The radical methods of the inward prayer recommended by Jesus, "go into your room", "shut the door", and finally, "pray to your Father who is in secret [...] and who sees in secret", neither practically teaches how to enter into the inner chamber nor how to shut the door, but constructs a space, which is left to the disciples for further praxis. The contemplative practice of the n psis (mindfulness) found in the masters of the Philokalia explores the unexplained praxis of the skills, for of closing the doors, in order to prevail upon the mental riots, when one wants to pray and reach the state of stillness and contemplation of God. This study on the hermeneutical reading of watchfulness, in the Parable of the Ten Virgins, and the Philokalia, discloses the unique and the rich heritage of the Christian mindfulness meditation.

Autorentext

Dr. Manthra, Carmelite friar of the Manjummel Province (India), has been practicing and teaching mindfulness-meditation, lectio divina since 2003. He holds a doctorate in theology with specialization, in spiritual theology from the Pontificia Facoltà Teologica, Teresianum, Rome, Italy

Klappentext

The radical methods of the inward prayer recommended by Jesus, «go into your room», «shut the door», and finally, «pray to your Father who is in secret and who sees in secret», neither practically teaches how to enter into the inner chamber nor how to shut the door, but constructs a space, which is left to the disciples for further praxis. The contemplative practice of the n psis (mindfulness) found in the masters of the Philokalia explores the unexplained praxis of the skills, for of closing the doors, in order to prevail upon the mental riots, when one wants to pray and reach the state of stillness and contemplation of God. This study on the hermeneutical reading of watchfulness, in the Parable of the Ten Virgins, and the Philokalia, discloses the unique and the rich heritage of the Christian mindfulness meditation.