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 Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2016 1:35 am
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Sunday 14 February 2016, at. 6:07 p.m.
Stein Gudvangen
INTERFAITH; Areopagus believes meditation your project has brought them closer to Buddhism. Methodist minister Hilde sand-Bjønness says people of all religions can encounter God through meditation.
The foundation Areopagus has its origin in the Lutheran organization founded by the missionary Kalle Reichelt in 1922. Named the Nordic Christian Buddhist Mission before it in 2000 took the name Areopagus.
The organization presents itself no longer as a missionary organization, but as an organization dealing with religious dialogue and studies and is also engaged in the Christian retreatmovement.
CLOSER TO BUDDHISM
Areopagos' meditation project was initiated three years ago and ended in a symposium in Oslo on Wednesday.
In a summary and evaluation Areopagus priest Tore Laugerud writes:
"It has increased the skills of staff in eastern religious practice and brought us closer to Buddhism."
He writes that the project has meant a lot to the organization and its work, but think the fruits will first be felt in the long term.
Laugerud elaborates saying to 'Dagen':
- What do you mean that you are brought closer to Buddhism?
- In parts of the project we have challenged the relationship between Christian meditation and other forms of meditation which is broadly present in our society, especially mind fullness. Mind Fullness is a secularized meditation form with roots in Buddhism. Our contact with people who are doing this, have given us a greater insight into and knowledge of Buddhism, says Laugerud.
- Some will read this point in the report as a syncretistic tendency. Is there something like this?
- No, it has nothing to do with that. It's about meeting people with a different type of religion and try to understand what is going on in such traditions, says Laugerud telling that contact with the individuals who practice mind fullness, has led to people applying for membership in the Norwegian Church.
- For some, our attitude of dialogue made them change their view of the church and the Christian faith, because they have been met with respect as to their own experiences by Christians who have gained experience in the same field, he says.
RETREAT EXPERIENCES
Methodist minister Hilde sand-Bjønness has over the years led many retreats with participants from all sorts of Christian denominations, some even without a Christian background.
-It is ok for people to believe differently than just the way I believe. In meditation circles are not so much "us and the others", inside and outside. Silence is the opener, and it is not dogmatic. Here we let God make himself heard in the individual, and then we'll meet each other in it. Thus we can communicate on a broader scale.
- Do you mean a broader Christian and confession of faith?
- Yes, but we are also thinking of interfaith. In prayer, it depends on where the source is located. We are not as different as the thought. We seek the one true God, and he lets himself be found, although the interpretations can be different, says sand-Bjønness stressing that she is not denying her Christian faith.
- It's as strong as before, but is more accepting. I find Christ much further out in the landscape of faith than I did before. The contribution of the Christian tradition is grace and love. I had not dared to attempt contemplative meditation if I had not believed that God was love. Some are afraid that you give yourself over to evil when you meditate, but I have learned that it is the Christian God, the One God, I meet. As long as we seek the truth, God is in it, I have no problems with it. I have great confidence in God. He is strong and able to let himself be found.
GOD IN ALL RELIGIONS
- What kind of lines do you draw between interreligious contact and syncretism? Mixing religion?
- In all religions people are seeking for a god, and in all the major religions, you find mystics. They are those who immerse themselves, quiet themselves and go beyond all words, statements and policies. In meditation and contemplation they experience the presence of a deity. The strange thing is that when we look at what the various meditation forms it creates a similar form of insight, we speak almost the same language. It is the same source. When we make teachings, we are different, but in meditation we have many of the same discoveries. We Christians say that there is only one god, but he is not only located in the west coast or the West. He is in his whole creation. We must go all the way to the source to drink. God will not be created in man's own subjective image. It is God who has put his picture into us. To place God in a pre-defined formula, never gives a true picture of God's greatness, says Methodist pastor Hilde sand-Bjønness who believes meditation is the quiet movement in a restless, loud society.
- We need this silence mentally, psychologically, physically and spiritually, she said. In yesterday's newspaper, she talked about her journey into contemplative meditation and how it had become a necessary part of her daily rhythm,
SILENCE: - Meditation is not dangerous, says Methodist minister Hilde sand-
- More and more have courage to approach it. Meditation is not dangerous. We want to defuse it and allay skepticism, says Sanden-Bjønness reminding us of early the church's mystical tradition.
FINDING GOD
- Do people of other religious backgrounds come to know God, that is Yahweh, through meditation?
- Yes, and people with no Christian background that I can meet during the guidance, are very curious about the Bible. They absorb the biblical texts like sponges, says Sanden-Bjønness.
She believes it is vital that people with non-Christian meditation background being properly received and understood in churches and chapels, but this often does not happen because traditional Christian communities do not realize what meditation is all about.
- Listen to what they have to say, so they may actually be an important resource. Unfortunately, they often instead face hostility and skepticism, because many traditional Christian communities do not realize what meditation is all about, says Sanden-Bjønness.
Article taken from the Norwegian newspaper 'Dagen'. Translated into English with the help of Google translate. If anything doesn't make sense don't hesitate to ask.
Source
Encyclopedia Britannica defines religious syncretism as; the fusion of diverse religious beliefs and practices.
1 Timothy 2:5
For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,
Related topics;
100-Year-Old Vision Conveys Sobering Warning to the Church
Swami Yogananda and the Self-Realization Fellowship
Man of Sin: Self-Worship
Buddhism and Christianity: The Buddha and what He Taught
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Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2016 5:13 pm
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This started out as a simple comment, but then it turned into something much more deeper in my attempts to be fair emotion_sweatdrop , but it was worth it. emotion_yatta
So, I have a lot to share:
The contemporary movement of "Mindfulness" vs. Biblical Meditation
First of all, yes, their definition of "mindfullness" is not the form of meditation in the bible—by a long shot. In the "mindfulness" practice, you're focusing on your own stream of consciousness, your own thoughts in a very non-judgmental way, barely paying attention to your thoughts even...
Quote: Mindfulness is a modern movement, appropriated from ancient Buddhist roots, and clinically innovated by Jon Kabat-Zinn. The practice of mindfulness involves being aware moment-to-moment, of one’s subjective conscious experience from a first-person perspective.[1] When practising mindfulness, one becomes aware of one’s "stream of consciousness".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness
Mindfulness meditation is practiced sitting with eyes closed, cross-legged on a cushion, or on a chair, with the back straight.[web 1] Attention is put on the movement of the abdomen when breathing in and out,[23] or on the awareness of the breath as it goes in and out the nostrils.[24] If one becomes distracted from the breath, one passively notices one's mind has wandered, but in an accepting, non-judgmental way and one returns to focusing on breathing. A famous exercise, introduced by Kabat-Zinn in his MBSR-program, is the mindful tasting of a raisin,[25] in which a raisin is being tasted and eaten mindfully.[26][note 1]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness#Mindfulness_meditation
...whereas, in the bible, you're focusing on God's commands, not your own thoughts, you're focusing on the works of God, what God has done in the past, and His instructions to you (so not focused on self at all, unless you're introspecting to see what in you does not adhere to His image/His thoughts/His commands, thus inherently it's a very critical examination of self, a very judgmental process).
Joshua 1:8 (NIV)
8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
Psalm 119:15 (NIV)
15 I meditate on your precepts
and consider your ways.
Psalm 77:12 (NIV)
12 I will consider all your works
and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”
Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Psalm 139:23-24 (NIV)
23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Proverbs 14:12 (KJV)
12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
The contemporary Mindfulness movement: don't be judgmental on yourself, accept yourself, don't be so attentive.
Scripture: there are offensive things about you, and you need to adhere to God's thoughts, not accept your own, if you want to live.
---
In practical terms, say you were full of anxiety:
The biblical thing to do:
1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)
7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
A.K.A. petition God for help, trust in God's ability to provide for you and that He will orchestrate events to work for your good (assuming you've been obeying His commands).
John 15:16 (NIV)
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
1 John 3:22 (NIV)
22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.
Psalm 40:8 (NIV)
8 I desire to do your will, my God;
your law is within my heart.”
Psalm 119:165 (NIV)
165 Great peace have those who love your law,
and nothing can make them stumble.
Romans 8:28 (NIV)
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.
Footnotes:
Romans 8:28 Or that all things work together for good to those who love God, who; or that in all things God works together with those who love him to bring about what is good—with those who
1 John 5:3 (NIV)
3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,
VS.
The "mindfullness" thing to do, to combat anxiety: stay present in the moment, don't allow yourself to think, just experience, in a non-judgmental way, the thoughts that come to mind; barely giving attention to anything.
The contemporary movement of "Mindfulness" vs. Buddhism?
To be fair to what's out there, this contemporary movement of "mindfulness", although appearing to be in agreement with the majority of Buddhist thought on the wikipedia article, is not in accord with every translation / definition of the word.
Quote: The Buddhist term translated into English as "mindfulness" originates in the Pali term sati and in its Sanskrit counterpart smṛti. According to Robert Sharf, the meaning of these terms has been the topic of extensive debate and discussion.[34] Smṛti originally meant "to remember," "to recollect," "to bear in mind," as in the Vedic tradition of remembering the sacred texts. The term sati also means "to remember." In the Satipațțhāna-sutta the term sati means to remember the dharmas, whereby the true nature of phenomena can be seen.[34] Sharf refers to the Milindapañha, which explained that the arisement of sati calls to mind the wholesome dhammas such as the four establishings of mindfulness, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven awakening-factors, the noble eight-factored path, and the attainment of insight.[35] According to Rupert Gethin,
[sati] should be understood as what allows awareness of the full range and extent of dhammas; sati is an awareness of things in relation to things, and hence an awareness of their relative value. Applied to the satipațțhānas, presumably what this means is that sati is what causes the practitioner of yoga to "remember" that any feeling he may experience exists in relation to a whole variety or world of feelings that may be skillful or unskillful, with faults or faultless, relatively inferior or refined, dark or pure."[36][note 2]
Sharf further notes that this has little to do with "bare attention," the popular contemporary interpretation of sati, "since it entails, among other things, the proper discrimination of the moral valence of phenomena as they arise."[36]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness#Buddhism
In that sense, yes, the scrolls of the bible do agree with THAT definition of "meditation"—not these contemporary movements or other Buddhist thoughts. The bible is in agreement with what the language itself defines meditation to be (surprise, surprise, who created the languages? The Most High God). But that's as far as the agreement goes.
Considering we agree that meditation is about bringing certain words from the sacred texts to remembrance and making moral judgments based on that information, then the question becomes: do the sacred texts themselves agree? Does the information that these Buddhists recall to remembrance agree with the bible? I found the answer to be a resounding "no". But I'll illustrate to prove the point:
The following is from a book titled, "Buddhist Scriptures" by E.J. Thomas [1913] http://sacred-texts.com/bud/busc/index.htm
Small description of the book:
This is a short collection of excerpts from Buddhist scripture, selected by
an expert in the field. It includes several stories drawn from the Buddhas'
life, including past lives from the Jataka. While less stress is placed on
theological matters, the basics of the Buddha's message are all here.
That said, chapter 8—the Ten Commandments (which is a dishonest title once you read it):
Quote: VIII
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
The first five of these commandments—not to take life, not to steal, not to commit unchastity, not to tell lies, not to drink intoxicants—are binding on all laymen. The whole ten are binding on the brotherhood, and in their case the third rule means absolute celibacy. But the pious layman may take upon himself three more in addition to the first five. Those three—not eating after noon, not witnessing dancing, shows, and plays, not using ornaments, scents, and unguents—are usually taken on the fast-days, and are only binding for the day on which they are assumed. Details as to the rules and organization of the Order will be found in The Way of the Buddha of Mr. H. Baynes in the same series as the present volume.
1. Abstinence from destroying life.
2. Abstinence from taking what is not given.
3. Abstinence from unchastity.
4. Abstinence from falsehood.
5. Abstinence from spirituous liquors, strong drink, intoxicants, which are a cause of negligence.
6. Abstinence from eating at the wrong time [i.e. after noon].
7. Abstinence from looking at dancing, singing, music, and plays.
p. 53
8. Abstinence from wearing garlands, scents, unguents, ornaments, and adornments, which are a cause of negligence.
9. Abstinence from a high or large bed.
10. Abstinence from accepting gold and silver. (Khuddaka Pāṭha, 2.)
Obviously, these are not the commandments we as Christians—followers of Jesus Christ, the Jew who grew up in Nazareth—bring to remembrance. The Buddhist "Ten Commandments" (or Ten Precepts) are different.
Mark 10:17-19 (NIV)
17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’[a]”
Footnotes:
a. Mark 10:19 Exodus 20:12-16; Deut. 5:16-20
We keep the Laws that our Heavenly Father gave to Moses.
Exodus 20:1-17 (NIV)
The Ten Commandments
20 And God spoke all these words:
2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
3 “You shall have no other gods before[a] me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
13 “You shall not murder.
14 “You shall not commit adultery.
15 “You shall not steal.
16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
Footnotes:
Exodus 20:3 Or besides
Obviously, not just limited to these commands because "love thy neighbor as thyself" is from Leviticus 19:18.
Contrasting these to what the Buddhist Ten Commandment say, there are three glaringly obvious incompatibilities (thus the Buddhists do not recall the same information to remembrance; so we do not meditate the same):
(1) The Law of Moses—the commands of our Heavenly Father—do not command absolute celibacy. So, whereas Buddhists monks must be absolutely celibate; biblical priests are not—priests in the bible could marry, have sex, and thus bring forth children by their wives.
Exodus 28:1 (NIV)
28 “Have Aaron your brother brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, so they may serve me as priests.
Leviticus 22:12 (NIV)
12 If a priest’s daughter marries anyone other than a priest, she may not eat any of the sacred contributions.
Leviticus 21:5-7 (NIV)
5 “‘Priests must not shave their heads or shave off the edges of their beards or cut their bodies. 6 They must be holy to their God and must not profane the name of their God. Because they present the food offerings to the Lord, the food of their God, they are to be holy.
7 “‘They must not marry women defiled by prostitution or divorced from their husbands, because priests are holy to their God.
Ezekiel 44:20-23 (NIV)
20 “‘They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but they are to keep the hair of their heads trimmed. 21 No priest is to drink wine when he enters the inner court. 22 They must not marry widows or divorced women; they may marry only virgins of Israelite descent or widows of priests. 23 They are to teach my people the difference between the holy and the common and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean.
(2) The Law of Moses—the commands of the Most High God—do not make any prohibitions against accepting silver and gold, neither the layman nor the priest. God says it's the love of money that is evil, not the money in and of itself, neither the handling of money, nor the earning of money. Just the love of money that is evil.
1 Timothy 6:10 (NIV)
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)
5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
“Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.”[a]
Footnotes:
a. Hebrews 13:5 Deut. 31:6
Ezra 8:30 (NIV)
30 Then the priests and Levites received the silver and gold and sacred articles that had been weighed out to be taken to the house of our God in Jerusalem.
Leviticus 22:11 (NIV)
11 But if a priest buys a slave with money, or if slaves are born in his household, they may eat his food.
Numbers 3:10 (NIV)
10 Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests; anyone else who approaches the sanctuary is to be put to death.”
Numbers 3:48 (NIV)
48 Give the money for the redemption of the additional Israelites to Aaron and his sons.”
The Buddhist prohibition against monks accepting silver and gold is NOT some vague way to say, "don't accept bribes" either. This is a prohibition against ALL handling of money, period, if you were a monk. I'll quote an excerpt from a book titled "An Introduction to Buddhist Ethics: Foundations, Values and Issues" By Peter Harvey. On page 88, second paragraph, he writes:
Quote: An extension beyond the eight precepts is found in the ten precepts. These are the same as the eight except that the seventh is split into its two parts, and there is the addition of an undertaking to 'abstain from accepting gold and silver'. While the difference seems a small one, in practice it is large, for the ten precepts are not taken temporarily, but only on a long-term basis (Terweil, 1979; 212). The extra precept precludes the actual handling of money, as in the case of the monks. [...]
[source]
The word "preclude" means you stop someone from doing something, make it impossible; they can't handle money at all. Contrast that to the priests in the bible handling silver and gold (money), receiving it, accepting it, buying things with it, bringing it into the House of YHWH. So again, Buddhist commands, are not the commands of YHWH. We do not meditate on the same precepts.
Third and Last point I'll bring up,
(3) The Law of Moses—the commands of the Living God—do not prohibit alcohol consumption, neither for the layman, nor the priest (for the latter, however, he was only allowed to do so as long as he was NOT on duty in the tabernacle or in the inner court of the temple; otherwise, yes, he's prohibited / not allowed to drink—by command of God—because he needs discernment to carry out those priestly tasks, while he serves the people; he could not make mistakes or else he could fall down dead).
The priests (in the tabernacle)
Leviticus 10:8-11 (NIV)
8 Then the Lord said to Aaron, 9 “You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the tent of meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, 10 so that you can distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean, 11 and so you can teach the Israelites all the decrees the Lord has given them through Moses.”
Nadab and Abihu, at the start of the above chapter (Leviticus 10), were offering fire incorrectly. God killed them.
The priests (in the temple—even the third temple / Ezekiel's temple, which is yet to come)
Ezekiel 44:21 (NIV)
21 No priest is to drink wine when he enters the inner court.
The layman (can even drink in the presence of God)
Deuteronomy 14:23 (NIV)
23 Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always.
Deuteronomy 14:26 (NIV)
26 Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice.
Ecclesiastes 9:7 (NIV)
7 Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do.
For the layman on the brink of death [so give them strong drink to alleviate their physical pain] or to the emotionally distressed poor [give them alcohol to alleviate emotional pain]
Proverbs 31:6-7 (KJV)
6 Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.
7 Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.
The ultimate example, of course, being Jesus (and I'll leave the verse contrasting John the Baptist so people realize this is talking about wine):
Luke 7:33-34 (NIV)
33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’
Jesus is greater than John the Baptist. What does that say to Buddhism, saying “the more devout” don't drink alcohol at all...? Buddhist thoughts, even from the texts / sayings / teachings they hold sacred, are not compatible with the commands of YHWH / the Law of Moses, nor are Buddhist teachings in accord with the example of Jesus (who submitted to the revelation of the Old Testament). Strong drink does have a godly use in scripture (of course there are ungodly uses of it [drunkenness, loss of good judgment], but there are godly uses of it as well).
Buddhism is following mere human rules. Jesus, on the other hand, is following the commands of the Father—whose commands are neither ascetic nor over-indulgent. Buddhism claims to teach the "middle path", avoiding the extremes of asceticism and over-indulgence, but they're the ones prohibiting ALL laymen from consuming alcohol, from ALL handling of money as the "more devout" thing to do, and imposing absolute celibacy on its monks; whereas YHWH allows all three things [drinking alcoholic beverages, handling money, and marriage/sex—even for His priests if they do so obediently, in accord with His commands]). Old Testament and New Testament alike, all three are acceptable:
1 Timothy 5:23 (NIV)
23 Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.
1 Corinthians 16:2 (NIV)
2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.
1 Corinthians 7:9 (NIV)
9 But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
There are godly uses for fermented / alcoholic drink all throughout scripture.
There are godly uses for money all throughout scripture.
There are godly uses for marriage / sex all throughout scripture.
And yet Buddhism is making absolute prohibitions against these three things, and making them commands.
For the record, I personally don't drink alcohol, because I don't quite care for it, and I prefer to keep discernment at all times; I'm celibate; and I am not the one responsible for handling the finances in the family, but thank God that He did not prohibit any of these things full stop so that we can tell the difference between truth and lies.
Conclusion:
So, not only is this "contemporary Mindfullness" movement—non-judgmental thoughts, bare attentiveness—not compatible with the faith of Jesus and the commands of God, but so is Buddhism even if it shares an accurate view of "meditation" in some circles, because what they're bringing to remembrance—their sacred teachings—do not agree with the Father nor the Son, but nullify what He says is acceptable / devout to do.
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