Conference "Knowledge and Devotion"
The Ascending and Descending Spiritual Paths
The path of knowledge and the path of devotion – how can these two polar spiritual paths come together in the consciousness of a human being?
For a real encounter, perhaps even a union of two seemingly opposing inner forces to occur, discernment is needed first. What does the “path of knowledge” mean? What misunderstandings exist about it in the mind of an (inner) person? On the other hand, what does it mean to walk a “path of devotion”? Through the physical form of a spiritual teacher, the emphasis on one path or the other naturally appears, but a separation of the two arises solely in the thinking mind.
This conference opens up the encounter with the path of knowledge and the path of devotion, embodied by the present teachers who will share their insights and practices. As different as the traditions may be from which the teachers work, it remains open where the path really leads.
The spiritual teacher and close disciple of Master Lee Lozowick, Mary Angelon Young, the psychiatrist and spiritual teacher Dr. Jacques Vigne and the wisdom teacher and philosopher OM C. Parkin accompany the participants on an inner journey of discernment and incipient union.
The Highest Path – with OM C. Parkin
OM C. Parkin gives an orientation in the totality of all possible paths of liberation that exist for human beings. He explains their limitations as well as their preciousness. While it is true that “all roads lead to Rome” in the end, there are detours, wrong paths and dead ends into which inner seekers may stumble. OM describes the highest path, the paradoxical path, that path of integral teaching, in which all seemingly divergent paths of knowledge and devotion have reached union.
The Female Path to God - with Mary Angelon Young
By treading female paths to transformation and invoking God with stories, songs and teachings from her guru, Mary Angelon Young will share her experiences and insights gained from practicing Tantra and Bhakti over many years on the path. She will show us how to explore deeply our heart through chanting, kirtan, writing and rituals, and introduce the practice of bhakti. This is an effective way to bring humility into everything we do. The more humility we experience, the more the sacred world around us reveals its true nature.
When we dive deeply into the female dimension of our being, we gain the self-knowledge necessary to digest, transform and integrate experiences. In this process of embodiment, a precious alchemy takes place that leads us to an inner wedding of soul and mind, mind and body, masculine and feminine. Working with the interaction of these apparent opposites – the experience of non-dual unity, which is possible here and now – spirals the path into infinite landscapes of creation. In our depths, the divine Shakti flows through our consciousness to guide us through the complex challenges of the world.
The Inner Wedding - with Dr. Jacques Vigne
The inner wedding is an ancient theme of the mysticism that can be found in many traditions. In meditative yoga, it corresponds to the union of the female and male energy channels, Ida and Pingala, usually in the heart or in the center of the forehead. The most significant corresponding gesture is the jointing of the two thumbs, either physically in the meditation posture or more subtly in visualisation. This union has the power to quickly calm the mind and is therefore extremely valuable.
Jacques has written a comprehensive book on this subject, detailing the various forms of this mystical connection in different traditions. Thanks to his background as a psychiatrist, he will also approach this topic from the perspective of modern psychology and neuroscience. His contribution to the conference, which will include the philosophical background as well as practical elements, will basically be very simple: the experience of uniting the left and right energy channels in the center, which leads to a specific and felt sense of non-duality.
You will be directed to the website of the OM Foundation Inner Science