The Gethsemani Encounter: A Dialogue on the Spiritual Life by Buddhist and Christian Monastics (Paperback)

~ Donald W. Mitchell (Editor), James A. Wiseman (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In July 1996, Buddhist and Christian monks met at the Abbey of Gethsemani, Kentucky, and held a five-day conference to discuss aspects of their spirituality and worship. Donald W. Mitchell (philosophy, Purdue) and James Wiseman, (O.S.B., chair of Monastic Interreligious Dialogue) have done a masterful job of distilling from this conference a remarkably rich document, encompassing vast areas of Christian/Buddhist monastic concerns. Part 1 offers presentations on ultimate reality and spirituality, prayer and meditation, spiritual growth and development, community and spiritual guidance. Part 2, the real treasure, contains dialog between Buddhist and Christian monks, including the Dalai Lama, on subjects from mind and virtue to grace, the nature of tragedy and violence, and the importance of social action. This book is directed more toward the scholar in comparative religions, but any informed lay reader will also greatly gain from reading it. Recommended for all libraries, especially academic ones.?Glenn Masuchika, Chaminade Univ. Lib., Honolulu
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

In July 1996, an historic five-day meeting occurred of Buddhist and Christian monks and nuns at the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky, USA. It was his Holiness the Dalai Lama who suggested that the meeting be held in a monastic setting, where he could be "a monk among other monks," and who urged that the setting be Gethsemani, home of Thomas Merton, whom the Dalai Lama had met before the latter's death in 1968. The theme of the Gethsemani Encounter was the spiritual life in the Buddhist and Christian monastic traditions. Part one of this work offers 25 presentations on various aspects of spirituality by leading Buddhist and Christian practitioners. The subjects range from the nature of ultimate reality and spirituality to prayer and meditiation, growth and development in spiritual practice, community and spiritual guidance, and spirituality and society. Part Two contains highlights of the actual dialogue itself.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Continuum (May 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826411657
• ISBN-13: 978-0826411655
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #535,141 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly different,humble and Divine, February 8, 2001

By	A. Hogan (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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The Gethsemani Encounter was perhaps one of the great overlooked religious moments in the past decade. In the hills of Kentucky, in the oldest Trappist monastery in the United States,monastics from all over the world gathered to dialogue,to learn,to agree and disagree.The meeting place was suggested By The Dalai Lama,who in a moving afterword says"And so for the rest of my life,the impact of meeting him will remain until my last breath."The him is Thomas Merton, who met with the Dalai Lama on his final journey through the east in 1968.The talks in this book are broken up into sections{Journey and Dialogue,Prayer and Medidtation,Method and Expierence, Growth and Development,etc.} with speakers from both Buddhist and Christian monastic tradition sharing their expierence and strength. Some of the participants are truly moving: Ven. Maha Ghosananda of Cambodia speaking briefly on THE HUMAN FAMILY,the dalia lama on THE BODHISATTVA AND SOCIETY,,PRAYER AS PATH by Pierre-francios de bethune`Mary Margaret Funk,OSB on Lectio DIVINA,and many more. An over used term, treasure trove is quite appropriate. This is a collection to return to, to glean ,to nurture the soul.TO Open This volume isto enter a holy place . Truly magnificent.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New, in-depth exchange, April 4, 2002

By	Johanna Becker (St. Joseph, MN United States) - See all my reviews

Since 1977 the small group of North American Christian monastics, monks and nuns, have established exchanges with non-Christian monastics, principally Buddhists but also with Hindus and Moslems. Attempting to identify both similarities and differences in practice rather than examine dogmas, this Monastic Interreligious Dialogue (MID) group sponsored speakers, programs and publications, and eventually engaged in sending small groups of members to visit the exiled Tibetan monastics, followers of the Dalai Lama, in India, and brought representatives from India to visit American and Canadian monasteries.
The Gethsamani Encounter was designed to extend the mutual understanding these former programs had developed to a still deeper level. It lasted almost a week. Participants were restricted to twenty-five Christians and twenty-five Buddhists from all parts of the world. The site chosen was Gethsemani Abbey in Kentucky, a Trappist monastery whose most well-known member, Thomas (Brother Louis) Merton had died just twenty-five years earlier. He was one of a small group of pioneer Christians interested in Buddhism and died just shortly after having met the Dalai Lama. This confluence of place, history and dates made Gethsemani ideal for this meeting.
This book presents all of the Buddhist and Christian papers presented in multiple sessions daily. Often a group of papers would cluster around a particular theme (meditation; training) and would not only expose the common themes but especially the distinctive notes of each special group--different Buddhist lineages; various Christian groups. Presenters came from the U.S. and Canada, Europe, India, Burma, Cambodia, Japan and other areas giving presentations which inspired, informed and clarified. They also exposed questions and themes still needing more penetration. Consequently the contents of this publication are not only unique but they also supply a high level watershed from which further clarity and mutuality can emerge. The editors, themselves participants in the encounter, James Wiseman, OSB and Donald Mitchell are specialists who make the contents of the papers accessible to the uninitiated and informative to the specialist. This book is without parallel and is meaningful for both the person seriously interested in Buddhism, Christianity, monasticism and East-West exchanges and those who are unfamiliar with the material but ready to become richly informed.

3.0 out of 5 stars What a Wonderful Book!, September 15, 2007

By	TOM CORBETT "flakey" (London, England) - See all my reviews

this book is ground-breaking, a dialogue between buddhist thought of various different types with some of the most wonderful christians on this planet. this dialogue was engineered by the christian monastic order of the Trappists to enrichen their own faith and understanding through a deeper understanding of buddhist practice and thought. it was also held to facilitate love and understanding between these two religions.

in this book, buddhist thought is clearly presented, though christian thought and experience not quite so clearly, but still some of the beauty of christian monastic life and worship comes out in these pages.

the buddhist heritage is the self or buddha 'nature', this comes out clearly in these pages. the buddha nature I call the supernature or indestructible image or kingdom of god within us . everyone has this... it is the power inherent within everyone to attain or realise anything. the supernature does not require one to be a buddhist, hindu, christian, atheist or whatever one comes up with. inherent within us all "the kingdom of God is within you". we all have within us the power or gentleness to become anything. this is the greatest gift of buddhism and hinduism and jesus. that our self contains all we need in order to evolve beyond even the angels. jesus said that this indestructible image is within all of us, he said that "the kingdom of god is within you". this kingdom is like the smallest of all seeds, but if planted in good soil, watered and given sunlight it will slowly but surely grow into the mightiest of trees. this growth is sometimes described by buddhists as a gradual clearing away of dust from a mirror. we gradually purify our own seeing of our true selves, that we are made in the image of god. defilements fall off, one becomes purer, kinder and more loving. and what is the kingdom/image of god? the image of god is the true love that is sown in our hearts. "be ye perfect, even as your father in heaven is perfect." (jesus). we are called to become blameless.

there is not much said about the power of evil to derail ones practice. we as christians should appreciate the potential within us for good, but not forget that there are dark/evil forces in this life and within us that will seek to twist ones path, and that ultimately in the face of these, prayer and Gods protection will be a tremendous support.

the goal of using our supernature is to become what we should be... "to go and sin no more" this possibility is within each and every one of us, even a blade of grass. to become like job "a perfect man", change is possible. when we think of the kingdom of god within us, or the true-nature or whatever you want to call it, it is not something big out there, it is closer to us than our own heart. the image of god within us. we access our supernature through things such as concentration, prayer, the vows, deeds of kindness and worship of true love.

anyone can become a god, or buddha and will hopefully go beyond such labels and terms through this goodness within them. we as christians do well to realise that everything of value found in buddhism and hinduism is found in the teachings of christ. jesus in johns gospel quotes "i have called ye gods"... now it is time to realise this truth. not only to aspire to be gods but to become godly, god like. free of greed, selfishness, wanton cruelty etc etc. excercise the 'super-nature'/image of god within you. we should not only rely on the forgiving grace of jesus, but also should aspire to become like jesus. jesus died for the wicked and evil... yes, but it is his desire that we should become like him, with no longer need for forgiveness, but personal perfection in our hearts and lives. we should not only rely on jesus's redemptive virtue, but also be prepared to redeem ourselves. we have the power to redeem ourselves within us. we need purity of heart, purity of mind and purity of action. this is only possible with true love and deep down this is within all of us.

seek the truth and you will find it, seek it within you and you will find it within you. this is the gift of true love to all.

may sweetness and kindness be upon all who read this article.

with all my love, snow-flake. xxx