Welcome
Welcome to the Ninety-Nine Names Peace Project! We are so happy that you found us.
The Ninety-Nine Names Peace Project is dedicated to furthering Interfaith dialog and Inter-religious relationships by deepening our connection with the Divine, each other, our communities, and nature. Through the practice of Contemplative Expression, participants in the project are reflecting upon and artistically responding to the Ninety-Nine Names of God.
By sharing our experience of God, through these creative endeavors, we hope to break down the barriers that prevent us from engaging in community. Using expressive arts - such as painting, drawing, writing, poetry, dance, movement, music, and theater - we hope to build bridges between diverse cultural, ethnic, and religious groups. Through social networking, we hope to link individuals and communities, in person (through Salons) and virtually (through the Internet). We hope to strengthen these bridges that move us toward self-awareness, dialog and, ultimately, peace - peace of mind, peaceful communities, and a peace-filled planet.
We are inviting artists from all over the world to participate in this peace-forming process - artists from diverse religions, ethnicities, locations, ages, and art forms.
Artists, we invite you to create your artistic response to one of the Ninety-Nine Names of God in whatever medium you work, connect with fellow artists online, and tell us about yourself and your community.
Visitors, we invite you to view the creations contained in this website, connect with friends to share them, and consider how your community might become a more peaceful place.
Patrons, we invite you to support our work in this creative peace process, connect with participating artists, and consider what role your community plays in furthering peace.
We hope you will join us!
Hi Everyone, I’ve written a poem and created a new mandala based on Listening (Al-Mujib). The poem was written as I was sitting on my front porch last weekend listening to the sounds of the neighborhood. Suddenly the entire scene shifted when two neighborhood dogs found their freedom. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed experiencing it.
When you take a moment to get quiet, what is it you hear? Who contributes to the joyous sounds in your life? Where do the sounds of freedom arise for you? How might you practice listening? Please feel welcome...
Honoring Self (Al-Muizz)
I invite you to experience Honoring Self (Al-Muizz). Along with the mandala, I have written a short essay about how we honor ourselves by being present to what is, all of the gifts life has to offer.
Where do you find abundance in your life? What is in your ‘refrigerator of life’ that you have a difficult time noticing and responding to? What is it that you believe you ‘should’ be responding to instead? How might you adjust your behavior to more fully honor yourself just as you are?
Satish Kumar
“The force and the strength for peace will come from people. And that will happen when people start to realize that all the diversity and differences we see of nationalities, of religions, of cultures, of languages, are all beautiful diversities, for they are only on the surface. And deep down we share the same humanity, the global humanity.” – Satish Kumar
Restoring Equilibrium (At-Tawwab)
Hello Everyone! In an effort to explore what is behind self-judgment, I’ve written an essay and created a mandala about the process of relinquishing self judgment in order to restore equilibrium in our lives. It is based on At-Tawwab. I hope it speaks to you.
What judgments are you holding about yourself that are interfering with your equilibrium? How might you let go of what “should supposed to be” happening in your life and embrace what you are actually experiencing? How do you participate in the gift of being present? Please...
Extraordinary Sensing (Al-Wajid)
I hope you enjoy this new mandala, Extraordinary Sensing (Al-Wajid), set to the beautiful poem from Ecclesiastes about a time for every season.
What is time revealing to you in this season of your life? How does the impermanence of all influence what you might now be experiencing? Knowing that this too shall pass, do your feelings reveal a sense of attachment or aversion? How may you honor this moment, just as it is? We welcome your insights… Peace to you.
Peace (As-Salam)
I hope you enjoy this new essay and mandala on embracing uncertainty and entering peace. I suggest that rather than focusing on certainty for our safety we instead focus on Love, with a capital “L”, Love from the source of all, the Divine. I believe our lives would transform if we opened our hearts and embraced uncertainty knowing that we are held closely in the hands of God.
What are the areas in your life that feel most uncertain? How might you embrace this uncertainty and enter the fullness of the experience? Who can you call upon to help guide...
Deep Friendship (Al-Wali)
I hope you enjoy this new mandala, my expression of Al-Wali, Friend, Protector, and Governor of All. I’ve included the poem “You Were Born Together” by Kahlil Gibran which expresses our need for both deep connection and open expansiveness in true friendship.
How do you balance and hold loving someone deeply while granting them the space they need to expand? What allows you to give your heart openly without losing yourself in the process? How do you befriend and protect yourself, asserting your own needs, while understanding...
A new painting by Deb Hansen reflecting friendship and protection (Al-Wali) entitled “Safe Harbor.” Included is a poem by St. Frances of Assisi, “Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.”
Where do you find your safe harbor, and how do you share that peace with others?
Alex
I hope you are enjoying this beautiful Spring filled with flowers, birds, and sunshine!
Alex Patico has submitted a beautiful poem entitled “Taking Time” based on As-Sabur (The Timeless, The Patient). The Divine is infinitely patient with us and mercifully forgiving… but, as Alex poses, “at what cost?” Patience, forgiveness, seeing the world through eyes of mercy… how can we extend this goodness to each other?
We welcome your thoughts!
Hello Everyone! I hope you enjoy this new poem and mandala about Opening to Love entitled Meet Me In The Middle.
The willingness to meet someone in the middle – whether it be ourselves, another, or the Divine – is a desire for authentic unfolding, neither pushing nor pulling toward a controlled outcome. It is meeting without manipulation or expectations, letting go of all hopes and fears. Meeting in the middle is entering into relationship open to “what is” and responding with heart from that place. This opening to Love is filled with grace and...