Ted Talks Continue….
Every single human being will suffer. That is the nature of duality.
But is there a place of no suffering? Yes, and as Johnny Cash once sang in a beautiful song, it is “In Your Mind”.
It was a pleasure to visit with Ted Ohlsen again last month in Flin Flon. On that visit Ted once again loaded The Emily Dahl Foundation up with more of his amazing carvings. The Emily Dahl Foundation quickly finds homes for them where they will sit as lovely reminders of Ted’s goal, see the beauty in everything and be happy!!
Ted is 84 years old and is a conservationist and spokesperson for the disabled, Dieter (“Ted”) Ohlsen was born in Germany in 1938 and immigrated to Canada in 1956. After losing his sight in a hunting accident in 1960, Ohlsen became the province's first blind outfitter and fishing camp operator when he and his wife opened the Northern Light Lodge on Deschambault Lake in 1964. After making the facility fully accessible to the disabled, Ohlsen established the first campground in northern Saskatchewan that was completely wheelchair accessible. Mr. Ohlsen was awarded an Achievement Award from the Canadian Rehabilitation Council for the Disabled and the Saskatchewan Order of Merit in 1987. Ted is also a key supporter of The Emily Dahl Foundation and helps the foundation in many ways. He has been a guiding light for co-founder Sherman Dahl. On a recent trip to Flin Flon, Sherman was able to visit Ted at his home.
You can see in the picture the hand carved chains that Ted makes out of Saskatchewan Diamond Willow. In Ted's amazing chains - What do you see? Well, let's look at how Ted's mind sees things. Here are some key thoughts from Ted: • Everything in the chain is connected, that is key. It is like this in life, we are all connected, if you break the chain, you lose the power of all - it is just not the same. This highlights the reality of no individual self and the need to realize the importance of all living beings, not just oneself. • Even a mosquito is part of the chain. Most people dislike mosquitos. This comes from ignorance. The mosquito is just as important as you, as are all beings that are part of the chain. • The chain is vast, and the world is all interconnected - do you think you understand and control the whole chain? No, in many ways it is beyond normal worldly understanding and is extremely powerful. • If your tractor is stuck in the mud, you need more than one link of the chain to pull it out. As human beings, we need a strong chain that is connected to pull ourselves along. • It is true, if the chain breaks, you can feel the sadness. Love and happiness arise when the chain is long and strong - and we must worship that and not the individual self. No one will survive alone, we need others. Ted ended our lovely conversation by reminding The Emily Dahl Foundation how this understanding has helped Ted live a happy life. It took so many people to help Ted after is hunting accident. His wife Diane, many others, as well as the call of the loon on moon lit nights in Saskatchewan. The power of this is immense. Even when a mosquito would bite Ted, or his tractor got stuck in the mud - he reached deep within and grasped the power of the chain. This awakening is available to all beings from Beggars to Kings - we all end up with the same resting place in the dirt from which we came. Sherman Dahl The Emily Dahl Foundation March 8 ,2022
