David Steindl-Rast
David Steindl-Rast
=====================
Full Name and Common Aliases
David Steindl-Rast was a Benedictine monk, philosopher, and author who made significant contributions to the fields of spirituality and interfaith dialogue. He is commonly referred to as Brother David.
Birth and Death Dates
Born on June 12, 1926, in Vienna, Austria, Steindl-Rast passed away on February 8, 2020, at the age of 93.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Austrian-American by birth and nationality, Steindl-Rast was a monk, philosopher, author, and speaker. He spent most of his life in the United States, where he served as a Benedictine monk for over six decades.
Early Life
Growing up in Vienna during World War II, Steindl-Rast witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of conflict on individuals and communities. His experiences during this period had a profound impact on his spiritual journey and shaped his future work in interfaith dialogue and peacebuilding. In 1948, he traveled to the United States, where he became a Benedictine monk at Mount Saviour Monastery in New York.
Major Accomplishments
Steindl-Rast's life was marked by numerous accomplishments, including:
Developing the concept of "gratitude" as a central aspect of spiritual practice
Co-founding the Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia, which aimed to promote understanding and cooperation among different faith traditions
Writing extensively on topics such as spirituality, mindfulness, and interfaith dialogue
Establishing the Grameen Bank, a microfinance institution that provided economic opportunities for the poor in Bangladesh
Notable Works or Actions
Some of Steindl-Rast's notable works include:
Gratefulness: The Heart of Prayer (1994) - a book that explores the concept of gratitude as a spiritual practice
A Loving Kindness Meditation (2000) - a meditation that encourages readers to cultivate compassion and understanding towards themselves and others
Impact and Legacy
Steindl-Rast's work has had a profound impact on individuals and communities worldwide. His emphasis on gratitude, mindfulness, and interfaith dialogue has inspired countless people to cultivate a deeper sense of spirituality and compassion in their lives.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
David Steindl-Rast is widely quoted and remembered for his wisdom on topics such as:
The importance of gratitude in spiritual practice
The value of interfaith dialogue and cooperation
* The need to cultivate mindfulness and compassion in daily life
Quotes by David Steindl-Rast
Through people that I did know or through things that I did touch, I am connected with everything that ever was and everything that ever will be. Everything hangs together with everything.
The artist ought to know that a thousand painful deaths always lead into greater life.
Impatience makes us get ahead of ourselves, reaching out for something in the future and not really being content with where we are, here and now.
Try pausing right before and right after undertaking a new action, even something simple like putting a key in a lock to open a door. Such pauses take a brief moment, yet they have the effect of decompressing time and centering you.
The experience of love and the experience of death destroy the illusion of our self-sufficiency. The two are closely connected, and to become fully human we must experience both of them.
The challenge is to learn to respond immediately to whatever it is time for. Not to wonder whether you have time for it or whether you like it, but simply to respond when it is time.
There is no one harder to live with than an artist. Therefore an artist is a real gift because he or she raises the sanctity of everyone else in the community.