UPF Aragon Interreligious Event in Zaragoza, Spain

Interreligious Event Zaragoza, Spain, November 11, 2021 By Concha Garcia, UPF Aragon in that country that is Cuba, it was a daily challenge to be a Christian. I was born in a rural family, and we did n November 11, UPF organized an interfaith not have a Bible, so we children learned the texts by

O event in the city of Zaragoza, in which three different speakers participated: the Reformed Evangelical Church of Aragon, the Center for heart”. He added that if something is going to transcend our way of living faith, it will be through compassion. Zen and Mindfulness Meditation, and UPF, Aragón, The next speaker was Enrique Puyalon from Buddhism Spain. The theme was “Spirituality in our time: Zen Mindfulness (Thich Nhat Hanh tradition). He said challenges and opportunities”. The event took place in how spirituality in Zen Buddhism is lived in the past, Pastor Augusto Gil´s Reformed Church of Aragon. present, and future. But they always try to live in the The first speaker was Augusto Gil. He stated that in “here and now”. We are all connected but our ego these modern times, the people have changed the way creates emotions that takes us away from our inner of approaching God or another divinity and the essence. How is spirituality lived in Buddhism? With publishing houses know it. That is the reason for many the energy of full consciousness, in the present books in the market today dedicated to religiosity and moment. The energy of concentration originates from spirituality. Either from the Buddhist tradition, the full consciousness, and this leads to compassion with Catholic tradition, or the Evangelical tradition. What is oneself and towards others. spirituality? Spirituality is a new, emergent term. In the In Buddhism there are four mental practices that help European and Spanish context, the noun spirituality us to get closer to other people: 1- Open-mindedness, has been absent from our vocabulary. The spiritualist no dogma, no fanatism, inclusivity, tolerance. From were the Confucianists, the Tibetans, the Hindus, the compassion we embrace people. 2- Non-attachment to Sufis, but from Greece to the West we were considered ideas. Avoid letting it separate us from others. 3- more “religious” than spiritual. Freedom of thought. Feeling it in the heart. 4- He spoke about his experience with his Reformed Awareness of suffering. Compassion is being next to Christian tradition and mentioned four vocations: 1- A the one who suffers. shared spirituality, 2- An open spirituality, 3- A The last speaker was Armando Lozano, Director of communal spirituality 4- an evangelizing spirituality. UPF in Spain. According to the news and what some Having presbyterian ancestors, he shared he was born people think about the current moment, it seems very in Cuba under a dictatorship of Marxism-Communism. dramatic because the churches and temples are empty, “I am a third generation of Reformed Christians, living there are no vocations, etc. However, Armando Lozano

said that it is something positive because it is like the common language, the language of love, the language end of “formal of service, the language of sacrifice. It is a universal religiousness”, it is not the end of God it is the end of language. religion as we understood it. The sacred will always be UPF is a movement established in 2005 by the Rev. by our side, knocking on our door. Sun Myung Moon from Korea. The Rev. Moon Throughout history there has always been a move promoted interfaith dialogue for decades. He added towards greater spirituality. Today the ability for that spirituality is the path of serving. An open-door people to access their traditions is better than ever. spirituality, serving neighbors, serving the community, What does the world need? Today due to tourism, serving society. Society needs people who are good internet and media, we feel closer to each other. More examples. In short, whatever path we follow, God will than ever the winds of the world point towards a global work in a mysterious way if we put our abilities at the family. Therefore, a spirituality that does not support service of others. the global family is going to have a difficult time. How Although we were a group of 26 people, a fraternal can interreligious dialogue help us? To go to the atmosphere of mutual respect was created, with the essence of things. And what is essential? It is a desire to meet again soon.