Author Archives: ashramdiary

About ashramdiary

Thomas Matus, who blogs this Ashram Diary, was born 1940 in Hollywood, California. Academics: A.B. in music from Occidental College (Los Angeles); S.T.L. in ecumenical theology from Athenaeum Anselmianum (Rome, Italy); Ph.D. in comparative mysticism from Fordham University (New York). Initiated into Kriya Yoga (by direct disciples of Paramahansa Yogananda) in 1958. Became a Catholic in 1960 and entered New Camaldoli Hermitage (Big Sur, California) as a novice monk in 1962. Lived for more than 30 years at the Monastery of Camaldoli in Italy. Traveled to India some 20 times; made frequent retreats at Saccidananda Ashram (Shantivanam) in southern India. Was in Brazil, off and on, from 1999 to 2006. Now back in California, he lives at the Hermitage in Big Sur and Incarnation Monastery in Berkeley, California. See: http://www.youtube.com/user/thomasmatus

January 2012 course

Posted on February 22, 2012 by ashramdiary

The following is the syllabus for the course I taught this January at the JST, which is the Berkeley branch of Santa Clara University. DHARMA, YOGA, TANTRA This course will offer a broad historical view of the constant interaction between … Continue reading →

Posted in Berkeley, Buddhism, eros, Hinduism, India, inter-spirituality, spiritual sexuality, tantra, yoga | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Ethics of Yoga and the Rule of Benedict

Posted on June 29, 2011 by ashramdiary

The following is a talk I gave in Rome, to a gathering of monastics, on June 10, 2011. Comparing the incomparable The title of this lecture is not properly academic. One might see it on a poster at a street … Continue reading →

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Talk given at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas

Posted on February 5, 2011 by ashramdiary

The following was my contribution to a Buddhist-Catholic dialogue hosted by the Ch’an Buddhist community at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, near Ukiah, CA. A VOW OF CONVERSATION Thomas Merton always kept diaries. The reason was, I think, that … Continue reading →

Posted in Buddhism, California, dialogue, inter-spirituality, monastic life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Feminine in Hinduism — Syllabus

Posted on December 8, 2010 by ashramdiary

The following is the Syllabus of the course I am to teach here in Berkeley, at one of the theological schools that collectively form the ecumenical consortium GTU (Graduate Theological Union). The school that hired me is the Jesuit School … Continue reading →

Posted in Berkeley, feminine, India, inter-spirituality, yoga | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Techno-logic and the Chilean miners

Posted on October 15, 2010 by ashramdiary

While the thirty-three miners (actually, one of them was Bolivian) were being hoisted up to the surface from the mine chamber, where they had been trapped for 69 days, I had my computer on and connected with the live feed … Continue reading →

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Neuroscience, Consciousness, Music

Posted on October 8, 2010 by ashramdiary

A comment on a blog post by Steve Ramirez, a neuroscientist (http://okaysteve.wordpress.com/2010/09/09/i-dont-know-so-maybe-im-not): The main difference between Matt Segall and myself, is that he may, as you say, labor under a misunderstanding of the current accomplishments of neuroscience, while I must … Continue reading →

Posted in music, science | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Feminine in Hinduism

Posted on September 10, 2010 by ashramdiary

This coming January, I’ll be giving a course here in Berkeley, with the title, “The Feminine in Hinduism”. Here is a short reading list: Raimundo Panikkar (ed. and transl.). The Vedic Experience, Mantramañjarī: An Anthology of the Vedas… London: Darton, … Continue reading →

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Yoga and the Jesus Prayer

Posted on July 6, 2010 by ashramdiary

A week ago I returned here to Incarnation Monastery in Berkeley, and the next day received the author’s copies of Yoga and the Jesus Prayer (O Books). This is my latest book, but not entirely new. Although totally rewritten, it … Continue reading →

Posted in Big Sur, yoga | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Yoga and Sacrifice (Big Sur retreat)

Posted on June 23, 2010 by ashramdiary

The Hermitage known as “New Camaldoli” is on the Big Sur coast just south of Lucia, on the way to Hearst Castle. The Hermitage is very different from the Castle, which is a tourist attraction that exhibits fragments of Medieval … Continue reading →

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Teilhard de Chardin (China) & Monchanin (India)

Posted on June 8, 2010 by ashramdiary

Ursula King is an outstanding theologian and one of the best scholars to study the thought and writings of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a French Jesuit and paleontologist, who lived for many years in China. Teilhard de Chardin wrote about … Continue reading →

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