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[jimtzu]

this is from a weekly inter-faith newspaper collum in the KC star paper. i don't know if other cities have anything like that, but i find it interesting that we have had one for years near the buckle of the bible belt.

titled:  open prayers need open hearts

Here are three prayer
scenarios:
 Beginning with a
Jewish prayer and ending with
a Muslim prayer~ the National
Council of Jewish Women?s
luncheon Feb. 28 featured
Christian, American Indian
and Buddhist panelists on the
theme ?How Do You Talk to
God??

The Rev. Yolanda Villa noted
that practices vary within the
Christian tradition. She herself
may pray kneeling, in a chair,
on her back or with a Bible in
front of her.

Professor Daniel Wildcat said
there is no time when prayer is
not appropriates including
when one encounters a traffic
jam. The American Indian
traditions include speaking
thanks directly to animals as
members of the Creator?s
world.
Physician Bethany King said
Buddhists do not so much pray
to anyone as cultivate an en-
ergy of awareness that all
things are interdependent.

She quoted a poem by Thich
Nhat Hanh illustrating the
practice of awareness even in
an everyday ritual: ?Brushing
my teeth and rinsing my
mouth, I vow to speak purely
arid lovingly. When my mouth
is fragrant with right speech, a
flower blooms in the garden of
my heart.?
I Several months ago a break-
fast including Buddhist, Chris-
tian, Jewish, Muslim, Unitarian
and other religious leaders
featured a distinguished local
rabbi. After his lecture, a
Christian minister was invited
to conclude the event with a
prayer. Even though the di-
versity of the group was obvi-
ous, he offered an excluding
prayer ?in jesus? name.?

Several spoke to me afterward
about the minister?s failure to
recognize the integrity of the
Jewish faiths which had been
brilliantly displayed in the
rabbi?s lecture, and the imperi-
alism, perhaps unconscious, of
a prayer offered on behalf of all
of us in the language of a tradi-
tion known for its past oppres-
sion of Jews and others.

The rabbi wrote about the
breakfast with exasperation,
but it is really the responsib-
ility of the Christian commu
I I am this month?s chaplain for
the Kansas City Council. How
does one pray for the council
members and on behalf of all
the citizens they represent?
How does one recognize the
primary and the general elec-
tions, both of which occasions
are part of the context for their
sessions this month? How does
one recognize the service the
council members perform
without judging the particular
policies they have enacted?

questions raised by these
three scenarios suggest that no
pat formula or style of prayer
works for all people and all
occasions, but generous intent
and open hearts are essential.

Vern Barnet does interfaith
work in Kansas City. Reach him
at vern@Cres.0rg.

[jimtzu]

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2007
Whether you are dancing in
your basement or watching a
professional performance,
whether the Eagle Dance of
the American Indians or clas-
sical ballet, the movement of
the body is itself a blessing.

Sometimes dance may pro-
duce profound insights into
the nature of humanity. A
couple of years ago, the Ballet?s
Matthew Powell created a
dance that seared the souls of
many of us who saw it.
The dance began with the
voice of an Iraqi woman de-
scribing how happy she, her
husband, their two daughters
and the men they chose for
their husbands were. Her
gratitude was immense. The
dance showed us their jo~

Then an explosion. Only left
was the weeping woman.

Powell says his dance is not
political. It doesn?t matter who
caused the explosion; human
tragedy results.

Powell had read Martin Luther
King Jr.?s 1967 speech ?Casu-
alties of War in Vietnam? and
was especially struck by this
pasSage

?The past is prophetic in that it
asserts that wars are poor
chisels for carving out peaceful
tomorrows. One day we must
come to see that peace is not
merely a distant goal that we
seek. hut a means by which we
arrive at that goal. \Ve must
pursue peaceful ends through
peaceful means. How much
longer must we play at deadly
war games before we heed the
plaintive pleas of the unnum-
bered dead and maimed of
past wars??

That dance, ?La Folia,? was
first performed at the Ballet?s
?In the Wings? series, which
begins Thursday.

Sunday the Joffrey Ballet pre-
sents Kurt Jooss? 1933 anti-war
masterpiece, ?The Green Ta-
ble,? first performed by the
Joffrey Ballet in 1967, the same
year as King's speech.

The dance show pretentious
diplomats negotiating at a
green table, failure, shots fired,
Death. the Profiteer, the rav-
ages and futility of war, the
wounded survivors, the politi-
cal powers reappearing at the
green table. personally un-
touched by the horrors they
unleashed Such dances en-
large the spirit by chastening.

Vern Barnet does interfaith
work in Kansas City.

[jimtzu]

Many scholars of reli-
gion in America
believe that one key
reason religion flourishes here
in comparison with Europe is
our tradition, enshrined in the
Constitution. of keeping gov-
ernment out of reigious at-
fairs.
But Derek Davis. an expert in
church-state matters who
visits the University of Kansas
Monday, sees recent changes
to this tradition in the way the
Supreme Court is interpreting
the First Amendment.
Until last year Davis was the
director of the J.M. Dawson
Institute of Church-State Stud-
ies at Baylor University in

interim dean of the University
of Mary Hardin-Baylor?s grad-
uate school and college of
humanities.
He says that ?an increasingly
conservative (Supreme) Court
in the last 20 years or so has
been concerned that past
decisions were too harsh in
separating church and state,
the consequence being a dis-
crimination against religion.?
As an example, he cites the
court?s approval of ?voucher
strategies for funding religious
schools as well as legislation
that provides monetary supplements to
 religious schools.?
While Davis tends toward
objective presentations, I
asked him for his personal
view. He responded:
?I believe that government aid
to religion compromises reli-
gion, cheapens it and makes
religion merely the newest in a
long list of government pro-
grams? with attendant super-
vision and monitoring.
?A total separation is impos-
sible, but keeping the institu
tions of religion and govern-
ment separate has been. in mv
view the primary reason
the success of religion in our
history
?Merging religion and govern-
ment tends to water down
religious truth and make it a
mere tool of government pol-
icy. If you survey the wor1d,

the countries that make religion the engine of
government
policy are riddled with dis-
sension and discrimination
and tend to be far less econom-
ically developed.
?Diversity is a problem for
them whereas it is a strength in
our country
Separation of church and
state has been good for reli-
gion, not bad, contrary to what
many today seem to believe.?
His talk at 7:30 p.m. Monday in
the Kansas Union in Lawrence
is ?Religion and Politics in the
He says he will address the
many conflicts and inconsis-
tencies we have, such as our
official national motto ?In God
We Trust,? while also adhering
to the separation of church and
state.
He will also discuss the ad-
vantages and merits of mixing
religion and politics as well as
the disadvantages and dangers
to both church and state.

[jimtzu]

Last Thursday night a group of Sufis gathered for sacred dance, as it has for more than 25 years here in Kansas City

After exchanging greetings, the Sufis recited an invocation that expressed their intention:
“Toward the One, the perfec¬tion of love, hannony and beauty the only being, united with all the illuminated souls who form the embodiment of the Master, the spirit of guid¬ance.”

Sufi dancing as practiced here is indebted in spirit to the whirling dervishes of Turkey, but it is more like an American circle dance, though far more meditative, with bowing and other gestures of respect. And if, like me, you have two left feet, the instructions and your
forgiving partners erase all embarrassment and welcome you into a soulful energy.

Throughout the evening Fattah Kriner led the group in dances based on sacred phrases chanted in English, Arabic, Tibetan, Sanskrit and Hebrew.

The chant for the last dance of the evening, for example, in Arabic, can be translated as “The love of God brought us here to the earth to be lovers, and now we wish to return to the Beloved:’

Sometimes called Universal Sufism, this approach to spiri¬tual practice can be traced to Hazrat Inayat Khan (1882-1927), who brought wisdom from India to the West. It is indebted to Islamic mysticism but is not a part of mainstream Islam. Some scholars consider
it syncretistic because it em¬braces materials from many faiths.

But the practice is aimed to lead one to the realization that there is only one source, one reality, according to Connie “Rahimah” Sweeney, a past president of the group.

In Portland, Ore., 30 years ago Sweeney discovered Sufidano. ing to be “heart-expanding,” something she had missed in. her earlier religious training.

Sweeney says that as American Sufism matures, traditional Sufi teachings gain more atten¬tion. A psychologist, she cited the teaching offwza, or efface¬ment, the emptying of the personality, with the practice of remembering there is only one. Not needing to defend oneself or to react to every
little thing leads to a sense of divine “union, pure joy. The loss of sell; which is so scary for Westerners, is what we’re after.”

Emptying oneself to see God in one’s dance partner be¬comes a key practice.

Kevin Wehner, a newer mem¬ber, says that never before has he had such spiritual experi¬ences, “hard to describe in words — the music and the movement — it~s a sacred feeling.”

The group’s Web site~ which lists its~activities and locations, is wwwshiningheartcommun¬ityorg.

[henry]

sufism is an important consideration, particularly with the western world and islam in crisis. in the western media, amidst all the conflict, i never hear a word about sufism. sufis were/are prominent in the counter-culture spiritual movement of the 60's and 70's. the lama foundation has stong sufi ties and roots as does what would become omega institute. an eminent heartminder has sufi danced with maybe adnan sarhan, and the sufi winged heart is a beautiful heartmind symbol...henry

[jimtzu]

ZEN AND THE ART OF PEACE
J
esuit Father Robert Kennedy was sent to Japan some 40 years ago. “I was told to learn all I could. And I was told not to come back singing the same song: They expected me to learn some¬thing new”

Indeed Kennedy’s keen study of Zen Buddhism there led to his becoming, without his intention, a Zen teacher, or roshi. So he can be addressed not only as Father Kennedy but also as Kennedy Rosin.

He says it was an act of tre¬mendous generosity of the Zen community” to entrust a non-Buddhist, a Roman Catholic, with the transmission of Zen.. He compares it to Catholics making a rabbi a bishop of the church. Unheard of.

So what did Father Kennedy Rosin learn?

‘We Jesuits try to bring gifts of
what we learn to the church, and I thought bringing Zen was a great gift.”

Zen meditation, “which stays away from theories and philos¬ophies and theologies, grounds a person in present reality. This can help a person in everything.”

While Kennedy recognizes that some people are not dis¬posed to meditation, from the overwhelming response he sees when meditation is in¬troduced he thinks that many can benefit.
“I’m not trying to sell it or convince anyone, just make it available.

“I believe that Zen Buddhists and Catholic communities can come together. The two faiths are quite different, but the other is not an enemy. We can appreciate each other. The other is a God~given gift to us in all its particularities.”

Kennedy now practices psy¬chotherapy in New York He was ordained a priest in 1965, installed as a Zen teacher in 1991 and designated rosin in

1997.

He is also a professor of theol¬ogy at St. Peter’s College in

New Jersey. His two books are
Zen Spirit, Christian Spirit and
Zen Gifts to Christians.
An additional role for Kennedy is as a representative of the Institute for Spiritual Con-
sciousness in Politics at the United Nations, where he “stresses the need for dialogue among religious people. This is a necessity today. We must understand one another and become friends. It sounds so simple, but we have a terrible past.”

Kennedy saysthat meditation can improve personal affairs and social action. His talk here will address how Christians practicing Zen can promote peace in everyday living.

He speaks from 9:30 a.m. to noon Sept. 29 at St Francis Xavier Catholic Church. Ad¬mission is free. His talk is part of a series at the church on peace and nonviolence.

Vern Barnet does interfaith work in Kansas City. Reach him at vern@cres.org.

[jimtzu]

PARADOX CAN LEAD TO. THE INEFFABLE
Words may be inadequate to capture spiritual experiences.
Reduced to fit within the confines of language, such experiences may sound absurd.
T. S. Eliot, the 20th-century poet born in St. Louis, whose  Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats was adapted for the musi¬cal “Cats,” struggled in writing about religious themes.

In his  Four Quartets,” he reports that “Words strain,/ Crack and sometimes break, under the burden/Under the tension, slip, slide, perish,/ Decay with imprecision, will not stay in place! Will not stay still.”

But we should not be surprised. Words often point to fragments of rea1ity, finding words to talk about what is ultimately spiritual is no easy task.

Sometimes what comes out is paradox. For example, Jesus said, “He who finds his life shall lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake shall find it.” This Christian insight is genuine, but the words are pointing to something beyond their literal meaning.

A parallel exists in Buddhist
thought. Since the cause of
suffering  is craving, one’s
desire  for enlightenment, itself
a craving, only perpetuates one’s suffering. But when one abandons one’s selfish attachments, even attachment to one’s own spiritual advancement, then one’s self-centeredness ends, and one can offer compassion to others, which  paradoxically enables enlightenment.
And in the Islamic tradition, consider al-Bistami’s claim about the mystical experience:
“This thing that we tell of can never be found by seeking, yet only seekers find it.”
Of the ultimate, the Taoist sage Lao-tzu says, “He who knows does not speak. He who speaks does not know.”
Kitaro Nishida, a 20th-century Buddhist philosopher influen¬ced by Eastern and Western traditions, avoided facile synthesis by writing, “the world is one, namely many.” This statement has a logical form similar to the quip, “You are unique, like everyone else.”
Several early 20th-century scientists were intensely in terested in religious questions. Physicist Niels Bohr, for example, wrote, “The opposite of a fact is falsehood, but the oppo¬site of one profound truth may very well be another profound  truth.”

And American insurance company executive and poet Wallace Stevens writes of faith this way: “The final belief is to believe in a fiction, which you know to be a fiction, there being nothing else. The exquisite truth is to know that it is a fiction, and that you be¬lieve it willingly.”

Perhaps paradox can invite us past tidy spiritual thoughts to the ineffable spiritual experience itself.

Vern Barnet does interfaith work in Kansas City~ Reach him at vern@cres.org.

[jimtzu]

RIGHT QUESTIONS OPEN DIALOGUE
VERN BARNET


How can you discuss religion without getting into an argument? How can you listen to others without thinking that they are trying to convert you, and how can you present your own without appearing aggressive?

Can two people with different levels of knowledge about religious matters have a discussion on an equal basis?

Can an Israeli and a Palestinian discuss religion in a way that sets aside religious and political conflict?

The answer to these questions is yes — if the conversation focuses on not who is right and who is wrong but rather on personal stories. You cannot dispute someone’s own life experiences.

A structured exercise can get the process going. In a conversation between you and
your friend, start with five minutes each to speak without interruption as the other listens.

It is sometimes helpful to begin with a question. Here are some examples:

I Can you tell me a story when the universe seemed to make sense to you or when you were overcome with a sense of awe?

I What experiences have you had that point to the ultimate source of life’s meaning for you?

I Was there a turning point in your life as you considered spiritual questions that helped shape who you have become? I Have you ever seen a painting or heard music, or walked on the beach or in a forest, or played sports~ or seen a sunrise, or learned about science or worked a math problem~ or held a child, or made love when you felt lifted beyond your ordinary sense of self?

I like such questions because they welcome atheists, agnostics and humanists as well as believers into the conversation.

In listening to someone answering such questionS~ it is important just to listen. It is
not usefuL even in your head, to criticize your friend’s choice of words or theological framework.

What you want is to understand the experience as a genuine expression of what is precious or even sacred to your friend.

Spiritual ideas cannot be fully comprehended except as they are embedded in stories. Religious terms can mean one thing to you, another to your friend. By listenipg to how your friend uses words in the; context of your friend’s elperi ence, your own ability to use the languages of faith will be expanded.

Religion is really about stories~ There are the stories in the sacred texts, and there are the stories of your own and your friends’ adventures in seeking to find guideposts within the 0verwhelming mystery of existence.

It can be a privilege and a treasure when you and a friend exchange intimate details of that adventure.

[marianthi]

Great post, jimtzu.

Of course, I go for what it says.  Wanted  to add here that an additional power of such stories (be they pesonal or traditional) in my view,  is that their dimensions and meaning can deepen, expand, as one matures and gathers more life experience/wisdom - even if the stories themselves remain with unaltered content.   Have you seen that happen?

 

Marianthi.

[marianthi]

an eminent heartminder has sufi danced with maybe adnan sarhan, and the sufi winged heart is a beautiful heartmind symbol...henry

Ha, ha, Henry,
 
I´ll let you know that one time in the 70´s  Adnan took all those of his group that wanted to go, to meet Muktananda.  They had darshan and Baba Muktananda gave Adnan a box of chocolates which he confessed to me he ate all by himself.   .  When, a couple of years later, I conveyed Muktananda´s greetings from Adnan on my first visit to Ganeshpuri, Baba said: ¨Sufism and Yoga ara the same: they both look within¨.   No arguments between those two guys.

Life IS more than a box of chocolates.

Marianthi.

[henry]

hi M, i knew your stories were better than mine(and deepening) . i saw a video a while back of a sarhan sufi dancing workshop in torredon nm, and felt like i was 14 watching a fellini movie. beautiful. have you kept up with ganeshpuri friends? ...box of chocolates..forrest henry

[jimtzu]

hi M..  i think any event, story or epiphany can have more meaning filtered thru the lens of time and experience.  gathering more depth and dimension through growth, while the story remains the same the context is broadened and adds more color. i realize i'm saying the same as you, but through my own  individual experience, which is part of the individual story (I) that is related through the collective story (WE).

asking questions is a good thing 

[marianthi]

i think any event, story or epiphany can have more meaning filtered thru the lens of time and experience.  gathering more depth and dimension through growth...

So true, jimtzu.  I find it happens often in re-intrpreting events of my own life and that of my parents --  when these depths and dimensions are added by passing years.  So often what seemed negative flips over into positive and vice-versa  .


Forrest Enrique,

It seems many of  the same flavoured chocolates were distributed into our boxes.  I miss the days of naive faith, but returning to them is impossible.    Last time in Ganeshpuri was 2001.  Sitting around Baba´s Samadhi Shrine then I nearly went unconscious with thoughtless mind,  for 2 minutes, was my calculation.  It was actually 2 hours.  Who can argue about unexplained powers when these sort of events move in?

Hugs,
M.

[Jana]

An East Indian came into the store today and immediately started to propheci to me...oh you have a long life, lucky to be working here, you think too much...
Me being tired, had little time for unsolicited fortune telling, I dismissed the Indian and his entire lineage, heritage, meme and religious program...
Me, I am studying the demise of civilization...the growth of the machine-man, lack of involvement, care, bonding etc... yet the cheerful unlicensed prophet I immediately alienated from, insisting instantaneously that no one has the right to make spontaneous judgment and throw them at you without even the courtesy of a greeting...
Personal is something that is agreed upon mutually through time, not thrown in your face.
It was my personal belief that this prophet was quite mad, but then he was probably only doing what people of his culture always do. I just didn't have the energy for it today.

“…which is better—to be born stupid into an intelligent society or intelligent into an insane one?” 190, Aldous Huxley, Island

[jimtzu]

just as we can never step in the same stream twice we experience a piece of music, memories, the touch of another, frustration,  differently every time,  experiencing it for the first time in a new context. if one is awake everything is happening for the first time, sometimes with a sense of deja vu, but always new. as one ages the cycles of time are seemingly quicker, giving one the opportunity to see the forest and the trees, but each walk in the woods is a brand new day.