A dangerous ascetic

In this age of religious and political fundamentalism, many people struggle to remain balanced and harmonious within themselves and in their belief systems. Lack of dialogue creates extremes and fear nourishes fundamentalism. The whole situation seems to be spinning out of control. The Catholic Church has now joined the spiral, with display and show, in place of deep engagement

People have witnessed a systematic and forceful silencing of the messengers. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, headed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, was responsible for this.

At the beginning of this year, the American Jesuit Fr Rodger Haight was denounced and prohibited from teaching for publishing a book, Jesus, Symbol of God. Fr Haight had this to say: "The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith says that one has to attend to tradition, I try to do that in what I write. I proceed very very. carefully and responsibly to address issues that cannot go unaddressed".

For many years I have become familiar with the works and vision of the English Benedictine Camaldolese monk, Fr Bede Griffiths. He had to defend himself in 1990 before the Congregation. He was never censured, and he continued to speak out honestly and with simplicity till he died three years later. He has said that if Christianity cannot recover its mystical tradition and teach it, it should simply fold up and go out of business.

Bede Griffiths attracted many young people to his ashram in India. They came from all over, because through his deep spirituality, honesty and holiness, he spoke in a way that touched the person deeply. He was an ascetic, a mystic, a prophet - and prophets cannot be put in cages! This made him a very dangerous man to whoever upheld a fossilised vision of reality.

He spoke clearly. He said that spiritual knowledge is useless if simply retained in the head. It is a waste of time leading to self-delusion. The same can be said of theological knowledge. This has to be diverted towards the contemplative experience through meditation, otherwise it remains apart and is of no ultimate value.

His wisdom, wide knowledge, gentle compassion and deep practice of contemplative prayer drew him to people of all ages and backgrounds. He envisioned a new era, a new civilisation which would be born of the fertile fusion of modern science and the ancient, mystical traditions of East and West, an age in which spiritual values will have primacy over other values.

Together with some friends, I have set up the Bede Griffiths Association (Malta). Its aim is to offer a space for the spiritual seeker to rest and explore the space within the "cave of the heart", through contemplative meditation. In line with Bede Griffiths' vision, this association is non-denominational and multi-faith.

Those who would like to know more about Bede Griffiths can visit the Website www.bedegriffiths.com. To contact the Maltese branch e-mail isiscentre@hotmail.com or write to Bede Griffiths Association c/o Isis Creativity Centre, Windsor Apartments, Level 3, Msida Circus, Msida.