Philippians 4:8

I know the battle is hard and my enemy never sleeps, so I struggle daily to meditate on this passage. Throughout the day I repeat the things in this passage to gain strength to resist thinking negative thoughts.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. [Philippians 4:8 KJV]

From now on, brothers and sisters, if anything is excellent and if anything is admirable, focus your thoughts on these things: all that is true, all that is holy, all that is just, all that is pure, all that is lovely, and all that is worthy of praise. Practice these things: whatever you learned, received, heard, or saw in us. The God of peace will be with you. [Philippians 4:8,9 Commom English Bible]

Maranatha Meditation

Maranatha:
A Christian Meditation Mantra
by Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati
Home page: SwamiJ.com

Maranatha "Ma-Ra-Na-Tha" "Come Lord"

Maranatha Mantra: The teachings of Yoga Meditation are universal and non-sectarian, as is my personal orientation. However, being of Western birth, I mostly meet people who were born into Christian families, since Christianity is the dominant religion of the culture where I live. For those who follow Christianity, it is very useful to be aware of the Maranatha Mantra, an ancient mantra of Christian tradition. (See also the article Yoga and Christianity)

Diversity of mantras: Mantra is a very useful practice in Yoga Meditation. While many, possibly most, of the practitioners of Yoga Meditation who use a mantra use Sanskrit mantras, the science of Yoga Meditation itself does not tell you what mantras to use. The mantra might be in Sanskrit or any other language, either one's native tongue or the language of one's chosen religion. Some of the more brief meditation mantras are simply sound vibrations that are not from any particular language, though being root sounds of languages. These are called seed or bija mantras. Often the mantra is prescribed by one's teacher or lineage, or is practiced in accordance with one's religious affiliation. Or it might be a universal mantra such as the Soham mantra. The Himalayan tradition uses a diversity of mantras for meditation, and also encourages people to follow the teachings, traditions, and mantras of their own religion.

Maranatha is the final instruction: To many people the use of mantra or sacred word appears to be an Eastern practice, often associated with Buddhism or Hinduism. However, there is a Christian meditation mantra that has been used for a very long time by the early monks, though it is little known publicly as a mantra practice. It is the mantra Maranatha. The wordMaranatha is the final instruction of St. Paul's teachings to the Corinthians, and is St. John's final instruction in the Book of Revelations. Thus, the last word, the final teaching of the entire Christian Bible is "Maranatha," which is Aramaic and means, "Come Lord."

Mara-natha and Maran-atha: One meditation teacher explains he was taught in seminary that when the word Maranatha is parsed (broken into parts) as "mara-natha" or "maran-atha," it has two different meanings:

As "mara-natha," it means "Come Lord," or "Lord Come."
As "maran-atha," it means "Lord is Here" or "Lord has Come."

"Atha" is in Maranatha and Yoga Sutras: Note that in the latter parsing the phrase "atha" is the same as the first word of the Yoga Sutras (Yoga Sutra 1.1), which says, "atha yoga anushasanam," meaning, "now begins yoga." The word "atha" means "now," and this particular usage of "atha" implies prior preparation has been done, making one ready for these practices.

Pronouncing the mantra: The Maranatha Mantra is pronounced with "a" as in "car" or "far" (Ma-Ra-Na-Tha). Allow it to arise rhythmically in the mind field at whatever speed comes naturally, whether fast or slow, though you will probably find it will slow down on its own. Allow yourself to feel the meaning of the mantra, in whatever way matches your own spiritual or religious predisposition. Or simply feel the calmness that comes from the gentle repetition. The feeling is more subtle when remembered in the silence of the mind rather than spoken aloud. All of the general guidelines on using mantra that are in the article Mantra and 13 tips on their use also apply to the Maranatha Mantra.

Positioning the mantra: While remembering the mantra, it is best to allow the mind to gently rest in one physical location rather than allowing it to wander here or there (after preliminary steps of Yoga Meditation).

Heart center: One of the most ideal places is the space between the breasts, the heart center, the home of emotions and feelings, as well as what some call the spiritual heart. Imagine it to be a space about the size of the palm of your hand, allowing the attention to rest within that space, in the cave of the still, silent heart, feeling the coming and going of the mantra.

Eyebrow center: You might feel more drawn to the space between the eyebrows, the third-eye, or the field of mind. Once again, just allow your attention to rest in that space, neither wandering left nor right, nor up or down. It need not be a pin-point spot, but a small field, such as a circular area in that space, where the attention rests. Gradually the mantra will lead you to the spiritual stillness and silence from which it arose.

Mantra with breath: While the mantra may be done completely in the mind field, it also coordinates nicely with the breath when remembered silently as Ma-Ra-Na-Tha, with each of the four parts remembered separately:

• "Ma" with inhalation

• "Ra" with exhalation

• "Na" with inhalation

• "Tha" with exhalation

When coordinating the mantra with the breath, let the breath be smooth, slow, and quiet, with no pauses between the breaths. Be sure that the syllables of the mantra are only in the mind, and not disturbing the flow of the breath in the lungs, throat, or nasal passages. Allow your attention to gently rest either on thediaphragm area, in a palm sized space just below the breast bone, at the upper abdomen, or on the feel of the air at the bridge of the nostrils, using the cognitive sense of touch.

Remembering the mantra: The mantra may be remembered in the mind with no association with breath. The entire "Ma-Ra-Na-Tha" simply rolls through the silence of the inner mind field, being a pleasant, rhythmic companion, affirmation, and prayer.

Follow the mantra to silence: After remembering the mantra for some period of time, whether or not you count the repetitions, a time will come when the mantra will lead your attention to complete silence in the physical space in which you are remembering it (heart or eyebrow center). Allow this to happen naturally, going into complete inner silence, while holding the deeper meaning and feeling in awareness. Although repetition of the mantra is quite useful in stabilizing a noisy mind (without repressing thoughts or emotions), this leading quality is a more valuable spiritual aspect of mantra meditation.

Maranatha Mantra and the Mustard Seed: Mantra eventually merges into silence at a point, which is calledBindu in Sanskrit. This is sometimes experientially described as seeing light at the end of a tunnel. After seeing that point of light, one eventually travels up or into the tunnel, encounters the source of the light, and then goes beyond it. This process involves traversing the subtle stream of consciousness that is called Sushumna in Sanskrit, the last section of which is called Brahma Nadi. This subtle stream is considered by some to be the Silver Cord referred to in Ecclesiastes and some of the mystical Christian traditions (See Kundalini Awakening for descriptions of Sushumna). The Bindu, or point of light is then encountered at the end of the tunnel, stream, Sushumna, Brahma Nadi or Silver Cord. Bindu may also be viewed by the esoteric, mystical or yogic practitioner as a subtler meaning of the instructions: "Seek first the kingdom..." (Matthew) and "The kingdom of heaven is like a Mustard Seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest..." (Matthew). By following the Maranatha Mantra to its silent source, one may eventually encounter and pierce the Bindu, transcending the Mustard Seed and moving through to the kingdom. See also the article: Bindu: Pinnacle of Yoga, Vedanta and Tantra

Counting the mantra: While it is not essential, you might want to count the repetitions. This can give the mind a focus, and a sense of beginning and end to your practice time. This can be done with a set of mala beads or some other means of counting. A typicalmala has 108 beads, and the practice will take as little as 3-5 minutes at a faster, pulsing rate within the mind, or as long as 20-30 minutes if done slower, such as with the breath. Whether or not you count, or use a mala, it is important to not allow the mantra to become mere parrot-like repetition. Allow the awareness of the meaning, the feeling, and the calmness to be there. To develop stability in your mantra practice, it can be useful to do an intentional practice of one mala (or other number) per day for a period of 40 days, or perhaps one year, starting and ending on some significant date.

WCCM: The Maranatha Mantra has been taught extensively by Father John Main and Father Laurence Freeman through their organization, the World Community for Christian Meditation. Here is link to their website, which then links to the many locations around the world, as well as other links describing Maranatha Mantra from within the website:

• Home page of WCCM

• The Way of Meditation

• Opening prayer of Dom John Main

• Why do we use a mantra?

• The Essential Teaching

Recovering a tradition of the early Christian monks: According to the WCCM website, Father John Main

"... recovered a simple tradition of silent, contemplative prayer in the teachings of the early Christian monks, the Desert Fathers. It became clear to him that this tradition had relevance today not only for monks ... though he also saw it as a way of monastic renewal ... but for all people."

The wonder of meditation: Father John Main is quoted as describing:

"Just imagine for a moment a vast, dark, empty hall. Each time you say your mantra it is like lighting a small weak candle. And I think so often it seems to us that just as we light one, a previous one gets blown out. But very gradually the dawn comes and you begin to realize that the whole hall is flooded with light. The wonder of meditation is that this revelation that the light has conquered the darkness and that Jesus is the light becomes universal in your experience. Everything and everyone is now flooded, illuminated with this light."

Enter Into Life

"What is the most important decision of your life?"  Getting married, accepting a new job, how to spend an unexpected windfall of money...all of these are important decisions you may have to make in your lifetime.  However, the most important decision you can make is to decide that you desire a New Life in Jesus Christ!

WHY IS THIS DECISION SO IMPORTANT?

Well, God's Word, the Bible, says:

A. We are all sinners –
"All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)
B. There is a price for sin –
"The wages of sin is death." (Romans 6:23a)
C. Our sin has been paid for –
"While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
D. Our Salvation is a free Gift from God –
"...but the gift of God is eternal life." (Romans 6:23b)

WHAT DOES A NEW LIFE IN JESUS CHRIST MEAN?

Because this is such an important matter, LET'S CLARIFY just what this involves.  It means, first of all, that you TRANSFER YOUR TRUST from what you have been doing to what Christ has done for you on the cross.  It means, next, that you RECEIVE THE RESURRECTED, LIVING CHRIST into your life as SAVIOR. He says,

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock (at the door of your life). If any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him."  (Revelation 3:20).

Further it means that you RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST INTO YOUR LIFE AS LORD. He comes as Master and King. There is a throne room in your heart and that throne is rightly His. He made you. He bought you, and He wants to take His rightful place on the throne of your life. It means that YOU are willing to turn from anything you have been doing that is not pleasing to Him and to follow Him as He reveals His will to you in His Word.

NOW IF THIS IS WHAT YOU REALLY WANT, FOLLOW THESE SIMPLE STEPS...

GOD'S PLAN OF SALVATION

Knowing your sins are forgiven and you are ready for heaven is as easy as A-B-C:

A. Admit you have sinned.  “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 ).

B. Believe in Jesus.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 ).

C. Confess and leave your sin.  “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

These things I have written to you ... that you may know that you have eternal life."   (I John 5:13)

If you have followed these simple steps and you want heaven to be your home, pray this prayer:

"Lord, I know that I am a sinner and I need to be saved. I believe that Jesus died for my sin because of your love for me. I receive Him as Savior and Lord of my life right now. Save me in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

Praise God and Welcome to His Family! From this point forth, you begin your new life in Christ. God does not remember your sins anymore and says, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more (Hebrews 10:7)

NOW WHAT SHOULD I DO NEXT?

Now that you are a part of God's family, like any other family member, there are some things you need to know to help you grow as a child of God:

1. Pray - You get to know a person by talking with them. Talk to Jesus. You can talk to Him any time of the day wherever you are. (Luke 18: 1)

2. Study your Bible - You will get to know about Jesus and what God says by studying your Bible. (II Timothy 2:15)

3. Become active in church - Another way to learn more about Jesus is to go to Sunday school and worship services on a regular basis. (Hebrews 10:25)

4. Share with others how you made this wonderful decision- Tell others what Jesus has done for you. You will want them to know Jesus as their Savior. (Matthew 28:18-20)

5. Always be assured of your salvation - You can do nothing to make God put you out of his family! (I John 5:13)

6. God is with you always - God is always with you where ever you go. (Hebrews 13:5)

7. Ask for Forgiveness - When you make a mistake (sin), agree with God that you made that mistake and ask Him to forgive you. (I John 1:9)