One City: A Buddhist Blog for Everyone

Why We Meditate: Because Alan Grayson, Kanye West, and Joe Wilson Don't (Yet?)

Thursday October 1, 2009

Categories: Arts and Media, Buddhism

meditation_buddhism_meditate.jpgby Ethan Nichtern

On November 6 & 7, the Buddhist-inspired Interdependence Project (which creates this blog for your education and/or amusement) 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 90 people have signed up to participate. Three of us, myself included, are meditating for 24 hours straight! So why do we practice meditation? That's a great question to ask yourself before you do it around the clock on one of the busiest streets in the world. Every week for the next six 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 (many thanks to the 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 Alan Grayson, Kanye West, and Joe Wilson don't (yet?)"
     -participant Ethan Nichtern

2. "I sit because I want to be that cool meditation dude who everyone admires. Mr.     
     meditation. That's me."
    -participant Jon Rubinstein

3. "I sit because it doesn't cost me anything, and I can stay in my PJs.
     -participant Judi Hark

4. "I sit because the alternative is worse - a very insidious and special kind of insanity"
     -participant Paul Bennett

5. "I sit because Church, punk rock, Hare Krsna, Reiki, sex, whiskey, rock 'n roll, romance, 12-step, and buying stuff just didn't work out."
    -participant Ralph De La Rosa

Please Do Donate on behalf of one of the above participants at this link.

And tell us, why do you meditate? Or why don't you? Sit Down, Rise Up, Ladies and Gentlemen
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Comments
RM
October 2, 2009 10:26 AM

i sit because i vowed to sit at least 10 minutes a day until at least next wednesday.

Anan E. Maus
October 2, 2009 10:34 AM

meditation project sounds wonderful!

and best of luck to all the participants!

I did a 24 hour meditation once...was definitely a worthwhile experience!

I meditate to seek Enlightenment, nirvana, moksha, siddi...

and to surrender my life to the divine

gassho

Ella the Wag
October 2, 2009 3:32 PM

I sit because, often, when I do, the answers come, which they don't do when I'm in other positions. Sitting can mean sitting on the couch at home, with the TV off, of course, but also sitting in the car 160 km. (= 100 miles) on my way to work.

I like Ralph dela Rosa's reasons. It's all part of the search for answers. Thanks for the smile that brought me!

elizabeth
October 3, 2009 3:23 PM

Sitting helps me drop my greedy, deluded "quest" and lets me notice what just is. When I neglect to sit, I quickly revert to a way of seeing characterized by self-important delusion. It hurts.

Rachel Bennett
October 5, 2009 1:13 PM

I sit cause there ain't no answers on the outside. The space between the thoughts, that's the truth.

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About One City: A Buddhist Blog for Everyone

Welcome to One City. You've lived here your whole life, whether you know it or not. One City blog is an outgrowth of The Interdependence Project, a Buddhist-inspired nonprofit organization led by Ethan Nichtern, dedicated to teaching the insights of Buddhism, meditation, mindfulness, and interconnectedness in the 21st century world.

If you're interested in how your mind works, are interested in meditation (but don't want to pretend you live in ancient Asia), care about the world, are into media, love contemporary culture, and above all, really dig the truth of interdependence-that nothing happens in a vacuum--then this blog is for you.

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About the Authors

Davee Evans
A Shambhala practitioner in San Francisco
» Posts by Davee Evans
Evelyn Cash
Evelyn is a Soto Zen practitioner and engineer living in Wichita, Kansas.
» Posts by Evelyn Cash
Ethan Nichtern
Author, founding director of the Interdependence Project, and the host of the I.D. Project’s popular weekly podcast
» Posts by Ethan Nichtern
Ellen Scordato
A business owner, editor, teacher, and board member of the Interdependence Project
» Posts by Ellen Scordato
Greg Zwahlen
Practices meditation and studies Buddhism
» Posts by Greg Zwahlen
Jerry Kolber
Jerry lives and meditates in New York state.
» Posts by Jerry Kolber
Jon Rubinstein
Jon writes about art and the media from a Buddhist perspective.
» Posts by Jon Rubinstein
Kirsten Firminger
A Doctoral Candidate in Social Psychology
» Posts by Kirsten Firminger
Lodro Rinzler
Lodro Rinzler is a second-generation Shambhala Buddhist practitioner and teacher.
» Posts by Lodro Rinzler
Paul Griffin
A writer, scholar, and tutor in New York City
» Posts by Paul Griffin
Patrick Groneman
Assistant Director of the Interdependence Project
» Posts by Patrick Groneman
Stillman Brown
A photographer, writer, and meditation practitioner living in Brooklyn, NY
» Posts by Stillman Brown
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