JOHN MAIN osb (1926-1982) became a Benedictine monk in 1958, after diplomatic service in the Far East and teaching law at Trinity College, Dublin. In 1975, he opened the first Christian Meditation Centre at Ealing Abbey, London, and began what was to be the culminating mission of his lifelong search for God and service of others. It was his conviction that the practice of meditation could guide the search of many modern people for deeper spiritual experience. In 1977, he accepted the invitation of the Archbishop of Montreal to establish a Benedictine Priory committed to the practice and teaching of Christian meditation. From here, for the last five years of his life, John Main saw the expansion of his vision of community through the teaching of this tradition. Hundreds of groups gathered at his monastery to learn meditation from him and discover its transformative effect in their lives. The work John Main started continues today through The World Community for Christian Meditation.

John Main is recognised as one of the most influential spiritual teachers of the twentieth century. His many books and recordings include Fully Alive, The Way of Unknowing, Door to Silence, and Word into Silence.

PAUL T HARRIS is an author, teacher, former director of the Christian Meditation centre in London, England, and a Patron of The World Community for Christian Meditation. He has given retreats and conferences on John Main's teaching in many countries. His books include John Main by Those Who Knew Him, John Main: A Biography, and Frequently Asked Questions about Christian Meditation: The Path of Contemplative Prayer.