This Symposium brought together international and local speakers in a day full of learning and insight, highlighting and exploring the significance of the inner meanings of religions’ teachings which are often overlooked and so remain inaccessible to us.

Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr Audio

Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr (audio extracts)

The keynote address, given by Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr through his video presentation, was a remarkable exploration of the Sacred as it manifests throughout the world's religions. He explored the symposium theme systematically across the ages, and emphasised the importance of the inner, esoteric dimension of sacred teachings of religions.

He explained how every religion has occasionally expressed itself in new manifestations in different times and places throughout history, but as long as the connection with the inner dimension of the religion is kept and "as long as the new manifestations of the religion have their roots in the divine religion, all the branches have the same sap".

Professor Nasr pointed out the consequences of secularism in the modern West, and the dangers of living in a world based on appearance. He reminded us that despite being covered and often forgotten, the everlasting divine presence remains in everything – "We live in a world today in which everything is based on appearance, but we do not even realise that the word appearance implies the appearance of something". Whilst this cannot be perceived by our outer senses, it is revealed to our inner senses highlighting the need to develop our capacities to perceive the inner.

Dr Reza Shah-Kazemi Audio

Dr Reza Shah-Kazemi (audio extracts)

Dr Reza Shah-Kazemi continued with the theme of the inner reality showing us how "Meister Ekhart in Christianity and Ibn Arabi in Islam help us go from the religious form to the spiritual essence. From the outer teachings of religion to the inner mysteries from which these teachings derive all their transformative power." Again and again these two great mystics were shown to be more than just similar in their conceptualisations and realisations; they were in fact, constantly converging at the highest level of spiritual discourse. One had the feeling that we were witness to a meeting point at the very summit of spiritual attainment, whilst each saint remained utterly true to their own religious tradition. Dr Shah-Kazemi also emphasised that both saints wrote at length about the long religious and spiritual training that was a prerequisite for these lofty realisations on the spiritual path.

A passage from Ibn Arabi's 'Book of Theophanies' (Kitab al Tajjaliyat) was then read, accompanied by the Persian ney (reed flute), played by Mustafa Karami. This majestic and sublime poem describes the incredible intimacy between God The Beloved, and His servant, the lover, the ney constantly providing an inspiring background for moments of reflection between the soaring verses of poetry.

Dr Harry Oldmeadow Audio

Dr Harry Oldmeadow (audio extracts)

Dr Harry Oldmeadow, in his engaging and good humoured way, reiterated and clarified many of the essential points of the traditionalist school of thought. Telling us that if we are to gain a deeper understanding of the inner and outer aspects of our own religious tradition, as well as a deeper understanding of any other tradition, then there are three essential principles to bear in mind. First, that there are multiple revelations, "God has not spoken only once, God has spoken many times". Secondly, "it follows that there must necessarily be many different religious forms". Also these forms are not man made, they are a whole system of symbols that have come through revelation, and as such we owe respect to them. Finally, that all religions are made up of an outer and an inner, the shell and the kernel. He continued "it is not a matter of rejecting the outer aspect. The forms of any particular traditions cannot survive without the animating impulse, the life, the vitality, the energy, which is provided by the esoteric dimension, which is the mystical stream of the religion."

Dr Rodney Blackhirst Audio

Dr Rodney Blackhirst (audio extracts)

Dr Rodney Blackhirst started with a discussion of one practical aspect of the spiritual path, which in Islam is called Zikr Allah, the Remembrance of God and which has its counterpart in other religions. From this very practical starting point, he took us on an extraordinary journey looking at the Prophetic cycle of the three monotheistic religions through an uncommon and esoteric perspective.

He showed us the ways that Judaism has become an outer religious form, while Christianity has focused on inner teaching, both without a harmonious balance between the inner and outer so that one aspect has become emphasised to the extent that the other is obscured. He said the Islamic revelation was a corrective with clear distinctions between inner and outer aspects of religion and a restoration to the lost balance.

Then the speakers took to the stage for a panel discussion. Fleur Nassery Bonnin facilitated this panel, giving speakers the opportunity to delve more deeply into their topics. In this casual and intimate forum, the audience experienced these experts exploring the deeper esoteric aspects in the spirit of open dialogue.