From Bachelor trainee and Social Action

In Autumn of 1973, living at the Zen Center, I took a break from my stagehand work to go to UCLA, starting the major in what was then called Geography/Ecosystems, now called Geography/Environmental Studies. I was inspired by the newly arising environmental movement, and appalled by the waste of materials in the studios, where I spent many of my days destroying scenery that had been used only once and throwing it into huge dumpsters. I wanted to find a way to make a living that would be more in alignment with my Zen practice. I subscribed to the Environmental Law journal and looked at putting my foot onto the long path toward becoming an environmental lawyer. For the 2011 Personal Essay class I wrote a piece entitled Called by the Dream of the Earth, which puts this period into the context of an ongoing theme I am developing more fully in “retirement”.

From #8 of long table in Briefbio