Month: May 2018

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Bill Porter update

Update on Bill Porter — translator of Chinese and Buddhist classics and China traveler, and author of Road to Heaven: Encounters With Chinese Hermits — in China.org.cn, titled “Drawn in the beauty of solitude – a life inspired by Chinese poetry.” Porter’s most recent visit to China centered around his latest book, Paradise of the Mind, on ancient poet Tao Yuanming or Tao Chien. The article reviews Porter’s travels and reflections, concluding:

Considering his age, Porter [he is 75] has decided to settle down and stop his wanderings. Together with some friends, he is preparing to open a meditation center in Seattle.

“The best things in life are things that can make the world stop,” he says. “I found it in Chinese culture, and I would like to share that.”

URL: http://www.china.org.cn/arts/2018-05/25/content_51518212.htm

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Mauro Morandi, Italian hermit

Mother Nature Network ofers an article about Mauro Morandi, age 79, who has spent the last 30 years alone on the deserted Italian island of Budelli near Sardinia. Morandi uses solar energy, makes furniture from driftwood, and shares photos of the natural beauty of the place on his Facebook account. He came to the island because “I was very angry with a society that does not take into consideration the individual, but only runs for power and money … We must try to see the beauty to the end, and then we will respect nature and perhaps this world will be saved.” Includes some of the photos.

URL: https://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/eco-tourism/blogs/79-year-old-enjoys-life-solitude-deserted-italian-island

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Solitary occupations enjoyed

Mainstream media is more carefully distinguishing solitude or aloneness from loneliness. An article in The Guardian titled “How To Be Alone: ‘I feel most alive when I’m with my own thoughts’ ” interviews five people with solitary occupations — fire tower officer, expedition doctor, wildlife photographer, long-distance lorry (truck) driver, and land ranger — on how they enjoy solitude.

URL: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/apr/28/how-to-be-alone-having-things-do