8/4/2019 El Tiempo - El camino de la meditacin

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Entertainment Toledo, Ohio El Tiempo November 10, 2010 Page 5

People who drive by theSofia Quintero Art and CulturalCenter now will see a sculpturetwisting skyward in a commu-nity gardena loving thank youfor one of the centers biggestsupporters.

That supporter, BarbaraWinter, expressed visible sur-

prise, then began to cry when

the red metal sculpture was re-vealed in the waning sunlight.She hugged the artist respon-sible for the piece, RichardMaurera center board mem-

ber and owner of Maurer Metalsin Delta.

Ive never been so pleas-antly surprised, ever. Im amazed,its the nicest thing these folkshave done for me, said Ms.Winter, still choking back tearsof happiness several minutes

after the ceremony. I believein what theyre doing here andI support it in as many ways asI can.

Shes our biggest fan andhas always believed in our cen-ter, said Dora Lopez, board presi-dent of the Sofia Quintero Artand Cultural Center (SQACC).Shes contributed in so manyways, not only financially, butshe believes in us and makes itto all of our events and shes

just a wonderful person. Thisis more than a thank you. Thisis we love you and youre a

part of our family.The centers board of di-

rectors unveiled the sculpture,Metaphysical Personification,

just before the centers 14th an-nual Dia de los Muertos (Dayof the Dead) celebration. The

board decided a permanentsculpture in one of the centersseven community gardens

would be a good, permanentway to honor Ms. Wintersmany contributions.

Its a landscape of thesoul, explained Maurer. Theidea behind it is we all have a

path through life that gets us tosome goal, ultimately. Its alwaysa meandering linetheres noone true trajectory for anybody.

The sculpture spirals sky-ward, which Maurer explainedrepresents ones spirit lifting,

moving. He pointed out thesculpture also points down-ward, symbolism that we mustremain grounded.

Hopefully people are justinspired by its electricity, its en-ergy, said Maurer. If nothingelse, its a good conversation

Quintero Center dedicatessculpture to long-time supporterBy: KEVIN MILLIKENEl Tiempo Staff Writer

piece. Potentially, it may inspiresome young artists.

Ms. Winter also attendedthe Dia de los Muertos

fundraiser, along with dozens ofother supporters, filling the cen-ter to near-capacity Saturdayevening. Ms. Lopez constructedan altar honoring the memory ofher departed family members atthe center. Seven other such al-tars were set up across the streetat La Galeria de las Americas forattendees to view.

My Hacienda and OKPatron catered the event, whilethe crowd was entertained with

the Spanish-language lovesongs performed by guitaristMiguel Saucedo. ConcepcionConnie Trevino Eason alsoread an original poem she wroteabout Dia de los Muertos.

Its part of a long culturaltradition that originates with theMexicans and the Aztecs priorto them, explained Ms. Lopez.Its a combination of their be-liefs, incorporated with Catholi-cism when the Spaniards came

seeking gold. They discoveredthe Aztec traditions and thoughtit was a little odd, some of thethings they were doing. Sothey tried to change them andincorporate some of their be-liefs based in Catholicism. TheAztecs, the indigenous peopleheld fast to their beliefs, so it

became a blending.The use of skulls and skel-

etons as symbols in the altarshonoring departed family can be

misconstrued by people as some-thing related to Halloween. ButMs. Lopez explained that suchsymbols were seen by the an-cient Aztecs as representing bothlife and death, a positive belief.Photographs, favorite foods,flowers, and favorite belongings

are incorporated into the altarsas another means of honoringthe dead.

The belief is that for one

day, the spirit allows these peopleto come back to earth and be withtheir loved ones, Ms. Lopezsaid. So this is just sort of awelcome back home. You canreminisce and celebrate their liferather than mourning theirdeath.

Visitors can still view theDia de los Muertos altars at LaGaleria, 1224-1226 Broadway,through November 19. Thealtars can be seen 10 a.m.-3:30

p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays,as well as 10 a.m.-5 p.m.Wednesdays and Fridays. Thedisplay also features ElPueblothe depiction of anAztec village being revisited bydearly departed loved ones.

However, KirstenSnodgrass, an artist who de-signed the pueblo-themed dis-

play, set in modern times alongthe Broadway corridorwith

banks and storefronts and even

a fiesta scene. Skeletons are scat-tered throughout the display, de-

picting the dearly departed whoreturned for the day, accordingto the original beliefs of Dia delos Muertos.

The whole idea behindthe funny and playful use of skel-etons is to say were not afraidof death, said Ms. Lopez.

La Galerias display will bechanged over the Thanksgivingholiday to feature Christmas in

Latin America, which will featuredisplays and artwork bySQACC executive director JoeBalderas and Ms. Snodgrass.The next First Friday eventwill feature the same theme atthe center, to be held on Fri-day, December 3 at 6 p.m.

The practice of medita-tion is often associated withthe spiritual disciplines of theEast. But meditation, whichoriginated in Vedic Hinduism,is also found in the Christiantradition. In the last years, ithas become mainstream inWestern culture.

What is meditation?Why do we meditate? Howcan we benefit from it? Pub-lished for the first time in

Spanish, El camino de lameditacin: Momento deCristo (Convivium Press,$18.99), is one of the most in-fluential works by John Main.

According to him, thebook can help us search for,and find, the answers in thename of Christ. It is based onCommunitas, a series of livetalks Main gave in the lastyears of his life. Thus, is nota continuous narrative, in fact

it can be approached alter-nately. Written in a simplestyle, the book is a source ofspiritual nourishment andenlightment that can bring thereader closer to the practiceof meditation. The messageis clear: our salvation lies inthe hands of Christ and theHoly Spirit.

Divided in 34 easy-to-read-and-follow chapters(The Path to Mantra, The

peace of Christ, The Path toEternity, Original innocence,among others), this 159 page-

book encourages us to beginthe path of meditation and to

persevere on our journey ofsilent prayer, peace and tran-quility. Main believed thatmeditation, as a way of toler-ance and compassion, buildsa bridge of the spirit between

peoples of different faiths,between rich and poor, and

between all those sufferingconflict of division.

What is meditation?Meditation, says Main,

is the suppression of thoughtand image, leaving distraction

behind. The repetition of ashort phrase facilitates the

El camino de la meditacin:Momento de Cristo (ThePath of Meditation: Momentof Christ) by John MainBy Marcela lvarezwww.tintafresca.us

mantra and the concept of thepoverty of spirit throughout prayer. Silence is the best preparation for meditationand it can be done in 20 or 30minutes a day, in private.Meditation involves

imageless and silence prayerthrough repetition of a man-tra: Maranatha. No matter ourreligion, faith or beliefs, we allneed a mantra, says Main.That magic word centers thewhole subject in the presenceof Christ and the Holy Spirit.

The book is filled withhelpful advice and deep, spiri-tual insight. Its beautiful mes-sage will serve anyone, or anygroup, wishing to get closer

to God and Christ through thepractice of meditation.

About the authorJohn Main was a

Benedictine monk, born inLondon in 1926. Without adoubt he is one of the great-est modern sages of prayer,

having devoted his time andlife to bring Christian medita-tion to the world. In 1975, heopened the first ChristianMeditation Center at his mon-astery in London, and later inMontreal. He rediscovered

Christian Meditation in the20th Century and proposed itto contemporary women andmen seeking sense and inspi-ration in their lives. Duringhis youth, while living inAsia, he met his spiritualteacher, a Hindu Monk namedSwami Satyananda, whotransmitted him the techniqueof Hindu Meditation. Later,Main discovered that similar

practices existed in Christian

tradition. He died of cancer inDecember 1982, at his mon-astery in Montreal.

For more information onEl camino de la meditacin:Momento de Cristo and/orother books, please visitwww.tintafresca.us