Hieromonk Seraphim (rose). Orthodoxy and the religion of the future. Eastern meditation is attacking Christianity. "Christian yoga" Are meditation and Orthodoxy compatible?
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Eastern Christianity (Orthodoxy), developing in its own way, created its own, even more powerful and significant tradition of meditation.
When the representative of Western Christianity, the learned theologian Barlaam of Calabria, first encountered this tradition, practiced by Athonite monks, in the first half of the 14th century, he initially experienced what is called “culture shock.”
“They [the monks] initiated me into their monstrous and absurd beliefs, the description of which is humiliating for a person with any intellect or even the slightest drop of common sense - beliefs that are the result of erroneous beliefs and ardent imagination. They informed me of the amazing separation and the reunification of mind and soul, about the connection of the soul with the demon, about the difference between red and white light, about the intelligent entrances and exits made by the nostrils when breathing, about the barriers around the navel and, finally, about the vision of the soul of our Lord, which vision is tangible and in full heartfelt confidence occurs inside the navel."
A brilliant intellectual and follower of the teachings of Thomas Aquinas, Barlaam considered that the methods used by the “ignorant monks,” whom he sarcastically dubbed “omphalopsychs,” i.e. “navel pillows” (from the Greek “omphalos” - navel), cannot be used for the purpose of getting closer to God.
He developed the conviction that prayerful union with God is achieved in this technique almost mechanically through a special “folded” position of the body, holding back one’s breath, focusing one’s gaze on oneself and endlessly repeating the Jesus Prayer.
In fact, what Varlaam saw on the Holy Mountain was the most mystical meditative technique, which modern researchers seriously call “Orthodox yoga.”
This technique was started by hermit monks of the 3rd - 4th centuries, called in Greek hesychasts (solitaries) because they preferred prayer in solitude, alone with God - internal prayer performed “in the mind” - “smart prayer” to magnificent public services. , which is pronounced not only by the tongue - a sinful member of the body, but, as it were, by the entire human being.
“Those who approach the Lord,” Macarius of Egypt taught, “should pray in silence and peace and in great complacency, and listen to the Lord not with obscene and mixed cries, but with longing of the heart and sober thoughts.”
Around this idea - to communicate with God in silence - a whole system of techniques and methods grew up, transmitted initially orally, and later recorded in written sources. Now the term “hesychasm” began to be used in a special sense - to designate the established practice of “smart doing”.
Silent prayer, communication with God in silence, as if inside one’s being, is nothing other than meditation, precisely in the sense in which yogis and Buddhists understood it. The early Christian ascetics of the 4th century, Evagrius of Pontus and Macarius of Egypt, were already familiar with this practice in their works. In the VI-VII centuries. The foundations of hesychasm were outlined in his works by St. John Climacus, abbot of Sinai, one of the most famous teachers of Orthodox asceticism. In his Ladder he recommends sacred silence of body and soul. In the 11th century a fairly developed technique of hesychasm was described by Simeon, a monk of the Xerokers monastery in Constantinople.
Thus, on the basis of the Eastern Christian tradition, a well-developed system of ascetic monastic practice arose - “hesychasm”.
This practice was cultivated for almost a thousand years behind the impregnable walls of mountain monasteries, remaining virtually unknown outside their borders. Perhaps this practice would still be shrouded in mystery if it had not been described by St. Gregory Palamas.
Silence, silence, silence are necessary conditions for knowing God, communicating with God. The Eastern Christian Church believed that even theology should be silent, "apophatic." An indication of the need for inner silence to perceive the voice of God can be found in the Bible: “Be still and know that I am God” (Ps. 45:11). In the Greek text, the word “stop” corresponds to a verb meaning inner silence.
The path of the contemplative direction in hesychasm involves the passage of three successive stages or steps: catharsis (purification), photismos (enlightenment) and teleosis (finding of goals).
The first stage is characterized by the cleansing of the soul from everything worldly through complete renunciation of the world. The second involves the enlightenment of the soul with divine light. The third stage marks the acquisition of mystical perfection, unity with God, deification.
In all mystical systems, the beginning of mystical practice proper is preceded by a preparatory period. Hesychasm is no exception to this general rule.
At the stage of “initial preparation,” the beginning hesychast must distract himself from all vain affairs and thoughts. He must, as it were, die to the world and leave all the affairs of the world, even charitable deeds. No external thing should attract his thoughts or attract attention. But not only external, sometimes also internal feelings disturb and disturb us and do not allow us to concentrate. An example of this can be torment and remorse, memories of some bad deed committed by us. Therefore, hesychast teachers advise having a clear conscience so that no internal feelings distract from ascetic practice.
This is what is said about this in a fragment of a text attributed to St. To Simeon the New Theologian:
“You must observe three things above all else: carelessness about everything, even the blessed, and not just the unblessed and vain, or otherwise, having killed everything, a clear conscience in everything, so that it does not convict you of anything, and perfect impartiality, so that your thoughts do not lean toward any thing." Further, the author of the quoted text gives recommendations on choosing a place and adopting a special pose for performing hesychast exercises:
“Then sit in some special place alone, close the doors, bow your head to your chest and thus pay attention within yourself...”
Let us remember that the third stage of Indian yoga, asana, also involves mastering special poses for engaging in mystical practice, and the Bhagavad Gita gives a recommendation very similar to Simeon’s recommendation:
“To practice yoga, you need to retire to a secluded place, spread kusha grass on the ground, cover it with deer skin and a soft cloth<…>The yogi must take a stable position and immerse himself in yoga...” (Bh. 6:10-12).
Having fulfilled the instructions regarding preliminary preparation, the hesychast can begin his own mystical practice.
The features of the psychophysical practice of hesychasm are the following original features that distinguish it from other types of mystical practices (although they have well-known parallels):
- “bringing down” the mind to the heart;
- unceasing “mental prayer,” that is, constant focused and conscious repetition of Jesus’ prayer (“Lord, Jesus Christ, have mercy on me”);
- active use of psychosomatic regulation methods (breath holding, specific poses, visualization, focusing on certain parts of the body);
- contemplation of light phenomena (photisms) as the uncreated Tabor light (according to Palamas - uncreated divine energies).
An important part of the first stage of practice is repentance. It is understood in hesychasm not in the usual sense of a person’s repentance for his own sins or for the “original sin” of Adam and Eve, although it partially implies this. In hesychasm, repentance takes on a different, mystical meaning. In Greek, repentance is expressed by the term "metanoia", the meaning of which is much broader than just repentance. This term implies changes in the understanding of one's own self, life purpose; developing a new view of the world, going beyond the usual value system. Within the framework of the Palamite teaching, it is assumed that in the process of “repentance” (metanoia) the “coincidence” of the one-dual mind in oneself occurs. This process is expressed in the fact that the “mind” localized in the head is erected and stored in the “heart”.
Simeon describes the process of "bringing down the mind into the heart" in the following terms:
"...stay with attention within yourself (not in your head, but in your heart), returning your mind and your sensual eyes there and holding your breath a little. Having your mind there, try in every possible way to find it, where the heart is, so that, having found it, your mind was already completely there. At first you will find a certain darkness and rigidity inside, but after that, if you continue this work of attention continuously day and night, you will find a certain unceasing joy. The mind, struggling in this, will take the place of the heart, and. then he will immediately see things inside that he has never seen or known.”
To understand the meaning of this procedure, you need to imagine what the hesychasts understood by the terms “mind” and “heart”. Their concept of the mind roughly corresponded to our views today. “The activity of the mind, which consists in thoughts and understandings, is also called mind; the mind is also the force that produces this,” says Gregory Palamas. In other words, the mind is a function (power) of the soul, manifested in “thoughts and understandings.”
With regard to the heart, medieval concepts differ significantly from modern ones. The iskhasts called the heart not the muscular organ that drives blood through our vessels, but the center of the soul or the soul itself.
In the normal state, the heart is the center that controls a person, his thoughts, actions and words. In itself it is imperfect, and therefore sometimes misleads us and forces us to do things for which we later have to repent. A person striving to acquire the divine nature (theiosis) must establish control over his soul, purify it so that it approaches the perfection of God. But we cannot directly control the soul, since will is also a function of the soul. But we can, having established control over the “mind”, through it influence the soul, contributing to its purification: “In those who practice prayer, the action of the mind consists of thoughts (in the thought of God) and is cleansed conveniently; the soul that generates this will not be cleansed unless it is both all its other powers are also purified." This is the meaning of “bringing the mind down to the heart.”
Externally, this process is expressed in the ascetic’s adoption of a body position in which the head (the place of localization of the “mind”) is aligned with the middle of the chest (the area of the heart). This explains the “collapsed” position of the body that Varlaam was so surprised by.
Here lies the explanation for the “navel-heart” he ridiculed. Indeed, if you tilt your head to your chest, your eyes turn out to be focused on your navel. Apparently, when conveying their experience, some ascetics described it as “contemplation of the navel,” and it is possible that some kind of theoretical justification was given to this. Perhaps some simple-minded monks, as a result of this, imagined the soul to be in the navel. Only a few lines in the writings of Nicephorus the Confessor, St. Gregory of Sinaite and other hesychast teachers, and one can only guess to what extent these techniques were used in the practice of prayerful behavior that necessarily existed among medieval Eastern monasticism. Gregory Palamas prefers to generally pay little attention to “technique,” recognizing its only auxiliary significance.
Modern researchers see the meaning of “bringing the mind down to the heart” in changing the level of physiological self-reference of consciousness, that is, transferring the center of one’s self-identification from the head (which we usually consider as the place of localization of the “mind”) to the “heart” mentioned above . In other words, the integrity of consciousness must be achieved, i.e. such a level of consciousness at which it would not be perceived only as a product of the brain, but would be correlated with the entire human being as a whole. The purpose of the technique of “bringing the mind down to the heart” is thus to overcome the duality of the mind and practically bring it to unity. Only after this does the hesychast begin to create the Jesus Prayer, to “smart” (conscious) prayer, to “smart doing.”
“Smart prayer” occupies the most important place in the practical tools of the hesychast. Suffice it to say that historically all hesychasm arose from the practice of “mental prayer.”
Theophan the Recluse gives the following explanation: “Mental prayer is when someone, having established attention in the heart, from there lifts up a prayer to God. Mental doing is when someone, standing with attention in the heart with the memory of the Lord, tears off every other thought that attempts to penetrate into heart".
“Learn mental prayer from the heart,” instructs St. Gregory Palamas, “for the Jesus Prayer is a lamp for our paths and a guiding star to Heaven, as the holy fathers teach.<…>External prayer alone is not enough: God listens to the mind, and therefore those monks who do not connect external prayer with internal prayer are not monks, but black brands. That monk does not have the seal of Christ who does not know how to do the Jesus Prayer. The book will not teach prayer; you need to have a strong occupation in it."
The process of improvement in prayer technique in hesychasm was described by A.F. Losev, who distinguished the following levels of ascension: verbal prayer, chest prayer, mental prayer and heart prayer. Losev explains that first the name of God is revealed in the word, then the larynx, chest and heart are gradually drawn into prayer. Then, “when the heart begins to beat in the rhythm of prayer, a person achieves a kind of mental ecstasy, when the whole person participates in prayer with every beat of his heart, with every breath. All this presupposes a finely developed breathing system during prayer, since the first achievement in the practice of prayer is its connection with breathing, to which is subsequently added its connection with the heart rhythm.”
Another feature of “smart prayer” is its constant repetition. Correlated with the rhythm of breathing (inhalation and exhalation), repeated repetition of the prayer formula allowed hesychasts to achieve a convergence of the mind in the heart.
An important discovery of Orthodox hesychasm is the concept designated as “sobriety.”
Try saying a word or expression repeatedly. After some time, you will catch yourself doing this purely mechanically, thoughtlessly, while some extraneous thoughts come to mind. In this case, the meaning of the spoken word is completely lost and blurred. This simple experiment shows how much work and numerous exercises it costs a hesychast to achieve concentration on the spoken formula.
“So as not to fall into delusion when doing mental prayer,” warns the Monk Nil of Sorsky, “do not allow into yourself any ideas, any images or visions, for soaring, strong dreams and movements do not cease to exist even when the mind stands in the heart and makes prayer, and no one is able to rule over them except those who have achieved perfection by the grace of the Holy Spirit and except those who have acquired steadfastness of mind through Jesus Christ.”
How to achieve this? For this purpose, the hesychasts used a technique called “sobriety.” It consisted in constantly being aware of its meaning while doing mental prayer; mentioning the name of God, constantly think about God. At the same time, consciousness should not turn off, but remain awake, comprehending the actions being performed. Theophan the Recluse wrote about this:
“All work must now be directed towards constantly thinking about God, or feeling in the presence of God: “Seek the Lord and His strength, seek His face without ceasing” (1 Chron. 16:11). This is where sobriety and intelligence stand. prayer. God is everywhere; make sure that your thoughts are with God everywhere.”
“Don’t forget that you should not limit yourself to mechanical repetition of the words of the Jesus Prayer. This will lead to nothing except the mechanical skill of repeating the prayer with your tongue, without even thinking about it. And this, of course, is not bad. But it constitutes the furthest outer edge of this The essence of the matter is conscious standing in the presence of the Lord with fear, faith and love.”
In the instructive tale of Abba Philemon, the following advice is given:
“Be sober in your heart and in your mind, soberly say with fear and trembling: Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me!<…>Whether you are eating and drinking, whether you are in conversation, outside your cell or on the road, do not forget to offer this prayer with a sober thought and an attentive mind.”
The meaning of “sobriety” is best conveyed by the following short formula:
“Since the mind does not stand without action, then, being turned to God, it thinks about God.”
Apparently, “sobriety” was an original technique of Orthodox mysticism: such a technique is unknown in psychotechnics that arose in other religious traditions.
The completion of the second stage of the mystical practice of hesychasm, called “fotismos” (“enlightenment”), is marked by a “vision” in the process of intelligent creation of a dazzling white light, which is revered by Orthodox mystics as the Light of Tabor, the same one that shone upon Jesus Christ during his “transfiguration” on Mount Tabor.
Gregory Palamas considered this light in his theology as uncreated (i.e. uncreated) divine energy, “through which union with God is achieved (the direct union of the created soul and the incomprehensible essence of the Creator is considered impossible) and the deification (teiosis) of human nature itself, in including bodily. Therefore, the contemplation of light is largely considered the central moment of the “many doing” (meditation) of the hesychasts.
V.V. Pechorin. On the essence of meditation // Psychology. Perm, 2011, No. 22, p. 20-32
It is a universal practice of spiritual wisdom that is at the core of all great religions. You can meditate anywhere and always - regardless of the time of day or season; it does not matter the age, gender, social and religious affiliation of a person.
Early Christians took the practice of meditation for granted. However, for a long time this tradition was marginal and even completely forgotten. Fortunately, recently, the situation is changing. Christian churches remembered how early Christian monks prayed in the deserts. How simple, contemplative, and therefore close to God their prayers were. In fact, their prayers were nothing more than meditation. So there is no doubt - meditation and christianity compatible.
Those who, for their religious reasons, do not accept mantras, can meditate by repeating one Christian prayer, be it: “Our Father” or “Virgin Mary, Rejoice”, or “Living Help”, etc. You can also repeat one word, such as “Hallelujah” or “Maranatha.” (“Maranatha” means “The Lord is coming,” the word is found in the New Testament and in the book of Dadakh (a collection of books of the Apostolic Men).
Meditation technique
Sit down. The back is straight. The eyes are slightly closed. Calmly, silently, with your inner voice, begin to pronounce the word you have chosen. Breathing is calm, all attention is focused on the word, let it sound in you quietly, tenderly and faithfully.
The essence of meditation is simplicity.
Listen not to yourself, but to the word - how it sounds inside you. Let go of all thoughts, even good ones, don’t think about anything. Be completely immersed in the word (or prayer). If, nevertheless, extraneous thoughts “enter your head,” do not be nervous, step away from them and continue meditation. Meditative contemplation is a good way relieve stress, you just need to try to completely detach yourself from the world around you.
Silence means letting go of thoughts. Silence means letting go of desires. Simplicity means letting go of self-analysis.
Meditate twice a day, every day. This one may seem quite complicated at first. Be patient. If breakdowns happen and you don’t meditate for several days, this does not mean that you cannot start all over again. It’s never too late to start again (not just meditation).
What does meditation do for Christians?
Feeling of personal connection with God.
The ability to “disengage” yourself from the only one. In the Christian tradition this is called “all-consuming love.” As a result of meditation, a person begins to be tolerant of others, and not only of family and friends, but also of strangers. And as a result, he becomes wiser.
Helps people of all ages and cultures awaken and deepen their spiritual lives.
Very popular today. It is advertised on television, on the Internet and on the streets, many gyms are opened, many are trained as trainers and begin to lead people to an ideal body. Along with the usual physical activities, many alternative and foreign sports options are emerging: martial arts, Pilates, and, of course, yoga.
It is about the last option that disagreements arise, because yoga is not only sports activities, it is also a certain worldview of a person and spiritual practices. What is the attitude of the Orthodox Church towards yoga and is it possible for an Orthodox person to practice it?
The purpose of yoga as a spiritual practice
This eastern practice is an integral part of an entire religion - Buddhism, which became widespread thanks to yoga. Initially, this sport was popular only in Western countries, in particular America, but over time it also appeared on the territory of post-Soviet countries. And so the question arose: is it possible for Orthodox Christians to practice yoga or is this contrary to the charter of the Church? And in general, what is the attitude of the Orthodox Church to yoga?
Orthodox view of yoga
To answer these questions, you should first understand what yoga is and why practicing it can lead to some kind of spiritual problems.
Yoga is a teaching consisting of a system of physical exercises, the purpose of which is the conscious control of the human psyche and psychophysiology. This is necessary to achieve a higher level of spiritual state. So, the idea of only the physical component is fundamentally wrong. Its main goal is to change consciousness and this already makes us think about the harmlessness of such a sport..
A more precise definition of yoga is a system of spiritual beliefs, so that the exercises are primarily aimed at changing a person’s consciousness and his spirit.
Orthodox hieromonk Seraphim once said that “a person who practices yoga automatically prepares himself for spiritual views and experiences that he did not even know about.” And Seraphim knew this for sure, because he himself actively practiced this system of exercises before taking monastic vows.
Orthodoxy on other theories and teachings:
Meditation is at the center, and physical exercise is only a tool to calm the body and achieve physical peace for subsequent spiritual practices. Seraphim also writes about this: “Its purpose is to relax a person, to make him passive and receptive to spiritual impressions.” Anyone who has been involved in this sport for 2-3 weeks can confirm that he has become calmer and softer - this is the result of regular practice.
In such a relaxed state, a person is extremely receptive to everything that will be said to him, and he will thus accept an alien philosophy much faster.
Why meditation is a negative phenomenon
Self-knowledge lies at the center of meditation; it distracts a person from vanity and turmoil, takes him into the world of images and colors. In the process of meditation, a feeling of peace comes, but at the same time, yoga involves concentration on knowing one’s own self.
Yoga is part of Hinduism
This is not a prayer in which one speaks face to face with the Lord. It is simply a search for oneself and the desire to ignite something in oneself that was not there before. People chase the peace that meditation implies and forget that in this pursuit one can forget that man is just God's servant.
Important! Yoga depersonalizes a person and erases God from his consciousness. This alone can give an Orthodox a clear answer that it is better to abstain from this practice.
A person stops praying, he begins to look for the peace that consciousness depicts for him. Moreover, meditation forces a person to accept and understand that he is God, and this contradicts the Commandments of God, which say that one is Lord.
A person who constantly engages in such practice will sooner or later repeat the sin of Adam - he will decide that he is no worse than the Lord God and will be overthrown.
“Salvation is accomplished not “in oneself and through oneself,” but in God,” says the theologian Hierotheos (Vlachos). But the master of Zen yoga Boris Orion claims that Zen or universal peace is freedom from religions where there is no God, and most importantly, it is turning to oneself. Isn’t that what the serpent in Eden told the first people?
So, yoga involves:
- the importance of experience, whether positive or negative;
- no distinction between good and evil;
- concentration on the human “I”;
- absence of God;
- achieving false peace;
- denial of the Lord.
All slogans sound very tempting, but in the end they lead a person to self-destruction, denial of the Lord and complete spiritual collapse. A person can achieve peace and perfection only by coming to the Lord and submitting to Him.
Orthodox Church and Yoga
Yoga as a system of exercises (physical and psychological) has existed for more than 1000 years. It is a branch of Buddhism and is aimed at attracting new adherents to this religion. The attitude of the Orthodox Church towards this practice is strictly negative. Despite the fact that some perceive this practice only as a system of exercises, they cannot be separated from psychological practice.
The attitude of the church towards yoga
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, commenting on yoga, confirmed that Orthodox believers should refrain from such practices and would rather engage in another sport that has no psychological overtones. He clarified that the practice is pagan and even simply doing the exercises can open the way to the spiritual world, which will have an extremely negative impact on a Christian.
Important! Any contact with pagan practices leads to an imbalance in the spiritual life of a Christian and can lead to negative consequences.
The Orthodox Church is of the opinion that such studies in Eastern practices lead a Christian to serious errors. Sooner or later, a person who practices yoga will become interested in the psychological exercises, in particular meditation, that it offers. And now it will be difficult to leave here.
Why Orthodox Christians Shouldn’t Do Yoga
An Orthodox Christian should not engage in such practice for the following reasons:
- yoga is part of a religious belief that is categorically opposed to Christianity;
- there is no God in her, no desire to know Him, no awareness of her sinful nature;
- Yoga does not involve repentance or remorse for one’s actions;
- this is a selfish practice of self-knowledge without the knowledge of God, and this is categorically at odds with Christian foundations.
Regular classes, meditation - all this leads to the fact that a person begins to turn away from the Lord, to turn towards his selfish nature more and more. He falls into various delusions, ceases to distinguish between good and evil, which ultimately leads to a serious spiritual decline. No one can guarantee whether a person will be able to return to the true path after this fall or not.
Advice! To avoid such troubles, it is best to refrain from such sports activities, especially since there is a huge number of a wide variety of physical activities without spiritual overtones.
Should a Christian Do Yoga?
Priesthood Response
As mentioned above, Patriarch Kirill spoke clearly about Eastern practices and noted that Orthodox believers should not engage in such things for their own good. At the same time, he noted that in general he has an extremely positive attitude towards any sport.
Spiritual life of an Orthodox Christian:
Sport should be aimed at improving our physical body and not affecting the spiritual essence, but yoga works in a different direction - it engages the body in order to hit the soul. The physical exercises of yoga are excellent, they develop endurance and flexibility, but its psychological techniques can destroy a person’s spiritual world, his essence and cultural identity.
Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose) wrote a whole book about yoga, in which he explained the destructive effects of this Eastern practice and listed the reasons why Orthodox people should avoid it. His opinion is especially important for Orthodox Christians since he himself previously practiced yoga and knows the entire system from the inside. In the book, he provides historical background, the history of the development of this meditative practice and examines its roots in Buddhism.
Seraphim says that on the American continent the spread of yoga led to the emergence of many pagan cults. In particular, the hippie movement relies heavily on inner self-discovery, meditation, and light energy. The hieromonk notes the detrimental influence of the Eastern system of exercises on the spiritual life of a person and his gradual alienation from the Lord, with subsequent complete renunciation.
Archbishop Anastasios of Albania also wrote an article of the same name, in which he revealed his position on yoga. He says in it that these exercises have a short-term positive effect on people, in particular the same as any other sport.
Yoga is an integral part of Hinduism and the initial stage of overall spiritual ascent. Its goal is not just good physical condition, but complete immersion in the original pagan Hindu beliefs.
And Orthodox religious scholar Mikhail Plotnikov, who also studied Hinduism and Buddhism in India for many years, in one interview says that “yoga was originally a practice of Hindu monks, which helps them renounce vicious desires, then natural human ones (the desire to have a family, prosperity, health), and then completely from all desires.”
First, a person must gain complete control over his body, then over his psychological body, which is achieved through meditation. After numerous sessions of trance, the light of his own divinity should enter the mind of a person.
Important! Yoga is not just a harmless, interesting exercise practice. This is the beginning of a serious pagan religion, which sooner or later will take over a person’s mind if one does not turn away from it in time.
In the modern world there are so many opportunities that it will not be difficult for a person to find alternative sports activities.
Orthodox Church about yoga
At first glance, many people think that meditation is a religious practice used in Buddhism. And according to Orthodox canons, you cannot use the rituals of other religions, which is typical for most beliefs. But now the practice of mindfulness has lost its religious meaning for most people, and its effectiveness has been proven by scientists.
Hello. My name is Nikolai, I am 22 years old, I am Orthodox and I meditate. Surprised? Yes, I’m shocked at myself, considering that for a long time I considered meditation to be an activity displeasing to God. And it’s good that this is not so, because the practice of mindfulness has given me a lot. Moreover, there is a type of Orthodox meditation that I practice every day.
Since then, I have maintained my composure much easier, drink less and don’t smoke at all (although before that I was a heavy smoker, I could smoke up to two packs). And all because I learned to relax in a more constructive way. I am an example of the fact that anything is possible, as long as you want it.
Orthodoxy and meditation - are they compatible?
Is meditation a sin in Orthodoxy? No. Few Orthodox Christians know that Christianity has its own type of mindfulness practice called the Jesus Prayer. Of course, many Orthodox Christians do not consider it as meditation, but in vain. Because it matches all of its characteristics.
What is this at its core? Meditation is focusing on a specific object for a long time. Therefore, virtually any activity that requires concentration or is of interest to a person is meditative. So? Now you can't do anything? Oh, stop. Even then, we need to be constantly focused on the thought that nothing can be done. In general, you won’t actually be able to not meditate.
If we omit any religious elements (besides the Orthodox, which we will talk about later), then meditation is simply a good relaxation technique, an exercise in concentration and self-control.
Orthodox meditation, as the name implies, is recommended to all Orthodox Christians who, for one reason or another, do not want to use classical meditative techniques, thinking that it is a sin, or who want to combine prayer and Christian meditation. However, it is not at all necessary to limit yourself to Orthodox meditation. You can use other techniques to suit your needs.
Orthodox meditation technique
The simplest technique of Orthodox meditation is called the Jesus Prayer. It initially contains the logic that a true believer must pray unceasingly. This can be done with the words “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” which are repeated many times. At the same time, you need to avoid automatically pronouncing these words and try to get involved in them as much as possible. If you notice that you have lost your concentration, then mentally return to the words of the prayer. At the same time, we don’t scold ourselves and don’t stop practicing.
We see that the logic of actions is the same as in ordinary meditation using a mantra. Some people mistakenly believe that the Jesus Prayer can only be used by monks. Actually, not like that. Its task specifically in Orthodoxy is to ensure constant remembrance of God, so as not to stray from the righteous path due to lack of awareness. The venerable elders distinguish four stages of this meditation-prayer:
- Oral. It is typical for beginners when the mind is constantly distracted. It is also called labor, because it requires volitional efforts.
- Heart. When the mind and heart are at one. This is a more advanced level, when a person becomes as emotionally involved in prayer as possible and completely dissolves in the “here and now” state. Nothing bothers him, he is only with God, and from this he receives pious pleasure.
- Creative. With the help of such a prayer, you can move mountains with one word, as did the Monk Mark of France.
- And this level is not accessible to almost any people, only angels. Only one person on the entire planet could achieve it.
The Holy Fathers taught that you should not contradict the thoughts that appear during the Jesus Prayer, just note them and continue to pray further without getting involved in them. Again, confirmation that this is meditation.
In principle, the words can change, it’s not so important. The main thing is to get involved in prayer. You can use your own petition, whichever you like. There are many other short prayers that can be alternated with the Jesus prayer.
conclusions
Now you know the answer to the question: “Meditation is a sin.” Of course not. Meditation and Orthodoxy are compatible things. You are very well done (or well done) for being engaged in self-development and looking for techniques that help increase stress resistance. You can also look at other materials on meditation on our website, given that any non-religious techniques for an Orthodox person are not a violation of the will of God.
Previously, it was believed that meditative teaching was directly related to Buddhism - it was an integral part of it. According to Orthodox laws, it is prohibited to practice the rituals of other religions, and this rule exists in many faiths. However, now the practice of meditation has lost its religious basis for most peoples, and the effect achieved during the procedure has been scientifically proven. Therefore, it is believed that meditation and Orthodoxy do not contradict each other.
Differences between meditation and prayer
The concept of meditation has distinctive and similar features with prayer. Let's consider the features of these practices:
- There are various forms of mediation (mantra meditation, which consists of pronouncing sounds and word forms that immerse the yogi in a state of sublime consciousness). This is a kind of trance that gives a person a certain spirituality and euphoria. Thus, the meditator during the procedure is subject to the influence of evil forces, since his protective barrier weakens during this time;
- Meditation, as it were, dissolves a person’s personality, spiritualizes him, and the purpose of prayer is the unity of man as an individual. Meditative practices are used in those religious teachings that profess pantheism. It is a belief that preaches that God is everything. However, according to Orthodox canons, God is a subjective being who exists beyond temporal and spatial boundaries. God initiated the creation of everything, but He is not everything. Prayer represents communication between man and God, and meditation is aimed at spiritualizing the personality, its dissolution;
- There are similarities in the concepts of meditation and prayer: during their implementation, it is necessary to throw negative thoughts, resentments and anger out of your head.
Meditation and Orthodoxy in modern conditions
What does Orthodoxy say about meditation, whether it is considered a sin - this question worries many. Meditation is not a sin. Many Orthodox Christians do not know that in the Christian religion there is a unique analogue of meditative practice - the Jesus Prayer. Of course, Christians do not consider it in any way related to meditation, however, their distinguishing features are similar.
The essence of meditation is to concentrate attention on some object. Therefore, any procedure that requires concentration and interests a person is considered meditative. Meditation is a procedure aimed at relaxation and control of thoughts.
It is believed that meditation and Orthodoxy are incompatible, but now their boundaries are blurring. Christians are showing increasing interest in meditation, as they find many similarities with prayer and the desire for unity of the soul. The only difference is that when reading a prayer, prayer words are used as a mantra, which are also aimed at achieving spiritual perfection.
What is meant by meditation?
There are many definitions for the concept of “meditation”. Combining them, we can say that this is a practice aimed at gaining spiritual wisdom. It forms the basis of many religious teachings. According to this practice, it can be performed anywhere and at any time, regardless of weather conditions, time, social status and other factors.
Priests believe that meditation and Orthodoxy are incompatible, their principles are opposite. By meditating, a person dissolves his personality and distances himself from the surrounding material world. In Christianity, the openness of the soul is considered dangerous, since at this time a person’s protection from evil spirits is removed.
Correct Order of Meditation
If a person decides to take up meditation, this should be approached with all responsibility and attention. Only in this case will it be possible to achieve the desired result. This method finds support in Orthodoxy, where prayer speeches are pronounced in accordance with certain rules.
Before meditating, you need to do some preparatory work:
- Choose a cozy place. Preferably bright, spacious and clean.
- Wash, comb your hair, put on clean, light clothes.
- Take a sitting or lying position, sitting on the floor or chair. The main condition for this is comfort for the body so that it does not become numb when staying in one position for a long time.
- Establish proper breathing, which is the basis of meditation. When performing the procedure, you need to alternately take deep breaths and slow, long exhalations.
- Having taken a comfortable position, you need to close your eyes and try to distance yourself from extraneous thoughts. It is necessary to free the mind from the influence of negativity. When reading mantras, listen to the words that sound in your soul. Immerse yourself in the sound of scripture. Initially, it is difficult for an inexperienced person to distract himself from extraneous thoughts, to throw pressing problems and grievances out of his head. However, later, the person will be able to easily fall into a trance.
Benefits of Meditation for Christians
In the Christian religion there is such a thing as all-consuming love, which is often mentioned in the canons of this teaching. In fact, it is a common feature of Christianity and meditation (various meditative practices). When reading a prayer, a person strives to achieve tolerance towards others. He comes to the realization that there is no need to be selfish and live only for himself. Therefore, he tries to help those in need who find themselves in difficult situations.
Other positive benefits of meditation include:
- eliminating insomnia, improving appetite if it is depressed;
- rejuvenation of the body and improvement of health;
- eliminating stress, resentment and anger towards people around you;
- inner peace and mental balance.
There are many examples in which meditation has brought invaluable benefits. Thanks to this practice, the human soul is cleansed, becomes bright and renewed. There is no contradiction with church teaching in this. It is important to treat it correctly and listen to the teacher during the meditation process.
In the modern world of constantly busy people, the practice of meditation is of increasing interest. And more and more often, people who attend church and believe in God are interested in meditative teachings. They have a question: is it possible to combine meditation and faith in the divine?
There is no definite answer to this question; everyone must decide for himself whether he has any internal spiritual contradictions for these two teachings.
The so-called Orthodox meditation is preferably performed by those Christians who, for some reason, do not want to use standard meditation practices, considering them a sin or having a desire to combine prayer and meditation. In this case, there are no external contradictions. You can use any technique to achieve your goal. The main thing is that a person finds harmony and does not contradict himself.
Orthodox meditation technique
The standard practice of meditation in Christianity is called the Jesus Prayer. It is based on the principle that a truly believing Christian must constantly pray. You can do this by repeating any words from the Bible. At the same time, you need to put meaning into these words, not pronounce them automatically.
When you lose concentration, you need to return to your prayer words again and again. There is no need to reproach yourself for inattention and you should not end the practice.
Thus, it is clear that the principle of action is similar to standard meditation with mantras. Some Christians believe that the Jesus Prayer can only be said by monks and clergy. But its purpose in Orthodoxy is precisely defined - the memory of God must be constantly preserved in order to avoid leaving the righteous path for an unconscious reason.
According to the monks, meditation-prayer contains four stages:
- Oral or labor. All beginners usually go through it when their thoughts are constantly led away from the right direction. At this stage, it requires an effort of will to stay on the true path.
- Heart. This is a more advanced stage when the mind and heart begin to “think” the same way. A person is completely immersed in prayer and is only “here and now.” He is distracted from pressing problems, he communicates with God alone. And he enjoys these sensations.
- Creative. This prayer allows you to literally move mountains with a word.
- The fourth stage is inaccessible to mortal people. Only angels can reach it.
The teaching of the venerable elders is such that contradicting the thoughts that come in the process of the Jesus Prayer means contradicting one’s “I.” You shouldn’t be distracted by these thoughts, but you need to notice them. This principle is also similar to meditation.
The words of the prayer can change, the main condition is immersion in it. You can simply ask God for something. There are also many short prayers that can be combined with the Jesus Prayer. Thus, meditation and Orthodoxy are not in conflict. Each person has the right to decide how he wants to cleanse his mind and soul. Therefore, you should engage in activities that bring you closer to achieving your spiritual goal.