Jesus

by Laurence freeman OSB

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• jesus

[kendaph99]

Amazing. We as Christians are generally so confused about what meditation is. Father Freeman has described the practice of Meditation beautifully and simply and I encourage you to not ignore the call to this most beautiful practice.

[SelflessWill]

Jesus is The Map - A finger that points to the Power called Love!

[xiangxiz]

Yes, Jesus teaches us how to Pray yes, Matthew 7 7. This universe don't want to Remember what Jesus teaching. Some vhristian the listen & flollow teachings of Jesus. What you say is okaye. Sue

[Cloisterite]

@scottk276 Incidentally one of the goals of this form of disciplined Christian meditation (prayer) is to counter this 'imagination' that has so led Christianity up the garden path - and to extirpate 'fantasy theology' (which leads to the very real denigration of matter - including human beings!). It is a noble goal.

[Cloisterite]

@scottk276 My point about imagined God was precisely to stress the DANGERS of 'magining' Him/Her and the mess this has landed us in (within Christianity). God is NOT just real apart from his/her creation (ie only transcendant) - but also real WITHIN it (Immanent) too - that's what Incarnation is about!). The reverse is to embrace the Neo platonic view - or worse a Gnostic one. It is then that we start 'imagining' God and worse 'imagining' what we might do to each other in his/her name !!

[Cloisterite]

@scottk276 Your so right about neo platonic connection. But ironically this encourages escape from 'shadowy realm' of created order (by demiurge) thus renforcing Christianities distrust of it and dualistic 'splitting off of God from Creation - and 'beauty of world is transient' approach. Neo platonic Contemplation is thus 'philosophical and aspirational' and not embracing of matter.

Although this is mantra meditation - there are important dstinctions with TM (which are not stressed enough).

[Cloisterite]

@scottk276 We're getting muddled between contemplation, meditation.and mantra meditation. Contemplation in Christian practise goes back to first centuries and to Jesus. Contemplation of created order isn't 'Pantheism but Panentheism (recognising divine Immanence IN creation. -not identified with it). Nothing unchristian about that. You don't have to tie God to created order (how could you) -but contemplate God through it.That's where we are - we arn't disembodied spirits but embedded in matter.,

[scottk276]

@Cloisterite you're right-this isn't mindfulness meditation-it's basic tm-as far as the neoplatonist practice of contemplation it doesn't appear to be biblical either-not that i think either is evil but they aren't specifically christian-and God is not "imagined"- God is real-apart from his creation-if we insist on tying our awareness of God to the beauty of his creation we risk pantheism-the beauty of the world is transient-God is eternal-love God above all else and your neighbor as yourself.

[Cloisterite]

@scottk276 This is NOT minduflness meditation. Nor is the beauty of 'the lilies of the field' obvious. Vast numbers (a majority) go about oblivious to them and it does indeed require a special practise -the practise of 'noticing them' or 'paying attention' -itself a divine gift -and a form of prayer - the beginnings of Contemplation. Do not imagine you can bypass this stage nor split off some 'imagined' God from his wondrous creation. For that is Gnosticism and leads to 'fantasy eschatology'

[Cloisterite]

He may be a teacher of 'contemplation' - but Jesus doesn't emphasise the quality of silence in prayer (2.22) anywhere in the gospels (synoptic or apocryphal). He may imply it - but in typical engimatic fashion he never even uses the word. Jesus is silence neutral - and he does not devalue words - indeed, they are the cypher for what 'lies within' - 'what comes out of a man'. Contemplation is NOT the same as Meditation. And some forms of meditation don't involve silence.