Dear Friends,
Greetings of love and peace from Kottarakkara.
I began today, the final day of the holy books conference, the way I begin most days, with stretching exercises, meditation and quiet reflection, and then a lovely walk down the lane past Abraham’s house. This place is so lushly beautiful and the climate here has been ideal. The people are friendly in a gentle way that matches the natural beauty and temperate climate.
The one contrary experience came when I was accosted by a Pentecostal Christian with five crosses hanging around his neck. He spoke in a loud, sharp voice with words that were incomprehensible and seemed to come from different beings at different times, as he fixed a burning star on the indigenous sun medallion, which Galina gave me a couple of days ago, hanging around my neck. I never felt threatened, but he stood in stark contrast to the warmth everyone else I encountered on my walk showed me.
Breakfast this morning was at the Karickham’s. I find it inspiring and humbling how thoroughly this family opens itself to be of service. Everyone enjoyed the change of pace and the warm hospitality. By now people know each other well enough to fall into easy and deep conversation, so the Karickham’s living room and front porch were filled with the energy of contented people deeply and joyfully engaged with each other – learning and laughing and growing together.
At KIPS, the morning was turned over to several more presentations. We began with Vrajapati Das’ presentation – The Bahagavad Gita and Different Faiths. Vrajapati was a key disciple of the late Dr. T. D. Singh, charismatic URI founder, and leads the effort to carry on his work, particularly his pioneering work to bridge the gulf between spirituality and science. Vrajapati began his presentation by quoting Dr. Singh’s definition of faith – an unflinching conviction in something sublime. Using quotes from the Gita, Vrajapati led us down the path of spiritual seeking “toward the very Source of the universe,” noting how all traditions urge their followers to remember the Source at all times and in all places and as we draw our final breath.
I had the privilege of reading the paper of Iftekhar Hai, a dear friend and URI founder who was unable to be here in person. Iftekhar’s paper, The Holy Quran and People of Other Faiths, paired well with a paper by Kazi Nurul Islam, a Bangladeshi Muslim leader, entitled The Quranic Message of Universalism and Religious Pluralism. Sadly, Dr. Islam was also unable to attend the conference, so Shin Park, a young leader from Korea, read his paper. Both papers presented an open and expansive view of Islam and its attitude toward people of other faiths, citing many passages from the Quran to support this point of view. Everyone missed the opportunity to engage these two progressive Muslim leaders in further dialogue and expressed the hope this will happen at a future semina.
Tinumeren Ozukum, an engaging young man from Nagaland in northeast India, spoke briefly. Identifying himself as someone who was raised as an evangelical Baptist in an area where the population is 98% Christian, Tinumeren spoke about his awakening to the world of interfaith engagement and a search for spirituality beyond religion. He is very interested in learning more about URI and finding ways to be engaged. I introduced him by email with Biswadeb Chakraborty, URI’s coordinator for the East Zone of India, Matthew Youde, coordinator of our global Young Leaders Program, and Cynthia Sampson, who supports the work of the Environmental CC of the President’s Council. This ability to connect interested people to some of URI’s remarkable leaders is a gift.
During the break, I noticed a man climbing up a tall coconut palm, using little more than his hands and bare feet. Clinging with one hand to the swaying tree about 25 feet above the ground and holding a machete in the other, he worked diligently to loosen ripe coconuts, sending them crashing to the soft ground far below. A couple of men stood on the ground at safe distance from the falling coconuts, calling out directions in authoritative voices. It occurred to me how easy it is to stand on the ground shouting directions compared with doing the hard work of harvesting high above the ground at the top of a wind-swayed tree. I was rewarded for my interest in the whole process with the gift of a coconut, expertly chopped open by the machete. Someone fetched a straw and I enjoyed a delicious drink of fresh coconut milk.
Just before lunch, Ven. Jinwol Lee, Global Council Trustee, Secretary General of URI Asia, and Coordinator and President of URI Korea, not to mention a globally respected Buddhist leader, arrived from Korea by way of a meeting of the World Buddhist Fellowship in Delhi, where they were making plans to celebrate the 2,600th anniversary of Shakyamuni Buddha. Jinwol’s dedication to URI is phenomenal. Not only did he give $2500 to support the newly inaugurated Interfaith Peace Research Institute, he journeyed here when it would have been easier, with a new semester and the teaching responsibilities it carries with it beginning in a few days, to return directly to Korea.
After lunch, Jinwol presented his paper, Buddhist Views on Other Religious Orders. He spoke about the importance of following the Buddha’s example of openness and respect for other traditions. He noted that Buddhism is a human-centered religion, following the Buddha’s injunction to “know first and then believe.”
After Jinwol’s presentation we had an engaging time answering questions from KIPS students, and being the audience for several dance and singing presentations. The students here are thoughtful and creative; as well as being some of the most polite and respectful students I can remember meeting. It was pure joy to have this time with the students and their teachers and families.
During a tea break, we had the ceremonial planting of a fig tree dedicated to peace. I also fielded a call from Swami Chaturvedi who expressed his strong commitment to following up on our conversations and finding ways to accelerate the growth and impact of URI’s work in India. Abraham later indicated that Swamiji may help acquire a plot of land here to be the site of a new building as the Interfaith Peace Research Institute grows.
Our formal session concluded with closing comments and evaluation. Each participant expressed profound gratitude for the gracious hospitality our Kottarakara hosts have extended to us, as well as for the opportunity to engage with such a diverse and committed group around a topic that is important to all of us. There was also gratitude expressed for URI and the global community we’ve created that allows the work of this small seminar to immediately touch people all over the world. It was agreed that the next holy books seminar will be held here in Kottarakkara in 2012.
In his closing comments, Abraham noted that with the school, this seminar series, and now the Interfaith Peace Research Institute, he stepped into these new ventures in faith, trusting that “if we do our part God will do the rest.”
We finished in deepening dusk with one final dinner, shared with students, faculty and families, sitting outside in a circle on the red dirt – one large family of mutual respect and admiration, tearing chapatis together.
I don’t think anyone who has been a part of these remarkable few days will be unchanged. For those who live here this has been an affirming opportunity to open their homes and school to strangers from other parts of India and around the world, and to gain a window into another reality that carries such hope and passion. For those of us from other parts of the world, it has been a joy, in our chaotic and challenged world, to form a community in this beautiful, open and hospitable place that comes awfully close to reflecting the world as most people want it to be, a place of mutual respect and commitment to the common good.
It is a privilege to be able to share this experience with all of you.
Faithfully,
Charles
