The Jesus Prayer

Meditation

By Mary Kretzmann

Ananda Healing Prayer Ministry

The “Jesus Prayer” Meditationby Mary Kretzmann, Ananda Healing Prayer Ministry

Years ago, I was reading a small and humble magazine dedicated to Therese of Liseux, “the Little Flower.” It recorded experiences of answered prayers, especially after people had prayed a novena in her name. Therese had promised to send “Roses from Heaven” to signify when prayers had been heard. Some of the stories were remarkable. All were touching.

One story, however, made an impression, and it was different from all of the others. It was written by a widow who had been very lonely, until her priest taught her the Jesus Prayer Meditation. After making this a part of her daily life, she said that while she was still alone; she was no longer lonely, for she inwardly felt His presence with her always.

When I turned the page to read about the techniques, I expected to see something akin to what I had learned from the book, “The Way of a Pilgrim,” the 19th century Russian spiritual classic, which describes the author’s inner transformational journey using this Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the poor sinner.”

But to my surprise, what I found was a meditation technique that I knew from the tradition of Paramhansa Yogananda, called Hong Sau. Everything was the same, such as sitting still, and watching the breath, except instead of “hong sau,” one said the Jesus Prayer. I was thrilled, thinking, “Oh my goodness! This must have been passed down intact from the time of Jesus, and then through the Desert Fathers, then up to this time!”

I was young and very enthusiastic. I happened to see Swami Kriyananda a short time later and told him about my discovery. He was just as thrilled, but in a different way. He exclaimed, “I taught that to a Catholic priest years ago! He must be out there teaching it.”

“The kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20-21)

The Jesus Prayer as written in her article was, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.”

Please note that it does not include the traditional ending, “the poor sinner.” Paramhansa Yogananda taught that, “It is a sin to all yourself ‘a sinner.’”

Our God nature is our true state; our errors and ignorance along the way are temporary. Our past errors do not define who we truly are, for as Jesus said, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, Ye are gods?’”

“…And Christians who imagine themselves inherently sinful, rather than sinning under the influence of delusion, would do well to meditate on the parable of the prodigal son, whose true home was in God. And, if those Christians aspire to heaven, they might ponder these words of Jesus, 'No man hath ascended up to

heaven, but he that came down from heaven.' (John 3:13)” The New Path, by Swami Kriyananda

It is also good to clarify the word, “mercy.” Think of it as asking for the loving mitigation of our karma, or spiritual debts; some created long ago, but still getting in the way of our spiritual understanding, and unfolding. So even though we are not to define ourselves as “sinners,” we have indeed created errors over the course of this lifetime, and many lifetimes. So, we are asking for help in dissolving our old karma, much in the same spirit as in the Lord’s Prayer, “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Matthew 6:12 

Practicing the Presence

A beautiful benefit about doing the Jesus Prayer Meditation is that once you complete your formal practice of the technique (instructions are at the end of this article) you will find that it is now much easier to “practice the presence of God” using this prayer throughout the day. The phrase, Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, is now in your thoughts, and you can encourage it along, like the turning of a prayer wheel. In your normal day, while “practicing the presence,” you need not link the prayer to the breath; that is better for your meditation time. But do try to let each prayer be sincere; you don’t want merely to “parrot” the prayer as that serves little purpose. Feel that your spiritual heart is talking to Jesus as you say the prayer. Try to feel His Light, or a warm Presence in your heart center. This sense of His Presence will grow over time, with practice.

It is also very powerful to feel that you are sending this prayerful attention to Him from the point between the eyebrow, which is called the Christ center, or spiritual eye. As a little girl, I would see the spiritual eye every night after my Dad said bedtime prayers with me. I

would quietly lay in bed, feeling my love for Jesus, and Mary, his Mother, and see a “donut” of blue light - surrounded by a ring of golden light. I did not know what it was, but I saw it every night of my childhood, after saying prayers, until finally drifting off to sleep.

This point of energy is in you, even if you do not yet see that light. It is a point of inspiration in your body. Lift you prayers to that point. You can also pray: “Reveal Thyself, Reveal Thyself, Reveal Thyself…” from that point, and after a little while, relax to feel His answer in your heart.

Reverence for the Holy Name

There is a timeless and powerful principle in the reverence for the holy name. This is referenced, of course, in The Third Commandment: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. When we use the power of the Holy Name trivially, or “in vain,” and for no purpose, we cheapen that potential spiritual power within us.

The Desert Fathers in the 4th century used segments of the psalms repetitively in order to focus the mind spiritually. The first written record of the Jesus Prayer is in the 5th century

in Greece. In the western tradition, there is a practice of repeating the name of Jesus, in order to practice the presence of God. A quick Internet search brought up this devotional gem from the Catholic Catechism on praying unceasingly:

THE TRADITION OF PRAYER

“The invocation of the holy name of Jesus is the simplest way of praying always. When the holy name is repeated often by a humbly attentive heart, the prayer is not lost by heaping up empty phrases, but holds fast to the word and "brings forth fruit with patience." This prayer is possible "at all times" because it is not one occupation among others but the only occupation: that of loving God, which animates and transfigures every action in Christ Jesus.”

Love is the source of prayer; whoever draws from it reaches the summit of prayer. In the words of the Cure D’Ars: l love you, O my God, and my only desire is to love you until the last breath of my life. I love you, O my infinitely lovable God, and I would rather die loving you, than live without loving you. I love you, Lord, and the only grace I ask is to love you eternally.... My God, if my tongue cannot say in every moment that I love you, I want my heart to repeat it to you as often as I draw breath.

Paramhansa Yogananda used to like to remind people that the Cure D’Ars also said, “If you only knew how much God loved you, you would die for joy!”

Paramhansa Yogananda saw Jesus Christ in vision many times, and he said this painting (left) by Heinrich Hoffman looked the most like the real life Jesus.

Spiritual Power of Man’s Word

“…Man’s word is Spirit in man. Words are sounds occasioned by the vibrations of thoughts. Thoughts are vibrations sent forth by the Ego or Soul. Every word that leaves your mouth ought to be potent with your genuine soul vibration. Words in most people are lifeless because they are automatically put forth into the ether, without being impregnated with soul force. Too much talking, exaggeration or falsehood used in connection with words is just like shooting bullets out of a toy gun, without the gun-powder. That is why the prayers or words of such people do not produce any desired definite change in the order of things. Every word you utter you must mean it, i.e., every word you put forth must represent not only Truth, but some of your realized soul force. Words without soul force are husks without the corn…” (From Scientific Healing Affirmations, 1924 Edition: By Paramhansa Yogananda)

This tradition of reverential, devotional use of “the Holy Name” also exists for the name of the great Indian Master, Babaji: "Whenever anyone utters with reverence the name of Babaji," Lahiri Mahasaya said, "that devotee attracts an instant spiritual blessing.” Autobiography of Yogi , by Paramhansa Yogananda.

A little more history on The Jesus Prayer

St. Diadochos, lived in 5th century Greece, and is the first one known to write about repeating the Jesus Prayer continually. He taught that it helped to purify the soul, and bring inner peace. But the roots of this prayer can be traced back at least to the 4th century to the Desert Fathers in Egypt, who were known to do the psalms repetitively for devotional purposes. The Jesus Prayer in the Eastern Churches was sometimes simply the repetition of the name of Jesus, or it could be a longer prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner.”

The Jesus Prayer Meditation and Kriya Yoga

Kriya Yoga has been a central part of religious traditions throughout history. Christ taught Kriya Yoga to his disciples, according to Yogananda. When Swami Kriyananda was in India in 1961, an Indian scholar named Dinanath Pundit told him of some interesting research he had done into ancient Christian traditions.

Hesychast Christian tradition may involve specific body postures and be accompanied by very deliberate breathing patterns. It involves acquiring an inner stillness, ignoring the physical senses. The hesychasts interpreted Christ's injunction in the Gospel of Matthew to "go into your closet to pray" to mean that they should ignore sensory input and withdraw inwards to pray. One technique often taught in the Hesychast Christian tradition involves many repetitions of the Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me." Dinanath Pundit discovered that it was sometimes taught in conjunction with the breath, and with watching the energy in the inner spine, in exactly the same method as is taught in Kriya Yoga.

Swami Kriyananda also describes a long-held tradition in Spain regarding Christ's last moments on the cross. It says that Christ's last breath included a specific motion of the head that is exactly the same as one of the higher Kriya techniques taught by Paramhansa Yogananda. The advanced Kriya Yogi uses the technique to leave the body consciously at death.

Danny Kretzmann

This special movement of the head has also been observed in some very devout souls in their last breath, even if they have not been taught this special technique. One such soul was my brother-in-law, Danny Kretzmann, who died a fully conscious death many years ago, in our home, of cancer. I describe the story in full detail in my Book, Divine Will Healing. Suffice it to say, the energy in the room was very energized and holy. A friend visited us moments after Danny’s death, meditated in the room and said,. “I will be forever changed for having spent these moments meditating and praying here in this energy.”

I believe it to be a natural movement of the head for a fully conscious, saintly soul at death. Danny, though young, put all of his effort into his spiritual life once he knew he had cancer. He was blessed with a beautiful vision of Jesus three weeks before he died. This is also described in the book, Divine Will Healing.

Paramhansa Yogananda and Jesus Christ

Swami Kriyananda, in chapter 19 of The Path, wrote of the special link between Jesus and Yogananda:

Paramhansa Yogananda taught that “it was Jesus himself who appeared to Babaji, and asked him to send this teaching to the West. ‘My followers,’ Jesus asserted at that meeting, ‘have forgotten the art of divine, inner communion. Outwardly they do good works, but they have lost sight of the

most important of my teachings, to “seek the kingdom of God first.”‘

“The work Jesus sent through Yogananda to the West is helping people to commune inwardly…Jesus, through people’s practice of meditation, is becoming a living reality for them–a being with whom they can commune, instead of one whom they merely read about in the Bible. This was what Jesus meant when he said that he would come again. Paramhansa Yogananda often spoke of this work as the Second Coming of Christ, for it taught people how to fulfill the true promise of Jesus–not to return again outwardly, but in the souls of those who loved him and communed with him….”

“The Kingdom of Heaven is within you.”

Jesus Prayer Meditation: Preparation

Adaptations by Mary Kretzmann: from “Watching the Breath Meditation” from the book, How to Meditate, by John Novak

One of the best ways to relax the body is to tense it first. Then, with relaxation, you will find tensions being released that you didn't even know existed. Begin your meditation experience by practicing the following two relaxation techniques. The first exercise relaxes your body, and the second calms your mind.

1. Inhale, tense the whole body, then throw the breath out and relax. Do this exercise three times to help rid your body of unconscious tensions.

The breath reflects one's mental state. As the breath becomes calmer, so does the mind, and vice versa. Relax your mind before meditation, by doing this simple breathing exercise:

2. Inhale slowly counting one to eight, hold your breath for the same number of counts, then exhale for the same count. This is one round of "even count breathing."

You may either lengthen or shorten the number of counts according to what is comfortable, but keep the inhalation, retention, and exhalation equal. Practice the "even count breathing" six times (six rotations).

For the Jesus Prayer Meditation, you can do the “even count breathing” with the numbers above, or using the Jesus Prayer:

Inhale: “Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me.” (9 syllables= 9 counts) Hold: “Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me.”Exhale: “Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me.”

For longer counts, try this: Inhale: “Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me, Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me.” (18 syllables= 18 counts) Hold: “Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me, Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me.”Exhale: “Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me, Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me.”

Meditation: As the breath becomes calmer and more refined during meditation, there is a joyous feeling of peace and exaltation. Practice the following meditation technique to help calm your breath, your mind, and your whole being.

Complete Instructions for Jesus Prayer Meditation

Adapted, by Mary Kretzmann, from the book, How to Meditate, by John Novak

Although simple to practice, this is one of the central and most important techniques of meditation. Watching the breath is extremely powerful because it works scientifically to calm our breath, mind, and life force. By concentrating intently on the breath and becoming a simple observer of the breathing process, you quickly calm the breath, redirect the flow of energy to the spiritual eye (or Christ center), and concentrate the mind.

1. The technique of watching the breath should be done immediately following the preparatory techniques, (tensing and relaxing and even count breathing), when you are already relaxed and focused.

Begin by exhaling completely. As the next breath flows in, mentally watch it as if you were observing the flow of a tide. Be very aware of the breath, but make no attempt to control it in any way. Simply observe its natural flow. Try to feel the breath as it passes in and out of the nostrils. If you are unable to feel the breath in the nostrils, focus for a short time on the breathing process itself, the movement of the chest and lungs, and then transfer your awareness back to the breath in the nostrils.

2. To help deepen your concentration, mentally repeat a simple word formula such as “Amen” in tandem with the breath. As you inhale silently say “A,” and as you exhale silently repeat “men.” Or you could say “I am” while inhaling and “He” while exhaling. Or, say “Jesus” for the incoming breath, and “Christ” for the outgoing. Or even more simply, “Je-sus.”

And, one can also do it like this:

Inhalation: “Lord Jesus Christ”

Exhalation: “Have mercy on me”

All of these help contribute to training the mind to “pray unceasingly.”

In India they silently repeat “hong” with the incoming breath and “sau” with the exhalation. This is a special “mantra” or word formula that is especially effective in calming the flow of energy in the spine

It is also helpful to move the index finger of the right hand slightly toward the palm on the inhalation and slightly away on the exhalation.

If the mind wanders, immediately bring it back to concentrating on the technique.

3. As the breath becomes calmer, gradually become aware of it as it passes higher and higher in the nostrils until you are feeling it high up in the nasal cavity. Now you can transfer your point of concentration from the breath to the point between the eyebrows. Continue to mentally observe the breath, and to silently chant your word formula, still making no effort to control either the rhythm or depth of your breathing.

4. The key to success with this technique is to deepen your concentration at the spiritual eye until you no longer think of anything except the rhythmic flow of the breath. As the mind becomes very focused and calm you will find your need for breath diminishing. Enjoy the spaces between breaths, keeping your mind very still and allowing the pauses to lengthen naturally.

A cycle of increasing interiorization is set into motion through this technique. As the breath (and the flow of life-force) begins to calm down, the mind is naturally able to concentrate more deeply. Deeper concentration brings about an even greater calming of the breath, allowing yet deeper focusing of the mind, and so on. The final stage of this cycle is the complete withdrawal of life current from the body and senses and the total concentration of the mind. “I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.” 1 Corinthians 15:31

As the energy becomes completely focused at the spiritual eye, the body’s need for oxygen ceases and the breath stops. At first this may be a somewhat odd, and even frightening experience, but it is the doorway to the deepest states of meditation.

5. End your practice of this technique by taking a deep breath and exhaling three times. Then concentrate very deeply at the spiritual eye, trying to hold your mind completely still. With the mind deeply concentrated and interiorized you can go on to the others parts of your meditation, such as concentrating on the light of the spiritual eye, listening to the inner sounds, or feeling the deep love, peace, and joy brought by meditation.

How long should you practice this meditation? Be guided by your own feeling of enjoyment and your ability to maintain your concentration. Be sure to allow time for silent communion and devotion after your practice of the Jesus Prayer Meditation technique. “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10)

Revelations of Christ

Proclaimed by Paramhansa YoganandaPresented by His Disciple, Swami Kriyananda

“…My fervent prayer is that this book, and its proclamation of Paramhansa Yogananda's renewed revelation of Christ's revelation, will initiate a renewal of dynamic, original faith in Jesus Christ…”

“Jesus Christ was sent to earth to proclaim the Heavenly Father’s love for us all, and to awaken love in our hearts for Him. Science has shown us a universe, however, too vast to have been created by any

man-like Father figure. Science’s view, however, is also limited. Whatever, or Whoever, brought everything into existence created also human beings with human feelings, and with individual appreciation for parental love, filial love, romantic and friendly love. If that Infinite One is omniscient, then He certainly knows our innermost feelings, no matter how often science with its dry, factual outlook on reality scoffs at the idea of a Being infinitely superior to the scientists themselves, far beyond their intellectual games, lambent with tenderest feelings of love for us all, unceasingly forgiving, and awaiting only our love in return to bring us back to Himself.”

TESTIMONIAL: This book is a great gift to humanity. It is a spiritual treasure to cherish deep in the heart, and to pass on to children for generations. This remarkable and magnificent book brings us to the doorway of a deeper, richer embracing of Eternal Truth. At once crystal clear and wonderfully insightful, we are invited to move through that doorway into a place of gloriously larger views of Jesus and God and of Life Itself than many of us have ever been blessed to behold.” –Neale Donald Walsch, author of Conversations with God.

Meditation Supplies, from our family to you:

Ananda Healing Prayer Ministry“Lord, Give us Thyself, that we may give Thee to all.” Paramhansa Yogananda

Would you like to feel God's healing presence flowing through your hands and heart? When you send this sacred healing energy, you yourself will also feel uplifted by God’s grace. As Christ said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive," and Paramhansa Yogananda stated that, "The instrument is blessed by what flows through it."

We have seen many instances of healing occur through these prayers, and we are happy to instruct those who wish to serve in this way. Over time, as this the healing grace flows through you, your experience will deepen and your ability will grow. This blesses you with joyful empathy to know that someone's suffering has been relieved, or illness healed, through that grace. Peace and calm strength enter to soothe the person’s soul.

Please join us in this sacred service. We are all God's children and can serve as divine healing instruments. God bless you.

Mary KretzmannAnanda Healing Prayer Ministry

The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas à Kempis is a renowned spiritual classic, recommended by Paramhansa Yogananda. I pass along this gem from Conversations with

Yogananda, as related by Swami Kriyananda: ~ 83 ~

Master had given me and others for Christmas a copy of The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas à Kempis. When I thanked him, he said, “That is a wonderful book. It is no mere imitation of Christ: It is Christ. I don’t often encourage people to read other books, but this one I recommend unreservedly.”

“Thomas à Kempis,” I remarked, “must have been a great saint. Is that so?”

“A very great saint,” he replied.

Conversations with Yogananda: Recorded, with Reflections, by his disciple Swami Kriyananda (J. Donald Walters)

“Thou Art With Me ” By Mary Kretzmann…Psalm 23 in the Chakras, Psalm 91, The Jesus Prayer Meditation, by Mary Kretzmann; The Beatitudes, by Swami Kriyananda, Spiritual Interpretation of the Lord’s Prayer by Paramhansa Yogananda, and more…

The Stories of Christ By Timothy KretzmannPalm Sunday, Good Friday, Easter Morning

Finding God… in Your Family , By Mary Kretzmann

Helping your child find the light within…

“Healing With Divine Energy” Seminars, with Mary Kretzmann

Divine Will Healing, Compiled by Mary Kretzmann

A treasure trove of the Healing techniques of Paramhansa Yogananda. Created as a resource for Mary Kretzmann’s 5-day seminar on Yogananda's healing techniques and is now a useful resource for anyone who would apply these teachings with sincerity and devotion both for their own healing, and for the healing benefit of others.