0] Contents
Foreword by Huston Smith vii
Preface ix
Acknowledgments xi
Chapter 1 Introduction: Contemplative Practices in Action 1 Thomas G. Plante, Adi Raz, and Doug Oman
PART ONE: INTEGRATED CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE SYSTEMS 5
Chapter 2 Similarity in Diversity? Four Shared Functions of Integrative Contemplative Practice Systems 7 Doug Oman
Chapter 3 Managing Stress Mindfully 17 Hooria Jazaieri and Shauna L. Shapiro
Chapter 4 Translating Spiritual Ideals into Daily Life: The Eight-Point Program of Passage Meditation 35 Tim Flinders, Doug Oman, Carol Flinders, and Diane Dreher
Chapter 5 Centering Prayer: A Method of Christian Meditation for Our Time 60 Jane K. Ferguson
Chapter 6 Mantram Repetition: A “Portable Contemplative Practice” for Modern Times 78 Jill E. Bormann
PART TWO: CONTEMPLATIVE TRADITIONS 101
Chapter 7 “The Eternal Is with Me, I Shall Not Fear”: Jewish Contemplative Practices and Well-Being 103 Zari Weiss and David Levy
Chapter 8 A Comprehensive Contemplative Approach from the Islamic Tradition 122 Aisha Hamdan
Chapter 9 The Path of Yoga 143 T. Anne Richards
Chapter 10 Zen and the Transformation of Emotional and Physical Stress into Well-Being 159 Sarita Tamayo-Moraga and Darlene Cohen Roshi
PART THREE: CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES IN ACTION: APPLICATION 181
Chapter 11 The Impact of Meditation Practices in the Daily Life of Silicon Valley Leaders 183 Andre L. Delbecq
Chapter 12 “Shaking the Blues Away”: Energizing Spiritual Practices for the Treatment of Chronic Pain 205 Amy B. Wachholtz and Michelle J. Pearce
Chapter 13 A Pilgrimage from Suffering to Solidarity: Walking the Path of Contemplative Practices 225 Gerdenio Manuel, SJ, and Martha E. Stortz
Chapter 14 Contemplative Practices in Action: Now What? 243 Thomas G. Plante and Adi Raz
Index 247
About the Editor and Contributors 257
Foreword
If I ask myself why it is I who has been asked to write the Foreword to this important book, I suspect that it is because it is in line with my own book, The World’s Religions, which is, like this one, ecumenically inclusive. In its 14 chapters, Contemplative Practices in Action introduces a broad array of contemplative practices drawn from Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. No faith or religion is accorded privileged status above others.
However, towering above the virtue (which I consider it to be) of ecumenism, is this book’s persuasive conviction that the world’s reli- gions house inexhaustible resources for transforming and augmenting the human spirit, a conviction with which I concur.
There is another and somewhat more personal connection, however, which has to do with the fact that the Eight-Point Program of Passage Meditation developed by the late Eknath Easwaran figures importantly in several chapters of Contemplative Practices in Action. Easwaran was a professor of English from Kerala, in South India, who came to this country on a Fulbright fellowship in 1959 and became a widely read and deeply respected teacher of meditation who lived out his days in an ashram in Northern California. I had the privilege of meeting him more than once and held him in high regard.
On several occasions, friends drove me to Easwaran’s ashram to participate in the evening gatherings of the community that sprang up around him. After supper, residents would join their teacher to lis- ten to his short homilies, ask questions about their spiritual practice, or simply sit quietly in the community’s soothing, collective peace. Those evenings made me think of Mahatma Gandhi’s ashram, where, after their simple suppers, villagers would gather around their leader for brief prayer meetings. Gandhi always made sure those services included prayers and scriptural readings from all the great religious traditions, and so did Easwaran.
That is half of the story, and the book in hand tells the other half. Contemplative evenings with a great spiritual teacher are not ends in themselves. It would not be amiss to think of them as times when com- municants recharge their batteries for the next day’s work. The title of this book, Contemplative Practices in Action, splices the two halves together. Like Gandhi, like the Buddha, like all great spiritual teach- ers, Easwaran had no use for beliefs unless they generated actions. Doing, not saying, is what counts.
Welcome to this book, which ought not to leave any serious reader unchanged.
Huston Smith Berkeley, California
January 2010
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Goodreads Reviews:
Apr 08, 2012Jill rated it really liked it
Picked this up in the recommended book section of the library. An excellent exploratory book for anyone as new to comparative religion as I am. And this book is helpful because it gives you action points, ways of practicing mindfulness, for example, instead of just barking religious dogma at you. I imagine this would be a useful book to have around if you're looking to change your life in a positive way. Suggestion: I found it best to skip around to chapters that grabbed my attention rather than reading it beginning to end.
"According to Buddhist psychology, suffering comes from our wanting things to be different from what they really are, whether that is wishing for another job, for more money, for a different appearance, or even to be happier...Though we are presenting mindfulness meditation here as a means of stress management, it is important to note that in Buddhism, the intention of mindfulness training is not for "stress management" but to achieve complete liberation from suffering and compassion for all beings."
On Observing the Breath: "Some find it helpful to set an intention before beginning this sitting exercise by silently speaking something that resonates for them in the moment. "May I be nonjudgmental," or "May I be gentle with myself" are examples of such intentions."
Mindful Eating: "First, simply observe how you eat, without changing anything about it. Do you eat with someone? Do you eat standing up or sitting down? Perhaps while doing something else? where do you eat--on a couch, in bed, at a table, in front of the computer? How much do you eat? How long does it take you to eat? How do you feel before and after you eat? How do you determine what to eat?"
Mindful Eating: "As a mindful eating exercise, try sitting down to a meal and pausing before you begin eating. Set an intention for this meal, for example, "May this food nourish me"; "My I be present for this meal"; "May I appreciate all that was involved in providing this meal". And it goes on to explain how to observe your eating, how you feel during and after, paying close attention to your body.
"Recent surveys show that as many as one-third of Americans place themselves in the category of "spiritual, but not religious," rejecting traditional organized religion as the sole means of furthering their spiritual growth."
Source: Rumi
Passage:
"Everything you see has its roots.
In the unseen world.
The forms may change,
Yet the essence remains the same.
Every wondrous sight will vanish,
Every sweet word will fade.
But do not be disheartened,
The source they come from is eternal."
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Gloria
Apr 22, 2011Gloria rated it really liked it
Shelves: for-the-spirit
I can see this book being used as a textbook for a class on spiritual practices. It is rather dry like a textbook, but is also quite thorough in presenting viewpoints and practices among all the major faiths. Not particularly inspiring, but certainly educational. Lots of resources included.
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Mila Gamaiunova
Aug 11, 2018Mila Gamaiunova rated it it was amazing
The book makes an introduction of different types of contemplative practices rooted in various traditions.
