Christian MeditationChristian Meditation

Purpose of MeditationPurpose of Meditation

The all-important aim in Christian Meditation The all-important aim in Christian Meditation is to allow God’s mysterious and silent is to allow God’s mysterious and silent

presence within us to become more and presence within us to become more and more not only a reality, but more not only a reality, but thethe reality in reality in

our lives; to let it become that reality our lives; to let it become that reality which gives meaning, shape and purpose which gives meaning, shape and purpose to everything we do, to everything we are.to everything we do, to everything we are.

(John Main)(John Main)

PositionPosition

To meditate well you should adopt a comfortable To meditate well you should adopt a comfortable sitting position; it must be comfortable and sitting position; it must be comfortable and

relaxed, but not sloppy. The back should be as relaxed, but not sloppy. The back should be as straight as possible with the spine in an upright straight as possible with the spine in an upright

position.position.

Your breathing should be calm and regular. Allow Your breathing should be calm and regular. Allow every muscle in your body to relax. And then, put every muscle in your body to relax. And then, put the mind in tune with the body. The real task of the mind in tune with the body. The real task of meditation is to achieve the harmony of body, meditation is to achieve the harmony of body,

mind and spirit.mind and spirit.

(John Main)(John Main)

AttentionAttention

In meditation our stillness is not a state of In meditation our stillness is not a state of mere passivity but a state of full openness, mere passivity but a state of full openness, full wakefulness to the wonder of our own full wakefulness to the wonder of our own being, full openness to the wonder of God, being, full openness to the wonder of God,

and a full awareness that we are at one with and a full awareness that we are at one with God.God.

Meditation is a learning process. It is a Meditation is a learning process. It is a process of learning to pay attention, to process of learning to pay attention, to

concentrate, to attend.concentrate, to attend.

(John Main)(John Main)

AttentionAttention

Be alert, be wakeful Be alert, be wakeful (Mark 13:33)(Mark 13:33)

The light of the body is the eye; if therefore thine The light of the body is the eye; if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

(Matt 6:22)(Matt 6:22)

““I tell you this: unless you turn around and become I tell you this: unless you turn around and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of

Heaven.” Heaven.” (Matt 18:1-4)(Matt 18:1-4)

When attention seeks prayer it finds it. When attention seeks prayer it finds it. For it there is anything that marches For it there is anything that marches in the train of attention it is prayer, in the train of attention it is prayer,

and so it must be cultivated. and so it must be cultivated.

(Evagrius)(Evagrius)

Silence and solitudeSilence and solitude

But when you pray, go into your room, But when you pray, go into your room, shut the door, and pray to your shut the door, and pray to your

father, who is there in the secret father, who is there in the secret place; and your Father who sees what place; and your Father who sees what

is secret will reward you. is secret will reward you.

(Mat 6,6)(Mat 6,6)

We pray in our room when we We pray in our room when we

withdraw our hearts completely from withdraw our hearts completely from the clatter of every thought and the clatter of every thought and

concern and disclose our prayers to concern and disclose our prayers to the Lord in secret, as it were the Lord in secret, as it were

intimately. We pray with the door intimately. We pray with the door shut when, with closed lips and in shut when, with closed lips and in

total silence, we pray to the searcher total silence, we pray to the searcher not of voices but of hearts.not of voices but of hearts.

(Cassian)(Cassian)

Be still and know that I am GodBe still and know that I am God

But the Lord was not in the wind…not in But the Lord was not in the wind…not in the earthquake….not in the fire: and the earthquake….not in the fire: and

after the fire a sound of sheer silence. after the fire a sound of sheer silence.

(1 Kings 19:13)(1 Kings 19:13)

‘‘Go sit in your cell and your cell will teach Go sit in your cell and your cell will teach you everything’you everything’

Amma Syncletica said:, ‘Many live on Amma Syncletica said:, ‘Many live on the mountain and behave as if they the mountain and behave as if they were living amongst the uproar of a were living amongst the uproar of a city, and they are lost. It is possible city, and they are lost. It is possible while living amongst a crowd to be while living amongst a crowd to be inwardly solitary, and while living inwardly solitary, and while living alone to be inwardly beset by the alone to be inwardly beset by the

crowd.crowd.

The importance of preparationThe importance of preparation

Whatever our soul was thinking about Whatever our soul was thinking about before the time of prayer inevitably before the time of prayer inevitably

occurs to us when we pray as a occurs to us when we pray as a result of the way memory works. result of the way memory works.

Therefore we must prepare ourselves Therefore we must prepare ourselves before the time of prayer to be the before the time of prayer to be the

prayerful persons that we wish to be. prayerful persons that we wish to be.

(Cassian)(Cassian)

Thoughts, thoughts and once Thoughts, thoughts and once more thoughtsmore thoughts

When we begin to meditate we recognize When we begin to meditate we recognize the constant whirl going on in our mind. the constant whirl going on in our mind. Prayer is not a matter of adding to this Prayer is not a matter of adding to this confusion by trying to shout it down. confusion by trying to shout it down.

The task of meditation is to bring all of The task of meditation is to bring all of this mobile and distracted mind to this mobile and distracted mind to

stillness, silence and concentration.stillness, silence and concentration.

(John Main)(John Main)

““A brother came to A brother came to Abba Pastor and said: Abba Pastor and said: ‘Many distracting ‘Many distracting thoughts come into thoughts come into my mind, and I am in my mind, and I am in danger because of danger because of them. Then the elder them. Then the elder thrust him out in the thrust him out in the open air and said: open air and said: ’Open up the ’Open up the garments about your garments about your chest and catch the chest and catch the wind in them. But he wind in them. But he replied: ‘This I cannot replied: ‘This I cannot do.’ So the elder said do.’ So the elder said to him:’ If you cannot to him:’ If you cannot catch the wind, catch the wind, neither can you neither can you prevent distracting prevent distracting thoughts from coming thoughts from coming into your head.” into your head.”

When you are praying do not fancy When you are praying do not fancy the Divinity like some image formed the Divinity like some image formed

within yourself. within yourself.

(Evagrius)(Evagrius)

Few WordsFew Words

The Mantra is your surf boardThe Mantra is your surf board

You can’t stop the waves or You can’t stop the waves or the thoughts, but you can the thoughts, but you can

learn to surf!learn to surf!

In your prayers do not go babbling on In your prayers do not go babbling on like the heathen, who imagine that like the heathen, who imagine that the more they say the more likely the more they say the more likely

they are to be heard. they are to be heard. (Matt 6:7-8)(Matt 6:7-8)

Prayer of the tax-gatherer – “O God, Prayer of the tax-gatherer – “O God, have mercy on me, sinner that I have mercy on me, sinner that I

am.” am.”

(Luke 18: 10-14)(Luke 18: 10-14)

A single word in intimacy is worth more A single word in intimacy is worth more

than a thousand at a distance. than a thousand at a distance.

(Evagrius)(Evagrius)

You should, I say, meditate constantly on You should, I say, meditate constantly on this verse in your heart. You should not this verse in your heart. You should not

stop repeating it when you are doing any stop repeating it when you are doing any kind of work or performing some service or kind of work or performing some service or

are on a journey. Meditate on it while are on a journey. Meditate on it while sleeping and eating and attending to the sleeping and eating and attending to the

leads needs of nature.leads needs of nature.

(Cassian)(Cassian)

Pernicious peacePernicious peace

Pray continuallyPray continually(Thess 5:17)(Thess 5:17)

They should persist in prayer and They should persist in prayer and never lose heartnever lose heart

(Luke 18)(Luke 18)