FREE AND EASY WANDERING
Taught by Dr. Geoffrey Barstow
WINTER 2025
TUESDAYS | DEC 2, 9, & 16
6:45PM - 8:00PM Marigold [648 SW 2nd Street, Corvallis, OR]
[Sliding Scale] 50 • 65 • 80
Scholarships available for students experiencing financial hardship. Apply here.
ABOUT THE CLASS
One of the earliest and most important figures in Daoism, the Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi advocated a life of relaxed detachment, sticking to natural rhythms and going with the flow of ‘the way.’
But what would this actually look like in practice? And is it even possible in the twenty first century?
This class will discuss Zhuangzi’s writings with an eye towards how they can be applied in real, modern life.
Participants will need to acquire (find, buy, or loan) and read sections of the book Zhuangzi: Basic Writings by Burton Watson.
READING SCHEDULE
| DEC 2 | Read and discuss pages 1-48 of Zhuangzi: Basic Writings |
|
DEC 9 |
Read and discuss pages 49-96 of Zhuangzi: Basic Writings |
| DEC 16 | Final discussion and reflections |
BOOK ACCESS
| BUY | Columbia University Press | Thriftbooks.com | Amazon |
|---|---|
| BORROW | OSU Library: eBook Access | Print Book | One available for loan via the Marigold Library - email us! |
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
ACCOMMODATIONS
For ability-related accommodations, please email us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 541-737-4785.
CANCELLATION: This program is refundable before Wednesday, November 26, 2025.
about the teacher
Dr. Geoffrey Barstow
Geoff Barstow first encountered Tibetan Buddhism in 1999, while on a study abroad trip in college. Since that time, the study of Tibetan religion, history, and culture has been the focus of his professional life. He has spent more than six years conducting research in Nepal, China, and Tibet. That research focuses on the history of vegetarianism on the Tibetan plateau, asking questions about how animals were viewed, how they were treated (ie: eaten), what that can tell us about Tibetan Buddhism, and how Buddhist ideas about animal ethics might impact broader philosophical discussions. As a teacher, his courses emphasize various aspects of Buddhist religious thought, but also seek to explore how those ideas have been lived and experienced by actual Buddhists.