I hear from folks every day touched by the bad economy ... jobs lost, houses foreclosed, marriages under stress, people in crisis. These are hard times for so many.

Over the coming weeks, I will offer a series of talks on what Buddhism has to teach about the economics of "hard times". Some of it will cover big topics that impact the whole system, with our consumerism, materialism and wasted resources. The future is at stake! But some of it is small, and right at home.

Today, we will start with a really simple lesson. In fact, it is so true, so wise, so often said ... that it sounds like a greeting card, a bumper sticker, a fortune cookie. But it is TRUE AS TRUE CAN BE:

THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE --ARE-- FREE!

When the bank's repossessing the car, when hopes and dreams go up in smoke, when we have a leaky roof over our head on a rainy day, it good to appreciate the rain!

Click here to visit the forum thread!