Norman grew up in a loving Jewish family in the midwest. His father was a veteran and although all seem well, Norman felt a disconnect, a deep-felt sense of suffering all around him that was never Acknowledged or discussed. In his early twenties, Norman experienced a great deal of internal turmoil and when he learned the First Noble Truth, one of the central beliefs of Buddhism, he experienced great relief -- his suffering was not his alone, it was universal. Norman has dedicated his life to the study and practice of Buddhism, to live a life of kindness and compassion, and to sharing his path with a wide audiences. He is the author of more than 25 books, including the brilliant Taking Our Places : the Buddhist Path to Truly Growing Up, and Sailing Home: using Homer’s Odyssey to navigate life's perils and pitfalls
Marlon was that nerdy little kid who loved to write and went door to door in his little suit to share church pamphlets. But even a protective family could not shield him from the violence in his neighborhood. Marlon was in elementary school when he was first robbed. His exposure to violence made him hyper-vigilant, but nothing could protect him from being raped at gun point at the age of 14. As Marlon puts it, this event took away his childhood freedom and sentenced him to absolute silence and the beginning of his belief of his own brokenness. At 19, he went to jail, facing a life sentence for his part in a fatal robbery.
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