Presenters
Libby Cox
Director, Two Birds Yoga Training
About Libby ...Libby Cox is an E-RYT 500, a mother of twin boys, an educator and a dedicated student of the body. With degrees in art, dance and education, a 20-year yoga practice, and a penchant for storytelling, Libby’s teaching approach is passionate, compassionate, and witty. Teaching yoga since 2004, Libby has served on faculty in yoga teacher training programs in the US and abroad since 2010, drawing upon her studies from numerous styles of yoga and teaching approaches in order to meet the needs of yoga students and aspiring teachers alike. Most notable are Libby’s studies with Patty Townsend, Judith Lasater, and Douglas Brooks. http://twobirdsyogatraining.com
Matt Shinkai Kane
Senior Teacher, Blue Cliff Zen Center
About Shinkai ...Shinkai received his Junior Zen Teacher certification from Daizan Roshi of Zenways Sangha in London and his Senior Zen Teacher certification from Zen Master Shinzan Miyamae (1935-present) of Gyokuryuji Temple in Gifu, Japan in 2014. He started his training with Shinzan Roshi and Daizan Roshi in 2004. Shinkai spent two years practicing at Bukkokuji Temple in Fukui, Japan under the Soto Zen Master Tangen Harada (1924-2018). He received permission to teach Zen jinshin and Zen yoga from Daizan Roshi. Daizan inherited the Zen jinshin tradition through his Soto Zen lineage side. Shinkai learned Zen taiso during his time at Bukkokuji Temple and through the personal yoga and organ massage practice of Shinzan Roshi.
Caroline Lundquist
Instructor of Philosophy, UO
About Caroline ...Caroline Lundquist is a philosopher and an educator. After receiving her PhD in philosophy from the University of Oregon, she decided to stay here in the Eugene community- her childhood home. She teaches philosophy courses for the Clark Honors College and the Department of Philosophy at the University of Oregon. She also co-directs Carnegie Global Oregon, an ethics-based undergraduate community at the U of O. Before working for the U of O, Caroline was an ethics instructor at Lane Community College for five years, where she also served on numerous committees and headed several projects related to critical thinking and innovations in discussion-based teaching. Caroline lives with her husband, who teaches high school science, and her two highly philosophical children. When she isn’t teaching or writing, she loves to read, run, cook, sew, and work in her garden.
Michael Maretich
Director, Saraha Nyingma Buddhist Institute
About Michael ...Managing Director of Saraha Nyingma Buddhist Institute, the home and residence of Saraha Children’s School. 15 years experience founding, building and administering Buddhist educational organizations and programs, including the past five years at Saraha Children’s School.
Rev Jonathan Morgan
Senior Minister, FCC Eugene
About Reverend Morgan...The Rev. Jonathan Morgan joined First Congregational Church as Senior Minister in August 2013 after serving three congregations in Simsbury, CT; Belmont, MA; and Glastonbury, CT. Jonathan provides the vision and overall tone for the ministry by working closely with staff and church leadership. He is passionate about ministry and believes that the church is richly blessed whenever church members are empowered to bring their gifts into the life and mission of ministry. Jonathan is married to Lisa who is a nurse at McKenzie Surgery Center. . Lisa and Jonathan have three beautiful children who live in Eugene, Nathan, 35; and in Boston, James, 30 and Laura, 25. Jonathan enjoys photography, auto mechanics, most sports, hiking and camping, and driving his Soul Red Miata!
Kimberly Parzuchowski
Instructor, UO & Adjunct Professor, NWCU
About Kimberly...Kimberley’s PhD from the University of Oregon is in philosophy and explores the nature of moral motivation, specifically the development of empathy for prosocial action: How do we motivate ourselves to care for one other’s welfare and act on that care? Kimberley’s research and teaching have continued in that vein. She’s been teaching at the Clark Honor’s College at the U of O and in the department of philosophy, as well as at Northwest Christian University. Her focus is on ethics and the good life for individuals, community, and the environment. She is currently working on several projects related to the cultivation of a caring regard and caring practices for our natural world. She lives in the Whiteaker with her husband, two sons who attend Kelly Middle School and North Eugene High School, and two dogs who keep the family busy. Kimberley is committed to nurturing kindness personally and professionally as one of the most important virtues for a thriving community.
Rabbi Ruhi Rubenstein (pre-recorded due to Sabbath)
Rabbi, Temple Beth Isreal
About Rabbi Ruhi ...Rabbi Ruhi Sophia Motzkin Rubenstein became TBI’s rabbi in July, 2015, after graduating from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. While completing her studies, she served for two years as a Cooperberg-Rittmaster Rabbinical Intern at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, New York’s LGBTQ synagogue. She also interned with the Woodstock Jewish Congregation, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society of Pennsylvania, and GreenFaith, a New Jersey-based environmental organization. She also spent a year in Jerusalem through the New Israel Fund – Shatil Fellowship and received chaplaincy training through the Clinical Pastoral Education program at the Jewish Theological Seminary, in placement as a Hospice chaplain.
Schedule
Location: Lamb Cottage, 130 Cheshire Ave, Eugene, OR 97401
—— Weekly Timeline ——
6:00 Doors open
6:20 Introduction
6:30 First speaker
6:50 Q&A
7:00 Second speaker
7:20 Q&A
7:30 Clean up
8:00 Doors close
———- Friday, March 6 ———-
Caroline Lundquist (6:30-7:00)
Kimberly Parzuchowski (7:00-7:30)
———- Friday, March 13 ———-
Matt Shinkai Kane (6:30-7:00)
Rabbi Ruhi Rubenstein (pre-recorded) (7:00-7:30)
———- Friday, March 20 ———-
Libby Cox (6:30-7:00)
Rev Jonathan Morgan (7:00-7:30)
———- Friday, March 27 ———-
Michael Maretich and/or Tulku Sangye (6:30-7:00)
Informal discussion (7:00-7:30)
Why Be Kind?
Most religious traditions and many secular traditions encourage us to be kind to one another. Despite this encouragement, we are sometimes unkind to one another: perhaps we lack the rationale, conviction, or the faith to be kind. Therefore, this lecture series explores the ethical common ground between numerous traditions, and the numerous reasons for kindness.
As a concrete example of the injunction to be kind, consider the Golden Rule, which is promoted by numerous spiritual and secular traditions: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Rule
- Judaism: “Love your neighbor as yourself“. The Torah, Leviticus 19:18
- Christianity: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you“. The New Testament, Matthew 7:12
- Scientology: “Try to treat others as you would want them to treat you“. The Way to Happiness, Precept 20
- Taoism: “The sage has no interest of his own, but takes the interests of the people as his own“. Tao Te Ching, Chapter 49
- Kantians: “Act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law“, Kant, Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals
- Hinduism: “By self-control and by making dharma (right conduct) your main focus, treat others as you treat yourself.“, Mahābhārata Shānti-Parva 167:9
- Buddhism: “Whatever is disagreeable to yourself, do not do unto others”, The Buddha, Udana-Varga 5.18
- Socrates: “Do not do to others that which would anger you if others did it to you.”
- Latter-Day Saints: “And let every man esteem his brother as himself, and practice virtue and holiness before me.”, Doctrine and Covenants 38:24
- Native American: “All things are our relatives; what we do to everything, we do to ourselves. All is really One.”, Black Elk
- For more, see https://www.goldenruleproject.org/formulations
143 leaders from all of the world’s major faiths participated in the creation of a “Declaration Toward a Global Ethic” at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in 1993:
We must treat others as we wish others to treat us.
The primary question of this lecture series is to ask the further question, why? Why must we treat others as we wish to be treated? What are the golden reasons for the golden rule?
- If the reason is “reciprocal altruism”, what if there is no opportunity for reciprocity?
- If the reason is “divine command”, how do we recognize it as divine?
- If the reason is “karmic reward or punishment”, why must we believe in karma?
- If the reason is “we are all one”, why (or in what sense) are we all one?
The point of this lecture series to hear some of the diverse reasons as formulated by experts in the local community, and to explore any common ground.