Invitation to Symposium: Message from the Provost

Dearest Beloveds-of-the-Heart,

“Come, come! Whoever you are:  wanderer, worshipper, lovers of leaving.  Though you have broken your vows 10,000 times, come, yet again come!”

We enter into this time of new beginnings, into this time of returning, into this time of regeneration with our Fourth Annual Symposium. ​I warmly invite you to join us this year on September 2^nd for our Urban Retreat. This year’s Symposium, the theme of which is “Remembering our Wholeness,” will have Mushim Patricia Ikeda of the East Bay Meditation Center as our honored teacher. Come, partake in this day of learning, reflection, questioning, meditating, beauty, as all parts of the Starr King community come from near and far to be together for this inspiriting beginning.

For our Program of events and other details, please go to the 2015 Symposium page.

The “Remembering Our Wholeness” Symposium will be held at First Unitarian Church of Oakland, 685 14th Street, Oakland, CA.

Since this is the beginning of our year it is important to be present for the members of the SKSM Community for the entire day.  It is very, very important that we all be present for the evening program at EBMC from 7 – 8:30 pm, because it is then that we will bestow the honorary ​SKSM ​doctorate on Mushim. As members of the SKSM Community, we all want to be there to honor her and welcome her into the larger SKSM collective!

Our honored teacher is living with MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivities) and requests that, out of respect for those with environmental illnesses, we attend Symposium completely scent-free. We ask that we all attend the entire day completely free of fragranced hair, skin, and clothing, including ‘natural’ or aromatherapy personal products.  A list of fragrance-free products, including those that are especially good for people of color is given here: eastbaymeditation.org/accessibility/scentfree.html

Now is the time to return again, to return to the land of our soul, insha’allah.

Sincerely,

Professor Dr. Ibrahim Abdurrahmani-Farajajé, Provost