This extraordinary 60-minute profile of a Christian mystic was produced and directed by John Swindells, an Australian filmmaker. Father Bede talks about his education at Oxford where he developed an interest in philosophy and literature, his experiment with communal living in the English countryside, his decision to become a priest, and his attempt to create a meeting place for East and West at an ashram in southern India. Various members of this community comment on Father Bede's teachings, spiritual practices, and impact upon their lives.
Three deeply moving mystical experiences animated this holy man's spiritual journey. Father Bede's introduction to cosmic religion came from a mystical experience while walking in a field at sunset. The second epiphany occurred during a long night of prayer when he realized the need to break with his rational mind and to be open to darkness. A final vision accompanied a stroke. He experienced union with God whose presence was felt as a loving mother.
There is something very appealing about this holy man's spiritual journey. For Father Bede there are no boundaries, only new horizons. The story of his life as a spiritual seeker, a scholar, a community leader, a teacher, and a mystic is a drama about bringing together within one person the opposites of East and West, intuition and reason, heart and mind, female and male.
This soulful video compels us to consider afresh Father Bede's pioneering spiritual perspectives. He challenges us to end dualistic thinking, to honor the God beyond knowing, to respect different religious traditions, to seek out inner stillness, and to cherish the manifold mysteries of life. Although Father Bede died shortly after the filming of this documentary, his spirit lives on in the community he led for 24 years and in the 12 books he wrote.
To purchase or to find out more about A Human Search: The Life of Father Bede Griffiths, call 818-793-1906 or write to MTI Films, 1613 Chelsea Road, Suite 226, San Marino, CA 91108.