Article #21
Subject: short list and defn of methods
Author: Andrew W. Harrell
Posted: 2/17/2009 12:52:28 PM

Father Morello in his short book "Lectio Divina and the Practice of Teresian
Prayer" lists four methods

mental prayer--taking time to be frequently acquainted with the Lord--
I take this to be similiar (and helped by) the Buddhist techniques of
mindful awareness of God's Holy Spirit in the World around us and ourselves.

vocal prayer--formulary prayer, a prefabricated set of words and sentiments--
-
This seems familiar to us through our practice of daily Bible readings
according to a preset yearly lectionary

meditation--ascetism and much discursive reflection with the intellect--

This can be no other than Patanjali's kriya,raja,jnana yoga

contemplative prayer--not produced by our efforts, a gratuitous experience
of the infusing of the spirit of God that gives light to our soul and warmth
to our heart---

Is this not the culmination of Patanjali's eight limbed procedure Samadhi?
whether it be "with distinguishing marks" "with words" "without
words" "without distinguishing marks"?

Some more detailed and complete references for this:
"The Way of Perfection" by E. Allison Peers"
"The Prayers of Teresa de Avila" by father Thomas Alvarez, O.C.D.
"Yoga Philosophy of Patanjali" by Swami Hariharananda

Article #22
Subject: How God and Christ's grace heals us
Author: Andrew W. Harrell
Posted: 2/19/2009 09:31:21 AM

Also, in her book "The Interior Castle" (in which she explains further
expands on her method of prayers) our dove, our silkworm turned butterfly
explains to us that in the fourth dwelling place of our Lord and us in her
there is a difference between consolations (which begin with requests from us
for something and an answer from God resulting from our own efforts,
accompanied by his grace) and infusions (spiritual delight received not
through human efforts but unmerited and passively).
Here she seems to me to be explained what Yogi's call the difference between
savitarka (with seed in the realms of form) samadhi and nivitarka samadhi
(contemplative healing energy and light received in our souls that leaves no
mark or seed inside of what the Buddhist's call the form realms).