The face of Buddhism in Hollywood
One of the most famous Buddhists is the actor Richard Gere. He was on a philosophical search when he “bumped” into Buddhism, first with the texts, then with a master. Richard was in a dark emotional place when he started learning about Buddhism and the religion helped him give meaning to the suffering in his life.
He went on a meditation retreat where he realized that Buddhism was much more than a philosophy, it was lifestyle. Something that has to be done daily. Ever since, he’s been practicing different kinds of meditations and says he has a special affinity to Tibetan Zen Buddhism.
He frequently visits India to be with his masters (including the Dalai Lama), in order to renew and broaden his knowledge. He also considers it a very intense time in his life because there are lots of people that need to be helped. His commitment to helping people awaken is everlasting and solid.
Buddhism and Latin blood?
Penelope Cruz is a burning Spanish star. She is Almodóvar’s favorite and has played many characters that represented angry, irritated, and unbalanced women. And like most Latins she’s expected to be naturally overactive to life.
She was raised Catholic but was later introduced to many other forms of faith. As she progressed along her path, she began to identify more with Buddhism. She met the Dalai Lama on a set in Nepal and her interest blossomed after that point.
Her catholic background was strongly rooted and has been an obstacle when it came to her full acceptance of Buddhism. However, whenever she’s asked about it, her answers tend to lean more towards Buddhism. The practice is part of her life and she’s walking the way.
This aspect of Penelope’s life highlights the subject of “becoming” Buddhist. It’s a process, and a choice. You won’t change your beliefs overnight. If you’re interested, you should join the quest of inquiry, and from there you should decide if the eight fold path is for you or not.
Daimoku
One of the world’s greatest singers, who also had a tough start to life, has given a voice to Buddhism. Tina Turner believes Daimoku is the answer to everything. Daimoku represents the power of awakening the Buddha within everyone. What helps people face life’s adversities is an opportunity for personal growth.
Tina has found comfort in Buddhism and since then has recorded mantras and made her faith very public. She can be considered a spokesperson for Buddhism. As she is a strong advocate for the power of meditation.
Jobs thought about leaving apple to become a monk
Steve Jobs was a polarizing figure. His strong, complex personality was criticized because it created many conflicts in his life, despite of it all he made things happen. From a very early age, Steve showed signs of being different from everyone else around him. He was a vegetarian, he would walk barefoot even in a supermarket.
He never cared about clothing, furniture or accomplishments, not because he wanted to be a CEO or a millionaire. All he thought about was revolutionizing the world by doing what he liked most, creating tools that make people’s lives better.
For some time, jobs thought about leaving Apple and becoming a monk, he was afraid he would be swallowed by the company, but a Zen master told him that controlling a company was not much different from controlling a temple. Jobs placed the Zen tradition within his creative process and was able to build valuable connections due to the Buddhist path he decided to take.
