Ten Years Ago…

…Tricycle held a conference on practice and inquiry called “Buddhism—Does it Make a Difference?” at the World Trade Center’s Marriott Hotel. Jeff Wilson summarized the three day event in this article, quoting conference speakers like Joseph Goldstein, Gelek Rinpoche, and Pat Enkyo O’Hara Sensei. I particularly love this quote from Tsoknyi Rinpoche: “Thought and emotions are innocent. You know human rights; well, there are thought rights. Thoughts have a right to come. But we have a right not to go along with them. We give them space. Give love to your thoughts. Think, Oh, I have waited so long for you to come!’ Hug them, love them. Let them come into your mind, but with peace.”

Tricycle cartoonist Mike Taylor, whose clever work you can see in Tricycle‘s Letters sections spanning the years from 2001 to 2004 (some of my favorites: Summer 2004 and Fall 2002), was also a conference attendee. A few days ago he wrote to us with some of his old cartoons inspired by that conference—a throwback, if you will, to a younger Tricycle and a younger world. As he wrote, “Just recently, I found these old drawings in a box, and now send them to you for better or worse, as a snapshot of a more innocent time.”

We hope you enjoy them.