My Friends
I have always felt that truth isn’t owned by anyone person creed or religion. With that said I must say that I have come across a particular comment that has really disturbed me. This comment was left in response to the blog post I wrote many months ago entitled “What is meditation Part 1: Is it evil, Do devils talk to you and play with your mind during meditation?”
I have gotten many responses that say
- “Jesus is the only way,
- The Holy bible tells us how to seek God
- Devils talk to me during meditation
- Sitting in meditative posture makes you sterile – supposedly meditation, the yellow starburst and tropical Fantasy soda all kill sperm and make women barren.
- We just have to go to church and treat each other correctly.
There is no limit to the type of comments I have gotten. Here is a comment I have gotten recently.
Guys I am a Christian and know of countless times that TM has lead to these demonic happenings. It is great to seek God, and yes it is good that you are interested in seeking him, but he’s not left us alone with no advice on how to do so. The Holy Bible teaches us how to seek God, and how to “experience” God, but in an unselfish or self-serving way. God said that if we seek him with all that we are, we shall find him. But he has given us directions on how to do so. TM is not one of these ways. When jesus said to meditate on these things, the origin, and meaning was related much to the way you would simply ponder and think about something, not the act of TM. TM is seeking a spiritual experience, and the Devil sees that as an opportunity to mess with people. This is not the will of God to practice TM. It’s a new age and very secular idea at its roots. Please accept my advice. Seek Christ and what he has to offer, not things of this world, or concepts that man tries to come up with in order to “feel good” or “experience God”. I thank you for reading my post.
I didn’t approve this comment because it goes against the purpose this blog was created. In case you were wondering what the purpose of this blog is or one of the purposes I should say, I should say its is to so the universality of the human experience both the quotidian and the spiritual which in my view are so intertwined they cannot be seperated. But I just wanted to share this comment. I find it very forceful and imposing. I would like your comments on what you think about this comment. I would like to do a post on my experiences with meditation if anyone is interested. Many times I dont feel there is a clear conception of what meditation is one should make a distinction also between meditation and other mental and physical exercises which are quite commercial at the time.
I leave you with this quote from Bawa Muhaiyadden
“You are a Christian because you believe in Jesus. You are a Jew because you believe in all the prophets including Moses. You are a Muslim because you believe in Mohammed as a prophet. You are a Sufi because you believe in the universal teachings of God’s love. You are really none of those, but you are all of those because you believe in God. And once you believe in God, there is no religion. Once you divide yourself off with religion, you are separated from your fellow man.”
The comments are a little imposing, but hopefully each of us will through God’s grace be enlightened on whatever path we are Inshallah. Great idea for a post on meditation piggy
<3
If a comment is offensive, don’t post it. Some people enjoy debating/offending other people, in hopes of getting their comment noticed and giving them more traffic to their own site.
Also, I’m sure if you put an opposing opinion on that person’s site, they wouldn’t post it.
You have a right to run your site the way you want. Offering your readers the opposing view isn’t necessary. They can research opposing views on their own. They come here – for your view.
Well, I totally agree with the quote you posted dear Dave directly underneath by Bawa Muayeddin. I’m glad you posted the quote by that reader. It’s like you sharing with us what’s disturbing as well as all the other inspiring and creative responses and think that is important. I guess that person in their heart believes he/she is helping us readers. And for that I thank them, but I would also like to ask them to consider the Bawa quote you posted, and maybe reflect on how by taking ownership of God and insisting on only one way of experiencing God contributes to the kind of fundamentalist superiority that allows people to feel justified in killing others.
A quote from a favorite book of mine
Jesus nad Buddha the parallel sayings by Jack Kornfield
“That evening they brought to him many who were possessed with demons; and he cast out the spirits with a word, and cured all who were sick” MAtthew 8.16 pg 158
pg 159 by Samyutta Nikaya 46.14
“The venerable Kasspa was sick and afflicted, stricken with a sore disease. The BUddha spoke to him and Kassapa was delighted. Then and there he rose up from his sickness and abandoned it. ”
I have often thought why shed blood in the nam eof religion when it is all the same idea in different words?
Silly…