New Cave Ideas
October 25, 2005

Yesterday I extended the steps of the cave. I raised the opening and dug it much deeper. I wanted to make the opening high and deep enough that I could walk in upright, without stooping. I almost got to that point. Just a few more inches are required. I kept lowering the inside of the cave too.

I went to the cave for this morning's meditation. While I was there I had a lot of ideas. I notice that most of the cave is underground. Only a small amount is aboveground in the stupa itself. The underground part is quite firm. The walls are made from a hard material. I am wondering how it would be if I continue the cave underground, beyond the stupa. I am thinking of doing this.

When it rains I am not sure to what degree moisture will penetrate the ground. It seems to not be wet more than a foot or so down. Slightly moist maybe but not wet. So I wonder if water will enter a cave that is a few feet underground. If it does will it be just an oozing, dripping situation?  I would like to know what an underground cave will do in a big rain. If need be a sump pump can be used to pump out water, along with a generator, since electricity often goes off in a big storm.

I think I know a good way to keep the cave dry if moisture is a problem. Place a sheet of plastic on the ground above the cave and cover it with several inches of dirt. Any water will run off to the edge of the plastic and soak into the ground beyond the cave. The plastic could be twenty feet wide and as long as necessary. This is inexpensive. The dirt on top will protect the plastic from the sun and give it an indefinite life, except that rodents and insects might chew through it in time.

The cave can run underground as far as required. There can be as many rooms as needed. There can be multiple entrances. There can be fans, electricity, and plumbing. Plumbing will require some tunneling. If I want a leach field for shower or sink it will be the same as doing it on the surface, except that tunneling will be required to place the drainpipes. A septic tank could be built, probably by digging a very deep hole from aboveground. It is all possible. I was thinking about building a boring machine using an electric motor.

The cave has gotten deep enough that dirt must be removed in a two-step process, moving it out of the cave into the entranceway, then throwing it up onto a pile on the surface. It is time to make a trolley. I might have some wheels. I can make a track and a cart to roll on it. Then the cart can be filled with dirt down below and pushed or pulled up the incline to the surface. The incline is quite steep right now, steep stairs. I will most likely extend the steps considerably to make a more gradual incline.

The entrance can be build up with a wall surrounding all the steps, and a nearly horizontal cellar-type door set on top of the surrounding wall. The wall can be reinforced with a small amount of cement so that rain won't erode it quickly.
A better solution will be to build up the stupa or build a wooden, adobe, or concrete shed with a roof at the entrance, and use a regular vertical door. This will require a shed of about seven feet tall, but will be the most rain-proof method.

If I don't make some arrangements for sheltering the entrance from rain, the cave is likely to fill with water in the next storm. I could probably cover the entrance with plastic in an emergency.