Wayne Teasdale: Building Your Inner Monastery

Saints, sages, mystics and martyrs have always held a special place in the hearts and minds of people throughout the ages. We have been inspired by their stories of courage, service and devotion, but not everyone is called to enter a monastery. Can we live a life of love and service while living in the busy cities of the world? Teasdale, theologian, author, mystic and lay monk, has proven that we can. For him, the world itself is a monastery. In this heartful dialogue, rich with stories and examples, he explains how we can build an inner monastery, and how a person can combine rigorous spiritual practice with the necessities of making a living, while serving the cause of social justice. What we need, says Teasdale, is a contemplative attitude, a certain amount of solitude and surrender. "The spiritual life isn't in our control. We can show up and say yes, but spiritual life is about letting go of control. If you surrender you'll be led."

Brother Wayne Teasedale has a doctorate in theology from Fordham University, and serves on the Board of Trustees of The Parliament of World Religions. He is an adjunct professor at De Paul University, Columbia College and the Catholic Theological Union and Coordinator of the Bede Griffiths International Trust. He is the author of the Mystic Heart (New World Library 1999 )and A Monk in the World: Cultivating A Spiritual Life (New World Library 2002 ).

New Dimensions seeks out the most innovative and creative people on the planet and engages them in spontaneous, deep dialogues. Its mission is to deliver life-affirming, socially and spiritually relevant information, practical knowledge and perennial wisdom through the voices and visions of those who are asking new questions and are looking at the world in positive and inspiring ways. It is through the exchange of ideas and information that we can be empowered and enabled to meet the future with greater energy and clarity.