Intro
Oct 6th, 2006 by Christine Clear
EXPLORING SPIRITUAL ETHICS IN MODERN LIFE
Love and do what you will - St. Augustine
Iris Murdoch defined love as ‘‘the very difficult realisation that something other than oneself is real.’’ After forty years of meditating the Dalai Lama believes
that Christ’s urging of us to love our enemy, as well as our neighbour, reflects the greatest measure and expression of love.
What then is love, and how is it understood by philosophers, mystics, artists, activists, psychologists and saints? This workshop will draw from a wealth of writings and reflections, and examine love as a living, practical dynamic which can, and does transform our lives.
‘‘Without love, humanity would not last a day’’ - Eric Fromm.
Through a series of meditations, discussions and exercises, participants will explore what love is and indeed what it is not. Whilst the English language uses the word ‘love’ to cover many levels of communion with others, this course will explore how other cultures and faiths understand and variegate aspects of love such as compassion, charity, desire, forgiveness, justice and embodiment.
‘‘Perfect love casts out fear.’’ 1 John
The course will examine love as the foundational driving force of our lives, a force which as Virgil says conquers all. It will see how in the various traditions love is the basic antidote to fear and discover if and how it can transform blocks into life-giving energy. Participants will work around their notions of fear and love and explore resulting behaviour and choices.
Some day after mastering the winds, the waves, tides and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love, and then for the second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire.
- Telihard de Chardin
Christine Clear M.Phil.
Site Last Updated: October 06 2006
