Issue 1 Spring 1987
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BESHARA BULENT RAUF To Suggest a Vernacular ... RUPERT SHELDRAKE The Presence of the Past. DOM SYLVESTER HOUEDARD The Question about Questions. RICHARD TWINCH Memory and the Brain. BESHARA The Magazine of the Beshara Trust Issue 1 Spring 1987 CONTENTS EDITORIAL This magazine has grown out of the Beshara News News and Views Bulletin, which has been circulated for several years Adam Dupre on The First Monastic now to those associated with The Beshara Trust. The Exchange between Benedictine and expansion into magazine format has been prompted by Tibetan Monks 2 the degree of interest shown in recent issues, which Bulent RaufandJohn Hill on have included articles by a number of distinguished speakers. and by the fact that within the the forum Religion and Conservation- The UK World Wildlife Fund at Assisi 3 for intelligent and informed discussion on matters which concern a spiritual perspective is virtually Stephen Hirtenstein on TheBasis confined to publications pressing a particular point of of a Universal Religion 6 view. Beshara is not associated with any particular political, Articles social or religious group or stance. Rather, it is the Cecilia Twinch -Education at the name of a spiritual emergence, and an inclination Beshara Schools 7 towards a truly universal perspective, that lies behind so many movements in the world today. Beshara is no Bulent Rauf- To Suggest a one's exclusive domain, but its reality carries its own Vernacular ... 9 order; like "the yeast in the dough" it is discernible John Brass-Hospitality 8 within all movements that aspire to a holistic understanding. Dom Sylvester Houedard - Part 2 of The Question about Questions 11 The scope of the magazine is therefore wide. Movements Rupert Sheldrake - The Presence of within science have been already been discussed in the Past 15 previous issues of the News Bulletin and will continue to Richard Twinch -Memory and 21 be a major area of coverage. In this issue we also look at the Brain movements within the major religions and the World Life Fund's initiative towards a global perspective on conservation. Future issues will be considering economics, psychology, art, education, literature and Reviews many other areas. Central, always, will be the theme of Richard MacEwan on God and the the real place of conscious man in a reality understood New Biology by Arthur Peacocke to be one and unique. and TheTao of Power translated The Greek word Krites, from which our word 'critic' by R.L.Wing 25 derives, means judge', but it also includes the meaning of 'he who chooses the best'. This is the meaning which Beshara adopts in commenting upon current events and The Beshara Trust reviewing recent works. The other face of the work of News and Events 29 such a critic is that drawing out the best is equally being A Letter from Holland 32 drawn towards the best. It is in the hope that this will be the case for our readers as well as for our contributors that this new venture is launched. Jane Clark BESHARA is produced by the Beshara Trust, a registered educational charity No.263330, and BESHARA pri nted by the Beshara Press. EDITOR: Jane Clark. ASSISTANT EDITORS; Alison Yiangou, CeciJia Copyright on all articles is held by The Beshara Twinch. PRODUCTION: Sophie Dupre. Trust. Permission for multiple photo-copying and COVER DESIGN: Lesley Abadi aftera painting by Mondrian. reprinting must be sought. ADDRESSES: Editorial and Advertising - 24 Sidney Street, Oxford OX43AG. Subscriptions- The Beshara Trust, Beshara Sherborne, Copyright of Rupert Sheldrake's article The Presence of the Past is retained by Rupert Stable Block, Sherborne, Nr. Cheltenham, Glos GL54 3DZ. Sheldrake who can be contacted via Beshara SUBSCRIPTION informationon Page 27 Magazine. BESHARA News and Views - First Monastic Exchange Ne\Vs and Vie\Vs First European Monastic Exchange their meeting point might be between Buddhist and Benedictine through the works of Thomas Aquinas in particular and the Monks of Tibet and Britain Scholastic tradition ofthe twelfth and thirteenth centuries in A Conference on The Light of Enlightenment and general. Monastic Life according to the Two Traditions he morningsess ion ofthe conference was given to two Adam Dupre reports: T talks on the monastic spirituality his one-day conference, held rather than as a fo rm of religious ofthe two traditions. The Ton Saturday 14th July in the practice. Hence the events at Venerable Ato Rimpoche fr om Benedictine monastery of Ealing, Ealing have significance not Cambridge spoke on The Six represented the first step in public only fo r those who explicitly Paramitas (Qualities) which are of a developing exchange between fo llow a monastic rule, but also necessary to the Way. These he the monastic traditions of Tibet fo r all those whose inner summarised as: generosity, and WesternChristianit y. Each conformityis to truth. This was moral conduct, compassion, approached the conference, and reflected in the fact that the strength , concentration in the underlying current of conference was open to the public meditation and wisdom in exchange that it represents, with and over1 00 'lay' people were knowledge. the aim oflearningfrom each present. In discussing each of these in other and of proferring each to turn,he pointed always to the each the fruits of their respective ince the first step in any inner reality and attitude, rather wisdoms. S dialogue is th e establishment than to outward conformity to The motivation that fo und of a common ground of under rules. In discussing generosity, expression in Ealing on St. standing, it seems appropriate to fo r instance, he emphasised that Valentine's Day came fr om the begin this consideration of an what is required is generosity of Pope and the Dalai Lama, each of historic event by referring to the spirit, which is based on whom has instructed their monks remarks of dom Sylvester knowledge of what is required, so to seek dialogue and under Houedard, a monk ofPrinknash involving hearing. He pointed out standing with the monks of other Abbey and one of the main figures that motive is crucial; a small act traditions. Yet further, the behind the building up of this of generosity performed with th e conference was part ofthe particular dialogue. right (selfless) motive is of great preparation fo r the welcome oftwo Dom Sylvester pointed to three value, whereas a large act, done Tibetan monks of very high points on which there is accord with the wrong motive, can not rank, who are due to come to between the two traditions: both only harm th e giver but also affect Britain soon on an extended visit agree on the absolute indefinab the result ofthe action. On moral which includes a series of stays at ility and unknowability ofthe conduct, which for a monk is 12 Benedictine monasteries 'Aseitas' or Essence; both admit bound up the with the vows that he throughout Britain and Ireland. no third element in man beyond takes, he spoke ofthe need fo r Th ese are the Panchen Yudol 'mind' and 'body' (though one complete honesty with oneself, Lama and the Venerable Thupten should be careful to understand and most essentially, of the need Tashi. Two Benedictine monks that these two terms, although to have always 'a good heart'. are expected to visit India fo r a related to th eir commonly similar programme next year. understood meanings, actually om Adhelm Cameron have implications fa r beyond D Brown, Abbot ofPrinknash, his was very much, and this): and for each, Being is not spoke on The DeifyingLight. He T explicitly, a monastic relative in itself. God is not a began by saying that although we dialogue and consciously restrict Being, but Being itself, and what speak of God, we do Him a ed its concerns to a movement belongs to th e relativity (which is disservice even to name Him, towards mutual understanding of empty -sunya for th e Buddhists since He is nameless, beyond all the spirituality and lives ofthe of inherent existence) is only concepts, images, words and two ostensibly radically different becoming. knowledge. Only He knows traditions. However, I think that With both traditions being so Himselfas He is. We can know one could venture to suggest that firmly fo un ded on reason (as the that He is, but not what He is, the central concern was with necessary starting point ofthe unless He shows us and we can monasticism as the expression of Way) it is not surprising to find only kn ow Him as He reveals a giving oneselfup to Truth , that it should be suggested that Himself, as in Christ. 2 ISSUE 1 News and Views - Religion and Conservation BESHARA Going on to the primordiality of light - which in Genesis appears Religion and Conservation before the relative sources such as the sun and the moon - dom John Hill reports on the events at Assisi in Autumn Adhelm spoke of the Deifying Light, which is mentioned in 1986 organised by the World Wildlife Fund many scriptures and indeed, in the Rule of St. Benedict, as that n autumn last year, a unique through which 'Divinisation' ie. I and extraordinary event was the radical transformation of our held at Assisi, the place of St. being through the Glory of God, is Francis. Here, at the invitation of possible. Because eternityhas no the World Wildlife Fund, the five beginning and no end, such world religions met in the 'sharing' in the light of the Divine Basilica of St. Franc is for ajoint can happen here in this life and celebration. This unprecedented not only after death. occasion was intended as a On the particular contribution dialogue between Conservation which contact with the East has and Religion in which repres brought the Western traditions, he entativesfrom Christianity, mentioned the true meaning of Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and detachment.