I announce forthright with this post, that I am not trolling in posting this, I post it for discussion and it is most apparent how this relates to this subreddit, so if a moderator is to remove it, before doing so please state the reason why in a comment.
I wrote a (deleted) post, previously about a passage of The Ascent of Mount Carmel written by St. John of the Cross, which one user commented with "This reads as an account of a Christian mystic awakening to Mind."
In this post it was explained that Dhyana means "Contemplation", and I had made a (deleted) post explaining how Contemplation is a term of great significance beyond its obvious lesser form, similar to how 'Meditation' (as in Dhyana, Zen), has a larger meaning than a mere act of 'meditating' (as in zazen).
St. John of the Cross had held high regard for a Nun named St. Teresa of Avila (who this post will touch upon). Though for context, here's a short Wikipedia blurb about St. John:
John of the Cross (Spanish: San Juan de la Cruz; 1542[1] – 14 December 1591) was a major figure of the Counter-Reformation, a Spanish mystic, a Roman Catholic saint, a Carmelite friar and a priest, who was born at Fontiveros, Old Castile.
John of the Cross is known for his writings. Both his poetry and his studies on the growth of the soul are considered the summit of mystical Spanish literature and one of the peaks of all Spanish literature. He was canonized as a saint in 1726 by Pope Benedict XIII. He is one of the thirty-six Doctors of the Church.
St. John had joined the Reform of Teresa of Jesus, after he had met the nun and heard about her Order.
Something interesting:
At some point between 1574 and 1577, while praying in the Monastery of the Incarnation in Ávila in a loft overlooking the sanctuary, John had a vision of the crucified Christ, which led him to create his famous drawing of Christ "from above". In 1641, this drawing was placed in a small monstrance and kept in Ávila. This drawing inspired the artist Salvador Dalí's 1951 work Christ of Saint John of the Cross. (Click here to see the painting)
I was going through Saint Teresa of Avila's Way of Perfection and she has a few noteworthy quotes about Contemplation that I wish to share.
"You may ask me, my daughters, why I speak to you of these virtues, since you have plenty of books to teach you them? and you desire only to hear something on contemplation. I answer, that had you desired some discourse about meditation, I could have spoken on it, and advised all of you to use it, even though you have not the virtues ; for it is a commencement towards obtaining all virtues, and a matter that concerns the souls of all Christians, if they wish to begin a new life; and hence, none, however abandoned they may be, whom God excites to so great a good, ought to neglect meditation, as I have elsewhere mentioned, and so have others who know what they write about, for God knows I do not. But, contemplation, daughters, is another thing." - St. Teresa
"I do not say, however, that it is in your power to arrive at contemplation, but that you should use all your exertions to attain it ; for this does not consist in your choice, but in our Lord's" - St. Teresa
"If any one should terrify you, show him in humility the way [you are walking along;*] tell him you have a rule, which commands you to pray without ceasing (and so indeed it does), and that you must observe this rule. If they say, "It means only vocal prayer,' ask them whether the understanding and the heart are to attend to what you say ? If they answer, "They are,'' (and these men can make no other reply), then you see they acknowledge thereby, that you are compelled to use mental prayer — yea, and contemplation too, if God should bestow it on you therein. May He be blessed for ever. Amen." - St. Teresa
"In these two kinds of prayer, mental and vocal, we may do something by the Divine assistance ; but in contemplation, of which I have just now spoken, we can do nothing at all. It is His Majesty who does everything, for it is His work, and it surpasses our natural strength." - St. Teresa
"If I thought you would not say I was speaking of contemplation, it would in this petition be very proper to say something of the beginning of pure contemplation, which those who are accustomed to it call the Prayer of Quiet. But (as I have said) I am speaking of vocal prayer; and here it may seem that one does not agree with the other. This I will not endure: I know they do agree; excuse me in saying so, for I know many persons who pray vocally, and have been advanced by God, without their knowing how, to a high degree of contemplation. Therefore it is that I urge this so much, daughters, in order that you may perform your vocal prayers well." - St. Teresa
Diving Deeper (a fancy heading for what leads up to this post, but you may have missed out on due to it being inaccessible -- Don't Blame Me!)
I posted the following as Divine Contemplation and it was removed, maybe for that reason? Anyways, since it was helpful, here it is again below:
Since I had just posted a definition of Dhyana as 'Contemplation', I thought it might be helpful to look at this "contemplation".
Well, we already had looked at the Christian Mystical tradition, wherein we found Contemplation being discussed by St John of the Cross (1542-1591). I had wanted to share a part from it, specifically the part of which the heading of the chapter was: 'Ch 15.Wherein is explained how it is sometimes well for progressives who are beginning to enter upon this general knowledge of contemplation to make use of natural reasoning and the work of the natural faculties.'
I wanted to share it, and did, though maybe you saw it, or maybe you didn't. I had posted this previously under the title 'Meditation in Christianity + Cleansing One's Mind', but it was removed for some reason, which I don't know why, but it had 6 upvotes and some discussion started. To explain the appearance of the second part of the posts title, the 'cleansing one's mind' bit was an addition where I provided an interesting part of the Buddhist Catechism which I found helpful as it summarized the Buddha's teachings (what Buddhists believe, and have believed). Turns out it was the Eight Fold Path and Four Noble Truths, which as we all know as people on Zen Buddhism, that the Four Noble Truths are essentials in the foundation of Zen.
Here is the post again, since it was removed and can no longer be read:
I posted this as "Buddha-Jesus Prayer Meditation", but it was deleted, I guess for that reason.
However, people mention this, so I wanted to share this, as I believe it is helpful, so here it is again:
Hence it clearly follows that, when the soul has completely purified and voided itself of all forms and images that can be apprehended, it will remain in this pure and simple light, being transformed therein into a state of perfection. For, though this light never fails in the soul, it is not infused into it because of the creature forms and veils wherewith the soul is veiled and embarrassed; but, if these impediments and these veils were wholly removed (as will be said hereafter), the soul would then find itself in a condition of pure detachment and poverty of spirit, and, being simple and pure, would be transformed into simple and pure Wisdom, which is the Son of God. For the enamoured soul finds that that which is natural has failed it, and it is then imbued with that which is Divine, both naturally and supernaturally, so that there may be no vacuum in its nature.
When the spiritual person cannot meditate, let him learn to be still in God, fixing his loving attention upon Him, in the calm of his understanding, although he may think himself to be doing nothing. For thus, little by little and very quickly, Divine calm and peace will be infused into his soul, together with a wondrous and sublime knowledge of God, enfolded in Divine love.
And let him not meddle with forms, meditations and imaginings, or with any kind of reasoning, lest his soul be disturbed, and brought out of its contentment and peace, which can only result in its experiencing distaste and repugnance. And if, as we have said, such a person has scruples that he is doing nothing, let him note that he is doing no small thing by pacifying the soul and bringing it into calm and peace, unaccompanied by any act or desire, for it is this that Our Lord asks of us, through David, saying: Vacate, et videte quoniam ego sum Deus. As though he had said: Learn to be empty of all things (that is to say, inwardly and outwardly) and you will see that I am God.
Also recently finished with The Buddhist Catechism and found this interesting:
Q. Have we a way of classifying Bōdhisattvas? If so, explain it.
A. Bōdhisattvas—the future Buddhas—are divided into three classes.
Q. Proceed. How are these three kinds of Bōdhisats named?
A. Pannādhika, or Udghatitajña—"he who attains least quickly"; Saddhādhika, or Vipachitajña—"he who attains less quickly"; and Viryādhika, or Gneyya—"he who attains quickly". The Pannādhika Bōdhisats take the course of Intelligence; the Saddhādhika take the course of Faith; the Viryaāhika take the course of energetic Action. The first is guided by Intelligence and does not hasten; the second is full of Faith, and does not care to take the guidance of Wisdom; and the third never delays to do what is good. Regardless of the consequences to himself, he does it when he sees that it is best that it should be done.
Q. When our Bōdhisattva became Buddha, what did he see was the cause of human misery? Tell me in one word.
A. Ignorance (Avidyā).
Q. Can you tell me the remedy?
A. To dispel Ignorance and become wise (Prājña).
Q. Why does ignorance cause suffering?
A. Because it makes us prize what is not worth prizing, grieve when we should not grieve, consider real what is not real but only illusionary, and pass our lives in the pursuit of worthless objects, neglecting what is in reality most valuable.
Q. And what is that which is most valuable?
A. To know the whole secret of man's existence and destiny, so that we may estimate at no more than their actual value this life and its relations; and so that we may live in a way to ensure the greatest happiness and the least suffering for our fellow-men and ourselves.
Q. What is the light that can dispel this ignorance of ours and remove all sorrows?
A. The knowledge of the "Four Noble Truths," as the Buddha called them.
...
Q. Has not the Buddha summed up his whole doctrine in one gāthā, or verse?
A. Yes.
Q. Repeat it?
A. Sabba pāpassa akaranm,
Kusalassa upasampadā
Sachitta pariyo dapanam—
Etam Buddhānusāsanam.
"To cease from all evil actions,
To generate all that is good,
To cleanse one's mind:
This is the constant advice of the Buddhas."
Submitted September 12, 2017 at 01:25AM by Dillon123 http://ift.tt/2wlu653
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