“YHWH” as (the) Breath (of Life)

This is an excerpt from a talk Fr. Richard Rohr OFM gave at Norwich Cathedral in 2015 titled “Christian Contemplation-Becoming Stillness.” It can be found online at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TGS-JD80nE&t=778s  / Published on YouTube on: Jan. 18, 2015.

Rohr recounts a conversation he had with a scientist who happened to be a Jewish Rabbi. The Rabbi makes the case that the name of God, sacred to Jews and Christians, YaHWeH, was originally an attempt to replicate breath. Hence, we can conclude, that our very breath is intimately linked with the Greater Reality (some of us call God) and that, with every breath we take throughout our life, we exist within the greater divine reality. [jkk]

[50:03]

He [the rabbi-scientist] said, "Did you know that the consonants used in the spelling of the sacred name, Y-a-H-W-e-H,  are in fact the only consonants that if correctly pronounced do not allow you to use your tongue or close your lips?

In fact we know that the pronouncing of the sacred name was an attempt to imitate and replicate breath, that it was inhalation and exhalation."

And then he began to do it into the microphone and, in a few minutes, tears started being audible in the room [full] of PhDs

I now give this to every crowd I can because it can change your life.

If I would come back here a year from tonight and if some of you hold on to this and begin to live it and to experience it and to practice it, your prayer life will dramatically change. But notice it has nothing to do with thinking.

Here, Rohr reminds us that we should transcend the action of cognitive thinking in order to experience the spirit of contemplation. That, in turn, will change our lives.[jkk]

In fact it moves the entire experience to the cellular body, to the corporeal breath level and it means, wonder of wonders,  that the first word you ever spoke when you came out of your mother's womb was the name of God.

And it will be the last word you'll ever speak. You don't have to try to remember to say a prayer before you die.You're going to anyway: that last breath you take on your death bread will be the name of God

And it's the one thing you've done constantly. You just did it now and you did it again: You're breathing. [52:16]

***

Being mindful of one’s breathing is a fundamental component of practically all meditation techniques found in the world’s various spiritual-wisdom traditions (the world religions). Here is one way to make breathing exercises explicitly Christian: to understand and practice it as a form of recitation of the sacred name of God. Besides, one does not need to recite it audibly. The very breath is a recitation of the divine name and communing with the divine presence. [jkk]

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The Rising “Religion of Life” Today: Philosopher of Religion Don Cupitt's Thoughts on This and My Critical Reactions to It

 

This blogpost is closely based on a lecture given by David Warden of the “Dorset Humanists” on "The Religion of Life,” (DCRL link below), a way of life advocated by British Philosopher of Religion Don Cupitt

SOURCE:  Don Cupitt and the religion of life – a lecture by David Warden

link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK7pWPVV7LA (Hereafter referred to as DCRL)

Note well also the following works as further references:

·         Philosopher-Kings: http://www.philosopherkings.co.uk/doncupitt.html

·         The Fountain: https://iai.tv/video/the-fountain

·         Cupitt, Don. Turns of Phrase: Radical Theology from A to Z. London: SCM Press, 2011. (Hereafter referred to as TP)

·         See also the overview of Don Cupitt’s thinking at: http://www.philosopherkings.co.uk/doncupitt.html

*****

Don Cupitt and Religion 

Don Cupitt is a British philosopher of religion and theologian who has reflected deeply and written extensively on the state of religion in the contemporary Western world.

Cupitt thinks that “God” (the image of God) as traditionally conceived of in the West (namely, a supernatural Being who is all-powerful and controls all things) is fundamentally a myth (not an objective reality). However, “religion” which upheld this idea of God in the West for a long time, can still be deeply meaningful. He has called this position “non-realism.”

Besides, Cupitt also teaches that this life is (apparently) all that there is and that there is nothing else beyond this present existence. Hence, our main task is to live this life to the fullest and make the most of our limited existence here on earth.

Here in the West, religion is usually thought of as a belief in and worship of a supernatural God. Let us not forget though that there are other meanings of the word “religion.” For example, in everyday usage, “religion” is sometimes meant as an “all-consuming passion” (such as baseball or football, hence, expressions such as “Hockey is my religion”).

In parts of the East though, religion has often been understood primarily as a practice or applied philosophy that can deliver enlightenment and bliss to those who undertake its practice. In this understanding of religion, “believing” is not too important. Rather, the emphasis is on praxis: practicing and living according to teachings that are immensely practical and are geared to achieving a greater wholeness in the practioner and in the world. These teachings can actually be called—in the words of spirituality teacher Roger Walsh—"psycho-spiritual technologies” that can and do deliver bliss, happiness, and well-being. Spiritual-wisdom traditions such as Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism (among others) best exemplify this type of religion. There is a tendency in the West though to look down upon such non-theistic forms of religion and consider them as “mere philosophies” (mere human thinking) and not true religions, which are thought of as being directly revealed by the Divine Being. Needless to say, I do not agree with this condescending attitude toward Eastern spiritual-wisdom traditions.

It is fair to say that Westerners are generally not used to an understanding of religion that puts great import on practice (praxis) instead of believing. As mentioned above, it is usually thought that monotheistic religions are the only “authentic” forms of religions. Because of the prevalence of this idea in the West, there is still a strong tendency to equate religion with supernatural beliefs or with believing in things that one cannot really prove but have to be, as the popular formula goes, “taken on faith.” Many of these matters that are to be taken on faith have mythological features in common with other ancient myths. Many Westerners find it hard to see that a largely “beliefless” kind of religion that puts the emphasis instead on praxis can be interesting, let alone legitimate (cf. Cupitt, 2000: Philosophy’s Own Religion).

[jkk annotation]

In line with Cupitt, I propose that even in the West, it is high time to understand and practice religion in the abovementioned manner frequently associated with Eastern spiritual-wisdom traditions (Eastern religions). I say this because of my work with young adults at the university, many of whom identify themselves as MRB (‘Multiple Religious Belonging’ people), SBNR (Spiritual but not Religious), Dones (We’re “done” with religion), and/or Nones (We have “no” religion). This may very well be the reason why Buddhism, a tradition that has no explicit belief in God, is so popular in the West today.

Psychiatrist and spirituality teacher Roger Walsh (UC-Irvine) has called an understanding and practice of religion (that emphasizes the practical dimension) “transconventional religion.” This is contrasted with “conventional” Western religion which puts the emphasis on believing on faith (the creed, the Bible, biblical principles, etc.) and linking one’s eternal salvation with such an act of believing.

[end of jkk annotation]

How to Meditate: My Suggestion - "Life-giving Reading" (Lectio Vitalis)

(this is a revised version of a blogpost that I originally wrote in March 2021)

Why Meditate?

Practically all spiritual teachers in every spiritual-wisdom tradition agree that the spiritual quest (aka, the Hero’s Journey) cannot go far without some form of—what is commonly known as—meditation practice. “Meditation” (here) is known by other names such as: prayer, mindfulness, contemplation, etc. However it is called, meditation is essential to support your own hero’s journey, your own spiritual quest. Why? It is that formal act done regularly of trying to [1] reach your depth and [2] transcend yourself which, as we said, make up the heart of all spirituality and religion.

Besides, meditation has been proven even by numerous scientific studies to have many other benefits for the well-being and health of your mind and body. For example, Jonathan Haidt in his The Happiness Hypothesis, tells us that meditation is something like a magic pill. His words: “Suppose you read about a pill that you could take once a day to reduce anxiety and increase your contentment. Would you take it? Suppose further that the pill has a great variety of side effects, all of them good: increased self-esteem, empathy, and trust; it even improves memory. Suppose, finally, that the pill is all natural and costs nothing. Now would you take it? The pill exists. It’s called meditation.”

[for those taking the course RS2180] An important component of this course on spiritual quests and popular culture is the task of journal writing. I envision journal writing to be a result of your meditation on the different learning materials of the week. Try to practice some kind of meditation before you write your journal entry!)

 

Meditation Described Briefly 

A simple description: Meditation is a universal practice found in practically all spiritual-wisdom traditions (aka, the world religions). It is basically a concentration technique that has two key elements: 

1.    First, choosing a focus for attention. This is usually one's breathing (in and out). But it can be extended to: an emotion, a thought, a part of one's body, etc. It can even be applied to a sacred word or mantra (as it is done in the Christian prayer-practice known as "centering prayer"). 

2.    Second, when one notices that one's attention has wandered elsewhere, gently bring it back to the point of focus.

That is meditation in a nutshell! Our minds--as Buddhism often teaches--are like restless, wild monkeys that jump from tree to tree ("the monkey mind"). When one can tame this restless, wandering mind and train it to focus on something, then the spiritual quest can move forward in earnest (see Roger Walsh, Essential Spirituality, pp. 155-56).

 

A Suggestion on How to Meditate - A "Life-Giving Reading" (Lectio Vitalis)

There are many forms of meditation. The following is just my recommendation from my personal practice. For the absolute beginner, I would recommend starting with 10 minutes every day and aim to expand that eventually to 15~20 minutes. For people who are somewhat addicted to being endlessly engaged (often, distracted) with technological gadgets, that can seem daunting. But it is necessary to resolve and set out to "just do it" (as the Nike ad says).

There is a popular spiritual practice in the Catholic Christian tradition called "Lectio Divina." That means "Sacred [or Divine] Reading." It is a time-tested and proven method of reading the scriptures in a prayerful, contemplative manner. It is based on a simple method that can be summarized in the following steps: (1) Read -- (2) Think -- (3) Pray -- (4) Act.

I will adopt and tweak a bit the 'Sacred Reading' method and propose it to beginners or people who want to progress further in their meditation practice. As I said, I'll rename the practice to "Lectio Vitalis" (Latin) which means "a life-giving/life-sustaining reading." The Latin literally means "Vital Reading."  "Vital" here means: "life-giving, life-sustaining, life-affirming," but also "important" (vital!) for cultivating and sustaining one's spiritual quest or hero’s journey.