Monastic Journey to India

by M. Basil Pennington

Trappist monk, M. Basil Pennington shares his experiences with interreligious dialogue, which is at the heart of new developments in the Church in Asia. From Bombay, Sri Lanka, Calcutta, Nepal, the Himalayas, to Delhi, his rich travels from a pilgrimage he made a number of years ago reveal a depth of communion among Christians, Buddhists, and Hindus. Mother Teresa shares her warmth and wisdom with the wandering American monk and Father Basil's account immerses us in the life and service of her Missionaries of Charity as they move among the poor and dying. We also visit Fr. Bede Griffiths at his ashram of Shantivanam where we witness a true marriage of East and West. Interspersed amidst Fr. Basil's travel experiences are perennial quotations from both eastern and western sages. Throughout this highly readable journal from Fr. Basil's journey we experience first hand the teeming, pulsating life of India. We look into her eyes, perceive something of her soul, and sense the richness of her unparalleled contribution to the emerging world culture. Fr. Basil's astute observations shed light on urgent issues of the modern poverty and wealth, ethics, spiritual hunger, cross-cultural fertilization, and the quest for a meaningful life. In the process we are powerfully challenged to look to the integrity of our own lives.

178 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1982

About the author

Dom M. Basil Pennington O.C.S.O. (1931–2005) was a Trappist monk and priest. He was a leading Roman Catholic spiritual writer, speaker, teacher, and director.

Pennington was an alumnus of the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas Angelicum where he obtained a licentiate in Theology in 1959.[1] He also earned a licentiate in Canon Law at the Pontifical Gregorian University. Pennington became known internationally as one of the major proponents of the Centering Prayer movement begun at St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts, during the 1970s.