Christian Meditation by J. Main in Poland. An Attempt at Dogmatic and Pastoral Evaluation.

Abstract

Meditation groups developing according to J. Main's teaching become an opportunity for a deeper analysis of this proposal and its assessment in the light of Christian doctrine, as well as for examination from the perspective of religious and psychological studies. The starting point for the discussion on this topic was the publication of E. Christie's „Christian Meditation in schools. A guide for teachers and parents", distributed by the Polish milieu of The World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM).

The idea of ??meditation, in the reality of the modern world, especially in secularized societies, consumerist ones or only traditionally religious (oriented towards ritualism), is undoubtedly an important impulse in the field of contemplation. However, one cannot remain indifferent to the explicit or indirect borrowings from Buddhist and yogic practices that are present in the  teaching  of  WCCM.  Christian  spirituality  and  practices  of  the  Far  East  have,  in fact, a completely different basis (point of departure) and point of arrival. For people who are baptized, any prayer - including meditation, is a gift from God, a way to build a personal relationship with the Triune and the aim is to be in union with Him, still maintaining the autonomy and the identity of the two entities in this relation - God and man. Meanwhile, in Buddhist and yogic practices it is the human activity that is important (achieving a state of motionlessness, mastering one's thoughts, and actions of the body), and the target is defined as an experience of peace, harmony, unity with oneself, with the whole world, with the force of the  Universe.

Therefore, it is difficult to learn something from these philosophical and religious traditions in the spiritual dimension, and in times of confusion and explicit promotion of New Age, practices related to it and contents arriving from the Far East, the attitude of Christians should be unequivocal.

For this reason, the following postulates arise towards the WCCM milieu: a clear link between meditation and sacramental-ecclesial life; abandoning the practices of meditating together with Buddhists; purification of the teaching from the contents that suggest syncretism; renunciation of drawing from non-Christian spirituality; a deeper embedding of teaching in the doctrine and life of the Church.