The Catholic Order of the Discalced Carmelites and the Teresian-Sanjuanist International Center (CITES), in collaboration with the Center for Buddhist Studies (CBS) of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and the Dharma-Gaia Foundation (FDG), have announced the “3rd TERESIAN MYSTIC WORLD MEETING AND INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE. Tibetan Buddhism and Carmelite Spirituality: GUIDELINES FOR VISUALIZING, CONTEMPLATING AND FINDING THE SACRED”, which will take place in the Castilian city of Avila, from July 25 to 28, 2024.
This will be the third collaboration between CITES and CBS. In 2016, CITES announced its intention to hold a series of interreligious meetings to establish a fruitful dialogue between Carmelite spirituality and the great traditions of Buddhism. The “First World Meeting of Teresian Mysticism and Interreligious Dialogue. Theravada Buddhism and Teresian Mysticism: Meditation and Contemplation, Paths to Peace”, took place in Avila with great success, between July 27 and 30, 2017. The second congress, “Chan/Zen Buddhism and Carmelite Spirituality: On Love and Compassion”, which would have taken place in the city of Avila from July 22 to 26, 2020, had to be canceled due to the pandemic, although the papers that had been prepared for the congress will be published.
At this third congress—now officially announced—a delegation of academics, monastics, and experts in Tibetan Buddhism from Hong Kong, India, Bhutan, Austria, Germany, Greece and the United States will travel to Avila for four days of dialogue and fraternal coexistence. Among the speakers are renowned exponents of their respective traditions.
The proposed theme for this meeting is to explore the role of revelation and visions in achieving wisdom. Both in the Carmelite tradition and in that of Tibetan Buddhism, visualization and contemplation are considered to be fundamental practices to promote spiritual growth and deepen the relationship with the sacred. Although these traditions have different cultural, philosophical and theological contexts, they share elements in terms of their commitment to spirituality. In both, the importance of prayer and contemplation is emphasized as a means to achieve the “ultimate”.
Both Carmelite and Buddhist mystics seek spiritual fulfillment through different paths. The first seeks knowledge of himself and of Jesus Christ, which involves loving attention and a disposition to the divine presence. For their part, Buddhists seek enlightenment through meditation and self-realization. Both forms of mysticism share the importance of discipline, contemplative practices and rituals, the overcoming of the ego through a process of purification and enlightenment, and the role of suffering as a means of spiritual growth.
The purpose of this invitation is to promote the mutual understanding of the religious convictions, practices and objectives of believers and scholars of these two traditions. During four days of exchange, participants will have numerous opportunities for spiritual enrichment by learning about the beliefs and practices of both traditions, as well as exploring common affinities and differences in a spirit of unity, integrity and mutual respect.
On the Carmelite side, the professors of the Teresian-Sanjuanist International Center are known for being academic exponents of Carmelite spirituality and, in addition, other reputable Christian academics and contemplatives will join them as speakers.
The tradition of Tibetan Buddhism will be represented by renowned academics and meditators with long experience. The meditation workshop will be led by a meditation teacher from India. A group of monks will recite sutras and songs in the mornings after Christian mass.
On the occasion of this article, we interviewed Dr. Georgios T. Halkias, a specialist in Tibetan forms and practices of Buddhism in Tibet, Central Asia and the Himalayas and director of the Center for Buddhist Studies (CBS) at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), who very kindly answered our questions:
DMG: What are your expectations for the Carmelite-Tibetan Buddhism conference to be held in Avila, Spain in July 2024?
GEORGIOS T. HALKIAS: The diverse traditions of Christianity and Buddhism have rich histories and philosophies. An academic encounter between the two conducted in a spirit of dialogue and openness could lead to greater mutual understanding and respect for the similarities and differences between these two profound religious traditions. Participants in such a meeting can gain new and transformative knowledge about their own religious beliefs, rituals and contemplative practices. They may also want to promote shared goals, such as social harmony, contemporary ethical values, and compassion in our world. It is a shared expectation that a significant academic contribution from the congress will appear in print to further promote the need for collaboration and interfaith dialogue and studies in comparative religion.
DMG: In your opinion, is there any common ground between Christianity and Buddhism that can be explored during the interfaith conference?
GH: Buddhism and Christianity are two sophisticated soteriological systems that equally emphasize the importance of compassion, forgiveness, the search for peace, and the value of living a moral and ethical life. Christians and Buddhists are committed to alleviating the suffering of the world and facilitating vision and circumstances for individual and collective spiritual development. There are also similarities in the spiritual methods used to lead a meaningful life enhanced by contemplation, worship and prayer. These are some shared lands that we could explore with representatives of the Carmelite and Vajrayana traditions.
As on previous occasions, this third congress will feature presentations of papers, talks, meditation workshops, rituals and songs, to name just a few of the many activities that will take place, all conducted in an atmosphere of conviviality and fraternity. Presentations by both parties on the topic will be followed by round tables led by moderators who are knowledgeable about the subject in both traditions.
The conference will be held in English and Spanish with simultaneous translators. The meeting will be broadcast in its entirety online and will also be recorded on DVD. The minutes will be published.
The registration form and the conference program are available at the following link: 3er-ENCUENTRO-MUNDIAL-MISTICA-TERESIANA-Y-DIALOGO-INTERRELIGIOSO-V_5-def.pdf (buddhistdoor.net)
The venue of the meeting will be the headquarters of CITES, an impressive star-shaped building with large spaces full of light and excellent facilities. The CITES is located inside the medieval walled enclosure of Ávila, the city where Santa Teresa de Jesús was born. Avila, known as the city of songs and saints, was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.
As on previous occasions, this third congress will feature presentations of papers, talks, meditation workshops, rituals and songs, to name just a few of the many activities that will take place, all conducted in an atmosphere of conviviality and fraternity. Presentations by both parties on the topic will be followed by round tables led by moderators who are knowledgeable about the subject in both traditions.
The conference will be held in English and Spanish with simultaneous translators. The meeting will be broadcast in its entirety online and will also be recorded on DVD. The minutes will be published.
The registration form and the conference program are available at the following link: 3er-ENCUENTRO-MUNDIAL-MISTICA-TERESIANA-Y-DIALOGO-INTERRELIGIOSO-V_5-def.pdf (buddhistdoor.net)
The venue of the meeting will be the headquarters of CITES, an impressive star-shaped building with large spaces full of light and excellent facilities. The CITES is located inside the medieval walled enclosure of Ávila, the city where Santa Teresa de Jesús was born. Avila, known as the city of songs and saints, was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.
IV Teresa de Jesús International Prize and Interreligious Dialogue.
On the third day of the Congress, the “IV Teresa of Jesus International Prize and Interreligious Dialogue” will be awarded. This award was created by CITES with private donations to expand the spiritual health of humanity and promote authentic interfaith dialogue. This third call focuses on comparative studies between Carmelite spirituality and other religious traditions, and the winner will receive a prize of 6000 euros. For the four finalists, the prize is 1000 euros each. The award-winning works will be considered for inclusion in a special commemorative volume.
For more information on the 4th Teresa of Jesus International Prize and interreligious dialogue, see this link: https://www.mistica.es/recursos/noticias-del-cites/iv-premio-internacional-teresa-de-jesus-y-el-dialogo-interreligioso
The organizers of the conference invite attendees to visit Ávila, a World Heritage city that is an hour's train ride from Madrid. Avila has a rich cultural and architectural heritage, which is reflected in its old town, where Jews, Muslims and Christians lived together for centuries. Conference participants will be able to appreciate the context of the convention after touring the 2.5 km of medieval walls and visiting places such as the convent and museum of Santa Teresa. In addition, Ávila is close to other interesting destinations in Spain, such as the historic city of Toledo, as well as other major European cities.
This event will be extensively covered by Buddhistdoor Global and Buddhistdoor in Spanish.
Links:
CITES: International Center of Teresian and Sanjuanist Studies
CBS (TODAY): The Centre of Buddhist Studies of the University of Hong Kong
Related news from Buddhistdoor in Spanish:
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Daniel Millet Gil has a law degree from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, a master's degree in Buddhist Studies from the Center for Buddhist Studies at the University of Hong Kong, and a doctorate in Buddhist Studies from the Center for Buddhist Studies at the University of Hong Kong. He received the Tung Lin Kok Yuen Award for Excellence in Buddhist Studies (2018-2019). He is a regular contributor and editor of the Buddhistdoor web platform in Spanish. He is founder and president of the Dharma-Gaia Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the teaching and dissemination of Buddhism in Spanish-speaking countries. And co-director of the Buddhist Studies Program of the Fundació Universitat Rovira i Virgili (FURV), an initiative of the FDG and the FURV. He has published numerous titles in academic and educational journals that can be found at: https://hku-hk.academia.edu/DanielMillet
