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Bulletin 65 • Other News • August 2000

The Abbey of Gethsemani trappist, Kentucky

Reverend Damien Thompson, O.C.S.O. (left) was conferred as the Abbot of the Abbey of Gethsemani on May 20th, 2000. The solemn blessing was delivered by the Most Reverend Thomas C. Kelly, O.P., the Archbishop of Louisville. Fr. Damien says of his new responsibilities, “It will take awhile to get used to the travel schedule that has already filled my calendar, even before the Blessing. It’s a new life style, so I ask for your prayers, especially during this transition period.”

Death of Havanpola Ratanasara

Havanapola Ratanasara (left), the Chief Patriarch of the Western Hemisphere for the Sri Lankan Siamese Lineage of the Mahasangha, died May 26, 2000 in his sleep. He was president of the Buddhist Sangha Council of Southern California, President of the College of Buddhist Studies in Los Angeles, Executive President of the American Buddhist Congress, and Co-Chair of the Buddhist-Catholic Dialogue in Los Angeles. The Ven. Dr. Ratanasara’s contribution to the Gethsemani Encounter l996 was entitled: “Dialogue and Unity: A Buddhist Perspective. We remember him fondly and wish his followers peace and compassion as they celebrate this great man’s passing. Brother Kusala, bhikshu writes, “Dr. Ratanasara died yesterday, His passing was peaceful and his teaching extended even into death... I am blessed to have seen him walk his path....”

The Dalai Lama’s Message for the New Millennium 

On January 1, 2000, His Holiness the Dalai Lama gave a message to the world for the new millennium. There follows a short excerpt from this message:

This past century in some ways has been a century of war and bloodshed. If we are to change this trend we must seriously consider the concept of non-violence, which is a physical expression of compassion. In order to make non-violence a reality, we must first work on internal disarmament and then proceed to work on external disarmament. External disarmament will also have to be done gradually, step by step. We must first work on the total abolishment of nuclear weapons and gradually work up to total demilitarization throughout the world. In the process of doing this we also need to work towards stopping the arms trade, which is still very widely practiced because it is so lucrative. When we do all these things, we can then hope to see in the new millennium a year-by-year decrease in the military expenditure of the various nations and a gradual working towards demilitarization.

Human problems will, of course, always remain, but the way to resolve them should be through dialogue and discussion. The new century should be a century of dialogue and discussion rather than one of war and bloodshed.
Book Available in Many Languages

In addition to publishing The Gethsemani Encounter, the Continuum Publishing Group also published a smaller volume containing the presentations that the Dalai Lama made at that encounter. The original English version of this latter book, edited by Donald Mitchell, was entitled Spiritual Advice for Christians and Buddhists. We are happy to report that publishers in many different countries are interested in bringing this out in translation. Continuum has sold foreign-language rights for Italian, German, Dutch, French, Bulgarian, and Croatian translations, and the book has already appeared in some of these languages. It is likely that the book will appear in Spanish and Korean translations as well.

Dr. Frederick Franck

We were recently privileged to receive a packet of information from Dr. Frederick Franck, a well-known artist, who writes that he was encouraged to contact us by some of the things said in an earlier issue of this bulletin about our respect for persons who do not belong to any religion. He notes that thirty-five years ago he built a “trans-religious sanctuary” named Pacem in Terris on his property in Warwick, New York. This sanctuary, named after the great encyclical of Pope John XXIII, draws a constant stream of visitors from May to October each year. Dr. Franck writes that “no one preaches here except J.S. Bach, Telemann, Schubert and their ilk in an annual series of high quality chamber music concerts. The rest of the time, silence reigns.”

His wife Claske and he have kept Pacem in Terris going simply through unsolicited donations. They dedicated the sanctuary not only to Pope John XXIII but also to Albert Schweitzer (on whose staff in Lambarene, Africa, Dr. Franck served as an oral surgeon from 1958-1961) and to the Buddhist sage Daisetz T. Suzuki, who initiated the West into Mahayana Buddhism. The newsletter that Dr. Franck publishes is entitled The Shoestring. Persons interested in receiving it could write to him at 96 Covered Bridge Road; Warwick, NY 10990.

Retreat at Furnace Mountain

On June 9-10, 2000, the Carmelite Monastery of Indianapolis and the Zen Center of the same city co-sponsored a retreat on the theme “How Does One Enter the Silence of the Mountain?” This Buddhist/Catholic program of meditation and prayer was hosted by the monks of Furnace Mountain Zen Monastery in Clay City, Kentucky. The next retreat day has been scheduled for November 4, 2000, and will be held at the Indianapolis Carmelite Monastery. For further information, contact Joyce Janca at 317-924-3856 or by e-mail at jjanca@butler.edu.

Religion and the Power of Healing

From April 28-30, 2000, the Tibetan Cultural Center in Bloomington, Indiana, sponsored a program entitled “Religion and the Power of Healing,” focusing on health and human happiness. On the opening evening, Joelene Bergonzi, a chaplain associated with the Religious Society of Friends, led the participants in a contemplative exercise. This was followed by Silvana Scarinci’s introductory workshop in T’ai Chi Chuan, during which the audience participated in the flowing movements believed to activate one’s energy center.

The next day, Saturday, was marked by a great variety of presentations and practices, including Buddhist chanting and a workshop on Intentional Healing led by David Piser, founder of this movement that has been used during medical procedures, including surgery, during the past seven years. That evening Jerrillee Lucas led the group in meditation and in a series of yoga exercises. Ms. Lucas is a certified yoga therapist who also offers stress-management programs for individuals and groups at five sites in the state of Indiana.

On Sunday afternoon an interfaith panel spoke to “Religion and the Power of Healing.” Geshe Jinpa Sonam, a resident at the Tibetan Cultural Center and a specialist in Tibetan Buddhist philosophy, spoke about reducing the afflictions of hatred and greed through meditation. Sr. Mary Margaret Funk of MID spoke on intercessory prayer and the discernment of spirits as ways from within the Catholic tradition to heal the afflicted. Yusuf Nur, a member of Indiana University’s Islamic Center, gave a short but comprehensive overview of how prayer, fasting and right living as taught in the Islamic tradition heal those who suffer. Rabbi Sue Shifron, director of the Simon Hillel Foundation at Indiana University, gave a compelling talk on the power of prayer and the mindfulness of the healing presence of God from the Jewish tradition. Dr. Diane Kewley-Port, who is president of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Bloomington, gave testimony about how a wholistic, other-centered life benefits both the individual and society.

The weekend ended with a harp concert by Elizbieta Sxmyt from the School of Music at Indiana University. The healing power of music was a perfect conclusion to all the words and interactions that had taken place during the weekend. For more information about events sponsored by the Tibetan Cultural Center of Bloomington see www.tibetancc.com.

Mercy Center Seminar/Retreat Burlingame CA
June 6th-11th, 2000

The program opened Tuesday evening with a keynote by Wayne Teasdale, “Dwelling in the Cave of the Heart.” He focused on the contemplative dimension of an immersion experience in Hindu culture. Russill led the participants in a chants and rituals. Wednesday Sister Mary Margaret Funk presented “Hindu/Christian Dialogue: Light from the East and Experience from the West.” She reflected on how the Christian community can benefit from interaction with Hindu mystics, and the challenges to find expressions in the West to do what the goal of an Ashram does in the East. Judy Walters reflected on her experience with Dom Bede around the topic “An Experience of the Divine Feminine.” Thursday Wayne Teasdale spoke on the topic of his book: The Mystic Heart. He led participants in practice focused on the heart. Friday Bo Lozoff spoke of his way of devotion and service, “The Call To Serve”. Louis Vitale, ofm presented, “Non-violence as a pre-requisite to serve.” Saturday Bonnie Greenwell will focus on the topic: “Moving from Devotion into Direct Experience through Subtle Body Transformation.”

Alzak Amlani complemented that presentation with “The Crucial Role of Diet in the Spiritual Life”. Asha Paul took on the topic of “Personal Ritual in Daily Life” making the home the way of spiritual practice. Olga Luchakova spoke to the way of “Entering the Light Body.” The retreat concluded with Father Bruno Barnhart presiding at Eucharist and giving a presentation on “The Perennial Philosophy and the Gospel Today.”

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