--- "Dooley, Bill" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Given the recent threads regarding Minneapolis > police-community relations, list members may be > interested in a August 20, 2003 USA TODAY article > entitled "Buddhism and the Badge." The article is > about an upcoming five-day retreat in the Madison, > Wisconsin area, lead by a prominent Buddhist monk, > for police officers and other public safety > employees to learn how to handle job-related stress. > This appears to be a regional retreat and I assume > members of the Minneapolis Police Department are > eligible to attend. The retreat is somewhat > controversial with critics claiming it will promote > Buddhism and that is an impermissible entanglement > of church and state.
The title of the retreat is "Protecting and Serving Without Stress or Fear" and it is being led by Tich Nhat Hanh and others from the Plum Village and Maple Forest monasteries. It starts this upcoming Sunday and runs most of next week. I will be attending. I assume that those who are concerned about entanglements of church and state are unfamiliar with Tich Nhat Hanh's manner of teaching and are unlikely to be overly familiar with Buddhism. The retreat is non-sectarian and will focus around the practice of mindfulness. The linked article referred to mindfulness as a basic tenet of Buddhism. This is analogous to saying that forgiveness or compassion is a basic tenets of Christianity. Its true, but teaching it doesn't mean you're teaching the religion. >From the materials I was sent: "This retreat is open to everyone who wants to learn the practice of mindfulness, to bring the qualities of ease, solidarity, fearlessness, joy and kindness into their daily life. In this non-sectarian retreat there will be a close focus on those with the aspiration and enthusiasm to serve their community and society." For who have never done meditation, a visit to a Zen or Shambala center can be enlightening. You will find people of many different faiths and beliefs, and in my experience, I have not ever met anyone who felt their personal religious feelings to be threatened or pressured by their study of meditation. Mindfulness as a practice focuses on trying to be very present in the moment. To plan for the future and learn from the past without losing yourself in dreams or regrets. To be as aware as possible of your emotional state, how things are effecting you and how you are effecting others. I am no more concerned at being converted to Buddhism by learning this practice from Tich Nhat Hahn than I would be concerned about being converted to Christianity by learning from Dr. Martin Luther King - or more locally, CM Samuels. Their actions and perspectives are founded in their beliefs, but one doesn't have to adopt their religion to learn what they have to teach. It is my hope that I will meet others from the area at this retreat. - Jason Goray Sheridan, NE __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
