Contemplative
Outreach
News
Volume 10, Number 1 
Spring - 1996
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Practice of
Attention/Intention ~|~ A Letter from Chrysalis House
Updates ~|~ Impression From
Arizona ~|~ Contemplative Outreach Faculty
The Practice of Attention/Intention
Thomas Keating, O.C.S.O.
By way of introducing this subject, let's start with a little
anthropology. Anthropology is the study of human nature through its physical,
emotional, mental, cultural and mystical manifestations. This will be a
theological anthropology, which is the study of human nature and its faculties
through the added perspective of Christian revelation.
Let us think of ourselves as coming into existence as a little
dot that might represent our conception, our personal "big bang", so
to speak. Theological anthropology suggests that at the moment of conception,
the Source of our being is present in that tiny organism whose cells are
multiplying at an enormous rate. Basically all our human potential, physical,
emotional, mental and spiritual is present in that initial "bang" of
creation--our personal entrance into the human family.
The teaching of the Divine Indwelling is a fundamental
doctrine for the spiritual journey The Father, the Son, the Eternal Word of the
Father, and the Holy Spirit, are present within us. These relationships, which
are never separate in their unity, are forever interacting. The Father is the
potentiality for all existence; the Son is the actuality of all possibilities of
existence; and the Spirit is the love that motivates both. Love loving itself
eternally in the Trinity is the basis of our own existence, the most intimate
part of us, that which is most real in us, the part of us that is capable of
infinite happiness through participation in the divine life.
The true self, which is what we are trying to awaken through
spiritual practice, is not separate from God. The true self is the divine
manifesting itself in our uniqueness, in our talents, in our personal history,
in our cultural conditioning, and in all the rest of the complex factors that go
to make up our conscious life and its manifestation in our various activities.
The infinite tenderness of God, right now, minus all the obstacles we place in
opposition to that manifestation, is present in us right now But each of us,
because of what traditional theology calls the fallen human condition, is out of
touch with this enormous energy of love that is inviting us to participate.
This does not mean that we have no identity of our own. Nor
does it mean total absorption into God, as it does in some Eastern traditions.
It does not mean the total loss of self. We remain uniquely whoever we are in
virtue of our creation, but there is no possessiveness towards that uniqueness.
The movement of the Spirit prompts us to give back whatever we are, all that we
are, as much as we are, and everything that we have received from God. To give
all back to God in love is the work of everyday life.
Around the true self there is a circle of awareness that we
might call our spiritual nature. It has two principal faculties, the passive
intellect and the will-to-God. These are respectively the innate desire for
infinite truth and the innate desire for boundless love.
Because of the damage resulting from our fallen human
condition, we are not normally in touch with our spiritual nature. Our actual
psychological consciousness on a day to day level consists of our homemade self
manifesting itself and not God.
The spiritual journey is initiated when we become aware that
our ordinary psychological consciousness is dominated by the false self with its
programs for happiness and over-identification with our cultural conditioning.
The spiritual journey involves an inner change of attitude beginning with the
recognition of being out of contact with our spiritual nature and our true self,
and taking means to return. Only then can our true self and the potentiality
that God has given us to live the divine life be manifested. Contemplative
service is action coming from the true self, from our inmost being.
To liberate our true self is an enormous undertaking and a
program that takes time. Centering prayer is completely at the service of this
program. It would be a mistake to think of Centering Prayer as a mere rest
period or a period of relaxation, although it sometimes provides these things.
Neither is it a journey to bliss. You might get a little bliss, along the way,
but you will also have to endure the wear and tear of the discipline of
cultivating interior silence.
Thinking our usual thoughts is the chief way that human nature
has devised to hide from the unconscious. So when our minds begin to quiet down
in Centering Prayer, up comes the emotional debris of a lifetime in the form of
gradual and sometimes dramatic realizations of what the false self is, and how
this homemade self that we constructed in early childhood to deal with
unbearable pain, became misdirected from genuine human values into seeking
substitutes for God. Images that don't really have any existence except in our
imagination are projected on other people instead of facing head-on their source
in ourselves.
Just think of the beatitudes that Jesus proclaims. The
capacity to practice them are within us as part of the patrimony of Baptism.
Similarly, the Seven Gifts of the Spirit and the Fruits of the Spirit enumerated
by Paul in Galatians 5 are vibrating within us all the time. But, they are
mediated through the various levels of the psyche so that we don't experience
their power until they are awakened through the discipline of deep prayer. Of
course, there are other ways that God has of awakening us to his presence. For
instance he is perfectly free to reach up and pull us down into that area any
time, but don't count on it. It is better to practice a discipline.
What would be an active discipline to assist our centering
prayer, so that it doesn't become self-centered or a mere process of
self-perfection, but actually is the assimilation of the infinite tenderness of
God living his life within us? In general, such a discipline might be called
"contemplative service"; in the concrete, I call it the
"attention/intention practice".
When you emerge from centering prayer, the present moment is
what happens when you open your eyes. You have been in the present moment of
prayer when you were completely open to the divine life and action within you.
Now you get up out of the chair and you continue daily life. This is where
attentiveness to the content of the present moment is a way of putting order
into the myriad occupations, thoughts and events of daily life. Attention to
this context simply means to do what you are doing. This was one of the
principal recommendations of the Desert Fathers and Mothers of the fourth
century. The disciple would come for instruction and say, "I am interested
in finding the true self and becoming a contemplative. What should I do?"
The Desert guides would reply in the most prosaic language. "Do what you're
doing." Which means, bring your attention to the present moment and to
whatever is its immediate content and keep it there." For instance, it is
time for supper. Well, put the food on the table. This is true virtue. Turning
on the television at that time or making a needless phone call might not be.
Attending to the present moment means that our mind is on what we are doing as
we go through the day. Thus we are united to God in the present moment instead
of wondering about what we are going to do next or tomorrow. There might be a
good time set aside for planning but not now.
To be completely present to someone you are talking to is one
of the most difficult of all practices. Your presence will often do more than
what you say It gives others a chance to be present to themselves. Moreover, if
your presence is coming from a deep place within, the divine compassion that is
inspiring you will be there for them in the degree that they are capable of
receiving it.
To be totally present to children, if you have them, to the
old folks, if you have them, to counselees if you have them, to the job of the
present moment that needs a responsible fulfillment--this is what might be
called how to act from the center, how to do contemplative service, how to put
order into ordinary daily life by being present to the occupation of the present
moment. This cuts off an enormous amount of needless reflection, projects of
self-aggrandizement, and wondering what people are thinking of us.
If we refuse to think of anything except what we are doing or
the person that we are with, we develop the habit of being present to the
present moment. In a way, the present moment becomes as sacred as being in
church. Far better to be present to your duty if you are a bartender, than to be
present in church and to be thinking about being in a bar. At least you are
present to yourself when you are paying attention to what you are doing.
Attention, then, is a way of doing what we are doing. It
cracks the crust of the false self (our psychological awareness of daily life)
in which we are the center of the universe while everything else is circling
around our particular needs or desires. This is an illusion, but unfortunately
it is the heritage we all bring with us from early life.
A practice, then, of just paying attention to what you are
doing for a certain part of the day for the love of God, and disregarding every
other thought is a practical way of opening ourselves to a deeper level of
contemplation. It will not work instantly, but regular practice has long-range
effects. It might be called the how of activity.
The spiritual level is also healed of the false self by the
why of what you are doing. Your intention to do what you are doing for the love
of God connects you with the divine presence in a powerful way The power of
intention is immense. The will willing God actually enters into union with God
although you may not consciously experience the effects of this union right
away. My intention is why I am doing what I am doing. Here is the practice:
Choose a certain time when you deliberately establish and renew your intention
of doing some particular work for the love of God. Our minds are generally so
scattered that we keep forgetting. To have a time or one particular activity
when you do this deliberately as a daily practice will quickly show you the
influence of your intentionality on the false self. Nobody does anything without
a motive. You don't know why you are doing something unless you know both your
conscious and unconscious motivation. For example, as soon as you start trying
to do a particular job at hand for the love of God, the motivation of the false
self begins to arise and you may find yourself acting out of jealousy; or you
want to get even with someone who has wronged you; or you are trying to get
ahead in some situation and you trample on some one else's rights. The galaxy of
bad intentions motivated by the false self emerges when for a few minutes you
try to maintain a pure intention.
The great insight of the early Desert Fathers and Mothers was
that a pure intention leads to purity of heart; selfish motivation is gradually
evacuated and the habit of a pure intention is firmly established. You begin to
enter into God's intentionality, which is to manifest infinite compassion in the
present circumstances, however painful, however joyful, however seemingly bereft
of the divine presence.
As soon as you focus your intention--why you are doing this
particular action--your unconscious motivation arises. The unconscious
motivation might be that in our service, however devout it may appear outwardly,
we are really looking for praise. In other words, our secret desires begin to
emerge into consciousness when we deliberately focus our intention on loving God
in all that we do.
How to work--attention. Why I am working-intention. Awareness
of these two aspects lead to the third and final quality of contemplative
service--who is doing the work. Having uncovered the spiritual obstacles of
pride, envy and whatever else might be hidden on the unconscious, we are now
approaching our true self; we are approaching our inmost center; we are
approaching Love loving itself. What's going to happen? Without your intending
anything special, without necessarily doing anything special, people begin to
find God in you as you humbly do what you are supposed to be doing. Complete
submission to God allows the divine energy to radiate, and others seeing you
have a sense of being in touch with God or in the midst of a community where
divine love exists. This is what a Christian community is suppose to be, whether
it is a family, parish or organization. The third way of working or acting in
daily life might be called transmission.
When attention to the present moment and a pure
intention are established as habits, then you have, in the fullest sense of the
word, contemplative service. Your contemplation is then perceived, enjoyed and
received, perhaps without a word, or without anyone being able to explain it.
People know that somehow, Christ is acting in you, is present in you, and is
loving them in you. This is the atmosphere in which people can grow and become
fully alive. One needs to feel loved as a human being to come alive. And the
greatest love, of course, is divine love, especially when it becomes transparent
in another person. And it is most impressive when that person is not even aware
of it and it just happens.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Practice of
Attention/Intention ~|~ A Letter from Chrysalis House
Updates ~|~ Impression From
Arizona ~|~ Contemplative Outreach Faculty
A Letter From Chrysalis House
Dear Friends of Chrysalis House,
In May of 1995, the owners of the property on which Chrysalis
House is located advised us that the house and the property were for sale. Up to
that moment, we felt secure about the house and our future in it. In Invitation
to Love, Fr. Thomas says "the only thing we can be absolutely sure of in
the spiritual journey is that whatever we are expecting to happen will not
happen."
In September of 1995, we became aware of a retreat house in
Walden, NY that was vacant and available to rent. It had wonderful
possibilities, but would cost at least $25,000 to make it usable for retreats. A
big advantage was all single rooms with a sink; a disadvantage was the inability
to block off private space for the community life. We hired a lawyer and began
negotiating a five year lease which we felt was important to get a return on our
investment.
Fr. Thomas and I signed the lease in November of 1995. At the
same time, concerns were being raised regarding my signing a five year lease
when, in fact, my three year commitment at Chrysalis House ended in May 1997. In
my own discerning process, I was clear that at this time I could not renew my
commitment. The signs were clear--Mary died, David left, the house is being
sold, and there is no experienced person to continue. The experiment is over. I
called Fr. Thomas, and it was agreed that the ten year experiment known as
Chrysalis House would be brought to closure as of May 31, 1996.
In December, 1995, the Sisters who own the house in Walden
decided to keep it, fix it up and make it available as a retreat center. Sr.
Patrick called to invite me to use the center to continue Contemplative Outreach
retreats and programs and help them get established in running a retreat
facility If I wanted to live there, a stone cottage was available on the
property. It was exactly what I envisioned for myself--my response was a yes,
yes, yes to all of it.
As word is getting out, many of you have been calling to
support us and express interest in future plans. As part of our transition, Gail
Fitzpatrick-Hopler is facilitating and participating in monthly meetings with
the residents of Chrysalis House. She has been a real gift to us--always
affirming God's Presence in the events and providing us with a safe space to
articulate and explore future possibilities. Changes are being made in our
lifestyle so it will support our transition into lay contemplative life. Elise
Kandel, who has been a steadfast support through all the events of these past
two years (Mary died 10 days after Elise arrived), is moving to the Lancaster,
Pa. area. Elena Estella, who has been with us since September, is discerning her
next step from the many options presented to her--national and international.
Barbara Rietberg returned to Miami in March, and Miami will never be the same.
My heartfelt gratitude goes to each of them for their love, support, patience
and great generosity during this time of transition.
As for myself, as of June l, my address will be St. Andrew's
Retreat House, 257 St. Andrew's Road, Walden, N.Y. 12586. In addition to
coordinating retreats and programs, I will continue to serve as a member of the
Board of Trustees of Contemplative Outreach, Ltd., serve at the National Office,
and be of service in any way possible to the Sisters at St. Andrew's Retreat
House who have been an instrument of God's boundless generosity to me, and catch
up with my family and friends.
So, dear friends of Chrysalis House, the chrysalis has burst
open, and we celebrate its new life. It is not an ending, but a beginning. Let
all who have participated in the Chrysalis House experience give thanks to God
with one heart and one voice (from Ps. 138): "I thank you, Yahweh, with all
my heart; I sing praise to you before the angels. ... You will do everything you
have promised me; Yahweh, your faithful love endures forever. Complete the work
you have begun." Amen. So be it.
Love and Prayers,
Cathy McCarthy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Practice of
Attention/Intention ~|~ A Letter from Chrysalis House
Updates ~|~ Impression From
Arizona ~|~ Contemplative Outreach Faculty
California
Gus Reininger
St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Pacific Palisades,
California is celebrating the fifth year of its Centering Prayer Program, an
outreach to the Southern California area. Leading Episcopal clergy have traveled
from their ministries throughout the United States to lead workshops and
retreats. The Rev. Thomas Ward, Chaplain of the University of the South and its
seminary at Sewanee, Tennessee, is a regular retreat director at St. Matthew's.
Other presenters included the Rev William Fredrickson, the Rev Cynthia
Bourgeault, Fr. William Meninger, Bonnie Shimizu, Canon David Morgan and Canon
Sarah Butler. Fr. Keating initiated the program in 1991 to encourage the renewal
of contemplative prayer within the Anglican Communion.
"The Centering Prayer program is central to the Parish's
spirituality ministry. Just as important, is its outreach to the Los Angeles
faith communities," says Rector David Miller. "It's also influenced
many other areas of parish life, from a contemplative accent in liturgy,
influencing our day school caring ministry, to even establishing a program of
Taize services to celebrate the contemplative dimension of the Gospel."
Acting as an ambassador for Centering Prayer throughout
Southern California, St. Matthew's has helped establish and encouraged Centering
Prayer groups in thirteen other Parishes, Episcopalian and Roman Catholic.
St. Matthew's is a model for the ecumenical growth of
Centering Prayer. They've provided a home for Contemplative Outreach in Southern
California," offers Gus Reininger, a founder and Trustee of Contemplative
Outreach. "I've noticed a special affection for Centering Prayer in
Anglican churches, perhaps because it's drawn in large part from The Cloud of
Unknowing, a classic of English Spirituality. As such, the English Church
represents something of an ancestral home."
St. Matthew's recently sponsored a seven day retreat and
contemplative service formation led by Fr. Thomas Keating and Fr. Carl Arico,
which explored new ways to prepare facilitators for Centering Prayer ministry.
Minnesota
Patricia Roberts
The Benedictine Center offers twice a year "A Day of
Mindfulness:' Mindfulness is paying attention, nourishing our living in the
present, so that we may be awake to God's presence in each moment of our lives.
It is a day for those who desire to deepen their practice of
Centering Prayer and spend a day in God's presence. It includes Lectio Divina,
six sessions of Centering Prayer, contemplative walks, mindful eating and Tai
Chi, meditation in motion. This day is facilitated by Patricia Roberts, Director
of the Benedictine Center.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Practice of
Attention/Intention ~|~ A Letter from Chrysalis House
Updates ~|~ Impression From
Arizona ~|~ Contemplative Outreach Faculty
Impressions From Arizona:
First Nine Day Intensive Retreat - January 1996
I arrived by 4-wheel drive (a Trooper) from the north--happy
to be in the company of two new acquaintances from the East, also making the
Sacred Journey. Our driver was a Gifted One named Mary.
Warmly greeted by sunshine and Father Carl's smile--nine days
thus begun with nine travelers and two Sacred Guides and a promise boldly
written on the chapel wall: "The Desert will lead you to your heart where I
will speak."
This land of desert trails along sandy rock and wash called to
me for nine days of tromping, hiking in the Silence of its Way.
Yes, I heard your Voice in my Heart, a voice echoed in Desert
Wind, wind of starlit night and glare of day, first quiet, rarely still. Then in
gusts that rattled through my Bones and stirred the dust devils in my Soul. You
spoke to me in the desert sunrise, a sunrise heralded by the peck, peck, peck of
Mr. Woodpecker and song of other fowl.
Your work stirred in my heart as it vibrated in spirited and
ghostly formations of Canyon Desert Rock.
Gently wandering canyon path, often stumbling, I was led up
into the hallowed cave of your Heart and held there in heart to heart surrender.
In that silence I found Rest, deep, deep rest (in sunset and in the dream of
starlit night) where I was--disturbed, disrupted, dismantled, only to be taken,
blessed, broken, given ...into the Sacred Space of the One to Whom I belong.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Practice of
Attention/Intention ~|~ A Letter from Chrysalis House
Updates ~|~ Impression From
Arizona ~|~ Contemplative Outreach Faculty
Contemplative Outreach Faculty
The Faculty of Contemplative Outreach held its l0th annual
meeting January 26-31, 1996 at the beautiful new Retreat Center at St.
Benedict's Monastery in Snowmass, Colorado. Twenty-one people gathered
representing 10 states and 2 foreign countries (Philippines & Britain). Two
Contemplative Outreach trustees and an observer from Britain joined the meeting
as well.
The year in-review found many new and exciting programs
percolating throughout the network including a workshop on the Human Condition
(Philippines) and The Living Flame III (Florida). On-going programs discussed
included The External Study Program and Facilitators' Training. Living Flame I
is now available to the regions. The Faculty elected Marie Howard as its
representative to the Contemplative Outreach Board of Trustees.
We look forward to Fr. Thomas' further development of the
three year curriculum. The 1997 Faculty meeting will focus on the dynamic
process of Lectio Divina. The meeting will be held at the Benedictine Center in
Beech Grove, IN.
The Spirit was present and active in the group process and we
look forward to serving Contemplative Outreach as it moves into 1996 and beyond.
We express our deepest gratitude to the monks of St. Benedict's Monastery for
their warm hospitality (during very cold days!) and loving prayer support.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Practice of
Attention/Intention ~|~ A Letter from Chrysalis House
Updates ~|~ Impression From
Arizona ~|~ Contemplative Outreach Faculty
