With today being the actor/activist/Buddhist’s birthday, thought I’d trot out an interview I did with him for Beliefnet last year.

I’m not usually starstruck (ok, maybe I just wish I wasn’t), but when his voice came over the phone my first thought was “Oh my God! I’m talking to Richard Gere! Squee!” But luckily I stuck to talking about the situation in Tibet, the Dalai Lama, and his meditation practice. And he was truly lovely–well-informed, articulate, and present–the absolute opposite of the people who make you think, “Wow, what was she like before she meditated every day?”

When I asked him how often he meditates, he said:

“Well, mindfulness is a quality that’s always there. It’s an illusion that there’s a meditation and post-meditation period, which I always find amusing, because you’re either mindful or you’re not. The meditation is just taking different forms. But it’s always watching the mind. It’s always watching the mind.” 

The whole Richard Gere interview is here.

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