A Big Sur Podcast
A Big Sur Podcast
An ongoing conversation with people from near and far about Big Sur's past, present, and future. A Big Sur Podcast interprets “community” to mean ALL people from around the world who are curious about, and who care about, the preservation and restoration of the wild and rural character of Big Sur. Stories are told by visitors and residents, plumbers and linesmen, musicians and authors, dancers and jugglers and others. Sometimes we drift (way) off-topic into the arts, sciences, personal stories, gossip, politics, philosophy, ornithology, Henry Miller, and our zeitgeist in general. We like that!
The opinions expressed here belong to the people who express them. They may or may not line up with yours, mine, or your neighbor’s — and that’s exactly the point. Different perspectives, lived experiences, and even wildly clashing views are what make conversations worth listening to: enriching, infuriating, life-affirming, and sometimes all three at once.
If you are planning a visit to Big Sur and you listen to some of the folks on this Podcast talk about their love of the place your visit will probably be a lot more rewarding. Please email magnus@henrymiller.org with any comments, critique & suggestions.
Music intro clip courtesy John Holm: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DZ06evO0Rh2QU
Sound editing software by Hindenburg: https://hindenburg.com/
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A Big Sur Podcast
# 129 Love Means I’ll Be Here Tomorrow: Father Cyprian Consiglio on music, monastic life, Big Sur, Rome, and the discipline of staying.
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Magnus, a secular Swede in Big Sur, speaks with Father Cyprian Consiglio — musician, Camaldolese monk, former prior of New Camaldoli, and now Secretary General of Monastic Interreligious Dialogue in Rome — about vocation, music, solitude, Rome, Iran, God, and why real love may simply mean: “I’ll be here tomorrow.”
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Magnus speaks with Father Cyprian as an old Big Sur friend and as a secular Swede trying to understand what Christian depth can mean when inherited church culture has grown thin.
The conversation moves from childhood memories of Chicago museums and the upheavals of 1968 to Phoenix rock-and-roll years, crisis, faith, New Camaldoli, chastity, silence, interreligious friendship, Iran, Rome, and love as the choice to stay. Along the way, Father Cyprian reflects on his latest book, Epiphanies of Nature and Grace, the solitude and community of the Camaldolese life, and the one practice he protects wherever he travels: Silent Meditation.
Link to episode # 41 with Cyprian Consiglio and Pico Iyer.
Link to Animas Ensemble Music
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Places, people, organizations, books, music, and ideas mentioned:
Main places
New Camaldoli Hermitage — Father Cyprian describes it as a Camaldolese hermitage where monks live in separate cells, gather for prayer, share work, and try to live “a contemplative life in community."
Sant’Anselmo — the Benedictine house/institution in Rome where Cyprian participates in community life and works near “the boss.”
The Vatican / St. Peter’s / Vatican Office for Interreligious Dialogue — in current Vatican language this is the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue.
The Angelicum — Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
St. Charles Borromeo High School / Seminary High School — formative high-school seminary experience.
DePaul University — he attended during that Chicago period.
St. Meinrad Monastery / Archabbey, Indiana — formative monastic/theological exposure.
Mount Madonna — yoga community/center near Watsonville; he mentions doing yoga teacher training there.
Tassajara Zen Mountain Center — mentioned as part of California’s alternative spiritual/meditative landscape.
Tangaza University — a School of Theology and an Institute for Interreligious Dialogue and Islamic Studies.
People mentioned or strongly implied
Father Bruno / Bruno Barnhart — former prior of New Camaldoli, major Camaldolese thinker and influence on Cyprian’s theology. Your research file identifies Barnhart as a decisive source for Rediscovering the Divine.
Romuald — The Camaldolese founder Saint Romuald.
Robert Hale — former prior of New Camaldoli; Cyprian identifies him as prior when he first arrived.
Meister Eckhart — medieval Christian mystic/theologian; Cyprian found his monastic name while reading a book about Eckhart by Cyprian Smith.
Cyprian Smith — author/scholar whose book on Meister Eckhart helped trigger Cyprian’s choice of name.
Bede Griffiths — Benedictine monk central to Hindu-Christian dialogue; major influence on Cyprian.
Abhishiktananda / Henri Le Saux — Benedictine monk and Hindu-Christian contemplative pioneer; major influence on Cyprian.
Martin Luther King Jr. — childhood memory of his assassination in 1968.
Wisława Szymborska — Polish poet quoted by Cyprian; verify the exact poem before show notes.
Professor Mohammad Ali Shomali — Shi‘a Muslim scholar involved in Christian-Muslim dialogue. DIM·MID’s 2026 page references Professor Mohammed Shomali in relation to Kenya and Shi‘a dialogue.
William Skudlarek — Cyprian’s predecessor in the DIM·MID role.
John Pennington — longtime percussion, music, recording collaborator; OCP lists his collaborations with Cyprian.
Aldous Huxley — Cyprian mentions having The Perennial Philosophy in Italian.
Organizations / institutions
New Camaldoli Hermitage — Camaldolese Benedictine monastery in Big Sur.
DIM·MID — Dialogue Interreligieux Monastique / Monastic Interreligious Dialogue — Cyprian’s current work; as Secretary General for Benedictines and Cistercians worldwide. DIM·MID’s website presents current reports from Cyprian as Secretary General.
Vatican Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue — Vatican office connected to his work.
Focolare Movement — hosted/sponsored the Week of Unity event.
World Meditation Day Foundation — he mentions helping co-host an event connected to it.
European Network of Buddhist-Christian Studies — he was about to travel for this meeting.
Tangaza University — Nairobi Catholic university / theology and interreligious context.
Orbis Books — publisher of Rediscovering the Divine and Epiphanies of Nature and Grace.
Liturgical Press — publisher of Spirit, Soul, Body and other Cyprian books.
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This podcast is a production of the Henry Miller Memorial Library with support from The Arts Council for Monterey County!
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