Interreligious Dialog: Mystical Traditions & Contemplative Practices in Judaism, Islam & Christianity (panel discussion)

In this talk, Darleen will explore how being present at the bedside of the dying at Zen Hospice Project has informed her historical research in late medieval Christian spirituality. This talk focuses on the dying and death of Francis of Assisi and the lay woman who ministered to him, Jacoba dei Settesoli. While she is little known today, she offered the gentle ministry of presence to provide comfort in his final hours. Darleen will explore how her understanding of her spirituality and her leadership in ministry has been informed and deepened by sitting with the dying, having been trained to do so with Buddhist precepts. Sufism: The Heart of Devotion This presentation includes exploration of the transformative aspect of Sufi teachings rooted in the inter-religious understanding of mystical wisdom. Sufism is a journey within the heart to discover the inner landscape of love. Come discover the richness of your inner landscape. The Sufis have discovered the centrality of the human heart. The Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) has said: “Remembering God is the cure for the heart.” (Translated by Dr. Nahid Angha in Deliverance, 1995, p. 53.) Purified heart-centered intentions guide the human being to discover meaning beyond words, to uncover the veils of illusion that hide us from our hearts. To awaken to the inner experience of unity. As Dr. Nahid Angha wrote in The Journey of the Lovers: “In the journey of the heart, the goal for the Sufi is to attain the knowledge of the Self, as a doorway towards understanding the Divine.” (Angha, 1998b, p. 10.) The goal of the heart is to attain knowledge and the human being is guided to the doorway of the heart by the truthful Teacher. All hearts connect beyond labels of religion or spiritual practice that separate human beings. The fundamental principle of unity inwardly and outwardly connects all of humanity. Understanding the Past by Sitting in the Present: How my Research in Medieval Christianity is Informed by my Volunteer Work at Zen Hospice Project In this talk, Darleen will explore how being present at the bedside of the dying at Zen Hospice Project has informed her historical research in late medieval Christian spirituality. This talk focuses on the dying and death of Francis of Assisi and the lay woman who ministered to him, Jacoba dei Settesoli. While she is little known today, she offered the gentle ministry of presence to provide comfort in his final hours. Darleen will explore how her understanding of her spirituality and her leadership in ministry has been informed and deepened by sitting with the dying, having been trained to do so with Buddhist precepts. The Transformative Power of Nothingness: Jewish Mystical Perspectives and Practices In Kabbalah, Nothingness (Ayin) is the highest divine power, the first and foremost outpouring of the Infinite One. It is the boundless, formless energy that is the creative source of all being and non-being. By connecting to this infinite potentiality within and around us we are able to transform self and world. Kabbalists believe that in the depths of our souls, each of us is always rooted in the Nothingness, and they offer powerful practices for tapping this root reality which contains the sacred direction of our lives. The experience of Nothingness suggests that form is rooted in formlessness and that our formal religious differences are less fundamental than our common formless origin. It also reminds us to be humble about our ability to understand the mysteries of divinity, humanity and cosmos