Meditation: East Meets West A One-Day Mini-Retreat

Retreat Talks

The Rev. Dr Ian Ellis-Jones

Sydney Unitarian Chalice Circle Sunday, 26 October 2014

Copyright © Ian Ellis-Jones 2014 All Rights Reserved

Ian Ellis-Jones

12A Nulla Nulla Street Turramurra NSW 2074

Australia

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A One-Day Mini-Retreat

Meditation: East Meets West

Sydney Unitarian Chalice Circle Sunday, 26 October 2014

Retreat Facilitator

The Rev. Dr Ian Ellis-Jones

Note. Parts of the retreat will be silent. All cross-talk should be avoided throughout the retreat, and as much time as possible should be spent in quiet contemplation and silence.

In the morning we will explore and practise various types of (largely) Eastern meditation

modalities including the following:

* mantra meditation

* object focused meditation

* creative visualisation (including colour meditation)

* mindfulness (also known as insight meditation), including both seated and

walking mindfulness meditation.

In the afternoon we will explore and practise various types of (largely) Western

meditation modalities including the following:

* Christian mysticism

* centering prayer (as well as other forms of Christian meditation)

* progressive relaxation

* New Thought meditation and spiritual mind treatment.

Note. The above division is purely for convenience. In fact, there is a considerable East-West overlap between the various types of meditative techniques.

The Retreat Facilitator will introduce each type of meditation and explain its key

elements. Then will then be time to practise each meditation modality in turn.

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PROGRAM

Note. All cross-talk should be avoided throughout the retreat, and as much time as possible should be spent in quiet contemplation and inner silence.

In the morning we will explore and practise various types of (largely) Eastern meditation modalities, and after lunch we will turn our attention to various types of (largely) Western meditation modalities.

8.45 am Arrival

9.00 am START --- General introduction and ‘settling’ meditation 9.15 am Introduction: What is meditation? 9.30 am Mantra meditation 10.00 am Object focused meditation and creative visualisation (including colour meditation) 10.30 am MORNING TEA 10.45 am Combined colour and visualisation meditation (CD) 11.45 am Mindfulness (also known as insight meditation), including both seated and walking

mindfulness meditation 12.30 pm LUNCH 1.30 pm Christian mysticism 2.00 pm Centering prayer and other forms of Christian meditation 2.30 pm Progressive relaxation 3.00 pm AFTERNOON TEA 3.15 pm Individual meditation (unstructured) 3.45 pm New Thought meditation and spiritual mind treatment 4.15 pm Final session – wrap-up – questions – discussion 4.30 pm CLOSE

-oo0oo-

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Meditation: East Meets West Looking out every day upon the mandala of our time, we see very little resemblance to the great, peaceful paintings found on the walls of the Shingon temples. We do not see the splendid color, the magnificent aura, the interpenetration of worlds. We do not behold the great spirits and Buddhas of the other suns and moons and stars coming from the sky in vast hierarchies to hover over our mortal sphere. All of this grandeur is gone. Instead, we read the paper, watch the television program, and through this and other media we gradually lose more and more confidence in ourselves and everything else, so that we are not getting the moral support that comes from an archetypal picture that is essentially true. We have divorced ourselves from these archetypes. We have let science dissuade us on the grounds that science cannot imagine that these mandala forms are correct; it has no proof that they are, and is not inclined to accept abstractions of any nature. Therefore, we have only one surviving procedure possible, and that is to use meditational techniques. We have to go into ourselves. We have to find the universe by an experience of personal integration and understanding. We have to try to relax and use the dissonances and discords of our outer lives as keys to the mistakes we are making.

- Manly Palmer Hall. Excerpted from Lecture #223 ‘The Mystical Therapy of Meditation.’

Meditation is not following any system; it is not constant repetition and imitation. Meditation is not concentration. …

Meditation demands an astonishingly alert mind; meditation is the understanding of the totality of life in which every form of fragmentation has ceased. Meditation is not control of thought, for when thought is controlled it breeds conflict in the mind, but when you understand the structure and origin of thought, which we have already been into, then thought will not interfere. That very understanding of the structure of thinking is its own discipline which is meditation.

Meditation is to be aware of every thought and of every feeling, never to say it is right or wrong but just to watch it and move with it. In that watching you begin to understand the whole movement of thought and feeling. And out of this awareness comes silence. Silence put together by thought is stagnation, is dead, but the silence that comes when thought has understood its own beginning, the nature of itself, understood how all thought is never free but always old - this silence is meditation in which the meditator is entirely absent, for the mind has emptied itself of the past. …

So meditation can take place when you are sitting in a bus or walking in the woods full of light and shadows, or listening to the singing of birds or looking at the face of your wife or child. J. Krishnamurti. Freedom from the Known, ch 15.

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Introduction

Meditation has been an important, if not the central, focus of almost all spiritual

traditions throughout the centuries.

Meditation takes place in inner silence and often alone. Why meditate? There are many

reasons, but here’s perhaps the main one. Have you heard of the ‘monkey mind’? If not,

it has certainly heard of you and knows you very well. It is that stream of consciousness

that keeps flitting from one thing to another like a monkey jumping from branch to

branch. The antics of this monkey mind are more than annoying. They rob us of

valuable time and energy, and they exhaust us. We lose our ability to focus and

concentrate. We become anxious and tense.

Know this. You, the person that you are, have within you the power to stop the antics of

this monkey mind and achieve a ‘quiet’ and ‘still’ mind. The power comes from

practising meditation---not occasionally but everyday … and even (in the case of at

least one form of meditation) from one moment to the next. As the pressures of the

world increase and multiply, we need to find for ourselves a calmer life. Meditation is the

best way of doing this, and all the clinical research demonstrates that. This should not

surprise you because meditation is perfect stillness---silence of body, silence of speech,

and silence of mind.

You know, silence is not just calming and relaxing. It is fundamentally for the purpose of

bringing us into a greater knowledge, understanding and experience of the Divine (that

is, the Sacred, the Holy, or the numinous). The Bible makes it clear that stillness leads

to knowledge of the Divine, for it is written, ‘Be still, and know that I am God’ (Ps 46:10).

Then, there’s this sound advice: ‘But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and

when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which

seeth in secret shall reward thee openly’ (Mt 6:6). (Note. The 4th century Bishop of

Milan, Saint Ambrose, explained that Jesus was not talking about ‘a room with four

walls separating you physically from others, but the room that is within you, where your

thoughts are shut up, the place that contains your feelings. This room of prayer [or

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meditation] is with you at all times, wherever you go it is a secret place, and what

happens there is witnessed by God alone’ (On Cain and Abel, B 1:34). Then there’s this

wonderful verse, again from the Psalms: ‘He that dwelleth in the secret place of the

most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty’ (Ps 91:1). Again, the ‘secret

place of the Most High’ is within you---in your soul, that is, your mind. The New

Testament calls this ‘secret place’ the ‘kingdom of God’ (or ‘kingdom of heaven’), and it

is within you. The Bible says so. ‘The kingdom of God is within you’ (Lk 17:21).

Now, the etymological meaning of the modern English word ‘meditation’ is most

interesting to say the least. The word is a Latin-derived word---meditatus, past participle

of meditari, frequentative of medēri, which is related to ‘middle.’ Remember

the Buddha's Middle Way? Well, the middle avoids and transcends the extremes at both

ends, and thus all opposites.

The word ‘meditation’ is also etymologically related to such other words as ‘mediation,’

‘medical,’ and ‘measure.’ (Like the English word ‘medicine’ it has the same prefix,

namely, med, which is a Greek prefix meaning ‘care’ or ‘attention.’ Thus, when we

meditate we are being careful, we are paying attention.)

Finally, the word ‘meditation’ also denotes ‘reflecting’ and ‘pondering,’ not in any

analytical or cognitive sense but in the sense of directly perceiving ‘what is.’

One thing meditation is not is this---it is not ‘mind control’ in the sense of subjugation,

sublimation or suppression, nor in my view is it concentration. Meditation is being

choicelessly (that is, non-judgmentally) aware of what is. Now, in order to properly

meditate you must go gently … and take it easy. More importantly, the ‘effort’ involved

in meditation is of a relaxed albeit deliberate kind. It has been described as the ‘effort of

no-effort.’ Resist not is the important principle involved. Another important thing. In none

of the forms or ways of meditation we will look at during this retreat do you ever lose

control, go into some trance, or otherwise lose contact with external reality. At any time

you can cease your meditation and go about your ordinary business.

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Robert Ellwood wrote a most useful little book on the subject of meditation entitled

Finding the Quiet Mind (Theosophical Publishing House, 1983). In that book Ellwood,

after referring to the etymological origins of the word, defines, or rather describes,

meditation as ‘medicine for the mind which does its work by measuring out time, when it

can reach a median, a point of equilibrium’ [emphasis added]. I like that. Let's look at

those highlighted words.

… ‘medicine’

Yes, meditation is medicine. It is good for both body and mind, and there are

innumerable scientific and medical studies attesting to that fact. Meditation is

therapeutic and at times even curative. Why do we need the ‘medicine’ of meditation? In

order to wake up, that is, see things as-they-really-are. You see, we are all in varying

degrees ‘sick’ because we are in bondage to self. Meditation frees us from the bondage

of self. It does so by emptying the mind and stilling its usual activities. When that is

achieved.

Meditation feeds the hunger of the soul. It is also good---very good---for both mind and

body. The clinical research so attests---in abundance!

... ‘for the mind’

Medicine, as just mentioned, is also good for the body, lowering blood pressure, heart

rate, and so forth.

... ‘does its work’

I have only one qualm concerning Ellwood’s description. I dislike the words ‘does its

work.’ The only ‘work’ the mind does, in meditation, is ... unconditioning. Be that as it

may, I think that when Ellwood uses the word ‘work’ he simply means ‘action' in the

sense of occurrence, but even then the action is that of ... listening, waiting, being

attentive, and (most importantly) being aware.

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... ‘measuring out time’

Meditation is something which takes place ‘in time,’ even though ‘time’ and ‘space’

(which are really one) are no more than mediums in which all things exist. Life is

movement---ceaseless movement---and so is meditation. As such, meditation is

timeless and spaceless.

Also, as everything (including space-time) is contained within ‘the Now,’ everything is

total and complete in the Now. That is why we say that there is an ‘eternal’ quality about

the Now. It is forever ... new. The present moment has its unfolding in the Now, the

present simply being that which presents itself before us in the Now---so the present

embraces past, present and future. True meditation ‘measures out time’ by letting---

please note that important word ‘let’---each present moment, as ‘it’ unfolds from one

moment to the next, simply … be. There is nothing to 'transcend.' There is nowhere to

'go.' All you have to do is ... be.

... ‘a median’

When you reach the ‘median’ you experience balance and harmony. There is no longer

any resistance to what is. In other words, you are now at …

... ‘a point of equilibrium’

When resistance goes there is acceptance, equanimity, poise, and serenity.

All too good to be true? Not at all. Indeed, there are few, if any, things in life more

important and more liberating than learning how to meditate successfully. I kid you not.

Now, let’s begin.

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EASTERN MEDITATION MODALITIES

Mantra meditation

‘Mantra meditation’ consists of two parts: mantra and meditation itself.

The word mantra (a Sanskrit word) means a scared utterance, a numinous sound, as

well as pure God's consciousness. Mantras are words, groups of words, syllables, or

phonemes that by their special vibrational qualities link us with what some refer to as

‘expanded levels of consciousness.’ I dislike that turn of phrase. Let’s just say that

mantras, when chanted or repeated over and over again, help us to still the mind. They

have a certain numbing and yet (somewhat paradoxically) also liberating effect on the

inner workings of the mind. They operate like a carpet cleaner. They help to cleanse

and remove blockages and hindrances. In short, they can be a powerful aid in certain

forms of meditation.

The most important thing is not to try too hard. Don't make a big deal out of this. It is the

easiest thing that our mind can do. Perhaps that is why it can be so powerful.

1) Find a quiet environment. It is best to be where you won't be disturbed.

2) Sit comfortably in a comfortable chair (don’t lie down) with the eyes closed.

Try to be in a place with a minimum amount of noise and light. But don't be

concerned with noises. They are not a distraction to meditation.

3) Close your eyes and for about 30 seconds just get yourself in tune with your

internal environment. You may wish to do a quick body scan. Next, begin, as

effortlessly and silently as possible repeating a word to yourself (not out

loud). The word you choose is called a mantra.

a. Examples of words (mantras) to use: OM (AUM) [‘amen’ is the

English equivalent], still, one, relax, peace, love, empty, calm,

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serene, silent, tranquil, or any other word or phrase that is easy to

remember. It makes no difference what word you use. It only matters

that you proceed with the simple intention of repeating the word, over

and over and over.

b. Simply repeat silently, but intentionally, the mantra over and over to

yourself.

c. Just let your mind whisper your mantra ‘under’ (so to speak) your

thoughts, over and over and over. Don't try to change your thoughts

in any way. Just allow yourself to keep whispering the word silently to

yourself.

4) When you notice your mind wandering (it will) just notice it and gently bring

your attention back to your breathing and your mantra. Don't think that you

are a bad meditator if you don't remain with your word the entire time or even

part of the time. The important thing is to gently return to the word when you

catch your mind wandering ... or falling asleep.

5) Practise for approximately 10-20 minutes every day (or at least 3-4 times per

week). The best times to practise meditation are first thing in the morning

and in the afternoon between 4 and 6 o'clock. To enhance your experience,

try a little yoga just before meditating. A few sun salutes usually does the

trick.

6) Don't think that this has to be any more difficult than it is explained here.

There is nothing else to do besides silently repeat your mantra. Don't try to

make anything happen. Just be present with your mantra. That's all! You only

have one intention while you meditate: Return to your mantra when it occurs

to you to do so. There is no other effort involved whatsoever.

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6) Don’t set an alarm clock but sit with a clock in view if necessary. It is okay to

briefly open your eyes to check the time, then close them back and return to

the mantra.

7) Slowly return to normal waking consciousness. Take at least 2 minutes to

return. Don't be in a hurry or you will feel the same way you feel when an

alarm clock or telephone awakens you out of a dream.

Several things might happen while you are meditating and each is entirely appropriate:

You might easily repeat the mantra for the entire period that you are meditating.

This is fine, but is not necessarily the goal. The goal is that you intend to repeat

the word. However, whether or not that happens is secondary.

You might fall asleep. If you do, great. Enjoy it! You will probably have one of the

deepest sleeps you have had in a while. Falling asleep while meditating is usually

an indication that you need more sleep. You are giving yourself a perfect

opportunity to catch up. When you do awaken from sleeping while meditating, be

sure to spend a few more minutes going back to the mantra. Otherwise it will feel

similar to the way that you feel when you are dreaming and you are abruptly

awakened to a phone ringing or some other very jarring sound.

Another thing that will happen is your mind will fly all over the place with thoughts.

Don't be dismayed when this happens. Simply gently return to repeating the

mantra. If the thoughts continue ceaselessly, simply intend to slip the mantra

gently underneath the thoughts.

Occasionally, but not very often, your mind will become very still. In that stillness,

ideas, insights, perhaps we could call it inspiration or intuition will flood into your

mind. Out of that silence sometimes comes exactly what we need to know or do as

we progress on our path.

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The Indian spiritual teacher J. Krishnamurti was very critical of mantra meditation. This

is what he had to say about this type of meditation:

‘The other method [mantra meditation] gives you a certain word and tells you that if you go on repeating it you will have some extraordinary transcendental experience. This is sheer nonsense. It is a form of self-hypnosis. By repeating Amen or Om or Coca-Cola indefinitely you will obviously have-a certain experience because by repetition the mind becomes quiet. It is a well known phenomenon which has been practised for thousands of years in India - Mantra Yoga it is called. By repetition you can induce the mind to be gentle and soft but it is still a petty, shoddy, little mind. You might as well put a piece of stick you have picked up in the garden on the mantelpiece and give it a flower every day. In a month you will be worshipping it and not to put a flower in front of it will become a sin.’

Object focused meditation

Object focused meditation is a visual meditation involving an external physical item.

Since we are conditioned to be task-oriented since childhood, we have learned to keep

the mind from drifting by giving it a task to focus on.

Object focused meditation makes use of this conditioning by getting the mind to focus

on the object in front of you.

It tricks the mind into staying in the present moment.

The nature of the specific physical item to use for the meditation is irrelevant. It is a

matter of personal preference and anything from a candle flame to a picture of a deity to

a flower to a rock could be used. Speaking personally, I think it can help if the object

has strong symbolical associations (eg a statue or image of the Buddha, or the Christ,

or the Blessed Virgin Mary), but it’s entirely up to you. Also, the so-called object need

not be a physical one. Some use instead an aphorism such as ‘I and one with the

Divine,’ or ‘I and the Father are one,’ or ‘Be still and know,’ or ‘Peace, be still.’

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The external object of attention is useful in as much as it acts as a point of reference to

which the mind can easily be tethered. Every time it strays, you simply need to bring it

back to the object.

However, the chosen object, if a physical item, should meet two conditions:

1. The object should be small enough so it can be scrutinized without having to

move your head.

2. The object should be big enough so you don't have to strain your eyes to study

its details

There are slightly different ways in which object focused meditation can be done, but it

is easier to do it as follows:

* Do breath counting meditation to stabilize the mind as a prelude to moving

the attention outward to the external object.

* Once the mind is calm and present, open your eyes and study the object.

* Observe every detail in a non-discursive way.

* Notice how light falls on the object - does it induce any changes in its texture

or colour.

* Notice how sharp are the lines of its edges.

* Observe whether the object's surface rough or smooth.

* Simply observe and refrain from putting labels on what you see.

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Creative visualisation

Visualisation, which may or may not consist of or otherwise include colour meditation,

can be particularly effective to relax both body and mind because it allows you to focus

your mind on one or more imagined images. Focus of one kind or another is the key to

meditation and relaxation in general.

Here’s one form of creative visualisation., which does include some colour meditation as

well.

Sit comfortably, with a straight back. Gently relax. Lay your hands in your lap, palms

cupped upward, left palm resting gently on top of the right palm. Lightly being together

and touch your thumbs.

Now close your eyes. Observe your breath.

As you breathe in and out ever so deeply and fully, think of something really beautiful

(for example, a beautiful lake, beach or mountain, or perhaps a rainbow or sunset). See

it clearly in your mind’s eye and hold it there. Visualise its beauty.

As you hold this image of great beauty in your mind begin to bless it with your breathing.

Continue blessing all that you are visualising. Continue to observe your breath. Should

memories, thoughts or feelings arise, just notice them, but don't cling to them. Don’t

resist them or try to make them go away. What you resist, persists. Just observe the

thoughts gently and dispassionately, without judgment, and let them go.

Stay awake and aware … and perfectly relaxed.

You may, if you wish, envision yourself being in a cocoon of white light. Visualise the

white light radiating out from your heart as you send forth mana (‘life force’) to your

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loved ones, in fact, to all persons, especially those with whom you are currently

experiencing difficulties. Bless them all. Relax … and let go.

Feel the brilliance of the white light. Feel it intensify into every part, indeed every cell, of

your body.

Stay quietly in this meditation until you feel that you are ready to come back, then gently

slip back into the now. Just before you open your eyes, take a quick deep breath. …

Now, gently open your eyes.

When you finish this simple meditation, you should feel not only very relaxed but also

quite peaceful and serene.

Practising this meditation on a daily basis will help to bring you inner peace, serenity

and emotional equanimity, and you will become increasingly aware of your innate

connection to and oneness with your true self which is the Divine Life within you.

Colour meditation

Here is a more fulsome colour meditation. Its calming effect allows you to relax with

visualisation by imagining each colour of the rainbow. Now, as you were taught in

school, a rainbow consists of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet.

To begin, make yourself comfortable. Adjust your clothing as needed and assume a

comfortable position.

First, before the calming colour relaxation begins, notice how your body feels in this

moment. Passively pay attention to the state of your body right now. Do not try to

change anything, simply notice how your body and mind feel.

Feel your body begin to relax slightly, as your shoulders drop a little lower.... your jaw

loosens so your teeth are not touching.... and your eyelids start to feel heavy.

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Take a deep breath in.... hold it … and slowly breathe out. Relax.

Now just notice your breathing. Your body knows how much air you need. Notice with

interest how your breath goes in and out. Feel the pause after you inhale and before

you exhale.... and the pause before drawing another breath.

Allow your body to relax and your mind to focus on the calming colour relaxation. Allow

the relaxation to occur naturally. … Allow and observe. …

Create a picture in your mind of the colour red. … Imagine red of all shades. … You

might picture red objects, a red landscape, or just a solid colour. … Imagine all of the

different tones of red ... roses ... bricks ... apples ... sunset. … Enjoy the colour red.

Now allow the colour you are imagining to change to orange. Picture the colour orange

… infinite shades of orange … flowers … pumpkins … carrots … . Fill the entire visual

field of your mind's eye with the colour orange. … Enjoy the colour orange.

Now visualize the colour yellow. See in your imagination all the various shades of

yellow. Allow yellow to fill your vision … lemons … flowers … fall leaves … . Imagine

the endless tones of the colour yellow. … Imagine yourself surrounded with the calming

colour yellow. Immerse yourself. … Enjoy the colour yellow.

Now let the colour you are imagining become green. Fill your imagination with the

colour green. Endless shades and tones of green … plants … leaves … grass. ….

Imagine being surrounded by beautiful green … all shades from the lightest to the

darkest, bright green … subdued green. … Enjoy the colour green.

Now see in your mind the colour blue. Surround yourself with beautiful blue … unending

shades of blue … water … sky. ... Imagine blue filling your vision. … Immerse yourself

in the colour blue. … Enjoy the colour blue.

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Now allow the colour in your imagination to become violet. … Focus on the multitude of

purples around you … flowers … eggplant … sunrise. … Immerse yourself in the colour

violet. …Enjoy the colour violet.

Now allow your attention to return to your breathing. … Notice how calm and regular

your breathing is now. …

Now meditate on the calming colour relaxation once more. … Imagine the colours

again, one at a time … starting with red … orange … yellow … green … blue … violet

… .

Now picture whatever calming colour you wish. … Do you have a favorite? … Or a

colour that suits your mood right now? … Imagine whatever colours you like. … Allow

your mind to be relaxed, focused, and calm. … Enjoy the feeling of relaxation you are

experiencing. …

Now it is time to return your attention to your regular activities. … Become more alert

with each breath you take. … More aware of your surroundings. … Stretch your

muscles … and now gently open your eyes. … You are now fully alert and calm.

Mindfulness (insight meditation)

Mindfulness is simply the presence of bare attention to, and a calm, alert, steady, open,

deliberate, ‘curious’ but choiceless (that is, accepting, non-judgmental and

imperturbable) awareness of, the action of the present moment---that is, one’s body,

body functions and sensations, the content of one’s consciousness (thoughts, feelings,

images, memories, etc) and consciousness itself. Mindfulness is not just awareness; it

is awareness of awareness.

Although most, if not all, mindfulness instructors and practitioners advocate some

individual, personalised tuition and guidance in the beginning---for very good (and not

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self-serving) reasons---what follows is a very simple or basic form of mindfulness sitting

meditation for use at home, in the office ... or anywhere for that matter.

Sitting meditation

Sit up in a chair (alternatively, sit on the floor Burmese style, cross-legged, or in a

half-lotus or full lotus position) … straight back … feet flat on the floor (if seated

on a chair).

Gently hold your hands in your lap or lay your palms up (or down) on your thighs.

Feel, without any resistance, the weight of your body on the chair or floor.

Close your eyes lightly, and take several deep cleansing breaths. Turn your mind

‘inwardly’ and silently.

Start breathing in an even pattern, and continue this pattern throughout the

period of your meditation. Let your breath go slow and deep---right into the centre

of your being. Let your awareness gradually fill your body. Notice where your

breath is most vivid.

Be mindful of the rise/expansion and fall/contraction of your lower abdomen.

Alternatively, you may wish to be mindful of the ‘point of touch’ of the breath (as

described below). I find that works best for me---a mouth breather---is to fix my

attention on the upper lip as the ‘point of touch’ against which the breathing air

strikes. Many others fix their attention on the nostril tip as the relevant ‘point of

touch’. Whatever you do, it is strongly suggested that you do not follow the

breath---that is, the so-called ‘breath-body’---on its way down the body and back

again, nor count the ‘entrances’ and ‘exits’, nor take note of the ‘area of touch’ of

the breath. Your awareness should only be of the sensation of touch of breath at

the relevant ‘point of touch’.

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Whatever is your ‘point of touch’, that is your ‘anchor’ for meditation---to be used

when necessary. (You can, of course, make your breath the object of your

meditation if you so wish.) You return to your anchor when things arise in

consciousness that might otherwise deflect you. Please keep in mind, however,

that mindfulness meditation is not a breathing meditation per se.

Keep your mindfulness at its post of observation---that is, choiceless awareness

and bare attention---even if, as will ordinarily be the case, you are aware

(mindful) to a variable extent of the breath's passage through the body. Just give

the latter bare attention at most; do not follow the journey of the breath through

the body. Never anticipate sensation nor reflect upon it.

Be with the moment. Be and remain embodied in the moment. Whenever a body

sensation, sense perception, thought, feeling, emotion, image, plan, memory,

reflection or commentary arises, do not resist it or try to expel, drive it away or

change it. Simply observe and be mindful of the sensation, etc, in the immediacy

of its arising or vanishing---that is, in the now. (Remember and practise the ‘law

of non-resistance’: ‘Whatever you resist, persists’.) Don’t try to actively bring

thoughts or feelings up.

Simply observe and notice, with passive detachment, and without attitude,

comment or judgment, what your body (including your mind/consciousness) is

experiencing. Note or label it (eg ‘Thinking ... thinking’), but only if you feel you

really must (eg when the thought, feeling, sensation, or whatever is particularly

strong or persistent). Then return immediately to your anchor. Wait and see what

comes up next. Let your mind penetrate whatever sensation, etc, arises---or

whatever be your predominant experience---in the moment ... from one moment

to the next. Do not analyse, interpret, evaluate, judge or condemn the content (be

it internal or external) of your moment-to-moment experience.

Rest in choiceless awareness ... moment by moment ... that is, keep your mind at

the level of bare attention, without judgment, evaluation, self-criticism or

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condemnation. Let it be. (You must first ‘let be’ before you can successfully ‘let

go’ all over.) Observe directly and objectively---with ‘effortless effort’. Let your

mind be peaceful ... undisturbed ... not restless. Maintain a ‘soft’ acceptance of

whatever is.

As mentioned above, avoid ‘noting’ or ‘labelling’ and do so only if you feel you

really must. Although some mindfulness instructors and practitioners teach and

advocate ‘noting’ and ‘labelling’, my own view---which is not an original one of

mine---is that making a mental note of, or labelling, what is occurring tends to

result in the formation and arising of thoughts, ideas, concepts and images ...

that is, mental phenomena ... which prevent you from having an immediate and

direct access to reality, that is, to what is occurring in the moment from one

moment to the next. How? Because the consciousness which tends to arise from

the act of noting or labelling is one of an event in the past, which has gone, but

which is nevertheless re-experienced as an after-thought or a memory. Please

remember this fundamental principle: your mindfulness should be simultaneous

with the occurrence of touch or sensation. Dwell in the sensation of the moment.

Watch that sensation---without thinking any thought connected with the

sensation---that is, without judgment, evaluation, self-criticism or condemnation.

(Having said that, I do not altogether eschew noting and labelling. At times,

noting or labelling can assist where a sensation is particularly persistent or

troublesome, but it is not, in my view, something to be done routinely. Indeed, it

should, in my view, be done very rarely, if at all.)

Continue as above throughout the period of meditation. Remain poised and

relaxed at all times. A deeply relaxed person breathes about 5-8 times a minute--

-at the very most. Don’t rush off immediately at the end of the meditation session.

Evaluate the experience.

Practise meditation gently---but steadily---and regularly. Meditate, mindfully,

preferably twice daily---for about 15 minutes on each occasion. As with all things,

practice makes perfect ... and meditation practice is just that---practice.

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Mindfulness meditation is not about stopping the mind or stopping thoughts.

Mindfulness meditation is about allowing thoughts to be present but not letting them run

you. Mindfulness meditation is not an escape nor is it anything mysterious. There is no

departure from ordinary waking consciousness (that is, normal state of activity) but

rather a more focused, attenuated, alert and attentive state of mind. Mindfulness

demands a highly alert but otherwise very still and quiet mind. Jiddu Krishnamurti, who

belonged to no religion, said, ‘Meditation is a state of mind which looks at everything

with complete attention, totally, not just parts of it.’ He also said, ‘Meditation is seeing

the constant ... ever-changing movement of life ... The meditator is the meditation;

meditation is the understanding of the meditator.’ Now, that is mindfulness.

One final, most important, matter. Mindfulness meditation needs to be brought into

every aspect of one's daily life. In the words of Lama Yeshe, ‘Whether you are walking,

talking, working, eating ... whatever you do, be conscious of the actions of your body,

speech and mind.’

Walking meditation

Most people don't know how to walk. Sad but true. ‘Walking meditation is an art!’ writes

Martine Batchelor. ‘You are not going anywhere, you are walking just for the sake of

walking.’ Walking meditation helps to foster calmness, relaxation ... and, most

importantly, awareness. As with all mindfulness, the ‘key’ is to be aware as you walk.

Walking meditation is meditation in action, using the natural movement of walking to

foster mindfulness. It is the bare experience of walking. For many, including myself,

walking meditation is the preferred form of mindfulness meditation, and ordinarily should

precede a sitting meditation as it centres the mind.

How does walking meditation differ from ‘normal’ walking? Well, walking meditation is

similar to ‘normal’ walking but it is considerably slower, as well as deliberate, intentional

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and mindful. Now this is important. Walking meditation is not physical exercise but

wakeful presence.

In order to engage in walking meditation, first choose a quiet place … without

distractions. It may be indoors or outdoors. All you need is a short path, which doesn’t

have to be a ‘path’ per se but simply one you ‘create’, so to speak, by walking

backwards and forwards ... or, if you prefer, in a circular fashion. The path should be

some 3-10 (preferably around 6) metres in length, must have a definite ‘start’ and ‘end’,

and its surface should be flat and even.

Walking meditation has been described as ‘walking with presence and mindfulness’. It is

a wonderful means to connect mind and body with the here and now, for it keeps one

centered in the present moment. Begin by standing at the beginning of your path. Start

with a ‘standing meditation’ (‘Standing, standing’) for a minute or two. The focus is on

your body ... not your breath ... in a walking meditation. Feel the sensation of your feet

‘pressing’ against the floor/earth. Does it feel hard or soft? Warm or cold? Feel the

whole body standing … and later slowly and gently turning (‘Turning, turning’) ... with

awareness. Focus your attention minutely and purposefully on each action. Remember,

you are not going anywhere ... you are just walking.

In sitting meditation the focus of attention is the breath. However, in walking meditation

the focus of attention is the moving body. Walk barefooted or with socks only …

preferably. Now begin to walk slowly. Focus on each step. Feel each step as it comes.

Be fully present with each step. Notice every sensation of the walking process. Walk

‘flat-footed’. Place the foot down flat … heal first … toes later. ‘Left, right, left, right …’

Steps short … about 15- 20 cm apart.

Maintain correct posture in the standing position ... Walk mindfully … eyes half-open ...

looking straight ahead (not around). Your pace should ideally be very slow to brisk.

Note (and mentally note or label, at least at the beginning) the lifting of the heal (‘lifting’),

the forward movement (‘pushing’), and the placing of the foot down (‘putting’ or

‘dropping’).

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Over time, you can build up to noting all 6 component parts of each step ... concurrent

with the actual experience of the various movements ... ‘raising’, ‘lifting’, ‘pushing’,

‘dropping’, ‘touching’, and ‘pressing’. Be aware of the contact between your foot and the

ground. Allow some 60 per cent of your ‘tension’ to dissipate through your feet ... with

the remaining 40 per cent dissipating in the non-resistant ‘zone of airspace’ in front of

you, into which you are constantly entering.

Feel the airspace in front of you as yours to feel, enter and embrace. Feel its non-

resistance, emptiness and friendliness. Be gentle with yourself. Say to yourself,

interiorly, ‘Be well’ ... sending out loving kindness to others and yourself. Walk through

this airspace mindfully but gracefully, effortlessly and without resistance ... for such is its

nature. At the risk of repeating myself, don't follow your breath or abdominal movements

in this type of mindfulness meditation.

Observe the movement of your feet whilst engaged in your walking meditation ... but

don’t look at your feet. Feel each step mindfully as you lift each foot off the floor/ground.

Feel the sensations in each foot, ankle, leg, knee, the hips, the back, the neck, the

head, the face, etc.

Look at a place about 2 metres ahead. Don’t gaze about here and there. Maintain good

posture … straight back. Hands by side, in pockets or clasped in front or at rear ...

resting easily ... wherever they’re comfortable. Breathe normally. If background

thoughts, etc, arise ... simply keep focused on noting your steps. Be aware of the

movements with your mind as well as the sensations throughout your body. If you

become distracted, and focusing on noting your steps doesn’t help ... stand for a few

moments, and watch your breath ... until the mind calms. Be fully mindful with an alert,

relaxed attention to the present moment. Continue to walk mindfully for 10 to 20 minutes

... or longer.

At end of walk, stand (‘standing, standing’) for a short while, observing your posture and

breathing … mindfully and attentively. After standing mindfully for a few moments,

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gently return to your ‘daily life’ ... and don't forget to reflect upon whatever insights you

gained into yourself and others as a result of your walking meditation.

Mindfulness meditation is not about stopping the mind or stopping thoughts.

Mindfulness Meditation is about allowing thoughts to be present but not letting them run

you.

One final, most important, matter. Mindfulness meditation needs to be brought into

every aspect of one's daily life. In the words of Lama Yeshe, ‘Whether you are walking,

talking, working, eating ... whatever you do, be conscious of the actions of your body,

speech and mind.’

WESTERN MEDITATION MODALITIES

Christian mysticism

Mysticism may be defined as the spirituality of the direct experience of the Divine.

(Note. Spirituality is a composite word referring to the ‘domain where mind, personality,

purpose, ideals, values and meanings dwell’ (Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan). Spirituality

involves the longing to be connected with the largeness of life as well as to something

larger than one’s ego-self, in other words, a power-not-oneself.)

The mystic comes to experience the Presence of the Divine as the active principle of life

itself as well as an all-embracing love that unites the universe into one indivisible whole,

the ground of all being, the being of all beings, Being Itself, our very essence, the

oneness that unites everything.

Mysticism is not essentially about ‘mystical experiences’ – experiences come and go -

but is focused on the lasting experience of God, leading to the transformation of the

believer into a transforming union with God. ‘In him we live, and move, and have our

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being .... We are his offspring’ (Acts 17:28). Jesus proclaimed, ‘I and the Father are

one’ (Jn 10:30) showing the world what the union of God and man can be. It is also

written, ‘There is one God who is father of all, over all, through all and within all’ (Eph

4:6).

Mysticism is a vital part of the Christian heritage. Indeed, it is actually the core and

spiritual essence of Christian spirituality. The direct experience of God is a transrational

(but not necessarily ‘supernatural’) kind of knowing, which goes beyond ordinary

intellectual or rational understanding.

Christian mysticism is not a matter of ‘belief’ or ‘emotional experience’ (nor is it a

psychological malady) but is a natural state nevertheless characterised by positive

emotions and states of consciousness such as love and joy.

The Christian mystic looks within in order to have a relationship with God other than via

priests and institutions. Saint Paul spoke of the goal and nature of mysticism and the

mystical experience when he wrote, ‘For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then

face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known’ (1 Cor

13:12).

In the mystical experience the Christian mystic no longer experiences him/herself as a

separate individual but rather as an expression of the Oneness of all Life. God, who is

perceived as the only reality, is everything and does everything. In other words, there is

only God in the entire universe. This Almighty and infinite Presence is within our own

being, It is all around us, and It is ‘in’ everything everywhere. More than that, this

Presence is the very ground of being of everything. It is Be-ing-ness Itself. Nothing

exists outside the range of this infinite Almighty Presence.

The mystic experiences this epiphany of the indwelling Divine Presence. Take, for

example, Saint Paul. He is said to have achieved the divinized state of losing his ‘self’: ‘I

no longer live, but Christ lives in me!’ (Gal 2:20). Here’s a little verse that I like:

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GOD AND I

I walked with God, God walked with me, But which was God, and which was me?

And thus I found, the Truth profound, I live in God, God lives with me. - Anon.

The Christian mystical experience is available to all who sincerely and diligently seek it.

The 16th-century Spanish mystic, St John of the Cross wrote, ‘God does not reserve the

high vocation of mystical contemplation for certain souls only. On the contrary he wants

all to embrace it, but finds few who will permit Him to work such exalted things for them.’

The very purpose of human life is to come to a knowledge of God, and if we simply turn

toward God, that is, seek God, we will find that G o d has been waiting for us

all along. The 17th-century French mystic Brother Lawrence assures us, ‘Knock,

persevere, in knocking, and I guarantee that He will answer.’ We do not need to ‘find’

God as if God were in some way lost.

The Christian Church, even in its multiplicity of discordant forms, is first and foremost a

mystical church, despite the efforts of many who would rather have it otherwise.

Now, tor the practitioner of Christian mysticism, there are essentially three stages in the

mystical experience: first, purification; secondly, contemplation; and, thirdly, union.

In the first stage – purification – the believer seeks to weaken and weed-out all of the

structures of the personal self in order to open oneself to an experience of one’s True

Self, God. This involves the complete subjugation of the lower nature by the higher.

‘The essence of purgation is self-simplification’ (Richard of St Victor). The mystic

constantly seeks out those areas of his or her own life which are governed by the little,

selfish ‘I’ (the ego-self), and places them under the control of the selfless ‘I’, or, if you

like, the True Self (‘the Self’ or God). ‘For the trouble is that we are self-centred, and no

effort of the self can remove the self from the centre of its own endeavour’ (Archbishop

William Temple). The ego-self has to be thrown off-centre, and we must give up all

things that stand in the way of our spiritual development (bad habits, obsessions,

addictions, in fact, all forms of self-obsession or ‘mental furniture’). There needs to be a

shift in emphasis from self to non-self (Norman Vincent Peale).

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We need to find a power-not-oneself. However, denial of the self tends only to increase

one’s obsession with oneself. The answer is not to be found in trying to be self-less. The

key is self-forgetfulness. ‘The only way to get rid of self-consciousness is through God-

consciousness. We become so conscious of another Self within us that we lose sight of

our own self’ (E Stanley Jones).

In order to arrive at pleasure in everything Desire to have pleasure in nothing. In order to arrive at possessing everything, Desire to possess nothing. In order to arrive at being everything Desire to be nothing. In order to arrive at knowing everything, Desire to know nothing. In order to arrive at that wherein thou hast no pleasure, Thou must go by a way wherein thou hast no pleasure. In order to arrive at that which thou knowest not Thou must go by a way thou knowest not. In order to arrive at that which thou possest not, Thou must go by a way that thou possesst not. In order to arrive at that which thou art not, Thou must go through that which thou art not. When thy mind dwells upon anything, Thou art ceasing to cast thyself upon the All. For in order to pass from the all to the All, Thou hast to deny thyself wholly in all. And when thou comest to possess it wholly, Thou must possess it without desiring anything. For, if thou wilt have anything in having all, Thou hast not thy treasure purely in God.’

- St John of the Cross

The second stage of the Christian mystical experience is known as contemplation.

Here are some words from the Trappist monk and retreat leader Thomas Merton that

mean much to me:

Contemplation is … the response to a call; a call from him who has no voice, and yet who speaks in everything that is, and who, most of all, speaks in the depth of our own being: for we ourselves are words of his. (New Seeds of Contemplation.)

In The Cloud of Unknowing, a 14th-century masterpiece of medieval English Christian

mysticism, we read this:

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For in the beginning it is usual to feel nothing but a kind of darkness about your mind, or as it were, a cloud of unknowing. You will seem to know nothing and to feel nothing except a naked intent toward God in the depths of your being. Try as you might, this darkness and this cloud will remain between you and your God. You will feel frustrated, for your mind will be unable to grasp him, and your heart will not relish the delight of his love. But learn to be at home in this darkness. Return to it as often as you can, letting your spirit cry out to him whom you love. For if, in this life, you hope to feel and see God as he is in himself it must be within this darkness and this cloud.

Yes, the Ultimate dwells in obscurity, hidden behind a cloud of unknowing, so that we

cannot ‘see’ or otherwise contact it using the intellect or the emotions. Only faith (that is,

living with courage and confidence, with joy and enthusiasm, and with a calm

acceptance of what is), and more specifically, ‘faith in the unpredictable’ (Robert H

Schuller), can break through the darkness and the unknowing. (‘Darkness to the

intellect/But sunshine to the heart.’ F W Faber.) We must ‘learn to be at home in this

darkness’. Why darkness? Because the things of this world are no longer visible, and

we can’t see them. It does not mean that ‘ultimate reality’ itself is dark. In fact, we often

refer to that ultimate reality as being Light, which, of course, it is. Tennyson wrote of that

‘… Power/Which makes the darkness and the light/And dwells not in the light alone.’

We are talking about a state of uncaused bliss or blessedness. Mother Julian of

Norwich wrote:

Our Soul may never have rest in things that are beneath itself. And when it cometh above all creatures into the Self, yet may it not abide in the beholding of its Self, but all the beholding is blissfully set in God that is the Maker dwelling therein. For in Man’s Soul is His very dwelling; and the highest light and the brightest shining of the City is the glorious love of our Lord, as to my sight. What may make us more to enjoy in God than to see in Him that He enjoyeth in the highest of all His works? For I saw in the same Shewing that if the blessed Trinity might have made Man’s Soul any better, any fairer, any nobler than it was made, He should not have been full pleased with the making of Man’s Soul. And He willeth that our hearts be mightily raised above the deepness of the earth and all vain sorrows, and rejoice in Him.

John of Ruysbroek also wrote compellingly of the contemplative stage of Christian

mysticism. He wrote:

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For what we are, that we intently contemplate; and what we contemplate, that we are; for our mind, our life, and our essence are simply lifted up and united to the very truth, which is God. Wherefore in this simple and intent contemplation we are one life and one spirit with God. And this I call the contemplative life. In this highest stage the soul is united to God without means; it sinks into the vast darkness of the Godhead.

The third and final stage of Christian mysticism is union, when the mind sinks into the

depths of the heart. There is no longer any sense or state of separation between us and

God. We are one, in the same way as Christ himself was one with the Father, who is

our Father as well. This heightened or expanded state of consciousness is beyond

words, beyond language, indeed beyond all possibility of rational discourse.

St Teresa of Avila, a 16th century Spaniard, wrote:

The soul becomes one with God. It is brought into this mansion of the empyrean Heaven which we must have in the depths of our souls; for it is clear that, since God dwells in them, He must have one of these mansions.

The Medieval German philosopher, theologian and mystic Meister Eckhart writes:

Into the soul's essence no speck can ever fall. Anything, however small, adhering to the soul, prevents your seeing me. We cannot see the visible except with the invisible. When all things are reduced to naught in you then ye shall see God. God is not seen except by blindness, not known except by ignorance, nor understood except by fools. … … In the soul's essence there is no activity, for the powers she works with emanate from the ground of being. Yet in that ground is the silent 'middle': here [in the ground is] nothing but rest and celebration. . . . There is the silent 'middle,' for no creature ever entered there and no image, nor has the soul there either activity, or understanding, therefore she is not aware there of any image, whether of herself or of any other creature. . . . When the soul comes to the nameless place, she takes her rest. There . . . she rests.

In this third stage of the Christian mystical experience, there is direct, unmediated

communion with God in which the mystic no longer exists as a separate individual but

becomes one with the Oneness Itself. God is experienced not as something ‘other’ but

as our shared essential identity.

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Centering prayer

Let me first say something about prayer. Anyone can prayer---even an atheist. Listen to

the first two verses of this hymn by James Montgomery:

Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire, Unuttered or expressed; The motion of a hidden fire That trembles in the breast. Prayer is the burden of a sigh, The falling of a tear The upward glancing of an eye, When none but God is near.

‘Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire … unuttered or expressed.’ You don’t have to

package or formulate your words in a Christian form. You don’t even have to verbalise

your desire. Whatever be your sincere desire---whether for yourself, some other person,

or our world---that is your prayer … and a prayer.

Having said that, we should never see man as the end and God as the means to that

end. Dr Harry Emerson Fosdick made a good point when he said, ‘God is not a cosmic

bellboy for whom we can press a button to get things.’ I think these words from

Venerable Fulton J Sheen are also helpful:

We do not pray that we may have good things; we pray rather that we may be good.

…

Prayer is not the breaking down of the reluctance of God; it is rather the opening of a door. ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock.’ The latch is on our side and not His. Prayer opens that door.

+

The perfect prayer is one in which we seek to identify our will with God's will. ‘Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.’

+

When you pray, do not do all the talking! Listen! … Speak, Lord, for Thy servant is listening. (Fulton Sheen's Wartime Prayer Book [originally published as The Armor of God].)

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Talking … listening. It has been said many times that prayer is talking to the Divine;

meditation is listening to the Divine. A bit simplistic but not untrue. However, the

distinction between prayer and meditation is a very fine one, and disappears altogether

when it comes to what is called ‘centering prayer,’ which is both prayer and meditation

and more of the latter. Christian meditation, that is.

There are two kinds of prayer: vocal and mental. Vocal prayer is that in which we use

forms of words; mental prayer is the lifting up of our souls---that is, our minds (with all

their thoughts), our hearts (with all their affections), and our wills (with all their

intentions)---to the Divine without the use of such forms. Any method by which we seek

to do this is known in Christian circles as a method of meditation.

The Benedictine monk Fr John Main once said:

The all-important aim in Christian meditation is to allow God’s mysterious presence within us to become more and more not only a reality, but the reality which gives meaning, shape and purpose to everything we do, everything we are.

Much has been written on ‘centering prayer,’ which is a receptive, rather passive,

relaxing, but otherwise deep form of silent prayer in the contemplative tradition in which

God's omnipresence is experienced within us closer than breathing, closer

than thinking, indeed closer than consciousness itself. In the words of Alfred, Lord

Tennyson, ‘Closer is he than breathing, and nearer than hands and feet.’

Centering prayer is not new. The name is, but the method itself is in fact the Christian

Church’s oldest, classical form of private prayer. (Note. It can also be undertaken in

groups.) The form of prayer now known as centering prayer was described in the

medieval mystical classic The Cloud of Unknowing. The unknown author of this

Christian classic describes the path to contemplation in these words (from chapter 3):

This is what you are to do: lift up your heart to the Lord, with a gentle stirring of love desiring him for his own sake and not for his gifts. Centre all your attention and desire on him and let this be the sole concern of your mind and heart. Do all

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in your power to forget everything else, keeping your thoughts and desires free from involvement with any of God’s creatures or their affairs whether in general or in particular.

During the course of a session of centering prayer in which one sits quietly, one silently

introduces a previously chosen ‘sacred word’ (aka ‘prayer word’) [eg God, Father,

Mother, Jesus, Mary, love, peace, tranquillity, marantha, shalom, amen] as the symbol

of one’s consent to the Divine omnipresence. Whenever a thought (an umbrella term for

every perception, sensation, feeling, image, memory, etc) arises, one returns ever-so-

gently to one’s sacred word. A Bible verse comes to mind: ‘The word is very near to

you, in your mouth, and in your heart, that you may do it’ (Dt 30:14).

Centering prayer is both a relationship with the Divine and a discipline to foster that

relationship. This form of prayer has become quite popular in some Christian circles,

mainly churches in the Catholic (and not just Roman Catholic) tradition, but also in other

groups such as Christian Gnostics. In recent years the practice has been popularized by

the American Trappist monk and priest Fr Thomas Keating, the leading exponent, and

perhaps the principal architect, of centering prayer (at least in its more modern form).

Centering prayer has many of the attributes of mindfulness meditation. In the latter, one

ordinarily brings one’s attention back to the sensation of one’s breath whenever a

thought, etc, arises. In centering prayer one returns to one’s sacred word. It’s very

similar.

Centering prayer enables the practitioner to let go of their feelings and thoughts, as well

as all other distractions, so as to unite their heart and will with the Divine Presence

within. It is a prayer of surrender and love. In addition, centering prayer often prepares

the practitioner to engage in other and even deeper forms of contemplative prayer. Also,

it is not meant to replace other kinds of prayer or meditation. Rather, it adds depth of

meaning to all prayer and facilitates the movement from more active modes of prayer---

verbal, mental or affective prayer---into a receptive prayer of resting in the Divine.

Centering prayer emphasises prayer as a personal relationship with the Divine and as a

movement beyond conversation with Jesus Christ to communion with him.

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The source of centering prayer, as in all methods leading to contemplative prayer, is the

Indwelling Divine Presence. The focus of centering prayer is the deepening of our

relationship with the living Christ.

Centering prayer is the practice of relaxing, emptying the mind, and letting one's self

find the presence of God within. It involves silence, stillness, patience, sometimes

repeating something, and the practice of ‘not knowing’ as the person seeks the Divine

presence within.

Centering prayer has been described as ‘the opening of mind and heart - our whole

being - to God, the Ultimate Mystery, beyond thoughts, words, and emotions.’ So, it is a

non thinking, emptying of the mind that seeks to find God in a way that is ‘closer than

consciousness itself.’ Why? Because, according to the contemplative mystics, absolute

truth is unknowable just as God is mystically unknowable. Experiencing God as

Mystery is through silence, emptying of self through contemplation in the quiet of the

mind and soul.

Here are some guidelines for practising centering prayer:

1. Choose a ‘sacred word’ as the symbol of your intention to consent to the

Divine presence and action within. Pick a word that ‘resonates’ with you---a

word that has beauty and is calming in its effect upon you. The sacred word

is important, as it helps us to deal with mental interferences and, more

importantly, to empty our mind of our ‘little self’ so that we can be filled with

Divine love (or, if you like, become our ‘True Self’).

2. Sit down. Sit still, quietly, and upright. Close your eyes lightly. Sit relaxed but

alert.

3. Start by acknowledging that you are in the presence of the Divine, and that

the Divine life flows through you. Indeed, the Divine life is the very ground of

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your being, for is it not written in the Bible, ‘In him we live and move and have

our being’ (Acts 17:28).

4. Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly and silently and

interiorly introduce---by saying (but not regularly repeating)---your previously

chosen sacred word as the symbol of your consent to the Divine presence

and action within. Listen to the word as you say it, gently but continuously.

Do not think or imagine anything – spiritual or otherwise.

5. If thoughts or images come, return ever-so-gently to the sacred word by

simply saying the word. Then return, ever so gently, to your listening.

6. At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed for a

couple of minutes.

7. Meditate each morning and evening for between 20 and 30 minutes.

Other forms of Christian meditation

There are other forms of Christian meditation in addition to centering prayer. For

example, there is the ‘method’ or way of Christian meditation enunciated by the late Fr

John Main OSM and promoted by The World Community for Christian Meditation. John

Main set forth the method as follows:

Sit down. Sit still and upright. Close your eyes lightly. Sit relaxed but alert. Silently, interiorly begin to say a single word. We recommend the prayer-phrase maranatha. Recite it as four syllables of equal length. Listen to it as you say it, gently but continuously. Do not think or imagine anything - spiritual or otherwise. If thoughts or images come, these are distractions at the time of meditation, so keep returning to simply saying the word. Meditate each morning and evening for between twenty and thirty minutes.

Another form of Christian meditation is to meditate, that is, reflect upon, some verse of

sacred scripture or one or more the many attributes of the Divine (eg love, mercy,

compassion). By dwelling upon a single thought for a considerable period of time one

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hopes to achieve a greater appreciation for and understanding of the ineffable and the

numinous. Listen to these words from the Psalms: ‘On my bed I remember you; I think

of you through the watches of the night’ (Ps 63:6); ‘Thy word have I hid in my heart …’

(Ps 119:11). Please note that this form of meditation must not be or descend into an

intellectual exercise. It is important to arouse a certain degree of feeling. There should

be no straining or effort. Let the word or phrase or verse speak to you, flow through your

consciousness, and renew and transform you (‘be transformed by the renewing of your

mind’ (Rom 12:2)). Allow the grandeur, majesty, and beauty of the ideas or concepts in

question to open up and expand your consciousness. This can be a wonderful and most

productive form of contemplation.

Progressive relaxation

Jacobson's relaxation technique, also called progressive relaxation therapy as well as

Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR), and was developed by the American physician

Dr Edmund Jacobson in the early 1920s. Jacobson developed over 200 exercises and

techniques which, taken together, relax the entire body by releasing muscular tension

that accumulates as a person experiences a stressful situation. Jacobson, and those

who have followed in his footsteps, claim that this technique will cure not only tight

muscles and cramps, but also reduces the intensity of pain, and relieve stress

and anxiety.

Today, the 200 exercises developed by Jacobson have been reduced to between 15

and 20 exercises. In order to receive maximum benefit, it is recommended to practise

this technique every day for at least 20 minutes at the same time every day in a quiet,

comfortable place.

Jacobson founded the International Stress Management Association (ISMA), which

continues his work to this day. ISMA produces publications and offers trainings in

Jacobson's relaxation therapy.

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This therapy involves initial tension followed by relaxation. For example, an individual

may be instructed to choose a part of the body, and tighten the muscles in that area as

much as possible for 7-10 seconds. Patients are asked to concentrate on the buildup of

tension that occurs as the muscles are flexed in that particular area of the body for

these seconds. After the 7-10 seconds have passed, the patient completely relaxes the

area that was tightened. A patient would then wait about 15 seconds before moving on

to another part of the body. It is recommended that all of the other areas of the body

stay as relaxed as possible while concentrating on specific body parts or areas.

A modification of the technique is ‘biofeedback’ in which one uses external measuring

devices to indicate how successful one is in relaxing and then to use those techniques

to relax without the help of external measuring devices.

Clinical research studies have generally shown that Jacobson's relaxation technique

does indeed lessen muscle tightness, relax the patient, and reduces the patient's

experience of pain. For example, a study published in Applied Psychophysiology

and Biofeedback found that patients who practised progressive muscle relaxation

showed a decreased amount of cortisol, which typically increases during the body's

response to stress. In a 2001 study, the therapy was found to decrease anxiety and

improve quality of life for patients recovering from heart attacks. Another study,

published in the Latin American Journal of Nursing, found that patients experienced a

decreased sensation of pain after using this therapy. Though larger studies on this

therapy are needed, the preliminary results of smaller studies are promising.

The technique

Once you’ve set aside a time and place for relaxation, slow down your breathing and

give yourself permission to relax.

As mentioned, progressive muscle relaxation exercises, you tense up particular

muscles and then relax them, and then you practise this technique consistently.

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When you are ready to begin, tense the muscle group described. Make sure you can

feel the tension, but not so much that you feel a great deal of pain. Keep the muscle

tensed for approximately 5 seconds.

Relax the muscles and keep it relaxed for approximately 10 seconds. It may be helpful

to say something like ‘Relax’ as you relax the muscle.

When you have finished the relaxation procedure, remain seated for a few moments

allowing yourself to become alert.

Here is one of the relaxation sequences. Remember: TENSE … FEEL THE TENSION

… RELAX.

1. Right hand and forearm. Make a fist with your right hand.

2. Right upper arm. Bring your right forearm up to your shoulder to ‘make a muscle’.

3. Left hand and forearm. Make a fist with your left hand.

4. Left upper arm. Bring your left forearm up to your shoulder to ‘make a muscle’.

5. Forehead. Raise your eyebrows as high as they will go, as though you were

surprised by something.

6. Eyes and cheeks. Squeeze your eyes tight shut.

7. Mouth and jaw. Open your mouth as wide as you can, as you might when you‘re

yawning.

8. Neck. (Note. Be careful as you tense these muscles.) Face forward and then pull

your head back slowly, as though you are looking up to the ceiling.

9. Shoulders. Tense the muscles in your shoulders as you bring your shoulders up

towards your ears.

10. Shoulder blades/back. Push your shoulder blades back, trying to almost touch

them together, so that your chest is pushed forward.

11. Chest and stomach. Breathe in deeply, filling up your lungs and chest with air.

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12. Hips and buttocks. Squeeze your buttock muscles.

13. Right upper leg. Tighten your right thigh.

14. Right lower leg. (Note. Do this slowly and carefully to avoid cramps.) Pull your toes

towards you to stretch the calf muscle.

15. Right foot. Curl your toes downwards.

16. Left upper leg. Repeat as for right upper leg.

17. Left lower leg. Repeat as for right lower leg.

18. Left foot. Repeat as for right foot.

New Thought meditation and spiritual mind treatment

What is ‘New Thought’?

The metaphysical healing and ‘peace of mind’ movement known as New Thought, of

which there are many, many forms, is an idealism, i.e. everything exists in or to minds,

or as ‘Mind’. Idealism asserts that reality, when you examine it, is of the nature of ideas,

as are all esoteric philosophies and religions---all systems of thought that do not

separate human beings from God (the ‘all in all’ [1 Cor 15:28]). New Thought affirms

that what Jesus said about himself is also true of us, namely, ‘I and my Father are one’

(Jn 10:30).

Idealism asserts that there is One Absolute Mind, the absolute knower. All individual

minds are simply manifestations of that One Universal Mind. ‘I am in them and you are

in me’ (Jn 17:23).

The roots of New Thought go way back to persons such as Buddha, Pythagoras,

Socrates, Plato, Philo, Epictetus, Origen and Athanasius. Indeed, there is nothing ‘new’

about New Thought, which is as old as humanity. New Thought made its appearance in

New England USA about 1800-1825 in the form of a revival of Neoplatonism and the

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appearance of liberal religion within Christianity and to some extent Judaism as well

(‘Jewish Science’). One branch of the movement bore fruit which is now known as

Unitarianism (in the USA, Unitarian Universalism) The Unitarians had split from the

Congregationalist Churches of New England. The other branch brought into revival

Neoplatonism which later evolved, at least in part, into the Transcendental Movement

within Unitarianism. Transcendentalism brought a renewed interest in mysticism,

idealism, Eastern religions, metaphysics, the powers of the mind, and the idea the idea

of the ‘immanent God.’ The name New Thought---also known as ‘metaphysics’ and the

‘Metaphysical Movement----was taken in the 1890s, generally replacing such names as

‘Mind Cure’ and ‘Mental Science.’ ‘New Thought … is not so much an organization as it

is a point of view,’ wrote C S Braden (These Also Believe, New York: Macmillan, 1949,

p 143).

The essayist and former Unitarian minister Ralph Waldo Emerson is generally

considered to be the ‘Spiritual Father of New Thought,’ with the Maine clockmaker,

inventor, hypnotist and magnetic (and later metaphysical) healer Phineas P Quimby

being called the ‘Father of New Thought.’ Other New Thought luminaries include Emma

Curtis Hopkins, Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, Ernest Holmes, Emmet Fox, Joseph

Murphy, and Eric Butterworth. Dr Norman Vincent Peale, a Methodist and later

Reformed Church minister, did perhaps more than any other person to teach and

promote New Thought teachings within mainstream Christianity and to the general

public at large.

New Thought is essentially a diverse and non-creedal mind-healing spiritual and

metaphysical philosophy and movement, as well as a way of life, promoting fullness of

all aspects of living (including the attainment of health, wealth and happiness) and

affirming that:

1. God is supreme, universal and everlasting.

2. Divinity dwells within each person.

3. We are all spiritual beings.

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4. The highest spiritual principle is loving one another unconditionally … and

teaching and healing one another.

5. Our mental states are carried forward into manifestation and become our

experience in daily living.

The fundamental idea in New Thought is that there is only one Presence and Power

active in the universe and in our lives right now---God, the Good, Omnipotent. This

‘God, the Good, Omnipotent’ is also referred to in New Thought by such other words as

Mind, Divine Mind, Creative Mind, Law, Truth, Spirit, and Love. As there is said to be

only one Mind, all other so-called minds (human minds) are simply inlets and outlets of

this one Mind. Thus, thought is creative, and all Power comes from within. So, the

answer to any problem is always in our mind, in the form of a desire. It exists, before we

even ask or intellectualize our desire (cf Joseph did not ‘know’ Mary). ‘... Your Father

knows exactly what you need before you ask him’ (Mt 6:8). ‘... [I]t is your Father's good

pleasure to give you the kingdom’ (Lk 12:32). ‘And all that I have is yours’ (Jn 17:10).

Thus, we do not have to beg or implore some distant anthropomorphic God, nor attempt

to make ourselves one with that God or worthy to receive (cf miserable sinner theology).

We already are one with God (‘at-one-ment.’), the One Presence and Power active in

the universe and in our lives---even though we are often not aware of that. However,

until we gain a spiritual understanding [cf Solomon: ‘Give me, O Lord, an understanding

heart’ (1 Kings 3:9)] of our true reality, we can make no progress at all, metaphysically

or otherwise. ‘You shall know the truth …’ (Jn 8:32).

Mind dynamics

Creative Mind is always creative. That is the law of its own being. This law assumes

toward us just the attitude we assume toward it. It does not know that when we think

thoughts of despair and entertain fear we do not desire it to create these conditions, but

it must obey our thought. Since we have the power to choose that which we shall think

we can reject the thought which we do not want to objectify and consciously choose the

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thoughts which will create the type experience which we desire. All thought is creative,

according to the nature, impulse, emotion, and conviction, behind the thought.

Here is an outline of the creative process of thought:

(1) Get clearly in mind---thinking step (THOUGHT)

(2) Develop a strong conviction---responding step (FEELING).

(3) Do everything you can---working step (ACTION).

(4) Forget it and let it happen---releasing step (ACCEPTANCE).

Here are some Bible verses that are relevant to this:

‘And I, if I be lifted up from the earth [i.e. one’s present state of consciousness],

will draw all men [i.e. all thoughts and aspirations] unto me’ (Jn 12:32).

‘I go to prepare a place for you’ (Jn 14:3). The ‘I’ is our inner creative awareness.

We are this ‘I’. Creatively/metaphysically, we are to send it ahead of us (by

means of the use of the imagination/creative visualization), and let it prepare the

‘place’ for us. It is a case of intuition inspired by spiritual understanding.

New Thought asserts that their system of mental science/mind dynamics and

mental/spiritual healing is entirely Biblical:

‘But the word is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may

do it’ (Deut 30:14).

‘He calls those things which are not as though they were’ (Rom 4:17).

‘You shall decree a thing, and it shall be established for you’ (Job 22:28).

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‘If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also’ (Mt

5:39).

‘Love your enemies, bless those that curse you’ (Mt 5:44).

‘A person's enemies are the members of their own household' (Mt 10:36).

‘For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons

of God’ (Rom 8:19).

Of course, the mental choice (idea/desire/objective/goal) must be backed up by

conviction. We must get the feeling of our thought objectifying. It is this conviction, or

feeling, that gives thought its power. Our negative thoughts sometimes carry stronger

emotional feelings than out positive thoughts. Remember the words of Job? ‘For the

thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come

unto me’ (Job 3:25).

Therefore, it is necessary to cultivate strong positive feeling regarding our constructive

desire. As we think about it and mentally live that which we desire to express, our

conviction about it will grow. Feeling gives thought the warmth necessary for gestation.

The more we cultivate strong emotional feelings such as joy, enthusiasm and zeal, the

greater power we will give to our word. Through choice of words we control our

optimism and good cheer. We can expect things to work out right. We can anticipate

good. In this way we discover the law of right action always operating to fulfill our

positive, constructive word.

As we think at the centre of our being, where all is good, our power assumes form. Thus

our constructive word comes to fruition.

Prayer in New Thought usually takes the form of affirmations (eg verses from the Bible

such as ‘I and the Father are one’ [Jn 10:30], and ‘I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in

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me’ [Gal 2:20], or other positive statements such as ‘I now affirm the emergence of the

life force within me’ or ‘God is my health, I can’t be sick’). The purpose of affirmatory

prayer, or ‘scientific prayer’ as it is sometimes known, is to change one’s own mind or

consciousness, or that of others with whom or for whom you’re praying. It’s called

‘scientific prayer’ because the whole body of metaphysical teachings and ideas known

as New Thought is considered a science, that is, it is a ‘systematically organized body

of knowledge on a particular subject’ (Oxford Dictionary). So, we get Christian Science

(which, by its own choice is not usually considered to be a part of the wider New

Thought movement but which has quite similar ideas and teachings although more

rigidly held), and other New Thought denominations such as Divine Science and

Religious Science (aka Science of Mind).

Spiritual mind treatment

During the process of a spiritual mind treatment, which is a special and highly-focused

form of affirmative prayer, the aim is to come to the realisation that within the universe

there is one Infinite, universal Presence and Power that permeates everything, and

therefore this Presence, being everywhere, has to be right within us, as well.

With this attitude of mind we reach an acceptance of new possibilities in our life or in the

life of the person we’re treating. We are able to ‘see’, ‘feel’ and speak of the good we

desire as already ours or theirs. Then we let that Presence and Power work its magic.

A ‘treatment’ is not about convincing some traditional form of a deity to do something for

us. It is becoming aware of the Divine Presence within. Here are the steps involved:

Step one: RECOGNITION---We acknowledge that within the universe there is

ONE all-pervading and Presence, ONE force encompassing everything that is in

existence, ONE energy from which all things are made of. Many people throughout

the ages have called this source of all things, God. The name is not important.

What matters is that we recognise this truth. God, or life, is all there is.

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Step two: UNIFICATION---Having recognised the magnificence and awesome

power of the ONE Presence that is absolutely everywhere within the universe, we

realise that this same intelligence that created everything, does not stop being

where we are. Therefore, It is within us. It is the substance that life is made of. In

this step we become aware of who we really are, namely, divine beings made of

this almighty power and energy and having a human experience. We are one with

God, that is, all life.

Step three: REALIZATION---We name our desire(s) with the feeling that as we do

this, it is already ours. We are moving away from the feeling of ‘wanting’ to the

feeling of ‘having’ already received. We are treating our own mind about this.

Step four: THANKSGIVING and GRATITUTE---We summon, from within

ourselves, a feeling of gratitude. Of course, the Source of ‘ALL That Is’, does not

need our gratitude to function; it is rather that an attitude of gratitude opens our

consciousness to receiving even more good. There is a cosmic or metaphysical

law to the effect that what we focus on, is what we manifest in our experience. So,

when we are focused on the good that we already have, we can then attract more

good.

Step five: RELEASE---Once we have accomplished the four previous steps, all

we need to do is trust. We release the treatment to the wisdom, love and law of the

universe. The ‘Creator’ (Creative Principle/Mind) does not require our input on

‘how’ our desire is manifesting itself for us. It was done before we even asked. We

release all doubts and fears, and allow it to be our good-right now. We have

declared it to be so. And so it is!

-oo0oo-