The Dharma of Money, Part 2
Maia Duerr
18 June 2025
Realizing that debt has energy that fills our lives is a crucial step in moving forward in constructive ways toward liberation
Maia Duerr is a writer, consultant, longtime Zen practitioner, and meditation teacher known for her work in the fields of mindfulness and social engagement. She has served as the executive director of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship and the coordinator of the Upaya Buddhist Chaplaincy Program. Maia has a background in cultural anthropology and has applied her expertise in these areas to support individuals and organizations in finding greater clarity, purpose, and resilience. She has written extensively on topics related to mindfulness, creativity, and social change, and is the author of “Work That Matters: Create a Livelihood that Reflects Your Core Intention.”
Buddhadharma offers us a tried-and-true compass to navigate a changing world, one that is shifting even more rapidly and in often heartbreaking ways. Through this column, I share ways that Buddhist teachings and practices have supported my own journey, as well as reflect on how the Dharma gives us a path to understand and respond to collective challenges including climate emergency, social breakdown, and racial and economic injustice.
Dharma Compass is published monthly.
The Dharma of Money
Maia Duerr
22 May 2025
Understanding wealth as a gateway to greed or generosity helps us reflect on how the Buddha’s teachings guide us through our relationship with money
Mandala of Socially Engaged Buddhism: A Tool for Sustainable Activism
Maia Duerr
16 April 2025
Maia Duerr brings together the many ways that Buddhist activism can be expressed to create a holistic picture of kindness, compassion, and wisdom in our troubled times
Maha Ghosananda: From Deep Suffering Comes Deep Compassion
Maia Duerr
21 March 2025
The humble Buddhist monk who narrowly survived Cambodia’s Killing Fields serves as a powerful example of how we all can strengthen our practice through troubled times
On the Way-Seeking Mind and Steadiness
Maia Duerr
19 February 2025
A meditation on finding strength in Buddhism’s three jewels to stay afloat in these difficult geopolitical times
On Desire
Maia Duerr
18 December 2024
The Buddhist relationship with desire is complex and changes over time and across different historical, practical, and scholarly contexts
Taking and Offering Refuge
Maia Duerr
20 November 2024
In times of growing uncertainty regarding the world around us, Buddhists know that the Dharma offers an unshakeable refuge that can ground us as we work to offer inner and outer refuge to others
Back to Basics
Maia Duerr
17 October 2024
A welcome reminder of the fundamental truths of reality that the Buddha offered in his first teaching and how they are still deeply relevant to our lives today
On Not Turning Away, Healing, and the Film Sugarcane
Maia Duerr
19 September 2024
Maia Duerr examines the profound suffering wrought by Catholic boarding schools for First Nations people in Canada and the healing that can come from facing this history
My Furry Zen Master
Maia Duerr
21 August 2024
Maia Duerr shares the wisdom she has learned from her pet dog, Lucy
Radical Openness in Volatile Times
Maia Duerr
17 July 2024
In a time of great upheaval, a key quality of the Dharma is its ability to give us support and stability—if we are open to it
The Koan of Letting Go and Staying Engaged
Maia Duerr
19 June 2024
Maia Duerr teaches us to lean into curiosity and openness in moments of discomfort and expectation, a powerful and often-difficult practice when confronting social injustice