About this episode
Laurence Freeman is a Benedictine monk and teacher and is Director of The World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM) a global, inclusive contemplative community. He resides at the international centre of the WCCM at Bonnevaux Centre for Peace near Paris. With Irish and English roots, he was educated by the Benedictines and studied English Literature at New College, Oxford University. Before entering monastic life, he worked with the United Nations in New York, in Banking and Journalism. Fr. Laurence is a monk of the Benedictine Congregation of Monte Oliveto Maggiore. John Main was his teacher and Fr. Laurence assisted him in establishing the foundations of the Community. Laurence is the author of a number of books on Meditation. He teaches meditation in religious and secular contexts and works in interfaith dialogue. He travels extensively teaching and leading Retreats dialogues. Laurence sees meditation as opening the common ground of humanity and developing the contemplative consciousness that he believes the world today needs for its survival. Books Jesus the Teacher Within Good Work: Meditation for Personal & Organisational Transformation Christian Meditation: Your Daily Practice Light Within: Meditation as Pure Prayer Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Summary and Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded June 5, 2021 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:03:01 - The Roots of Meditation in Christianity 00:06:32 - The Roots of Meditation 00:09:49 - The Radically Simple Way of Meditation 00:12:42 - The Mantra in Christian Prayer 00:15:13 - The Cycle of Losing and Finding 00:17:42 - The Flowing Tradition of Christianity 00:20:53 - Rediscovering the Mystical Dimension of Religion 00:24:42 - The Growth of Contemplative Consciousness 00:31:19 - Transformational Effects in Your World and Work 00:36:30 - The Progressive Development of Consciousness 00:42:20 - The Relevance of Meditation to the Deeper Meaning of Life 00:50:16 - Pursuing Happiness and the Meaning of Suffering 00:55:27 - Nurturing a Community of Love and Faith 01:00:05 - The Influence of Consciousness and Leadership in Society 01:04:32 - The Loss of the Moral Consensus 01:09:51 - Ethical Integrity in the Spiritual Community 01:15:40 - The Fruits of the Spirit 01:20:44 - Jesus' Miracles and Compassion 01:26:03 - The Shared Divinity of Humanity 01:30:31 - The Emptying of God and the Fullness of Self 01:36:24 - The Question of Identity 01:40:51 - The Stories and Questions of Jesus' Life 01:46:05 - The Debate on Reincarnation and its Importance 01:50:46 - The Concept of Purgatory and Reincarnation 01:54:41 - The Practice of Meditation 01:59:25 - The Work of Meditation 02:03:08 - Introduction to Meditation 02:08:24 - Conclusion and Resources 02:13:18 - Daily Wisdom and Community Building 02:16:28 - Farewell and Future Endeavors