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Last posting 12/2/07
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Located just 12 miles north of the
California/Oregon border, midway between San Francisco and Portland,
the Wildwood Himitage sits 750' above sea level at the end of a
valley in Oregon's Banana Belt. The view of the horizon looks 65
miles out over the Pacific Ocean. Weather is temperate year around
and the sounds and sights of nature abound. (Current
10-day weather forecast.)
When you surround yourself with beauty, it
becomes a part of you. That is why the Wildwood Himitage takes time
to manage and cultivate our grounds with many delightful spots to
rest and reflect. Our pathways bring nature's color, variety and
beauty to bear on the desire for an optimum meditative experience.
Take a Walk
Through
the Wildwood Himitage
Welcome
Froggie and the Dragonfly welcome
you.
And, the Buddha welcomes
you, too!
1. Approaching the himitage. 2.
Burmese welcoming bell at the arbor
1. The front entrance. 2. Our
very own welcoming committee - Shriek and the Gnome. 3. Buddha &
babies in the garden. Ever notice how much Buddha and Shriek look
alike?
1. Buddha welcome from Bali. 2. The 45 lb. temple bell finally
arrives from Thailand. 3. Stone woman from Bali is patiently waiting
to offer the land's water to all who pass her way.
Walk through the meditation
garden to the ocean side if you seek a refuge for quiet reflection
and spiritual rejuvenation.
1. Daisys in full bloom. 2. And, the Hydrangeas say "Hi!"
1. Through the meditation garden
to the deck facing the Ocean. 2. Ferns everywhere, even through the
deck. 3. And, the "Plant People" or "Potted Men" as some like to call
them.
Our bodies are overwhelming composed of water,
we all have an ancient affinity to a water environment. The Spa is
available for relaxation, for rest, and for renewal. As you can see,
our Spa is in a lovely private setting that can help replenish the
spirit and mind as well.
1. Deck for spa - before. 2.
Stage two.
1. Deck with spa surrounded by
wind gongs in the keys of A, C, E, and G. 2. Deck with fog at the
ocean.
1. Ocean view from deck, hot tub,
picnic table, hammock and "Shakin' Shack". 2. Intimate dining for
20.
1. View from the hammock. 2.
Mosquito-proof hammock in shade.
The
Men's Study
Having traveled through 26 states
over 4 and a half years full-time in an RV converted to hold over
1,000 books on men's issues (see Bookmobile),
3. 
1. Over 3,000 books, videos and audio tapes now reside in the Men's
Study. 2. 7/30/03 sunset reflected in the front sliding glass door.
Learn more about Intern
possibilities. 3. Entrance mat
1. A portion of the 3,000+ books
on 96 different men's issues. 2. "To give dignity to a man is above
all things." Indian proverb.
Drawing by Robert Redbird
1.
1. A total of 256 linear feet of
men's books with
2.
3.
2. Ganesha reclined behind the
couch and 3. Ganesha overseeing everything from the top
shelf.
Ganesha awaits outside to
invite seekers to gain knowledge about men in this
place.
The
Balinese Stone Fountain
The stone woman from Bali has been placed and is ready to be of
service. She offers the land's water to all who pass her way.
The Tall Bush
Our "Bush" also has thorns. Its
roses bloom about 30' up the tree (an inch down from the top of the
photo).
Click on photo for close-up.
Kuan Yin
1. Early painting of the male Kuan
Yin. 2 The male Kuan Yin at the entrace to Gnome's Knoll. 3. Another
view. 4. Kuan Yin with a mustache.
The following is the reason he is the
guiding light for this Hermitage. Kuan Yin, one who hears the cries
of the world - the living expression of loving compassion; the one
who will come to your aid; the one who offers a caring aspect to the
otherwise somewhat remote world with its scales of merit and demerit,
its hells and rebirths, its retributions and consequences in life and
beyond. He will break the cycle of rebirth, of punishment and of
retribution. As early as the fifth century, Kuan Yin was always
depicted as a man, albeit one very slight and graceful of form and
visage. Many of the forms of Kuan Yin were clearly male, though
somewhat androgynous. In all the early translations of the Lotus
Sutra, Kuan Yin is indisputably male. While it is recognized within
the text that he is capable of taking a female form, this is not
considered his main form. His is clearly male in the prodigious
records of Hsuan Tsand (c 596-664) throughout China and India and in
such texts as the Cheng Ming Ching, which dates to the end of the
seventh century. He is also clearly male in the Surangama Sutra which
was first produced in AD 705 in Chinese. By the mid to late ninth
century, Kuan Yin was now usually considered and depicted as female.
So, something happened during that time to turn Kuan Yin from a male
into a female figure. The female Kuan Yin's roots lie not in the
heartlands of historic China but on the northwest frontier, on the
Silk Road. This is where numerous cultures met and interacted. The
male cult of Kuan Yin had already penetrated as a result of their
dissemination of the Lotus Sutra, but the distinctive female forms
only began to fan out extensively from the northwest in the ninth to
tenth centuries. It may have been an early case of homophobia.
MORE
Whaleseye Meditation
Seat
1. 
2. 
3.
1. Entrance to the Path to
Seek Guidance. 2. A close up of an African guardian to remind
us to be in silence on our journey down the mountain to the Whaleseye
Meditation seat. . On it's right, a Coyote walking staff tp help with
balance and protection during the assent.3. The "Caution" on a
sign symbolizing Guidance. It reads: " Be careful of steep
paths, loose soil, small, deep holes, uneven surfaces and stairs.
Tripping hazards & unpotected water." to take this
journey.
4. 
5. 
6. 
4. Once down the mountain, one will find a seat on a year-around
stream. (Sit
here.) 5. The Himit
meditating at one of his favorite spots at the Wildwood Himitage.
6. Himit relaxing. "Have a nice day."
03/08/03.
7. 
8. 
9. 
7. Looking downstream, two
more large fallen redwoods form a bridge. (Click here
to see the resident Himit standing beneath one of those redwoods.)
8. Looking upstream, large, fallen redwoods form a waterfall
leading down to Whaleseye. (Visit this space with your inner eye.)
9. The Himit sitting next to waterfall formed by numerous downd
redwoods from the 1950's.
Property Signage
Rusty Lutz, a friend and fellow
Master of Ceremonies and Rituals, created the following signage for
The Wildwood Himitage. The photos don't do any of them justice. Best
viewed in person.
1.
2. 
3. 
1. Guidance. 2. Gateway. 3. Leading to
Happiness
4. 
5. 
6. 
4. Boundary. 5. Protection and 6. Home.
Gnome's Knoll
Near the top of the ridge stands a
small forest of tall, white alders and lush five foot ferns. What
name speaks to you? Gnomes Knoll? Hobbit's Habitat?
A Hobbitate for Humanity? E-Mail
Gnomes Knoll
Gnome's Knoll with
snow.
I don't think the gnome knows we're here. He's taking a break from
mushroom picking.
Spirit Houses
1. This spirit house, with an
ocean view, is intended to attract the spirits that might otherwise
inhabit the Himitage itself. Guests often leave fruit or rice as a
reward if the spirits resist the temptation to molest the human
inhabitants of the real house. 2. The larger Spirit House is one used
in Balinese temples to house the spirits of the ancestors.
The
Cave
Situated next to The Men's Study, the back
portion of the 12' x 16' structure is The Cave, a 10' x 12' room with
no windows. The interior walls and ceiling of the room are painted
black complete with a black carpet. While it will also serve as a
music studio, it is basically designed for that time when one,
especially a man, wants to be in silence and without visual
stimulation, much like some of the ancient monks lived every day. It
will provide this unique experience for the adventurous. One might
consider fasting during this period. (See photos of the
construction.)
The Candy
Shack
The latest addition here at the Wildwood
Himitage is the Candy Shack, just down from the hot tub looking out
over the valley with a great ocean view. With a bit more work to do
on the inside, this will become the "kids" hang-out as well as a
great spot to write. (See photos of the installation
and additional Garden
Cottages.)
1.
2.
1. See the curious site seer to
the left of The Candy Shack? 2. At dusk with holiday
lights.
Oh
Deer
1. Mom. 2. Her fawn far right by
horseshoe pit.
1. The two enjoying the shade of the
hammock. 2. Our green house and the Camper's cold shower
Chipmunks
1. Buddha's right-hand Monk, the chipmunk. 2. Chip, the Chipmunk, not
to be out done, gets breakfast on the rocks.
Oh Hail!
The deck for a moment on
12/1/01.
Our First
and Second
Snow - 2001/02
No snow (some hail) during
the winters of 2002/03, 2003/04, 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07 and
2007/08 until early 2008
Stone Fountain
Balinese stone woman sits
patiently in car awaiting the trip from San Francisco to her new home
in Brookings, OR
This 38" high stone woman
arrived from Bali and is patiently waiting to be placed
on the Himitage grounds.
Thanks
To Lauren, a special interior
designer from Kim3 in San Francisco, shown here with the standing
Buddha and Shakti at her left elbow. She located both the Buddha and
stone woman fountain, among other things, to help bring the energy
from the spiritual traditions of Bali to the land the Himitage is
on.
* * *
For every fine, well-adjusted and smoothly functioning American,
there are two who never had the chance to discover themselves. It may
well be because they have never been alone with themselves. - Marya
Mannes
Awards
Contact
Information
Snail Mail: P.O. Box 1080, Brookings, OR 97415-0024
www.wildwoodhimitage.com
