Zen and the Spiritual Exercises

This remarkable book is the outcome of 50 years of practice and research both within Zen and the spiritual exercises of Loyola. Serious practice is often the outcome of deep reflection on metaphysical and existential questions about the purpose of life, how to find inner peace and face death with equanimity. These very questions confronted 30-year-old Loyola in 1521. Each path is one of awakening and transformation but arising in very different time periods and cultural contexts, although they broadly follow a similar path in terms of preparation, purification, illumination and union. In the Christian context this includes death and resurrection, while the Zen fruits are expressed in terms of deepening the power of concentration, realisation (kensho) and 'the embodiment of the peerless way.' The author helps to present both paths within a modern understanding, explaining the importance of posture, breathing and bringing the mind to stillness as well as of trust and resolve in the process. The reader understands what to expect and becomes more aware of the dysfunctional state of both individuals and society, which both traditions address. The central practice is meditation on death, asking oneself if there is anything in one's current way of living that one might regret and would have done differently from the vantage point of the day when one is about to die. The endpoint of serious practice is that 'you may open your eyes at some point along the Way and, filled with gratitude, find yourself awakened and transformed by Love.' Reading the book can become a part of spiritual practice itself.