Open Mind, Open Heart (Thomas Keating)
A Guidebook to Basic (Centering) and Advanced (Contemplative) Prayer
[My 4-star Amazon review (NDA) of “Open Heart, Open Mind” by Thomas Keating.]
Father Thomas Keating, author of Open Mind, Open Heart, deserves kudos for resurrecting the Christian contemplative tradition. Instead of prescribing blind faith in God and Jesus, he provides detailed instructions on basic (centering) prayer and advanced (contemplative) prayer, spiritual practices that enable one to contact and unite with the Deity. In my own “ministry,” I strongly recommend this book for beginning and intermediate students of Christian mysticism.
While Father Keating’s teachings are commendable, they aren’t particularly deep or profound. For example, he never explicates the Eucharist, which, if properly understood, radically and comprehensively demystifies the entirety of Christian mysticism. I also disagree with a number of statements he makes. For example, he writes, “The principle discipline of centering prayer is letting go.” Actually, the principal discipline of centering prayer is Holy Communion (Plugged-in Presence, or Presence + Oneness). Once your (Plugged-in) Presence generates sufficient Conscious force, then the appropriate gesture is to let go (or be absent, or “impoverished”) Radical (or gone-to-the root) Christian contemplation is a dialectic between Presence (Obedience) and Absence (Poverty) and the synthesis is the down-pouring Holy Spirit. And once you receive the Holy Spirit, the infusion of Light-energy from above, then your centering prayer (acquired contemplation) morphs into contemplative prayer (infused contemplation).
Unfortunately, the Christian contemplative tradition lacks the esoteric dimension present in the foremost Eastern spiritual teachings. Therefore, I recommend that serious Christian mystics also study the traditions of Tibetan Dzogchen, Hindu Kashmir Shaivism, and Daism in order to fully grok the true Eucharist, the epitome of all contemplative spirituality.
[My 4-star Amazon review (NDA) of “Open Heart, Open Mind” by Thomas Keating.]
Father Thomas Keating, author of Open Mind, Open Heart, deserves kudos for resurrecting the Christian contemplative tradition. Instead of prescribing blind faith in God and Jesus, he provides detailed instructions on basic (centering) prayer and advanced (contemplative) prayer, spiritual practices that enable one to contact and unite with the Deity. In my own “ministry,” I strongly recommend this book for beginning and intermediate students of Christian mysticism.
While Father Keating’s teachings are commendable, they aren’t particularly deep or profound. For example, he never explicates the Eucharist, which, if properly understood, radically and comprehensively demystifies the entirety of Christian mysticism. I also disagree with a number of statements he makes. For example, he writes, “The principle discipline of centering prayer is letting go.” Actually, the principal discipline of centering prayer is Holy Communion (Plugged-in Presence, or Presence + Oneness). Once your (Plugged-in) Presence generates sufficient Conscious force, then the appropriate gesture is to let go (or be absent, or “impoverished”) Radical (or gone-to-the root) Christian contemplation is a dialectic between Presence (Obedience) and Absence (Poverty) and the synthesis is the down-pouring Holy Spirit. And once you receive the Holy Spirit, the infusion of Light-energy from above, then your centering prayer (acquired contemplation) morphs into contemplative prayer (infused contemplation).
Unfortunately, the Christian contemplative tradition lacks the esoteric dimension present in the foremost Eastern spiritual teachings. Therefore, I recommend that serious Christian mystics also study the traditions of Tibetan Dzogchen, Hindu Kashmir Shaivism, and Daism in order to fully grok the true Eucharist, the epitome of all contemplative spirituality.
