Page 27 - EH70

FACE TO FACE | EASTERN HORIZON 25

Andrea visiting the Hsi Lai Temple, Los Angeles, California Andrea and her children read Kuan Yin: The Princess Who Became the
Goddess of Compassion by Maya van der Meer.

You were the deputy editor of Lion’s Roar, a popular One of your main teachers was the late Thich
Buddhist magazine, for many years, and now you’re Nhat Hanh. What are some of the most important
the new editor. What motivates and inspires you in teachings that you cherished from this great master?
this role?
So many. But right now, the first that comes to mind
Because I myself first connected to Buddhism through is “be beautiful, be yourself.” On the first retreat I ever
the magazine, I know that it’s a powerful vehicle for went on with Thich Nhat Hanh, a retreatant asked him
introducing people to the dharma. And the world really what advice he would give to someone who was in
needs the dharma right now. It needs mindfulness. It despair about the world’s suffering. His answer was
needs compassion and wisdom. I am so grateful to have to ask us to imagine that a pine was asking us what
this right livelihood. it could do to help the world. “Our answer would be
very clear,” he said. “You should be a beautiful, healthy
I also just really love magazines and the process of pine tree. You help the world by being your best.” It is
making them. A magazine made by just one person would exactly the same with people. If we want the world to
be flat, boring. But, all together, contributors, designers, suffer less, we must take good care of ourselves and our
and editors make something better than any of us own suffering. When other people see us being loving
could make alone. As a reader, I love flipping through a and gentle with ourselves, they realize that they, too,
magazine that has a rich diversity of points of view and can be loving and gentle with themselves, and love and
style. And, as an editor, I love contributors pitching me gentleness spread. What you do for yourself, you do for
ideas for stories that I’d never have come up with on my the world. There is no separation.
own. Magazines are an expression of community.
I treasure the articles in Lion’s Roar as they

To those who don’t know anything about Buddhism, it are always about how the Dharma relates to
may seem like a Buddhist magazine is a magazine with contemporary issues. What Buddhist teachings do
a very narrow focus. But that couldn’t be further from you find most relevant in your daily life today as a
the truth. In his teachings, the Buddha described the lay Dharma practitioner?
nature of reality, and there is nothing in this world that
is not a lens through which we cannot see that reality I frequently think of the Pure Land Buddhist nun
manifest. So a Buddhist magazine can cover every Otagaki Rengetsu (1791–1875) who was a poet, potter,
conceivable topic, from politics to pop culture, cooking and calligrapher. She had a tragic life; she lost everyone
to birdwatching. I’m someone with a lot of different who was near and dear to her. And yet her poetry is
interests, so I love that variety. infused with joy. Her line, “Eggplants becoming ripe