--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "emptybill" <emptyb...@...> wrote: > > You keep posting this definition, so the question arises ... WTF? > > Metanoia did not originally signify any religious or theological ideas. > As a descriptive designation the word developed out of the juridical > function of kingship. That means that ordinary people, upon occasion, > were brought to the court of a sovereign ruler, who then pronounced > sentence upon their situation. This situation might be an accuasation > that they commited a crime. It might also be that they performed some > civic or virtuous activity that warranted special recognition and > reward. In either case, the person singled out fell to the floor or > ground (if the King's court was held outside) and in the direct presence > of the awesome king and courtiers, lost control of their limbs out of > either awe or fear. (To this day, we call the civic arena of juridical > debate and decision a "court" held at a "court house".) > > This awe/aweful response latter became formalized into bowing to the > king/queen as a demonstrated act of submission or contrition. > As an act of contrition, it was labled "meta-noia", literally a change > in the nous (intellectus) of the contrite. Since the seat of > intellection (non-discursive knowing) was considered to be the "heart", > the biblical injuctive command - "metanoete!" - change your heart - was > the meaning inherent in the Hellenic biblical command. This change of > heart was the condition required for real penitance or genuine regret > for one's misdeeds in the presence of a king/queen and was the only > foundation for any hope for mercy rather than retribution. > > "Metanoia", as an idea, gradually developed an expanded conotation > focused around the core idea of centering attention in one's own heart > (as in a change of heart) where a person's nous (intelligence) natually > resided. > > This view became the basis of Egyptian desert monasticism in the 3-6th > C.E. and eventually led to the Eastern Orthodox monastic practice of > "settling the mind into the heart" through the practice of the prayer of > the heart. > > We might consider this "transcending the mind" but within the historical > context noted above. All the rest of these claims are nice thoughts but > in the end are unconfirmed speculations that flitter around an idea and > an actual practice that has been long developed. > > However, no offence meant ... as Three-City Kirk would say. > (snip)
BTW, one of the sutras in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras:' #(18): 'Knowledge of Consciousness' is attained by concentrating on the Heart.
