I guess there are different forms of prayer. In our meetings what is most common is for an Elder to lead us in a prayer and so we focus outward on the Elder's words. Often Elder's prayers take us to an acknowledgement of everything that holds us, our relationships with the universe and the animals and the natural world, and in this respect it becomes a bit of a guided meditation. Many Elders invite us to take a moment to pray in our own ways using our own languages and addressing our own deities. When that happens you get the full deal, outer focus and inner reflection.
It's a good way to start a meeting. As a result of having this great resource available to me in most of the work I do with our communities I find myself not needing to do anything special in opening and closing circles. The Elders take care of that. Chris --- CHRIS CORRIGAN Bowen Island, BC, Canada http://www.chriscorrigan.com ch...@chriscorrigan.com (604) 947-9236 > -----Original Message----- > From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of Ashley > Cooper > Sent: Monday, January 26, 2004 4:28 PM > To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > Subject: Re: Silence > > thanks Mik and Chris. it helped me to think in terms of meditation verses > just prayer. it doesn't seem like prayer automatically fits into that > equation for me. > > warm regards, > Ashley > > > From: Chris Corrigan <ch...@chriscorrigan.com> > > To: <osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu> > > Date: 1/25/2004 4:38:49 PM > > Subject: Re: Silence > > > > Ashley and Artur...what Mik said. > > > > Basically prayer (or maybe more precisely meditation) is the exercise > > whereby we focus ourselves on a silent spot within and then open > > ourselves to fully and truly experience the world as it really is. That > > means all the sounds and sensations that envelop us: we experience them > > acutely as we become more and more aware of our connection to the > > greater whole, which is what prayer and meditation is about for me. > > Also, when someone is leading a prayer, I find myself very focused on > > that person's words, sounds which are obviously "out there." > > > > Reflection on the other hand is what happens when we turn the spotlight > > inwards, and as Mik said, we concentrate deeply on our own internal > > sounds and images and find ourselves blocking out the world from our > > minds. > > > > Both are good and important forms of silence in my life. > > > > Chris > > > > --- > > CHRIS CORRIGAN > > Bowen Island, BC, Canada > > http://www.chriscorrigan.com > > ch...@chriscorrigan.com > > > > (604) 947-9236 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of > > Artur > > > Ferreira da Silva > > > Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2004 11:45 AM > > > To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > > > Subject: Re: Silence > > > > > > At 13:59 23-01-2004 -0800, Chris Corrigan wrote: > > > > > > >So, to conclude, in terms Artur might appreciate: > > > > > > > >Prayer = IS + EN > > > >Reflection = IN + ES > > > > > > > >Where IS=internal silence, IN=internal noise, ES=external silence and > > > >EN=external noise. > > > > > > Sorry, Chris, but I share Ashley's doubts. And I am not able to > > appreciate > > > what I am unable to understand :-( > > > > > > Best regards > > > > > > Artur > > > > > > * > > > * > > > ========================================================== > > > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > > > ------------------------------ > > > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, > > > view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu, > > > Visit: > > > > > > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html > > > > * > > * > > ========================================================== > > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > > ------------------------------ > > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, > > view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu, > > Visit: > > > > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html > > * > * > ========================================================== > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > ------------------------------ > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, > view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu, > Visit: > > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu, Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
