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Christian Meditation
never strikes out on his or her own-or on his or her own authority. The church clearly needs men and women of personal authority, but they always teach within the context of the community.
One of the ways you see that clearly in our community is all these small meditation groups that meet all around the world. In all sorts of places, every week a small group of people ranging from twenty to thirty at the very most; but usually, about ten or twelve people, will come together. There is a short teaching, or reading. And there is the meditation together—which is the most important reason for the gathering—and, some time for sharing. The leader of that group may simply play a tape, or give a talk, if they feel called to do that. But it is the community itself, the group itself, that becomes in a sense the medium for the presence of Christ, the teacher. The group performs the role of the teacher—though not exclusively.
L.M.: It certainly doesn't take the place of the individuals meditation in the morning and evening.
L.F.: No, certainly it doesn't do that. And it doesn't necessarily take the place of other individual teachers within the community. But in the Christian vision, the role of the teacher is in a way more subtle and more dimensional than in the East.
L.M.: It's more egalitarian in a sense. The teacher doesn't have a special aura or charisma. That's not required.
L.F.: You don't worship the teacher. You don't focus on, or get hung up on, the personality of the teacher. Though human dynamics are at work in any group, it can happen. As John Main used to say, the first job of the Christian teacher is to get out of the way as quickly as possible. And to let the spirit reveal itself, or herself, as the teacher.
L.M.: I find that when I'm sitting in meditation with a group, or in a Buddhist monastery, that my mind is usually calm and collected. But back at home, my meditation is often more jumbled and distracted.
L.F.: There is a great value in meditating together. Christians have always come together to pray. That is a very important aspect of Eastern traditions
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