Gethsemani II
A Buddhist- Catholic Conference on Suffering... April 13-18, 2002
© All Photos: Jim and Marina Funk

___Gethsemani II___ A Buddhist- Catholic Conference on Suffering * The Gethsemani II - Web-Site The second Gethsemani Encounter took place at Gethsemani Abbey, Kentucky from April 13 to April 18, 2002. The dialogue was over 30 scheduled hours, with 22 presentations from Buddhists and Catholics. Each day featured speakers who spoke on a particular theme concerning suffering. Thomas Keating and Henepola Gunaratana opened the conference, followed, on Sunday, by Joseph Goldstein, Columba Stewart, Mary Margaret Funk, and Blanche Hartman discussing suffering caused by a sense of unworthiness and alienation. On Monday, Geshe Lobsang Tenzin read a text from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Kathy Lyzotte, Thubten Chodron, and James Wiseman discussed suffering caused by greed and consumerism. On Tuesday, Geshe Lobsang Tenzin, Dan Ward, Stephanie Kaza, and Mary Collins discussed suffering caused by personal and structural violence. On Wednesday, John Daido Loori, Margaret Michaud, Ajahn Sundara, and Donald Grabner discussed suffering caused by sickness and aging. On Thursday, Norman Fischer and Leo Lefebure summed up what had happened over the course of the conference. After each presentation there was a discussion among the assembly. You can read this discussion by clicking on the relevant days on the menu bar. There is also a list of participants, the music played during the conference, the rituals, and links to organizations affiliated with the speakers. Audio recordings of the summary reflections by Norman Fischer and Leo Lefebure are also available. The collected essays for this conference will be published in a book in 2003 by Doubleday. Audiotapes from the Gethsemani II Conference... The central office of "Monastic Interreligious Dialogue" is producing a set of audiotapes from the Gethsemani Encounter. The set will allow the listener to hear not only all of the opening presentations from each session but also the dialogue that followed. Dennis Skelton's superb recorder music will also be included. The complete set of twelve tapes will sell for $150. To purchase the set, or to make further inquiries, please contact: Sr. Mary Margaret Funk, OSB Executive Director, MID Our Lady of Grace Monastery, 1402 Southern Avenue Beech Grove, IN 46107-1197 e-Mail: megfunk@earthlink.net ____________ * The Gethsemani II - Web-Site