May a Christian Practice Zen or Yoga?
Page 1 of 2
Ama Samy is an Indian Jesuit Zen master and has a special interest in Korean Buddhism. The article appeared first in “Inculturation” a journal published in Korea by the Columban Fathers.
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has sent out a “Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on some Aspects of Christian Meditation” (hereafter Letter) which delineates the Christian doctrine of prayer, and cautions against possible errors and abuses.
Summary of Vatican Document
The Letter defines Christian prayer as “a personal, intimate and profound dialogue between the human person and God . . . implies an attitude of conversion, a flight from self to the You of God.” (3) The prayer of Christians has been entrusted to the Church, and must be based on Scriptures and rooted in the sacraments, particularly Baptism and Eucharist.
The Christian way to union with God is the way of Christ—obedience to the will of the Father. The Christian is privileged by grace to share in the divine nature and become a “son/daughter in the Son.” But the so-called “divinization” of the human person never abolishes its creaturehood; there cannot be an absorbing of the human self into the divine Self.
Errors and Dangers
In the light of this vision, the Letter describes two errors. One is Pseudo-gnosticism, which aims to liberate the soul from matter and body into a state of superior knowledge, allegedly the original condition of the soul. The other error is Messalianism, called after the fourth-century charismatics who identified the grace of the Holy Spirit with the psychological experiences of His presence in the soul. Both groups display an improper attempt to overcome the distance separating creature from Creator, and to bypass the humanity of Christ and the sacraments of the Church.
No Technique for Union
The Letter then points out some more of the dangers involved in trying to fuse Christian meditation with that which is non-Christian: the use of different techniques in order to generate special and mystical experiences; equating the Buddhist absolute without concepts and images to the Majesty of God revealed in Christ; the use of “negative theology” leading to a form of meditation that abandons the salvific words of God and also the very idea of the Triune God. Several times the Letter points out the error of the notion that one can achieve union with God through some technique.
Mentioned as one of the positive aspects of the Eastern methods is the humble acceptance of a master in the tradition of the Desert Fathers. Such a master must be an expert in “sentire cum ecclesia” (thinking with the mind of the church) and the master has to lead the pupil in a dynamic way, heart to heart.
After this the Letter gives a long description of the traditional threefold division of the Way: purgative, illuminative and unitive. The objective beginning of the union of the Christian with God takes place in the sacraments, especially baptism and the Eucharist. Based on this foundation, one can be given special mystical graces but one should not try to imitate or aspire to the fullness of the mystical graces of the founders of ecclesial institutes. The Christian call to mystical experience, as a living experience of God, is not to be confused with the extraordinary, inimitable forms not meant for everybody.
Relaxation and Warmth
After describing the general course of the way, the Letter makes some comments on the psychological corporal methods which form part of the Eastern ways: it is the whole person who enters into relation with God; the position and demeanor of the body affects the spirit; fasting opens one to an encounter with God; the “Jesus Prayer” uses the natural rhythm of breathing as well as particular body postures, and can be of help to many.
Psycho-physical symbolism of gestures and postures is virtually absent in Western forms of prayer but can, in accordance with cultural and personal sensibilities, be integrated into Christian prayer. But there is the danger of absolutizing symbols and developing a cult of the body. Particularly dangerous is mistaking the effects of some physical exercises—feelings of quiet and relaxation, pleasing sensations of light and warmth—for authentic consolations of the Spirit.
In the journey to the Father in Christ one will go through wanderings in the desert of emptiness. However one must not interpret these trials as the “dark night” in the mystical sense. Here one will be tested and shown whether one is seeking oneself (just relishing one’s own experiences!) or seeking God alone.
Critique
The Letter reflects the crisis in the Church and is written with compassion for the faithful. It is filled with solid doctrine and guidelines, which are timely and of great help to spiritual directors and others. Nevertheless, it is an inadequate treatment, seemingly composed of many disparate parts and so lacking in flow and harmony. I shall discuss its major positive points first.
Official Acknowledgment
The Letter is, first of all, an official acknowledgement and sanction for the use of non-Christian methods and ways by Christians. The opening paragraph states:
And it goes on to say:
While cautioning against exercises which may lead to psychic disturbance and moral deviations, the Letter hastens to add:
Summary of Vatican Document
The Letter defines Christian prayer as “a personal, intimate and profound dialogue between the human person and God . . . implies an attitude of conversion, a flight from self to the You of God.” (3) The prayer of Christians has been entrusted to the Church, and must be based on Scriptures and rooted in the sacraments, particularly Baptism and Eucharist.
The Christian way to union with God is the way of Christ—obedience to the will of the Father. The Christian is privileged by grace to share in the divine nature and become a “son/daughter in the Son.” But the so-called “divinization” of the human person never abolishes its creaturehood; there cannot be an absorbing of the human self into the divine Self.
Errors and Dangers
In the light of this vision, the Letter describes two errors. One is Pseudo-gnosticism, which aims to liberate the soul from matter and body into a state of superior knowledge, allegedly the original condition of the soul. The other error is Messalianism, called after the fourth-century charismatics who identified the grace of the Holy Spirit with the psychological experiences of His presence in the soul. Both groups display an improper attempt to overcome the distance separating creature from Creator, and to bypass the humanity of Christ and the sacraments of the Church.
No Technique for Union
The Letter then points out some more of the dangers involved in trying to fuse Christian meditation with that which is non-Christian: the use of different techniques in order to generate special and mystical experiences; equating the Buddhist absolute without concepts and images to the Majesty of God revealed in Christ; the use of “negative theology” leading to a form of meditation that abandons the salvific words of God and also the very idea of the Triune God. Several times the Letter points out the error of the notion that one can achieve union with God through some technique.
Mentioned as one of the positive aspects of the Eastern methods is the humble acceptance of a master in the tradition of the Desert Fathers. Such a master must be an expert in “sentire cum ecclesia” (thinking with the mind of the church) and the master has to lead the pupil in a dynamic way, heart to heart.
After this the Letter gives a long description of the traditional threefold division of the Way: purgative, illuminative and unitive. The objective beginning of the union of the Christian with God takes place in the sacraments, especially baptism and the Eucharist. Based on this foundation, one can be given special mystical graces but one should not try to imitate or aspire to the fullness of the mystical graces of the founders of ecclesial institutes. The Christian call to mystical experience, as a living experience of God, is not to be confused with the extraordinary, inimitable forms not meant for everybody.
Relaxation and Warmth
After describing the general course of the way, the Letter makes some comments on the psychological corporal methods which form part of the Eastern ways: it is the whole person who enters into relation with God; the position and demeanor of the body affects the spirit; fasting opens one to an encounter with God; the “Jesus Prayer” uses the natural rhythm of breathing as well as particular body postures, and can be of help to many.
Psycho-physical symbolism of gestures and postures is virtually absent in Western forms of prayer but can, in accordance with cultural and personal sensibilities, be integrated into Christian prayer. But there is the danger of absolutizing symbols and developing a cult of the body. Particularly dangerous is mistaking the effects of some physical exercises—feelings of quiet and relaxation, pleasing sensations of light and warmth—for authentic consolations of the Spirit.
In the journey to the Father in Christ one will go through wanderings in the desert of emptiness. However one must not interpret these trials as the “dark night” in the mystical sense. Here one will be tested and shown whether one is seeking oneself (just relishing one’s own experiences!) or seeking God alone.
Critique
The Letter reflects the crisis in the Church and is written with compassion for the faithful. It is filled with solid doctrine and guidelines, which are timely and of great help to spiritual directors and others. Nevertheless, it is an inadequate treatment, seemingly composed of many disparate parts and so lacking in flow and harmony. I shall discuss its major positive points first.
Official Acknowledgment
The Letter is, first of all, an official acknowledgement and sanction for the use of non-Christian methods and ways by Christians. The opening paragraph states:
The interest which in recent years has been awakened also among some Christians by forms of meditation associated with some Eastern religions and their particular methods of prayer is a significant sign of this need for spiritual recollection and a deep contact with the divine Mystery.
And it goes on to say:
these ways should not be rejected out of hand simply because they are not Christian. On the contrary, one can take from them what is useful so long as the Christian concept of prayer, its logic and requirements are never obscured. (16)
While cautioning against exercises which may lead to psychic disturbance and moral deviations, the Letter hastens to add:
That does not mean that genuine practices of meditation which come from the Christian East and from the great non-Christian religions, which prove attractive to the person of today who is divided and disoriented, cannot constitute a suitable means of helping the person who prays to come before God with an interior peace, even in the midst of external pressures. (28)
Website by Booklight, Inc. Copyright © 2010, Monastic Dialogue
Ama Samy is a Zen master and has taught and written on Zen for many years. He studied with Yamada Kôun Roshi of the Sanbô Kyôdan and was authorized by him to teach Zen. After Yamada Roshi’s death he set up his own Zen school, Bodhi Sangha, in Perumalmalai, India, where he lives and teaches.