Celtic mysticism and the courage of compassion | Episode 47

Brother Richard Hendrick is a Capuchin Franciscan friar and Celtic mystic. He comes from “a people who embrace faith but did not let go of magic and understand that one completes the other.” When Tom asks how to deal with anger and powerlessness in the face of cruelty, Brother Richard offers this: “Anger externalized is actually internalized fear.” Those moving in hatred WANT hatred in return because it justifies their action. They push and push waiting for the explosion. So the hardest practice is maintaining compassion even for those who hate you—because that’s when the other is actually disassembled and overcome. Three practices: Hold yourself in compassion. Take refuge in great teachers—we’ve done this before over thousands of years. And manage basic human needs—no good decision is ever made at 2am. Also, how can we grow up? Our culture is bad at helping people make the transition from adolescence into adulthood. What if the big missing piece in our development is transcendent experience? Are we doomed? Brother Richard says no! But you’re gonna have to start meditating. The good news is that he has some things to say that might help you finally start the practice. Brother Richard’s sternly non-political take on what’s going on in Minnesota Most hatred and anger comes from fear Choosing compassion means accepting vulnerability, even and especially when your compassion is rejected Hate wants hate, anger wants anger — it’s cyclical justification “No matter how much hatred they are pouring on me, fundamentally I have a brother or a sister in front of me” Three practices for holding compassionate solidarity People full of compassionate energy can often forget their own needs—they become tired, worn, anxious, and then make bad decisions How Brother Richard became a friar Celtic mysticism maintains the sacred nature of both the subtle world and ourselves, plus our venerable relationship with it What to look for in a good spiritual teacher The icon of the Ladder of Heaven shows monks climbing to heaven, and at the very top, just as one steps in, he’s falling Saint Augustine: “God wrote two books—the book of Scriptures and the Book of Nature. We have not read His word if we can’t read both.” When we’re in relationship with nature, the transcendent begins to happen The Dalai Lama: “Meditation over thousands of years becomes a laboratory of the mind and soul” If meditation stretches you with compassion and bestows peace, it’s real; if it makes you think you’re superior, it’s egoic The muscle of focus and inner attention is atrophied in the Western world Start with basic stillness practices, even just two minutes, because most people haven’t done it before Distraction is literally half of the practice of meditation And in the epilogue… What the Fae actually are (hint: it’s complicated!) Why believing everything a non-human intelligence tells you is dangerous Brother Richard’s take on a particular passage from the Gospel of Thomas (because of course Tom had to ask him) PS - We’re on a no-kill run. If you want to help, we made this Sharing Kit for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices