The group who want to build the controversial Labyrinth in DCU have already raised €14,000 towards its construction. The Committee set up to promote the Labyrinth and create awareness of it will be meeting this week to discuss how to raise the remaining €36,000 required.
A labyrinth is an ancient meditation tool consisting of a winding stone path that people walk while in thought or meditation. Permission has already been granted to build the Labyrinth in the green space in front of the library.
Last year DCU Students’ Union agreed to contribute €10,000 towards the construction. However a referendum was held on the issue after DCU Sinn Féin petitioned students to reject any financial input from the SU towards the Labyrinth’s construction.
In the referendum, students voted by a two-thirds majority for there to be no SU contribution towards the construction.
In an interview with The College View, Head Chaplain of the Inter Faith Centre, Fr Joe Jones who is spearheading the project revealed that the university had already contributed €10,000 towards the construction of the Labyrinth with the other €4,000 coming from the DCU Quality Improvement Fund. He said the Labyrinth Committee will meet this week to discuss how to raise money for the development.
Fr Jones believes a lot of students who voted against the Labyrinth last year did so because they didn’t understand the idea behind the Labyrinth, or saw it as a religious themed development.
“The students who were objecting to the Labyrinth did so for the sake of objecting. I don’t think they quite understood what they were objecting to. I was quite disappointed by that”, he said. “I think some people saw the project as being led by the Catholic Church and they were opposing the church as opposing the Labyrinth.”
He said that he is hopeful the Labyrinth will be built within the year and will provide a space for students for meditation and reflection.
The Labyrinth dates back as far as 5,000 years ago and predates most world religions.
Research conducted at the Harvard Medical School’s Mind/Body Institute has found that focused walking meditations can reduce anxiety levels. Labyrinth meditation gardens are also believed to lower blood pressure and reduce insomnia.
A replica Labyrinth is laid out in the Inter Faith Centre every Tuesday afternoon from 2.30 to 4.30 for people to try out.
Sam Griffin
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