May 24, 2009

My Morning Cuprack

A welcome to the Corless from its director, David Dupree

As part of my morning habits, I go to the cup rack and pick a cup for my morning coffee. It's not that I'm obsessive and a pack-rat, but I have thirty to choose from, all neatly displayed in a wall rack I found on the street and painted. There is room for eighteen regular sized cups and six larger ones plus four small cream pitchers on the shelves. If you are mathematical, I have to confess to you that I've placed six odd sized cups on the top of the rack. Each cup has a story, and I have my favorites that I overuse, neglecting more than I should that gather dust.

This morning I chose a large one that says "Morning handsome" in modern black letters on a beautifully shaped white. Perhaps I needed reassurance that my recent haircut has helped. Anyway I'm handsome today and the coffee is ready.

And THE CORLESS is ready to introduce itself to you. Roger J. Corless was and is my friend and a remarkable man with important ideas with which I want you to become acquainted. It took me about a year to convince Roger that his concept of "Co-Inherent Consciousness" should not wait for several hundred years for someone to find in a dusty article. And here is that story.

During the years as Roger's health began to decline and he was losing his sight, one day I asked him what he considered his most significant contribution from his years of study, writing and living. After some thought and glances over our coffee cups, he must have decided I was seriously interested and it was worth responding in kind. He told me of an article he had written in 1988 for a Colloquium on Buddhist Thought and Culture at the University of Montevallo in Alabama titled BECOMING A DIALOGIAN: How to do Buddhist-Christian Dialogue without really Trying which it took me several months under steady prodding to get Roger to find a copy for me. I included it, Roger's copy, in the Memorial Service held for him and include in this web-site. Please, please read it. It is important and displays Roger' s wit, genius, some of his history beautifully. It is my belief that Co-inherit Consciousness is a window through which we might see a future that could include a more peaceful and spiritual world. It is to this premise that THE CORLESS is dedicated. I invite you to join in this journey.