Know Your Mind, Body and Spirit
I'm not an expert on this. But a lot depends on the motivation and inner spirituality of what's going on.
A parallel example might be using the Enneagram to discern personality differences, e.g. in a team at work. Some Enneagram facilitators emphasize the deep oriental spirituality behind this analysis; but actually many of us have found that it makes a lot of sense without any of that.
In the same way, I believe that many people use Yoga exercises and the like without actually buying in to a non-Christian (or non-Jewish) world view or spirituality. After all, a lot of modern medicine was conceived in a relentlessly secularist mindset, but I don't think I'm selling out to secularism by taking an Aspirin or having an injection.
Part of the point underneath this is what Paul is addressing in 1 Corinthians 8. If someone has been regularly worshiping idols and eating in temples, the very thought that they might be served meat which had been offered to idols would revolt them. But people without that problem in their background would be able to say, quite cheerfully, that the meat is only meat.
If in doubt, anyone with conscientious scruples could and should talk and pray the matter over with a wise spiritual director or guide who can help to discern where the pressure points lie for them personally.
By
Nicholas T. Wright
|
April 11, 2007; 9:30 AM ET
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Posted by: Jonglly | May 16, 2007 11:07 PM
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The best info I have found on Christ, Trinity centered contemplative prayer and meditation is Thomas Dubay S.M. The Fire Within and Deep Conversion and Deep Prayer are a good start. He see virtue and a key element of contemplation using St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross as sources.
Posted by: Tom M | April 24, 2007 7:21 AM
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N. Thomas Wright writes “... I believe that many people use Yoga exercises and the like without actually buying in to a non-Christian (or non-Jewish) world view or spirituality. After all, a lot of modern medicine was conceived in a relentlessly secularist mindset, but I don't think I'm selling out to secularism by taking an Aspirin or having an injection.”
People do not walk into a restaurant and order a bottle of “Christian communion” with their meal. Rather, they order a bottle of wine. If one did place such an order, it would be taken as a joke. Similarly, would we call eating bread with your meal “Christian communion” or would we simply call it eating bread? How is it that one can walk into a health spa, for example, and order up “Yoga” and completely disregard its true meaning?
For thousands of years Yoga has been a universal process leading to subtle spiritual realization or direct experience. Not until recent decades has Yoga been considered a mere physical fitness program. Until you are ready to believe that Christian communion is nothing more than drinking wine and eating bread with your meal, please stop treating Yoga as a mere physical fitness program.
Posted by: Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati | April 23, 2007 1:58 PM
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MNH, thanks for the link, which I bookmarked.
Some of the reasons I come to this blog and also post on it, is 1)the quality of many of the panelists (for ex. Tutu, Borg, Crossan, Thistlethwaite, and many others,)2) the liveliness of the conversation and frequent posting so a dialog can take place, and 3)the fact that it is in the mainstream media and thus read by many.
As to the annoying posts, who will remain nameless, but we all know who they are, it does not take a lot of time to scroll right through them. I presume the people running the blog do not want to get into making decisions on who has the right to express their feelings on such a delicate topic as one's personal faith.
Posted by: ALM | April 13, 2007 3:27 PM
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Professor Marcus Borg, an On-Faith panelist, has published a book comparing many of the sayings of Jesus to those of Buddha. Jesus and Buddha: The Parallel Sayings (2002),
An excerpt from the Introduction of the book:
"Most striking of all the parallels between Jesus and Buddha are those dealing with love..."
Posted by: Concerned The Christian Now Liberated | April 12, 2007 11:55 AM
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Why doesn't someone moderate this blog to keep the trashers and spammers off it.
Serious debate on religion and ethics
http://lookinginthedistance.blogspot.com
can be conducted with someone to moderate the posts. Eventually the trash commenters will go away.
mnh
Posted by: MNH | April 12, 2007 8:28 AM
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Motivations and spirituality are indeed the key elements. Why would an experience that "centers" us be a threat unless you are afraid of what is at your own center....
Posted by: Viejita del oeste | April 12, 2007 1:20 AM
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Nevedita: Also for the sake of clarification, only in the West is it thought that Buddhism is somehow separate from Hinduism. Buddhas himself was a Hindu and Buddhism is simply a defined group within Hinduism. Buddhists worship the same gods as do Buddhists, but they place special emphasis on the teachings of Buddha and have developed distinctive traditions around the Buddha and his teachings. They remain, however, a part of Hinduism and not an entirely separate or distinct religion. As one of my Nepali Hindu friends said to me, "we had no idea the Buddhists were separate from us until the Westerners informed us!"
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Posted by: Anonymous | April 11, 2007 6:06 PM
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I believe that Rev. Wright is correct that one can practice meditation without departing from the Christian world view. That does not mean that one needs to discredit world views that are not Christian or other spiritual paths.
I find that regular meditation helps me to maintain a relationship with Christ, and help to see Christ in others and act accordingly. I use a mantra that has the Name of Jesus Christ in my meditation.
Posted by: ALM | April 11, 2007 12:00 PM
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Norrie...Just clarifying here, yoga is a Hindu practice, but Buddhism also incorporates it as part of meditation.
Posted by: Nivedita | April 11, 2007 11:06 AM
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If a Christian or Jew were to take up meditation alone, it would probably reinforce his/her existing religious inclinations.
If s/he also learned something about Buddhism and integrated that knowledge with the meditation, s/he might well become a Buddhist.
Posted by: Norrie Hoyt | April 11, 2007 10:18 AM
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