What Does Being a Buddhist Mean to You? Summer 2009

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“Mara loses his power when you’re broke.”

 

 

– Philip Ryan
Tricycle Web Editor

 

 

 

“Buddhism means we’re all always rich all along.”

– Lynn Somerstein, Ph.D., RYT
Psychoanalyst And Yoga Teacher 

“Buddhist practice has given me a better sense of perspective on money: it is neither the source of, nor the solution to, my personal sense of unease in the world.”

– Peter Clothier
Writer

 

 

 

 

“The economic crisis is a reminder that nothing—micro or macro—is permanent! Personally, I think the economic climate will make it easier for my family to stick to a budget.”

                                                                                                  – Denise Harter 

                                                                                                    Homeschooling Parent

 

“Sitting in meditation allows me to see the impermanence of all this financial turmoil; practicing lovingkindness allows me to help those I can and to feel compassion for those I can’t; practicing tonglen allows me to breathe through all the suffering I see in the world around me.

– William Harryman
Writer And Integral Coach

 

 

“The sense of loss and insecurity brought on by the economic crisis is a great opportunity to practice—indeed, it’s one of those situations we practice for.”

– Margaret So-Un Segall
Director Of Administration, Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation

“Last year in Seattle, I heard the Dalai Lama call for a secular, ethical approach to social issues, with compassionate leadership, including more women. Let’s heed the call.”

– Jenny Zenner
Founder, Seeds Yoga

 

 

 

“I lost my job to this crisis, and with that job I lost a large part of what had been my identity for 15 years. It took a global crisis for me to realize that I lack an answer to that most basic of questions: who am I? By deepening my Buddhist practice amidst the meltdown, I’m appreciating the unlimited ambiguity of my life and the possibilities that melting down—in every sense—can bring.”

– Timothy Tucker
Stock Analyst, Research Manager, and Artist /td>“The shelter of the sangha is critical when times are difficult. It creates a courage that I might not always have alone. The comfort of fellow believers and trekkers gives a little boost to go forward.”

– Bryant Pierpont
Newspaper Advertising Manager