Pilgrimage to Indias Saccidananda Ashram, where Christian guru Bede Griffiths taught, led Thomas Matus to rethink his identity and faith.
Pilgrimage to Indias Saccidananda Ashram, where Christian guru Bede Griffiths taught, led Thomas Matus to rethink his identity and faith.
Christianity (general), Eastern
Ashram Diary accompanies the reader to Shantivanam, an ashram (hermitage) in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Shantivanam began in 1950 when two French priests put on the orange robes of Hindu renunciants and initiated their life of meditation by the sacred river Kaveri. In 1968, an English monk, Bede Griffiths, became the ashrams guru and taught there until his passing in 1993. During the last nine years of Griffiths life, Thomas Matus listened to his teachings and shared in the life of the ashram. In this book, Matus recounts his experience of India, its people, and its spiritual culture during frequent retreats at Shantivanam. He narrates his travels to sacred Hindu and Buddhist shrines and his conversations with fellow seekers on the path. Honestly examining his own faith and vocation as a monk, Matus invites the reader to share his quest: to rethink Christianity in Indian terms and India in Christian terms, in order to discover the one Reality beyond all names and forms, in which faith and spiritual searching reach their ultimate and blessed end. Thomas Matus is a Christian monk, yogi, musician, and cultural historian
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A moving account of Father Bede's last days and one is left with the distinctive flavour of his work. ~ David Lorimer, Network Review
This is a rich and clear-sighted personal portrait of India, of the monastic life, of father Bede and his community, and of the author himself. ~ Jennifer Kavanagh, The Friend
Thomas Matus is gifted with a clarity of expression that brings understanding to his spiritual journey, as he travels through India encountering ancient cultures and practices. Encouraging and guiding him on his journey is the beloved Benedictine monk, Bede Griffiths, whose ashram, Shantivanam, integrates Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist traditions in a practice of deep ecumenism, a sharing of wisdom that is so needed in our time. Matus offers a thoughtful narrative of the pilgrimage of a soul. This book, its value and insights, will satisfy for a long time to come. ~ Matthew Fox, best-selling author of Original Blessing
Fascinating! Ashram Diary has some marvelous material in it and would appeal to a lot of people. ~ Shirley du Boulay, author of the definitive biography of Bede Griffiths, Beyond the Darkness
Ashram Diary is a contemplative journey. In our world, ravaged by devastation and war, the words of Thomas Matus will replenish our lives with passion, energy, and love. Truly a timely book. ~ Jim Conlon, director of Sophia Center, Oakland, California, author of Lyrics for Re-Creation: Language for the Music of the Universe
Ashram Diary, from the heart of one who loves Father Bede Griffiths, is truly a way of transformation. With a deep penetration into everyday life at Shantivanam, the "Forest of Peace," Matus' diary looks in on, and between the lines of, Father Bede’s own writings and teachings. Thomas Matus has caught the heart of the guru in action. ~ Pascaline Coff, O.S.B., founding member of the Bede Griffiths Trust
Thomas Matus has written a valuable account of his experiences at Shantivanam, Bede Griffiths' ashram. The writing is lively - I was often reminded of Thomas Merton's later works like his Asian Journal or Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander. Matus' readers, like those of Merton, will be grateful for his refreshing alternation between narrative, description of the vivid scenes of Indian life and nature, and moments of reflection on things human, theological, and contemplative. Readers who have been to India may often find their own memories reawakened in full color. The author's frank expression of his own questioning and emotional reactions contributes to this sense of actuality. Ashram Diary will interest many readers who have become awakened to the new relationship between Christianity and the East. ~ Bruno Barnhart, prize-winning author of Second Simplicity: The Inner Shape of Christianity
