Peacemaker Circles UK

We held a Zen Peacemakers Day of Reflection in Leeds on Saturday, arranged and hosted by Steve Suleyman Hart. The day was 10am till 4pm. It was a cheerful, relaxing day- beginning with a period of silent meditation, and exploring the practice of Council Circle (loosely: talking and listening circles based on the Native American approach to communal decision making). In the afternoon we watched "Zen on the Street", a video on Bernie Glassman's work made in Switzerland 15 years ago. It's an overview of his Zen approach, including social business and housing, street retreats and the annual Auschwitz retreat. The next events in Leeds will be an evening ceremony in honour of the Persian mystic Jelaluddin Rumi on Fri 17th Dec, followed immediately by a full day event based on Rumi the next day, Sat 18th Dec. There'll be a Rumi Day in Manchester the next day, Sun 19th Dec, exploring the teachings of Rumi's master, Shams of Tabriz.

We held our monthly Great Heart Circle last night, with meditation and discussion on the theme of "metta", the Buddhist teaching of universal love. We read the Metta Sutta, a discourse from the earliest Buddhist scriptures on extending our hearts to all beings without exception, and also a couple of quotes from Islam and Buddhism which are remarkably similar: Muhammad said to Anas: "My son, if you are able, from morning until night and from night until morning, keep your heart free from ill-will towards anyone." Then he added, "Oh! my son, this is one of my laws, and he who loves my laws, truly loves me." and The Buddha said: "Hatred never ends by more hating, but only by abandoning hate. This is an eternal law." We ended once again with a shared sacred meal together. The next meeting will probably be the second instead of the first Thurs in Nov for a change, to be confirmed soon...