Swami Abhishiktananda (Henri Le Saux, 1910-1973) was one of the most fascinating spiritual figures of the 20th century and a bridge-builder between East and West. In his extraordinary book Guru and Disciple, Swami Abhishiktananda gives a vivid and magnificent account of his meeting with Sri Gnanananda Giri, an Advaitic sage whom he met at his ashram in Tamil Nadu. He regarded this encounter as one of the high points of his life in India, for it was at that time that he recognized him as his guru. Through the intense upadesha (teaching) and unreserved grace of Sri Gnanananda, Swami Abhishiktananda was led closer to the heart of Advaita. He spoke of his retreat with him as days of grace, “days of peace and fulfilment… when one was conscious of living at a spiritual depth in which the whole world of outward appearance has been left behind and one has come close to what is Real.” Indeed, he received from his guru the purest teaching of a jnani (realized sage)—which was none other than the timeless message of the Upanishads: Behind the appearance of the phenomenal ego is the Ultimate Reality, the eternal Self of All, which can be directly realized. Guru and Disciple has been praised by many as a classic and as being one of the most remarkable introductions in recent times to the importance of meditation (dhyana) and the essential nature of the spiritual master—the guru tattva—of which Sri Gnanananda Giri was the perfect embodiment.

Guru and Disciple: An Encounter with Sri Gnanananda Giri, a Contemporary Spiritual Master

Religion & Spirituality

Abhishiktananda, Swami

Other Religions, Practices & Sacred Texts

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Swami Abhishiktananda (Henri Le Saux, 1910-1973) was one of the most fascinating spiritual figures of the 20th century and a bridge-builder between East and West. His encounter with Indian spirituality over a period of twenty-five years deepened and enriched his Christian faith beyond measure. The fruits of this profound spiritual experience are to be found in this treasured book Prayer. The book was, as the author wrote, “written beside the Ganges in very close contact with the spiritual experience of the Upanishads …. In [it] there is nothing technical. It seeks rather to be a travelling companion on the road that leads within.” “A simple and practical handbook resplendent with the gems of Christian and Hindu wisdom, Prayer has rightly been acclaimed a classic and can be compared to similar works authored by contemporary Christian mystics who have explored contemplative prayer through Eastern and Western Spirituality, namely: Anthony de Mello, Hugo Enomiya-Lassalle, Bede Griffiths, William Johnston, Thomas Keating, John Main, Thomas Merton, Vincent Shigeto Oshida, Ama Samy, David Steindl-Rast, Vandana Mataji and many more pioneers in interreligious spiritual understanding.” -from the Editor’s Note

Prayer: Exploring Contemplative Prayer through Eastern and Western Spirituality

Swami Abhishiktananda was a French Benedictine monk who lived in India for more than two decades and strove to understand and live his Christian faith through the enlightening teachings of Hindu Advaita Vedanta. Even as he remained a faithful Catholic monk, he increasingly longed to live his life from the depths of both Christian and Hindu understandings of the ultimate Real. In contrast to his many powerful prose works for which he is known, Swami Abhishiktananda also employs free verse to explore, exhort, and expound, reporting in poetry on his long journey of interreligious spiritual discovery with little desire to justify himself systematically. In these poems, a fervent and devoted Christian mystic plunges into the riches of the Hindu religious genius and brings forth ecstatic, colorful, and profound wisdom charged with an acute awareness of the non-duality between the innermost self of the human being and the Absolute Reality. These poems, collected together for the first time, search and hope with the dire honesty characteristic of the greatest of the world's mystics.

In the Bosom of the Father: The Collected Poems of a Benedictine Mystic

Resource Publications

In the Bosom of the Father

Wipf and Stock

First published nearly forty years ago and having been translated into numerous languages, this classic text is written by a Benedictine monk whose Christianity was profoundly enriched by his encounter with Hindu spirituality. Described by its author as 'a little book to help Christians in their inner renewal, and to make them increasingly attentive to the call of the Spirit', it is a simple and practical manual for learning to live each moment in the presence of God. 10 short chapters provide a lifetime's agenda and are full of gems of wisdom. They focus on: the holy presence, the mystery of God, recognizing God in all things, listening for God's call, the prayer of silence, and contemplative reading of scripture. This deceptively simple text contains all the building blocks necessary for a mature life of prayer.

Prayer: A spiritual classic for 40 years

Christian Books & Bibles

Hymns Ancient & Modern Ltd

In Search of Ultimate Understanding

Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge

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