• Medicine as a great human equalizer
• Toward human rights, once people step away from the border of the hospitals, they become categorized and labeled 'Palestinian' or 'Israeli'
• If you believe in Humanity, we must all stand for all
• Human Rights is deeply tested in Gaza, people must stand up for human rights
• Advocate not for peace but for dignity, justice, freedom, and human rights for all: peace will follow when these conditions are cultivated

• As a poet, every voice is important in the world, every voice represents humanity.
• Regarding Gaza, this is an overwhelming tragedy of sorrow
• The importance of actions based on one's convictions
• The power of the military industry complex to overide the voice of the majority and humanity's collective voice
• How can we be heard, how can we be listened to?
• Who is listening?

The idea, our obligation is to our humanity, looking within our selves we recognize our humanity

In Part 2 of this heartfelt talk, David and Joel discuss poetry as a transmission, what the heart of one poet offers to others, and their community, and the notion of transmission from 'mind to mind from mind' within the frame of poetry.

David recalls a story of Maj pulling up in David's driveway in Maj's Chevy Nova and Maj reciting Antonio Machado's 'Last Night, As I Was Sleeping.'

David and Joel discuss David's forthcoming memoir 'Prayer Wheel' and Maj's influence, open readings in Kent, and death and how it is healthy to openly discuss death as a preparation for its coming.

The unique quality of the Kent poetry community and Kent as a epicenter and confluence as a spiritual portal, and Kent's poetry commmunity as wisdom holder and torch-bearer drawing poets to the Kent community.

Dreams as a connection with our ancestors and those dreams as a conversation with messages from our ancestors for us, waking us up to what we need to see our lives more clearly.

Hearing the voices of the living and the dead, and how we tend to the dead as a reflection of the quality of our life.

David offers the Mayan teaching that the other world sings us into being.

David and Joel close out the conversation with discussion of the 40th Anniversary Celebration of the Wick Poetry Center, and winding down David reads 'Kissing Lightening.'

Biography

David Hassler is the Bob and Walt Wick Executive Director of the Wick Poetry Center at Kent State University and cofounded Traveling Stanzas, a community arts project which brings poetry to the most urgent and evolving needs of our communities through expressive writing interventions, interactive exhibits, and digital platforms. Most recently in May 2023, Hassler presented the Poets for Science project with poet Jane Hirshfield at the Nobel Prize Summit at the National Academy of Sciences. Hassler is the author or editor of ten books of poetry and nonfiction, including Dear Vaccine: Global Voices Speak to the Pandemic. His play, What We Learned While Alone, drawn from the Dear Vaccine anthology, debuted at the National Academy of Sciences in October 2022. Hassler is also the author of the play, May 4th Voices: Kent State, 1970, based on the Kent State Shootings Oral History Project, which was produced in 2020 as a national radio play. Hassler’s awards include Ohio Poet of the Year, the Ohioana Book Award, and the Carter G. Woodson Honor Book Award. His memoir 'Prayer Wheel' is forthcoming. His TEDx talk, “The Conversation of Poetry,” conveys the power of poetry to strengthen communities. In addition to his creative writing publications, he has co-authored articles on poetry, technology, and healing in the Journal of Palliative Medicine, the Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, and the Online Journal of Issues in Nursing.

Part 1 as the conversation begins, David and Joel share David's introduction and talk about poetry as a growing voice to address 'what troubles us' and the community of poetry providing a sense of belonging.

David gives a history of the Wick Poetry Center and his academic career.

The conversation examines 'how do we make sense of the world and manage our own life?' with and through poetry.

Discussion turns to the topic of death and the loss of David's mother as a source of need to write and make sense of the grief and loss for David, and how he was influenced by Maggie Anderson and Maj Ragain.

David shares his travels to Japan and Obon Festival in Japan and David's connection to the festival and its relationship to his mother's passing, his coming to terms with her death through poetry.

David reads his own poem 'Obon.'

Also discussed, how Maj Ragain lit the light of poetry in others.

David shares a dream about Maj, how he felt Maj visited David in the dream, and Maj shared to David, 'you cannot touch me.'

Threading the voices of poets, living and dead throughout the ages, poetry as a way of keeping poetry alive for our Kent poetry community.

David reads his own poem 'Sharing The Drum That I Am.'

Biography

David Hassler is the Bob and Walt Wick Executive Director of the Wick Poetry Center at Kent State University and cofounded Traveling Stanzas, a community arts project which brings poetry to the most urgent and evolving needs of our communities through expressive writing interventions, interactive exhibits, and digital platforms. Most recently in May 2023, Hassler presented the Poets for Science project with poet Jane Hirshfield at the Nobel Prize Summit at the National Academy of Sciences. Hassler is the author or editor of ten books of poetry and nonfiction, including Dear Vaccine: Global Voices Speak to the Pandemic. His play, What We Learned While Alone, drawn from the Dear Vaccine anthology, debuted at the National Academy of Sciences in October 2022. Hassler is also the author of the play, May 4th Voices: Kent State, 1970, based on the Kent State Shootings Oral History Project, which was produced in 2020 as a national radio play. Hassler’s awards include Ohio Poet of the Year, the Ohioana Book Award, and the Carter G. Woodson Honor Book Award. His memoir 'Prayer Wheel' is forthcoming. His TEDx talk, “The Conversation of Poetry,” conveys the power of poetry to strengthen communities. In addition to his creative writing publications, he has co-authored articles on poetry, technology, and healing in the Journal of Palliative Medicine, the Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, and the Online Journal of Issues in Nursing.

Part 2 the Panels opens to discuss:

• 'What makes us come alive?'
• 'What is your 'note' in life?' (Rumi's 'be your note.')

• Activity ​
• When meeting new people, old karmic connections?
• In our Dharma, our work
• Henry's discussions, Sohbet, mystical discussions on mystical subjects, with his teacher.
• How do we find what makes us home in the world?
• How do we cultivate spiritual discernment in Life?
• The World as ourself
• Is there preparation to receive 'flow' states?

• Where does the spiritual path begin?
• What are the implications of having a guide or spiritual teacher?
• Teachers seeing into their students
• Tears as an indicator of one's spiritual path
• Sufism as a path of 'heart'
• Karma of helping others as way of being helped

Part 1 of this discussion examines psychology, philosophy, religion, spiritually, science, and medicine, a panel of five (5) people opens with the question, 'where am I?' and 'what is going on [in the world]?' and refers to James Hillman, ideas and action as an artificial distinction, are they the same thing? How are they interlinked?

The poet Major Ragain is quoted, 'contemplation alters the course of rivers.'

From the Bhagavad Gita:

• Freedom from action is not accomplished by abstaining from action, so how is it accomplished?
• Relinquishing the fruit of action

Ghandi's, 'through service, I find myself.'

The Panel begins to examine the Taoist concept of non-action, Wu Wei.

How do we cultivate Wu Wei?

The Panel explores Univerisal Truths.

• Natural action arises, we have a deep intrinsic calling, how do we find and express it?
• What is our reason for being here?
• To receive the Divine Will is a part of choiceless action.

Biographies of Panel:

Dr. Bob Insull is an New York State Licensed Psychologist with more than 60 years experience teaching, training, and treating in the arena of human behavior. In his clinical practice, he has worked across the developmental stages (children to golden-agers), across the diagnostic spectrum (chemical dependency, severe mental illness, relationship issues, depression, anxiety, and PTSD), and treatment settings (clinics, inpatient psychiatric centers, and private practice). During the closing years of his practice, he became interested in the area of psychological trauma and worked with survivors in individual and group settings. He has been retired from active practice for about 15 years and spends his time engaged in self-discovery on the Sufi Path and social-change activities with his church.

Brian Mistler is a Missouri-hillbilly curious about Reality. He has lived as a computer scientist, psychologist, running and growing businesses, and helping entrepreneurs, hospitals, and healthcare providers. Mid-life Brian had a partially debilitating nerve injury and soon after met a true Vedanta teacher who spent 30+ years in India and trained under Swami Chimayananda, Sawmi Dayananda, and others. This refocused his study of the classic non-dual wisdom as presented in the Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads. Learn more at http://www.stillcenter.media. Hari Om Tat Sat. Peace, peace, peace.

Richard Grego is Professor of philosophy and cultural history at FSCJ. His research interests focus on cross cultural themes in religion and science - including philosophy of mind, comparative world religions/world civilizations, and the metaphysical - theological implications of theoretical physics and cosmology. His publications have included studies in the history - philosophy of science and conceptions of nature in the history of western philosophy, as well as cross-cultural perspectives on mind/ consciousness in western philosophy - psychology and the neo-Vedanta Hindu tradition. Prior to his academic career, he was a criminal investigator - polygraph examiner for the Florida Office of the Public Defender and in the private sector Instructor at the Criminal Justice Institute and International Academy of Polygraph Science in Florida, and national Academic Director of the Criminal Defense Investigation Training Council.

Joel David Lesses is President and Executive Director of Education Training Center, Inc. and his work experience is in education, psychology, and counseling for people marginalized by trauma, addiction, and psychological distress. He is deeply vested in addressing the effects of mental health distress and its marginalization including, incarceration, homelessness, and institutio...

Rabbi Jessica Minnen and Joel sit for a deep examination of work and the different forms work takes for us as human beings.

Rabbi Jessica and Joel start with discussing Torah and the teaching of G-d's Work (i.e., Six (6) Days of Creation) and G-d's Rest, and how that relates to Shabbas:

• The conversations about the Shabbas Hebrew shoresh (i.e., root of the word) 'shin, bet, and taf' (i.e., Shabbas)
• From the teaching of Shabbas, the thirty-nine (39) forms of Melachot (i.e., work) are discussed, and Melachot is outlined as work forbidden on Shabbas.
• The definition of the thirty-nine (39) Melachot comes from the work required to create the Mishkan (i.e., Tabernacle) and that specific work defines what work is not allowed on Shabbas.

Also discussed is the relationship between work and destiny, and the spirituality of work.

An excerpt from Pema Chodron 'nothing leaves us before it teaches us what we need to know' suggests the work required in human relationships and the teaching of Reb Soloveitchik are also discussed: two stories of creation in Torah point to two ways to relate to the world and two kinds of work: physical and spiritual.

Work and its relation to authencity and authenic expression versus Quid Pro Quo are contrasted, as well as women in work from a Judaism perspective, evolution of women and work and practical consideration.

The organization 'One Table' is mentioned, helping young people access Shabbas Dinner experiences.

Plato's teaching of the Soul with Two Faces and its relation to the Jewish teaching of Bashert and Kabbalah.

Lanie Gardner as an example of authencity in work.

Tzelem Elokim (i.e., humans are created in the image of G-d) posits that because God creates, we too are meant to create.

Are we called to create in work through destiny or do we work to pay bills and solve practical problems.

Work is revealed in it own time.

Marcus Aurelius 'the obstacle is the door.'

Chappell Roan and their NPR Tiny Desk.

How to make work meaningful for all.

Seattle Grunge scene in the early 1990s an an authentic expression of music and work.

The shoresh 'aleph, lamed, and chaf' (i.e., from Melachot) ties to 'dispatching for a purpose' and the root ties to the Hebrew work for 'Messenger' and/or 'Angel'- that work offers purpose, and can give one a sense of mission that ties into intention and service.

About Rabbi Jessica Minnen

Rabbi Jessica Minnen is a writer, ritualist, and liturgist committed to the discipline of delight.

Inspired by user-...

Leanne and Joel met at the Lamberton Conservatory move to sit on the grass near Poet's Park in Rochester's Highland Park. The time opens with Leanne asking Joel about his sweatshirt and the meaning of 'Am Yisrael Chai' as Joel explains the emblem on the sweatshirt, a Hamsa and the talk moves to intentions of people, ill intention and service orientated intention and how the Universe mirrors our intentions by giving what we give and offering what we offer. A blanket is set and the Soul, biking, hiking in relation to health is discussed. The topic of hiking arises and Joel shares how he met his 'good friend' Dave at a Zen group and the intuitive knowing that arose guiding the connection. Leanne talks and teaches about Green Burial, birth, and Isiah House a hospice house for people at end of life without options to afford hospice care otherwise. Leanne shares more about Green Burial and the talk moves to Bardos and Karma. Joel shares the story of a most influential mentor and 'good friend' John Bednarchik (Pictured) and John's passing from this world in 2012.

In today’s The Labyrinth podcast, retired psychiatrist Henry Cretella joins us to share both his philosophy and personal experience with surrender. We begin our conversation with Eckart Tolle’s view that surrender requires an expansion (and often suspension) of our rational mind. From there, we discuss the general nature of surrender and the role of intuition. We move into sharing stories about times when we felt a deep intuition/calling to stretch the boundaries of our limited rational frameworks and take a leap. The podcast ends with Hazrat Inayat Khan's essay on the future of humankind.

Biography

Henry Cretella, M.D., graduated from Vanderbilt Medical School and completed his psychiatric training at Strong Memorial Hospital of the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY. His professional career spanned over 40 years as a general and child and adolescent psychiatrist and included teaching, administration, clinical practice and consultation in the greater Rochester and western NY areas. This, along with his spiritual and especially mystical interests lead him to certification as a mind body practitioner through the Center for Mind Body Medicine and Dr. James Gordon. He retired several years ago from active psychiatric practice, but continues to incorporate what he has learned into his spiritual practices and offerings.

Henry studied and practiced Tibetan Buddhism for several years along with training in martial arts. He then immersed himself in the more universal Sufism of Inayat Khan, an Indian mystic, for close to twenty years. He functioned as a senior teacher in the Inayati Order and the Sufi Healing Order before pursuing his independent practice and study of mysticism. He now integrates what he has learned and experienced over these many years.