Farm Fresh, November 2025
This month's highlights:
This month's highlights:
- Alan Watts, '60s mystic
- Daoism - The Chinese Philosophy of Balance
- Awakening World with The Farm on YouTube
- EV Update
- The Farm Holiday Bazaar, December 6 & 7
local fungi - photos by Christy Hurgeton
Dear friends,
Deborah and I are back on The Farm for a brief visit. We leave again in November, going back to Asia in support of the Dances of Universal Peace. We will meet with a Dance group in Taiwan, travel to an ecovillage with Dancers in Indonesia, and then spend three weeks in Thailand where we will join with over 100 aspiring Dance Leaders from all across Southeast Asia for an annual training camp. In a time of such turmoil, this message of peace offers hope and inspiration, and can bring inner peace to those touched by this practice. I feel so lucky to have this in my life.
Deborah and I are back on The Farm for a brief visit. We leave again in November, going back to Asia in support of the Dances of Universal Peace. We will meet with a Dance group in Taiwan, travel to an ecovillage with Dancers in Indonesia, and then spend three weeks in Thailand where we will join with over 100 aspiring Dance Leaders from all across Southeast Asia for an annual training camp. In a time of such turmoil, this message of peace offers hope and inspiration, and can bring inner peace to those touched by this practice. I feel so lucky to have this in my life.
This deeper dive into the East coincides with my recent explorations of the teachings of Alan Watts, a modern mystic who gained attention through his 1957 book, The Way of Zen.
It is through listening to his lectures that I gained a better understanding and appreciation for Daoism, one of the primary spiritual paths of China. Its core principles provide clear insights into life's meanings and mysteries.
As we enter the month of Thanksgiving, a talk by Watts on the subject of Gratitude especially caught my attention. It essentially sort of boiled down to "gratitude is an attitude." Here is what he had to say:
“There comes a moment, somewhere between the noise of ambition and the silence of despair when you begin to wonder if you’ve missed something essential. You have everything you thought you needed or are still chasing it and yet there’s that quiet ache behind the curtain of your smile. The world says more, but your heart whispers “enough,” and in that whisper lies the secret doorway, gratitude.
Gratitude is not a moral virtue, not something to remember before meals. It is not a performance of thankfulness to impress the heavens.
It is the recognition, sudden and astonishing, that you have been swimming in blessings all along, only you were too busy searching for the ocean to notice the water.
It is the light that falls across your teacup. How a friend’s laughter can dissolve a thousand sorrows.
Here you are, alive, suspended between mystery and miracle.
The miracle is always in the now, hidden beneath the ordinary, waiting to be seen, like a child eager for your attention.
Gratitude is the art of remembering what is already so. It is seeing life as it is without the distortion of entitlement or expectations.
It is the ground on which true growth stands.”
I hope you are able to find joy in this month when we celebrate the abundance of harvests in all their forms.
Peace,
Douglas
Douglas
The Farm Holiday Bazaar, December 6 & 7
Gift Ideas, live music, kid crafts, food, and fellowship!
If you'd like to watch our appearance on the show Awakening World produced by Scott Catamas and the Global Peace Tribe, click one of these links to watch it on YouTube. I present a short overview of The Farm Community's history and talk about what types of things are happening now. You'll also meet James Moore, president of Swan Conservation Trust and learn about the work of this organization which created the 1400 acre Big Swan Headwaters Preserve that surrounds The Farm Community. There's also a segment about The Farm Midwives featuring Serena Kachinski and my daughter Leah Thomas, along with some input from my wife, Deborah Flowers. It's a nice encapsulation of just a few things that are happening here at The Farm.
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Alan Watts, '60s mystic
Alan Wilson Watts (1915–1973) was a British-born philosopher (you can detect his accent in his lectures), writer, and speaker best known for popularizing Zen Buddhism, Taoism, and Hinduism for a Western audience. His eloquent, witty, and deeply resonant voice, captured in countless recorded lectures and radio broadcasts, made him an intellectual celebrity, bridging the gap between intricate Asian metaphysical concepts and the skeptical Western mind.
Zen's emphasis on direct experience, intuition, and the "eternal now" resonated with the emerging counterculture of the 1950s and '60s. His exploration of psychedelics further enhanced his understanding of universal oneness, expressed as each of us is like a wave connected to a vast ocean of life force. We are each like the leaves of a tree, connected to something larger than ourselves, until this form no longer serves us and our energy returns to the source. Watts encouraged people to view life as a playful, aimless dance rather than a serious, goal-oriented struggle, suggesting we finding meaning by being fully engaged in the present moment.
The official Alan Watts podcast is called Being in the Way on the Be Here Now Network, initially created to share the talks of Ram Dass, author of the seminal book, Be Here Now. It's hosted by Mark Watts, son of Alan Watts, and takes you through the 100 hours of recordings in the Alan Watts Archives. Alan Watts and Ram Dass were contemporaries and friends for a short while, and in a way, it was like the passing of the the torch from one generation to the next.
During his decades of popularity Alan Watts had his own radio show and traveled extensively, giving lectures and workshops, so there are many hours of these recordings to be found on YouTube.
I have to admit I find his voice perfect for putting me to sleep, LOL! His deep and fairly even tone gives my mind something to focus on rather than the details of the day, plans for tomorrow, or any of the stresses that abound in modern life. My mind is aligned with something positive and I am often learning about the nuances of other spiritual practices and philosophies. You can even find voice only recordings on YouTube called, "Alan Watts for Bedtime!"
But be aware, there are now AI-generated lectures of Alan Watts! A clone of his voice in created by giving AI his lectures to a reference, as well as allowing the technology to collect the intricacies of his mind through his talks and writings. Here is one where this is acknowledged. Others (but not all) will identify the talk is AI-generated in the additional text under "more." AI is even being used to have Watts offer thoughts and opinions on entirely new subjects, to present what he might have said. Oh my!
Fortunately, there are lots of genuine recordings to appreciate. I encourage you to check him out.
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Living with the Dao, the way of the Universe
Daoism (also spelled Taoism) is an ancient Chinese philosophical and spiritual tradition centered on living in harmony with the Dao (道)—often translated as the Way.
The Dao is best described as the underlying natural order or flow of the universe—beyond words or concepts. Everything arises from and returns to the Dao. It cannot be fully described; it can only be experienced by living in alignment with it.
The essence of this practice is to develop a life in harmony with nature and all life force. When our efforts are in alignment with the flow of the universe, our tasks become like a boat moving forward with the current of a river. This concept is called Wu Wei, effortless action.
Yin and Yang (陰陽) – Balance and Harmony
Most of us are familiar with the Yin Yang symbol (above), and understand it represents balance. Going a bit deeper, we can see that this concept is connected to all aspects of reality. There is no light without dark, down without up, open and closed are two halves of a whole. Rather than separate elements, the two are one, which are so perfectly represented by the full circle on the yin yang symbol. This means that a life of health and harmony comes from learning how to balance opposites, a skill that can best be realized through an understanding that this is the rhythm of the vibrations that underlie everything in all forms.
Lao Tzu or Laozi
It is said that the teachings of Daoism came into being from the writings of a 6th century Chinese philosopher known as Laozi, or as we know him in the west, Lao Tzu. He is said to be the author of the Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching), “The Classic of the Way and Virtue,” although at this point it is unclear whether he truly existed or is a mythical figure, a composite made up of several teachers from that time.
Laozi summarizes the virtues of the Dao as the “Three Treasures.”
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Compassion – Kindness comes from a position of strength, which empowers courage.
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Moderation –again a reference to maintaining a balance. Comfortable confidence and security manifests as generosity,
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Humility – a person who is humble can rise to a role of leadership without domination.
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EV Update
Last month I said "New, the (Chevy) Bolt had a range of over 200 miles, but over a few years, the range can diminish to around 125-150 miles."
My friend who suggested I go EV with the Bolt corrected me by saying that the mileage on a new Bolt was rated at 259 miles, and the range of his 2023 Bolt is still holding strong. "Experts" say to expect a reduction of 5-10% after five years.
It is also worth mentioning that Chevy will be releasing a new and improved Bolt in the 2027 model year. The mileage range will be about the same, but the new model with have the upgraded Lithium Ion Phosphate (LiFePO₄) battery pack which reduces charging times on public fast chargers.
It is also worth mentioning that Chevy will be releasing a new and improved Bolt in the 2027 model year. The mileage range will be about the same, but the new model with have the upgraded Lithium Ion Phosphate (LiFePO₄) battery pack which reduces charging times on public fast chargers.
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Thank you for your time and attention! Come visit us!
Douglas Stevenson
Douglas@villagemedia.com
www.douglasstevenson.com
www.villagemedia.com
Douglas@villagemedia.com
www.douglasstevenson.com
www.villagemedia.com
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Douglas
