Contemplative Meditation in Christianity
(Jesus meditating--painting by Swami Tadatmananda, a monk of the Ramakrishna Order,courtesy of the Vedanta Society, www.edanta.org!"opyright # $%%& by Timothy "onway(The fo''owing is an ecerpt from a book manuscript eentua''y to be pub'ished,
Our Religions’ Future: Truths, Trends and Challenges for Old and New Spiritualities
. )ndnotesare indicated as numbers in brackets*+. There are more recent books wi'' be adding to the bib'iography for the pub'ished book-ersion of this essay.!
The Revival of Contemplative Meditation in Christianity
most important recent re'igious trend that takes us into the heart of authentic, mystica'"hristianity is the widespread renewa' of its contemp'atie aspect.est the reader be confused, be aware that what is genera''y ca''ed /meditation/ in othertraditions is termed /contemp'ation/ in "hristianity, whereas the "hristian tradition hasresered the term /meditation/ for that more discursie, ref'ectie menta' actiity which is pre'iminary or supp'ementary to contemp'ation pure and simp'e.
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This trend of deep'y immersie, si'ent contemp'ation has been promoted by "hristianity0sencounter with 1indu Ved2nta and 3uddhist schoo's a'ong with the re-discoery ofcontemp'atie spiritua' masters in 4estern "hristianity, beginning with the i''ustrious 5esert6athers and 7others of the 8th to 9th century in hermitages and cenobitic communities of)gypt, :a'estine and Syria.7ost inf'uentia' in this reia' of contemp'ation hae been contemporary writers andteachers in Ved2nta-inf'uenced "hristianity;main'y 3enedictine "atho'ic figures;inc'uding Swami bhishiktananda (5om 1enri e Sau, OS3 <=<%-9>!, 6r. 3ede ?riffiths,OS3 (<=%&-=>!, Sister :asca'ine "off, OS3, 6r. John 7ain, OS3 (d.<=@$!, 6r. nthony de7e''o, SJ (ndia, <=><-@9!, and Sister Vandana (b. in ndia in <=$8!A a'ong with Ben3uddhist-inf'uenced "hristians 'ike 3enedictine monk e'red ?raham (c.<=%9-@8!, Trappistmonk Thomas 7erton (<=<C-&@!, Jesuit priest 4i''iam Johnston (b.<=$C!, and Ben
roshi
s(authoriDed Ben masters! 1ugo )nomiya-assa''e, SJ (<@=@-<==<!, Sister Joan Rieck(b.<=>&!, and former priest Ruben 1abito (b.<=89!A and "hristians who hae p'unged intothe pure'y "hristian contemp'atie tradition, 'ike the ng'ican nun, 7other 7ary "'are,S?, the merican "istercian monk, Thomas Eeating (b.<=$>!, the 3ritish 3enedictine,3asi' :ennington (<=><-$%%C!, and co''ege professor 6r. 1enri Fouwen (<=>$-=&!.*<+Tute'age from eminent past "hristian spiritua' masters is now a'so wide'y aai'ab'e in bookform. The G"'assics of 4estern Spiritua'ityH series pub'ished by the :au'ist :ress isespecia''y notab'e and praiseworthy here.The fruit of a'' this ep'oration is that many "hristians today;especia''y "atho'ics,ng'icansI)piscopa'ians, )astern Orthodo and uakers; are eperimenting with dierseforms of sub'ime
prayerfulness
, not Kust Gsaying prayers.H "ontemp'atie prayer can beengaged throughout the day, not Kust in "hurch on Sundays. "ertain forms of contemp'atie prayer can be engaged whi'e eating, driing, eercising, working, and so on. The 'ate7other TeresaLs case is instructieM beyond the four hours each day of forma' contemp'ation,she and her 7issionaries of "harity wou'd pray as often as possib'e throughout their dai'yround of 'abors for the needy. "ontemp'aties sincere'y heed the inKunction of Jesus to Gpraya'waysH (uke <@M<!."ontemp'atie prayer can take a simp'e deotiona' form,
à la
the Gpractice of the presenceof ?od,H as recommended by the humb'e 6rench monk, 3rother awrence (d.<&=<!. t canmanifest as a consistent chi'd'ike gratefu'ness;the attitude of gratitude that 3enedictine3rother 5aid Steind'-Rast has so e'oNuent'y recommended.*$+ t can ino'e suboca'recitation of a "hristian
mantra
, for instance, the GJesus :rayerH (Gord Jesus "hrist haemercy on meH or simp'y the name GJesusHIGeshuaHI GsaH! as taught by the ?reek prayermasters of o'd, or the phrase G
Mara Natha
H (G"ome ordH! as taught more recent'y by3ritish 3enedictine 6athers John 7ain (d.<=@$! and aurence 6reeman in their inf'uentia'circ'e in 7ontrea'. Or contemp'ation can begin with the deep'y sensitie sti''ness,
hesyhia
,and unattachment as practiced in the ancient "hristian G5esertH tradition and in Ben-inf'uenced "hristian
!a!en
meditation today.4hateer the initia' method, prayerfu'ness 'eads one to the stupendous si'ence and sti''ness
of Spirit, fina''y cu'minating in the transpersona' depths of the G?odhead beyond ?odHreported by 7eister )ckhart, Jan an Ruusbroec, Teresa de Pi'a, Juan de 'a "ruD,bhishiktananda, Johnston, and numerous others.*>+ This form'ess but unspeakab'yempowering GraptureH or Gecstasy I instasyH is an absorption in what John of the "rossca''ed the G
Nada
H or 5iine Fo-thingness of pure Spirit. t is fair'y identica', if notcomp'ete'y identica', to the form'ess, nondua' 5iine absorption that the Ved2nta adeptsca''
nir"i#alpa sam$dhi
(cu'minating in the eyes-open, Gnatura'H state of perfect ?od-rea'iDation,
saha%a sam$dhi
! and the deepest
%h$na
absorption states practiced by 3uddhistmeditators (which, when ba'anced with wisdom, cu'minate in
nir"$na
or what Ben 3uddhistroshis ca''
anuttara&samya#&sam'odhi
, unece''ed, irreersib'e en'ightenment!.This incomparab'y refined spiritua' state may be unknown to most "hristians. nstead ofhaing me describe this re'ease into ?od;since cou'd easi'y be dismissed as a GuietisthereticH*8+;'et us consider this i''uminating passage from the
(ittle )oo# of Clarifiation
,written in the ear'y <>&%s by 3'essed John of Ruusbroec (<$=>-<>@<!, a comp'ete'yorthodo, contemp'atie mystica' theo'ogian of the highest rank, great'y esteemed by his peers and generations of "hristians down the centuriesM/)n'ightened persons find within themse'es an essentia' act of gaDing inward which isaboe reason and apart from reasonA they a'so find an inc'ination toward b'issfu' enKoymentwhich transcends a'' particu'ar forms and beings and which immerses them in a mode'essabyss of fathom'ess beatitude.... There the state of beatitude is so simp'e and so mode'essthat in it eery essentia' act of gaDing, eery inc'ination, and eery distinction of creatures pass away, for a'' ea'ted spirits me't away and come to nought by reason of the b'issfu'enKoyment they eperience in ?odLs essentia' being, which is the superessentia' being of a'' beings. There they fa'' away from themse'es and become 'ost in a state of unknowingwhich has no ground. There a'' 'ight is turned into darkness and the three :ersons *of theTrinity+ gie way before the essentia' Qnity, where without distinction they enKoy essentia' b'iss.... '' 'oing spirits are one enKoyment and one beatitude with ?od, without difference,for that b'essed state of being which is the enKoyment of ?od and of a'' his be'oed is sosimp'e and undifferentiated that there is within it neither 6ather nor Son nor 1o'y Spirit asregards the distinction of :ersons, nor is there any creature either. Rather, a'' en'ightenedspirits are there raised aboe themse'es into a mode'ess state of b'issfu' enKoyment.... Therea'' ea'ted spirits are, in their superessentia' being, one enKoyment and one beatitude with?od, without difference.... This is what "hrist desired when he prayed to his heaen'y6ather that a'' his be'oed might be made perfect'y one, een as he is one with the 6ather in b'issfu' enKoyment.... "hristLs prayer is fu'fi''ed in those who are united with ?od ... they aredrunk with 'oe and *conscious'y+ s'eep in ?od in a dark resp'endence./*C+The pre-eminent 'eader of the ear'y 5esert "hristian moement, St. ntony the ?reat ($C<->C&!, put it Nuite simp'yM G1e who knows himse'f, knows ?od.H*&+ "ontemp'atie practices, by 5iine ?race, take one through the apophatic
"ia negati"a
or Gway of negation,H andeentua''y bring one to the sp'endid, g'orious consummation of this truth of oneLs rea'identity in ?od. Gnd the truth sha'' make you free.H (John, @M>$!4e sha'' hae more to say on this profound topic of prayerfu'ness and contemp'atie
meditation in "hapter = *of
Our Religions* Future
+. wou'd conc'ude this section by sayingthat this resurgence of contemp'atie prayerfu'ness in "hristianity is a most we'come andeen Gproidentia'H turn of eents. The rediscoery of mystica' "hristian spiritua' practicewi'' a''ow many "hristians of a meditatie, yogic andIor intuitie temperament (seeppendi <! to nourish themse'es at the banNuet tab'e of their own tradition. They wi'' notfee' compe''ed to 'eae "hristianity a'together behind in search of contemp'atie eperiencewithin mystica' 3uddhism, Vedanta, Taoism, Jainism or Sufism. Therefore, hearti'y agreewith the contemp'atie "atho'ic teacher 6ather Thomas EeatingM/4e wi'' be in a better position both to eamine the re'igious eperience of the )ast and torepresent our own tradition if we can first rediscoer the forgotten richness of contemp'atie"hristianity. The transcendent as we'' as the immanent dimensions of "hrist must berecoered from ancient and mediea' "hristian tradition.... The tradition of "hristianspiritua'ity and mystica' wisdom needs to be presented today as an integra' part of the proc'amation of the ?ospe' and of "hristian education.... "hristians are meant to be thecontinuing ree'ation of ?odLs Son through the inspiration of his 1o'y Spirit who dwe''swithin us. That inspiration can be more or 'ess. t wi'' be more in the degree that we penetrate the mystery of "hrist to its depths. This can on'y be done through contemp'atie prayer and the abiding state of mystica' union to which it 'eads./*9+
Endnotes
<. n addition to the important works of bhishiktananda, see some of the works of other"hristian contemp'atie masters such asM John 7ain,
+ord into Silene
, :au'ist,<=@<A
(etters from the eart
, FM "rossroad, <=@$A
Moment of Christ
, "rossroad, <=@8A
The -resent Christ: Further Steps in Meditation
, "rossroad, <=@&A and
Monasti Studies
(<=@8!<C (specia' issue deoted to John 7ain!. nthony de 7e''o,
Sadhana: . +ay to /od
,5oub'eday mage, <=@8A
.wareness: . de Mello Spirituality Conferene in is Own+ords
(J. 6rancis Stroud, )d.!, 5oub'eday, <==%A Gn )astern "hristian Speaks of :rayer,Hreproduced in "ar'os Va''es,
Mastering Sadhana: On Retreat with .nthony de Mello
,5oub'eday mage, <=@@A
The +ay to (o"e: The (ast Meditations of .nthony de Mello
,5oub'eday mage ed., <==C. Thomas 7erton,
New Seeds of Contemplation
, Forfo'k, "TMJames augh'in, <=&<. 4i''iam Johnston,
Silent Musi: The Siene of Meditation
, 6ordhamQni. :ress, <==9,
(etters to Contemplati"es
, 7arykno'', FM Orbis, <=9%, and
Christian 0en
(<=98!,
The 1nner 2ye of (o"e
(<=9%!,
The Mirror Mind
(<=@<!, a'' pub'ished by 1arper Row. e'red ?raham,
0en Catholiism
. 7other 7ary "'are,
(earning to -ray, Sileneand -rayer
, etc., aai'ab'e from the Sisters of the oe of ?od, "onent of the ncarnation,6airacres, Oford O8 <T3, QE. 5aid Steind'-Rast,
. (istening eart: The .rt ofContemplati"e (i"ing
, FM "rossroad, <==&A Thomas Eeating,
Open Mind, Open eart: TheContemplati"e 3imension of the /ospel
, mity, FM mity 1ouse, <=@&A
The eart of the+orld: . Spiritual Catehism: .n 1ntrodution to Contemplati"e Christianity
, "rossroad ed.,<=@=A
1ntimay with /od
, "rossroad, <==8 (and many more!. 3asi' :ennington,
Centering -rayer
, 5oub'eday, <=9=A etc.$. There are numerous trans'ations of 3rother awrenceLs c'assic workA see, for eamp'e, thefair'y recent ersion by 5ona'd 5emaray,
The -ratie of the -resene of /od
, 'ba 1ouse,
