One of my passions is to collect and sell indigenous religious antique artifacts. I once received a call from a New York City dealer telling me about a rare Ming Dynasty Buddha available at a very good price. He said he would send it to me with no obligations. When the package arrived, I opened it anxiously — and was somewhat taken aback. This Buddha was giving me the middle finger! I thought my dealer friend must have played a joke on me. I took the Buddha to a Chinese antique expert, who examined it and to my surprise, told me that it was very special, and definitely authentic. What about the middle finger? I asked him. He explained that the middle finger means Oneness — it symbolizes God, who is one with everything. This Buddha now has a very special place in my house. It reminds me that when someone gives me the middle finger, I must bow and see God in that person.

From Alivelihood: The Art of Sustainable Success by Horst M. Rechelbacher, founder of Aveda and IntelligentNutrients, an intriguing start up offering organic highly nutritional food based products that can be used both internally or externally and opening a store in NYC Fall ‘07.