Exploring Nature, Culture and Inner Life

Scott Eberle, MD, and Rob Feraru The Final Crossing: Learning to Die in Order to Live Join Commonweal’s Susan Braun and Commonweal Cancer Help Program alumnus Rob Feraru in a conversation with Scott Eberle, MD—a physician specializing in end-of-life care, who helped School of Lost Borders Founder Steven Foster at the end of his life in 2003 and is the author of The Final Crossing. As he has written in the book: “So now I am a physician who specializes in supporting life transitions. I am a hospice doctor who sits with the dying in their homes, and I am a rite-of-passage guide who sits with ‘the dying’ out in the desert.” Scott Eberle, MD Scott serves as medical director for Hospice of Petaluma in his hometown of Petaluma, California. Having first learned the science of medicine at U.C. San Francisco medical school, he then learned the art of medicine from countless people living and dying with AIDS in the 1980s and 1990s. He survived this difficult time by regularly seeking sanctuary, either in monasteries or in the natural world, completing over 150 retreats during a 15-year period. He recently ended a 16-year career as an an AIDS specialist so he could focus his energies on hospice work and “The Practice of Living and Dying” work he does with Meredith Little, co-founder of the School of Lost Borders. Rob Feraru Rob is an 11-year survivor of metastatic kidney cancer. Before taking early retirement in 2004, he worked for 25 years for the State of California, (7 years for the State Senate and 18 for the California Public Utilities Commission). He attended the Commonweal Cancer Help Program (in 2005) and the Practice of Living and Dying at the School of Lost Borders (in 2008). He lives in Berkeley. Find out more about The New School at tns.commonweal.org.

Mike Witte, MD Fighting 'till the End? People with life-threatening illnesses often face the difficult decision of whether or not to continue active therapy. For some, the decision is, “Let’s fight till the end,” and they work with their doctors to receive treatment within days, or even hours, of their death. Others decide to put their effort toward the best possible quality of life, minimizing pain and suffering. But is this always a conscious decision? Without explicit instructions and/or an informed and caring dialog between patient and physician, patient and loved ones, and family and health professionals, the individual’s end-of-life wishes about medical care may go unknown or unheeded. Commonweal’s Susan Braun will explore this divide with Mike, creating a public space where questions of death and dying can be explored in safety and without judgment. Stories from the audience will be welcomed. Mike Witte, MD Mike has worked at the Coastal Health Alliance (CHA) since its beginnings in 1981, and is now medical director of the three sites in West Marin County. He has proudly watched CHA grow and develop into an exceptional center for family health care in West Marin. Find out more about The New School at tns.commonweal.org.

Nick Yiangou History, Readings, and the Beshara School Michael Lerner talks with Nick Yiangou about Ibn ‘Arabi and about his work with the Beshara School of Intensive Esoteric Education in Scotland. The Beshara School grew out of the timeless wisdom tradition that includes the universal teachings of great visionaries such as Ibn Arabi and Rumi. Nick Yiangou Nick is president of the United States branch of the Ibn Arabi Society, which promotes the teachings and translations of this great spiritual teacher. He has been engaged with the Beshara School of Intensive Esoteric Education in Scotland for over thirty years in the transformative work based on the principles and teachings of the way of oneness and unification, and previously served on the board of the Beshara Foundation in the United States for twenty years. He currently works in the software industry and holds a master’s degree in Transpersonal Psychology. Find out more about The New School at tns.commonweal.org.

Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr. The Hip Hop Caucus Join Michael Lerner in conversation with the Reverend Lennox Yearwood, Jr.—minister, community activist, and a national leader in Hip Hop social advocacy. He is president of the Hip Hop Caucus in Washington, D.C. The Hip Hop Caucus engages young people in urban communities in elections, policy making and service projects. Rev. Yearwood co-created the 2004 campaign “Vote or Die” with Sean “Diddy” Combs and was the Political and Grassroots Director for Russell Simmons’ Hip Hop Summit Action Network in 2003 and 2004. In 2008, he created the “Respect My Vote!” a voter registration and engagement campaign with T.I. and Keyshia Cole. His vision is to forge a more just and sustainable world by engaging more people, particularly young people and people of color in the civic and policy making process. Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr. Rev. Yearwood is a minister, community activist, and one of the most influential people in Hip Hop political life. He currently serves as president of the Hip Hop Caucus in Washington, D.C. The Hip Hop Caucus is a national, nonprofit, nonpartisan, organization that engages young people in urban communities in elections, policy making and service projects. Their vision is to create a more just and sustainable world by engaging more people, particularly young people and people of color in the civic and policy making process. Rev. Yearwood has appeared on CNN, BET Tonight, Al Jazeera, PBS, Fox, MTV, BBC, C-Span, and Hardball with Chris Mathews and featured in the Washington Post, The New York Times and VIBE. Find out more about The New School at tns.commonweal.org.

Rabbi Jonathan Omer-Man A Jewish Perspective on Ibn 'Arabi Join Michael Lerner in conversation with Rabbi Jonathan Omer-Man, now retired and living in Berkeley, about his continuing explorations into Jewish mysticism and studies of “sober” Sufism, classical Arabic, and Akbarian thought. Jonathan Omer-Man For 26 years Jonathan lived in Israel, where he worked as a farmer, until he contracted polio, and subsequently embarked on a career in publishing. He served as deputy chief editor of the Israel Program for Scientific Translations, revising editor at the Encyclopaedia Judaica, chief editor of Israel Universities Press, and editor of the Shefa Quarterly. In 1981 he moved to Los Angeles, where he founded Metivta: a center for contemplative Judaism, an academy dedicated to the renewal of the Jewish wisdom tradition and to the deepening of personal religious quest. He has lectured at universities, colleges, seminaries and monasteries throughout the United States. His publications include numerous essays, some short fiction and verse. In 1990 he visited the Dalai Lama in India, a journey that was described in Rodger Kamenetz’ The Jew in the Lotus. Find out more about The New School at tns.commonweal.org.

James Morris Two Conversations about Ibn 'Arabi Join Michael Lerner in conversation with Islamic and religious studies scholar James Morris in The New School at Commonweal’s ongoing series on the great Sufi poet Ibn ‘Arabi. James Morris, PhD James is currently professor of Theology at Boston College, and has previously taught Islamic and religious studies at the University of Exeter, Princeton, Oberlin, the Sorbonne (EPHE), and the Institute of Ismaili Studies in Paris and London. His field research and exploration of living spiritual traditions have taken him to Iran, Afghanistan, Morocco, Egypt, Turkey, and Southeast Asia. Professor Morris has published widely on many areas of religious thought and practice, including the Islamic humanities (poetry and music), Islamic philosophy, Sufism, the Qur’an, Shiite thought, and the use of cinema in spiritual teaching. His most recent books include The Master and the Disciple (2001); Orientations: Islamic Thought in a World Civilisation (2004); The Reflective Heart: Discovering Spiritual Intelligence in Ibn ‘Arabi’s ‘Meccan Illuminations’ (2005); Ostad Elahi’s Knowing the Spirit (SUNY, 2007); and Openings: From the Qur’an to the Islamic Humanities (forthcoming). Find out more about The New School at tns.commonweal.org.

James Morris Two Conversations about Ibn 'Arabi Join Michael Lerner in conversation with Islamic and religious studies scholar James Morris in The New School at Commonweal’s ongoing series on the great Sufi poet Ibn ‘Arabi. James Morris, PhD James is currently professor of Theology at Boston College, and has previously taught Islamic and religious studies at the University of Exeter, Princeton, Oberlin, the Sorbonne (EPHE), and the Institute of Ismaili Studies in Paris and London. His field research and exploration of living spiritual traditions have taken him to Iran, Afghanistan, Morocco, Egypt, Turkey, and Southeast Asia. Professor Morris has published widely on many areas of religious thought and practice, including the Islamic humanities (poetry and music), Islamic philosophy, Sufism, the Qur’an, Shiite thought, and the use of cinema in spiritual teaching. His most recent books include The Master and the Disciple (2001); Orientations: Islamic Thought in a World Civilisation (2004); The Reflective Heart: Discovering Spiritual Intelligence in Ibn ‘Arabi’s ‘Meccan Illuminations’ (2005); Ostad Elahi’s Knowing the Spirit (SUNY, 2007); and Openings: From the Qur’an to the Islamic Humanities (forthcoming). Find out more about The New School at tns.commonweal.org.

Michael Lerner, PhD Death and Dying: Lessons from the Commonweal Cancer Help Program ~Co-presented with the Coastal Health Alliance~ Over the past 26 years, Commonweal has offered more than 150 week-long retreats for people with cancer though the Commonweal Cancer Help Program. Many participants find the experience transformative. Conversations about death and dying are a core part of the retreats. The basic premise is that talking about death and dying in circles of trust can bring more vitality to living—and improve the likelihood of a better death for all concerned. Michael has found these conversations and stories to be central to his work and life as the co-leader of the Commonweal Cancer Help Program for the past 26 years. Join Michael, and special musical guests Tim Weed and Debbie Daly, as he shares his insights from the program—an interactive dialogue with him as well as some of the friends, staff and alumni of the program. Michael Lerner, PhD Michael is the president and co-founder of Commonweal and of Smith Farm Center for Healing and the Arts in Washington, D.C. His principle work at Commonweal is with the Cancer Help Program, the Collaborative on Health and the Environment, and The New School at Commonweal. He is author of Choices in Healing: Integrating the Best of Conventional and Complementary Therapies (MIT Press). His core interest is in the ways of being and doing that make us whole and preserve this beautiful earth that is our inheritance. Find out more about The New School at tns.commonweal.org.

Sim Van der Ryn Ecological Design Sim Van der Ryn is a visionary pioneer in ecological design. For more than 40 years, Sim has been at the forefront of integrating ecological principles into the built environment, creating multi-scale solutions driven by nature’s intelligence. He has served as California’s first energy-conscious State Architect, authored seven influential books, and won numerous honors and awards for his leadership and innovation in architecture and planning. A recent New York Times profile writes, “Long before sustainability became the buzzword du jour, there was Sim Van der Ryn, the intrepid pioneer on the eco-frontier.” Join Michael Lerner in this conversation about Sim’s collaborative approach to ecological design that help show the way to an evolving planetary era that values both the integrity of ecological systems and the quality of life. Sim Van der Ryn Sim is a visionary, author, educator, public leader, and internationally distinguished pioneer in ecological design. For more than 40 years, Sim has been at the forefront of integrating ecological principles into the built environment, creating multi-scale solutions driven by nature’s intelligence. He has served as California’s first energy-conscious State Architect, authored seven influential books, and won numerous honors and awards for his leadership and innovation in architecture and planning. Sim’s collaborative approach and meta-disciplinary accomplishments help show the way to an evolving planetary era that values both the integrity of ecological systems and the quality of life. Find out more on his website. Find out more about The New School at tns.commonweal.org.

Rachel Naomi Remen, MD Stories and Poems at the End of Life Join Rachel Naomi Remen, MD—one of the earliest pioneers in the mind/body holistic health movement and the first to recognize the role of the spirit in health and the recovery from illness—in a time for stories that open discussion about the “edge of life.” As a master story-teller and public speaker, she has spoken to thousands of people throughout the country, reminding them of the power of their humanity and the ability to use their lives to make a difference. Dr. Remen has a 57-year personal history of Crohn’s disease and her work is a unique blend of the viewpoint of physician and patient. Rachel Naomi Remen, MD Rachel is co-founder and medical director of the Commonweal Cancer Help Program featured in the Bill Moyers PBS series, Healing and the Mind, and has cared for people with cancer and their families for almost 30 years. She is also a nationally recognized medical reformer and educator who sees the practice of medicine as a spiritual path. In recognition of her work she has received several honorary degrees and has been invited to teach in medical schools and hospitals throughout the country. Her groundbreaking holistic curricula enable physicians at all levels of training to remember their calling and strengthen their commitment to serve life. She is the author of the New York Times bestseller Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories That Heal, Riverhead Books, 1996. Her newest book, My Grandfather’s Blessings: Stories of Strength, Refuge and Belonging, Riverhead Books, 2000, is a national bestseller. Her books have been translated into 21 languages. Find out more about The New School at tns.commonweal.org.