CATHEDRAL WILL NEVER BE A "DEN OF THIEVES"

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Cathedral will never be a "den of thieves"

I read with concern two contrasting letters in the Mercury about Leicester Cathedral (Mailbox, March 1).

The first was from Ann Stones about the "vintage fair" which takes place in the cathedral three or four times a year ("Inappropriate use for our cathedral").

The cathedral is, first and foremost, a house of prayer and sanctuary for all who wish to use it.

If people wish to come to pray when another event is happening, we make it clear to the organisers of the event (if there is a charge for admittance) there should be free admission for those who wish to enter to pray.

I apologise if this was not made clear to Ann Stones.

We also have a chaplain and other cathedral staff available during these events, should people wish to have a spiritual conversation with them.

Guild churches, such as St Martins, and cathedrals have always been used for a variety of events and we hope this helps a wide range of people to see it as "their cathedral", a place where all are welcome.

As well as its primary purpose for worship and prayer, the cathedral hosts lectures, concerts, organ recitals and is part of the Leicester Comedy Festival.

We have run series of silent films, a food fair and events associated with the Castle Park Festival among many other events.

We believe that whatever takes place in the cathedral is legal and honest and far from the type of corrupt and exploitative abuse of religion that led Jesus to drive the money changers and other merchants from the Temple in Jerusalem – those who had turned it into a "den of thieves".

Bill Merry wrote about the possibility of Richard III being reinterred in the proposed Cathedral Gardens instead of within the cathedral ("Memorial should be in the open").

Leicester Cathedral is open to the public every day from 8am to 6pm.

As Richard III was a Christian believer, and following the precedence for the burial of monarchs in this land, it seems most appropriate his final resting place should be in a place of Christian worship. We do not charge for entering the cathedral, nor will we do so, though the costs of keeping the cathedral open are nowhere near met by the voluntary giving of visitors, as generous as this sometimes is.

Barry Naylor, Acting Dean of Leicester

GOING ON BEYOND 6: DOGEN, MYSTIC REALIST (A SOTO ZEN PERSPECTIVE)

At ChristChurch, Clarendon Park, this evening for the sixth session in the course, "Going On Beyond: Meditation and Mysticism in the World Faiths".

This nine-week course is an interfaith opportunity presented by Christians Aware, as part of its Faith Awareness programme. It is presented in association with the Leicester Serene Reflection Meditation Group.

This evening, Kevin Commons and Ian Grayling, from Leicester Serene Zen Meditation Group present a Soto Zen perspective on our them, entitled "Dogen: Mystical Realist". Kevin has prepared a handout, which is reproduced below:

Origins of Zen Buddhism

After years of trying various practices Shakyamuni finally just sat under the Bodhi tree, experiencing all manner of thoughts and images, until the morning star appeared, at which point all thought dropped away, and he experienced Enlightenment, and became the Buddha.  He was prevailed upon to teach and, over time, gathered a large following of disciples, to whom he regularly unfolded aspects of his teaching.  One day, on Vulture Peak Mountain , instead of talking, he just held up a flower and Mahakashyapa, one of his main disciples, smiled, indicating his understanding of the essence of the teaching.  This incident is regarded as the foundation of the Zen form of Buddhism, which involves the transmission of the teaching “outside the scriptures”.  The point is that, although there are lots of Buddhist scriptures, in the Zen tradition scripture study does not, in itself, result in realising the heart of the teaching.  Direct experience, beyond words is necessary for this.  This form of Buddhism was taken to China by the Bodhidharma, and maintained by a succession of Chinese patriarchs, including Hui-Neng, who had held the lowly position of kitchen assistant at his monastery and was believed to have been illiterate.

Dogen’s early childhood (1200-1212)

At the time of Dogen’s birth the Japanese nobility had become steeped in aesthetic refinement.  This inspired a sense of the transience of beauty, and so focused on the aesthetic, rather than ethical, aspects of religion.  Consequently, they were indifferent to the lot of the masses.  His birth was also preceded by the establishment of feudalism in Japan and the rise of the Samurai class.  In a time of political chaos, many Buddhist monasteries’ concern about their wealth, prestige and power was to the detriment of their moral, intellectual and religious activities.

Though Dogen’s father died when he was two, the death of his mother when he was seven had a bigger impact, as she had requested, on her deathbed, that he should become a monk in order to seek the truth of Buddhism and strive to relieve the sufferings of humanity.  This imperative prevailed against his uncle Moroie’s wish to name him as his heir and to establish him in a career as an aristocrat.

Apprenticeship in Buddhism (1212-1227)

Dogen was ordained in 1213 and began a systematic study of the Buddhist scriptures.  This led him to this seemingly insoluble spiritual question:

“As I study both the exoteric and esoteric schools of Buddhism, they maintain that human beings are endowed with Dharma-nature by birth.  If this is the case, why did the Buddhas of all ages – undoubtedly in possession of enlightenment – find it necessary to seek enlightenment and engage in spiritual practice?”  (Quoted in Hee-Jin Kim (2004) p. 22)

Whilst Dogen accepted the truth of original enlightenment he did question the significance of activities that constitute human existence, which amounted to asking “What is the meaning of existence?”  To seek an answer he studied with various Buddhist teachers, most notably Myozen, who had brought Rinzai Zen from China to Japan .  Yet he still felt dissatisfied with much of the Buddhist teaching in contemporary Japan as his original question remained unanswered so he travelled to China to continue his search in 1223.  He stayed at various monasteries but overall was rather disappointed with the state of Buddhism in China and had decided to return to Japan , when an old monk suggested he should visit Ju-ching, the abbot of Mount T’ien-tung monastery.  Ju-ching was a rigorous practitioner of Ts’ao-tung (Soto Zen) sitting in theshikan-taza (just sitting) form of za-zen (formal sitting meditation) every day, often for long periods.  Unlike his contemporaries he eschewed politics, prestige and financial reward but rather focused on helping his students to see the truth for themselves.  One day Ju-ching admonished a monk who had fallen asleep during meditation with the following words:

“In za-zen it is imperative to cast off body and mind.  How could you indulge in sleeping?” (Quoted in Hee-Jin Kim (2004) p. 36)

The remark shook Dogen to his core and he experienced an inexpressible ecstatic joy that engulfed his heart and Ju-ching acknowledged the authenticity of Dogen’s enlightenment experience.

“To cast off body and mind did not nullify historical and social existence so much as to put it into action so that it could be the self-creative and self-expressive embodiment of Buddha-nature. In being “cast off”, however, concrete human experience was fashioned in the mode of radical freedom – purposeless, goalless, objectless, and meaningless.  Buddha-nature was not to be enfolded in, but was to unfold through, human activities and expressions.  The meaning of existence was finally freed from and authenticated by its all-too-human conditions only if, and when, it lived co-eternally with ultimate meaninglessness.

What was taking place in Dogen’s mind was a radical demythologising and in return remythologising of the whole Buddhist symbol-complex of original enlightenment, Buddha-nature, emptiness, and other related ideas and practices.  The crux of his vision lay in a realistic affirmation and transformation of what was relative, finite, and temporal in a nondualistic vision of the self and the world.  To understand duality lucidly and to penetrate it thoroughly within a nondualistic mode of existence was Dogen’s final solution.  His remaining life consisted of his intellectual, moral, and cultic efforts to enact and elucidate this vision in the specific historical and social conditions of his time.” (Hee-Jin Kim (2004) p. 37)

Return to Japan (1227 to 1253)

This experience answered Dogen’s question about the meaning of existence.  In 1227 he returned to Japan to transmit the ancestral line of his teacher to his own countrymen.  In the same year he composedFukan zazengi “Rules for Meditation”, (Appendix) which can be regarded as a manifesto for the teaching he proclaimed.  He stayed at Kenninji temple until 1230, when he moved to an abandoned temple called An’yoin, where he composed the Bendowa chapter of theShobogenzo, which expanded his teaching in the Fukan zazengi.  In 1233 he moved into Kannon-doriin temple, which was expanded over the next ten years, and wrote 44 more chapters of the Shobogenzo and took on Ejo as a disciple, who helped with the administration of the temple and its development.  He opened the monastic community of the re-named, expanded, Kannon-horinji temple to everyone regardless of intelligence, social status, sex or profession and abolished the separation between monks and lay people, writing:

“It (enlightenment) depends solely upon whether you have a sincere desire to seek it, not upon whether you live in a monastery or in the secular world.” (Quoted in Hee-Jin Kim (2004) p. 42)

However, he did put the bulk of his effort into developing monastic training and his lay disciples built the Daibutsuji temple in a secluded mountain area.  He moved there in 1244 and., two years later, changed its name to Eiheiji (temple of eternal peace) under which name it survives today.  He spent much of his later years establishing the detail of daily life and practice for his monastic community.  In 1253 he appointed Ejo as his successor and finally succumbed to illness that he had experienced for about 3 years.  He died sitting in the zazenposture.

Much of the material about Dogen's life comes from: Hee-Jin Kim's Eihei Dogen: Mystical Realist Wisdom Publications (2004). You can find a review of the book online in the Journal of Buddhist Ethics.

After an hour or so of the session, we're invited to dry a bit of zazen - "just sitting" - meditation. We can sit on the floor, with various kinds of stools or cushions for support or remain in our chairs (as I do) and face the wall for ten minutes. Eyes open, not struggling against any thoughts which may arise, but not deliberately engaging with them if possible. I don't think I'll be able to last that long without falling asleep, but I find it surprisingly easy - and refreshing.

CHRIST IN THE CENTRE FACES FUNDING CRISIS

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Christ in the Centre faces funding shortfall

An urgent appeal has been made for donations to meet a shortfall in funding for a re-enactment of Christ's crucifixion.

Organisers of the Christ in the Centre play are about £8,500 short of the £43,000 total they need for the event on Good Friday.

The event, which is in its 11th year, attracts about 10,000 people, who watch the story of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus in Humberstone Gate, Leicester.

Event trustee Jonathan Wheeler has urged people to help them reach their target.

He said: "If you have enjoyed the event, if it has made a difference to your life, then we would encourage you to make a donation.

"We cannot run this on fresh air and goodwill.

"If we don't reach the total we need this year, the event will still go ahead.

"But what will probably happen is that we will go into the next year without any reserves and that might mean scaling it back considerably.

"We would have to have a very deep think about whether the current event remains financially viable."

Increased staging and security costs and the addition of a second performance have pushed up prices by about £3,000 since last year.

The Rev Stephen Foster, joint chair of the event's organising committee, said the extra performance was added due to public demand.

The event receives a £10,000 grant from the Diocese of Leicester and £2,000 from Leicester City Council, with the rest of the costs met by donations from churches, individuals and charities. Mr Foster said: "We have some wonderfully loyal supporters who have donated to the cause over the years.

"But several of them have indicated that they cannot be as generous this year as they have in the past, which is understandable."

Christ in the Centre will be staged in Humberstone Gate on Good Friday, March 29, at 11am and 2pm.

Donations can be made to Jonathan Cryer, CitC treasurer, 4 Honeybourne Close, Oadby, Leicester LE2 5JP. Cheques should be made out to 'Christ in the Centre'.

NO APOLOGY FOR MUTINY MASSACRE

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

No apology for mutiny massacre

After reading that the Sikh community has criticised our Prime Minister for failure to apologise for the massacre of Indians in 1919 ("PM criticised over failure to apologise for India atrocity", Mercury, February 21) it made me think.

Did we ever receive an apology from India for the massacre of hundreds of English women and children during the Indian Mutiny in 1857.

They were hacked to death and thrown into a well at Cawnpore?

They were so ashamed that they have changed its name to Kanpur.

A Rudkin, Melton Mowbray

CHANCE WORSE THAN CAT IN HELL

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Chance worse than cat in hell

Leicester bidding for City of Culture status? Now I've heard everything.

Unless we can see a wholesale clean-up of shop frontages along the main road arteries into the city, city centre areas such as Belgrave Gate cleaned up, the former Haymarket Theatre revived and reopened and an absence of for sale signs, the city hasn't a cat in hell's chance of success.

A business carrot would be to allow premises owners to set frontage makeover expenses against business rates.

But that would give Chancellor George Osborne a seizure.

John Burrows, Humberstone

CULTURE BID IS FANTASTIC NEWS

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Culture bid is fantastic news

What fantastic news that Leicester is bidding to be the 2017 City of Culture ("Celebrating our culture", Mercury February 26).

Leicester is a vibrant and diverse city with a surprisingly low profile nationally.

An initiative such as this should deservedly raise people's awareness of what a great city and county we have.

The word "culture" involves much more than the arts and this is a real opportunity to show what, and who, we have in Leicester.

Congratulations to all involved in making this bid.

Sue Ryan, Clarendon Park

THIS WEEK'S VISITORS (1,835)

Regular update on the number of pageviews received from different parts of the world in the week just ending.

1. United States 644
2. United Kingdom 538
3. Russia 344
4. Germany 91
5. France 53
6. Turkey 51
7. Ukraine 37
8. India 33
9. Sweden 28
10. Poland 16

This week's total: 1,835 (last week: 1,686). These are aggregates of figures from the top ten countries only. Blogger's analytics doesn't show the numbers of pageviews below the tenth-ranking country and they don’t show the cumulative total including those additional countries, which is undoubtedly larger than the number shown above.

The world map at the top of this post is the graphic that I see on the stats page. The darker the green, the more pageviews from that country. I can see different versions of that map for "now" (i.e. in the last two hours), "today", "this week", "this month" and "all time". They're updated each time I look at them.

A NEW LEASE OF LIFE FOR CITY CHURCH

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

A new lease of life for city church

A Victorian gothic church could be turned into a function hall.

Developer Altaf Gaffar has applied to Leicester City Council for permission to turn Grade II-listed St Saviour's Church, in St Saviour's Road, Spinney Hills, into a venue for events.

The church has been up for sale with an asking price of about £750,000 since March, 2011, after being put on the market by the Leicester Diocesan Board of Finance.

While it still belongs to the diocese, it is standard practice when selling churches for a preferred buyer to be selected, who then submits a planning application with the church, which then has to be approved before the purchase takes place.

A design statement submitted to the council by the developer's agent, Dinesh Tailor, of DT Designs, said the proposed function room would predominantly cater for events on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays, for about 300 people.

It would also be rented out during the week for corporate meetings of up to 100 people.

Mr Tailor wrote: "The aim of the works is to provide the building with the necessary investment needed to arrest the decline in its fabric and ensure an economically viable future.

"All proposed alterations and particularly the internal elements were conceived to respect the existing structure and enable the original identity and purpose to be readily recognised."

The church was built in about 1875 and designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, the architect responsible for the Midland Grand Hotel, at St Pancras station, and the Albert Memorial, in Kensington Gardens.

The proposal involves demolishing the former church school adjacent to St Saviour's, to make space for a 39-space car park. This was built in 1882 and, after being used as a school, was rented by Leicester City Council as a community centre for about 30 years, until 2008.

The church, which could seat a congregation of 1,000 people, shut in 2005 and has been targeted by vandals.

Mr Tailor's statement added: "The removal of the former community centre building and revised site layout will open the views from the north to display the full extent of the built form."

He also said the renovation would generate work for local tradespeople and the new use would "lead to employment opportunities" for local people.

A spokeswoman for the diocese of Leicester said the application was "good news."

"We care deeply about our buildings, whether they are churches that are in use or no longer in use," she said. "Having a building which will find a new place in the life of Leicester is always good news".

Grahame Lees, spokesman for the Leicester Victorian Society, said the group welcomed plans to bring the building back into use.

"It certainly wants some money spending on it," he said.

"It is a lovely building and hopefully it will be respected. Hopefully, this person will come along and spend the money on it and bring it back into use.

"We never like to see historic buildings sitting empty for longer than they need to."

The Mercury was unable to contact DT Designs or Altaf Gaffar for a comment.

INAPPROPRIATE USE FOR OUR CATHEDRAL

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Inappropriate use for our cathedral

I write in support of Kevin Fletcher's letter ("Cathedral should not be market", Mailbox, February 23), regarding market traders in Leicester Cathedral.

In November, I e-mailed the cathedral authorities expressing similar concerns but have yet to receive a response.

Whenever I am in town, about once a week, I like to pop into the cathedral, light a candle and have a few quiet moments to say a prayer.

I attempted to do so on Saturday, November 17, and was charged £1 to be admitted.

I was happy to pay because I assumed there was a Christmas fair, or some sort of charitable event taking place.

However, when I got inside I found out this was not the case.

The cathedral had taken on the appearance of a market place and I was told the stall-holders were traders who had paid a fee to be there.

While I appreciate it is good for the Church to reach out to the community, and that revenue obtained by the cathedral from the stall-holders might be put to good use, I feel the atmosphere in the building on that day was inappropriate.

I believe the cathedral has other premises, such as St Martin's House where the event could have been held. I do not expect to have the Cathedral building to myself – and it is nice when the cathedral is full of people.

On November 17, however, it did indeed feel like the sort of place where Jesus would wish to overturn the tables.

I was able to light my candle (for which I made a voluntary contribution, as usual) and say a quick prayer, but I felt very uncomfortable.

I also think it was wrong to be charged to enter the cathedral in these circumstances.

Ann Stones, Leicester

TELL US OF TALKS

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury (but not on its website)

Tell us of talks

It was an interesting First Person column by Ather Mirza (Mercury, February 22) regarding the discovery of Richard III.

The part of the story that fascinates me is that the Church of England is to reinter the remains of a Catholic king in a Protestant cathedral, presumably with a Church of England service.

Leicester is ell-known for its co-operation between religions, of which this must be a good example, so would not the negotiations that took place also be worth telling?

Patrick Trigg, Oadby