Hesychasm

Matthew Jon Rousseau, modified 4 Years ago at 12/18/19 6:16 AM
Created 4 Years ago at 12/18/19 6:16 AM

Hesychasm

Posts: 70 Join Date: 10/6/19 Recent Posts
Has anybody  tried any of the methods of. Christain mysticism.  it seems like Tibetian deity yoga somewhat, whith Christ  as the object of concentration. It looks like it fall into the  Buddhist map of the Jhanas.   
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Chris M, modified 4 Years ago at 12/18/19 6:45 AM
Created 4 Years ago at 12/18/19 6:45 AM

RE: Hesychasm

Posts: 5117 Join Date: 1/26/13 Recent Posts
I have a friend who's deeply into doing just that. She's not a member or poster here, though.
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Bardo, modified 4 Years ago at 12/18/19 7:40 AM
Created 4 Years ago at 12/18/19 7:40 AM

RE: Hesychasm

Posts: 263 Join Date: 9/14/19 Recent Posts
I've had some peripheral interest in Christian mysticism but not enough to pass a well-formed reply. Would you be able to link something to which you are referring to?
Derek2, modified 4 Years ago at 12/18/19 2:55 PM
Created 4 Years ago at 12/18/19 2:54 PM

RE: Hesychasm

Posts: 231 Join Date: 9/21/16 Recent Posts
Bardo Cruiser:
I've had some peripheral interest in Christian mysticism but not enough to pass a well-formed reply. Would you be able to link something to which you are referring to?


https://archive.org/details/slackers-guide-to-stream-entry
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Lars, modified 4 Years ago at 12/18/19 10:46 PM
Created 4 Years ago at 12/18/19 10:35 PM

RE: Hesychasm

Posts: 420 Join Date: 7/20/17 Recent Posts
Also have a Christian friend doing "resting in love of Christ" style meditation. I was hanging out with her earlier today and she gave me a lithograph print of an image showing a globe that looks like a clock with people inside the clock working the gears and has two people on top of the globe pointing out into a starry sky. On the back it has the following text:
Romans 13:11,12
But make sure that you don't get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day to day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing. God is putting the finishing touches on the work that he began when we first believed.

For Reflection - Imagine climbing out of the cogs into the night sky, where you experience being clothed in Christ's light.


We discussed practise and she described the "resting in love of Christ" state as being white and open. It sounds like many of the states they experience are similar to those found in this style of meditation, but the objects are different and how they perceive the resulting states is different. She seemed to consider the nimitta to be an expression of God (if I understood her correctly). In a way she's basically doing a more specific form of metta (and yes it's also like deity yoga) though i'm just guessing, I have minimal experience with deity stuff.

She has also mentioned Galatians a few times. Apparently Paul scolded the Galatians for forgetting how to "rest" and following unskillful practises instead of the path given by Christ, and bickering amongst themselves.
Matthew Jon Rousseau, modified 4 Years ago at 12/19/19 8:28 PM
Created 4 Years ago at 12/19/19 8:28 PM

RE: Hesychasm

Posts: 70 Join Date: 10/6/19 Recent Posts
Thanks for those links Derek.  I think christain contemplation might  be my only way to attain jhana
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Mista Tibbs, modified 4 Years ago at 12/19/19 9:50 PM
Created 4 Years ago at 12/19/19 9:50 PM

RE: Hesychasm

Posts: 81 Join Date: 8/17/18 Recent Posts
I appreciate this thank you
Derek2, modified 4 Years ago at 12/20/19 11:46 AM
Created 4 Years ago at 12/20/19 11:46 AM

RE: Hesychasm

Posts: 231 Join Date: 9/21/16 Recent Posts
I heard from Leigh Brasington that Ayya Khema reckoned St. Teresa of Avila was reaching jhana states through contemplative prayer.

If you want to really understand St. Teresa of Avila in depth, I recommend the Collected Works volumes 1 and 2 translated by Kieran Kavanaugh and Otilio Rodriguez. And if you want to understand her background, I recommend the book that she herself read, Francisco De Osuna’s Third Spiritual Alphabet.
Matthew Jon Rousseau, modified 4 Years ago at 12/20/19 11:57 AM
Created 4 Years ago at 12/20/19 11:57 AM

RE: Hesychasm

Posts: 70 Join Date: 10/6/19 Recent Posts
I love st theresa.  I think she  achieved  more than jhana.  Possibly went all the way. She described seeing God in everything. Many of her writings reflect path of Insight.  She seems remarkably quiet about her preliminary  practi es.