What can the wisdom of the East teach us about Christian spirituality? Join Camaldolese monk Cyprian Consiglio–a hermit, wanderer, and the Vatican’s new Secretary General of Monastic Interreligious Dialogue–to explore the rich intersections between Eastern and Western spiritual traditions. Cyprian shares insights from the Upanishads, Vedanta, and Taoism, and how they’ve deepened his understanding of Christian contemplation. We’ll dive into the mystical and prophetic traditions, the gifts of yoga, and how the body plays a vital role in spiritual growth. Cyprian also unpacks the Trinity through the lens of universal energy and offers a vision of spirituality that embraces the full human experience—body, soul, and spirit. If you’re curious about how Eastern practices can enhance your contemplative life, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Speaker bio: Cyprian Consiglio, OSB Cam. is a Camaldolese monk, musician, composer, author, and teacher. A native of Illinois, he spent his young adult years mostly in Arizona working as a professional musician. He joined the New Camaldoli Hermitage in Big Sur, California in 1992. After his initial years of formation there, and solemn vows and ordination, he lived in a hermitage near Santa Cruz, California for ten years, spending about half his time at home, and half his time traveling, performing and teaching, working extensively in interreligious dialogue, music and meditation. Much of both his music and his teaching revolve around the Universal Call to Contemplation through spirituality and the arts. He has several collections of original music recorded and published through OCP Publications, and several independent releases, including those with his long-time collaborator, percussionist John Pennington under the name Animas Ensemble, available on Spotify and Apple Music. He was also a member of the Collegeville Composers Group, the ensemble responsible for the Psallite: Songs for Liturgy and Life project for Liturgical Press. A student of the writings of Bede Griffiths and Abhishiktananda, Cyprian has a great love for comparative religion, and has published three books, Prayer in the Cave of the Heart, Spirit, Soul, Body, and The God Who Gave You Birth, also for Liturgical Press, based on wisdom culled from what he has gained from his studies. He has also written numerous articles on spirituality as well as on music and liturgy. His most recent publication is Rediscovering the Divine with Orbis Press. He has been to India numerous times as well as other countries in Europe, Asia, and the Mideast, performing as well as studying and teaching. He served as prior of his community in Big Sur from 2013 until 2023. He has recently been appointed the international Secretary General for Monastic Interreligious Dialogue.