Cynthia Bourgeault
Cynthia Bourgeault
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Full Name and Common Aliases
Cynthia Bourgeault is a spiritual teacher, author, and Episcopal priest who has written extensively on spirituality, mysticism, and the intersection of Christianity with other faith traditions.
Birth and Death Dates
Born in 1953, Cynthia Bourgeault's birthdate is not publicly available. Her work continues to inspire countless individuals around the world.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Cynthia Bourgeault holds American nationality and has worked as a spiritual teacher, author, Episcopal priest, and theologian throughout her career.
Early Life and Background
Growing up in a devout Catholic family, Cynthia's early life was deeply influenced by her faith. However, she began to question the dogma of Christianity during her teenage years, leading her on a journey of spiritual exploration that would eventually take her to the doorstep of various Eastern spiritual traditions. This introspection laid the groundwork for her later work as a spiritual teacher and author.
Major Accomplishments
Cynthia Bourgeault's most notable accomplishments include:
Developing and teaching courses in spirituality, mysticism, and Christian contemplative practices at the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC) and other institutions.
Authoring several influential books on spirituality, including "The Wisdom Jesus" and "Eye of the Heart."
Serving as an Episcopal priest and spiritual director, guiding individuals on their own paths to spiritual growth.Notable Works or Actions
Some of Cynthia's most notable works include:
The Wisdom Jesus: This book explores the teachings of Jesus through a contemplative lens, shedding light on the spiritual principles that underlie his message.
* Eye of the Heart: In this work, Cynthia delves into the intersection of spirituality and ecology, offering practical advice for living in harmony with nature.
Impact and Legacy
Cynthia Bourgeault's impact on modern spirituality is multifaceted. Through her writing and teaching, she has helped countless individuals deepen their understanding of themselves and the world around them. Her emphasis on contemplative practices has also contributed to a growing recognition of the importance of mindfulness in everyday life.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Cynthia Bourgeault's enduring influence can be attributed to her unique ability to weave together seemingly disparate spiritual traditions into a cohesive whole. Her commitment to making complex concepts accessible has made her one of the most widely quoted and remembered figures in contemporary spirituality.
Quotes by Cynthia Bourgeault
And so meditation rests on the wager that if you can simply break the tyranny of your ordinary awareness, the rest will begin to unfold itself. At first when you begin a practice of meditation, it feels like a place you go to. You may think of it as “my inner sanctuary” or “my place apart with God.” But as the practice becomes more and more established in you so that this inner sanctuary begins to flow out into your life, it becomes more and more a place you come from.
No one, of course, had foreseen that the first annual Eagle Island Wisdom School would follow so closely on the heels of the events of September 11, but in its shadow our time together was imbued with a newfound sense of purpose that what we were doing was no longer merely a spiritual luxury but a prophetic first step toward the recovery of a vision of human purpose badly eclipsed-and desperately needed-in the Western world.
What Jesus is saying here, powerfully and clearly, is that if you do the work of transforming your being, moving beyond the egoic mind, then you become a living spirit.
We all live with this terrible, heartbreaking hypocrisy in Christianity, when the teaching finally leaves us in th dust. How do we die before we die? How do we love our neighbors as ourselves? How do we bridge the gap between what we believe and what we can actually live?
When the field of vision has been unified, the inner being comes to rest, and that inner peaceableness flows into the outer world is harmony and compassion.
Jesus never asked anyone to form a church, ordain priests, develop elaborate rituals and institutional cultures, and splinter into denominations. His two great requests were that we “love one another as I have loved you” and that we share bread and wine together as an open channel of that interabiding love.
If you bring forth what is within you, what you have will save you. If you do not have that within you, what you do not have within you will kill you.
It’s very, very simple. You sit, either in a chair or on a prayer stool or mat, and allow your heart to open toward that invisible but always present Origin of all that exists.