Sadhana: A Way to God. Christian Exercises in Eastern Form

Abstract

This book is a series of exercises with commentary on prayer, meditation and contemplation. Sadhana means discipline or approach to God. By prayer author means communication with God which is carried on mainly through use of words, images and thoughts. Contemplation is different from prayer and meditation because it makes minimal use of, or dispenses with words, images and concepts altogether (pp. 24, 25). The author emphasizes that prayer is not primarily a work of mind, but rather of heart. Contemplation is a way of developing what he calls the mystical heart which in most of us is underdeveloped. It is here that we may know God directly rather than indirectly, by intuition rather than discursive thinking (p. 25). Although author considers development of direct, wordless communion with God as his major goal he shows a great deal of wisdom and experience in not dealing with this aspect exclusively. In fact, he admits that some people can experience direct communion with God while engaged in act of speaking to God. Others may need to go from devotional stage to contemplative stage gradually, if possible. He has divided exercises into three groups. The first ones deal with awareness of sounds, breathing, thoughts and bodily sensations as a way to imageless contemplation (pp. 1-58). These are followed by exercises in fantasy (pp. 59-100) and in devotion (pp. 101-131). In first section we see influence of Yoga and Zen Buddhist practices and hear echoes of Meister Eckhart and The Cloud of Unknowing. In second section on fantasy prayer Father De Mello, who as a Jesuit is well trained in Spiritual exercises, enlarges use of fantasy. He includes exercises in fantasizing on one's death, funeral and corpse-reminiscent of Buddhist reality meditations. The author is well aware that some people will ask if it is really Christ who is talking or an image we have conjured up. His answer is that probably you are talking to yourself through image of Christ that your fantasy has produced but that nevertheless God is working beneath surface of this dialogue. The concluding section on devotion with or without words contains exercises on reading, intercession and petition. It concludes with a reminder that in an age which is 172