In October 2013, former Pendle Hill Board member Steve Smith traveled to Korea and presented a talk on Pendle Hill, Quaker faith and testimonies, and interfaith understanding at the Bulkwang Forum in Seoul. Steve taught for 35 years in the Philosophy and Religious Studies department at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California, and is the author of two Pendle Hill pamphlets, A Quaker in the Zendo (PHP #370), and Living in Virtue, Declaring against War: The Spiritual Roots of the Peace Testimony (PHP #378).
His talk, excerpted below, explores the roots of Pendle Hill’s mission and vision in Quaker testimonies and practices, and describes some key elements of Pendle Hill’s life and work today.
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AWAKENING TO PRESENCE, HEALING THE WORLD
The Spirit of Pendle Hill
A talk by Steve Smith, Ph.D.
Bulkwang Forum, Seoul, South Korea
19 – 20 October 2013
Profound inwardness does not separate us from the world, but reconnects us more deeply to it, inspiring us to ease suffering and promote peace and justice. This paraphrase of words by William Penn, that most public of all Friends, is an insight found in both the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and Zen Buddhism. Through its spiritual tradition and social outreach, Pendle Hill… reflects this essential unity of spiritual awakening and mending the world.
All religious communities hope to model a better way of life. Yet not all such communities seek to change the larger society out of which they spring; some retreat into a private space insulated from the outside world, to avoid contamination by popular culture. In contrast, others see themselves as training grounds where those who wish to transform society may develop insight, skills and strengths to promote their goals. Pendle Hill…has always been this latter kind of spiritual community: grounded in a communitarian spiritual practice, yet dedicated to serving the larger society.
From its opening in September 1930, Pendle Hill aimed to be “an institution of religious and social purpose where students might seek solutions to the problems of the world around them.” i This union of inward-looking spirituality and outward-looking commitment to social reform is a central feature not only of Pendle Hill, but also of the tradition it represents, the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). This small Protestant group practices a distinctive model of spiritual faith and practice. Few in number (the world population of Friends today is about 400,000), Friends have nevertheless had influence far out of proportion to their size. A brief historical overview:
Spiritual Roots of Quakerism
The taproot of Quaker religious thought, the central experience animating the life of George Fox and early Friends, is that the source of spiritual wisdom and insight lies within each human breast, not in some outward authority. In the words of George Fox, the 17th-century founder of Quakerism, “Christ has come to teach his people himself.” ii The living experience of divine power is not confined to an ancient book, nor under exclusive franchise to a select cadre of religious functionaries; it is directly available to everyone, without need for clerical mediation or churchly authorization. Within every human being—regardless of formal office or role, nationality or race, religious training or skeptical bent—lies the divine teacher, waiting to be discerned and heeded. Authentic religious conviction arises when we awaken to this inner authority, which conveys genuine insight and enables us to see truth in other sources, while exposing that which is false and damaging. By opening our hearts and waiting upon the Spirit, we may find wisdom that is available to everyone, regardless of religious tradition. We can know in our innermost being the truth that matters most, and can recognize that truth in others—indeed, can learn to read it in the world at large. There is “that of God in every one” iii ; hence no human being, whether pope or priest, king or magistrate, monk or guru, may claim an authority higher than our own Inward Teacher.
Friends have always understood that in awakening to the Spirit within, we also awaken to awareness of suffering and injustice around us. Thus Friends do not withdraw from the world but seek to transform it. The earliest (and still most famous) of all public Quakers, William Penn (1644-1718), author of treatises on world government, founder of the State of Pennsylvania, and architect of a treaty of peace between the European settlers of Pennsylvania and its indigenous tribes (the French philosopher Voltaire described it as “the only treaty never signed and never broken”), declared that “True Godliness does not draw men [and women] out of the world, but enables them to live better in it and excites their endeavors to mend it.” iv In 1682 the new Pennsylvania Colony adopted a constitution that reflected Friends’ ideals of freedom, equality and religious tolerance. The simple way of life practiced by Quakers discouraged commercialism and conspicuous consumption. Whereas some Christian sects espoused an otherworldly theology that fostered indifference toward the natural world, Friends regard this natural world as redeemable; through spiritual discipline one may reconnect with nature and, like George Fox, experience it as a “New Creation.” v
Even during the so-called “quietist” period of Quakerism (1690-1820), when Friends realized that the ambitious aims of their earliest years could not be achieved immediately and turned their energies to purifying their spiritual communities, Quakerism remained a fertile seedbed of reform. For example, prominent quietist Friends:
• Defended the rights of Native Americans;
• Promoted humane treatment of the mentally ill;
• Became leaders in prison reform;
• Pioneered in the effort to abolish slavery.
Notable Quaker reformers during this period included Anthony Benezet (1713 – 1784) and John Woolman (1720 – 1772), who worked to abolish slavery, and Elizabeth Fry (1780 – 1825), whose bold initiatives inspired reform of the English system of criminal justice. As Quaker quietism gave way in the 19th century to a more volatile and unstable religious landscape, Lucretia Mott (1793 – 1880), Angelina and Sarah Grimke (1792 – 1873, 1805 -1879), Susan B. Anthony (1820 – 1906), Alice Paul (1885 – 1977) and others led campaigns for the rights of women.
Twentieth-Century Friends were prominent in efforts to relieve suffering caused by war and to promote racial equality. The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) was founded in 1917 to assist civilian victims of World War I. Following cessation of armed conflict, AFSC worked in eastern Europe to help the victims of war; eventually the AFSC was chartered by President Herbert Hoover (himself a Quaker) to provide relief for German children. Later, the AFSC helped refugees to escape from Nazi Germany, and was engaged in many other ventures to reduce the suffering of armed conflict. In 1947 the AFSC and its British counterpart, the Friends Service Council, were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts. A few years later, the AFSC reached out to support civilian victims of the Korean War. Friends were active in the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s in the United States, work that continues today.
Friends’ Testimonies
These historic examples of reform reflect the basic beliefs of the Religious Society of Friends. George Fox, the spiritual founder of Quakerism, urged his followers to “let your lives speak.” Fox realized that for better or worse, our greatest influence upon others comes less from what we say than from what we actually do with our lives. In one of his most famous pastoral letters, he urged Friends to “be patterns, be examples”—that is, to model in their lives what they professed. Fox saw that in order to become effective agents of change, we must look first to our spiritual lives; our actions in the world are more effective when they are guided by deeply centered awareness. When we are faithful to these spiritual stirrings, our lives round into an integral whole, and our behavior naturally expresses certain values—not abstract principles that we apply by strength of will, but the organic fruit of this integrity. Friends understand these lived values as testimonies, arising from the truth of our experience. Under the influence of the 20th-century Quaker writer and scholar, Howard Brinton, Quaker testimonies have commonly been identified as simplicity, peace, integrity, community and equality, often with unity included as well. Yet this is merely a convenient and arbitrary grouping of categories that is removed from our spiritual experience.
The Creation of Pendle Hill
From the founding of Pendle Hill, this Quaker ideal of uniting religious faith and practice has been central to its vision. Pendle Hill came into being in 1930, an inauspicious time for beginning a costly new venture: it was the beginning of the Great Depression, with the ominous clouds of yet another World War looming over Europe and Asia. Yet the founders of Pendle Hill forged ahead with their plans. The first Director, Henry Hodgkin, envisioned four main purposes: Pendle Hill would be (1) “a haven of rest” for spiritual, psychological, and physical renewal; (2) a “school for the prophets,” where residents might discern and advocate radical challenges to the decadence of contemporary culture; (3) a “laboratory of ideas,” where scholarly activity might be connected with the real world; and (4) a “fellowship of cooperation,” where residents might live together in a blessed community. vi These purposes continue to guide Pendle Hill today. Residents and staff understand that the most effective work in the world arises from a spiritual center of power and insight.
Following breakfast each morning, those present unite in silent worship, gathering not only in body but in Spirit. At the rise of Meeting for Worship, guests are welcomed and announcements preview the activities of the day. Classes are offered each term in which residents explore topics that pertain both to spiritual practice and to serving the larger world. Students, staff, and administrative personnel share in the ongoing tasks of the community: preparing and serving meals, cultivating a garden, maintaining the grounds, doing office work, washing windows, and much more. This shared work deepens the bonds of community.
In the 2013-14 course catalog, Executive Director Jen Karsten writes:
What is the world calling for, and how can we respond? Our programs reflect our view that the world is calling for peace and social justice and that we are uniquely suited to prepare people to respond effectively to that call. . . [Karsten summarizes] core content areas: Building capacity for nonviolent social change; spiritual deepening; Quaker faith and practice; dismantling oppression; leadership skill development; ecological literacy; personal discernment; arts and crafts; and Gandhian constructive program. Through Pendle Hill’s Resident Program, people become agents of change. Students leave here connected, prepared, spiritually grounded, and inspired to help create a new world in their home regions.
Ways that Pendle Hill Influences Society
A constant flow of persons into and out of Pendle Hill ensures many avenues of influence:
• Many people come to Pendle Hill for long-term or short-term study, as well as personal retreats. Virtually everyone who passes through this remarkable community testifies to its positive impact.
• Those who live at Pendle Hill experience a unique mix of work, study and worship that promotes a healthier, more balanced way of life. When they leave, their lives have been altered by their visit.
• Every student who is enrolled for one or more terms of study is paired with a staff member whom they meet for one hour weekly; these meetings provide emotional and spiritual support, helping students to clarify their life choices.
• The beautiful, peaceful environment of Pendle Hill promotes strong connections to the natural world and respect for other forms of life. Many come to Pendle Hill to practice and promote enlightened forms of gardening, agriculture, and earth care.
• Young people gather annually at a Young Adult Friends Conference to cultivate skills and resources for promoting peace, justice, and a simple, less materialistic life.
• Pendle Hill course offerings include training in specific skills for more effective change of society.
• Pendle Hill offers scholarships to those who wish to enroll but cannot pay “full fare.”
• Some courses are taught in the evening so that those who hold jobs in the vicinity may attend when they are not at work.
• Through a public lecture series on topics of wide interest, Pendle Hill reaches many in the immediate area and beyond.
• In summary: Pendle Hill is dedicated to deepening the religious lives of those who spend time on its grounds, and to modeling a better way of life. Spiritual nurture naturally enhances one’s abilities to influence society, and many forms of outreach give substance to that influence.
Pendle Hill Publications
The values of Pendle Hill reach a world-wide audience through its publications. For many years, Pendle Hill has published pamphlets and books that explore in depth the perspectives embodied in the community. A sampling of Pendle Hill Pamphlets illustrates the range of topics:
• Cooperation and Coercion as Methods of Social Change, by Vincent Nicholson (#1 – 1934)
• The Value of Voluntary Simplicity, by Richard Gregg (#4 – 1936)
• Reality of the Spiritual World, by Thomas Kelly (#21 – 1942)
• Christianity and Civilisation, by Arnold Toynbee (#39 – 1947)
• The Use of Silence, by Geoffrey Hoyland (#83 – 1955)
• The Way of Man According to the Teachings of Hasidism, by Martin Buber (#106 – 1960)
• Mysticism and the Experience of Love by Howard Thurman (#115 – 1965)
• Nonviolent Action: How It Works, by George Lakey (#129 – 1963)
• On Being Present Where You Are, by Douglas Steere (#151 – 1967)
• Quaker Worship and Techniques of Meditation (#195 – 1974), by Scot Crom (#195 – 1974)
• Nurturing Contemplation, Carol Murphy (#251 – 1983)
• A Zen Buddhist Encounters Quakerism, by Teruyasu Tamura (#302 – 1992)
• A Plea for the Poor, by John Woolman (#357 – 2001)
• A Quaker in the Zendo, by Steve Smith (#370 – 2004)
• Living from the Center: Mindfulness Meditation and Centering for Friends, by Valerie Brown (#407 – 2010)
Meditation, Worship and Social Action
It is commonly supposed that in order to practice meditation and contemplation, one must give up efforts to change society and retreat into a private space. The above pamphlet titles contradict this supposition. Cultivation of a deeper spiritual life—whether through prayer, meditation, contemplation or other spiritual discipline—can energize one’s commitment to service and facilitate more effective action in society…
Through practicing meditation, contemplation or silent Quaker worship, we cultivate greater compassion and more harmony with others. We become less attached to wealth and less likely to pursue purely private satisfaction and material excess. Thus religious communities provide essential teachings to counter the false values of society.
These teachings speak to a deep hunger in everyone—for we all carry within ourselves an intimation of the deepest values, an inchoate awareness of what matters most…
After all, where is true inner peace to be found? Not through mindless pursuit of power, fame and material gratification, no matter how seductive these may appear. The deepest needs are for the highest things. Writing on behalf of the Catholic tradition, the great Christian theologian, St. Augustine (354 – 430 C.E.) declared, “Our hearts are restless till they rest in Thee.” vii Likewise, the peace and gladness that can be found in Buddhist practice speak to the deepest longings of our hearts. Inspired scriptures from the world’s great religious traditions convey similar messages.
My religious tradition of Quakerism also endorses this view, holding that the problems being addressed in this Forum—“the environmental crisis, economic injustice, decline in morality, the loss of spirituality, religious conflicts, wars, and so on”—all stem from the same cause: unrestrained pursuit of self-centered goals. viii In particular, the environmental crisis—global warming, destruction of rain forests, toxic poisoning of the air, water, and ocean, depletion of fish stock, desertification, accelerating extinction of countless species, and much more—these disasters in our natural world spring from attachments of the human ego and its endless thirst for more, more, more. They reflect a lack of compassion or love, for humans, for non-human life, for the earth itself. If our motives remain small and self-serving, all initiatives to resolve the problems will fail. To promote peace and justice, harmony and healing, we must rise above our private, self-centered pursuits and join with others in a common effort to promote a better life for all. This collaboration cannot be imposed from above by well-meaning authorities; it must rise from the grassroots and be nourished by listening across boundaries, so that we learn to cooperate with larger and larger groups—which brings us to a challenging question:
Sharing Our Insights Without Dogmatism
What may religious and spiritual communities do to bring these vital messages to those who need it? And how can this message be conveyed without dogmatism or coercion? Christian missionaries have too often used the message of their faith as a spiritual bludgeon to frighten others into accepting it. Such an approach is disrespectful of the authentic traditions of non-Christian peoples; it is religious imperialism in the service of domination rather than liberation, deepening our divisions and separation…
A traditional Zen saying is, “You may use your finger to point at the moon—but do not mistake the finger for the moon.” When we view the moon with an open body and mind, we awaken to wonder and reverence. Eager to share our joy, we try to say what cannot be said, using tools that are familiar to us: symbols, metaphors and rituals of our own tradition. Yet these are no more than our own fingers pointing at the moon, not the moon itself.
Authenticity and Listening
I have found that generous respect for other religions is grounded in fidelity to our own authentic religious practice. Just as we cannot draw close to others until we appreciate their uniqueness—discovering in the process that they are not “just like me”—so we can appreciate the religious standpoints of persons from different faith traditions only to the degree that we respect their distinctive point of view—and thereby come to know ourselves more deeply. Intimate knowledge of another and intimate knowledge of ourselves are inextricably intertwined.
To meet the challenge of interfaith dialogue, the most important skill is listening—a compassionate and open listening in which we set aside our own biases and perspectives in order to hear what others are saying to us. When we truly hear another, our own perspective is enlarged and enriched. If I fear that you will judge me, pointing out where you think I have gone wrong, I will not open myself to you. But if I know that you accept me for who I am in all of my uniqueness, and I may confess to you without fear of judgment whatever is in me, I may find the courage to share deeply.
Quakerism and Zen Buddhism both regard the core of religious insight as beyond words. Strikingly, both also value deep listening. Friends commonly describe their silent worship as “expectant waiting” or “listening spirituality.” Deep receptivity and openness to the present moment are central to Quaker spiritual practice. Although described differently, the same is true of Zen meditation. Settling quietly into the present, opening to the sensations of body and mind, noting sensory experience: this too is a form of listening deeply and openly. Zen counsels us to drop attachment to a particular point of view and rely on direct experience only. “Cease to cherish opinions,” declares Chien-chi Seng-ts’an (606 C.E.) “Enlightenment is intimacy with all things,” writes Dogen Zenji (1200 – 1253 C. E.)
The Quaker tradition of eldering reflects a similar ideal: in the best sense of the word, an elder is an experienced Friend who discerns how another person’s spiritual life is unfolding, and gently assists that person in finding his or her own authentic path—which may be quite different from the elder’s path. The most important virtue for good eldering is careful, non-judgmental listening. While an elder may point out to others what they have not yet seen or acknowledged in themselves—indeed, may challenge others to live into who they truly are—such challenges should be made without partiality or ego, out of respect for the unique path of the other.
This quiet receptivity invites compassionate connection. When we hear another deeply and without judgment, we cannot fail to care more keenly for them and feel their suffering. The Quaker mystic and activist, Gene Knudsen Hoffman, writes, “An enemy is one whose story we have not heard.” ix
Since I began Zen practice in 1981 I have come to know my wife and my son much better and appreciate them more. I am more able to hear them without judging what they say and how they behave. Through this process of listening more deeply to them, I have also come to know myself better, seeing how my mind works and recovering suppressed parts of myself. More comfortable with who I am, I am more confident in my interactions with others and can meet their needs better. Less wrapped up in my own thoughts, I am a more effective agent for change.
Bearing Witness
The most important message we bring to the wider world is the quality of our own lives. This includes our willingness to see and hear from others. People may find it easy to resist what we say; it is more difficult for them to resist who we are. Becoming more authentic, embodying in our lives what we have come to know from our own experience, listening deeply to others—these are powerful means of social change. Those who sense our presence and compassion are able to see themselves more clearly and perhaps change the course of their own lives. In the face of kindness and integrity, resistance softens. This basic model of social change is called “bearing witness.” Simply by becoming more deeply authentic, more faithful to the truths we know, we transform the world for the better. The well-known American teacher of mindfulness meditation, Jon Kabat-Zinn, writes,
Simply bearing witness changes everything. It is the power of naming what is, giving voice to what is, and standing in awareness, taking a moral stand, aligning oneself with one’s principles, embodying one’s truth, without forcing anything to be different, but without recoiling from the witnessing, even in the face of overwhelming physical force, or social coercion, and perhaps one’s own fears as well. Just bearing witness changes everything. Gandhi knew that. Martin Luther King knew that. Joan of Arc knew that. . . . they knew it from the heart at least as much as from the head. . . . It requires great patience and forbearance to not turn away from the suffering of the world, yet not be overwhelmed by the enormity of it either, or destroyed by it. It requires great patience and forbearance not to think we can magically fix it all or get it all right just by throwing money at what we see as a problem, perhaps trying to buy influence or allegiance, or impose our own values on others. . . [We can] make an important difference, a critical difference, however small our own little life and energy field may seem in relationship to the larger forces affecting the world. And as we open, we can be mirrors for each other, inspire each other, thus amplifying our presence, and our potentially transformative and healing energies and influence. x
Thus bearing witness is about more than purifying one’s own life; to use a phrase frequently heard among Friends, it means “speaking truth to power.” Bearing witness is prophetic. In the spirit of the prophets of Hebrew Scripture (the Old Testament of the Christian Bible), to be prophetic is not only to speak out against the decline and decadence of true values, but also to step into uncomfortable circumstances for the sake of truth.
In Friends’ and Buddhist perspectives, such prophetic witness must be non-violent and respectful of others; the core commitment to compassion must not be abandoned. By its nature, however, prophetic witness cuts through conventional assumptions, requiring others to question themselves.
The pull of popular culture is powerful and insidious, infiltrating into every aspect of our modern lives. Television and electronic media seem to have captured our shared public consciousness—especially that of our youth, for whom traditional religious values may seem old-fashioned and outmoded. To meet this pervasive onslaught of commercialism and decline, we must find new ways to reassert our timeless religious insights.
Yet as a Friend, I believe that no person or society is entirely beyond redemption. In one manifestation or another, the religious truths that are precious to us, the values that sustain our beloved religious communities, are to be found within every human being. We may need to find new ways to evoke that recognition in one another, to awaken people to what they already know but have forgotten. But the most important thing we can do is to live those truths ourselves, as fully and as deeply as we can.
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ENDNOTES
i Eleanore Price Mather, Pendle Hill: A Quaker Experiment in Education & Community (Wallingford, PA: Pendle Hill Publications, 1980), p. 2.
ii See George Fox, The Journal of George Fox, Ed. by John L. Nickalls (Philadelphia: Religious Society of Friends, 1995). Variations of this phrase occur throughout Fox’s Journal; for example, see p. 20.
iii Ibid., p. 263.
iv William Penn, No Cross, No Crown, 2nd edition, 1682, Part I, Ch. 5.
v See Journal, pp. 27f; also R. Melvin Keiser, Inward Light and the New Creation (Wallingford, PA: Pendle Hill Pamphlet # 295, 1991).
vi Mather, op. cit., p. 4.
vii The Confessions of St. Augustine, opening of Book I (many editions).
viii George Fox located the source of these teachings in the Christian Bible: “The Letter of James.” See 4:1-3.
ix “An Enemy Is One Whose Story We have Not Heard,” in Fellowship: The Journal of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, May/June 1997.
x Jon Kabat-Zinn, Coming to Our Senses: Healing Ourselves and the World Through Mindfulness (New York: Hyperion, 2005), pp. 518f.
