SadhanaOriental Meditation and Christian Prayer

To pray with body (taking a breath)

[9] Observing bodily sensations - 3

　Let’s try to further explore the richness of Vipassana meditation.
First, we focus on observing detailed parts of our body as explained in “Observing bodily sensations – 2.”
　After focusing on it for a while, we proceed to the next stage.  Let’s try to simultaneously observe sensations at about three parts of our body.
Once you can do this, try to feel sensations at five to six parts at a time.
Then, feel the entire body as a whole.
　Furthermore, focus your attention to see if you can feel the flow of sensations at a certain part of your body.
　Goenka invites people to a ten-day program where participants do Vipassana meditation for ten hours a day.  If you try this “gyo (spiritual exercise),” you will experience the mystery of human body at the end of it.  You will be led to the feeling of and transition to the “dissolution” of your body.  (When your body “dissolves,” you will feel that your body becomes soft like “cotton” and that all the cells are filled with the “newborn spirit.”)
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　Vipassana meditation liberates people from obsession, concerns, worries, fears, and other similar thoughts, and significantly benefits Christians.
In exploring this meditation, you need to be careful about one important thing.  Vipassana meditation does not provide any thoughts.  It does not bring awareness of God or blessing from God.
　After deriving benefit from the “gyo” without the awareness of God, pray well with a clear awareness of God (or God’s blessing).  Pray to God, who is a personal being, by thoroughly dedicating your personality.  Christians need to keep growing in this type of prayer.  And do not combine Vipassana meditation and traditional Christian methods.  Never mix them.  In order to derive benefit from each of these, allow clearly separate time for each method.
　Vipassana meditation works like fertilizer to enrich the soil in your heart.  In other words, it helps your spiritual activities spread across your entire being including mind and body, eliminating the tendency to put too much emphasis on brain activities.
　Christians will experience that what we achieve with Vipassana, which does not belong to Christian tradition, supports and rejuvenates our Christian prayer from behind.