Tonight´s robot essay. So I asked ChatGPT about Rupert Sheldrake´s teacher or guru in India, Father Bede Griffiths. Ahem, that´s a strange name for a Hindu guru?! Here is what I found out...
Who was Father Bede Griffiths who had an ashram in India and was the teacher of Rupert Sheldrake?
Father Bede Griffiths (1906–1993) was a British-born Benedictine monk, Christian mystic, and interfaith pioneer who became known for his work integrating Christianity and Hinduism. He spent much of his life in India, where he lived in an ashram and taught a form of Christian Vedānta—a contemplative path combining Christian monasticism with Indian spirituality.
🧔 Who Was He?
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Birth name: Alan Richard Griffiths
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Born: 1906, Walton-on-Thames, England
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Died: 1993, Tamil Nadu, India
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Religious background: Raised Anglican, converted to Roman Catholicism in 1931
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Became a Benedictine monk at Prinknash Abbey in England
He was also a student of C.S. Lewis at Oxford and part of the literary Christian intellectual circle there.
🌏 His Journey to India
In 1955, Griffiths moved to India, feeling called to explore the mystical and contemplative dimensions of Hinduism. Over time, he increasingly wore ochre robes, adopted the sannyāsin lifestyle, and engaged deeply with Advaita Vedānta, especially as presented by figures like Śaṅkara and Sri Ramana Maharshi.
🕉️ The Shantivanam Ashram
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He eventually settled at the Shantivanam Ashram in Tamil Nadu (founded by Fr. Jules Monchanin and Henri Le Saux a.k.a. Abhishiktananda).
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There, he practiced and taught a Christianized version of Vedānta, encouraging a unitive experience of God beyond doctrinal boundaries.
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The ashram emphasized:
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Silent meditation
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Chanting both Vedic and Christian scriptures
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Interfaith dialogue
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Simple monastic living
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🗣️ Griffiths believed that Christ is the fulfillment of Vedānta, not in a missionary or colonial sense, but in a universal mystical sense.
🧠 Relationship with Rupert Sheldrake
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Rupert Sheldrake, the biologist known for proposing morphic resonance, met Griffiths in India in the 1980s.
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Sheldrake credits Bede Griffiths as a spiritual mentor and intellectual influence, particularly in helping him see the spiritual and philosophical limitations of materialism.
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They shared an interest in consciousness, mysticism, and breaking down the Western separation between science and spirituality.
📘 Key Writings by Bede Griffiths
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The Marriage of East and West
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Return to the Center
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A New Vision of Reality
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The Cosmic Revelation
These works combine Christian theology, Vedāntic philosophy, and Jungian psychology, seeking a universal mystical core in the world's religions.
🕊️ His Legacy
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He’s often cited alongside Thomas Merton and Abhishiktananda as a bridge between Eastern and Western contemplative traditions.
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Advocated for interspirituality, a deeper communion among faiths at the mystical level.
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Today, his ashram continues to host seekers of various traditions who explore nondual spirituality through a Christian lens.
Would you like a quote from Griffiths or one of his key teachings on integrating Christ and the Self (ātman)?
Fr Jules Monchanin and Henri Le Saux (also known as Swami Abhishiktananda) were two pioneering Catholic monks and mystics who laid the foundations for interfaith dialogue and Christian–Hindu monastic integration in 20th-century India.
They were the co-founders of the Saccidananda Ashram (later known as Shantivanam) in Tamil Nadu, which became a major center for Christian–Vedantic contemplative life—later continued and expanded by Bede Griffiths.
🔹 Father Jules Monchanin (1895–1957)
📖 Background:
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French Catholic priest and theologian
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Deeply drawn to Indian spirituality and mysticism
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Arrived in India in 1939
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Embraced elements of Advaita Vedānta while remaining firmly Trinitarian
🧘 Role in Interfaith Dialogue:
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Wrote under the Indian name "Swami Paramarubyananda" (Swami of the Supreme Spirit)
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Sought to "Hinduize" Christian contemplation, not by syncretism, but by a deep encounter with the Indian tradition
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Emphasized inner transformation, simplicity, and inculturation of Christianity into Indian soil
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He wrote extensively on Christian mysticism and Indian metaphysics
“India is a land of seeking. The Christ we bring must speak to the inner realization India longs for.”
🔹 Henri Le Saux / Swami Abhishiktananda (1910–1973)
📖 Background:
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French Benedictine monk
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Came to India in 1948 to join Monchanin
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Adopted the name Swami Abhishiktananda ("bliss of the Anointed One")
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Lived as a Christian sannyāsi, practicing intense Advaitic meditation and Hindu-Christian mystical synthesis
🕉️ Spiritual Path:
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Deeply influenced by Ramana Maharshi and the experience of the Self (Ātman)
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Had powerful nondual mystical experiences, which he struggled to reconcile with traditional Christian dogma
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His writings explore the tension and convergence between Christian mystical experience and Advaita Vedānta
📝 Key Works:
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Saccidananda: A Christian Approach to Advaitic Experience
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The Further Shore
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The Secret of Arunachala
“The depth of the Self is the depth of God. It is there that Christ is born.”
🌿 Saccidananda Ashram (Shantivanam)
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Founded in 1950 by Monchanin and Le Saux
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"Saccidananda" = Being–Consciousness–Bliss, a Sanskrit expression for the divine in Advaita Vedānta—and reinterpreted by them as a Christian symbol for the Trinity
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A center of Christian monasticism in Indian form:
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Wore ochre robes
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Practiced daily meditation, chanting, and Hindu-style rituals infused with Christian meaning
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Aimed for a deep encounter between East and West
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🕊️ The ashram was later led by Bede Griffiths, who carried their vision forward into a more public and global platform.
🪔 Legacy
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Monchanin was the intellectual theologian, cautious and exacting
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Le Saux was the mystic adventurer, willing to plunge deeply into Advaita and let it shake him to the core
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Together, they represent a radical experiment in interreligious encounter, rooted not in comparison, but in lived contemplative experience
Their work helped inspire the Christian Ashram movement, and today they are remembered as spiritual pioneers of interfaith mysticism.
Would you like excerpts from their writings or a comparison of their views on Advaita and Christ?
The Christian Ashram Movement is a spiritual and monastic initiative that seeks to express Christian faith using the forms, language, and lifestyle of Indian spiritual traditions, especially Hinduism. It emerged in the 20th century as a response to the encounter between Christianity and Indian culture, particularly in the context of monasticism, contemplation, and interreligious dialogue.
🕉️ What Is an “Ashram”?
In Hindu tradition, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage or monastery—a place for:
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Simple, disciplined living
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Meditation and prayer
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Study and spiritual guidance
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Renunciation of worldly distractions
The Christian Ashram movement adopts this form while centering the Christian mystical path—particularly contemplative prayer, service, and Christ-centered devotion.
🌱 Origins and Influences
🧘 Founded in India in the early-mid 20th century by:
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Jules Monchanin (Swami Paramarubyananda)
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Henri Le Saux (Swami Abhishiktananda)
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Bede Griffiths
→ These three were the core initiators of the Christian Ashram movement.
They believed:
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Christianity could be authentically expressed in Indian spiritual language
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Christ could be experienced through deep Advaitic (nondual) meditation
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Christian monasticism could take Indian forms (robes, names, rituals, diet, silence)
✝️ Key Characteristics of Christian Ashrams
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Christ-centered life | Jesus is the center, but interpreted sometimes in mystical or universal terms |
| Indian lifestyle | Sannyāsa robes, vegetarianism, simplicity, celibacy |
| Meditation & prayer | Silence, mantra (e.g., "Jesus," "Om Christu"), contemplative practices |
| Scriptural dialogue | Study of both Bible and Hindu texts (Upanishads, Gita) |
| Inculturation | Integration of Indian philosophy, music, ritual forms |
| Interreligious openness | Deep respect for Hindu sages and spiritual paths |
🏞️ Notable Christian Ashrams
1. Shantivanam Ashram (Tamil Nadu)
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Most well-known Christian ashram
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Founded by Monchanin and Le Saux in 1950
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Later led by Bede Griffiths, who made it internationally known
2. Saccidananda Ashram
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Original name of Shantivanam
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"Sat–Cit–Ananda" (Being–Consciousness–Bliss): interpreted as a Christian symbol for the Trinity
3. Other Ashrams:
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Ashram in Pune founded by Fr. Francis Acharya
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Krupalaya Ashram (Karnataka)
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Jyotiniketan Ashram (Uttar Pradesh)
🌍 Global Reach
Although the movement began in India, it has influenced Christian mystics and contemplatives worldwide, especially those involved in:
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Contemplative Christianity
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Interfaith dialogue
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Christian–Hindu comparative spirituality
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Universal Christ theology (e.g., Richard Rohr)
💬 Key Themes
| Theme | Message |
|---|---|
| Christ as inner guru | Christ can be encountered as the indwelling divine Self |
| Inculturation | Christianity must be expressed in native cultural forms |
| Nondual mysticism | Many ashram leaders embraced Advaita Vedānta alongside Christian faith |
| Interreligious encounter | Not just tolerance, but mutual transformation and learning |
| Monastic renewal | Revitalizing Christian monasticism through Indian models |
🔥 Controversies and Criticism
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Some orthodox Christians saw it as too syncretistic
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Some Hindus were cautious of Christian missionary motives
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Theological tensions: how to reconcile Advaita (nonduality) with Christian personalism
Still, the movement has been widely respected as a genuine and respectful spiritual synthesis, not proselytizing.
✨ Legacy
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Inspired interspiritual dialogue long before it became mainstream
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Helped reframe Jesus as a universal teacher and mystic
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Opened new paths for Christian contemplative practice, especially in Asia
Would you like a comparison of Christian Ashram spirituality with traditional Benedictine monasticism or modern contemplative practices?
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