Greatest Enemy of All

King Udayana to the Buddha: "I have never lost a fight with anyone. Because I always win, I put my faith in war and combat."

The Buddha's response: "Great King, so far your enemies have been trifling. Great king, there is another enemy, greater and more vicious than them."

"The great enemy is the affliction called the belief in a self."

 

Online Meditation During the Pandemic

Our daily lives and our practice are being tested as we are practicing "social distancing" during the COVID-19 pandemic. It's exciting to see one community (Aloha Sangha) still values sangha and practice. To that end they are offering online meditation.

This gives me a chance to connect while apart. This also gives one time to reflect on community when apart. Is there value in personal physical connection or is virtual connection as valuable? What is the true value - the process or the ritual practice? Or both? Things to meditate on.

Join in (on 3/26), if possible.

Stay healthy, stay on the right way, stay strong, and stay sitting...

Easy Espresso On the Go

Coffee is my life. Rarely a day goes by where I don't drink it upon awakening and at some point in the afternoon as a pick-me up. I even enjoy it as a dessert with ice cream.

Now you can see why I was excited when I received an espresso maker for the Holidays. Of course I already have multiple ways to make coffee (pour over, Nespresso machine, espresso machine, French press, and Moka espresso maker). But the idea of making espresso on the go was appealing.

Beans, Water, and Pressure
The main ingredients to making espresso are ground coffee, hot water, and pressure. With the minipresso NS all you need are ground coffee cartridges and hot water. The pump will let you create 8 bars (or 116 PSI) of pressure (incidentally, 8 bars is eight times the pressure at sea level).*

The minipresso I have uses espresso cartridges by Nespresso (hence the NS in the model name). Wacaco (the manufacturer) also makes a model which allows you to tamp your own ground coffee. We are fortunate now that other coffee roasters make espresso pods for Nespresso. Hence the Peet's coffee pod pictured here.

My espresso pump came with a protective case and a small brush to clean grounds out. It's an attractive black.

The Process
Making an espresso with the minipresso is rather easy:

1. Remove the built-in cup and unscrew the top chamber.
2. Place cartridge in the cutter chamber.
3. Screw top back onto coffee chamber.
4. Pour heated water into bottom chamber up to fill line.
5. Screw bottom back into main body.
6. Turn minipresso around and unlock the pump.
7. Pump water through the cartridge; this takes awhile and needs to be done above the small cup or other vessel you will be drinking the coffee out of.

Assessment
I was genuinely impressed at how easy this espresso was to make. It didn't create a huge mess. The taste and smell of the espresso was divine. It creates a quality crema and is not difficult to pump. One issue I need to resolve is that the coffee was not hot enough to my taste. I add half and half which is cold so that makes matters worse. The manual recommends pre-heating the minipresso chambers before pressing the coffee. I tried this and it made a huge difference, along with heating up my half and half. There is some discussion about the best method for pumping the piston: some recommend pushing, holding a second and waiting a second after you release the piston. Others recommend waiting 10 seconds after six presses. Cleanup simply requires running water through the chambers and drying it out.

I recommend the minipress NS for those who love espresso and have easy access to hot water and Nespresso-style cartridges. It makes great-tasting espresso and is rather non-complicated and reliable. Enjoy!

*The industry standard for an espresso machine is 9 bars of pressure, and while this can create a respectable espresso, many argue that 15 bars makes the best brews.

My Fur Son

Feb. 21, 2019

My "furry son" is named Mortimer. He is an 11 year old wirehaired fox terrier. He needs a fur-cut real bad, but the groomers are too busy to see him until early March. Mortimer is loving, faithful, and very curious. He enjoys eating bananas, peanut butter, apples, and whatever you are eating. He is my constant companion when I am home. Walks are not a favorite for him; he'd prefer a ride in the car. Mortimer used to live with two cats when he called Minnesota home. When Mortimer moved to Hawaii, over five years ago, the cats didn't come along.

Mortimer is an art critic. You can find his writings at Mortimer's Memos.

----

Mortimer Reginald Fairfax crossed the bridge on Feb. 27, 2023. He lived over 15 years and spent all of them save 8 weeks with us.  In his final years, he had many health issues, from a heart murmur, blindness, possible deafness, and kidney disease. He slept more and more and started displaying signs of dementia in the last year of his life. He will be missed but has earned his final rest.

2019

Happy New Year!

 

Here’s hoping the new year is filled with progress, joy, and personal growth. 

Baking meditation

Meditation can be found in simple daily endeavors. Be present in each task, from gathering the ingredients and baking utensils, to measuring the flour. 

Baking requires creativity and structure. The two may seem at odds, but they work in harmony to replicate a scone from a recipe.

One can even become present in the tasks conducted while the scones bake: cleaning the kitchen and your baking tools. 

Baking teaches patience, appreciation of skill, and the love of making things. 

Enjoy my pictures. I hope they share my pleasure of baking. 

Temple Stupa Meanings

This is a useful image to help us understand these Buddhist symbols often found at temples.