Multifaith Opening and Blessing panel: Spiritual Awakenings: Bringing us Together as a Global Spiritual Community
Jyoti Ma PhD
A New Dawn is Waking!!! I began my spiritual walk after many years of a spiritual awakening. That prepared me to work globally with others in their awakening processes. And now the whole world is waking. A collective awakening like none other experienced. The Mother Earth is shaking us all awake. The Kogi of the Four Original Peoples of Colombia tell us that the ending is falling into the beginning in 2026. And that the beginning will move forward through those individuals, organizations and movements that are based on Original Principles. Original Principles of reciprocity, collaboration, heart, unity and all life is sacred. The Aboriginal in Australia tell us the New Dawn has arrived. Since the original times the Mother Earth has passed protocols and a way of life to Her Original Peoples. She gave them prophecies that have prepared us for these times, and prophecies that are now instructing us how to walk through these times. And we are all part of this new story!!
Father Charles Ogada
All are One – Be Alike to Everyone. In this talk Father Charles Ogada shall bring to our awareness the one unchanging reality inherent in all – that which is common in all. Unfortunately, this reality cannot be described in words. So the talk will seek to lead us to the platform of experiential awareness of our inherent oneness.
Father Charles Ogada was born in Uturu in Abia State, Nigeria. When he was seventeen, he had a profound spiritual transformation which changed the course of his life. Consequently, he joined the Spiritan order of the Catholic Church so as to deepen that transformation and attained a B.A., M.A. and B.Phil degrees in core aspects of religion and philosophy. Open to the Truth of all religions, Father Ogada travelled extensively in the study of Christian Mystics, Eastern Spirituality, Sufism, the Jewish Cabbala and the teachings of Ramana Marharshi. Thus, he rediscovered the gem of Christian mysticism. Father Charles Ogada founded the Spiritan Self Awareness Initiative (SSAI) in 2010, a registered non-profit humanitarian organisation of which he is the current Executive Director. He runs two free values-based schools, a children’s home for disadvantaged children, two free hospitals, a co-operative farm and many other initiatives. Father Charles spends every waking hour of his life in service to the poor and needy in Nigeria as well as in service to spiritual seekers of all faiths from around the world through the Global Joy Village community. He is a committed campaigner for a loving, inclusive, multi-faith approach to spirituality.
Lawrence Edwards PhD
Awakening In The Darkness Of Kali Yuga. The Eastern spiritual traditions of Buddhism, Hinduism and yoga view this time in history as the fourth age in a cycle of four ages which began many thousands of years ago. This age is called kali yuga, which means the dark age, marked by ignorance, dishonesty and the degraded state of virtues in the world. In the Buddhist tradition it is said that Buddha waited until this most difficult age to incarnate and provide the means needed to awaken from the suffering and the causes of suffering into a state of nondual Consciousness marked by radical freedom. The Hindu and yogic traditions from which Buddhism arose hold similar insights, wisdom and means for awakening to one’s innate, boundlessly loving and free nature. This isn’t the freedom the ordinary mind seeks, however. It is the freedom to know and live into the world the extraordinary qualities of that Unity state of Consciousness known as nirvana, Sahaja Samadhi, moksha or liberation. In this presentation Dr. Lawrence Edwards will be discussing the challenges and opportunities this age presents. He’ll also share empowered practices that have been used for thousands of years to awaken to the Light of the Divine Within, bringing the grace of the One into every moment.
Lawrence Edwards, PhD is the founder and director of the Anam Cara Meditation Foundation. He trained as a monk in India in the 1970’s and 80’s in an ancient Kundalini yoga lineage. He also trained for decades in the Buddhist tradition and received teachings and empowerments from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, His Eminence Tsewang Seetar Rinpoche, Gelek Rinpoche and Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. He trained in Jungian psychology and is a licensed psychotherapist. He provides spiritual mentoring and meditation training to people around the world. He has been on the faculty of New York Medical College since 1998. He is the author numerous works including: The Soul’s Journey: Guidance From The Divine Within, Awakening Kundalini: The Path To Radical Freedom, and the audio CD titled Om Namah Shivaya – Meditation and Chants. You can learn more about his works at www.thesoulsjourney.com.
Rabbi Simcha Raphael PhD
Hearing the Sacred Calling to Oneness: Eternal Wisdom of Ancient Judaism – In the sacred text of Genesis we read how our ancestor Abraham heard the voice of Spirit saying “Look towards heaven and count the stars… so shall your offspring be, so shall human life on this planet proliferate.” Today, we are all being called into our unique destiny to hear the calling of Spirit. In this presentation Rabbi Simcha Raphael and Rabbi Geela Rayzel Raphael shall share ancient wisdom of Judaism, the call to Oneness of Spirit, Earth and Humanity. We shall be given opportunity to discover how we are each invited to be agents of individual transformation, cultural integration, global peace, and human unity.
Rabbi Simcha Raphael, Ph.D. is Founding Director of the DA’AT Institute for Death Awareness, Advocacy and Training. He received his doctorate in Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies and was ordained as a Rabbinic Pastor by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi He has taught at LaSalle University and Temple University and is currently Faculty at the New York Open Center Art of Dying Institute. He has been involved in death awareness education for over thirty years, and works as a psychotherapist and spiritual director in Philadelphia. A member of the Rabbis Without Borders Network, he is author of numerous publications including the groundbreaking Jewish Views of the Afterlife, and co-editor of Jewish End-of-Life Care in Virtual Age: Our Traditions Reimagined. His website is www.daatinstitute.net.
Rabbi Geela Rayzel Raphael
Rabbi Geela Rayzel Raphael is an “unorthodox” visionary rabbi. She has served four congregations, and her path is one of the artist and ritual leader. An award winning singer/songwriter/liturgist Reb Rayzel has six recordings featuring her music including Friday Night Revived, Bible Babe’s a Beltin’ and most recently May the Angels Carry You. Additionally, she is author of two children’s books, Angels for Dreamtime and New Moon. She resides in the Philadelphia area where she performs weddings; paints sacred prayer shawls; offers Shechinah Oracle readings; teaches Jewish spirituality and offers musical Shabbat services and concerts. Currently she serves as spiritual leader of Darkaynu, an independent congregation in Warrington, PA. For more information see www.Shechinah.com.