I believe in God but have never been a steady church goer mainly out of a lack of respect for most church leaders I have met. I have found I have the same reaction to Buddhist monks.
I was surprised to read orthodox and catholic Christians (especially recent converts) dismiss meditation as evil. Lowering the noise in my head has driven me closer to God not further away.
Underlying the demonizing of meditation (and yoga of course) seems to be a belief that Christianity should be approached in the same way that the left approaches Science! You passively listen to experts and don't question or actively seek.
Maybe that is a safer route but I find it alienating.
When an Orthodox priest heard that I had read the Philokalia on my own and had taken an interest in Hesychasm (attaining inner stillness) he accused me of falling into prelest. I had to explain to him that the monks themselves encourage laypeople to seek to attain Hesychasm, to which he had no reply. I understand that the masses need religious institutions, but faith-based approaches to spirituality do not appeal to free-thinkers.
That Orthodox priest knew the keyword to tell you off. I cannot say anything against his reaction because the life goal of most Orthodox priests is to run the boutique of sacraments and be one of the leaders of the village, town, or neighbourhood. You must put effort into finding a priest or monk to serve as a spiritual guide.
The meditation promoted by yoga, which uses focus on breathing or an external object as a means to attain inner stillness, is rejected by the Catholics because it does not turn you towards the Trinity. Once your soul is still, will its attention be captured by God or by a demon ? Orison is a form of meditation taught to Catholic priests and recently promoted to the faithful. Its practice remains however extremely limited.
You remain free to read books of Catholic and Orthodox meditation and put that in practice.
I keep appreciating your common sense writing on metaphysics, far from the incomprehensible philosophical blather that it has become today.
Two comments. The contemplative orders of the Catholic Church have been under unceasing attack since the 18th century and its much praised Enlightenment. They have been perceived as of no social use, actually a waste of people and resources. In parallel took place a continuous deemphasis on spiritual life and spiritual development. That has left Catholicism as a purely faith-based religion with a large social presence. The hierarchy ended up noticing the nefarious consequences of the absence of spiritual life and has lately reintroduced orison, a simple form of meditation.
Reformation abolished mysticism in favour of studying the Bible. The Rosenkreutz of the 17th century and the Free Masonry of the 18th century are attempts at reintroducing mysticism in a Protestant world devoid of it but where a longing for it persisted. The original Rosenkreutz subsided. The Free Masonry degenerated into a convoluted ritualistic organisation where initiates aim at power over their societies instead of their own spiritual advancement. The worldly focus of Protestantism overwhelmed the founders purpose.
I appreciate your posts on spirituality. I've been researching Orthodoxy on my own and seeing in the old Orthodox writers something completely lacking in Western Christianity. Vladimir Lossky's "The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church" had a profound effect on me as I read it. In this age of "The Science", we've lost true spirituality and suffer greatly for it.
I did have kind of a random turning point in my life that sparked something similar to what is outlined in this series here and there. In general, I can relate to many of the apsect of gnostic mysticism I have read about recently.
I believe in God but have never been a steady church goer mainly out of a lack of respect for most church leaders I have met. I have found I have the same reaction to Buddhist monks.
I was surprised to read orthodox and catholic Christians (especially recent converts) dismiss meditation as evil. Lowering the noise in my head has driven me closer to God not further away.
Underlying the demonizing of meditation (and yoga of course) seems to be a belief that Christianity should be approached in the same way that the left approaches Science! You passively listen to experts and don't question or actively seek.
Maybe that is a safer route but I find it alienating.
When an Orthodox priest heard that I had read the Philokalia on my own and had taken an interest in Hesychasm (attaining inner stillness) he accused me of falling into prelest. I had to explain to him that the monks themselves encourage laypeople to seek to attain Hesychasm, to which he had no reply. I understand that the masses need religious institutions, but faith-based approaches to spirituality do not appeal to free-thinkers.
That Orthodox priest knew the keyword to tell you off. I cannot say anything against his reaction because the life goal of most Orthodox priests is to run the boutique of sacraments and be one of the leaders of the village, town, or neighbourhood. You must put effort into finding a priest or monk to serve as a spiritual guide.
The meditation promoted by yoga, which uses focus on breathing or an external object as a means to attain inner stillness, is rejected by the Catholics because it does not turn you towards the Trinity. Once your soul is still, will its attention be captured by God or by a demon ? Orison is a form of meditation taught to Catholic priests and recently promoted to the faithful. Its practice remains however extremely limited.
You remain free to read books of Catholic and Orthodox meditation and put that in practice.
I keep appreciating your common sense writing on metaphysics, far from the incomprehensible philosophical blather that it has become today.
Two comments. The contemplative orders of the Catholic Church have been under unceasing attack since the 18th century and its much praised Enlightenment. They have been perceived as of no social use, actually a waste of people and resources. In parallel took place a continuous deemphasis on spiritual life and spiritual development. That has left Catholicism as a purely faith-based religion with a large social presence. The hierarchy ended up noticing the nefarious consequences of the absence of spiritual life and has lately reintroduced orison, a simple form of meditation.
Reformation abolished mysticism in favour of studying the Bible. The Rosenkreutz of the 17th century and the Free Masonry of the 18th century are attempts at reintroducing mysticism in a Protestant world devoid of it but where a longing for it persisted. The original Rosenkreutz subsided. The Free Masonry degenerated into a convoluted ritualistic organisation where initiates aim at power over their societies instead of their own spiritual advancement. The worldly focus of Protestantism overwhelmed the founders purpose.
I appreciate your posts on spirituality. I've been researching Orthodoxy on my own and seeing in the old Orthodox writers something completely lacking in Western Christianity. Vladimir Lossky's "The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church" had a profound effect on me as I read it. In this age of "The Science", we've lost true spirituality and suffer greatly for it.
Well written Mr Slavskiy. I appreciate your writings.
I did have kind of a random turning point in my life that sparked something similar to what is outlined in this series here and there. In general, I can relate to many of the apsect of gnostic mysticism I have read about recently.