Heartfullness: The Way of Contemplation

This extraordinary book is the ripe fruit of a lifetime of study, spiritual practice and profound reflection on the timeless, vertical Way that we can all choose to enter by opening the door and descending into the heart in order to deepen our humanity. As Neil Douglas Klotz rightly observes, the book ‘performs a subtle sleight of hand: posing as a book, it is really a course in awakening to one’s real self and purpose in life’, taking the form of 12 letters to participants in his St Kentigern School for Contemplatives. The preface and introductory sections run to nearly 100 pages that clarify the arduous nature of this serious undertaking and reveal Stephen’s depth of understanding based on his own experience of both highs and lows. His words point beyond themselves for those with ears to hear. The price, he explains, is your self in terms of ego transcendence, while the purchaser of ‘re-membering’ is the Self – the requirements are showing up, paying attention, doing the Work and remaining unattached to outcomes. Many great souls have trodden this esoteric and mystical path before us. The process is not one of self-improvement, but of self-surrender – hence the title of this review related to an essential spiritual process on a tried and tested journey.

Stephen explains that heartfullness is not about going up into the mind but descending into the core of our being – unitive enstasy rather than ecstasy, beyond concepts into the indefinable and unknowable, the realm of the Beloved and involving ‘deep reflection, prayer, meditation, examination of consciousness, spiritual direction, chants and group work’ taking us beyond fear-based responses and ego identification to ‘deep knowing of our essential I-Amness.’ It is a process of purification, shedding and stripping away, engaging the vertical spiritual dimension and not remaining stuck in the ‘horizontal plane of ordinary reality.’ This represents a shift from my will to Thy Will, as expressed in the Lord’s Prayer and service to the whole where ‘the heart is imprinted with oneness.’ I agree with Stephen when he says that Christ’s message was less about founding a religion and more about transforming consciousness, creating a movement rather than an organisation, as the Gnostics realised. The many dimensions of prayer are critical (p. 87) in the practice of divine quietness and the encouragement of humility in an attitude of receptiveness. Stephen suggests as a key practice a breathing exercise using the mantra ‘Thy will be done’ (p. 93)

The main part of the book consists of 12 letters on the cultivation of essential virtues and attitudes, which speak for themselves: awareness, love, authenticity, transformation, unity, trust, joy, humility, peace, discernment, wisdom and service. Stephen proposes many reflective practices while interweaving biography, inspiring figures, Biblical passages, poetry, prayers and insights into the mystical path. These have to be worked through systematically and enable readers to understand the relationship between the 12 chapters while gradually deepening one’s personal qualities and sense of identity. We learn to be truer to the Self and trust the unfolding process, committing our thoughts to a journal. The final letters bring us to Wisdom and Service, representing a fundamental shift in our centre of gravity and identity – as St Francis of Assisi put it, ‘Lord, make me an instrument of Thy Peace.’

There can be no end to this transformative process, ‘where I-It consciousness is transmuted into I-Thou (Martin Buber) and ’the bond of connection to the temporal world is converted from fear and control to love and service’ in authentic relationality. The world is re-enchanted and we come to realise that ‘everywhere consciousness is knowing itself’ and that we can retain our individuality in oneness while holding opposites in balance, centred in the fullness of life. Importantly, the contemplative way is not an escape, but rather ‘a deeper engagement a place of wholeness, unity of consciousness and compassionate action.’ Stephen proves to be a wise and compassionate companion for those of serious and genuine intent who are prepared to transcend the everyday self and step into the unknown.