I think we're making progress here. When you are sitting quietly besides the creek, are you actively engaging in discursive thoughts, or are you paying full attention to the moment by not going off somewhere inside your thoughts "thinking about it"? This is not ignoring reason, it is simply being aware of the world without turning your gaze away from the creek to the thoughts inside your head. It's not "against reason", it's not like you suddenly abandon reason and push your face under water and try to breathe!
Reason is there, but it not the focus of your awareness at that moment. THAT is meditation practice. Not this imaginary "blank" I continue to hear people say it is.
Yes, that verse is talking about engaging in reasoned thought. That's not meditation, nor is it the totality of how someone practices prayer. In fact, it's not about prayer at all. Not sure why you quoted it?
Self-centered objectives? Respectfully, have you read anything I've posted? You sincerely do not understand what this is, or what I have been saying. What might help me to address these ideas you seem to have?
The purpose of these 'tools', are to bring the mind into focus so that you may see what is there the whole time. In these "open" states, it is really only "altered" in reference to the "normal" blaring rock concert going on in our "normal" states of consciousness, which are in reality not 'normal' at all! It's only normal because you've grown accustomed to it. Think of this "normal" like this. You live next to the train tracks in Chicago, the "El". Every 5 minutes the cars rumble past your house with all the constant noise. Pretty soon you adapt to it and learn how to filter out the noise to the point you aren't even aware of it. And then after 15 years of this "normal", you are taken out into the middle of a field in the country. This becomes an "altered state" to you, by point of reference. Where is all that noise? In reality, this is what is "normal". So quieting the mind and hearing the world without the distraction is not an "altered state" really, but the
natural state. For me, the quieted mind has become more the norm for me, and when my mind becomes chatty again, that is noticed as abnormal, something I am not used to anymore, and can hear quite clearly that train rumbling in my backyard.
As far as my objectives, it is to abandon myself to the knowledge of God, for God's sake. If you consider that self-centered, I think you need to define what isn't then.
You haven't in fact read anything I've posted. What can I say to help you understand that by entering into silence it not be looking at yourself at all for self-gain, but that the inward silence is to learn how to let yourself to allow God, to get the heck out of the way. The purpose of the practice is to learn how to overcome all of your self-seeking. That is 100% the exact opposite of what you imagine it to be.
Why? Based on what? I have yet to hear any support for this. I have been practicing meditation every day for one hour each morning for the last 5 years straight. I would think I should be thoroughly demon-possed by now if this were true! My head should be spinning around all day and green vomit spewing out of my mouth with glowing red eyes as I run naked through the streets.
I would think monasteries, temples, and ashrams the world over would be full of demon-possessed zombies everywhere, frothing at the mouth if this were the case. But that's not what we see, of course.
I can tell you my experience from the practice, and it matches what others who practice it say. I am calmer, more patient, more aware, more at peace with myself, others, and the world, I am more compassionate, better communication, happier, full of joy in living, more abundant giving, more creative, and the list goes on and on and on. All of these are magnitudes deeper and higher ever since I started my practice 5 years ago. All of these are the fruits of the Spirit. An evil tree cannot bear good fruit, says Jesus. Does the devil cast out the devil with the devil? That a strange idea, and one that the religious accused Jesus of doing. I'm not sure when this demon possession is supposed to happen? Apparently I must be doing something right then.
It also instructs you to look within. Go into your closest and pray in secret. Make clean the inside of the cup first, says Jesus. Then the outside will clean itself. It's all about the Spirit within. It's everywhere in the NT. The kingdom of heaven is within you, says Jesus.
The heart is within. Amen!
