Christians and a Meditation Technique
God the Divine Being and His Pure Consciousness
I would like the opportunity to emphasise the positive spiritual benefits of meditation. The meaning of "meditation" to one person may be different to the meaning of "meditation" to another person, therefore I would like to say something about this.
There are those who say that Biblical meditation is bearing in mind a phrase or event from the Bible. This is true in itself, and very beneficial to the practitioner. However, in the context that I am referring to, this form of meditation is rather more like contemplation in contrast to the state of meditation to which I wish to refer.
There is a state of meditation which permits one's mind and being to be filled with the radiance of God's Being. This can be achieved by allowing the mind to be rested from thoughts using certain methods, one of which is by effortlessly introducing a thought-sound and then not focussing on it but allowing the mind to rest and be free to receive God's radiance. Please note the marked difference between concentrating on God or contemplating something associated with God, and setting up a condition to effortlessly allow God's Being to fill and renew one's own mind and being.
"When I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night" (Psalm 63:6).
One simply begins by sitting comfortably in a chair (or on a bed if desired) with hands folded one over the other. This is not a forceful practice and it should be without any effort, allowing the thought-sound to become finer and finer and more subtle. One does not listen to or follow one's thoughts, one does not mind any thoughts but is just aware that they are there at times, coming and going naturally. It is important to realise that one does not repeat their thought-sound mechanically or rhythmically, because that requires effort; but one is just aware that the thought-sound has gone - one does not chase it, but in the silent recognition that the thought-sound is absent, one has automatically brought it back to one's awareness - that is all that is needed, no more! One simply maintains a restful awareness, a pleasant and peaceful wakefulness. And so on for a chosen amount of time. One benefits both in and out of meditation, it is truly a Divine gift to man.
"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you" (Isaiah 26:3).
This is similar to Natural Stress Relief (NSR) and Transcendental Meditation (TM). One does not need any meditation philosophy to practice this type of meditation - it is a practice of a simple and natural technique. One can have no beliefs, great faith, or even great scepticism - the practice will still work as it is natural to a human being. One can benefit from this practice both on the spiritual level and also from the level of common human stress, depression or plain tiredness.
"And he said to them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place and rest a little" (Mark 6:31).
Although the thought-sounds used in the above example are fairly meaningless and do not come directly from the Bible, for the strictly Biblical person, similar results can be achieved utilising a sacred Name for a thought-sound, such as: Ehyeh asher Ehyeh (pronounced: eh-heh-YEH ah-SHAIR eh-heh-YEH )
YHVH (I AM)
("I AM THAT I AM" Ex. 3:14).
"Ehyeh asher Ehyeh"
This is the Name that the Supreme Being uses to describe Himself in the Bible, derived from the Hebrew verb "TO BE". This is so very apt because the Supreme Being is using one Name to describe Himself as, among other characteristics, omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent BEING - BEING in the Present, which, to a Hebrew, encompasses all that has been, and will be, indeed Ehyeh asher Ehyeh is the transcendental BEING beyond earthly time from Whom all materialised phenomena comes. It is easy to be still and know God.
"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" (Psalm 46:10).
Even the strictest of Biblical followers, who says that such a holy Name should not be written let alone vocalised, need not concern themselves, because this meditation merely introduces the Name in silent effortlessness, and allows the Light of the Supreme Being to fill the heart, body, mind and soul. This can be practiced morning and evening for a chosen amount of time, perhaps 15 to 20 minutes.
"And Isaac had gone out to meditate in the fields toward the beginning of evening" (Genesis 24:63).
For the Biblical Christian, this last point should be considered deeply. Is not one of the greatest commandments, according to Jesus Christ, to love thy God with all they heart, thy soul, thy mind, and they strength? Therefore, this is one spiritual practice which enables His commandment to be carried out to its fullness. Indeed, without it, perhaps one is not carrying out Christ's commandment. This is because the soul is regularly bathed in the Light and radiance of God which naturally fills and enhances the heart with Christ-like attributes, the body is rested, and indeed there are peer-reviewed studies to show that even brain waves become more coherent during meditation of the restful-alertness type such as described here. One should gently and quietly allow the mind to settle down so that the whole being, the heart, soul and mind can be permeated with the Divine Being, the loving all-pervasive Consciousness, the emanations of the Divine Self. One is then in a position to discover the Heaven that has been placed within by the generous Giver.
"The kingdom of God is not coming with outward observation...the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:20-21)
"Yahshua" or "Yeshua"
Yah = God [is the]
shua = Saviour or Saving cry [of men]
pronounced: yah-SHU-a or ye-SHU-a
The sacred Name of Christ Jesus can also be used as a thought-sound to release the mind for the deep experience of communing with the Divine Presence - the Christ of God. Christ said: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM" (John 8:58). The Christ "was with God and was God" in the beginning (John 1:1). Therefore His Name is so desirable for meditation.
To recapitulate: one sits upright in a comfortable chair, closes the eyes, waits about 30 seconds, and subtly thinks, in this special case, "ye-SHU-a"*. One does not repeat the thought-sound rhythmically but one gently introduces the sacred Name and then allows the mind to remain still and calm. When it is noticed that one has lost the thought-sound, one can remember it again either as a sound or as a picture, but this time more subtly than the last.
*Should one prefer to perhaps use the English transliteration of the sacred Name "Yeshua": "Jesus", or perhaps: "Christ", it matters not an iota, one will still be blessed with deeply transcending into His perfect Pure Love.
The condition is set up to permit the deeper aspects of the mind to absorb that which is pure Divine Consciousness, and therefore the mind and the whole being benefits when in the field of activity – the world. One is not trying to think, one is not trying to do anything. One is allowing the thought-sound to become more subtle by stages, thus freeing up the whole mind to go to its Source and experience the Light of God at a deeper level, a level which transcends thought and therefore cannot be thought about on the surface level of the mind.
We do not try to wish thoughts away during meditation because this requires effort, we simply do not engage any thoughts, which are natural, but while we are meditating, thoughts can just be ignored, neither caring for their presence nor absence. We are allowed to take time away from the engagement of thoughts each day to allow God’s Being, Divine Consciousness, to be absorbed by us.
We are not trying to be something we are not already, but we are simply being our being, we are being our true presence underlying the mind and its thoughts; and in so doing, we are more aware of God’s Being and Presence and His loving peace. Such moments are an invaluable help to daily existence in the world of sense. It is far better to be with this peace than without it.
"The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body will be light" (Matthew 6:22)
One is not concerned if the thought-sound becomes faster or slower, whether it is absent for short or long periods, whether few or more times - it really does not matter. We do not try to wish thoughts away because this requires effort, we simply do not engage thoughts, they are natural but while we are meditating, thoughts can just be ignored neither caring for their presence nor absence. This technique or process allows the limitations placed upon one’s being by the physical mind to be laid aside and then one is better able to become one with Christ’s Being, bathed in Divine Presence.
"...be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will" (Romans 12:2)
During meditation periods, one should not be seeking results of expectations but just allowing oneself "to be" - without expectations; however, one should hold a calm and reverent desire to be closer to God - it is a balanced state of poise and equilibrium without exerting any effort during meditation time. This should be a wonderfully relaxing, renewing and uniquely special time. If this is practised regularly, the results are glorious as mind, heart and soul have new life breathed into them by the pure Divine Self of God.
"...be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness" (Ephesians 4:23,24)
For the one who has chosen the steep hill to God through Christ, the tests will definitely come in strength, so surely it is wise to keep the God in Christ as close as possible on the pilgrimage of hope.
"...which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27)
As God is beyond time, the meditative state brings one's relative state into communion with the state of the eternal present or perpetual Divine Being.
"Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20)
"But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth" (John 4:23)
This state is not past or future, not beginning or end, just the eternal NOW encompassing within its constant and unchanging state the Alpha and Omega.
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8)
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change" (James 1:17)
"For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed" (Malachi 3:6)
Finally, I want to avoid being pedantic or causing confusion, yet I would also like to point out for the sake of explanation, that there is a difference between the spiritual practices of Prayer and Meditation. Prayer to God is extremely powerful when given in earnestness and sincerity, and is immediately attended to by the angels of God who delight to act upon that prayer on His behalf, indeed it is their joy and desire. Meditation differs from Prayer because it allows God to fill the heart and mind of the meditator with His Being, or as much as can be received. In a simple manner, Prayer is asking God and Meditation is receiving God.
The following was received from the World of Spirit in 1907 and was given by an anonymous Spirit Teacher which is in the Book: "Christ In You" (Third Lesson) concerning the importance of retreating into the silence for meditation...
"THE voice of spirit is far-reaching. It is the expression of omnipresence, and is both near and far. It knows nothing of space, but for the present we must deal with beginnings. Perhaps it would be as well to help you at your present stage of unfoldment. It is absolutely necessary that you should have times of quiet, that you should come out from the business of life for a part of each day. If you were to wait in silence, holding the attitude of growth and steady development, thinking above all else of the kingdom of God—your condition should not be one of strain or of blank nothingness, avoid both these extremes—the result would be of the highest value to yourself and to all around you.
"Hold in your heart, the true place of understanding, a stillness which is alive, like the heart of the rose. The God powers within within you would assert themselves; crooked things would become straight, rough places plain. All smallness and discord quietly but surely would drop away and have no longer any power. To spirit, stagnation is impossible. The creative energy is constant activity within. All outside energy is waste and hindrance. As you quietly wait upon God, the breath of life renews each particle of the body by its silent, orderly activity.
"We are not able to tell you of future events, but we can indicate their trend, for each individual makes the future by the thoughts and acts of the present. You are today the result of your past. You may be hopeful, as your present thought will be fully realized in the future day. Hold the positive attitude in all that you undertake for spiritual development, knowing that God never fails. This holds you above the sense plane, and you immediately function from the spiritual, substantial, and only real. All must be finished before the Christhood of the race is complete—complete, unselfish, impersonal. Loving God and loving man, all may enter into unity. The evolution of spirit through the material is the work of creation. It is God that worketh in you now. Rejoice that you have this knowledge, and give the utmost for the highest. Live in spirit, breathe and walk in the innermost heart of yourself.
"I want you to give some part of the day to this silent growth, thus bringing poise and balance into your whole being. I repeat this, as it is so necessary, so pregnant with results. First, you will be conscious of good sound judgment, a better understanding of your neighbour, and clear insight. Afterwards, the result in your body will be realized, for in the silence the heart of flesh will have become one with the heart of spirit; and thus you bring about perfect circulation of the blood.
"You can understand how highly important this is when I tell you that the brain is fed by the spirit; a finer element has become ruler over the grosser, and the spirit of the living God breathes through the outer body of flesh. I am making this clear in order to emphasize the necessity for quiet. Later, you will not need this, as you will command at all times and in all places, heeding neither environment nor discord.
"Do not seek love—give it. This is nourishment. Will you give ear to this? Take what is your right from your Father. He who brought you to this very moment of your lives is speaking in your hearts. Awake, thou that sleepest. Christ shall give thee light."
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