World Religions

           Interfaith Celebrations - The Meaning and Celebration of Advent

   This time of year as we prepare to welcome back the light is special in many religions and spiritual paths. In Christianity it is called "advent" which means "coming into being." It is celebrated each of the four Sundays before Christmas Day. It is a time of prayer and thinking about the true meaning of the season. Many families and churches have an Advent Wreath decorated with greenery (which represents the persistence of life) around five candles. A new candle is lit each Sunday together with the ones already lit on the previous Sundays. At UIC, Advent is a time to prepare for the re-birth of the Light within our hearts and minds. We celebrate the four aspects of Light - Hope, Joy, Love and Peace with the lighting of each candle. We light the fifth candle on Christmas Eve symbolizing that the light has been re-born into the world. The four candles also represent the four elements, Air, Earth, Water and Fire that are the building blocks of our world. The fifth candle represents the Christ Consciousness or Enlightened Soul that dwells within each of us.
     We invite you to create an Advent Wreath and make this part of your family's tradition to celebrate the holidays. You can ask that each family member share someting about the aspect of the Light for that Sunday and how it can be brought more fully into the family's life together. Each child can take a turn lighting the candles for a particular Sunday. You may end with a prayer or a verse or a song. Traditions have great meaning, not only for children but for all of us, especially spiritual traditions. Enjoy the Spirit of this Season of Light.

RELIGION OF THE MONTH - SHINTO
"Harmonizing with the Natural World"

            Shinto is Japan's unique religious path, although the people of Japan have embraced other religions. Shinto means the "way of the divine." (Shin - divine being and do - way). It developed as the organization of the indigenous religions of the country closely tied to nature and the unseen world. People in Japan often combine practices from several religions, as each offers something different. The life of a person is located in the vast cosmic setting into which we are born, where we live and within which our lives find any meaning. Natural Religion is the spontaneous awareness of the Divine and we are to live in the natural flow.
                Shinto has no founder and no sacred literature. It began as the local natural religion of agricultural communities and had no name until Buddhism arrived in the 6^th century CE. To distinguish it from the foreign one, it was labeled "Shinto." The three principles of Shinto are: affinity with natural beauty, harmony with the spirits, and purification rituals. Many traditional religions begin with the awe and power of the natural beauty of places. Japan has always been a country of exquisite beauty. The people lived so harmoniously with this beauty in their islands that there was no separate word for "nature" until the late 19^th century when Western ideas came to Japan.
                In Shinto, lives are organized around the turn of the seasons and the kami. Mount Fuji, greatest of the volcanic peak which formed the islands, was honored as the sacred embodiment of the divine creativity that thrust the land up from the sea. The ocean and rising sun were loved as the earthly expressions of the sacred purity and brightness at the heart of life. Pilgrims still climb Mount Fuji seeking purification and good fortune. The sacred is both immanent and transcendent. In primeval ages, before the earth was formed, a great spirit arose and deity gave birth to the kami, the spirits. Kami is the essence that manifests in many places. It is a quality and not an image. It is that which invokes wonder and awe in us. The kami harmonize heaven and earth and guide the solar system and the cosmos. They reside in beautiful places and manifest as the elements. The kami are invoked by the Shinto priests to bless people, places and events.
                The shrines in Japan are built to recognize and honor the kami of a place. There are about 80,000 Shinto shrines in Japan. At one time every community had its own kami and dedicated shrine. There is no idol or symbol in the sacred center of the shrine, although a mirror or sacred stone may be placed there.
                Purification is another important principle of Shinto. In traditional Shinto there is no concept of sin. We are born innocent and pure. However, our behaviors can accumulate impurities that must be cleansed. The quality of impurity or misfortune is called tsumi. It can arise through unkind interaction between humans or between humans and the environment or through natural catastrophes. One is to pay attention to problems as they arise and cleanse them. The kami in nature can cleanse these tsumi. There are also ritual forms of purification. Wood from a sacred tree, water, and prayers are important purifiers. One of the most powerful purification rites is the misogi ceremony. The cleansing power of water is most powerful. In the misogi ceremony, a person may stand under a waterfall, letting its force hit the shoulders and carry impurities and tensions away. There are preliminary rites before one goes into the waterfall because the waterfall itself is kami. This ceremony is done with the help of a priest and afterwards, the person spends time in meditation and prayer to calm the soul and unify oneself with the kami. The misogi ceremony is designed to restore one's natural purity and sense of mission in life.
                Modern Shintoists explain their path as a universal natural religion today. A Shinto shrine was built in Stockton, CA, offering ritual ways of experiencing one's connection with nature and learning to see the divine in the midst of life. Today's followers, enjoy the many seasonal holidays, of which New Year's is the biggest. During December there is a ceremonial housecleaning, the placing of bamboo and pine "trees" at doorways to homes and offices and even bars to welcome the kami. People dress in traditional kimonos and on December 31^st there is a national day of purification. On New Year's Day, people go out to see the firs sunrise of the year and visit a shrine as well as family and friends. On January 20^th, those who ae 20 years old are recognized as full-fledged adults and on November 15, children who are three, five or seven (considered delicate ages) are taken to a shrine to ask for the protection of the kami. On February 3, the end of winter, people throw beans to toss out bad fortune and invite good. The priests shoot arrows to break the power of misfortune. A month-long spring festival is held from March to April, with purification rites and prayers for a successful planting season. The month of June is devoted to rites to protect the crops. Fall brings thanksgiving rites for the harvest and the first fruits are offered to the kami and the great celebrating in the streets. Rituals are an important part of life and the Shinto festivals bring meaning to the great cycle of life with devotion to the kami that permeate all of life.
                Shintoism has a great deal to teach us about living in the natural world, respecting the essence of Spirit in those places, to make us mindful of problems that rise in us and give us tools to cleanse ourselves back to our own natural state. It also teaches us to celebrate life and the great cycle of the seasons that we, as humans, are also a part of. Shintoism can be practiced along with all other religions.

Jainism and Buddhism developed simultaneously in the 6^th century. Jainism came out of India and until recently was not well known outside the country. There are only about 4-5 million Jains. Yet its gentle ascetic teachings offer valuable clues to our global survival. It is a complete and fruitful path with the potential for uplifting human awareness and inculcating high standards of personal ethics. Jainism never condone war, the caste system, or the killing of animals for any reason.

Jainism's great teacher is Mahavira (The Great Hero) who was a contemporary of the Buddha. Like the Buddha he was a prince and renounced his position at age 30 to wander as a spiritual seeker. He wandered around the villages and endured much pain and affliction. After 12 years of meditation, silence and fasting he achieved liberation and perfection. For the next 30 years he spread his teachings. Mahavira was the last of 24 teachers who came before him, but is considered to be the founder of the present form of Jainism , which has lasted 2,000 years.

Some of the Jain teachings are: the universe is without beginning or end. It passes eternally through long cycles of progress and decline. At the beginning of each downward cycle, humans are happy, long-lived and virtuous; they have no need for religion. As these qualities decline, humans look first to patriarchs for guidance but as things get worse, great teachers must create religion in order to steer people away from the growing evilness of the world.

The individual's higher consciousness or soul (the Jiva) can save itself by discovering its own perfect, unchanging nature and thus transcend the miseries of earthly life. Reincarnation is part of this process. Purifying one's ethical life is part of this process. Karma is also one of the teachings. Our actions influence the future course of our current life and of those lives to come. But in Jain belief, karma is actually subtle matter - minute particles that we accumulate as we act and think. Mahavira likened karma to coats of clay that weigh down the soul. Jains are very careful to avoid accumulating karma. They practice non-violence, non-possessiveness, and non-absolutism (open-mindedness).

Mahatma Gandhi practiced non-violence as practiced by the Jains, but they take it further. They believe that every centimeter of the universe is filled with living beings, some of them minute. All of them want to live. Humans have no special right to supremacy: all things deserve to live and evolve as they can. To kill any living being has negative karmic effects. Jains often wear mouth cloths to prevent injury to inhaled minute beings and are very careful where they walk. They try to do the least damage possible. They are also strict vegetarians. This idea of non-violence carries over to speaking and thinking. One's profession must also not injure beings. Agricultural is considered harmful, for in digging in the soil one harms minute organisms.

Non-attachment to things and people is considered the way to inner peace as well as living a life of simplicity. Limiting consumption offers a way out of the global poverty, hunger and environmental degradation. Being open minded means to understand the fullness of truth has many facets. There is no point in finding fault with others; our attention must be directed to cleansing and opening our own vision.

LIVING RELIGIONS - Judaism
Judaism is the first of the three religions that grew out of monotheism or the worship of One God. It was Abraham of the Jewish faith who is considered the Patriarch and founder of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Israel is another name for the Jewish people and today they not only live in the nation of Israel, but all over the world. They consider themselves one people. Judaism is a matriarchal religion in that a child is automatically Jewish if his or her mother is Jewish. At this time of year the Jewish people celebrate Shavuot which begins on June 7th. It is a commemoration of when God gave the Torah (the Law) to the entire Israelite nation. The Children of Israel had been held captive in Egypt and Passover celebrates their escape to the Promised Land. Moses led them out of Egypt and during the forty years of wandering in the desert, they came to Mount Sinai, where Moses went up to the top of the mountain. God wrote the Law on stone tablets and directed Moses to give the Law to the Children of Israel. The Torah includes the Ten Commandments. Shavuot is also connected to the grain harvest and on this day two loaves of bread made from the newly harvested grain are given to the temple. Cheesecake and blintzes are also served and homes and synagogues are decorated with flowers and greenery. It also commemorates the appearance of the first rainbow to Noah after the flood, symbolizing the new covenant with God. The Book of Ruth in the Old Testament is read during this time and followers often stay up all night studying the Torah. It is also one of three Biblical pilgrimage festivals for the Jewish people.

Taoism is one of the three religions that orginated in China. It's symbol is water which represents the natural flow of nature. Even though it looks easy as a simple life in harmony with nature, benath is an esoteric tradition of great mental and physical discipline. Taoism progressed from the indigeneous spiritual way of life and was recognized as a separate religion about 2697-2597 BCE. The Taoist scriptures, the Tao-te Ching (The Classic of the Way and the Power), is only second to the Christian Bible in number of translations. The Tao is the "unnamable," the "etrenally real." Its mystical reality cannot be grasped by the mind. Although we cannot know Tao, we can become one with it. When we are in complete harmony, we are one with the Tao. Civilization attempts to improve on the harmony of nature and its rigid views of morality, actually leads to world chaos. When we can accept not-knowing and embrace simplicity, and draw nourishment from the Mother, by moving freely with the boundaryless, changing universe, we are one with the Tao. Taoism also place great value on the contemplative life in nature. The Taoist seeks to find the still center, save energy for those times when action is needed, and take ahumble, quiet approach to life. Worldly things are seen as having little value. Using techniques to integrate generative force (ching), vitality (ch'i) and spirit (shen), the disciple uses breath and posture to retrun to a state of serenity. of voidness, through which energy can rise from the one source as it is meant to do. Tai-chi is the physical practice of enlightenment as the body begins to flow in harmony with the Tao.

ZOROASTRIANISM - FOUNDATION OF MODERN BELIEFS

Zarathustra or Zoroaster is the founder of this religion that has many followers in many countries today, including the United States. Zoroaster lived in 628-551 BCE in Northeast Iran, then called Persia. Iran is an important country from a religious perspective because it is a bridge between Western and Eastern spiritual thoughts. His early teachings aroused great hostility and he was forced to flee his home. He found a patron and disciple, Vishtaspa,in another province and became a figure of importance in local affairs. His great teachings come down to us in seventeen of his hymns, The Gathas. They show his zeal, love for God and great spiritual wisdom. God is the Wise Lord, Ahura Mazda, not only the Creator but a friend. From Zoroastrianism, other Western religions adopted the idea of the Evil One, the Devil, the destructive force. People are free to chose between good and evil. Zoroaster believed there will be a great turning point for the world when men and women will be tested by fire. From the old-fire ritual of earlier religions, he took the fire as a symbol of light and the cosmic law of God. He also kept the idea of judgment at death. He worked tirelessly for social justice and harmony. Zoroaster's teachings, like the teachings of other founders, were modified, and brought into harmony with the thoughts of the times. The holy book of Zororatrianism, the Avesta, was probably written down in the 5th centurry CE, but little remains of the original. "System, Order, Principle, and Rule" makes us recognize and believe in the infinte being of the Almighty Lord," say the teachings. Essentially the Zoroastrian religion is a joyful one, with a strong social ethic. One must enjoy life and help others while combatting evil in oneself. The sacred fire is constantly tended by the priests in the fire temple. Prayers are said 5 times a day. Followers of Zoroaster do not try to convert anyone as everyone has the right to choose their own path.

SACRED RELIGIOUS WRITINGS AND SYMBOLS

Each religion has its sacred writings, each revered and treasured. Here are the five major religions of today's world and their sacred writings. Hinduism, the oldest of the five major religions, has the Vedas (sacrificial hymns) (2000 BCE), the Brahmana (explanation of the hymns), the Aranyakas (Forest Books), and the Upanishads (deeper theological truths). Buddhism treasures the Tripitaka (Three Baskets), the Vaipulya and the Prajnaparamita Sutras, and many, many other scriptures. Confucianism has the Five Classics (ascribed to the Master's time) and the Four Books (assembled by his disciples). Taoism reveres the Tao Te Ching (Classic of the Way of Virtue) (3rd Century BCE). Judaism reveres the Tanakh, which includes the Torah or the Law. Christianity treasures both the Jewish Old Testament and the New Testament in one book, the Bible. Islam or the Muslim faith, the youngest of the five major religions, reveres the Qur'an (Koran), written by Mohammend, its prophet. Contained in all of these books collectively is the sum of humanity's understanding of the sacred. There is no way that one of these sacred writings could contain all the sacred wisdom of the world. Many of them teach the same ideas but from a different perspective according to the culture of the people. We do not know how many sacred books have been lost or what sacred wisdom has never been written down. Most of the Mayan books, for example, were burned by the invading Spaniards. There are other ways to preserve sacred wisdom and that is through symbols. All religions have their own sacred symbols that convey meanings without words. The cross, for example, is the sacred symbol of Christianity. One of the most commonly known symbols are the Great Pyramids of Egypt built with sacred geometry. Modern historians are still trying to decode these wisdom symbols found around the world.

                            Buddhism - The Way to Enlightenment

Buddhism is one of the three religions that came out of China. There are different branches of Buddhism and the most familiar are Tibetan Buddhism and Zen Buddhism, which came out of Japan. It was the study of Zen Buddhism by Westerners that brought the principles and teachings to the consciousness of the Western World. The man who became the Buddha was born a prince and the astrologers foretold he would be famous, either a great king or a great monk. His father wanted him to be a great king and so kept him isolated from the rest of the world and surrounded him with luxury and everything his heart desired. The story of how Buddha became a monk isone to read.
     Buddha discovered enlightenment while sitting under the Bodhi tree and being tempted. He discovered that all humans suffer and that this suffering is brought about by desire and attachment. When we give up our desires and attachments, we no longer suffer. Meditation is a way to quiet the desires and attachments. Another point of Buddha's enlightenment was to realize that every other person was suffering just like us and that we could have compassion for them. Buddhism is about finding peace within so you can practice peace in the world.
     The most famous modern Buddhist is the Dalai Lama of Tibet. He became the Dalai Lama as a child when he was discovered as the reincarnation of the previous lama. He escaped from Tibet when the Chinese invaded the country. He now lives in India and travels around the world teaching compassion and cooperation. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and the United States Medal of Honor, among other world rewards. He lives like a simple monk and works tirelessly to bring about peace between Tibet and China.
     During the month of May we will be looking at the principles and teachings of Buddhism.

TAOISM - THE WAY OF POWER

Taoism is one of the three religions to come out of China: Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism. The purpose of Taoism is to bring the seeker into an inner understanding of the great essence of the universe, that which cannot be named but permeates everything. It is an ancient tradition that was a way of life and not a distinct religion until it was labeled by scholars to distinguish it from Confucianism. Basically it means "the way." "The Nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth; The Names is the Mother of All Things...They may both be called the Cosmic Mystery..." Taoism counsels us to be in harmony with the natural flow of life by being receptive and quiet. Although we cannot know Tao, we can become one with it. We can experience the transcendent unity of all things. When there is no more separation between "this" and "that," it is called the still-point of Tao. We are asked to behold the light beyond all things. The sacred scriptures of Taoism is the "Tao-te Ching" which appears in verse form. It is the second most translated scripture next to the Christian Bible. It is a book that can better be understood intuitively than intellectually.
Taoism traces its roots back to Lao-Tzu, who was a curator of the royal library of the Chou dynasty in the sixth century. He decided to leave his job and search for the meaning of life. He was stopped at the border by a guard, who recognizing him as a sage, begged him to write down a record of his wisdom. The Tao-te Ching was created and Lao-tzu went on his way. Historians believe the book was the work of several sages. Two centuries later, Chuang-tzu futhered the teachings of the Tao by leavning his government job for a hermit's life of freedom and solitude, radically rejecting the idea that government can fix society, an idea that is playing out in today's world governments.His writings are called the Chuang-tzu.

ANCIENT CELTIC BELIEFS

The ancient Celtic people *had a rich oral tradition with many stories of their gods. They were connected in a unique and passionate way to the natural world and believed there was a thin boundary between the sacred and the mundane. They believed in a "soul-friend" who helped them with spiritual direction. There was an emphasis on family and kinship ties and a mandate for hospitality. Women had an equal status with men in the early nomadic society of the Celts. Early legends tell of the time when mortals took over the world from the gods, a time when life revolved around the struggle between light and darkness, summer and winter, day and night, with the powerful sun god serving as the primary hero and the underworld serving as the principle battlefield where the fate of the Celts was determined. St. Patrick was a compelling force in converting the Irish Celts to Christianity. Because there were originally no towns, just nomadic settlements, the Christian church was more monastic rather than diocesan. Monasteries were often huge theocratic villages often associated with a clan with the same kinship ties, along with slaves, freemen, celibate monks, married clergy, professed lay people, men and women living side by side. The early Celts developed a sense of the Christian God and the saints as a continuing, personal, helpful presence as they had with their other gods. The Celts invented the personal confession that the early Christian church integrated For example the story of King Arthur. He was originally an ancient Celtic god who searched for the sacred cauldron (Holy Grail) in the underworld. From this legend the English story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table evolved. We honor the Celts at this time of year for teaching us the value of nature, personal confession, and the importance of legends.

                                          Living Religions - Judaism

Judaism began over 4,000 years ago in the ancient land of Ur, in what is now Iraq. Abraham was a shepherd who wrestled with the idea of one God. God made a covenant with Abraham and promised to bless him and his wife, Sarah. God led them to a faraway land called Canaan and from that day forward Abraham and his descendants believed in only one God, a God who enters every human life in a personal way. This was a new idea and made Judaism different from all other religions of the time. The descendants of Abraham and Sarah, the Israelistes, had to flee to Egypt during the famine.
   Moses was another leader of the Israelites and led them out of Egypt back to Canaan, the Promised Land. You may recall how Moses parted the waters of the Red Sea so the people could cross safely. The Children of Israel traveled for 40 years in the desert, during which time God gave Moses the Ten Commandants, which became the core of Judaism's holy book called the Tanach (Bible). The first five books of the Bible are called the Torah, which means "teaching." The Torah contains some of humanity's greatest stories, including the story of Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden. The nation of Israel was founded in 1948 amid great conflict from its neighbors. Many Jews from around the world came to this new country to make it their home.
   The beliefs of Judaism have not changed for 4,000 years. Since the 1800's Judaism has branched into three large groups: Orthodox, Reform and Conservative Judaism. Saturday is the day of worship for the Jews and the temple and religious holidays are very important. The Jewish lineage comes down from the mother. When a young person comes of age at thirteen, he or she has a special ceremony to celebrate the rite of passage into adulthood. People of Judaism feel they are all one family no matter where they may go. They are connected to God and to their history.

                                   LIVING RELIGIONS - INDIGENOUS TRADITIONS

     This is the Season for Interfaith Celebration and a great time to review some of the faiths from around the world. Each faith asks the same questions: Who are we? Why are we here? Where are we going? What is our purpose? We begin with the indigenous traditions. These were the first spiritual beliefs of our ancestor. Indigenous people are descendants of the orignal people of the lands. The Aborgine faith of Australia, for example, has been practiced for the last 3 million years. All these traditions honor unity, an intimate and interrelated sacred circle of the cosmos. Right relationship is most important. Time is circular, not linear. Many traditions worhip a Supreme Being, who they believed created the universe. This Creator is all-powerful. Early traditions looked upon the Goddess as the Creator. Early people believed they were kin to all creation and family became all important. Family did not just include humans, but also included animals or plants, birds and fishes, those in the body and those without a body. The land was considered sacred. Mother Earth provided everything that was necessary for life and was honored at all times.. These traditions were also concerned with their relationship with power. Power is energy and our ancestors honored that power. Now science has discovered electromagnetic power which the ancients knew about and used. It is believed by some scientists and many older traditions that there are four focal points created within the energy structure of the earth and the electromagnetic balance at these points is particularly critical to the well-being of the earth system as a whole. These four places are Tibet, Arizona, Hawaii, and Jerusalem. The purpose of the indigenous traditions was to sustain harmony and balance in a sacred way. The high priests of these traditions were known as "medicine men" and have collectively come to be called "shamans," a generic word from Siberia. Shamans are helpers to their tribes and hold the place of healer of physical, psychological and spiritual problems. They were herbalists and prescribed many treatments which scientists are looking at today with new eyes. They were also not only healers of individuals, but also of groups, for what happens to one affects the whole. Training to become a shaman was very rigorous. These are the roots of all religions.

           LIVING RELIGIONS - Are We Wired to Believe in God?

     One of the current scientific theories that is being researched and tested is the idea that our Creator designed our brains so that we could believe in a deity. That is an interesting premise. There are "many intriguing neurobiological findings suggesting that the brain may indeed be wired for God," says Sharon Begley in her article (Un)wired for God.

     We seem to have "habits of thought that lead us to see the supernatural in the natural and the extraordinary in the ordinary." This suggests that people are born with some kind of software for belief. There is a specific region in the brain, the parietal lobe, that tells us where our body physically ends and the larger world begins. But this region can be deactivated through intense prayer or meditation so that we feel a Oneness with the universe. There are some new studies indicating that religiosity leads to social dysfunction and those countries with the lowet rates of social dysfunction are the most secular. Those countries with the most dysfunction, such as Portugal and the U.S., are the most religious. (Gregory Paul in Evolutionary Psychology, an online magazine) He asks, " is the brain wired for religion or is religion a way to cope with stress in a dysfunctional society?"

     Other studies point out that our environment influences the way in which our brain responds making it appear as if it were wired for certain predispositions. The mind and the brain are too different things and it is not easy to separate the consciousness (mind) from the vehicle (brain). If the mind can short circuit the region of the brain that detects our separateness through meditation and prayer, what is the true reality, separation or oneness? Is there a way to explain how we perceive patterns in chaos, identify the hand of the Divine in answered prayers, or the work of deity in randomness? Are our brains wired to believe in God or is there more to the mind that we don't fully yet understand?
(Thank you to Anne for sharing the Begley article with Coffee Talks.)

THE MEDICINE WHEEL - EAST

The Circle is a teaching symbol used worldwide. In Native American teachings it is called the Medicine Wheel. The foundational teaching of the Wheel is universal and shows that there is only One Greator God and One Family of God. We are each a unique living Medicine Wheel.

In his book, Seven Arrows, Hyemeyohsts Storm, from the Seven Arrows Tribe of the Plains Indians, explains, “The Medicine Wheel is the very Way of Life of the People. It is an Understanding of the Universe…it is the Living Flame of the Lodges, and the Great Shield of Truth written in the Sign of the Water. It is the Heart and Mind. It is the Song of the Earth…and the Sun Dance.”

The Wheel is divided into four segments which represent the Four Directions. We move through each of the Four Directions during our lifetimes. We perceive things differently from each of the positions around the Medicine Wheel. At birth, each of us is given a particular Beginning Place within the Four Great Directions. This gives us our first way of perceiving things. We then move through the other directions to gain wisdom.

Each Direction represents one of the Powers. A child’s first Teaching is of the Four Great Powers of the Medicine Wheel. To become a whole person and experience harmony, we must learn about all the Powers and embrace them. To the North is found Wisdom; to the South, the place of Innocence and Trust; in the West is the Looks-Within Place of Introspection; and in the East is Illumination.

Today we turn to the Power of the East, which is the place of new beginnings. What lies within us waiting to be born? East is Spring and the place of Illumination, where we can see things clearly and that we exist in duality. In the East we are united with all things. The symbol of the East is the Eagle, the messenger of the Creator, who helps us see far and wide. The Eagle flies in the Air, which is the element of the East. Air symbolizes movement and freedom; it clears our thoughts and manifests our dreams. Air represents the mind. The color of the East is the Gold of the Morning Star or yellow. Yellow is the energy of adventure and represents our core. East is the direction of spirituality and enlightenment. Thank you, Creator, for the Power of the East that teaches us more about ourselves.

LIVING RELIGIONS - Father God - the Great Maker

The earliest written form of the Germanic word GOD comes from the 6th century and is based on the root word meaning "to call" or "to invoke." It was originally a neuter word, but took on a masculine syntax during the Christianizing of the Germanic pagan tribes. As a capitalized word it refers to the Greek idea of "Theos" and is used as the English translation for Deity for many languages. There are many names for God throughout all the religions with just as many concepts of God. Conceptions of God vary widely and there is no clear consensus on the exact nature of God. There are numerous arguments to prove the existence of God with the latest being intelligent design meaning "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause." This gives rise once again to the idea that God is the Great Maker of the Heaven and Earth. Many people believe that God is the supernatural creator and overseer of the universe. Others believe God is perfect goodness, divine simplicity, eternal and necessary. As a masculine God, the Great Maker is the maker of dreams and the maker of laws. When God took on all masculine attributes in a male dominated society, theologians spent centuries trying to reconcile the Heart (female) and Mind (male) into one masculine Divine Being and they still have not achieved it.
God doesn't have to be either masculine or feminine. God could be both in a way that is beyond our understanding. And we, as God's children, can benefit from the attributes of God as the Great Maker, the Father, the masculine Comforter, the One who set order to the Universe and fixed the stars in the sky. The sky is the domain of God as the Father and the sky represents the Mind. God the Father as the Great Maker manifests through the mind in a logical and rational way bringing form into the physical world in accordance with the law. God is the Father and the Great Maker

LIVING RELIGIONS - The Goddess-the Great Mother

    The Goddess was the very first supreme being worshipped by humankind. Our ancestors did not know about the human biological processes and women's cycles were mysterious and magical. Everything in the cosmos was seen through these mysteries. And because humankind came through the birthing process, we understood that all creation was birthed in the same way. The Goddess, the Great Mother was the creator.
     When our ancestors abandoned hunting-gathering and took up crop cultivation and domesticating animals, our ideas of creation changed and men were observed to be part of the birthing process. And when society became dominated by men, the Goddess lost her power and became subservient and soon totally dismissed. But the Goddess, the Great Mother still resides in our hearts and is known by many names: Eve, Isis, White Buffalo Calf Woman, Inanna/Ishtar, Astarte, Cybele, Gaia, Diana, Primavera, Morrigan, Freyja, Hella, Danu, Brigit, Sengen-Sama, Vac, Shakti, Lakshmi, Tara, Maya, Visvamata, Tou Mu, Kwan-Yin, AmaterasuAsase Yaa, Coti, Oshun, Kunapipi, Hina, Spider Woman, Ix Chel, Sedna, Toci, Coatlicue, Sophia, and Mary.
     The Goddess has three aspects: maiden, mother and wise woman. This is the feminine trinity. The maiden is the promise; the mother, the fulfillment; and the wise woman, the healer. These are also the aspects of the Heart. Love is the symbol of the Divine Feminine in all its expressions. The Heart reminds us of the interconnectedness of all Life. The Heart is not like the Mind in that it deals in intangibles, in feelings rather than facts. The Divine Feminine is all about the higher aspects of our emotions, our feelings. And when we allow those higher aspects of our feelings to develop, we are embracing the true Heart of the Divine Feminine, our own true heart.

CHRISTIANITY

Of all the Living Religions, Christianity is the most widespread, but often the most complex. There are three major branches of Christianity, Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and Prostestantism. The Christian faith centers around the life of Jesus of Nazareth, known as the "Christ." He was born in Palestine (where Bethlehem was located) in about 4 B.C.E. and grew up in Nazareth. Not much is known of his life until age thirty when he began his ministry. His teaching-healing career lasted about three years. His life was ended in a terrible way by the Romans. And yet, his understanding of the concept of God and how God resides in the heart of every human, has lasted over 2000 years. There is little Historical evidence to prove that Jesus ever existed, but the Biblical evidence is overwhelming and it is on this evidence that the Christian religion was founded. What makes Jesus' teachings so different was that he spoke of God as "Father," a closer personal relationship than the Jewish and Islamic view of God as an outside and more powerful force. Jesus was filled with the power of the Spirit and thereby performed miracles. Jesus advocated peacemaking and talked of God's compassion and love even though he lived in a world of war and terror as the Romans had occupied his land for a long time. Jesus also believed that there was no difference in cultures or beliefs, that all humans were equal, including men and women. No one was holier than another. Jesus was a social prophet, challenging the boundaries of the existing order in his time and showing people there was another way to live. It wasn't Jesus' teachings that brought his disciples to him. It was the experience of living in the presence of someone in whom love, joy and power intersected in a way his disciples came to believe was divine. It is out of this phenomenon that the Christian theology was born. For over 2000 years, people have tried to understand and practice what Jesus knew and taught.

                     LIVING RELIGIONS - Zen Buddhism
*                  "What was the appearance of your face before your ancestors were born?" - Zen Koan
*
     When Buddhism expanded into Japan after the Communist takeover of China, it was profoundly influenced by Taoism. Ch'an or Zen Buddhism has become the most popular branch of Buddhism in the West. Zen is preoccupied with the limitations of language. The map is not the territory. The menu is not the meal. Words are not the concepts. It points out how often spiritual nourishment stops with menu reading. Zen students are looking for the insight. Buddha once gave a sermon called Buddha's Flower Sermon. He stood on a mountain with his disciples around him. Buddha did not say any words, he simply held aloft a golden lotus. No one understood this eloquent gesture save, Mahakasyapa, whose quiet smile, indicating that he had gotten the point, caused the buddha to appoint him his successor. Zen is convinced that the mind has other ways of working rather than the normal rational way. It is these latent ways that the practice of zazen, seated meditation is designed to call into action. The koans are part of the meditation. They are designed to be problems the rational mind cannot solve. "What is the sound of one hand clapping?" is one of the most popular koans. Zen teaches that reason is too short a ladder to reach to truth's full height. It must be supplemented and that is the purpose of the koan. The first important breakthrough is an intuitive experience called satori. It may take years, but it comes as a flash, as a mystical experience. Once satori is achieved, the student must get out of its "sticky morass" and return to the world. The genious of Zen is to fuse the temporal and the eternal; to widen the doors of perception so the wonder of the satori experience can flood everyday life. There are three accomplishments for the Zen student: to find the world distinctly good; the dissolution of dualism; and a new perception of the world. You can find the meaning of life in an act as simple as doing the dishes.
*                                                                                            (From "World's Religions" by Huston Smith)

"Empty yourself of everything. Let the mind rest at peace." --Tao Te Ching

Our Living Religion this month is Taoism, one of the three religions to come out of China. (Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism) Taoism originated with a man named Lao Tzu who is said to have been born in 604 BCE. Most of his story comes from legends. Lao Tzu lived a simple and unassertive life. He taught others to cultivate natural goodness. One day Lao Tzu climbed on a water buffalo and rode westward towards what is now Tibet. He was saddened by his people's disinterest in his teachings and wanted to spend his closing years in solitude. At the Hankao Pass a gatekeeper tried to persuade him to turn back. Failing this, he asked if Lao Tzu would at least leave a record of his beliefs. Lao Tzu agreed and spent the next three days writing the Tao Te Ching,
The Way and Its Power. Then he climbed back on his water buffalo and rode away never to be heard from again. This simple volume of only 5000 characters is a testament to humanity's at-home-ness in the universe. It can be read in half an hour or for a lifetime. Scholars argue that the Tao Te Ching was probably written by more than one author as are other sacred scriptures, but agree it was probably influenced by a single person. The foundation of Taoism is the "way." There are three senses in which the "way" can be understood. It is first of all the way of ultimate reality and is too vast for reason to fathom. The second sense is the way of the universe, which is spirit giving life to all things. And in its third sense, it is the way of human life when it meshes with the Tao of the way of the universe. Each way facilitates the power of the Tao as it flows through human beings. Philosophical Taoism is an attitude toward life. Practical Taoism works with matter, movement and mind to increase power. Religious Taoism makes cosmic life-power available to everyone through specific rituals. Water is a symbol of the Tao.

                                                                    Native American

     There are 558 federally recognized Native American tribes in the United States, including Alaska. The largest tribes are the Cherokee, Navajo, Sioux, Chippewa, Latin American and Choctaw. 43% of the Native Americans live in the West; 31% in the South; 17% in the Midwes; and 9% in the Northeast. 60% of all native peoples live in cities. There are as many interpretations of traditional paths as there are tribes, but there are some fundamental principles that all the Native Americans believe. There is One God, the Creator. Everything is sacred and spiritual messages are given in many ways: through the animals, plants and minerals; through shamanic trances; or through personal experiences. The Earth is sacred. The Trickster also appears in many tribes. The Trickster comes to teach culture, proper behavior and how to handle unexpected situation that arise. Elders are respected for their great wisdom and understanding.

     In some tribes, after the world was created it was populated by many people. Most were subsequently transformed into animals and this common ancestry is why there is such a close bond between animals and humans. Some tribes, especially in the Southwest, believe there are different underground layers which humans had to climb through to reach this world. They arrived through a small hole in the ground - the earth's navel. Some tribes believe the universe is composed of multiple layers and this earth is the middle one. The layers are linked by the World Tree whose roots are in the underground, the trunk passes through the middle or natural world, and its branches are in the sky. Shamans (a Siberian word) or Medicine Men or Women are the spiritual leaders of the tribes. They have the power to go to an alternate reality and bring back messages or cures for the people.

                                                    Millenarian Religions

Since the end of World War II, thousands of new religious movements have sprang up. These new religions have not been fully accepted by the previously organized religions. They have been labeled "cults" or "sects" to give them a negative brand. Often these new religions are opposed by other family members, who employ special agents to capture and deprogram followers of new religions, especially by parents of the followers. This is especially popular in the United States. Many of these deprogramming methods are psychologically dangerous according to menal health professionals, but families are willing to take the risk to "save" a person from the perceived evils of a different religion. Professionals also agree It is dangerous to give one's power away to any religion, old or new.
* A "cult" is a religion focusing on a single person or deity, such as a prophet or guru. A "sect" is a splinter group or a subgroup associated with a larger tradition.   The term "new religious movement" is the more accepted term now.
     Throughout the history of religions, there have been prophecies of the millenium - a longed for time of peace, abundance and happiness. The term "millenarian" comes from the Christian Bible in "Revelation." that last book. "Revelation" predicts a thousand-year period of special holiness in which Christ returns to rule the earth. In the Old Testament of the Jewish faith, the Prophet Isaiah foretold of a new heaven and a new earth, and the coming of the kingdom of God for the faithful. In the 19th and 20th centuries, these messages were given to oppressed people to give them hope. From these messages of hope sprang the new religious movements as a way of dealing with the horrors of the great war.****
     In October we will look at some of these "millenarian" new religious movements around the globe.

This week we look at another Milleranian religion -Rastafarianism. Rastafarianism began in Jamaica and is the first modern religion whose purpose is to support black people. In 1895, Alexander Bedward of the Baptist Free Church prophesied a coming holocaust in which all the white people would be killed, leaving the black people. He taught that the black people were "the true people" and they would be the ones to celebrate the new world. As the date came for the prophecy to be fulfilled, Bedward sat in his special robes waiting. Nothing happened and he was later committed to a mental institution.

                                LIVING RELIGIONS - Hinduism
     Hinduism has always held that there are many paths to the same God. "Truth is one; sages call it by different names," says the "Vedas," the Hindu sacred scriptures. "There are many paths to God, but a path is by no means means God. Bow down and worship where others kneel, for where so many have adored, the kind Lord must manifest himself, for he is all mercy."
      Hinduism arose from the ancient civilizationthat developed in northwestern India in the Indus Valley in 6000 BCE. Today there are 850 million followers of Hinduism all over the world. In India, Hinduism is called "Sanatana Dharma" which means "eternal teaching." God, or the eternal spirit is called Brahman. The various Gods and Goddesses of the Hindu faith are different aspects of the one God. Lord Krishna is the most popular of these aspects. He is said to be the author of "The Bhagavad Gita," which is a guide to Hindu moral behavior. There are four paths to the goal for actualizing human potential for Hindus. The first is the path of knowledge, which has three stages: hearing, listening to sages and scriptures; thinking, intensive reflection; and, shifting self-identification to one's abiding part. The second path is through Love, to direct toward God the love that lies at the base of every heart. "Keep the name of the Lord spinning in the midst of all your activitie," brings the love of God into being. The third path is through work. All you need to do is learn how to work in ways that carry you toward God, not away from God. The fourth path is through psychophysical exercises. These exercises bring us through the four layers of self: the body, the conscious mind, the subconscious mind, and Being Itself. This path requires the student to have one's personal life in reasonable order and one's relationships harmonious. Working through the body to the mind through the breath one unplugs from this world and embraces the spiritual world.

Wicca is one of a new group of modern religions that are reconstructions of older ones. These reconstructed religions are called Neo-pagan or earth-based religions. They are similar to the Native American and traditional spiritual paths. Wicca was founded by Gerald Gardner in England in 1940. Wiccans worship a deity that is largely unknown but has both male and female aspects, known as the God and Goddess. It honors the cycles of nature and the Wiccan rituals follow those cycles.

LIVING RELIGIONS – WICCA – II

This month we are looking at the Wicca path, one of the Neo-Pagan religions. Neo-Pagan meaning a reconstructed religion from the nature-based religions of the ancient past. The term “Wicca” generally means a religion based on Ecltic spiritual concepts, deities and seasonal days of celebration. Some Wiccans include other pagan beliefs such as Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Sumerian, Aboriginal, Native American, etc.

Wiccans believe that a creative force exists in the universe. It is sometimes called “The One” or “The All.” This force is both male and female, God and Goddess, and these aspects are not out there, but immanent in the world. No Wiccan believes in the “Satan” deity of the Christian-Muslim religions.

There is a great concern among Wiccans for environmental issues because it is an earth-based religion grounded in nature. They also believe in the natural process of life. They believe in gender equality, in fact, a Wiccan Priestess holds a higher rank than a male Priest.

The Wiccan afterlife is called Summerland, where souls go after death. There they meet with friends and family who have gone before, review their lives, and are reincarnated into the body of a new born. After an individual accumulates enough experience, he or she moves to the next level of existence, which we know nothing about. Some believe that the molecules of our bodies after death go out into the world to mix with other molecules and incorporate into other living beings. Some believe our influences will continue to influence the next generations.

Wiccans follow the Three-Fold Law or the Law of Return which states: "All good that a person does to another returns three fold in this life; harm is also returned three fold." This belief strongly motivates each Wiccan to avoid attempting to dominate, manipulate, control, or harm another person.

Lao-tsu's Balance Prayer
Lord, let us empty of all doctrines,
The Tao is wisdom eternally inexhaustible.
Fathomless for the mere intellect,
The Tao is the law wherewith all things come into being.
It blunts the edges of the intellect,
Untangles the knots of the mind,
Softens the glare of thinking,
And settles the dust of thought.
Transparent yet invisible,
The Tao exists like deep pellucid water.
Its origin is unknown,
For it existed before Heaven and Earth
This is a prayer for balance written by Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism. Taoism has influenced East Asia for over 2000 years and has spread internationally from its roots in China.

          Taoist thought focuses on wu wei or non-action, spontaneity, transformation, and emptiness. What would it be like if you had no plans for the day, nothing to do whatsoever? It wouldn't be like a vacation because you plan to do things on a vacation, but rather a do nothing day empty day.   And in this empty day you can do whatever comes to mind at the moment. And in this day, you are empty of all stress, all have'tos, and needs. You are just you, one with nature in the present moment. Wouldn't that be wonderful? That is the ideal of the Taoist.

          There are three teachings of Taoism to remember. They are called the Three Jewels. They are compassion, moderation and humility. There is a very strong link in Taoism between people and nature, especially water, which is the symbol of Taoism. As the water flows through everything, so does the Tao or the energy of the Universe. This link, if you pay enough attention, lessens the need for rules and order leading to a better understanding of the world and one's surroundings.

          The Tao is not worshipped as it is the influence that keeps the universe balanced an ordered. Next week we will look at some of the important concepts that have come out of Taoism.

LIVING RELIGIONS – ABORIGINAL – I

Our Living Religion for this month is the Aboriginal path of Australia, the Arunta culture. I’d like to read you a fire blessing that is an ancient prayer, 40,000 years old, handed down through the Aboriginal culture and translated into English. Close your eyes and listen to the power of these truths from 40,000 years ago.

FIRE BLESSING

May the fire be in our thoughts
Making them true, good and just,
May it protect us from the evil one.

May the fire be in our eyes;
May it open our eyes to share what is good in life.
We ask that the fire may protect us from what
Is not rightfully ours.

May the fire be on our lips, so that we may
Speak the truth in kindness; that we may serve
And encourage others.
May it protect us from speaking evil.

May the fire be in our ears.
We pray that we may hear with a deep, deep listening
So that we may hear the flow of water, and of all
Creation.
And the dreaming.
May we be protected from gossip and from things
That harm and break down our family.

May the fire be in our arms and hands
So that we may be of service and build up love.
May the fire protect us from all violence.

May the fire be in our whole being -
In our legs and in our feet,
Enable us to walk the earth
With reverence and care;
So that we may walk in the ways of goodness and truth
And be protected from walking away from what is truth.

A gift from Burnum Burnum, Aboriginal Elder

What we term modern historical religions span only a short 4,000 years. The Aboriginal religions span 3 million years, and yet there are still people who discount the Truths in the old religions. These are the roots of our beliefs today. The Australian Aborigines are the “oldest” inhabitants on our planet that were not influenced by the Neolithic experience that began 10,000 BCE. This Neolithic experience is the invention of farming and tooled stone implements.

Time is different for the Aborigines. They measure ordinary life in the cycle of the seasons and the generations that come and go, but the backdrop for the unending procession is stable. It is everywhen and their legendary figures people this backdrop so the stories are still relevant today. When the Arunta model the lives of their archetypes, they become completely fitted into the same mold and become that archetype, such as the First Hunter and no residue remains. Only when they are conforming their actions to the model of the archetypes do the Arunta truly feel alive, because in those roles they are immortal. When they fall from these roles, time devours their doings and reduces them to nothing.

This everywhen is called the Dreamtime or the Dreaming. There are no priests or congregations; only the Dreaming and the molding. The myths and stories were handed down orally. Writing was not necessary and has been considered threatening to the vitality of speech. Speech is alive – literally alive, because speaking is the speaker. It is not the whole of the speaker, but it is the speaker in one of his or her living modes. Speaking cannot be separated from the speaker. Its very nature is to change, adapt, and invent. Speaking adapts itself to speaker, listener, and situation alike. This gives it an immediacy, range, and versatility that is, miraculous. Original wording breathes new life into familiar themes. Rhythn can enter until speaking phases into chanting and storytelling becomes a high art. Dialect and delivery add their contributions, and when animal postures and gaits are mined and their noises simulated, theater is born.

Speaking feeds the memory. Literate peoples with libraries grow slack in recall. Oral cultures store the important knowledge in their collective memory and there only. Would that not make knowledge more revered and honored?

Writing requires explicit meanings. Historical religions look to their historical texts for the clearest, if not exclusive, revelations. Oral traditions leave the eyes free to notice other sacred conduits. And writing has no limits so it continues to proliferate and minds are so swamped by information that they difficulty seeing what is important. In an oral culture, the important is remembered and the rest forgotten.

An oral culture safeguards community. It is impossible to be lonely in societies where there are no newspapers to hide behind, no computers to be glued to, or no teledramas or telenonsense to watch in isolated living quarters. In oral cultures, speaking means people and interaction with each other.

It is in this oral culture that the earliest religions were born. Next time we will look at some interesting concepts of the Aborigines.

LIVING RELIGIONS

CELTS – I

Our Living Religions today are based on ancient beliefs that have been handed down for centuries. They have been changed to fit the culture, taken on the legends and festivals of existing religions, and been interpreted by new generations. And they still speak to our hearts.

One such religion that still speaks to our hearts is the Celtic path. I think we all feel a little bit Irish or Scottish. The date the Celts emerged as a distinct culture is still unknown, but is estimated about 1000 BCE. They introduced the art of iron-forging to Europe. By the 9^th century the Celts had spread through most of Europe and the British Isles. They even invaded Greece and Rome. They had a reputation as fierce warriors. In 387 BCE, for example, the Romans fled in terror after encountering the wild and noisy Celtic army, which went into battle with horns and trumpets blaring and shouts echoing off the hills. The Celtic warriors were tall, bleached their hair with lime and drew it into spikes and sometimes dyed their skin blue. They often went into battle naked.

The Celts were highly civilized despite the look and actions of the warriors. They were merchants, farmers and artisans and priests. Some of the most beautiful craftsmanship comes from the Celts. All Celtic life was based on a religion deeply rooted in nature, and the Wicca religion today draws its roots from the Celts. They saw supernatural significance everywhere. They were advanced astrologers and mathematicians, as well. Their religious teachings were forbidden to be written down for fear that the wisdom would be corrupted, which kept the power in the hands of the priests known as Druids.

Because there is no written record, we have to look at the archaeological records, inscriptions, other historical sources, folk lore and folk traditions to get a picture of what the Celtic religion was like. Even with all of this, we will never really know.

Druid is the most common name for the Celtic priests. There were actually four classes of religious leaders: Druids, which translates as “highly wise,” who were the moral teachers and had great herbal and healing knowledge; Vates, who were the diviners, astrologers and mathematicians; Vergobretus, who acted as judges; and Bards, who were the praise singers and poets, historians, often prophets and served as the life-line among the people.

There are over 400 gods and goddesses that made up the heavenly hierarchy of the Celtic religion. Priests spent at least 20 years studying them. Many of these deities were associated with natural places or elements and have several variants among the different Celtic cultures. There is the central and original deity called Dagda, which means Good God or Skyfather, the God of Thunder and Lightening, and the Mother Goddess, Matrona. From these two come all the other gods and goddesses.

In order to understand the hierarchy modern anthropologists have assigned the gods and goddesses to three realms: Upper, Middle and Lower. The controller of the Lower realm is Sucellos, the good striker, and his consort Nantosuelta, “sun-warmed valley who makes the flowers bloom.” Sucellos is depicted with a great hammer and always has a hound by his side.

The daytime controllers of the Upper Realm are Twins (and here we see the most common off spring of the original god and goddesses - twins. Even in the Christian stories, Adam’s first offspring are twins, Cain and Abel.) Lugh, who is depicted as having only one eye, and is the inventor of all the arts, is in charge for the summer half of the year. His twin, Nuadu, is the controller of the winter half of the year and is depicted with only one arm. The nighttime controller of the Upper realm is Esus, the youthful-savior-champion and is the warrior champion of the tribe and protector of the cattle.

The goddess of the Lower realm seems to have a cow-like nature. Her name is Sequana or Brigit or White Cow. She could also transform into an eel, snake, serpent or wolf. She is the goddess of the animals. The goddess of the Middle realm is Mehua, or Intoxicatress. She usually appears in human form. The goddess of the Upper realm is Epona, the Horse Goddess.

There were also goddesses of springs and woods and specific places, many of which were considered sacred. Many springs were believed to have curative powers; lakes were entrances into the otherworld. Offerings and sometimes bodies were thrown into bodies of water. Arthur’s sword Excaliber was taken from the hand of the Lady of the Lake and returned to her at the end of his life. Sacred places that related to the sky are also found in the high passes of mountains.

The last of the sacred places were monuments, such as Stonehenge, the rectangular walls and ditch sites, and even graves.

Next week we will look at some of the Celtic Legends and their meanings.

Zen Buddhism – II

Zen Buddhism originated in the 6^th century in China and spread to Japan, Korea and Viet Nam and then to the West. It cannot properly be called a religion or philosophy as it has no scriptures or a holy book. It is a method of experiencing the Ultimate – a way without rituals. It leads directly to transformation through inner experience. Among the various schools of Buddhism, Zen Buddhism offers the fastest and most direct way to enlightenment. The main methods are Zazen meditation and studying the Koans. We talked about Zazen last week and I hope you had an opportunity to practice being in the present moment.

Regarding meditation, Osho Rajneesh describes his Zazen meditation experience. He says that you are to simply sit motionless, for many hours every day observing your mind. Just observe, be a witnessing presence to whatever arises in your mind. Be indifferent to it. At first the mind will be very active, as always it will jump from one thought to another. Simply witness the antics of the mind, without identifying with your thoughts or feelings. After many months of such practice, the mind will quiet down on its own. It will get fed up with you, it will become tired of being ignored, and it will quiet down. And you will be in a state of No Mind, experiencing the Ultimate.

Koans are questions posed by Zen Masters to their disciples, which cannot be answered at the level of the mind. Some famous Koans are – Listen to the sound of one hand clapping. Another is – What did your face look like before your grandparents were born. These koans cannot be understood through analysis or through conceptualization. They force you to go beyond the mind, into the realm of No Mind.

According to Eckhart Tolle, spiritual guru and author of the book, The Power of Now, the essence of Zen Buddhism or Zen religion, indeed of all spirituality, is that it forces us into the Here and Now, into a state of mind beyond past memories and future hopes, into a state beyond analysis and thoughts and conceptualization. It conveys the essence of the ancient spiritual teachings of Zen Buddhism in a way that is understandable and usable by people in the 21st century. We are studying another of Tolle’s books, the New Earth in our Adult Discussion Group.

Here are some other Koans:

A Cup of Tea

Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.

Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor's cup full, and then kept on pouring.

The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. "It is overfull. No more will go in!"

"Like this cup," Nan-in said, "you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?"

Every-Minute Zen

Zen students are with their masters at least ten years before they presume to teach others. Nan-in was visited by Tenno, who, having passed his apprenticeship, had become a teacher. The day happened to be rainy, so Tenno wore wooden clogs and carried an umbrella. After greeting him Nan-in remarked: "I suppose you left your wodden clogs in the vestibule. I want to know if your umbrella is on the right or left side of the clogs."

Tenno, confused, had no instant answer. He realized that he was unable to carry his Zen every minute. He became Nan-in's pupil, and he studied six more years to accomplish his every-minute Zen.

Flower Shower

Subhuti was Buddha's disciple. He was able to understand the potency of emptiness, the viewpoint that nothing exists except in its relationship of subjectivity and objectivity.

One day Subhuti, in a mood of sublime emptiness, was sitting under a tree. Flowers began to fall about him.

"We are praising you for your discourse on emptiness," the gods whispered to him.

"But I have not spoken of emptiness," said Subhuti.

"You have not spoken of emptiness, we have not heard emptiness," responded the gods. "This is the true emptiness." And blossoms showered upon Subhuti as rain.

LIVING RELIGIONS

Zen Buddhism

          Zen Buddhism is a form of Buddhism that emphasizes meditation and direct individual experience. It developed in China from the teachers who came from India and was called ch’an.   From there it spread to Japan, which is the best know of the Zen Buddhist schools, to Vietnam, Korea and then to the Western World through the writings of D.T. Suzuki and Alan Watts. The word ‘zen” can be translated “be nothing, think nothing” or “meditation.” Zen is the English transliteration of the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word ch'an , which is the Mandarin transliteration of the Sanskrit word Channa or dhyana, truly an international name.

          Bodhidharma is considered to be the founder to Zen in the 5^th century. He was so passionate about meditation that he sat for nine years in a cave staring at the cave wall and thereby lost the use of his legs. For this reason Zen is also called wall meditation. Bodhidharma believed that the body and the mind are obstacles to Satori or enlightenment. Zen was practiced with Taoism and focuses on the experience of the moment.

          In the 9^th century in Japan Zen Buddhism split into two groups: one believed that enlightenment could come as a flash of insight and the other believed enlightenment could only come gradually with practice. In Japan it was mixed with Shintoism.

          Zen de-emphasizes study and worldly deeds and concentrates instead on meditation and a non-rational awareness of the world and the way the mind reacts to it. It emphasizes mindful acceptance of the present moment, spontaneous action, and letting go of self-conscious and judgmental thinking.

          A student of Zen can spend years or a lifetime reflecting on the koans or paradoxical riddles, zazen, the meditation and the teachings of a master or Roshi. There are 1500 koans designed to shock the mind out of its rationalistic rut and into a non-disciminatory awareness of reality.

          Here are two of the Koans:

          A master who lived as a hermit on a mountain was asked by a monk, “What is the way?”

          “What a fine mountain this is,” the Master said in reply.

          “I’m not asking you about the mountain, but about the Way.”

          “So long as you cannot go beyond the mountain, my son, you cannot reach the Way,” replied the Master.

Master Sekkyo said to one of his monks, “Can you get a hold of emptiness?”

“I’ll try,” said the monk and he cupped his hand in the air.

“That’s not very good,” said the Master. “You haven’t got anything in there.”

“Well, Master,” said the monk, “please show me a better way.”

Thereupon Sekkyo seized the monk’s nose and gave it a great yank.

“Ouch,” yelled the monk. “You hurt me!”

“That’s the way to get a hold of emptiness,” said Sekkyo.

Next week we will look at more principles of Zen Buddhism and hear more koans.

LIVING RELIGIONS

Self-Realization Fellowship

     On the occasion of the 25^th anniversary of Paramahansa Yogananda’s passing, his far-reaching contributions to the spiritual upliftment of humanity were given formal recognition by the Government of India. A special commemorative stamp was issued in his honor, together with a tribute that read, in part:

"The ideal of love for God and service to humanity found full expression in the life of Paramahansa Yogananda....Though the major part of his life was spent outside India, still he takes his place among our great saints. His work continues to grow and shine ever more brightly, drawing people everywhere on the path of the pilgrimage of the Spirit."

          The Self-Realization Fellowship that he founded continues to spread his message of God’s love, the fellowship of all humankind, and service to others. Last week we talked about the founder, Paramahansa Yogananda, and what an extraordinary man he was. He was the first man to teach that the original Christianity taught by Jesus the Christ was in complete harmony and basic oneness with original yoga as taught by Bhagavan Krishna and that the basic principles are the common scientific foundation of all religions.

          Yogananda was one of the early pioneers who brought the word scientific back to religion, as did Mary Baker Eddy and Christian Science and Earnest Holmes of Religious Science, but from an Eastern spiritual perspective. You recall, in the Western world, there was a time when all science was under the umbrella of the church and then it split off. These modern teachers realized that there is a way to bring them back together again.

This week let’s look at some of the principles of the Self-Realization Fellowship. The mission of SRF is to disseminate among the nations a knowledge of definite scientific techniques for attaining direct personal experience of God. Yogananda envisioned a worldwide spiritual organization which united science and religion through realization of the unity of their underlying principles. Today, it is difficult to tell whether it is religion or science speaking when trying to explain the basic quantum principles of the structure of the Universe.

          Then to teach that the purpose of life is the evolution, through self-effort of man's limited mortal consciousness into God Consciousness; and to establish Self-Realization Fellowship temples for God-communion throughout the world, and to encourage the establishment of individual temples of God in the homes and in the hearts of men. He wanted religion to come back into the mainstream of people’s lives, that it is okay for us to have a personal space in our homes and our hearts to set up our altar tables. In India every home has a temple.

          SRF followers practice metaphysical meditation to liberate themselves from the threefold sufferings of physical disease, mental inharmonies and spiritual ignorance and to demonstrate the superiority of mind over body, of soul over mind.

Yogananda wrote: “I will seek God; then all my desires will be satisfied. Whether I live in a palace or a hut will make no difference. I will criticize no one unless asked by him to do so, and then only with a desire to help.” He taught the importance of peace with in the heart, peace in the thoughts and peace in action.

Next week we will look at more of the principles of the Self-Realization Fellowship.

LIVING RELIGIONS - Our Beliefs
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Every January many churches take time to reflect on their core beliefs. It is especially important for us as an interfaith community to reflect on those beliefs we have in common that bring us together in Unity. Our most basic belief is that there is a Power in the Universe that is our Source. We may call this Power by different names, but it is the same Power. This Power lives within us and everything else in the Universe. We can never be separated from this Power. We believe in the spiritual journey as a critical aspect of our lives. Every thing is sacred. We also believe that we can call our highest good into our lives, that we have choices for that good and choices for prosperity. We believe that all paths to the Divine are equal and we are to honor and respect the spiritual where we find it. We also believe that forcing our beliefs on anyone else makes us separate from one another. We also believe the best life is one of forgiveness of ourselves and others, of service, and of loving each other as the many religions have directed. We also believe in peace, peace in our hearts, our community, our nation and in the world. We work for peace everyday. We believe the meditative life is worthwhile and the quiet a place of beauty. We honor Mother Earth and all the Beings in the Universe. Let us join together and talk about our common beliefs acknowledging that we come to Unity through our diversity.

LIVING RELIGIONS – UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS

     This month we will be looking at some specific churches to learn more about their beliefs and how they differ from one another and how they are similar to one another.

          The Unitarian Universalist church came into being when the older Unitarian church, founded in the 16^th and 17^th centuries in Central and Eastern Europe merged in 1961 with the Universalist church, founded in the 18^th century in England.   The Unitarians broke away from the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches because they believed that God was One instead of three-in-one as in the Trinity. The Universalists broke away because they believed everyone could experience salvation from sin and that this right did not exclusively belong to the priests to convey. Both churches had a basic belief in the spiritual potential of individual human beings and a readiness to question religious dogma. There is a strong connection to Jewish and Christian teachings in both branches.

          What is important to remember about the UU faith is that you are not expected to leave your mind at the door when you come to church. It encourages questions and individual searching for the Truth. Minister Jack Mendelsohn says, “Our religious way of life is not so much an arriving as a becoming—an ongoing process of thought and life experience.” This church never became as big as other churches in terms of numbers of followers, but it has had a great influence on religious, social and political thinking. The other interesting point to remember is that this church is considered an American movement, as is the New Thought movement. The Unitarians settled in the colonies in Massachusetts. There are currently 1,050 UU churches and fellowships in the US and Canada. They welcome people of all beliefs and people with no religious beliefs.

          The UU church celebrates the worth and dignity of every person; affirms the sacredness of an ongoing search for truth; and embraces freedom as the essential atmosphere for human sustenance and growth.

          One UU minister states the following as his belief about worship which I found to be similar to our own community’s belief:

I want worship to be a celebration, a celebration and an affirmation.
I want worship to be a celebration of the human spirit in all its diversity,
And of human consciousness in all its creativity.
I want worship to be an affirmation of the divine depth
Of the eternal spark, of the sacred centre within each human self
It matters not at all whether we call it God or call it anything else
Or leave it nameless
As long as we meet to make a space where it may be celebrated.

I want worship to be a celebration of all the ways
In which we are connected to each other through God
And an affirmation of all the ways
In which we are connected to God through each other.

I want worship to be a sharing of heart and mind
And a sharing of all the difficulties and disappointments of life
And I want a sermon to remind me that
beyond all the difficulties and disappointments of life
Beyond all the stupidity and brutality in the world
In spite of everything that is wrong in the world
There is at the heart and at the root of everything
Something that is utterly and wonderfully right.

I want worship to remind me of the joy and love
And wonder and wisdom that spring from the human heart
I want a sermon to remind me of the richness and mystery
And heart-breaking beauty of the spirit that shapes the human heart.
And I want a sermon to help me or guide me or to give me a glimpse
Of how I might come closer to these things in my own life.

          Today we honor the Unitarian Universalists and their Truths.

LIVING RELIGIONS – QUAKERS OR FRIENDS – I

          In 1643, in England, a young man left home on a four year search seeking answers to questions which had troubled him since childhood. These were religious questions and so he sought out the religious leaders of his time. He became disillusioned with the existing Christian denominations. At age 23, he heard a voice saying “…there is one, even Christ Jesus, who can speak to they condition.” This young man was George Fox, the founder of the Religious Society of Friends. George felt he had received a direct call from God and became an itinerant preacher and began to promote the concept of “Inward Light” or “Inner Voice.” He believed there is a “seed of Light” in each person; every person has direct access to God; no priestly class or churches were needed; there is no need for elaborate ceremonies, rituals, creeds or dogma; every person is of equal worth; following the inward light will lead to spiritual understanding and thus to individual perfection.

          He taught his followers to worship in silence. People were encouraged to speak only when they were moved by the Holy Spirit. His followers lived a simple life, drink no alcohol, and celebrate no holidays. They did not participate or attend sports, theaters, wear wigs or jewelry, etc. They referred to themselves as “Friends of Truth.”

          The Friends became into being about the time that the Puritans influenced Cromwell’s government and Charles II was restored to the monarchy. The Puritans were the opposite of the Friends and so a great conflict developed. The Friends refused to pay any tithes to the State Church; to take an oath in court; to take off their hats to the king or other persons in power (called hat honor); or engage in a combat role during wartime. Plus they developed an intense concern for disadvantaged people of the day, including slaves, prisoners and inmates of asylums. They worked very hard to end slavery and for improvements in the prison and mental institution systems.

          Fox was greatly persecuted during his lifetime for his beliefs and imprisoned many times. Once, when he was hauled into court, he suggested that the judge "tremble at the word of the Lord". The judge sarcastically referred to Fox as a Quaker; the term stuck, and has become the popular name for the Religious Society of Friends. During the second half of the 17th century, over 3000 Quakers spent time in English jails for their religious beliefs; many hundreds died there. About 1660, a group of congregations were established, called preparative meetings. Once a month, these groups gathered together and held a monthly meeting. Four times a year, the latter groups would hold a quarterly meeting. Finally, all of the quarters would gather annually for a yearly meeting.

          The Quakers were among those faiths that came to the New World to seek religious freedom. They found a sanctuary in the Rhode Island colony, which had been founded on the principle of religious tolerance. Many of the other colonies viewed them as dangerous heretics and they were deported as witches, imprisoned or hanged.

            A famous Quaker, William Penn, along with others played a major role in the creations of the colonies of New Jersey in 1675 and Pennsylvania in 1682. These colonies were noted for their toleration of minority religious groups, like the Jews, Mennonites, Muslims and Quakers. In 1688, a group of Friends in Germantown PA took a public stand against slavery; this is believed to be the first stirrings within a religious organization of the abolitionist movement in America.

          After the Toleration Act of 1689, the Quakers became accepted as a denomination and many colonies’ constitutions exempted them from giving oaths in court. The Quakers distanced themselves from society through their simple clothing and plain language (using thee and thou in place of you). As a group they became well respected for their industriousness and high moral character.

          In the years leading up to the Revolutionary War, the Quakers tried to remain neutral. During the war most refused to pay military taxes or fight. Once again they were disliked and some even exiled. Following the war, a number of Quaker organizations were formed to promote social change in the areas of slavery, prison conditions, poverty, native American affairs, etc. Quakers played a major role in organizing and running the "Underground Railroad" - a system which aided runaway slaves to escape to freedom in the northern states and Canada.

          In the early 19^th century a great schism occurred over doctrinal beliefs and the movement split between the Hicksite, led by Elias Hicksite, and the Orthodox factions. In 1840 there was another split in the Orthodox group into the Guerneyites, led by John Guerney, a more progressive and evangelical group, and the Wilberites, an even more conservative group led by John Wilbur. These four groups exist today.

The first and second World Wars created a crisis for the movement. Until that time, the Society was a pacifist organization. Any Quaker who became a soldier was ejected from the community. However, during the two wars, some men were drawn up by the nationalistic fervor, and entered the armed forces. During World War II, many American Quakers joined the Friends Ambulance Unit, an unofficial body supported by British Quakers. This allowed Quakers to volunteer as medical and ambulance personnel on the battlefields of the Middle East, India, China, and northwestern Europe. This was a particularly high risk assignment. All four branches of the faith joined together at the time of the first World War to create the American Friends Service Committee. This agency allowed many Quaker conscientious objectors to help alleviate suffering while avoiding conscription. Out of the American Friends Service Committee grew the American Field Service dedicated to pursuing world peace through an exchange student program.

There are about 300,000 members worldwide, including a large group in Kenya. In fact, the greatest concentration of Quakers lives in Kenya, where they follow an evangelical interpretation of Quakerism. There are 125,000 in North America. In the United States, they are concentrated in the Northeast and Midwest. Although many had settled in the South during the 19th century, almost all later left in protest over slavery.

          Next week we will look at the fundamental beliefs of the Quakers and the Friends’ Peace Testimony.

LIVING RELIGIONS

QUAKERS – II

            Last week we leaned that the Quaker religion was founded in the 1600’s by George Fox, who at the age of 23 heard the voice of God and began preaching what was then considered radical ideas of peace and equality. He taught that everyone has direct access to God and didn’t need clergy or a church. He also taught that everyone was equal and had a “seed of Light” within them.

          The Quakers came to America and still suffered much due to their belief in peace, many were imprisoned, exiled or hanged. They always worked to help the disadvantaged and were instrumental is creating the Underground Railroad to help the fleeing slaves during the Civil War.

          There are no religious creeds or codes of behavior or sets of rules for Quakers. But one major principle for all Quakers is the Peace Testimony. It is said that the Peace Testimony “comes from the conviction that springs from a Living Spirit mediated through the human experience of those trying to understand and follow its leadings. It grows afresh in every life, every worshipping group, in every generation.” This Peace Testimony is created by each individual, each community, each group to reflect their unique and personal beliefs about peace.

          The Quaker society in New Zealand writes:

Living out a witness to peace has to do with everyday choices about the work we do, the relationships we build, what part we take in politics, what we buy, how we raise our children. It is a matter of fostering relationships and structures—from personal to international—which are strong and healthy enough to contain conflict when it arises and allow its creative resolution. It is a matter of withdrawing our cooperation from structures and relationships which are unjust and exploitative. It is a matter of finding creative ways of dealing with conflict when it does arise, with the aim of freeing all concerned to find a just and loving solution. "Spiritual weapons"—love, truthsaying, nonviolence, imagination, laughter—are weapons that heal and don't destroy.

To accept as a certainty the spiritual conviction which underlies the peace testimony is not to be certain of the outcome. We cannot guarantee that we will never kill, far less that we will never do violence to those with whom we share the earth. Nor can we, by refusing to do harm and seeking always for a creative response in conflict ensure our own personal safety or the triumph of the causes we support. We can only choose to live day by day as if it were possible always to defend what we value and to resolve conflict without deliberate harm—in such a way that if damage does occur, healing is possible.

If we choose to attempt this, we are not alone. Those who have lived and witnessed before us (by no means all of them Quakers) have left examples for us to find and follow. Those of us alive now who are struggling with the same dilemmas can offer each other comfort, courage and support. And we are many. We are beginning to realize that security is common, indivisible, and cannot be assured by military means. To seek to live at such a time in that life and power that takes away the occasion of all wars is no longer (if it ever was) a saintly, other-worldly alternative. It is now an urgent and practical imperative.

We urge all New Zealanders to have the courage to face up to the mess humans are making of our world and to have the faith and diligence to cleanse it and restore the order intended by God. We must start with our own hearts and minds. Wars will stop only when each of us is convinced that war is never the way. – Quakers church in New Zealand, 1989

We give thanks today for the Quakers, the Friends, who are not afraid to stand up for peace, to make peace the very foundation of their lives, recognizing that peace begins in our own hearts and minds. Refusal to fight is not surrender. We must strive to remove the causes of war by any nonviolent method available. The Quakers have much to teach us during this Season for Nonviolence. Thank you for showing us the way of courage.