the great vehicle

I ride a bicycle — for transportation and for joy.
I'm a Buddhist.
Aren't those really the same thing?

Seems that way to me. After all, the Buddha turned the wheel of the dharma; how stoked would he have been about a two- wheeler? Buddhists today realize that biking is better for you, better for other people, and better for the environment.

Thinking about all of this, I made this shirt. Yes, it's a bad pun: mahayana is the great vehicle that carries us all to enlightenment. Want one? Let me know.

So, is biking really an important part of this complete Buddhist practice?

photo by http://flickr.com/photos/arimoore/

Biking is far less dangerous to others than driving. Motor vehicle accidents are the first cause of death for Americans aged about 1 to 30. (First precept.)

Biking in this day and age is an expression of your stance against oil wars. (There's that first precept again.)

Fight global warming and air pollution: run on your own fuel, whether a bagel or a banana.

Exercise is good for your body, and great for your mental health. Think of it as of meditation (just don't get too deep into it while riding in traffic).

Riding a bike is a goo way to build and support community. When was the last time you ran into a friend while driving to work?

Recycling's a no-brainer. Buying a hybrid is a marginal improvement. But bicycling and eating vegetarian will halve your ecological footprint and greatly reduce your burden on other people and animals.

...free people must travel the road to productive social relations at the speed of a bicycle. — Ivan Illich