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(2) 

Not long ago it began to be clear that a life of simplicity, meaningful and creative work, quiet, contemplation, and natural beauty not turning one's back on the world but rather trying to create within the world a place of peace and harmony, that here would be the place to begin. Without knowing all the answers certainly but, with a faith in these things that harmony and hopefully a small bit of wisdom and efficacy might come of it. I began to consider my interest in woodwork seriously as a career.  I began to feel confident that my love of nature and of the out of doors might be an inner voice to be listened to.  All very good in theory but, how to do it?  And just at that time I discovered your book.

Mr. Nakashima, because of what yo have written I sense and hope that you have something of great importance to teach young people like me, something which I very much wish to learn.    With your experiences at the ashram of Sri Aurobindo in mind I have thought that if I had anything to offer I would rush to New Hope to throw myself on your kindness in hope of finding there a place to live, and work, and learn.  But, unfortunately, my woodworking skills are still only beginner's skills and so not really skills at all.  And too, I know that although your workshop and home in New Hope seem to be  a haven of sanity in what seems more and more to be a very unhealthy world, it is not after all an ashram open to all.  And anyway, I'm not really as bold as all that.

Thank you for having read so far. I am sorry to take so much of your time. I hope I have not given the wrong or a bad impression.  I am  a simple and sincere young man who wants nothing more than to find a way to live a life  of harmony and usefulness building things with wood and with luck slowly approaching some kind of an understanding of the important questions of life.  And having found someone, such as yourself, who has had some