Colleen Morton Busch

Author of Fire Monks

Sitting with fire again

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The Soberanes Fire has now burned 40,618 acres. Evacuation orders were issued yesterday to allow for safe backfiring. Tassajara has not evacuated yet, but some retreats have been cancelled and according to 2008 fire monk David Zimmerman, the on site resident fire crews are "on alert" and preparing. Let's hope the new permanent Dharma Rain system is not soon tested. The cause of this fire is still under investigation, but containment isn't expected until the end of August. More info on the fire's spread here. … [Read more...]

In Remembrance: Myogen Steve Stücky, March 6, 1946 – December 31, 2013

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In the early morning hours of the last day of 2013, fire monk Myogen Steve Stücky left this world for the great beyond. Read more about Myogen's life here. I was tremendously fortunate to spend time with Myogen during the research and writing of Fire Monks. He was warm and encouraging from the first time we spoke. He was patient and curious and engaged my questions thoughtfully and openly. I remember sitting in the abbot's cabin at Tassajara going over the proposal before I had a contract with Penguin Press for the book. He wasn't sure about the title "fire monks"--none of … [Read more...]

What comes around comes back

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Fire is in the neighborhood again at Tassajara. No surprise as there is plenty of kindling left over from the 2008 fire, and we had so little rain this winter. Updates are being posted on Tassajara Zen Mountain Center's Facebook page. Please keep Tassajara and all beings in the burn area in your protective thoughts--especially the firefighters braving the steep, dry Ventana slopes. And...more monastic fire news... Zen Mountain Center in Idyllwild was evacuated earlier this week. Sadly, homes in the area were lost, but it appears that ZMC was successfully saved by fire … [Read more...]