What makes Christian meditation better than Eastern meditation?

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Ben_Sinner

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What makes Christian meditation superior to Eastern meditation?

From what I understand, Christian meditation is completely focusing your mind on God and nothing but God and eventually you will get closer to him…and Eastern meditation is not focusing on anything at all…and the “truth” will eventually come to you because you are no longer under any mental bias.

Wouldn’t that make Eastern meditation more objective then since there is no bias going into it (empty your mind), while the Christian meditation already has a pre-conceived notion going into it (There is a God and think about him only)?

I’m confused, and would like some clarification, please. Why is Christian meditation better? (other than the fact that it is Christian)
 
Hi, Ben,

The meaning of the English word “meditation” has changed over the years.

The old meaning of “meditation” was just to think about something, especially something you had read. That was called “meditatio” in Latin, and meditatio is one stage of the contemplative ladder of lectio-meditatio-oratio-contemplatio.

The new meaning of “meditation” is any kind of mental exercise, even if thinking is not involved. For example, fixing your gaze on a candle could be called “meditation” in the new sense.

The “empty your mind” thing is a bit of a misunderstanding of what Eastern meditation is all about. Like I say, meditation could be any kind of exercise aimed at mental development. “Empty your mind” is a sort of parody of Eastern meditation popularized by stage conjurors.

Hope this clarifies things a bit, even if I haven’t fully answered your question!
 
There is absolutely no way to eliminate all mental bias. You may think or feel like you’ve removed all bias, but even that is subjective. You can meditate and wait for the “truth” to come to you, but part of human nature is our uncanny ability to take any random thought we might have and attach the label of “truth” to it, no matter how subjective, self-serving, or false it may be.

Christian meditation is superior because it relies on the Source of genuine truth to come into our hearts, minds, and souls, as opposed to meditating on nothing, with the goal of creating or “discovering” our own subjective “truth”.
 
In both forms of media Tati on we may be sitting there letting the mind calm down and find inner silence. The inner monolge can eventually subside. But in the mean time, on the journey to that stillness we have Christ to help, protect and guide us as we focus on his presence. And then it is also in the context of his light and love that we interpret our experience when we return to our usual thought process.
 
Hey, excellent question, nice job Ben.

I would suggest, don’t worry too much about which is better. Try them both and see what works best for you. I would agree that in either case some level of expectation and projection is probably going to be involved. We’re human, that’s what we do, so just accept this predicament with a smile. And then let it go, and get back to meditating.

I would suggest, focus on the experience itself, instead of any conclusions that may arise from the experience. Different conclusions may arise on different days. Like clouds in the sky, they will come, they will go. Some days they will be pretty clouds, other days dark clouds. Let them be clouds, let them come, and let them go.

Meditation is a form of surrender, just like love. It’s a process of “dying to be reborn”. Focus on the act of surrender, on the dying, and trust whatever rebirth that may occur to come in the form that is right for you.

You’re a rider on the bus, not the driver. Take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy the ride.
 
Read Prayer Primer and/or Fire Within, both by the late Fr Thomas Dubay, as both answer that question very well! The short answer is that there is an unspeakably huge difference between the two, and Eastern forms of meditation fall miserably short of infused contemplation and the lofty heights of prayer that God has in mind for us.
 
Son_of_Jonah said:
Read Prayer Primer and/or Fire Within, both by the late Fr Thomas Dubay, as both answer that question very well! The short answer is that there is an unspeakably huge difference between the two, and Eastern forms of meditation fall miserably short of infused contemplation and the lofty heights of prayer that God has in mind for us.
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Christiainity and judaism are eastern religions… They started in the middle east.
 
TheTrinitySaves said:
Christiainity and judaism are eastern religions… They started in the middle east.
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Be that as it may, there is an unmistakeable difference between “Eastern meditation” and “Christian meditation/contemplation” per the OP’s question. So I’m not sure why this fact is being brought up. It’s irrelevant.
 
Son_of_Jonah said:
Be that as it may, there is an unmistakeable difference between “Eastern meditation” and “Christian meditation/contemplation” per the OP’s question. So I’m not sure why this fact is being brought up. It’s irrelevant.
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Well the orgins of a religion are hardly irrelevant my friend. Is the fact that jesus grew up Israel irrelevant? Is Jerusalem irrelevant?
 
In charity, I will assume lack of clarity on my part. Forgive me. But what I meant is that, considering the widely held distinction between Eastern religions and Christianity, the fact that Christ lived in the Middle East is irrelevant to the OP’s question.

Furthermore, the geographic location of a religion’s origin has less to do with its distinction as either an eastern or western religion than does its circumstances and culture of growth. Christianity, for example, is NOT an eastern religion, because its origin is in the Roman Empire, its culture founded upon Greco-Roman philosophy. It is undeniably a Roman religion - hence why we are Roman Catholics in origin - and as such it is a Western Religion. Comparing Christianity with other obviously Eastern religions should make this distinction all the more obvious. Christianity is not an eastern religion, whether or not it has its origin in the eastern hemisphere, and its history of meditation and contemplation is worlds different than that of eastern meditation and “enlightenment.”
 
This is a very interesting topic but actually I believe Christianity was born out of Roman (legal) thought (so the understanding that God is fair and just) AND the faith and holiness of Judaism and also Greek philosophy AND the enlightenment of Eastern religions. Remember in scripture the star of the east was followed by the Magi, the same star shining which leads us to Jesus … So the world was all brought together ‘by God’ through Jesus Christ at a specific time (half of time) for a purpose to start the Church founded in all this so that souls would be saved through her. First the Jew and then the Gentiles (non-Jews) and the Church sharing truth and Gods love allowing Her to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit… So do I think Christian meditation is better, yes, because Christianity has a foundation at it’s core of our Universal God who is God of all. God who is maker of heaven and earth and all that is seen and unseen. Truth isn’t sourced from an individual it’s sourced in God. This all hard for me to explain but I have seen the light! 🙂 Hey that’s why there are so many mystics in the Church… That spiritual ‘enlightenment’.
 
When people talk about “Eastern religions,” they don’t mean the Near or Middle East. They mean China, Japan, India, and so on.

The same thing is true of “Eastern meditation.” They don’t mean what dervishes do.
 
Eastern meditation is a very broad term.

What you mean? Buddhism? Hinduism?

Both religions have many forms of meditation. Some are identical to Catholicism. The Rosary can be classified as a mantra for instance.
 
Jomann said:
Eastern meditation is a very broad term.

What you mean? Buddhism? Hinduism?

Both religions have many forms of meditation. Some are identical to Catholicism. The Rosary can be classified as a mantra for instance.
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That’s a good point. And what metric are we going to use to define “better”?
 
What makes Christian meditation better than Eastern meditation?

The Father, Jesus Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit.

more can be said of course - that that is the heart of it.
 
Jomann said:
Eastern meditation is a very broad term.

What you mean? Buddhism? Hinduism?

Both religions have many forms of meditation. Some are identical to Catholicism. The Rosary can be classified as a mantra for instance.
Click to expand...
I get the feeling you understand neither eastern nor Catholic meditation.

The rosary is not a “mantra,” and it is not “identical” to any Eastern method of meditation.
 
Christian meditation is Christ Centered, where Eastern Meditation is seeking enlightenment, Nirvana or whatever it can be referred to.

Both cases transforms the person, but Christian meditation transforms the person through transforming grace given by God.

I wouldn’t try to make this into a “my meditation is better than your meditation” situation.

We are called by Christ to be in union with Him. We need not compare this to anything else.

Jim
 
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