Quakers

[GrandTrinity]

I was just reading Allan Combs book on the Grand Integral Vision. One line reads "taoists rival quakers as the most easy going people."

 

In my own life I have met and been working with a Quaker who is really living in this vain.

 

Anyone else know about or associate with Quakers? Whats their deal? I know they are real cool.

 

I almost ended up going to college at a Quaker school in N Carolina called Guilford. The other day I looked at their religious studies deparment's courses and the most common word was "nature."

 

Another sweet Quaker I hae been digging is this guy Ashok Gangadeen who started the world wisdom council...

[MatthewQi]

Hi GT!

 

My mom and dad became quakers later in life. I went to at least one meeting. If I recall correctly, anyone can stand up and speak as they feel moved and they are obviously about peace in the world as a lot of the war protesters that I have seen have been quakers. I guess I don't really know much about it other than recalling my mom telling me that if there was a draft I could consider conscientious objector status by becoming affiliated with a group like the quakers (and this was many years before she became one). I didn't get the sense that there was any mystical aspect that regular members where experiencing. But, hey, ya never know. I will have to ask my dad about it.

 

Please do let us know if you find anything out about this tradtion.

 

Later,

 

Matt

[Wayfarer64]

I am glad this came up here. I attended several meetings in the late 60's & early 70's as part of the peace movement, (the one that was meant to change the world for the better).

 

We stood up and said there was an alternative to just going along with the war in Viet Nam. We instilled a sense that being patriotic and loving one's country need not enclude blind following of any given administration's choices.

 

The great irony of those days was that Pres. Dick Nixon was raised a Quaker in California.

 

I was too much of a hot-blooded teen ager to accept the Pure Notion of Peace as a viable counter-weight to the brutality of the pro-war faction. Many of us held the Quakers in great esteme but felt it was up to us to protect them from the reality of politics in America, then as now.

 

The Quakers had no room for any retaliation or self-defence. Any violence was just plain wrong.

 

I thought that they were correct in their thinkng but naive to believe that they could live in as violent a nation as the USA and remain unscathed. Some managed to do so, others had their heads stoved-in and ribs cracked and answered with a whimpered "PEACE". All the blessings of the real Buddha and Christ were with them and they suffered for it grieviously.

 

The stoic unadorned simplicity of Quaker thinking is a real jolt to many. Be good be gentle love thy neighbor as thyself. Don't be a show-off just be a good sort of person and ask for nothing in return... The basics. But they really keep to them, sweet and simple unadorned spread the love. It is a faith of deepest commitment and honor. I always wished I could be so damned good as to be a Quaker.

[Peregrino]

Hey GT,

 

I really love the Quakers, though I don't share their absolute pacifism. For a few years I attended Meeting and called myself a "quasi-Quaker kickboxer." I'm glad you brought this topic up, because it reminded me that I wanted to recommend a book on Quakerism for your ailing grandmother (if I remember correctly). I recall you said something to the effect that it's too late for her to switch religious tracks, though the wisdom of Taoism made sense to her in coming to peace with the processes of life. Anyway, I think Quakers can show people of all denominations to the way of tranquility, but for someone who is especially rooted in the Biblical tradition, the Quaker reading of Scripture could help them discover new inner facets of Christianity. Anyway, the book is simply an anthology called _Quaker Spirituality_ and is edited by Douglas Steere. And I'm sure there are tons of other Quaker books that she could relate to (at least based on what I recall from your previous post!).

 

Best,

Peregrino

[Yoda]

I went to a Quaker aka Friends college and I got married in a Quaker service and used to attend Friends meetings on and off. Some meetings are very talkative ("Popcorn Meetings") and others are more meditative where not many people talk.

 

Don't think that Quakers aren't tough. Traditionally, after a meeting Quakers would play kill the carrier type games to blow off a bit of that meditative steam. So there's a hard elbow rugby spirit to many of them.

 

But they are pretty much like everyone else with a bit more interest in contemplative practices, charity, and idealism. Very simpatico with the zen tradition.

 

I'll sometimes refer to myself as a Quaker or Quaker-like in my spirituality. And that is pretty much available to anyone.

 

It's a good thing for 18-21 year old boys to know about in case they don't wish to participate in any sort of military draft. Having said that, I think the days of military drafts in the USA may be over thanks increasingly free markets.

 

Many Quakers would have no compunction about killing animals or humans with their bare hands for basic survival purposes, but they just don't think that war is a viable option.

[GrandTrinity]

I cant help but think of oates when I hear of them...but im getting over that now.

 

Interesting about the zen... I hear there is a whopping 50 people at their meetings in Hartford here.

 

Outbeats the Tibetan (kagyu) Buddhists who have like 10-15

 

But they do not sit up????

[Peregrino]

The Quaker marriage ceremony always sounded like the ideal to me--sublime and simple. Definitely not for Bridezillas who expect a huge, luxurious blow-out of a wedding that will keep the couple in debt well after the divorce, hehe.

 

Cynicism aside, I am on the marriage track, but it's very difficult to find Quakers in Spain! I have to say that Quaker groups have been, for the most part, oases of sanity during the darkest times in Anglo-Saxon culture. I always make a point of mentioning them to my students when they're alienated reading about the Puritans. Quakers have that Puritan work ethic, without all that undue austerity, gloom, and persecutory intolerance.

 

I do remember reading an interesting essay on "Quaker Tai Chi"--I'll see if I can track down the reference. I believe it was in an anthology with a title like _The Martial Arts Reader_. So yes, Quakers can indeed kick ass--but gently, and in good humor . . . And then they'll feed you some delicious oats to help you recover!

[Yoda]

Often a Quaker college's mascot is a "fighting Quaker" and he looks like the oatmeal man with boxing gloves on.

 

I went to a Quaker wedding ceremony first and really loved it. You can sell it to a non-Quaker too as just the format itself is very fun. The format happens to be legal in PA where we got married so no need for a judge on the sly. It's like a Quaker meeting but with the couple sitting in front facing everyone and everyone who feels like it can stand up and say something. And we had it in my in-law's backyard.

 

She has to be brave. Anyone can say anything and they will. The spirit of the occasion stirs the crowd and brings up great memories and associations but there's always the ex-alcoholic religious freak who will offer up some crazy shit. Worth it, imo, but I know Quakers who reject the open format for that reason.

[GrandTrinity]

Very funny, these people are sweeet. Still, they recline in meditation instead of sitting up?

[Yoda]

As an AYP fan, I'm enjoying using a backrest during energy practice and meditation more than my years meditating with perfect posture. That's counter to most approaches, but it's thought that the increased rest and relaxation afforded by leaning back on something is worth the loss of perfect posture. I'm guessing that the net advantage for energy practice goes to perfect posture and the net advantage for meditation goes to leaning back on something, at least for modern Americans. Just a guess.

 

As far as I can tell for Quakers, during the meeting they are meditative, but there's zero technique to it other than "be still" or "be still and listen to God". Maybe there's a technique described in Fox's writings, I don't know. It seems like everyone uses the backrest of the pew.

[Yen Hui]

Hi there ~ Check out this website @ http://www.passtheword.org/ ~ Most of the material there would appeal to

a Quaker. The later writings of William Law (after he came under the powerful influence of Jacob Boehme,) were

very popular among 18th century Quakers. See especially his book entitled The Spirit of Love. Just click on each of

the names, and a list of their writings available online will pop-up.

[Spectrum]

Anyone care to reflect on the origin of the term Quaker? Seems relevant to a tao-bums discussion no?

 

Spectrum

[Yoda]

Quakers call themselves Friends and I think that the term Quaker came from their shaking that used to happen in their services. Others applied it towards them. I don't think that they shake anymore, but it's probably true that some sects used to. Nobody knows for sure.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/ch...quakers_1.shtml

[GrandTrinity]

Hmm real interesting... lets keep discussing the posture thing? perhaps best in a new thread. I find that laying/meditating in shivasana for some time before sleep, without a pillow, allows for my posture to realign. I also use my hand-chi to fix areas of the spine that are tense. I do not do much posture sitting right now, just standing.

 

As for the "quaking" I was about to ask about this, seems there is little if any information however?

[Yoda]

there's not much info. Try googling shakers or shaking quakers.