Mantra as prayer

Our guest at Thirst the other night was Ruth Fowler, co-founder of the Australian Christian Meditation Community. She was teaching us about the story of 20th Century mystic John Main (pictured) and how he used mantras in prayer.

To pray using a mantra means to pray with just one word, gently repeating it in silent simplicity over and over from the beginning to the end of the prayer. The mantra we used was the Aramaic word Maranatha, which means 'Come Lord Jesus', but the cognitive meaning is not as important as the practice of using a repeated word to calm the mind and then the heart so we can be still in the presence of God.

To try and describe the experience I would say it is one of centering and moving to deeper levels within myself

John Main learnt to pray with Mantra from a Malaysian Hindu. It was only later in his life that he discovered similar contemplative prayers already within the Christian tradition.

One of Ruth's comments that stayed with me is what she had to say about it as particularly Christian form of prayer.

It wasn't only a matter of replacing a Hindu word with a Christian one. Ruth described beautifully a process of praying to God through Christ. To put her thoughts into my own words:

In contemplative prayer we move inward to our heart or centre as God's Spirit helps us overcome self-deception and pray from our most authentic created-in-the-image-of-God selves.

Then from our heart we connect with the heart of Christ, who as God incarnate was both fully human and full of grace. Our heart finds their true selves in connecting with the heart of Christ.

And then through Christ, as we seek to know his heart, we connect with God the creator and come humbly into God's presence.

And so prayer can be experiencing the presence of God, having the same heart and mind that was in Christ and being transformed by God's Spirit - all without saying more than one word.

Have you used a mantra what has been your experience?

Comments

[Simon]

I have simply used the Lord's prayer...odd? maybe. It's probably not the traditional sense of a aMantra as you have described above. However, my experience has been similar to what you have suggested. It clears out the rubbish and draws me into the presence of God. I have found after spending time in it that there is nothing left to say...find it to be very restful & has given opportunities to hear clearly how each 'idea' can be applied in my life. Certainly a gift from God.

[just_nigel]

Its not a mantra - but certainly a long treasured and effective prayer. Wasn't it someing significant in Christian history who first recommended it ;)

The longer but mantra-like prayer I have used more than the "Maranatha" or "Shalom" Mantras is what is called the Jesus prayer "Jesus Christ, Son of the living God (on the in breath) have mercy on me a sinner (on the out breath)

[Digger]

That one's from the Orthodox tradition isn't it Nigel?

[Nigel A P Mann]

Yes, as far as I know it is. It is an adaption of Luke 18:13