“There is no spiritual treasure to be found
apart from the bodily
experiences of human life on earth.” I must say, in the
end, I don’t
completely agree. There are activities with God that are barely
bodily,
involving mostly the brain and the soul (whatever precisely that is).
There are times when we “escape” to God in our minds and imaginations,
just as,
or because, our bodies are engaged in things that we want no
part of. I think of
the man in the prison weight room, or the elder
with early dementia, or my dear
friend with advanced M.S. Also, mental
prayer is a beautiful practice, as are
Raja Yoga, Buddhist insight
meditation, and the Ignatian spiritual exercises;
most of what happens
in these practices goes on in the brain and soul, almost
completely
ignoring the movements or sensations of the body.
That's what Jon Sweeney writes in his review of Barbara Brown Taylor's new book An Altar to the World. What about you? Do you think there is no spiritual treasure that exists apart from human life on earth?
Many mystics have found union
with God in times of absolute
silence accompanied by
complete inaction. These
times of prayer certainly
enabled them to find God in
the activities of their
lives, it seems that God can
be more deeply known and
loved in these prayer
experiences. So I disagree
with Ms. Brown Taylor on this
point.
Posted by: Eric 2/21/2009 12:22:02 PM
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