Lezione 1
A Bird's-Eye View
On the first day, we will explore the roots of the contemplative path, starting with examples from Jesus and other figures in scripture, and continuing to the desert fathers and mothers, and finally to modern-day mystics. We’ll spread out our map of the contemplative path, to see the larger patterns that seem to recur for spiritual seekers throughout history. You’ll be introduced to a short and sweet prayer that you can start immediately, and will carry you throughout the course and into your daily life.
Lezione 2
Purgation: Preparing The Heart
Now, we’ll get into the details of the contemplative path as it was conceived by the desert fathers and mothers in the early centuries of Christianity. These ascetics devoted their entire lives to the surrender to God, and saw three main phases of the journey that stood out – Purgation, Illumination, and Union.
In this session, we’ll look at the process of Purgation and asceticism. You’ll see exactly what the spiritual greats like Saint Gregory of Nyssa, Saint Diadychos, and John Cassian wanted to convey by their lived teaching, as well as how to recognize potential traps and pitfalls of the spiritual journey.
Lezione 3
Illumination: Stepping Out Of The Dark
In this module, we’ll get familiar with the second leg of the Contemplative Journey, the phase of Illumination, or as I like to call it – stepping out of the dark. This illumination by the Divine light of contemplation is a pure gift, and is not something we can achieve. However, I will share what methods can help facilitate this seeing and remove obstacles to our sight.
Lezione 4
Union: The Divine Bridal Chamber
This is the final stage of the traditional, monastic three-part contemplative journey. It’s what I like to call the Divine Bridal Chamber, and in this teaching, we’ll explore what it means to be in union with God and subsequently with all life. We’ll see what it means to integrate both action and contemplation by drawing from the deep well of Christian mysticism, as well as the flowering of the perennial philosophy through the ages.
Lezione 5
Modern Mystics & Contemporary Contemplation
On our last day, we’ll refresh what we’ve learned so far, and begin to explore how to integrate it into our modern lifestyle. We don’t need to live in an Egyptian desert, or in a cave in the Himalayas to recognize and participate in the reality of spirit!
So how do we maintain authenticity and dedication to the Divine amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday existence? How do we abide with and as our true self in the chaos of so many false selves? Let’s find out together.