Bede Griffiths OSB Cam (17 December 1906 – 13 May 1993), born Alan Richard Griffiths and also known by the end of his life as Swami Dayananda ("bliss of compassion"), was a British

Catholic priest The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in common English usage ''priest'' refe ...

and

Benedictine monk The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, they ...

who lived in

ashram An ashram (, ) is a spiritual hermitage or a monastery in Indian religions, not including Buddhism. Etymology The Sanskrit noun is a thematic nominal derivative from the root 'toil' (< missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...

. Griffiths was a part of the Christian Ashram Movement.

Life

Early years

Griffiths was born in

Walton-on-Thames Walton-on-Thames, known locally as Walton, is a market town on the bank (geography), south bank of the River Thames, Thames in northwest Surrey, England. It is in the Borough of Elmbridge, about southwest of central London. Walton forms part ...

, Surrey, England, at the end of 1906, the youngest of three children of a middle-class family. Shortly after Griffiths' birth, his father was betrayed by a business partner and was left penniless. His mother took the children and established residence in a smaller home which she maintained, though she had to find work to support herself and the children. At age 12, Griffiths was sent to

Christ's Hospital Christ's Hospital is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Private schools in the United Kingdom, fee-charging boarding school for pupils aged 11–18) with a royal charter, located to the south of Horsham in West Sussex. T ...

, a private charity school for children from families of modest means. He excelled in his studies and earned a scholarship to the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

where, in 1925, he began his studies in English literature and philosophy at

Magdalen College Magdalen College ( ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by Bishop of Winchester William of Waynflete. It is one of the wealthiest Oxford colleges, as of 2022, and one of the strongest academically, se ...

. In his third year at university he came under the tutelage of

C. S. Lewis Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British writer, literary scholar and Anglican lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Magdalen College, Oxford (1925–1954), and Magdalen ...

, who became a lifelong friend. Griffiths graduated from Oxford in 1929 with a degree in journalism. Shortly after graduation, Griffiths, with fellow Oxford alumni Martyn Skinner and Hugh Waterman, settled in a cottage in the

Cotswolds The Cotswolds ( ) is a region of central South West England, along a range of rolling hills that rise from the meadows of the upper River Thames to an escarpment above the Severn Valley and the Vale of Evesham. The area is defined by the bedroc ...

and began what they called an "experiment in common living". They followed a lifestyle attuned to nature, milking cows and selling the milk to support themselves. They would read the Bible together as a form of literature. Griffiths noted a strong connection between the teachings of

scripture Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They often feature a compilation or discussion of beliefs, ritual practices, moral commandments and ...

and the rhythm of the nature around them. The experiment lasted less than a year, as one of the friends found the life too demanding. Nevertheless, the experience had a strong effect on Griffiths. As a result of this experience, Griffiths decided to seek

ordination Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...

in the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

. He was advised, however, to gain some experience in the slums of London. This advice was so contrary to what Griffiths felt to be his

vocation A vocation () is an Work (human activity), occupation to which a person is especially drawn or for which they are suited, trained or qualified. Though now often used in non-religious contexts, the meanings of the term originated in Christianity. ...

that it drove him to a crisis of faith which nearly drove him to an emotional breakdown. Guided by the writings of Cardinal

John Henry Newman John Henry Newman (21 February 1801 – 11 August 1890) was an English Catholic theologian, academic, philosopher, historian, writer, and poet. He was previously an Anglican priest and after his conversion became a cardinal. He was an ...

, he reached a point in this struggle where he had a spiritual breakthrough. In November 1931, Griffiths went to stay at the

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

Prinknash Abbey Prinknash Abbey (pronounced locally variously as "Prinidge/Prinnish") (International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: ) is a Catholic Church in England and Wales, Roman Catholic monastery in the Vale of Gloucester in the Diocese of Clifton, near the vill ...

where he was impressed by the life. Despite the strong anti-Roman Catholic sentiments of his mother, he was received into the Roman Catholic Church and made his

First Communion First Communion is a ceremony in some Christian traditions during which a person of the church first receives the Eucharist. It is most common in many parts of the Latin tradition of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Church and Anglican Communion (ot ...

at Christmas Eve

Mass Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...

at the abbey.

Benedictine monastic life

Griffiths was received by the abbey as a

postulant A postulant (from , "to ask") was originally one who makes a request or demand; hence, a candidate. The use of the term is now generally restricted to those asking for admission into a Christian monastery or a religious order for the period precedi ...

a month after his reception into the Roman Catholic Church. On 29 December 1932, he entered the

novitiate The novitiate, also called the noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a Christian ''novice'' (or ''prospective'') monastic, apostolic, or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether ...

and was given the monastic name of "Bede". He made his solemn

profession A profession is a field of Work (human activity), work that has been successfully professionalized. It can be defined as a disciplined group of individuals, professionals, who adhere to ethical standards and who hold themselves out as, and are ...

in 1937 (a year before the death of his mother in a car accident) and was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...

to the

Catholic priesthood The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in common English usage ''priest'' refe ...

in 1940. In 1947 the abbey sent a group of 25 monks to give support to two monasteries in the United Kingdom which had been founded by monks from France. Griffiths was chosen to be the obedientiary prior for the monastery at Farnborough in Hampshire. He led that house for four years, but was unable to generate sufficient financial support to keep the community going. The abbot then sent him to the other monastery,

Pluscarden Abbey Pluscarden Abbey () is a Catholic Benedictine monastery in the glen of the Black Burn, southwest of Elgin, Moray, Scotland. It was founded in 1230 by Alexander II for the Valliscaulian Order. In 1454, following a merger with the priory of ...

in Scotland. It was there that he wrote his autobiography. During Griffiths' time at Farnborough, he had come to know Father Benedict Alapatt, a European-born monk of Indian descent who was greatly interested in establishing a monastery in his homeland. Griffiths had already been introduced to Eastern thought,

yoga Yoga (UK: , US: ; 'yoga' ; ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines that originated with its own philosophy in ancient India, aimed at controlling body and mind to attain various salvation goals, as pra ...

and the

Vedas FIle:Atharva-Veda samhita page 471 illustration.png, upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the ''Atharvaveda''. The Vedas ( or ; ), sometimes collectively called the Veda, are a large body of relig ...

and took interest in this proposed project. The abbot at first refused permission, but later changed his mind and authorised Griffiths to go to India with the Indian member of the community. There was one condition, though: Griffiths was not to be there as a member of the abbey, but as a priest subject to a local bishop, which meant that he would be giving up his vows.

Christian missionary

After some painful inner debate, Griffiths agreed to this and, in 1955, he embarked for India with Alapatt. At the time, he wrote to a friend: "I am going to discover the other half of my soul." After arriving and visiting some spiritual centres in the country, they settled in

Kengeri Kengeri is a western suburb of Bangalore city, located along Mysore Road.It is bordered by Nagarbhavi and Ullal to the north, Rajarajeshwari Nagar to the east, Kumbalgodu to the west and Uttarahalli to the south. History The name Kengeri co ...

Bangalore Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...

with the goal of building a monastery there. That project was eventually unsuccessful as Griffiths left the location in 1958, saying that he found it "too Western". Griffiths then joined with a Belgian monk, Father Francis Acharya,

OCSO The Trappists, officially known as the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (, abbreviated as OCSO) and originally named the Order of Reformed Cistercians of Our Lady of La Trappe, are a Catholic religious order of cloistered monasti ...

, to establish Kristiya Sanyasa Samaj, Kurisumala Ashram ("Mountain of the Cross"), a

Syriac Rite The term Syriac Rite or Syrian Rite may refer to: * West Syriac Rite, liturgical rite of the Syriac Orthodox Church, Malankar and the Syriac Catholic Church * East Syriac Rite, liturgical rite of the Assyrian Church of the East, Malabar Church an ...

monastery of the

Syro-Malankara Catholic Church The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, also known as the Malankara Syrian Catholic Church, is an Eastern Catholic '' sui iuris'' particular church that employs the West Syriac Rite and is in full communion with the worldwide Catholic Church posse ...

in Kerala. They sought to develop a form of monastic life based in the Indian tradition, adopting the

saffron Saffron () is a spice derived from the flower of '' Crocus sativus'', commonly known as the "saffron crocus". The vivid crimson stigma and styles, called threads, are collected and dried for use mainly as a seasoning and colouring agent ...

garments of an Indian ''

sannyasi ''Sannyasa'' (), sometimes spelled ''sanyasa'', is the fourth stage within the Hindu system of four life stages known as '' ashramas'', the first three being ''brahmacharya'' (celibate student), '' grihastha'' (householder) and '' vanaprastha ...

'' (an

ascetic Asceticism is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from worldly pleasures through self-discipline, self-imposed poverty, and simple living, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their pra ...

or monk). At that point, Griffiths took the

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

name "Dayananda" ("bliss of compassion"). During that time he continued his studies in the religions and cultures of India, writing ''Christ in India'' while there. He also visited the United States during the period, giving a number of talks about East–West dialogue and being interviewed by

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

television. Later, in 1968, Griffiths moved to the Saccidananda Ashram (also known as ''Shantivanam'';

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

for "forest of peace") in

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

, South India, which had been founded in 1950 by the French Benedictine monk

Abhishiktananda Abhishiktananda (; 30 August 1910, in Saint Briac, Brittany–7 December 1973, in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India), born Henri Le Saux, was a French-born Indian monk. He moved to India in 1948 in search of a more radical form of spiritual li ...

(Dom Henri Le Saux, OSB), from the Abbey of Kergonan, along with another Frenchman, the

Abbé ''Abbé'' (from Latin , in turn from Greek , , from Aramaic ''abba'', a title of honour, literally meaning "the father, my father", emphatic state of ''abh'', "father") is the French word for an abbot. It is also the title used for lower-ranki ...

Jules Monchanin. The two had developed a religious lifestyle which was completely expressed in authentic Indian fashion, using English, Sanskrit and

in their religious services. They had built the ashram buildings by hand in the style of the poor of the country. Monchanin had died in 1957 and Le Saux wanted to devote himself to a

hermit A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Chr ...

's life. Griffiths came with two other monks to assume life there and to allow Le Saux his wish. Griffiths resumed his studies of Indian thought, trying to relate it to Christian theology. At this point, he became known as "Swami Dayananda" ("bliss of compassion"). He wrote 12 books on

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

–Christian dialogue. During this period, Griffiths desired to reconnect himself with the Benedictine order and sought a monastic

congregation Congregation may refer to: Religion *Church (congregation), a religious organization that meets in a particular location *Congregation (Roman Curia), an administrative body of the Catholic Church *Religious congregation, a type of religious instit ...

which would accept him in the way of life he had developed over the decades. He was welcomed by the

Camaldolese The Camaldolese Hermits of Mount Corona () are a Catholic Church, Catholic monastic order of pontifical right for men founded by Romuald, St. Romuald. Its name is derived from the Holy Hermitage () in Camaldoli, high in the mountains of Tuscany, ...

monks, and he and the ashram became a part of their congregation. Griffiths was a strict

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the Eating, consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects as food, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slau ...

who followed a

sattvic diet A sattvic diet is a type of plant-based diet within Ayurveda where food is divided into what is defined as three yogic qualities ( guna) known as sattva. In this system of dietary classification, foods that decrease the energy of the body ar ...

of fruit, vegetables and dairy products.

Final years

In January 1990, Griffiths suffered a stroke in his room at the ashram. A month later, to the day, he was declared healed. The following year, he began a period of extensive travel, making annual visits to the United States, then later to Europe, where he met the

Dalai Lama The Dalai Lama (, ; ) is the head of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The term is part of the full title "Holiness Knowing Everything Vajradhara Dalai Lama" (圣识一切瓦齐尔达喇达赖喇嘛) given by Altan Khan, the first Shu ...

. He noted to a friend, "I do believe that he liked me." He continued his journey, giving lectures in Germany and England. He arrived back at the ashram in October 1992, where an Australian film crew were awaiting him to make a documentary about his life, which was released as ''A Human Search''. Three days after the completion of filming, on his 86th birthday, Griffiths had a major stroke. The following month, he had a further series of strokes. He died at Shantivanam on 13 May 1993, aged 86.

Legacy

The archives of the Bede Griffiths Trust are located at the

Graduate Theological Union The Graduate Theological Union (GTU) is a consortium of eight private independent American Seminary, theological schools and eleven centers and affiliates. Seven of the theological schools are located in Berkeley, California. The GTU was founded ...

Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Anglo-Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland, Cali ...

. His contributions are promoted and developed by the Bede Griffiths Trust and by the Camaldolese Institute for East–West Dialogue based at the American Camaldolese hermitage of New Camaldoli, located in

Big Sur Big Sur () is a rugged and mountainous section of the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of the U.S. state of California, between Carmel Highlands and San Simeon, where the Santa Lucia Range, Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from th ...

, California.Bede Griffiths' Trust website
/ref>

Bibliography

*''The Golden String: An Autobiography'', (1954), Templegate Publishers, 1980 edition: , Medio Media, 2003: *''Christ in India: Essays Towards a Hindu-Christian Dialogue'' (1967), Templegate Publishers, 1984, *''Return to the Center'', (1976), Templegate Publishers, 1982, *''Marriage of East and West: A Sequel to The Golden String'', Templegate Publishers, 1982, *''Cosmic Revelation: The Hindu Way to God'', Templegate Publishers, 1983, *''A New Vision of Reality: Western Science, Eastern Mysticism and Christian Faith'', Templegate Publishers, 1990, *''River of Compassion: A Christian Commentary on the Bhagavad Gita'', (1987), Element Books, 1995 reprint: *''Bede Griffiths'', Templegate Publishers, 1993, *''The New Creation in Christ: Christian Meditation and Community'', Templegate Publishers, 1994, *(co-editor with Roland R. Ropers), ''Psalms for Christian Prayer'', Harpercollins, 1996, *John Swindells (editor), ''A Human Search: Bede Griffiths Reflects on His Life: An Oral History'', Triumph Books, 1997, (from 1992 Australian television documentary) *Bruno Barnhart, O.S.B. Cam. (editor), ''The One Light: Bede Griffiths' Principal Writings'', Templegate Publishers, 2001, *Thomas Matus, O.S.B. Cam. (editor), ''Bede Griffiths: Essential Writings'', Orbis Books, 2004, *"The Relation of Ultimate Truth to the Life of the World." Arunodayam (Sep. 1962) 7–9; (Nov. 1962) 5–8. *"God and the Life of the World: A Christian View." Religion and Society 9/3 (Sep. 1962) 50–58. *''India and the Sacrament''. Ernakulam: Lumen Institute, 1964. *''Christian Ashram: Essays towards a Hindu-Christian Dialogue''. London: DLT, 1966. 249 pp.

References

External links

BedeGriffiths.com website dedicated to Griffith's legacy"Christian yogi Bede Griffiths"
by Arthur Jones, ''National Catholic Reporter'', 5 April 2008

* ttp://www.vatican2voice.org/8conscience/magister.htm "The M-word" Griffiths about authority in the church and the ''magisterium''
"The Swami from Oxford"
by Robert Fastiggi and Jose Pereira (a negative critique of Griffiths from Crisis magazine)
"Bede Griffiths, Henri Le Saux and Jules Monchanin Sangha"
Russian site
Oblates of Shantivanam websiteThe Tree of India website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Griffiths, Bede 1906 births 1993 deaths 20th-century Christian mystics 20th-century English Roman Catholic priests Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford Benedictine mystics Benedictine theologians Camaldolese Order Christian and Hindu interfaith dialogue Converts to Roman Catholicism English Benedictines English expatriates in India English Christian mystics English religious writers English Roman Catholic missionaries 20th-century British Roman Catholic theologians Founders of Christian monasteries British yogis Hindu studies Indian Benedictines 20th-century Indian Roman Catholic priests 20th-century Indian Roman Catholic theologians People educated at Christ's Hospital People from Walton-on-Thames Roman Catholic missionaries in India Syro-Malankara Catholic Church Christian ashram movement