tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57195567657445476812024-03-04T22:40:46.561-06:00Headwaters/Delta InterfaithBringing community together to envision and realize beneficial projects. We partner with local, national and international organizations to advance dialogue, pluralism and social equity. Based in Minneapolis, MN and New Orleans, LA, cities connected by the great Mississippi, we are symbolic of all rivers connecting all people. Each river is unique: each faith is different, yet all rivers, all faiths, share common features, define culture and nurture life.Saumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05684586617971796705noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719556765744547681.post-5489816739046341562016-12-09T23:38:00.003-06:002016-12-09T23:38:55.095-06:00We'll Miss You!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Dear Friends,<br />
<br />
Due to Saumya's Traumatic Brain Injury, Headwaters/Delta Interfaith is suspending all projects and operations. The Interfaith Program and fourth floor Spiritual Space at the New Orleans Healing Center will remain active; please visit the Healing Center's <a href="http://www.neworleanshealingcenter.org/interfaith-center/" target="_blank">website</a> for more information. We trust that the Healing Center will continue to be a gathering place and sanctuary for the people of New Orleans for many years to come. <br />
<br />
To keep up with Saumya's recovery and activities, please <a href="https://www.facebook.com/saumya.haas" target="_blank">follow her on Facebook</a>. <br />
<br />
We are grateful for your support and understanding. <br />
<br /></div>
Saumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05684586617971796705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719556765744547681.post-20958065796257223392013-04-03T22:14:00.001-05:002013-04-03T22:14:57.434-05:00KHEL has a new website!<p>We are delighted to announce that our partner and parent organization, <a href="http://www.khelcharities.org/" target="_blank">KHEL Charities International</a>, has a brand new website! We were more than happy to help envision and assist with the new design. You should take a look: <a href="http://www.khelcharities.org/" target="_blank">it’s beautiful</a> (if we do say so ourselves). Comments? Suggestions? Let us know. </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-XBemst6xdrk/UVzwLTc4iDI/AAAAAAAAA0Q/hx6ZNmWYIkY/s1600-h/KHELblackboard%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="KHELblackboard" border="0" alt="KHELblackboard" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-i0U5Yg-kIM0/UVzwMPL2tUI/AAAAAAAAA0Y/xxDEmI-txlk/KHELblackboard_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="473" height="224"></a><br><font size="2">Students at LDA (KHEL’s school) enjoying class outside on a nice day</font></p> Saumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05684586617971796705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719556765744547681.post-80245108280441796012013-03-05T13:16:00.001-06:002013-03-05T13:16:54.156-06:0013 Grandmothers, 13 Rituals for New Orleans Sacred Music Festival, 2013<div align="center"> <table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="800"> <p>A film screening + community panel discussion + Cocoon: <br>An art installation by Heather Hansen and Pamala Bishop <br>Friday 15 March | New Orleans Healing Center | 7:00pm <br>Screening begins at 7:30pm <p>"If you would civilize a man, begin with his grandmother" Victor Hugo <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Fp1xvyImIMA/UTZEZ9SbKGI/AAAAAAAAAzE/_YCt78mcDpw/s1600-h/hands2Jessica_Lutz2012_611%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="hands2Jessica_Lutz2012_611" border="0" alt="hands2Jessica_Lutz2012_611" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-65Eg_MzKPAs/UTZEajT8L3I/AAAAAAAAAzM/RhpJ3rHRMlI/hands2Jessica_Lutz2012_611_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="416" height="276"></a> <p>PLEASE JOIN ME IN CELEBRATING <p>0123456789101112<font color="#ff0000">13</font> <p><font color="#ff0000">13</font> THE YEAR | <font color="#ff0000">13</font> GRANDMOTHERS | <font color="#ff0000">13</font> RITUALS <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz_KhQ7nN7X9qqww0mzwsFfFuGXto2-bow6zjcrhEQ6qG2j4Ytg37Ip5Lh5njQ81yG9yF9mogMKCujlcrLj5C90tnwlmxProqWBn115PrUVmhg_GlAo2VpbMmiTW_Wdgm4JJP44_y9jHA7/s1600-h/13-Grandmothers-X-2%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="13-Grandmothers-X-2" border="0" alt="13-Grandmothers-X-2" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-yOoP4JLlNok/UTZEbT78M8I/AAAAAAAAAzc/vbVCeJblEL4/13-Grandmothers-X-2_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="245" height="366"></a> <p>Inspired by The International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers, I am proposing a project that reintegrates Louisiana's indigenous influences into a contemporary line of sight. Rituals, a collection of thirteen artful experiences, is an act of honoring the spirit of our grandmothers and celebrating the spaces where women heal, pioneer and create. Woven together over space and time the project is a prayer, a tender tendril of hope, and an investment in the power and goodness of women supporting women. Rituals is a contemporary artifact in the making, a story that unfolds as collaborators explore the journey from curiosity to discovery. <p>Rituals is a vessel of inquiry seeking to form a local council of female elders that will educate, envision and bless the efforts of younger generations. The search is an active meditation, and it will be documented in a collection of personal geographies - a series of biographies about local matriarchs articulated through photographs, interviews and recording story-telling sessions. Nominate women in your community that serve as matriarchs or pioneers, and together we can share their untold stories. Nominations can be sent to the following email address: paeri.banu@gmail.com <p>Pamala Bishop + Sacred Music Festival + New Orleans Healing Center <p>present <p>012345678910112<font color="#ff0000">13</font> <p>A film screening + community panel discussion + Cocoon: <p>An art installation by Heather Hansen and Pamala Bishop <p>15 March | New Orleans Healing Center | 7:00pm <p>Screening begins at 7:30pm <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPG1YMJAT0LhWAyOjdMjnZ5wotEn8Y-NW9-ktO5leVX_KcgSicJFrOi16Mov3pxsxrbryHIdKWfF4wEtXwIaPXcerKGq14DgKMtpMlvJG7glCeNCuHYR9-I1tfyFX-7PeOjra8YpR_rTpM/s1600-h/ForTheNext7Generations%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="ForTheNext7Generations" border="0" alt="ForTheNext7Generations" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAhOShT4MxYd58PcJLVyMX2EHjQSCyp2gw1Xxe74GsetSvBkeXDK-lyzJk5eCtTvsvPy_BpcOOFwiM3zCEhMoIPvedQBK-NbbPctHc5JrM4pVoWrhdjidOV0kTla2D3arnDloZPyb6AhG3/?imgmax=800" width="403" height="270"></a> <p><u>For The Next 7 Generations Film Synopsis</u> <p>In 2004, Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers from all four corners, moved by their concern for our planet, came together at an historic gathering, where they decided to form an alliance: The International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers. This is their story. Four years in-the-making and shot on location in the Amazon rainforest, the mountains of Mexico, North America, and at a private meeting with the Dalai Lama in India, For the Next 7 Generations follows what happens when these wise women unite. <p><a href="http://www.grandmotherscouncil.org/"><u>International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmother's mission</u></a> <p>"We, the International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers, represent a global alliance of prayer, education and healing for our Mother Earth, all her inhabitants, all the children, and for the next seven generations to come. We look to further our vision through the realization of projects that protect our diverse cultures: lands, medicines, language and ceremonial ways of prayer and through projects that educate and nurture our children." <p><a href="http://www.neworleanshealingcenter.org/">Sacred Music Festivals| New Orleans Healing Center</a> <p>Partnering with the <a href="http://www.jazzandheritage.org/"><u>New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation </u></a><a href="http://www.wwoz.org/"><u>WWOZ 90.7 </u></a>and the <a href="http://www.jazzandheritage.org/congo-square"><u>Congo Square New World Rhythms Festival</u></a>, this year’s festival honors the ability of sacred music to transcend boundaries and bring healing to connect us to each other and to the Divine. The event works to generate public awareness about the New Orleans Healing Center as a multifaceted venue, while promoting cultural understanding between diverse group in a celebration of human spirit and the rich spiritual and cultural traditions represented in our city. For more information, please view <br><a href="http://www.neworleanssacredmusicfestival.com/" target="_blank">New Orleans Sacred Music Festival 2013</a> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-TWsTUKkcX5c/UTZEodr3ScI/AAAAAAAAAz0/CS8jgwxA3_4/s1600-h/548679_10151299553257904_462887123_n%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="548679_10151299553257904_462887123_n" border="0" alt="548679_10151299553257904_462887123_n" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-VNkKKUK8tUc/UTZEpPUkIUI/AAAAAAAAAz8/t1jJ9t2kA9A/548679_10151299553257904_462887123_n_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="242" height="242"></a> <p><b></b> <p>Special thanks to artist Otto Orellana for our grandmother image.Please check out artist Heather Hansen's website:<a href="http://www.heatherhansen.net">www.heatherhansen.net</a> <p>It would be a pleasure to see you there! </p></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <p align="center"><a name="_GoBack"></a> Saumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05684586617971796705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719556765744547681.post-87496521650746033532013-02-01T17:19:00.001-06:002013-02-01T17:38:48.523-06:00Urgent Request: KHEL Student Medical Emergency<p>A young woman is dying, and we are trying to save her. Please help if you can. If you’re not sure of our relationship with <a href="http://www.facebook.com/KHELcharities" target="_blank">KHEL</a>, we are a part of the KHEL family in many ways; Headwaters/Delta Interfaith is a KHEL-supported project; HDI director Saumya Haas’s mom founded KHEL in the early 1980s (it’s also where she received her first interfaith training), and today we work closely with them on social equity issues in India. <p>Ruchi* is an 8<sup>th</sup> grader at Lakshmi Devi Academy (LDA), KHEL’s school for underprivileged children in Dehradun, India. Ruchi has been at LDA since since nursery school. Until she got sick she was a great student who loved school, worked hard to keep up her grades and took part enthusiastically in school activities. Ruchi’s family believes in education; she has three younger siblings and all of them are studying at LDA – Rajesh* (7<sup>th</sup> grade), Savitri* (5<sup>th</sup> grade) and Asha* (3<sup>rd</sup> grade). Her mother, Kiran, stays home and looks after the family. Her father, Munesh, is a loading truck driver and makes about rs4,000 a month. That’s less than US$90 a month to support a family of 6. According to the World Bank, the international poverty line for one person is US$1.25 per day; each member of Ruchi’s family is living on 50 cents per day. The family lives in a two room exposed brick hut on the outskirts of the wild forests that surround Shiv Puri Colony. One room doesn’t have a roof and is covered with tarp. <p>In July 2012, Ruchi complained about her eyes. Her parents took her to Doon, the local government hospital which is cheaper than the private hospitals, for treatment. We don’t know what medications they gave her or what the diagnosis was because for poor people it’s very difficult to get information from the doctors. She was treated for a while and seemed to get better. Her parents were very relieved. Ruchi then contracted Typhoid. In December 2012 she was terribly weak and the doctor who treated her eyes realised that something was seriously wrong with her. He suggested she go to Bharat Heart Hospital. There, she was diagnosed with Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD), a result of having had rheumatic fever at some time in the past. She has Severe AR (Aortic Regurgitation) and Moderate MR (Mitral Regurgitation). Both kidneys and her bladder are infected. She will need to have a heart valve replaced in the future, which is estimated to cost between rs2-5 lakhs** (US$4,500-11,000). Even if Ruchi’s family sells everything they own, they will not have this much money. <p>Beni Bhatt, KHEL’s General Manager, and some of the teachers went to visit Ruchi. Her parents had brought her home and didn’t know what to do next; they didn’t want their daughter to die but the amounts of money needed for her care were too overwhelming. Kiran was scared for her daughter, and scared to go to any more hospitals because they just didn’t have money. Beni suggested the Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust (HIHT). At HIHT Ruchi was further diagnosed with kidney problems; one kidney had failed and she needed dialysis and other treatments to keep her other kidney. She had one treatment of dialysis. Then, HIHT asked the family to deposit rs40,000 ($890) with their accounting department and informed them that Ruchi’s treatment would cost more than rs25,000 ($555) per day. There is no way the family could afford this so they took Ruchi home. When Beni realised Ruchi was at home not getting any treatment, he went again to visit the family and gave them some encouragement to keep trying to find help for her. They took her to a government doctor with a private practice, and after seeing Ruchi he admitted her to the ICU of Doon Hospital. She was very weak so Beni and one of her relatives donated blood; in India, there isn’t a large blood supply kept at hospitals. In order to receive blood, someone must donate to the blood bank on behalf of the patient. Beni has done this in the past, when there wasn’t a healthy relative available to donate blood on behalf of a sick LDA child. Sunil, the guard at LDA, has also donated blood for Ruchi. <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-BzL3lMS3DDw/UQxNiyb3l3I/AAAAAAAAAyU/0XVc0jVPGKo/s1600-h/KHEL-Ruchi%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="KHEL-Ruchi" border="0" alt="KHEL-Ruchi" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-07HGbTOTTJM/UQxNjktN7yI/AAAAAAAAAyc/ny_uEnVcjCQ/KHEL-Ruchi_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="451" height="339"></a> <p>At Doon Hospital, Ruchi got treated for rs3,000 ($67). She was sent home with medications but had to be taken back to the ICU after a day or two. She needs blood transfusions to keep her kidneys functioning, and now has a bladder infection. She needs to have attained a certain level of health before she can be evaluated for heart surgery. The cost for her medications every week is rs865 ($20). We don’t know how long she’ll need to be on medications before the doctors will consider her for surgery. <p>In addition to rs865 per week for her ongoing medications, Ruchi’s family owes HIHT about rs20,000 ($445) and have borrowed rs16,000 ($355) from their relatives. They’ve paid out about rs12,000 ($267)for various hospitals, tests, medications and transportation. They owe Doon Hospital an undetermined amount of money (the bill is handed to you when you leave; it’s next to impossible to get this information while you’re still in the hospital). KHEL has given them rs6,000 ($135); we want to give them more but our emergency funds are very limited. Mrs. Arya, KHEL’s Founder, and other staff members visited Ruchi’s home and took some groceries to her family. <p>Can you share this with your friends? Can you make a donation to help Ruchi? If you or anyone you know is interested in contributing to Ruchi’s fund please contact Stomya Persaud, KHEL’s Executive Director, at stomy@khelcharities.org. For more information on KHEL or to make a donation, please visit our website <a href="http://www.khelcharities.org">www.khelcharities.org</a> where you can make a donation via Paypal or credit card. Please indicate that your donation is for Ruchi. Checks can be mailed to KHEL, 1161 Wayzata Blvd., #215, Wayzata, MN 55391. KHEL is registered in the US and India as a nonprofit; if you live in either of these two countries your donation is tax deductible. Wire transfers can also be arranged. Visit us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/KHELcharities" target="_blank">Facebook at KHEL Charities</a> to see our most up-to-date activities. <p>*Names changed to protect the identity of minor children. <p>**The wide range in estimated cost is determined by two factors: 1) when she needs surgery and 2) what hospital is available at that time. We have dealt with AIIMS in Delhi for another student, Shashi*, who needed a similar surgery several years ago. Now, there is a private hospital in Dehradun that provides this service; it is much more expensive but has more availability for surgery dates, and Ruchi may be too unwell to go to Delhi. If we raise more funds than needed for Ruchi, the remaining funds will be held in a fixed deposit for her. Our experience with Shashi taught us that these funds are needed for future medical care such as added nutrition, ongoing doctor visits, monthly medications and transportation in Dehradun - Shashi is unable to exert himself, can’t ride a bike to school so we pay for an open taxi (a three wheeler or ‘putt putt’ as they are locally known), has tests every three months, goes to Delhi for a checkup every 6-8 months and is on monthly blood thinners and other medications. We continue to support his needs with the money remaining from what we raised for his surgery. Funds donated for Ruchi will only be used for Ruchi. If we are unable to save her, her funds will be used to help her three younger siblings with healthcare and education. Saumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05684586617971796705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719556765744547681.post-67806201716429074712012-11-26T14:17:00.001-06:002012-11-26T14:38:48.461-06:00Every Day, Holy Day: Spoken Poetry of the Yule<p>Interfaith Spiritual Space in New Orleans Healing Center<br><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=New+Orleans+Healing+Center&fb=1&gl=us&hq=Healing+Center&hnear=0x8620a454b2118265:0xdb065be85e22d3b4,New+Orleans,+LA&cid=0,0,18120607674166030606&sa=X&ei=DM-zUML2IoX4yAHX2oCQBw&ved=0CHAQ_BIwAA">2372 St. Claude Avenue</a>, Fourth floor<br>Thursday, Sixth of December, 7-9 p.m.<br>Free (or $1 Donation)</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/75389913@N02/7116586057/lightbox/" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="candles" border="0" alt="picture by flickr user Minashri" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-a7H1cfX1pVU/ULPSelEpKgI/AAAAAAAAAwo/x6nGzozc4U8/candles%25255B24%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="514" height="324"></a><br><font size="1">photo by flickr user Minashri</font><br><br>Celebrate with us this holiday season the sense of the sacred in the everyday--day in, day out.<br><br>Join us in the spirit of glorious <i>carol</i> (original meaning: "joyful song danced in a ring") by sharing aloud a savored poem that has touched you personally--whether it be Rumi, Rilke, Tagore, Oliver, Angelou, Dickinson, another Poet or your own lyrical outburst of the Wholly. <br><br>For more inspiration & poetic nudges, contact: Dennis at <a href="mailto:heartsongnola@gmail.com">heartsongnola@gmail.com</a> or Evelyn at <a href="mailto:crossroadsdispatches@gmail.com">crossroadsdispatches@gmail.com</a> or the Rumi-nator Meetup group at <a href="http://www.meetup.com/poetry-467">www.meetup.com/poetry-467</a><br><br>It helps,<br>putting my hands on a pot, on a broom,<br>in a wash<br>pail.<br>I <br>tried painting,<br>but it was easier to fly slicing<br>potatoes.<br>~ <i>by Sufi poetess Rabia</i></p> Saumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05684586617971796705noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719556765744547681.post-52183285101774411382012-10-27T18:05:00.001-05:002012-10-27T18:05:54.206-05:00Heart-Opening Meditation & Transformational Workshops<p>A warm welcome to Anra Hoegemann! She will be leading Heart-Opening Meditation & Transformational Workshops in the 4th Floor Spiritual Space at <a href="http://neworleanshealingcenter.org/" target="_blank">New Orleans Healing Center</a>.<strong> </strong>She is only in New Orleans until January, so be sure not to miss her. <br><br><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-l823FRI4Gdo/UIxozfTVnfI/AAAAAAAAAuk/6gN3H6sQzfk/s1600-h/anra%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="anra" border="0" alt="anra" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-mhxxotyXVGI/UIxo0G8t8RI/AAAAAAAAAus/_8HOXp4exfE/anra_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="432" height="307"></a><br><br><strong>Mondays, 8-9am ~Heart-Opening Meditation:</strong> <br>Give yourself 45 minutes of heart focusing and rejuvenation! We will start with a 20 minute guided meditation for the heart followed by an exchange of healing energy and Mantra singing. <br>free - donations accepted<br><br><b>Mondays 9-11am & Fridays 3-5pm ~Transformation Workshop:</b> Guided meditation to address and then transform your most internal conflict, issue or wound. <br>free - donation accepted<br><br>For more information, please contact Anra 504-327-6109 or <a href="http://www.anra-coaching.com/" target="_blank">visit her website</a>. Saumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05684586617971796705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719556765744547681.post-39312687661532270032012-08-06T16:38:00.001-05:002012-08-06T17:14:36.777-05:00Whose Family?<p>Listen: when the photo caption says “<em>Family grieves for shooting victims</em>,” that’s your family. We are all one family. </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-JEzfjoV4Q-0/UCA5SBwqWMI/AAAAAAAAArA/PE9euYBRDSM/s1600-h/image%25255B9%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-qtBzV54GxCc/UCA5X_X-epI/AAAAAAAAArI/WGxOqUYfqLs/image_thumb%25255B9%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="510" height="392"></a></p> <p>Sometimes we don’t know our family members very well. Find out more: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/05/5-things-you-should-know-about-sikhism_n_1744657.html?ir=World" target="_blank">5 Things To Know About The Sikh Religion</a> via The Huffington Post. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/06/wisconsin-temple-shooting-how-to-help_n_1749104.html?utm_hp_ref=impact&ncid=edlinkusaolp00000008" target="_blank">Also find out how you can help</a>. </p> <p>Valarie Kaur, founder of Groundswell Movement: <br>“<a href="http://www.valariekaur.com/2012/08/we-are-all-sikhs/" target="_blank">We Are All Sikhs Today</a>” </p> <p>Please send a <a href="http://groundswellas.nonprofitsoapbox.com/sikh-solidarity" target="_blank">message of support to your Sikh family</a> via Groundswell Movement. </p> Saumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05684586617971796705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719556765744547681.post-32337983391911260282012-07-31T18:54:00.001-05:002012-07-31T19:05:14.397-05:00Hello, America! The Hindus Are Here, And We’d Like to Help.<p><br>A confluence of events: recent <a href="http://www.pewforum.org/Asian-Americans-A-Mosaic-of-Faiths-overview.aspx#hindus" target="_blank">Pew Research study that includes the Hindu-American community</a>, and the upcoming White House conference we’re assisting with, <em><a href="http://www.hinduamericanseva.org/events/ngsl-program" target="_blank">Dharmic American Future: Seva, Tradition and Innovation</a></em>, has made me thoughtful about how my Hinduness is integral to my place and work in America. I usually write about my motivations for interfaith outreach…here’s why I’m involved with service in the tradition I was born into. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/saumya-arya-haas/hindu-american-seva-charities_b_1715017.html" target="_blank">Read it at Huffington Post</a>. </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNWGtE9scimZqu3a4bvd1CRIhpnRxPfpbWfTwQOf5TGOqp40Ak0mXKYAeqa6kM1RPh7-lHz0zKoUrskXG5E5U6VwrkfM7Q7MiTaxIpeZZEy0ebqspHxcq0Uiym9aqw5Z0lfaLLPgMtpWx3/s1600-h/White%252520house%252520flickr%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="White house flickr" border="0" alt="White house flickr" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-JV6V63q4dXQ/UBhwNrtEEfI/AAAAAAAAAqU/9TSArFfOnMY/White%252520house%252520flickr_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="394" height="265"></a><br><font size="1">Photo by flickr user dcJohn</font></p> Saumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05684586617971796705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719556765744547681.post-9414518649789039942012-06-18T17:38:00.001-05:002012-06-18T17:38:07.832-05:00Headwaters/Delta partners with Half The Sky Foundation<p>We’re thrilled to announce that we have become a partner for <a href="http://www.halftheskymovement.org/" target="_blank">Half The Sky</a>! This movement seeks to address challenges for women world-wide. From their website: “<em>The central moral challenge of our time is reaching a tipping point. Just as slavery was the defining struggle of the 19th century and totalitarianism of the 20th, the fight to end the oppression of women and girls worldwide defines our current century.”</em> </p> <p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:9b6973c2-4913-4079-9d18-bd0700bde426" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="17b04ac9-2e5f-4772-811e-fd63edc85006" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuKygSFJBYs&feature=youtu.be" target="_new"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ihPImMkKgW8/T9-tzoux-gI/AAAAAAAAAls/ICT5oJN-ZCs/video5a2406c918cd%25255B36%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('17b04ac9-2e5f-4772-811e-fd63edc85006'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/WuKygSFJBYs?hl=en&hd=1\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/WuKygSFJBYs?hl=en&hd=1\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div></div><br><br><em>”Hidden in the overlapping problems of sex trafficking and forced prostitution, gender-based violence, and maternal mortality is the single most vital opportunity of our time — and women are seizing it. From Somaliland to Cambodia to Afghanistan, women's oppression is being confronted head on and real, meaningful solutions are being fashioned. Change is happening, and it’s happening now.</em></p> <p><em>Journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn took on this urgent moral challenge in 2009 with their acclaimed best-selling book, </em><a href="http://www.halftheskymovement.org/pages/book" target="_blank"><em>Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide</em></a><em> (already in its 25th printing in hardback). They encouraged readers all over the world to do the same.</em> <p><em>Now, a landmark movement — inspired by Kristof and WuDunn’s work and also entitled <strong>Half the Sky </strong>— is working to amplify the book’s impact. Ignited by a high-profile national television event and fueled by innovative multi-platform initiatives, <strong>Half the Sky</strong> is galvanizing even more people to join the burgeoning movement for change.”</em> <p>Headwaters/Delta will help bring information and awareness of this struggle to faith and spiritual communities locally, nationally, and world-wide. We will encourage our partner organizations to find a way to help. <br><br>Please support this movement. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Half-Sky-Oppression-Opportunity-Worldwide/dp/0307387097/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340058338&sr=8-1&keywords=half+the+sky+book" target="_blank">Order the book</a>, donate, do what you can. <a href="http://www.halftheskymovement.org/pages/act" target="_blank">Get involved</a>! Empower the women you encounter in your life. Make a world where women are safe, healthy, educated and can live without fear. Saumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05684586617971796705noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719556765744547681.post-36703716287948649272012-06-17T20:28:00.001-05:002012-06-17T20:28:54.139-05:00St. John’s Eve 2012, New Orleans<p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-yU0FOwd26DM/T96EUXj-cfI/AAAAAAAAAlY/clBlbxnwU5w/s1600-h/St%252520Johns%252520Eve%25255B3%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="St Johns Eve" border="0" alt="St Johns Eve" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-_8QM9w-_3Y4/T96EVCZChpI/AAAAAAAAAlg/JmGwhn8Eu5E/St%252520Johns%252520Eve_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="385" height="304"></a> <p><a href="http://www.feyvodou.com/services/about_sallie.htm" target="_blank">Sallie Ann Glassman</a> and La Source Ancienne Ounfo celebrate St. John’s Eve with their annual <b>Headwashing Ceremony</b><b> </b>(form of Vodou baptism) dedicated to <b>Marie Laveau.</b><b></b> <p>Friday, June 22<sup>nd</sup>, 6:30 Pm at the <a href="http://ihhotel.com/" target="_blank">International House Hotel,</a> 221 Camp St, at corner of Gravier <p>And Saturday, June 23rd, 7 pm on the footbridge over Bayou St John (near Cabrini High School) </p> <p>Wear all white and bring a white scarf or rag for your head (It will get dirty.) <p>Bring an offering for Marie Laveau. She likes flowers, blue and white candles, Creole foods, hair ribbons and hair dressing supplies (She was a hairdresser.), Vodou-esque items (Voodoo dolls, potions, gris-gris bags, etc.), or images of Marie Laveau. <p>For more info, call Island of Salvation Botanica: (504) 948-9961. Saumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05684586617971796705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719556765744547681.post-86152190812250590432012-06-11T15:24:00.001-05:002012-06-11T15:30:18.705-05:00Guest Post~ Mindful Writing: Embracing Transience by Kani Ilangovan, M.D.<p><br><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-_hwjnfeGPds/T9ZUAKZuikI/AAAAAAAAAk4/vA1mBUZcTsI/s1600-h/kanisbook%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="kanisbook" border="0" alt="kanisbook" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-VRuFH1cOJXaisM6Z8i963jOjvslaiTex_WfU4eIXTCsuGXMLkmCTRuYt1WwGFi47C0LgwBAYQLuHXt0lP-JDCc6aeUXDaPfCW45U1UJgT_fXWkC_4g9sBSz4B57T2oL5nXlJ1sqxKdx/?imgmax=800" width="267" height="390"></a></p> <p>I invite you to cultivate a relationship with yourself by using writing as a daily practice. You are your lifelong companion, from birth until death. You may as well befriend yourself. Writing is a wonderful way to develop this friendship. Form a commitment to yourself, to give yourself care and attention daily, just as you would a loved one. <br><br>I stand at the shore of my mind<br>Gathering the shells and debris that <br>Arrive with each wave<br>Marveling at what is beautiful, loving and curious<br>Feeling tenderness for what is fragile and vulnerable<br>Resolving not to turn away with disgust at the inevitable litter<br>But instead to witness with compassion and learn from it<br>Each object is worthy of my attention and care<br>Each item serves growth and self-knowledge<br><br>Bringing the gift of attention to your daily life makes your experiences richer and deeper. <br><br>As you go through your day, savor your experiences with all your senses. Imagine how you would describe what you see, feel, hear, smell, taste. How would you describe your internal responses?</p> <p>When you are ready, make a daily commitment to write. It has put new meaning and adventure into my day to proceed looking for a moment of beauty or significant experience I want to record. I savor my experiences more, think about how I would describe them, and look for the details. If I haven't found a subject by the end of the day, then I look back on my day and pick a moment. <p>Writing daily is therapeutic for many reasons. Every day I wake up curious to find out what I'll write about. As I go through my day, I keep my eyes open for beauty, joy, meaning that I want to record and share. I actively seek experiences of beauty, joy, and meaning to inspire my writing, which is a built-in form of self-nurturing. I express a wider emotional spectrum in writing than I do in speech. I can write in a more flowery and emotionally honest way than I would be comfortable speaking. Life gains significance and meaning as I pay attention. My memories are richer. I have stories to share with my husband, children, family, friends, and wider community.I have access to the friendship and support of a like-minded community of writers. It helps me let go of perfectionism to write daily. I am aware of the variations in quality of what I write. I accept myself, I accept my writing, and am grateful to honor this creative impulse inside me, regardless of the quality of the fruits it produces. <p>Mindfulness grants greater intimacy and familiarity with the world and ourselves. By becoming aware of the present moment, our bodies, and our internal responses, we learn to face ourselves and the world with equanimity. By facing our fears and darkness, we gain compassion, empathy and the freedom to move forward. Understanding impermanence and accepting that this too will pass frees us to take bold action. Knowing that we are a microcosm of the world, containing both darkness and light helps us cast a more forgiving eye on ourselves and this world. By becoming aware of how transient everything is, we learn to cherish each moment. <p><i>The Philosopher’s Stone</i> <p>I am my parents' daughter<br>my brothers' sister <br>my husband's wife<br>my daughters' mother<br>friend of my friends<br>my patients' therapist<br>my lifelong companion<br><br>I love and value all my relationships<br>but it is my friendship with myself<br>that deepens and intensifies<br>all my other relationships<br>makes me kinder<br>wiser<br>more forgiving<br>more patient<br>more loving<br>clarifies my vision<br>attunes my senses<br>hones my sensitivity<br>illumines me<br><br>Know thyself<br>Love thyself<br>is the fabled philosopher stone<br>nearer than our own breath <br>the elixir of life that<br>turns all we encounter to gold <p><em>Kani Ilangovan, M.D. is a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist in Princeton, NJ. She blogs at: <a href="http://embracingtransience.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">embracingtransience.blogspot.com</a> <br></em><em>She recently completed her first book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mindful-Writing-Embracing-Transience-ebook/dp/B0083ABAJY" target="_blank">Mindful Writing: Embracing Transience</a><u></u> which is available at amazon.com<br></em><em>Her book invites you to experience your life more fully, moment by moment, through the use of writing exercises and pieces for reflection.</em> <p><em></em> <p><em></em> <p><a name="_GoBack"></a> Saumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05684586617971796705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719556765744547681.post-29183598496518708722012-06-04T18:06:00.001-05:002012-06-04T18:09:53.665-05:00Hindu-American Civic Engagement at the White House<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dcjohn/" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="White house flickr" border="0" alt="White house flickr" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8L9QthJ4G1rgzo4jxwaO5jGWkOCTPwZIIxG715rKZViqbJZMChS0MMu9aN6xy0rwYv6aHBYX83ho47AKwPe4Bnn7B4KseOmWRWS3Gf1MT3L3WnkL8G8q5YLhGhjB-iPFYnh943nMWOfAu/?imgmax=800" width="421" height="281"></a><br><font size="1">photo by flickr user dcJohn</font></p> <p>One of our partner organizations, <strong>Hindu American Seva Charities</strong> (HASC) is co-hosting a conference with the White House Office of Public Engagement, Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships and President's Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge. Entitled <strong>“Hindu American Future: Seva, Innovation and Tradition,”</strong> this two-day event aims to increase Dharmic Seva, and introduce the <b>Next Generation Seva Leaders (NGSL)</b> program. <b>Headwaters/Delta Interfaith is taking part in this historic event! </b></p> <p>HASC is looking for innovative, service-oriented individuals from Dharmic faith (Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Sikh) communities to take part. To find our more about the conference, and learn how to apply, <a href="http://www.hinduamericanseva.org/events/ngsl-program" target="_blank">please visit the HASC website</a>. </p> Saumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05684586617971796705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719556765744547681.post-16962931985918186632012-05-01T13:36:00.001-05:002012-05-01T17:36:47.435-05:00Upcoming Pagan Events: Wand-Making; Pagan Bloggers & Pagan Pride (2013) Planning Meeting<p>Select Sundays, 2:15pm at our <a href="http://blog.headwatersdelta.org/p/interfaith-spiritual-space.html" target="_blank">Interfaith Spiritual Space</a> </p> <p>WAND-MAKING: A WORKSHOP - Sunday, May 13th at 2:15 PM - Join us for a lively workshop on the history and artistry of wand-making (as traditionally used by magickal practitioners, not Harry Potter fans), where you will get to take home your very own wand! Wands have been an important tool in magickal ritual practice for decades, and yet, few people have taken the time to explore its history or the wand's necessity. We will be on the 4th floor of the interfaith space at the New Orleans Healing Center at 2:15 PM. Please bring $5 per wand to cover wand cost and room use. You must RSVP beforehand to participate. <br><br>THE PAGAN BLOGOSPHERE: THE NEWEST WAVE OF PAGANISM - Sunday, May 27th at 2:15 PM - Blue Star Owl is a rising star in the Pagan blogosphere, and will be talking about the internet's untapped resource: the personal blogs of Pagans. As Paganism became transformed when it came into the public eye, personal practice has been transformed by our ability to share our personal thoughts and practices with more people faster and over a greater distance. Come learn how to create your own blog, and some of the better blogs to follow for spell advice, ritual critique, and new practices to incorporate into your life! Visit her blog at <a href="http://www.bluestarowl.wordpress.com">www.bluestarowl.wordpress.com</a>.<br><br>PAGAN PRIDE DAY PRELIMINARY MEETING - Sunday June 3rd at 2:15 PM - <br>New Orleans Lamplight Circle is proud to announce that we will be hosting The 2013 New Orleans Pagan Pride Day!! Our hope is to gather together with all the Pagan groups in the city and put on a fantastic pride day with rituals, games, live music, occult vendors, food and liquor, drumming, fire dancing, Pagan authors, <a href="http://www.meetup.com/Lamplight/events/62911362/">educational workshops</a> and booths, a food drive, tables for local groups, etc., all with free admission to the public!!! This event will take place between Aug. 1st and Oct. 31st of 2013, but planning and preparation begins NOW!!<br><br>We are calling out to all those groups and individuals interested in coordinating and working this event, because with something this massive, we need as much support as possible! We will be creating a creative committee to oversee getting permits, signing up musical acts, contacting local vendors, etc. We will also be fundraising for a full year to fund it. We want people who will get invested in the PPD and/or who have been outstanding members of the New Orleans Pagan community for some time now. Please show up and get involved at what will be one of the biggest Pagan events of 2013!!<br></p>Please email <a href="mailto:tubebedubayou@hotmail.com">tubebedubayou@hotmail.com</a> for more information on any of these events. Saumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05684586617971796705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719556765744547681.post-12446229143468062652012-04-16T16:29:00.001-05:002012-04-16T16:31:11.739-05:00Live Earth Expo<p>We’ll be offering free drop-in meditation (led by Center for Spiritual Living) and chanting (led by Louisiana Eckankar Group) from 11am to 3pm as part of the Live Earth Expo on Saturday April 21. Hope to see you there!</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcj-6t_P227dMNU0Lbx11rD6USAGrMr1w2AuSblgb7mId8-itXO5mtF1MYpE_yuJFjfPP0Lgy-W2__Zche7kYvCpZyFdge4GyrV5EOmUXs9wComBKlDKvNSWunBts1367JzN-sO8rKj96g/s1600-h/Earth%252520Expo%2525202012%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="poster" border="0" alt="poster" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-lWOusBZeids/T4yPNxGBUDI/AAAAAAAAAjU/WFTjS7Vmh4Q/Earth%252520Expo%2525202012_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="345" height="574"></a></p> <p>Join <a href="http://www.facebook.com/events/396354467056505/?ref=ts" target="_blank">Live Earth Expo on Facebook</a></p> Saumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05684586617971796705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719556765744547681.post-49272574227800417722012-04-11T18:15:00.001-05:002012-04-11T18:18:16.121-05:00A COURSE IN MIRACLES STUDY GROUP<p><b>SUNDAY every week 1pm to 2pm <br>in the Interfaith Spiritual Space<br></b><strong><br>Purpose Statement of M.I.R.A.C.L.E.-ULC<br></strong>Mutual Interest Responsible Attitude Calm Loving Environment – Unconditional Love Church <p>OUR PURPOSE as TEACHERS OF LOVE<br>We are here only to be truly helpful.<br>We are here to represent Him Who sent us.<br>We do not have to worry about what to say or what to <br>do, because He Who sent us will direct us. <p>We are content to be wherever He wishes, <br>knowing He goes there with us.<br>We will be healed as we let Him teach us to heal. <p><strong>A Course In Miracles<br>What it is?</strong> <p>The curriculum the Course proposes is carefully conceived and is explained, step by step, at both the theoretical and practical levels. It emphasizes application rather than theory, and experience rather than theology. It specifically states that <p>"a universal theology is impossible, but a universal experience is not only possible but necessary." (Manual, p. 77) Although Christian in statement, the Course deals with universal spiritual themes. It emphasizes that it is but one version of the universal curriculum. There are many others, this one differing from them only in form. They all lead to God in the end. <p>For more information:<br>Rev. Dr. Malcolm Fugler (phone) 504-220-3223 <a href="mailto:DrMalcolmF@gmail.com">DrMalcolmF@gmail.com</a> <a title="http://www.acim.org" href="http://www.acim.org">http://www.acim.org</a> Saumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05684586617971796705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719556765744547681.post-50270484175693077092011-12-27T02:40:00.001-06:002011-12-27T02:40:29.332-06:00Artist’s Way Book Study: Recovering a Sense of Safety ~ by Kathy Price<p><br>We held our second <a href="http://maplestreetbookshop.indiebound.com/book/9781585421466">Artist's Way</a> Book Study this week and I am in the midst of another artistic awakening.</p> <p>I've seen this happen during the two Artist's Way workshops I facilitated. Participants get very stimulated and feel so alive and connected with their inner artist in the first few weeks. It's really extraordinary! <p><a href="http://kathyprice.typepad.com/artists_way_new_orleans/2011/12/artists-way-book-study-chapter-1-safety.html" target="_blank">Read more…</a> <p>The Artist’s Way Book Study meets In <a href="http://blog.headwatersdelta.org/p/interfaith-spiritual-space.html" target="_blank">The Spiritual Space</a> on Tuesdays and Saturdays from noon to 1pm. Saumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05684586617971796705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719556765744547681.post-53636860332127474612011-11-06T18:26:00.001-06:002011-11-09T02:29:47.827-06:00Flowering Lotus Meditation Group, Wednesdays 7-8:45pm<p><br>Join <a href="http://www.floweringlotusmeditation.org" target="_blank">Flowering Lotus Meditation Group</a> in the <a href="http://blog.headwatersdelta.org/p/interfaith-spiritual-space.html" target="_blank">Spiritual Space</a> at The <a href="http://blog.headwatersdelta.org/p/new-orleans-healing-center.html" target="_blank">New Orleans Healing Center</a> on Wednesday evenings! See their website for more details on the modality and benefits of this meditation technique. <br><br>Contact Dolores <a href="mailto:evolved812@aol.com">evolved812@aol.com</a></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-04bowSaMUkw/TrcljGEV53I/AAAAAAAAAcw/WkmZs9BZB3k/s1600-h/floweringlotus%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="floweringlotus" border="0" alt="floweringlotus" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Z69-PRruh_E/TrclnCwJ0nI/AAAAAAAAAc4/ljgLCbxXzP4/floweringlotus_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="242" height="129"></a></p> Saumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05684586617971796705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719556765744547681.post-59678622200826443882011-10-22T16:27:00.001-05:002011-10-22T16:27:37.627-05:00Flesh & Bone: Honoring Ancestors<p><em>By Saumya Arya Haas, Headwaters/Delta Director</em></p> <p>Why do we fear the dead? Why is the idea of departed ones a source of horror? Vodou empowered me to confront and overcome my own fear, to build a healthy relationship with the dead.</p> <p><a href="http://www.stateofformation.org/2011/10/flesh-and-bone-honoring-ancestors/" target="_blank">Read more at State of Formation</a></p> Saumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05684586617971796705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719556765744547681.post-71497140962669252782011-10-22T16:24:00.001-05:002011-10-22T16:24:30.923-05:00Kali, Anger, and Gender Violence<p><em>By Saumya Arya Haas, Headwaters/Delta Director:</em></p> <p>I've been Kali -- blindly enraged by violence against women. But men are not the enemy. They are just as vulnerable, nuanced and wise as women. They suffer just as much. I did not want to see this. Recently, I've had to admit that it's something that I need to see. That we all do. </p> <p><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/saumya-arya-haas/hindu-goddess-kali-and-feminism_b_997323.html" target="_blank">Read more at Huffington Post</a></p> Saumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05684586617971796705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719556765744547681.post-11947137342405354432011-10-18T20:00:00.001-05:002011-10-18T20:00:06.952-05:00Zen Meditation Group: Tues & Thurs 7:30am<p>INNER COMPASS Zendo <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b>“When you find your place where you are, practice occurs.”</b><i><br>Zen Master Dogen </i>(13<sup>th</sup> Century) <p><b><i></i></b> <p>Zen Meditation at the New Orleans Healing Center <p><i></i> <p><i></i> <p><b>Zen meditation</b> or <b>zazen</b> is a practice of settling the mind by fully experiencing the body in this moment. The practice is to acknowledge thinking when it happens and to gently bring the mind back over and over again to the breath, to the posture and to what is happening inside and outside of us in the present. Continued zen practice can bring us openness, clarity, increased energy, a greater sense of connection to the world around us and the quiet confidence that we can meet with dignity most of what life hands us. <p>People of all faiths and backgrounds are welcome to experience this openness with us on <b>Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:30 to 8:30 am in the Interfaith Center on the 4<sup>th</sup> floor of the New Orleans Healing Center at 2372 St. Claude Ave</b>. If you do not arrive by the beginning of the first sitting period, please wait to join us at 7:55 am when we will begin 5 minutes of walking meditation. <b>The first day of sitting meditation will be Tuesday, October 25<sup>th</sup>. Instruction for Beginners</b> will be provided every <b>Tuesday morning at 7:10 am</b>. Also, every Tuesday we will do a brief reading from a book on zen. <b>The Suggested Donation is $5.</b> While we are just starting out, <b>please bring your own meditation cushion or pillow. </b>If you prefer to sit in a chair, there are good chairs for meditation provided. <p><b>Facilitators</b>, <b>Casey Groves </b>and<b> Rachel Whitman</b>, have been practicing with their teacher, Fr. Robert Kennedy Roshi, at Morning Star Zendo in New Jersey for the past 11 years. Casey is a New Orleans native who has an M.A. in Spirituality and has been practicing zen since 1993. Rachel has a deep connection to Japanese culture that emerged as a result of having traveled there many times as part of cultural exchange programs. <p>contact <a href="mailto:innercompasszen@gmail.com">innercompasszen@gmail.com</a> for more info</p> Saumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05684586617971796705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719556765744547681.post-77312714225611632602011-10-04T20:05:00.001-05:002011-10-04T20:05:02.153-05:00Animals are Soul, Too ~ Book Discussion<h6><font size="3">Starting 9 October 2011, each second Sunday of the month at 11 AM, there will be a book discussion on <em><a href="http://www.eckbooks.org/items/Animals_Are_Soul_Too-80-4.html?ClearCart20UserSession=4dba8d0d9f235696a221d4849776a54f" target="_blank">Animals Are Soul Too</a></em> by Harold Klemp.<br></font><font size="3"><br><font style="font-weight: normal"><em>"If you have a pet, you are aware of the bond of love between yourself and your pet.This bond of love exists because you are Soul--a particle of God sent here to gain spiritual experience. Ultimately, to learn how to give and receive divine love."</em></font><br>Harold Klemp, from "Introduction"<br>Animals Are Soul Too, p. ix<br><br>The Spiritual and Interfaith Program of<br>New Orleans Healing Center (4th floor)<br>2372 St Claude Avenue (corner of St Roch Avenue)<br>New Orleans, Louisiana 70117<br><br>This event is organized by the Greater New Orleans Eckankar Group<br>greaterneworleans@eckankarlouisiana.org</font></h6> Saumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05684586617971796705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719556765744547681.post-59371096127299569082011-08-25T18:30:00.001-05:002011-08-25T18:30:01.534-05:00Beyond Halal ~ Guest Post by Krystina Friedlander<p><br>A few years ago I began to take my food choices seriously. Essentially, I realized my own culpability in supporting a system of cheap food production in the United States that I learned was deeply unethical, in terms of animal suffering, labor rights, the environment, and health. My sense is that many are coming to similar conclusions, which has spawned a variety of food movements across the United States and globally. Like others, my main project was meat, though I never saw the consumption of animals as inherently unethical. Not being able to afford what I considered “good meat” as a college student, I decided to stop eating it altogether. <p>During this period of struggle over what it meant to me to be a moral being in the contemporary United States, I converted to Islam. I had been studying Islam academically for some time, and felt drawn to what I perceived as a holistic worldview and strict, but accessible, self-discipline. Both my food choices and <a name="_GoBack"></a>religious choices were connected; I was trying to live the best way possible, attempting to do the least amount of harm, and seeking guidance to make sense of what all of it meant. I’ve written more about this process in <a href="http://beyondhalal.com/2011/06/in-search-of-a-good-life/" target="_blank">another blog post</a>. A friend introduced me to someone he knew who also talked a lot about food ethics; Nuri and I started <a href="http://beyondhalal.com" target="_blank">Beyond Halal</a> (and got married, but that’s a different story). <p>Beyond Halal is a web-based project with several purposes. First, it’s where we explore the Islamic legal and ethical traditions as they relate to how humans should interact with animals. It’s a place where we can highlight our successes and failures in this area, and ultimately raise awareness within the Muslim community that our food choices matter. Like other food movements we argue that these choices impact the welfare of animals, the environment, the rights of workers, and certainly our health. What Islam, and perhaps religion in general, uniquely offers to the conversation about food ethics is a spiritual tradition that insists that food also has a subtle effect on the soul. We believe that eating meat that is ritually impure has a negative effect on our spiritual state. Additionally, Muslims strive to do the most amount of good and cause the least amount of harm in this life. In the area of food production, it is easy to forget or ignore this last part simply because we do not see where our food comes from. <p>Halal is the Arabic term used to designate something as permissible. When used in the context of food, it typically refers to meat that has been slaughtered a particular way, and that contains neither pork nor alcohol. Similar to kosher slaughter, halal slaughter requires that the animal’s throat is swiftly cut while the name of God is invoked. While this is the bare-bones legal definition, there are a number of other recommendations that are drawn from the stories of the Prophet Muhammad and his companions that typify our ethics in relation to animals. From numerous “hadiths” we learn that an animal should not be dragged to slaughter, but walked. They should be given water. They should not see other animals slaughtered. They should never see the knife, which should be razor sharp. The animal should be put at ease. Death must be quick and as painless as possible. In Islam, animals are an important part of God’s creation, and we know from the Qur’an that animals have their own communities and languages, and that each is engaged in constant praise of God. From other hadiths we learn that animals should be treated kindly and with respect; cruelty towards a cat is what literally sends one woman to hell. <p>I’ve started eating meat again over the past year, which has been in many ways and on many levels a process of discovery. We’ve identified a <a href="http://beyondhalal.com/resource/halal-meat/" target="_blank">number of farms and businesses in the United States, Canada, and the UK</a> that raise and slaughter their meat in accordance not only with the legal principles of Islam, but with deep respect for its ethical principles. Slowly, these Muslim (and Jewish) companies and organizations are showing us that religion, quite literally, has something to bring to the table. <hr align="left" size="1" width="33%"> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-HafiX49-r6o/Tlba6t6lRtI/AAAAAAAAAZI/gkUlvj3HvWM/s1600-h/krystina%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="krystina" border="0" alt="krystina" align="left" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQMfe7Kf5T00D6_Wffy7bbubaKYmORFDpJW2LLuuzb7wLEZywlHuOhInmmPGeuCFbBn2JEOZ8Y9SWa4YYaHFkuqlmugg5PD4oxO4CwsLrhib_yo1JKFZr2VJ6g6J1NwZZdktc0QVvph8fv/?imgmax=800" width="167" height="167"></a><em>Krystina Friedlander is an author and co-founder of <a href="http://beyondhalal.com" target="_blank">Beyond Halal</a>, a project on Islamic law, ethics, and the treatment of animals. She holds an M.A. in Cultural Anthropology from Tulane University, where she performed research on Islamic authority and new media. She lives in Cambridge, MA.</em> Saumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05684586617971796705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719556765744547681.post-65175430673237768682011-08-18T16:42:00.001-05:002011-08-18T16:42:36.591-05:00Healing The Wounded<p><em><br>I fell in love with a broken city. Like all love, it is impractical, ridiculous, and difficult to explain. It makes me look like a fool. I could describe her to you: her beauty, her history of abuse, her spirit and her ways. But you wouldn't understand unless you love her too</em>.</p> <p>Check out <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/saumya-arya-haas/healing-the-wounded-new-o_b_928961.html" target="_blank">my latest article</a> at the Huffington Post on New Orleans, Doubt and the Value of Irrational Faith. If you like it (or if you don’t!) leave a comment and tell me what you think. </p> Saumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05684586617971796705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719556765744547681.post-32907795305791037822011-05-25T15:34:00.001-05:002011-05-25T15:35:38.831-05:00Inter-religious Dialogue: An Encounter ~ guest post by Musa Askari<p> <br>To engage in inter-religious dialogue is a tremendous moment of encounter. An encounter primarily between individuals. A great challenge at the same time. For to enter dialogue is to run the risk of being transformed positively by the witness and testimony of the other. It is this challenge which at the same time holds great reward for those who partake in dialogue wholeheartedly as individuals and not simply as individual representations of a collective identity. <p>Here lies the first challenge to see the other as someone from whom one can learn; that their experience has something deeply meaningful to offer. Sadly, many fall at the first hurdle. The individual is missed and we are left with only a shell, an appearance of dialogue, where inter-religious dialogue is seen as the destination and not as one of many starting points to spiritual quest. Which maybe is why some remain disillusioned that the promise of dialogue did not bear more fruit after initial discussion sessions. <p>For purposes of context crucial we state a distinction between the term “inter-religion” and inter-religious dialogue. They are not one and the same. <i>“For centuries this inter-religious consciousness was suppressed, the only way to redeem it is to clearly and whole-heartedly acknowledge the reality and necessity of multi-religion….inter-religious dialogue is one of the many ways in which inter-religion becomes a conscious process.” (Hasan Askari, from Inter-Religion, 1977)</i> <p>If inter-religious dialogue is only about acquiring knowledge about the faith of one’s spiritual neighbour then it is not “dialogue”. It is a study of religion and there are many ways to acquire this socio-historic knowledge outside of a dialogue meetings. That cannot be the goal of dialogue. If it is then it is a secondary not a primary goal. The goal at its core surely must be of encounter, to bear co-witness leading to mutual mission. <p>Should inter-religious dialogue remain an institutional formality then I fear it may never rise to fulfill its promise of deep and meaningful engagement between peoples of diverse faiths and backgrounds. It is as individuals we dialogue not as collective identities. To arrive at such a door of dialogue presupposes some deep sense of inquiry about the very fact of a multi-religious world. A knocking upon an inner door followed by entry in to dialogue which is both with the other and within oneself. Both individuals become doors for each other’s entry in to a moment of “presence” before one another. A presence that is both independent of them and also within them. <p>To partake of inter-religious dialogue is to ask the question, consciously or not, “<i>Why do we have more than one religion upon our planet?”(Hasan Askari)</i><i>.</i> Thus to engage in inter-religious dialogue is also to peer in to the very obvious phenomenon of more than one religious and spiritual witness. It is a call to abolish exclusivity and one-sidedness, first and foremost within the mind of the individual. To break free of the grip of collective hypnosis; that one’s own tradition alone holds the truth exclusively: <p><i>“Perhaps we need more than one religion. How could the mystery of the Transcendent Reality be equated with the form of one faith and practice, or with one state or sign of a given religious experience! That there was something essentially desirable and positive about the very existence of more than one religion. Accepting multi religion as a theological necessity, almost a blessing. Religious diversity was thus a school of true humility and patience". (Hasan Askari: Spiritual Quest - An Inter Religious Dimension) </i> <p>My own journey spiritually, which includes a deep appreciation for inter-religious dialogue, began at the hand of my teacher and friend, my late father Professor Hasan Askari (1932-2008) <a href="http://spiritualhuman.wordpress.com/hasan-askari/">http://spiritualhuman.wordpress.com/hasan-askari/</a> . From a young age I was immersed in the work of who many regard as one of the pioneers of inter-religious dialogue. At first it was a curiosity to know more about the work of a father before me but later it became, through love, a life’s endeavour and remains so. Religious diversity has always been a part of my life. Looking back I was fortunate in other ways too by having a childhood in both India and England. The spiritual diversity which was overtly a part of my life in India continued in England. However, it continued in a more subtle manner but nonetheless significant. <p>I came to accept, very early on, religious diversity as a sign of deep inquiry rather than something to confront. Furthermore, I came to accept it was not enough for me to be simply curious about the variety of religious practices, rites and rituals, but to move on from that understanding and integrate it in to my spiritual life, an inner life. I was interested in the individual before me as much as I was interested in my own individuality. <p>Spiritually I needed the presence of the other to help me consider the mystery of religious diversity. Without the other, who bears no outward resemblance to one’s collective history, to the faith in to which one is born, without the other there is no diversity. Without diversity there remains no self-limiting principle within the life of humanity to remind us of the dangers in making the most exclusive and one-sided claims to truth and finality. <p>I was not interested in pseudo dialogue. I was interested in not only what the other before me had to say of their faith but more so interested in a “sentiment” which can be shared despite outward differences. I was interested in a most ancient and beautiful term, the essence of one’s being, namely soul <i>(atma/psyche/ruh).</i> Overtime I realised that unless one is prepared to stand apart from exclusive truth claims, from the baggage of collective identity, breaking free from the weight of collective burden that one was somehow responsible for the entire collective faith of one’s tradition, one would never meet the individual in dialogue. There would always remain a hesitation to engage fully. There would be no dialogue let alone encounter only a repetition of well known themes and objections ending in not dialogue but monologue. There would be neither sentiment nor the rising to a moment of being present to one another in co-witness. <p>Is inter-religious dialogue failing? Is it yet to deliver on its promise? It maybe too early to say despite the great efforts made over the previous four to five decades. For example, from Ajaltoun consultation to Lebanon and Broumana in Colombo, Europe and the United States. From those early days of commitment inter-religious dialogue has now become a global phenomenon which must be regarded as some measure of success. Today we have the “Common Word” initiative – Love of God and Love of Neighbour. In the end as in the beginning the common word for me literally and spiritually is simply “Life”. To ponder this mighty question of “Life” spiritually one cannot help but stumble upon soul as the principle of “Life”. Perhaps, just perhaps, what is missing from inter-religious dialogue may be met by reviving the classical discourse on soul. <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-1ks9vvrkHz0/Td1nsWKw4bI/AAAAAAAAAWg/3NO3Nuht9Q4/s1600-h/Musa%252520Askari%252520-%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 5px 10px 5px 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Musa Askari -" border="0" alt="Musa Askari -" align="left" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-y8P2ZX1fwKU/Td1nvCboG5I/AAAAAAAAAWk/UCJSlovI9Fo/Musa%252520Askari%252520-_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="127" height="242"></a> <p><i></i> <p><strong>Musa Askari</strong><em>, son of the late Professor Syed Hasan Askari, is an independent thinker continuing the work of his teacher and guide. He does not belong to any religious or political organisation. Spiritually at home in any and all houses of worship and systems of thought which echo a universal outlook supporting a wholesome and meaningful engagement with the world about us. A world that is both a wonder and mystery; secular and religious, material and spiritual, physical and meta-physical. Dedicated to the revival of the classical discourse on Soul, Inter-Religious understanding & Spiritual Humanism as an alternative ideology to secularism and religious fundamentalism. <br></em><em><a href="http://spiritualhuman.wordpress.com/">http://spiritualhuman.wordpress.com/</a> <br></em><em><a href="mailto:1spiritualhuman@gmail.com">1spiritualhuman@gmail.com</a></em> Saumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05684586617971796705noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5719556765744547681.post-4011486516227818372011-05-06T14:12:00.001-05:002011-05-06T14:12:31.779-05:00The (personal) History of Headwaters/Delta<p>I was invited to write a guest post about Mother’s Day for <a href="http://www.pointsoflight.org" target="_blank">Points of Light Institute</a>. Of course, I wrote about my mom, and how she inspired me to form Headwaters/Delta Interfaith. </p> <p><em>I’m low on sleep, as usual.</em> <p><em>My baby is keeping me up: I’m in the throes of the 501(c)3 registration process for </em><a href="http://blog.headwatersdelta.org/"><em>Headwaters/Delta Interfaith</em></a><em>. Among other things, HDI is opening a non-denominational Spiritual Space as part of a </em><a href="http://www.neworleanshealingcenter.org/"><em>revitalization project in New Orleans</em></a><em>. The IRS paperwork is vast and complicated. Funding is scarce, and I worry about how I’m going to make it work. I’m not even from New Orleans! I live in Minneapolis.</em> <p><a href="http://pointsoflightblog.org/2011/05/06/a-passion-for-volunteering-stems-from-her-mothers-influence/" target="_blank">Read More…</a></p> Saumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05684586617971796705noreply@blogger.com1