Monday, November 4, 2019

When Strangers Come Knocking---Part 3



This is the next installment of my series to be published the first Monday of each month.

There are members of false sects, like Jehovah's Witnesses, that come knocking door-to-door hoping to convert you. Instead of ignoring them, it is we who should try and convert them. In 1 Peter 3:16, our first Pope writes, "But in thy hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks thee to give the reason for the hope that thou hast. But do this with gentleness and respect,..." Before the Great Apostasy, the Church would send missionaries to the ends of the Earth to make as many converts as possible. 

Those in false religions don't always come (literally) knocking at your door. It may be a Hindu at work who wants you to try yoga. It could be a "Christian Scientist" who lives next door and invites you to come to their reading room. Each month, I will present a false sect. Unlike the Vatican II sect, I do not see them as a "means of salvation" or possessing "elements of truth" that lead to salvation. That is heresy. They lead to damnation, and the adherents of the various sects must be converted so they may be saved.

In each month's post, I will present one false sect and give an overview of:  

  • The sect's history
  • Their theology
  • Tips on how to share the True Faith with them

Buddhism
My first exposure to Buddhism was at the age of seven in 1972. My family was poor, so I wasn't on a trip to China, and my parents would never allow me to go to a Buddhist temple here in New York City; they went along with the Vatican II sect at the time, but disapproved of anything non-Catholic. (They would later join me as Traditionalists shortly after my conversion when they realized the Modernist Vatican wasn't Catholic either).  The insidious doctrine of pantheism (the belief that God is "in" all things and that, in some sense, all of reality is ultimately One and Divine) came into my living room under the guise of my favorite TV show, Kung Fu.

In the show, David Carradine (d. 2009) portrayed a Shaolin Buddhist monk named Kwai Chang Caine, the son of an American sailor and Chinese woman, who is orphaned and raised in a Buddhist monastery. Later, he is forced to flee China and come to America looking for his American half-brother in the Old West (late 1800s). While searching for his half-brother, he encounters prejudice and helps people using his Buddhist "wisdom" and martial arts skills. (Ironically, the idea came from martial arts legend Bruce Lee. Lee was himself the son of a Chinese father and Irish-Catholic mother, and wanted to star in the title role. He was rejected for an Irish-American actor because the producers didn't think American audiences were ready for an actual half-Chinese actor as the star). 

In each episode there is a flashback wherein Caine thinks of when he was learning in the Buddhist monastery. In the flashback, one of his Buddhist "masters" would spout some nonsensical mumbo-jumbo, to "enlighten" him. Armed with the remembrance of Buddhist teaching, he was able to save the day. In one episode he somehow knew that if a rancher killed a pregnant cow, the rancher's pregnant wife would have a miscarriage, so he must stop the man from killing the cow. Caine has a flashback where he is reminded how "all life is interconnected"--whatever that means. I was impressed by it because it sounded profound, much like "What is the sound of one hand clapping?"

I was one of the first people to see the original Star Wars movie in 1977; my family saved the money for me to buy a ticket, and then I waited on line for hours to get in the movie theater. I loved the movie at the time, which was produced by George Lucas.  His Star Wars franchise is arguably the most profitable and influential series of science fiction movies ever. Lucas got involved in Eastern paganism and refers to himself as a "Methodist-Buddhist." According to George Lucas' biographer Dale Pollock, "The message of Star Wars is religious: God isn't dead, he's (sic) really there if you want him (sic) to be. 'The laws really are in yourself,' Lucas is fond of saying; the Force dwells within." (See Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas, NY: Ballentine Books, (1983), pg. 139). 

The Star Wars franchise pushes pantheism. The oft quoted "May the Force be with you," is a blasphemous attempt to replace the True God ("The Lord be with you") with an impersonal energy that binds the universe together. The so-called force may be used to perform seeming miracles such as levitation, moving objects, detecting the presence of various persons, being guided without using your senses, and healing. The force can be used for good or evil ("the dark side of the force"). Although the Force is never called God, those who believe in it and seek to use it are said to be followers of a “religion,” and the teacher of “the ways of the Force” is a 900-year-old “Jedi Master” called Yoda who functions much as a Zen Buddhist "master."

Buddhist influence is everywhere today-- more so then ever before. We have the Vatican II sect to thank for it. I will have more to write about that below. What is Buddhism, and what makes it so popular? How can we try to convert those who are ensnared in it? The answers will be covered in this post.

Origin and Divisions of Buddhism
Roughly 2,500 years ago in Kapilavastu at the foothills of the Himalayas, a young aristocrat named Siddhartha Gautama was born in the lap of luxury. His father carefully insulated his heir from the real world beyond the palace walls, and allegedly gave him three palaces and 40,000 dancing girls. However, Siddhartha inadvertently caught glimpses here and there beyond the royal walls. The following sights in particular gripped Gautama’s heart: (1) a crippled man, (2) a leper, (3) a rotting corpse, and (4) a pious ascetic. These later came to be known as the Four Passing Sights, which so moved him that he renounced his life of comfort and luxury to pursue enlightenment. This Great Renunciation, as Buddhists call it, included Gautama abandoning his wife and child, for “distractions”such as these would impede his quest to untie the Gordian knot of pain, sickness, old age, and death. The driving motivation of Buddhism’s founder was to pinpoint the origin of pain and suffering and to propose a solution.

Gautama eventually turned to a life of meditation. While deep in meditation under a fig tree known as the Bohdi tree (meaning, “tree of wisdom”), Gautama experienced the highest degree of God-consciousness called nirvana. Gautama then became known as Buddha, the “enlightened one.” He believed he had found the answers to the questions of pain and suffering. His message now needed to be proclaimed to the whole world.

As he began his teaching ministry, he gained a quick audience with the people of India since many had become disillusioned with Hinduism. By the time of his death at age 80, Buddhism had become a major force in India. When it came to solving the problem of evil, the Buddha took a very different path from Hinduism. The latter saw evil as maya (illusion), while the Buddha taught that evil is not only real, but that it can be overcome by methodically removing desire—the source of all suffering.

Buddhists teach The Four Noble Truths and The Eightfold Path. The Four Noble Truths are accepted by all schools of Buddhism and have been the subject of extensive commentary. They may be summarized as follows. The first truth, suffering (Pali: dukkha; Sanskrit: duhkha), is characteristic of existence in the realm of rebirth, called samsara (literally “wandering”). The second truth is the origin (Sanskrit: samudaya) or cause of suffering, which the Buddha associated with craving or attachment. The third truth is the cessation of suffering (Pali and Sanskrit: nirodha), commonly called nirvana. The fourth and final truth is the path (Pali: magga; Sanskrit: marga) to the cessation of suffering.

The Eightfold Path is Right Understanding, Right Intent, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration. This set of "morals" is to bring one to Nirvana. Unlike the Ten Commandments, The Eightfold Path is meant as a guideline, to be considered, to be contemplated, and to be taken on when, and only when, each step is fully accepted as part of the life you seek.

Buddhism is divided into several sects. There are two main divisions:
1. Theravada ("The Teaching of the Elders") Buddhism, which comprises approximately 40% of Buddhists. They are the truest to the teachings of Gautama. This sect is deeply pantheistic, seeing meditation as the main key to “salvation” and quite inwardly focused.

2. Mahayana ("The Greater Vehicle") Buddhism makes up roughly 56% of Buddhists. This sect is more outward focused. It sees Gautama as a "deity." They also have many occult-like practices.

The remaining 4% belong to various small sects that lean more to one or the other main divisions in their teachings.

The ultimate goal of Buddhism is to end the cycle of reincarnation (carried over from Hinduism) and achieve nirvana. Nirvana is not a place like Heaven, but rather an eternal state of being. It is the state in which the law of  the rebirth cycle comes to an end. It is the end of suffering; a state where there are no desires and the individual consciousness comes to an end.

Vatican II and the Growing Influence of Buddhism
The heretical Vatican II document Nostra Aetate ("The Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions"), states in paragraph #2:

Again, Buddhism, in its various forms, realizes the radical insufficiency of this changeable world; it teaches a way by which men, in a devout and confident spirit, may be able either to acquire the state of perfect liberation, or attain, by their own efforts or through higher help, supreme illumination....The Catholic (sic) Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions. She regards with sincere reverence those ways of conduct and of life, those precepts and teachings which, though differing in many aspects from the ones she holds and sets forth, nonetheless often reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all men.

There was no warning against pagan religions and philosophies from the East coming here, nor any opposition because the Modernists embraced them. The list of influential Buddhists is quite impressive:
  • Sports stars Tiger Woods and David Beckham
  • Movie actors Richard Gere, Keanu Reeves, and Harrison Ford (think: Star Wars and George Lucas)
  • Rock and pop singers Courtney Love (widow of the wretch Kurt Cobain, whose band was named Nirvana), and Tina Turner
  • Even politicians like former President Bill Clinton, although not a convert, hired a Buddhist monk to teach him meditation. 
So what's the attraction of Buddhism? There are several:
  • The pantheistic belief that "God is all" puts insects, plants, and even inanimate objects on the same level as humans. Tree-hugging environmentalists love it, even though the vast majority see nothing wrong with abortion
  • Terms like "inner tranquility" and "enlightenment" are "spiritual" without being "religious." Therefore, atheists can hop on board and deny a Personal God for an impersonal force that allows them to still use the term "atheist" loosely
  • There are no Commandments for ethics. Who am I to judge? (sound familiar?) Moral absolutes are absent
  • Reincarnation further erodes morals because if you live like a heathen, there is no Hell, just another life to try and "get it right" and achieve nirvana, which is basically extinction--so no one suffers in the end 
  • Meditation and yoga are ubiquitous, with the Vatican II sect supplanting true meditation based on the spiritual masters (like St. Ignatius of Loyola) with pagan yoga-meditation. This "mindfulness" meditation is being taught in their schools and churches. Pagan meditation can open a person up to demonic forces
Proselytizing Buddhists
The best way to proselytize Buddhists is to try and attack their underlying belief in pantheism. Basically, Buddhists believe we are all "divine" since "all is God," and people are not aware of it ("universal amnesia"). We need to meditate to realize the truth and reduce ourselves into the mass extinction of nirvana. Here are five talking points:
1. The universal amnesia regarding our "divinity" cannot be satisfactorily explained.
If humanity is really "part of the divine," how is it that we are unaware of it? Wouldn't "god" know he is divine? Why does it take some guru, or yoga, or meditation for "god" to realize who he is? How do we account for this "cosmic amnesia"?

2. How does the pantheist know that HE is not the one mis-perceiving reality?
The Eastern pagans claim that Christians who believe in a world external to their senses are caught in the grip of an illusion, because "all is one." How does the pagan know it is we who are deceived by our common sense experience and not himself for thinking that "all is one;" contrary to what reason and sense experience tells us?

3. If pantheism is true, we can never distinguish between fantasy and reality. 
The burden of proof is clearly on the Eastern pagan to tell us why we should abandon our common ability to distinguish between fact and fantasy. We should believe what our experience tells us is true unless or until we have good reason to think otherwise. The pagans reverse this and would have us believe what is counter-intuitive is true despite the lack of evidence. This is absurd.

4. The Eastern pagans reject logic.
D.T. Suzuki wrote in his Introduction to Zen Buddhism  that we "comprehend life only when we abandon logic." In other words, he's trying to convince you with arguments (using logic) that you need to abandon logic--a self-refuting position. It is (for the pagan) logical to be illogical (that makes sense!)

5. There is no right and wrong.
If reincarnation is true, why bother to be moral? You keep coming back and can do whatever you want. Whenever you decide to finally follow the eightfold path, you will basically cease to exist. What kind of "reward" is that? Keep in mind that if everything is "God," how can evil be real? Is God both good and evil? If so, why should the "good side" of "God" be preferred?

You can also read good Catholic literature about Our Lord from pre-Vatican II and use the information to compare the Buddha to the Christ. Just an outline would be: (a) Christ was predicted to arrive and Buddha was not; (b) Christ confirmed his teachings with miracles and Buddha never proved his teachings true; (c) Gautama is still in the grave, but Christ rose from the dead thereby proving His Divinity. 

(Credit for above information: See e.g., Isamu Yamamoto, Buddhism, Taoism and Other Eastern Religions, [Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Publishing, 1998]; Davis Taylor and Clark Offner, The World’s Religions, Norman Anderson, ed. [Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 1975]; and culled from many and various Buddhist sites and articles regarding same on the Internet such as https://www.buddha101.com/p_path.htm, etc.---Introibo)

Conclusion
The Vatican II sect has welcomed pagan pantheism into the world. It even bases their spirituality on these pagan meditation practices. Buddhist beliefs are more popular than ever and can be found all over our culture; in movies, TV, music, and books. True Christianity and Buddhism are irreconcilable.  In the schema ("proposed document")  De Deposito Fidel Pure Custodiendo, Vatican II was originally set to condemn reincarnation and other pagan, Eastern ideas. Roncalli ("Pope" John XXIII) scrapped all the orthodox documents drawn up by the great theologians, and allowed the Modernists to re-write every document for the Robber Council.

The false Vatican II sect of Bergoglio (himself a practitioner of Eastern pagan "Reiki healing"), will find out the errors of their ways when Hell is found NOT to be an illusion. To escape that fate, they must convert and never forget the condemnation of the Vatican Council of 1870:

"If anyone shall say that the substance and essence of God and of all things is one and the same; let him be anathema." 







41 comments:

  1. Introibo, I just read an article where people who are practicing "Mindfulness" are losing their Faith. Everywhere one turns today either yoga or mindfulness is being pushed from Churches to Physicians. The Psychiatric community is big into Mindfulness and spouts it as a cure all for everything from anxiety, PTSD, Depression, etc. I cringe at the thought of young peoples minds being polluted with this evil garbage and lie. Is it any wonder the Lord said when he returns would he find Faith? Everything goes in the Vatican II Sect and if yoga and Mindfulness is practiced the mind will eventually go and the Faith with it. The Devil is hard at work and having a field day in the Church and Vatican II let him right in the front door to do so!!

    JoAnn

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    1. Joann,
      How deeply Eastern paganism has penetrated the V2 sect is astounding! You are on the mark with your observations.

      God Bless,

      —-Introibo

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  2. As a 16 year old I was attracted to buddhism for the same reasons you mention in your article: no personal God (atheism), compassion not only for humans, but also for animals (environmentalism), the practise of meditation as a way to relieve my stress (I was being bullied a lot in highschool/ had to cope with massive amounts of homework ... )The truth is the more I practised this "religion", the more miserable I became, because buddhist deny that every human being has a unique soul. An unchanging personality is an illusion in their eyes. What "leaves" the body at death is nothing more than some unpersonal counsciousness. So, "I" was an illusion? "I" was not real? It made my brain hurt and I became very depressed. I almost took my own life at the age of 21... Thank God, I found Christ right on time! The saddest part of this whole affaire is that it could have been avoided. I went to a so called "Catholic" school, with manditory religion classes. Did they teach me the necessary things there to become a good Catholic? To save my soul? Not at all! It was all feel good mumbo-jumbo, pop psychology and the praising of every false religion and philosophy imaginable! If I would have known the true Catholic religion back then I would never have walked astray! Sad!

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    1. @anon5:36
      What a powerful and sad testimony, my friend. I also attended a V2 sect high school as I converted at age 16, at the beginning of my junior year. It is exactly as you stated. Many rejected any form of Christianity and got involved in all sorts of evil beliefs and actions.

      Deo gratias that you were given the grace to find your way into the truth. You are an inspiration!

      God Bless,

      —-Introibo

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    2. Anon 5:36 - Thank you so very much for sharing your powerful testimony!! I was crying tears of both sadness and joy reading it.

      JoAnn

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  3. I fully echo the experience of the Anonymous poster above me. I was also heavily attracted to Buddhism at the age of sixteen (funny how that works!), for the same reasons so many others are attracted to it now. It's immensely appealing as a remedy to atheistic nihilism, but it actually just drags us further into the pit of suffering and evil. If it's not making you more nihilistic, then it's making you turn your back on God. Buddhism itself is a pagan philosophy that starts with false premises (God isn't real and everything is suffering), and therefore CANNOT be correct or prosperous to follow. In fact, it's very dangerous.

    The doctrine of Buddhism that many find most profound is its concept of "dependent origination," also known as its erroneous belief that everything is one. This is the origin of the phrase you mentioned in this post, "What is the sound of one hand clapping?," in which the idea is that both hands depend on one another for the clap to sound at all. However, this Buddhist doctrine is actually a very filtered and heretical version of the beauty of Catholic metaphysics and theology. Everything in the world was created from God, and in some way participates in the act of existence itself, which God experiences fully as a result of being Pure Act itself, and which God imparts to us as the Unmoved Mover. Everything depends on God for its existence at all times, and yet, only God is God- we are completely different beings, and we owe Him the most profound worship at all times.

    Plus, Catholic prayer and meditation is far more profound than any other found in the world, including Buddhist "mindfulness meditation." If there is anything good in Buddhism, it can be found infinitely more in our one true Catholic faith. Just saying.

    -Jeremy

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    1. Jeremy,
      Wow! Another powerful testimony! I became a Traditionalist at age 16, having been given stones instead of bread by the V2 sect. I guess that’s the age teenagers hunger for truth and seek out the answers to life.

      God’s Grace found all three of us!

      God Bless,

      —-Introibo

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  4. Hi Introibo, just was wondering as traditional Catholics should we not attend the blessing of a marriage in a Novus Ordo Church?

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    1. @Unknown,
      The same principles of theology would apply as to any non-Catholic sect. You may not actively participate. As long as the two people getting married are not apostates (former Traditionalists) and neither has been married before (phony annulments mean nothing) or they are widowed, then you may passively attend.

      —-Introibo

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    2. Thanks. So I always thought we had to absolutely avoid all non-catholic ceremonies. So should I just like observe while basically just sitting there?

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    3. Thanks again Introibo, you are a light in the darkness out here. I always saw people quoting Mortalium Animos by Pius XI to show that we could never go. I assume that's just being quoted incorrectly.

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    4. @Unknown
      Thank you for the kind words. I will give a citation from an approved theologian when I get home from work. Working late as a NYC lawyer is part of life, but I’ll get to it before midnight here in the Big Apple.

      God Bless,

      —-Introibo

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    5. @Unknown
      According to Theologians McHugh and Callan, a Catholic may be present at non-Catholic services if three conditions are met:

      1. There is absolutely NO active participation. The participation is purely and exclusively passive.

      2. There must be a good reason to go, and no bad act may follow (e.g. you cannot ask a friend to attend Mass with you by making a promise to go to his false service at a later date. This would give people the impression you are not convinced of the Truth of the Church.

      3. It must be reasonably necessary to attend (e.g. to pay respects to a good friend or family member who is non-Catholic by being present at their wedding or funeral) and there is minimal danger of giving scandal by your presence.

      (See “Moral Theology” [1929], 1:377).

      —-Introibo

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  5. Widowed Men are not allowed to re-marry?
    Andrew

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    1. Andrew,
      I’m sorry if I didn’t respond clearly! I’m typing comments while working most times!
      You CAN attend a wedding if the two people are either never Married or Widowed.

      —-Introibo

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  6. Buddhism seems to have always had a strange appeal to some people on a spiritual quest. I have no idea why, because as you pointed out, it is nothing but negative. To go through the cleansing of repeated life cycles of misery (useless penitence!) in order to achieve the final "glory" of losing one's personhood and melting into a vapor of collective conciousness sounds utterly pointless and hellish.
    Reading Chardin and some other theological "pioneers", I saw they connived to introduce strains of Buddhist thinking, through their condemned books, into Catholic teaching even before VC2.
    Thomas Merton promoted Eastern philosophy around that time, too.
    You make a great point about the sappy, romanticized show "Kung Fu". It was a big hit with a bad message. As I remember it, the Master, Po, looked demonic to me, with his eyes that had no irises.
    In the '70s bringing Eastern meditation and psychological self assessments, disguised as sharing experiences, into Catholic Nuns' and laywomen's retreats was a "thing", thanks to V2. I benefited from annual retreats until they started replacing Priest's sermons, the Adorations, Holy hours and Rosaries with rap sessions and maze walking. A new favorite "ministry" for V2 sisters is Eastern "healing", or Reiki clinician (shaman). The pay isn't bad, either.
    This is sad, but I actually know a Sister who abandoned her Religous vows to become a buddhist "nun". But since JP2 the Great assured his sect, through the Magisterium of his Assisi events, that Buddha has a place on "Catholic" altars even above Christ, who can judge all this as apostasy?

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    1. Jannie,
      Your comments always add so much to this blog, and I appreciate it! Well stated as usual.

      God Bless,

      —-Introibo

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    2. I'm actually very interested in knowing- is there a standard traditionalist view on Thomas Merton? Although he actively engaged with Eastern philosophies, he seemed to have maintained his Catholicism throughout his life. Perhaps some of his ideas were unwise, but he always attempted to note the importance of Catholic meditation, and primarily admired the dedication of the Easterns to meditation, without adhering to Buddhism. He wasn't excommunicated, and as far as I'm aware, he never ran into any problems with authority in the Church. Or am I being too charitable?

      -Jeremy

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    3. Jeremy,
      You’re being WAY too charitable.

      Thomas Merton, the "Monk of Modernism," was a believer in all religions – he created his own syncretistic brand of religion while remaining under the auspices of the Catholic Church. He gave equal attention to the mystical traditions within Catholicism, Zen Buddhism, and Hinduism. He was an equal-opportunity mystic drawn to the "common thread" found in all the world’s false religions, including his own Vatican II sect (he died in 1968, 4 years after the Great Apostasy). He even delved into the mystical branch of Islam and corresponded for many years with a Muslim Sufi cleric by the name of Abdul Aziz. "In his last years Merton became engrossed in the commonplaces of Eastern and Western mysticism. He was one of those for whom ‘ecumenical’ meant ‘worldwide or universal in extent and influence.’ His understanding of the unity of the world, a panentheistic God, and a cosmic Christ prohibited a narrowly defined humanity or limited theater of God’s action. The universality of the human quest for authentic being seemed to hold for him the potential for establishing a transcultural family of man." (See Thomas Merton on Mysticism by Raymond Bailey,1974, Doubleday & Co., Inc, Garden City, NY, p. 15).

      ——Introibo

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    4. I see. How awful! Thank you for informing me.

      -Jeremy

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  7. Introibo,
    I am very leery of any kind of meditation or breathing exercises seeking any kind of an experience or transcendence.
    The Eastern Orthodox practice something called "Hesychasm". From my understanding of this practice it entails certain body postures, breathing exercises combined with a Mantra known as "The Jesus Prayer". The Hesychast is thought to then experience the contemplation of God as the "uncreated Light' or "The Tabor Light".
    This is based on the theology of Gregory Palamas. To me this Eastern Orthodox meditation practice resembles Buddhism and Yoga. I am not one to disbelieve in mystical experiences. However, I think it is very dangerous to seek them and make such experiences a priority. What does the Church teach regarding Hesychasm and Gregory Palamas? Was Palamas and Hesychasm heretical? Thanks.

    https://orthodoxwiki.org/Hesychasm

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    1. Joann,
      Hesychasm in my opinion, is basically Eastern meditation with the name of Jesus thrown in. It also seeks a kind of deification of humans and is considered erroneous (and even heretical) by approved pre-V2 theologians. It is even referred to as “Palamite” teaching.

      My advice: STAY AWAY. Although generally accepted by the EO, there are those who refuse to practice it. Having no ultimate authority, having rejected the papacy, it differs within the EO sect as to its acceptance.

      —-Introibo

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    2. Introibo,
      I don't plan on having anything to do with Hesychasm, just wondering about it as never heard of it before. I think anytime people start looking for an experience such as "The Tabor Light", it is very dangerous. Seems to me with all the breathing, postures, etc. involved with Hesychasm, one is altering their bodily functions and neurochemicals which then leads to hallucinating. In the 1960's people were experminating with LSD to have experiences. To me they are basically the same thing, only achieving the experiences by alternate ways. Just my 2 cents.

      JoAnn

      P.S. What is "Deification"? Doesn't sound good.

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    3. Joann
      “Deification” in Palamite Teaching is a “becoming like God” through intimate knowledge gained by meditation. It is not Christian, but mimics Eastern pagans.

      —-Introibo

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    4. Introibo,
      Scary stuff!!

      JoAnn

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  8. Intro,
    Do you have any info on the difference between meditation in general and what is called "mental prayer" in Catholic teaching?

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    1. Jannie,
      Buddhist meditation techniques such as mindfulness, by their very nature, are diametrically opposed to the Christian conception of mental prayer, which is “the raising of one’s heart and mind to God.” Buddhist meditation focuses on the self, while Christian meditation focuses on God.
      Contrary to mindfulness, the Catholic focus on the present moment is not to enter a state of self-awareness, but into a state of abandonment to the will of God. We remain in the present not for the sake of the present, but for the sake of discovering the voice of God as He speaks to us in each moment of our day.

      That’s a big difference! For truly Catholic mental prayer, I suggest reading St Alphonsus Liguori, “The Three Conversions in The Spiritual Life” by theologian Garrigou-Lagrange, and “The Spiritual Life” by theologian Tanquerey.

      —-Introibo

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  9. I so appreciated this article.
    My brother,and only sibling, became a buddhist many years ago. He was born and baptized in 1960 and never knew the true Faith or the true Mass.
    He is attracted to the meditation aspect as well as the morals-free component of buddhism.
    His contention is that he is on his path, and I am on mine. He doesn't object to mine, so I shouldn't object to his.
    All graces come through Mary. I pray that through her intercession he will return to the Faith.
    All you good readers of this blog, in your charity, please pray for CW.
    Thank you.

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    1. @Barbara
      Your brother is certainly in my prayers and please don’t despair. God’s Grace can reach anyone. I was born 5 years after your brother, yet God led me to His One True Church!

      I ask all my readers to pray for CW as well.

      God Bless,

      —-Introibo

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  10. Is everything all right with this prayer?

    "O Gentlest Heart of Jesus, ever present in the Blessed Sacrament, ever consumed with burning love for the poor captive souls in Purgatory, have mercy on the souls of Thy servants. Be not severe in Thy judgment, but let some drops of Thy precious Blood fall upon our beloved departed, and do Thou, O merciful Savior, send Thy angels to conduct the souls of Thy servants to a place of refreshment, light and peace. Amen."

    The last part sounds quite naturalist, because instead of saying "Heaven" it says "a place of refreshment, light and peace".

    For Greater Glory Of God,
    Long Life Christ the King and Our Lady of Guadalupe.

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    1. Poni,
      The prayer is very traditional and completely orthodox. It’s not naturalistic, but a way of describing Heaven since Apostolic Times.

      The exact description is used in the Canon of the Mass at the Commemoration of the Dead:

      “To these, O Lord, and to all who rest in Christ, grant, we beseech Thee, a place of refreshment, light, and peace. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.”

      —-Introibo

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    2. Thank You, i did not understand.

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  11. Introibo,
    What do you think about the writings of Henri Nouwen?

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    1. @anon3:21
      Fr Henri Nouwen was a closet sodomite and Modernist. His writings are based on the ecumenical “spirituality” of arch-heretic Thomas Merton. He cared more about humanistic psychology (in which he received his doctorate) than theology (which he asked his superiors to excuse him from studying and replace it with psychology—and the Modernists granted him his wish).

      Bottom line: a heretic with humanistic writings.
      Stay away.

      God Bless,

      —-Introibo

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  12. Another good one, Intro. Well done.

    You stated, "Pagan meditation can open a person up to demonic forces"

    This is absolutely true. I was involved in the Hare Krishna Hindu sect when I was 20 years old (2017). I fell under a demonic possession after chanting the Hare Krishna mantra.

    This would be a good one to expose. It's yet another religion that worships demons.

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  13. Hare Krishnas would be a good topic. So would Mormons. They come around to our neighborhood. Mormons are more dangerous spiritually because they present a family oriented, decent way of life.

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    1. Milkbone,
      The Mormons were already covered. See my post:
      http://introiboadaltaredei2.blogspot.com/2019/10/when-strangers-come-knocking-part-2.html?m=1

      —-Introibo

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  14. Is nirvana the merging of oneself with the universe?

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  15. In Star Wars, there is some sort of a blasphemous correlation between Anakin Skywalker (Luke's father) and Jesus Christ. When a jedi asks Anakin's mother who was Anakin's father, she replies: "There wasn't a father". He later suggests that he was conceived by the Force, just as Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Ghost. 🤨🤔

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