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Monastic Silence
Monastic silence is a spiritual practice recommended in a variety of religious traditions for purposes including facilitation of approaching deity, and achieving elevated states of spiritual purity. It may be in accordance with a monk's formal vow of silence, but can also engage laity who have not taken vows, or novices who are preparing to take vows. Monastic silence is more highly developed in the Roman Catholic faith than in Protestantism, but it is not limited to Catholicism. The practice has a corresponding manifestation in the Orthodox church, which teaches that silence is a means to access God, to develop self-knowledge, or to live more harmoniously. Theophilus, patriarch of Alexandria, placed the virtue of silence on par with the faith itself in a synodal letter from AD 400. "Monks—if they wish to be what they are called—will love silence and the Catholic faith, for nothing at all is more important than these two things." Practice of silence by ordained and laity The pr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gian Lorenzo Bernini - Dove Of The Holy Spirit
Gian is a masculine Italian given name. It is a variant of Gianni and is likewise used as a diminutive of Giovanni, the Italian form of John. In Italian, any name including Giovanni can be contracted to Gian, particularly in combination with other given names, such as Gianfranco or Gianluca. Gian is also an unrelated masculine Punjabi Sikh name meaning 'knowledge' and is a variant of the Sanskrit name Gyan. Notable people Notable people whose name is now typically expressed as Gian include: * Gian Paolo Lomazzo, Italian painter * Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Italian sculptor * Gian Rinaldo Carli, Italian count, economist, and antiquarian * Gian Gastone de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany * Gian Francesco Albani, Italian Catholic cardinal * Gian Francesco Malipiero, Italian composer * Gian Galeazzo Visconti, First Lord of Milan * Gian Galeazzo Sforza, Sixth Lord of Milan * Gian Marco Centinaio, Italian politician * Gian Pyres, British musician * Gian Maria Volonté, former actor * Gi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Initiatives Of Change
Initiatives of Change (IofC) is a global organisation dedicated to "building trust across the world's divides" of culture, nationality, belief, and background. Initiatives of Change was known as Moral Re-Armament (MRA) from 1938 to 2001, and the Oxford Group starting in 1929, after being called A First Century Christian Fellowship since 1921. Principles These principles are taken from those of the organization's predecessor, Moral Re-Armament (MRA), founded in 1938 by Frank Buchman. Initiatives of Change has spiritual roots but no religious affiliation, and invites "those with a faith...both to explore the roots of their own tradition, and to discover and respect the beliefs of others." The name "Initiatives of Change" was adopted in 2001, expressing the emphasis of the organization in effecting social change beginning with personal change. Programs Initiatives of Change has programs in over 60 countries. In the United States, Hope in the Cities promotes "honest conversations" on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tao Te Ching
The ''Tao Te Ching'' (, ; ) is a Chinese classic text written around 400 BC and traditionally credited to the sage Laozi, though the text's authorship, date of composition and date of compilation are debated. The oldest excavated portion dates back to the late 4th century BC, but modern scholarship dates other parts of the text as having been written—or at least compiled—later than the earliest portions of the '' Zhuangzi''. The ''Tao Te Ching'', along with the ''Zhuangzi'', is a fundamental text for both philosophical and religious Taoism. It also strongly influenced other schools of Chinese philosophy and religion, including Legalism, Confucianism, and Chinese Buddhism, which was largely interpreted through the use of Taoist words and concepts when it was originally introduced to China. Many artists, including poets, painters, calligraphers, and gardeners, have used the ''Tao Te Ching'' as a source of inspiration. Its influence has spread widely out and it is one of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thomas Keating
Thomas Keating, O.C.S.O. (March 7, 1923 – October 25, 2018) was an American Catholic monk and priest of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (also known as Trappists). Keating was known as one of the principal developers of Centering Prayer, a contemporary method of contemplative prayer that emerged from St. Joseph's Abbey, Spencer, Massachusetts. Life Keating was born in New York City in March 1923 and attended Deerfield Academy, Yale University, and Fordham University. In 1984 Keating, along with Gustave Reininger and Edward Bednar, co-founded Contemplative Outreach, Ltd., an international and ecumenical spiritual network that teaches the practice of Centering Prayer and ''Lectio Divina'', a method of prayer drawn from the Christian contemplative tradition. Contemplative Outreach provides a support system for those on the contemplative path through a wide variety of resources, workshops, and retreats. Keating died at St. Joseph's Abbey, Spencer, Massachus ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zazen
''Zazen'' (literally " seated meditation"; ja, 座禅; , pronounced ) is a meditative discipline that is typically the primary practice of the Zen Buddhist tradition. However, the term is a general one not unique to Zen, and thus technically any Buddhist tradition's seated meditation is "zazen". The term ''zuòchán'' can be found in early Chinese Buddhist sources, such as the Dhyāna sutras. For example, the famous translator Kumārajīva (344-413) translated a work termed ''Zuòchán sān mēi jīng'' (''A'' ''Manual on the Samādhi of Sitting Meditation'') and the Chinese Tiantai master Zhiyi (538–597 CE) wrote some very influential works on sitting meditation.Swanson, Paul L. (2002). ''Ch'an and Chih-kuan: T'ien-t’ai Chih-i's View of "Zen" and the Practice of the Lotus Sutra''. Presented at the International Lotus Sutra Conference on the theme "The Lotus Sutra and Zen", 11–16 July 2002. Source: (accessed: 6 August 2008). p.4 The earliest manual on sitting medita ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Koan
A (; , ; ko, 화두, ; vi, công án) is a story, dialogue, question, or statement which is used in Zen practice to provoke the "great doubt" and to practice or test a student's progress in Zen. Etymology The Japanese term is the Sino-Japanese reading of the Chinese word (). The term is a compound word, consisting of the characters "public; official; governmental; common; collective; fair; equitable" and "table; desk; (law) case; record; file; plan; proposal." According to the Yuan dynasty Zen master Zhongfeng Mingben ( 1263–1323), originated as an abbreviation of (, Japanese —literally the "official correspondence; documents; files" of a "government post"), which referred to a "public record" or the "case records of a public law court" in Tang dynasty China. / thus serves as a metaphor for principles of reality beyond the private opinion of one person, and a teacher may test the student's ability to recognize and understand that principle. Commentaries in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thomas Merton
Thomas Merton (January 31, 1915 – December 10, 1968) was an American Trappist monk, writer, theologian, mystic, poet, social activist and scholar of comparative religion. On May 26, 1949, he was ordained to the Catholic priesthood and given the name "Father Louis". He was a member of the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, near Bardstown, Kentucky, living there from 1941 to his death. Merton wrote more than 50 books in a period of 27 years, mostly on spirituality, social justice and a quiet pacifism, as well as scores of essays and reviews. Among Merton's most enduring works is his bestselling autobiography '' The Seven Storey Mountain'' (1948). His account of his spiritual journey inspired scores of World War II veterans, students, and teenagers to explore offerings of monasteries across the US. It is on ''National Review''s list of the 100 best nonfiction books of the century. Merton became a keen proponent of interfaith understanding, exploring Eastern religions thro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Contemplative
In a religious context, the practice of contemplation seeks a direct awareness of the divine which transcends the intellect, often in accordance with prayer or meditation. Etymology The word ''contemplation'' is derived from the Latin word ''contemplatio'', ultimately from the Latin word ''templum'', a piece of ground consecrated for the taking of auspices, or a building for worship. The latter either derives from the Proto-Indo-European root ''*tem-'' ("to cut"), on notion of "place reserved or cut out", or from the root *''temp''- ("to stretch, string"), thus referring to a cleared (measured) space in front of an altar. The Latin word ''contemplatio'' was used to translate the Greek word ''θεωρία'' ('' theōría''). Greek philosophy Contemplation was an important part of the philosophy of Plato; Plato thought that through contemplation, the soul may ascend to knowledge of the Form of the Good or other divine Forms. Plotinus as a (neo)Platonic philosopher also expre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thanksgiving Chapel Interior
Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden and the Australian territory of Norfolk Island. It began as a day of giving thanks for the blessings of the harvest and of the preceding year. (Similarly named harvest festival holidays occur throughout the world during autumn, including in Germany and Japan). Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States and around the same part of the year in other places. Although Thanksgiving has historical roots in religious and cultural traditions, it has long been celebrated as a secular holiday as well. History Prayers of thanks and special thanksgiving ceremonies are common among most religions after harvests and at other times of the year. The Thanksgiving holiday's ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Isadore Twersky
Isadore Twersky (born Yitzchak Asher Twersky, October 9, 1930 – October 12, 1997) was an Orthodox rabbi and Hasidic Rebbe, and university professor who held the position of the '' Nathan Littauer Professor of Hebrew Literature and Philosophy'' at Harvard University, a chair previously held by Harry Austryn Wolfson. Twersky was an internationally recognized authority on Rabbinic literature and Jewish philosophy. He was especially known as an international expert in the writings and influence of the 12th-century Jewish legalist and philosopher Maimonides, and Abraham ben David, the Rabad of Posquieres. His best-known works are, ''An Introduction to the Code of Maimonides (Mishneh Torah)'', and the more popular anthology, ''A Maimonides Reader,'' as well as ''Rabad of Posquieres: A Twelfth-Century Talmudist,'' which was based on his doctorate work. He was the editor of the ''Harvard Studies in Medieval Jewish History and Literature'' (in three volumes), won a Guggenheim F ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tefillah
Jewish prayer ( he, תְּפִלָּה, ; plural ; yi, תּפֿלה, tfile , plural ; Yinglish: davening from Yiddish 'pray') is the prayer recitation that forms part of the observance of Rabbinic Judaism. These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the ''Siddur'', the traditional Jewish prayer book. Prayer, as a "service of the heart", is in principle a Torah-based commandment. It is not time-dependent and is mandatory for both Jewish men and women. However, the rabbinic requirement to recite a specific prayer text does differentiate between men and women: Jewish men are obligated to recite three prayers each day within specific time ranges (''zmanim''), while, according to many approaches, women are only required to pray once or twice a day, and may not be required to recite a specific text. Traditionally, three prayer services are recited daily: * Morning prayer: ''Shacharit'' or ''Shaharit'' (, "of the dawn") * Afternoon prayer: ''Mincha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Minyan
In Judaism, a ''minyan'' ( he, מניין \ מִנְיָן ''mīnyān'' , lit. (noun) ''count, number''; pl. ''mīnyānīm'' ) is the quorum of ten Jewish adults required for certain religious obligations. In more traditional streams of Judaism, only males 13 and older may constitute a minyan; in more liberal (non-Orthodox) streams women are also counted. The most common activity requiring a ''minyan'' is public prayer. Accordingly, the term ''minyan'' in contemporary Judaism has taken on the secondary meaning of referring to a prayer service. Sources The source for the requirement of ''minyan'' is recorded in the Talmud. The word ''minyan'' itself comes from the Hebrew root meaning to count or to number. The word is related to the Aramaic word ''mene'', numbered, appearing in the writing on the wall in . Babylonian Talmud The Babylonian Talmud (Megillah 23b) derives the requirement of a ''minyan'' of ten shomer Shabbat for Kiddush HashemSanhedrin 74b and ''Devar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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