Lawrence Ellis, Spiritual Teacher and Spiritual Activist
Lawrence’s schedule of teachings, media interviews, public appearances, etc.
2009 was a phenomenal year of collaborations that resulted in significant impacts. In light of several exciting project commitments carrying forward into 2010, Lawrence will be pulling back from public appearances and teachings. For an overview of these activties, please visit his Main Activities page. For highlights of Lawrence’s 2009 and early 2010 activities, see the text-box at bottom of this page.
Calendar of Lawrence’s upcoming public teachings and activities for 2010:
• September 25: Co-leading a colloquium on multiculturalism for the Rhodes Scholar community at their annual gathering
"'Fighting the World's Fight' in a Multicultural Century": An American Association of Rhodes Scholars (AARS) Colloquium in Washington, DC, is part of the annual Rhodes "Bon Voyage Weekend" of sending Scholars Elect to Oxford, the Quadrennial AARS meeting, and the semi-annual AARS Board Meeting - all held Sept 25-29, 2010.
“What does it mean to 'fight the world’s fight' in a multicultural century?” This colloquium aims to generate stimulating conversation, with an eye to: a) exploring the extent to which we live in a multicultural world – and its implications; b) highlighting current Rhodes Scholar engagement in taking up challenges specific to multiculturalism; c) identifying new or under-addressed issues; d) charting innovative responses consistent with the Rhodes Scholarship’s criteria, e) generating ongoing conversations and networks.
This program will use a multiculturalized Socratic dialogue format, with brief pieces (e.g., short stories, essays, poems, film clips, spoken word pieces) to catalyze discussion. After the formal program, we will have an optional two-hour segment of "Open Space", self-organizing groups meeting to continue with spirited conversations and networking.
We recognize that such a dialogue will be preliminary and provocative—the beginning of an ongoing dialogue rather than a comprehensive exploration leading to a concrete conclusion. We anticipate that several written pieces suitable for publication in a special issue of The American Oxonian, the quarterly publication of AARS, will emerge from the event.
• October 2-3 “The Power of Unfolding and Being with One’s Own Nature (tentative title)”
Lawrence and Carol Cano (Basque and Comanche) will co-teach this two-day retreat exploring the radical interdependence of individual, social and ecological healing – drawing on a range of Buddhist, Indigenous and contemporary Western approaches. Through interactive exercises, silent meditation, discussion, ritual and ceremony, we will develop understandings and capacities that are dearly and urgently needed at this time.
San Francisco Bay Area location, registration information and other details will be announced soon. If you wish to receive news about this retreat, please bookmark and revisit this page, and/or sign up here for e-Updates.
• October 9-10: “Keeping Cool in the Fire: Becoming More Skillful with Inner or Outer Conflict”
Lawrence and Donald Rothberg will offer an expanded version of their two-day workshop at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto, CA. This event is not open to the general public.
This workshop offers perspectives, tools and practices for transforming conflict – drawn from traditional Buddhist teachings, and from leading-edge work of mediators and peacemakers. We’ll look deeply at the nature of conflict; see conflicts as opportunities for reconciliation, learning, and deepening relationships; become more skillful when there are difficult emotions and polarizing thoughts; and cultivate mindfulness and skillful speech in the midst of conflict. We will explore all of this through meditation, short talks, discussion, interactive exercises, and practice with conflict scenarios drawn from our own life experiences and from simulations.
• Ongoing:
Deep Refuge Groups ("Kalyana Mitta" or “Spiritual Friends” Groups) at the East Bay Meditation Center.
Lawrence will be co-leading the initial steps in developing an active, self-organizing network of groups of “spiritual friends” who will come together in various combinations and permutations on various topics, supporting each other in deep ways on the spiritual journey.
If you wish to receive news about the Deep Refuge Groups, please bookmark and revisit this page, and/or sign up here for e-Updates.
Highlights of Lawrence’s activities in 2009 and 2010:We are working with a new archiving software which will enable you to search Lawrence’s appearances and offerings for 2008, 2009, and early 2010. While we are completing this process, here are a few of the recent highlights:
✔ Served as Executive Director for the Summer of Peace project, highlighted by the June 10, 2009 “Cities of Peace” event. |