Spiritual Practices: Christian Mantras And Meditation

By Christopher Mendonca

Chanting of mantras and the practice of meditation are time-honoured traditions in oriental religions like Hinduism and Buddhism. But because of the universal validity of this practice, the Desert Fathers adopted it and made this the starting point for the "tradition of pure prayer" which they handed down within the Christian context.

Christians use the concept of chanting in a variety of ways in their prayer. The Divine Office or Prayer of the Church is a rhythmic recitation or singing of the Psalms in monastic communities. 

The Rosary is the successive repetition of the 'Hail Mary'. But perhaps the most popular mantra used by Christians is "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me". The Way of the Pilgrim is the story of a Russian pilgrim who learned the practice of the presence of God through the constant use of this mantra. 

Eastern tradition of meditation helps the mind turn away from thoughts and images, to help achieve liberation. Similarly, the Christian tradition of pure prayer seeks to protect us from distraction, taking us to the inner silence of the heart where Christ prays in us through the Spirit.

For a Christian the practice of meditation is the practice of an 'awareness' of God in Christ. Equally, at the heart of the practice of Christian meditation is the essential onslaught on the 'ego' so that we may be completely free from its domination. Prophet Isaiah says (30:15): "In conversion and tranquillity lies your salvation". 

Conversion and inner silence are the essential ingredients of Christian meditation. Solitude is the place of conversion. It is not a private therapeutic place. Rather it is the place where the old self dies and the new self is born.

It is in Christian terms a death-resurrection experience, a participation in the Death and Resurrection of Jesus. Meditation helps us get free of the domination of the ego. 

The practice of Christian meditation is very simple. You say your word - from the scripture, or a short devotional phrase. As you recite it you also begin to internally "listen" to it. The word recommended is Ma-ra-na-tha (meaning the Lord comes!).

When you sit down to meditate, you close your eyes gently and sit upright and then in the deepening silence within you, you repeat the word, the mantra, "Maranatha", for the entire time of your meditation. That is all. 

You listen to the mantra as you repeat it and you do not think about yourself - and that is the power of the mantra. All your attention is deflected from yourself to the word. We have to turn the light around, away from ourselves, beyond ourselves or perhaps through ourselves. 

In other words, the only way to transcend the ego is to ignore it. This is what the mantra enables us to do. It is not so much a matter of 'intention' or an exercise of the will. We all experience our utter failure in this regard. Rather it is a matter of 'attention'.

Silence is a presence and at the heart of it is God. It is the late John Main, a Benedictine monk (OSB) who in recent years rediscovered the lost tradition of Christian meditation. His disciple and successor Laurence Freeman OSB has continued his good work establishing what is now known as the World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM) in London . 

He is active in the contemplative meeting of the different faiths and led the "Way of Peace" initiative with His Holiness the Dalai Lama.