Prayer ... in the lowest depths of need - Julian of Norwich

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   lynne hybels ‏@lynnehybels  13h

   "The best prayer is to rest in the goodness of God, knowing that (it) can reach right down to our lowest depths of need." Julian of Norwich

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Prayers and rhymes. Poems and songs..... Rumi

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Brad Gooch ‏@RumiSecrets  Jun 7

“I used to recite prayers. Now I recite rhymes and poems and songs.”—Rumi, Ghazal #2351

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11:32 PM - 7 Jun 2014 · Details

What do people in The West know about Buddhism, the Kadampa and the Dharma Protector?

Picture at left from here. 

Buddhism often seems to be portrayed as a peaceful tradition of sweetness and light.  The first thing to remember is that Buddhists - even the greatest teachers among them - are humans like the rest of us with all the positives and negatives that humanity embodies. As well, there is little widespread understanding of the many "denominations" within the Buddhist stream.  Even Tibetan Buddhism - which is most often recognised through the Dalai Lama - has many groupings.

Kadampa Meditation Centre, near Monbulk, in the Dandenong Ranges, Victoria

I knew something from my academic studies in religion of the great variety within Buddhism.  However, I knew nothing of the Kadampa tradition until I visited the Kadampa Meditation Centre in the Dandenong Ranges, east of Melbourne, with a friend who had a connection there.  It was there I got to hear about the Dharma Protector, Dorje Shugden.

Picture above from here

I was told about the Dharma Protector.  I was invited to an afternoon service and there I saw the representations of the Dharma Protector.  I was told by my friend's connection of the disloyalty of the Dalai Lama and the expression of the telling was, I felt, one of burning hatred for the Dalai Lama.  I was given a book to take home about the Kadampa and in this were pictures of demonstrations against the Dalai Lama by Kadampa across the world.

My feelings?  I hope the description of how I felt informed (as I was and continue to be) by my Christian sensibilities will not give offence.  I was stunned at the level of negativity to the Dalai Lama expressed to me.  I can only describe it as 'burning' or 'incandescent'.

Picture below is from here

The people I met at the Centre were fortyish and younger white Australians.  Christians, in the main, believe (and there may be exceptions in some parts of the world) that we have cast off animistic beliefs.  There is also a sort of "Christian animism". To see wooden representations of the Dharma Protector on an altar and having plates of food presented to them was, to me, stunning.  If this had been within the context of an indigenous culture, I think my reaction would have been different.  To see this in the context of modern Australia and modern white Australians was a shock and something I could not get my head around.

Huffington Post has published a review of a book referencing this dispute, The Dalai Lama and the King Demon by Raimondo Bultrini. Some comments by the Dalai Lama can be found here.

Spiritual searching in India #1

Michelle Boorstein @mboorstein A religion reporter asks: Why do Westerners still seek spiritual help in India? Why did she? Read @JRavitzCNNcnn.it/1oI3d1O 08 Jun

	Indian Awakenings It's been a Hindu holy spot for millennia and a spiritual playground for Westeners since the Beatles put it on the map. CNN's Jessica Ravitz came to Rishikesh to try her hand at everything it offers. What she didn't see…

You. Are. I. - from United Religions Initiative (URI)

June 9, 2014 Dear Friend, This is the very first of what we hope to be many newsletters showcasing the dedicated, inspirational, and enlightening work of our URI community. Are we bringing you news you love? We welcome your feedback! SPOTLIGHT URI Great Lakes and Young Leaders honoured for Sewa Day   Vikas Pota, founder ofSewa Day, recently visited URI Great Lakes' office in Kampala, Uganda to present the Sewa Pioneers Award for a series of coordinated voluntary service events.  "Sewa" or "Seva" is the Sanskrit word for "selfless service." URI's Great Lakes region led URI's participation of Sewa Day with more than 100 URI Young Leaders in seven different cities...  Read More "Listen to yourself and in that quietude you might hear the voice of God."   ~Maya Angelou More News from Our Partners   + "Remembering Quran Burning Day as a Win for Religion"--an uplifting perspective from The Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions' blog. + The Tony Blair Faith Foundation responds to the UK government, whose guide for schoolteachers at spotting pupils at risk of radicalization was revised recently. + "This is a portrait of my mother's soul. The soul is there, the simple majesty." --The Euphrates Institute reflects on the wisdom of Khalil Gibran. SUPPORT OUR EFFORTS, DONATE TO URI A message from Victor Kazanjian URI Executive Director  Dear Friends, During the last week of June, members of URI's Global Council and Global Staff will gather in San Francisco to begin the work of co-creating the second chapter of the United Religions Initiative.  Read more OUR COMMUNITIES ONLINE               Cooperation Circle News   + Meet some of our newest CCs:EcoPeace/Friends of the Earth Middle East of Amman and De la Unidad, la Reconciliación y Sanación of Buenos Aires. + Global Youth Ambassadors CC's Lejla Hasandedic attended "Living Together is the Future," a conference for Christian and Muslim youth in Sarajevo 100 years after WWI. + Women's Interfaith Network and the women of URI call for peace and prayers in Africa amid escalating violence.   + Protecting and Restoring the Sacred CC along with URI's Global Indigenous Initiative (GII)held an event at the United Nations to protect sacred spaces.  + URI Africa and The Golden Rule held a youth sports event in Kibera, Kenya in honor of the Golden Rule. + Our newest Global Council Trustees have been selected, see our election results! Read more on "The Latest" Regional Spotlight  Click here to read URI Europe's monthly proverb:

Life .... from Sai Baba

From Sai Baba ~~~

Hindu Muslim Interfaith Dialogue

Aamir Hussain @AamirNHussain How to transform #Hindu #Muslim #interfaith dialogue into#socialaction huff.to/1l6ida9. @Georgetown @GUAlumni@ifyc @IFYCalumni 04 Jun The Spirit of Shanti and Salaam: Transforming Hindu-Muslim Dialogue Into Action The challenge for our millennial generation is to continue translating America's religious diversity into social action....

A Serbian Orthodox Pentecost at the Monastery of the Descent of the Holy Spirit at Gerardville, Gauteng, South Africa.

My oldest internet friend is Steve Hayes. 

 Steve, formerly an Anglican,

is a Deacon in the Serbian Orthodox Church in South Africa.  

Here is a post from his blog, Khanya.

~~~~~~~~~~

Pentecost at Gerardville by Steve On the Monday of Pentecost Archbishop Damaskinos of Johannesburg and Pretoria visited the Monastery of the Descent of the Holy Spirit at Gerardville, on the western edge of the City of Tshwane, in Gauteng province, South Africa. Since the death of Father Nazarius (Pribojan) in 2008 there have been no monks living there permanently. Archbishop Damaskinos had not visited before, but came to see, and to discuss Fr Elias Palmos's plans to revive the monastery and develop the site (of 25 hectares) as a mission centre. The clergy with Archbishop Damaskinos after the Divine Liturgy in St Demetrius Church. Deacon Stephen Hayes, Fr Elias Palmos, Archbishop Damaskinos, Fr George Cocotos, Archimandrite Athanasius Akunda Fr Elias inherited some money from his father, and set up a trust to buy the land to be used for the church, and the Holy Community of New Sion to administer the centre on behalf of the church, with provision for the revival of the monastery, and future plans for a theological school, a mission centre, and a parish of the Archdiocese, using St Demetrius Church, the biggest church on the site. The congregation at St Demetrius on Pentecost Monday, 2014, with Archbishop Damaskinos The Feast of the Descent of the Holy Spirit seems an appropriate occasion to pray for the Holy Spirit to breathe new life into the place and those who are living there now, and will, we hope, with the blessing of Archbishop Damaskinos, do so in future. The monastery site is on a portion of the farm Vlakplaas, and in the past another part of the farm was used as a place of torture and murder. We hope that the prayers of the people here will cleanse the land of its ugly past. Archbishop Damaskinos has a tour of the monastery site. There is enough land at the site for many different kinds of activities without disturbing the peace of the monastery. Some of the celibate clergy are hoping to live there soon, to restart the monastic life, and help develop the centre. There is room for several different expressions of monastic life, including male and female monasteries, but for the immediate future we hope there will be enough people to reestablish the monastic life in one community. Archbishop Damaskinos giving ikon cards to some of the children who were at the service The parish of St Demetrius has been in existence for some time, and serves those those live to the south and west pf Pretoria, including those at the children's home in Atteridgeville. Eventually it is hoped to build a church in Atteridgeville too, and indeed the foundations have been laid, but in the mean time the congregation in Atteridgeville has readers services, and are brought to St Demetrius by taxi for the Divine Liturgy. With the possibility of more priests living at the monastery, it will also be possible to have more regular services at the parish church of St Demetrius. It is also hoped, with the blessing of Archbishop Damaskinos, to have youth gatherings, to bring together young peoiple from different parishes, and have some teaching on the Orthodox Christiasn faith. It wouold also be a place for people of all ages from different parishes to come together, and Archbishop Damaskinos spoke of the possibility of holding such a celebration later this year. When the Most High came down and confused the tongues He divided the nations but when He distributed the tongues of fire He called all to unity therefore with one voice we glorify the all-holy Spirit (Kontakion for Pentecost) The Monastery of the Descent of the Holy Spirit is a place for people of all nations, and it was fitting that on the feast of the Descnet of the Holy Spirit people of several different nationas and languages gathered. St Demetrius Church, the biggest church at the monastery Please pray for the Archbishop and the Archdiocese of Johannesburg and Pretoria, and for the Holy Community of New Sion, that through their efforts, guided by the Holy Spirit, Orthodox monasticism may be established in southern Africa.

Thousand members of the Dalit Christian community officially get reconverted into Hinduism

Watch the above video here 1,000 Dalit Christians to reconvert to Hinduism in TN T S SREENIVASA RAGHAVAN, TNN, 13 April 2008, 02:15AM IST CHENNAI: Thousand members who belong to Dalit Christian community will officially get reconverted into Hinduism on Monday in Tirunelveli town in a colourful function being organized by Hindu Monks Tamil Nadu Council. This event gains significance in the backdrop March 9 police shootout in which two people were killed when clashes broke out between the members of upper caste Catholics and Dalit Catholics. Speaking to TOI, Hindu Makkal Katchi (HMK) president Arjun Sampath said: "185 families of Dalit Christians will formally return to Hinduism. All of them hail from the interior villages of Tirunelveli district. This event is being organized on the occasion of Ambedkar's birthday." HMK had earlier tried to hold the event at Nellayappar temple in Tirunelveli. However, the HR&CE department which governs the temple refused permission saying that the temple premises could not be used for such purposes. "So, we're now holding the function at Nellai Sangeetha Sabha - which is a private hall", Arjun said. It's learnt the function will start with a ganapathi homam and would be followed by prayaschitha yagam (atonement ritual) and sudhi chadangu (purification rite) "We'll purify all those who return to Hinduism by sprinkling 'ganga theertha' and 'sethu theertha.' We've specially brought waters from Rameshwaram sea and the Ganges for this purpose", Arjun said and added all of them would also be bestowed with holy Hindu names. Further, those who want to follow Saiva cult would be given bhasmam (sacred ash) and a string of rudraksha while the vaishnavite converts would be given namam (tilak) and a string of tulsi. The Dalit Christians who return to Hindu fold would also be given a mantra deeksha (formal initiation) both in Sanskrit and Tamil. HMK has also engaged the services of several notaries who would be present during the re-conversion function. "The members who return to Hindu fold will take an oath before them and sign affidavits. Later, we'll get the conversion certificates from Arya Samaj to get their names changed in the gazette", Arjun said. Depending on the success of this re-conversion, HMK also plans to re-convert 20,000 Christians in Villupuram district. "We'll take it up in August", Arjun said. India has a total 24 million Christian population. Of this Dalit Christians constitute 15 million while tribal Christians account for 3 million. In Tamil Nadu, Dalit Christians complain of discrimination at the hands of upper caste Christians. They have separate burial grounds and seating arrangements. http://t.co/jGoakGy5DS -- Steve Hayes E-mail: shayes@dunelm.org.uk Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com Web: http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm

http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/17/stories/2008031758781000.htm

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-07-10/news/40492343_1_dalits-vanniyar-caste-immanuel-sekaran