Jesus, the Mantra of God, David Lovell Publications, 2005

From the blurb:

Jesus, the Mantra of God explores the practice of the mantra in prayer.  … At the heart of this prayer is the Indian concept of mantra — focus upon a word or phrase of spiritual significance. The mantra, says John Dupuche, ‘is like a key to unlock the storeroom from which the disciple of the kingdom brings forth things both new and old’ (Matthew 13:52).

The first part of the book enriches the reader’s understanding and practice of the mantra, based on faith, and looks at the related aspects of hearing, breathing and the body. With this heightened understanding, the practitioner comes more fully to see the face of Christ, who is the divine Mantra, and so enter into the silence of God.

The second part examines the intimate relationship between mantra-meditation and the cycle of the liturgical year. In meditation, one can relive the events of the sacred story or deepen the spiritual impact of the major festivals of the Church’s year. A brief appendix deals with visualization, another aspect of contemplative prayer.

‘The progress of the book, from practice to faith, is itself a powerful reminder that prayer can never be reduced to a technique. It is always an ever deeper entry into the mystery of the life of Christ in the spirit while remaining rooted always in the historical reality of the Incarnation. ….

Rev. Dr. John Dupuche is Parish Priest of Beaumaris/Black Rock. He is co-ordinator of the School of Prayer within the Archbishop’s Office for Evangelisation and is chair both of the Catholic Interfaith Committee of the Archdiocese of Melbourne and of the Faith and Order Commission of the Victorian Council of Churches. He leads meditation groups and conducts retreats in addition to his normal parish duties. He has a doctorate in Sanskrit, specialising in Kashmir Shaivism and travels to India each year. He lectured for many years in theology at what is now Australian Catholic University. He is Honorary Visiting Research Fellow in the Institute for the Advancement of Research at Australian Catholic University.