Remembering Wayne Teasdale

On October 20, 2004 Brother Wayne Teasdale died peacefully in Chicago. He was one of our dearest friends. A veteran of the struggle for interreligious, intercultural, and pluralist understanding, Wayne was an enthusiastic supporter of Interreligious Insight. He was an early member of Fr. Bede Griffith’s legendary interfaith community in India – Shantivanam and an internationally known figure in interreligious circles.

Wayne was a longtime friend of the Dalai Lama and traveled often to Dharamsala in India to study, visit, meditate, and pray with His Holiness. He was a tireless advocate for Tibetan autonomy and a knowledgeable exponent of Tibetan spirituality. He received widespread praise for his books, including The Mystic Heart, A Monk in the World, and his last book, Catholicism in Dialogue. The April 2005 issue of Interreligious Insight included a review of Wayne’s writings.

Wayne Teasdale had countless friends around the world and was loved by all who knew him. He’ll be remembered as brilliant and often childlike, as devastatingly acerbic and all-forgiving, and as a person capable in the same few moments of compassionate tears and joyful laughter. He saw spirit everywhere, thought we were all mystics, and knew that every religion touched the truth in its own unique way.

It’s in this profound receptivity to the truth of “the other” that Wayne Teasdale’s richest legacy probably lies. His exploration of the complex weave of what he called “Interspirituality” made it possible for many others to glimpse what he saw so clearly. Here’s how he put it:

Interspirituality is not a new form of spirituality or an overarching synthesis of what exists, but a willingness and determination to taste the depth of mystical life in other traditions. Interfaith encounter, interreligious dialogue, and the collaborations of the religions, whether through interfaith organizations or more directly in bilateral relationships, are becoming permanent features of a new global culture. Our knowledge of other religions and cultures is likewise increasing, opening the door to a universal understanding of religion, spirituality, and culture.

A Monk in the World, Wayne Teasdale

This issue of Insight is dedicated to Wayne. It begins with his unpublished article, "Spirituality as a Primary Resource in Promoting Peace".

Thank you, Wayne.

Peace,

Jim Kenney, Alan Race, Seshagiri Rao