This year鈥檚 seniors chose to research the impact of food waste and how we can work to reduce it. We are thrilled to share their findings and recommendations.

BA Class of 2026: Our Capstone class has been working on a project to reduce food waste on campus. In our community, food is not only a gift from generous benefactors, but also contains heartfelt efforts from countless people. Besides its environmental impact, food waste is also detrimental to our own blessings and disrespectful for the love of nature and the care of the people.听

To raise awareness about this issue, we are excited to share a slideshow that summarizes our project. We hope these materials encourage greater mindfulness around food consumption and inspire people to cultivate more sustainable and appreciative habits.

The post Reducing Food Waste appeared first on 91香蕉视频.

Bach: As a young adult in my early twenties, many people my age struggle with strong emotions, particularly feeling overwhelmed by romantic feelings. A lot of energy and mental space is spent on finding a partner and being in a relationship. Do you have any suggestions for managing these intense feelings or for coping when they feel overwhelming? What advice would you give to young people who feel anxious about relationships?

Professor Doug Powers: Well, the pull of love and relationships is a very powerful biological force. It鈥檚 totally natural to have this energy, especially in your early twenties.

And the degree to which you can control that energy within yourself is the amount of freedom you have to choose to be in the mind that chooses, rather than the mind that鈥檚 reacting.

Most people are just reacting all the time to what鈥檚 arising. They鈥檙e not in control of their minds in a way that they鈥檙e actually observing what鈥檚 arising and choosing between what鈥檚 arising. It鈥檚 similar to the freedom within yourself that you can achieve when sitting in meditation or spending time in nature. In those moments, you don鈥檛 feel a draw; you don鈥檛 feel overwhelmed by romantic love. You can just be sitting there.

Obviously, we鈥檙e going to have relationships with people, and it鈥檚 a very important part of life.

But do you want to maintain a certain amount of freedom for yourself, or do you want to be constantly reacting to energies from the outside, whether it be social media or relationships?

If you want to stay free and have any sense of choice and have that feeling of being comfortable and reflective in yourself, then you have to retain that space.

Bach: So I need to maintain this space in order to not feel constantly pulled toward my partner, because then it gives me a moment where I can choose rather than react or attach? For someone in a close relationship, what might that actually look like in practice?

Professor Powers: Even in a close relationship, you have to retain the space. It鈥檚 not about not being in relationships or being unavailable. It鈥檚 about being available for people, but not letting it take over your mind.听

It鈥檚 easy to get constantly worried about what they鈥檙e doing and what鈥檚 going on with them. But rather than get into that mind, just be confident. When I want to interact with a close relationship, I will. I鈥檒l try to compromise as much as they need in terms of time, but I鈥檓 not going to let my mind be taken over all the time by constant chatter about this or that. I keep some mental space, where I can create and maintain a certain amount of freedom. It鈥檚 a practice.

When you鈥檙e young, it can feel overwhelming. As time goes on, relationships become something you can engage with energetically and with some intensity, without being overwhelmed by them.

The post How to Deal with Relationship Anxiety? appeared first on 91香蕉视频.

The post Celebrating Songkran: A Festival of Water, Renewal, and Community appeared first on 91香蕉视频.

Workshop participants installed two food forests: one in front of the 91香蕉视频 building, and another on the side of a residential cottage. Through a combination of classroom teaching and hands-on field work, participants explored how regenerative agroforestry can restore soil, increase biodiversity, create resilient food systems, and also regenerate the community and Self.

Beyond the practical skills learned, the workshop invited participants to reflect more deeply on humanity鈥檚 relationship with the land and with our own inner regenerative capacity. Regenerative agroforestry reveals the connection between healthy soils, diverse ecosystems, and our own sense of inner nourishment, well-being, and balance. By supporting nature鈥檚 regenerative and healing processes, we also set in motion processes of healing within ourselves.

I was involved in the planning phases of the workshop and joined the workshop with my four-year-old daughter, Kalyani. The first evening, we learned about the five principles of regenerative agroforestry:

• Multistory structure 鈥� Plants are planted to evolve in vertical layers, similar to a forest.
• High biodiversity 鈥� A wide variety of species creates resilience and synergy between species.
• 听Soil is always covered 鈥� Living plants and mulch protect the soil from sun and depletion, and nourish the soil with nutrients and root systems.
• 听Integration of shrubs and trees 鈥� Long-lived woody plants provide a long-lasting structure, both above and underground.
• 听Dense planting 鈥� Closely spaced plants mimic natural ecosystems and maximize abundance.

Although this knowledge was intuitive to me, I had not really been putting it into practice in my own garden鈥攎y soil was mostly uncovered in places where no plants were growing, and I was doing more monocropping than I realized by planting whole rows and sections of just one vegetable. In our culture, we see monocultures all around us, from vineyards to pear orchards. Somehow, those structures got embedded into my mind as 鈥渘ormal鈥� or even healthy, even though, upon further reflection, I could clearly observe that these environments were not healthy. These systems degrade the soil and ecosystems and rely on external inputs such as chemical fertilizers and pesticides to remain productive.

Dr. Craig showed us a photo of a healthy ancient forest and asked us to observe and reflect on what we noticed. The photo of a primeval forest in Bhutan showed all five principles in nature: a multistory canopy with trees and shrubs, high biodiversity, density, and covered soil with plenty of organic matter on the forest floor. Moisture and fog were present in the air, and one could sense the aliveness of the ecosystem.

Regenerative agroforestry systems produce a range of ecological benefits. Among the most important outcomes discussed during the workshop were:

• Carbon sequestration in plants and soil
• Resilience to drought, disease, and climate variability
• High biodiversity across plant, insect, microbial, and fungal communities
• Improved water infiltration and retention, allowing soil to capture and hold moisture
• Ongoing soil improvement through organic matter and living roots

We were taught to observe the difference between healthy and unhealthy soils鈥攕oils that can hold nourishment and soils that cannot. Healthy soils are dark in color, moist, bound together by living roots, organic matter, and fungal communities, and have an earthy, sweet, fragrant smell. Depleted soils are not as dark, do not hold water well (or even repel water), lack the fragrant smell, and have a sandy, dry, grainy texture.

On Friday, we went to work on the 91香蕉视频 plot. This plot was selected because of its high visibility and easy access to the community at 91香蕉视频. Dr. Craig emphasized that a food forest should be close to one鈥檚 home to make daily observation and care possible. Before work, participants blessed the land, each planting a 鈥渟eed鈥濃�攕ome planted a seed of wisdom, compassion, generosity, presence, or world peace. The work was carried out in deliberate steps:

1. Mark the boundaries of the site.
2. Gather green and brown mulch, woody material, and woodchips.
3. Scalp (remove grass) the planting area.
4. Aerate the soil with the digging bar.
5. Mark pathways and spread woodchips along them.
6. Plant long-term canopy trees.
7. Add layered mulch (at least 6 inches): compost, green mulch, woody material, and compacted compost.
8. Plant medium- and lower-height plants.
9. Add additional mulch.
10. Seed cover crop areas.
11. Cover seeds with a thin layer of compost.
12. Water thoroughly.
13. Install fencing to protect the young plants.

The work to install a food forest requires strength, energy, and collaboration. Participants noted that the work felt deeply satisfying. I felt that the work resonated with a deep shared ancestral memory鈥攚orking together outside for a common purpose. Many cultures work and sing together. On the first day, a rainbow cloud was observed over the land, which felt like a blessing. My four-year-old daughter quickly made friends with another child at the workshop and was enjoying herself thoroughly.

After the morning work, we shared a delicious lunch together in the 91香蕉视频 courtyard, prepared by girls鈥� school teacher and chef Julia Mark. Everyone enjoyed the food prepared with love, intention, and organic ingredients. The food we eat, and how it is grown and prepared, plays a vital role in the inner regeneration of the human being. Jamyang Dolma shared with us the importance of self-care in the regenerative process鈥攊ncluding eating according to the season and aligning with the daily and yearly clock, or 24 鈥渟olar terms,鈥� as understood in Chinese medicine. Inner regeneration of the body and mind begins with nourishment.

Over the course of the next couple of days, we planted an additional food forest next to Cottage 15 (the President鈥檚 cottage), as well as spent time learning in the classroom about aspects of regenerative agroforestry, including site assessment, species selection, planning, and creating maps of planting patterns, tools, native plants, maintenance, and inner regeneration.

Cultivating a Regenerative System

Planting a food forest is only the beginning. The 3鈥�5 years after planting are crucial for the establishment of the plants and the development of healthy soil.

Something that struck me the most is the importance of observation and the relationship of the observer with the observed. As a practitioner of yoga and Ayurveda, I am aware that direct perception is our primary method of attaining true knowledge and discernment. What is interesting about this, in the context of living beings, is the mutuality of direct perception: we observe the plants, the plants observe and respond to our observation, and we observe ourselves. This observation brings knowledge about the environment and knowledge about ourselves鈥攌nowledge about what our next step should be, knowledge of whether something is off and how to correct it. In mindfulness, Buddhism, yoga, and other contemplative practices, observation can become increasingly refined to produce insight, growth, healing, and wisdom. This is the inner regeneration of the senses, mind, and Self.

At 91香蕉视频, this first workshop marks an important step toward cultivating our land in a way that nourishes the earth, the community, and the Self. Globally, as we witness countries, communities, and families being affected by war, environmental degradation, water and food insecurity, and climate change, regenerative agroforestry offers a practical and hopeful path toward restoring our precious Earth and healing ourselves. At 91香蕉视频, we plan to continue to evolve this work, care for our food forests, and design future programs. We invite you to take this work into your life by reflection on these questions offered by the facilitators, Dr. Craig and Dolma.

Gratitude to our teachers, Dr. Craig and Dolma, and all of the workshop participants.

The post Reflections from 91香蕉视频鈥檚 First Regenerative Agroforestry Workshop appeared first on 91香蕉视频.

The exhibition is open to the public Mondays 鈥� Fridays, 9:30 am 鈥� 4:00 pm, and by appointment on weekends.

Please enjoy a gallery of selections from the show鈥攁nd then come over and see it yourself!

The post 2026 Community Art Show appeared first on 91香蕉视频.

Every year scholars from ACTC member institutions and elsewhere gather at the Association鈥檚 conference to share their appreciation of core texts through short papers that examine the texts themselves as well as approaches to teaching them. Most member institutions focus primarily on texts from the Western tradition, which stretches from ancient Greece and Rome through medieval and Renaissance Europe to modern Europe and the Americas. 91香蕉视频 is one of the few schools that includes a large number of non-Western texts in its curricula.

Shared inquiry is built directly into the conference structure. Presenters are asked to keep their papers short (no more than fifteen minutes) in order to leave time at the end of each panel for discussion between presenters and the audience. Instead of panelists reading their papers without further ado, dialogue opens the presenters鈥� offerings to new questions, new insights, and new connections.听

, titled We Hold These Truths: Liberty, Equality, and Core Texts, encouraged submissions on core principles of American democracy, celebrating the 250th anniversary of our Declaration of Independence. However, submissions were not required to address this theme. Representing 91香蕉视频 at the conference were professors Franklyn Wu, Sarah Babcock, and Fedde de Vries and admissions counselor Justin Howe.

Professor Wu, participating in a panel on liberal arts education, presented a report on the structure and curriculum of 91香蕉视频鈥檚 Summer Study Abroad in Taiwan program, held for the first time in 2025. The program combines Buddhist and Western philosophical texts with on-site exploration of Taipei and its surroundings, allowing students to learn about and apply Buddhist theories of perception through firsthand experience.

Professors Babcock and de Vries joined a panel on teaching Asian core texts. Professor Babcock presented on the li (绂�) lab, a long-standing and innovative assignment from the bachelor program鈥檚 Chinese Classics strand. In this assignment, students explore the Confucian notion of li (rite, ritual, propriety, etiquette) by designing and carrying out their own ritual and recording the results. As Professor Babcock explained, this assignment has often led students to a deeper understanding and transformation鈥攆or example, of a difficult habit or a challenging relationship.

Professor de Vries proposed that the teaching of Buddhist texts requires careful preparation and contextualization for the students, especially in cases where one teaching is responding to another. The Heart of the Prajnaparamitra Sutra, for example, cannot be properly understood without understanding the Pali Canon teachings that provide the core principles and terms it reframes.

Professor de Vries also presented in a second panel, on natural and political equality. Here, he suggested that the Buddha鈥檚 teachings on universal equality provide a curious counterpoint to the political equality that underpins American democracy, because the Buddha kept this teaching of equality secret and only shared it with those who were ready to hear it.

Justin Howe, who is also a doctoral candidate at Clemson University, presented in this same panel on equality. His paper considered the Mahaparinibbana Sutta and the Samannaphala Sutta, two Pali suttas in which the Buddha encounters the tyrant king Ajatasattu, asking whether insights from these encounters might help us to understand community and freedom today.

91香蕉视频 is grateful for the ACTC and the work it does to support liberal arts, humanities, and core texts-based learning, and looks forward to sending representatives to next year鈥檚 conference.

The post 91香蕉视频 Presents at ACTC 2026 Conference appeared first on 91香蕉视频.

What were you doing before 91香蕉视频?

I鈥檓 not from a single track鈥鈥檓 built from many chapters, and each internship I worked for has taught my heart a different mode of serving people. One of the most influential, recent chapters听 was in 2023 when I served as an United Nations active permanent volunteer. My United Nations visit to New York has changed my perspective on workspace values and what true impact means in public life.听

What does contemplative practice mean to you? What practice do you do in your spare time (if any)?

Well, I love exploring different types of spiritual and mindful practices. One of the recent ones is Trekch枚. I do it every day because it鈥檚 the one practice that makes me feel untouchable inside. I like it because I don鈥檛 have to fix my citta (thoughts). I just sit, recognize awareness, and everything heavy loosens by itself.听 I also have had this constant Ajapa practice of divine Shakti since I was a kid.听

What is an influential class, book, or concept that blew your mind?听

A book that really stayed with me is The Seven Daoist Masters: Classic Tales. It鈥檚 by my all-time favorite author, Eva Wong. It makes us notice how much of Doaist principles can sit inside simple stories, and how the universe can teach us the Dao if our will is strong and unwavering.听

Also, The Divine Comedy by Dante. This is the one that I still remember re-reading lines from in the midst of the scent of brewing coffee at NY鈥檚 vintage Dante cafe this winter. I fell in love with his idea of the person who chooses neither: not extreme good, not extreme evil, just remaining neutral, passive, refusing to commit. And how that person ends up belonging nowhere鈥攏ot Hell, not Heaven.

It made me think: we don鈥檛 get to call avoidance “balance.” We don鈥檛 get to call silence “peace,” either. Sometimes choosing nothing is still a choice, and it has its own consequences. It gives this century some direction for not falling into traps of neutrality, and promotes standing for something we believe and have faith in.

Can you share a memory of a quintessential 91香蕉视频 moment with us?

My quintessential 91香蕉视频 moment is during free time or weekends when I just leave everything behind and either walk or bike to the backwater creek. I sit under Zeleny鈥攎y buddy, my old oak tree鈥�.and I journal. That spot has this quiet vibe to it. Living in the moment with nature with many small creatures around me, the air itself feels like it鈥檚 reminding me to unclench, to stop sprinting through my own life. I always come back softer and clearer after that.听

What do you plan to do after 91香蕉视频?

In the near future, I want to become a bureaucrat in India and bring some freshness into the world’s largest democratic and historic working constitution. I want to be in the places where policy becomes true, where basic utilities, support, and dignity reach people. I want to make sure they do. I don鈥檛 want children in the districts I serve going to sleep with empty stomachs while files move from desk to desk. I want the system to actually work for the people it鈥檚 meant for, and I want to be the kind of sapien who follows things through until they become real.

And later, I want to design a home that feels like a small stream or a beautiful pond. A house full of adopted kids, sheltered animals, and any beings who just need somewhere safe to land.

Thank you for reflections, Priya!

The post Student Spotlight: Priya Vallabi, BA ’27 appeared first on 91香蕉视频.

These exhibitions are open to the public Mondays – Fridays, 9:30 am – 4:00 pm, and by appointment on weekends (91香蕉视频 Building, 5950 Proper View Avenue, Ukiah, California).

The post Spring 2026 Arts Initiative Exhibitions appeared first on 91香蕉视频.

Now halfway through the program, they have studied the works of famous translators, different translation theories, and how to structure the process of translating in a group. All the while, they have put theory into practice, translating and discussing both ancient and modern texts.

At this stage, the three students describe a shift in how they see translation. What at first seemed like a mostly technical task has turned out to be a complex and often shared process in which they contribute their different experiences.

As Vayu says: 鈥淚 have found that translation work is a very creative process. It is creative work and, as such, cannot really be taught. Instead, you must provide a space where a person can explore and understand for themselves how it is they do it. At the same time, the components of the activity can be taught and developed: the critical mind, language comprehension, cultural understanding, and so on.鈥�

From Accuracy to Interpretation

Vayu鈥檚 path to the Translation Certificate Program started in Mexico City, when he was trying to compile a small collection of Mah膩y膩na s奴tras in Spanish. Few translations were available in Spanish, his mother tongue. With a certain na茂vet茅, he says, he thought he would do the translation himself. He realized his limits and decided to apply to the translation program to better understand what he was doing.

One formative moment came early in the program. He was editing a Chinese text he felt he had handled well. The translation was technically correct, but in class, the discussion showed that many of his choices were not quite accurate and did not represent the structure of the original. 鈥淚 learned that you can be correct and still be wrong,鈥� he says.

Vayu鈥檚 classmate Li Tao, who spent her career as a research scientist, describes a similar experience from a different angle. She applied to the program as her family responsibilities eased, and she initially understood translation primarily as a rather mechanical, word-for-word transfer of meaning. Through studying translation theory and the work of earlier translators, she realized how things like audience, culture, and subjective choices shape every translation.听

鈥淎ll of these factors shape both the effectiveness and style of a translation. I used to think of translation simply as transferring a text from one language into another, which is a common misconception,鈥� Li says. 鈥淲e also learn from well-known translators, both ancient and contemporary, drawing from their insights and experiences. This journey has been truly eye-opening.鈥�

Carrying the Resonance

Ven. Sajal鈥檚 background in Therav膩da Buddhist literature and contemplative practice deeply shapes the way he approaches translation. 鈥淲henever I read or translate a Buddhist text, I instinctively consider how the teaching speaks to me personally. Also, especially when translating key doctrinal terms and phrases conveying stages or experiences of Buddhist spiritual practice, I become very conscious of capturing the full meaning of these terms and concepts. However, it is a constant struggle for a translator. Sometimes, we choose not to translate those terms, like karma, 苍颈谤惫腻苍补, 蝉补峁僺腻谤补, 辫谤补箩帽腻, and 辫腻谤补尘颈迟腻.鈥�

He explains how the nature of Buddhist teachings is such that, as they unfold through careful study and the process of translation, they often begin to speak directly to us. 鈥淚n a sense, translation first becomes an inner dialogue, a way of understanding the text for ourselves, before it transforms into something we offer to others,鈥� he says.

Over time, he has come to see that what matters most is not merely rendering the words or terms from the source language, but capturing the spirit or essence of the message being conveyed. When a teaching resonates deeply within him, he trusts that the translation will carry that same resonance to others.

Learning to Translate Together

Despite their different backgrounds, all three emphasize the importance of group translation in the program. Li explains how, in their group translation work, each of the participants begin by independently completing different stages of the process: primary translation, review, and editing. Then, during group editing, they finalize the translation together.听

Li values how this collaborative effort draws on each person鈥檚 linguistic strengths, allowing everyone to contribute. This way, space is provided to clarify difficult words and concepts collectively. 鈥淲orking in a group is far more effective than working individually,鈥� she says.听

Ven. Sajal has come to appreciate how every phrase or sentence can be interpreted and expressed in multiple听ways: 鈥淕roup discussions allow each member to present their understanding, which deepens our grasp of the text and clarifies nuanced meanings. I find this collective approach not only intellectually enriching but also spiritually rewarding, as it encourages shared inquiry, patience, and mutual respect among all participants.鈥�

鈥淚t is also a humbling experience,鈥� Li points out, 鈥渨hen I see my work being changed completely, and always for the better. I really enjoy the group translation. I learn a lot from it.鈥�

Both Vayu and Ven. Sajal echo the importance of humility. Ven. Sajal explains how humility helps students recognize that their understanding of a text or teaching is never final. 鈥淭his openness allows us to genuinely consider other perspectives,鈥� he says. Through thoughtful discussion, the students often discover alternative interpretations that enhance their collective understanding.听听

鈥淓qually important is the mutual respect we have for one another鈥檚 insights and viewpoints. This spirit of openness and respect enables us to work harmoniously and productively on our translation projects,鈥� Ven. Sajal says.

This spirit seems to create a space where the process of working in a group can be both humbling and rewarding at the same time. As Vayu describes it, this means being with people who are more experienced in the skills required for translation and seeing his own work disassembled and rebuilt, or conversely, discovering that his voice is useful, even when he is no expert in anything.听

Vayu describes instances when, after long discussions and many revisions, the group can step back and feel a shared certainty. He says that those are the moments when they can finally breathe and see that the effort was worthwhile, and that the text itself seems to affirm their work.

The post A Space for Exploration appeared first on 91香蕉视频.

The post Embodied Learning Showcase, Fall 2025 appeared first on 91香蕉视频.