Customer Reviews

Open Mind, Open Heart: The Contemplative Dimension of the Gospel

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I have a checkered spiritual past. Like many people of my generation, I have always felt that modern life was going in the wrong direction, and that the traditional answers we were getting from the government and institutionalized religion just weren't quenching the spiritual drought in the contemporary world. So I went east, to Buddhism, the Sufis, Hinduism, looking for something that might help me fill the void I felt. Then I stumbled upon the Centering Prayer movement. Little did I know that the Christian tradition that I grew up in, would hold the secret to what I was looking for.

Centering Prayer is based squarely in the Christian tradition. It is based on forms of prayer that have roots in the earliest Christian monesteries of the 4th century. There are even tantalizing glimpses of it in the writings of St. Paul and even the Gospels, though not spelled out in so many words (which is probably what gives literalists conniptions.) It existed in the Benedictine monasteries of medieval Europe, in the Cloud of Unknowing, the 14th century manual of prayer, and in the writings of St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila. It is not, I repeat, NOT a "new age" spirituality, unless one thinks that all of Christian Spirituality is new age (and the case could be made that it is.) Centering Prayer is a simple method of prayer that is designed to help us consent to the presence and action of God in our lives. Through quite simple guildelines and a few adjustments of attitudes, Centering Prayer helps us to let go of our own ego and expectations and just "wait upon the Lord". For me, it has been key to reawakening my Christian faith.

Having been a practicing Buddhist for many years, I can say that readers who equate Centering Prayer with Buddhist practice are mistaken. Without denigrating Buddhist practice, which I learned much from and which I still admire, there is a vast difference between Vipassana and Centering Prayer and that difference is the presence of a personal God. Perhaps some people don't need that personal connection, but I know that it has made a huge difference for me in my prayer life. That, and the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, who prays in us rather than we ourselves doing the praying. This doctrine, which can seem so theological at surface, in fact helps me to take my own ego out of the practice. "I" don't pray, but the Holy Spirit prays through me. It's really quite a difference.

Perhaps the problem that some on this page have, is that Cenetering Prayer strikes at the literal certainty that many look for in regards spirituality, particularly Christian spirituality. (All religions have their fundementalists, even the Buddhists. But ours are most vociferous in this culture.) The more I live this teaching, the less I think I know about God, and yet paradoxically the closer I feel to God. It is a personal living out of one of the central mysteries of the faith, that God is both separate of us and imminent within us. It's easy to believe that God is completely divorced from creation (traditional Protestant theology). It's also easy to believe that God is creation (pantheism). But to believe that God is both at the same time requires a leap that logic, literalism and all other right brained operations just can't make. Centering Prayer makes that leap. It allows me to live, centered (sometimes) in the uncertainty of modern life, and connected to God in a real way. This book has changed my life. And it can change yours as well if you are open to it.

The concepts of "centering prayer" and "contemplative prayer" are difficult for many of us who are used to activity and busy-ness in our daily lives. Thomas Keating, a Cistercian, outlines the traditions and gives a practical (if that is possible) guide to the benefits and the methods of integrating this into our daily lives.

Following a brief discussion of the history of this type of prayer, the author lucidly explains the nature of contemplative prayer and concludes with an understanding of the contemplative nature of the Gospels. Allowing oneself to free the mind of distractions and "rest in God's presence" is a difficult and ongoing process, however Keating offers words of encouragement and understanding so that we realize that this type of prayer, like all types of prayer is not an end in itself, but is a journey.

As one attempts to develop a deeper more significant relationship with God, this book is an invaluable resource. It is worth reading and referring to repeatedly as a guide in prayer, but also in reading Scripture.

I have been reading books on contemplation and attempting the practice for some time now--always with disappointing results. Father Keating's book is the most practical book on the subject I have ever encountered. Not only does he lead the reader through the process step by step, his encouraging words have cast an entirely new light on the "failures" of my own practice. Thanks to Father Keating, I have found the courage to persevere.

This is one of the best books I've ever read by any Roman Catholic clergyman. It's engrossing and extremely hard to put down. I love it! It has made a positive impact on my life, learning how to properly engage in contemplative prayer i.e. centering prayer. Before I read this book, I felt there was something missing in my spiritual life. But thanks to Thomas Keating's brilliant ability to write clearly and concisely on a step by step basis, my spiritual life is virtually complete. No other book has influenced me in a way to actively engage in centering prayer on a daily basis as Thomas Keating's book.

This book is my first recommendation for anyone interested in exploring or beginning the practice of Christian contemplation. While other writers shy away from offering the "how-to's" of contemplation, Keating provides a thoughtful guide for making "centering prayer" an essential element of one's spiritual journey. After growing frustrated with the obtuseness of some other contemplative/mystic writers and works (e.g., Merton, "The Cloud of Unknowing"), this book was exactly what I needed to find -- a primer on contemplation. I only wish I had found it sooner.

I purchased both the book and the CD. I will probably recommend the CD to many of my clients who want to work on deepening their spiritual lives and change the negative emotional reactions associated with events of daily living. I have been practicing centered prayer for about a half an hour per day for about three months now. From a psychological perspective the best way that I can describe the experience is from the gestalt notion that content has meaning within a particular context. By modifying the context it is possible to change the emotional charge associated with a given event. Centered prayer definitely works at that level. The more you practice it the less emotionally charged daily events become. It becomes easier to let things go by. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, but I really enjoyed the CD. It was more focused and made it easier to experience centered prayer as taught by Father Keating.

For persons who want to start, are stuck or need encouragement in the practice of Centering Prayer as a pathway into Contemplative Prayer this book is for you. This book gives the fundamentals. It then answers the most common concerns that come to the consciousness of the serious practitioner of meditation. Since 1984, I've read and re-read this book and have been able to continue a Centering Prayer practice on a regular basis.

Trappist Monk Fr. Thomas Keating's book OPEN MIND, OPEN HEART is considered by many to be a modern classic on contemplative prayer and an introduction to centering prayer. After attending a workshop on centering prayer and later leading such a workshop, I can attest to the helpfulness of this book and Fr. Keating's important insights. While some are critical of his methods, believing they are heavily influenced by Eastern spiritual practices, this is somewhat misleading. While Keating does use some terminology and references to Eastern techniques, his ideas are based on the tradition of the Cistercians, the Catholic religious order to which be belongs.

In the aftermath of Vatican II, many religious orders returned to the texts of their founders and early pioneers so that the orders could be true to their calling. The popularity of contemplative prayer and centering prayer is a result of the Cistercians returning to their founding texts. For Keating, a leader in this effort, this included exploring the writings of St. Benedict, the Desert Fathers and Mothers, Cistercian greats such as Bernard of Clairvaux and Aelred of Rievaulx, and the anonymous author of THE CLOUD OF UNKNOWING. These are hardly radical writers in the history of Christianity. Since these people lived prior to the opening of the east to the west, they could not have been influenced by Eastern spiritual techniques. Certainly as a spiritual master, Keating is familiar with Eastern techniques, but does not use them in a way that is contrary to Christianity. Also, Keating is writing for people, living in the world, and sees this method of prayer as a way of experiencing God for action in the world. It is not intended to make a person draw more inward in a way that is selfish, but rather as a way of being more Christ-like and more self giving.

Centering prayer is not for everyone, but it is helpful for many. After reading this book and applying its methods, readers will know whether this technique will be helpful in their own spiritual journeys. For those who may not find this method helpful, certainly Keating's spiritual insights will help the reader draw closer to God in other ways.

If you desire union with God this is the book to read. One of the obstacles to union life is the benigh self or false self that Keating talks about. And indeed as Paul talks about in Romans 7: 14-28 and in 29 he cries out "Who will deliver me from this grotesque, evil thing called myself?!!". Centering prayer is the practice of letting go of this creature, of denying yourself of leaving yourself to dive into God, to cling, to hug Him closer. It is a practice!! It is is not a high quick acting experience, it talks time, patience and continued practice. Do it!! and it will do you!! It builds the much need element of patience into our character which as James says you need that you may be complete lacking nothing. It also keys us into the deep knowledge of God, "Be still and know that I am God" and we get to know the "God that acts on behalf of those who wait on Him" as we wait for the potter to mould the pot.

Phew, after over 20 years of meditating, this Vipassana-like method has done more perceptable, ineffable good for me than all I've attempted before. Very powerful and simple. A real, loving relationship with God has resulted. And....it's beginning to spill over into my other relationships. He (Keating) is a liberal thinker whose compassion and depth of insight is refreshing.