CENTER COMMUNITY NEWS

Guest Speaker Marjorie Woollacott

Marjorie Woollacott

Neuroscientist and meditator Marjorie Woollacott was a guest speaker at the Center on 2 August 2026, speaking on the topic of "The Mind, the Brain and Extraordinary Knowing." In this talk, she presented evidence from both meditators and scientists regarding the astonishing possibilities of human consciousness. Watch the recording.

At the beginning of her professional career, Marjorie Woollacott had no doubt that the brain was solely a physical entity and was controlled by chemical reactions and electrical impulses. The first time she meditated, however, she had a glimpse of another possibility—an undeniable experience of unlikely and uncharted energy. Through the next thirty years as a professor of neuroscience and teacher of meditation, Marjorie Woollacott led a compartmentalized life as she struggled with these opposing views on the nature of human consciousness. Then a few years ago she was inspired to investigate scientific research on consciousness to see if she could uncover an approach that encompassed what she knew from both of these arenas in her own life. Learn more about Marjorie Woollacott at her website.

Summer Intensive with Andrea Pucci: "Before, During, and Beyond Perceiver and Perceived"

Andrea Pucci

The Center for Sacred Sciences hosted Center teacher Andrea Pucci for a three-day intensive at the Center on 17-19 July 2026. We gathered for teachings and practice in the CSS meeting hall in person and via Zoom. Thank you to Andrea and everyone who helped make this intensive possible. Special thanks to Sophia Malkasian and David Mason for facilitating the Zoom and sound system operation for this event.

Light of Truth Day and Summer Holiday Celebration

A community celebration of the summer holidays took place on Saturday 8 August 2026 in our meeting hall. Members gathered for a delicious potluck dinner, followed by a set of songs by the CSS Sacred Singers, including their classic, "Buddha of Compassion."

Joel Morwood

The following day, Sunday 9 August 2026, Joel delivered the annual Light of Truth Day talk. This year Joel spoke on the mystical meaning of the Book of Genesis. He began the talk by reminding us that we often mistake relative truths — such as scientific or religious truths — as absolute. Just because truths are relative, however, does not mean they are without value. Religious stories such as the creation story found in the Book of Genesis contain very rich relative truths that can illuminate our own spiritual paths. Joel then guided us through a mystical interpretation of the Book of Genesis to illustrate the valuable mystical teachings we can find in it.

Watch the video here: 2026 Light of Truth Talk by Joel

Joel Steps Down as CSS President

Joel and Tom back in 2004

Joel Morwood, Spiritual Director and a co-founder of CSS, resigned from the positions of President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of CSS on 13 August 2026. Joel shared, "It has been one of the greatest privileges of my life to have served our beloved community in these capacities for the last 39 years. Thank you so much for the opportunity!" Joel will remain on the CSS Board as Spiritual Director.

On 16 August 2026, the CSS Board elected Tom McFarlane to the office of President and Chairman of the Board, taking responsibilty for chairing meetings, setting agendas, overseeing various administrative affairs, and ensuring that our organization is financially healthy and accountable. Tom has been affiliated with the Center since it was founded in 1987, and has served on the Center's Board of Directors since 2003.

Art and Spiritual Practice

Ken Paul, Merry Song, and Niraja Lorenz

What is Divine Curiosity and Communication when it comes to art and creativity? Have you experienced the Creative Flow? Does the prospect of Acceptance and Rejection hinder your urge to create and communicate? These are some of the questions explored in a Sunday Talk with Merry Song. Guest artists Ken Paul and Niraja Lorenz started off the discussion, with many community members chiming in with thoughts and experiences. This talk is Part II of two presentations on Art and Spirituality, both of which are available on YouTube:
 Part I of When is Art a Spiritual Practice?
 Part II of When is Art a Spiritual Practice?

Audio Editions of Joel's Books

After years in the making, the audio edition of Joel's book The Way of Selflessness has been completed and is now available on Audible! Narrated by Wayne Leeds, you can now enjoy this spiritual treasure as you drive, walk, or "chop wood and carry water."

Praised as "a spiritual treasure" by Huston Smith, The Way of Selflessness is an authoritative guide for anyone who wishes to walk a mystical path and discover directly the truth testified to by the mystics of the world's spiritual traditions. Drawing from the universal teachings and essential practices of the mystics from all the world's major religious traditions, distilled and presented in generic terms suitable for all seekers, The Way of Selflessness is appropriate for both those who belong to an established religion and those who do not.
Listen to The Way of Selflessness on Audible

Joel's book Through Death’s Gate: A Guide to Selfless Dying is also now available as an audio book on Audible.

This book is designed to help committed spiritual seekers prepare for death.

Through Death's Gate summarizes the basic teachings found in the major spiritual traditions of the world on how to pass through death as selflessly and effortlessly as possible.

In particular, it contains three fundamental spiritual practices to help you transform your own death from a terrifying ordeal into what the Sufi poet, Rumi, called our “wedding with eternity.”

This book was written primarily for spiritual practitioners who are, themselves, facing imminent death.

We hope, however, that it will also benefit their friends, relatives, and fellow practitioners, as well as anyone else wishing to take full advantage of the precious opportunity for Spiritual Awakening which death presents to those who are properly prepared.
Listen to Through Death's Gate on Audible

An Illustration from the Zoom Awakening Group with Merry Song

During the June round of ZAG (Zoom Awakening Group), Merry Song assigned a challenging storytelling task meant to illuminate “The Story of I” and expose the ways we suffer while blocking the natural flow of creative energy. A writing prompt was assigned for each day of the week which created a story in chronological order. See below for Nancy Miller’s response. And then read on and see the actual prompts below. Give it a try yourself and see what happens! -Merry Song

The Flow, by Nancy Miller (HeartSong)

Jeanette had heard people talk about being in The Flow, so she sits, confronted by issues of The Flow, and she can’t quite wrap her mind around it. She figures that is part of the problem—that she is trying to wrap her mind around it. She surmises that “mind” eventually becomes part of The Flow, but what does that mean? She thinks and thinks: Will I feel differently? Will I act differently? Will everything be easier? The Flow sounds impossible and out of reach. She cannot quite understand and doesn’t want to admit that she can’t. She has always known or found whatever she needs. So, she persists. She will understand.

One day, in her studio, something extraordinary happens. She finds herself in The Flow while designing a stained-glass window. The colors to use are obvious, the lines beautiful, and she stands back, amazed. It had seemed so very easy. She plays with the design, tweaking it here and there, but cannot substantially improve it. She notices she’s been experiencing so much joy in the process. That joy carries over to her selecting the pieces of glass to use, cutting the glass. And even if the glass does not break at the place she’d indicated, she can incorporate that into her piece. The hours fly by. She’d been working 4 hours! What a joyful day.

The next day, she tries to recreate The Flow, but is frustrated because the more she tries the worse it gets. She cannot find the right shade of green glass, and when she scores the glass, the cutter slips. The fuse blows, so the kiln turns off. And on and on. She sits to meditate but can only think about the blown fuse: Is this going to be an ongoing problem? Who can I ask? Frustrated she looks out the window to calm herself. It was not going to work today. I’m not going to experience that flow, she thinks. I just have to accept that. But as soon as she begins to accept it, she relaxes and everything is OK. Her Flow is just not in the studio that day; it is somewhere else.

She keeps trying to recapture that precious day. She is frustrated over and over again. She begins to believe that The Flow will never come again and becomes angry and angrier, convinced that something has been taken from her. I have worked so hard, she says to herself, to experience that joyful day! Now she’s been cheated. It seemed to her that others easily felt The Flow, but not her…Oh no, not her. She feels bitter for that as well.

Poor Jeanette, she just never seems to have what she wants. It is all just a tease.

Then one day, she is surprised to find herself disappearing into a work of art. It is very much like that precious day, except this time she completely loses track of herself. Whatever is happening is beyond her sense of self; her whole being is consumed by the activity of art. It is all just…happening. There is nothing more to say really. After a period of time, the activity stops. She looks at the finished piece with amazement. How did that happen? she asks herself. This piece is one of the most remarkable things I have ever made. How did that happen?

The next day she goes back to her studio and studies the new work. She considers her experience of making the piece and realizes something remarkable: I did not make this art. It was made by an energy that used me to make it. Is that The Flow? Energy using me as a conduit? Wow! This understanding opens up worlds of new thoughts and awareness. Just sitting and feeling. It is freeing, alive and joyful. She laughs at how long it took her to get to this point. She appreciates that she has some new awareness and smiles so deeply that her body shakes. Her art, as well as her life, begins to take on an ease. People love her work, but that is not so important to her. What is important was experiencing openness and feeling source energy.

A frustrated person asks her: “How do you do it?”

She answers, “Well, hmmm, The Flow. I appreciate your frustration, because I have felt it too. For me there was a long path of searching, for what I had no idea. Many caring people kept me going. It is about relaxing, appreciating, and accepting life as it is, as much as you can. The more deeply you can open up and accept your life, the more you can feel The Flow. Everything is connected. I have joy, appreciation, love, community. I’ll repeat appreciation over and over.”

----

Here is the actual assignment:

Roll-Up—In the Flow ZAG Thursday Workshop June 2026

In The Flow:
Runners feel it, artists feel it, musicians feel it, writers feel it. When do you feel you are in The Flow? Hopefully when you write from the prompts below! Let’s tell a story together. This is a story about a female character who wants to know The Flow, finds it, loses it, and wants to get back to it. In her striving to control it, she will suffer. But when she totally lets go, the flow will come to her. Give your character a name and an occupation. Your daily ten-minute writings are meant to connect into an unfolding story. See if you find The Flow. Feel free to include your lived experience in this character’s story, but also let yourself flow with fiction making up details, descriptions, and dialogue. Switch the story to present tense if you like.

Fri. June 12: She had heard people talk about being in The Flow, but she had many questions such as…

Sat. June 13: One day, something extraordinary happened. She found herself in The Flow while…

Sun. June 14: The next day, she tried to recreate The Flow, but was frustrated because…

Mon. June 15: Thinking that The Flow would never come again, she became angry. Here are the thoughts that filled her mind: (Include anger, jealousy, and self-pity.)

Tues. June 16: Then one day, she was surprised to find herself disappearing into a work of art…

Wed. June 17: She said to herself, “I did not make this art. It was made by…”

Thurs. June 18: A frustrated person asked her: “How do you do it?” She answered…

Upcoming ZAG Workshop with Merry Song: “Meeting Yourself at the Door.”

Merry Song

Merry Song uses creative writing as a tool to illuminate “The Story of I” which can keep us trapped in cycles of suffering. This fall, Merry Song will lead an 8-week Zoom Awakening group on “Meeting Yourself at the Door.” Each participant will maintain a daily 10-minute writing practice with provided prompts. The theme “Meeting Yourself at the Door” refers to coming out of hiding from fictional identities. In what ways do we hide from the world, from ourselves, and from the True Nature of Being? ZAG is never about how well you can write. It is always about cultivating awareness and illuminating the “Story of I”.

The group will begin on Thursday, Oct. 1 from 1-3 pm. Participation is limited, and each person will be asked to do their best to attend all 8 sessions. The registration day and time on a first come/first served basis is Thursday, Sept 17 at 1 pm. To register, send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or text 541-543-7092.

Facing Fear on the Path, by Joel

Joel, circa 1998

Almost everyone who walks a spiritual path will experience some form of fear. Initially, we may be afraid of what family and friends will think of our spiritual interests. We may be afraid of our teacher, or the teachings, or of certain practices, or going on retreat. Later, we may develop a fear of losing all interest in worldly affairs, going insane, or finding out something about ourselves we don't want to know. We may also become afraid of such things as impermanence, death, or even God. But all these different kinds of fear are actually rooted in a single fear, which is the fear of Enlightenment itself.

The reason we are afraid of Enlightenment is because we know in our heart of hearts that before we can Awaken to our True Self, our ego-self must die. Nor are we deceived, for this is confirmed by the mystics of all traditions. Here, for example, is how Master Haikun describes a person who has arrived at the last stage of Zen practice.

Like a man hanging over a precipice he is completely at a loss what to do next. Except for occasional feelings of uneasiness and despair, it is like death itself. All of a sudden he finds his mind and body wiped out of existence.¹

The Christian mystic, St. Teresa of Avila, compares what happens on a spiritual path to a silkworm turning into a butterfly. But she warns:

Note very carefully, daughters, the silkworm has of necessity to die, and it is this which will cost you most.²

Why? Because, as the great Sufi poet, Rumi, says:

No one will find his way to the Court of Magnificence until he is annihilated³

From the beginning, then, our attitude towards Enlightenment is fraught with deep-seated ambivalence. On the one hand, we yearn to Awaken, and yet, at the same time, we are terrified of the "spiritual death" which we must undergo in order to attain it. What's worse, the closer we get to our goal, the stronger our fear is apt to become.

Now, from a teacher's perspective, the appearance of fear on the path is usually a good sign, for it indicates the student is at last starting to glimpse the Truth. Sometimes, however, the fear may become so overwhelming that all further progress is blocked. So the question is, are there any steps you can take when this happens? And the answer, of course, is, yes, there are.

Photo by Merry Song

First, when fear arises, practice detachment. Detachment from fear means not grasping at it, or trying to push it away. "Grasping at fear" happens when we identify it as something belonging to our essential nature. This is a product of the way we have been conditioned to think about ourselves—as, for instance, when we say, "I am afraid." The way to break this conditioning is to ignore whatever thoughts you may be having about the fear, and directly observe that it is just another impermanent phenomenon arising and passing in Consciousness. Then, realize that, precisely because the fear is impermanent, it cannot be part of who you truly are, because you—the observer—do not arise or pass away with the fear.

"Pushing fear away" happens whenever we try to deny or resist it. Not only will this tactic not work, but trying to resist fear actually strengthens the sense of ego-self by creating the impression that there is some `one' doing the resisting.

In practicing nonresistance, however, we must be careful, because resistance itself is a conditioned response which cannot be gotten rid of through will power alone. So do not fall into the trap of trying to resist the resistance. Instead, focus your attention on your breath. Then, each time you exhale, let your attention expand outward, until it completely fills the space of awareness which surrounds and permeates your body and mind. Now relax and allow both the fear and the resistance to it to effortlessly arise and pass away in this space.

The second thing you can do is transform fear into compassion. Once you have learned to allow fear to be present without being overwhelmed, you can actually use it to arouse compassion. Remember that compassion literally means to "suffer with." So, whenever fear arises, consider that everyone suffers from fear at some time in their lives. Therefore, the fear you are currently feeling is not strictly personal. In fact, it is something you share with all sentient beings. So, open your heart to this fear and be grateful for the opportunity to experience deeply what others also experience. Then, just as you, yourself, want to be free of fear, recognize that all beings want this, as well. Make a strong wish or prayer that they, too, may be released from this form of suffering.

The more you can open your heart to fear and the suffering it causes, the more you will find that something remarkable happens. The very same energy which manifested as fear becomes transformed into a profound feeling of love and sympathy for all beings throughout the entire cosmos.

The third and most powerful thing you can do is embrace fear as your ally. We are so conditioned to think of fear as an enemy that this may sound rather strange. How could fear be an ally? Actually, if you have ever faced a life-threatening crisis—a medical emergency, natural disaster, or military combat—you have already had some experience of this.

Photo by Merry Song

At first, your reaction is one of sheer panic. Adrenaline pumps through your veins. Your heart rate goes into high gear. You feel momentarily immobilized. Then something shifts and, suddenly, you find yourself in an altered state. The body is infused with incredible energy. The mind becomes exceptionally alert and clear. All extraneous thoughts vanish, and attention is able to focus fully on the tasks at hand. Time slows down and you find you can do whatever needs to be done with great calmness and efficiency. It almost seems as if some Divine Force has taken over your life and is guiding all your actions.

Notice that what has produced this extraordinary state is that the intensity of the fear has temporarily "killed" all sense of your ego-self. Now this, in fact, is very close to what happens during spiritual death. The only real difference is that, in spiritual death, there is no external crisis to distract your attention. When attention is completely undistracted, it naturally returns to its Source in and as Consciousness, Itself. At this point, all that is required for you to Awaken is to Recognize that this Consciousness is who you truly are.

So if, instead of detaching from fear—or even trying to transform it into something else—you can completely and totally surrender to it, then the fear itself will obliterate your ego-self and, in so doing, carry you straight to Enlightenment's doorstep.

Photo by Merry Song

It is important, however, to add a word of caution. Surrendering to fear is not something you can or should try to force. It must occur spontaneously or, in theological terms, by way of grace. The worst thing you can do is get into a battle with yourself, trying to surrender to fear, and end up feeling weak or guilty because you failed. When the time comes, surrender will happen . . . one way or another. Meanwhile, the next time fear arises just try to remember that behind its wrathful veneer lies a potential friend.

Practicing detachment, transforming fear into compassion, and embracing it as an ally, are all ways of meeting fear head-on. In the long run, however, the most effective way to deal with fear is to make a systematic inquiry into its true cause. According to the mystics, the true cause of all suffering is the experience of being some limited ego-self, which requires constant enhancement and protection. But this is something you must become convinced of through your own direct insights. So, for example, whenever you suffer from disappointment, you might notice that this suffering only arises because there is some self which expected to get something it desired. When you suffer from sorrow, you might notice that this suffering only arises because there is some self which is attached to something it has lost. When you suffer from fear, you might notice that this suffering only arises because there is some self which is anxious about losing something in the future.

Photo by Merry Song

The more you conduct this kind of inquiry, the more you will directly see that your own sense of self is, indeed, the basis of all your suffering. Consequently, instead of cherishing this self as your most prized possession, you will come to regard it as a painful burden. Then, far from fearing ego death, you will actually long for it. When this happens, you will be like a tree-ripened plum, ready to fall at the merest whisper of a breeze.

Finally, keep in mind that the mystics' teachings about spiritual death reflect only a relative truth. They describe the experiences of a seeker still veiled by ignorance. From the point of view of Enlightenment, however, no 'self' ever dies. This is because, in Reality, as the Hindu sage, Shankara, says:

There is neither birth nor death, neither bound nor aspiring soul, neither liberated soul nor seeker after liberation—this is the ultimate and absolute truth.⁴

Likewise, the Buddha tells his disciple Subhuti:

If the full truth is realized, one would know . . . that there are no sentient beings to be delivered and there is no selfhood that can begin the practice of seeking to attain Noble Wisdom.⁵

For this reason, too, the great Sufi shaykh, Ibn `Arabi, writes:

Most of `those who know God' make a ceasing of existence...a condition of attaining the knowledge of God, and that is an error and a clear oversight. For the knowledge of God does not presuppose the ceasing of existence . . . For things have no existence, and what does not exist cannot cease to exist . . . Then if thou know thyself without existence or ceasing to be, then thou knowest God; and if not, then not.⁶

In other words, your supposed 'self' is nothing but a delusion, an imaginary construct, a mere mirage. It has never truly existed, and what has never truly existed cannot cease to exist. So, ultimately, all your fears are unfounded. This is the great Cosmic Joke which Enlightenment reveals. Once you see it, you will laugh at death, and your laughter will shake the very stars.

- Joel Morwood, Center Voice: Winter-Spring 2001. Joel is the spiritual director for the Center for Sacred Sciences in Eugene, Oregon.

Notes

1. Cited in D. T. Suzuki, Zen Buddhism: Selected Writings of D. T. Suzuki, ed. William Barrett (Garden City, N. Y.: Doubleday & Company, Inc., Anchor Books edition, 1956) p. 148.
2. St. Teresa of Avila, Interior Castle, trans. E. Allison Peers (New York: Image Books, a Division of Doubleday, 1961) p. 113.
3. William C. Chittick, The Sufi Path of Love: The Spiritual Teachings of Rumi (Albany, N.Y.: State University of New York Press, 1983) p. 179.
4. Shankara's Crest-Jewel of Discrimination, trans. Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood, 3^rd ed. (Hollywood: Vedanta Press, 1978) p. 127.
5. A Buddhist Bible, ed. Dwight Goddard (Boston: Beacon Press, 1970) p. 97-98.
6. Ibn `Arabi, "Whoso Knoweth Himself...", trans. T. H. Weir (Gloucestershire: Beshara Publications, 1976) p. 5.