pants can render an article totally unwearable again at those jobs.

    The same issue goes with shoes as well, and even extends to moral issues somewhat. No scuffs, no worn soles, no messed up strings, and my previous employer required their retail workers all wear REAL leather shoes - no synthetic leather, no canvas. This wasn't even based on safety, it was in place for comformity and standardizing appearance - they thought shoes that weren't real leather were "cheap" and "unprofessional". Keep in mind those employees made $8/hour hanging clothes and running cash registers. While I am not a vegan, I posed the question to them anyway about requiring vegans at our company to use animal products and was met with "these are the rules they will follow". Same applied to religious headwear (not allowed), and jewlry (only a wedding ring was allowed).

    All in all, with such unyielding and strict dress codes, it might be a large part of our mindset when it comes to consumption of clothing.

    Gassho
    Kendrick
    Sat/LAH
    Kendrick, I have to admit that I'm shocked by the demands of these employers, especially regarding leather shoes. That's actually appalling. I've always felt that if a certain look or type of clothing is required in the workplace, then the company must provide uniforms or financial help. If employees are not in a customer facing job, then a dress code shouldn't be necessary. I'm sorry you have had to go through this stuff, and admire your equanimity in the face of it.

    I'm just leaving a couple of links here to articles in Tricycle Magazine regarding Buddhism and the Climate Change movement. No doubt many of you will have seen eco warrior Greta Thunberg speaking in her own inimitable way in the last few days and might want to know a bit more about how we as Buddhists could frame our practice to include action for change.

    First, how Buddhists are contributing to Extinction Rebellion
    The Buddhists of Extinction Rebellion
    https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/exti...ion-buddhists/ via @tricyclemag

    And then a very interesting and thought provoking article by David Loy, author of Ecodharma:Buddhist Teachings for the Ecological Crisis.
    https://tricycle.org/magazine/awaken...limate-change/

    Gassho
    Meitou
    sattodaylah
    命 Mei - life
    島 Tou - island

  42. #92
    The next phase of the Extinction Rebellion started this morning in London and Rebels have already blocked Lambeth Bridge, the Mall, Horse Guards, Westminster Bridge, Victoria St & Millbank. There are ways to help remotely if anyone wants to get involved.

    It seems fitting that in our Jukai studies this week we read the second chapter of Mind of Clover where Robert Aitken writes about the vigorous religious practice of not killing our environment and speaking truth to power.

    Gassho,

    Neil

    StLah
    Last edited by Heiso; 10-07-2019 at 11:57 AM.

  43. #93
    Quote Originally Posted by EnlistedHipster View Post
    The next phase of the Extinction Rebellion started this morning in London and Rebels have already blocked Lambeth Bridge, the Mall, Horse Guards, Westminster Bridge, Victoria St & Millbank. There are ways to help remotely if anyone wants to get involved.

    It seems fitting to read that in our Jukai studies this week we read the second chapter of Mind of Clover where Robert Aitken writes about vigorous religious practice of not killing our environment and speaking truth to power.

    Gassho,

    Neil

    StLah


    Doshin
    St

  44. #94
    Quote Originally Posted by EnlistedHipster View Post
    The next phase of the Extinction Rebellion started this morning in London and Rebels have already blocked Lambeth Bridge, the Mall, Horse Guards, Westminster Bridge, Victoria St & Millbank. There are ways to help remotely if anyone wants to get involved.

    It seems fitting that in our Jukai studies this week we read the second chapter of Mind of Clover where Robert Aitken writes about the vigorous religious practice of not killing our environment and speaking truth to power.

    Gassho,

    Neil

    StLah
    Big deep bows to all activists, who this time around are on the receiving end of some rougher than usual treatment. But they don't mind! They seem to meet all challenges with equanimity, great good humour and are completely unbowed.
    Gassho
    Meitou
    sattodaylah
    命 Mei - life
    島 Tou - island

  45. #95
    Member brucef's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Encounter Bay, South Australia, Australia
    This is a great thread.

    A vegan plant based diet definitely helps...just Google "vegan climate change". So much info. It's also healthy.

    Even if people don't have much space at home, I think it's a good idea to at least grow as many herbs as possible, especially the staples like parsley, rosemary, basil, dill etc. Home grown herbs are fresher, more nutritious and cheaper than the supermarket stuff.

    A lot of the things that are healthy for the environment are also healthy for us personally.

    There are so many vegan plant based recipes on the web these days, plus I get a lot of my kitchen ideas from Facebook groups. Personally, I love "Buddha Bowl" meals. Rice, beans and veggies - who needs more?

    https://www.theguardian.com/environm...mpact-on-earth

    Gassho
    Bruce
    st/lah

  46. #96
    By way of an update - at least 600 arrests made in London so far, 1200 globally.

    I was particularly moved by the 'Faith Bridge' group. An ecumenical group of various religions who blocked and held Lambeth Bridge for 12 hours before regrouping in Trafalgar Sq. At least 13 of that group have been arrested including 3 'rebel reverends'.

    At least 6 large sites are still being blocked with further action planned.

    Gassho,

    Neil

    StLah

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