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55-580: Traditional Japa may be performed while sitting in a meditation posture , while performing other activities, or as part of formal worship in group settings. The mantra or name may be spoken softly, loud enough for the practitioner to hear it, or it may be recited silently within the practitioner's mind. The Sanskrit word japa is derived from the root jap- , meaning "to utter in a low voice, repeat internally, mutter". It can be further defined as ja to destroy birth, death, and reincarnation and pa meaning to destroy ones sins. Monier-Williams states that

110-577: A hesychastic practice, it demands setting the mind apart from rational activities and ignoring the physical senses for the experiential knowledge of God. It stands along with the regular expected actions of the believer (prayer, almsgiving, repentance, fasting etc.) as the response of the Orthodox Tradition to Paul the Apostle 's challenge to "pray without ceasing" ( 1 Thess 5:17 ). There are no fixed rules for those who pray, "the way there

165-647: A call to the Theotokos (Virgin Mary), or to the saints. The single essential and invariable element is Jesus' name. The Jesus Prayer is widely practiced among the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches . Part four of the Catechism of the Catholic Church , which is dedicated to Christian prayer, devotes paragraphs 2665 to 2669 to prayer to Jesus. To pray "Jesus" is to invoke him and to call him within us. His name

220-469: A decorative or symbolic pattern. Tibetan Buddhists include japa meditation as a large part of their religious practices. In Tibet, states Harvey Alper, the prayer wheels are instruments for japa . The practice of nembutsu in Pure Land Buddhism is analogous to japa . The stated aim, or goal of japa may vary greatly depending on the mantra involved and the religious philosophy of

275-632: A great writer, and an authority on theology . He also spoke with appreciation of hesychasm as "that deep union of grace which Eastern theology likes to describe with the particularly powerful term " theosis ", ' divinization ' ", and likened the meditative quality of the Jesus Prayer to that of the Catholic Rosary . The prayer's origin is the Egyptian desert , which was settled by the monastic Desert Fathers and Desert Mothers in

330-876: A method of cleaning and opening up the mind and after this the heart ( kardia ), brought about first by the Prayer of the Mind , or more precisely the Noetic Prayer ( Νοερά Προσευχή ), and after this the Prayer of the Heart ( Καρδιακή Προσευχή ). The Prayer of the Heart is considered to be the Unceasing Prayer that the Apostle Paul advocates in the New Testament. Theophan the Recluse regarded

385-424: A person might want to consciously stress one of the words of the prayer in particular when one wants to express a conscious feeling of situation. So in times of need stressing the 'have mercy' part can be more comforting or more appropriate. In times of failures, the 'a sinner' part, etc....)." Paul Evdokimov , a 20th-century Russian philosopher and theologian, writes about beginner's way of praying: initially,

440-654: A single monosyllabic word, as suggested by the Cloud of Unknowing ; the method used in Centering Prayer ; the method used by The World Community for Christian Meditation , based on the Aramaic invocation Maranatha ; the use of Lectio Divina ; etc. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says: The name of Jesus is at the heart of Christian prayer. All liturgical prayers conclude with the words "through our Lord Jesus Christ". The Hail Mary reaches its high point in

495-500: A stable base for meditation , and have been used for the purpose in Buddhism and Hinduism for many centuries. These include Padmasana (full lotus), Ardha Padmasana (half lotus), Siddhasana or Muktasana (also called Burmese posture, sitting with the knees on the ground and the feet tucked in close to the body), and Sukhasana (any easy cross-legged position). Other possibilities are the kneeling postures Virasana (sitting between

550-514: Is a short formulaic prayer , esteemed and advocated especially in Eastern Christianity and Catholicism : Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. It is often repeated continually as a part of personal ascetic practice, its use being an integral part of the eremitic tradition of prayer known as hesychasm . The prayer is particularly esteemed by the spiritual fathers of this tradition (see Philokalia ) as

605-411: Is achieved the Jesus Prayer is said to become "self-active" ( αυτενεργούμενη ). It is repeated automatically and unconsciously by the mind, becoming an internal habit like a (beneficial) earworm . Body, through the uttering of the prayer, mind, through the mental repetition of the prayer, are thus unified with "the heart" (spirit) and the prayer becomes constant, ceaselessly "playing" in the background of

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660-663: Is central rather than mere "local color". The aim of the Christian practicing it is not limited to attaining humility, love, or purification of sinful thoughts, but rather it is becoming holy and seeking union with God ( theosis ), which subsumes all the aforementioned virtues. Thus, for the Eastern Orthodox: A magistral way of meeting God for the Orthodox, the Jesus Prayer does not harbor any secrets in itself, nor does its practice reveal any esoteric truths. Instead, as

715-490: Is conceived as the place of his presence. Orthodox mysticism has no images or representations. The mystical practice (the prayer and the meditation) doesn't lead to perceiving representations of God (see below Palamism ). Thus, the most important means of a life consecrated to praying is the invoked name of God , as it is emphasized since the 5th century by the Thebaid anchorites , or by the later Athonite hesychasts . For

770-463: Is crucial to spiritual awakening." The pose can cause beginners knee pain and injury. Baddha Konasana is a safer alternative, provided the knees are not pushed down. Cushman notes that since meditation is not a posture, no particular posture is required. All the same, she writes, a formal method is helpful, and the asana chosen needs to be stable and comfortable, as the Yoga Sutras state: on

825-403: Is known in several religions including Buddhism , Hinduism , and Islam (e.g. japa , zikr ). The form of internal contemplation involving profound inner transformations affecting all the levels of the self is common to the traditions that posit the ontological value of personhood. Although some aspects of the Jesus Prayer may resemble some aspects of other traditions, its Christian character

880-456: Is no mechanical, physical or mental technique which can force God to show his presence" ( Metropolitan Kallistos Ware ). In The Way of a Pilgrim , the pilgrim advises, "as you draw your breath in, say, or imagine yourself saying, 'Lord Jesus Christ,' and as you breathe again, 'have mercy on me.'" The Jesus Prayer can be used for a kind of "psychological" self-analysis. According to the Way of

935-577: Is not conceived as agnosticism or refusal to know God, because the Eastern theology is not concerned with abstract concepts; it is contemplative, with a discourse on things above rational understanding. Therefore, dogmas are often expressed antinomically. This form of contemplation is experience of God, illumination , called the vision of God or, in Greek, theoria . For the Eastern Orthodox

990-501: Is not the anger of God the Father but His love that lies behind the sacrificial death of his son on the cross. The redemption of man is not considered to have taken place only in the past, but continues to this day through theosis . The initiative belongs to God, but presupposes man's active acceptance (not an action only, but an attitude), which is a way of perpetually receiving God. The practice of contemplative or meditative chanting

1045-482: Is reflected in the Mystery of Confession for which, not being limited to a mere confession of sins and presupposing recommendations or penalties, it is primarily that the priest acts in his capacity of spiritual father. The Mystery of Confession is linked to the spiritual development of the individual, and relates to the practice of choosing an elder to trust as his or her spiritual guide, turning to him for advice on

1100-610: Is the only one that contains the presence it signifies. Jesus is the Risen One, and whoever invokes the name of Jesus is welcoming the Son of God who loved him and who gave himself up for him. This simple invocation of faith developed in the tradition of prayer under many forms in East and West. The most usual formulation, transmitted by the spiritual writers of the Sinai, Syria, and Mt. Athos, is

1155-428: Is the writing of a mantra while, usually, reciting it aloud at the same time. Proponents say it is more effective than simply reciting the mantra aloud. Likhita japa is often written in a book dedicated to the purpose. Books intended for shorter mantras have a grid of rectangular cells with each cell holding one instance of the mantra. Practitioners may use different coloured ink to write in certain cells in order to make

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1210-617: The Jesus Prayer stronger than all other prayers by virtue of the power of the Holy Name of Jesus . Though identified more closely with Eastern Christianity, the prayer is found in Western Christianity in the Catechism of the Catholic Church . It also is used in conjunction with the innovation of Anglican prayer beads (Rev. Lynn Bauman in the mid-1980s). The prayer has been widely taught and discussed throughout

1265-563: The Mahabharata , where muttering prayers is described as a form of religious offering. The concept of japa is also found in early Buddhist texts, and is very common in Tibetan Buddhism literature. According to the sage Patanjali (400 CE), Japa is not the repetition of word or phase but rather contemplation on the meaning of the mantra, this definition sometimes persists across different sources. In some forms of japa ,

1320-539: The 5th century. It was found inscribed in the ruins of a cell from that period in the Egyptian desert. A formula similar to the standard form of the Jesus Prayer is found in a letter attributed to John Chrysostom , who died in AD ;407. This "Letter to an Abbot" speaks of " Lord Jesus Christ , son of God, have mercy" and "Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on us" being used as ceaseless prayer. What may be

1375-577: The Fathers for the term 'Jesus prayer'." A similar idea is recommended in the Ladder of Divine Ascent of John Climacus (circa 523–606), who recommends the regular practice of a monologistos , or one-worded "Jesus Prayer". The use of the Jesus Prayer according to the tradition of the Philokalia is the subject of the 19th century anonymous Russian spiritual classic The Way of a Pilgrim , also in

1430-778: The Orthodox the power of the Jesus Prayer comes not only from its content, but from the very invocation of Jesus' name. The Jesus Prayer combines three Bible verses : the Christological hymn of the Pauline epistle Philippians 2:6–11 (verse 11: "Jesus Christ is Lord"), the Annunciation of Luke 1:31–35 (verse 35: "Son of God"), and the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican of Luke 18:9–14 , in which

1485-400: The Pharisee demonstrates the improper way to pray (verse 11: "God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican"), whereas the Publican prays correctly in humility (verse 13: "God be merciful to me a sinner"). Apophatism (negative theology) is the main characteristic of the Eastern theological tradition. Incognoscibility

1540-465: The Pilgrim account and Mount Athos practitioners of the Jesus Prayer, "one can have some insight on his or her current psychological situation by observing the intonation of the words of the prayer, as they are recited. Which word is stressed most. This self-analysis could reveal to the praying person things about their inner state and feelings, maybe not yet realised, of their unconsciousness." Also,

1595-484: The acting faith denies any formalism which quickly installs in the external prayer or in the life duties; he quotes Seraphim of Sarov : "The prayer is not thorough if the man is self-conscious and he is aware he's praying." "Because prayer is a living reality, a deeply personal encounter with the living God, it is not to be confined to any given classification or rigid analysis", says the GOARCH . As general guidelines for

1650-637: The body positions or asanas , usually sitting but also sometimes standing or reclining, used to facilitate meditation . Best known in the Buddhist and Hindu traditions are the lotus and kneeling positions; other options include sitting on a chair, with the spine upright. Meditation is sometimes practiced while walking, such as kinhin , doing simple repetitive tasks, as in Zen samu , or work which encourages mindfulness . The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali describe yoga as having eight limbs , one being asana ,

1705-569: The earliest explicit reference to the Jesus Prayer in a form that is similar to that used today is in Discourse on Abba Philimon from the Philokalia . Philimon lived around AD 600. The version cited by Philimon is, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me," which is apparently the earliest source to cite this standard version. While the prayer itself was in use by that time, John S. Romanides writes that "We are still searching

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1760-461: The guilt for breaking a rule, but rather the impetus to become something more than what men usually are. One repents not because one is or isn't virtuous, but because human nature can change. Repentance ( Ancient Greek : μετάνοια , metanoia , "changing one's mind") isn't remorse, justification, or punishment, but a continual enactment of one's freedom, deriving from renewed choice and leading to restoration (the return to man's original state ). This

1815-470: The heels) and Vajrasana or Seiza (sitting on the heels). Another sitting posture, Baddha Konasana (Cobbler's Pose), is suitable for people who can sit with the feet together and both knees on the ground; B. K. S. Iyengar states that to meditate in this position, the palms should be held in prayer position over the chest, which demands some practice for balance. Seymour Ginsburg, describing Gurdjieff meditation, suggests that such compact positions help

1870-425: The hips above the knees, allowing practitioners with stiff hips to have the spine straight and upright. In various traditions people meditate in other postures. People who find sitting cross-legged uncomfortable can sit upright on a straight-backed chair, flat-footed and without back support, with the hands resting on the thighs, in what is sometimes called the Egyptian position. Orthodox Christians may practice

1925-779: The history of Eastern Orthodox monasticism: the Prayer of St. Ioannikios the Great (754–846): "My hope is the Father, my refuge is the Son, my shelter is the Holy Ghost, O Holy Trinity, Glory unto You," the repetitive use of which is described in his Life ; or the more recent practice of Nikolaj Velimirović . Similarly to the flexibility of the practice of the Jesus Prayer, there is no imposed standardization of its form. The prayer can be from as short as "Lord, have mercy" ( Kyrie eleison ), "Have mercy on me" ("Have mercy upon us"), or even "Jesus", to its longer most common form. It can also contain

1980-532: The history of the Eastern Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church . The ancient and original form did not include the words "a sinner", which were added later. The Eastern Orthodox theology of the Jesus Prayer as enunciated in the 14th century by Gregory Palamas was generally rejected by Latin Church theologians until the 20th century. Pope John Paul II called Gregory Palamas a saint,

2035-535: The invocation, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us sinners." It combines the Christological hymn of Philippians 2:6–11 with the cry of the publican and the blind men begging for light. By it the heart is opened to human wretchedness and the Savior's mercy. The invocation of the holy name of Jesus is the simplest way of praying always. When the holy name is repeated often by a humbly attentive heart,

2090-577: The knowledge or noesis of the uncreated energies is usually linked to apophatism. The Eastern Orthodox Church holds a non-juridical view of sin, by contrast to the satisfaction view of atonement for sin as articulated in the West , firstly by Anselm of Canterbury (as debt of honor) ) and Thomas Aquinas (as a moral debt). The terms used in the East are less legalistic ( grace , punishment ), and more medical ( sickness , healing ) with less exacting precision. Sin, therefore, does not carry with it

2145-496: The meditation of hesychasm sitting on a stool, as was recommended by Saint Gregory of Sinai . Theravada and Zen Buddhists sometimes vary their sitting meditation by meditating while walking, often very slowly so as to be mindful of each movement. Standing meditation or zhan zhuang is practised in the Chinese martial art training system Yiquan . Jesus Prayer The Jesus Prayer , also known as The Prayer ,

2200-638: The meditation seat. The sutras do not name any asanas, merely specifying the characteristics of a good asana, stating: स्थिरसुखमासनम् ॥४६॥ sthira sukham āsanam Your [meditation] seat should be steady and comfortable. Yoga Sutras 2:46 The Sutras are embedded in the Bhasya commentary, which scholars including Philipp Maas now believe are by the same author; it names 12 seated meditation asanas, possibly all cross-legged, including Padmasana , Virasana, Bhadrasana (now called Baddha Konasana), and Svastikasana . Sitting positions, often cross-legged, provide

2255-401: The meditator to "include the entire experience of ourself in our attention." The lotus position in particular can be extremely uncomfortable for Westerners who have not practised sitting cross-legged since early childhood. They may, in the words of the yoga and meditation teacher Anne Cushman , be practising "self-torture ... apparently believing that bruising your inner thigh with your ankle

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2310-424: The mind, like a background music, without hindering the normal everyday activities of the person. Others, like Father Archimandrite Ilie Cleopa, one of the most representative spiritual fathers of contemporary Romanian Orthodox monastic spirituality, talk about nine levels. They are the same path to theosis , more slenderly differentiated: A number of different repetitive prayer formulas have been attested in

2365-621: The mind. Similar states have been reached by adherents to other major faith traditions, using prayers from their own traditions. Some Catholic prayer forms that involve repetition, such as use of the Rosary or one of various chaplets , are similar to japa , such as Hesychasm in Eastern Christianity , although the practices are not identical because their aims differ. Mental methods of repeated short prayers, very similar to japa are also used in Christian traditions, most notably

2420-403: The muscles of the back relax, and this in turn allows the attention to be focussed on the breath. These conditions can be met by a variety of postures with or without support, whether a cross-legged posture such as Muktasana, a kneeling posture, or sitting on a chair with the back vertical and the feet on the ground. The traditional support for sitting meditation is a zafu cushion; this elevates

2475-443: The one side, few people would wish to hold strenuous postures like Downward Dog for half an hour or more; on the other side, a restful posture like Savasana (Corpse Pose) might be comfortable but would more likely lead to sleep than meditation. The cross-legged postures are simple and stable, restful for the muscles, but active enough to keep the practitioner awake. The spinal column needs to be erect and in balance; this poise lets

2530-419: The original form, without the addition of the words "a sinner". Autocephaly recognized by some autocephalous Churches de jure : Autocephaly and canonicity recognized by Constantinople and 3 other autocephalous Churches: Spiritual independence recognized by Georgian Orthodox Church: Semi-Autonomous: The hesychastic practice of the Jesus Prayer is founded on the biblical view by which God's name

2585-572: The personal spiritual development, confessing sins, and asking advice. As stated at the local Council of Constantinople in 1157, Christ brought his redemptive sacrifice not to the Father alone, but to the Trinity as a whole. In the Eastern Orthodox theology redemption isn't seen as ransom . It is the reconciliation of God with man, the manifestation of God's love for humanity. Thus, it

2640-606: The practice of repeating the Jesus Prayer found in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Moreover, the goal of ajapa japa is quite similar to the Christian aim of "unceasing prayer". The practice of dhikr by Sufis is similar to japa . The two main Sikh scriptures open with sections, named after the term, and these are called Japji Sahib and Jaap Sahib . Popular Japa mantras General Meditative postures Meditative postures or meditation seats are

2695-540: The practitioner, different number of levels (3, 7 or 9) in the practice of the prayer are distinguished by Orthodox fathers. They are to be seen as being purely informative, because the practice of the Prayer of the Heart is learned under personal spiritual guidance in Eastern Orthodoxy which emphasizes the perils of temptations when it's done by one's own. Thus, Theophan the Recluse , a 19th-century Russian spiritual writer, talks about three stages: Once this

2750-426: The practitioner. In both Buddhist and Hindu traditions mantras may be given to aspirants by their guru , after some form of initiation . The stated goal could be moksha , nirvana , bhakti , or simple personal communion with a divine power in a similar way to prayer. Many gurus and other spiritual teachers, and other religious leaders, especially Hindu and Buddhist, teach that these represent different names for

2805-483: The prayer is excited because the man is emotive and a flow of psychic contents is expressed. In his view this condition comes, for the modern men, from the separation of the mind from the heart: "The prattle spreads the soul, while the silence is drawing it together." Old fathers condemned elaborate phraseologies, for one word was enough for the publican, and one word saved the thief on the cross. They only uttered Jesus' name by which they were contemplating God. For Evdokimov

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2860-588: The prayer is not lost by heaping up empty phrases, but holds fast to the word and "brings forth fruit with patience." This prayer is possible "at all times" because it is not one occupation among others but the only occupation: that of loving God, which animates and transfigures every action in Christ Jesus. Similar methods of prayer in use in the Catholic Church are recitation, as recommended by John Cassian , of "O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me" or other verses of Scripture; repetition of

2915-425: The repetitions are counted using a string of beads known as a japamala . Many different types of materials are used for japa . The number of beads in the japamala is generally 108 . It is not uncommon for people to wear japa beads around their neck, although some practitioners prefer to carry them in a bead-bag in order to keep them clean. Japa may be performed in varying degrees of loudness: Likhita japa

2970-406: The same transformed state of consciousness. However, this claim is not made about mantras that are not intended for spiritual growth and self-realization. After long use of a mantra that is intended to foster self-realization or intimacy with a divine power, an individual may reach a state of ajapa japa , or lit.   ' repetitionless repetition ' , wherein the mantra "repeats itself" in

3025-655: The term appears in Vedic literature such as in the Aitareya Brahmana ( Rigveda ) and the Shatapatha Brahmana ( Yajurveda ). The term means muttering, whispering or murmuring passages from the scripture, or charms, or names of deity. Often it is the repetitive singing of a verse or mantra, sometimes counted with the help of a rosary which is called japamala . A related word, japana appears in Book 12 of

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