This month (June 2008) we talk to Monica Simpson.

When were you first attracted to Buddhism?

The first time Buddhism caught my interest was in my early twenties when I came across a book called "The Tao of Physics". The main thrust of the book is to show the parallels between some of the conclusions reached about the nature of reality from the point of view of Eastern Religions, Buddhism being one, and Particle Physics. I keep going back to read that book about every 5 or 10 years, and it still fascinates me.

What made you come to this Buddhist Center?

As I continued to read about Buddhist ideas of compassion and peace I started looking for a place where I could actually engage in guided meditation instead of just reading about it. I came across a beautiful blue postcard with an image of Buddha announcing meditation classes in Tampa when I visited a health food store. It was the first place that I found in my area, and decided to give it a try.

Were you apprehensive about coming? What did you expect?

Yes, I was a bit. I really didn't know what to expect, but I'm not generally big on joining groups, so I told myself to just go once and see if I liked it.

What were your first impressions?

This was a small branch class in Tampa, down at the Unity Church. It was a small room with a big rainbow painted on the wall, like a child's classroom. Hmmm… what's this going to be like, then? When class started and I got my first experience of doing a simple breathing meditation, followed by a teaching from "Transform Your Life" I knew right away I'd be back for more. Following the teaching there was a discussion period, and the people there struck me as friendly and intelligent, and it was so wonderful to meet other people who shared my interest in these teachings. From that branch class I found my way to the main center in Safety Harbor, which I now consider to be my home center.

What do you like best about coming here?

Well, the people I've met through the center are pretty wonderful. I've been coming to teachings almost every week for about four years now, and there's always more to learn. No matter what frame of mind I walk in with, I generally leave feeling peaceful and happy. I've often been deeply inspired, and have come to feel optimistic about leading a meaningful life. There's a lot of fun, as well, in shared meals and lively conversation.

How would you explain the benefits of Meditation to someone new?

We generally lead hectic lives in fast paced, stressful times. Creating the time and space to slow down, relax, let everything external go and turn your focus inward is beneficial to the health of body, mind and spirit. Just a simple breathing meditation can rejuvenate better than an actual vacation!  Learning this skill gives you such a useful tool, a method to regain peace and balance that's always available to you. As you progress, it becomes a way to gain more and more control of your mind so that you're not at the mercy of runaway emotions and destructive thoughts. It can change your life in truly positive ways.

How has what you have learned here made a difference in your everyday work and home life?

What I've learned at the Center has changed me in ways I didn't think I could ever change. I consider myself a "newbie" still, with an awful lot to learn l ahead of me, but I'm generally a much happier, more positive person, not so easily rocked by circumstances, mentally and psychologically stronger. From the point of view of my family, I would say they experience me as less reactive, much calmer and more content within myself.

What do you feel Buddhism can offer to the world today?

What Buddhism has to offer is a method to transform oneself, really. What does anyone want, except to be truly happy? Buddhism offers the tools to experience that happiness which comes from a controlled, strong, loving and peaceful mind. What kind of a world would this be, if it were filled with people who can tap that within themselves? A peaceful, caring world can only be created by peaceful caring beings inhabiting it. Every time someone sits to meditate on love and compassion, and develops the ability for mindfulness and self control there's a bit more hope for our beautiful world.

What is your favorite Kadampa Buddhism Saying?

I'll give you my favorite lines from one of Geshe-la's books, "Transform Your Life:  "In the heart of even the cruelest and most degenerate person exists the potential for limitless love, compassion, and wisdom. Unlike the seeds of our delusions, which can be destroyed, this potential is utterly indestructible, and is the pure, essential nature of every living being."

What is your favorite Dharma movie, and why?

I see Dharma in practically every movie I see, because I'm attracted to movies that are character driven, and of necessity those movies are stories about the human condition in some fashion. So I could reel off a long long list, but if I have to pick just one…. A Korean movie from 2002 called "The Way Home".  Patience, love, humor, and the most amazing example of non-retaliation is captured in a story that made me cry and laugh in equal measure, and showed me how one can be a bodhisattva in the most unassuming of ordinary circumstances.

What aspect of the Bodhisattva’s way of life most inspires you?

Having just said that one can be a Bodhisattva in the most unassuming of ordinary circumstances, just regular old daily life, I have to say that the Bodhisattva's way of life inspires me because it's the grandest hero profile ever written. For the sake of all living beings, one sets out on a journey of self-transformation, settling for no less than the total eradication of all faults and negativities, replacing them with giving, love, moral discipline, joyful effort, compassion, and wisdom. It takes courage to aim for Enlightenment, and it takes humor and perseverance and faith to stick with the process.  But while engaging in this epic battle of transformation of oneself, taking on the enemy of the delusions, the battlefield is internal, and plays out in our intentions and actions as we make our way through the supermarket aisles and the office, drive along the highways and sit in our own living rooms and kitchens.

What's the first thing you're going to do when you become a Buddha?

I don't know. But I can hardly wait to find out! Bless everyone and everything?!