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Contemplative Prayer
She wasn't a baptized Christian; but she is God's child. Afterwards of course, her husband informed her that she shouldn't do that. And I explained to her why it is reserved to Catholic and Orthodox Christians. The thing is that they also have a contemplative tradition.
L.M.: The Hindu tradition.
E.M.: My friend's father had given him English translations of some of their sacred books.
L.M.: Such as the Bhagavad Gita.
E.M.: So he passed them on to me and said: This is so you'll know a little more about my religion.
L.M.: Friendship really has a special place in the spiritual journey.
E.M.: This friendship has really been a very great help to me. Even before the Catholic church had entered into this East-West dialogue, I had already got into it with my Hindu friend.
L.M.: Before Vatican II. So perhaps one day you'll get to visit him in India.
E.M.: I would enjoy going to India. I have been thinking how for all these centuries we Cistercians have not had a single monastery in India. Then too, the Trappistine nuns got there first. And now, I'm very happy that Father Francis Acharya, a Belgian monk, and his ashram community at Kurisumala in south India, have recently been admitted into the Cistercian order. That was a dream of mine for many years that we would have houses of both monks and nuns in India.
L.M.: This practice of contemplative prayer, if we're faithful to it, can change our lives.
E.M.: I think that the key to discerning if we are on the right track—that we are truly Christian contemplatives—is that it would be manifested as Jesus said: "By their fruits you will know them.” This is especially true in relationships.
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