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Trinity & Saccidananda
The Benedictine ashram in South India, where I spent many long retreats over a period of twenty years, is usually called Shantivanam, “forest of peace,” but it is also the Ashram of the Trinity, and the first founder, Father Jules … Continue reading
Answering a question about Ananda Ashram
A reader of “Ashram Diary”, Danielle Darbro, sent a question about the sisters at Ananda Ashram “on the other side of the road” from Saccidananda Ashram. Here’s my reply: Hello, Danielle. Yes, the sisters at Ananda Ashram follow the same … Continue reading
Posted in feminine, India, monastic life
Tagged Ananda Ashram, Camaldolese Benedictines, monastic life, Nuns, Shantivanam, Sister Marie-Louise, Solitude
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Tantra Symposium in Rome
On October 17, the Jesuits in Rome will be hosting a scholarly symposium on Tantrism (Hindu and Buddhist) and Christian meditation/contemplation. This will be my first time back in Italy since I returned permanently to our monasteries in California (Incarnation … Continue reading
The Sign of Jonah
The sign of Jonah (Luke 11:29-32) is a sign of contradiction. That is, the sign mirrors the contradiction of a people called to prophesy who, instead, flee their calling. The Book of Jonah, as part of the Hebrew Scriptures, is … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, dialogue, faith as hope, green theology
Tagged change, conscience, environment, experience, Gershwin, God, gospel, Jesus, Jonah, Nineveh, planet-home, Pope Francis, Porgy ‘n‘ Bess, prophecy, sign, Solomon
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Bach and Indian music
“The Hindu musician does not read set notes; he clothes anew at each playing the bare skeleton of the raga, often confining himself to a single melodic sequence, stressing by repetition all its subtle microtonal and rhythmic variations. Bach, among … Continue reading
Posted in Big Sur, Hinduism, India, monastic life, music
Tagged Art of the Fugue, Big Sur, Indian music, J. S. Bach, New Camaldoli Hermitage, raga
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Ascent to the depths
“Ascent to the depths of the heart”: this phrase is the title of the published diaries of the monk Henri Le Saux, who in India was known as Swami Abhishiktananda. Actually, the English translation of the book says “depth” in … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, faith as hope, India, inter-spirituality, Jesus, yoga
Tagged Abhishiktananda, ascension, heart, Jesus, liturgy, love, Shantivanam, yoga
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Cinema history’s first film in Esperanto: “Angoroj” (1964)
As happened in the case of “Incubus”, the 1966 film with dialogue in Esperanto, the screen-writer and director of “Angoroj” (“Panic Attacks”), Jacques-Louis Mahé, angered by the critical and box-office failure of his film, attempted to destroy all copies of … Continue reading
A few words on Day One: “God” is not an individual
Before Vatican II, the Catholic Liturgy on January 1st was called the Feast of the Circumcision. It offered midnight revelers the shortest gospel reading of the liturgical year, one verse from Luke: “On the eighth day, Jesus was circumcised.” Period. … Continue reading
Posted in apophatic theology, Bible, Jesus, spiritual sexuality
Tagged birth, breath, Eternal One, Holy Spirit, individuality, Mary God-birther, Trinity, Word
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Readings on the last Sunday before Christmas
Last Sunday, which was the last one before Christmas, we heard the gospel of the Annunciation to Mary: the Archangel Gabriel comes to her and tells her that, if she consents, she will become the mother of the Son of … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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Incubus 1966 [Movie Script in Esperanto]
Part of human ageing is the rediscovery of youthful passions, but without the passion. One of my passions was Esperanto, an “art-language” (Eo: artlingvo) composed and published in 1887 by Ludoviko Zamenhof, a Jewish-Polish physician. In 1957, at age 17, … Continue reading
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