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Prayer and meditation

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
As a Buddhist I am practice meditation and not prayer.

But i have a question about prayer.
In your understanding do meditation and prayer have the same result if done correctly?
 

YmirGF

Bodhisattva in Recovery
It simply would not occur to me to utter a prayer -- for any reason.
Prayer, necessarily, is based on thoughts and words.
Meditation is about moving beyond thoughts or the cessation of the thought process.
One is meditation, the other is introspection.
Introspection can be very rewarding but should never be confused with meditation.
 

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
As a Buddhist I am practice meditation and not prayer.

But i have a question about prayer.
In your understanding do meditation and prayer have the same result if done correctly?

Catholics have a kind of mantra in saying the Rosary. I could see it being used as a form of meditation.

There is also the Hesychasm used by Christian Mystics and the Eastern Orthodox church.
Hesychasm - Wikipedia
 

Quintessence

Consults with Trees
Staff member
Premium Member
There are many different styles of prayer and meditation. There are also many different objectives and purposes for prayer and meditation. Given that, I'm not sure how to process "same result" when it depends on the style we are talking about, and the purpose behind the practice. There are styles of prayer and meditation that involve similar objectives and have similar results, but there are others that have no such alignment.
 

Quintessence

Consults with Trees
Staff member
Premium Member
To add, prayer (aka, speaking with the gods) is enhanced by meditation (aka, a state of focused/altered awareness/attention). So much so that I'm not sure why one would engage in something like prayer without doing at least a brief meditation beforehand. The practices complement one another.
 

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
As a Buddhist I am practice meditation and not prayer.

But i have a question about prayer.
In your understanding do meditation and prayer have the same result if done correctly?

I think it's personal preference. Of course, different lineages have different practices. Some heavily meditative and mantra others basic chanting without meditation.

I don't chant and I walk meditate. I found chanting distractive. As for prayer, as any vocal worship, it's preference. Some people pray to The Buddha for blessings. Others see him in the background and pray for his enlightenment.

What do you mean by result?

Guatama's practiced meditation how his upbringing and culture taught him. Other parts of Asia have their own meditative techniques. Same as prayer.

What do you mean by result?
 

Trackdayguy

Speed doesn't kill, it's hitting the wall
Surly prayer is a conversation, then who is the conversation with? If it's with God then, he/she must have a personal interest you and would consider that he/she could/would act on your behalf.

I think prayer is an act of desperation and seeking to find some peace/answer to a particularly situation that we have no answers for. Nothing wrong with that as long as we dont make a religion out of it. "This is how you should pray.
 

metis

aged ecumenical anthropologist
I use contemplative meditation as a form of prayer, which was and is common amongst Catholic monks of which I'm not one of them.
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
I think it's personal preference. Of course, different lineages have different practices. Some heavily meditative and mantra others basic chanting without meditation.

I don't chant and I walk meditate. I found chanting distractive. As for prayer, as any vocal worship, it's preference. Some people pray to The Buddha for blessings. Others see him in the background and pray for his enlightenment.

What do you mean by result?

Guatama's practiced meditation how his upbringing and culture taught him. Other parts of Asia have their own meditative techniques. Same as prayer.

What do you mean by result?

I mean the meditation clear our mind so we can see clear wisdom, and as far as i understand prayer it is similar, one pray to see the truth that lay ahead so to get help to understand. Or maybe my understanding of prayer is a bit off?
 

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
I think it's personal preference. Of course, different lineages have different practices. Some heavily meditative and mantra others basic chanting without meditation.

I don't chant and I walk meditate. I found chanting distractive. As for prayer, as any vocal worship, it's preference. Some people pray to The Buddha for blessings. Others see him in the background and pray for his enlightenment.

What do you mean by result?

Guatama's practiced meditation how his upbringing and culture taught him. Other parts of Asia have their own meditative techniques. Same as prayer.

What do you mean by result?

I liked walking meditation as well. Also breathing meditation where you simply focus on your breath going in and out.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
As a Buddhist I am practice meditation and not prayer.

But i have a question about prayer.
In your understanding do meditation and prayer have the same result if done correctly?

Both words, (prayer and meditation) I see as troublesome in any discussion, as there are several understandings of each.
 

Baladas

An Págánach
Contemplative prayer is very similar to meditation. It was my practice as a Christian.
After leaving that path, I eventually tried meditating (it had been discouraged in my church) and I found that I already knew how.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
But both are for clearer mind?
Again, depends on the usage of the word. I've seen 'meditation' described as something I personally would call relaxation. So for that person, using that definition, it's not for clarity, but for stress relief aka relaxation.
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
Yes there is a lot of "fake" meditation personally i know Vipassana (insight) meditation and my OP can be related to this
 

Windwalker

Veteran Member
Premium Member
As a Buddhist I am practice meditation and not prayer.

But i have a question about prayer.
In your understanding do meditation and prayer have the same result if done correctly?
I would say all prayer is a form of focused meditation. The person puts before themselves a mental image of its "recipient" or destination, be that God, Avalokiteshvara, the Universe, Goodness, etc. Depending on how "prayerful" one is, say far beyond "asking" prayers and such, to ones of devotion and self-surrender, then it becomes the deeper form which is itself very much meditation. Deep states of meditation can create great depth of prayer, where all that you are is surrendered. That is the path of transcending the ego, which is the true goal of meditation.

Even meditation, as is popularly practiced, can likewise be "shallow", like the typical petitionary prayer. They meditate to "relax" or just "feel good", and other such common self-interested goals. While that has value, the true goal of meditation is to move beyond yourself into the All, or God, or Emptiness, etc. So both prayer and meditation are really one thing, just different levels and forms, from "feel good", to Emptiness.
 

Windwalker

Veteran Member
Premium Member
Surly prayer is a conversation, then who is the conversation with? If it's with God then, he/she must have a personal interest you and would consider that he/she could/would act on your behalf.
One can offer prayers to the great Unknown, which is not viewed as a person which may or may not have interest in you. Think of it like simply exuding gratitude for being alive, to Life for Life's sake. That's prayer too. It's a prayer to "Everything".

I think prayer is an act of desperation and seeking to find some peace/answer to a particularly situation that we have no answers for. Nothing wrong with that as long as we dont make a religion out of it. "This is how you should pray.
That's a horribly cynical view of reality! :) Are you sure this isn't a projection? What about thanksgiving? What about compassion for the world and offering a prayer of hope? I don't see "desperation" in any of that, do you?
 
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