The Theosophical Society in Israel Many religions One God

1. The Theosophical Society in IsraelMany religions One God The story of an Interreligious convention May 2011 at Neve Shalom (near Jerusalem)

2. Introduction

3. As the white ray of light isdecomposed by the prism into the various colours of the solar spectrum, so the beam of divine truth, in passing through the three-sided prism of man's nature, has been broken up into vari-coloured fragments called Religions .... Combined, their aggregate represents one eternal truth; separate, they are but shades of human error and the signs of imperfection. Helena Blavatsky-Isis Unveiled

4. Esoteric Philosophy reconciles all religions, strips every one of its outward human garments, and shows the root of each to be identical with that of every other great religion. It proves the necessity of a Divine Absolute Principle in Nature. It denies Deity no more than it does the sun. Helena Blavatsky The Secret Doctrine

5. The three objects of the Theosophical society To form a nucleus of the Universal Brotherhood of Humanity, without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste or colour To encourage the study of Comparative Religion, Philosophy and Science To investigate unexplained laws of Nature and the powers latent in man

6. The second object of the theosophical Society is : To encourage the study of Comparative Religion, Philosophy and Science Interreligious understanding and brotherhood can grow out of a dialogue with members of other religions Please note that this photo does not belong to our convention

7. at the core of all religions there is a search for spirituality, for the unseen essence, which is reflected everywhere in Nature through the order, the beauty, the strength and the wisdom of creation. Please note that this photo does not belong to our convention

8. if God be immanent in all, then the lives animated by a single life must form one vast solidarity. The one life in all means the brotherhood of the many. Only when we realize that God is seen in everything, do we feel that all that lives belongs to that single life. Annie Besant Let us study all religions, and love them all, and we shall then come nearer to the Fount in which we all have our origin and our ending. Annie Besant

9. A religion in the true and only correct sense is a bond uniting men together — not a particular set of dogmas and beliefs. Religion, per se, in its widest meaning is that which binds not only all Men but also all Beings and all things in the entire Universe into one grand whole. Helena Blavatsky Please note that this photo does not belong to our convention

10. Brotherhood as a matter of fact is non existent if it applies only to part of humanity. A truly spiritual brotherhood includes not only of all human beings, but all living things; animals, birds, plants, insects, so-called non-living objects. All have that element which gives a feeling of sacredness and spirituality. ‘Religion’ which does not share in this universal brotherhood, and which does not help people to know that all life is blessed and protected by the universal Spirit, is not a religion. Radha Burnier

11. The spiritual Quest and the Human and interreligious brotherhood This is the theme of the convention, the insights of which, we would like to share with you in this presentation

12. Every one who is truly religious knows that God doesn't "prefer" any particular Religion or any particular human being, and that the same divine Godly essence is present inside every human being

13. One who really understands the core of his own religion, and who is able to go deep into its origin, can see right a way that the path that brings God and Man into close relationship passes through the love of mankind, the love of truth and the love of peace.

14. Therefore in every religion which is worthy of the aspirations of its founders, there must be a few elements that the Universal Divine Wisdom will not compromise about, and they are the building blocks of a spiritual life: - The idea that Divinity is dwelling in all creatures - The love of mankind and all Gods' creatures - The love of God - The search for the truth and for justice and for peace - Compassion and forgiveness

15. When we delve into the sacred teachings of the religions, we find that they present almost the same ideas about the main principles of spiritual life. • Some of these ideas are presented in the following slides:

16. God dwells in all creatures Christianity "God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands" [.. ] "For in Him we live, and move, and have our being“New Testament,Acts, Chapter 17 Islam "We shall give them our signs, in the wide open spaces and inside their bodies, until it will be clear to them that "He is the truth". Koran 41:53"The beloved is everything in everything; the lover is only hiding him; The beloved is everything that lives. The lover is a dead thing"Jalal A-Din Rum Judaism "As the Holy One blessed be He - fills the whole world, so also does the Spirit - fills the whole body; As the Holy One blessed be He – is seeing and yet unseen, So also is the Spirit– Seeing and yet unseen; As the Holy One is pure, So also is the Spirit pure; As is the Holy One sitting in the innermost chamber So also is the Spirit sitting in the inner most chamber. A saying of the Elders "And one cried unto another and said: Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of Hosts: The fullness of the whole earth declares His glory.“Isaiah chapter.. 6, v 3.

17. God dwells in all creatures (continued) The Druze religion "God is above and beyond the understanding of man, and He is present everywhere and at all time, and the wonder of His creation is in every creature". The Baháí religion "This is the Day in which God's most excellent favors have been poured out upon men, the Day in which His most mighty grace hath been infused into all created things. It is incumbent upon all the peoples of the world to reconcile their differences, and, with perfect unity and peace, abide beneath the shadow of the Tree of His care and loving-kindness.Baha'u'llah Hinduism "I fills all of creation, yet the senses cannot reach me;" "I am the beginning, the middle and the end of all creatures, the Divine spark inside them their highest and only treasure is me." The Bhagavad-Gita, chapter 9 Buddhism One essence, which is wholesome and which fills all that exist, dwells at the core of all creatures; One reality, contains everything, contains inside itself all the other realities". Yung Chia Ta Shih

19. Loving kindness to others Judaism "But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shall love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God".Leviticus chapter 19, v 34 Christianity "Ye have heard that it hath been said, thoushall love thy neighbor, and hate thy enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies," […] "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sent rain on the just and on the unjust". Matthew Chapter 5 v 43, v 45 Islam The real wealth of a man in the world to come (after death), is all the good deeds that he have done in this world for his fiends. When he dies, people may ask: "How much wealth has he left behind?", But the angels will ask: "what are the good deeds that you have sent in advance, prior to your arrival?" "The Spirit of Islam" pg. 135 The Druze religion "You can not have faith (in God) until you can love your friend as you love yourself".

20. Loving kindness to others (cobntinued) Hinduism "The one who knows no hate, who is full of friendship and compassion – in times of pain as in times of happiness – will not frighten and won't be afraid. Jealousy, fear, anger, and old age – will not control him – for this reason he is dear to me from all else"The Bhagavad-Gita, Chapter 12 Buddhism "Never can hate be neutralized by hate. Hate can only nullified by love. This is an Eternal law". The Lord Guatama Buddha- Dhamapada The Baháí religion Do not look at the shortcomings of anybody; see with the sight of forgiveness. The imperfect eye beholds imperfections. The eye that covers faults looks toward the Creator of souls. He created them, trains and provides for them, endows them with capacity and life, sight and hearing; therefore, they are the signs of His grandeur. You must love and be kind to everybody, care for the poor, protect the weak, heal the sick, teach and educate the ignorant. The prophet Abdu'l-Bahá

22. LOVE OF GOD Judaism "And thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might". Deuteronomy chapter 6, v 5 Christianity "Even if I speak in tongues of men and angels, but I have no love in me, then I am just like a brass of God, or just like a trumpet; Even more so, if I am given a prophesy to declare, and know all the secrets and all there is to know, and yet I have no love in me, it will not be of any use to me" Letter to the Corinthians by St Paul Hinduism "Therefore at all times think upon Me only, and fight. With Mind and Reason set on Me, without doubt thou shalt come to Me". The Bhagavad-Gita, chapter 8, v 7 ( translation by Annie Besant). The Baháí religion "The essence of wealth is love for Me; whoso love Me is the possessor of all things…" Baha'u'llah

24. THE PATH OF PEACE Judaism "Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil and do good. Seek peace and pursue it". The Book of Psalms chapter 34, v 14, 15 "I will hear what God the Lord will speak; For He will speak peace unto His people…Mercy and Truth have met, Justice and Peace have kissed each other". The Book of Psalms chapter 75, v 9-11 Christianity "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord" St Paul letter to the Hebrews, chapter 12, v 14 Islam "You Cannot come to the Garden of Eden until you have faith, and you cannot have faith until you will love one another, and you cannot love one another until you saw the seeds of Peace amongst you". The Koran chapter 2 The Baháí religion "The faith in God is leading to love and unity. Do not make it an excuse for hostility or disagreement“Baha'u'llah

26. JUSTICE AND TRUTH Judaism "And I shall instruct your judges at this day, to listen to your brethrens and to judge them in justice, whether it is between a man and his brother or a man and a foreigner. Thou shall not be biased in your judgment, and thou shall listen to the young and to the old with the same ear, or to the humble and the proud and great. Thou shall not be afraid to judge any man. For judgment belong to God". The book of Deuteronomy, chapter 16 Islam "Indeed God have ordered us to be just, to do good, and to give to our family relations all that they need. And he forbid any kind of wickedness, unjust behavior or abuse". The Koran chapter 16 Hinduism "Therefore I tell you, be humble, and be pure in your actions, truthful and without bias. Obey and worship your Guru from truthfulness. And be pure both with the body and the heart …" The Bhagavad-Gita, Chapter 12

27. JUSTICE AND TRUTH (continued) Buddhism "Let men overcome anger with love, and overcome evil with goodness. Let men overcome greed by charitable actions, and overcome lies with the truth ! Speak the truth! Do not succumb to anger! Give to others, if you are asked, even if it is only little. In these three steps you shall come nearer to the Gods" From the Dhamapadha, The Lord Guatamma Buddha The Baháí religion "O son of Spirit ! The best beloved of all things in my sight is Justice; turn not away there from if thou desirest Me, and neglect it not that I may confide in thee. By its aid thou shall see with thee own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thee own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbor. Ponder this in thy heart; how it behooveth thee to be. Verily justice is My gift to thee and the sign of My loving-kindness. Set it then before thee eyes". Baha'u'llah

29. COMPASSION AND FORGIVENESS Judaism "Bless the Lord oh my soul, and all that is within me – bless His Holy Name; Bless the Lord oh my soul, and forget not all his rewards; Who forgave all thy iniquities, who healed all thy diseases Who redeemed thy life from destruction; Who crown thee with mercy and compassion".Psalms, chapter 103, v 1-3 Christianity "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your father forgive your trespasses".Matthew, chapter 6, v 14-1 Buddhism "May all beings be happy, and may all beings be free from suffering". From a Buddhist prayer

30. COMPASSION AND FORGIVENESS (continued) The Druze religion "Guard and look after your brethrens men, with compassion and with mercy". The Baháí religion "O We must look upon our enemies with a sin-covering eye and act with justice when confronted with any injustice whatsoever, forgive all, consider the whole of humanity as our own family, the whole earth as our own country, be sympathetic with all suffering, nurse the sick, offer a shelter to the exiled, help the poor and those in need, dress all wounds and share the happiness of each one". Abdu'l-Bahá, the prophet of the Baháí religion

31. Ten ciphers, twenty-two alphabetical letters, one triangle, a square and a circle. Such are the elements of the Kabala, from whose mysterious bosom sprang all the religions of the past and present. Helena Blavatsky Modern Panarion, Page 52

32. Following are some photos and some of the main ideas discussed and investigated by the speakers and the dialogue circles in the convention:

33. ne-vé shal-om / waah-at i-sal-aam: Hebrew and Arabic for oasis of peace. A village, near Jerusalem, jointly established by Jewish and Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel, thathas engaged in educational work for peace, equality and understanding between the two peoples.

34. Meditation at the main hall in Neve Shalom can we look deep inside, into our heart- away from the arguments and fights between nations and religions – to connect with that quiet place within us, in which we can feel close to others and to the Divine?

35. A panel on “The Spiritual Quest in Judaism, Islam and Theosophy” Starting from the left: The Sufi representative –Zeev Ben Arie, Abraham Oron and Daphna koren from the Theosophical society in Israel, Rabbi Meir Azari– The rabbi of Beit Daniel's community in Tel-Aviv .

36. At the core of all religions there is a search for spirituality, for the unseen essence, which is reflected everywhere in Nature through the order, the beauty, the strength and the wisdom of creation.

37. A panel on “ The thirst for God in Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity” Starting from the left: Rabbi Roberto Arviv–Manager of Jewish Cultural Center at Neve Tsedek, the Sufi Sheik Ihab Balcha– Islamic Religious Scholar , Mr. C.V.K. Maithreya-President of the Theosophical Federation of Madras , Mrs. Brigit Kashtan-– Senior Clinical Psychologist and Metaphysician , Mr. Abraham Oron and Mrs. Bracha Elron from the Theosophical society in Israel.

38. The thirst for God , for: The One, to whom the Muslims pray when they say: "LA ILLA EEL ALLAH" (There is no God but God); The one to whom the Jews pray when they say: "SHEMA ISRAEL, ADONAI ELOHAINU, ADONAI EHAD" (Listen Oh Israel, our Lord God is one ); The one to whom the Christians pray when they say: "Our Lord God, who is in Heaven"

39. A panel on “The Emissary, the Sender, and the Mission –in the Hassidic Tradition, in the Druze religion and Buddhism ” Starting from the left: Mr. Gil Alon –a Zen Buddhist and and Theater Director , Sheik Professor Fadel Mansur – representative of the Druze religion, Rabbi Dr. Nathan Ofir – representative of the Neo-Chassidic movement and Mr Jalal Hathami– Deputy Secretary-General of the Bahá’í International Community (not in the photo)

40. The deeper spiritual knowledge that the founders of the world religions received from the Universal Divine Wisdom, was meant for the spiritual-searcher. For a person who is able to realize to a certain extent the glamour of the materialistic world, and who is experiencing already some glimpses of the higher spiritual self, the spiritual essence inside him and all around him.

41. Spirituality is an inner state in which you feel closeness, warmth, and loving care towards all living beings.

42. When we discover the spiritual in us this enables us to feel brotherhood with others.

43. Spirituality is the process in which you develop an inner sensitivity, which enables you to feel the pure humanity of the other above all the outer differences. It is like an additional sense by which you feel the Soul of the other

45. Thank you Mrs. Brigit Kashtan– Senior Clinical Psychologist, Metaphysician, Mr. C. V.K. Maithreya– President of Theosophic Federation of Madras Sheich Prof. Fadel Mansur– Religious and Science Scholar, Representative of Druze Religion Mr. Gil Alon– Zen Buddhist Master, Singer, Actor and Theater Director Mr. Ihav Balha– Sufi Sheik and Islamic Religious Scholar Mr. Jalal Hathami– Deputy Secretary-General of the Bahá’í International Community Rabbi Meir Azary– The rabbi of Beit Daniel's community in Tel-Aviv Rabbi Dr. Nathan Offir– Director of "Meorot", Jewish Meditation . Mr. Noy Mordokovitz–Interfaith encounter association in Jerusalem. Mr. Ohad Kedem– Tai-Chi and Chi-Kong Teacher, "Creation school“ Mrs.Ora Balha- Member the Dancing Dervishes Rabbi Roberto Arbiv– Founder of "Abrahamic Way", Manager of Jewish Cultural Center at Neve Tsedek Dr Sunita Maithreya- The Theosophical Order of Service Prof. Uriel Zohar– Theater Director and Poet Mr. Zeev Ben-Arie-Member of the Baktashic Sufi Order in Israel Mr. Etzion Beker– A musician- Member of Meher Baba association. Mr. Nabil Abu Nicola- A musician and Christian priest of the‘New Life’ community, Nazareth. Mr. Offer Golani–A musician and Manager of "Musicians for Peace“. Miss. Samia Ashkar- Musician and member of the‘New Life’ community, Nazareth.

46. Thank you Members of the Theosophical society in israel Abraham Elron– Musicologist, Painter and Science fancier Abraham Oron–Chairman of the Theosophical society in Israel Bracha Elron -Mentor of Theosophy and Project Manager at the Israeli TS Daphna Koren–Mentor of Theosophy, Healing and Holistic Psychotherapy Teacher Hanna Shapiro– Plays and teaches Flute, Musician at "Heart – Kalb" band Mali Efrati- Mentor of Theosophy Nili Tamir- Office Manager Shmuel Ronen–Musician, Healer, Writer and Poet Uri Nethanel– Cello player, Musician at "Heart – Kalb" band