The Christian Meditation of the Heart or the Hesychast meditation (not the “hesychast”) has a certain efficiency that does not depend on us, but on the Grace or “mercy” of Jesus.
We just have to do our part, human, to accomplish specific utterance or prayer.
Still, a few people claim that although they practice regularly,
they do not feel an elevation of their level of consciousness.
We offer here a series of principles of efficiency in this type of spiritual approach
which can be an essential guide for the Authentic Seeker.
1. Detachment from the fruits of the action.
It is not good to feel attached to achieving spiritual efficiency during practice, as we imagine it would like it to take place.
The practice of isihaste meditation or Christian meditation of the Heart gains strength if we are detached from its results
and it is prevented if we are attached to the result and we pursue with intensity a certain satisfaction.
2. Mentalization of the living presence of Jesus Christ in our spiritual heart
and the identification with the living being of Jesus Christ in our spiritual heart.
This principle is based on the fundamental aspect of the identity at the essential level between the human being and the divine Being of Jesus Christ.
3. Centering in the spiritual Heart or, at least, a better interiorization and focus.
4. The instantaneous presence or spontaneous attention oriented towards the present moment, on the practice that takes place in the heart and, at the same time, in a secondary way, on what is happening outside.
5 External noises or other stimuli are not obstacles, but are true chances of efficiency, since they allow us to notice the difference between the inside and the outside.
6. We do not struggle with any thoughts that arise, but only to ignore them, that is, we do not follow their course, we do not cultivate them, replacing the attention related to them with the attention related to the practice of hesychaste meditation or the Christian meditation of the Heart.
This practice that is simple enough to be approached and allows focusing on it for almost any practitioner (regardless of the spiritual level already gained).
Thus, the power of any thought will gradually decrease and the “isichia”, the living peace of the heart full of nondual happiness will gradually install.
7. When we practice “ora et labora” the efficiency increases a lot if we refer to the fact that we have a mysterious inner life, which takes place regardless of what is outside; this inner life takes place at the level of the spiritual Heart, within our physical body, but on a subtle level; in other words, there, in the Heart, we are, identified with the living being of the Savior Jesus Christ. Thus, we find that it is easy for us to live concretely the state in which
“we are in the world, but we are not of the world. ”
8. When the inspiration is realized it is good to become aware of the subtle quality of the inspired air as being of the nature of the Cristic Consciousness.
9. It is good to allow breathing to become more and more superficial, with large breaks between exhalation and inspiration (reaching the situation where we have the impression that we no longer breathe at all); this phenomenon should not be forced at all, but it must be natural and only allow its manifestation.
Attention should be focused on prayer and identity in the heart with the living Jesus Christ, not on breathing.
10. The posture is good to be with the spine as straight as possible, having the head in the continuation of the spine and, especially, if possible, to be perfectly immobile; Of course we can consider ourselves free to move certain body segments for different pressing needs, but a key to success in this type of meditation is almost absolute bodily immobility.
Subsequently, one can practice “ora et labora” in the middle of life (and therefore during movement) but after a certain success in meditation with the immobile body has been achieved.
11. It is important to continue the utterances of the prayer of the heart (even mechanically – from the subconscious), this constituting an authentic rosary (or bead of “silk”) with the help of which meditation gains continuity and efficiency.
Of course, if the inner state has become deeper and we feel it, we can only repeat the name of Jesus, and if it has become even deeper, then there is no need to say anything, because the prayer of the Heart will flow in a subtle way, from the Self, into the Heart.
12. It is good to maintain as strictly as possible the active sexual continent or sexual abstinence (in order to benefit from a much increased efficiency in meditation). From experience we tell you that people who do not comply with this condition most often report aspects like “they do not feel anything, although practical”.
Other helpful aspects:
– food is best to be vegetarian, without consuming alcoholic beverages and without smoking or using drugs;
– we can use the healing plants to improve our mental and mental state, to increase the ability to concentrate and maintain the mental focus; we do not include here “psychedelic” plants that, even if some are legal, have the gift of weakening the inner power, uncontrollably opening the being to the state of trance;
– the use of the secret method of identifying concentration on a divinely inspired image.
…………….
We wish you a frenetic practice and full success!
Leo Radutz
AdAnima Academic Society
www.adanima.org
09.01.2011