May Focus:
Polynesian & Maori
Spiritual Traditions

Māori - the Polynesian indigenous people of New Zealand

 
Koru: 
shape of a new unfurling silver fern frond 

Maori Beliefs and Culture

Though some of their war tactics have been savage, the Maori are known as a spiritual people who incorporate beliefs and ritual into everyday life. Although some of the beliefs and traditions have been diluted due to outside influence over the last 150 to 200 years, many are still revered and commonly practiced. For example, Maori believe that ancestors and supernatural beings are ever-present and able to help the tribe in times of need. 

Another of the group's foremost beliefs is that everything and everyone are connected and therefore a part of their whakapapa (genealogy). Whakapapa includes genealogies of spiritual and mythological significance, as well as information about the person's tribe and the land he or she lives on. In short, whakapapa tells the story of each person's spiritual and physical existence, traditionally beginning with the arrival of ancestors in canoes and progressing to present-day. The Maori strongly believe future mistakes can only be avoided by acknowledging the errors of the past. The act of reciting whakapapa helps accomplish this noble feat by continually reminding them of past mistakes. 

The Maori also emphasize the importance of mana (honor, prestige, influence, authority, power). They believe in three forms of mana: 

• Mana achieved by birth. This mana comes from the person's whakapapa, and can be attributed to the rank or status of descendents. 

• Mana given by other people. This is more easily understood as recognition for good deeds. Humbleness is particularly appreciated among the Maori.

• Mana of the group. Outsiders who visit or stay with a group influence this type of mana. Mana is increased if they pass along the word that the group treated them well during a stay.

Religious Beliefs The Maori held an essentially spiritual view of the universe. Anything associated with the supernatural was invested with tapu, a mysterious quality which made those things or persons imbued with it either sacred or unclean according to context. Objects and persons could also possess mana, psychic power. Both qualities, which were Inherited or acquired through contact, could be augmented or diminished during one's lifetime. 

"Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you." -Maori Proverb.

Little Spotted Kiwi
Apteryx owenii

Polynesian Religions

As in all aspects of Polynesian religion, human beings are seen as powerful and capable. They are not terrified and overpowered by phenomena of the dead. Inborn talent, trained sensitivity, and education enable them to handle gods and spirits as naturally as they do the winds and the waves. Indeed, Polynesian Christians, living in the same world as their ancestors, often supplement their new religion with such traditional beliefs and practices. The combinations they create are compelling and broadening. The Polynesian's understanding of family as a spiritual power, of deceased family members as continuing sources of love and care, of the closeness and communion of the living and the dead, and of the human being's capacity to manage death as well as life are a genuine contribution to the world.

The yam, or sweet potato, is one of the basic food crops of Polynesia. A number of myths explain the origin of this important food. One Maori myth tells how the god Rongo-maui went to heaven to see his brother Wahnui, the guardian of the yam. Rongo-maui stole the yam, hid it in his clothing, and returned to earth. Soon after, he made his wife, Pani, pregnant, and she later gave birth to a yam, the first on earth. Rongo-maui gave this food to humans.

Read more: Polynesian Mythology - Myth Encyclopedia - god, legend, war, world, creation, life, hero, people, children mythology 

Read more: Polynesian Religions - world, body, life, beliefs, time, person, human Religions 

Wisdom of the Polynesian Tradition

The Huna tradition represents a unique expression of indigenous wisdom emerging from the secret teachings of the ancient Polynesian culture of Hawaii and the South Seas islands. All these island cultures are linked by a common root language, common mythology, shared shamanistic practices and similar approaches to everyday relating, commerce, health and community. The Huna path in its broadest scope represents a remarkable approach to life, grounded in insights linked to the deepest origins of humankind, yet applicable directly to our current society.

When we look closely at the two short Polynesian words that make up the word huna, we gain instant insight into the deeper nature of the Huna wisdom tradition. First of all, in this ancient language, hu refers to all things "masculine," while na refers to all things " feminine." Thus the word huna is a verbal expression of the primary creative act of merging the world's energy poles into one living whole, just as the Chinese express it through the yin-yang symbol. Depending on the context, we also find that hu refers to action, movement, chaos, change, or power ... while na refers to the qualities of order, calm, peace, and endurance. 

Thus, the underlying nature of hu-na is the practice, in all dimensions, of bringing our different aspects into a greater harmony and balance so that we become whole spiritual beings, capable of potent material manifestation and compassionate relating. 

One of the greatest discoveries of the ancient kahunas, master of huna, was that love works better than anything else as a tool for effective action. Because love implies being in harmony with the world, a truly loving intent is the most powerful spiritual force the world can know. 

The Hawaiian word for love is the well-known term aloha. Traditionally, the word aloha meant "the joyful sharing of life in the present moment," or equally, "our hearts are singing together." When we understand alo as meaning "to be with" and oha as meaning "happiness" - the deeper intent of the word becomes clear. 

Furthermore, the core term ha means "breath of life." When combined with alo, the meaning of alo-ha becomes "to be joyful together and filled with the breath of life."

Spiritual Book Club   club details 
Thursday May 9:  Endurance for Life by Macfarlane Burnet 
Thursday Jun 13: An Irish Country Girl by Patrick Taylor 
  Consider writing a short article for Spirit is Our River on your book club experience.    Book Club timing for different time zones 

Songs from the Heart CD hear samples and order yours.

April Focus:

Baha'i

Spiritual Tradition

Symbols Clockwise: (top) Baha'i, Islam, Christianity, Judaism, 
Jainism, Shinto, Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism

Nine-pointed Star 

A simple nine-pointed star is generally used by Baha'is as a symbol of their Faith. The number nine has special significance in the Baha'i Revelation.

The word "Baha" (Arabic for “Glory”) corresponds to the number nine in the Arabic system of numerology, known as the Abjad system. Nine years after the announcement of the Bab in Shiraz, Baha’u’llah received the intimation of His mission in the dungeon in Tehran.

Nine, as the highest single-digit number, symbolizes completeness. As the Baha'i Faith claims to be the fulfillment of the expectations of all prior religions, this symbol, as used, for example, in nine-sided Baha'i Houses of Worship, reflects that sense of fulfillment and completeness.

Core Beliefs

The principle of the oneness of humankind 
is the pivot around which all the teachings of Baha'u'llah revolve.

Baha'u'llah taught that humanity, after a long and turbulent adolescence, 
is at last reaching a stage of maturity in which unity in a global 
and just society finally can be established. 

To this end, the Baha'i Faith prescribes laws of personal morality and behavior, as well as social laws and principles, to establish the oneness of humanity.

Angels in Training

"Array yourselves in the perfection of divine virtues. 
I hope you may be quickened and vivified by the breaths of the Holy Spirit. 
Then shall ye indeed become the angels of heaven whom Christ promised 
would appear in this Day to gather the harvest of divine planting."

   'Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 7

Baha'is Believe
" We must investigate truth for ourselves, without preconceptions.
One of the main sources of conflict in the world today 
is the fact that many people blindly and uncritically 
follow various traditions, movements, and opinions.
   Bahá’u’lláh emphasizes the fundamental obligation 
of human beings to acquire knowledge 
with their "own eyes and not through the eyes of others."
www.bahai.org/ 

Ways to Promote Unity

Recognize the essential nobility of the human soul - many of 
the symptoms of racism are a result of either projecting or internalizing 
feelings of unworthiness - when we like ourselves, we fear less need to hate or fear others;

Develop a personal awareness of the Oneness of Humanity 
as a spiritual and scientific reality; 

Read the Holy Writings of the world's religions - including the Bible, Koran 
and the Baha'i writings - and pray for guidance every day.

Backbiting

The founder enjoined his followers to “regard backbiting as grievous error, 
and keep … aloof from its dominion, inasmuch as 
backbiting quenches the light of the heart, and extinguishes the life of the soul.”

 Comparison Chart: Baha'i, Islam, Christianity, Judaism 
Major world religions  

March Focus:
Islamic
Spiritual Tradition

Six Articles of Faith

Muslim doctrine is often summarized in "Six Articles of Faith." According to this list, to be a Muslim one must believe in:

1. One God
2. The angels of God
3. The books of God, especially the Qur'an
4. The prophets of God, especially Muhammad
5. The Day of Judgment (or the afterlife)
6. The supremacy of God's will (or predestination)
   
   This list is sometimes shortened to Five Articles of Faith, which leaves 
   off belief in the supremacy of God's will.

See Through the Illusions

God made the illusion look real and the real an illusion. 
He concealed the sea and made the foam visible, the wind invisible, and the dust manifest. 
You see the dust whirling, but how can the dust rise by itself? 
You see the foam, but not the ocean. 
Invoke Him with deeds, not words; 
For deeds are real and will save you in the infinite-life.
- Rumi

Peacemaking

Shall I not inform you of a better act than fasting, alms, and prayers? Making peace between one another: enmity and malice tear up heavenly rewards by the roots.

Do you know what is better than charity and fasting and prayer? It is keeping peace and good relations between people, as quarrels and bad feelings destroy mankind.

-the Prophet Muhammad

Islam Daily Prayers

Perhaps the most well known Muslim practices among non-Muslims is ritual prayer, or salat, which is performed five times each day: at dawn, midday, afternoon, sunset and evening. Prayer is always directed in the direction of the Ka'ba shrine in Mecca. A prayer mat, sajjada, is commonly used during salat. Salat may be performed individually, but it carries special merit when done with other Muslims. The focal prayer of the week is the midday prayer at the mosque on Fridays. Salat must always be preceded by ablutions of ritually washing the face, hands, and feet. This can be done with sand when water is not available. At the five appointed times, a muezzin announces a call to prayer traditionally from a mosque's minaret. The words of the shahada feature heavily in the call to prayer:

God is most great 
I bear witness there is no god but God 
I bear witness Muhammad is the 
prophet of God 
Come to prayer 
Come to wellbeing 
Prayer is better than sleep 
God is most great 
There is no God but God 

Reality of Angels

In common folklore, angels are thought of as good forces of nature, hologram images, or illusions. Western iconography sometimes depicts angels as fat cherubic babies or handsome young men or women with a halo surrounding their head. In Islamic doctrine, they are real created beings who will eventually suffer death, but are generally hidden from our senses.

They are not divine or semi-divine, and they are not God's associates running different districts of the universe. Also, they are not objects to be worshipped or prayed to, as they do not deliver our prayers to God. They all submit to God and carry out His commands. 

In the Islamic worldview, there are no fallen angels: they are not divided into 'good' and 'evil' angels. Human beings do not become angels after death. Satan is not a fallen angel, but is one of the jinn, a creation of God parallel to human beings and angels. 

Angels were created from light before human beings were created, and thus their graphic or symbolic representation in Islamic art is rare. Nevertheless, they are generally beautiful beings with wings as described in Muslim scripture. 

Angels form different cosmic hierarchies and orders in the sense that they are of different size, status, and merit. The greatest of them is Gabriel. The Prophet of Islam actually saw him in his original form. Also, the attendants of God's Throne are among the greatest angels. They love the believers and beseech God to forgive them their sins. They carry the Throne of God, about whom the Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, said: 

"I have been given permission to speak about one of the angels of God who carry the Throne. The distance between his ear-lobes and his shoulders is equivalent to a seven-hundred-year journey." (Abu Daud)

Sufism

Sufi mystics of Turkey and Persia and whirling is one of their modes of worship. Sufism got its content and rituals from Islam, but also picked up elements from older religious practices. Sufism developed gradually in early Islam, but there is little proof of real Sufism before 800 AD. Today there are some five million Sufis, mostly in Egypt and Sudan

Whatever we perceive in the world around us tends to reflect who we are 
and what we care about most deeply, as in the old saying, 
"When a thief sees a saint, all he sees are his pockets." 

- Robert Frager, 
Heart, Self & Soul, The Sufi Psychology of Growth, Balance and Harmony"

“There are only two ways to live your life. 
One is as though nothing is a miracle. 
The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

-Albert Einstein

“Trust yourself. 
Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life. 
Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility 
into flames of achievement.”

-Golda Meir, fourth Prime Minister of Israel

Interconnected

"The life of all creatures and our own lives are One; 
profoundly dependent upon each other.... 
We call our ancient scroll of wisdom, the Torah, a 'tree of life', 
for it, like Earth's great forests sustains us. 
Torah teaches that creation, in its great diversity, 
is harmoniously interconnected. 
Like the trees, we too need strong deep roots for nourishment. 
The uplifted branches of trees point to our future. 
The Psalmist was right when he said, 
'like a tree planted by the waters, we shall not be moved.'" 

- Rabbi Warren G. Stone

Jewish Kabbalah Wisdom
Your deep soul hides itself from consciousness. So you need to increase aloneness, elevation of thinking, penetration of thought, liberation of mind - until finally your soul reveals itself to you, spangling a few sparkles of her lights.

 -from "The Essential Kabbalah", Daniel C. Matt, ed., 1996 amazon 

Inner Wisdom & Daily Experiences

Spiritual teachers ultimately agree that true wisdom does not come from outside of us, but from within. And it does not come from within because we want it.  It comes when we live in a way that invites wisdom. It comes through direct experience....

We can learn about the spiritual experiences of others, or we can bring meaningful practice into our own daily lives. We can learn about mysticism, or we can practice being mystics.

-from "God is a Verb: Kabbalah and the Practice of Mystical Judaism," 
by Rabbi David A. Cooper   book  amazon 

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; 
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: 
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: 
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Psalms 23

January Focus:
Christian
Spiritual Traditions

       
Traditional Christian Symbols

Jesus founded the Church through the apostle Peter. After a thousand years there was a major split into the Roman Catholic Church in Rome and the Eastern Orthodox Church in Constantinople that is known as The Great Schism (1054AD). 

The Roman Catholic Pope was considered to speak for God and could be infallible. The Orthodox Pope was considered to be an elected representative of the Church. There are many other differences as well.

  Orthodox Cross of the Eastern Orthodox Church

Creating Change from within the Church
Francis of Assisi founded the Franciscan Order within the Roman Catholic Church. Now known as Saint Francis of Assisi (1181 –1226) he was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher. He founded the men's Franciscan Order, the women’s Order of St. Clare, and the Third Order of Saint Francis for men and women not living monastic lives. The Franciscans are active today: Conventional Franciscans

Traditional painting of Saint Francis with animals

The Tau Cross of St Francis Francis used the TAU in his writings, painted in on the walls and doors of the places where he stayed, and used it as his only signature on his writings

St Francis with animals

The Reformations below created change, but broke with the Roman Catholic Church.

The Protestant Reformation

About 500 years after the Great Schism Martin Luther (monk, priest and Professor of Theology ) saw that the Roman Catholic Church had strayed in too many ways from its own purpose and published his 95 Theses by legendarily nailing them on the front door of the church. His founding of the Lutheran Church in 1517 started the Protestant Reformation. Soon other denominations were formed: the Mennonites (1537), Amish (1693), Quakers (1648), Presbyterians (1560) and Baptists (1609). Martin Luther changed many aspects of religious practice such as:

God speaks to directly to Individuals: An individual wanting spiritual guidance as a Catholic must seek it from a priest and the church teachings and the Bible was read and interpreted by priests, not individuals. In Protestantism the individual could read the Bible and determine his own answers. The new technology of the printing press, made famous by printing the Gutenberg Bible (first in 1450), made private ownership of Bibles possible and affordable.

Salvation is Free. Luther taught that the path to salvation is not earned by good deeds but received only as a free gift of God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Many religions differ on the role of good deeds on the spiritual growth of the individual.

The Bible Speaks to each person. He challenged the Roman Catholic Church by teaching that the Bible is the only source of divinely revealed knowledge, and considered all baptized Christians to be a holy priesthood. He translated the Bible from the esoteric Latin into a common language Bible so individuals could read it themselves. His hymns introduced singing into the churches. He said Protestant priests can marry.

The English Reformation

Emboldened by Martin Luther seventeen years later, King Henry VIII of England,  when he could not get the Roman Pope to grant him a divorce, formed his own Anglican Church in 1534 which later branched into the Congregational Church (1582), Episcopal Church (1607) and Methodists (1738). Divorce was allowed. There were other major  differences that caused the break-apart.

Today the major branches of Protestantism are called Anabaptist, Anglican and Episcopal, Baptist, Congregational, Lutheran, Methodist, Pentecostal, Quaker, Reformed (Calvinism). Branches of Christianity chart-1  chart-2  denominations

Traveling Clergy and Revival Camps - A Great Awakening

The early "circuit riders" were traveling clergy who rode between small towns, set up small study groups in homes, sang hymns, pray for healing and read the Bible. These traveling riders also taught reading in areas of no schools, so families could read the Bible between his visits and get direct inspiration for themselves. They also promoted his next month visit and the next regioinal Camp Meeting.

"No family was too poor, no house too filthy, no town too remote, and no people too ignorant to receive the good news that life could be better."

The frontier Camp Meetings of the 1700s and 1800s in the southern states were organized by Methodists the Baptists. People would travel and camp for a week at these regional spiritual mega-events which featured many preachers and attracted up to 10-25 thousand regional settlers during that week. 
This period of time was called the Second Great Awakening.

Technique: read these last 3 paragraphs using "spiritual leader" in place of "traveling clergy" and see what insights are gained. 

Watch here for other topics on Christianity, e.g.
Books and authors on these topics
Women in Christianity: Saints, Church founders, Founders of Orders
Religious Knowledge Quiz
The denominations page will show distinctive denominational differences

Spiritual Book Club   club details 

New selections for starting 2013 

December Focus:
Buddhist
Spiritual Tradition

 visit our Buddhist page

About the Mayan "End of the World Calendar" 
Solstice of December 21, 2012
--- 
What Would Buddha Say?

Let us rise up and be thankful, 
for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, 
and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, 
and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; 
so, let us all be thankful.
-Buddha

The Road to Truth

There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; 
not going all the way, 
and not starting.
-Buddha

Doubt vs Certitude

There is nothing more dreadful than the habit of doubt. 
Doubt separates people. 
It is a poison that disintegrates friendships and breaks up pleasant relations. 
It is a thorn that irritates and hurts; it is a sword that kills. 
-Buddha

Sharing Happiness

Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, 
and the life of the candle will not be shortened. 
Happiness never decreases by being shared
- Buddha

Pure Thoughts & Happiness

If a man speaks or acts with pure thoughts,
happiness follows him
like a shadow that never leaves.
    - Buddha

Happiness cannot be found through great effort and willpower, 
but is already there in relaxation and letting go. 
-Lama Gendun Rinpoche

Blessings and Healing

 By the power of every moment of your goodness,
may all dangers be averted and all disease be gone.
May no obstacles come across your way.
May you enjoy fulfillment and long life.

For all in whose heart dwells respect,
Who follow the wisdom and compassion of the Way,
may your life prosper in the four blessings
of old age, beauty, happiness and strength.

-from a Buddhist Traditional Blessing and Healing Chant

See Clearly

"If we could see 
the miracle of a single flower clearly, 
our whole life would change." 
- Buddha

Every Day, Think as You Wake Up ...

Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, 
I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. 
I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, 
to expand my heart out to others; 
to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. 
I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, 
I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. 
I am going to benefit others as much as I can.

-Dalai Lama XIV

 visit our Buddhist page

Buddha's Birthday - A Holiday

The holiday that is fairly universal in the Buddhism countries is for the celebration of the birth of Buddha, 2,500 years ago.  This date is called Buddha day. Traditionally, Buddha's Birthday is known as Vesak or Visakah Puja (Buddha's Birthday Celebrations). Vesak is the major Buddhist festival of the year as it celebrates the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha on the one day, the first full moon day in May, except in a leap year when the festival is held in June. This celebration is called Vesak being the name of the month in the Indian calendar.

Buddhist Festivals are always joyful occasions. Typically on a festival day, lay people will go the the local temple or monastery and offer food to the monks and take the Five Precepts and listen to a Dharma talk. In the afternoon, they distribute food to the poor to make merit, and in the evening perhaps join in a ceremony of circumambulation of a stupa three times as a sign of respect to the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha. The day will conclude with evening chanting of the Buddha's teachings and meditation.

Buddhist New Year

New Year is the Buddhist countries of Sri Lanka are based on the Lunar Calendar and occurs in different months according to the culture. In Theravadin countries, Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Laos, the new year is celebrated for three days from the first full moon day in April. In Mahayana countries the new year starts on the first full moon day in January. However, the Buddhist New Year depends on the country of origin or ethnic background of the people. As for example, Chinese, Koreans and Vietnamese celebrate late January or early February according to the lunar calendar, whilst the Tibetans usually celebrate about one month later.

November Focus:
Hindu
Spiritual Traditions

Be the change you wish to see.
Mahatma Gandhi
(attributed to Gandhi wikipedia)

OM Meditation - Hindu 
20 minutes of OM
Get comfortable and be transported

I am a spirit living in a body. 
I am not the body. 
The body will die, but I shall not die. -Swami Vivekananda

Live as if you were to die tomorrow. 
Learn as if you were to live forever.
-Mahatma Gandhi

Acting without Effort 
(Diminishing Will, Letting Be, Wu Wei)

The Tao Te Ching allude to "diminishing doing" or "diminishing will" as the key aspect of the sage's success. Taoist philosophy recognizes that the Universe already works harmoniously according to its own ways; as a person exerts their will against or upon the world they disrupt the harmony that already exists. This is not to say that a person should not exert agency and will. Rather, it is how one acts in relation to the natural processes already extant. The how, the Tao of intention and motivation, that is key.

The Sage is occupied with the unspoken and acts without effort.
Teaching without verbosity,
producing without possessing,
creating without regard to result,
claiming nothing, the Sage has nothing to lose.
-Tao Te Ching

Wu Wei has also been translated as "creative quietude," or the art of letting-be.

As one diminishes doing - here 'doing' means those intentional actions taken to benefit us or actions taken to change the world from its natural state and evolution - one diminishes all those actions committed against the Tao, the already present natural harmony.
-- more on Wu wei

Yama: 10 Basic Human Values in Hinduism
#7 Madhuryam: A Hindu believes in possessing sweetness of disposition and a pleasing and pleasant personality. He is not rude or impolite and comes across as a balanced and likeable person

 Visit our Hindu page

October Focus:
Taoism
The Taoist Spiritual Tradition

Lao Tzu's ancient text still resonates today. The Tao Te Ching was written by Lao-tzu at the end of the sixth century B.C.

All the world knows beauty, but if 
that becomes beautiful, 
this becomes ugly.

 -Tao Te Ching

WCF page on Taoism

Weekly meditation: 
Happiness is like manna; it is to be gathered in grains, and enjoyed every day. 
It will not keep; it cannot be accumulated; 
nor have we got to go out of ourselves or into remote places to gather it, 
since it has rained down from a Heaven, at our very door.
- Tryon Edwards

We are never complete and our experience and situation are partial... Rather than searching for some center, we become effective in action - wise - by looking out and enlarging our perspective.  Indeed, life is a process of developing our perspective in conversation, creating and expanding ourselves by experimenting with others' experiences as well.
-from Wu-Weifarer, Daoist Quotes

Daoism, an Ancient Chinese spiritual philosophy. The tradition holds that all beings and things are fundamentally one. Daoism's focuses on nature and the natural order of things. Taoists strongly promote health and vitality, the pizzaz of life.  Development of virtue is one's chief task. The Three Jewels to be sought are compassion, moderation and humility.

The highest good is like water.
Water gives life to the ten thousand things and does not strive.
It flows in places men reject and so is like the Tao.

In dwelling, be close to the land.
In meditation, go deep in the heart.
In dealing with others, be gentle and kind.
In speech, be true.
In ruling, be just.
In business, be competent.
In action, watch the timing...

-from the Tao Te Ching

Tai Chi

There is a long history of involvement by Taoists in various exercise and movement techniques. Tai chi in particular works on all parts of the body. It "stimulates the central nervous system, lowers blood pressure, relieves stress and gently tones muscles without strain. It also enhances digestion, elimination of wastes and the circulation of blood. Moreover, tai chi's rhythmic movements massage the internal organs and improve their functionality." Traditional Chinese medicine teaches that illness is caused by blockages or lack of balance in the body's "chi" (intrinsic energy).

 - from religioustolerance.org

Here are 3 YouTube videos:
An Introduction To Tai Chi Tai Chi: Introduction -p/o the women's fitness video series by GeoBeats

Tai Chi---Morning exercise     

Simple Tai Chi Part 1  

September Focus:
Native American
Spiritual Traditions

Wakan Tanka, Great Mystery, teach me how to trust my heart,
my mind, my intuition, my inner knowing,
the senses of my body, the blessings of my spirit.
Teach me to trust these things
so that I may enter my Sacred Space
and love beyond my fear,
and thus Walk in Balance
with the passing of each glorious Sun.
~ Lakota Prayer

Be Alive

Death is not the biggest fear we have;
our biggest fear is taking the risk to be alive –
the risk to be alive and express what we really are.

- Miguel Ángel Ruiz

One Rendition of the Native American's Ten Commandments:

The Ten Commandments, Version 1
1. The Earth is our Mother; care for Her
2. Honor all your relations.
3. Open your heart and soul to the Great Spirit.
4. All life is sacred; treat all beings with respect.
5. Take from the Earth what is needed and nothing more.
6. Do what needs to be done for the good of all.
7. Give constant thanks to the Great Spirit for each day.
8. Speak the truth but only for the good in others.
9. Follow the rhythms of Nature.
10. Enjoy life's journey; but leave no tracks.

A Great Legacy

The Native American culture has provided a great legacy. One of the contribution made from the history Mohawk Native tribe was the creation of the Haundenosaunee Confederacy. From this form of government came the concepts of constitutional government and representative democracy.

Under this government a law was passed, called the Great Law of Peace and Good Mind that upholds principles of kinship, woman’s leadership, and the value of the widest community consensus 

It is believed that some of the early American leaders studies the Confederacy and this particular law and used it as a basis for setting up the American government. 

Happy Spiritual 
New Year! 
Theme: Successes of Now

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August Focus:
Mayan
Spiritual Traditions

Toltec Wisdom: The Four Agreements 
 as popularized by Don Miguel Riuz in his book The Four Agreements

1. Be Impeccable with your Word: Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the Word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your Word in the direction of truth and love.

2. Don't Take Anything Personally: Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

3. Don't Make Assumptions: Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

4. Always Do Your Best: Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.

The Ancient Maya
The Maya occupied a vast area covering southeast Mexico and the Central American countries of Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador. Mayan culture began to develop in the Pre-Classic period, around 1000 B.C. and was at its heyday between 300 and 900 A.D. The Maya are well known for their writing, of which a great part can now be read, as well as for their advanced mathematics, astronomy and calendrical calculations. Many people know of the Mayan calendar and that it is said to end in Dec. 2012 causing speculation that time is the end of the world as we know it.
The Maya had a complex religion with a huge pantheon of gods. In the Mayan worldview, the plane on which we live is just one level of a multi-layered universe made up of 13 heavens and nine underworlds. Each of these planes is ruled by a specific god and inhabited by others. Hunab Ku was the creator god and various other gods were responsible for forces of nature, such as Chac, the rain god.
Archaeologists today generally believe that a combination of elements brought about the collapse of the Mayan empire, probably brought on by severe drought and deforestation. Even though the ancient cities are gone, there are many Mayan descendents in the central Americas today. Present-day Mayan religion is a colorful hybrid of Catholicism and ancient beliefs and rituals.

Mayan Law of Time
The law of time affirms that by the nature of the universal timing frequency the  world  is one life.  It is only humankind who has chosen separation.  This spearationis reinforced by separate in time, living by the clock and irregular measure of the Gregorian calendar keep the world from being One life.
We are at a time when our traditional thought structures are crumbling, crating an opening for a new and lighter energy to emerge.  In this time of massive change, we are being called to transform ourselves from the inside out.  2012 marks the year of the Great self-transformation.  This means a willingness to surrender our conditional historical personality and concepts about  the universe in order to embody a higher truth.  We have had intimations and intuitions and  peripheral visions of greater realities, but now is the time to access these dimensions and expand our awarness of the vast reality that we inhabit. -- Catherine Bean Weser --

Mayan End Age 12-21-2012

Mayan Calendar "An Apocalypse (Greek: "lifting of the veil" or "revelation") is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted." - Wikipedia 

"Both the Hopis and Mayans recognize that we are approaching the end of a World Age... In both cases, however, the Hopi and Mayan elders do not prophesy that everything will come to an end. Rather, this is a time of transition from one World Age into another. The message they give concerns our making a choice of how we enter the future ahead. Our moving through with either resistance or acceptance will determine whether the transition will happen with cataclysmic changes or gradual peace and tranquility. The same theme can be found reflected in the prophecies of many other Native American visionaries from Black Elk to Sun Bear."-
- Joseph Robert Jochmans

Many scholars believe that the ancient Maya's influenced the Native American tribes of North America.  According to author, John Heinerman, PHD, in his book " Spiritual Wisdom of the Native Americans" .  Native American tribes undoubtedly developed their agriculture, pyramidal mounds, ceramic art, and other evidences of culture though influences of the Maya. Artifacts found in a cave in southern USA bare a striking resemblance to Maya artifacts found in Mexico and Guatemala.  the Maya culture had a tremendous respect for the role of women in the society and the family structure was revered.  Raising of children as community effort and revering of ancestors are found in most Native American tribes and may have found the roots from the Maya culture

The ancient Mayan civilization understood the universal principles that create and sustain the world. These “first principles” underlie the physical laws that modern science has used to create technological miracles, but the first principles of Mayan sacred science embraced a much larger universe in which human beings were seen to be multidimensional and capable of traveling beyond time and space, beyond the confines that limit modern science with its “laws” that are valid only in the physical three-dimensional plane. But human beings, with our capacity for supra-sensory spiritual vision, are more than three-dimensional.

July Focus:
Aboriginal
Spiritual Traditions

Australian Aborigines at the Olympics

Aboriginal Spirituality and Beliefs

Aboriginal spirituality is relating to indigenous groups in Australia. Aboriginal spirituality is inextricably linked to land, "it's like picking up a piece of dirt and saying this is where I started and this is where I'll go. The land is our food, our culture, our spirit and identity."

Dreamtime and Dreaming are not the same thing. Dreaming is the environment the Aboriginal people lived in and it still exists today "all around us".  None of the hundreds of Aboriginal languages contains a word for "time".

The Creation Period - The Dreamtime

Similar to other religions, there was a time in Aboriginal belief when things were created. This "Creation Period" was the time when the Ancestral Beings created landforms, such as certain animals digging, creating lagoons or pushing up mountain ranges, or the first animals or plants being made. The Aboriginal word for this Creation Period varies throughout Australia. Aboriginal people often interpret dreams as being the memory of things that happened during this Creation Period. Dreams are also important because they can be a time when we are transformed back into that ancestral time. This linking of dreams to the Creation Period has led people to adopt the general term "The Dreamtime" in order to describe the time of creation in their religion. The term "Dreamtime" in Aboriginal mythology is not really about a person having a dream, but rather, a reference to this Creation Period.

Australian Aboriginal Funerals

They have no regular hour of burial. The body is placed in a grave about four feet deep, generally in a sitting posture facing the direction of its birthplace, and is covered over with paper bark. Then the grave is filled in with earth. If the deceased has been a good warrior they encircle the grave with boughs and decorated with a few relies. All men attending the burial are in war paint, and on some occasions, the body is similarly dressed. If the deceased has been a good sportsman they often place his body among the rocks, and after a time his family circle gather and keep in their possession his small bones, which are supposed to impart to them his skill in hunting. 

The near relations, as a semblance of mourning, refrain from eating fish or kangaroo, unless the latter is a very small one. This they call being "Chadgie" until the season has passed, when one of the elders terminates the observance by rubbing them across the mouth with a piece of kangaroo flesh, when the fast is broken. 

  
Stone piles representing two moieties. Photo: David M. Welch

Moietie Throughout Australia, the moiety system divides all the members of a tribe into two groups, based on a connection with certain animals, plants, or other aspects of their environment. A person is born into one or other group and this does not change throughout their life. A person belonging to one moiety has to marry a person of the opposite moiety. This is called an "exogamous" system, meaning that marriage has to be external to the group. 

The Mother-in-Law Rule
 The ban on speaking to one's mother in law

Aboriginal custom all over Australia bans a person from talking directly to their mother in law. This rule applies to both men and women talking to their mother in law. Perhaps this rule was developed to overcome such a common cause of friction in families, when a husband or wife has to endure many years of disagreement or argument from their mother in law! To allow this rule to work, communication took place via a third person. So, if you wanted your mother in law to do something for you, you might ask your spouse or another person: "Please ask your mother (so and so) to do (so and so) for me". 

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Symbol of Majesty and Supremacy of God

Traditional African medicine is a holistic discipline involving indigenous herbalism and African spirituality, typically involving diviners, midwives, and herbalists. Practitioners of traditional African medicine claim to be able to cure various and diverse conditions. 

Diagnosis is reached through spiritual means and a treatment is prescribed, usually consisting of an herbal remedy that has not only healing abilities, but symbolic and spiritual significance. 

Traditional African medicine, with its belief that illness is not derived from chance occurrences, but through spiritual or social imbalance, differs greatly from Western medicine, which is technically and analytically based. In the 21st century, modern pharmaceuticals and medical procedures remain inaccessible to large numbers of African people due to their relatively high cost and concentration of health centers in urban centers. In recent years, African medical practitioners have acknowledged that they have much to learn from traditional medical practice.

In an instant illumination can be achieved, 
it is as easy as turning on a light, 
the problem is finding the switch in the dark.

-Moroccan Proverb

African religion has ceremonies that mark the milestones in life just like any other religion: One type of ceremony is a baptism type ceremony. 

Consider the state of your life before you name a child.
-proverb, Yoruba of Nigeria

Choosing a child's name is a very important matter in all African cultures. This ceremony marks the infant's rites of passage. In many parts of Africa it is believed that the name parents give an infant can determine the child's success in life. They value highly family and family history - thus African naming is a family affair. The ritual contains 3 components:

1. They are a spiritual package reconnecting the living with their ancestors. A newborn baby may be named for a family trait - the practice reconnects the clan with its past. 

2. They are a social commentary about who you are and what your family is about. 

3. They reflect the hopes and aspirations of the family. Names given to off spring tend to reflect a desire for them. 

For it's through our names that we first place ourselves in the world. 
Our names, being the gift of others, must be made our own. 
They must become our mask and our shields and 
the containers of all those values and traditions 
which we learn and/or image 
as being the meaning of our familiar past.

-Ralph Ellison

African Wedding Ceremonies

In marriage ceremonies, there are as many traditions as there are different tribes and cultures. Here are two examples of unique traditions. 

Wedding Traditions of the Woyo People - Congo/Zaire

Marriage is a key moment that follows immediately after initiation among many peoples because both events serve to break the bonds of the individual with childhood and the unmarried state, and to reintegrate the individual into the adult community. 

Among the Woyo people, a young woman is given a set of carved pot lids by her mother when she marries and moves to her husband's home. Each of the lids is carved with images that illustrate proverbs about relations between husband and wife. 

If a husband abuses his wife in some way or if the wife is unhappy, she serves the husband's supper in a bowl that is covered with a lid decorated with the appropriate proverb. She can make her complaints public by using such a lid when her husband brings his friends home for dinner.

Kola Nuts

The kola nut is most often used for medicinal purposes in Africa. It is also essential in most African weddings. The kola nut symbolizes the couple's willingness to always help heal each other. In Nigeria, the ceremony is not complete until a kola nut is shared between the couple and their parents. Many African-American couples incorporate the sharing of a kola nut into their ceremonies, and then keep the nut in their home afterwards as a reminder to always work at healing any problems they encounter.

Reference: religious map of Africa

 
Koru: 
shape of a new unfurling silver fern frond 

Though some of their war tactics have been savage, the Maori are known as a spiritual people who incorporate beliefs and ritual into everyday life. Although some of the beliefs and traditions have been diluted due to outside influence over the last 150 to 200 years, many are still revered and commonly practiced. For example, Maori believe that ancestors and supernatural beings are ever-present and able to help the tribe in times of need. 

Another of the group's foremost beliefs is that everything and everyone are connected and therefore a part of their whakapapa (genealogy). Whakapapa includes genealogies of spiritual and mythological significance, as well as information about the person's tribe and the land he or she lives on. In short, whakapapa tells the story of each person's spiritual and physical existence, traditionally beginning with the arrival of ancestors in canoes and progressing to present-day. The Maori strongly believe future mistakes can only be avoided by acknowledging the errors of the past. The act of reciting whakapapa helps accomplish this noble feat by continually reminding them of past mistakes. 

The Maori also emphasize the importance of mana (honor, prestige, influence, authority, power). They believe in three forms of mana: 

• Mana achieved by birth. This mana comes from the person's whakapapa, and can be attributed to the rank or status of descendents. 

• Mana given by other people. This is more easily understood as recognition for good deeds. Humbleness is particularly appreciated among the Maori.

• Mana of the group. Outsiders who visit or stay with a group influence this type of mana. Mana is increased if they pass along the word that the group treated them well during a stay.

Religious Beliefs The Maori held an essentially spiritual view of the universe. Anything associated with the supernatural was invested with tapu, a mysterious quality which made those things or persons imbued with it either sacred or unclean according to context. Objects and persons could also possess mana, psychic power. Both qualities, which were Inherited or acquired through contact, could be augmented or diminished during one's lifetime. 

"Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you." -Maori Proverb.

Little Spotted Kiwi
Apteryx owenii

Polynesian Religions

As in all aspects of Polynesian religion, human beings are seen as powerful and capable. They are not terrified and overpowered by phenomena of the dead. Inborn talent, trained sensitivity, and education enable them to handle gods and spirits as naturally as they do the winds and the waves. Indeed, Polynesian Christians, living in the same world as their ancestors, often supplement their new religion with such traditional beliefs and practices. The combinations they create are compelling and broadening. The Polynesian's understanding of family as a spiritual power, of deceased family members as continuing sources of love and care, of the closeness and communion of the living and the dead, and of the human being's capacity to manage death as well as life are a genuine contribution to the world.

The yam, or sweet potato, is one of the basic food crops of Polynesia. A number of myths explain the origin of this important food. One Maori myth tells how the god Rongo-maui went to heaven to see his brother Wahnui, the guardian of the yam. Rongo-maui stole the yam, hid it in his clothing, and returned to earth. Soon after, he made his wife, Pani, pregnant, and she later gave birth to a yam, the first on earth. Rongo-maui gave this food to humans.

Read more: Polynesian Mythology - Myth Encyclopedia - god, legend, war, world, creation, life, hero, people, children mythology 

Read more: Polynesian Religions - world, body, life, beliefs, time, person, human Religions 

Wisdom of the Polynesian Tradition

The Huna tradition represents a unique expression of indigenous wisdom emerging from the secret teachings of the ancient Polynesian culture of Hawaii and the South Seas islands. All these island cultures are linked by a common root language, common mythology, shared shamanistic practices and similar approaches to everyday relating, commerce, health and community. The Huna path in its broadest scope represents a remarkable approach to life, grounded in insights linked to the deepest origins of humankind, yet applicable directly to our current society.

When we look closely at the two short Polynesian words that make up the word huna, we gain instant insight into the deeper nature of the Huna wisdom tradition. First of all, in this ancient language, hu refers to all things "masculine," while na refers to all things " feminine." Thus the word huna is a verbal expression of the primary creative act of merging the world's energy poles into one living whole, just as the Chinese express it through the yin-yang symbol. Depending on the context, we also find that hu refers to action, movement, chaos, change, or power ... while na refers to the qualities of order, calm, peace, and endurance. 

Thus, the underlying nature of hu-na is the practice, in all dimensions, of bringing our different aspects into a greater harmony and balance so that we become whole spiritual beings, capable of potent material manifestation and compassionate relating. 

One of the greatest discoveries of the ancient kahunas, master of huna, was that love works better than anything else as a tool for effective action. Because love implies being in harmony with the world, a truly loving intent is the most powerful spiritual force the world can know. 

The Hawaiian word for love is the well-known term aloha. Traditionally, the word aloha meant "the joyful sharing of life in the present moment," or equally, "our hearts are singing together." When we understand alo as meaning "to be with" and oha as meaning "happiness" - the deeper intent of the word becomes clear. 

Furthermore, the core term ha means "breath of life." When combined with alo, the meaning of alo-ha becomes "to be joyful together and filled with the breath of life."

April Focus:
Celtic
Spiritual Tradition

Celtic Spiritual Tradition

The first day of spring is also known as the Vernal Equinox. Alban Eiler, which means, "Light of the Earth," is one of the two days that night and day stand equal. The equinoxes and solstices were holy times of transition for the ancient Celts, a celebration of the miraculous balance of nature and life cycles of renewal.

The Spring Equinox is the mid-point of the waxing year. The spark of light that was born at the Winter Solstice has reached maturity. Today the light and dark are equal; from this day forward, the days grow longer than the nights. We have survived another Winter and are once more surrounded by the delights of Spring. It is a time for celebrating the greening of the Earth, and crops are typically sown at this time. 

This is the time of full Dawn, and was the time of the festivals of the Grecian goddess, Eostre, and the Germanic Ostara, both goddesses of Dawn. Some believe that this is where we get the word "Easter". Since the Spring Equinox is a time to celebrate fertility, and many cultures see eggs as a symbol of Life or the home of the soul, decorated eggs have been part of spring celebrations for centuries.

GRACE
In the presence of my people
back to the beginning of life,
In the witness of the gods and the ungods,
In homage to the immense generosity of the universe,
I give thanks before my portion

.

January Focus:
Christian
Spiritual Traditions

How a Christmas Traditional Song Began

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly.  Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

- The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
- Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
- Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
- The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
- The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
- The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
- Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
- The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
- Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
- The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.
- The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
- The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

---

Love
"Love bears all things, 
believes all things, 
hopes all things, 
endures all things. 
Love never ends."

I Corinthians 13:7-8

The Golden Rule
"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
-from the Sermon on the Mount, Matt. 7:12

Giving Back / Inflow and Outflow
"To whomsoever much is given, 
of him shall much be required."
- Luke 12:48

Happy New Year 2012 ! 
Enjoy the Path to Your Goals

"Mr. Goals":  Zig Ziglar website    

December Focus:
Buddhist
Spiritual Tradition

Happiness

If a man speaks or acts with pure thoughts,
happiness follows him
like a shadow that never leaves.
    - Buddha

Happiness cannot be found through great effort and willpower, 
but is already there in relaxation and letting go. 
-Lama Gendun Rinpoche

Blessings and Healing

 By the power of every moment of your goodness,
may all dangers be averted and all disease be gone.
May no obstacles come across your way.
May you enjoy fulfillment and long life.

For all in whose heart dwells respect,
Who follow the wisdom and compassion of the Way,
may your life prosper in the four blessings
of old age, beauty, happiness and strength.

-from a Buddhist Traditional Blessing and Healing Chant

See Clearly

"If we could see 
the miracle of a single flower clearly, 
our whole life would change." 
- Buddha

Every Day, Think as You Wake Up ...

Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, 
I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. 
I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, 
to expand my heart out to others; 
to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. 
I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, 
I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. 
I am going to benefit others as much as I can.

-Dalai Lama XIV

 more about Buddhism

Buddha's Birthday - A Holiday

The holiday that is fairly universal in the Buddhism countries is for the celebration of the birth of Buddha, 2,500 years ago.  This date is called Buddha day. Traditionally, Buddha's Birthday is known as Vesak or Visakah Puja (Buddha's Birthday Celebrations). Vesak is the major Buddhist festival of the year as it celebrates the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha on the one day, the first full moon day in May, except in a leap year when the festival is held in June. This celebration is called Vesak being the name of the month in the Indian calendar.

Buddhist Festivals are always joyful occasions. Typically on a festival day, lay people will go the local temple or monastery and offer food to the monks and take the Five Precepts and listen to a Dharma talk. In the afternoon, they distribute food to the poor to make merit, and in the evening perhaps join in a ceremony of circumambulation of a stupa three times as a sign of respect to the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha. The day will conclude with evening chanting of the Buddha's teachings and meditation.

Buddhist New Year

New Year is the Buddhist countries of Sri Lanka are based on the Lunar Calendar and occurs in different months according to the culture. In Theravadin countries, Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Laos, the new year is celebrated for three days from the first full moon day in April. In Mahayana countries the new year starts on the first full moon day in January. However, the Buddhist New Year depends on the country of origin or ethnic background of the people. As for example, Chinese, Koreans and Vietnamese celebrate late January or early February according to the lunar calendar, whilst the Tibetans usually celebrate about one month later.

Happy Spiritual New Year! (Sept 2011)

Theme:
Believing to Create

Temples of India  with gentle background music; press Esc to stop

  Gandhi  press PgDn to advance; press Esc to stop

Find the book at your library or buy it and be prepared to discuss it's impact on you! The WCF Book Reading Club meets by a conference call. 

New Time: 2nd Thursday of the month at 9:00 pm Eastern (6:00pm Pacific) USA. 
A 45 minute discussion. Be on the call and help select the next month's book.

Book Club timing for different time zones

To join this conference, click here to get the phone # and access code (same as the Spirit Call numbers).  Put me on the Book Reading email list 

Your local bookstore has it or can order it -or- order online new or used from Amazon.com Powells.com or Barnes And Noble.com 

New selections for starting 2013 

Previous Club Selections

Nov 8, 2012: The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
Oct 12, 2012: Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult
Sept 13, 2012: Drive by Daniel Pink

Thurs Mar 8th Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah 
Thurs Feb 9  Second Sight: An Intuitive Psychiatrist Tells Her Extraordinary Story and Shows You How To Tap Your Own Inner Wisdom  by Judith Orloff

Thurs Jan 12th Home with God: In a Life That Never Ends by  Neale Donald Walsch
Thurs Dec 8th A Redbird Christmas: A Novel by Fannie Flagg 
Thurs Nov 10th Sage-ing While Age-ing by Shirley MacLaine 
Thurs Oct 13  Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom
Thurs June 9 The Bone Garden by Tess Gerritsen 
Thurs May 12 A Book of Angels by Sophie Burnham 
Thurs April 14 The Blessing Way by Tony Hill 
Thurs March 10 Love: What Life is All About by Leo Buscaglia
Feb 11, 2011  The Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Aug 13, 2010  The Prophet by Kahil Gibran  bio+book 
June 11, 2010  The Shack by William P Young 

April 9^th  Life After Life by Dr Raymond Moody  In Life After Life Raymond Moody investigates more than one hundred case studies of people who experienced "clinical death" and were subsequently revived.  ... this classic exploration of life after death started a revolution in popular attitudes about the afterlife and established Dr. Moody as the world's leading authority in the field of near-death experiences.  Life after Life forever changed the way we understand both death -- and life.

The extraordinary stories presented here provide evidence that there is life after physical death, as Moody recounts  the testimonies of those who have been to the "other side" and back -- all bearing striking similarities of an overwhelming positive nature. These moving and inspiring accounts give us a glimpse of the peace and unconditional love that await us all. (description from amazon.com)

March 12 Explore The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold  "The Lovely Bones" has been on best seller lists and made into a major feature movie now playing in theatres!  This suspenseful and gripping novel is written from the point of view of a deceased young woman; and explores how each human life impacts others as well as unfinished business in the after-life. Also, be on the call to hear the fascinating back story of how Alice Sebold came to write it. 

Seasons of Life (PowerPoint)
Desiderata now has audio  
Web Experience: Has Anyone Told You  
Web Experience: The Daffodil Principle  (PowerPoint)

2009 Message from the President here  

WCF Launches World Faith Project: 
Explore What's New This Month!  

Overview & Message from the President

Buddhist

Taoist Tradition
Native American Tradition 
Hindu Tradition

Mayan Tradition (temp)
Aboriginal Tradition (temp)
Polynesian Tradition (temp)

^LOOK  Peace Community Church International 
has a new website at  www.PCCIworld.org

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