Journey to the Light:
Asia Journal Theology October 31, 2023 DOI: 10.54424/ajt.v37i2.86 (opens in new tab)
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA comparative study of two orthodox religious practices—Buddhist vipassana meditation and Christian hesychastic prayer—finds that both share the idea of meditation as an inner journey toward enlightenment. The Buddhist yogi seeks enlightenment by observing the changing nature of the mind-body relationship, hoping for rebirth as a deva or Brahma. The Christian hesychast is awakened by the Spirit of God through contemplative prayer, unifying mind-heart with the trinitarian God. Both practices transform practitioners to shine in the world, but the deified hesychast lives in light of eternity.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Comparative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Both vipassana meditation and hesychastic prayer are inner journeys toward enlightenment, but the Buddhist seeks rebirth as a celestial being while the Christian seeks deification through unification with the trinitarian God. |
Abstract
This article is a comparative study of two orthodox religious practices: the Orthodox Buddhist practice of vipassana meditation and the Orthodox Christian practice of hesychastic prayer. The article acknowledges that both religions share the common idea of meditation/contemplation as an inner journey toward enlightenment. On the one hand, the Buddhist yogi is enlightened by observing the constantly changing nature of one’s mind-body relationship and hopes for being reborn as a deva or Brahma (god/celestial being). The Christian hesychast, on the other hand, is awakened by the Spirit of God in the deification (sharing divine likeness) process through contemplative prayer. The hesychast is enlightened by unifying his or her mind-heart with the trinitarian God. Both practices help to transform the practitioners to shine in this world. However, the deified hesychast lives in light of eternity.