"More fundamental than religion is our basic human spirituality. We have a basic human disposition towards love, kindness and affection, irrespective of whether we have a religious framework or not. When we nurture this most basic human resource - when we set about cultivating those basic inner values which we all appreciate in others, then we start to live spiritually." - Dalai Lama
Compassion is the heart/mind quality that creates and holds space to be present and bear witness to your own and another's suffering.
Everyone has suffered; it is part of the human experience. What causes suffering and is there a way beyond suffering? How can we focus on cultivating the qualities of kindness and friendship and living spiritually? Both Buddha and Christ spoke about moving beyond suffering to peace, joy and loving-kindness.
Join Michael, David and Sharon as they guide a weekend of connecting with these universal questions, resulting in time for reflection, coming home to your own experience, and an interfaith exploration of suffering and the peace and well-being that is beyond suffering.
Michael Hyrniuk Ph.D., is a Catholic theologian, author, speaker, and consultant specializing in the field of contemporary Christian spirituality, ministry development and spiritual formation. He is the author of Theology, Disability and Spiritual Transformation (Cambria Press, 2010) as well as numerous academic and popular articles on the themes of youth ministry, contemplative spirituality, and Trinitarian theology. He was named the inaugural director of the Henri Nouwen Society of Canada and the U.S. and Associate Director of the John Main Center for Meditation and Inter-Religious Dialogue at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. He was also the Co-Director of the Youth Ministry and Spirituality Project at San Francisco Theological Seminary, San Anselmo, California and assistant director of L'Arche Winnipeg.
David Berry is one of those rare individuals who can not only connect the dots but does so with the clear-seeing of a long-time practitioner dedicated to Buddha dharma. He has chaired high-level NGO and governmental working groups on sustainability and the environment from California to Iceland. He has been found working at the White House Council on Environmental Quality, lecturing at the Russian Academy of Science and appearing on Korean television and U.S. Public Radio He is a co-founder for the interfaith prayer vigil held annually in Washington DC.
Sharon Davison is a facilitator, educator (B.Ed.Adult) and coach. She teaches courses including those based on MBSR (mindfulness-based stress reduction) which was developed at Centre for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
Cost: Members $170 Non-members $200
