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Father Thomas Keating - Buddha at the Gas Pump Interview

BuddhaAtTheGasPump・2 minutes read

Fr. Thomas and Rick Archer discuss God, spirituality, and consciousness, delving into the dynamic nature and evolving concept of God, the challenges of defining God, and the relationship between science and religion. The conversation extends to the human journey of evolving towards wholeness, the transformation of the false self, and the practice of centering prayer as a means to deepen communion with God and promote spiritual growth and emotional release.

Insights

  • Fr. Thomas critiques traditional "omni" adjectives for God, emphasizing limitations of essentialist metaphysics.
  • The false self is a concept necessary for human functioning, formed in early childhood to seek happiness and gratification.
  • Centering prayer is a practical tool for deepening communion with God, fostering emotional release and spiritual growth.

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Recent questions

  • What is the relationship between science and religion?

    The conversation delves into the relationship between science and religion, with a focus on the Christian perspective and the evolving cosmology. Fr. Thomas discusses how different traditions interpret God and the challenges in defining God. He critiques traditional "omni" adjectives for God, highlighting the limitations of essentialist metaphysics. The dialogue explores the dynamic nature of God, emphasizing constant creation and evolution.

  • How does centering prayer benefit individuals?

    Centering prayer is a receptive practice that deepens communion with God and the inner self, potentially transforming society. It involves intending to consent to God's presence, introducing a sacred symbol, being receptive to God alone, and gently returning to the sacred word when distracted. The practice promotes peace, calmness, and improved reactions to challenging situations, fostering a therapeutic relationship with God and allowing for emotional release and spiritual growth.

  • What is the goal of the spiritual journey?

    The spiritual journey aims to integrate daily life with sublime communion with God, progressing towards union and becoming equal to God. It involves evolving from viewing God as a parent to various relationships like companion or lover. Mystics and saints have experienced union with God, leading to Christian perfection as a bridal union. The ultimate aim is to serve all living things, transforming the world into a paradise.

  • How does the false self impact human development?

    The false self is formed in early childhood to seek happiness and gratification, leading to desires for control and power. Lack of essential information in education contributes to its development, with ego representing positive human values. Excessive gratification of energy centers can lead to afflictive emotions like anger and grief. Centering prayer helps acknowledge and release repressed emotions, fostering a deeper restful state.

  • Why is the unity of the human family important?

    The unity of the human family is advocated to foster interhuman relationships and responsibility for others' needs and sufferings. His Holiness the Dalai Lama promotes this principle, emphasizing the importance of centering prayer to deepen communion with God and transform society. The conversation expresses optimism about a mass awakening leading to the removal of institutions hindering human happiness, highlighting the role of individuals in a larger spiritual awakening.

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Summary

00:00

Exploring God, Spirituality, and Consciousness Evolution

  • Fr. Thomas and Rick Archer engage in a conversation about God, spirituality, and the evolution of consciousness.
  • Fr. Thomas discusses the varied interpretations of God across different traditions and the challenges in defining God.
  • The conversation delves into the relationship between science and religion, with a focus on the Christian perspective and the evolving cosmology.
  • Fr. Thomas critiques the traditional "omni" adjectives for God, emphasizing the limitations of essentialist metaphysics.
  • The dynamic nature of God and the concept of God as constantly creating and evolving are explored.
  • The discussion extends to the idea of humans as sense organs of the Infinite and the development of consciousness.
  • Fr. Thomas highlights the illusions of the world and the spiritual journey involving detachment from false self-illusions.
  • The conversation touches on the concept of suffering, human evolution, and the integration of human limitations with divine love.
  • The idea of God's humility and the transformation of human nature into divine love are discussed.
  • The dialogue concludes with reflections on God's playful nature, the purpose of creation, and the journey of evolution as God's spiritual practice.

21:55

"The Playful Game of Life's Evolution"

  • The game is meant for fun, not just winning, as the pleasure of playing is lost when the focus shifts to winning.
  • God enjoys games like "Let's pretend" and "Let's do it again," reflecting a playful attitude.
  • Healing the world's wounds and achieving wholeness is a serious game, akin to salvation or redemption.
  • God's presence is evident in the pursuit of boundless happiness, even in unconventional ways.
  • The human condition involves evolving towards wholeness, not possessing it from the start.
  • God's creation of creatures to share happiness involves challenges and situations for growth.
  • Life on Earth is a serious game with a playful aspect, emphasizing the importance of understanding God's intentions.
  • Meditation is crucial for accessing deeper consciousness beyond the rational level.
  • The false self is formed in early childhood to seek sources of happiness and gratification, leading to desires for control and power.
  • The dying process is transformative, moving through stages of liberation and freedom towards acceptance and peace.

43:44

"Transformative centering prayer for inner peace"

  • Excessive gratification of energy centers leads to frustration and afflictive emotions like anger and grief, affecting one's mood for varying durations.
  • The false self is a concept that doesn't truly exist but is necessary for human functioning, with ego representing the positive aspects of human values.
  • Lack of essential information for human growth in ordinary education contributes to the development of a false self.
  • The absence of proper ethical training is a significant factor in the prevalence of the false self in society.
  • Efforts are being made to establish a universal ethic based on human nature that all religions and non-religious individuals can identify with.
  • The unity of the human family is a key principle advocated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to foster interhuman relationships and responsibility for others' needs and sufferings.
  • Centering prayer, a receptive practice, is suggested as a means to deepen communion with God and the inner self, potentially transforming society.
  • Centering prayer involves four major guidelines: intending to consent to God's presence, introducing a sacred symbol, being receptive to God alone, and gently returning to the sacred word when distracted by thoughts.
  • The practice of centering prayer is about surrendering to God's invitation to learn how to be, focusing on God's presence and action, and renewing the intention to consent repeatedly.
  • Centering prayer can be adapted to various traditions and has been shown to have positive effects, even in non-religious settings like prisons, promoting peace, calmness, and improved reactions to challenging situations.

01:03:21

"Centering Prayer: Embracing God Within Us"

  • Centering prayer is a practice of consciousness without content, described as a sense of being in God or God in us.
  • Initially, practice centering prayer for twenty minutes twice a day to quiet the mind coopted by habits related to basic instincts.
  • Acknowledge repressed thoughts that arise during meditation and give them to God for purification.
  • Formal instruction is recommended for centering prayer, but some have learned from books describing the process.
  • The practice is simple yet requires further training and support from others, including intensive retreats.
  • Centering prayer helps individuals acknowledge and release repressed emotions, allowing for a deeper restful state.
  • Negative emotions like anger, fear, and sadness may surface during meditation, needing to be released for positive energies to thrive.
  • Centering prayer prepares individuals for contemplation, leading to a greater sense of God's presence and wisdom in daily life.
  • The practice fosters a therapeutic relationship with God, allowing for emotional release and spiritual growth.
  • Progress in the spiritual journey mirrors human development theories, evolving from viewing God as a parent to a companion, lover, or various other relationships.

01:22:52

"Journey to Divine Union Through Transformation"

  • Human development involves a progression of intimacy and transformation with God, leading to a permanent communion and a stage of consciousness.
  • The spiritual journey integrates daily life with the sublime communion with God, aiming for union and becoming equal to God.
  • Mystics, contemplatives, and saints have experienced union with God, leading to Christian perfection as a bridal union.
  • Transforming union introduces new circumstances and capabilities, moving towards nondual consciousness or the death of the separate sense of self.
  • The goal is to realize that our deepest self is God's presence in us, manifesting divine dispositions in an evolving creature.
  • Christ's presence is universal, manifesting in various forms on different planets, embodying the Word of God.
  • Achieving nonduality involves integrating different levels of human nature in a hierarchical manner, leading to the mystical body of Christ.
  • The ultimate aim is to become one with God, serving all living things and transforming the world into a paradise.
  • Centering prayer is a practical tool to help in loving God and others, emphasizing the importance of gratitude, trust, and self-surrender.
  • Religion, science, and spirituality all have contributions to make towards enriching individuals and society, leading to a collective growth towards divine union.

01:44:16

"Unity with God for Transformation and Glory"

  • The speaker discusses the interspiritual movement, expressing optimism about a mass awakening leading to the transformation or removal of institutions hindering human happiness. They share a Hindu scripture story where villagers tried to help Krishna hold up a mountain, highlighting the concept of individuals playing a role in a larger spiritual awakening.
  • The conversation emphasizes the idea that God can use imperfect tools to achieve remarkable outcomes, suggesting that individuals on a transformation journey will find assistance in challenging situations. It stresses the importance of unity with God and the potential for individuals to choose to align with God's terms for ultimate transformation and glory.
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