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Light Meets Life is still a vision, but it is one that becomes more real with each month that passes here. Every visit to that ancient and inspiring land awakens in us a desire to see it put to sacred use. And each time we are there she reveals more of how she wants to work together with us - confirmation of her acceptance. Small and practical details are even appearing as insight every time we travel up to see this wonderful land that has embraced us. We can even see the visitors walking around, meditating on rocks, wandering the tea garden that will have varietals from all over Asia so guests can learn from the trees in a hands-on way. We have cleared a bit of the land where the guest houses will be and have begun to see how they will be shaped and in what way they will function; and the same for the meditation hall. And as the vision takes shape, and the imaginary foreground blends with the very vivid background of this spirited land, our hearts are filled with deep joy and a lasting sense of meaning to inform our work and lives.
We are very committed to leaving as much of the property untamed as possible. We aren't building a center in the mountains to bring the city out with us - quite the opposite: we want to bring the people of the city to a place where they can connect with Nature. We are currently in the process of preparing blueprints for the new center and are searching for architects who understand our vision and will help to build in harmony with the land and the life there. It is such a vibrant place, with hawks, monkeys, spiders, a waterfall and incredibly fertile verdure everywhere. We will maintain that wild sense of life there, and hope to build in a way that makes it seem as if the buildings were always there - a natural part of the mountain.
On a recent trip up into the mountain to take visitors we also discovered a beautiful bamboo grove tucked away in a quiet spot. If you didn't know, drinking tea amongst the bamboo at night during a full moon is one of the best tea settings possible. Since ancient times tea lovers have sought out bamboo groves for full moon gatherings. The bamboo literally talk, and shine silver under the radiant moon. And you are all invited to the monthly full moon sessions that will be happening at Light Meets Life once it is built!
We have something wonderful to tell you all: Taiwan has a lot of zoning and building laws, and many of them are a bit difficult to navigate. It turned out that the location where we had planned to build our main hall was regulated in a way we hadn't foreseen and so we were going to have to reduce the size by as much as half. This was disappointing, but there was little we could do about it. And as we reached acceptance, since there was no other choice, a donor stepped up and bought us the adjacent two acres that are just beneath our land and do not fall under the same regulations! That's right: our three acres has become five!
Now the main hall is back to its original size; it has just moved to some flatter land just below where it was originally going to be. And the previous place where the main hall was to be built is now the location of the guest houses. It is amazing when pieces come together in such magical ways and we find the universe responding so beautifully to the vision we are manifesting, especially because it is selfless.
If that weren't enough exciting news (Yes, five acres!) we have decided to press three kinds of Puerh to help promote the new center. There will be two Sheng cakes and one Shou cake available in August. We plan to offer them at cost, essentially giving them away. Then, anyone who purchases one can choose how much they would like to donate beyond the cost of the cake. All of the proceeds will then go to build the new center. We will leave the details about this magical tea until the date approaches, but the tea will be magical, indeed. And it is amazing that the old trees will also be contributing some energy towards the building of the world's only, and definitely best, free tea center!
Right now our dearest Lindsey, Jared and Greg are hard at work on a proposal to show potential investors in the vision of a free tea and meditation center for people worldwide. This proposal has taken them all many hours and is still not complete. Raise a bowl to the creation of a powerful portfolio that will allow those with an interest in donating a larger amount to feel comfortable that their money is being stewarded properly, and that none of it will be lost astray.
We are also working towards getting our own non-profit status and getting fiscal sponsorship in the meantime so that we can offer such donors a tax break in exchange for their gift. We are close to being ready to include such benefits in our proposal.
Finally, we are also planning more fundraising trips and events. Wu De will be in Russia this summer (both east and west) doing several events to raise money for Light Meets Life. Also, there will be several public and private events in Los Angeles this August. We will let you know the details in the coming months.
Should any of you wish to contribute or have any ideas for ways to help us realize this vibrant dream, please contact us. You can donate at the Center page of our GTH website or send a check to:
Global Tea Hut West 2441 Beverley Ave. #6 Santa Monica, CA 90405 United States
Or contact us for other ways to support.
