Next Session: Wed, Mar 26, 2008 | 7:00pm | Cullen Sculpture Garden | More Details

Group Journal

On this page we once kept some running notes of our past gatherings, including what we discussed and explored. For all entries past February 22, 2007, please see our new journal blog by clicking HERE.

February 22, 2007:
Tom Brucia and Daniel Strain were joined for the first time by Humanist Minister Ross Henry. After contemplation we discovered that the coffee shop visited last time was actually well within easy walking distance.

From Daniel:
The Contemplatives Club has been an enjoyable experience, but I think some adjustments may be needed to allow it to continue developing in the direction originally hoped for.

For instance, we went to the coffee shop last time because of the rain and cold, but this more recent time the weather was good and we seemed to go simply because of the seating (or lack thereof) outside the chapel. But the reason the chapel was chosen is because it is a spiritual, serene setting more conducive to the type of feel and content we're going for with the Humanist Contemplative concept (and the difference both locations have made in both the feel and the direction of our conversations seems to me very noticeable). 

Being at the coffee shop seems to encourage a type of encounter that is more social and ordinary, like one of our coffee socials - and that is not the unique direction we're aiming for either. Therefore, to make the situation more suitable, I'm going to try and get some folding chairs for our next session. This should be more comfortable than sitting on the ground as we have done in the past. Should we try other locations in the future (which we have always planned to do at times), then I'd hope it would be other similar natural or spiritual settings such as the park or an elegant indoor setting. Not, for example, in a meeting room, library, or other common meeting place as experienced in the usual Humanist meetings.

In addition to setting I think our open discussions are not yet achieving the sense of continuity and progress in personal development originally conceived. I think a solution to this might be to rotate having one person serve as our 'guide' for the evening. This person would present a matter for us to engage and deliberate in, perhaps bringing some materials if needed or desired. The subjects chosen by the guide should always be first an foremost on a personal self improvement, or mutual support level. Many of our unguided conversations have veered into abstract philosophic concepts. Although, we have been able to keep conversations at a very patient and listening level, of which I am proud. Perhaps with a rotating guide we can get more out of the group. I'd very much like to hear the thoughts of the other attendees on this.

From Ross:
I agree with you. over the past couple of years, I have been sitting with the Zen Mind Buddhist Sangha almost every Sunday night and have found their format conducive to contemplation or Meditation. We begin with an incense lighting and traditional homage to the Buddha. When it was my turn to lead, I composed my own "humanist words" to begin our Meditation practice:

"In gratitude we release this fragrance in memory of the Buddha, and all the enlightened ones, who have passed through our history enriching us with their wisdom.

May it remind us, by its aroma, to pause in our lives when we encounter the fragrances of the world of nature and revel in the wonder that gives rise to them.

May we, as companions to the Buddhas who have preceded us and those who yet dwell among us, be awakened to and led by their wisdom and by our meditations.

May our own understanding slowly ripen as we awaken to the joys and wonders of this, Earth, this real & awesome planet, our own true home."

We would then sit in silent meditation for 20 minutes.
We would then break from the meditation for a brief silent walking meditation.
And then return to our cushions or chairs for another 20 minutes of meditation.

After that the person assigned to lead the group on that night would read something from the Buddhist literature that they thought would be of interest and hopefully would lead to thoughtful responses from the group. A brief period of discussion would follow, going around the circle, giving each person a chance to comment on the reading. The rule was for each person to respond directly to the reading and not to the comments of the other persons comments.

The sessions were closed with something called the evening Gatha:

Let me respectfully remind you, Life and death are of supreme importance. Time swiftly passes by and opportunity is lost. Each of us must strive to awaken, awaken, take heed. Do not squander your life.

The Ethical Culture Societies have a similar practice which would probably fit our group better.

They have a meditation practice where they sit in silence in a circle, usually in chairs. A leader reads a passage from the wisdom literature or poetry that is meant to induce meditation or reflection on ethics, morality, or philosophical understanding of the self or the self in relation to the community of other beings. or of understanding of the universe. A Bell is rung twice to begin the period of meditation. After 10 to 15 minutes The bell is rung 3 times to end the meditation Afterward each person in the circle in turn is allowed to speak (or to pass without speaking) responding to the reading, not responding to the comments of the other persons in the circle.

Let me know if you think any of this would fit with your idea of what the format of the Contemplatives get-togethers should be like.

I think that maybe the Ethical Culture approach might work for our group.

From Burt:
Personally, I prefer silent private meditation on a individual basis. For me, that seems to be the most meaningful.

From Tom:
1. I wasn’t in a particularly contemplative mood the other day. I’ve found that insomnia, fatigue, and stress make me incapable of drifting into a state of conscious reverie – and I was (and have been) in – for reasons unknown – in those states.

January 25, 2007:
Ron Titus and Daniel Strain attended this gathering. As things were fairly cold and wet that evening, we proceeded to a local coffee shop after our contemplation at the chapel. There, we had a wonderful conversation over some nice hot chocolate.

December 14, 2006:
Today's gathering, held earlier than usual due to the holidays, was attended by David Newman, Mark Siskel, Daniel Strain, Ariel Thomann, Ron Titus, and new visitor, Meagan. After the usual silent period of contemplation and meditation in the chapel, a wonderful discussion was held on the issue facing many Humanist communities right now, regarding how we interact with our superstitious or faithful neighbors. Much ground was made in communicating what is, and what is not, meant by 'respect' and how this affects our willingness and ability to act to affect positive change in the world. These discussions were part of an overall assessment of the new article by Daniel called "The Humanist Contemplative" available on this site now. Ariel also mentioned his article "Of Cherries And Pumpkins" which has also been added to this site, after having appeared in the latest Houston Freethought Alliance newsletter.

November 16, 2006:
This gathering didn't take place as usual. It seems people were distracted by the approaching holidays, and the date had been moved to avoid Thanksgiving. In addition, the Rothko Chapel was hosting a interfaith Thanksgiving ceremony. The ceremony included representation of Baha'i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Judaic, Muslim, Sikh, and Zoroastrian peoples. Perhaps next year the Humanists can be a part of the ceremony as well. The next Contemplatives gathering will be moved two weeks prior to the usual date, to the second Thursday of the month (December 14th) instead of the usual forth Thursday. Hopefully this will put the date far enough away from the holidays to work for people. Perhaps in January we might think of trying some other meeting locations, such as Memorial Park or perhaps a visit to the fine arts museum. We might also look into a format change during discussion, where each person is asked to bring a short reading that seems inspirational or informative to them in their current life circumstances, to be read aloud and then discussed. All of this will need to be discussed with the group to reach a consensus.

October 26, 2006:
After a silent period in the Rothko Chapel, the weather was rainy so Mark Siskel and Daniel Strain regrouped at the House of Pies to discuss Mark's experiences regarding other groups and the concept of exploring our feelings and going from doing to being.

From Daniel:
I have been considering something more focused for our group - perhaps a program, or a collaborative effort at exploring the concept of the Humanist Contemplative more directly. One idea might include a joint blog or a forum to develop and log these ideas.

Concurrently with this, I'd like to see us touch more specifically on our personal challenges and goals, as opposed to some of the more abstracted nature of our discussions, which are veering more toward theory than application. All ideas and comments are welcome.

September 27, 2006:
This gathering was attended by Tom Brucia, Burt Greenfield, Mark Siskel, Daniel Strain, and Ron Titus. After a nice time in thought and meditation, we had a wonderful discussion about our views, recent considerations, and our lives, and before we knew it, we had stayed past our usual time of 7:30pm. Burt expressed his enjoyment of meditation, which he hadn't engaged in for many years. Topics included the need to change pace in life once in a while, deciding when to act and when not to, thoughts on pantheism and our connection with Nature, the nature of consciousness, and more. Check back here soon because individuals may be including their thoughts as well. Daniel has made a post on his blog that addresses some of the things touched on, and can be read by clicking HERE.

August 24, 2006:
Daniel was the only one who could make this meeting and notice was unfortunately sent out late. However, a summary of some thoughts considered can be found at Daniel's philosophy blog, which can be read by clicking HERE.

July 27, 2006:
Mark Siskel, Ron Titus, and Daniel Strain attended our second gathering. After a contemplative period inside the Rothko Chapel, we discussed several different topics. These included how one can better increase their experience of living life to the fullest and what that means; the value in being as opposed to doing; the notion of our internal judgments and how they effect our happiness; and dealing with self-discipline. Picking up on a thought expressed by Sheila Finch and others at the recent Ideas Club, we also briefly discussed the idea of the Humanist narrative - both in terms of the history of humanistic thought, as well as the use of parables to personalize Humanist ideals. 

June 29, 2006 (first gathering):
The Humanist Contemplatives Club held their first gathering on Thursday, June 29, 2006. They met at the Rothko Chapel, an ecumenical chapel used by many different types of groups. Attending were Tom Brucia, Mark Siskel, Julie Strain, Ariel Thomann, Ron Titus, and myself (Daniel Strain).

The group chatted a bit outside the chapel until everyone arrived, at which point we went inside for a period of silence. Inside, the Rothko Chapel is a large, tall room with high nearly-solid black paintings on all four walls. In the center are benches arranged concentrically. The space is very quiet and the sensation it generates varies from person to person. We all sat silently for a period of 30 minutes, which each of us spent however we liked. Some of us read, others relaxed and thought, or meditated.

After that, we went outside, sat on the grass under a tree, and had an informal discussion on what we had just been doing, general ideas about humanist spirituality is, and ended by discussing what we’re looking for in this club and why we came.

Tom had been reading Lao Tse, the Chinese Taoist philosopher, during the silent period. He discussed Lao Tse’s observation that rigidity lends itself toward death while flexibility and a yielding gentle nature is adaptive and lends itself toward life, using the simile of dead tissue to living. This seemed to me, in some way, to touch on an aspect of what we are attempting with the contemplatives.

I brought attention to the group of an article in The Humanist by Jeff Nall which I thought we all could relate to, and said that I planned to try and reach out and network with other Humanists outside of Houston who share a similar focus as ourselves.

Ariel sat thinking during the silent period and reported that, during that time, he ceased to be aware of the ringing that he normally experiences in his ears. He also explained that one could control one’s own body in ways not often appreciated.

Mark said that he had been wanting to explore the feeling-side of Humanism and Tom made the astute observation that Humanism, if it is about humans, should include all of what it means to be human – and that means not solely addressing the rational and the analytical, but also the emotional and the introspective.

Ron expressed his thoughts on how much the role of ritual had been a part of his life when he was a priest, and how his own rituals still play a part. He explained that prior to his leaving the faith, he had always thought God was with him, answering him in a two-way conversation. But after leaving those beliefs behind he had to get used to being alone. Then he realized that, if someone had been answering him all that time, then that someone must have been himself. Ron noted that the role of the hermit and the monks, in spending time alone, is actually a practice in listening to themselves. Ron illustrated the point with the example of the Tom Hanks film Cast Away, in which Hanks’ character is stranded alone on an island, and creates a fictional character out of a volleyball named Wilson. He grows to need this fictional character as someone to speak with and listen to. Of course, all along, he is speaking to himself. I was reminded of many eastern philosophies which instruct us to learn to be aware of own thoughts. Perhaps this indicates an important utility to spending time listening to ourselves.

Tom concurred and expressed a desire that the Contemplatives Club allow us to simply make observations about ourselves and engage in deeper self-exploration, without the continual need for everything to be practical and immediately applicable to some rational task - much like a diver might explore the ocean below without necessarily needing to capture the fish for some immediate use. Ariel had said that, while loners are often painted as bad people, some people simply desire time to themselves and are comfortable in this.

Conversely, however, Mark noted that, to him, spirituality is about being connected to other people – making a difference in the lives of others. He had wondered at some point about his own contributions and was then made aware by a friend that he had indeed made a difference in the lives of many people. I noted that we all probably make a difference in ways more subtle and profound than we generally realize. While self exploration would seem an undeniable element of spirituality, this notion of connectedness seems an important part of spirituality too. Perhaps the self and community are two equally important sides of human spirituality?

In wrapping up with our thoughts on the club, Ariel noted that Confucianism didn’t start out as a religion, but simply as people discussing the philosophies and issues of their time. These referred to the needs of human beings in this life. I was reminded by Ariel’s words, not only of ancient Greek philosophy with its focus on living well, but also of Gautama (Buddha), who also expressed a desire to focus on those things which matter to living in this life, and not on the purely metaphysical, which he said “[had nothing] to do with the fundamentals of religion”.

We all agreed to get together on the fourth Thursday of each month. The next gathering will be July 27th at 6pm, also at the Rothko Chapel (although we may vary location and activities from time to time). Anyone who is interested is always welcome to show up! Please see the Participate and Contact pages for more information.