Parliament of Worlds Religion 2009 Melbourne Australia

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

Page 184

PROGRAM DE Saturday, December 5, 2009
8:00-9:00am MORNING OBSERVANCES
Laurence Freeman is a Benedictine monk of the Congregation of Monte Oliveto and Director of The World Community for Christian Meditation Born in England, he was educated by the Benedictines and studied English Literature at Oxford University. Before entering monastic life he had experience with the United Nations, banking and journalism. In the monastery he studied with his spiritual teacher John Main, who he helped to establish the first Christian Meditation Centre in London
Invoking Inner Tranquility: Buddhist Chanting and Meditation Venerable Jian Wei Venerable Jian Hu Venerable Jian Tan Venerable Jian Zong Venerable Jian Ying Room 209 Religious or Spiritual Observance The graceful and subtle melody in Buddhist chanting resonates with our pure mind and permeates space with harmony and compassion. Using hand-bell, gong, and the wooden instrument muyu, Dharma Masters from Chung Tai Chan Monastery of Taiwan will offer a Chan (Chinese Zen) style Buddhist morning service. It will begin with chanting, followed by guided Chan meditation, and conclude with a dedication and blessing: May all sentient beings attain wisdom and be liberated from suffering. Venerable Jian Wei is the Vice Abbot of Chung Tai Chan Monastery and the Dean of the Chung Tai Buddhist Institute Iboth founded by the Grand Master Wei Chueh, a Zen Buddhism spiritual leader in Taiwan.) A Ph.D. in Material Science from National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan, he has taught Buddhism extensively to the monastic in Chung Tai and lay people at meditation centers and college campuses across Taiwan for over ten years. Venerable Jian Hu is a senior monk from the Chung Tai Chan Monastery in Taiwan. He is now the Abbot of the Chung Tai Zen Center in Sunnyvale as well as Buddha Jewel Monastery in Seattle Chung Tai's mission is to teach the truths of Buddhism and promote the practice of Chan Chinese Zen meditation. Venerable Jian Hu has conducted Zen meditation retreats and given lectures at meditation centres and universities throughout Taiwan and the US Venerable Jian Tan is the Vice Abbot of Chung Tai Chan Monastery (founded by the Grand Master Wei Chueh, a Zen Buddhist spiritual leader in Taiwan). He earned a PhD in Electrical Engineering from National Taiwan University and a Master's degree in English Education in the US in 2009. He has served as the Vice Abbot of Chung Tai Zen Center of Sunnyvale and has given teachings in San Francisco and Las Vegas Ven Jian Zong is the Abbot of the Houston branch of Chung Tai Chan Monastery, founded by the Grand Master Wei Chueh, a spiritual leader instrumental in revitalising Chan (Zen Buddhism in Taiwan. Since joining monastic orders in 1998 and prior to his current position, Master Jian Zong served as Vice Abbot of Chung Tai Chan Monastery: Abbot of Great Enlightened Monastery in Keelung, Taiwan, and administrator and instructor at the Chung Tai Buddhist Institute.
The Art of Qur'an Recitation: Sharing Wisdom in the Search for Inner Peace Hajjah Maria Ulfah Room 212 Religious or Spiritual Observance In this session, world-renowned Qur'an reciter Hajjah Maria Ulfah will offer the art of Qur'an recitation as a medium through which wisdom can be shared in the search for inner peace. This session is one of six in a series of Muslim observances on the Qur'an scheduled across the six days of the Parliament. Each session will include beautiful Qur'anic recitations, clear translation, and illuminating exegesis around a different Parliament subtheme each day. This series will show how the subthemes of the Melbourne Parliament are all issues of shared concern to Muslims, as they are at the heart of Islam's social conscience. Hajjah Maria Ulfah is a lecturer and Vice Rector of the Institute for Qur'anic Studies in Jakarta, Indonesia. In 1980, she won both the national Qur'an recitation competition in Jakarta and the international Qur'an recitation competition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. As a professional Qur'an reciter, she has appeared all over Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe, North America, Australia and Japan.
Observance Session with Father Freeman Laurence Freeman Room 210 Religious or Spiritual Observance In this session, Fr Laurence Freeman, OSB, Director of The World Community for Christian Meditation, will speak about the essential Christian meaning of meditation as well as its potential for spiritualising a new global consciousness. He will describe the methodology of this ancient practice and participants will then enjoy a period of meditation. The session will conclude with questions and discussion.
Solstice Sites and Celebrations Patrick McCollum Room 214 Religious or Spiritual Observance A variety of ancient and contemporary sacred sites with Solstice alignments are in use today for celebrations that help humans deepen their connections with each other, the Earth, and the greater Circle of Nature of which we are all a part. This presentation begins with an international look at sacred sites used for celebrating the Summer and Winter Solstices and some examples of the ways the Solstices are celebrated today by practitioners of a variety of Nature religion traditions. This program will include discussion and some ritual, including a Solstice meditation and chant for world peace. Patrick McCollum is the Director and Chair of the National Correctional Chaplaincy Directors Association, and statewide Wiccan chaplain for the California Department of Corrections. McCollum has taught Pagan Chaplaincy Training at the Leadership Institute, part of Circle Sanctuary's annual Pagan Spirit Gathering. He is the National Coordinator of the Lady Liberty League Prison Ministries Program and a member of the National Advisory Council of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State.
180 PWR Parliament of the World's Religions Jain Education International