February 28, 2010 - the Humility of Meditation

 The Humility of Meditation

I remember my parents talking about a person who was a bit proud.  They said he was 'full of himself.'  I thought, 'Well of course he is.'

We are full our ourselves.

• scripts from our culture
• memories
• guilts and shames
• desires
• plans
• anxieties

It's no wonder we have trouble finding God.  We are full of ourselves.  But God says, "My thoughts are not your thoughts."

Before we begin any spiritual enterprise we admit a basic humilty of how we are full of finite thoughts and feelings.  We are not eternal, we are bound by time and place, our self interest and programming cloud our view of anything we do not expect or understand.

So we humbly empty ourselves.

Like a glass. - pouring out

From Zen Flesh, Zen Bones "Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era, received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen. Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor’s cup full, and then kept on pouring.  The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. “It is overfull. No more will go in!”  Like this cup,” Nan-in said, “you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?”

Like a hard drive. - replacing

meditate on my law night and day.
mantra
nature

Debate in Christianity about meditation

danger of emptiness

loneliness, estrangement

danger of replaceing

I love Lucy

But Scripture finds quietness "Be still and know that I am God."  The still small voice.

    count breathing
    focus on objects
    singing

Making touchstones for quietness.

HOLY IS THE TIME AND HOLY IS THIS PLACE a prayer by Ann Weems

Spiritual contemplation is all right

   for those who have the time,

   but most of us have to make a living.

Most of us have to live in the real world

   where profanity splashes and blots out

          anything holy.

Where, O Holy One, can we find you in this unholy mess?

How, O God, can we find the holy in the ordinary?

Martin Luther once said (recorded in his TISHREDE): "I have twice as much to do today and therefore I need to pray twice as long."

(c) William H. Levering 2010