Prayers of the Cosmos: Reflections on the Original Meaning of Jesus' Words

by Neil Douglas-Klotz, Matthew Fox (Foreword)

Reinterpreting the Lord's Prayer and the Beatitudes from the vantage of Middle Eastern mysticism, Douglas–Klotz offers a radical new translation of the words of Jesus Christ that reveals a mystical, feminist, cosmic Christ.

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

115 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Neil Douglas-Klotz, Ph.D. is a renowned writer in the fields of Middle Eastern spirituality and the translation and interpretation of the ancient Semitic languages of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Arabic. Living in Scotland, he was for many years co-chair of the Mysticism Group of the American Academy of Religion. A frequent speaker and workshop leader, he is the author of several books. His books on the Aramaic spirituality of Jesus include Revelations of the Aramaic Jesus, Prayers of the Cosmos, The Hidden Gospel, Original Meditation, and Blessings of the Cosmos. His books on a comparative view of Native Middle Eastern spirituality include Desert Wisdom: A Nomad’s Guide to Life’s Big Questions and The Tent of Abraham (with Rabbi Arthur Waskow and Sr. Joan Chittister). His books on Sufi spirituality include The Sufi Book of Life: 99 Pathways of the Heart for the Modern Dervish and A Little Book of Sufi Stories. His biographical collections of the works of his Sufi teachers include Sufi Vision and Initiation (Samuel L. Lewis) and Illuminating the Shadow (Moineddin Jablonski). He has also written a mystery novel set in the first century C.E. Holy Land entitled A Murder at Armageddon.
In addition, he recently edited five “Little Books” published by Hampton Roads, four devoted to a new selection of the work of Lebanese American writer, poet, and mystic Kahlil Gibran, and one dedicated to Wild Wisdom, a collection early ecological writers and mystics.

Reviews

[Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deceptively simple little book with a paradigm-shifting perspective. Ever wonder what Jesus ACTUALLY said -- in Aramaic, his native language -- when he prayed "Our Father Who Art in Heaven?" Mind-blowing insights into the rich, multi-layered metaphorical nuances of Aramaic -- as opposed to the narrow, rigid and confining Greek tongue -- the language into which the Bible was corseted... Profound. This book literally changed my life.

[Deborah Brunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is beautiful and really, it demonstrates the deficiency and poverty of language and translation to convey the abundant meaning of the words of Jesus. It demonstrates that language not only conveys meaning but also worldviews. An Aramaic oral tradition recorded in Greek, translated into King James English and understood and discussed in Modern English has served to solidify and restrict an offering that needs to be softened and liberated so that it may be received by the heart, the soul, the cosmos.

Thank you for the gift Douglas-Klotz
Here is my offering.

Thou who gives ongoing birth to the cosmos.
Giver of life and light.
Bestower of breath.
Let my soul resonate coherently with thine.

Bestow wisdom upon me, that with thee I may co-create thy community of justice and love, here and now.
Let me clearly see thy body, the cosmos and greet it with compassion and inclusion.
Let me see all hungry bodies and feed them.
Let me be free from fear of scarcity and greed, and open my heart to freely give as I have received.
Help me to see my complicity in evil. Liberate me and help me liberate others who suffer.

In thy body I find hope, compassion, suffering, liberation, inclusion and healing.
Amen

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonder by Neil Douglas-Klotz translates the words of Jesus directly from His native tongue, the Aramaic. As we know, his words and prayers were translated to Hebrew, Greek, Latin and English. For example, 1 phrase of the OUR FATHER translates into a number of deeply enriching thoughts. His following book is Blessings of the Cosmos. The come with CDs for listening and meditation. When I first read Prayers Of the cosmos I felt deeply drawn to the person of Jesus thinking,"This is someone I want to know."

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this intermittently. It's by my bed for times when it seems right to pick it up again and read part of it. It's an interesting way to reframe religious dogma. We get a taste of what it may have been that the man named Jesus was really trying to convey. For some reason it never feels religious to me at all...it just feels stimulating in mind, body and spirit. Maybe not good for a light read though...if you have any kind of spiritual practice, I would recommend having it around.

[Dean Summers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prayers of the Cosmos, as advertized in the subtitle, is a series of meditations on the Aramaic words of Jesus. Jesus spoke Aramaic, the language of his homeland in the days of the Roman occupation. The particular words of Jesus considered are those commonly known as the Lord’s Prayer (taken line by line) and the Beatitudes (also taken line by line) plus three additional sayings (Matthew 22:35-39; Luke 6:27, 35; John 16:23-24). Each saying is quoted from the Aramaic (Peshita) version of the Bible in Latin script (so you can pronounce it), quoted also in Aramaic (Estrangela) script (to give you a sense of the exotic), and quoted in the English of the King James Version (so you can recognize it).

The depth and breadth of each saying is explored in half a dozen or so free-verse paraphrases that play with the varied meanings and resonances of the Aramaic words. Textual notes account for what can come across as quirky interpretations. For each line of the Lord’s Prayer and the Beatitudes, following the textual notes, are recommended “body prayers”—exercises in mindfulness that include walking, sitting, reclining, breathing, chanting, silence, hearing, seeing—all designed to help you attain at-one-ment with the source and ground of being.

Meanwhile, for all that, the Jesus you meet in this little book doesn’t come across much at all like the Jesus you meet in the Bible. It helps to know that the author is a proponent of Sufi mysticism. Rather than meditations on the Aramaic words of Jesus of Nazareth, the Jesus of the Bible, what you get are what the author imagines some of the words of Jesus might have meant if Jesus were a Sufi mystic—a valuable cross-cultural experience—just not an encounter with the particular Jesus you might have been expecting to meet.

Even so, every cross-cultural experience has something to offer in the way of learning to appreciate the depth and the breadth of the sayings of Jesus. So, read this book. But read it for what it is. And be clear about what it is not.

[Silvio · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book at least three times before I even read it once. „Book“, I say? Nay, pure blessing. Pure prayer. Pure shining of compassion.

Here is my version of the Lord‘s prayer based on this revelation:

O Birther! O Radiant One!
Father-Mother of the cosmos,
the Breathing Life and Light of all,
Creator of the shining sound that moves us -
You, whose Name is known in everything

Help us let go,
clear the inner space that is your shrine,
tune our hearts as instruments for your tone,
so your Name comes to live inside and is hallowed

From this divine union in the chamber of our hearts
Your rule springs into existence:
From potential to power,
Desire with and through us
the kingdom of unity unto the earth

May the vortex of your one will
- your heart‘s fervent desire that is Love -
live in us as passionate purpose,
where heaven meets earth and light meets form
in acts of compassion for all creatures

In this circle of growing life on earth,
grant what we need each day in bread and understanding -
step by step,
let us live in the fertile body of wisdom

Loose the chords of our hidden past binding us,
lighten our load of secret debts…
return us to our original state,
as we forgive
and embrace with emptiness our brothers and sisters

Don’t let us enter forgetfulness,
don’t let the temptation of superficial appearances delude and confuse us,
but free us from what holds us back from the ripeness of our actions:
here and now,
abundant with your deep and radiant purpose

O Fertile Field, from you is born
all burning will and creative vision,
the power and life to do,
the song that beautifies all
in glorious harmony:
Your world is art, infinite and eternal -
from age to age, through every cycle of cosmic gathering, it is renewed.

Truly - power to these words -
may they be the ground from which all my actions grow:
Sealed in trust and faith.

Amen

[Jude Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neil Douglas Klotz' Prayers of the Cosmos contains the seeds for revolution!
His translation of Jesus' words is much fuller and richer than the King James.
See for yourself! This is just one possible translation of the Lord's Prayer.
"O Birther! Father-Mother of the Cosmos!
"Hear the one Sound that created all others, in this way the Name is hallowed in silence.
"Create your reign of unity now!
"As we find your love in ours, let heaven and nature form a new creation.
"Grant what we need each day in bread and insight.
"Loose the cords of mistakes binding us, as we release the strands we hold of other's guilt.
"Don't let surface things delude us, but free us from what holds us back.
"Truly - power to these statements- may they be the gound from which all my actions grow: Sealed in trust and faith. Amen."
Klotz also gives alternate translations for The Beatitudes and other sayings on his Meditations on the Aramaic Words of Jesus. Well worth getting a hard copy of your own, no matter what religion you call yourself!

[Ryan Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spare, poetic, and heart and soul expanding. Opens up new ways and worlds into Jesus’ wisdom. Only complaint is the brevity. Would love to have a more comprehensive study.

[Steve Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this exploration of Jesus' intent. My response to these translations from the Aramaic is that they feel more open, gender-neutral, earth-centered, and inspirational/prayerful (vs. pedagogical). The language seems to invite me to 'become one' with God/Source, rather than to instruct me in right living, say.

[Monica Alvarado · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great addition to your gospel study. Fascinating insights. It isn't only a translation from Aramaic to English, but it's a whole new interpretation of the words of Jesus Christ. It also includes research into the roots of each word and "body prayers" which are a type of meditation with specific mantras and body movements that invite you to experience each prayer with all your senses.

[Jeanne Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if the familiar words of the Lord's Prayer and the Beatitudes are just the outer shell? What if the real fruit of the meaning is within the original language in which they were spoken? I will never speak these words in the same way again.

[Monty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an amazing book. For me it gets to the heart of the message of Christianity--come from the heart, and the answer is within us, not outside of us. The Aramaic translations are beautiful and have a depth that I haven't seen in the standard translations.

[Manda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful, soulful, full-bodied “Yes!” interpretation of the Aramaic words of Jesus… one that is in line with the Universal Oneness. Highly recommended, especially for anyone who grew up in Christianity, but finds themselves somewhere outside of it now.

[Tiffany Naughton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful, introduced thoughts and meaning that I've been meditating on for months since reading this book.

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, I could read these translations over and over.

Here is one example (for a taste :) - but they are all stunning!)

O Birther! Father-Mother of the Cosmos,
Focus your Light within us—make it useful:
Create your reign of unity now—
Your one desire then acts with ours,
As in all light, so in all forms.
Grant what we need each day in bread and insight.
Loose the cords of mistakes binding us,
As we release the strands we hold of others’ guilt.
Don’t let surface things delude us.
But free us from what holds us back.
From you is born all shaping will,
the power and the life to do,
the song that beautifies all,
from age to age it renews.
Truly—power to these statements–
May they be the ground from which all
My actions grow: Amen.

[Victoria Bellamy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one that I would like to reread on a routinely basis. It has great depth in its teachings to make me stop and rethink old lessons that may need to let go. Even though it appears to be a simple book, it brings you to much deeper/open levels if you sit with it and allow yourself to be open to the beautiful openness that the Aramaic language can bring to well known and often recited parts of the Bible.

[Antonia]

Veľmi podnetne čítanie, ktoré sa neodvážim hodnotiť počtom *. V slovenskom jazyku nevyšlo a neviem či to bolo češtinou alebo jednoducho tým, že knihu nie je možné len čitat ako knihu, ale je potrebné ju spojiť s precitenim cez meditáciu, ale ja som všetko nepochopila. Časť veci vo mne silno rezonovala, časť akoby bola skrytá za dverami, ku ktorým som nemala kľúč…

[Addie Doyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️ Beautiful. Short. Profound. One that will remain at my bedside table to periodically read through to remember. A dear friend recommended this to me especially due to my spiritual curiosity and having heard about Aramaic spiritual translations but never read any of them. This unfolds larger discourse about the power of translation and what gets lost when we do.

[William *Bill* Baldwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marvelous!

A life of prayer is brought to another dimension by reading this book. The insights and revelation one receives from the sayings of Jesus will transform your heart. This work is also a jolt to Western (American) Christianity, but a needed jolt, indeed. Enjoy!

[Jason Baldauf · Rating 4 out of 5]

A re-interpretation of the Lord’s Prayer and Beatitudes from the original Aramaic. Short read, well explained. The interpretation is vastly different from the generally accepted Christian view. I found this interpretation more approachable. With translation from Aramaic to Greek to Latin to English, I think a lot can get lost. I’ll be looking for other Aramaic re-interpretations of other Christian scripts to gain a deeper insight.

[Barb Kapinus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful look at the original meaning of Jesus's words in Aramaic. Great source for meditation.

[Ruben Venema · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very insightful book that expanded my understanding and enriched my thinking, and in turn led me to a greater appreciation of Jesus' teachings

[r.marriott · Rating 5 out of 5]

rocking out on Yesuah Ben Pantera

The bottom line of the law of attraction and manifesting reality ! Believing things into existence is the basis of the matrix

[Ivan Benedict · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an interesting book of meditations, mainly
mainly dealing with the Lord's Prayer and the Beatitudes.
It uses the Aramaic New Testament for translating and
digging at the meanings of words and phrases. Since
these are words of Jesus, and he surely spoke them in
Aramaic, because that was the language of the day in
that place, the nuances that the Aramaic language brings
to the meditation are interesting and probably important.
We have these words in Greek, which is a considerably
different language from Aramaic.
The book has a mystic kind of spirit to it; and the author
maintains that the Aramaic supports this kind of mystic
interpretation.
But there is a limited audience for this kind of study.

[Tommy Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first, this book was a pretty tough read, it was a little bit difficult to stay interested. There was a point where I thought about putting it down when I wasn't really even through the second page. Once I really got into the book, however, I really actually was intrigued in the possibility that all of the Christian prayers for the past two millennia may have been mistranslated. I then saw the beautiful level of depth that would have been thought to be unthinkable, and at the time I was amazed at how we could interpret this ancient, near forgotten language into beautiful works of poetry and prayer.

[Jiri Bryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Years ago I wanted to throw it out. (Dark looking Jesus from the jacket scared me almost to death) But I kept it in the basket. Now I´m learning the prayer (sometimes with my wife), step by step. Cool guy, that Yeshua...
Před lety jsem ji chtěl vyhodit. (Temný Ježíš na obálce děsil mne téměř k smrti.) Ale nechal jsem ji v košíku. Učím se teď - krok za krokem - tu modlitbu (někdy s manželkou). Prima kluk, ten Jošua...

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book was like having the secret password to a truth hidden in plain sight. I have revisited this book so many times over many years and find new meaning each time. As one deeply interested in both language and truth and how very infrequently the two are married (!) I found this book to be perfect in every way. I cannot believe it has taken me so long to remember to add it to my Goodreads list!!!

[Susan Slack · Rating 5 out of 5]

A transformational book for many who had let their Christianity and faith of all kinds, fade. This translation of the "Lord's Prayer" from Aramaic, the language Jesus probably spoke, into English provides several possibilities of meaning to each line. Also gives pronunciation of the Aramaic. Great work from a scholar and personally spiritual man.

[Maria]

Currently Re-reading this book. I am so drawn to this culture and find the Aramaic translations fascinating and truly soul awakening. Asimple phrase in our language can translate to a full page of amazing, heart warming dialogue in Aramaic!

[Jean Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alternative translation of The Lord's Prayer and Beatitudes using aramaic words of Jesus. If one is open to a translation of the Lord's Prayer that doesn't portrait a paternalistic Father, but more of a communicant, I definitely recommend this book.