Conversations at Ivy Hill
"Soulfulness is tied to the particulars
of life--good food, satisfying
conversation, genuine friends
and
experiences that touch the heart."
--The Care of the Soul by Thomas Moore
"He longed to hear
the voice of one
who still used
words
as revelations...."
--Gilgamesh, trans. Herbert Mason
The human heart cries out for answers to fundamental
questions about our shared journey through life on earth:
Many disciplines in science and the humanities purport to offer partial
answers to these queries--religion, philosophy, psychology, anthropology,
biology, chemistry, and even physics. When offered by an established and
recognized school of thought, these responses always suffer from the
limitations necessarily imposed to achieve consensus within the field.
The viewpoints supported by institutions such as churches, universities,
or laboratories are constrained by the bureaucracies that maintain those
facilities. Under the weight of formalism, original ideas collapse into
doctrine and dogma. Worthwhile concepts become hedged by orthodoxy and
pedantry.
Upon gaining widespread acceptance, the revelations contained in the
various historical gospels have suffered a similar fate. Some have been
completely lost to posterity (Zoroaster, Abraham). Others have had
material excised by the clergy. Many have been corrupted by sequential
translations and lost the supporting context of the original cultural
idiom (Pentateuch, New Testament). Most religions and philosophies have
been skewed by the political priorities and cultural imperatives of
their adherents. Religion has been distorted to become a justification
for warfare. Belief in a divinely authorized manifest destiny has
led to the extermination of indigenous cultures.
Where can seekers for truth, unwilling to accept the flaws of the
codified and time-honored traditions, discover the light? The thinkers
at Ivy Hill pursue a three-pronged approach. First, they gain perspective
from a wide-ranging academic study over many denominations and
disciplines, cross-comparing and evaluating each system against the
others. Second, they very intentionally and mindfully undertake
experiential learning, truly being alive in each moment of their life
activities. Third, they deliberately and habitually invoke the
inspirational influx of ineffable understanding
through metaphysical practice.
"Seek this knowledge
And comprehend clearly
Why you
should seek it...."
--Bhagavad-Gita
By coming together in conversation at Ivy Hill, our guests facilitate the amplification of their personal energy in resonance with other passionate scholars of life's lessons. By engaging each other's deepest wisdom, they create a whole atmosphere of thought that is much greater than the sum of its contributors. Always, this is done with the hope and expectation of blessing everyone who hears their conversation.
Our "Conversations at Ivy Hill" are available to selected cable and internet television stations.
Joint meetings between our panel of guests and discussion groups around
the world can be arranged.
Contact us for information about the computer equipment, web camera,
software, and broadband internet access you will need.
Visit our library to browse
through
brief descriptions
of several topics from
the Ivy Hill salons.
Visit our home theater to
view
excerpts from some
of our recent conversations.
"In my pursuit after Truth I have discarded many ideas and
learnt many new things. Old as I am in age I have no feeling that I have
ceased to grow inwardly or that my growth will stop
with the dissolution
of the flesh...."
--Gandhi, Harijan, April 29, 1933
© 2002 Ivy Hill Video Productions