Parliament of Worlds Religion 2009 Melbourne Australia

Author(s): Parliament of the World’s Religions
Publisher: USA Parliament of the Worlds Religions

Page 140

PROGRAM DES
Friday, December 4, 2009
Morning Observance with Dr Haruhisa Handa (Toshu Fukami)
Dr Haruhisa Handa
Room 105
Religious or Spiritual Observance
This morning observance will be given by Dr Haruhisa Handa, an ordained Zen Buddhist priest in the Rinzai tradition. After completing an arduous program of religious training on Mt. Hiei, one of Japan's oldest monastic centres of Buddhist scholarship and religious practice, Dr Handa formally adopted the Buddhist name 'Toshu Fukami, replacing his secular name for his religious and artistic work.
Born in Japan in 1951, Dr Haruhisa Handa operates more than a dozen companies in Japan and abroad, ranging from management consulting to publishing. He is heavily involved with social causes, currently serving as director of World Faiths Development Dialogue; founder and chairman of Asia Faiths Development Dialogue; president of the International Shinto Foundation; advisor to the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions; and chairman of the International Foundation for Arts and Culture.
Calling Out to Allah: The Role of Du'a (Supplication) in Islam And Its Benefits for Inner Peace
Muhsin Canbolat
Room 108
Religious or Spiritual Observance
Allah says in the Qur'an (2:186), 'When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close [to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me..." In this Observance, a speaker to be announced will highlight how du'a (supplication) is used as a form of worship in Islam and a path to inner peace strengthening one's relationship with their Creator. Participants will have the opportunity to observe and participate in du'a that addresses issues of shared concern to all people of faith such as inner peace, peacemaking, alleviating poverty. and reconciliation.
Muhsin Canbolat was born in 1970 in Turkey. He graduated from Ankara Merkez Imam Hatip School in 1987 and graduated from Divinity Faculty in Marmara University in 1993. Since then he has served as a teacher of Islamic Studies: 6 years in Kazakhstan, 5 years in Sydney and 5 years in Melbourne. He currently teaches the subject of Religion and Values in Isik College and voluntarily serves as coordinator for the Serenity Foundation.
Silent Meditation - Ch'an
Dharma Master Hsin Tao Room 109
Religious or Spiritual Observance
In this morning observance, Dharma Master Hsin Tao will introduce participants to a guided Ch'an meditation, using a method that focuses on breathing and quieting the mind. The focus of this guided meditation is toward awareness of the silence that lies at the heart of all things, both inside and outside of us. Learning to listen in
136 PWR- Parliament of the World's Religions
8:00-9:00am MORNING OBSERVANCES
this silence and to enter into it deeply with every breath is a practical and spiritual method to let go of worries and stress. It opens up the dimension of inner peace and compassion that leads to healing of self and others.
Dharma Master Hsin Tao was born in Burma in 1948 and came to Taiwan at age 13. He became a monk at age 25 and established the Wu-sheng Monastery on Ling-jiou mountain in 1983. He founded the Museum of World Religions and is president of the Global Family of Love and Peace. The series of Buddhist-Muslim dialogues he initiated in 2001 has been conducted in ten countries, including the UNESCO Paris and UN in New York.
Dancing the Seven Sacred Directions
T Thorn Coyle Room 111
Interactive Workshop
In this workshop participants will move, dance, breathe, and celebrate the sacred all around them. Using sacred movements, together we will call upon Air, Fire, Water, Earth and the Spirit that connects them all. These movements address the Seven Sacred Directions (East, South, West, North, Above, Below and Centre) used by many Pagan traditions. In connecting the sacred directions and elements of life to our bodies, we are placed in a direct, flowing relationship with the sacred earth. By including the physical, we make a connection with all that is sacred to us, transforming ourselves and our relationships. The movements are simple, repetitive meditations designed for non-dancers.
T Thorn Coyle is an internationally respected teacher, mystic, and magic worker. Her practice focuses on the alchemy that occurs when we fully open ourselves to our humanity in our quest for divine knowledge and connection. Founder of Solar Cross, a non-profit temple and educational centre, and the Morningstar Mystery School, her most recent book is Kissing the Limitless: Deep Magic and the Great Work of Transforming Yourself and the World.
The Path of a Multifaith Chaplaincy: Parliament Labyrinth as Spiritual Observance
Rev Di Williams
Room 202
Religious or Spiritual Observance
Walking the labyrinth is a regular spiritual practice for many University of Edinburgh students and staff. This spiritual observance session is designed to make the labyrinth available to Parliament delegates for walking meditation, contemplation, prayer and reflection.
The Rev Di Williams, Anglican priest and currently Chaplain to the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, UK, is an experienced creator. facilitator and Master Teacher of labyrinths in the UK and internationally. She was recently honoured by the Queen (MBE) for her interreligious and labyrinth work in Higher Education and has just completed her book Labyrinths: Landscapes of the Soul".