Let The Christian Beware!

by R. Darke, Victoria, B.C. | Category: General | Aug 1976

In the Western world today we are witnessing the strange phenomenon of Eastern ideas and religions captivating the minds of hundreds of thousands of people. Transcendental Meditation, Zen, Yoga, and Pyramid Power, are but a few of the many which are having a powerful attraction to rich and poor, to Members of Parliament, to business executives, to the educated and the uneducated. Are these being embraced as an escape from the tensions and anxieties confronting people increasingly in society generally, at home, and in business? Is

this the enemy's subtle way of enticing people to by-pass the appeal of Christ in the gospel, and to accept a substitute?

Alert Christians, aware of the world's great need, have been watching with grave anxiety the rapid growth, influx, and ready acceptance of beliefs deeply imbedded in Oriental cultures and philosophies. Of the writing of books and pamphlets on these various teachings, there has been no end; and the sweeping interest has been intensified by newspaper and magazine articles. To say the least, there is a great danger that some Christians may be swept along on the tide of the popularity presently enjoyed by several of these ancient religions. There are countries where transcendental meditation, or T.M. as it is called, is encouraged by business management, and it is practised by employees during their daily 'breaks'.

Unwary Christians could easily find themselves involved in this type of exercise, which has no foundation in the Christian faith, and the purpose of this article is to warn of its dangers. "There are... so many kinds of voices in the world, and no kind is without signification" (1 Cor. 14:10). It is just as though Paul had the twentieth century in mind when he penned this striking statement. He would be conscious, of course, of the cults, schisms, and philosophies prevailing in his day: the Gnostics, considering themselves the sole possessors of revealed knowledge; the Stoics, who advocated the rigid subduing of passions and appetites by will-power; the Hedonists, pre-occupied with their pleasure-seeking; plus the varied philosophical schools strongly entrenched in Athens, whose adherents "spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing". So early Christians needed to steer clear of such involvements in their day, and the apostles seemed to make it quite clear that the same devices used by the enemy in Eden's garden to gain the ear of Eve, would continue to be used to captivate the attention of God's people.

We must not fall into the trap of "some new thing" occupying our time. We must not be ignorant of his devices (2 Cor. 2:11), and we must be aware of the subtle mixture which Satan is using to attract people. The Eastern beliefs have a religious connotation, and with them is mingled an intriguing mysticism, and an added philosophical appeal. The broad scope has its fascination for many.

As the Moral Rearmament movement gained prominence amongst politicians, businessmen and others during the 1930s, so Transcendental Meditation is making universal inroads today. Its teaching approach is simple and captivating. Twenty minutes, twice a day, silently sitting and repeating a secret word, the mantra, as it is called, is the therapy which T.M. prescribes for overcoming stress, lack of energy, solving personal problems, and bringing peace to the mind. Its adherents claim it is not a religion, and one has described it as "a nonchemical tranquilizer without unpleasant side effects". Large businesses and governments have funded research projects to ascertain the beneficial affects of T.M. on people. The leader of the T.M. movement, Indian born Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, has tens of thousands of followers in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Adherents are increasing at the rate of 30,000 a month, and T.M. centres are opening in many parts of the world. He is known as the "guru", and has been described as "the greatest spiritual leader of our age". Each teacher of T. M. is given a set of mantras, or secret words for meditation, and these are given to initiates. The following provides an insight into the procedure at the time of initiation: "The initiate takes off his shoes and gathers his 'offering', a fresh white handkerchief... sweet fruit, and a bunch of flowers... the flowers represent the flowers of life, the fruit the seed of life, and the handkerchief the cleansing of the spirit. After handing over his gifts, the newcomer is taken to a private room, where his teacher lights candles and incense and places fruit, flowers and handkerchief on an altar under a colour portrait of Guru Dev. The teacher then chants in Sanskrit and introduces the meditator to his mantra

Surely, this must have only a voice of solemn warning rather than of appeal to any Christian. The art of meditation, of contemplation; of musing, has been associated with God's people from time immemorial. Isaac meditated in the field awaiting the arrival of Rebekah (Gen. 24:63); Joshua was instructed of God to meditate day and night in the book of the law (Josh. 1:8); Asaph wrote of his meditations on the works of God (Psa. 77:12); and the writings of David reveal the outcome of his meditations (Psa. 39:3). Meditation is a vital, integral part of the Christian's life; it is inseparably linked with his study of the Scriptures, his prayers, and his worship. It is essential for his spiritual well-being. He needs no spiritual altar, no visible picture, or fruit, flowers, and handkerchief. These have no significance at all in the divine plan of salvation, or in the disciple's walk.

Meditation is not something newly discovered, but it is a discipline which we must cultivate and guard, lest it be lost to us. A busy, demanding life can very easily rob us of this all-important experience, and so we will also suffer the loss of contentment, peace of mind, and spiritual knowledge and growth. The Hebrew word for meditation also takes in the spiritual exercises of prayer, communion, musing and pondering. Musing is very positive, practical, and rewarding in Christian experience. The opposite to muse is amuse! In early Biblical days, the man who was godly, seriously minded, sat quietly with his thoughts, pondering them, developing them, and so refreshed his soul. Sometimes he wrote his thoughts down, as did the psalmist. So the meditative man became known as a muse, and wisdom was associated with him. But the carefree person was the very opposite. He busily sought entertainment, caring little for serious things. Amusement was his substitute for musing. Such a one was not approached for wise advice on matters of importance.

We live in an age of entertainment, which supplies distraction for a busy, worried, frenetic society. But this is not the Christian's approach, rather "in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength" (Isa. 30:15). Our peace of mind, our demeanour of love and grace, our manifestation of Christ, will all find their link with the time we spend in our meditation of the Eternal One and His eternal Word. "I meditate on Thee in the night watches" (Psa. 63:6 RVM). "Meditate upon these things: give thyself wholly to them" (1 Tim. 4:15 AV). Man will never stop looking for panaceas, thinking wrongly that the world must get better. The Christian knows that things are getting worse by the hour, and the evil, violence, and things of dread we see now, are but a tip of the iceberg. Meditate on Paul's words in 2 Timothy 3:1-9. Ominous things are taking place before our eyes daily. The spread of cults, the introducing of strange theories as in Pyramid Power, are all part of these great developments engineered by the evil one in whom "the whole world lieth" (1 John 5:9). "When these things begin to come to pass, look up... because your redemption draweth nigh" (Luke 21:28).

R. Darke, Victoria, B.C. | Aug 1976
General