{"id":16896,"date":"2022-11-25T09:34:47","date_gmt":"2022-11-25T14:34:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gornahoor.net\/?p=16896"},"modified":"2022-11-25T10:18:48","modified_gmt":"2022-11-25T15:18:48","slug":"advent-meditation-week-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gornahoor.net\/?p=16896","title":{"rendered":"Advent Meditation Week 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Just as we celebrate and anticipate the Incarnation of the Logos on the material plane, so, too, we want to prepare for the analogous birth within the human soul.<\/p>\n

Valentin Tomberg<\/strong>, in Letter II, refers to the \u201csecond birth\u201d as Christian Yoga<\/em>. Hence, the elements of Christian Yoga are analogous to the stages of yoga described by Patanjali<\/strong> in the Yoga Sutras<\/em>. In Letter XVI, The Tower of Destruction<\/em>, these stages are related to the three stages of the spiritual life described by St. John of the Cross<\/strong>. Hence, we have this schema relating these yoga stages in three languages:
\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Stages of Christian Yoga<\/caption>\n
Sanskrit<\/th>\nGreek<\/th>\nEnglish<\/th>\nSpiritual Life<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Dharana<\/td>\nCatharsis<\/td>\nConcentration<\/td>\nPurification<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dhyana<\/td>\nTheoria<\/td>\nMeditation<\/td>\nIllumination<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Samadhi<\/td>\nTheosis<\/td>\nContemplation<\/td>\nMystical Union<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Tomberg contrasts the Vedantic ideal with the Christian goal. The former, he says, leads to the extinction of consciousness, whereas the Christian goal is the \u201cunity of two\u201d. For more on the differences between Yoga and Christianity, see Studies in the Psychology of the Mystics<\/em><\/a>\u00a0by\u00a0Joseph Marechal, S.J<\/strong>, so we needn\u2019t be concerned about that topic at this point.<\/p>\n

The Greek Mystic Nicholas Cabasilas<\/strong> in\u00a0The Life in Christ <\/em>explains that there are three obstacles to theosis. These are:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Nature<\/strong>. The Divine nature is different from human nature.<\/li>\n
  2. Sin<\/strong>. A will corrupted by evil separate us from God.<\/li>\n
  3. Death<\/strong>. In the mortal body, we can see only the dim reflection in the mirror; in this state our bodies are dominated by sense life.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    These obstacles are overcome by the following historical events respectively:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Incarnation<\/strong>. This unites the human and divine natures in one person.<\/li>\n
    2. Crucifixion<\/strong>. The leads to the forgiveness of sins.<\/li>\n
    3. Resurrection<\/strong>. This overcomes death and the attraction to sense life.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Cabasilas relates these ideas to the effects of the sacraments, or mysteries, with the aim of salvation. The esoteric path aims beyond this to liberation. That aim is union while still in the mortal body:<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Purify our soul so it becomes the perfect reflector of the Holy Spirit.<\/li>\n
      2. Expose our false sense of I, replaced with the mind of Christ.<\/li>\n
      3. Move from a life of instinct to a life of intelligence and love.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        The first step is concentration without effort, which depends on detachment and purification (See Letter XVI)<\/p>\n