Author Topic: Buddhist monk becomes a millionaire with meditation phone app  (Read 8645 times)

WisdomBeing

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How intriguing... I don't think he can still be a monk since he is married and expecting a child though.. unless he is a monk of a tradition that allows it.

Whatever his status, he is bringing Buddhist meditation to many through this app. How fabulous is that - and it's free! Yet it is worth £35million? Well, he must be doing something right!

Buddhist monk becomes a millionaire with meditation phone app Get Some Headspace
http://swns.com/news/buddhist-monk-millionaire-meditation-phone-app-headspace-46439/
March 28, 2014   

A buddhist monk turned millionaire rocketed to success with a mobile phone app – on meditation.

Andy Puddicombe’s quest for inner calm began aged 11 when his mum took him to his first relaxation class – which he mistakenly thought involved Kung Fu.

He moved to the foothills of the Himalayas following the deaths of three close friends after he “looked up the Dalai Lama’s address” as an alternative to hitting the bottle.

Andy, 41, of Keynsham, Bristol, spent more than a decade as a robed and celibate monk meditating for up to 18 hours a day at monasteries around the globe.

But it wasn’t until he met burnt-out ad executive Rich Pierson that the pair hit it big with with app ‘Get Some Headspace’ offering thinkers a daily dose of zen.

The business – now with plush offices in London and LA – has been valued at £35million, with the app downloaded by more than a million people in 150 countries.

Speaking from his home in LA, Andy said: “Thankfully, I didn’t actually knock on the Dalai Lama’s door, it was just a monastery nearby.

“I just ended up staying there and really getting a lot from it. It is a bit funny – I probably don’t step back enough and look at how different things are.

“I used to get up in the morning and close my eyes to meditate.

“Now I get up and do something else – fly around the world or whatever.

“But I guess when it comes down to it I’m still teaching meditation – just in a different way.”

Andy moved from Bristol to Tibet aged 22, after working for three months as a waiter to pay for his one-way flight.

After years of living in the foothills of the Himalayas he was sent to Moscow to teach his trade to the Russians, where ex-pats planted the idea of marketing meditation to the masses.

Married Andy said: “They said this stuff would be brilliant in the work place, but it is pretty hard for a bald headed guy in a skirt to walk into an oil company in Russia and start talking about meditation.”

He decided to move back to the UK in 2006 to realise his dream, but had to find a job to tide him over after giving up EVERY single possession – except his passport – when he became a monk.

He enrolled on a circus degree at the University of Kent and by day balanced tiny women on his head, working on his meditation business by night.

But his method of “mindfulness” – resting the mind in its natural state of awareness – was soon medically recognised and Andy launched his free app two years ago.

It has helped everyone from cabinet ministers and Premiership footballers to Olympic athletes cope with their daily toil.

Celebrity fans include Gwyneth Paltrow, Emma Watson and Davina McCall, and the app is set to be expanded and translated into more languages in the coming months.

Married Andy – who is expecting his first child in July – insists he is not cash-rich yet, but reckons his impending wealth would not affect him.

“If I can have my surfboard and my juggling balls, I’m pretty happy,” he added.
Kate Walker - a wannabe wisdom Being

ilikeshugden

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Re: Buddhist monk becomes a millionaire with meditation phone app
« Reply #1 on: March 29, 2014, 03:03:38 PM »
This is such an interesting app. It is wonderful to see that apps are being developed for more beneficial uses than the common useless apps. I think that this helps modernize meditation further, allowing for more people to experience the good feelings that come with meditation.

bambi

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Re: Buddhist monk becomes a millionaire with meditation phone app
« Reply #2 on: March 30, 2014, 03:43:34 PM »
You're right WB... How intriguing. I didn't know that monks can get married unless their tradition allow it. Did a bit of research and found that he is no longer a monk. Check out his video on meditation and his company.

http://www.ted.com/talks/andy_puddicombe_all_it_takes_is_10_mindful_minutes

http://www.getsomeheadspace.com/Andy-Puddicombe.aspx

DS Star

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Re: Buddhist monk becomes a millionaire with meditation phone app
« Reply #3 on: March 30, 2014, 09:04:29 PM »
So the title should be "ex-monk".

Married Andy said: “They said this stuff would be brilliant in the work place, but it is pretty hard for a bald headed guy in a skirt to walk into an oil company in Russia and start talking about meditation.”

This is the norm for commercial world... then again, if your motivation is to help the workers, why not? If by introducing the meditation, the workers are better in term of handling their stress or working pressures, thus they are happier and lead a healthier life, then it is good.

He had disrobed and married, that is his choice and his life. As long as what he do is helping many people, he can make all the money he can... it is not our business, unless we are jealous of his success  :P

gbds3jewels

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Re: Buddhist monk becomes a millionaire with meditation phone app
« Reply #4 on: March 31, 2014, 04:40:27 AM »
Associating the word monk with making money sounds a bit weird to me. I understand in today's world monks and nuns needs money to survive but as far as I understand it should be through donations or sponsorship and that they cannot be involve in money making business per say. Anyhow, I'm not debating this subject here.

Having said that mobile apps is the goose that lays the golden egg today. Those who knows how to capitalize on it can make a fortune with mobile apps. It would be fantastic to have a dorjeshugden.com app for example. And if it can help raise millions, the money can be used to fight against the ban.

eyesoftara

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Re: Buddhist monk becomes a millionaire with meditation phone app
« Reply #5 on: March 31, 2014, 08:27:25 AM »
The article did not explain why a monk can get married and have a child and it highlights the ignorance of the journalist. However to the non buddhist westerners it is probably not important. I assumed he disrobed.

However, the jus of the article is Andy Puddicombe's company has been valued at £35million and he became a millionaire though the publication of a meditation phone app. Well, in this the Internet/smart phone age, many people make it big very quickly. Just recently, the founders of Whatsapp became billionaires. Anything is possible nowadays.

It is only curious if Andy is still a monk, in which case he vows would not allow him to make money this way unless it is for the monastery and for the Dharma. Since, he is married, I doubt he is still a monk, it which case, he can make the money and sponsor his monastery if he wish. Anyhow, it is great to spread the Dharma, in the case meditation through a phone app. It is the fastest way to spread the teachings nowaday.

Klein

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Re: Buddhist monk becomes a millionaire with meditation phone app
« Reply #6 on: March 31, 2014, 10:56:37 AM »
It's great to see that more people are realising the benefits of meditation. I think it's a good idea to have developed this app to teach about meditation and make it easily accessible to consumers. People in general are on the go most of the time and do not have time to relax and gather their thoughts.

The app makes it fun and interesting for beginners to learn how to meditate. I think it's very smart as beginners can find it very difficult to still the monkey mind. This is skillful means that brought monetary returns in a win win situation.

buddhalovely

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Re: Buddhist monk becomes a millionaire with meditation phone app
« Reply #7 on: April 05, 2014, 03:31:54 PM »
I guess if he's doing this to bring greater good to a larger crowd of millions, it basically covers the fact that he's married or rich. Most popes around the world are extremely loaded but bottom line they still do benefit others. I've personally never heard of this app but I'm sure it works wonders. Wonder if he actually went through with the Russia proposal...hmm

Midakpa

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Re: Buddhist monk becomes a millionaire with meditation phone app
« Reply #8 on: April 06, 2014, 12:39:29 PM »
What an ingenious idea. And a money-making one too! I'm not surprised that this meditation phone app is a success. Many people are now looking for inner peace. Even heads of corporate companies hire meditation masters to teach their workers how to overcome stress. With this meditation app, many people will benefit from it because it is free and they can practise meditation at their convenience. I foresee that there will be more and more such apps in the future as there is a demand for this kind of service.

brian

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Re: Buddhist monk becomes a millionaire with meditation phone app
« Reply #9 on: April 09, 2014, 07:07:13 AM »
This is creative and it is really intriguing because the fact that this app became an instant hit... not sure what sort of meditation app really but it does makes my mind curious about this app for a moment really. hope it does really help people, especially modern people we are talking about, to be engaging in meditation really. It does bring a lot of benefit to the practitioners and of course if it is being done regularly it can help surely to calm our minds down.

bonfire

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Re: Buddhist monk becomes a millionaire with meditation phone app
« Reply #10 on: April 12, 2014, 10:33:58 AM »
Meditation app, yeah, I like...
No wonder it became a hit!

At the creation of this app, one business-man and one ex-monk now rich, father and successful on a secular level.
Well, maybe an ex monk, yet it does not mean he does not have an experience in meditation.

I just looked for an app on lamrim, I only find something which I think is Chinese.
I think an app on Lamrim would be pretty cool...!!!

rossoneri

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Re: Buddhist monk becomes a millionaire with meditation phone app
« Reply #11 on: April 13, 2014, 03:49:37 PM »
It is wonderful to have this traditional method being turned into an app, I think nothing should stay as it is because in our world nothing is permanent not even ourselves. We are a different person form last week and the difference could be very little which we might not even realize it ourselves but we are different by the seconds. Wherever it is he is doing no harm but instead he is encouraging something positive into people life's so that we can at least can find some peace within ourselves.

Galen

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Re: Buddhist monk becomes a millionaire with meditation phone app
« Reply #12 on: April 20, 2014, 09:06:09 AM »
He may have disrobed and gotten back into the secular world. No doubt that his years of meditation and practicing the Dharma has collected himself a lot of merits to enjoy the life he has now. Let's hope that his merits does not run out soon. However, the apps that he created will definitely help a lot of lost souls in the world or even to clear some clouded minds. So, in that case, he is helping people. Let's just say that different people have different paths in their life, and it changes all the time. Life is impermanent!