And this is a perfect example of the other trend - namely that there tends to be a bit of a subtle downgrading of Christian meditational techniques coming from the other end of things.
Perhaps downgrading is the wrong word … Incompleteness?
And yet of all the Christian mystics - is it not Meister Eckhart, one of the most prominent Western mystics, who has been viewed by Zen Buddhists such as Suzuki and many other Buddhist commentators of other schools, as the closest to Buddhist thought that the Christian religion has produced?
In my own knowledge, it does not seem to be the West’s
mysticism itself whether Catholic or Protestant that is downgraded - just look at the
rolleyes
New Age movement where our mystics are sadly exploited to promote everything from Gaia to tarot cards to non-dualism - rather it is our perceived “deficit” or lack of established techniques, that is of a system which is so important to other Eastern religions - and yes even Eastern Catholicism - but not so much to Western Catholicism and Protestantism, because of our Augustianian emphasis upon grace.
Catholicism has always maintained, both East and West that “
infused contemplation is a state that can be prepared for, but cannot in any way be produced by the will or desire of a person through methods or ascetical practices”.
The difference is that in the East, Christians still focus A LOT on the “preparation” aspect - hence why an incredible system such as Hesychasm has developed, whereas in the West it has not because of our emphasis upon grace.
In other words, Buddhist and Hindu practioners laud Western mystics such as Eckhart, John of the Cross, Angelus Silesius and (the Lutheran) Jackob Boehme but are then puzzled as to why they don’t spell out any “techniques” or practices on how to attain that supreme state of awareness.
Nevertheless we should not “generalize”.
Some prominent Western mystics have suggested techniques and practices.
For example, the anonymous author of the 14th century book “The Cloud of Unknowing” - one of the most influential of all medeival Catholic mystical texts, perhaps the most after Thomas A Kempis’ ‘Imitation of Christ’ in terms of lay appeal and popularity - presents contemplative meditation - or ‘preparation’ - as a teachable, spiritual process enabling the ordinary person to enter and receive a direct experience of union with God. The Cloud was written, not in Latin but in Middle English - which means that it was intended primarily for laymen rather than for priests and monks.
The Cloud of Unknowing elucidates a number of cultivation exercises by which spiritual practitioners can learn to mentally empty themselves, and this is described as “
putting other thoughts away.”
The Cloud of Unknowing calls these “
special ways, tricks, private techniques, and spiritual devices”.
The Cloud of Unknowing, advises the aspirant to concentrate on a single syllable such as “God”:
Choose whichever one [word] you prefer, or if you like, chose another that suits your tastes, provided that it is of one syllable. And clasp this word tightly in your heart so that it never leaves it no matter what may happen. This word shall be your shield and your spear whether you ride in peace or in war. With this word you shall beat upon the cloud and the darkness, which are above you. With this word you shall strike down thoughts of every kind and drive them beneath the cloud of forgetting.
Read:
"…The Cloud of Unknowing also talks of various methods for entering samadhi that are framed, as to be expected, in traditional Christian attire. “Think of nothing but God himself so that nothing will work in your mind or in your will but only God himself. You must then do whatever will help you to forget all the beings [external forms] whom God has created, and all their works”:
"See to it that there is nothing at work in your mind or will but only God. Try to suppress all knowledge and feeling of anything less than God, and trample it down deep under the cloud of forgetting. You must understand that in this business you are to forget not only all other things than yourself (and their doings-and your own!) but to forget also yourself, and even the things you have done for the sake of God."
…In the Cloud of Unknowing you are also told to “surrender yourself to God, so that you do not admit even a single selfish thought which is your own,” whereas Dionysius the Areopagite instructed us on the way to cultivate as follows:
“Exercise yourself unceasingly in mystical contemplation; abandon feelings; renounce intellectual activities; reject all that belongs to the perceptible and the intelligible; strip yourself totally of non-being and being and lift yourself as far as you are able to the point of being united in unknowing with him who is beyond all being and all knowledge. For it is by passing beyond everything, yourself included, irresistibly and completely, that you will be exalted in pure ecstasy right up to the dark splendour of the divine Superessence, after having abandoned all, and stripped yourself of everything.”…"
The Cloud emphasises experience above all:
“And so I urge you, go after experience rather than knowledge. On account of pride, knowledge may often deceive you, but this gentle, loving affection will not deceive you. Knowledge tends to breed conceit, but love builds. Knowledge is full of labor, but love, full of rest.”
** —The Cloud of Unknowing (14th Century, Anonymous)**
Read:
The author [of the Cloud] quickly advises that in contemplation, in what he calls “the darkness of the cloud of unknowing, the beginner must not let ideas about God, his wonderful gifts, his kindness or his works distract us from attentiveness to God himself… They have no place here.” At first that seems surprising that we should let go of even our noble thoughts and images of God if we are to travel this path. To our ‘awake’ thinking mind this is a paradox.
To keep oneself focussed when distractions come (including “holy” thoughts), the author of The Cloud suggests centring attention on a short word:
“**Choose a short word. Fix it in your mind so that it will remain there come what may. This word will be your defence in conflict and in peace… Should some thought go on annoying you, demanding to know what you are doing, answer with this one word alone.” **(5)
The author of The Cloud constantly advises the beginner to strongly associate with this ‘word’ your faith in God and his providence and goodness:
“Let this little word represent to you God in all His fullness and nothing less than the fullness of God. Let nothing except God hold sway in your mind and heart.” (6)
This is the experience of those who practice contemplative prayer whether they be saints of ages past or the saints of today who are choosing this path again. The author of The Cloud says:
“**In the contemplative work itself, he does not distinguish between friend and enemy, brother and stranger. I do not mean, however, that he will cease to feel a spontaneous affection toward a few others who are especially close to him. … The point I am making is that during the work of contemplation everyone is equally dear to him since it is God alone who stirs him to love. He loves all plainly and nakedly for God; and he loves them all as he loves himself.” **(8)
Indeed, the ideal presented by John the Baptist when he says “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30) is the ideal of contemplative prayer:
“And so reject the thought and experience of all created things but most especially learn to forget yourself, for all your knowledge and experience depends upon the knowledge and feeling of yourself. All else is easily forgotten in comparison with one’s own self. See if experience does not prove me right. Long after you have successfully forgotten every creature and its works, you will find that a naked knowing and feeling of your own being still remains between you and your God. And believe me, you will not be perfect in love until this, too, is destroyed.” (9)
Contemplative prayer then according to the author of The Cloud cannot be considered as self-serving or focussed on self. He says unequivocally “do not think what you are but that you are” (10). Indeed this path is surely what the world needs now, for all to reflect on not “what” we are but just “that” we are.
This denial of the self however comes at a cost - detachment.
As time passes in the practice of contemplation, the author of The Cloud tells us our prayer will gather its own momentum and continue day and night beyond conscious control:
"In the midst of all, you will be offering to God continually each day the most precious gift you can make. This work will be at the heart of everything you do, whether active or contemplative and bring deep spiritual strength and nourishment to renew both your body and your spirit." (12)
