The Fullness of God: Frithjof Schuon on Christianity

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In the Introduction to The Fullness of God, Professor Cutsinger writes of Schuon that:

…He was above all a man of prayer, whose fundamental message…was always linked to the importance of faith and spiritual practice. “Even if our writings had on average no other result than the restitution for some of the saving barque that is prayer,” he once wrote, “we would owe it to God to consider ourselves profoundly satisfied.”

Prayer is the core of the spiritual life, and centres the human being on their immutable and divine core through remembrance of God.

Prayer culminates in a constant recalling of divine Names, insofar as it is a question of an articulated “remembrance”. (from “Some Observations”, p. 44)

…Prayer takes precedence over everything, consequently…it contains communion in its own way and does so necessarily, since in principle we bear within ourselves all that we can obtain from without; “the kingdom of God is within you”. (from “Outline of the Christic Message”, pp. 2-3)

Schuon’s statements regarding prayer provide crucial guidance to the practitioner.

And this is crucial: “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father, which is in secret”; according to the Hesychasts, this secret chamber is the heart, whose door open to the world, must be closed. This is quite characteristic of the Christian message, which is a message of contemplative inwardness and sacrificial love.… (from “Our Father Who Art in Heaven”, p. 35)

Prayer is essential but how are we to pray?

The chief content of a prayer is a petition; one cannot, however, ask for something without giving thanks for something.…One must express to God any cares or difficulties one may have and through this bring about a living relationship with Him.…One may also turn to the Blessed Virgin and confide everything to her.…It is necessary to speak to God and ask for His help; this can be done through a celestial intermediary, in particular the Blessed Virgin. (from “Appendix: A Sampling of Letters and Other Unpublished Materials”, pp. 184, 170)

Prayer is inseparable from commitment: one’s entire life must be in conformity with one’s prayer life.

Before entering upon a way of prayer—before committing oneself to invoke God three times a day and, insofar as one can, in every available moment—one must promise Heaven to persevere in this way until death; such a promise is equivalent to monastic vows. (from “Appendix: A Sampling of Letters and Other Unpublished Materials”, p 170)

And all of this is to say nothing (at least directly) of Schuon’s teachings on the Jesus Prayer, the Ave Maria and the Our Father!