Our Interfaith Meeting on 16th March 2021
Being Present in the Presence was the theme of our online Interfaith meeting on 16th of March when many of us got together for singing, meditation and conversation.
We began with a beautiful chant “Here I Am” based on a poem by Kabir which created an atmosphere which was held throughout. You can read the poem here.
Here are a few of the comments that friends made after the event:
“I felt a special connection to everyone tonight – feel very privileged to know such wonderful people.”
“I thought the evening flowed beautifully and there was some inspiring sharing.”
“The bond of friendship and community we are building is very nourishing….and every one of us and all those who came are wonderful ….we create this together by our presence and sense of connection.”
“Such a lovely evening together -so easy in each other’s company.”
The first part of the workshop, led by Brian, looked at aspects of mind which lead us to be unaware of the present moment. We considered the question:
What do you not like doing and why?
This was followed by a plenary session in which we asked the question:
What’s going on in your mind when you’re doing jobs that you don’t like doing? How does that feel?
In the second part of the workshop, led by Frances, we considered the quotation:
Fear does not stop death, it stops life. And worrying does not take away tomorrow’s troubles, it takes away today’s peace.
This was followed by a plenary session where there was much rich conversation around matters concerning being present in the moment and conscious of the peace to be found there.
We sang a chant “This Moment” inspired by the Sufi poet Rumi and finished with a guided meditation after which Lama Choesang collected words and phrases that reflected individual experiences of our time together so that she could weave them into a poem.
Here is the poem:
Being Present in the Presence
Our embedded fears soon turn to hope on finding the opportunity for understanding.
Take courage in this moment.
Giving space for time one experiences love
a closeness bringing a certain tranquillity.
Experience equanimity when abiding with friends
Time is as it is
all will be well
Lama Choesang gave us a closing thought:
Your tomorrows are your plans and dreams but they have no substance, they do not exist.
NOW is an infinitesimal fraction of time that is so tiny that it has no true name
But your yesterdays, your past, goes on forever.
Phil gave a closing dedication:
This moment…this love…comes to rest in me.
And so may we embrace the challenge to accept this moment as our friend.
May we honour the Present by giving it our fullest attention.
May we appreciate it by being thankful for it
And may we allow it to be as it is…