by Ethan Nichtern
This November 6 & 7, the Buddhist-inspired Interdependence Project will be hosting our largest
fundraiser and event to date in the form of a 24- hour Meditation Marathon in the
window displays of ABC Carpet & Home, a wonderful and sustainable store in New York City.
We are aiming to raise funds for our non-profit organization to develop as a true
community center, develop a radio show, and develop our activism
projects in the coming year. We also need additional support to continue providing great
classes, events and projects for the upcoming year, and expand the
scope of our transformative community.
So far, about 85 people have signed up to participate. Three of us, myself included, are meditating for 24 hours straight! So why do we meditate? That’s a great question to ask yourself before you do it for 24 hours right on Broadway. Every week for the next seven weeks leading up to the event, we will share with you five answers to that questions from marathon participants. If you like an answer, please consider making a donation in support of the meditator who wrote it. Any amount is appreciated, and it helps our little nonprofit with a big heart tremendously. The donation is deductible to the full extent of the law.
Here are this week’s top five reasons we sit:
1. “I meditate because it’s cheaper than Adderall (and probably more effective).”
-participant Kate Malone
2. “I sit because if you want to change the world, you have to change your mind.”
-participant Ethan Nichtern
3. “I sit because it helps me get out of my own way.”
-participants Shelley Dague and Michelle Provenzano both said this
4. “I sit because I know I create my own suffering and I want to see how.”
-participant Brett Irish
5. “I sit therefore I am not.”
-participant Raquel Cion
Please Do Donate to one of the above at this link.
And tell us, why do you sit?
posted September 24, 2009 at 3:39 pm
I sit because it’s the only thing that makes sense doing anymore.
posted September 24, 2009 at 3:46 pm
I sit to weather the ups and downs.
posted September 24, 2009 at 4:18 pm
as my Slovenian mother in law would say in her fantastic James Bond villianesque voice; ‘to be less of bitch’.
posted September 24, 2009 at 4:20 pm
I sit because eventhough the volume goes up on the thoughts, the vibrations/rollercoaster/boat on the high seas feeling disappears and I feel some peace.
posted September 24, 2009 at 4:40 pm
I sit to get all the info.
posted September 24, 2009 at 6:33 pm
I sit because Bodhidharma has no beard.
posted September 24, 2009 at 6:53 pm
I sit beacuse nothing is happening
posted September 24, 2009 at 7:02 pm
Mine was actually – “I Sit to get out of my way”. I wanted the emphasis to be active and simplified.
posted September 24, 2009 at 8:56 pm
I sit because when a woman in subway pushed me and began yelling. Not only was I was able feel anger and calmly communicate what needed to be said. I was also able to recognize the pain in her eyes as I spoke and realize that that this was a a confusing moment for her.
posted September 24, 2009 at 10:51 pm
I was actually on the verge of taking myself to a psychiatrist to get an ADHD prescription (and I’d sampled some Adderall belonging to a former boyfriend, so I knew it worked for me) before I started meditating regularly. The change in my mind was pretty night-and-day once I had a routine of sitting even 5 minutes a day.
Plus there were all the great side affects!
posted September 24, 2009 at 11:15 pm
i sit to set the stage for Nature/Grace to eliminate from this bodymind whatever needs to be eliminated.
more context here: http://harprakashkhalsa.wordpress.com/2009/09/05/on-enlightenment-an-interview-with-shinzen-young/
~C
posted September 25, 2009 at 1:31 pm
If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself, and then make a change.
posted September 25, 2009 at 4:01 pm
I sit because I have a mental illness and this helps.
posted September 27, 2009 at 4:18 am
I meditate with the hope that the flames within me will grow cooler.
posted September 27, 2009 at 4:19 am
I meditate so that the flames inside me will grow cooler.