Into the Silent Land: A Guide to the Christian Practice of ContemplationSitting in stillness, the practice of meditation, and the cultivation of awareness are commonly thought to be the preserves of Hindus and Buddhists. Martin Laird shows that the Christian tradition of contemplation has its own refined teachings on using a prayer word to focus the mind, working with the breath to cultivate stillness, and the practice of inner vigilance or awareness. But this book is not a mere historical survey of these teachings. In Into the Silent Land, we see the ancient wisdom of both the Christian East and West brought sharply to bear on the modern-day longing for radical openness to God in the depths of the heart. Laird's book is not like the many presentations for beginners. While useful for those just starting out, this book serves especially as a guide for those who desire to journey yet deeper into the silence of God. The heart of the book focuses on negotiating key moments of struggle on the contemplative path, when the whirlwind of distractions or the brick wall of boredom makes it difficult to continue. Laird shows that these inner struggles, even wounds, that any person of prayer must face, are like riddles, trying to draw out of us our own inner silence. Ultimately Laird shows how the wounds we loathe become vehicles of the healing silence we seek, beyond technique and achievement. Throughout the language is fresh, direct, and focused on real-life examples of people whose lives are incomparably enriched by the practice of contemplation. |
Contents
1 | |
7 | |
The Wild Hawk of the Mind | 19 |
The Bodys Call to Prayer | 31 |
The Three Doorways of the Present Moment The Way of the Prayer Word | 47 |
The Riddles of Distraction | 75 |
From Victim to Witness Practicing with Affliction | 95 |
The Liturgy of Our Wounds Temptation Humility and Failure | 117 |
Who Am I? A Tale of Monastic Failure | 133 |
Notes | 143 |
Other editions - View all
Into the Silent Land: A Guide to the Christian Practice of Contemplation Martin Laird Limited preview - 2006 |
Into the Silent Land: A Guide to the Christian Practice of Contemplation Martin Laird Limited preview - 2006 |
Into the Silent Land: A Guide to the Christian Practice of Contemplation Martin Laird No preview available - 2006 |
Common terms and phrases
abbot afflictive thoughts Alypius anger attention Augustine Books breath calm chap chatter Cloud of Unknowing commentary communion contem contemplative discipline contemplative path contemplative practice Cross cultivates deeper depthless depth Diadochos discover discursive divine enter Evagrius experience fear Franny Franny and Zooey gaze Geoffrey Hill God’s grace ground happening heart Hesychios human Ibid inner chaos inner silence interior silence Jesus Christ Jesus Prayer John Climacus judgmental thoughts Laura let go live look Lord luminous vastness Martin Laird meet Meister Eckhart mental mind games monk move ness Nicephorus object of awareness obsessive ourselves pain Paul perfect humility Philokalia phrase prac pray prayer word present R. S. Thomas real monastery realize Scripture Second Doorway sense silent land simply skills speak spiritual stillness stolen story temptation Teresa of Avila Theophan says things thinking mind Third Doorway thoughts and feelings tion tradition trans videos vigilance watch wounds young