Living in the woods, looking for a teacher

I left Chico, California about three weeks ago and have walked and gotten rides for 250 miles to find myself in Santa Cruz, California where images of Buddha have been seen everywhere, welcoming me to where I'll remain for awhile, living as a camper in the woods, meditating, doing shadow work, exercise, chopping wood, carrying water, but most likely not chopping wood. It's really not that cold. 

I'll be continuing my integral life practice (Thank you Ken Wilber and friends) and hoping to at least prepare myself better for the meeting of a teacher to help with transcending ego. The first thing I did when I woke up at the Santa Cruz Hostel today was go to Borders and look-up on my laptop any White Plum Lineage associations in the area, for which there are none as far as I've seen. I like the lineage of White Plum because it's inclusive and, at least as far as Genpo Roshi's work is concerned, it can incorporate modern findings and developments in psychology and the like. I've practiced Big Mind on youtube and IntegralLife.com. I wish I could learn directly from Genpo Roshi. But I can't afford $600 a month at this time. But I do think it is well worth the price. I wonder if they have a work trade program, since I'm willing to abandon it all for full-time emergence into Zen practice. I'll have to research. But perhaps it is looked down upon to request special favors such as this. 

For now, as has been the case for the last year, I will be practicing alone in the woods. I got the call, or shove, or impulse, or pull, a couple of months ago. Something said, "Go into the woods, increase meditation, frustrate yourself until the need for a teacher becomes even clearer." Ha ha. i love life. 

So, as an artist and documentary filmmaker I've decided to film this adventure outward and inward. And to my great surprise I keep meeting some of the most phenomenal people who absolutely love to talk to me. It's so neat to see my bare attention be so uplifting and almost healing for others as they spill their guts to me on camera about their good works and lives. 

My first interview in San Francisco area a few days ago was with Anne Voyd, who is a brain scientist and psychologist who has devoted her whole life to serving and assisting in the healing of the people of Romania. She's probably about 65 or 70 years-young. We were both delighted to trade information on the latest and greatest. I turned her on to Ken's work and she's totally stoked! I'm one of the best marketers of Ken's work. In fact, during a conversation with a bookstore owner in Sacramento a week ago, the guy was so excited by what I was saying about Ken Wilber's work that he ordered a series of his books for his store right there in front of me. I suggested he get Brief History and Integral Life Practice to start. The store is primarily focused on the spiritual and is a non-profit whose proceeds go directly to a recovery center. Cool guy. He had read Grace and Grit years before, but hadn't had the chance to read any of Ken's other work. I think he's about to have a great year!

I've recommended Ken's books to so many people and each time I do I see this imaginary line of awesomeness that shoots from my lips, to their ears, to the reading, to the growth of big pictures, to all the world. It's like the coolest thing. And really it is the only way to see the connection of how we benefit the world, because on a physical/materialist level I can never really see what effects I've helped produce, since there are so many other influences in the world working at once. It's great for the ego! Or not so great, depending on how you want to look at it. The ego likes to know. But some things are just unknowable. Yet, the inward knowing is there. It's just not scientifically knowable like a baseball card in your hand. It's more of a sense; a little high-five from the universe, just like all of the synchronicities. 

I had this girl last night at the hostel start going off about the ridiculousness of The Secret, and I knew she was going to dig Ken's work, because she's more into the life service to others stuff, not the manifest for your selfish self stuff. 

What can I do that can have the greatest and most beneficial impact for the world and all of life and my human family? That is the question. 

Thank you, GodSelf, for my life and my health. God within, within God.