Thursday, May 30, 2013

May 31 Tip: Register Now for "Living Beautifully, Being Compassion" Class at Spirituality U.

Register Now for "Living Beautifully: Being Compassion" Class at IPP's New Spirituality U.
(The May 31 Compassionate Living Tip from Interfaith Paths to Peace)


Living Beautifully: Being Compassion  With Vanessa Hurst

The path to engaging compassion is filled with opportunities that allow us to choose a mindful response instead of a gut reaction. Using Pema Chodron’s book, “Living Beautifully with Uncertainty and Change,” participants will learn and practice the three pathways to compassion. The first, committing to not causing harm, provides the foundation. The second, committing to care for one another calls for conscious engage-ment with others and all of creation. The third invites us to be non-attached by accepting the world as it is without judgment. Participants are invited to practice the three ways as a way of being compassion and to have a compassionate stance in all they do.

Here are the full details about all four classes being offer through "Spirituality U":
IPP is pleased to announce that in June it will begin offering non-credit courses through its new, non-credit, "Spirituality University." 
  • We will offer four different classes on compelling topics led by outstanding spiritual leaders from our community.     
  • Each class will meet  for 90 minutes once a week for four consecutive weeks in June.    
  • Classes meet at 7:15 pm. on the same day of the week each week (check the list below to see on which night your class meets)  
  • The classes will meet at Thomas Jefferson Unitarian Church4936 Brownsboro Rd. in Louisville.    
  • The cost is $75 to attend all four sessions of a specific class ($85 if you pay on the night of the first class).
Here are the details:

May 30 Tip: Register Now for "Photography & Spirituality" Class at IPP's Spirituality U.

Register Now for "Photography & Spirituality" Class at IPP's New Spirituality U.
(The May 30 Compassionate Living Tip from Interfaith Paths to Peace)



Photography & Spirituality  With Donald Vish

Participants will be invited to explore the liminal space in which the practice of photography and the beauty of spirituality come together. Participants need not be experienced photographers, but will be encouraged to share in photographic exercises and discussions that explore fundamental concepts of beauty such as the aesthetic concept of “f” (phi), or the Golden Ratio.  Phi occurs repeatedly in the natural world as well as in our greatest works of art and photography. Participants will be encouraged to look for recurring spiritual themes in their own photographic work and that of others, and to consider the ways that photography can serve spiritual purposes.





Here are the full details about all four classes being offer through "Spirituality U":
IPP is pleased to announce that in June it will begin offering non-credit courses through its new, non-credit, "Spirituality University." 
  • We will offer four different classes on compelling topics led by outstanding spiritual leaders from our community.     
  • Each class will meet  for 90 minutes once a week for four consecutive weeks in June.    
  • Classes meet at 7:15 pm. on the same day of the week each week (check the list below to see on which night your class meets)  
  • The classes will meet at Thomas Jefferson Unitarian Church4936 Brownsboro Rd. in Louisville.    
  • The cost is $75 to attend all four sessions of a specific class ($85 if you pay on the night of the first class).
Here are the details:

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

May 29 Tip: Register now for the "Mindfulness for Men" Class at the new Spirituality U.

Register now for the "Mindfulness for Men" Class at the new Spirituality U.
(The May 29 Compassionate Living Tip from Interfaith Paths to Peace)


Mindfulness for Men  With Richard Sisto

Men are invited to join us as we address and explore the male consciousness as it manifests in our current world climate. 

The age old problems of chauvinism, mysogyny, anger and violence will be examined through the practice of one pointed meditation. We will also engage the feminine spiritual quality of true compassion through the study of the Bodhisattvas of compassion, including Avoliketsvara, Kwan Yin and other models of healthy feminine spirituality. Another spiritual practice (sadhana) we will embrace is the art of developing interior solitude that can potentially lead to a union with the ONE reality.

[NOTE: Because of the subject matter, this class is limited to male participants]

 


Here are the full details about all four classes being offer through "Spirituality U":

IPP is pleased to announce that in June it will begin offering non-credit courses through its new, non-credit, "Spirituality University." 

  • We will offer four different classes on compelling topics led by outstanding spiritual leaders from our community.     
  • Each class will meet  for 90 minutes once a week for four consecutive weeks in June.    
  • Classes meet at 7:15 pm. on the same day of the week each week (check the list below to see on which night your class meets)  
  • The classes will meet at Thomas Jefferson Unitarian Church4936 Brownsboro Rd. in Louisville.    
  • The cost is $75 to attend all four sessions of a specific class ($85 if you pay on the night of the first class).
Here are the details:

May 28 Tip: Attend a Vipassana and Yoga Retreat on Saturday with the Venerable Nanda

Attend a Vipassana and Yoga Retreat on Saturday with Buddhist Monk the Venerable Nanda
(The May 28 Compassionate Living Tip from Interfaith Paths to Peace)

Join us for a day-long 

Vipassana Mindfulness Meditation 
Teaching & Yoga Session
Led by The Venerable Nanda, Sri Lankan Buddhist Monk

Saturday, June 1, 2013
9:30 am - 5:30 pm
Louisville Baha'i Center
3808 Bardstown Road

Commemorating (Buddha Purnima or Wesak Day) Birthday, Enlightenment, and Passing away of the Lord Buddha

SUGGESTED DONATION $50-$70 (or whatever you can afford)
Includes Vegetarian lunch

Open to those of any (or no) religious affiliation

To Register call 502-650-0812 or email embilipitiye@yahoo.com
Visit website vipassanameditationlouisville.com


Sunday, May 26, 2013

May 27 Tip: Read driving directions for today's Interfaith Memorial Day Service

Read driving directions for today's Interfaith Memorial Day Service
(the May 27 Compassionate Living Tip from Interfaith Paths to Peace)

If you are driving from a location east of downtown

Do not attempt to drive to the church via the downtown area. 
Streets will be blocked by a bike event.

To reach,

Westwood Presbyterian Church, 
4432 Greenwood Avenue in Louisville

  1. Take I-64 westbound through the downtown area to 1-264
  2. Merge left onto I-264 toward Shively
  3. Travel 2.7 miles and take Exit 3 toward Virginia Avenue/Dumesnil St.
  4. Turn right onto Hale Ave.
  5. Travel 1/2 mile to South 43rd Street.
  6. Turn right onto South 43rd Street and travel 1/4 mile to Greenwood Ave.
  7. Turn left onto Greenwood Avenue
  8.  the Church will Be on your left. [NOTE: Parking is available in a lot behind the church]
About the interfaith Service

This interfaith gathering is unique in that it honors civilian as well as military casualties in all wars that have involved the US. The service will include prayers, readings, reflections and music and will feature chanting for peace by Tibetan monks, a reading of a definition of compassion youth from Louisville's West End, candle lighting for the fallen civilian and military victims of war, music by the Westwood Inspirational Choir, and the traditional Litany of Battles read by Mitzi Friedlander with musical accompaniment by Nancy Harris and Mark Tate.
The Interfaith Service is co-sponsored by: Baha'is of Louisville, Beads on One String, Christ Church Episcopal Cathedral, Drepung Gomang Institute  (Tibetan Buddhists), Friends Meeting (Quakers) of Louisville, Westwood Presbyterian Church, Hindu Temple of Kentucky, Independent Muslims of Louisville, Islamic Cultural Center of Louisville, Jewish Community of Louisville, Kentucky Council of Churches, Louisville Chapter of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, Louisville Sikh Gurudwara, Native American Intertribal Alliance, St. William Catholic Church, U.S. Department of Peace Campaign.

For details call 299-7591 or visit http://paths2peace.org/ 

May 26 Tip: A Guided Meditation on Compassion with Sharon Salzberg

A Guided Meditation on Compassion with Sharon Salzberg
(The May 26 Compassionate Living Tip from Interfaith Paths to Peace)

http://www.soundstrue.com/weeklywisdom/?source=tami-simon&p=1665&category=PP&version=full

“One of my fondest memories of working in the studio,” say Sounds True producer Randy Roark, “was during this recording with Sharon Salzberg. We ended up finishing one of her other projects ahead of schedule. So I told Sharon that we could either take a well-earned day off, or we could use the day to record her favorite guided meditations. What emerged from that impromptu recording was a beautiful meditation retreat with Sharon that became one of my favorite audios from Sounds True. We called the program Guided Meditations for Love and Wisdom. The excerpt I’ve chosen today is a guided meditation on compassion—something that nobody does better than Sharon Salzberg.”


Friday, May 24, 2013

May 25 Tip: Watch a video of Ram Dass speaking about Compassion in Action

Watch a video of Ram Dass speaking about Compassion in Action
(the May 25 Compassionate Living Tip from Interfaith Paths to Peace)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_skjT_uOzyo

 Ram Dass probes deeply into the nature of helping relationships. He suggests that when we see deeply into each human being, no matter how desperate the situation, we are able to honor and learn from them. If we view ourselves as the "helper," we become trapped in the prison of our own self-image -- and this interferes with genuine compassion. 

Ram Dass' own path has led him to look for God in every person and situation. Following this path, his life of service has included working with refugees, with the blind, and with the dying. In this moving, two-part program, he examines the delicate state of awareness in which one acts compassionately for social change while also accepting the world exactly as it is.

Ram Dass (a.k.a. Richard Alpert, Ph.D.) is a spiritual teacher and author of Be Here Now, The Only Dance There Is, The Psychedelic Experience (co-authored with Ralph Metzner , Grist for the Mill (co-authored with Stephen Levine, Journey of Awakening, Miracle of Love and How Can I Help.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

May 24 Tip: The Brain can be trained to be compassionate (according to study)

The Brain can be trained to be compassionate (according to study)
(the May 24 Compassionate Living Tip from Interfaith Paths to Peace)

http://www.news.wisc.edu/21811

Until now, little was scientifically known about the human potential to cultivate compassion — the emotional state of caring for people who are suffering in a way that motivates altruistic behavior.
A new study by researchers at the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the Waisman Center of the University of Wisconsin-Madison shows that adults can be trained to be more compassionate. The report, recentlypublished online in the journal Psychological Science, is the first to investigate whether training adults in compassion can result in greater altruistic behavior and related changes in neural systems underlying compassion.
 

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

May 23 Tip: Watch a one minute video about "Being in Silence"

Watch a one minute video about "Being in Silence"
(the May 23 Compassionate Living Tip from Interfaith Paths to Peace)

http://www.soundstrue.com/weeklywisdom/?source=podcast&p=7799&category=AGM&version=full

We live in a world that values action, movement, and achievement—and often even our times of rest or vacation are overloaded with a long list of things to do. Many people begin spiritual practice with habits of high activity in place, and want to approach meditation from a goal-driven perspective. Adyashanti, the author of Falling into Grace and Spontaneous Awakening, believes that one of the best gifts we can give ourselves is the permission to simply be in silence—not striving, not doing, not even really meditating. In this video clip, he talks about how we can enter this natural and profoundly restorative state of being.



May 22 Tip: Read Pope Francis's views on"Theological Narcissism"

Read Pope Francis's views on"Theological Narcissism"
(the May 22 Compassionate Living Tip from Interfaith Paths to Peace)

http://www.catholicregister.org/youth/ysn-application-2013/item/16065-self-absorption-is-root-of-evils-within-church-future-pope-said

VATICAN CITY - Evils within the church are caused by a self-centeredness and "theological narcissism" that forget to share Christ with people outside of the church, Pope Francis said in the days before his election.
"When the church is self-referential, inadvertently, she believes she has her own light," he said in a summary of a speech he gave to the College of Cardinals before the start of the conclave that ended in his election.
When the church ceases to be "the mysterium lunae," that is, to depend on Christ for receiving and reflecting his -- not its own -- light, the church then "gives way to that very serious evil, spiritual worldliness, which according to (Jesuit Cardinal Henri-Marie) De Lubac, is the worst evil that can befall the church," said then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio.
The church then "lives to give glory only to one another" and not the rest of the world, he said.
The Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, and Vatican Radio published March 27 the future pope's comments, which were in the handwritten outline of the speech he gave during the pre-conclave meetings, called general congregations. The meetings, which ran March 4-11, gave the cardinals a chance to discuss the main challenges facing the church.
Cuban Cardinal Jaime Ortega Alamino of Havana "had been so impressed" by then-Cardinal Bergoglio's speech that he asked for a copy of it, according to Vatican Radio. The radio said Cardinal Ortega received the pope's permission to share the contents of the speech's outline.
The outline said evangelization presupposes that the church does not want to be locked up inside herself, but wants to go "to the peripheries, not only geographically, but also the existential peripheries: the mystery of sin, of pain, of injustice, of ignorance and indifference to religion, of intellectual currents, and of all misery."
"When the church does not come out of herself to evangelize, she becomes self-referential and then gets sick," he wrote, adding a note of reference to St. Luke's Gospel account of Jesus curing the crippled woman on the Sabbath.
In the passage, Jesus is criticized for healing on the Sabbath, the day dedicated to rest. Jesus calls his critics hypocrites, asking why they can interpret the law to allow them to untie and release their animals on the Sabbath and not let a woman be unleashed from the binds of the devil who caused her illness.
The future pope wrote, "The evils that, over time, happen in ecclesial institutions have their root in self-referentiality and a kind of theological narcissism."
"In Revelation, Jesus says that he is at the door and knocks. Obviously, the text refers to his knocking from the outside in order to enter, but I think about the times in which Jesus knocks from within so that we will let him come out," he wrote.
"The self-referential church keeps Jesus Christ within herself and does not let him out," he added.
The pope wrote, "Put simply, there are two images of the church: a church which evangelizes and comes out of herself" by hearing the word of God with reverence and proclaiming it with faith; and "the worldly church, living within herself, of herself, for herself."
"This should shed light on the possible changes and reforms which must be done for the salvation of souls," he wrote.
Then-Cardinal Bergoglio told the College of Cardinals that the next pope "must be a man who, from the contemplation and adoration of Jesus Christ, helps the church to go out to the existential peripheries, that helps her to be the fruitful mother, who gains life from 'the sweet and comforting joy of evangelizing.'"
The College of Cardinals elected Pope Francis, reportedly beyond the two-thirds required, on March 13, on the fifth round of conclave voting.