Marc Gellman Published 9:49 a.m. CT Nov. 1, 2019

Every year you are stuck with so much leftover Halloween candy you don't know what to do with, here are some creative ways to get rid of it. USA TODAY

The cycle of holidays during the year includes three distinct categories:

Category I: Sectarian Holidays

Of course, the year is filled with totally and purely sectarian holidays like Christmas and Easter andPassoverandRamadanand last week's Diwali, which are only intended as celebrations for the believers of a certain faith. They are not universal or universalizable (OK, maybe chocolate Easter bunnies are acceptable to all). They are for the faithful holidays and they are beautiful.

Category II: Secular Holidays

The next category of holidays are those secular holidays that are for everyone but are not really spiritual. National holidays likeIndependence DayandNew Year's Dayand, yes,Super BowlSunday are examples of secular holidays. They provide unity for a national culture and they do not require sectarian beliefs. Some want to include Christmas as a national secular holiday, but I am not buying it. Christmas is a holiday celebrating (for Christians) the birth of Christ. Santa is an imposter.

Category III: On the Fence Holidays

Marc Gellman(Photo: Tribune Content Agency)

Finally, there are those holidays that might once have had religious origins, but over time they have been secularized and are now acceptable for people of all or no faiths. The best of this bunch isThanksgiving. It probably began its life in the 17th century as a Pilgrim celebration of the Jewish holiday of Tabernacles (Sukkot), but it has become a national celebration of thankfulness (and turkey and football) that brings all families together for a meal with almost the identical menu throughout the country. Other once-religious-but-now-secular holidays areValentine's Day(not really St.Valentine's Dayany longer) andHalloween.

Halloweendefinitely mixed religious and pagan elements in its beginnings. It may well have originated as a pagan Celtic harvest festival called Samhain. In the Christian calendarHalloweenis the evening before All Hallows Day, which is a holiday celebrating saints and deceased righteous ones. However, the religious elements ofHalloweenhave by now been washed clean in a shower of chocolate peanut butter cups.

Though I do not agree with it, here is the best case againstHalloween:

Sugar. It is a vile addictive substance that causes obesity and tooth decay. The sugar jag caused byHalloweenhas sustained generations of dentists.

Demons and Witches. Why should we dress up like or allow our kids to dress up like ghouls and witches? Why encourage a trip to the dark side?

Tricks. Whatever dental damage is done by trick or treat candy pales into insignificance when compared to the shaving cream, egg throwing, toilet paper tossing and assorted vandalism that accompanies the holiday. If kids would be satisfied with treats it might be fine, but the tricks can be costly, dangerous and stupid.

SexyHalloweenparties. For the post-candy age population,Halloweencan include drunken parties with provocative and outrageous costumes. In a PC age these parties can be offensive and even abusive.

OK, that's the best case againstHalloween, but it is ultimately unconvincing to me. I loveHalloweenand defend it, and this is why:

Community. One of the ways my friendships were cemented in my childhood was by going out trick or treating with my pals. We ran from house to house, screaming and scarfing up piles of candy. I am old now and I remember that in the suburbs ofMilwaukeein the '50s my parents did not have to accompany us on our prowl. Now it is different but there is still a powerful bond formed by the trick or treat youth corps. Let me ask you, when other thanHalloweendo you really get to wave hello and smile at your neighbors? In fact,Halloweenis better for the middle class than for rich folks. In communities with large homes, it is too far to efficiently walk between houses. The ideal territory for trick or treating is in more modest communities with smaller houses that are closer together.

Dressing up like someone else is occasionally spiritually necessary.Europeis filled with holiday celebrations that include costumes and parades.New OrleanshasMardi Grasand we all haveHalloween. The point of all this costumery is that religion and life tend to push us to observe fairly strict rules of behavior and occasionally, likeMari GrasandHalloween, it is good to have social and religious sanction to go a little crazy and dress up in a way that might be inappropriate on other days. And one does not need to succumb to commercial pressures to buy expensive children's costumes that are mostly licensing plays from movies and television. The ghost costume I wore for an entire childhood of Halloweens was a sheet with two holes for eyes. Frugal and effective.

So, I am okay withHalloween. I love the way it brings us together, creates childhood memories of joy and ... cavities.

Send questions and comments to The God Squad via email atgodsquadquestion@aol.com.Rabbi Gellmanis the author of several books, including "Religion for Dummies," co-written with Fr.Tom Hartman.

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The spiritual value of Halloween - The News Star

Director Kasi Lemmons on set. (Credit: Focus Features)

Director Kasi Lemmons spent seven months unearthing little told details about Harriet Tubman to rework a screenplay that had lain dormant and direct it into the first major film about her life. After years of delays, audiences across the country will get to experience on the big screen Tubmans painful and hasty journey 170 years ago, starring Cynthia Ervio, Leslie Odom Jr. and Janelle Mone.

In an interview with Urban Faith, Lemmons, who made her directorial debut with the film Eves Bayou (1997), shared some insights on how she crafted the storytelling to introduce the Moses of her people to audiences in 2019.

UF: In this first theatrical treatment of Harriet Tubman, what did you hope to accomplish?

KL: Really to get her story out there and to add to images that we had of her as an older woman and really give a context to her work. She was a young woman when she was doing these incredible feats of heroism. She loved, and she was loved, and she was passionate. One of the things I think that makes the story so accessible and not at all abstract in terms of her as a hero is that she was motivated by love of her family and love of her husband. And thats why she originally went back. It was for her family.

UF: In the event that some say set her on the path to divinely led life as an abolitionist, Harriet Tubman, around age 13, was hit in the head with an iron weight. Many films that explore slavery capture the audiences attention by opening with a scene of violence, but your film doesnt. Why not?

KL: I really wanted to speak in the movie to the separation of family rather than the violence to the body. Definitely, its an important part of our history and understanding slavery, but also, what is the violence of separating families? It was in the news and it was very much on my mind and its very much a part of her story. She was haunted by the image of her sisters being taken away.

The thing that stopped most people from running away, if they chose not to, is they wanted to stay with their family. That can be missing at times in stories about slavery. When visiting or shooting at plantations where people have been enslaved you feel the horror, but you also feel the kind of sacredness, the kind of hallowed ground where these people lived and loved and had children and worked and suffered. They led lives. Sometimes the brutality, I feel, can kind of get in the way of you really seeing that these were people with lives.

UF: You show a lot about Harriet Tubmans character through her dialogue with others. How did you find these words to put in the mouth of Ms. Tubman?

KL: The way that I write is the way that I write for fiction and nonfiction, which is I start with character. But when youre writing something about someone who has really lived, you start with the research. Its a character, but youre starting with the research.

Harriet did one-woman shows for groups of abolitionists to raise money. So we have her own words because she would talk about her life to abolitionists who found her absolutely fascinating. She was entertaining. She would sing Go Down Moses. She would tell her own stories.

Sometimes Im using the words that she actually said. For instance, she said, There I was with a suit and no husband. Because I know that she said that one sentence that way that tells me something about her and how she talks. So I used actual authentic quotes of hers. And I start to hear a rhythm. I can feel where shes humorous or ironic. I can feel her intelligence and then a southern cadence, which is very important to me. What is that cadence like in Maryland? What is the regional specificity of it? And once I get into the research and start to look at it that way, I hear characters as if theyre talking in my ears and then I write down what they say.

An expert speaks about the role of spirituality in Harriet Tubmans work.Video courtesy of Cassie Chew

UF: Where do you think Harriet got her resolve? Who were her role models?

KL: Her father was a role model. She and her father were very connectedspiritually connected as well. They were bonded in that way. But also her mother was very fierce. I Iooked at the story that comes from her childhood, where they were going to sell her brother and her mother intervened and fiercely stood up to her master and was like, Im going to break your head open if you try to sell my son.

So I look at that fierceness that comes from her mother and I say thats part of Harriet. We tend to not think of enslaved people as quite human until we examine all of these things and then you say, of course, she had role models. We know that Reverend Green was a very complex character who was very important to the underground railroad. He became very important in her life. So he would have been a role model as well.

UF: Even though plantation owners used Bible passages to convince their workers that a life of slavery is what God wanted, the slaves were able to parse through that definition of spirituality. But that was instrumental in Harriet Tubmans success.

KL: They so underestimated the enslaved people who worked for them and lived on their plantations and farms. They so underestimated them that they completely missed it. It was a whole language going on and a form of communication that, as we know, started with the drums and then became a coded language in spirituals as well. They were coded messages for those that were ready to hear them. There were coded messages in most of the spirituals. There were coded messages in the scripture as well and as it was interpreted into spirituals by the African American community.

UF: Your earlier work, Eves Bayou, included a fictional character who saw visions. How did that work inform your writing on what some people consider divinely led visions that led Tubmans work as an abolitionist?

KL: The two films are in conversation with each other. I come from a very southern family and Mozelle was based on my aunt. So to me, thats something very familiar to mesomething thats been a part of my family. Its been a part of a lot of families that I know and its part of Harriets life. When I realized from doing the research that this was such a big part of her life, Im like Oh, this is speaking my language. I know this language.

UF: Why has it taken so long for a major film project on the life of Harriet Tubman?

KL: Its hard to get any film made. But its been hard to get a film made with a female protagonist, not to mention a Black female protagonist. You know what I mean? And this is like recently were able to say, Oh a film could be viable with a woman as a protagonist.. And so the idea that a Black woman can carry an adventure film in the title role is still a relatively new ideayou know people have had the idea before, but you were told that that might not be viable or that Black dramas were not viable or that dramas starring women in period pieces were less viable than dramas staring men.

I think that we are seeing the industry change and theres lots of reason for optimism. I do believe that we are beginning to see more representation, more films with women protagonists, and honestly, it really has to get diverse behind the camera. The storytellers and the gatekeepers of storytelling have to be diverse because were the ones interested in it.

UF: What do you look for in a script?

KL: I try and just look at an overview of the story and see if its a story that I like and if its a character that I like. Im very interested in character. Its really the way that I approach a story. So for me its like, is the story interesting? Are the people interesting? Do I want to spend the next two years, maybe three years, maybe four years of my life involved in this story? A story has got to be so compelling because it takes a very long time to get movies made and you have to sustain the passion that happens. I have to have a love for a project before I agree to sign on as a writer/director.

UF: Do you think this film might add to calls for Harriet Tubman to replace Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill?

KL: I absolutely hope so. I cant really think of anyone more deserving. The funny thing about those men on the bills is that most people dont know very much about them. So what they really should do is look into Jackson. You know, look at the history of him and everything he did and was responsible for and look at Harriet and everything she did and was responsible for and you tell me who is more deserving to be on the $20 bill.

Hes very problematic as many of those guys and yet they are still commemorated. I think that its time to really commemorate Tubman and give her a place in history. I think shes a really essential and important American hero. And people do. If you ask people who are the most admired people that have ever been Americans, her name is going to come up. Shes kind of like essentially an American herothis idea of live free or die, give me liberty or death, thats very American. She deserves her place in history and she deserves her place on the currency as far as Im concerned.

Video Courtesy of Smithsonian Channel

With the peculiar institution of slavery entrenched in Antebellum life, Harriet Minty Ross Tubman, in 1849, learns that the Brodess family, who have owned her since birth, are about to sell her in order to pay off debts from running their small farm in eastern Maryland.

With her older sisters sold to plantations in the Deep South and never heard from again, Minty has no time to waste. She goes to the field where her mother is working. She sings a spiritual in her mothers earshot. Then she goes back to her slave cabin grabs a knife and begins tucking it into her skirt. But Minty pauses, draws out that knife and takes some of her precious few moments to use its pointy blade to draw a heart on the dirt floor.

In these moments from Harriet, director Kasi Lemmons hopes to communicate to audiences how painful this hasty departure 170 years ago must have meant for the woman who would become known as Harriet Tubman after making a remarkable decision to leave her husband, parents, and siblings to be free or die.

Despite the odds, the five-foot Tubman, who also was prone to sleeping spells, makes it 100 miles away to freedom in Philadelphia. As a young woman in her mid-twenties, she finds work and creates a life for herself. But her longing for her family is so strong that she does the unexpected.

Tubman makes a risky decision to go back to the plantations of Marylands eastern shore to get her husband and then, again and again, to lead other family members and friends out of slavery. She eventually makes a name for herself asone of the most successful conductors of the Underground Railroad.

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"Harriet" Director on the Film's Themes of Spirituality, Love, and Family - UrbanFaith

Photo by Nelson A. King

RN Hopina Quammie-Samuel (3rd from left) receives a plant from executive members of the Caribbean American Nurses Association, Inc., Bronx, Manhattan, Westchester Chapter.

Stating that the spiritual aspect of health is often times neglected and ignored, among other things, a founding member of the Caribbean American Nurses Association Bronx, Manhattan, Westchester Chapter (CANA-BMW) says that spirituality has become a greater concern to her over the years.

Registered Nurse Hopina Quammie-Samuel, the Vincentian-born former CANA-BMW president, lamented on Saturday that spirituality has not been given the same attention as physical and emotional health, and that it is not documented when rendered.

Spirituality was not part of many nurses curriculum before or after graduation (in the past), said Quammie-Samuel in delivering the keynote address at CANA-BMWs 24th Annual Vernese Weekes Scholarship Luncheon, at Eastwood Manor, on Eastchester Road in the Bronx.

Many people only focused on spirituality during times of crisis or set- backs, added Quammie-Samuel, an active member of the Creston Avenue Baptist Church in the Bronx, where she is founder and president of the Health Ministry.

She expressed concern about increase in work place violence and mental illness, including emotional instability on a whole, and the rise in the suicide rate among professionals, stating that the time is now to speak on it (spirituality) since everyone has a need to maintain his/her spiritual health.

Everyone can provide spiritual care to a point, Quammie-Samuel said. However, (one) needs to know when to get specialized help.

She noted that many organizations address the topic of spirituality in the US, pointing to, as an example, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO-2001) that establishes mandates that specifies requirements in addressing spiritual needs and practices.

According to Quammie-Samuel, JCAHO recommends, among other things, that a spiritual assessment be conducted on all patients; health care organizations (HCO) define the content and scope of the assessment; individual performing the assessment be qualified; assessment include at minimum the patients denomination, beliefs and spiritual practices; and that health care workers (HCW) demonstrate respect for patients values, religion and philosophy.

In defining, spirituality, according to Oxford Scholarship, as ones relationship with God, deity, supreme being or higher power, Quammie-Samuel said spirituality is reflected in our everyday lives, expressed through a framework of values, practices and beliefs.

All people example clergy, priests, nurses, presidents are all in need of spiritual care, no matter their beliefs, she said, adding that the beliefs should be respected.

As a country becomes more diverse, she said that health care providers (HCP) encounter religious and cultural challenges while planning and providing care.

In reviewing the literature and conversing with many of her colleagues, Quammie-Samuel said she discovered that about 80 percent of health care professionals perceive religion and spirituality as an important aspect of care.

Few nurses felt that they effectively addressed clients spiritual needs and reported some barriers, she said, listing some of the barriers/challenges as lack of time due to the nursing shortage; inadequate education about the topic; uncomfortable talking on the topic; different religious beliefs and practices; inability to identify clients need for spiritual care and those in spiritual distress; the role should be played by a priest, chaplain or spiritual leader, rather than by professionals; and the need for support and guidance in addressing spiritual issues.

Alluding to the School of Health and Promotion, Quammie-Samuel said there are eight dimensions of health/wellness, with nine in the making, namely sexuality.

She said the eight are: Physical the most effective way of achieving good health, regular movements, nutritious diet, adequate sleep, rest and practicing safe behaviors; Emotional positive attitude, ability to express a wide variety of feelings in appropriate manner; Social positive interpersonal relationships, sense of connection and belonging; Financial money management; Occupational engaging in meaningful, enjoyable work; Environmental lifestyle that is committed to sustaining nature; Intellectual seeking to expand knowledge, skills and creative abilities; and Spiritual the most neglected dimension of wellness.

Quammie-Samuel said spirituality is the ability to establish peace and harmony in our lives.

It is achieved when you feel at peace with life, she said. One is able to find comfort and hope in the hardest times. It (spirituality) can help to support you as you experience life completely.

Becoming spiritually means striving for consistency, with our values and beliefs, she added.

Quammie-Samuel gave suggestions to help better equip nurses become more confident in dealing with spirituality.

She urged that they do a self-spiritual needs assessment; attend related retreats, ongoing related educational workshops; utilize myriad personal resources at work and in local community groups; interact with colleagues. chaplains, spiritual leaders and social workers; read relevant literature; address unresolved and spiritual issues in their lives, such as unforgiveness, guilt and biases; seek help after a sentinel event or crisis from employee assistance and help healers heal program; become active listeners; meditate and pray daily; Spend time in quietness/solitude; become part of a social network; be grateful; and pray for a servants heart.

These have proven to help many of my colleagues personally and professionally, Quammie-Samuel said. A persons health and well-being benefit when his or her spiritual needs are met (referring to Koenig, 2004).

Quammie-Samuel received a Bachelor of Science in Health Administration and certification in Community Health from St. Josephs College, and a Master of Science degree in Health Education from the City University of New York at Lehman College.

Her extensive clinical experience spans adult nursing, maternal, newborn and womens health nursing, pediatric nursing and community health.

She has held positions as instructor, nursing care coordinator, certified lactation consultant, and is currently employed as an assistant director of nursing at an unidentified hospital in the Bronx.

Posted 4:55 pm, October 31, 2019

2019

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Bronx-based nurse speaks on 'Spirituality and Health' - Caribbean Life

Bodhidharma, by Luo Pin, collection of Tianjin Museum. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The xieyi style of classic Chinese ink painting is more than a technique that features a reduction in detailed brushstrokes. Essentially it describes a philosophy of Chinese culture to emphasize freedom, spirituality, individuality and expressiveness.

Figure paintings drawn in the xieyi style emerged the third century and reached its peak in the 13th century.

The creation of xieyi-style figure paintings further diversified in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties to cater to the taste of the upper-middle-class and the interest of a rising group of city dwellers, boosted by commercial prosperity.

An ongoing exhibition at the Art Museum of Beijing Fine Art Academy reviews the booming scene of xieyi-style figure paintings. The exhibition through Dec 15 shows works by prominent Ming and Qing artists, drawn from the collection of eight museums across the country.

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Classic ink paintings on show reveal the spiritual 'xieyi' style - Chinadaily USA

Not too long ago, a movie came out based on a book by Garth Stein titled,The Art of Racing in the Rain.The storysmain character, a dog named Enzo, narrates the story. According to Enzo, the canine existence is an apprenticeship to becoming human. If the dog finishes their years having evolved enough, they will return to a new life as humans.

This is not a spoiler alert, for I will not reveal any other parts of this great story. But, although the story is fictional, its premise supports Doctor Wayne Dyers belief that;

We are not human beings in search of a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a temporary human experience.

Do living things evolve and advance to a next phase?

This is the existential question about human life. While Quantum Physics can support the probability that living things evolve and advance to a next phase, it can also support the premise that living things begin and end with just one life, period. Since no living being has ever returned from death to prove either theory, we must accept both premises as conjecture. This means we have the freedom to choose the one that best fits us.

Life, Death, Soul, Heaven and Hell

With the Catholic Church as the foundational teacher of my religious beliefs, I learned human beings are born with a soul that our deathsets free to live in heaven or burn in hell. Each person determines their souls fate by theirability to live in accordance to Gods law.

This idea that our human acts govern our spiritual fate seems flawed to me, for it does not take into account the effects nature or nurture have on an individual. The church contends it is each persons responsibility to find his/her souls salvation. This is the same whether one grew up in an affluent family with well-educated, loving parents or under the influence of drugged out parents who ran a crack house.Therefore, this is the theory that our human existence stumbles through life in search of the right spiritual truth and then we can ignore it or committo follow itto save our souls.

This belief may have served early humans well, for it helped societies reach agreements and establish laws that would protect communities and define nations. But I dont thinkthis serves us well today because it counts on ego consciousness to judge whatis right or wrong. Relying on our ego, we set out to compare ourselves with others to measure our righteousness and modulate our behavior with fear, guilt, violence, punishment and revenge. It also forces us to see ourselvesunworthy of Gods love because we have been convinced that we were born imperfect and, therefore, must spend our lives trying to earn Gods eternal approval.

This idea we are here in search of a spiritual experience does not work for me. It is the philosophy that the cup of our life is always half empty. Fortunately, the view of spirit has evolved beyond this.

Spiritual beings having a temporary human experience

All spiritual teachings contend we originated from a Higher Consciousness or spirit we call God. For example, this is what the first chapter of the Book of Genesis addresses. Modern physics and metaphysics support the premise that everything originated from an original being. This means that all living organisms are spiritual beings because they all have this essence in them.

Using our surroundings to guide our thinking, we can see that everything is part of a never-ending cycle of birth, evolution, transformation and death. But endings are never final, for they lead to new beginnings and forms.

It makes sense then that this cycle we witness daily in the material world is the perfect metaphor for what happens in the spiritual world. Just ponderabout our own spiritual evolution through the many endings and beginnings in our lives.

I am convincedwe are spiritual beings experiencing a temporary human experience. This makes the example of Enzothe hero of our aforementioned storypossible. This may not just apply to dogs; it is plausible that every living thing serves as a phase of learning and evolving for a next and higher being.

Seeing ourselves as spiritual beings on this earth temporarily to grow and evolve fills me with hope, serenity and gratitude. This belief converts my life into a wonderful package of experiences and people meant to teach me important lessons on how to express the divine spirit that is part of me.

We can, of course, adopt the traditional view of the relationship between God and ourselves, salvation and eternal damnation. But these beliefs have fueled great divisions and tribalism among human beings. We still argue over whose god is the one true God and who are the true believers and infidels. These beliefs dont allow us to see our connection to each other and to our world.

Considering ourselves as spiritual beingshere to learn and grow give every life meaning and value. This does not judge our experiences and people as good or evil, butas essential elements in our individual life curriculum. It also sheds light on the important value and purpose each person, animals, and every living thing contributes to our world.

Adopting this perspective has brought great joy and significance to my life. Knowing the people and experiences in my life were there to help with my spiritual development defuses my anger and desire for revenge and fills me with gratitude for them. It gives the full span of my life meaning and purpose and gives me the energy and openness to accept new challenges for as long as I live. I have never been so content and thankful for my life nor have I ever felt so comfortable inside my skin as I do now. I am a spiritual being learning from this temporary existence and getting ready for the next transition.

Remember, paying gratitude for your life forward will bring you great joy and contentment.

Previously published here and reprinted with the authors permission.

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Are Humans Here in Search of a Corporeal or Spiritual Experience? - The Good Men Project

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Festival takes care of mental, physical and spiritual health - Cyprus Mail

While we tend to wear sunglasses all year long (especially with that 4:30 p.m., right-in-your-retina winter sunset), part of us still associate this accessory with the summer or, rather, summer relaxation. Even now, we can vividly picture ourselves sliding on a pair of shades while louging on a beach. And Garrett Leight wants to take that feeling to a whole new level.

The eyewear brand is currently selling a 30-piece, limited-edition Olinda collection, which promises spiritual healing properties for those who wear them. This is all thanks to the crystal details included in the sunglass frames, with each stone holding a different type of power. The light pink pair, Lomita, features rose quartz, meant to calm the mind. A darker, Black Shell pair is accented with onyx, which is said to stop negative thought patterns. Lastly, a tiger eye stone sits in the warm yellow-brown pair, and is supposed to help with clarity and creativity.

Elena Doukas, the head designer at Garrett Leight, explained the inspiration behind the collection, which stemmed from a visit to the South West specifically, Taos, New Mexico.

"Taos in known for ornate jewelry," she said via press release. "My family would get the most beautiful gemstone gifts when we would drive down there from Colorado. The tourist stops along the path from Arizona to New Mexico always have amazing finds. They sell gemstones at every store as well as petrified wood pieces. Ive always been enamored by the power of these stones and there is something about this particular place that feels incredibly peaceful and serene.

The sunglasses are being sold on garrettleight.com for $595. They'll no doubt make the perfect holiday gift for that busy someone in your life, or, at the very least, be a calming essential as you visit family during the holiday season.

To Buy: $595, garrettleight.com

To Buy: $595, garrettleight.com

To Buy: $595, garrettleight.com

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These Sunglasses Have "Spiritual Healing" Properties Thanks to a Tiny Detail on Their Frames - Yahoo Lifestyle

Wong, 26, also participated in those protests, but over the course of the 79-day occupation grew disillusioned. When the protests ended, he founded Hong Kong Indigenous, a party championing self-defense, more radical means of protest, and our unique identity as Hong Kongers, he told me. It fell into the localist movement, a group of political parties and activist groups holding a spectrum of ideas on Hong Kongs autonomy. The beliefs of some of these groups have at times veered into the xenophobic, with members demeaning mainland visitors as locusts invading Hong Kong.

In the past, Leung has described his idea of localism as rooted in the safeguarding of a Hong Kong identity distinct from that of mainland China, to preserve our own narrative on the past, present, and future of Hong Kong. This idea, of keeping Hong Kong from becoming just another Chinese city, protecting it from Beijings control, has come to drive the current protests. Polling from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in October showed that the number of people identifying as localists has more than doubled since March. Yet it is the most radical of Leungs beliefs, one that still remains fringe, for which he is most notorious: advocating for independence. It might be very unrealistic; it might be nearly impossible, he said, but in terms of politics, in terms of rational calculation, independence is the only way to leave this authoritarian regime, a reference to the Chinese government.

Read: Hong Kongs protesters are outfoxing Beijing worldwide

When Wong met Leung after the Umbrella Movement ended, Leung was again struggling, even contemplating suicide. Then, in July 2015, Leung took the stage at an annual protest and delivered a speech that, Wong recalled, impressed all of our members. Hong Kong Indigenous, which had focused on street-level activism that included haranguing mainland tourists and sometimes violent protests targeting small-scale day traders from China, made the decision to formally enter mainstream politics by contesting elections.

The partys positions, as well as its youthful and at times boisterous members, put it at odds not just with pro-Beijing politicians. It also clashed with the traditional pro-democracy camp, who it felt was overly willing to compromise and did not take sufficient action. The feelings of dislike and distrust went both ways.

I thought he was arrogant, full of himself, the pro-democracy lawmaker Claudia Mo said of her first impressions of Leung. Her feelings, she told me, softened over time, and she has visited Leung in prison on multiple occasions, most recently in September. This summer, after protesters stormed the building housing Hong Kongs legislative assembly, lawmakers were given a tour to see the damage. Inside, Mo said, was a spray-painted message calling for Leungs release. I knew then he had become an icon, she said.

Link:

Meet the Spiritual Leader of the Hong Kong Protests - The Atlantic

Sometimes life appears incomprehensible, of another world. The supernatural has been evoked in many cultures and religions as a way to make sense of the thresholds of mortal and immortal worlds through images and stories.

For some, the supernatural can help make sense of the irrationality of life. For others, it gives context for the textures of grief. And for others still, it provides continuity in the afterlife.

Japan supernatural, a new exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW, surveys the complex, playful and inventive ways Japanese culture has visualised these themes from the 1700s to today.

Defining the supernatural is a difficult task reflecting our contested mortal and moral understandings. Japan has a compelling history of bringing the mystical to life from the evocative woodcut prints of scholar, poet and artist Toriyama Sekien (171288), to the powerful storytelling of Hayao Miyazaki (of Spirited Away animated film fame) and the superflat popular character reinventions of Takashi Murakami.

In Japan informed by Shinto beliefs around notions of animism a soul (reikon) lives within all existence and phenomena. Everyday things from objects to plants to mountains can be defined as kami or deities.

This connection between the natural and spiritual worlds creates a complex understanding and respect for the everyday. Cups can be vessels for long lost ancestors. Would you throw out a cup if it could contain the spirit of your long lost grandmother?

Indeed, both personal and global lessons can be learnt from the animism appreciation of the environment in the face of current Anthropocene challenges.

The Japan supernatural exhibition begins from the Edo Period (16031868) and spans three centuries to contemporary manifestations. Stories highlighting the enduring power of the supernatural to understand the limits and potential of humanity are included.

Concepts such as ykai which in English translates roughly to monsters, goblins, demons and spirits often take the form of everyday animals or objects. The prolific and prescient work of Sekiens 18th century prints and books gives ykai a creolised character face that manages to inspire both delight and fear.

In Japan, the ykai have long been deployed in art and culture as a way to reflect upon morality and mortality. As anthropologist Komatsu Kazuhiko notes in the exhibition catalogue, the ykai has gained long overdue scholarly attention in recent decades.

Japans ykai culture is extraordinarily rich, he writes. One aspect of ykai culture relates to religious and spiritual history, another to the arts, including literature, the visual arts, theatre and popular entertainment.

Japanese supernatural forms frequently change and transform. Only some of these transformative concepts translate into English: bakemono means changing thing, mononoke means things that transform, and yurei is the Japanese word for ghosts.

Yet art can unlock different cultural perceptions and understandings of otherworldly shapeshifters that go beyond language.

The haunting presence of the spectral across the centuries creates and curates a different sense of time throughout this exhibition.

The work of Seiken can be found in director Isao Takahatas woodblocks for the 1994 Studio Ghibli animation Pom Pok. And the exhibition includes key masters of the Ukiyo-e Period from the 17th to 19th century, such as Katsushika Hokusai who is famous for the timeless print The Great Wave.

The supernatural in Japan is all-pervasive, playing out in curious ways. For instance, anthropologist Anne Allison has been exploring the emerging Shinto-inspired death industries in Japan.

Funerals and cemeteries for people without families are emerging. Elderly Japanese people are meeting the strangers they will be buried near some moving across Tokyo to live with their grave friends in this lifetime.

This continuity with life, death and afterlife could teach us plenty about the supernatural in our everyday lives; how to better understand one another, the environment around us, and perhaps even to comprehend the incomprehensible.

Japan supernatural runs 2 November to 8 March at the Art Gallery of NSW.

Continue reading here:

In Japan, supernatural beliefs connect the spiritual realm with the earthly objects around us - The Conversation AU

It was 3 a.m. on a typical Saturday in Geneseo. UHots was closing and there was nothing to domy alumni friend was visiting, so we trudged through the rain back to my place for an early morning catch-up. His life is a lot more exciting than mine, so I listened intently as he told me of his post-grad misadventures.

Did I ever tell you about the time I was almost recruited into a cult? he said casually. No, he had not. I listened intently as he told me of a private subreddit he had been added to and the pseudo-intellectual who ran the page, inviting people who had like-minded views to join.

This got me thinkingthis subreddit cant be the only page like this on the internet. Since then, I have uncovered similar communities and ideas (i.e. places where spiritual thought meets modern politics and personal musings) grasping for meaning in the digital age. I believe the new frontier for religious thought lies not in the worship spaces of yesteryear, but in online forums and other digital spaces where one can make their beliefs heard and gain a following.

Spiritual groups born and bred online occupy a space somewhere between absurdism and grave sincerity. There is a whole spectrum of those who believe, dont believe or are simply curious about a given sect of online spiritual thought.

In conducting research, I came across the website for The Church of Google, a parody religion founded in 2009 with the goal of creating commentary about the sophistication and increasing symbiotic relationship that technologies like Google play in our lives. I also came across online forums such as MySpiritualgroup, which is self-described as an online spiritual group which seeks to gather all genuine truth seekers from around the world and focuses on metaphysics and esoteric thought.

Additionally, there are countless Reddit forums, like the one my friend joined, focused on the interplay between religion and psychedelics, anarchy and the alt-rightto name a few topics that have been brought into the conversation via dedicated subreddits.

One of the most intriguing online spiritual movements is one called H+, or Transhumanism. According to H+pedia, an online Wikipedia-esque transhumanist encyclopedia, transhumanism can be defined as a belief or movement in favour of human enhancement, especially beyond current human limitations and with advanced technology such as artificial intelligence, life extension and nanotechnology.

While prescribers to the philosophy might describe themselves as post-religious, there is something fundamentally spiritual about their way of thinking, which combines the concept of human transcendence with modern technological advancement. I may add that transhumanists are the same people in favor of gene modifying and strong AI technology, as well as proponents of the concept of technological singularity.

The internet is chaos, and so it only makes sense that spiritual communities that have formed from the internet are chaotic as well. The wide range of content, from intellectual to idiotic, underscores the wide range of beliefs being vocalized. Not only have we been ushered into a new age with technology providing platforms to express opinions, but the very opinions themselves have also been altered and shifted due to the emergence of the internet and what that means for human development.

As spiritual discussion online continues to mold the worldviews of many internet users, it is important that we attempt to broaden our understanding of this emerging intellectual discourse in order to better understand its real-world implications.

You can call Hayley Jones a metamorphosis rock because they do well under pressure!

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Religious and spiritual online forums consist of chaotic, impactful ideas - Lamron

Do therapy groups exist for grumblers? Alcoholics Anonymous is a well-known program of support, but I dont think Grumblers Anonymous is a thing.

Does this indifference reflect the fact that grumbling, complaining and bellyaching are rarely witnessed in our world? Is it that grumbling spawns no physical or psychological ill effects? Certainly not. I suspect the reason is that grumbling is so systemic to the human experience as to hardly attract notice. It seems as natural and necessary as blowing ones nose.

For that matter, whos complaining about complaining, anyway? Bellyaching is no crime. Complaining causes no harm. Grumbling is no sin, to be sure. So who on Earth cares?

By way of qualification, it is certainly necessary to air legitimate concerns. We must at times object to circumstances, decry unjust laws and policies, call out corrupt leaders and contend against harmful ideas. The species of discontent we channel toward positive change does not typically qualify as grumbling.

Grumbling expresses discontent with what we cannot change or have no right to. It is complaining that scowls and whines simply because if feels good to do so, given the circumstances. Grumbling is a means by which to lash out against authority, complain about circumstances, glower in self-pity, object to people who do, say, or believe what we find detestable, or in some other way to vent discontent.

Grumbling may appear on someones I have the right; leave me alone list, but it is unlikely to appear on anyones list of virtues. We like to grumble. We dont like it nearly so much when others do. But is complaining a vice or a morally neutral, blow-ones-nose sort of habit?

The answer depends on your view of why life is what it is. If you draw your conclusions from a secularist or atheistic perspective, life just stinks sometimes. There is no ultimate reason for anything that happens. Survival is as much a reason as may be posited for why life unfolds as it does.

So grumble as much as you and others around you can stomach. It makes no difference (although you may want to check that conclusion against your medical doctors opinion and seek a close friends assessment of how endearing they find your grumbling).

For the theist who believes in a supreme god of some sort, grumbling takes on a different hue. This is particularly true of believers who serve the sovereign Lord who providentially works all things together for his glory and for the good of his people (Isaiah 45:5-7; Romans 8:28; Ephesians 1:11).

From this perspective, complaining and grumbling constitute some degree of moral resistance, if not insurrection, in that our problem is never ultimately with the unfair, frustrating, inconvenient or discouraging circumstances themselves. Our problem is with the God who permits those difficult people or troublesome circumstances to disrupt our lives. In so many words, our grumbling announces that God is not good, although he is (Psalm 84:11; James 1:17).

This means, then, that grumbling is never just about grumbling. A complaining spirit reveals the spiritual condition of my heart. Grumbling reveals that Im failing to see God for who he is.

As God revealed his nature to ancient Israel, grumbling proved a major roadblock in Israels spiritual awareness. God delivered the nation from bondage in Egypt by means of 10 miraculous plagues that left Egypt wrecked and Israel free. God continued to miraculously provide for the nation in the wilderness of Sinai and Paran as he shepherded them toward the land he promised to give them.

But Israel found the accommodations of their makeshift encampments in the wilderness unacceptable and complained to the management.

After all he had done, despite all he had promised he would do, Israel deigned to charge God with doing them wrong (Number 11:1). They even conjured the audacity to complain that life was better under Egyptian slavery. Soon, their grumbling approached mudslide proportions careening toward the suffocation of all joy and the erasure of all reason (Numbers 11:2-5).

Among other lessons, Israels experience warns us against fueling complaint with sanitized memories. Grumblers love to look backwards to a day when things were better. In doing so, their complaining spirit airbrushes that picture so that it looks better than it was.

Israel languished under harsh Egyptian rule and pleaded for Gods deliverance (Exod 2:23-25). But under the deprivations of the wilderness, nostalgia scrubbed their memories. Then, in a sleight of hand, they read their present trials in the comparative light of that imaginary past (Numbers 11:4-6; 20:3-5).

Whatever the scheme, we must know that God takes grumbling seriously. He also offers to grumblers grace and forgiveness as they seek it in him (John 3:14-16), rejoicing to turn our natural grumblings into joyful praise (Romans 8:18-30; 11:33-36).

Rev. Dan Miller is a pastor at Eden Baptist Church in Burnsville and can be contacted at http://www.edenbaptist.org. He is one of several area pastors who write for Spiritual Reflections.

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Spiritual Reflections: Grumbling, for many, is never just grumbling - SW News Media

Kasi Lemmons expected every kind of criticism about her film Harriet. The filmmaker told me as much in September during the Toronto International Film Festival, where Harriet held its world premiere and where Lemmons laid out her feelings about the numerous reactions to her latest feature.

Her general feelings? It is what it is.

Perhaps best known for making the 1997 cult classic Eves Bayou, Lemmons is considered one of the patron saints of Black female directors, up there with trailblazers including Julie Dash and Cheryl Dunye. Eves Bayou is largely regarded as one of the most important Black films ever made, a Southern Gothic drama steeped in magic and the dark cloud of family secrets. But while Lemmons has made several movies since the release of Eves Bayou (the most recent being Black Nativity in 2013), Harriet has probably been one of her most-talked about films since, being the first feature film on the big screen about the life of Harriet Tubman.

The movie, in theaters Friday, has been haunted by controversy since it was announced in 2017 that actress Cynthia Erivo was poised to star as Tubman. For one thing, there has been criticism that a Black British actress of Nigerian descent shouldnt be playing such an iconic African-American role. There has been even stronger criticism of Erivos involvement in the movie giventweets she made prior to her casting that mocked Black Americans. A hashtag, #HarrietDeservesBetter, was even created this past summer in protest.

Lemmons is aware of these concerns. When I asked her about the critiques of the movie and its casting, she acknowledged that they are important. But she also believes deeply that the film, once seen, can change minds.

We do need to talk about it, but the point of this movie is we did it for Harriet, Lemmons said.

And so people will say and do with it what they will, but this is our offering to Harriet. That was the mission we were on, she said. Thats the way we looked at it. We put ourselves through all kinds of things to try and bring Harriet to the audience. And I think we did it right and I think we did it with the right person.

Early reviews have varied. Harriet has been described as a stunning achievement by some critics, while others have criticized it for hyperfocusing on the superhero elements of Tubman rather than her humanity by playing up Tubmans spirituality. This latter critique is interesting, given the fact that Lemmons (who also co-wrote the films script) says that the production of the film was a deeply spiritual experience. This filmmaking as near-religious experience, as a calling, a testimony, seems to permeate every facet of how Lemmons approached the movie.

On the first day of shooting, Lemmons and Erivo embraced each other in what the director describes as the longest hug ever. That hug was the starting point of a grueling three-month shoot during which the director says she felt deeply connected not only to Erivo, but also to the spirit of the films subject.

The director says she prayed directly to Harriet during the making of the film, saying Harriets name to herself early in the morning before going to set and right before she went to bed.

I would wait to be able to see her and feel her. And then once I could see her and feel her, [I would ask,] Are we on the right path? Is this OK? Is there something I should do? Something I should know? she said. So it was very spiritual. And what was amazing was Cynthia from the first moment she came on set, [I could feel] she was emotionally prepared, physically prepared and spiritually prepared. We could feel it in each other.

Glen Wilson / Focus FeaturesCynthia Erivo stars as Harriet Tubman in "Harriet."

Theres a moment in the movie where Harriet has finally arrived to freedom in Philadelphia after a harrowing first escape from enslavement in Maryland. She is welcomed by the black abolitionist and historian William Still (Leslie Odom Jr.), who asks her to give an account of her life and escape for the detailed records he keeps of the newly free. Harriet explains to him that once, as a child, a former enslaver threw a metal weight at her head, splitting her skull open and leaving her in a coma for two months. When she awoke, she says, she began to receive visions and prophecies directly from God.

Still smiles, nods politely. The camera cuts to a close-up of the page on which hes recording her account. Possible brain damage, he scribbles.

This moment of skepticism is a set up to an underlying arc in Harriet. The son of her enslaver tells her that God doesnt answer the prayers of black people. Harriet then prays for his father, the owner of the plantation she works on, to die, and the next day he does. Later, a group of runaways whom Harriet is guiding to freedom refuse to follow her across a dangerous river which she says God has told her is the way to safety. They then watch as she, miraculously, makes it to the other side without drowning.

The narrative, as well as Erivos highly principled, dutiful, and no-nonsense portrayal of Tubman, work to enforce this idea that people who wrongly question or doubt her spiritual connection to God are always proven wrong in the end. It must be said that Tubman did believe she saw visions and prophecies. The incident with her enslaver dying after she prayed for God to smite him is one recounted by Tubman herself. So the criticism about the spiritual elements in the film are interesting, given how Tubmans spirituality was inextricably linked to her humanity.

But what is perhaps more interesting is the connection between the spirituality within the context of the film and the spirituality on Lemmons set. It seems the spiritual experience Lemmons and Erivo had in the making of the movie has served, in a sense, as a kind of inoculation for them against some of the criticisms of the film, particularly regarding Erivos past tweets. Lemmons seems to have chosen to treat it magnanimously, ultimately believing the criticism will all be irrelevant.

In the past, theres been a natural resistance to depictions of slavery on-screen. Movies like 12 Years A Slave and the ill-fated Birth of a Nation have kicked up similar debates about casting, about the Hollywood establishments apparent delight in so-called trauma porn, and about the right way to tell the story of slavery on-screen, or whether there should even be any more.

For Lemmons, there was a deep desire to provide a cinematic record of Tubmans life, despite the idea some have that there are too many Black prestige films about slavery. To that, Lemmons challenged, Name me five movies about slavery.

I can name you five about the Holocaust. I can name you 15 about Vietnam, she said. Extremely traumatic history needs to be examined, which is why there have been so many films about the Holocaust. Because its so difficult to process it. So slavery is one of those very complicated things that were obviously still needing to unpack.

With Harriet, its intriguing to consider what the conversation would be if Erivos presence in it was not the main story. What is this movie without the apparent controversy and backlash swirling around its periphery? In other words, is it good? Is it worth it?

There are two ways to look at Harriet. Theres the movie that exists in the hearts and minds of its director and star, a spiritually charged labor of love literally guided by the hand and spirit of Harriet Tubman herself. This version of the film is, in Lemmons words, entertaining and very, very watchable, a movie made to uplift, provide a record, and do cinematic justice to a subject whose life story has never been told on the big screen before.

And then there is the film that exists in the hearts and minds of many Black people across social media as an artistic slap in the face to those descended from enslaved Africans. This version, to them, is perfectly competent at best, rotten at worst. It is an unwieldy creation which not only disrespects Harriets memory but flattens her human complexity in the process.

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Kasi Lemmons And The Spiritual Journey of 'Harriet' - HuffPost

Finding community is always a key part of the student university experience, and for many at Tufts that centers around spirituality. With many spiritual traditions represented on Tufts campuses, students can make deep and abiding connections, enriching their lives and the universitys. In this occasional series, Spirituality at Tufts,Tufts Nowexplores the many and varied traditions that students take part in.

On the night before graduation in May, seniors walk up the Hill holding candles for an illumination ceremony, a bookend to their walkalso uphill and candleliton their first day of orientation as matriculating students.

In 2018, the Tufts Humanist chaplain gave the invocation at the Illumination Ceremony: Source of light and of strength, All that which sustains us and teaches us and has bound us these past years, the invocation began, we here tonight remember what these flames meant to us in our first few days on the Hill.

Humanism is one of six chaplaincies at Tufts, the only one that is purely secular, concerned with our life in the natural world and what we as creatures in that world can accomplish among ourselves, according to its brochure.

One-third of Tufts students self-report as non-religious on the first-year Spiritual Interest Survey, which doesnt mean that a yearning for meaning or even spirituality is any less important, or the need to create a community to discuss these questions.

As part of that, ritualsfor instance, the lighting of candlescan be important. It was new last year, a way of beginning our Thursday meetings and setting the space, said Walker Bristol, A14, the Tufts Humanist chaplain. The year before, a number of students arrived with a Unitarian background, and said they wanted to do more rituals. It felt important to say, this is how we create a meaningful space.

Similarly, among Humanists, rituals or traditions can be abandoned. Bristol, who has been on campus nine yearsa good chunk of the lifetime of a young movementrecalls how the Thursday meetings were originally dubbed discussions, often based on an article someone brought in.

There was an argumentative feeling about it, they said, until students approached them and said the drive for intellectual discussion wasnt why they came together.

Are we allowed to just not do this anymore? the students asked. Of course, Bristol said.

What were once discussions are now called reflections, which isnt to say the discussions cant re-emerge, but you have to be attentive to whos in the room, they said.

Bristol remembers arriving on campus nine years ago and finding a Humanist movement whose identity was mostly atheism. We used to get in the room and talk about being not religious.

But for students now, they said, questions of how logical religion is are not so interesting. Its important for me to follow. In becoming officially endorsed as a chaplain by the American Humanist Association, they received the charge to aid people in supporting their own agency.

And from agency, perhaps, comes a sense of communal identity. At the 2018 Baccalaureate service, one of the Tufts Humanists, graduating senior Corrinne Smith, A18, offered a reading, an adaptation of the poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers by Langston Hughes.

During the daylight service, Smith offered the graduates the possibility that, like the poet, they knew rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins, with souls grown deep like the rivers.

For the 2019 commencement, Bristol prepared a new invocation for the School of Medicine ceremony, another first for the Humanist chaplaincy.

Thinking to the academic year ahead, they expect the candle-lighting ritual on Thursdays will continue. It reflects the space, and what we want from it.

But, like the rivers, the flamesand everything natural on the planetall can and will change. If the space changed, maybe the candles would, too, Bristol said. Im never trying to create something that doesnt need to exist.

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Spirituality at Tufts: The Humanist Approach - Tufts Now

on the spiritual matter of artOctober 17, 2019March 8, 2020

Andrea Carandini in converstion with Bartolomeo Pietromarchi:January 23, 67pm

MAXXI - National Museum of 21st Century ArtsVia Guido Reni 4A00196 Rome italyItalyHours: TuesdaySunday11am7pm,Saturday11am10pm

http://www.maxxi.artFacebook / Instagram / Twitter / #spiritualealMAXXI

What does it mean today to talk about spirituality? Where does spirituality fit into a world dominated by digital and technological culture and an ultra-deterministic mentality? Is there still a spiritual dimension underpinning the demands of art?

In order to reflect on these and other questions MAXXI, the National Museum of XXI Century Arts, is bringing together a number of leading figures from the contemporary art scene in the major group show on the spiritual matter of art, strongly supported by the President of the Fondazione MAXXI Giovanna Melandri and curated by Bartolomeo Pietromarchi (from October 17, 2019 to March 8, 2020). Main partner ENEL.

on the spiritual matter of art is a project that investigates the issue of the spiritual through the lens of contemporary art and, at the same time, that of the ancient history of Rome. In a layout offering diverse possible paths, the exhibition features the works of 19 artists, leading names on the international scene from very different backgrounds and cultures.

There will be a number of installations on display, including those byMatilde Cassani(fabric drapery, like a threshold introducing the space of the sacred),Enzo Cucchi(an artist to whom MAXXI is also devoting an Art Collection Focus show in the Gian Ferrari Hall, October 17January 2020),Jimmie Durham, Haris Epaminonda, Remo SalvadoriandNamsalSiedlecki, produced or revised specifically for this project. The layout opens and closes with sound installations byHassan Khan(a composition for handclaps) andKimsooja(transmitting the echoes of a Tibetan chant), after which one accesses the large central space that houses large two-dimensional works including those byJohn Armleder,Francesco Clemente,Abdoulaye Konat,Victor ManandSean Scullyin close relations with the objects from antiquity (the pair ofPeacocksfrom theMusei Vaticani, theFegato dello ScasatofromVilla Giulia, theWinged Scarabfrom theMusei Capitolini,theChrismon Necklaceand theLeontocefalastatue, both from theMuseo Nazionale Romanoand theGem of the Goddess Romefrom theMuseiCapitolini Fondazione Santarelli). Photography (the hands of Iranian women in the gesture of offering verses by poets of the Farsi tradition byShirin Neshat) and video (Michal RovnerandJeremy Shaw) dialogue with the immersive installations byElisabetta Di Maggio(who recreates with postage stamps the Cosmatesque floor of St. Marks Basilica) and byToms Saraceno(who transforms the fluctuations of spiders webs into sonic vibrations), concluding with a major work of participatory work byYoko Ono.

The question of being, of mans spiritual expansion, has always defined artistic research,says Giovanna Melandri, Art is at times capable of capturing our tension and going beyond the illusion of forms and matter (Maya). As Schopenhauer wrote, art can miraculously elevate itself above life, contemplating and transcending it. I was very eager for this project to go ahead. It was not easy to define its contents and confines, but I am certain that this exhibition will make a further contribution to amplifying the boundaries of the artistic and conceptual research of the MAXXI laboratory.

The compresence and the relationship between contrasting elements are clearly evident,says Bartolomeo Pietromarchi, Director of MAXXI Arte, and its emphasis underlies the entire project. It is actually this impossible composition of body and spirit, between matter and spirit that is the most faithful representation of our existence. By the spiritual stuff of art, I mean that which leverages this dichotomy, between a material dimension bound up with personal experience and a need to rediscover practices and meanings that elevate the spirit above it.

Flanking the exhibition project, an extensive Public Program will see a series of talks with the artists, book presentations, performances, lectures and conferences.

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on the spiritual matter of art - Announcements - E-Flux

When Marla and Charles from Two Truths invited me to come aboard as teaching staff for their trip to Bhutan I said no. I begged off being old and fat and not up for something seriously physically demanding. They persisted. I am glad they did.

That I was able to add in a few days centered in Bangkok to make pilgrimages to the site where Thomas Merton died and then to where John Blofelds ashes were interred, was something I will never forget. Actually the list of things I will not forget from this trip is quite long. Im amazed at our interconnectedness. I still have trouble wrapping my head around the fact that via the inter webs my friend Justin Whitaker was able to introduce me to his friend Will Yaryan, who introduced me to his friends Daru & Joe Shakarchi. They simply gave over three days to squiring me about, including my two pilgrimages, and a day visiting the great reclining Buddha as well as a visit to Bangkoks amulet market.Daru & Joes kindness speak to the many small and larger encounters that touched me and enriched me and made me glad for this opportunity, so rare in our lives, for most of us, to see parts of the world outside our normal experience.

Then it was time for Bhutan.We gathered from our lives at the Orchid Resort Hotel, a modest boutique hotel between the airport and Bangkok proper. There were our leaders Charles Simmons & Marla Perry. By such standards we werent an especially large group. Two of us were from Australia, Hang Nguyen &Jeanette Tran. The rest of us were Americans, Jeff Carter.Sheldon Cohen,Dawn Duncan, Mike Gruber,Wendy Roberts,Nancy Doyle, &Penelope Wong. We took off for the airport. In a hair raising race across the airport Emily Turner joined us just in time. In addition,David Roadhouse & I rounded it out with various teaching responsibilities.We touched wheels in Calcutta. As we were not given an opportunity to debark, I guess I cannot say Ive been to India.

Then after witnessing the rise of the Himalayas, and having Mt Everest pointed out to us, we landed in Paro Airport in the Kingdom Of Bhutan. From there we were greeted by Kezang Nendag and his crew from Bhutan Wisdom Tours. Special shoutouts to Tashi who was our principal guide and to Pema for driving us and, well, keeping us alive on small and winding roads. From this moment we were pretty much completely in their capable hands. (As an aside if you are considering going to Bhutan, I cannot recommend them highly enough. Professional, caring, and with a focus on the spiritual & Buddhist aspects of a visit to the country.)From there it begins to blur. We visited monasteries and convents. We saw temples. We met people and heard talks from dignitaries both secular and religious. We learned much of the history of the kingdom and its astonish rapid growth from an absolute monarchy at the beginning of the twentieth century, which then, due almost entirely to the kings themselves, transformed into a constitutional monarchy and functioning democracy with a vision for itself that has inspired the world. Not to let them off the hook for some very bad things. We cant. But, also fully acknowledged and nuanced for a tiny and very poor country sandwiched between two regional powers, both thinking super powers, and happy to stretch their muscles, the kingdom and its existence is something genuinely marvelous.I blogged my adventures. My first day,our landing in Paro, and realizing this was not Kansas. A drive to the capital Thimphu with a stop along the way to visit a Nyngmapa convent. Another day exploring Thimphu and environs. Followed by a drive across the Dochula Pass and into Punakha.

There was that moment in Punakha, attending the sacred dances, when we were invited by the governor of the region to sit with the bigwigs, and were served salty butter tea.

Slow I began to get a feel for this tiny country that managed never to be colonized, neither by the Tibetans nor anyone else. Their pride in who they were, and their hopes for their future preserving their unique culture while fronting into modernity.Then there was a brief non-blogging interlude as I entertained the joys of travelers diarrhea. And as I was recovering, fortunately a light touch, bending over wrong while trying to rummage in my bag, I experienced a nasty back spasm. All in all one day lost. With some caution for a while regarding my normal propensity for the spicer foods and for the whole rest of the trip pretty careful in walking up and down steps. This is not a country for folk in wheelchairs, or, even with significant mobility issues. All sidewalks are littered with hazards of one sort or another.From the interlude, well for me, they all got on just fine, weresumedour adventures. Learned a lot about the amazing Dilgo Khyentse, whose influence touched a great deal of our time in the country.

Then a bit more digging in, including some exploring of Paro. Letting the experience sink in and to see how it was part straight ahead tourism, and part genuine spiritual pilgrimage, pilgrimage-ish, if you will. Then, without a doubt for me, the highest point of many high points, encountering the nun Namgyel Lhamo.

Finally it ended. We said goodbye to Jeff who was off to meet his spouse elsewhere in the kingdom, as well as to Charles & Marla who were off to India. At the Bangkok airport Dawn, Mike, and Nancy peeled off to catch planes. David took off to a separate hotel in town. The rest of us returned to the Orchid.

This morning Penelope (our unofficial leader if a crowd as independent minded as this could have one) and Sheldon left. In about an hour Wendy and I will go to the airport. Leaving Huang & Jennifer to dawdle for another day before they take off.Our little band reminded me, at least in my more romantic moments of Herman Hesses little novel Journey to the East. At least if one doesnt think too hard and try to find actual comparisons. A more congenial group I cannot imagine. I am so grateful they were my companions, and I theirs

What next?Well, as much as I admire the functionality of the bum gun, Ill be glad not to have to use adaptors for charging my electronics, and, well, its true, theres no place like home.

Ill be processing all that Ive experienced for a while yet. Especially my reflections as a more or less modernist Buddhist, and Zen person encountering an ancient and in many ways alien to me form of Buddhism, in an historically Buddhist country. Rich. Challenging.

And I expect Ill be sharing at least some of that here.

But, in the moment, its time to lean into the long ride home.

Submitted respectfully,

Excerpt from:

My Bhutan Pilgrimage-ish, Part Tourism, Part Leaning into the Spirituality of a Himalayan Buddhist Country - Patheos

At the Synod for the Amazon on Wednesday, participants continued their discussions in small groups, as the assembly reached its halfway point.

By Vatican News

Following the morning session, they daily Synod press briefing focused on the unique spiritual dimension of the gathering, and its significance for the whole world, with speakers addressing topics such as our common responsibility in caring for the earth; the need for an integral human ecology; vocations; and the role of the laity.

The Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, Dr Paolo Ruffini, summarized some the main topics at the centre of discernment for the synod, including: the Amazon region as a paradigm for the earth as our common home; a calling to ecological conversion; interculturation; access to the sacraments and education; ministries; migration; rural and urban life; international and multilateral engagement for human rights. He said participants at the Synod felt strongly the need to focus on an overall, unified vision, guided by the Holy Spirit, rather than getting caught up too much in details.

Fr Giacomo Costa emphasized once again that the Synodal path is very different from worldly gatherings. It is an experience marked not by discussions or debates, like a secular parliament, but rather has a spiritual dynamic, marked especially by fraternity. He spoke too about the abundance of joy, trust, faith that so far have characterized the assembly.

The first guest speaker, Ms Yesica Patiachi Tayori, an indigenous woman from Peru, spoke about the role of native peoples as guardians of the forest, while noting that caring for our common home is the responsibility of everyone. She said that her people are facing a real threat of extinction, and already have the experience of being discriminated against.

Bishop Ambrogio Spreafico spoke about the synod as an ecclesial event, with repercussions not only for the Pan-Amazon region, but for the whole world. He mentioned the importance of and integral, human ecology, especially in light of Pope Francis teaching in Laudato s, which he said has not been well understood.

The fraternal environment at the Synod was also mentioned as a highlight by Bishop Wellington Tadeu de Queiroz Vieira. He also spoke about the crisis of vocations, not only in Amazonia but around the world; and said that the question of vocations should not be primarily about celibacy, but about holiness.

Finally, Bishop Pedro Jos Conti spoke about the role of the laity. He said they were not merely helpers of the clergy and religious, but had their own lay vocation, which he called an antidote to clericalism. Bishop Conti noted the importance of finding a balance in producing goods from the land, and emphasized the necessity of drawing from the ancient wisdom of the native people.

Dr Ruffini, asked about the small circles, said that the Press Office expects to be able to publish the reports of the groups on Friday afternoon.

One reporter asked about the symbolic significance of a statue that was used in the ceremony for the consecration of the Synod to St Francis, which took place in the Vatican Gardens.The representatives of the Holy See Press Office said they would find out more information about the statue and the artist who created it. They noted that the ceremony was organized by REPAM. Speaking in a personal capacity, Dr Ruffini said the statue represented life.

Ms Tayori fielded a question about her own native people, and recounted how they were exploited by those seeking rubber. She also spoke about a Dominican missionary who ministered among her people, and who fought for and with the Harakbut people. She said that but for that missionary, she would likely not be present to tell her story.

Responding to a question about what was most moving at the Synod, Bishop Conti said what struck him most was the opportunity to hear from the indigenous peoples, and the freedom with which they spoke about their own experiences. He said it is the children who will save the environment, and particularly the children of the indigenous people.

He said we must be united with one another, and grow in fraternity and solidarity with others, and said it was a beautiful time for communion within the Church.

Bishop de Queiroz Vieira said one of the most significant moments in the synod is the availability to live diversity in unity. That, he said, is based on brotherhood, which is led by and modelled by Pope Francis.

Following along the same lines, Bishop Spreafico also praised the humility of Pope Francis as a model. He said the way in which we listen to pain; this is a time in which we listen to pain, and share it.

Bishop de Quieroz Vieria, in response to a question about the role of women, said that the presence of women is essential in the Church. He highlighted their role in missionary work, catechesis, liturgy, in caring for the poor and in caring for children. He said the Church and the world must recognize the value of women, noting there are places where women are discriminated against.

He said that with regard to the question of opening the diaconate to women, Bishop de Quieroz Vieria said that question was already the subject of study, and that in the meantime, the value of women should be recognized.

Bishop Spreafico noted that many pastoral projects in his own diocese are led by women, and spoke of the important role women play in the Church.

Bishop Conti said the Brazilian Bishops Conference was moving in this direction, and reiterated the words of his brother Bishops that is essential to enhance the role of women.

Another reporter asked Bishop Conti what he envisions as possibilities for a Church not only with an Amazonian face, but with a lay face. The Bishop said that the path to fuller participation on the part of the laity is a process which is going forward. He emphasized the need for formation for lay people in their own special callings.

Bishop de Queiroz Vieria emphasized that the Church is made up not only of Bishops, but of all the baptized. He noted that the Synod was called precisely in order for the Bishops to make decisions in consultation with all.

Asked about whether Bishops were satisfied with the representation of women in the Synod, Bishop de Queiroz Vieria emphasized the unique composition and role of a Synod. He said it is not simply a matter of numerical representation, but that in this particular ecclesial context, the representation in the Synod is significant.

Bishop Conti insisted that we are experiencing a Synodal Church, and that little by little, the Church can be expected to open new paths. He suggested that more spaces will be opened to women in the future.

Visit link:

Amazon Synod Press Briefing: The spiritual dynamic of the Synod - Vatican News

In the 1980s and 1990s, whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) were being slaughtered by the hundreds in the waters off the coast of Gujarat, a state in western India famous for being the last refuge of the Asiatic Lion. While the lions were protected under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972, the whale sharks were not.

Demand for the sharks fins and meat in south-east Asia drove a roaring export trade. According to one study published in 2000 in the journal Current Science, over 1,700 whale sharks were killed between 1988 and 1998. A further 600 were killed between 1999 and 2000, according to another study by WWF-India published in 2001. A single whale shark could earn a fisherman anywhere from $2,500 to $7,000, depending on its size.

It was happening because of greed, Tulsibhai Gohel (bhai is an honorific that shows respect), the 42-year-old president of the Sagar Putra Foundation, a local fishermans association, told Mongabay. We were getting so much money, it was impossible not to kill them.

In 2000, a documentary by Mike Pandey called Shores of Silence, which included footage of men cutting off a whale sharks dorsal fin while the fish was still alive, drew widespread attention to the plight of these gentle giants. The government was lobbied and a year later the fish was added to Schedule 1 of the WPA, giving it the highest legal protection in India.

Awareness campaign

However, awareness of the sharks protected status remained limited in Gujarat. In order to spread the message, the Whale Shark Conservation Project (Gujarat) was founded in 2004 as a partnership between Tata Chemicals, a public company, the Wildlife Trust of India, an NGO, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, and the Gujarat Forest Department.

To lose a species that has been estimated to be as old as the dinosaurs, and about whom enough knowledge has not been gained, would be a big loss. This prompted Tata Chemicals Ltd. to partner with the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) to embark on the Whale Shark Conservation project, Alka Talwar, the head of sustainability and corporate social responsibility at Tata Chemicals, told Mongabay.

Tata Chemicals has provided about $700,000 in funding since the projects inception as part of its corporate social responsibility, WTI the scientific and conservation expertise, and the Gujarat Forest department legal sanction and economic support for the communities. The collaboration among a public company, an NGO, and the state is one of the projects two pillars; the other is the fishing community. The model has been so successful because we were able to convert the community from hunters to saviours, Farukhkha Husenkha, WTIs assistant manager, sociology for the project, told Mongabay.

Husenkha joined the project in 2012 and operates out of Veraval, a fishing town that is the field base of the project. The project extends for roughly 160 kilometers (110 miles), and includes four other major fishing villages: Mangrol and Porbandar to the northwest of Veraval, and Sutrapada and Dhamlej to the southeast. The fishing seasons runs from September to June and can be quite lucrative, with fishermen earning up to $45,000 in a good year.

In addition to the ban on killing the sharks, the fishing communities have been taught to rescue the shark if it gets entangled in their nets. The nets are 20 meters (66 feet) wide and 5 meters (16 feet) deep. As many 100 nets can be cast into the sea and left overnight, creating a wall over a mile long.

Husenkha is one of three WTI employees in the region. He is joined by biologist Charan Kumar Paidi and field officer Prakash Doriya, a former fisherman who has been trained to help rescue and tag the sharks. My role is to make sure that the fishermens motivation [to protect the shark] is maintained, Husenkha said.

The project has documented 710 whale shark rescues as of March 2019. Eight sharks have also been tagged for research purposes, while five whale shark pups have been logged by the local fishing community. According to BC Choudhury, the lead investigator of the project, the pups prove that whale sharks breed in the Arabian Sea off the western coast of India.

A spiritual approach

To win the hearts of the fishing communities, Morari Bapu a spiritual leader who has a large following in Gujarat was appointed the brand ambassador for the campaign. He would prove to be the perfect messenger.

The best thing that worked in the whale shark initiative was the involvement of Morari Bapu, Anju Baroth, a scientist with the Wildlife Institute of India, told Mongabay. If a scientist had gone and given a lecture about conservation, nothing would have gone into their heads. An approach which is close to their heart was required.

Since whale sharks are a migratory species, Bapu told the community a simple story: The whale shark, which he named Vhali, or dear one, was like a relative coming home to give birth. The community would not harm such a relative but protect and care for her and her child. In the same way, they must protect and care for the shark, which, despite its size, is a gentle creature that causes no harm. He also appealed to the communitys sense of Dharma. Killing the shark was a sin, he told them, while saving it would bring them good karma. To drive the message home, actors performed a skit based on this theme.

Though it took a few years to convince all the fishermen to get on board, today, there is a total ban [on whale shark hunting]. The mind-set has changed, Gohel said.

The project reinforces Bapus message every year with two community events. Since 2015, the project has celebrated international Whale Shark Day on August 30th. In addition, a culturally significant day in the Gujarati calendar has been designated Gujarat Whale Shark Day by the Forest Department. On that particular day, the fishers will not go out to sea. It is an important day to spend with their families, Husenkha said.

Follow the leader

The projects other important activity in building community support was getting the community heads, known as Patels, on its side. Such is their tradition that the writ of these heads is the law in their communities. Tulsibhai Gohel is the Patel in Veraval and heads an association that counts 2,100 fishing boat owners as members. Those who do not follow their Patels instructions are blackballed.

Once the community leader has decided not to hunt, if someone offers even $10,000 for a shark, we wont kill it, said Patel Jivabhai Bariya, former head of the Sutrapada Koli Fishermans Association. Jivabhai has personally helped rescue around 50 whale sharks. There is a sense of pride that has come with being part of the project too. The world knows that we have been protecting the whale shark and we are proud to be part of the project, Jivabhai said.

Monetary compensation

In late 2005, the Gujarat Forest Department agreed to compensate the fishermen for the nets that were ruined when they cut the shark free. When the hunting stopped, the whale shark population increased and more were getting stuck in the nets, Ratilal Hardas Bariya, Patel from Dhamlej, said. It was causing the fishermen a lot of trouble.

The department has paid out around $130,000 in compensation up to 2018, the latest year for which data are available. In 2010, the department also agreed to let fishermen document the rescues themselves using plastic film cameras provided by the project. This significantly cut down on the time taken to rescue the shark, and thereby reduced the stress on the fish. This year, the project has launched the Vhali app, so the fishermen can take photos or video on their smart phones.

The institutionalisation of the process for providing monetary relief to fishermen for net damages incurred during whale shark rescue operations has also contributed to the project success, Tatas Talwar said.

A holistic model

In 2005, Tata Chemicals was awarded the Green Governance Award for the project, and in 2014, the Gujarat Forest Department received a Biodiversity award from the UNDP and the Ministry of Environment. The Project has just started a similar project in Kerala in Indias far south.

The Whale Shark Conservation Project has been successful because each partner brought something different to the table. All these blocks were put together and the puzzle was solved, Baroth said. Companies have the money and traditionally the research community is always in the need of money.

For Talwar, it also provides evidence that companies can play a big role in conservation, with or without the CSR act. The need is for environmental organizations, which have knowledge about ecosystem and biodiversity, to raise the issues and rope in different companies depending upon their areas of influence.

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Education, compensation, and spiritual outreach protect threatened whale sharks - Mongabay.com

Akili Ron Anderson is a Howard University professor now, but in the early 1980s he was the first chairperson of the visual arts department at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts when a coworker approached him about making an altarpiece at his church, New Home Baptist, on Holmead Place, Northwest. Anderson grew up around the corner on Meridian Place and loved the idea of making a piece of art that his mother could see. So he began working in the church whenever it was not in use, between choir practices and services, eventually installing a Last Supper bas relief that was covered with drywall when the building was sold and remained hidden for years until construction workers discovered it recently. Most of the time I was in there by myself, he says. It actually got to be something of a spiritual experience for me.

Anderson envisioned his artwork forming a picture that would be completed by the presence of a preacher and a choir. It was done to permanently be on that wall, he says. He built it using wire mesh that was anchored into the cinderblock walls, then built up the relief using concrete and Structo-Lite, a coarse type of plaster thats frequently used for restoration. You put it on sculpture and you chisel into the plaster, Anderson says. Then you put the white coat on top of that to smooth it out. Removing the altarpiece would require some expertise and not a little money: Youd have to cut out in sections with the cinderblock thats behind it, Anderson says. That could be done but its expensive.

At the time he made the sculpture, Anderson was inspired in part by the Black Arts Movement of the 60s and 70s, which in part saw black art as a corrective to centuries of oppression. Anderson, who attended a year of art school at the Corcoran before transferring to Howard, describes the Black Arts Movement as a personal and collective cultural discovery and sense of black pride. It wasnt for me, at least, anything other than that. Many African American churches had artwork that portrayed Jesus as a blue-eyed white man, but Anderson says his work wasnt intended to change any historical point: Jesus is a black hero, frankly.It was a matter of claiming what we call that the Jesus of history. It was totally legitimate for people praying or working to make their heroes look more like them. Its no problem, but when youre placing the image of one culture above another, that says, We are more important than you.'

He modeled his sculpture of Jesus and the disciples on congregants and people he saw around Columbia Heights. It was just people walking up and down the streets, he says. It was the people I grew up with.I took not only features but expressions: how people emote, how a leader looks, how a follower looks. All of those kind of things went in to the faces. The bodies are not where the action is on this sculpture. You want it to be alive, get an alive feeling from the piece, Anderson says. You want it to come off the page or come off the surface as having a life. Thats what I tried to do.

Over the next decades, Anderson created art for a number of churches, mostly around the 14th Street corridor, including John Wesley AME Zion Church and St. Augustine Catholic Church.I think its important for black children sitting in churches all over this country on Sunday morning to look up at the windows, look up at images and see themselves and believe that they can ascend to heaven, too, he told the Washington Post in 1994. He often worked in stained glass. You can see his large work Sankofa at the entrances to the Columbia Heights Metro Station; hes also got stained glass works at Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel at Howard and in the Prince Georges County Courthouse.

Anderson was delighted to learn the sculpture had survived all these years; hed long assumed the buildings next owner, theChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, had removed it. He and Joy Zinoman, the Studio Theatre founder who is turning the former church into the new home forStudio Acting Conservatory and whose crew found the artwork, have been in touch, and he hopes to get over to Holmead Place soon with his students to see the sculpture again. Let them just see the life of an artist and see what happens with the work, he says. To see what their questions are. I might walk by my old house.

Join the conversation!

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"A Spiritual Experience": The Artist Behind a Rediscovered Last Supper Talks About Its Creation - Washingtonian

As I sat in my Lyft taking a 30 minute drive to the Seaside Center for Spiritual Living listening to the October Democratic Debate on the radio, I did not know what to expect upon entering Marianne Williamsons Encinitas rally. Williamson is quite an outlier on the political scene Vox writer Zack Beauchamp called her campaign scary, while Washington Post writer Jonathan Capehart said that its a pity that we likely will not be graced with her presence on a debate stage ever again.

Neither of these sentiments rang true as I entered the auditorium, being greeted by an aura of enlightened energy, the aroma of incense and oils, and a sea of rally signs portraying Williamsons likeness.

The infamous candidate has been polling at 0 percent in numerous polls for the past several weeks however, it was clear that the hundreds of supporters, many who have been following Williamson for decades, were in it for the long haul. Several of the followers that I spoke to echoed this notion. One woman who practiced the spiritual exercise of light reading told me that she had been following Williamson since the 1970s. It appeared to me that Williamsons core base was an audience that is aft overlooked by many a presidential candidate one of those who practice spiritual awakening and self-discovery.

The crowd cheered as Williamson took the stage around 8:10 p.m. Many supporters wiped away tears of joy at seeing a lighthouse beaconing them to enlightenment in a sea of moral darkness. Williamson took her place in front of the crowd and began speaking in her iconic coastal accent.

Theres nothing holy about complacency, and theres nothing negative about yelling fire if everything is burning, Williamson asserted to the crowd.

But the main focus of the night was not on spirituality. Rather, Williamson honed in on the intersection of spiritual enlightenment and political involvement.

We have allowed ourselves the chronic convenience of political disengagement, Williamson continued. This isnt the time to say: What is going on? This is the time to say: Come on, we need some courage. We can do this.

Her 45 minute speech ended in a verbose uproar from her supporters. However, the night was just getting started. She gave the audience two options a question and answer session about her candidacy, or the opportunity for a brief group meditation and reflection session. While I abstained from voting, the room unanimously chose the latter.

I did not know what to expect going into this. However, after closing our eyes and clearing our minds, Williamson encouraged us to find our deepest desire for the country, and to shout it out loud by finishing the phrase I imagine an America in which The room came to life for the next 15 minutes, with folks sharing their desires ranging from an America in which there are no more school shootings to an America in which the bees are saved. I found this exercise heartwarming the people in the room genuinely cared about the nations moral compass.

As the night came to a close, and I sat in the backseat of a Lyft home, I couldnt help but reflect on the Marianne 2020 campaign as a whole. My experience with Williamsons campaign was not scary. However, I also dont find it a pity that she will likely not return to the debate stage; her personal brand of political morality seems to not be a winning ideology. That being said, Marianne Williamson serves as a voice for a niche community in the nation a joy to watch for those who consider themselves an outsider to the spirituality community. Will I be casting my vote for Williamson come March? No, but will I be cheering her on from the cosmic sidelines of the universe? You bet your spiritual ass I will.

Excerpt from:

500 SoCal Spiritualists, Marianne Williamson, and UCSD's PC Princess || PC Princess - The UCSD Guardian Online

We all know who Sonam Wangchuk is, thanks to3 Idiots. This thought leader and education reformist has done a lot for Ladakh and its citizens. Perhaps one of his most significant contributions has been as the Founding Member of Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL).

Another lesser-known face, albeit a formidable one, isGitanjaliJB.Born in Balasore to a mother who used to say that girls should be brought up like boys, she went on to study at Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar and encompassing all her learning from the coastal state, she worked in the corporate sector for six years, she established a publishing house Helios Books, transformed AUM Hospitals in Puducherry and of course, became the CEO of HIAL.

How she bumped into innovator Wangchuk is a very interesting story. The 46-year-old reached out to him, they met and by the end of that meeting, We were finishing each others sentences, she shares. Today, HIAL, her dream project, is an institute to reckon with and will be her focus for the next 10-15 years. After that, who knows? A book is underway and in between brushing up her karate skills (she is a black belt, by the way) and dropping by Bhubaneswar for Odissi practice, she plans to read - and then some. Recently, she took to the stage at TEDx Hyderabad 2019 and blew us all away with her wise words. So we asked her about what makes her proud of HIAL, about ballet (yes, she is a trained ballerina too!) and her latest initiative Peaceful Warriors. Excerpts from an inspirational chat:

While you give your parents the credit for giving you their trust and freedom, how would you say you were influenced by your experience of living in Balasore and your time spent at XIMB? What lasting impressions have they left on you?I could become what I am today because of the trust and freedom with which my parents brought me up. My mother used to say in the early 70s when I was growing up that girls should be brought up like boys. So I was amongst the first girls in Balasore to ride a bicycle during that time. I was allowed to explore everything and decide for myself which career I wanted to pursue, which city I wanted to live in, which philosophy to follow and who to marry. They had the humility to accept that they do not know what is right for me and allow me to choose that for myself. They always had full confidence in me and my decisions that I would choose the best option necessary for my progress.A small-town upbringing, like the one I had in Balasore, Odisha, in a joint family instills in you important values like living together and putting others first. You grow up trusting the world around you because it is a safe place to live in where almost everybody knows everybody else. There is a sense of belonging to the community of which you are a part and that stays with you for the entire life! At XIMB, I was deeply influenced by two of my professors, DP Dash who taught Systems Thinking and Indranil Chakraborty who taught Organisation Theory. They went beyond commerce and profits and spoke about interdependence and inter-relatedness of systems and phenomenon!

How was your experience of meeting Sonam Wangchuk in 2017? When was it that you realised that your goals align when it comes to HIAL? Take us through how your association began...It was a WhatsApp message 'The next learning revolution forwarded by a friend of mine that first introduced me to Sonam Wangchuks idea of the university that he was envisioning. I got in touch with him as he and I were traveling to Mumbai from Leh and Chennai respectively on the same dates and we decided to meet. A meeting that was supposed to be for an hour extended much beyond that, even to the next day! There was a lot of alignment in our thoughts about education like learning by doing, relevant curriculum and so on that we were finishing each others sentences! He invited me to visit Ladakh to see the project.HIAL is my dream project because it is a canvas that connects all the dots of my personality: that of an educator, researcher, entrepreneur, administrator and also a performing and martial artist. As the Founding CEO, I raise funds, design curriculum, supervise the design and construction of the buildings, initiate setting up live labs or enterprises where students work and learn. I also teach karate to the students at SECMOL under my initiate Peaceful Warriors which aims to make any girl in India a black belt.

Tell us about how it is to work with someone like Wangchuk towards a goal so wholesome.It is interesting to work with Sonam Wangchuk because, like me, he also believes that anything is possible, anything is doable, he has a new idea every day which he wants to implement. And this childlike curiosity and wanting to do things resonates very much with my personality as well because all my life, I have attempted and done new, different and impossible things.HIAL for me is that experiment that has the potential to change the way higher education is happening not only in India, but the whole world.

Do you think this institute's model is replicable in other parts of the country? Are their plans to expand? Because there is a need for more such institutes... The four principles of HIAL are a curriculum that is contextual, a pedagogy that is applied and experiential, an approach that is inter-disciplinary and a problem-solving methodology that blends indigenous wisdom with modern technology! And yes, this can be made replicable everywhere. But we do not believe in scaling up into chains of schools and universities, instead, we believe in growing organically. Most of the Ivy Leagues are single institutions and not chains. But we believe in the exchange of ideas, students and faculty so that we can learn from one another and do things in the contexts that we understand. We would like many educators from India and abroad to visit us, learn from our experience and we learn from theirs and contextualise the learnings to our environments.

You have been a part of this education system for so long now, what do you think is its need of the hour?Our education system, unfortunately, suffers from two main problems. First is that worldwide, it is a remnant of the industrial age where classrooms of students are treated as batches of raw materials to be processed in the same way. It is not focused on what the student needs to flower, but transacts an objective curriculum written by a third party without any relevance to the needs and context of the child.Secondly, in India, the education system suffers from a post-colonial hangover where we have lost our vernacular and indigenous wisdom and hence, our sense of self-respect has been eroded!The need of the hour, therefore, is two-fold. First is to make education child-centric, contextual and applied. Secondly, it is to rediscover Indias uniqueness and culture and make it a part of everyday living because it was naturally sustainable and in harmony with nature. Also, the purpose of education is the discovery of ones soul, but spirituality is not part of todays narrative in education.

As the theme for TEDx this time was 'Limitless'. What is it that makes you feel limitless? Also, our education system is limited in some ways, doing away with which limitations do you think can free it up so that it can reach its full potential?Human potential is limitless. Humans are designed to outgrow the limited egoistic consciousness steeped into suffering, disease and death into becoming universal beings. The purpose of life is to be enlightened like Buddha or Mahavira or Vivekananda! That is the limitless human potential that is never exploited, but is wasted during ones existence on Earth! Once we recognise this and believe in this, we are given limitless opportunities to grow and impact the world.The education system is limited in many ways. The curriculum is outdated and is not dynamic. It is designed neither by the teacher nor the student, but by a third person. The manner of teaching is limited in classrooms, there is very little experiential and immersive teaching-learning that happens, it is limited by the life skills that it imparts to the learners, it does not help the development of the whole person and is only limited to mental education. The biggest limitation is that it is copied from the western paradigm of education which does not talk about spirituality in any way. The very purpose of education in the Indian paradigm is the discovery of ones soul, but this is not even talked about in modern education. Words like soul and spirituality are absent!

When education is designed to proceed from the near to the far, from local to global, from contextual to universal and is taught in a manner that is applied and experiential, it will reach its full potential. Finally, we have to bring in the narrative of spiritual education into the mainstream. Spirituality is what India has stood for and even today, the whole world is looking at India for answers to the problems that it has created using linear and reductionist approaches to problem-solving.

You've explored more sectors than most of us put together corporate, entrepreneurship, education, ballet, karate, publishing and so much more. Which sector was the most difficult for you?Every one of them was challenging in their own ways and that is what I enjoy. I am a start-up person. I thrive in chaos. I love a blank drawing board or a blank canvas to paint the vision of something. When these projects grow to a size that systems work and are in place, I like to hand it over to competent people and like to move to the next chaos. So, HIAL is technically my fourth start-up or the fourth chaos and I am loving it. The most difficult one, however, was the hospitals project because of my lack of domain knowledge, which is medicine, limited my ability to make a change there. I believe that one can move into any sector and learn it which is what I did with my engineering and publishing businesses, but the hospital was a different ball game.

What can we expect from you next? Which field are you going to venture into?HIAL will be my focus area for some time at least for the next 10-15 years. Every new skill that I add to myself will be towards that. For instance, I am learning the Ladakhi language now. I hope to be fluent by the end of the year. I am writing a book Education for Tomorrow: An Integral Approach and plan to have it published it by next year. I plan to delve deep into the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita and the Works of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo and also study all the educationists in depth.

When the duo researched, they found out that HIAL is the worlds first in several ways:- HIAL is the worlds first Doers University that follows the pedagogy of learning by doing and immersive teaching-learning practices.- It will be the first Mountain University in the world that will focus on all the issues and problems faced by the mountain world like climate change impacting glaciers melting at an alarming rate, flashfloods, valley greening in the high altitude desert terrain of Ladakh, urban migration of youth leaving the villages empty, menace of waste generated through irresponsible tourism to name a few.- The students will be working not on staged projects but real-life and real-time problems mentioned above and working towards solutions as a part of their course and learning.- For this HIAL is setting up live labs that generate resources to run the university while the students get free education, thereby making the education free as was the case in ancient India, students pay with their hard work, sweat and creativity!

Two recent projects from HIAL that they are proud of are:- Their fellowship project started with the planting of a 600 m2 of forest using indigenous plants and indigenous techniques of soil preparation and plantation techniques. If this pilot succeeds, then this will be scaled up to 20,000 m2 next year as the ambitious vision of HIAL is to have 70 per cent of its 200-acre campus green with forests and plantations!- Their entire campus is off-grid, solar passive housing structures and they started the fellowship this year when they had just one such structure that would triple up as a classroom for fellows during the week, office space during the hours in between and living quarters for some of them who live on campus. They are proud of the fact that we manage to live on the desert land in the middle of nowhere with limited basic resources like water, yet initiate the fellowship, conduct the education confluence and work amidst these challenging circumstances to give shape to the project.

For more on her. check outin.linkedin.com/in/gitanjalijb

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Why Gitanjali JB wants to put the soul and spirituality back in Indian education - EdexLive