In the following excerpts it is clear that the now pope Benedict and his predecessor were not instructing Catholics not to use Eastern forms of meditation but rather stating the proper way to use them consistent with the teachings of the Church. For example:
1 As a psycho-physical preparation for a truly Christian contemplation 2 The majority of the "great religions sought union with God in prayer and pointed out ways to achieve it. The Catholic Church rejects nothing of what is true and holy in these religions. 3 The spiritual authors have adopted those elements which make recollection in prayer easier, at the same time recognizing their relative value: they are useful if reformulated in accordance with the aim of Christian prayer. 4 Genuine practices of meditation which come from the Christian East and from the great non-Christian religions, can constitute a suitable means of helping the person who prays to come before God with an interior peace, even in the midst of external pressures. EXCERPTS FROM: LETTER TO THE BISHOPS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ON SOME ASPECTS OF CHRISTIAN MEDITATION Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith REFERENCE SECTION 12 Some use eastern methods solely as a psycho-physical preparation for a truly Christian contemplation; REFERENCE SECTION 16 The majority of the "great religions" which have sought union with God in prayer have also pointed out ways to achieve it. Just as "the Catholic Church rejects nothing of what is true and holy in these religions, neither should these ways be rejected out of hand simply because they are not Christian. On the contrary, one can take from them what is useful so long as the Christian conception of prayer, its logic and requirements are never obscured. REFERENCE SECTION 26 The spiritual authors have adopted those elements which make recollection in prayer easier, at the same time recognizing their relative value: they are useful if reformulated in accordance with the aim of Christian prayer. For example, the Christian fast signifies, above all, an exercise of penitence and sacrifice; but, already for the Fathers, it also had the aim of rendering man more open to the encounter with God and making a Christian more capable of self-dominion and at the same time more attentive to those in need. REFERENCE SECTION 28 That does not mean that genuine practices of meditation which come from the Christian East and from the great non-Christian religions, which prove attractive to the man of today who is divided and disoriented, cannot constitute a suitable means of helping the person who prays to come before God with an interior peace, even in the midst of external pressures. REFERENCE SECTION 31 The Supreme Pontiff, John Paul II, in an audience granted to the undersigned Cardinal Prefect, gave his approval to this letter, drawn up in a plenary session of this Congregation, and ordered its publication. At Rome, from the offices of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, October 15, 1989, the Feast of Saint Teresa of Jesus. Joseph Card. Ratzinger Prefect Endnotes 1. The expression "eastern methods" is used to refer to methods which are inspired by Hinduism and Buddhism, such as "Zen," "Transcendental Meditation" or "Yoga." Thus it indicates methods of meditation of the non-Christian Far East which today are not infrequently adopted by some Christians also in their meditation. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, maskedzebra <no_reply@...> wrote: > > You see what TM did to Basil Pennington? It destroyed the integrity > experientially of his Catholicism. Basil's own experience of TM determined > the perspective he articulates here. Such a perspective endorses the > universal truth of all religions, because what Pennington is describing is > what happens when you pray to a Hindu deity. His adherence to the strictly > Catholic vision of creation was fatally sabotaged by TM. > > Saint Francis Xavier [missionary to India] winced when he read this [what you > quote from Pennington] from his place in heaven. But he understood: after > all, what can one expect when the Holy Ghost abandons his Church? Basil had > no chance once he entered that Puja room. > > Thomas Keating, if I remember correctly, wrote in a newspaper about Maharishi > when Maharishi was giving his course at Estes Park. He referred to Maharishi > as the Pope of the Transcendental Meditation Movement. > > There's no guarding yourself against the Eastern gods after the sixtiesthat > is, once you take the plunge. first psychedelically, then transcendentally > (via TM), reinforced by opening oneself to the majesty of the presence of > Maharishi. > > The most charismatic human being of my lifetimeby far. > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "johnt" <johnlasher20002000@> wrote: > > > > This is what Fr. Basil Pennington said about TM > > > > Basil Pennington, the American Cistercian monk and theologian states: > > > > `The Christian who takes up TM, if his vision and motivation are enlivened > > by his faith, realizes by this faith that he is entering upon a way of very > > pure prayer. He is leaving all behind, all his thoughts, feelings, desires, > > in > > order to enter into God. Even if in a particular instance he does not > > actually transcend and enter into the fourth state of consciousness, his > > motivation, his outreach toward God is still there as a very real prayer . > > . . If > > he does transcend, and this will commonly be the case, he enters into a > > very restful and beautiful state of contemplation, of contemplative union > > with God. > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "emptybill" <emptybill@> wrote: > > > > > > The Roman Catholic lineage is not dead because it produced Thomas > > > Merton. > > > However, much of it remain catatonic ... a mere semblance of its former > > > life. > > > If you broaden your field you'll find amazing riches beyond mere > > > thinking. > > > > > > One excellent place to start is The Mystical Theology of the Eastern > > > Church > > > by Vladimir Lossky. It presents much of the original view of the > > > tradition before > > > it was severed by the mutual anathemas of the 11th Century Hierarchs. > > > > > > Worth reading is Centering Prayer by Fr. Basil Pennington, who also > > > learned TM. > > > The works of Trappist Abbot Thomas Keating best explain its traditional > > > basis. > > > > > > Here is a summary about the essence of contemplative prayer from Fr. > > > Keating: > > > > > > Invitation to Love > > > > > > Keating first discusses what contemplative prayer is not. It is not a > > > technique to achieve bliss, nor is it one of the charismatic gifts > > > enumerated by Paul in 1 Corinthians 12. In particular, it is not the > > > same thing as the gift of "resting in the Spirit." These gifts are given > > > for the benefit of the local Christian community and are an invitation > > > to the spiritual journey rather than evidence that the individual has > > > spiritually "arrived". > > > Contemplative prayer also is not a psychic or para-psychological > > > phenomenon. Though these phenomena may indeed signal a transition from > > > mental egoic to intuitive consciousness, this only means access to new > > > energy, not freedom from the false self. > > > > > > The essence of contemplative prayer is not the experience of mystical > > > phenomena, which, like the charismatic gifts, are probably also meant to > > > encourage the Christian people in times of difficulty such as war, > > > disaster, and persecution. > > > > > > "The essence of contemplative prayer is not the way of external or > > > internal phenomena, but the way of pure faith. This is the narrow door > > > that leads to life." Our experience, what we feel, is not the most > > > important part. Like the two nuns whose stories Keating briefly retells, > > > we may arrive at transforming union either with or without exuberant > > > mystical experiences. > > > > > > St. John of the Cross said that contemplative prayer is a ray of > > > darkness. The darkness of faith is the evidence of things not seen; and > > > "the way of pure faith is to persevere in contemplative practice without > > > worrying about where we are on the journey, and without comparing > > > ourselves with others or judging others' gifts as better than ours." > > > > > > It is commitment to the journey and faithful practice rather than > > > spiritual experiences that lead to the transforming union. Though we > > > cannot perceive it through our natural senses, "the divine light of > > > faith is totally available in the degree that we consent and surrender > > > ourselves to its presence and action within us." > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, maskedzebra <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > > > > > Looks like I've got some reading to do, emptybill. Thanks for the > > > sources. > > > > > > > > Why can't everyone just agree with me: My theory is so damn reasonable > > > and commonsensical. No? > > > > > > > > No, I knew I was in for it in posting that response to what, all > > > things considered, *is* a beautiful prayer. (If I had seen in the > > > mid-seventies, I would have memorized it right then and there.) > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "emptybill" emptybill@ wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Robin > > > > > > > > > > You theological knowledge appears quite restricted, as do your > > > > > evaluations. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Haven't you ever read St. Dionysius Areopagite? > > > > > > > > > > What about the Skemmata of Evagius? St. Maximus the Confessor? St. > > > > > Gregory Palamas? St. Symeon the New Theologian? > > > > > >
