Common Bread

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Anam Thubten, Dharmata Foundation
Friday, Feb 3, 6:30 pm, Longhouse

Beloved friend, Tibetan meditation master, and founder of Dharmata returns for an evening Dharma talk, followed by a weekend retreat. Dharma talk is free and open to the public.

"Our path is to fully embrace the present moment, then welcome everyone and everything we meet with love." ~Anam Thubten

What Is Common Bread?

* A Still Point in your Turning World
     * A Crossroad of Spiritual Paths
* Guest Speakers from Diverse Wisdom Traditions
     * Good Food and Friendship
* A Trusting Space to Share Your Journey
     * Song, Poetry, Meditation, and sometimes...
* We Dance!

Common Bread is a crossroad of the spiritual paths, Eastern and Western, ancient and modern, and a contemplative space for The Evergreen State College community.

We meet weekly in the Longhouse for potluck dinner, fellowship, chant and meditation, often with a guest speaker. We honor each person's unique journey and welcome all sincere faith traditions, as well as those who seek wisdom but have no traditional faith.

In our circle, there's a place for you! Explore connections between spirituality and healing, social justice, art and peace-making. In this trusting space, we invite you to meet your Self in many other forms...

What Students Say About Common Bread: LINK

"...Filled with genuine open-heartedness for the unique individual."
"...Nothing quite like it. There is no judgment here."

"...A space to connect with your heart."
"...A nurturing place that lets you step out of name, title, pressure, expectation, to enter the joy that encourages our true light to shine."

Welcoming Veterans

Common Bread extends its warmest invitation to the Student Veterans Organization at Evergreen and the folks at Coffee Strong. Please be part of our healing community, and educate us about your journeys from war to peace.
*
"O Enlightened One, surely Friendship is part of this path. Nay, Ananda, say not that friendship is part of this path; friendship is the whole path!" (Buddhist Sutra)
*
“In order to change an existing paradigm you do not struggle with the problematic model. You create a new model and make the old one obsolete.” (Buckminster Fuller)

COMING EVENTS

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Tibetan Singing Bowls

Thursday, 1/26

6:30 pm, Longhouse Cedar Room: Concert meditation by Carl Black & associates, one of the NW's finest collections of Tibetan bowls: all Olympia welcome!

Anam Thubten: Dharmata Foundation, Friday 2/3

Fri. 2/3, Longhouse, 6:30 pm.

Beloved friend and founder of Dharmata Foundation returns for evening Dharma talk, followed by weekend retreat with Evergreen students.

"Our path is to fully embrace the present moment, then welcome everyone and everything we meet with love."

Power of the Feminine, 2/17

Thursday, Feb. 17,

5 pm, Longhouse

Potluck, Discussion,

Meditation and Chant:

What is your experience

of the Feminine Power?

Student leaders, Chelan and Ari ,will guide us in sharing our stories about the presence of the divine Feminine in our lives, and how we define the power of the feminine. We'll discuss the ways our culture can delude us with false images, and then share the deep empowering images of the Goddess that inspire us, or the imageless power of her presence in our lives. Feel free to bring a poem or song to express Her. We'll also enjoy a delicious potluck, chant and meditation on the Power of the Divine Feminine.

Centering Prayer

Mary Solberg, Thurs. 2/23

Potluck Dinner: 5 PM
Chant and
Centering Prayer: 6 PM

Skilled instructor Mary Solberg returns to teach this elegantly simply method of meditation rooted in Christian mystical tradition but universal in its application, giving freedom to each practitioner to choose his or her own vehicle of meditation, or "prayer word." Potluck dinner, chant, and Centering Prayer in the Longhouse, starting at 5 PM, ending with offering of Peace Candles.

Energy Healing:

Lynn Roberts, Thurs. 3/1

Thursday, March 1, 5:30 pm: Potluck, talk, and wisdom circle. Friday March 2, 7-10pm: workshop at Farmhouse, offered free to Evergreen students & staff! (Open to greater Olympia!)

World-renowned Energy Healer Lynn Roberts (pictured above with Jane Goodall and John Perkins) gives regular programs at Omega Institute, Esalen Institute, and has authored 3 books on earth-centered healing, Shamanic Reichi, and Shape-Shifting toward Higher Consciousness. She will speak after potluck dinner on Thursday, and give an evening workshop in the Farmhouse on Friday, 7-10pm. This workshop will be offered free to Evergreen Students, to honor the community where her daughter graduates this year. We are so grateful to have Lynn at Common Bread! LINK - Serving the Earth at Dreamchange.org
Politics & Spiritual Practice
*Anti-war/Inner Peace *Occupy Movement as Sanga *Buddhist Inter-dependence & Environmentalism *Radical Economics of Jesus * What's Your Vision?

What is your vision of political/spiritual integration? Spring term, join Common Bread in a series of potluck discussions to share the story of how YOU integrate political & spiritual practice. This is not a debate, not an argument about who is Left, Right, or Wrong. It is a time to share our journeys and define, each in our own way, the new vision of political/spiritual integration.

PHOTO GALLERY

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Laughter Yoga with Miss Kate (Greener '08) for health and end-of- term stress release, presented again as below in the Lecture Hall Rotunda on December 1st after Potluck!

Thanksgiving satsang: Sayer and Ari, and below, McKenzie and Joelle.

Zach welcomes Emir, our guest from Ocuppy Olympia, to Common Bread.

Student leaders Joe and Sayer tabling in the student center. Come visit us Tuesdays at noon!

Thursday, November 10, Sean Johnson's Wild Lotus Band from New Orleans returned to Common Bread.Greener alum Johnson led us in Yoga kirtans with a cajun spice!

Evergreen professors Sarah Williams and Sean Williams with student leader Joe Briggs and Sean Johnson, who was a student of Sean Williams in Irish Studies. Common Bread cultivates lasting relationships between Evergreen's students, alumni, and teachers.

Common Bread potluck, Nov. 3: Vegan lentil soup, spinach salad, bread, veggie lasagna, pumpkin pie and tea.

Our Samhain alter, Oct. 27, celebrating the Celtic New Year, when the Light of the World begins its inward journey to the Heart, rekindling in the Winter womb of the Great Mother.

Jordon Paige leads Common Bread in chanting kirtans & toning.

Two new friends at first potluck this year (9/29): welcome Joelle and Megan.

Student leaders with Ryan, a new guest at opening potluck.

Tabling in Red Square: Ian, Crystal, new student leader Sayre Herrick.

Karl Black gives Singing Bowls concert and meditation again, December 9th, 2011: one of the finest collections of Tibetan bowls in the Northwest.

Ari Moshe, Yoga Teacher and Evolutionary Astrologist, gave a workshop on the Journey of the Soul, October 13.

Student leaders Ian and Crystal at the center of our annual Spring Labyrinth on Red Square.

At our final meeting in May, Daphne shared her writing/painting.

New student leader, Joe Briggs, sharing poems by Rumi.

Evergreen's Administration invited Common Bread to gather diverse faith leaders in the inauguration of the new Student Center on November 17, 2010.

Above with student leader Ian, Fred LaMotte (Common Bread Chaplain), Mustafa Mohamedali (Olympia Islamic Center), Rev. Rachel Wagen-Hoch (St. Mark's Lutheran Church), Koro Kaisan Miles (Open Gate Zendo), Rabbi Seth Goldstein (Temple Beth Hatfiloh), Leslie Edwards (Olympia Bahai Assembly).

Anam Thubten Rinpoche, director of Dharmata Foundation, returns to Common Bread Feb 2!

Pictured with Common Bread's leaders, Rinpoche addressed 180 guests. A concert of Tibetan Singing Bowls preceded his Dharma talk.

Rinpoche w. Common Bread leaders Shon & Crystal; below, Rinpoche meets Sayre Herrick after his talk. "The quintessential goal of our path is surrendering to reality each moment, then seeing & loving all as divine."

On October 14, Muslim Americans met with students and townsfolk in the Longhouse to share the topic, 'What Does It Feel Like to be Muslim in America Today.'

It was an evening to stand against bigotry and religious prejudice, and share the common spirit of humanity with our Muslim brothers and sisters of Olympia Islamic Center.

On Feb. 2, meditative musician Christine Gunn returned to Common Bread, performing 'Imbolc Music' to awaken the energy of Spring with her electronically over-looping mystic cello.

Nov. 5, Dairun Zenzi, head monk of the One Drop Zen Monastery on Whidbey Island, explained Rinzai Zen Buddhism to 50 students & led meditation.

Art Night : celebrating student art, poetry, music & photography.

We created an interactive poem LINK HERE & group mandala to express our images for the Spirit.

Below right to left: Chelan, Sayre & Lillian sing spirit songs.

Below, Career Counselor Christine Wagner offered 'Intuitive Art', helping us express our paths by making Celtic Dream Pillows:

Quaker chaplain Fred LaMotte leads meditation.

On a lovely May evening, Common Bread created a 7-ringed Minoan labyrinth in Red Square, inviting all to connect with the earth. Above, Labyrinth leader James Tierney & Common Bread's Laura Noell.

Common Bread welcomed Zawadi Nakuze, co-sponsored by the Office of Sexual Assault Prevention Awareness & the President's Diversity Fund. From the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zawadi shared her work restoring hope to rape victims in the world's most violent civil war. To hear her speak to Olympia Quakers, LINK.

Common Bread leaders attend a national college conference on Interfaith Spirituality. Video below: Common Bread's Laughter Meditation night! Here's a LINK to an article on Laughter Yoga from the Washington Post.

'Centering Prayer,' inspired by Christian mystics, is taught yearly at Common Bread by Contemplative Outreach's Mary Solberg. She will return on March 10.

Alter to the Ancestors for Samhain (Halloween) October 28, 2010.

A trio of musicians perform Hindi devotional songs & explain the mythic stories behind them, brought by Shon Murphy's leadership.

Shon with his teacher and fellow musicians after the concert. Thanks for bringing Indian classical music to us, Shon!

One of nine world leaders of the Baha'i faith, guest speaker Erica Toussaint was welcomed by Common Bread's Bahai leader, Chelan Weiler, pictured below.

Chelan Weiler brings us leadership, inspiration, music and joy!

Dr. Mohammad Ayub helps us understand Islam. Dr. Ayub's wife, Amy Aisha (below), spoke to Common Bread on 'Women In Islam." Over 30 attended.

Dr. Ayub is a Muslim peace activist, master gardener & member of the Jewish-Muslim Compassionate Listening Group. Dr. Ayub & wife, Amy, are regular guest speakers at Common Bread, sharing Muslim evening prayers with us. We cherish our connection to Lacey Mosque through these dynamic friends!

Krishnammal Jagannathan, winner of the 2008 Opus Award for world service, a disciple of Gandhi and Ramana Maharshi, addressed 90 seekers at Common Bread in the Recital Hall (Link to article).

Evie Fagergen leads Sufi-inspired Dances of Universal Peace twice a year. Guitar player is Professor Tugas of Evergreen faculty.

Evie (left) leads dances with her fiddle, helped by dedicated musicians. Below, our annual Samahim-All Saints-Halloween feast.

Ian & Crystal, our student leaders, as Jesus & Mary Magdalene at Halloween. Common Bread Chaplain Fred actually married them the following summer!

Quaker Deric Young spoke on 'Nature as Sacred Text.'
Quakers visit Common Bread yearly to share Quaker Meeting.
Ian O'Donnell shares 'the Agnostic's Spiritual Path.'
'Forget every touch or sound that did not teach you how to dance.' (Rumi) Common Bread hosts contra dancing.

Talcott Broadhead, Director of Evergreen's Sexual Assault Prevention Awareness Program, pictured with activist Jenna Wes at her Common Bread workshop.

Common Bread Chaplain, Fred LaMotte, in front of the Evergreen Longhouse. Gratitude to the Native People's Program at Evergreen for this sacred space!

Sampling of Common Bread Events

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Please let us know which of these events you want repeated at Common Bread. Email: commonbread4u@gmail.com
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Sean Johnson's Wild Lotus Band

from New Orleans

Free Concert! Thursday, Nov. 10, 7 pm

Evergreen Longhouse: Chant and Dance to Yoga Kirtans inflected with New Orleans gumbo, by greener Sean Johnson! Sean's site LINK. Article by Sean on 'Benefits of Chanting' LINK

New Orleans mantra musicians Sean Johnson and The Wild Lotus Band (Alvin Young and Gwendolyn Colman) are celebrated as one of the leading voices in western kirtan music, known for their dynamic sound that merges mantras, rock, funk, and world grooves. The band is a favorite headliner at festivals and conferences worldwide including Yoga Journal and they are the first kirtan band to ever play The New Orleans Jazz Festival, detailed in the article below published in Elephant Journal. Their new album Devaloka is the band's debut release on Nettwerk/Nutone Records, Canada's largest independent record label.

Tibetan Singing Bowls

Thursday, 1/26

6:30 pm, Longhouse Cedar Room: Concert meditation by Carl Black & associates, one of the NW's finest collections of Tibetan bowls: all Olympia welcome!

* What is Meditation?

From Sound to Silence. ‘Shabda gunaka mahakaasha: Sound is the way to the supreme space.' We awaken vast creative space through hearing the Word: the vibration of the Mantra. Potluck dinner followed by wisdom sharing, chant, meditation. Longhouse, 5:15.

'Dances of Universal Peace'

LH Rotunda, 5:30 PM

Evie Fagergren and musicians will lead us in meditative dance and chant from several spiritual traditions, inspired by Sufi teachers. LINK for the Dances!

This body brays its name, I, I,
yet tastes no fruit or sweetness,
drowning out God's name, Am, Am,
breathing before breath.
No need for the heart to repeat that.
I Am that. O Me!
Stop chanting false mantras
learned from the world outside:
Just dance to the inner music!

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'Notes On a Buddhist Revolution'
(4/28) Dr. David Loy

Longhouse
Thurs. April 28
Potluck Dessert & Tea w. Dr. David Loy

Dr. Loy is an authorized teacher of Zen Buddhism in the Sanbo Kyodan lineage. Author of 8 books, including A Buddhist History of the West (2002) and Money, Sex, War, Karma! (2008), he'll engage us in conversation about the Wheel of Samsara, and how its classic Mahayana vision illuminates the toxic karmas of modern American consumerism, sensationalism, violence.

'Sounds of Enlightenment'
Tibetan Singing Bowls (2/16)

Wednesday, Feb 16, 6:30PM
Longhouse Cedar Room
'Sounds of Enlightenment': sound meditation by Karl Beck & Dave Ehrmantrout

Awaken deep peace & compassion through the resonance of Tibetan bowls. This is one of the great collections of classic 'singing bowls' in the Northwest, played by Karl Black. Potluck dessert and tea at 6:30 PM, with a talk on the art and philosophy of sound as attunement with the Logos, or Word of creation, followed by the singing bowls concert, which is a guided sound meditation.

Laughter Yoga with Miss Kate

This Thursday, Dec. 1!

* Thurs. Dec. 1, Laughter Yoga with Kate Benak!

* In the L. H. Rotunda,

5 - 7 pm (w. Potluck snacks)

* Release end-of-term stress with the effective Yoga of laughter! (LINK)

Greener alum Kate is a certified LY instructor, bringing wondrous rollicking laughter, followed by deep healing silence. See the video of Common Bread laughter yoga in our picture gallery site.

'Imbolc Music,' Christine Gunn
Wednesday, Feb 2,
Her Mystic Cello Returns!

Longhouse. Wed. Feb. 2

6:30 snacks & tea

7 pm meditation:
A musical journey
from Darkness to Light
celebrating Imbolc

Note: This week's event is WEDNESDAY! Christine Gunn's cosmic, shimmering, electronically over-looping cello compositions guide us into musical meditation. She has composed a special piece for this ancient feast of Imbolc, invoking the stir of our inward Spring from the sleep of Winter. Her music sends some people into deep meditation, and others into dance! Link for Info

Satsang This Thursday, 11/17

What Is Your Gift? How Do You Share It?

This Thursday, Nov 17,

5 pm, Longhouse

Potluck, Satsang, Gifts

Delicious Potluck followed by kirtan chant, deep silence, and a guided meditation to touch the unique gift you've been given. In a circle of trust, find the words to name your gift. Does the Divine dwell in your heart as You?
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* October 14: Being Muslim

In America Today (6 PM)

'How does it feel to be Muslim in America now?' Meet Muslims from Lacey Islamic Center, potluck desserts & tea; Walking Meditation & Candlelight Vigil for peace. Friends from all faith communities are welcome to this conversation in the Longhouse!

Meet the Quakers! (2/10)

Thurs. Feb 10
Longhouse
5:30 Delicious Potluck Dinner
6:30 Quaker Meeting

Connect with Friends, & Experience the Inner Light!
Olympia Quakers return to share delicious potluck dinner & wisdom of the Quaker Way. They will lead us in a Quaker Meeting for Worship, an authentic early American practice of group meditation and centering. All are welcome!

* Dances of Universal Peace

Evie Fagergren & musicians return to lead sacred dance & chant from world wisdom traditions, based in Sufi practice. Potluck snacks & dessert: 5:30. Movement meditation: 6 PM. In the Lecture Hall Rotunda. LINK

* Fri. Nov. 5: Dairin Zenji

'Clear Mind Is My Only Master'

Seminar II Building, Room E1105
7 PM, Friday 11/5
The Evergreen State College

Rinzai Zen Buddhism
The Way of the Koan
and Zen Meditation

Dairin Senji will lead Zen meditation, explain the way of the Koan, & open our clear mind. He is head monk at Tahoma One Drop Zen Monastery on Whidby Island, the Northwest's only residential Rinzai monastery. Dairin studied 10 years with Shodo Harada Roshi in Okayama, Japan, at Rinzai Zen's most traditional monastery. Shodo Roshi sent him here to teach and build a monastery for the practice of Rinzai Zen Buddhism.

* Gandhi's Living Disciple:
Krishnamal Jaganath,
Opus Award for World Service Link

Krishnamal Jaganathan received the Opus Award for World Service at Bena Roya Hall in Seattle. She worked with Gandhi as a youth & spent her life bringing jobs & homes to India's 'untouchables.' Her work continues at age 90. Common Bread is honored to present her at Evergreen's Little Theater November 12, 7 PM.

* Adrien Nyongabo

7 PM, Longhouse:
Healing & Rebuilding
Our Communities -
An African Quaker's Perspective

David Loy, Buddhist Scholar, Returns to Olympia

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Two Olympia Events- February 18 and 19, 2012

I. “Why Buddhism and the West Need Each Other”

Saturdayat 7: 30 PM

At Saint Martin’s College, Harden HarnedHall, Room 110

5300 Pacific Avenue SW, Lacey WA

II. Day-longworkshop on “Buddhism, Self and Social Change”

Sunday from 10:00 to 4:30

At Woodard Lane Co-housing Common House

1620 Woodard Avenue NW, Olympia WA

The cost and value of both the Saturdayevening talk and all day Sunday workshop is up to you to choose. We will accepta donation (dana) of whatever you believe it to be worth.

You can learn more about David Loy at hiswebsite: www.davidloy.org

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You are invited to join these stimulatingand original discussions to explore some deeper sources of our politicalsituation and some opportunities it provides.

British historian Arnold Toynbeespeculated that the arrival of Buddhism to the West “may well prove to be themost important event of the twentieth century”.

As we enter another election cycle, manyare deeply dissatisfied with the quality of political discussion by thecandidates and the media. Althoughelections are about choosing leaders, it might be even more important toconsider them as periodic conversations about who we are as a people, what isimportant to us, and where we are headed as a community, a state, a nation anda world.

Permanent war, the worst economy since thegreat depression, an ever-widening gap between rich and poor, loss of privacyand fundamental civil liberties, apparent indifference to ecological threats--We can and must do much better!

We deeply need a political discussion moreadequate to address the challenges of our times.

While there are many and varied ways tounderstand this inadequacy, one important one to examine is our belief systemsand worldviews. Who do we think we are? How does that self express its needsand values? Modern Buddhist theory offers some fresh and important insightsthat go to the heart of our individual and collective sense of self, and theconscious and unconscious motivations that drive our political debate.

As one of the most eminent Buddhistthinkers in the contemporary west, David Loy’s concern has always been toexplore liberation not from the world, but into it. David lectures nationally andinternationally on various topics, focusing primarily on the encounter betweenEast and West and more specifically between Buddhism and modernity: What caneach learn from the other? He is especially concerned about social andecological issues.

He is a prolific author, whose essays andbooks have been translated into many languages. His articles appear regularlyin the pages of major journals such as Tikkun and Buddhistmagazines including Tricycle, Turning Wheel, Shambhala Sun and Buddhadharma, as well as in a variety of scholarly journals.Many of his writings, as well as audio and video talks and interviews, are available on the web.

For more information and to register for this event, contact Jim Anestat jpanest@gmail.com or call him at360-943-0909.

Love Is Pointless Listening

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Love is not a point of view. Love is pointless.

When I react to another person's point of view, my reaction creates an equally narrow point. Both points sustain each other through polarization, fed by anger and fear of losing. Equally valid as reactions to one other, these viewpoints are equally meaningless in relation to the Great Space of Awareness, where all possible points of view arise and dissolve.

Is it possible to remain spacious, listening without contracting the other, without forming another point of view? This is precisely what Jesus meant when he said, "Love your adversary... resist not the negative one."

Remaining spacious while gazing into the face of hostility requires great courage. This space is redemptive: it saves me from confining myself to the hell of a narrow viewpoint. At the same time, my pointless listening invites the "enemy" to relax into that same space.

Nothing is gained by arguing with an angry person. Real transformation flowers, not by arguing with my neighbor, but enfolding her in the unified field of pure listening.

Listening without a point is a heavenly place to hang out, for it redeems us from the little hell of having to be "right." In that pointless place, I can "love my neighbor as my self," because we are both breaths and waves of the same spaciousness.

When we see that love is listening to one another without making a point, we can be one, yet not the same.

- Fred LaMotte

Collaborative Poem by Common Bread

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On Art Night, May 20, Common Bread celebrated the arts, and the Video Design Exhibit of our student leader, Crystal Marble. We created a group mandala, pictured above. Then Crystal led us in writing a collaborative poem, asking each person to contribute a line or verse beginning with, 'I am grateful,' and including an experience of the senses.

I am grateful for the breath all beings in the world breath.

Trees blowing, flowers bursting with scent, cool breeze on my skin.

Living all life.

I am grateful for the chance to grow.

Wind in the trees,

As above so below.

I'm grateful my cells are buzzing and dividing, aware of their refining.

Guided I grow.

I am grateful for all the loving people who put up with my freaky self.

I am grateful for the wintered leafless limbs of March

expanding like neurons saying holy, holy, holy,

I am grateful for the eternally changing lunar cycle.

I am grateful for the blueness of sky when the rain has passed,

when the concrete sweats its warmth into the fresh air,

and leaves drip and soil opens to the water like an infants mouth.

I am grateful for the change of seasons,

the smell of squishy things in warm soft rain.

I am grateful for petaled son,

for the pink rose that lived so sweetly

right before my smell died.

I am grateful, tipsy wild nocturnal beauty,

tasting of star sugar,

blessing the black ocean of midnight's motionless love.

I am grateful for the smell of rain after a long stretch of sun.

I am grateful when I smell the spring rain on the warm earth.

I am grateful for the feel of wind on my skin.

I am grateful for the song of the blackbird.

I am grateful for the smell of pine in the morning sunrise.

Students Speak About Common Bread

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Chelan
"What a refuge! This gathering is one of the warmest, most luminous rooms in my heart. It has been a weekly home, and to be able to find something that feels like home in the flurry and spin of college life is a rare gift. Even in the fastest most maddening weeks, I’d await Thursday evenings, knowing that a warmth would open its door to me, a warmth made of homemade soup, hot tea, song, uplifting conversation and shared exploration.

"Common Bread is a space to connect with one's heart, a nurturing place that lets you step out of name, title, pressure, expectation, and enter the joy that encourages our true light to shine. Only from this place of true connection with the heart can one sincerely explore a spiritual path. Common Bread validates the beauty of spiritual exploration in a process of joy and sharing.

"Since early adolescence, delving into deeper understanding of spiritual paths has been important to me, but that venture often felt isolated. Now, connecting with Common Bread, I find peers who, though of different backgrounds, all unite to share. Common Bread is irreplaceable: without it, there would be an absence on this campus." (Chelan Weiler)

Sayre

“The Common Bread community is filled with genuine open-heartedness and appreciation for the unique individual. I am so grateful for this special time each week when I am able to see familiar faces and share in a meal, prayers and a new experience of learning. There is nothing quite like it. There is no judgment here, just an authentic curiosity and attentiveness as we explore diverse faith traditions. It's a sacred space where we discover our connection to one another, to the divine in whatever forms it takes, and to the inner layers of our own self. The seeds of joy and self-discovery that I have harvested with Common Bread have spread and sprouted throughout my daily life. In witnessing each person compassionately and receptively, a supremely extraordinary thing happens: peace.

"My spiritual path has always been deeply connected with music. Singing can be profoundly healing as a universal language of emotion and story sharing. Singing with the Common Bread community has been a beautiful way to create sacred healing space. In this space, I feel open-hearted, peaceful, thankful. I have also been inspired by speakers and artists from outside the community, such as Sean Johnson's Wild Lotus Kirtan band from New Orleans, Dances of Universal Peace, and the Tibetan Singing Bowls concert. This year I am a student coordinator for Common Bread. It is a joy to be an instrument in cultivating this space for shared self-discovery and spiritual growth. (Sayre Herrick)

Ian and Crystal O'Donnell with Chaplain Fred at a national interfaith student conference

Crystal
"For the past four years, Common Bread has helped to shape my spiritual journey. Having been raised in an extremely strict Christian household, I found it hard to be open to the great things that a religious community can do. Common Bread inspired me to keep an open mind and explore deeper dimensions of religion. Through the thoughtful ministry of Fred LaMotte, I got in touch with my spiritual gifts and discovered my path. As a coordinator for two years I found joy in serving my peers. Now, I am a volunteer for the Sidewalk Advocacy and Support Center - a program that aims to end homelessness though coordinated community engagement, located in a house donated to us by the First United Methodist Church of Olympia, and supported by Interfaith Works. My volunteer work there has inspired me to pursue a Masters Degree in Social Work. Through Common Bread I have discovered for myself what a religious community can do. As written in Peter 4:10:"Each has received a gift: use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace." (Crystal O'Donnell)

Ian
"Being an agnostic, my relationship with most religions involved some level of distrust. But once I started talking to the people at Common Bread, I knew I was in a safe place of learning, a space that encouraged questions and extended no judgments. More people need a space like Common Bread, because there is so much misinformation in the world surrounding religions. Everyone can benefit from a space of quiet, curiosity, and kind inquiry. It is only by learning about each other and embracing differences that we can work toward a better future.

"When I came to Olympia in 2007 I didn't know many people and was looking for my place in the community. Common Bread became a place of community for me. If more organizations were run with the loving nature of Common Bread, I believe that the world would perhaps be a more peaceful and caring place." (Ian O'Donnell)

Laura

"Common Bread attracts people of all ages, races and traditions. Common bread is a place for community building, self reflection, rejuvenation and healing. Being exposed ere to many different spiritual practices, I am awakened to the possibilities life offers. All good people share one thing in common: striving for peace, peace among humans, animals, plants, and the earth. But how do we achieve this? Well, people who come to Common Bread do it by sharing their stories. Exposure to different spiritual ideas and practices sparks inspiration! (Laura Noell)

Ciron

Common Bread is the part of the week I look forward to: the Dances of Universal Peace, the Laughter, Yoga, Meditation, Singing, and Learning about the world's spiritual pathways. I have enjoyed sharing my spiritual path of nature-centered spirituality and eco-justice with others. Common Bread has increased my understanding of religious traditions and opened me up to more possibilities of growth. I enjoy the community of Common Bread. The people in the group are kind and I've gotten to know them well. Thank you for all you and the others do for Common bread. (Ciron Wade)

Heart Power: Scientific Research on the Intuitive Intelligence of the Heart

2009-12-12T21:17:00.000-08:00

"The heart is the means by which the soul nourishes itself." (Aristotle)

"Let the mind descend into the heart." ('Philocalia')

In the mid-1970s, the benchmark Framingham Heart Study found that suppressed anger could help predict the incidence of heart disease LINK. Science's quest to verify the ancient connection between the heart and our emotional/spiritual life was on.

In 1983, researchers reclassified the heart as an endocrine gland. The heart produces important hormones like ANF (Atrial Natriuretic factor).

In 1991, one of the early pioneers in neurocardiology, Dr. J. Andrew Armour, introduced the concept of a functional "heart brain". His work revealed that the heart has a complex intrinsic nervous system of its own. The heart’s brain is an intricate network of neurons, neurotransmitters, protein neuropeptides and support cells identical to those found in the head brain. Its elaborate circuitry enables the heart to act independently of the cranial brain – to learn, remember, to feel and sense.

Since 2004, scientists like Rollin McCraty have researched the bio-electricity of the heart. Electromagnetic fields generated by the heart permeate every cell of the body and may act as a synchronizing signal for the body in a manner analogous to information carried by radio waves. This energy is not only transmitted internally to the brain but is also detectable by others within its range of communication. The heart generates the largest electromagnetic field in the body. The electrical field as measured in an electrocardiogram (ECG) is about 60 times greater in amplitude than the brain waves recorded in an electroencephalogram (EEG).

The magnetic component of the heart’s field is 5000 times stronger than that produced by the brain. It is not impeded by tissues and can be measured several feet away from the body with SQUID* based magnetometers. (*Superconducting Quantum Interference Device)

The clear rhythmic patterns in beat-to-beat heart rate variability are distinctly altered when different emotions are experienced. These changes in electromagnetic waves, sound pressure waves, and blood pressure waves produced by cardiac rhythmic activity are "felt" by every cell in the body, further supporting the heart’s role as a global internal synchronizing signal.

This heart signal influences hormone secretion, immune response, and every autonomic function in the body: and its field envelops those around us.

We think someone brainy has magnetic attraction? But when someone with an open heart, like Gandhi or Jesus, walks into the room, their power sweeps away our thoughts and literally blows our minds.

The ancient North Indian handbook on Kashmir Shaivism, the Shiva Sutras, speaks of enlightenment as “centering the mind in the heart.”

The early Christian manual on Orthodox prayer, the Philocalia, has as its central instruction, “Let your mind descend into the heart.”

We are coming to the end of the Age of Thinking, and entering the Age of the Heart. Our mind will be a useful tool, but we will no longer be trapped in thought. We will use our thoughts when need, and otherwise rest in silence. Thought will be an option we have, not a compulsion we are. The “I” will no longer identify itself as a mind, but as the silent radiance of the heart’s energetic field. We will communicate, negotiate, and radiate through the heart, not the head.

Political, economic, religious and environmental problems that seem so overwhelmingly complex now, we will resolve quite spontaneously when we shift our identity from brain to heart. What is demanded is not a new economic, political, or scientific theory, but a shift of our attention. We are the change.
__________________

Recommended for study:
* Neurocardiology, edited by Armour and Ardell.
*Website for the HeartMath Institute.

The Benefits Of Chanting, by Sean Johnson

2009-03-20T03:20:00.000-07:00

Sean Johnson's Wild Lotus Band from New Orleans
& the Benefits of Chanting

An Article Written by Sean Johnson in CHILMagazine October 2002

With the stratospheric rise in popularity of yoga in recent years,more and more Americans are returning to the practice of chanting mantras as aform of meditation and spiritual expression. Chanting is likely as ancient ashumanity itself and is heard in nearly all the spiritual traditions of theworld. Christian monks and nuns sing the heavenly melodies of Gregorian chantin Latin to praise God. In Jewish temples, cantors lead worshippers inmelodious Hebrew scriptures. In Islamic communities, each morning the Imamawakens Muslims with the Arabic call to prayer followed by the intonation ofverses from the Koran. Brahmin priests lead Hindus in worship by reciting theVedas, the oldest scriptures of India, often called "the song ofGod." Buddhists utter powerful mantras as a form of meditation and a meansto cultivate compassion and loving kindness. Native Americans raise theirvoices and drum to attune to the powers of nature. In indigenous Africantraditions, chant is a means to connect with the soul of the world. But, whatis it about this primal act of chanting sacred sounds that continues to capturethe imagination of people in our contemporary, technologically-orientedsociety? Following are some possible answers.

TheWorld is Sound

Perhaps contemporary chanters are intuiting what our ancestorstook for granted-that the fabric of the world itself is comprised of sonicvibration. We can find references to the power of sound and speech in thecreation stories of many cultural and spiritual traditions. The Judeo-Christiantradition says, "In the beginning was the Word..." (John 1:1,14) and"God said, 'Let there be light,' And there was light." (Genesis1:1-3) In the Ethiopian cosmology, God created the Universe by calling out hisown name, and Egyptian and Babylonian myths tell similar stories. Theaboriginal people of Australia say the world and its creatures were sung intoexistence. In the Vedas, India's oldest scriptures, the mantra "OM"is described as the vibrational force that forms the essence of all creation.We could choose to dismiss these stories as fables devised by unsophisticatedpeople trying to explain their world, were it not for the fact that contemporaryscience, in its own language, tells similar stories. Today's physicists statethat subatomic particles in all matter-even the hardest, densest material-is infact vibrating. In this light, we can see that both the poetic narratives ofour ancestors and the empirical data identified by science are telling us thatthe world is sound. People who chant are deliberately participating in the songof life.

Chantingis Good for Your Health

The pioneering French doctor Alfred Tomatis, lauded for his breakthroughsin auditory neurophysiology, made significant discoveries about sound andchant. In 1967, Tomatis was asked to come to a French Benedictine monasterywhere many of the monks were experiencing a bizarre exhaustion and illness.Tomatis discovered that a new abbot had recently taken the helm of themonastery. In this post-Vatican II climate of change, the new abbot ordered themonks to cease chanting the Divine Office, the traditionalsix-to-eight-hour-a-day chanting practice, because he believed chanting was nolonger useful. After Dr. Tomatis convinced the monks to return to their ritualof chanting seven times a day, their health and energy magically improved. Therevitalized monks resumed their prodigious work schedule. As a result of thisstudy and others, Tomatis proposed that certain sounds, particularly higherfrequencies, charge the brain with electrical potential, and are capable ofcreating more physical and mental vitality. He actually referred to sound,particularly self-created sound in the form of chant, as "nutrition forthe brain." According to chant expert Robert Gass, author of Chanting: Discovering Spirit in Sound,chanting improves one's health for many reasons: the repetition of the chantslows down and deepens the breath; the sound vibrations resonate and massagethe body from the inside out; brain wave patterns are measurably altered,creating states of relaxation or heightened creative energy; muscle tensionrelaxes; skin temperature changes; blood pressure and heart rate go down.

ChantingQuiets the Mind and Frees the Spirit

"Mantra,"comes from two Sanskrit words that translate "to set free the discursivemind." People who chant a mantra over and over again often report that therepetition of the sound washes away their distracting thoughts and creates apeaceful clarity that is difficult to achieve in daily life. Others findchanting to be an extremely effective way of entering into silent meditation.In the Indian tradition, chanting is called by the Sanskrit word, "kirtan",which has its roots in the Bhakti tradition, the yoga of devotion. Kirtan is aheart-centered spiritual practice, in which people pour their emotions intoprayerful song. In this style of chanting, the notion of musical or vocal"talent" is not important. Contemporary chanter Jai Uttal says,"There is no right or wrong way to sing kirtan. Kirtan can bebreathtakingly beautiful, the music can be stunning and masterful; and it canbe cacophonous, dissonant, and almost painful to the ears. Aesthetics don't matter.All that matters is the spirit, the feeling . . . Kirtan is an oil well diggingdeeper and deeper into the heart. As we sing, we immerse ourselves in anendless river of prayer that has been flowing since the birth of the firsthuman beings, longing to know their creator."

Why Study the Bible? (Rabbi Wolpi)

2009-02-25T05:38:00.000-08:00

Feb. 24, 2011, Huffington Post: Named the #1 pulpit Rabbi in America by Newsweek magazine, David Wolpe is the Rabbi of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, California. Previously he taught at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York, The American Jewish University in Los Angeles, Hunter College, and he currently teaches at UCLA.

Why should we continue to study the Bible? That is not a question if you consider it the unalterable word of God. But for those who are uncertain, there is another powerful reason to pore over this sacred text.

Everything has changed since biblical times -- language, communication, dress, medicine, technology -- everything except human nature. We still cry as did David, dance as did Miriam, dream as did Jacob, suffer as did Job. Our marriages are troubled, families fractured, hopes thwarted. When his brothers are jealous of Joseph's special status and envious of his dreams, we understand. When Moses explodes in frustration against a people who will not follow the only path he knows will save them, we nod our heads in rueful recognition. This is not alien to us. As the Latin proverb has it, change the names and the story is about you.

Hagar is running away from Sarah, who is angry that she has the child Sarah has so far been denied. An angel asks Hagar where she has come from and where she is going. "I am running from my mistress Sarah" Hagar answers,

Why does she not tell the angel where she is going? When you are running from a burning building, it does not matter where you are headed; only what you are fleeing. Change the names, and the story is about you.

Esau swears to kill his brother Jacob. Why, after an estrangement lasting decades, does Esau fall on Jacob's neck and weep? Although they were not identical, they were twins. Living in an age without mirrors, people rarely if ever saw themselves. Suddenly Esau is confronted by a much older man than the boy who cheated him. He recognizes his own age, how many years have passed, and how futile the bitterness. Change the names.

Seeing the golden calf, Moses smashes the tablets God has carved as he descends from the mountain. After he ascends a second time, he carves a new set of tablets and when he returns to the people, his face shines. Why does it shine the second time and not the first? Because the second time he has carved the tablets, and we are changed not by what we are given, but by what we do.

The Bible is our story because it is the human story. In the Hebrew bible there are no perfect characters, no flawless people. In all their messy humanity people stride uncertainly through history, leaving a trail of light that illuminates our path as we follow in their faltering, aspirational footsteps.

Zen Story

2009-01-22T21:11:00.000-08:00

A young enthusiastic monk wanted to see the great Zen master Dogen. He went in search of Dogen whom he had never seen. When he arrived at the monastery, he knocked on the door and the doorman, who was indeed Dogen, opened.

Entering, the monk asked, "Can I meet Zen master Dogen?"

The doorman replied," Your own daily life is your zen master Dogen."

_________________

A soldier named Nobushige came to Hakuin and asked: "Is there really a paradise and a hell?"

"Who are you?" inquired Hakuin.

"I am a samurai", the warrior replied.

"You, a soldier!" sneered Hakuin, "What kind of ruler would have you as his guard? You look like a beggar".

Nobushige became so angry that he began to draw his sword... Hakuin continued: "So you have a sword! Your weapon is probably to dull to cut off my head."

Nobushige drew his sword.

Hakuin remarked: "Here open the gates of hell!"

At these words the samurai, perceiving the master's discipline, put away his sword and bowed.

"Here open the gates of paradise", said Hakuin.

Poet's Corner

2008-11-24T13:15:00.000-08:00

"And your very flesh shall be a great poem." --Walt Whitman

Submit writings about your spiritual journey!

She Stands at the Window

Holds a rose
like a wine glass
a single cup
of autumn
bloom
in her fingers

She sips,
the same way the lonely
tree outside
holds its fire

a fistful of purple
melancholy ablaze

with a love too vivid
for the leaves to keep

burning. She sips
again lifting

a final moment
of fire to her lips.

(by Chelan Weiler)

shovel the world into my eyes

i am preparing myself
for the worms
with lipstick and a red dress

the dust is my suitor
and i am making of myself
his perfect bride

he knocks on the holes to which i've given my eyes--
the sockets sunk 6 feet under light
he wants to come in, and shovel them
full of the world

the stubble that grows
on the lazy chin of his shadow
are the unkempt weeds
that invade the purer plots of my heart

i flirt
with this unruly torment
twirling my hair into its tangle

and in the search for a soft, loving bed
the dirt will pull me down
into its chest
with thick permanent fingers

and kiss me
and decompose me
and tell me i'm beautiful
and eat my face
as we grow roots in each others darkness
layers underneath
the pulsing call of life.

(by Chelan Weiler)
_______________

The Word, by Sayre Herrick

the word is not dead

it is sleeping in the pauper
and
in the tongue’s pirouette,
dancing over a plane of newspapers—
in the drunken fashion of a nearsighted sleeper

the word is not dead

it is not grand,
—it does not have to be,
to be worthwhile speech of kings…
if a king would wish to speak
and to step down from the grandiosity of silence.

time demands the word.
it is a shadow of what we know
a currency of communication
exchanged and absorbed
but we have lost the gold
and so there is an empty promise in words

and so what we speak is a shadow of what is true
and so the audience listens in suspended disbelief

the word, in essence
is the truth of our own minds
and what is truth if we have not named it?
what is truth but a word that we have created?
and so it is no different from what is false

yet the word is a reflection
and without it, the boundless Unformed overwhelms meaning
the untrue becomes true
and the shadows of words cease

the point of view, from where our light consciousness radiates,
is not the sun—
its light does not come from a singular source

when there is no Where from which the Light came,
and when there is no object from which a shadow can be formed,
and so no direction for a shadow to fall,
so there, is the Beyond of our minds
and the realm of Truth.

Wayward Traveler, by Sayre
The wayward traveler follows the harmless hobo
Hoping to find a soft bed, comfort and sleep
Together they share the traveling soul’s delights
With grain bread, fruit, and poor man’s wine
They spend the night under the open sky
No words spoken between the two
But by eyes and soul do they commune
In the morning when their ways they part,
On foot to friendships elsewhere sought,
The ways of an ancient life and art
Remembered by these two travelers.
One dawn, in silence each looks east
Whispers secrets of a wordless truth in the ear of the beast

Sacred Sound, Michael Mercker
Bathe yourself in the cleansing vi-
brational energies of sonic Love.
What is the sound of Love? Let's
find out. What is the healing
potential of sound?
Experiment explore express sing move
dance massage heal grow and change
integrate disintegrate commune rest listen
meditate.....
We're swimming in a sea of energy that we
are co-creating. What do you wish
your Sacred Sound to be?
Let us hold this sacred space for one other
to be authentic.

Rain
(This scene is from a novel about Jesus in India by Amanda Weatherford, class of '08, Common Bread student co-leader.)

Storm clouds emerged and thickened in the obsidian sky. Moon’s magnetic pull and the humid wind coaxed ocean waves into a frenzy. Yeshua continued to pray- receiving and giving energy into the abyss of night. The warm electricity he received made his heart flutter. Wind began to blow fierce and lightning like the bolts from Indra’s bow surged into the sky with a trembling crack and rumble to follow. Clouds darkened by the minute with drops of rain to follow- first big and slow, and then faster until the entire visibility of Jugganatha’s skyline was written with endless strings of rain.

Yeshua arose, a deep elation bubbling within. He looked into the firmament, felt the cool water from Heaven beating on his body and began to chuckle. His chuckle turned into laughter, and his laughter turned into deep bellowing joy. He raised his hands to the sky and closed his eyes, allowing every element to feel this jubilation. He spun around and around, arms outstretched and laughing all the while. His bare feet smooshed deep into the sand and water.

Soon Yeshua heard a horde of people in excited tones approaching him. Half the town of Jugganatha had come to witness this miracle. Avani spotted Yeshua and ran to him. Her arms rose in celebration as well, joining Yeshua in deep laughter. Her hands moved to touch his- flat palm to flat palm. Immediately, she felt the intensity of energy surging from his palms. Her head bowed to prop against his as she looked into his countenance.

“Oh Yesh, do you do this?”

“No, my dear. I became entranced and felt the presence of the Great Spirit. I asked for rain and my intent and prayer was so loud that I almost thought I could hear them audibly though I wasn’t speaking. I felt myself become part of the moisture, the clouds, all the elements of the sky. Then I felt myself cry for the sadness this draught has caused your people, and when I began to weep, so did the sky. The way I felt everything, and then once I wept…it was like Nature and I as one found the best way to express our sadness, through rain! - Amanda Weatherford, '08

Don't Believe, Just Gaze

If you have a face, God has a face:

This is how the mirror works.

Don't try to be clear and empty:

mirrors are always empty

even containing the world.

Just remember the eyes you opened

when you were a baby, and the smile

that never had to be made.

The curve of the folded fern, the wheated hill,

the dolphin's nose, the moon, and the ripple

of the moon on water.

All earth's curves are sacred reflections

of that infant's smile.

Whoever gazes at a baby becomes

instantly holy: that is why God

keeps taking birth here.

You don't have to believe: just gaze

and be gazed on.

With this mirror, you could make

the world so beautiful again!

But if you deny that God has a face,

you deny your own mirror, and your own

Radiance!

- Fred LaMotte

Great Wisdom Poems

2008-11-24T13:12:00.000-08:00

Chambered Nautalus, by Oliver Wendell Holmes

This is the ship of pearl, which, poets feign,

Sails the unshadowed main,--

The venturous bark that flings

On the sweet summer wind its purpled wings

In gulfs enchanted, where the Siren sings,

And coral reefs lie bare,

Where the cold sea-maids rise to sun their streaming hair.

Its webs of living gauze no more unfurl;

Wrecked is the ship of pearl!

And every chambered cell,

Where its dim dreaming life was wont to dwell,

As the frail tenant shaped his growing shell,

Before thee lies revealed,--

Its irised ceiling rent, its sunless crypt unsealed!

Year after year beheld the silent toil

That spread his lustrous coil;

Still, as the spiral grew,

He left the past year's dwelling for the new,

Stole with soft step its shining archway through,

Built up its idle door,

Stretched in his last-found home, and knew the old no more.

Thanks for the heavenly message brought by thee,

Child of the wandering sea,

Cast from her lap, forlorn!

From thy dead lips a clearer note is born

Than ever Triton blew from wreathed horn;

While on mine ear it rings,

Through the deep caves of thought I hear a voice that sings:--

Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul,

As the swift seasons roll!

Leave thy low-vaulted past!

Let each new temple, nobler than the last,

Shut thee from heaven with a dome more vast,

Till thou at length art free,

Leaving thine outgrown shell by life's unresting sea!

__________________

'In My Soul' by Rabia, 8th C, poetess saint of Islam

In my soul there is a temple, a shrine, a mosque, a church.

Prayer should bring us to an altar where no walls or names exist.

Is there not a region of love where the sovereignty is illumined nothing,

where ecstasy gets poured into itself and becomes lost,

where the wing is fully alive but has no mind or body?

In my soul there is a temple, a shrine, a mosque, a church

that dissolve, that dissolve in God.

_______

Wage Peace , by Mary Oliver (written at 9/11/01)

Wage peace with your breath.
Breathe in firemen and rubble,

Breathe out whole buildings
and flocks of redwing blackbirds.

Breathe in terrorists, breathe out
sleeping children and freshly mown fields.

Breathe in confusion and breathe out maple trees.
Breathe in the fallen

And breathe out lifelong friendships intact.
Wage peace with your listening:

Hearing sirens, pray loud.
Remember your tools:

Flower seeds, clothes pins, clean rivers.
Make soup.

Play music, learn the word for thank you
in three languages.

Learn to knit, and make a hat.
Think of chaos as dancing raspberries,

Imagine grief as the out-breath of beauty
or the gesture of fish.

Swim for the other side.
Wage peace.

Never has the world seemed so fresh and precious.
Have a cup of tea and rejoice.

Act as if armistice has already arrived.
Don't wait another minute.

_____________________

GRATITUDE (by Gary Snyder, based on a Mohawk prayer)

Gratitude to Mother Earth, sailing through night and day —
and to her soil: rich, rare, and sweet
in our minds so be it
Gratitude to Plants, the sun-facing light changing leaf
and fine-root hairs; standing still through wind
and rain; their dance is in the flowing spiral grain
in our minds so be it

Gratitude to Air, bearing the soaring Swift and the silent
Owl at dawn. Breath of our song
clear spirit breeze
in our minds so be it

Gratitude to Wild Beings, our brothers teaching secrets,
freedoms, and ways; who share with us their milk;
self-complete, brave, and aware
in our minds so be it

Gratitude to Water: clouds, lakes, rivers, glaciers;
holding or releasing; streaming through all
our bodies salty seas
in our minds so be it

Gratitude to the Sun: blinding pulsing light through
trunks of trees, through mists, warming caves where
bears and snakes sleep — he who wakes us –
in our minds so be it

Gratitude to the Great Sky
who holds billions of stars — and goes yet beyond that –
beyond all powers, and thoughts
and yet is within us –
Grandfather Space.
The Mind is his Wife.

So be it.

_________________________

The Wish to Be Generous, by Wendell Berry

All that I serve will die, all my delights,
the flesh kindled from my flesh, garden and field,
the silent lilies standing in the woods,
the woods, the hill, the whole earth, all
will burn in man's evil, or dwindle
in its own age. Let the world bring on me
the sleep of darkness without stars, so I may know
my little light taken from me into the seed
of the beginning and the end, so I may bow
to mystery, and take my stand on the earth
like a tree in a field, passing without haste
or regret toward what will be, my life
a patient willing descent into the grass.

_________________

Rumi's Poetry

What is to be done, O Moslems? For I do not recognise myself.
I am neither Christian, nor Jew, nor Gabr, nor Moslem.

I am not of the East, nor of the West, nor of the land, nor of the sea;
I am not of Nature’s mint, nor of the circling heaven.

I am not of earth, nor of water, nor of air, nor of fire;
I am not of the empyrean, nor of the dust, nor of existence, nor of entity.

I am not of India , nor of China , nor of Bulgaria , nor of Saqsin.
I am not of the kingdom of ’Iraqian, nor of the country of Khorasan

I am not of this world, nor of the next, nor of Paradise , nor of Hell.
I am not of Adam, nor of Eve, nor of Eden and Rizwan.

My place is the Placeless; my trace is the Traceless;
’Tis neither body nor soul, for I belong to the soul of the Beloved.

I have put duality away; I have seen that the two worlds are one;
One I seek, One I know, One I see, One I call.

He is the first, He is the last, He is the outward, He is the inward;
I am intoxicated with Love’s cup, the two worlds have passed out of my ken;

If once in my life I spent a moment without thee,
From that time and from that hour I repent of my life.

If once in this world I win a moment with thee,
I will trample on both worlds; I will dance in triumph forever.
__________

Rumi's Grapes

The grapes of my body and mind
can only become wine
After the winemaker tramples me.
I surrender my spirit too, like grapes
to his trampling
So my inmost heart can blaze
and dance with joy.
Although the grapes go on weeping blood
and sobbing "I can bear no more anguish,
no more cruelty,"
The trampler stuffs cotton in his ears:
"I am not working in ignorance.
You can deny me if you want,
you have every excuse.
But it is I who am
the Master of this Work.
And when through my Passion
you reach Perfection,
You will never be done
praising my name!"
___________

Against Certainty, by Jane Hirshfield

There is something out in the dark that wants to correct us.
Each time I think “this,” it answers “that.”
Answers hard, in the heart-grammar’s strictness.

If I then say “that,” it too is taken away.

Between certainty and the real, an ancient enmity.
When the cat waits in the path-hedge,
no cell of her body is not waiting.
This is how she is able so completely to disappear.

I would like to enter the silence portion as she does.

To live amid the great vanishing as a cat must live,
one shadow fully at ease inside another.

_________________

'Acceptance,' by Robert Frost

When the spent sun throws up its rays on cloud
And goes down burning into the gulf below,
No voice in nature is heard to cry aloud
At what has happened. Birds, at least must know
It is the change to darkness in the sky.
Murmuring something quiet in her breast,
One bird begins to close a faded eye;
Or overtaken too far from his nest,
Hurrying low above the grove, some waif
Swoops just in time to his remembered tree.
At most he thinks or twitters softly, 'Safe!
Now let the night be dark for all of me.
Let the night be too dark for me to see
Into the future. Let what will be, be.'
_____________

'Keeping Quiet' by Pablo Neruda

Now we will count to twelve

and we will all keep still.

This one time upon the earth,

let's not speak any language,

let's stop for one second,

and not move our arms so much.

It would be a delicious moment,

without hurry, without locomotives,

all of us would be together

in a sudden uneasiness.

The fishermen in the cold sea

would do no harm to the whales

and the peasant gathering salt

would look at his torn hands.

Those who prepare green wars,

wars of gas, wars of fire,

victories without survivors,

would put on clean clothing

and would walk alongside their brothers

in the shade, without doing a thing.

What I want shouldn't be confused

with final inactivity:

life alone is what matters,

I want nothing to do with death.

If we weren't unanimous

about keeping our lives so much in motion,

if we could do nothing for once,

perhaps a great silence would

interrupt this sadness,

this never understanding ourselves

and threatening ourselves with death,

perhaps the earth is teaching us

when everything seems to be dead

and then everything is alive.

Now I will count to twelve

and you keep quiet and I'll go.

______________

Su Shih (1031-1101)

The sounds of streams
are Buddha's speech.
The colored mountains
are Buddha's pure body.
Night brings eighty-four thousand
poems of Buddha.
Listen, and someday
you may awaken.
____________

LOST, by David Wagoner

Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you

Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,

And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,

Must ask permission to know it and be known.

The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,

I have made this place around you.

If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here.

No two trees are the same to Raven.

No two branches are the same to Wren.

If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,

You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows

Where you are. You must let it find you.

_____________

God's Grandeur, by Gerard Manley Hopkins

The world is charged with the grandeur of God.
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?
Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;
And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;
And wears man's smudge |&| shares man's smell: the soil
Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.

And for all this, nature is never spent;
There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;
And though the last lights off the black West went
Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs --
Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.
____________

Waking, by Hafiz

In the morning
When I began to wake,
It happened again -That feeling
That You, Beloved,
Had stood over me all night
...Keeping watch,
That feeling
That as soon as I began to stir
You put Your lips on my forehead
And lit a Holy Lamp
Inside my Heart.

____________

King of the River, by Stanley Kunitz

If the water were clear enough,
if the water were still,
but the water is not clear,
the water is not still,
you would see yourself,
slipped out of your skin,
nosing upstream,
slapping, thrashing,
tumbling
over the rocks
till you paint them
with your belly's blood:
Finned Ego,
yard of muscle that coils,
uncoils.
If the knowledge were given you,
but it is not given,
for the membrane is clouded
with self-deceptions
and the iridescent image swims
through a mirror that flows,
you would surprise yourself
in that other flesh
heavy with milt,
bruised, battering toward the dam
that lips the orgiastic pool.

Come. Bathe in these waters.
Increase and die.

If the power were granted you
to break out of your cells,
but the imagination fails
and the doors of the senses close
on the child within,
you would dare to be changed,
as you are changing now,
into the shape you dread
beyond the merely human.
A dry fire eats you.
Fat drips from your bones.
The flutes of your gills discolor.
You have become a ship for parasites.
The great clock of your life
is slowing down,
and the small clocks run wild.
For this you were born.
You have cried to the wind
and heard the wind's reply:
"I did not choose the way,
the way chose me."
You have tasted the fire on your tongue
till it is swollen black
with a prophetic joy:
"Burn with me!
The only music is time,
the only dance is love."

_________

For The Record, by Adrienne Rich

The clouds and the stars didn't wage this war
the brooks gave no information
if the mountain spewed stones of fire into
the river
it was not taking sides
the raindrop faintly swaying under the leaf
had no political opinions

and if here or there a house
filled with backed-up raw sewage
or poisoned those who lived there
with slow fumes, over years
the houses were not at war
nor did the tinned-up buildings

intend to refuse shelter
to homeless old women and roaming
children
they had no policy to keep them roaming
or dying, no, the cities were not the problem
the bridges were non-partisan
the freeways burned, but not with hatred

Even the miles of barbed-wire
stretched around crouching temporary huts
designed to keep the unwanted
at a safe distance, out of sight
even the boards that had to absorb
year upon year, so many human sounds

so many depths of vomit, tears
slow-soaking blood
had not offered themselves for this
The trees didn't volunteer to be cut into
boards
nor the thorns for tearing flesh
Look around at all of it

and ask whose signature
is stamped on the orders, traced
in the corner of the building plans
Ask where the illiterate, big-bellied
women were, the drunks and crazies,
the ones you fear most of all: ask where you
were.
__________

Blessing, by Jose Arguelles

From the East House of Light
May wisdom dawn in us
So we may see all things in clarity

From the North House of Night
May wisdom ripen in us
So we may know all from within

From the West House of Transformation
May wisdom be transformed into right action
So we may do what must be done

From the South House of the Eternal Sun
May right action reap the harvest
So we may enjoy the fruits of planetary being

From Above House of Heaven
Where star people and ancestors gather
May their blessings come to us now

From Below House of Earth
May the heartbeat of her crystal core
Bless us with harmonies to end all war

From the Center Galactic Source
Which is everywhere at once
May everything be known as the light of love.
_

'O Sweet Irrational Worship' by Thomas Merton
(Merton was a Trappist monk who introduced Buddhist meditation into the Catholic Church)

Wind and a bobwhite
And the afternoon sun.

By ceasing to question the sun
I have become light,

Bird and wind.

My leaves sing.

I am earth, earth

All these lighted things
Grow from my heart.

A tall, spare pine
Stands like the initial of my first
Name when I had one.

When I had a spirit,
When I was on fire
When this valley was
Made out of fresh air
You spoke my name
In naming Your silence:
O sweet, irrational worship!

I am earth, earth

My heart's love
Bursts with hay and flowers.
I am a lake of blue air
In which my own appointed place
Field and valley
Stand reflected.

I am earth, earth

Out of my grass heart
Rises the bobwhite.

Out of my nameless weeds
His foolish worship.

For a New Beginning, by John O'Donohue

In out-of-the-way places of the heart,
Where your thoughts never think to wander,
This beginning has been quietly forming,
Waiting until you were ready to emerge.

For a long time it has watched your desire,
Feeling the emptiness growing inside you,
Noticing how you willed yourself on,
Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.

It watched you play with the seduction of safety
And the gray promises that sameness whispered,
Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent,
Wondered would you always live like this.

Then the delight, when your courage kindled,
And out you stepped onto new ground,
Your eyes young again with energy and dream,
A path of plenitude opening before you.

Though your destination is not yet clear
You can trust the promise of this opening;
Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning
That is at one with your life's desire.

Awaken your spirit to adventure;
Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;
Soon you will be home in a new rhythm,
For your soul senses the world that awaits you.
______

Wisdom: Mother Spirit in Hebrew Sacred Texts

2008-11-24T13:09:00.000-08:00

Wisdom (Hochmah in Hebrew, Sophia in Greek) is personified as the feminine consort of the Lord in the Hebrew books, 'Proverbs' and 'Wisdom of Solomon.' 'Proverbs' is part of the Bible, 'Wisdom of Solomon' was considered a sacred text among Jews and early Christians, and was until very recently included in Roman Catholic versions of the Bible.

Three things are clear from these writings. (1) The Mother was considered an aspect of Godhead, and was with God at the creation of the world in the Hebrew mythos.

(2) This feminine Goddess, Hochmah-Sophia-Wisdom, profoundly influenced the shaping of Mary's image in the early Church. Among Christian Gnostics, Sophia was the divine consort and counterpart of Christ. Their Trinity was God as Father, Spirit as Mother Wisdom, and Christ as Holy Child. As consort of Christ, Wisdom is Mary Magdalene. As Mother of Christ, she is the Blessed Virgin. Gnostic Valentinus taught that the real meaning of Blessed Virgin is "mystical eternal silence." In the Gnostic Gospel of Phillip is a liturgy for the Lord's Supper, where the Holy Spirit is invoked as Mother to transform bread and wine into the presence of Christ. The same text states that all Mary's in the Gospel are one: that is, aspects of one Divine Feminine. She is Mary the Virgin, Mary Magdalene the Lover, and the elder, Mary Mother of Sorrows. Is this not parallel to the Wiccan vision of the Threefold Goddess: Maiden, Mother and Crone?

(3) Clearly, Wisdom is not thought, but a power deeper and more intuitive than thinking. Wisdom is not the outcome of an intellectual process, but a transcendent and creative silence that precedes creation itself. Thus in the opening verses of Genesis, before the birth of light, "the Spirit of God was stirring the waters of the abyss."

Let's unpack this image. The abyss is the quantum vacuum from which particles of creation arise. The stirring of the waters corresponds to fluctuations in the quantum vacuum, virtual photons and electrons prior to their emission as material particles. "Ruach," Spirit, literally means "breath." It is a feminine word in Hebrew, and Spirit's role here is certainly the action of a Mother: for the verb "rachaf" (stirring) comes from a root describing a mother bird nesting her egg, ruffling her feathers over the life about to be born.

Like the Vedic creation story of ancient India, the Hebrew creation story describes a universe of light born from the vibrant ocean of a "formless void" (in Hebrew, "Tohu w'Bohu). The radiance of the divine Word - "Let there be light" - is like a golden egg floating in the waters of that void, engendered by the interplay of male and female forces in the Godhead. Thus we can appreciate the love-play described in the Bible's Book of Proverbs below, where Goddess Hochmah sings: "When he appointed the foundations of the earth, then I was by him... and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him."

_____________

1. VERSES FROM ‘THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON’ CHAPTERS 6, 8

All good things came to me with her, and innumerable riches in her hands.

And I rejoiced in them, because wisdom goes before them: yet I did not know she was the mother of them all….

For in Wisdom is a spirit intelligent and holy, subtle, free-moving, lucid, spotless, clear, invulnerable, loving what is good, eager, unhindered, beneficent, kindly toward men, steadfast, unerring, untouched by care, all-powerful, all-seeing, and permeating all intelligent, pure, and delicate spirits.

For Wisdom moves more easily than motion itself. She penetrates and pervades all things with her purity. Like a fine mist she rises from the power of God, a pure effluence from the glory of the Almighty: therefor nothing defiled can enter into her.

She is the brightness that streams from everlasting light, of eternal light, the spotless mirror of the active power of God, the image of his goodness. She is but one, yet can do all things. Herself unchanged, she makes all things new. Age after age, she enters into holy souls, and makes them God's friends and prophets...

For she is fairer than the sun and surpasses every constellation of the stars. Compared to light, she takes precedence.

___________

VERSES FROM ‘PROVERBS’ CHAPTER 8 ((HEBREW BIBLE)

Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?

She stands in the top of high places, and at the crossing of the paths.

She cries at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors…

“The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.

I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.

When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.

Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:

While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.

When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the deep:

When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:

When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment:

when he appointed the foundations of the earth:

Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him.

Rumi & the Sufi Poet Saints

2008-11-24T11:50:00.000-08:00

Sell your cleverness. Purchase bewilderment...

Close the language-door, and open the love-window...

Forget every touch and every sound that did not teach you how to dance...

One of the marvels of the world: the sight of a soul sitting in prison with the key in its hand...

When you're with everyone but me, you're with no one. When you're with no one but me you're with everyone. Instead of being so bound up with everyone, be everyone. When you become that many, you're so free, so empty: nothing...

I wave my hands like leaves, I whirl dancing like the moon; my turning may seem earthly, but it is purer, far purer, than the turning of all the spheres of Heaven...

Let the waters settle, and you will see stars and the moon mirrored in your own being...

When your chest is free of your limiting ego, then you will see the ageless Beloved. You can not see yourself without a mirror. Look at the Beloved: He is the brightest mirror..

* * * * *

I am a hole in a flute the Christ-breath moves through: listen to this music! - Hafiz

The light of the moon is shamed by the beauty of your face. And here I am half in, half out of my body, lost, in the longing for union. - Hafiz

We entered the house of realization,
we witnessed the body.

The whirling skies, the many-layered earth,
the seventy-thousand veils,
we found in the body.

The night and the day, the planets,
the words inscribed on the Holy Tablets,
the hill that Moses climbed, the Temple,
and Israfil's trumpet, we observed in the body.
Torah, Psalms, Gospel, Quran-
what these books have to say,
we found in the body.

Everybody says these words of Yunus
are true. Truth is wherever you want it.
We found it all within the body.

~ Yunus Emr
______

Love came and emptied me of self,
every vein and every pore,
made into a container to be filled by the Beloved.
Of me, only a name is left,
the rest is You my Friend, my Beloved.

~Abu-Said Abil-Kheir
______

What is to be done, O Moslems? For I do not recognise myself.
I am neither Christian, nor Jew, nor Gabr, nor Moslem.

I am not of the East, nor of the West, nor of the land, nor of the sea;
I am not of Nature’s mint, nor of the circling heaven.

I am not of earth, nor of water, nor of air, nor of fire;
I am not of the empyrean, nor of the dust, nor of existence, nor of entity.

I am not of India , nor of China , nor of Bulgaria , nor of Saqsin.
I am not of the kingdom of ’Iraqian, nor of the country of Khorasan

I am not of this world, nor of the next, nor of Paradise , nor of Hell.
I am not of Adam, nor of Eve, nor of Eden and Rizwan.

My place is the Placeless; my trace is the Traceless;
’Tis neither body nor soul, for I belong to the soul of the Beloved.

I have put duality away; I have seen that the two worlds are one;
One I seek, One I know, One I see, One I call.

He is the first, He is the last, He is the outward, He is the inward;
I am intoxicated with Love’s cup, the two worlds have passed out of my ken;

If once in my life I spent a moment without thee,
From that time and from that hour I repent of my life.

If once in this world I win a moment with thee,
I will trample on both worlds; I will dance in triumph forever.

~Maulana Rumi (Translated by Reynold A. Nicholson)

Misinterpreting the Koran

2008-11-15T13:59:00.000-08:00

Part 1: Misinterpreting 'Jihad', by Fred LaMotte

Jihad does not mean "holy war." It means "struggle to follow a godly path."

Though Jihad can refer to physical self-defense, it more commonly refers to a Muslim's inner struggle against the lower impulses, the struggle to achieve surrender to God’s will. In his sayings (Hadith), the Prophet refers to this as "the greater Jihad."

Jihad is essential to spirituality. Jihad is the struggle to surmount the ego, resulting in surrender to the will of God. Islam is the infinitive of the verb Salam, "to surrender." This word has the same Semitic root as the Hebrew Shalom. It means finding peace within. Following a path that leads to surrender requires self-discipline. That self-discipline is Jihad.

But there are troubling verses in the Koran - just as there are in the Bible. When we take these verses out of context, and distort their original intent, we can use such verses to support violence and terrorism.

Let's look at a typical problem in the Koranic teaching about Jihad. Mohammad says: “I have been commanded that I should fight these people till they bear witness that there is no God but Allah.” Another verse states, "Commit no aggression, for God does not love aggressors" (Sura 2:191). Does the Koran teach Muslims to attack Jews and Christians? Or only to fight in self-defense? Obviously one can choose either interpretation if one is allowed to take a single verse out of context, and apply it to any situation.

In fact, the Koran accepts Judaism and Christianity as paths to God: "Those who are Jews and Christians, who believe in God, the Last Day, and do right, surely their reward is with their Lord, and no fear shall come upon them, neither shall they grieve" (Sura 2:62). The Koran also states: "In true religion there is no compulsion.” (Sura 2:256)

We are not the only ones confused about how to interpret apparent contradictions in the Koran. Islamic terrorists confuse their own religion. They justify killing the innocent because they refuse to follow the traditional Islamic rules of Koranic interpretation.

Islamic scholars use a systematic method of interpretation based on the principle of context. One can only interpret a verse of the Koran in the context of other verses that take precedent. The rules of precedence are quite complex. They are comparable to our legal system, where we adjudicate by showing precedent to earlier case-law, following the thread of precedent back to the Constitution. In the rules of Koranic context, there are specific Suras (chapters) that establish context for all others.

According to this rule, any statement about war is contextualized by Sura 2, which establishes that war is legitimate only when fought in self-defense. Sura 2 itself is contextualized only by one other verse, the first line of the Koran. 'B'ishmillah' hi rahman i'raheem': In the name of God, who is pure Love and Compassion.

In the 7th Century, Arab tribal leaders, led by priests who worshiped local idols, sought to kill Mohammad and his followers. Had Mohammad remained pacifist, he and his small community would surely have been slaughtered. Mohammad chose to defend his people.

This brings us back to the Hadith, already quoted, which causes such misunderstanding about Islamic Jihad: "Fight these people till they bear witness that there is no God but Allah.” Out of context, this Hadith and similar Koranic verses seem to justify conversion by the sword! But such verses are only valid in the context of Mohammad's historical need to defend himself. These teachings have been distorted by militants throughout history. But that does not belie their original intent. The same can be said of the Bible, which has been distorted to justify war and even genocide. The original intent of the Koran, according to mainstream Muslim scholars, is to protect Muslims when armies attack their religion.

Mohammad musters his soldiers for self-defense and defeats the army of Arab attackers. How should he treat his captive enemies? He deeply respects the dignity of each human life. Yet the historical precedent for treatment of captured enemy warriors is death or enslavement. After all, these were the only choices that Joshua and the Hebrew army offered the tribes of Canaan in 1100 BCE (cf. Deuteronomy, chapter 20). Roman and Christian armies had also treated their captive enemies brutally.

Mohammad meditated, asking Divine Source how to treat defeated enemies. Allah told Mohammad to spare the captives, allowing them to live as Muslims. The Koran, in fact, prohibits compulsory conversion. (2:256) Thus in its historical context, the Koran establishes an entirely new rule for the treatment of enemies: a kind of Geneva Convention for the Medieval world. When Mohammad entered Mecca, his defeated enemies expected to be slaughtered. Instead, Mohammad forgave them and let them go. It was one of the great moments in the history of warfare.

Violent retribution was only for the enemy's idols. Mohammad went into the sacred shrine, which is now the Kaaba, and toppled the pagan idols of the Arab priests.

As Islam spread, it developed a tradition of allowing Jews and Christians to live freely in Muslim lands, even when those lands were won through war. Jews and Christians were not persecuted, but were required to pay a special tax (the Jizya) to the Mosque. This seemed only fair, since Muslims pay quite generous tithes to the Mosque. An example of Muslim hospitality to Jews is the Caliphate of Baghdad. When Christians expelled the Jews from Europe, the Muslims welcomed Jewish exiles. A thriving Jewish community grew in Baghdad.

In the Caliphate of Baghdad, Jewish and Muslim scholars worked side by side to preserve the ancient classics of Greece and Rome. They developed the sciences of metallurgy, astronomy and mathematics. They invented algebra (an Arabic word), advanced the decimal system which they learned from India, and created the concept of zero (another Arabic word). Today we still use Arabic numerals.

If we designate as Muslim those terrorists who take Koranic verses out of context, then we must designate the Ku Klux Klan as Christian, not to mention the murderers of abortion doctors and persecutors of homosexuals. Fringe groups will always distort their religious heritage into heresy. The question should not be whether they exist, but whether mainstream believers tolerate and encourage them.

Mainstream Western mosques have repeatedly condemned Islamic terrorism. Yet the Western media ignore these condemnations, preferring to emphasize conflict because, in the media, conflict sells.

- Common Bread Caplain, Fred LaMotte

________________________

Part 2: Dialog with Dr. Mohammad Ayub

Below is the commentary on some problematic verses from the Koran which I presented to Common Bread's dear friend and guest speaker, Dr. Mohammad Ayub. He is a medical doctor who works with the U. S. Army at Fort Lewis/McCord. He is also a master gardener, Sufi and Yoga practitioner, peace-activist, and dedicated member of Lacey Islamic Center in Lacey, WA. Note how Dr. Ayub expounds these verses in their historical context. I give the verses first, then his extensive commentary. Thank you, Dr. Ayub!

Dear Dr. Ayub,

I would like to get some understanding of the following verses, which were quoted to me by one of those Americans who fear Muslims and believe the Koran to be a danger to the West. I assume that these verses must have a context which I don't understand. Can you explain them to me?

Sura 8.12: "Remember thy lord has inspired the angels with the message. Give firmness to the believers and instill terror into the hearts of the unbelievers. Smite them above their necks and smite the fingertips of them."

Sura 9.5 :"When the sacred months have passed, kill the idolaters whereever you find them."

Sura 47.4: "When you encounter the unbelievers, Strike off their heads. Untill you have made a wide slaughter among them tie up the remaining captives."

Dr. Ayub's Reply

My understanding is that these verses are specific to incidents in the Prophet's life and are not general in application. If you look at them out of context, they can be a little scary, but within the larger context of the surah there are strong messages that bring out the real meaning of the verses. One of the key points to understand in these verses is that Muslims do fight battles and are not pacifists in a general sense, but killing is only permissible in those battles and even then with particular restrictions such as limiting damage to non-combatants and collateral property. Note that I have used the Abdel Haleem translation for the verses below.

Verse 8:12

This surah is a commentary on the Battle of Badr, which was the first real battle after the Prophet's migration to Madinah. In fact, the name of the surah is "Battle Gains", which comes from the first verse. There are numerous verses surrounding this one that support the notion that this applies to a battle. Verse 8:1 mentions that "they ask you about the battle gains". Verses 5-12 all talk about a specific group of people at a specific time e.g. "Remember when He gave you sleep as a reassurance from him and sent down water to cleanse you, to remove Satan's pollution from you" (8:11). As such, it is clear that this verse refers to the angels that God sent down to reinforce the Muslims army on the day of Badr and does not apply as a general permission to fight against disbelievers.

Verse 9:5

This verse refers to a group of people who made and then broke a treaty with the Muslims, and the context clearly shows this. The first verse of the surah says, "A release by God and His Messenger from the treaty you [believers] made with the idolators [is announced]" (9:1). The surah then goes on to make clear that only those who violated the treaty would be punishable: "As for those who have honored the treaty you made with them and not supported anyone against you: fulfil your agreement with them to the end of their term. God loves those who are mindful of Him." (9:4). Finally, even after verse 9:5, those who stop breaking the treaty and seek protection are granted that protection: "If any one of the idolators should seek your protection [Prophet], grant it to him so that he may hear the word of God, then take him to a place safe for him" (9:6). On a side note, Abdel Haleem mentions that verse 9:5 also uses Arabic that denotes the verse to be of a specific nature, referring to what has been stated in previous verses. So again, the context makes it very clear that this refers to the violators of a specific treaty and is not generally applicable.

Verse 47:4

The snippet you have given is a mistranslation of the verse. Every translation I have seen marks this verse as specific to battle. This is why it's important to have a good translation on hand for reference. I would recommend the Abdel Haleem one. For this example, here are four of the most widely-used translations out there (highlights are mine):

ABDEL HALEEM: When you meet the disbelievers in battle, strike them in the neck, and once they are defeated, bind any captives firmly - later you can release them by grace or by ransom - until the toils of war have ended.

YUSUF ALI: Therefore, when ye meet the Unbelievers (in fight), smite at their necks; At length, when ye have thoroughly subdued them, bind a bond firmly (on them): thereafter (is the time for) either generosity or ransom: Until the war lays down its burdens.

PICKTHAL: Now when ye meet in battle those who disbelieve, then it is smiting of the necks until, when ye have routed them, then making fast of bonds; and afterward either grace or ransom till the war lay down its burdens.

SHAKIR: So when you meet in battle those who disbelieve, then smite the necks until when you have overcome them, then make (them) prisoners, and afterward either set them free as a favor or let them ransom (themselves) until the war terminates.

Q.2. About some of the other verses: What about verses in the Qur'an that encourage you to kill non-believers wherever you find them?

This is a question that often comes up in critiques of Islam, especially in light of recent political events. It is incumbent on Muslims to respond to and clear misconceptions stemming from Islam's perceived stance on violence and interfaith relations.

The Importance of Context

The word ‘context' has two dictionary meanings:

• The parts of a written or spoken statement that precede or follow a specific word or passage, usually influencing its meaning or effect.

• The set of circumstances or facts that surround a particular event, situation, etc.

Any discussion on Qur'anic verses that refer to violence would be meaningless, without a study of the surrounding context. Before we study the verses in question, therefore, let us examine this issue in a wider perspective:

The Sanctity of Life

The Glorious Qur'an says: “…take not life, which God hath made sacred, except by way of justice and law: thus doth He command you, that ye may learn wisdom.” [Al-Qur'an 6:151]

Islam considers all life forms as sacred. However, the sanctity of human life is accorded a special place. The first and the foremost basic right of a human being is the right to live. The Glorious Qur'an says: “…if any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people.” [Al-Qur'an 5:32]

Such is the value of a single human life, that the Qur'an equates the taking of even one human life unjustly, with killing all of humanity .

The Verses of War

The words that often causes consternation among those unfamiliar with Islam, is: “…and slay them wherever ye catch them…”

The truth is that this is only part of the verse 191 of Chapter 2 of the Qur'an. Let us read the verses 190 to 191 in order to get a complete picture:

“Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loveth not transgressors. And slay them wherever ye catch them, and turn them out from where they have Turned you out; for tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter; but fight them not at the Sacred Mosque, unless they (first) fight you there; but if they fight you, slay them. Such is the reward of those who suppress faith.” [Al-Qur'an 2:190-191]

It is a well-known fact of Islamic history, that fighting against aggressors was prohibited during the first thirteen years of the Prophet's mission. After Muslims migrated to Madina, the verses above were revealed to enable the community to fight in self-defense. The verses that follow clearly indicate Islam's prohibition on aggression and inclination towards peace:

“But if they cease, Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. And fight them on until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice and faith in Allah; but if they cease, let there be no hostility except to those who practise oppression.” [Al-Qur'an 2:192-193]

The verses above specifically refer to fighting against oppression and in defense of religious freedom as the Glorious Qur'an says: “Let there be no compulsion in religion.” [Al-Qur'an 2:256]

Fair-dealing Towards All

When read in context, the above verses do not even remotely suggest an exhortation for Muslims to be vicious or hateful towards people of other faiths. Far from this, the Qur'an actually requires that Muslims conduct themselves with fairness and dignity in all matters, and especially in regard to interfaith relations, as indicated by the following verse:

“Allah forbids you not, with regard to those who fight you not for (your) Faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: for Allah loveth those who are just. [Al-Qur'an 60:8]

The first verse, 8:12, is referring to the Battle of Badr (in which the Muslims were vastly outnumbered and facing extermination): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_badr

I assume he's referring to the phrase "instill terror into the hearts of the unbelievers" and this is surprisingly enough a mistranslation... the actual verse says: "And when Your Lord inspired the Angels: 'I am with you... Give firmness to the believers. We shall throw terror into the hearts of the disbelievers'..." I.e. the words are attributed to God. And I am not sure what is wrong with God saying that in a battle between good and evil, He supports those fighting for the just cause by sewing fear into the heart of their enemies. It's something all soldiers pray for.... Resolve for themselves and fear in the hearts of their enemy.

The second verse 9:5 is from Sourat At-Tawba and talks about the expiration of a treaty between the Muslims and the Disbelievers (wording is important here, it was not a treaty between Muslims and non-Muslims, but Disbelievers who sought to fight and oppose Islam. There were many non-Muslim tribes not a part of this treaty). They had broken the treaty and these were the verses giving the Muslims permission to seek them out and retaliate. This is why the tone of the verse is harsh, as it was retaliation for violation of a treaty. The verses actually give fair warning to the Disbelievers (wait till the end of the holy months) and in the end, it only applied to those who violated their treaties. The previous verse stated that this is for those who break their treaties and refuse to have treaties. As for those who sign treaties, the verse says: "then fulfill their treaties to their limits, for God loves those who are pious." (I.e. respecting your treaties and agreements with disbelievers -let alone regular non-Muslims- is a sign of piety.)

The third verse is from Sourat Muhammad, otherwise known as Sourat Al-Qital (the sourah of fighting/war), because it was the first sourah in which fighting was prescribed after 13-14 years of complete and total pacifism by Muslims. Muslims had endured silently for 13 years while they were persecuted in their own home land. Finally, they were able to secure a new home for themselves and move into a town (Medina) that accepted them and allowed them to practice freely. Yet, they were still not safe... Many of them were stripped of their belongings or attacked on their migration route to Medina. And still yet, some of them were attacked after moving to Medina. This chapter of Quran was the one to declare that Believers may now fight back. And this verse specifically says that if Muslims were to meet Disbelievers (again, not unbelievers) in Battle (not down the street) that they should fight valiantly and without hesitance, and it ALSO tells them that when the battle is done they should lay down their arms and exchange prisoners or set them free... If only the critiques copied the rest of the verse:

47:4: "And thus, when you meet the Disbelievers (in battle), then strike at their necks, until you've made them heavy (with injury/losses), then bind them firmly (take prisoners), then you may bestow bounty upon them (set them free in return for nothing) or ransom them (in exchange for your prisoners or money) until the war is done..."

The verse is very self-explanatory if taken in its fullness. When you fight, fight hard, take prisoners, and work for a resolution of the war.

Hope this helps with your questions insha'Allah!

With respect,

Ayub

The Taste of God

2008-10-26T08:35:00.000-07:00

Still Life by Tor Egil Hansen

Forget holiness. Remember wholeness. The primal spiritual practice is not to strive upward but to center down: Om-coming.

Surrender to what Is: this is the heart of practice. Such non-doing sounds like passivity, inertia, but it actually deepens our life-force, our creative awareness. After just a few minutes of this non-practice, we rise with great energy to encounter both joy and sorrow as faces of one God.

Surrender to what Is acknowledges Grace as the fundamental ground of creation. Surrender stimulates the divine presence to release waves of joyful, healing, luminous energy, which vibrate through every atom and cell of the body-soul. This radical practice means letting go of every effort to attain or improve, so that we can experience the One who is always already here.

No spiritual effort can produce more liberation and enlightenment than allowing ourselves to fully become who we already are. It happens now, in whatever situation we may be thrown. We cannot practice at any other time or place.

Our suffering is caused by preferring to be elsewhere.

When we attempt to return to a pleasure or escape from a pain, we suffer. But when we allow creation's waves of pain and pleasure to flow through us, breathing with their rhythm, we taste them as a single primordial energy.

Therefor the practice of surrender is not, like so many spiritual practices, the avoidance of pain. Sri Ramakrishna was asked to describe the hardest lesson he ever learned. 'When I learned that pain is but a furiously condensed form of bliss,' he replied, 'that was the hardest lesson.'

The greatest suffering of all, however, is not in the avoidance of pain, but in the striving for moral perfection. The quest for perfection has skewed our historic religions, and turned them into factories of stress. The quest for perfection still wreaks havoc among New Age seekers obsessed with purification in food, sex, money. In our own New Age way, we are as obsessed with purity laws as our forbears, the Pharisees, the monks, the Colonial puritans. Obsessions with purity leads to repression. Repression leads to religious extremism. Religious extremism leads to war. True believers unleash the most ruthless violence in the name of purity. Religious terrorism is not fueled by ideology, but by repression.

There is a tragically mistranslated verse in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount: 'Be ye perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.' The Greek word 'teleos' does not mean 'perfect.' It means 'whole' or 'complete.' 'Teleos' expresses the Hebrew 'shelamim' (from the same root as 'shalom,' peace.) The noun form of this Hebrew word described peace offerings of fruit and grain to restore harmony in creation. The harvest offerings were not made in craven fear of punishment, but in joyful surrender. Thus the Arabic form of the same Semitic root: 'Salam', surrender to God, which is the very root of the word 'Islam.'

Biblical spirituality was not originally a path of self-judgment, striving for moral perfection, or attainment of a higher world. Such a quest would have struck early Semitic people as arrogant. Their prophets were humbled by the Presence of the living God. Their spirituality was a path of returning to the center, Shalom-coming, to the One Who Is Life Itself.

The constant refrain of the Bible's creation story is: 'God saw that it was good... God saw that it was very good!' (Genesis 1) So the Psalmist cries, 'Taste and see that the Lord is good!' The Hebrew 'good', 'Tov,' is not the moral abstraction of those who seek a supra-human holiness. Tov here means good to eat, the sweetness of fruit, the warmth of fresh bread. Tov is divine sensuality: the absolute goodness that permeates creation as God's flavor. Tov is the sparkle of Spirit's breath in every atom of the sea, sky and sand. It is not what SHOULD be but what IS.

When I eat a piece of fresh-baked Om-made bread I say, 'Mmmmm, good.' This does not mean that my bread is morally perfect, but that it gives joy. I taste the goodness of God in each crumb of life on earth. I taste Tov when I relax, when I let go of imbalance, when I relinquish judgment and division, when I allow the breath of God to center my heart.

My heart sings, 'Mmmmm,' with the good taste of God.

Krishnammal Jagannathan, Honored Speaker

2008-10-22T03:51:00.000-07:00

Living Disciple of Gandhi

Honored Speaker at Common Bread, 11/13

Link: Land for Tillers' Freedom (LAFTI)
Common Bread was honored to present Krishnammal to the Evergreen community on November 13, '08. She is a living friend and disciple of Gandhi. She also studied with Ramana Maharshi. 82 years old, she is the recipient of this year's Opus Award for world service, presented at Seattle's Benaroya Hall, November 18.

Krishnammal has spent her life serving India's poorest, providing sustainable homes and employment for the "Untouchables," waging non-violent struggle against the devastating inequalities of the cast system.

An unfathomable tragedy was a turning point in her life. In 1968, 44 Dalits—members of India's lowest caste and some of its poorest residents— were murdered at Kilavenmani village in the Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu. This devastating occurrence proved to be the impetus for founding Land for Tillers' Freedom (LAFTI).

“My mission was to provide livelihood by abolishing landlessness among the poor and bringing humanness and dignity to their lives,” Jagannathan says. “The Dalits were banned from wearing chapals [foot wear], collecting drinking water in the village well and temple entry. They were tied to the trees and forced to eat cow-dung when anyone broke the norms. All of this happened during the 1970s and I resolved to change all of this, to bring an end to the worst form of apartheid in the 20th century.”

“Bridging the gap between the rich and poor, bringing the landless and landed rich to the negotiating table to share and care for each other is most fulfilling to me.”

Formally founded in 1981, LAFTI allowed Jagannathan and her husband to work toward justice and land rights in Tamil Nadu, India by elevating the social status and acceptance of the Dalits through housing and farmland provisions. LAFTI is equipping the landless with land through loans and work opportunities, thereby allowing them to become self-sufficient. LAFTI's skills workshops allow people,during the nonagricultural season,to support themselves through entrepreneurial efforts like mat weaving, tailoring, plumbing, carpentry, masonry, computer education and electronics.

Through LAFTI, Jagannathan has negotiated land subsidies with the government and reduced-interest bank loans to purchase land. Because of her work and its undeniable results, the government of India is also considering implementing LAFTI's approach to increase the peaceful transfer of land.

However, LAFTI is about more than protection of land rights. It encourages empowerment and sustainable practices to benefit other oppressed communities. Hundreds have benefited from educational and outreach opportunities that promote wasteland development, self-employment and environmental protection.

With dignity, vision and an indefatigable spirit, Jagannathan is improving the living conditions and the future of the Dalits. LAFTI has changed the lives of 13,000 families and those who were once powerless are now in charge of guiding their future.

“Bridging the gap between the rich and poor, bringing the landless and landed rich to the negotiating table to share and care for each other is most fulfilling to me,” she says. “Hope in the midst of misery and poverty by lighting the lamp in the homes of Dalit women is an enriching moment for me.”

Learn more about Jagannathan's work with LAFTI and Friends of LAFTI.

'A Sense of the Heart'

2008-07-03T15:44:00.000-07:00

"See that your chief study be about your heart... for the true spirit of prayer is no other than God's own Spirit dwelling in the heart. And as this spirit comes from God, so doth it naturally tend to God in holy breathings and pantings." (Jonathan Edwards)

If life seems confusing, it is because we complicate it by listening to the words of the mind instead of the wordless warmth of the heart.

When we take a few moments to center down in silence, we open to the guidance of an Inward Light, a radiant sensation in the region of the heart, directing us as surely as a blindfolded child is directed by a Mother's whisper: Getting warmer... getting warmer....

Rumi does not just write pretty poetry, but gives us a practical technique of discernment when he says, "That which is false troubles the heart, but truth brings joyous tranquility." (Rumi)

To develop this intuitive sensibility is the greatest need of our educational system. Today's schools educate us to be data-processors, with complex technical skills but no inner voice. How can leaders guide the world if they don't know how to listen to the guidance of the spirit?

The Colonial theologian, Jonathan Edwards, called this inward skill the sense of the heart. "It is not a thing that belongs to reason, to see the beauty and loveliness of spiritual things; it is not a speculative thing, but depends on the sense of the heart."* Blaise Pascal, the great 17th Century mystic who was also one of the father's of modern mathematics, said that "the heart has reasons that reason does not know."

These philosophers did not reject the power of the brain-mind, but regarded it as secondary to the power of the heart. The brain is our our most useful tool and servant: but the heart is where the Master dwells. The guidance they describe speaks to us, not in a conceptual language of words, but a language of spiritual sensation, leading beyond words. Yet this gentle luminous touch is distinct from mere instinct, gut reaction, or physical stimulus.

The sense of the heart is characterized by a feeling of warmth, expansion and lightness with regard to what is good for us; by a sense of coldness, contraction, and heaviness with regard to what is not evolutionary. The sense of the heart is never wrong. What misleads us is the voice of doubt or the voice of judgment, but they do not come from the heart.

The time is approaching when our lives may depend on this choice: whether to follow this sense of the heart, or remain stuck in stale arguments, mental concepts, and outworn creeds.

FOR MORE ON THE POWER OF INTUITION, LINK HERE.
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*Sermons, 'A Divine & Supernatural Light,' Northampton, 1734

Video: Religion & War Symposium

2008-04-10T23:25:00.000-07:00

Common Bread chaplain Fred LaMotte was a panelist at the symposium on Religion and War at the Evergreen State College, March 3, 2010. The symposium was co-sponsored by Common Bread and given by the hard-working students of the 'Religion and Society' program at Evergreen.

Adrien Nyongobo, Common Bread Speaker

2008-02-04T16:28:00.000-08:00

Child of the Rwanda genocide, Adrien Niyongabo shared his prophetic work as founder of HROC, 'Healing & Rebuilding Our Community' on 3/14/08.

Adrien is an African Quaker, Burundi Yearly Meeting of Friends. He has been working with the African Great Lakes Initiative of the Friends Peace Teams since October 2000. In 2003 he initiated the Healing and Rebuilding Our Community program in Rwanda, training the first 15 HROC facilitators. He then returned to Burundi to introduce HROC in Burundi and expanded the program to include the training of Healing Companions. He has made three speaking tours to the United States and one to Britain. He is married and has four children.

Healing Hearts and Communities after War
The Healing and Rebuilding Our Community (HROC) workshops began in 2003 when the African Great Lakes Initiative, the American Friends Service Committee, and members of Friends Church in Rwanda and Burundi came together to jointly develop a program that would address the consequences of violence. After years of colonization, civil war, ethnic hatred, and genocide, the need for healing on both an individual and community level in the Great Lakes Region of Africa was paramount. The curriculum was created to introduce participants to the concept of trauma, build a sense of trust and community within the workshop, facilitate initial expressions of grief and mourning, and establish concrete ways to deal with anger. It is a participatory approach which utilizes culturally appropriate games, song, prayer, and discussions to empower people to find their own meaning within the teachings. Participants are asked and encouraged to share their experiences, which then become the basis of the learning. It is an environment where there are no wrong answers; where even if you cannot read and write your knowledge and opinions are valid and real.

Designed as the cornerstone in a larger program to build community capacity, the hope was that HROC participants would use what they learned to respond to the widespread trauma in their villages, strengthen interconnectedness between their neighbors, and reduce the isolation which keeps many people from seeking help in the first place. Many participants move on from the basic workshop to advanced trainings to become “Healing Companions” who are skilled in the art of active listening and can accompany family members and neighbors through the healing process.

For information on the African Great Lakes Initiative, Adrien's work in healing communities, and other African service projects motivated by Christian love and Quaker practice, see this LINK.

'My People Lived'

2008-01-23T15:55:00.000-08:00

I teach World Religions in a college Distance Learning program sub-contracting for the U.S. military. Almost all my students are in Iraq or Afghanistan. A student who is a Brazilian-American soldier in Afghanistan wrote this poem, submitting it, by coincidence, on Earth Day. The assignment was to study a chapter on the role of the Ancestors in Tribal Religion, then write an essay about their own ancestors.
This is especially poignant when the writer struggles as an ESL student (English as a Second Language). I leave this raw, just as it poured forth, without making any grammatical corrections. It arises from some primordial chthonic consciousness that is completely beyond grammar: the very cry of the planet. (Fred LaMotte, Common Bread Chaplain)

'MY PEOPLE LIVED', by Reinaldo D.
My people lived happily, my people live in peace.
In these Fields I played with friends,
Making noise like birds in the cornfield.
We were strong as bulls, owners of our destinations.
All my friends died;
the white man brought was evil.
The white man came, bringing gifts,
talking about peace, talking about love,
... peace is over.
My people have not asked for it!
My people did not need it!
We were free as birds in the meadows ...
The white man killed the fish, trees, animals,
my friends and my ancestors.
All is quiet ... My spirit is sad.
Cry, cry in the wind, no one answers, I am just ...
I have no more home, I have no more land,
I no longer have language (...) I do not know who I am.
My heart cries, my people over.
There is no more river.
There is no more hunting! What a disgrace!
The birds no longer sing.
So much pain, SO much pain!
Cambou,
Ticuna, Macuxi, white man is like curare.
White man is like a bird of prey
comes slowly arrives quietly;
blind our eyes, it hurts our hearts,
Our take women by force, destroying our traditions.
Juma,
Yanomami Kranhacârore; cry
By our ancestors who have died.
For us who are dying,
for our children who were not born.
When I die, let my body
stand on this earth that was my people,
or throw my ashes in the bend of the river
to go to sea, and the light softly into the silence of the deep ocean.
When I understood this land of my ancestors were,
My people lived happily, my people lived in peace.
The white man came ... peace is over.
My people have not asked for it ...
Hum, hum, hum.
My people did not ask that.
My people was the first to arravied in Brazil.
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