Worldwide Being Present Meditation and Prayer
Sunday, March 30, 2008 from 12:30 to 12:40 pm Eastern Daylight Time
During our closing prayer and ritual celebration at the Spiritual Directors International Conference in Washington DC, we will observe ten minutes of prayerful silence to enter into the Presence of the loving kindness and compassion that transforms.
We invite you to gather your friends, family and faith communities to pause during this time and join us, as well as the worldwide community, in this Presence Gathering. Please feel free to share this letter which explains the format and intent of the Worldwide Being Present Meditation and Prayer with those whom you will invite to be in prayer with you.
In recognition of the many faith traditions represented through Spiritual Directors International and in recalling President George Washington’s words assuring religious freedom and respect to a Hebrew Congregation in 1790, “everyone shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree and there shall be none to make him afraid,” we offer a simple format for this time.
For the first few moments, we invite you either alone or with others, to find a quiet space and to meditate upon any of these sayings from various faith traditions:
“Become empty of yourself and realize inner silence.” Lao Tzu Tao
“Be still and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10 – Judeo/Christian
“Thus, only true Silence is eternal speech, the Heart to Heart talk.”
Swami Satyeswarananda Giri – Hindu
“Be silent that the Lord who gave you language may speak.” Jahal – Al – Din Rumi – Islam
“Silence is a privileged entry into the realm of God and into eternal life. For silence is a language that is infinitely deeper, more far reaching, more understanding, more compassionate, and more eternal than any other language.” Meister Eckhart – Christian
He (the American Indian) believes profoundly in silence – the sign of perfect equilibrium. Silence is the absolute poise or balance of body, mind, and spirit. Ohiyesa – Native American
“When you pray…you yourself must be silent; let the prayer speak.” Archimandrite Kallistos Ware – Greek Orthodox
It is as we join with others in a way that only human beings can, in a shared engagement in a common vision, that we find ourselves in the presence of another presence that is the final source of our hopes and intentions, and that undergirds and sustains them. – Rabbi Judith Plaskow – Jewish
The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers. Thick Nhat Hanh – Buddhist
World-Wide-Meditation.pdf