Avery and Sherman unpack new carvings that just arrived in Vernon, BC from Ted Ohlsen!
Even the Saints of this world, with their great store of accumulated virtue, could not avoid death and suffering. Eventually, you will relinquish your body and let go of its heavy burden. Now you too must learn to be satisfied with the many years you have already depended on your body. The powerful teacher Ajahn Chah once said you can compare it to household utensils that you’ve had for a long time - your cups, saucers, plates, and so on. When you first had them, they were clean and shining, but now after using them for so long, they’re starting to wear out. Some are already broken, some have disappeared, and those left are deteriorating: they have no stable form, and it’s their nature to be like that. Your body is the same way. It has been continually changing right from the day you were born, through childhood and youth, and will continue this way until old age. You must accept that. It is like this - all conditions, whether they are internal conditions, bodily conditions, or external conditions, are not self, their nature is to change. Contemplate this truth until you see it clearly. Ted Ohlsen of Flin Flon pioneered diamond willow carvings in the early 70's and now is a big supporter of The Emily Dahl Foundation. Ted knows very well how quickly things can change. Challenged by the loss of his eyesight due to a hunting accident in 1960, Ted has found diamond willow carving to be a relaxing way of expressing his love for the great Canadian outdoors. The Emily Dahl Foundation shares a similar belief in that "inner engineering" is the key to managing one's emotions. This approach to self-realization is a key educational goal of Ted Ohlsen and The Emily Dahl Foundation as they work together to help others. We must look at the body, contemplate it and to come to terms with its nature. We must be able to be at peace with the body, whatever state it is in. Give energy to the mind by realizing the truth of the way things are. It can’t be any other way. Having been born, it gets old and sick and then it dies. This is a great truth that you are presently encountering. Look at the body with wisdom and realize it. You needn’t worry about anything because this isn’t your real home. It’s just a temporary shelter. Everything there is, is preparing to disappear. If you look at it like that, your heart will be at ease. Ted Ohlsen's carvings allow us to look deeply into nature and see the reality of the way things are. He combines diamond willow from the immense Boreal Forest with rocks that have been tumbling down the Fraser River to the Ocean. He encourages us to see the spirit of the forest and the rocks, and to find peace and happiness within ourselves. The great teachers of this world will encourage you to look at your wealth, your possessions, and your family—they are all yours only in name; they don’t really belong to you, they belong to nature. Now this truth doesn’t apply to you alone; everyone is in the same position. There can be no other way. In truth, there’s no self anywhere to be found. There are only things continually arising and passing away, as is their nature. This is the way things are, yet everyone wants them to be permanent. This is foolishness. The Emily Dahl Foundation July 2023