Cynthia Bourgeault Interviews Thomas Keating
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.พ. 2025
- An interview morphed into a marvelous conversation between Cynthia Bourgeault and Fr. Thomas Keating.
In it Fr. Thomas discusses his experience of monastic life in the 50’s, the influence of Thomas Merton, the wisdom learned from Buddhism and eastern religions, the practical insights gained from TM (transcendental meditation), and his greater awareness of the oneness of reality.
He recalls Thomas Merton's three main tasks of contemplatives: to renew their own tradition and live it; to appreciate the importance of sharing it in the world in some way that impacts on the social issues and cares of those most in need; and finally, the importance of inner spiritual dialogue among the religious wisdom teachers of the world.
The words of Fr. Thomas are a testimony to the power of consenting and saying yes to the presence and action of God in one’s life.
Thanks to Integral Life and Ken Wilber for allowing us to share this 2015 recording and the others at • Return to the Heart of... .
For more see integrallife.com and www.contemplat....
I love this man . Learn and learning all the time. What a voice
In our era The Hard Problem of Consciousness, A.I.., uploading the mind to the Cloud etc., trans-substantiation will likely enter the conversation again. Catholics symbolize it in the Mass. Protestants dropped it and left the mystery behind and focused on sermons and how-to-live talks. In today’ climate trans-substantiation is likely to return again as part of the conversation.
He was such a wonderful person, with such a gentle spirit and a vast mind.
So rich. A wonderful conversation between two people who have had a huge influence on my life. Such a blessing!
A wonderful conversation. Ty 🕊️💕✨
Thank you! I needed to hear all of this. I have read much about eastern religions. Learned meditation, but felt I was being a heretic for doing so!
Absolutely wonderful.
I feel humbled by the deep, poignant wisdom of this comprehensive conversation between these two incredible teachers of Contemplative Christianity. In common vernacular, WOW! Thank-you so very much for posting this illuminating video.
Profound words "all the spiritual teachers are teaching the asme thing" ❤🙏
An amazing dialogue between two outstanding individuals.
So immensly Wise ! Thank you both for be a Presence, a real Presence of Truth! Thank you so much!
Thank you. I am truly moved by this ❤
Outstanding!!
Wonderful talk between two amazing teachers
Mahalo for the gift of sharing ur knowledge in such a delightful & easy manner!
Miss his amazing love & 1:13:38 pure ❤️ e
Now that is a treat, thank you!
Thanks for this. So enlightening. Much appreciated.
What an excellent conversation, thank you 🙏
Beautiful interview. Thank you!
Hope and joy ❤️
Thank you:)
Once again, the spiritual masters are all so very humble and also love to laugh
I remember, many years ago, sometime in the late 70s or early eighties, I sat a retreat at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre MA. There were two Trappist monks sitting the full three month course. One of them was named Fr. Theophany. I was deeply touched and inspired by their presence. I think they came from Spencer Abbey, but I'm not sure. I often wonder what became of these dear brothers.
Wisdom and understanding
Quite apart from the content, this would make a very good ASMR video, so relaxing are these two to listen to.
🕊🌎🕊🕊sharing🫂thankYOU
Psalm 77:, Psalm. 145:5, Joshua 1:8,12, psalm1 and psalm119 all teach on meditation as well as the New testament teaches about the renewing of the mind by the washing of the word and we are taught to be still and know that he is God.
I think it is good to give actual scriptural references not just mention that you believe that meditation has always been in the Christian teaching
Thank you so much for this! Can anyone point me to the best book to read by Father Keating regarding the early church figures that Cynthia refers to at the beginning of the video? 🙏
What is the book and who is the author Cynthia B. refers to at 48:17 into the video? He’s a Vietnamese monk named Joseph, I believe.
yes, I tried to look up the book too by the Vietnamese monk, Joseph (Gygong??) as well, to no avail. I would love to read the book that Cynthia referred to at 48.17. Does anybody know his full name or the name of the book?
@@gratefultube well, Goldstein doesn't sound very Vietnamese...but I'll take a look on Amazon now...tbd
well, no, I just listened to the video again and Cynthia was definitely speaking about a monk with a very Vietnamese last name. Does anybody else know? Any other ideas about the title of the illusive book to which Cynthia refers to at 48:17?
@@Virginiamichele1 I finally found it! The Contemplative Experience: Erotic Love and Spiritual Union by
Joseph Chu-Cong, Introduction by Cynthia B. :-)
@@owenrachal7738 thank-you so very much! Yes, this definitely looks like the book to which Cynthia was referring. ;))
Who was the roshi who came and gave talks at Father Keating's monastery? Was it Sasaki Roshi (who was mentioned later?)
Its amazing how little is known even by catholics but its not been hidden in europe
Both of these great contemplatives were influenced by Bernadette Roberts. Cynthia called her impudent and Thomas called ther the greatest contemplative since Meister Echkart. Richard Rohr was also influenced by her while writing his book The Universal Christ. Read Bernadette Roberts autobiography called Contemplative before reading her final masterpiece called The Real Christ.
In her new book on Keating, Bourgeault referred to Bernadette Roberts as extraordinary and described her as a modern mystic.
Christian meditation has always been. It's just the church forgot or didn't bother with it.
Many people didn't and still don't know about this.
Lovely Tx u
Fr thomas brill as usual. Interesting he couldn't explain any diference between centering prayer and tm.
Como posso acessar vídeos com legenda em português ou espanhol….?
Clique na engrenagem de configurações, ative o inglês se estiver desativado, clique em tradução automática e escolha seu idioma. Aqui está um vídeo que explica: th-cam.com/video/WGXAa11oIbk/w-d-xo.html
Is this available in Spanish? Subtitles?
This video has good English captions, so you should get good results using auto-translation into Spanish. If you don't know how, this video can help: th-cam.com/video/WGXAa11oIbk/w-d-xo.html
The goal is not to feel good and be happy my brothers and sisters, the goal is to repent and turn the heart towards God. Keep ever watch over the heart. You don't actually need eastern religions, Sufi poetry or neuroscience, you'll find everything you need for your spiritual evolution in the Bible
Different people need different medicine for different illnesses. Telling someone who needs heart medication that they can find everything they need by taking penicillin is lethal to that person, because penicillin is not going to help that persons heart. the Bible provides yourself and others the medicine needed for your particular spiritual illnesses, and that's fine, but it does not provide the best medicine for everyone. God made us all unique, and God has put forth multiple paths for people to find liberation/salvation.
Catholic contemplative prayer does not require any connection or reference to non-Christian practices. It is a separate practice centered on the Christian Trinity.
@@Charity-vm4btagree.
Who is she anyway ...
An Episcopal priest and author of a dozen or so books on centering prayer. Was a teacher in Rohr’s Center for Contemplation and Action. She became close to Keating, especially in his final decade of life and has written a wonderful book on him.
At what point would you acknowledge the danger of spiritual deception? After all the mystics of the Church were conscious of the reality of spiritual deception, as even the Scriptures speak about the devil masquerading as a messenger of light in the realm of the intellect. If the aim of contemplation is to become a spiritual master or some sort of guru, then one is building on a mountain of pride. If one speaks about Christ on the same level as the Buddha, then know that you are deceived. The purpose of Christianity is the spiritual transformation of heart; that is, the death of the old self that was mired in sin. God wants to kill our old self. Is that a loss? No. Christ says will give us a new self: He will give us His Self. As St. Paul put it:
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20
That's not the aim of contemplation so your whole argument is based on self serving nonsense which is kind of ironic considering your 'old self' has apparently been killed off.
@@fraserwilliamson9507 then the question becomes: what is the aim of such contemplation practices? Is the aim a sort of therapeutic technique to induce pleasing sensations and a feeling of well being? Yes or no? In the Church, contemplative prayer is the highest form of prayer. Christian prayer is a personal, intimate and profound dialogue between man and God. At the center of it is love of God. Thus, as described by the Church guidelines on prayer, “The love of God, the sole object of Christian contemplation, is a reality which cannot be ‘mastered’ by any method or technique..″
″Some physical experiences, automatically produce a feeling of quiet and relaxation, pleasing sensations, perhaps even phenomena of light and of warmth, which resemble spiritual well-being. To take such feelings for authentic consolations of the Holy Spirit, would be a totally erroneous way of conceiving the spriritual life.″
In other words, there is always the danger of spiritual deception. In the Vatican report on the dangers of TM and the adoption or blending in of Eastern mysticisms into Christian prayer life, is the introduction of false mystical experiences that represent ″a kind of mental schizophrenia which could also lead to psychic disturbance and, at times, to moral deviations.″
″The spiritual or infinite which has assumed an impersonal dimension becomes simply a bath, in which the human being strengthens himself ... Religion becomes a flight into pleasing sensations or therapeutic means…”
Practicing a therapeutic technique, a type of sport of self hypnosis with the aim of achieving a sensation of well being and tranquility is a self centered aim. True love of God cannot be ‘mastered’ by a technique. Such forms of meditation are often rooted in egotistical concerns. Love of God and neighbor does not have a feeling of well being and tranquility as its object.
Here is an interesting article on this very issue:
www.catholiceducation.org/en/religion-and-philosophy/apologetics/the-danger-of-centering-prayer.html
We are a post Vatican II society. I wish Catholics would accept this fact.
@@patriciajennings7401 what does your statement mean? Vatican II was a blessing.
What if your religious beliefs and what you posted here is a spiritual deception?