Yeah, I got to go up to Spencer Mass and be part of checking the brothers meditations and giving advanced lectures on meditation and TM back in the days. Was an exciting time in American spirituality. Those were heady times in TM and also watching the start of the whole centering prayer movement. Church Monasticism was pretty stuck up and barbaric in its ways but changing then because of openings in the larger church waged by Merton and others earlier. There was an extraordinary group of particular brothers around Fr. Keating within the monastery there who were highly knowledgeable and excited from looking at writings of Mysticism within and then outside of their own traditions. They could see the descriptions and that they did not have the practices needed to achieve the experiences so they went specifically looking surveying what was out there in the spiritual practice parketplace. It was a heady time. TM itself was evidently too proprietary and confined for them to be helpful working with inside their church. But the training and the effortless aspect of TM became central to what they picked up with, co-opted and went on with in to something that could be taught to parishioners more universally. They've had a huge and successful impact on American spirituality even spilling over in to Protestant faiths with their instruction. That is history and Fr. Keating was one of the men of it. He and the guys he was with took the ball and really ran with it. As a team they've played a good game. -Buck in the Dome
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Ann" wrote: > > What an extraordinary man. How wonderful that you interviewed him. He was a > huge part in the healing process for many of my friends when they moved > forward from their time in "the context" with Robin back in the mid 1980's. I > spent time at the monastery as well, a stunning place in Snowmass Colorado. > Father Keating was a vital part in the transition for these people from pain > and suffering to becoming productive and healthy individuals again. I will > watch this interview with great interest. I have not seen Keating for 26 > years. > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Rick Archer" wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > New post on Buddha at the Gas Pump > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 158. Fr. Thomas Keating > > > > > > by Rick > > > > Fr. Thomas Keating is a founding member and the spiritual guide of > > Contemplative Outreach, LTD. He has served on Contemplative Outreach's > > Board of Trustees since the organization's beginning and is currently > > serving as the Chairman of the Board. Fr. Keating is one of the principal > > architects and teachers of the Christian contemplative prayer movement and, > > in many ways, Contemplative Outreach is a manifestation of his longtime > > desire to contribute to the recovery of the contemplative dimension of > > Christianity. > > > > Fr. Keating's interest in contemplative prayer began during his freshman > > year at Yale University in 1940 when he became aware of the Church's > > history and of the writings of Christian mystics. Prompted by these studies > > and time spent in prayer and meditation, he experienced a profound > > realization that, on a spiritual level, the Scriptures call people to a > > personal relationship with God. Fr. Keating took this call to heart. He > > transferred to Fordham University in New York and, while waiting to be > > drafted for service in World War II, he received a deferment to enter > > seminary. Shortly after graduating from an accelerated program at Fordham, > > Fr. Keating entered an austere monastic community of the Trappist Order in > > Valley Falls, Rhode Island in January of 1944, at the age of 20. He was > > ordained a priest in June of 1949. > > > > In March of 1950 the monastery in Valley Falls burned down and, as a > > result, the community moved to Spencer, Massachusetts. Shortly after the > > move, Fr. Keating became ill with a lung condition and was put into > > isolation in the city hospital of Worcester, Massachusetts for nine weeks. > > After returning to the monastery, he stayed in the infirmary for two years. > > Fr. Keating was sent to Snowmass, Colorado in April of 1958 to help start a > > new monastic community called St. Benedict's. He remained in Snowmass until > > 1961, when he was elected abbot of St. Joseph's in Spencer, prompting his > > move back to Massachusetts. He served as abbot of St. Joseph's for twenty > > years until he retired in 1981 and returned to Snowmass, where he still > > resides today. > > > > During Fr. Keating's term as abbot at St. Joseph's and in response to the > > reforms of Vatican II, he invited teachers from the East to the monastery. > > As a result of this exposure to Eastern spiritual traditions, Fr. Keating > > and several of the monks at St. Joseph's were led to develop the modern > > form of Christian contemplative prayer called Centering Prayer. Fr. Keating > > was a central figure in the initiation of the Centering Prayer movement. He > > offered Centering Prayer workshops and retreats to clergy and laypeople and > > authored articles and books on the method and fruits of Centering Prayer. > > In 1983, he presented a two-week intensive Centering Prayer retreat at the > > Lama Foundation in San Cristabol, New Mexico, which proved to be a > > watershed event. Many of the people prominent in the Centering Prayer > > movement today attended this retreat. Contemplative Outreach was created in > > 1984 to support the growing spiritual network of Centering Prayer > > practitioners. Fr. Keating became the community's president in 1985, a > > position he held until 1999. > > > > Fr. Keating is an internationally renowned theologian and an accomplished > > author. He has traveled the world to speak with laypeople and communities > > about contemplative Christian practices and the psychology of the spiritual > > journey, which is the subject of his Spiritual Journey video and DVD > > series. Since the reforms of Vatican II, Fr. Keating has been a core > > participant in and supporter of interreligious dialogue. He helped found > > the Snowmass Interreligious Conference, which had its first meeting in the > > fall of 1983 and continues to meet each spring. Fr. Keating also is a past > > president of the Temple of Understanding and of the Monastic Interreligious > > Dialogue. > > > > Perhaps the biggest testament to Fr. Keating's dedication to reviving > > Christian contemplative practices is his choice to live a busy, public life > > instead of the quiet, monastic life for which he entered the monastery. Fr. > > Keating's life is lived in the service of sharing the gifts God gave him > > with others. > > > > > > Publications: > > > > > > * Open Mind, Open Heart > > > > * Manifesting God > > > > * Intimacy with God > > > > * Invitation to Love > > > > * The Human Condition > > > > * The Mystery of Christ > > > > * Awakenings > > > > * Reawakenings > > > > * The Kingdom of God is Like... > > > > * Crisis of Faith, Crisis of Love > > > > * Fruits and Gifts of the Spirit > > > > * The Better Part > > > > * St. Therese of Lisieux: a Transformation in Christ > > > > * The Transformation of Suffering > > > > * The Heart of the World > > > > * And the Word was made Flesh > > > > * Finding Grace at the Center > > > > * Spirituality, Contemplation & Transformation: Writings on > > Centering Prayer > > > > * The Daily Reader for Contemplative Living > > > > * Journey to the Center: A Lenten Passage > > > > * Active Meditations for Contemplative Prayer > > > > Interview recorded 1/19/2013 > > > > Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. > > > > > > > > Rick | February 6, 2013 at 5:15 pm | Categories: Guests | URL: > > http://wp.me/p1q1S0-Du > > > > > > Comment > > > > See all comments > > > > > > > > > > Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: > > http://batgap.com/thomas-keating/ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
