Chapter 3: The Method of Centering Prayer
1. Choose a sacred word as the symbol of your intention to consent to the presence and action of God within.
2. Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly and silently introduce the sacred word as the symbol of your intention to consent to God’s presence and action.
3. When you become aware of thoughts, return ever so gently to the sacred word.
4. At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence for a few minutes with eyes closed.
There is considerable discussion about the sacred word. It is not to be confused with a mantra, or anything magical. Also, I never knew this before, but it works best if it’s only a single syllable. And you shouldn’t be changing your sacred word, but instead stay with one sacred word over a long period of prayer times. I had been changing mine, in hopes of avoiding boredom, but apparently this only gives the mind more to think about, and is actually counterproductive to the goal of centering.
After praying about it some, I decided on the word "be." It best describes my intention to be in the presence of the Lord, as opposed to my normal mode of "doing." The book proposes a number of alternatives including "Lord," "Faith," "Peace," "Love," "Hope," "Calm," and "Trust." And you’re not really supposed to meditate on the meaning of your sacred word, but only use it when you catch yourself thinking. Then you ever so gently return, using the word to refocus.
Also, I wasn’t aware of the part about the "action of God." I wanted to do centering as a way to experience God’s presence, and to realign myself to a God who sits at rest on the throne. But it turns out that this is also about submitting to God’s action within us.
If we are to become a vessel of God’s presence in our world we need to be hollowed out, as it were, to make space for God. Usually we are so full of ourselves that we have no room for God or anyone else. The action of God then is to purify us of selfishness so that we can become filled with God.
I wonder what your experience has been with this. Do you find that centering empties you of yourself and makes room for God and others? What do you think about the sacred word? What word have you chosen to use? I’ll write more another time as I continue with this book, but I would love to hear about your experiences.
posted by Ted at 3:25 PM
4 Comments:
I've never actually attempted centering prayer using a "sacred word." It sounds a bit...wierd. My first thought was a mantra, but as you point out that isn't what it's supposed to be. But it sure sounds like a mantra...smells like a mantra...is it a mantra? Guess I would have to read the book myself and see. My centering prayer is focussing on the Spirit of God within me. I guess that's what it is. I've never really analyzed what I do to center myself, but basically I recall to mind God's presence as I experience Him most deeply and then dwell there. Does that make sense? gs
gs, Per the book: “A mantra is chosen by the guru and handed down to the disciple; its importance lies in its sound and its constant repetition, which is intended to bring the user to an altered state of consciousness.” The purpose of this word is that it is a “symbol of your intention to consent to God’s presence and action in our lives.” It is not even actually spoken, but instead is used mentally to bring you back to the center when your mind has wandered. “We do not say the word mentally but simply let it float into our consciousness. The introduction of the sacred word is as gentle as laying a feather on cotton wool. There is no force in this gentlest of activity.” The book goes on to say that “it is only used when necessary . . .” So that seems much different than a mantra. Does that make sense? tm
Is an altered state of consciousness always such a bad thing? What exactly is a state of consciousness? Is that a biblical term? I was taught by CCC that emptying your mind of thought would open you up to demon possession. But we were also taught that the only sources of complete protein were liver and one other food you didn't really want to eat every day. Fortunately there was a guy there who could sell you a powdered drink which contained complete protein. (no kidding) I had studied nutrition so I didn't fall for that one, but how do we ever sort out the good from the garbage when there is no science to back it up?
I am trying the exercise you are describing and I promise not to hold you responsible if I get taken over by demons. :) The word "light" kind of resonates.
Kerry
Wow, Kerry. I'm glad you're giving it a try! And it's nice to know you're reading my blog -- makes me happy! :)
Re: altered states, I consider sleep an altered state of consciousness, and I'm pretty sure that sleep is a good thing, so I guess I'm not really against altered states. :)
And last I checked there's a lot of overlap between other religions and mine, so I'm not too worried if what I do isn't uniquely Christian. I know mantras are supposed to be a passport to the "dark side" but in this instance I think we're pretty safe.
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