Are You Spiritual But Not Religious? 10 Reasons Why Buddhism Will Enrich Your Path

http://www.lionsroar.com/are-you-spiritual-but-not-religious-10-reasons-why-buddhism-will-enrich-your-path-november-2013/

Are You Spiritual But Not Religious? 10 Reasons Why Buddhism Will Enrich Your Path

by Melvin McLeod | October 30, 2014

INFORM: Minority Religions and Schooling

Inform Autumn Seminar
Minority Religions and Schooling

Date - Saturday, 6 December 2014; 9.30am - 4.45pm
Location – New Academic Building, London School of Economics

‘State multiculturalism has failed’, declared David Cameron in 2011.  Yet there is a continued expansion in state-funded religious schooling in Britain. This expansion has gone hand-in-hand with legal rulings that have placed minority religions on stronger footing next to the more established faiths. After exponential growth of Academies operating outside of local authority control since 2000, and three years after the first Free Schools opened their doors (a programme which has assisted the expansion of a diversity of faith-based schools), it is a good opportunity to take stock and reflect on the nature of minority faith schooling in Britain.

 

Registration is now open and can be done using a credit/debit card through PayPal or by posting a booking form and a cheque payable to 'Inform' to Inform, Houghton St., London WC2A 2AE. Tickets (including buffet lunch, coffee and tea) paid by 10 November 2014 are £38 each (£18 students/unwaged). Tickets booked after 10 November 2014 will cost £48 each (£28 students/unwaged). A limited number of seats will be made available to A-Level students at £10 before 10 November 2014 (£20 after 10 November). 

 

 

 

Provisional Programme
The presence of speakers on an Inform programme does not mean that Inform endorses their position.
The aim of Inform Seminars is to help participants to understand, or at least recognise, different perspectives.

 

9.30 - 10.00	REGISTRATION
10.00 - 10.10	Eileen Barker (Founder and Honorary Research Fellow, Inform) Welcome and Housekeeping
10.10 - 10.35	Amanda van Eck Duymaer van Twist (Deputy Director, Inform) and Suzanne Newcombe (Research Officer at Inform) Minority Religions and Schooling
10.35 - 11.00	Farid Panjwani (Director of the Centre for Research and Evaluation in Muslim Education at the Institute of Education, University of London) Muslims and Faith Schools: identity and social aspiration in a minority religion'
11.00 – 11.25	Damon Boxer (Assistant Director, Academies and Free Schools Policy, Department for Education) Government Policy on Minority Religions and Schools
11.25 – 11.50	TEA/COFFEE
11.50 – 12.15	Ozcan Keles (Executive Director of the Dialogue Society) Fethullah Gulen-inspired Hizmet schools from an alumnus: basics, characteristics and critique
12.15 – 12.40	Nitesh Gor (Chief Executive, Avanti Schools Trust) Inclusivity and Fidelity
12.40 - 13.05	Richy Thompson (Campaigns Officer (Faith Schools and Education), British Humanist Association) A Humanist Perspective on Minority Religions and Schooling
13.05 - 14.15	LUNCH/BOOK LAUNCH
14.15 - 14.40	Graham Kennish Vision as Mediator between Faith, Belief, Experience and Knowledge'
14.40 - 15.05	Jonny Scaramanga (Doctoral student at the Institute of Education) The History of Accelerated Christian Education in the United Kingdom
15.05 - 15.30	TEA/COFFEE
15.30 - 15.55	Jo Fageant (SIAMS inspector and Principal RE Adviser, Oxford Diocesan Board of Education) Faith and Inspection in Church of England schools
15.55 – 16.45	GENERAL PANEL DISCUSSION

 

Please access the attached hyperlink for an important electronic communications disclaimer: http://lse.ac.uk/emailDisclaimer

CHINA LAYS CLAIM TO LEADERSHIP OF THE BUDDHIST WORLD

http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2014/10/25/china-lays-claim-to-leadership-of-the-buddhist-world/comment-page-1/

CHINA LAYS CLAIM TO LEADERSHIP OF THE BUDDHIST WORLD

Posted on October 25th, 2014

Kalinga Seneviratne in Baoji, China

With an impressive display of Chinese Buddhist culture and hospitality, China laid claims to giving leadership to the Buddhist world, by hosting over 600 international delegates for the 27th General Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) at this historic city in north western China from 16th-18th October.

How Would the Buddha Handle North Korea? Mindfulness in diplomacy

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=8,12056,0,0,1,0

How Would the Buddha Handle North Korea? Mindfulness in diplomacy

 

by Seok-Hyun Hong, The Huffington Post, Oct 24, 2014

Seoul, South Korea -- Today's diplomacy is dysfunctional, and it seems as if the more we try to fix things without negotiations, the more serious the problems become. Recently the challenges in places like Iraq or Syria have grown so dire that we have to wonder whether we simply have the fundamentals wrong.

The Life of Anagarika Dharmapala

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI4tzuUhZ2w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyKqN5NkUag

The Life of Anagarika Dharmapala

 Published on Oct 24, 2014

Anagarika Dharmapala, A Hero of Our Time – by Dr Desmond Biddulph, President of The Buddhist Society, at UK’s 150th Birth Celebrations of Anagarika Dharmapala, the founder of London Buddhist Vihara, held in London on Sept 21, 2014. The Buddhist Society was founded in 1924, by a great personal friend of Anagarika Dharmapala, the late Christmas Humphreys, building on the pioneer work of the Buddhist Society of Great Britain and Ireland (1907 to 1926). A lay organisation it is one of the oldest Buddhist societies in Europe. From its inception it has not been attached to any one school of Buddhism, remaining non-sectarian in character and open in principle to the teachings of all schools and traditions. http://www.thebuddhistsociety.org/abo...

Exclusive video coverage of the event done by Waruna Lelwala.
https://www.facebook.com/WlUkVideoPro...

Telegraph: Mindfulness: does it really live up to the hype?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-health/11161367/Mindfulness-does-it-really-live-up-to-the-hype.html

Mindfulness: does it really live up to the hype?

Happier, healthier and better rested: that's what 20 minutes a day of meditation has done for one writer. And as a resolute sceptic, she couldn't be more surprised

William Blake, Buddhism and Human Rights – value of praxis over ideology

http://groundviews.org/2014/09/25/william-blake-buddhism-and-human-rights-value-of-praxis-over-ideology/

William Blake, Buddhism and Human Rights – value of praxis over ideology

bySajeeva Samaranayake on09/25/2014

 

[William Blake 1757-1827 demonstrated through his art and poetry how opposite views were actually relative and dependent on each other and that they were reconcilable once we overcame the mental trap of ‘abstraction’ and solidification, the act of removing something out of its context and turning it into an absolute]

..

[The Asokan pillar is a symbol of fearlessness that emerges through non-violence and the ability to work through and overcome negative emotions. Fear is the prime cause behind abstraction.]

Marriage of Buddhism and modern dance

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/culture/2014/10/145_165890.html

Marriage of Buddhism and modern dance

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Masked dancers run through gilded Buddhist statues on stage and roll over with them. The dancers also pile up plastic baskets on stage and knock them down, as if symbolizing Koreans accepting and consuming new culture rapidly.

This is the Korea National Contemporary Dance Company (KNCDC)'s "Bul-ssang," which will be staged on Friday and Saturday at Main Hall Hae of National Theater of Korea on Mount Nam.

ShambhalaSun : Awake in the World

http://us7.campaign-archive2.com/?u=59fbde8a5794d670ab3a8a1a0&id=5375d9e255&e=1600c8252d

We are pleased to share this special event hosted by our friends at Shambhala Mountain Center.

Sign up here to access all 6 days of dialogues, presentations, and guided meditations (at no cost)  Awake in the World features over 20 top thought leaders and wisdom holders sharing their experience and guidance on: integrating lessons from yoga and meditation into your everyday life, mindful eating, reducing stress, cultivating healthy relationships, working with difficult situations at work, establishing a meditation practice, working with compassion and much more! Click here to register for the free online event October 19-24. After this timeframe the recordings of the event will be available for purchase here.   Presenters and Hosts Include: Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, Tara Brach, Dr. Roger Teel, Roshi Joan Halifax, Charles Eisenstein, Roshi Bernie Glassman, Richard Reoch, Acharya Fleet Maull, Susan Piver, Lodro Rinzler, Acharya Adam Lobel, Irini Rockwell, Acharya Susan Chapman, Michael Carroll, Acharya Dan Hessey, Shastri Janet Solyntjes, Seane Corn, Acharya Gaylon Ferguson, Shiva Rea, Susan Skjei, Alexandra Shenpen, Kazuaki Tanahashi, and many more! Online Event Schedule Day 1:  Envisioning an Awakened World with hosts Acharya Dan Hessey and Acharya Adam Lobel Day 2:  Waking Up to Personal Health & Well-being with host Holly Gayley Day 3:  Waking Up Through Relationships with host Susan Piver Day 4:  Waking Up Through Work with host Lodro Rinzler Day 5:  Waking Up Through Service with host Acharya Fleet Maul Day 6:  Interreligious Dialogue Featuring senior teachers from 6 religious traditions Event Partners include: Shambhala Sun, Naropa University, Shambhala Publications, Tricycle Sounds True, Elephant Journal, Buddhafest and Nexus. Click here to learn more

SUBSCRIBE TO SHAMBHALA SUN

SAVE 50%  and get a free digital booklet when you subscribe today.

Looking east for guidance: The influence of Buddhism, Hinduism and Taoism on Tolstoy’s life

http://rbth.co.uk/literature/2014/10/10/looking_east_for_guidance_the_influence_of_buddhism_hinduism_and_t_40519.html

Looking east for guidance: The influence of Buddhism, Hinduism and Taoism on Tolstoy’s life 

October 10, 2014 Ajay Kamalakaran, RBTH In the latter part of his life, the great writer was considerably influenced by eastern religions. How did these teachings affect Tolstoy's writing and his own philosophical ideas?
Source: Russia Beyond the Headlines - http://rbth.co.uk/literature/2014/10/10/looking_east_for_guidance_the_influence_of_buddhism_hinduism_and_t_40519.html)

http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/15/buddhism-meditation-spiritual-mindfulness/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0

The Meaning of Life

Culture

By TIM WU

October 15, 2014 3:30 pmOctober 15, 2014 3:30 pm

Whether or not the latest wave of self-helping meditators or corporate practitioners of ‘mindfulness’ know it, the spiritual enlightenment sweeping America has strong ties to Buddhism, thanks in part to one huggable ex-monk in California.

REC: Commission on Religion and Belief in British Public Life

From: Sophie Agrotis [mailto:sophie@religiouseducationcouncil.org.uk]
Sent: 10 October 2014 10:57
To: Sophie Agrotis
Subject: FW: From Baroness Butler-Sloss - Re: Commission on Religion and Belief in British Public Life

 

Dear Member representative,

 

The Commission on Religion and Belief in British Public Life have asked that we circulate to you details of their current public consultation. Please find below a message from  Mohammed Aziz, head of the Commission Secretariat:

 

The Commission has been convened by the Woolf Institute, Cambridge, and would welcome your views on the topics with which it is dealing, as outlined in the consultation document at http://www.corab.org.uk/national-consultation.

 

Very briefly summarised, the commission would like to know people’s views on the role of religion and belief in British public life with particular regard to media coverage of religion and belief issues, social action, developments in UK education systems, civil and criminal law, and dialogue and engagement. You are of course welcome to focus on topics and questions which are of particular interest to you – you are not expected to reply to each and every single question in the document.

 

Responses can be of any length and can be accompanied by copies of relevant documents. In its eventual report the Commission will acknowledge all the responses which it receives and will almost certainly wish to quote from some of them directly.

 

You are welcome to forward this message and its attachment to colleagues and contacts who might wish to respond, and to mention it in newsletters or bulletins, and to place it on the agendas of meetings.

 

Responses should please be sent by 31 October to maa74@cam.ac.uk or by post to the Woolf Institute, 12-14 Grange Road, Cambridge CB3 9DU. Enquiries should be addressed to Mohammed Aziz, head of the Commission Secretariat.

 

 

- - - - - - - - - - -

 

Sophie Agrotis | Office and Finance Administrator

 

Religious Education Council

CAN Mezzanine

49-51 East Road

N1 6AH

 

Phone:  0207 250 8166

E-mail: info@religiouseducationcouncil.org.uk

Website: religiouseducationcouncil.org.uk

Centre plans to launch AC train in Buddhist circuit from 2015

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-centre-plans-to-launch-ac-train-in-buddhist-circuit-from-2015-2021961

Centre plans to launch AC train in Buddhist circuit from 2015

The Centre today announced a slew of measures including launching an air-conditioned train in Buddhist circuit from next year and putting signboards in languages of different countries for non-English speakers to make Bodh Gaya and other places associated with Lord Buddha more attractive for visitors.
All the electric poles would be removed at Bodh Gaya and wires be placed under ground to spruce up the place where Buddha had attained enlightenment, Union Tourism minister Shripad Naik said at the three-day Buddhists International Festival.
Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, Union Tourism Secretary Parvez Diwan, Uttar Pradesh Technical Education minister Shivkant Ojha, Bihar Tourism minister Javed Iqbal Ansari and his counterpart in Food department Shyam Rajak were present on the occasion.
Around 132 delegates from 31 countries including Japan, UK, Russia, Australia, Taiwan, Cambodia, Spain, Sri Lanka and Serbia are participating in the festival that begun yesterday at Bodh Gaya, the famous Buddhist place, about 100 km from capital Patna.
Naik said a fully air-conditioned Train would start running in the Buddhist circuit from 2015. The train would have facility of separate kitchen in the train itself in which foreign tourists could cook and enjoy food of their country. He said a sum of Rs 1,000 crore has been sanctioned for development of Buddhist circuit.
Lumbini, Bodhgaya, Sarnath and Kushinagar in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are the primary pilgrimage places of Buddhist Circuits associated with the life and teachings of Lord Buddha.
The Union Tourism minister said that presently it has been seen that foreign tourists come here mainly in winter season. But to draw them here in summer season too, fortnight-long country-specfific festival would be organised in monasteries of different countries.
Naik said a statue of Lord Buddha would be installed inside the lake at Ghora Katora in Rajgir in Nalanda district.
Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi drew importance of tourism and said if the sector is properly developed it could feed economy of resource-crunched state of Bihar alone.
Manjhi said he would soon meet Union Civil Aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju for development of Gaya Airport and starting flight services from Delhi, Kolkata and Kathmandu to Gaya for convenience of foreign tourists in particular.
The CM said his government has set up tourist police station at Bodh Gaya and deployed a Deputy Superintendent of Police level officer to deal with vehicular congestion.
Drawing attention towards poor condition of National Highways in the state, Manjhi urged the Centre to reimburse about Rs 1,000 crore to the state which previous CM Nitish Kumar had spent for repair of the NHs from state coffer. This money would be spent for repair of NHs again, he said.
Manjhi said plan was afoot to construct a dam on river Falgu, the venue of "Pitri paksha" (worship of forefathers), which could have 2-3 feet of water throughout the year.
The Bihar CM said that due to initiatives of the state government, flow of tourists, both domestic and foreigners, have risen astronomically. Bihar had received 68.8 lakh domestic and 63,000 thousand foreign tourists in 2005 which went up to 2.15 crore from within the country and 7.65 lakh from abroad in 2013, he said reeling out the statistics.
Uttar Pradesh Techinical Education minister Shivnath Ojha said that world's tallest statue of Lord Buddha at 212 feet would be installed in Kusinagar. He said Akhilesh Yadav government has earmarked Rs 1,008 crore for development of Sarnath to Kusinagar road.
During International Buddhist festival that would end tomorrow, pilgrims, tour operators and others associated with tourism would visit different Buddhist temples and international monasteries at Bodh Gaya.

IFN: Interfaith Week

http://www.interfaithweek.org/   Inter Faith Week 2014 - 45 days to go!

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Put your event on the map! If you are planning to hold an event to mark Inter Faith Week 2014, please do take a moment to send us details about it via the website. Events will be displayed, as in previous years, on an interactive map. To register your event and put it on the map, please click here. Alternatively, if you would prefer to complete a PDF registration form, or to print off and post a hard-copy form, please use this link. Some reasons why listing your event can help you and others: Free publicity - the website is visited by thousands of people before and throughout Inter Faith Week who are looking for events to attend. It is also visited by others such as journalists and MPs. The bigger picture - it helps people to get a feel for just how big the Week is, and to bring home the significance of the contribution of faith communities to national and local life; the importance of inter faith understanding and cooperation; and also the need for greater understanding between those of religious and non-religious beliefs. Accessibility - the website allows people to search for events that are accessible to them. The more information you are able to give us, the more helpful your listing will be to those with specific needs. Encouragement and inspiration - After the Week, IFN draws together a list of all events known to it to have taken place to mark the Week. The list shows the incredible diversity of the Week and the wide range of ways people choose to mark it, and is often used as inspiration by event organisers in the future. Funding - Being able to give an accurate picture of the many different types of events which take place to mark the Week across England, Northern Ireland and Wales helps IFN to make the case to possible funders about why they should be supporting the groups looking to organise events to mark the Week and inter faith activity in general. Inter Faith Week - 45 days to go! www.interfaithweek.org Today marks 45 days until Inter Faith Week 2014 in England, Northern Ireland and Wales. Further information and a flyer about the Week is available at www.interfaithweek.org. Message from Trustees of the Inter Faith Network "Inter Faith Week is a time to highlight the contribution of faith communities to our shared lives, to increase understanding between and about faiths and also between those of religious and non-religious beliefs. It provides a tremendous platform ... to get more people involved, share good practice and look at both the opportunities and challenges of living well together in our diverse society". Trustees of IFN Message from the Prime Minister "Inter Faith Week is now a well regarded fixture in the faith calendar and I am delighted it is going from strength to strength. The Week plays an important role in bringing together people, and I would encourage everyone to get behind this year's activities. There is no better way of celebrating the richness and diversity of faith in our country." Rt Hon David Cameron MP, Prime Minister Message from the Deputy Prime Minister "Inter Faith Weeks have had a tremendous impact since they first started in 2009. They inspire people of all faiths, and of no faith, to come together and help create the fair and tolerant society we all want to be a part of. This is an aim that I am personally committed to, and hope to have helped support by bringing people together at recent events that I have hosted. The Week is a brilliant opportunity for people of different backgrounds to make new connections, find out more about each other and celebrate together the great multicultural society we have here in the UK. My best wishes to everyone involved in making Inter Faith Week what it is today. I hope many communities up and down the country will get involved to make this year another great success. Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP, Deputy Prime Minister Message from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government "Inter Faith Week, and the wider work of the Inter Faith Network in the UK, showcases perfectly what can be achieved when those of faith and those of none work together using a combination of social action and practical activities. Hopefully this Week will inspire many more people to get involved." Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Tips and ideas Inter Faith Week: Celebrating 2013 and planning for 2014 contains tips and ideas for event planners. It can be downloaded from the Inter Faith Week homepage. Twitter and Facebook We will be tweeting about Inter Faith Week via the @IFWeek account and using the #IFWeek hashtag. If you are tweeting about the Week, please either copy @IFWeek or use the hashtag (or both). The Inter Faith Week Facebook page is at www.facebook.com/ifweek. Scottish Interfaith Week Scottish Interfaith Week will take place from 23 - 30 November 2014. The theme for the week will be 'Journeys', looking at our journeys of faith, for example stories of pilgrimage or inner journeys. For further details, visit the Interfaith Scotland website at www.interfaithscotland.org/our-activities/scottish-interfaith-week/. http://www.interfaithweek.org/

Tricycle: Don't Believe the Hype

http://www.tricycle.com/blog/don%E2%80%99t-believe-hype

Don’t Believe the Hype | Tricycle

 

Last May, an article about mindfulness on a popular mainstream news website finally spurred neuroscientist and meditation researcher Catherine Kerr to act. The article cited 20 benefits of meditation, from “reducing loneliness” to “increasing grey matter

RE Council Newsletter : October 2014

http://us4.campaign-archive1.com/?u=a742773f8f89e11e47d388c29&id=b0c5318120&e=a0f1d3deed

RE Council Newsletter : October 2014

In This Issue

• Putting RE on the map
• Government change of heart on bursaries
• RE Council Patrons
• RE Quality Mark
• APPG on RE
• RE PD Portal
• Young Ambassadors for RE
• New on the RE Council website
• Regional Strategy for RE CPD
• Commission on Religion and Belief in Public Life
• The Teach RE course
• The 3forRE scheme
• E-mail a Believer
• New: Online secondary seminar from RE Today Service
• REtoday Re-Styled
• Strictly RE: the first ever NATRE national conference
• NATRE launches its new website
• New publications from FBFE
• The Hockerill/NATRE prize for innovation in RE teaching: winners announced
• News from the Hindu Council UK
• Institute of Jainology: Ahimsa day celebrations
• New articles on JAINpedia