The Phiroz Mehta Trust Summer School 1992
From the Editor
The Summer School took place at the Toc H Centre, Cuddesdon House, near Oxford, from 18th to 22nd June. Thirteen people were present for the entire School, and six attended for part of the time. Although many years ago, Summer Schools had been held, usually with Phiroz present, this was the first one organised by the Trust. Nobody knew quite what to expect.
After arriving in time for supper on the Thursday, we met to hear the tape that Phiroz made at the opening of the Summer School in 1974. On Friday morning, we heard another tape, also given at that Summer School, on the three aspects of meditation. Later that morning we were given an introduction to Ikebana by George Piggott, and in the afternoon Sylvia Swain gave an absorbing talk entitled “The Psychological Approach to the Religious Life”, concerning man’s individuation and his movement towards the realisation of holistic consciousness in the New Age.
On Saturday, we heard Phiroz’s talk given at the Summer School, 1974, on the Zodiac, and this was followed by John Moore, who came specially to visit us to speak on “The Religious and the Spiritual: are they different?”, dealing with the nature of group and of individual authority. In the afternoon, a practical session of Ikebana was held, again ably conducted by George.
On Sunday, Ron Kett gave a very carefully prepared and thought-out talk on Kabbalah, and this was followed by a class taken by Cathie Jansen, who made a special visit to us to give a session on her own form of Yoga. In the evening, Jehanne and Robert Mehta, with their friend Will, came to give us a concert of songs composed and sung by Jehanne accompanied by piano, violin, guitar and mandola.
On Monday morning, we saw the video taken by Ron Kett of Phiroz’s valedictory talk at the Buddhist Summer School in 1987. Then, after lunch and farewells, we departed.
The above gives only the bare bones of the activities. It says nothing of the feeling that was engendered between those taking part, of the sense of involvement, and of the atmosphere created by Cuddesdon House over those few days, aided by the friendliness and kindness of the staff and the peace and beauty of the setting. One felt that a step in the life of the Phiroz Mehta Trust had indeed been taken.
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