Oikos, the Greek root of the word “ecology,” means “home.” To the extent we are at home with our souls, hearts and minds, we are naturally at home and intimate with the natural world. In such a condition, we naturally uphold the freshness, beauty and sacredness of all life. The result is that we see life differently. We recognize, as Thomas Merton described, that all of life is “pure affirmation” - an Emerald Earth. By this shift in vision a door opens in our life, and we find ourselves participating in an uplifted and resurrecting world, a life filled with possibility and satisfaction.

Our work today will be in sharing spiritual practices and perspectives that help us in purifying the mind and heart of all that is foreign, and of seeing how this process aligns us with the “wisdom of the Earth” - an embodied spirituality that honors our humanness, our senses and every aspect of our corporeal and spiritual life.

We liken this work to a farmer's work with a field. The work begins with the removal of weeds of illusion, and the clearing of old roots, rocks and pebbles that represent obstacles, doubts and fear. The cultivation of the soil brings receptivity and fertility, ultimately a rich harvest. The ultimate fruit of this work is the realization of every moment as a “new creation,” precious and filled with infinite bounty and potential.

We will be employing classical Sufi meditation methods for purification, opening to guidance and becoming aware of potentialities that are seeking to unfold in our being. We will seek to continually identify the links between our practices and our life situations. Using practices of breath, light, sound and creative imagination, we will affirm the seeds in our beings that give scope to our deep desire to honor the sacredness of all of life.

Sharifa Norton and Muinuddin Smith are long time students of the Sufi and Buddhist meditative traditions, and of the sacred teachings called Ziraat given by Hazrat Inayat Khan. Ziraat teachings emphasize the cultivation of the heart and the soul, and the relationship between this cultivation and our deepest intimacy, kinship and service to life. Sharifa serves as director of Ziraat in the Sufi Order in North America. (For more information on Ziraat, see www.ziraat.org). Together Sharifa and Muinuddin co-founded the Light of Guidance Center for Sufi Studies in New York, and serve as senior teachers and retreat guides within the Sufi Order International.

COST: $67 OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, pre-registration requested. To register or obtain more information: contact Juraté Calise: 401.714.5002 or juratec@cox.net. Participants invited to share a pot luck dinner at 5:30pm.

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