If you are a Christian then you must believe the biblical promise of "seek and you shall find." This, of course, refers to the great spiritual searches that we all attempt during our lifetimes: our search for God, peace, our place in the universe, the essence of Truth. Rationally we must also accept religion to be the human product of this search. Religion, whether it is Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism or anything else, is a reflection of Man's yearning for spiritual satisfaction and Truth. Alas, Religion also demonstrates the way men can get lost and lose track of the goal. Every organized religion in the world has lost its way. Granted that some, say classical polytheism, are farther off than others, say Christianity. But according to the Biblical promise quoted before, these religions, as the fruits of Man's searches, must have some nuggets of truth. I mean, even the error of polytheism has yielded the truth of the existence of the supernatural and the soul.
It is stuff like that that makes me wonder what other truths are readily available due to the products of other religious searches. I am not speaking of relativism. I am speaking of absolute truths that Christianity has lost sight of because of human error, and that other religions have found or held on to (due to the nature of the practice perhaps). Even if you do not believe that other beliefs can find theological or dogmatic truths you must, at the least, admit that humans around the globe have run into various effective ways of engaging the spiritual realm.
I remember reading a national geographic special about the human mind in which electrode tests and brain scans were performed on people around the globe for various different reasons. One of the most remarkable results that the scientists recorded was when they measured the brain reactions of a Buddhist priest in meditation. They found that the monk's part of the brain that registers negative emotions (such as pain, sadness, stress, etc) had the lowest recorded brain activity in any test subject. The astounded scientists declared the man to be, according to their tests, the "happiest man on earth." In other words, during meditation the Buddhist had learned to master his mind and ignore distracting negative feelings. However you take this, you must admit that the monk had mastered the technique of putting his mind at rest and finding, at least at the psychological and neurological level, inner peace. I have read accounts of monks who have developed these talents so much that they have been able to engage them even in times of great external strife such as war, famine, etc.
I would think that the art of meditation would be one of great use to the modern Christian. It was one that, at many levels, was very much alive among the early church leaders, especially among early cenobites such as the desert fathers and such. The practice, method and discipline of learning to clear your mind of distractions and stress in order to be in a good place to engage spiritually seems like something that would be worth acquiring by persons of any faith.
Another interesting thing to note is commonalities between many religions around the world. Even in small details such as worship and ritual. Take chanting for example. It is present in everything from Tibetan Buddhism to Native American spirituality, to Christianity. On a side note, it is interesting to how most Protestants associate medieval "Musica Sacra" with Roman Catholicism, yet the middle ages had no differentiation between Protestant and Roman Catholics, there was just Western and Eastern Christianity. If you look back even farther in history you find a totally unified (and chanting) Christianity. But I digress. I find it fascinating that the modern Christian traditions have discarded such a widely used practice. There must be something to it if people from all around the world spontaneously and independently used it in religious practice. There must be something there, if not intrinsically spiritual then at least psychologically beneficial way for humans to disengage their minds from earthly matters. I then think to the rise in popularity of electronic music in countercultural Christian circles and conclude that it must have some modern equivalence. The very nomenclatures of electronic musical subgenres like trance and chill-out but seem to point at this spiritual/psychological connection. I would wonder how many other spiritual practices, disciplines or even basic truths we are missing out on merely because we are too afraid to look.
Comments
Erin said...
One thing, perhaps?
I wonder whether we ought to be more careful in including the spirit of Buddhist medidation in Christianity.
As you've said, "However you take this, you must admit that the monk had mastered the technique of putting his mind at rest and finding, at least at the psychological and neurological level, inner peace. I have read accounts of monks who have developed these talents so much that they have been able to engage them even in times of great external strife such as war, famine, etc."
I will say from my experience with Buddhism, that more often than not you are not allowed to admit to pain, suffering, the like. While I am not saying that meditation should be thrown out all together, I am saying that I appreciate your emphasis on the desert fathers and mothers more than buddhist monks. I would not define rest and inner peace as the negation of an awareness of what is going on in the rest of the world but instead, as a definitive trust in the sovereignty and immanence of God. It is also worth noting that the prophets had no inner peace. Their hearts were broken for the covenant. I think Buddhism defines itself as a vision of the absence of the problem of evil itself and I believe that's risky ground.
Also, wondered if you be interested in reading my thesis? "Heschel's Perspective on Divine Sovereignty: Open Theism and the Pathos of God". Let me know. I think there's a lot in there that you might be interested in...especially regarding some key differences between Greek and Jewish thought. Now, I've a feeling I should have added Eastern in there as well!
As always, I love to see you writing. Hope your break is starting off well.
Peace, bro.
5:20 AM
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Ryan said...
hmm... you are filled with insight as always. I would totally be interested in reading your thesis, though I must admit taht my knowledge of Heschel is essentially null. Email it to me and I'll read it when I get home next week.
Yes, I see what your problem with teh Buddhist approach is. Yet, I still think that being able to use exercises to block out the external in order to better engage the internal are of great human value. Essentially chanting does the same to a degree. Recently I have been reading on St. Ignatius' spiritual exercises and they have quite a bit of this kind of thing, things that I initially thought "whoah, that sounds almost eastern"
2:40 PM
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kenaka said...
This isn't my definitive answer, it's late at night and I've just served dinner to 30 of the drunkest people I've ever seen (led by an Irishman, of course). The first thing that comes to mind is to know what are you looking for. I don't see what is the great thing about sitting and finding inner peace for yourself. This World is a gift as far as I'm concerned, each person is a world and we are somewhat discoverers. I don't want to sit in a corner and feel inner peace, my brain disengaged and basically neutralized. I want to be feeling different things, discovering others, knowing people, in those battles the monks sit and meditate about. The monk egotistical approach isn't, for me, stumbling across the truth, maybe finding an interesting technique to not have to engage with the World. I'll read this again tomorrow and see if I still agree.
3:35 PM
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Ryan said...
I feel like you guys have missed the whole point of this post by zoning in on the buddhist thing. It isnt even about finding inner peace or whatever, that isnt the point, it is a means to an end. My point is how many more means or methods are out there that are universally applicable.
1:05 AM
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Manny Jr said...
I am glad you put the last post because I was about to reemphasize what Kenny and Erin said.
In that case, I remember what is said in Matthew by Christ that if any preaches another Gospel than the one that is preached, let him be damned.
I think that Christianity is one of the only religions if not the only that is exclusive when it comes to its definition of truth. Indeed I believe in the absolute truth of God's word and of God as defined in the Bible. Having this be my guiding point, truth is not found in other religions and if meditation is what you seek after that is not from other religions but from Christianity which has been twisted.
Therefore, do other religions hold to certain truths in their religion? Probably so, but i believe that they have been taken from the only source of truth which comes from God and He has revealed His truth in the Bible.
Sorry if that sounds a little narrow minded. I don't mean to be but I think to step into the realm of trying to identify truth in other places extends the reference point from God being the source of truth to other faulty sources.
8:26 AM
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Jenn said...
Manny, You said "I think to step into the realm of trying to identify truth in other places extends the reference point from God being the source of truth to other faulty sources."
I'd have to disagree with you. Looking for Truth in other religions is not changing the reference point away from God. It is searching for God in more than one place.
According to the "religions of the book", Judaism, Christianity and Islam, there is no truth outside of their particular belief systems. This is a paticularity of these three religions. But, as Christians, if we believe this, we believe that God is an Absolute Truth.
However, that DOES NOT mean that he has revealed parts of his immense nature ONLY to one person. A deeper analysis of ANY religion would show that there are signs of God's interaction. However, this have been severely distorted.
As for meditation, Kenny said, " I don't see what is the great thing about sitting and finding inner peace for yourself." That's only the point of meditation in ONE (Buddhist) tradition. Meditation in Judaism, Islam, Hinduism AND Christianity is designed to help us connect with Christ.
Meditation is a scriptural concept. Think of David. In Buddhist tradition, it is the emptying of the mind. However, in Hindu practice it is centering the mind on the Divine to attain unity with it. Now, the unity I do not agree with, but centering the mind on God to better understand him, hear his voice and feel his love is not only scriptural but should be part of every Christian's spiritual discipline.
Sorry that this is long. I've spent an entire semester studying various religions, their doctrines and practices and I've found that Christians often shun what they don't understand and don't take the time to look more deeply. Besides that, I've begun my own meditation practice (in which I have set aside time to put you before God) and I have found that it not only is INCREADIBLY difficult, it has also reaquainted me with God.
6:06 PM
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Jenn said...
Oops, when I wrote about meditation in Judaism, Islam and Christianity I meant to say that it is to connect us with GOD not Christ (Christ is obviously exclusive to Christianity).
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