Mantra Meditation or Jesus Prayer

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ninoy_2008

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Good Day to all,

Hi! Iam Neil from Philippines and Iam devout Catholic. Just asking information about “Mantra Meditation” or the “Jesus`s Prayer” advocated by our Eastern Brothers. And Why we catholic do not use this type of prayer beside using rosary?

Thanks and Peace Profound
 
ninoy_2008 said:
Good Day to all,

Hi! Iam Neil from Philippines and Iam devout Catholic. Just asking information about “Mantra Meditation” or the “Jesus`s Prayer” advocated by our Eastern Brothers. And Why we catholic do not use this type of prayer beside using rosary?

Thanks and Peace Profound
Click to expand...
“Mantra meditation” is not the preferred phrase.😉

Some, or many, Catholics do in fact pray the Jesus prayer, as well as the rosary.
 
Pray the Jesus Prayer without attaching it to any breathing techniques (if you wish to do something like that, get a spiritual father and have him direct you).

You can use rosary beads when praying the Jesus Prayer. It’s what I do.

The Jesus Prayer is not a mantra. For more information on how they differ, you may wish to read this.
 
As has already been pointed out, the Jesus Prayer is not a mantra, no more than the recitation of the Rosary. The Jesus Prayer, like any other prayer, is a tool that we use to focus our hearts and minds on God and His presence within us. As a prayer the Jesus Prayer has a direct object/recipient, it is directed to God and is, in fact, conversation with God. It is not a phrase we repeat to induce some sort of psycho-spiritual state. It is meant to be the surging of a heart filled with love unto God. The constant repetition of the phrase is not the end/goal of the prayer itself; the goal is to dwell in the presence of the Trinity, to have constant remembrance of that presence at the very core of our being.

Catholics do indeed pray the Jesus Prayer, particularly Eastern/Byzantine Catholics, although it is also a popular prayer among other Eastern and Oriental Catholics as well as among Roman Catholics. I first learned of the Jesus Prayer from a Roman Catholic. As one who makes and sells prayer ropes for the Jesus Prayer I can tell you that a good number of the prayer ropes I’ve sold have been to Roman Catholics. 👍 It is truly a universal prayer. Devotion to the Holy Name is as alive in the West as it is in the East.
 
I think the original Jesus prayer originated with a very old Greek Monk.
 
I_Thirst said:
The Jesus Prayer is not a mantra. For more information on how they differ, you may wish to read this.
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From the link:
What constitutes the infinite distance separating the Christian Jesus Prayer from the Hindu mantra, however, is that which lurks behind the name of the god being invoked in a mantra and invited into the soul. Through the mouth of the Holy Prophet David, God declares, All the gods of the nations are demons (1 Psalm 95:5)––In other words, behind the names Krishna, Rama, or Shiva are demons lying In wait.
I should point out that, not all Christians view the Hindu idea of Divinity as being satanic. Different Hindus practice different spiritual practices, but the general Hindu perspective is that the Deity that is worshipped and venerated, is the Source and Creator of all things, without being reduced to those things.

But this is a minor point, not the main object of this thread. Carry on.🙂
 
Oh, the sweetness of the Jesus Prayer or Efche (sometimes simply called “the prayer”). This prayer has bred many saints. But the Fathers in the Philokalia admonish us (as well as many other experienced hesychastic elders), not to begin the Prayer by trying breathing/sitting techniques as prescribed in many books (that in my opinion should only be available to the public under the guidance of an experienced geronda/elder) without having an experienced elder. We are warned that improper practice can lead to severe spiritual damage. I am in no way any type of Elder or teacher, but from what I have read/been taught, it is more practical for a lay person to begin the Prayer by setting aside a certain amount of time each day to practice the prayer. Try not to let your mind wander, but if it does don’t panic, just calmly return your focus to the words of the prayer. The devil will try many ways to stop you from say the Prayer, but you must persist. Don’t try to engage the evil one if he tries to distract you, but simply return to the prayer focusing on the words you are saying to God only. If you allow the evil one to get you to engage him, or turn your thoughts to something else then he has accomplished his goal. No matter how many times your thoughts wander, simply and calmly reign them back in to the words of the Prayer. Find an experienced Spiritual Elder to guide you in the Prayer and to help set a rule for you. Normally this person should be your Father-Confessor. I believe with my whole heart, that if every Christian, whether Orthodox, Roman Catholic or even protestant would learn the Prayer and practice it diligently, with love and patience and under guidance from an experienced Geronda/Elder, that union between us all would be impossible to avoid, because the Prayer causes us to set aside our pride and acknowledge that we are all sinners in need of the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ!

The sinner,
Josh
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!
Most Holy Mother of God save us!
 
OrthodoxJosh said:
Oh, the sweetness of the Jesus Prayer or Efche (sometimes simply called “the prayer”). This prayer has bred many saints. But the Fathers in the Philokalia admonish us (as well as many other experienced hesychastic elders), not to begin the Prayer by trying breathing/sitting techniques as prescribed in many books (that in my opinion should only be available to the public under the guidance of an experienced geronda/elder) without having an experienced elder. We are warned that improper practice can lead to severe spiritual damage. I am in no way any type of Elder or teacher, but from what I have read/been taught, it is more practical for a lay person to begin the Prayer by setting aside a certain amount of time each day to practice the prayer. Try not to let your mind wander, but if it does don’t panic, just calmly return your focus to the words of the prayer. The devil will try many ways to stop you from say the Prayer, but you must persist. Don’t try to engage the evil one if he tries to distract you, but simply return to the prayer focusing on the words you are saying to God only. If you allow the evil one to get you to engage him, or turn your thoughts to something else then he has accomplished his goal. No matter how many times your thoughts wander, simply and calmly reign them back in to the words of the Prayer. Find an experienced Spiritual Elder to guide you in the Prayer and to help set a rule for you. Normally this person should be your Father-Confessor. I believe with my whole heart, that if every Christian, whether Orthodox, Roman Catholic or even protestant would learn the Prayer and practice it diligently, with love and patience and under guidance from an experienced Geronda/Elder, that union between us all would be impossible to avoid, because the Prayer causes us to set aside our pride and acknowledge that we are all sinners in need of the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ!

The sinner,
Josh
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!
Most Holy Mother of God save us!
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What a wonderful post! 👍
 
ninoy_2008 said:
Good Day to all,

Hi! Iam Neil from Philippines and Iam devout Catholic. Just asking information about “Mantra Meditation” or the “Jesus`s Prayer” advocated by our Eastern Brothers. And Why we catholic do not use this type of prayer beside using rosary?

Thanks and Peace Profound
Click to expand...
we don’t use mantras because that is not a Christian spiritual practice

anyone can say the Jesus prayer, go right ahead
the ways spirituality developed in the Eastern and Western churches has as much to do with history as with theology, and the fact that they were divided for centuries due to vagaries of history.
 
Phillip_Rolfes said:
As has already been pointed out, the Jesus Prayer is not a mantra, no more than the recitation of the Rosary. The Jesus Prayer, like any other prayer, is a tool that we use to focus our hearts and minds on God and His presence within us. As a prayer the Jesus Prayer has a direct object/recipient, it is directed to God and is, in fact, conversation with God. It is not a phrase we repeat to induce some sort of psycho-spiritual state. It is meant to be the surging of a heart filled with love unto God. The constant repetition of the phrase is not the end/goal of the prayer itself; the goal is to dwell in the presence of the Trinity, to have constant remembrance of that presence at the very core of our being.

Catholics do indeed pray the Jesus Prayer, particularly Eastern/Byzantine Catholics, although it is also a popular prayer among other Eastern and Oriental Catholics as well as among Roman Catholics. I first learned of the Jesus Prayer from a Roman Catholic. As one who makes and sells prayer ropes for the Jesus Prayer I can tell you that a good number of the prayer ropes I’ve sold have been to Roman Catholics. 👍 It is truly a universal prayer. Devotion to the Holy Name is as alive in the West as it is in the East.
Click to expand...
 
Okay they say there are no stupid questions so. What is the Jesus prayer???
 
petitfleur said:
Okay they say there are no stupid questions so. What is the Jesus prayer???
Click to expand...
The Jesus Prayer - Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me (the sinner) (or any variation thereof) - is an ancient devotion to the Holy Name. The prayer rope on which it is normally prayer originated with St. Pachomius I believe (someone help me out with the date here). It developed into and survived in the above form throughout the Byzantine East, and in other forms throughout the Oriental Churches and the Latin/Roman Church. Commonly in the Roman Church one simply says the name of Jesus, “Lord Jesus,” “Sweetest Jesus,” or some such variation. I’ve heard such things have gone on among many Orthodox as well, including the famed Lev Gillet, who simply said, “Lord Jesus.”

The Jesus Prayer is used as a tool (according to St. Theophan the Recluse) to focus one’s attention on the Trinity and its presence within us. It’s power comes not from the method of recitation, but from the Holy Name itself. According to the Russian mystics, any prayer that helps us focus our attention - i.e. stand before God with our mind in our heart - ought to be used. We are not limited to the Jesus Prayer. But the Jesus Prayer is considered to be the most effective because of the invocation of the Holy Name.

Hope this helps. 👍
 
thank you for the answers. It came in handy last night as I had a particularly stressful evening getting my kids back and forth to their activities. The little kids were in a crabby mood and I had about 45 minutes of nonstop bickering ect! It is simple and easy and helped me from losing my cool.
Coincidently, I was baptized Russian Orthadox but only attended services twice once for my baptism and the second time for my Great Aunts funeral. The church was in upstate New York where my mom grew up. I grew up in an agnostic house and converted to Catholicism as an adult. so the Jesus Prayer has a bit of a sentimental value to me too.
Thank You again.
 
ninoy_2008 said:
Good Day to all,

Hi! Iam Neil from Philippines and Iam devout Catholic. Just asking information about “Mantra Meditation” or the “Jesus`s Prayer” advocated by our Eastern Brothers. And Why we catholic do not use this type of prayer beside using rosary?

Thanks and Peace Profound
Click to expand...
By “Mantra Meditation”, usually people mean the repeating of good wishes or curses etc.

Vain repetition is actually useless (Matt. 6:7). The Scripture condemns it.

The Rosary is far superior because it meditates on Scripture, says the Lord’s prayer and call out for prayerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mother.

But I am not sure what the “Jesus Prayer” is and it might well be something equivalent to the Rosary in which case it would be good.
 
passer_by said:
By “Mantra Meditation”, usually people mean the repeating of good wishes or curses etc.
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Actually, “mantra” refers to a name of God that is silently or verbally repeated, usually along with meditation upon God. The word “mantra” is Sanskrit, and associated with Hindusim, Buddhism, and other Dharmic traditions, and thus considered by many Christians as inappropriate as a description of Christian forms of meditation.
 
Ahimsa said:
Actually, “mantra” refers to a name of God that is silently or verbally repeated, usually along with meditation upon God. The word “mantra” is Sanskrit, and associated with Hindusim, Buddhism, and other Dharmic traditions, and thus considered by many Christians as inappropriate as a description of Christian forms of meditation.
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It is not always a name of a God. There are various forms of it, even in Buddhism.

But you have a misunderstanding why its condemned in Christianity. It is NOT because of the fact that it is associated with Hinduism or non-Christian religion. The condemnation is simply because of the error behind such practices.

Just take the example of someone repeating phrases that worship the Buddha in his mantra meditation. This is a big error because here you have the person giving Buddha, a mere human being, the treatment that a God should receive. Hence it is an error.

Another major error is that people who do this believe that they can raise their minds to a higher level where they want to stop their cycle of birth etc. Needless to say, those are errors.

So I am sure there are people who do avoid mantras because of what you said as well. But the true cause is not something like that and actually has a basis to it.
 
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