EASTERN VERSUS CHRISTIAN MEDITATION

Consider our minds to be the waves on the surface of an ocean. Also know that below the surface rests the quiet depths of the ocean. No matter how the surface of the ocean is with its turbulent waters, the depths which extend way beyond  the surface will always be calm. Our active minds are like the surface of the ocean, but as you meditate you reach the depths of our existence to experience a true awareness of oneself.  

This a common analogy with which gurus of Eastern meditation introduce the art of meditation to beginners.  It is more than likely that most have heard of meditation techniques like transcendental meditation, sky meditation, etc. which are rooted in Hinduism as well Zen meditation and other forms popularized by Buddhism. These forms of Eastern meditation are also being increasingly incorporated into the workplace, being offered as solutions for various disorders and for improving well-being. Given the rapidly rising popularity of different forms of Eastern meditation, it is important to be cognizant of what it really is and how it is different from Christian meditation which is not quite the same.

Eastern meditation seeks to empty the outer mind using a variety of techniques with the goal of reaching the inner mind. It can be breathing techniques, or using mantras or chanting, all of which keep the mind from working, thereby allowing the practitioner to slip into a decreasing activity of the mind leading on to an emptiness within. Stress related disorders are attributed to an excess activity of the mind. And so, they seek to empty the mind with an external stimulus like controlled breathing or listening to mantras. As the practitioner slips into a meditative stage, he is led to a state of addictive serotonin release, deep bliss, loss of spatial orientation and unnatural experiences , all of which may be interpreted as attaining nirvana, self-realization or experiencing God depending on one’s vocabulary.

Christian meditation is quite different. To begin with, unlike as with Eastern meditation which is a conversation and a union with oneself, Christian meditation is a union of the disciple with a God who reveals Himself to a seeker. Not surprising because Hinduism and Buddhism do not believe in the existence of a personal God, whereas Christianity does.  And so, while the eastern mystic goes deeper into himself, the Christian mystic goes deeper into a union with the personal and infinite God described in the Bible. The mind and its various components -the reasoning, the imagination, and the emotions all might have a role to play in Christian meditation as can conversations with God through prayer. As a Christian mystic progresses in his journey, he leans away from the more tangible means towards silence in the presence of a loving God, but in doing so does not seek to empty his mind with external physical input, rather is able to keep his mind still in the presence of God, eager to receive input in his reasoning, imagination and emotions as allowed by God. 

While the Eastern mystic interprets the ultimate stilling of the mind and reaching the depths of the mind as self-awareness, the highest form in Christian meditation is one of contemplation, where God of his own accord unites within man, not just taking man to his inner depths in a vacuum as with eastern mysticism, rather elevating man to the highest possible realm of union with God. Here the Christian mystic receives input in his spirit- the act of union with God, initiated by God, an experience that cannot be described in human terminology, nevertheless the most supreme experience a person can receive. A number of saints including St John of the Cross, Thomas Merton etc. have expounded on this in great detail. 

The proponents of eastern meditation emphasize that they don’t have the baggage of philosophy and religious affiliation (unlike Christian meditation) and therefore have become popular in the pervading liberal philosophical mindset that rules current Western thought. They are right because that is what pantheism, the philosophical basis of Hinduism is- where everything is acceptable and even contradictions are allowed. They are also wrong, because they are articulating a philosophy despite claiming there is none. Also, when man is taken to a state of emptiness by mantras and chanting, it is negating the control man can exercise over his own being using the faculty of his will. This can make a person prone to being influenced in the spiritual realm as he remains in the deep vegetative state without the ability to control influences coming his way. That is the reason why there are reports of people going deep into Eastern meditation and ending up with multiple personality and psychiatric disorders. In Christian meditation, the disciple always remains in control, and that is how we are created- with an ability to decide for oneself. In addition, with the addictive tendencies Eastern meditation promotes, it reduces a person to be captive to the inner recesses of the mind, diminishing the personhood of man. You can calm your mind, and find symptom relief from stress caused by an overactive mind as with multiple other modalities, but Eastern meditation does so with its attendant risks. 

A Christian should explore and delve deep into meditation following Biblical principles. In doing so, he will not only find relief from stress, but also progress in his discovery of the living God. A video on this topic is also given below.

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