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The Jesus Prayer
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The Jesus Prayer - similarities to other prayer forms
Repeating single words
In the Cloud of the Unknowing, which is written by an unknown English mystic in the late fourteenth century, the author suggests repeating a word repeatedly as a kind of prayer and as a way to come closer to God.
“… it is quite sufficient to focus your attention on a simple word such as sin or God (or another one you might prefer) and without the intervention of analytical thought allow yourself to experience directly the reality it signifies. Do not use clever logic to examine or explain this word to yourself nor allow yourself to ponder its ramifications as if this sort of thing could possibly increase your love. I do not believe reasoning ever helps in the contemplative work. This is why I advise you to leave these words whole, like a lump, as it were.” ( Chapter 36 The Cloud of Unknowing)
The Rosary
One can’t help but notice the similarity between the Jesus prayer and the Rosary. Both have repetition and through it stop the ego and ego thoughts of the self, allowing you to come closer to God. One difference, besides the length of the prayer, is the use of beads. Somehow this seems to help and quiet the body. In the story of the Way of the pilgrim, he used “Jesus beads” which were like a rosary but with 100 beads and a cross. The rosary and how it has evolved is a powerful prayer form.
The prayer of the Name
This is a prayer form from the Hindu religion. It was practiced by Mahatma Ghandi. It consists of repeating the name of God. In Hindu this is the word Rama.
The Active Prayer
Fr. Thomas Keating, a spiritual leader of centering prayer, recommends that an Active Prayer "an aspiration drawn from scripture for use in daily life" 5 to 9 syllables long be repeated and synchronized with one's heartbeat. (Page 133 - Open Mind, Open Heart). He proposes that it helps establish a new "tape" or way of reacting to a situation or experience that can displace some of the old programming of the ego. Reading his description of "The Active Prayer" seems to be identical to "The Jesus Prayer"
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