"Breathing in life, breathing out connection"

By Raine Barker New Thought News Service           Spare and elegant pagan dances, led by T. Thorn Coyle, were among the morning choices Friday at the Parliament.  No materials were required, simply an open mind and a willing body.  Participants kicked the practice off by centering themselves with a brief meditation and focus on breathing, and then moved into the dancing. Pagan dancing 101, perfect for people who can't dance. The element of air was the first to be represented, along with the idea of opening consciousness to the world. The dance felt like flying, and looked like it, too. Arms out and behind us like wings, and then brought back in and cupped in front of our face, we soared through the dance. It was a pleasant way to begin the morning. Fire was next, bringing passion and intensity. The movements evoked flames; we held our arms in front of us and waved them back and forth while our bodies swayed from side to side. The invigorating motions brought fiery passion into our day. Water flowed forth next, bringing with it tranquility. We made wave-like motions with our arms, their graceful curves arching over our heads in an alternating rhythm. Earth, the next element to be represented, provided a grounding experience. We gathered our arms to ourselves, bent at the waist to form a cave, symbolically scooped up the power of the earth and brought it back to ourselves. Spirit was more complex; the only words used during the ritual were spoken during this part of the dance: "As above, so below. As within, so without." We ended the morning in a communal spiral dance, while we sang a simple tune. "Air, fire, water, earth … air, fire, water, earth!" As we moved and sang, the volume increased, and we sang in harmony. The process finished on one long note, and we were energized for the day.

"You are welcome to everything ..."

Professor Joy Murphy Wandin, an elder of the Wurundjeri people, delivered the following greeting as part of the opening ceremony at the Parliament of the World's Religions Thursday:

"On behalf of the spiritual ancestors and the traditional owners of Melbourne, I invite you to Melbourne ...
"It is a traditional custom of Australian Aboriginal communities to give permission to people who wish to enter the country. The Wurundjeri people are known as the Manna-Gum (eucalyptus tree) people and we invite you to share with us from a branch of Gum leaves.
"Taking a leaf means that you are welcome to everything, from the tops of the trees to the roots of the earth, on our ancestral country. It also means that you and I, we become linked symbolically and spiritually. By this action, you join with us to honor our ancestors who have nurtured our land for thousands and thousands of years."

Parliament director sees strength at the grassroots level

By Olivia Ware

New Thought News Service

As I crept along a conference center wall Friday morning, looking for another glimpse  of enlightenment, a gentleman asked me about my position here at the Parliament. 

After initial greetings and my brief explanation of the New Thought News Service, he introduced himself as Dirk Ficca. Suddenly, I was conversing with the director of the Parliament of the World's Religions himself. And once I had gathered my thoughts, the questions began to flow. 

Ficca told me that since the first modern Parliament, in Chicago in 1993, the Parliament has become more metropolitan and focuses increasingly on grassroot efforts and commitment.

He hopes participants bring their experiences of the Melbourne gathering to their "corners of the world," and that nothing will be left behind, that the learning and the love shared in Australia will transcend the Parliament.

Future Parliaments, Ficca said, will pay "more attention to linking religions" in the areas of business and communication. Speakers at the Thursday  night opening ceremony noted that the faith-based communities are in a good position to help solve some of the world's pressing problems, but can't do the needed work in isolation.

Ficca agreed, saying religion has an "indispensable contribution to make, but not alone."

Dirk Ficca speaks with Sri Karunamayi, a 

presenter at a Friday morning panel.

Blessings, music mark Parliament opening

By Roya Camp
New Thought News Service

"You give love, compassion. You bring justice."
That's how Dr. Sakena Yacoobi, who has spent her life giving education and bringing hope to demoralized and disempowered women and children in her native country through her Afghan Institute of Learning, defined the role of religion during opening remarks at the Parliament of World Religions Thursday night.
Yacoobi was one of dozens of speakers, musicians and religious leaders who took part in the powerful, colorful, spiritual ceremony.
The hundreds of attendees packed into the Melbourne convention center auditorium received Aboriginal, Zoroastrian, Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, Sikh, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Baha'i and Shinto blessings from prominent leaders in those faith traditions.
"We are grateful, we are honored, we are privileged to have you here," Wurundjeri elder Joy Murphy Wandin told audience members, many of whom attended the event in robes, turbans, saris, yarmulkes and other traditional garb.
Several speakers spoke of an increasing global interest in interfaith dialogue and activity such as occurs during the Parliament gatherings, while others noted the community feeling of the events. His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar called the Parliament "a family reunion."
Rev. Dr. William Lesher, chairman of the Parliament board of trustees, described it as "the beloved community" envisioned by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Australian religious and political leaders referenced the country's origins, history and legacy as they noted the role of the Aboriginal people as stewards of the land and environment and some of the injustices inflicted on the native people in the past.
This is the first generation that has the ability to solve the world's mounting issues, Rabbi David Saperstein told the audience.
"Tomorrow is today," he said. "We can, we must, we will be the shapers of a better, more hopeful humanity."


For photos of the opening ceremony, see the "Photos from the Parliament" link in the left column.

Youth manifesto inspires New Thought delegation

What follows is the "15-minute manifesto," drafted and delivered during the New Thought pre-Parliament day by 15 youths attending the event:

• We believe in growth, and stepping into our own power.
• We believe in the power of kindness in action.
• We believe in co-inspiring youth raised in New Thought.
• We believe in demonstrating the power of being raised in New Thought.
• As a New Thought youth, my mission is to allow God to express through me in all that I do, so that I may always and continually be a radiant channel for love to manifest here on Earth.
• We embrace our differences.
• As evolved souls and spiritual beings living a human experience, we consciously apply spiritual principle in our relationships, in our workplace, with each other, living as our Higher Selves and inspiring the world to be and do the same.
• Individually, we are being the change we wish to see in the world.
• Collectively, we are the leading edge of a new paradigm that supports the evolution of a world that works for everyone.
• As New Thought youth, we raise the consciousness of the planet to levels unimaginable.
• We are the future of New Thought – the pulse of the Global Heart.
• We see the Global New Thought movement in the future – in the now – as being a symbol of love, diversity, and peace. We've already accomplished so much, and as Erika Luckett and Lisa Ferraro sang, "If you're not in awe, you're not paying attention."
• In 25 years, New Thought will be spread throughout the world as a means of peace, love and happiness.
• We believe that we are one strand in an ongoing evolution, and that in 25 years, this New Thought will be old thought.
• As youth of New Thought, we are not discovering the divine. We are living, breathing, knowing, active manifestations of the divine. We are grateful for the foundation our ministers and teachers have laid out in front of us. We are your offering to the future.
• And in the words of my mentor, Rev. Charles Hall, "They will know us by how we love each other."