Well, then, add me to the list of the lazy and gutless.
Because my thoughts were much as SnoopyFan’s. I pray to have my attitude changed and to be reminded that this person (whoever he/she is) is beloved by God. I then work on changing my attitude and in the meantime act as though my attitude has changed. The end result is genuine compassion.
But no, I have absolutely no desire or whatsoever to attempt to transfer warm, happy feelings. I’d rather have my genuine compassion for someone be about that person rather than merely have it transferred from someone else.
It’s not about transferring false feelings, it’s about learning to let go of the artificial distinctions we make between those we love and those we hate. It’s about simply feeling the love without attaching it to specific things or people. It’s about cultivating the realization that the person you hate is the person you love and is also you.
Ben
There is nothing wrong with meditation, and we tend to do it more than we think. Worry is a form of meditation. But I fail to see what the point of this op is. By adding the qualifier “Buddist” to “Christian” you take the focus away from meditation. So I believe that the whole purpose of that is to then show why Christians are wrong, all in “a fight against ignorance”. If I was to start a thread saying “Atheists, would you believe in the god of whatever” wouldn’t it seems a bit silly? If they believed in that god, they wouldn’t be atheists then, would they? And the post “When you’re doing your calculus homework, should you keep up a running refrain in your mind of “Oh Jesus, yes oh Lord Jesus, great Lord of Calculus, mighty thou art, our Lord and Savior Jesus, Hosanna, Hosanna”?” does kind of support the idea that you’d rather make any ‘fundie’ look stupid, rather then actually be open to why they would or would not say a prayer, or meditate like a monk.
Or is the whole issue about buddism the way they do it? If that is the case, then to answer the question, no I wouldn’t, as I don’t really want to empty my mind. Do I think there’s anything wrong with wishing well on people? Nope, but I really doubt that that was the issue. And did you say there were no god’s in Buddism?
As goading as the question seems, I think he really just wonders whether or not meditation, as performed by followers and monks of Buddhism, conflicts in some way with modern Christianity. I don’t believe that it does, I mean, I don’t believe there is much of a difference between “Buddhist” meditation, and the meditation that some people I know do, and that I do. It’s all simply meditation, a way to clear the mind, to build ‘mindfulness’, and the ability to focus on something without having your mind wander. The way Svt4Him refers to it, seems as though he doesn’t really understand the purpose of the ‘emptying of the mind’, but there is indeed a benefit to that sort of meditation. Also, the breathing in and out technique mentioned above is probably the most prevalent method of starting meditation. I don’t see any references to gods, God, idols, the Buddha, or anything similar to that. It’s entirely secular, so I don’t see why any Christian would object to meditation, if they had actually done it before and understood what it was.
First, let’s have a good deliniation between “Buddhist Meditation,” “Meditation,” and “Christian Meditation.”
Specifically, define Buddhist meditation and contrast it with religion-neutral meditation and Christian meditation.
How, exactly, is this Buddhist, Ben? Sounds Christian to me, what with all of the “Love thy neighbor as you love thyself” and “Love those who persecute you” going on.
Buddhism seeks nullification (not necessarily in the negative sense). Christianity seeks closeness to God (salvation). That being said, there are methods of focused prayer that are essentially meditative in nature.
I can’t speak for Ben, of course, but I think that might be the point he’s trying to make. We’ve already had several Christians on this thread insist they’d never, ever practice Buddhist meditation, pretty much confirming they have no idea what it means before they condemn it. If they knew what it was, what it was all about, if they looked beyond the labels, they wouldn’t be so quick to condemn perhaps.
Yeah, Ben? I don’t see anything in your requested definition of “Buddhist meditation” that looks “Buddhist” at all.
It reminds me of nothing so much as the Lamaze deep breathing exercises I learned way back when. “Breathe in…breathe out…breathe in…breathe out…” I wasn’t aware at the time that that was “Buddhist”, and my Lamaze instructor would probably have been surprised to hear it, too.
So speaking for myself, I wouldn’t have any problem with what you’re describing, any more than I’d have a problem with any other kind of humanistic meditation, that is, any kind of meditation that wasn’t some kind of specific Christian prayer procedure.
Which I don’t. Have a problem with it, I mean. “Breathe in…breathe out…” seems pretty harmless, even for Christians. Meditation for Christians IMO doesn’t have to be Christ-focused. And actually, meditation, to work, seems to need to be more of a mindless nullification drone-thing, “Omm…” etc., and if you’re meditating upon Christ and His life, it’s hard to be “mindless” about that.
And I’m not one of these fanatics who insists on every waking moment being spent on “thinking about Jesus”. I know a very dear Fundie woman who once told me that the Holy Spirit reminded her to buy canned green beans at the grocery store, and the only reason It could do this was because she was always praying in her heart.
I know enough Buddhists and enough about Buddhism to know that none of the stuff put forth here as “Buddhist meditation” would qualify as such. I have yet to see a single mention of samsara, dukkha, nirvana, hinayana vs. mahayana, etc.
Context is meaning. Take it out of its Buddhist context and it is no longer Buddhist.
One might as well say that all rice is and must be “Japanese food”.
I disavow detailed knowledge of Buddhism. However, I have read translations of Mahayana, Theravada (and tantric) excerpts and did not get the sense of that “continual emphasis”.
