Beginning of Documentation

Beginning of Documentation

Title: Spiritual Response to global Crisis. A six part dialog conducted at St. Ethelburgas from 14 January to 11 February.

Domains covered:

• Environmental Issues {What personal responses to environmental make sense in the context of conscience, faith and effectiveness; How can organizations improve their success on tackling environmental issues; What are the associated human issues to environmental issues}
• Economic Issues {What personal responses to environmental make sense in the context of conscience, faith and effectiveness; How can organizations improve their success on tackling environmental issues; What are the associated human issues to environmental issues}
• Multifaith including no faith {how do different faith/no faith perspectives help one’s understanding?)
• Dialog development (What techniques were used and how? what benefits/issues were encountered? Any developmental suggestions.)

On 14 January 2010 a group of about (20?) participantsby subscription from the general public were led by Justine Huxley at St Ethelburgas Centre for Peace and Reconciliation (an interfaith dialog focused organization) in London to discuss environmental and economic issues in a human and faith context. There were speakers: from various faith based and other organizations.This followed on the heels of the Copenhagen summit on carbon reduction and the credit crisis. Many members felt let down by the outcome at Copenhagen and their ability to make an impact and were seeking to recharge. There was forsoma a sense of information and organization overload and a search for new direction. The speakers and dialog succeeded in clarifying these issues and had a good first pass at suggesting solutions. This dialog would be of especial use to anyone who is seeking direction on how to act effectively on local or global environmental or environmental issues. Although the slant is environmental, there are analogous applications to economic issues. The dialog also highlighted the strengths of an interfaith approach to complex human issues.

Bold italics represent Justine’s introductory outline to individual sessions. Anything in brackets leading by an underlined word like {Question: …} designates an after the fact editorial comment.

Spiritual responses to global crisis

We live in uncertain times surrounded by economic recession and the threat of imminent environmental catastrophe. How do we respond to this spiritually? Are there opportunities within the crisis to change our quality of consciousness and our relationship with life? In this series of dialogues, we invite the wisdom of different faith traditions to bear on these questions, and create a reflective space to explore the inner dimensions of our most pressing global issues.

The series will be similar to a co-operative inquiry process, which means we share responsibility for creating a thoughtful space, and engage with some active tasks, making small agreed changes in our own lives and reporting back.”

Session 1:

Thursday 14 January 6.30pm
How much is enough?
Gandhi said ‘there is enough for every man’s need, but not for his greed’. How do we own up to and transform the materialistic tendencies within ourselves and learn to live more simply? What are the blocks inside us that prevent real change? What effect will reducing our consumerism have on wider society? With Murray Corke (Dharma teacher, Community of Interbeing - the UK Buddhist network practicing Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings – interbeing.org.uk).

Justine opened with an effective icebreaking exercise: scattering environment related pictures for us to select one from and discuss why in pairs. We had a general discussion about what we were looking to get out of the course.{Question: Perhaps in the future make an online questionnaire available beforehand?}

She suggested individuals experiment in a different lifestyle commitment over the six week period and take notes of the experience. It was a good idea with some success, but {issue: not universal adoption (in one case needing more outside time to consider and act upon than available)}. {Improvement: perhaps a list of preset suggestions to get people started; sufficiently detailed advanced instructions; or a simpler exercise?}We followed with a discussion of what led us to subscribe to the series.

Murray Corke related the story of his conversion to Buddhism after example from a Buddhist run boat repair business that fixed his friends boat and sailing ability. He related a Zen principle to try to be present fully with mindfulness of everything happening around oneself and suggested this would be usefully applied to the series topic. Also, our state of mind affects our ability to understand the problem. Mindfulness helps us to see connections between things and in our case environmental and economic issues are human issues. To reinforce this he next related the three natures of perception:

• Parikalpita, literally "fully conceptualized", an inferior constructive reality characterized by a self focused view.
• Paratantra, literally "other dependent", an interdependent reality view where we can see the drivers behind the way we and others are connected.
• Parinispanna, literally "fully accomplished", or Absolute Nature, seeing things as they are in themselves, uninfluenced by any conceptualization at all.

Murray related that Paratantra leads towards Parispanna both equally important goals since to see something in itself one must first appreciate relationships.

Murray explored our need to travel or seek “experience” through an anecdote of an elderly Tibetan woman (living in a village recently opened to tourism.): “Why are these people coming here?Don’t they have a happy home? i.e., if they did,then why would they not stay home and enjoy it when they have time off? {Question: what drives us to seek satisfaction through things or travel?}

Murray had an insightful observation of those in the group disappointed by Copenhagen that the burnout rate of activists is very high as they feel compelled to keep up a pace that cannot be sustained. “One needs to find a sustainable mode of seeking change that is in line with ones own nature and the nature of the challenge”. The issue can be the stress of projecting a viewpoint, positioning to be heard, or worrying about the consequences of failure. “In pursing a vocation it is important that it allows us to live what we believe

Murray showed some hard passion in observing that perhaps “the west” is getting its just desserts from terrorism and a tendency to portray Buddhism as “the way”, but his impact on the group was extremely positive as his wisdom and authenticity were profound and shedlight on how we ourselves can be more authentic and achieve more in line with our own gifts.

Session 2:

Thursday 21 January 6.30pm
Get connected
Western materialism often seems to be based on looking after number one. How can we reorient our thinking away from the individualism that puts ourselves (or our family and our nation) first and move towards a philosophy of true sharing which recognises interconnectedness and reaches out to the humanity of all? How might this look in our everyday lives? With Muzammal Hussain (London Islamic Network for the Environment –

We had a small group discussion followed by wider group sharing of “What are 2 things I do under stress and 2 things I associate with contentment?”

Justine started us with a discussion of our chosen actions and also a group word association exercise focused around the words (me and I?). On a chart we each wrote word associations and discussed what we meant by each addition. Most connotations tended towards the negative like “selfishness” and “greed” but included “vision” and “drive to achieve things in a way that a group could not”, but the consensus was more towards the negative and several actively disagreed that individuals have sufficient judgment to lead well alone. {Questionsfor further consideration: “what role the individual vs. group in making decisions and driving things forward; how can the we and I be more linked; what are some examples of failure and success?}. We then discussed the idea of me and I vs. us and others. This helped see the balance required between them, and the absolute necessity of always keeping in mind the connectedness of what we do and say to what others experience, and the reverse. We had general discussion over the link between excessive consumption and production in some parts of the world and poverty and degradation of the environment as an example of this principle. There was general consensus over this.

Muzammal discussed responses to global crisis. He sees crisis as an opportunity for transformation, but what do we do ourselves: wait for another to start; start, but what can we do? One suggestion is to form small circles of activity connected in groups. Each circle will have a different viewpoint, but share a part of the solution. For instance not everyone is content to have less. In this case people may get turned off feeling that their or other viewpoints are being excluded by groups preaching radical changes in lifestyle, but by looking for common ground there can be progress. He posed that rather than projections of abstinence and the dire consequences of not acting in the “right way” perhaps people need a positive reason to go outside their comfort zone? For instance can a simpler or differently focused life actually make one happier? {Questions for further consideration: “How can people with radically different but caring responses to crisis work together; what process do people need to go through to change or confirm their viewpoint; and how can it be supported; what process can help them be open to the need for seeking answers and listening to other viewpoints?”}

He ended with discussion of engagement with politics focusing in part on individual lifestyle affecting issues. There are many branches of government and one should not assume it is an unmovable monolith. Governments react to challenge. There can be joy in doing and having less since it opens up the present. {Questions for further consideration “How can government be made more responsive to both reacting to and soliciting challenge?”}. {An extension thought: we are usually focused on ourselves and those in our experience, but not of our impact on those wider afield. This being a fundamental change man needs to make}.

Session 3:

Thursday 28 January 6.30pm
Whoa!
Movements like Slow Down London, Just One Day, and the Slow Food Movement testify to a growing urge to counteract the furious pace and information overload of our present culture. How can slowing down help? What is the connection between our relationship with time and our relationship with resources? Rabbi Jeffrey Newman (The Earth Charter, UK - and With Deepa Patel (Slow Down London - slowdownlondon.co.uk).

Rabbi Jeffrey spoke of the Earth Charter - a declaration of fundamental ethical principles for building a just, sustainable and peaceful global society. {The Earth Charter project began as a United Nations initiative, but it was carried forward and completed by a global civil society initiative.It has been endorsed by over 4,500 organizations and governments internationally and is acquiring the status of a soft law document -morally, but not legally, binding on state governments that agree to endorse and adopt them; and often forming the basis for the development of hard law. The mission of the Earth Charter Initiative is to promote the transition to sustainable ways of living and a global society founded on a shared ethical framework that includes respect and care for the community of life, ecological integrity, universal human rights, respect for diversity, economic justice, democracy, and a culture of peace.}. The idea of the Earth Charter is as part of healing work.

He led us on an exercise to find something around the room to appreciate for 15 minutes and meditate on it with conscious breathing and presence. This was a successful exercise to attune us to mindfulness. Jeffrey spoke of a Hebrew bible verse “mineri”, here I am lord or “Yahweh” (with a life is breath connotation) as breathing exercise words he practices and of opening ourselves to the “little god”, the part we are aware of. Finally, he observed that if you want to learn something new you must do something different.

Deepa began with a discussion of her movement which is a combination of seeking mindfulness and slowing down sufficiently to learn what is pleasing to oneself and enjoy more spontaneity in ones surroundings. Events have included a slow motion walk across a bridge or taking a different route to work every day for a week. The slow down movement traces its roots in part to “In Praise of Slowness” by Karl Honore. Elements of “slow” to consider include: right pace, awareness, relishing, and switching off. She took us through a slowness exercise in walking reeeeeaaalllyyy slowly around the room. Some of us were in open rebellion as we like a fast pace, but she responded that is fine if it is the right pace for you not something solely out of stress. The exercise was a success though although the tent a little crowded for the task.

She observed that we use speed as a reaction to death, but it leaves with no time to think. By slowing down we can think and appreciate. “Oh, I’m never going to have this moment again” is a helpful slow thought, leading us to savor what we have or endure hardship knowing that it will end. Her spiritual tips included the sayings “Whatever you are doing, whether you are going this way or that way, stay on your prayer mat” and “God is can be found in places where opposites meet” gave some subtle but deep insight into how a spiritual (or deep conviction response) can give us centering and faith that even the most impossible seeming things are possible. This made a strong impact on the group.

Session 4:

Thursday 4 February6.30pm
A new relationship with creation?
What do our religious traditions tell us about the earth and our relationship with it? Do we relate to God as transcendent or can we believe in the presence of the Divine in everything? How can reawakening our understanding of the earth and physical matter as sacred help to transform our ecological crisis? What might this mean in daily life? With Justine Huxley (Golden Sufi Centre

Justine began with small group then wider dialog covering Faith and its impact on our relationship with the environment.

Justine had asked us to bring a piece of artwork or writing or etc. connected to our view on economic or environmental issues for display at the center of the room. This group exercise was a really successful and even beautiful sharing of many interesting and heartfelt objects and observations. A really good late stage bonding exercise.

She than took us through her Sufi faith and some of her related perspective on crisis issues. Sufi was related as a mystical dimension of Islam, rooted in tradition but shaped by current masters in various denominations including some that draw from other faiths. There is a focus on consciousness of our interconnectedness with the world as a living thing as opposed to others who may see the world as something dead. They see a transcendent nature of things connected in heaven, a “oneness of being”.

She suggested an appreciation of the sacred is no longer present in our everyday life. Perhaps the impact of our understanding of the crisis as a whole will renew spiritual values. There is opportunity in crisis. Opportunity for mindfulness, inner ecology, learning from each other, faster evolution, consciousness where there was none before, and a desire to come together but pave roads to do this.

She had a very insightful observation that in some areas of existence a dominant religion can be an issue (negative), but also it can provide critical mass for real positive depth in other areas.

As an exercise we were to bring next week information on a chosen religions statement on environmental/economic issues. From the reading the asked us to discuss in small groups spoke of

Session 5:

Thursday 11 February 6.30pm

Prayer and hope

How often do we have the experience of watching the news and feeling despair or hopelessness? Within our own individual lives we know from experience that crises can herald change and transformation. How can we engage our spirituality to look for the hope within the despair, and to inhabit more fully our prayers for others and for humanity? (Martin Palmer, Alliance of Religions and Conservation - Baha’ism, Buddhism, Christianity, Daoism, Hinduism,

We began with a presentation on ARC whose mission is to help and encourage faiths to use their far-reaching influence and resources for the widest possible environmental benefit, specifically in six key areas: Land and Assets, Education, Media, Health, Lifestyle and Advocacy. They also help individual faiths develop their own policy on environmental issues based on the faith’s teachings. They currently work with 11 faiths (Baha’i, Buddhism, Christianity, Daoism, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Shintoism, Sikhism, and Zoroastrianism.) and have posted information about each faiths position and responses to environmental issues with links to further information.

Martin ran an exercise where we considered and discussed our contexts on faith, hope, despair and how prayer and hope relate to the environmental crisis. This was an extremely rich exercise for many in the group and sensitized us to the extra dimensions that spiritual responses can bring to what may seem to be secular issues. We also discussed our homework which was to review an assigned faith’s written position on environmental and economic issues (representing a wide variety of faiths) and concluded that Faith demands a response to world problems and separate faiths can work together confidently. There were many enriching aspects of the different faith positions that call us to examine our personal responsibility, equity, actions and also the balance that needs to be struck between necessary damage and inequity,and human and natural rights. Challenge and exchange with other religions enriches ones spirituality.

Regarding prayer we concluded there were tangible and intangible benefits such as the opening of ones perspective, a way of coping with what otherwise might lead to despair. There was a great deal here. Prayer (or directed meditation) are common to virtually all faiths and it can lead to insights, solutions, positive attitude, goodwill, connection, action, and influence on the divine. We can pray for and with other faiths and they can pray for us. Martin echoed other speakers’ observations about a common lifecycle of environmental or movements: first energized with optimism and visions of utopia, then frustration leading to a focus on pending apocalyptic environmental damage. Movements have followed a lifecycle of utopian “join us” visions followed by apocalyptic warnings “repent as the end is near”, with an element of big centralized solutions. These have necessarily failed as “responsibility with no ability” drags us down.

Martin Palmer’s suggestion was through NGO’s (non-government organizations) with a focus on values based approach rather than penalty driven approach. Find goals aligned with greater benefits that give benefits on many fronts, not just a narrow environmental one.