"When I was a lad,
I sauntered about town as a gay blade,
Sporting a cloak of the softest down,
And mounted on a splendid chestnut-colored horse.
During the day, I galloped to the city;
At night, I got drunk on peach blossoms by the river.
I never cared about returning home,
Usually ending up, with a big smile on my face, at a pleasure pavilion!"
John Stevens, DEWDROPS ON A LOTUS LEAF: Zen Poems of Ryōkan:/translated and edited by John Stevens, (Shambhala Publications, Inc., 1993) p3.
This poem spoke to me about when I was a lad too.
--------------------------------------------------"The world's most famous Zen poet, the Tang dynasty's legendary Han Shan, was a ragged beggar who scratched poems on the cave and walls where he lived and who worked as a helper in the kitchen of a Zen monastery."
Sam Hamill and J.P. Seaton, THE POETRY OF ZEN/edited and translated by Sam Hamill and J.P. Seaton, (Shambhala Publications, Inc., 2004) p5-6.
ah so im not the only one who washed dishes in the kitchen at the monastery lol
--------------------------------------------------[On tour making rolled oats] "When you stop at a gas station, just get boiling water from the coffee machine for free! I usually ask even though it's just water because I assume that the cashier thinks I look shady walking in there in all black, usually with stage make-up still on my face. So by asking about the water with a smile, I figure I won't look like I'm stealing coffee." (p39)
"Some of my best sleep moments actually happen on tour in a hotel room, if I am given my own room with blackout curtains and a late lobby-call. I will sleep solidly in these situations because my cats aren't around to wake me up at dawn. They love playing tag with each other and their toys as the sun comes up and I am usually positioned in the middle of their playfield." (p101)
[Soup recipe - using a blender after cooking] "Be careful to have things at a low speed if you are using a standard blender because the hot soup can easily explode everywhere. If the blender has a plastic top on the rubber lid, crack it open to release some of the hot air while blending. This will lower your chances of being sprayed with hot soup!" (p146-147)
Jon Siren, THE TOURING VEGAN (Copyright 2017 Jon Siren, ISBN 9781973567172).
Back cover reads that he "spends his free time volunteering for a cat rescue group." I chose the preceeding 3 quotes bc they struck me how much he cares as a human. The more I read, the more I see this.
Now and then, someone inspires me to progress in life. Jon has inspired me to progress, and, as sXe, to choose all the way vegan.