Timber Framing as Meditative Craft
On Robert LaPorte, TM, a loghouse and over 4 decades of building Econest
When I Was the Forest
—
When I was the stream,
When I was the Forest,
When I was still the field,
When I was every hoof, foot, fin and wing,
When I was the sky itself,
No one ever asked me did I have a purpose,
No one ever wondered was there anything I might need,
For there was nothing
I could not
Love…
-meister eckhart ( 1260-1328)
I met Robert 8 years ago. He was sponsoring a 7 day Japanese joinery workshop here in his beautiful timber framed shop, cathedral really, on his property in Ashland Oregon at the end of Paradise Lane.
It is a shop to learn in not just about woodcraft, but on Life itself. The energy and decision, decisive choices made are clearly felt in this space on how the minds inventions in nature can be articulated and “joined” in harmony with one’s own road.
There are many men who lead and then there are far fewer men who truly lead from within. It is rare to see such authenticity and vulnerable and heart in men.
Robert is that.
His own nascent beginnings and wild growth is akin to an acorn or a tiny redwood seed, in fact I would go out on a “limb” and say he is ‘Tree-like”. In essence a historical blend of Japanese and European woodworking and building. His homes are built alive, breathing and offering energy-essence for life-hood. He has worked with his life partner in Paula, a master architect, visionary really, of natural and healthy homes that hold spirit and soul to bring to the world their own “sagrada” into living spaces.
Each morning in the timber framing workshop is begun with an opening circle, one of the three men I was working alongside, chiseling and sawing, asked how to accelerate the realization of a life’s vision—knowing the vision exists but struggling to bring it to fruition. How?,,,, this was the inquiry posed.
Robert shared his own journey, a pathless land, reflecting on this day today, over 40+ years in the making.
“If You Have the Vision Then it is Already Done”
Robert was studying to be a TM (Transcendental Meditation) teacher and was cloistered into a small community on 6500 acres in the Canadian vast wilderness away, far away from life’s trapping. From his room he heard the sound of heavy equipment. Odd in the quiet ramblings of nature. There, a Crane’s boom higher than the canopy of trees was poking in to view.
He found himself needing to see what this was that was occurring in his neck of the woods. In the clearing he saw a perfectly constructed log home as if it was placed there, not a trace of equipment, rubbish, tracks, construction bruises to be found on the land. As he got closer to the home he inspected the it and noted that all the lines were in perfect order, no gaps between spaces.
“It was a mind blowing moment,” he gesticulated with his arm outstretched to us.
“I am doing THAT!” he retorted and the body followed this now made realization movement to today.
In a month he had packed his bags and left the TM community.
This was his answer to Vlad, who asked this prescient question. Vlad recently quit his job and changed his path from software engineer to Energy healer. He is on his own quest as he geolocates his preferred domicile and continues his education on building to create his world of Peace and health.
Once you know, then you know.
The world will be manifested by this simple notion.
Reset-Rewire-Reactivate for Resilient living. Elements of a Loving life.
Robert is conscious, aware and timed into and tuned into natures order. He carries insight, intuition, and an abiding clarity of the divine connection to nature and how we may order ourselves in its relationship of non separation and inspired into Loving-Kindness.
It is The Way in my estimation.
These notions are threaded through his daily wakings making sure he is not down a quart of water, and the conscious provoking stop-pauses on the hour reminded by his ringing timer on his phone to take one minute from that moment of focus to rest and be still.
His teaching style fits me well and I imagine every other man who has come to seek his tutoring. He is gentle, clear and un-judging of the work, of the beginning nature of beginning again in life to which I am accustomed here today, this week.
He is also real, living and is clear to us he can turn on the “General”mode of get it done attitude. He speaks of getting one’s “head out of their Ass” an ever ongoing experience in the want to live an effortless life. He humbly asserts he is still working at it.
Get your head out of your Ass
and
Do you!
He offerswhat he calls fifty dollar nuggets of teachings to facilitate the mind into harmony and ease with the grain of the wood. One such nugget is:
“Listen and watch first, then do”.
Bringing life to the Chisel
For a Japanese carpenter chisels are sacred, children to be tended to, cared for. As a father the sensitive nature to the whims and resistance to nurturing life requires humility, patience and great temperance of thought and feeling until the soul of one’s chisel is revealed. Once life is released from the chisel creation begins in earnest and the carpenter becomes a willing and present accomplice. The movement feels effortless through wood when it is all done in accordance with nature and in natures patience of reveals.
I counted 11 steps in all and a whole day to complete the “birthing” on this cool, rainy, Spring day on Paradise Lane.
It goes something like this…..
Zen and the Art of Timber Framing lesson number one.
1. Set the hoop by first soaking the handle in hot water for 30 minutes or so after
2. Hammer the end to expand the wood around the hoop to keep it in place.
3. Flatten the back of the blade, level and to a mirror finish....or it will never cut straight,
4. Bevel the blade on a grinder
5. Create a micro-bevel near the edge and then
6, 7 & 8. Sharpen edge on a #1000, #6000 and #10,000 grit stone
9. Oil the wood handle and then
Condition the blade with Camelia Sinensis to prevent rust and finally,
Slice paper without any effort, not finger.
This is indeed Samurai edge craftsmanship!
Total Time: All DAY
Four of us came together for this workshop, instantly bonding as men who shared deeply with vulnerability, heart, and spirit. This convergence was no coincidence, held within the sacred container Robert upholds in his life—his family, his spiritual community of heartfelt “brothers and sisters,” and his profound faith in Love’s openness. In his own way, he embodies the Tao—the Way, unnamed and unforced—living with presence and continual refinement.
“Love is not separate from You”
Chris, originally from Tennessee via Alaska, and Dave from Michigan, both friends and Building Biologists, connected with my want to better understand health effects as we amplify cellular and LED, etc… We dove into discussions about the electric rainbow—non-native EMF and RF from human creations—that surrounds and permeates our world, impacting human physiology. This ethos guides the design of Robert’s houses and those nearby, aiming to reduce man-made toxicity for vibrant, healthy living.
On the Sunday, the last day we put in over 12 hours to get here.
With Robert's loving guidance and the supportive mentorship of Vlad, Dave, and Chris, who bring far more woodworking experience than I currently have, I now know I can do this. My work may not be perfectly straight, and the joints may not be flawless, but I’m confident it will endure beyond my lifetime and through another generation.
Blessings and Namaste,
jin zhong hua
金钟花
( terry )
Here is Roberts website:
https://www.econestworkshops.com/home-1
Thank you Terry for sharing this. What a beautiful multilayered experience and an artful craft. I can feel your transformation in this.
Thank you Terry. Thanks for writing this in a way that I felt like I was there learning with you. Beautiful. Beautiful.🙏🏼