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Exploring Nature, Culture and Inner Life

2012.06.26: Brother David Steindl-Rast w/ Michael Lerner - A Spiritual Biography Part 3

Jun 26, 2012
Brother David Steindl-Rast, an 86-year-old Benedictine monk renowned for uniting Christianity and Buddhism, shares his profound journey of gratefulness. He discusses how everyday tasks can lead to spiritual richness and the importance of redefining spiritual language for modern audiences. Brother David emphasizes the unity of humanity and divinity, advocating for interfaith dialogue. He also reflects on transformative experiences at Esalen, personal growth, and the joy of community through his prison ministry, encapsulating his philosophy of living life with gratitude.
56:51

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Brother David Steindl-Rast emphasizes that gratefulness is a universal concept that transcends cultural and religious boundaries, fostering dialogue among diverse spiritual traditions.
  • He advocates for a return to the mystical core of spirituality, promoting personal experiences over institutional doctrines to enrich individual spiritual journeys.

Deep dives

The Centrality of Gratefulness

Gratefulness has emerged as a vital aspect of spiritual life, as it resonates with various spiritual traditions around the world. This concept became more prominent in Brother David's life when he realized that having little can foster a greater sense of gratitude, making it easier to appreciate life's simple offerings. The universality of gratefulness allows it to serve as common ground for dialogue among diverse traditions, transcending cultural and religious boundaries. Initially suggested by his webmaster for a website, this focus on gratefulness proved to be fundamental, becoming central to his teaching and outreach.

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