Index Page - Holy Manners Study # 23 The Delai Lama and Jean Vanier: Spiritual Partners in Contemplation and Compassion

Course Outline and Links to the 10 Session Pages

Part 1 - The Dalai Lama - Essential Writings - editor Thomas A. Forsthoefel Available at church. Also, Links to purchase this book: Amazon (us) Amazon(ca) Chapters(ca) "Love and kindness are the very basis of society. If we lose these feelings, society will face remendous difficulties; the survival of humanity will be endangered. Together with material development, we need spiritual development, so that inner peace and social harmony can be experienced. Without inner peace, without inner calm, it is difficult to have lasting peace. In this field of inner development, religion can make important contributions." ... p156

1 14 Sep Introduction to Tibbetan Buddism hosted by the Tibetan Buddhist Community of Calgary in anticipation of the late September visit of the Dalai Lama to Calgary. 2 21 Sep Book Introduction - Pages 13-49 - The Teachings of Buddhism Video Excerpts from Documentary - 10 Questions for the Dalai Lama - by Rick Ray. 3 28 Sep Chapter 1 - Wisdom Video Excerpt from Vancouver Peace Summit – Nobel Laureate’s Conversation - 27 September 2009 4 5 Oct Chapter 2 - Morality Reflection by Deb Charnusky " An Immersion into the World of Thomas Merton and His Connections with Buddhism.".    Video Excerpt “Ethics For Our Time” by the Dalai Lama. University of California, Santa Barbara, April 2009. 12 Oct No Meeting Thanksgiving 5 19 Oct Chapter 3 - Meditation 6 26 Oct Chapter 4 - Religion and the World

Part 2 - Jean Vanier - Essential Writings - editor Carolyn Whitney-Brown Available at church. also, Links to purchase this book: Amazon(us) Amazon(ca) Chapters(ca) "Follow your conscience. Let your spirits and hearts speak. Do not restrain, or sadden the Spirit. With courage, break through the structures of the past, open your hearts wide to the Spirit of God which is the spirit of welcome and giving, and know that God loves and helps those who follow his Spirit and who live for the unfortunate and who assume real and permanent responsibilities on their behalf. ... Your work, often obscure and unrewarding, is the seed tht will bring forth the new society of brotherhood, justice, and peace." ... p74

7 2 Nov Introduction to Jean Vanier and L'Arche. Portions of L"Arche DVD - Belonging - The Search for Acceptance. Book Introduction - Pages 13-59 8 9 Nov Theme - Chapter 1 - Change the World - transformation of society 9 16 Nov Theme - Chapter 2 - With Love - transformation of community 10 23 Nov Theme - Chapter 3 - One Heart at a Time - transformation of the single person 11 30 Nov Theme - Chapter 4 - The Christian Life 12 7 Dec Special Evening with members of the L'Arch Community in Calgary.

Note on Documents and Videos. If in clicking documents linked in these web pages, you cannot open them, it may be because you do not have Microsoft Office installed at the computer you are at. There are two FREE alternatives. First, Microsoft themselves offer auxiliary programs called "readers" for their various programs like PowerPoint and Word. LINK. Second, a complete Office Suite is available that can read and write Microsoft documents. The Open Office Project is now in about 80 languages and an excellent program set. LINK.

Holy Manners The background on the phrase and why we have adopted it. The guidelines for our studies.

Internet Discussion Group at Yahoo - the St. David's Forum. The archive is public and readable. Participation is by invitation. Click HERE if you would like to join. You will then be able to post your own responses to the list and will be emailed the notices and contributions of the others. Click left to visit the archives of the site (read only). There are presently 88 persons.

Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge. ... Proverbs 23:12 (NIV)

Group Facilitator. Wayne Holst              EMAIL WAYNE I spent most of my life thinking like a church professional, rather than as a regular congregational member. My training as a pastor always had me asking myself 'how can I apply this discovery, insight, new information to a regular church setting?' Often, clergy have been hesitant to share the discoveries they have made through a 'critical' approach to the Bible with their parishoners because they wonder how laypeople might accept it. I have found that many thinking laity are professionals in their own fields of endeavour and understand a critical approach very readily. What they seek are ways of relating faith to daily living. I am grateful for the journey I have been taking through ordained ministry to teaching at the university and serving as a fellow layperson at St.David's United Church. Here we find that questioning and honest expression of our faith and doubt is readily accepted and supported.

Group Facilitator. Jock McTavish           EMAIL JOCK I am a student and a poet, a democrat and a techocrat, an eclectic eccentric. I grew up in a loving Baptist community, so in my heart I'm still a Bible loving evangelical. As I grew in learning I found a new home in the United Church whose tolerance embraces the broadest range of Christian understanding. I most enjoy the illumination of our ancient traditions by modern scholarship. For they show in clear novel ways that the perspectives of the Special Ones were seldom the understandings of those that followed. They show all knowledge to be in relationship . There seems a lack of understanding in our secular world for religious practices. The reasons why I still gladly - even necessarily - attend church are difficult to voice to those unfamiliar with church, or those injured by church. Elliott got it right. We find our way back to the place we started from. But with new understanding.