Wayne Teasdale
On October 20, 2004 Brother Wayne Teasdale died peacefully in Chicago. He was a dear friend to many of us and a treasure for the global interreligious community. Once a member of Fr. Bede Griffith's legendary interfaith community in India - Shantivanam - Wayne was an internationally known figure in interreligious circles.
A longtime friend of the Dalai Lama, he traveled often to Dharamsala in India to study, visit, meditate, and pray with His Holiness. Wayne 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 recent Catholicism in Dialogue. The April 2005 issue of Interreligious Insight will include 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.
“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
Thank you, Wayne.
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