<P align=center><EM><BR>Get together for peace<BR><BR><BR>Harmonious band<BR><BR><BR>Monks chanting<BR><BR><BR>Playing guitar, chanting for peace</EM></P>
<P align=center><EM><BR>Resonance in everybody's heart</EM></P>
<P><SPAN lang=EN-US>Zen Community of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Oregon<BR></st1:State></st1:place></SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-US><BR>Oregon, USA -- On Friday July 28th, Great Vow Monastery hosted the 4th annual Interfaith Chant for Peace, co-sponsored by the Northwest Dharma Association and Buddhist Peace Fellowship. The event began with an introduction by co-abbot Hogen Bays, who invited people to chant wholeheartedly and experience the depth of chanting as a form of meditation. </SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US>For the next twenty four hours leaders of all the major spiritual traditions guided the assembly in one to three chants from their tradition. Each group led for an hour, forty five minutes in the chanting hall and fifteen minutes circumambulating the monastery. </SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US>For spiritual leaders this event offered an opportunity to widen their experience of chanting through participating in other tradition's chants as well as presenting leaders of different communities with an opportunity to connect.</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US>For the participants, this event gave the option of experimenting with different styles of chanting, learning about spiritual traditions, and connecting with other spiritual seekers. </SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-US>[Picture titles are added by Wang Xinyu]</SPAN></P>
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