HOmEGROwN
HEROES
INSPIRED TO mAkE A DIFFERENCE
by Linda sechrist
“I
f not me, who; if not now, a detached life of contemplation
when?” may well be the and prayer in a monastery in India,
mantra of today’s con- Bucko encountered a homeless
scious citizen activists, who feel child who lived on the streets of
led by an inner spirit to decisively Delhi. The brief but meaning-
achieve positive change in their ful interaction became for him a
communities. transformational experience. “It
In The Hope: A Guide made me realize that while medi-
to Sacred Activism, pioneer- tation left me peaceful, it put me
ing author, scholar and mystic in a sort of spiritual coma,” says
Andrew Harvey inspires readers Bucko, “and up until then, I was
to become sacred activists and to only feeling the edges of my life.”
participate in radically transform- The momentary collapse
ing the world. Awakened to our of an invisible, protective buf-
divine purpose, Harvey proposes, fer between these two different
we each can become an effective and
“Service is the road to
worlds broke Bucko’s heart wide open.
practical agent of change for social
profound and lasting joy.”
“It allowed me to understand that the
justice and sustainability. He urges us to
~ Andrew Harvey, sacred activist
pain of others was also my pain, and
find the particular focus that ignites our that my desire for spiritual liberation
individual passion. In doing so, we will from the world ultimately prevented me
come to understand that, “Service is the from making true spiritual progress,” he
road to profound and lasting joy.”
the economy. Seeing the world with
explains. Bucko’s second insight was
Natural Awakenings has met scores
eyes of compassion, they are making a
equally significant: The goal of spiritual
of joy-filled travelers throughout our
marked difference.
work is not just to experience God but
nation who have chosen this action- also to bring God’s presence into the
oriented path, becoming an inspiration
Adam Bucko, Activist
world, so that we, as well as the world,
to others far
for Homeless Youth
can be transformed.
beyond those During the 1970s and early ’80s, Adam Today, this former monk is the
they help. Bucko, co-founder and managing spiritual driver of the Reciprocity
Among them director of The Reciprocity Foundation, Foundation, a U.S.-based nonprofit that
are these five lived in Poland under a communist enables homeless and high-risk youth
“Homegrown regime that denied its citizens free- and young adults to permanently exit
Heroes,” who dom of speech and opportunities for the social services system and start
daily choose self-actualization. Dissatisfied, Bucko meaningful, sustainable careers in the
to shelter the immigrated to the United States at age creative economy of fashion, design,
homeless or 17 and, in his quest for a purpose-filled marketing and public relations. Bucko,
abandoned, life, spent time in several monasteries who is also a trained sociologist and
feed the hun- here and in Thailand and India. veteran homeless youth program co-
gry, advocate for animals and energize One day, on his way to following ordinator, says the foundation aims to
44 NA Triangle
www.natriangle.com
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