Comments on: Is prayer meditation? Where prayer and meditation meet.

By: Mary

Mary — Sat, 30 May 2009 00:12:33 +0000

Lotus, thanks for adding your comment. Reading it evokes that experience!

By: Lotus

Lotus — Fri, 29 May 2009 23:00:58 +0000

I very much resonate with the above quote too.

I once read this – prayer is like talking to God, while meditation is listening to God. I thought that makes quite a bit of sense.

I essence of it all lies in the true communion with God or The Divine within or whatever you want to call it.

I like the saying – The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt within the heart. – Helen Keller

And for me – it cannot be seen, touched nor heard. It is that beautiful feeling inside, whether while in meditation, prayer or just being there on the top of the mountain or by the ocean. Sometimes I feel it when I am in a trance-like dance. It is magical when you feel that connection with that Source of indescribable peace, love,etc – that bliss.

By: Mary

Mary — Sun, 24 May 2009 17:04:36 +0000

Beautiful! Thank you for sharing this, Ian.

By: Ian

Ian — Sun, 24 May 2009 02:32:03 +0000

I loved the initial post and Claire’s response. I also was in a strict religious background. When I left, I felt like there was a hole inside me. I’ve since filled it with meditation but every once in a while I find myself trying to commune with God. Every time I’ve caught myself and said “no that was the old me’ never realizing that I’m looking at two sides of the same coin. So I can commune with God without the religious trappings.

By: Mary

Mary — Thu, 21 May 2009 16:35:18 +0000

Thank you for this beautiful comment, Claire. I imagine the same experience does get called by many names, and ultimately it seems like an experience that is beyond words!

By: Claire

Claire — Thu, 21 May 2009 01:45:17 +0000

For me, I can say the above quote is true. For many years I was involved in a very rigid, religious belief system. During times of “prayer”, I did have wonderful moments of oneness. For personal reasons, I left that religious system and grieved the loss of a personal relationship with “god”. A few years later, when I started a meditation practice, I was delighted (and surprised!) to find that very same experience! I certainly respect whatever path individuals may be on religiously and spiritually and while there are many disagreements on dogma, I can’t help but wonder if all seekers experience very similar things whether they call it meditation or prayer or something else?