Letting Go of the Attachments in Our Minds

Last updated on: July 28, 2019 at 3:25 am by Paul Bane

Letting Go of the Attachments in Our Minds 2019-07-28T03:25:42-06:00 Paul Bane

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The practice of Mindful Christianity, contemplative and centering prayer is the spiritual discipline of letting go of the attachments we have with the thoughts, emotions, and words in our heads. In releasing and letting go of the attachments in our minds, we create a sacred space where God transcends the silent moments with His presence and love.

The contemplative path leads us to experience the mystery of God no longer by solely thinking thoughts about God in our minds but by experiencing the inward reality of Christ’s presence in our heart. It is a practice of sacred awareness from the time of the Desert Fathers and Mothers of the 3rd century. It is written about by the anonymous mystic writer of “The Cloud of Unknowing” in the latter part of the fourteenth century in England that describes it as an experience without the need for words.

So, the disciple of Christ no longer has only one approach to studying spiritual truths about God through the scriptures but learns to experience the reality of those spiritual truths of God in their heart. We meditate on Christ by voluntary consent releasing and letting go of our thoughts and the images that engulf our minds with everything but Christ.

In centering prayer, a word is used such as “love” or “Christ” that becomes a focal point to call your mind to attention at any time to be aware of the presence of God in your life. (A Sacred Word Quiets my Mind to Pay Attention to God) Others meditate by counting the inhale and exhale of breath a certain number of times as the symbol or the way of beginning to quiet their thoughts and mind to be receptive to God’s presence. With a word or the breath as you release your thoughts with much practice over and over, you discover a calming effect as you sit and meditate in the stillness. You rest in the openness and awareness of God.

With practice sitting in the silence, you experience you are an integral part of something far more significant than yourself. Instead of the thousands of thoughts and images which keep your mind in chaos as you release them repeatedly, you become aware that your life unfolds with an entirely different revelation and meaning. You are not a human “doing” as Richard Rohr shares but a human “being.”

The essence of contemplation and meditation is that you grasp your life as open and resting in God as “just being.” (Be Still and “Be”) You as “being” no longer exist as a separate entity which brings you into unity and oneness with everything which exists. The mystery of Jesus praying “Father make them One as you and I are One” is now a new reality.

In experiencing the presence of God, you move away from the dualistic thinking of being separated by opinion and judgments from others but now are brought into unity with the love of God for others. It is a call to the mystery of God’s love where your being is born into unity and oneness with the living reality of the resurrected Christ and the universe. (The Awareness of No Longer Being Separated from God) You live and move and you’re being is in God as the source of your life.

Scriptures:

that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one. John 17:21-22 NIV

For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ Acts 17:28 NIV

Image via Pixabay

TheGospelCoalition

CAC

NewAdvent

Uncategorized

A Sacred Word Quiets my MInd to Pay Attention to God

Be Still and "Be"

The Awareness of No Longer Being Separated from God

Previous Post

March 31, 2019

Meditation: Just Do It

Next Post

April 19, 2019 Letting Go of Your Thoughts

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Christian Life Contemplation Contemplative Prayer Grief and Loss Mindfulness Recent Posts Suffering Uncategorized

Select a Month August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2014 September 2014

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz