Monotheism and Meditation

[QueryGuy]

Hi all,

I know there are many, many ways to meditate that originate with eastern traditions. However, I'm curious: Do any of you monotheists out there practice meditation? If so, what techniques do you use?

QG

[Vajradhara]

Namaste QueryGuy,

though not particular to your belief system, here is a good link to a monotheist organization that uses meditation for their daily practice.

i believe that they are Franciscian in origin:

The World Community on Christian Meditation: http://www.wccm.org/

[juantoo3]

Kindest Regards, QueryGuy!

In the broadest sense, isn't considerate thought on a subject a form of meditation? Such as the "ah-ha!" moment when the rote learning comes together in a real form of understanding.

[Vapour]

Usually monotheism tradition do not meditate as intensively as Easter religion such as Hinduism/Buddism/Taoism with exception of Islamic Sufism.

[bananabrain]

meditation means different things. there is a long tradition of meditation in judaism - most people exploring it tend to start with aryeh kaplan's book "jewish meditation". the daily prayer cycle can be used as a mantra, for example.

b'shalom

bananabrain

[samabudhi]

You should read Paulo Coelho's 'The Pilgrimage'.
It has some interesting techniques which bear striking resemblence to eastern meditation techniques. Don't know how ficticious they are, or even how accurate the book is (haven't worked out if it's fiction or not. bah!!), but it is interesting.

[arthra]

Originally Posted by QueryGuy

Hi all,

I know there are many, many ways to meditate that originate with eastern traditions. However, I'm curious: Do any of you monotheists out there practice meditation? If so, what techniques do you use?

QG

I'm glad you started this thread... Baha'is as I understand it can utilize various techniques of meditation...

I've used some breathing techniques for instances in saying Allah'u'Abha...enhaling "Allah o" and exhaling "Abha".

You know as a Baha'i I also have a Yoga background and so have incorporated some tecniques taht might be of interest to you... Whn I say my ninety five Allah'u'Abhas I do so early in the morning after ablutions and sit in a Lotus posture using my fingers as prayer beads counting them off... My focus is as one pointed while I'm doing this.. I then recite a morning prayer and a Hidden Word, usually the one about being present at the dawn of creation and settle down down to a deeper meditation.

So I find the early predawn about the best time of day to do this...

Also sometimes I will recite the Greatest Name using prayer beads during slack times of the day..

I've taught people Yoga at Baha'i Summer School programs and may do it again this year and I find most Baha'is are very receptive to it and see Yoga as a healthy and meaningful way to deepen their meditation..

Since there are now more Baha'is living in India I would suspect taht various meditation techniques will soon be incorporated with prayers and meditation.

- Art

[Vajradhara]

Namaste art,


what type of yoga do you teach?

[arthra]

Originally Posted by Vajradhara

Namaste art,


what type of yoga do you teach?

I've been a Baha'i since 1965 but have found it very compatible with Yoga life style.

I teach a very generic and basic style of Yoga that is largely from Swami Vishnudevananda's The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga that was my main text since 1972, and I also derive a lot from Lilias Folan and Richard Hittleman... The two last named teachers had some of the first televised sessions that were widely viewed on PBS in the sixties and seventies.

The Pranic techniques are also those widely taught now.

I never charge to instruct Yoga and everything is free.

After I retired around 1997 I began teaching Yoga in a Hindu Temple for a few years to pay back for free Sanskrit lessons and later I started free Yoga classes at a nearby Community Center which are still ongoing (now being taught by my associates who were trained at Rishikesh)... this has caused some hard feelings among the Yoga studios who must charge for classes... but as I see it the target population of my classes usually can't afford fees in Yoga studios anyway and we just have a great time not worrying about book keeping. The classes are also quite large and don't allow for a lot of individual attention.

While I still practise Asanas privately I have also retired a lot from active public teaching and only teach when requested by small groups or a few individuals.

- Art

[robocombot]

i would say that Christian prayer is only half about actually speaking. If it was only speaking then it would only be one way.

What some call meditation i would call "listening to God".

[earl]

Originally Posted by robocombot

i would say that Christian prayer is only half about actually speaking. If it was only speaking then it would only be one way.

What some call meditation i would call "listening to God".

robocombot, loved your comment re prayer as at least as much about listening-can't be still to know God's "I AM" if we're always yammering internally and externally now can we? I believe just about every religion has developed meditative approaches to accomplish that aim, though among monotheistic ones, seems as if those approaches have tended to be shunted off historically to special off-shoots in turn referred to as "mystical" paths. But, I believe that it is in that meditative aspect there is a true meeting ground among the religions-the meeting ground of open attentiveness, of listening-where we attempt to hear and see what lies deep beneath the everyday "monkey mind-like" chatter of our superficial selves. When we've discovered that "place," we've truly discovered our universal community with all of humanity and with Life. Take care, Earl

[Vajradhara]

goodness, Art!


i apologize for not replying sooner to your post!!! argh...

my 'netiquette is in need of some polishing...

thank you for the reply

[arthra]

Originally Posted by Vajradhara

goodness, Art!


i apologize for not replying sooner to your post!!! argh...

my 'netiquette is in need of some polishing...

thank you for the reply

Hey that's O.K. Vajra!

A year later is cool. I'd forgotten myself what I'd written, so you gave me a chance to "catch up with myself" a bit a year ago..

Take care!

- Art

[Blessed87]

Originally Posted by QueryGuy

Hi all,

I know there are many, many ways to meditate that originate with eastern traditions. However, I'm curious: Do any of you monotheists out there practice meditation? If so, what techniques do you use?

QG

I am a christian, and I practice a few forms of meditation. For one, I start by reading the Bible, and when I come to a something I do not understand (which usually doesn't take long), I write my initial thoughts down. Then, I pray and ask God to show me what He is saying. I start turning it over in my mind, looking from different angles. Then I am usually either prompted to look at another verse on the subject, or I am shown the answer after taking time to listen to what He has to say.

Another kind of meditation I have done that is difficult is to take one verse, phrase, or theme, and continually turn it over in my mind throughout the day as I go about daily tasks. I think it helps to have reminders, like notes, to keep my mind from wandering.

Meditation is a great thing, especially in time-consumed cultures like mine!