The Power of Silence
This is the eighth in a series of blogs on the Christian life, prayer and self-knowledge.I
Christian Meditation is another, and mostly unknown, method of prayer. It is truly different in its approach from lectio divina and other forms of meditation where the mind is a vital component of the prayer. Christian Meditation is a contemplative approach to prayer that centers on silence. It hopes to eliminate, or at least quiet down, all thinking and the imagination during the period of prayer.The silence invites God to be active in our prayer. The spirit of poverty is the goal. We simply seek to create an emptiness that is the best invitation to the Spirit, where God prays within us. “In the same way the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groaning.” (Rom 8:26)
The individual is asked to silently repeat the holy word, Maranatha, which means “the Lord will come.” The choice of the word is arbitrary and its meaning serves no purpose in the prayer. The simple and slow repetition of the mantra has a clear goal: the creation of silence that subdues the mind and imagination.
This happens by placing the focus on the holy word or mantra. The repetition connects to one’s breathing. The slow repeating of the word is the individual’s prayer. The mind and imagination are the source of the distractions. There is a fear on the part of the ego that the silence will mean the loss of the ego’s control.
The gentle reciting of the mantra liberates us from the captivity of the mind and imagination. We want to open space for God. Simplicity and emptiness need to be the goal. The repeating of the word symbolizes and encourages the trustworthy surrender to God. The important issue is to grow in purity of heart with openness to God’s Grace.
The prayer is experiential and practical. People need to start the journey and let the experience be the teacher. The purpose of the simple repetition of the mantra, Maranatha, is to clear the mind, to get beyond thinking. We want to move from the head to the heart. We need to pay attention to how we say the mantra. Our effort should be calm but firm in our prayerful repetition.
This clears the mind enough to make space for the Spirit. The highly recommended schedule for this prayer is twenty to thirty minutes in both the morning and evening. We must never forget that the final measure of effective prayer is a life more in tune with the values of the gospel, walking with Jesus.
The Mantra’s Opening to Self-Knowledge
II
When we begin to pray, we immediately encounter the obstacle of our human condition. We are selfish people. The ego wants to protect our comfort and control. Our operating pattern is deeply ingrained.
We have embraced the superficial and convenient. We are resistant to the more demanding depths of our spirit. We have been happy to float along, carried by a materialistic culture and a dominant consumerism. Prayer is threatening to this self-seeking agenda.
A serious commitment to prayer draws us into the immediate conflict with the chaos that has been operating under the surface. Personality traits, patterns of thinking, value systems and character limitations are some of the disruptive elements. Christian Meditation offers a simple but challenging option: a peaceful, silent approach centering on the mantra. The slow, steady repetition of the mantra of contemplative prayer will produce change. The task of the mantra is to isolate oneself from the ego and be free for God. The mantra’s assignment is to purify and to enlighten.
There will be a gradual withdrawal of emphasis on the ego controlled element of our personality. The measured passage to silence gently lessens the dominance of our self-centered desires and prejudices. The faithful practice of Christian Meditation creates new insights leading to gospel values and to self-knowledge. This is an overture to our true destiny: to be one with God.
With some growth in this form of contemplative prayer, we are on the journey that highlights self-knowledge. This is a sure passage that opens the way to a true and expanding knowledge of God. The mantra digs deep into the psyche and unveils hidden levels of brokenness and the driving power of selfishness. This is the beginning of personal purification and transformation. The task of the mantra, operating in silence, opens us to God’s healing grace in at special way. The real power is the silence.
The mantra draws us into the silence that is the true language of God. In the silence, God takes over the prayer. In the process of quieting the mind and calming our possessive desires, the mantra facilitates the emergence of self-acceptance and self-knowledge. There are vast areas of our personality and other internal influences emerging from our unconscious that now come into play. This new enlightenment most often happens outside the time of prayer.
All these changes lead to a new centering. The focus is away from ourselves. God emerges as our true center.
How to Meditate
III
The most important thing to learn about meditation is to meditate. It is extraordinarily simple. This is the problem. Few believe that something so simple is so effective and transforming.
To meditate, sit still and upright while seeking the awareness of God’s presence. As you relax, close your eyes. Slowly begin saying the mantra in four syllables. Do not think or imagine anything. As distractions come, return to the mantra softly but decisively. Even good thoughts are to be excluded.
The target is twenty to thirty minutes in the morning and evening. There are three simple goals to guide the two meditation periods each day: Say the mantra for the complete time of the meditation. This is a skill. It will take time to create a habit.
Say the mantra throughout the meditation without interruption. The task here is to continually return as soon as possible from the persistent distractions that are the ego’s hunger for control. In saying the mantra, let it draw you into the depths of your being, beyond thought, imagination, and all images. Rest in the presence of God dwelling in the depth of your heart.
