Hmmmm. Taosim influences my life a lot even though I don't consider myself to practice it. Both of my best friends took up meditation at different times of their lives and they lead, though separately, lives of tranquility and quiet observation. Now I'm seeing signs of it everywhere, and every time I find a moment of crisis, I settle down and remember their teachings.

One of them also admires Buddha a lot and, funnily as it sounds, while I lead a life of pleasure-seeking, any time I'm alone and in a time-out, I imagine I've reached Nirvana and watch myself from above. I think this is also one of the pleasures of a writer, imagining yourself as a character and examining your own essence.