Monk, champion of lay spirituality, dies at 89

ST. BENEDICT — A Benedictine monk who pioneered lay spirituality died peacefully Monday at 89.

Father Bernard Sander, lauded as a visionary and a mentor, was reaching out to Catholic families and youths as early as the 1940s. By the 1980s, he had helped establish a summer spirituality conference for families. Three years ago, he was the guide of a group that founded a Catholic youth center in Mount Angel that would be named for him.

“This is the age of the laity,” he told the Sentinel in 2004.

Vigils for the Dead will be held at 7:30 p.m. Monday, June 9 and the Mass of Christian Burial will be held on at 10 a.m. Tuesday, June 10 — both in the abbey church.

Bernard Sander was born in 1918 in Tillamook and grew up on a dairy farm. His uncle was Father Louis Sander, a priest of the Archdiocese of Portland. Father Bernard made his simple profession in 1939 and was ordained a priest at age 25 by Archbishop Edward Howard on May 18, 1944.

In 1946, he became vice-rector of Mount Angel Seminary and was rector from 1952 to 1954, when the seminary was reorganized into major and minor seminaries. At that time he was appointed rector of the minor seminary, where he served from 1954 to 1967. For the following three years, Father Bernard served as rector of Mount Angel Seminary High School. He was also the abbey vocation director for a time.
In 1970 Father Bernard became guest master and retreat master of Mount Angel Abbey Guest House, where he served 13 years. In 1981 he became director of the Oblates of Mount Angel Abbey, lay people who commit themselves to live the Benedictine life in the world. He continued to serve in that position for 22 years and influenced hundreds of lay people.

The amiable monk saw that monastic spirituality could not stay in the monastery, but should spread to the rest of society.

“It’s natural for husbands and wives to learn to apply the Rule of St. Benedict to their family lives,” he told the Sentinel in 2001. “I’m personally convinced that it’s such a source of beautiful and simple spirituality that it’s very useful.”

He taught Oblates the way monks learn to pray with scripture. Reflecting on the bible, especially the psalms, make people more joyful, he once said.

In recognition of his service to the seminary, Father Bernard received the first Lumen Gentium Award in 1988, the highest honor granted by the institution.

Throughout his career, Father Bernard had a forward-looking concern for Catholic families and youths. As part of that effort, he led a resurgence of Catholic retreats. In the 1960s, he invited the Young Christian Students teen group to the abbey’s guesthouse and inspired youths to begin a new social and spiritual movement called Catholic Action.

“If you notice at church on Sunday, there’s a big group missing — those age 17 to 22,” Father Bernard told the Sentinel in 2004. “They are afraid to go to confession, so they don’t go to church.”

He hoped the retreat center that bears his name would provide confessors who take real time with young Catholics to help them make peace with the faith and continue discovering its treasures.

When the center opened, Father Bernard himself spent two hours straight hearing confessions. He predicted the center would develop into a “very strong spiritual power.”

Even into his 80s, he was considered a youth priest. Up until he was too ill to work, he ran a group for 30- and 40-somethings who wanted to learn more about the Second Vatican Council.

He was optimistic about young Catholics.

“When they take time to listen and they realize you are not trying to give them a bad time, they will hear you,” he said in 2004. “Most of them realize there is good reason to be friends with the church.”

Until recently, he led retreats on marriage and family life.

From a large and prominent Catholic family himself, Father Bernard would host large reunions in Mount Angel, welcoming as many as 500 from the clan.
People across the country looked to him as an inspiration. Margie Hoglund, a flight attendant from Minnesota, met him at a retreat and afterward saved her vacation hours to get in as many trips to the abbey as she could.

Marilu Hitchcock of San Mateo, Calif. met Father Bernard in 1952 when she was a student at St. Mary’s Academy in Portland and attended a Young Christian Students retreat at the abbey. Because of the monk’s encouragement, she became a union organizer.

When she got engaged in 1957, Hitchcock brought her fiance home to meet her parents first and to Mount Angel to meet Father Bernard second.
When the priest would visit the Hitchcock family in California, he would sleep in a bunk bed and wash the dishes while the parents gave baths and read bedtime stories to the children.

Marilyn Kruse, Father Bernard’s office aide for 18 years, says working with him at the guest house led her to an infusion of contemplative prayer. The monk eventually asked Kruse to lead retreats.

Auxiliary Bishop Kenneth Steiner met Father Bernard in 1954 as a freshman at Mount Angel. That began decades of friendship and support. “He has played an important role in the formation of countless priests and been involved in retreats for thousands of people,” Bishop Steiner said when the Father Bernard Youth Center opened in 2004.

In 1991, one Sentinel reporter closed a story with an image that seems to sum up the much-loved monk: “Father Bernard, quietly greeting, arranging, making things happen.”

Father Bernard had a quick wit even until the end of his life. Several months ago, after he got a haircut, a fellow Benedictine commented that he looked so handsome that he might be a temptation to women.

“We all take that risk,” the aged monk quipped.

By Ed Langlois

World Buddhism in Photos

Scientists probe meditation secrets

Scientists are beginning to uncover evidence that meditation has a tangible effect on the brain.

Sceptics argue that it is not a practical way to try to deal with the stresses of modern life.

But the long years when adherents were unable to point to hard science to support their belief in the technique may finally be coming to an end.
When Carol Cattley's husband died it triggered a relapse of the depression which had not plagued her since she was a teenager.
"I instantly felt as if I wanted to die," she said. "I couldn't think of what else to do."

Carol sought medical help and managed to control her depression with a combination of medication and a psychological treatment called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
However, she believes that a new, increasingly popular course called Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) - which primarily consists of meditation - brought about her full recovery.
It is currently available in every county across the UK, and can be prescribed on the NHS.
One of the pioneers of MBCT is Professor Mark Williams, from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford.
He helps to lead group courses which take place over a period of eight weeks. He describes the approach as 80% meditation, 20% cognitive therapy.


New perspective

He said: "It teaches a way of looking at problems, observing them clearly but not necessarily trying to fix them or solve them.
"It suggests to people that they begin to see all their thoughts as just thoughts, whether they are positive, negative or neutral."
MBCT is recommended for people who are not currently depressed, but who have had three or more bouts of depression in their lives.
Trials suggest that the course reduces the likelihood of another attack of depression by over 50%.
Professor Williams believes that more research is still needed.
He said: "It is becoming enormously popular quite quickly and in many ways we now need to collect the evidence to check that it really is being effective."
However, in the meantime, meditation is being taken seriously as a means of tackling difficult and very modern challenges.
Scientists are beginning to investigate how else meditation could be used, particularly for those at risk of suicide and people struggling with the effects of substance abuse.

What is meditation?

Meditation is difficult to define because it has so many different forms.
By meditating, you can become happier, you can concentrate more effectively and you can change your brain in ways that support that Dr Richard Davidson
Broadly, it can be described as a mental practice in which you focus your attention on a particular subject or object.
It has historically been associated with religion, but it can also be secular, and exactly what you focus your attention on is largely a matter of personal choice.
It may be a mantra (repeated word or phrase), breathing patterns, or simply an awareness of being alive.
Some of the more common forms of meditative practices include Buddhist Meditation, Mindfulness Meditation, Transcendental Meditation, and Zen Meditation.
The claims made for meditation range from increasing immunity, improving asthma and increasing fertility through to reducing the effects of aging.

Limited research

Research into the health claims made for meditation has limitations and few conclusions can be reached, partly because meditation is rarely isolated - it is often practised alongside other lifestyle changes such as diet, or exercise, or as part of group therapy.
So should we dismiss it as quackery? Studies from the field of neuroscience suggest not.
It is a new area of research, but indications are intriguing and suggest that meditation may have a measurable impact on the brain.
In Boston, Massachusetts, Dr Sara Lazar has used a technique called MRI scanning to analyse the brains of people who have been meditating for several years.
She compared the brains of these experienced practitioners with people who had never meditated and found that there were differences in the thickness of certain areas of the brain's cortex, including areas involved in the processing of emotion.
She is continuing research, but she believes that meditation had caused the brain to change physical shape.

Buddhist monks

In Madison, Wisconsin, Dr Richard Davidson has been carrying out studies on Buddhist monks for several years.
His personal belief is that "by meditating, you can become happier, you can concentrate more effectively and you can change your brain in ways that support that."
In one study he observed the brains of a group of office workers before and after they undertook a course of meditation combined with stress reduction techniques.
At the end of the course the participants' brains seemed to have altered in the way they functioned.
They showed greater activity in the left-hand side - a characteristic which Davidson has previously linked to happiness and enthusiasm.
This idea that meditation could improve the wellbeing of everyone, even those not struggling with mental illness, is something that is exciting researchers.
Professor Williams believes it has huge potential.
"It involves dealing with expectations, with constantly judging ourselves - feeling we're not good enough," he said.
"And, that is something which is so widespread in our communities.
"All of these things are just thoughts. And, they will come up in meditation and learning to recognize what they are as thoughts, and let them go, can be enormously empowering for anybody."
There is, of course, a distinct possibility that this research will come to nothing and that interest in meditation will turn out to be a passing fad, but for now this ancient discipline is being taken seriously by scientists as a tool with potential to make each one of us happier and more content.

BBC NEWS

Kannon- is the Buddhist Ideal of Beauty

Terrible Dakini Naro appearance is not a bad sign at all. Dakini fight against laziness, stupidity and ignorance of this world. Of course a European can feel dismay of such a horrifying image of Dakini. Of course her ferocious look and decoration of skulls point on warlike spirit and character, but I repeat once more, as they do not make any harm to people. On the contrary, they are ready to help Buddhism adherents and let them into deep secrets of dharma. Well, once Dakini passed spirit of knowledge to one ascetic as he attained perfection. And this ascetic established her cult.

Dakini are faithful to Buddhism. Image of a severe, menacing, wise and beautiful fighter for the faith is not usual for the European mentality, but it is rather perfect and harmonious for the Buddhist one.

We must remind you that inner world as well as appearance or image of a Buddhist woman is really unusual to a European way of thinking. These characteristic features arise from Indian canons of Beauty those are far away from the modern model business. Female canon of Buddhist Beauty has a great and deep history and there are 18 categories for attractiveness. They are included, among those: chunky bottom of the body, belly with three folds of fat…So, lucky holders of these characteristics may forget about overweight as well as diets and be proud as they fit the Buddhist Ideal of Beauty.

Traditionally in our frame of mind Tibetan Buddhism is associated with Dalai Lama image. For our story it is important fact that Dalai Lama is considered by Buddhists as reincarnation of Bodhisattva –Avalokiteshvara that represents compassion. Bodhisattva personifies total compassion, and because of this compassion upon all living creatures Bodhisattva rejected an opportunity to achieve Nirvana. Bodhisattva again and again comes back to the World of Suffering in order to that all people find finally salvation. There are lots of images and names for Bodhisattva in different countries. I do not know whether you will be surprised, but in Japan Avalokiteshvara is esteemed in female image under the name of Kannon.

Kannon – is a merciful Mediatress, every human being can ask for help. She is one of the popular Japan Gods in Buddhist mythology. She appears with thousands of hands and of many faces. She needs thousands of hands to save sinners. Her many faces have a motivating meaning too: three compassionate faces, turned towards well-wishing creatures; three angry faces- towards malevolent creatures; three sharp-toothed faces, appealing to take to way of Buddhism and a smiling face. Kannon laugh means a conscious understanding of worldly vanity. Thus, we may say that Kannon personifies an infinite mercy and demonstrates deep knowledge of human nature. She comes to an old man in the old man image, to a woman – in the woman image, to a monk- in the monk image. And none of the believers are embarrassed of her greatness and power.

Finishing our short acquaintance with the female images in Buddhist mythology, we would like to draw your attention to that, in spite of the difference between Buddhism and Europe regarding Beauty, Good etc (as all these religions have different cultural and traditional basis), if we observe closely into threatening, frightening, at times sharp-toothed faces, we will see that wisdom, irreconcilability to evil and willingness to compassion.

Queen Malika and King Pasenadi

Extremely interesting example of interaction between a monk and a churchwoman represent relations between Buddha and Queen Malika, she was wife of King Pasenadi (ruler of Kosala kingdom). Malika came to believe in Buddha before marriage, after the first time she met Buddha. And she was really zealous and passionate churchwoman and left devoted to Buddha for the rest of her life. She regularly dispensed alms to Buddhist monks as well as built a big Hall for sangha, where religious discussions took place.

King Pasenadi also turned into Buddhism doctrine. It happened in the following way. Once upon a day King Pasenadi had sixteen disturbing dreams. His family Brahman-priest explained this fact by the influence of evil spirits and said that it was need in a big sin offering. But Buddha, invited by Malika interpreted it in a favorable for the King sense. After that Pasenadi became Buddhist layman.

Buddha never left his faithful adherent, but always supported his devoted follower. When dear spouses quarreled, Buddha always reconciled the King with his wife, and permanently stood up for Malika. Buddha told King Pasenadi about their love in the previous lives and how they suffered living separately. In one of the stories Buddha told that Malika did not leave her beloved one even when he developed leprosy.

Also Buddha delivered posthumous sermon after Malika death. And every day King Pasenadi went to Buddha in order to know about post mortal life of his wife.

Obviously, in this case Buddha acted as exemplary “family priest”, penetrating into family by the wife (women as is known are distinguished by heightened religiosity), was dedicated to all the twists and turns of married life and performed spiritual guidance. Within tradition this behavior was not treated as a lucky chance, reflecting real relations with a concrete family, but it rather represents a vivid example of interaction between a monk and a churchwoman. This is an example that in general must follow all Buddhist monks.

Thus, in the early Buddhism attitude towards a woman was not ideal, but it offered to a woman great opportunities for spiritual growth, rather than other doctrine at that times. A woman could totally leave her secular life, become a nun and devote herself completely to the way of liberation during this life. Those ones who were not ready to take such radical decisions Buddhism proposed vast space for religious activity and moral perfection, with the hope to find peace, gain more perfection in the next birth and achieve liberation. No doubt that Buddhism spread fast and widely in India due to that woman was allowed as well as supported taking part in Buddhism.