Father Thomas Keating—his legacy goes beyond centering prayer

Father Thomas Keating, who passed October 25 at age 95, was a Catholic Benedictine monk who reintroduced contemplative meditation to the Christian world. If that were his only lasting contribution to our world it would have been enough, but his legacy of interfaith dialogue that honored both commonalities and differences adds another layer of his gifts to all spiritual seekers. My path intersected with Father Keating’s a few times over the last 40 years. Here are some snapshots.

Father Keating & centering prayer

In the mid-80s, I had the opportunity to do an in-depth interview with him about centering prayer when I was writing for a Denver-based Catholic weekly newspaper. He was soft-spoken, but his presence and knowledge carried his authority.

At the time he was one of the few teachers open about the fact that meditation could unleash troubling emotions, thoughts and other byproducts of repressed consciousness. That’s certainly not something that was covered in New Age culture teachings about meditation where the emphasis was on love, peace and bliss. I didn’t experience immediate peace and bliss. I did experience what Father Keating called “the dumping of unconscious” before I had any context for it. He was kind enough to discuss that natural part of the spiritual practice with me among many other topics.

Life at the Snowmass monastery of Father Keating

Later I was able to visit Father Keating’s home monastery St. Benedict’s in Snowmass, Colorado, to do a feature story about life there.

Unfortunately Father Keating was away, but I spent some wonderful time with some other monks and learned of the openness of their community to meeting with Zen Buddhists and other faiths. The monk I interviewed played the harp in the music room as he contemplated each question and responded with profound and pithy answers. The music room also featured zen flutes handmade by a monk who had left the order. Another monk came in the room. “Do I hear music?” he asked cheerily. “I’m being interviewed!” my harp-playing friend gruffly responded, sending the other monk on his way.

I then learned that monasteries are not necessarily peaceful. Small infractions are magnified and sometimes not forgotten or easily forgiven.

Father Keating & Ken Wilber

About 12 years ago I saw Father Keating in an extended dialogue with Ken Wilber, the philosopher-teacher. Two things have stayed with me from that stimulating dialogue. Father Keating compared the experience of centering prayer to an old married couple sitting on a porch, rocking together. They know each other and their love so well, that no words need to pass between them. In centering prayer, he said, that same experience occurs between our human selves and the Divine.

He also said that, then at approximately 80 years of age, he hoped that reincarnation did not exist. He did not want to go through the awkwardness of childhood again!

Honoring commonalities & differences among religions

I learned more about Father Thomas Keating and interfaith dialogue when Rabbi Howard Hoffman, a Hasidic Kabbalist, became my primary spirtual teacher in the early 1990s.

“In this time of hate-mongering and name calling, meaningful dialogue is more precious than ever,” said Hoffman, shortly after Father Keating passed. Rabbi Hoffman lived this model in his 30 year friendship, and participation in the Snowmass dialogues with Father Keating. The dialogues were built from honoring both commonalities and differences. Rabbi Hoffman was a powerful voice for honoring and learning from differences. The dialogues continue in honor of Father Keating’s spirit.

 

A recent Facebook meme had this quote from Father Keating which captured the essence of these dialogues:

“No one religion can contain the whole of God’s wisdom which is infinite.”

The dialogues brought together Christians, Jews, Muslims, native peoples, Buddhists, Hindus, and others. All contributed through trial and error in learning best practices so all could feel heard and understood.

Two things stand out from from learning about Rabbi Hoffman’s experience with the dialogues. First the monks understood Rabbi Hoffman’s needs to modify his accommodations and put away traditional Christian religious symbols. Judaism has strict prohibitions on portraying Ultimate Reality in any concrete way and historically, rabbis were tortured and killed on crosses by angry Christians who wrongly blamed Jews for the crucifixion. Second was the opportunity for the rabbi to pray with a Muslim Iman during these gatherings.

I learned from my friend Dan Gabbay, who often joined Rabbi Hoffman at Snowmass, about the need to be open to both the strengths and weaknesses of one’s faith tradition in order to honestly engage with other across religious differences.

It’s another way of recognizing Father Keating’s words that no one tradition can carry the whole of God’s wisdom.

Awareness of our limitations leads to healing

I also learned from Dan that acknowledging limitations is as important to living life and our relationships with others as it is to interfaith dialogue. In other words, the lessons learned at Snowmass can inform our lives in many ways.

“I believe we serve the world through our talents and gifts, and that we can help heal the world through honest awareness of our limitations,” says Dan.

“Being aware of limitations is not a means to stay static. That would deny the tshuvah process of change, growth, return, and repentance.

“Striving to achieve potential is important. Unrealistic expectations of achievement can be toxic. Limitation may not mean we cannot do something, but rather is an honest measure of how well we do something. It is not human nature to like limitations, but limitation is real and the very nature of being human. Rabbi Shlomo Twerski teaches that the synthesis of Tumah and Tahara (spiritual contraction and spiritual expansion) is the acceptance of limitation without shame or humiliation.

“I might add it is a form of freedom,” Dan continues. “As I’m learning to accept my limitations, I find envy wanes, unhealthy competition wanes and appreciation of others increases. Even where I am average or below I can feel content and not less.

“A beautiful thing is born from the acknowledgment and acceptance of limitation. It creates space and a desire for others to fill the void.

“My question is is it possible, that part of the Divine plan is to embed some degree of spiritual limitations within each of our traditions? A lack to be held and supported by other traditions. Sometimes it takes a caring outsider to help identify a limitation.

“As this lens of acknowledging limitation is important to my spirituality, I humbly offer a prayer.

“May we achieve our potential. May we have the courage to let others fill the space that we cannot. May we have the wisdom and strength to support the void for others. And may our biases not impose limitations on others that are not there.”

This approach was modeled by Father Keating, Rabbi Hoffman, Dan Gabbay and many others at Snowmass. This essential work continues. As Rabbi Hoffman said, it “is more precious than ever.”

To learn more about this unique approach to interfaith dialogue see the book “The Common Heart” with an introduction by Ken Wilber.