Soul's Code

Political activists on both the left and right project dark times ahead. We present a contrarian upside, spiritually-speaking:

 1.  You can start the year by seeing the Dalai Lama, live (Dateline: Bodh Gaya, India)

2.  The world will have more saints in 2012 (Dateline: Vatican City)

3. The Mayans, the New Agers and the movie were wrong: Why the world did not end on Dec. 21, 2012

4.  The world economy ain’t so bad, after all (Global Insight, the world’s largest economic forecaster)

Korean Christians dig religion apps; video game creator denies mocking Scientology; Dalai Lama hosts online spiritual retreat

Jesus endorses Doritos? Sacrilegious ads that didn’t make the Super Bowl’s cut

Crossover to culthood: One man’s religion is another’s extremist sect

Danny Kenny reviews the reviewers:  Sarlo’s Guru Ratings, Spiritual Teachers and Peter’s Pages — or as he calls them, ‘the unholy trinity’

BY DANNY KENNY — It’s such a simple step to go cynical. But Holy-ocity! — “handicapping” spiritual teachers, guides and gurus like race horses? That’s called bad form.

In these times, many of us dream or wish for “the simple life.” Some of us even go so far as to search for it. But be careful what you wish for — or more like, be careful what you Google.

Especially if you’re searching for “spiritual teachers,” or say, some of the names listed on Soul’s Code in the right column under the Department called Teachers We Track. One of these sites are likely to show up in the first page of your search results: Sarlo’s Guru Ratings, Peter’s Pages and Spiritualteachersorg. They “rate” — and in some cases, berate — spiritual experiences and figures.

The Dalai Lama confirmed a boy from Spain as his reincarnation and successor as the guiding spirit of Tibetan Buddhism. Then Osel Hita Torres turned his back on both His Holiness and his way of faith

BY DAVID RICKEY — In the story of  Osel Hita Torres, a young spiritual prodigy was chosen by the Dalai Lama as a reincarnation. Torres then turned his back on the Buddhist order.

Which in no particular order raises two interesting questions:

Did they get the right boy?

And is there such a thing as karmic regression?

The process of finding and choosing a reincarnated lama is complicated — and I say that as a professional priest schooled in an Episcopal seminary and so-called “high church.”

Purim: how a Jewish queen of Persia prevented genocide

The Jewish holiday of Purim is celebrated this week, commemorating Queen Esther’s saving her people from certain destruction.  During the festival Jews read from Megilat Esther (the book of Esther from the Bible), which is named after the fifth century BC Jewish heroine who helped protect her people and father Mordecai from the evil schemes of the story’s chief villain, Haman.  During the festival men and women comically cross-dress as characters from Esther, and are commanded by Jewish law to drink until they cannot recognize Haman from Mordecai, i.e., evil from good (which would imply that much drinking is required).

Mawlid, birthday of Muhammad

This Friday Sunni Muslims across the world will celebrate Mawlid, the birthday of the prophet Muhammad.  Though the celebration is centuries old, historically Muslims were divided over the issue of permiting the holiday and how it should be celebrated (maybe it appeared too similar to that religious birthday among Christian neighbors: Christmas).  Festive processions and parties can be found in several nations, particularly in India, and though Mawlid is celebrated in nearly all Muslim nations, Saudia Arabia (the birth place of Islam) has not made Mawlid an official holiday.

David Rickey reports on the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Melbourne, Australia, and his dialogues with the Dalai Lama, Pujya Swamiji, Amma, and other leading lights of enlightenment

BY DAVID RICKEY — I’m happy to report back on an amazing week I spent at the Parliament of the World’s Religions where I saw and heard, up close, the Dalai Lama, Swami Chidanand Saraswati (Pujya Swamiji), Amma Sri Karunamayi (Amma) and many others. Those others included some wonderful young people who are not potential leaders of the future, but leaders now!

There were two significant messages which I brought home with me, and which I offer to you: First, you as an individual, have the power to change the world. And second, it is important that  we all begin doing so immediately.

Test your knowledge of billionaire Oprah and her BFF Eckhart Tolle

Last year, Oprah featured Tolle’s books, The Power of Now, and A New Earth on the Oprah Book Club, and then devoted 10 weeks of webcasts to interviewing Tolle himself.  Fundamentalist Christians got their knickers in a knot at the thought of Tolle’s “New Age” teachings becoming accessible to anyone who has a computer or a TV. Test your knowledge of these spiritual bed-fellows:

Check your answers at the bottom of the page.

1. Who publicly denied rumors in 2006 that they were in a same-sex relationship?

A. Eckhart Tolle
B. Jim Carrey
C. Oprah
D. Suze Orman

Test your knowledge of movies ranging from the transcendental genius of The Last Temptation of Christ to those that just try too hard . . . yes we mean you, The Love Guru

1.  Which composer scored the music for The Mission, the Oscar-winner about conquistador sin and Jesuit redemption that starred Robert De Niro and Jeremy Irons?

A.  John Williams
B.  Vangelis
C.  Ennio Morricone
D.  Philip Glass