Prayer in the Cave of the Heart: The Universal Call to Contemplation

by Cyprian Consiglio

Prayer is an art that cannot just be taught. It must be experienced, lived, and practiced. In Prayer in the Cave of the Heart , Cyprian Consiglio draws on his experience as a Camaldolese monk to give readers an accessible reflection on prayer that is based on Bede Griffith's universal call to contemplation." In this text, the contemplative traditions of East and West intersect to invite readers into prayer that makes them "present to the Spirit who is already present to us."

136 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cyrpian Consiglio is a disciple of Bede Griffiths. This is intergrative, interfaith exploration of the contemplative tradition, reading Hindu and Buddhist spirituality through the lens of the Christian mystical tradition. Admittedly, I am too evangelical in my commitment to Christian particularity to go more than part way with Consiglio.

[Mary Camille Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspiring read on the why and how of Christian meditation.

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I probably wouldn’t have read this except for the fact that Br. Paul Andrew (New Melleray Abbey) asked me to review this book for Cistercian Studies Quarterly. And I’m glad he did because of the way it explored contemplative spirituality by weaving together references to the world’s major spiritual traditions - all of which are saying much the same thing but from different perspectives. And so we’re invited to reflect on the similarity between the wisdom of our own tradition as it relates to passages that come from the Upanishads, Buddhist Sutras, the Tao Te Ching, and the Quran. ( A glossary is included to help us with Buddhist, Hindu, Sufi and Muslim terminology.) The book’s title refers to the Hindu word, guha, which is found in the Upanishads in connection with that sacred and life-giving place within us that yearns for depth and a way of honoring what is transcendent about of life. Running throughout this extremely readable book is the assumption that the reader understands the difference between spirituality and religion. “Spirituality is an eminently practical science,” says Consiglio, “it concerns what we do when we get up in the morning, how we spend our day, how we go to bed at night and specifically how much time we are willing to dedicate to the practice of prayer and meditation.” And so each of the 8 chapters of his book contains practical suggestions for doing that – by drawing upon spiritual practices and techniques of both Eastern and Western spiritual traditions. For those who want to deepen their understanding of contemplative prayer from a more inclusive perspective but tend to shy away from more scholarly approaches, this is the book to read.