This month (October 2003) we talk to Jane Shannon.

Jane is a mother of two, and worked as a Medical Transcriptionist before retiring. She and her husband Paul Lewis were founder members of Kancha Center.

Jane attended her first Kadampa Festival with Geshe Kelsang Gyatso in Manjushri Center, England, in Summer 1999.

When were you first attracted to Buddhism?

We came to one of the very first classes that Kadam Nick taught in Sarasota. We both liked what we heard and have been here ever since.

Were you apprehensive about coming? What did you expect?

I expected exotic teachings that I would not understand - how wrong I was!

What were your first impressions when you arrived?

Meetings were held at the Sarasota Unitarian Universalist (UU) Church at that time, and we were all new to each other, but the teachings were so entertaining and so relevant to my day-to-day life that I kept coming back.

What do you like best about coming here?

Being with other people who are trying, as I am, to improve their lives by putting Buddhist teachings into practice.

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

It helps to keep everything in your life in perspective, and gives you a solid peaceful base to operate from and to come back to.

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

I'm so much more tolerant of difficult situations and people than I used to be (but I still have a way to go!). I certainly like myself better now.

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

Peace! If everyone's basic outlook was based on love and compassion, what a wonderful world we all would live in.

What is your favorite Kadampa Buddhist quotation?

The Eight Verses of Training the Mind. I have recited and meditated on these verses every morning since I first heard them three years ago. They contain so much wisdom and inspiration.

What is your favorite Dharma movie, and why?

"The Matrix" because it invites us to confront our assumptions about the nature of reality.

With which historical Kadampa Buddhist practitioner do you most identify, and why?

Geshe Langri Tangpa (AD 1054-1123), because I am so drawn to his
Eight Verses.

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

Seeing every living being as lovable, no matter how they might appear to us.

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

Thank Paul for inspiring me with his constant patience, love, and unfailing generosity of spirit, and Nick for inspiring me through his teachings to have higher aspirations for myself. If his classes had not been so entertaining, I might never have stayed to hear the real message! Then I would never have the chance to become a Buddha.