Crossing the Swamp: My Path to Innovating as a Parallel Entrepreneur

A NEW IMPROVED GENTLE APPROACH TO MEDITATION

Are you new to meditation, looking to develop a practice that you actually will enjoy and do? Or are you an experienced meditator, perhaps seeking a new, less structured, gentle approach? Do you wish to learn or deepen your understanding of early Buddhist teachings? Or are you simply wanting to reduce your stress levels? Are you at an impasse with meditation? Do you believe you cannot meditate?

You’ve come to the right book.

Come join this exploration of a kinder, gentler type of meditation that is remarkably easy to do. You will either find what you are looking for in the pages that follow, or you’ll get one step closer to it!

Reflective Meditation: Cultivating Kindness and Curiosity in the Buddha’s Company welcomes you into a lively, open minded, often humorous, and astoundingly insightful conversation between the founders and lead teachers of Reflective Meditation, Nelly Kaufer and Linda Modaro, with anecdotal input from members of larger Reflective Meditation Sangha, the combined online spiritual community of their respective Sanghas – Pine Street Sangha in Portland, Oregon, and Sati Sangha, which is based in Southern California but operates online.

You may find yourself laughing out loud or possibly feeling a great sense of relief as Linda and Nelly (or Nelly and Linda -- it’s not always clear who is speaking, and it doesn’t seem to matter!) lightheartedly articulate a broad, roomy, and inclusive path for turning inward, reflecting, and using the language of experience to cultivate a deeply rewarding and satisfying meditation practice.

Discover A New Approach

Nelly and Linda have more than 50 years of combined meditation teaching experience and are well versed in early Buddhism teachings. Here, they thoughtfully discuss Buddhist concepts offering a refreshingly contemporary, feministic interpretation that is fitting for the world and conditions we live in today.

Not to be confused with feminism, the political movement, these feministic values they weave into this new approach include gentleness, receptivity, a relational approach, inclusivity, transparency, responsible use of power, accountable collaboration, respectful feedback, and friendliness—to name a few.

Amidst their dialogue, you will receive clear instructions and guidance on how to develop your own Reflective Meditation practice, as well as a sensitive and intelligent overview of basic early Buddhist teachings.

In your hands this book invites you to creatively craft a meditation practice. Why wait? Buy this book as a gift to yourself and others who want to join this conversation.

JOHN SHEN is the founder of American Lending Center (ALC) and Sunstone Management (Sunstone), as well as a luxury vineyard resort, Eritage, and a ghost kitchen developer and manager, Partake Collective. He coined the term “parallel entrepreneur,” referring to entrepreneurs who, like himself, choose to launch and operate multiple companies simultaneously. His entrepreneurial leadership has propelled his businesses on the fast track to success. Two of his companies, ALC and Sunstone have been listed among “America’s Fastest Growing Companies” by Financial Times since 2021.