The Wisdom Way of Knowing Wisdom Lineage (Points 1-4): 1. “We are founded on a daily practice of sitting meditation, predominantly but not exclusively Centering Prayer, anchored within the overall daily rhythm of ‘ora et labora,’ as set forth in the Rule of St. Benedict. In other words, the first and most important thing to say about our lineage is that it's a practice-driven, practice-based lineage. It's not about speculation, it's not about cognitive knowledge, it's not about books of esoteric doctrine. It's about sitting on the cushion, subjecting yourself to the rhythms that our tradition has passed on as the great vessels in which transformation happens … Centering prayer is particularly congruent to what we're doing because as a practice it's founded on the continuous letting go of thought, letting go of content, letting go of issues/agendas-letting the mind relax, unclench, release its stranglehold on objects of imagination and thinking … Wisdom is not about knowing more, but knowing deeper-knowing with more of you engaged, with more of your perceptual understanding awake and online.” - Cynthia Bourgeault 2. “We are rooted in the Christian mystical and visionary tradition, understanding contemplation in its original sense as ‘luminous seeing,’ not merely a meditation practice or lifestyle. In service to this luminous seeing, we affirm the primacy of the language of silence and its life-giving connection with the subtle realms, without which spiritual inquiry tends to become overly cognitive and contentious … We believe that silence is not just a place you go to but a way of knowing in and of itself. And, without this silent way of knowing, knowledge itself begins to become too cognitive, cerebral, and confrontational … Contemplation is a luminous seeing, very often it's described as a pure beholding-in other words, a direct perception. It's sometimes described as knowledge impregnated with love … People emerge from times of contemplation with a different knowing and a different way of knowing … We’re opening ourselves to both the disciplines and the gifts that happen when silence as a way of knowing becomes the whole of our life.” - Cynthia Bourgeault 3. “We incorporate a major emphasis (much more so than in more conventional contemplative circles) on mindfulness and conscious awakening, informed here particularly by the inner teachings of G.I. Gurdjieff and by their parallels and antecedents in the great sacred traditions, particularly in Sufism … The transformation that we're looking at comes a lot closer to awakeness, enlightenment, a whole different consciousness that becomes stabilized and interiorized in us.” - Cynthia Bourgeault 4. “We are an esoteric or ‘gnostic’ school to the extent that these terms have come to be understood as designating that stream of Christian transmission through which the radically consciousness-transforming teachings of Jesus have been most powerfully transmitted and engaged. But we eschew esotericism as simply mental or metaphysical speculation, and we affirm the primacy of the scripture and tradition as the cornerstones of Christian life. In other words, we're stating first and foremost that we're interested in transformation … We’re a Gnostic school to the to the extent that we're interested in the knowledge of, and the actual practice of putting on, the mind of Christ-in other words, learning to mirror, to interiorize, and to live more closely and clearly out of the place that he came from.” - Cynthia Bourgeault
She's wonderful, however, at the beginning there.... I would not compare the Gurdjieff work to "mindfulness": the latter has taken on an unfortunate spiritual materialism which the real Work remains impervious to
I really love listening to Cynthia.
P
Wow, so grateful for this! I often need reminders and "talking points" as to why I am on this path. Cynthia always comes through.
Modeling is such an effective teaching tool
Brilliant in both delivery and content
Thank you😊
I’m so delighted to find this and the subsequent video!
The Wisdom Way of Knowing Wisdom Lineage (Points 1-4):
1. “We are founded on a daily practice of sitting meditation, predominantly but not exclusively Centering Prayer, anchored within the overall daily rhythm of ‘ora et labora,’ as set forth in the Rule of St. Benedict. In other words, the first and most important thing to say about our lineage is that it's a practice-driven, practice-based lineage. It's not about speculation, it's not about cognitive knowledge, it's not about books of esoteric doctrine. It's about sitting on the cushion, subjecting yourself to the rhythms that our tradition has passed on as the great vessels in which transformation happens … Centering prayer is particularly congruent to what we're doing because as a practice it's founded on the continuous letting go of thought, letting go of content, letting go of issues/agendas-letting the mind relax, unclench, release its stranglehold on objects of imagination and thinking … Wisdom is not about knowing more, but knowing deeper-knowing with more of you engaged, with more of your perceptual understanding awake and online.” - Cynthia Bourgeault
2. “We are rooted in the Christian mystical and visionary tradition, understanding contemplation in its original sense as ‘luminous seeing,’ not merely a meditation practice or lifestyle. In service to this luminous seeing, we affirm the primacy of the language of silence and its life-giving connection with the subtle realms, without which spiritual inquiry tends to become overly cognitive and contentious … We believe that silence is not just a place you go to but a way of knowing in and of itself. And, without this silent way of knowing, knowledge itself begins to become too cognitive, cerebral, and confrontational … Contemplation is a luminous seeing, very often it's described as a pure beholding-in other words, a direct perception. It's sometimes described as knowledge impregnated with love … People emerge from times of contemplation with a different knowing and a different way of knowing … We’re opening ourselves to both the disciplines and the gifts that happen when silence as a way of knowing becomes the whole of our life.” - Cynthia Bourgeault
3. “We incorporate a major emphasis (much more so than in more conventional contemplative circles) on mindfulness and conscious awakening, informed here particularly by the inner teachings of G.I. Gurdjieff and by their parallels and antecedents in the great sacred traditions, particularly in Sufism … The transformation that we're looking at comes a lot closer to awakeness, enlightenment, a whole different consciousness that becomes stabilized and interiorized in us.” - Cynthia Bourgeault
4. “We are an esoteric or ‘gnostic’ school to the extent that these terms have come to be understood as designating that stream of Christian transmission through which the radically consciousness-transforming teachings of Jesus have been most powerfully transmitted and engaged. But we eschew esotericism as simply mental or metaphysical speculation, and we affirm the primacy of the scripture and tradition as the cornerstones of Christian life. In other words, we're stating first and foremost that we're interested in transformation … We’re a Gnostic school to the to the extent that we're interested in the knowledge of, and the actual practice of putting on, the mind of Christ-in other words, learning to mirror, to interiorize, and to live more closely and clearly out of the place that he came from.” - Cynthia Bourgeault
Other than that, this has been enlightening and is an excellent introduction --- she's an enthralling and precise individual
🍃❤️🍃
Is Cynthia a student of Boris Mouraviff?
She's wonderful, however, at the beginning there.... I would not compare the Gurdjieff work to "mindfulness": the latter has taken on an unfortunate spiritual materialism which the real Work remains impervious to