Can Christians meditate?

Question

I am an average christian, and i bearly discovered buddhism, i don't want to convert or anything, i still wanna be a Christian and still have Jesus as my Lord And Saviour, but i was wondering if Christians can meditate. Can We?

Anabasisx- Please do not hesitate, i am not "anti-catholic". Please feel free to write what you have to! =]

Answer 1

Of course we can, the Bible even tells us to

Answer 2

Yes, you can. There is a form of prayer called contemplative prayer which is a type of meditation. One thing I find really helpful about contemplative prayer is that it frees me from all of my own desires and makes me more receptive to understanding God's will for me.

I hesitate to add this, because I think you have posted under a similar name and are anti-Catholic, but the rosary is a form of contemplative prayer that is becoming popular even amongst Protestants. When you pray the rosary you meditate on events in the life of Christ, such as if you were to pray the Luminous Mysteries you would meditate on The Baptism of Jesus, The Manifestation of our Lord at the Wedding at Cana, The Proclamation of the Kingdom, the Transfiguration, and the Institution of the Eucharist.

A really good book that I would recommend that would fully explain the Scriptural background for praying the rosary would be:
http://www.amazon.com/Praying-Rosary-Megan-Mckenna/dp/0385510829/sr=1-2/qid=1157413181/ref=pd_bbs_2/002-7474341-7248039?ie=UTF8&s=books

Also, if you have an interest in Buddhism, but want to approach this type of spirituality purely as a Christian, you might like to read the writings of some of the Christian mystics such as Thomas Merton, St Teresa of Avila, St John of the Cross and St Gregory of Nyssa.

Just my advice. You can take it or leave it, and I do realize that you might completely disregard it since I am a Catholic.

Answer 3

Some right wing Christians will tell other right wing Christians not to do it, as it is an eastern practice whose basic premise is to rely on your own inner power, not God's. They would advocate contemplation rather than meditation and make a point of showing you the differences between the two. I think if you are a purist and a Christian, and you already live a life very close to surrender unto the Lord in all things, the answer to this question is clear.

Answer 4

Christian meditation is an engagement of thought - not an emptying out. Christian meditation involves study, asking the Lord and figuring things out.

Answer 5

There are books on Christian Zen. Also 'Cloud of the Unknowing' is a Christian meditative text. Gnostic and other esoteric movements emphasis mediation as a way to unite with God.

Answer 6

Yes, Christians can meditate while they are praying.

The Holy Rosary, a devotion by Catholics, is a meditative form of prayer.

Answer 7

yeas christians meditate all the time and buddhism is a religion without gods you can be a buddhist and a christian at the same time

Answer 8

In my faith we are asked to Read and Ponder the scriptures...

I would consider this meditation...

But I don't think that this is the same kind of meditation that Buddhists attain.

I don't recall anything against it in any Christian scriptures.

Answer 9

Yes. Meditation is for everybody. It doesn't go against any religion. It's simply attuning one's self to the positive energies in life.

Answer 10

Buddhist meditation is a destruction of the ego, and part of meditation is the abandoning of any blind faith. Either you will meditate and your self-discovery will destroy your faith, as it did with me, or your faith will become a roadblock on the path to nirvana.

If anything is worth doing, do it with all your heart
- Buddha -

Answer 11

You have a mind you can meditate. Meditating does not make you a Christian, buddhist or whatever.