School of Meditation Weekly Teachings

Weekly Teachings 12/8/2012

Compassion

The Christian Desert Fathers and Mothers of the 4th century, on whose teaching John Cassian based his works, also form the foundation of Christian Meditation. John Main, our founder, rediscovered this way of prayer for us in Cassian’s writings ‘The Conferences’, especially chapters nine and ten.

Read more »

Weekly Teachings 05/8/2012

Love of Neighbour

To the Desert Fathers and Mothers human relationships are considered to be foundational to living in the presence of Christ: Abba John the Dwarf said, “A house is not built by beginning at the top and working down.

Read more »

Weekly Teachings 29/7/2012

Relaxing the Body

As I have written in a previous letter we live in a world that is obsessed with achievement and success. Even meditation can be seen purely as a way of optimizing our brain function, to be more materially successful in this world.

Read more »

Weekly Teachings 22/7/2012

Doing and Being

The story of Martha and Mary in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 10:32-42) illustrates the importance of the integration of doing and being, of the relationship between action and contemplation. Martha represents the active, busy life we all lead every day with its demands of work, friendship and hospitality.

Read more »

Weekly Teachings 15/7/2012

The Effect of Meditation on Health

One of the readers of these ‘Letters’ asked why in our Community we do not lay the same stress on the health benefits of meditation as some do.

Read more »

Weekly Teachings 8/7/2012

The Role of Attention

“In order to enter into this holy and mysterious communion with the Word of God dwelling within us, we must first have the courage to become more and more silent……..a silence where we have to listen, to concentrate, to attend.” (Word into Silence)

Read more »

Weekly Teachings 1/7/2012

Hard-wired to Experience Higher States of Consciousness

We looked at the role attention plays in becoming aware of who we truly are. But there is another process that is put into motion by paying attention; parts of our brain are activated/de-activated, allowing a new and more truthful perception of Reality.

Read more »

Weekly Teachings 24/6/2012

The Christ Within

We have been looking at how the brain is a beautiful God-given instrument, which allows us to tune into different realities. This different way of perception, this metanoia, can come about gradually by meditating faithfully with all our loving attention focused on our mantra; 

Read more »

Weekly Teachings 17/6/2012

Letting go of ego

St Paul’s experience of the risen Christ mirrors our experience of Him in the deep silence of our meditation: “He is a real, risen presence encountered deep within the personal experience of the disciple and new believer.” (Laurence Freeman)

Read more »

Weekly Teachings 10/6/2012

What is time?

“It seems to me that we have ultimately to go beyond all forms of thought – even beyond the Trinity, the Incarnation...... All these belong to the world of signs – manifestations of God in human thought – but God Himself, Truth itself is beyond all forms of thought.” (Bede Griffiths OSB)

Read more »

Syndicate content