The Human Condition

This is a reflection on contemplative prayer, the search for happiness, and our need to explore the inner world.

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"The spiritual journey," writes Thomas Keating, "is not a career or a success story. It is a series of humiliations of the false self that becomes more and more profound. These make room inside us for the Holy Spirit to come in and heal. What prevents us from being available to God is gradually evacuated. We keep getting closer and closer to our center. Every now and then God lifts a corner of the veil and enters into our awareness through various channels, as if to say, 'Here I am. Where are you? Come and join me.' "


Father Keating writes with the simplicity and depth that emerges from more than fifty years of practicing to become a ‘friend of God'—in this case as a Cistercian monk, abbot, and spiritual advisor... Those of us who learn from him are grateful for—and blessed by—his gifts.

—Elaine Pagels


"In an era when the commodification of spirituality in America seems inescapable, his presence and message [are] genuinely inspiring."

—Ronald F. Thiemann


"The spiritual journey, says Thomas Keating, is a journey of self-discovery, since the encounter with God is also an encounter with one's deepest self. As we come closer to God, we encounter the wellsprings of our own makeup, the hidden chambers of our personality and behavior. God calls us to live in a real world as mature people. And so, growing in God's grace is a gradual process of stepping into the light, of owning up to ourselves and becoming fully human."


"To insulate themselves against the pain of living, many people—including many Christians —develop "homemade" selves where they feel protected. But this behavior is radically challenged by Christ, who calls people to repent and reclaim their true selves, bestowed on them by their creator."


"The practice of contemplative prayer assists in this process. But contemplative prayer can also be a dangerous place where primitive emotions are let loose. For this reason, those who desire a profound relationship with God would do well to seek the guidance of a loving companion who can journey with them and bring them to a place of healing and mature life."

—Harold W. Wit, Harvard University, 1998

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