In this book, diverse voices of companions and fellow travelers inspired by his work compose a vivid portrait of Brother David. In stories, reflections, and testimonies of love and gratitude, friends such as His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Anselm Grun, Fritjof Capra, Joan Halifax, Rupert Sheldrake, David Whyte, Ken Wilber, and many others bring him vividly to life.
A unique interview, along with personal photographs and evocative images of the places that shaped his life's journey, deepen this portrait. Brother David appears as a Benedictine monk of silence, an advocate for the marginalized and for ecological responsibility, a scholar and author, the founder of Grateful.org, and an untiring voice for interreligious understanding. This book invites readers to walk a path of gratitude, compassion, and kinship.
David Steindl-Rast is among the most widely known mystics of our time. He was born in Vienna in 1926 and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts and the University of Vienna. After earning his doctorate in psychology and anthropology, he moved to the United States, where he entered the Benedictine monastery of Mount Saviour in New York State in 1953. He was, among other things, a cofounder of the Center for Spiritual Studies and has been engaged in interreligious dialogue as a bridge-builder between religions since 1966. Today, he continues to write from his monastic home in Austria, serving as a living embodiment of the grateful presence he has spent a lifetime teaching.
Klaudia Menzi Steinberger has devoted herself to Brother David's life's work since 2010. As the founder and editor of the online library Bibliothek David Steindl-Rast OSB, she curates his spiritual legacy to make it freely accessible worldwide as a source of inspiration for present and future generations. She also prepares the source texts for the Brother David AI chatbot developed by the University of Salzburg.
