Otevřená mysl, otevřené srdce: kontemplativní rozměr evangelia

by O.C.S.O. Keating, Thomas

Základním účelem modlitby souhlasu či usebrání, kterou se zabývá tato kniha, je přinést poznání a zkušenost Boží lásky do společného vědomí lidské rodiny. Kontemplativní modlitba je proces vnitřní transformace, proměny započaté Bohem a vedoucí, pokud souhlasíme, k božskému sjednocení. V tomto procesu se mění způsob vnímání reality. Dochází k restrukturaci vědomí, která dá věřícímu schopnost vnímat souvislosti, vztahovat se ke každodennímu životu a reagovat na něj se zvýšenou citlivostí k Boží přítomnosti ve všem, skrze všechno a za vším, co se děje. Během prvních šestnácti století církevní historie byla kontemplativní modlitba uznávaným cílem křesťanské spirituality kněží i laiků. Po reformaci došlo prakticky ke ztrátě tohoto odkazu, přinejmenším jako živé tradice. Křesťanská kontemplativní tradice se začala obnovovat ve dvacátém století a tento proces stále pokračuje.

Genres: Spirituality, Religion, Christianity, Nonfiction, Prayer, Christian, Theology

232 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1988

Reviews

[Lance Eads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book back around 1997-98 when I was looking to deepen my relationship with Christ. I was disillusioned with a lot of the mainstream dogma of Christianity at the time and I began reading a lot of books on prayer and on the workings of the Holy Spirit, written by authors of different denominations and with different approaches. This book, along with some by Matthew Fox, really struck a chord with me. The idea that prayer could be listening as well as talking was something that hadn't occurred to me before, and it led me to read more books on contemplative prayer from authors both modern and ancient. I realize that contemplative prayer is very controversial these days, but it has a history that goes back at least to the Desert Fathers, and depending on your understanding of certain Bible passages, possibly back to the Apostles and to Jesus himself. In any case, I find contemplative prayer very enriching to my spiritual life and I would recommend it, and this book, to anyone.

[Jim George · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author uses a Centering Prayer technique for aligning our hearts and minds to the Lord. His contemplative methods were used the 1st fifteen centuries and then lost. The techniques have similarities to Eastern philosophy and meditation, except you are centering on the Lord. You must 1st pick a sacred word - a holy word seems the most appropriate. You get comfortable, close your eyes, and gently speak your sacred word. The goal is to find divine union with the Lord, by letting go of internal noises of thoughts and feelings, and joining God in the secret place of our hearts. Hopefully you will receive vibrations from a world you did not previously perceive. If you wait God will manifest Himself - of course you might have a long wait! Centering prayer is consenting and surrendering to God. Finding God's presence within us. Great book!

[Charles Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's funny - I read this book almost 5 years ago and gave it two stars. It just didn't scratch where I itched at the time.

But I read this book slowly - alongside my regular practice of contemplative prayer - and it was just so good.

Just goes to show, that especially with spiritual reading, rating isn't objective or static, but rather is a subjective endeavor, largely based on where I - the read - am in my own journey.

[Eunsung · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book started a movement in which contemplative prayer was made accessible to people outside of the walls of the Christian monastery. Also, it was an attempt by Fr. Keating and John Main to share meditative practice within the Christian tradition at a time when a lot of people walked away from Christianity, and to Eastern traditions because it spoke to a thirst for a tangible experience that transformed their life.

A great book to not just read, but to apply and to read with a centering prayer group. If you actually start practicing centering prayer and start on the journey of a contemplative life, then the book will become more rich and speak to your own experience and awakenings to the Divine Presence.

[Jon Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to be like Thomas Keating when I grow up. This book has given me a sneak peak into a world much bigger than I had realized possible. Sounds dramatic I suppose, but that's the best I can do to put words on it.

This book took a bit for me to get into it, but was well worth it. I'd recommend it to anyone into Christianity and meditation.

Some excerpts from the book:

What is the essence of contemplative prayer? The way of pure faith. Nothing else. You do not have to feel it, but you have to practice it. (p 11)

The root of prayer is interior silence. We may think of prayer as thoughts or feelings expressed in words, but this is only one of its forms. "Prayer," according to Evagrius, "is the laying aside of thoughts". This definition presuppose that there are thoughts. Contemplative prayer is not so much the absence of thoughts as detachment from them. It is the opening of mind and heart, body and emotions - our whole being - to God, the Ultimate Mystery, beyond words, thoughts and emotions - beyond, in other words, the psychological content of the present moment. We do not deny or repress what is in our consciousness. We simply accept the fact of whatever is there and go beyond it, not by effort, but by letting go of whatever is there. (p 14)

Centering prayer is a training in letting go. (p 69)

Transformation is completely God's work. We can't do anything to make it happen. We can only prevent it from happening. (p 72)

The Canaanite woman is a magnificent example of someone undergoing what John of the Cross called the night of sense, the crisis that initiates the movement from dependency on sense and reason to docility to the Spirit. This woman went to Jesus as many other people had done and asked for the cure of her daughter. She didn't expect to have any trouble. She knelt down and made her petition. But Jesus didn't answer her. She prostrated herself, her face in the dust, and still got the cold shoulder. No one was ever treated so roughly by Jesus. As she was grovelling in the dust, he said, "It is not fair to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." (Matthew 15:26) The implication is obvious. But she came back with this incredible answer, "You are absolutely right, Lord. But even the dogs eat the crumbs as they fall from their mater's table." (Matthew 15:27) Jesus was thrilled. His strange behavior was intended to raise her to the highest level of faith. At the end of the conversation he was able to say to her, "How wonderful is your faith! You can have anything you want!" To get to that place we, too, may have to experience rebuff, silence, and the apparent rejection.
Some people complain that God never answers their prayers. Why should He? By not answering our prayers, He is answering our greatest prayer, which is to be transformed. That is what happened to the Canaanite woman. (p 73)

The method of centering prayer is only an entrance into contemplative prayer. As one's experience of the latter develops, it becomes more difficult to speak about because it doesn't enter into the ordinary experience of the psychic life as such. Imagine the rays of the sun in a pool of water. The sun's rays are united to the water, yet at the same time they are quite distinct from it. They are coming from a different place. Similarly, one's experience of God in contemplative prayer is not easy to make distinctions about. The less you can say about it, the more likely it is present. It is in all and through all. And so it kind of falls out of sight. (p 101)

As the unconscious empties out, the fruits of an integrated human nature and the resulting free flow of grace will manifest themselves by a significant change of attitude. The union that one discovers in contemplative prayer will not be reserved to that time. Moments of silence will overtake you in the course of daily life. Reality will tend to become more transparent. Its divine Source will shine through it.
When everything in the unconscious is emptied out, the kinds of thoughts that were passing by in the beginning will no longer exist. There is an end to the process of purification. Then the awareness of union with God will be continuous because there will be no obstacle in our conscious or unconscious life to interfere with it. There is nothing wrong with reality. The problem is with us, who cannot relate to it properly because of the obstacles in us. When all the obstacles are emptied out, the light of God's presence will illumine our spirit all the time, even when we are immersed in activity. Instead of being overwhelmed by externals, the true Self, now in union with God, will dominate them. (p102)

Divine love is not an attitude that one puts on like a cloak. It is rather the right way to respond to reality. It is the right relationship to being, including our own being. And that relationship is primarily one of receiving. No one has any degree of divine love except what one has received. An important part of the response to divine love, once it has been received, is to pass it on to our neighbor in a way that is appropriate in the present moment. (p 103)

The experience of being loved by God enables us to accept our false self as it is, and then to let go of it and journey to our true Self. The inward journey to our true Self is the way to divine love. (p 129)

Progress in the spiritual journey is manifested by the unconditional acceptance of other people, beginning with those with whom we live. (p 130)

Regular periods of silence and solitude quiet the psyche, foster interior silence, and initiate the dynamic of self-knowledge. (p131)

Humility is an attitude of honesty with God, oneself, and all reality. It enables us to be at peace in the presence of our powerlessness and to rest in the forgetfulness of self. (p 132)

[Edward Kimble · Rating 5 out of 5]

Father's Keating's presents a timeless, no-frills, multicultural meditation process with a special brilliance that finds the common ground of Christian faith, Zen dharma, and agnostic, humanist psychology. He strikes just the right balance to make contemporary intellectuals and charismatic Catholics equally at ease. This is a really magical little book.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very interesting and isn't meant to be rushed through. I read a couple pages and put it down for the day. I spend the rest of the time thinking through and processing what I read. I am taking my time to analyze the information and evaluate my feelings about what I have just read.

[Chris Hyde · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a great "beginners" book to introduce contemplative or "centering" prayer. Think meditation from a Christian perspective. This book will set you on your journey. BUT, I will say that this book is highly repetitive. At only 150 pages, it probably could have been half as long.

[danielp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very probably the most important book I've read and will ever read.

[Jozef Antolík]

Prehľadne napísaná kniha o meditácií v kresťanskom kontexte.

[Jordan Tomeš · Rating 4 out of 5]

Úvod do kontemplativní modlitby. Je obsažný, bohužel se ale autor často opakuje - mohl by být určitě o třetinu kratší. Nejde číst naráz, spíš postupně vstřebávat.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful introduction to centering prayer for beginners. Technique, potential problems, and vision for its purpose were all clearly explained. Lectio divina is touched on but not really delved into much.

[Katie Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

A complete manual on Contemplative prayer. One I will refer back to I'm sure. As my meditation has been based in Eastern methods I am still confused about what I am not supposed to be thinking or feeling or am supposed to be releasing or experiencing during this type Of prayer. Since it is set apart from pure "emptying of the mind" but also similar to it.. I am not sure of the main point. The book was a bit to loosely philosophical about this. I suppose "doing" the practice is the only way to find the connection.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a thorough, informative, genuine look at history and practice of the contemplative life and specifically focuses on centering prayer. its straightforward and just what i needed to start wrapping my mind around silence, stillness, & just being before God.

[Floyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book on centering prayer. I felt like I was gently persuaded/encouraged to go deeper with God and know Christ more intimately. I'm seeking to enjoy being in the Father's presence via contemplative prayer.

[Leonardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Se trata de un libro corto que sirve como introducción a la oración centrante enseñada por el Padre Keating. Creo que la mejor manera de leer el libro es intentando poner en práctica este tipo de oración, y la mejor manera de poner en práctica este tipo de oración es con un maestro y un grupo de apoyo. En ese sentido el libro queda apenas como una mala segunda opción. La estructura del libro no es muy buena, bastante repetitiva y desorganizada. Introduce preguntas y las va respondiendo.

Keating no se mete mucho con eso (incluso da la sensación de tener una postura más psicologisista, incluso psicoanalítica) pero creo que da para repensar la oración y la antropología cristiana desde los nuevos descubrimientos de las neurociencias. Siempre, pero también a la luz de la experiencia de la oración centrante. Entiendo que hay tipos que están haciendo eso desde los efectos de la meditación en el cerebro, por ejemplo: How God Changes Your Brain o La conexión divina. En esto se hace fundamental la comprensión del significado de la auto-conciencia (desde el trabajo pionero de Evolution of the Brain en adelante) y abandonando la comprobación empírica la búsqueda del alma (por ejemplo Astonishing Hypothesis: The Scientific Search for the Soul). Keating explica que la oración centrante consiste en un acto de fe pura. Creo que es necesario repensar desde los avances en neurociencias los conceptos de voluntad y libre albedrío. Esto puede ser muy útil en los procesos de discernimiento de espíritus (naturaleza, tentación y gracia) y toma de decisiones. No conozco bibliografía al respecto (sería algo así como The Tipping Point cristiano).

Creo que a semejanza de lo que le pasa al Padre Ricardo ( Orar y Amar), Keating hace desde la experiencia un descubrimiento (un desarrollo práctico) muy interesante, prometedor, de frontera.

[Edward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keating’s book on contemplative prayer is informative and low key. He emphasizes that contemplative prayer is a matter of disposing the mind to “receive” God. God is seen, not as a separate entity but as more of a experience in which a person achieves a sense of unity with everything that exists. “Being”, it could be called, a concept which is separate from our usual perception of reality as made up of separate sense impressions, whether they be of people or animals or inanimate objects, and the many abstractions we make from them.

True contemplation means an independence from this ordinary psychological world. Of course, the ordinary world crowds in on us, and so, as with many other writers on the subject Keating suggests that a certain length of time (his suggestion is 20 minutes, twice a day) is about the limit of what most people can handle. Ordinary thoughts crowd in; all we can do is accept that this is natural and move on from them as b est we can. We can try to see them as objects in a river of consciousness and let them flow on past.

One important point that Keating makes is that contemplation should have outward ramifications. An outgoing result of contemplation would be a greater sense of love and commitment to others. Maybe not a direct observable connection, but one that is present, however subtle.

He speaks of Christ's mother, Mary, as a model for contemplation. “She brought the World of God into the world, or rather let him come into the world through her. It is not so much what we do but what we are that allows Christ to live in the world.” For Keating, then, as a Christian, the goal of contemplation is to become more "Christlike" and that is the connection with the Gospels.

Keating has a good chapter on the history of contemplative prayer, and how from the Renaissance onward, prayer has tended to be seen as verbal and discursive. He doesn’t deny that these are elements of prayer, but stresses that they are complements to silent prayer, and do not displace it. To practice contemplative prayer has been viewed with suspicion as if it were an act of arrogance, of presumption. This loops back to the idea of humbly “receiving” God, not of any method of absolute gaining some kind of “union”. Contemplation may be practiced for many years s before there is any discernible sense of union with reality, of simply “being.” Or such union or connection may never happen. Self-satisfaction is not the goal.

[Lewis Whitaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Open Mind, Open Heart eons ago and felt secure that I knew it and the Centering Prayer method. I shelved it, and while I have practiced still prayer occasionally it never became central to my own spirituality. Returning to it some twenty or so years later, however, in another season and time of my life, I’m blown away by the depth of Fr. Thomas’s teaching. Open Heart, Open Mind demonstrates the history and method of Centering Prayer, but also addresses the psychological foundations of disciplined prayer and the means for adapting it to daily life.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. Perhaps it found me at the right time.

Reading it immediately after finishing Merton’s New Seeds of Contemplation drew a fairly sharp contrast. I found Keating’s writing to be more down to earth and accessible than Merton’s.

I’ve been studying and practicing centering prayer for about 6 years, but this is the most practical, accessible, helpful teaching I’ve read/heard on it. It helped me fill in some blanks and answered some questions I had. The writing is clear and relatable (probably more now than it would have been before I had been introduced to centering prayer). Keating also has some very helpful summaries, FAQs, and guidelines for growth and transformation. This is one I’ll plan to come back to. It would also be a great book to study with a group.

[Guida Al·lès · Rating 5 out of 5]

Com meditar? Com practicar l'oració contemplativa? Pràctic. Al gra. Sense paraules buides. Thomas Keating comparteix el que ha après (no només ell, sinó la comunitat) després d'anys d'experiència fent silenci al al Monestir Trapense de Massachussets, un mètode que és més que un mètode. És una forma d'entendre la vida.

[Fede Boccacci · Rating 3 out of 5]

El método de la Oración Centrante es muy provechoso como herramienta para orar y llegar a la contemplación.
Habiendo leído otros libros de Keating, este me resultó un poco reiterativo.
Hasta ahora, Intimidad con Dios me parece lo más claro, sintético y mejor esquematizado del autor.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keating introduces the reader to the practice of centering prayer as a spiritual discipline. His approach is clear and procedural, however his understanding of divine love is woven throughout. I’d like to read more of him!

[Melanie Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF

There is nothing wrong with this book but I've found that the technique it recommends isn't compatible with my overactive brain.
I'm still looking into contemplative prayer but I think I'll have to find my own way of doing it.

[John Klooster · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book on the concept of centering prayer. Within each chapter Keating will answer FAQs which give a broader perspective of the practice.
I appreciated Father Keating’s concise directives as well as his encouragement that the practice is a journey and that the fruits are experienced in daily life thru increased awareness, patience, and peace.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

If there were a widespread renewal of the practice of the contemplative dimension of the Gospel which bonds Christians together at a deeper level, the reunion of the Christian churches would be a real possibility, dialogue with the other world religions would have a firm basis in the spiritual experience of the Christian community, and the religions of the world would bear a much clearer witness to the human values they hold in common.

Thomas Keating's Open Mind, Open Heart is an excellent introduction to centering prayer, combining Buddhist meditation practices with Christian intent. Keating's writes well, never taking unnecessary tangents or focusing on his own experiences. Rather, Keating presents techniques and then follows each with responses from participants in his prayer sessions. This is an excellent resource if one is interested in pursuing a deeper, more meaningful prayer-practice. If that is you, Dear Reader, then here is an excellent primer and resource. If that is not you--why are you reading this review?

[Sheryl Valentine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was introduced in "centering prayer" several months ago, and actually the practice is similar to a form of meditation I used to practice and had got away from. Returning to it over the last few months as a Self-Abidance practice has made and is making a major difference for me! This practice has truly introduced me to the blissful, Present, peaceful Self that is here now and that is What I AM!

Thomas Keating has written many books on the subject and this one is great for an introduction and contains loads of inspirational material.

He writes: "Contemplative prayer is a process on interior transformation, a conversation initiated by God and leading, if we consent, to divine union. ...WE let go of own idea of ourselves and resting in the Divine Indwelling that is already present within us and waiting to reveal itself to us. Regular periods of silence and solitude can dispose us to extend our consent to God's presence to every moment of our waking lives and thus reduce the influences of the false self [ego]."

[Amos Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was amazed that this book sold over 500,000 copies. That shows how Keating has revolutionized and popularized Centering Prayer and Contemplative Christianity. I read the original printing in 2001. Now I'm reading this 20th Anniversary Edition. The questions presented in the book are questions that I have asked about centering prayer. They are FAQs of centering prayer. And Keating does a masterful job at answering the questions and bringing clarity, This is the all-time classic book on Centering Prayer written by the master!
-Amos Smith (author of Healing The Divide: Recovering Christianity's Mystic Roots)

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

To me Keating's work on the contemplative tradition in Catholicism isn't off except in the presentation of it. Although God is mentioned a time or two in the book, this came off to me as more psychology than spirituality. I knew the book has been charged with a "New Age" slant and I would agree with that. The contemplative tradition is as old as the Gospel, but this book goes too far in casting it in psychological and fixed method, and too little in prayer.

[Myra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never considered meditation a Christian discipline. This details how it was very much a practice in the early Church. I'm eager to try this form of "prayer"/mediation that I hope will fulfill this statement: "Be still and know that I am there"

[Malinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Thomas Keating's classic introduction to centering prayer, an ancient Christian practice. Keating delves into Christian psychology as he outlines the basic practice of quieting the mind and listening to God.