Interfaith Dialogue: The Practice of Meditation

On Wednesday evening, University Baptist Church hosted an interfaith dialogue on the practice of meditation, inviting presenters from Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, and Islamic traditions. The event was both informative and experiential, as presenters spoke about the role of meditation and guided us in meditative practices from each of their religious traditions.



The four presenters were very inviting. They provided meaningful information and spoke passionately about their religious traditions, while modeling the mutual respect and unity that interfaith dialogue seeks to create. The four presenters spoke about the role of meditation in their religious traditions and led us in twenty minutes of interfaith practice. The event was meaningful in the way that it integrated body, mind, and heart through an opportunity to listen and an invitation to experience through meditative practice.


Meditation in the Buddhist Tradition

Anne Irving is a Buddhist Exercise Physiologist, Kriya Yoga Teacher, and Yoga Therapist in Austin. She practices her Buddhism by providing mind/body therapy and meditative practices to others.

She began her portion by talking about the principles behind yoga and Buddhism. She stated that these two traditions "grew up together," both emphasizing karma, reincarnation, and the oneness of all humanity.

She informed the audience about the physical benefits of meditation, emphasizing insights learned in neuroscience in recent decades. Though scientists and physicians once believed the adult brain to be fixed and unchangeable, research has now shown that the adult brain is much more plastic and malleable. Brain health and brain chemistry can be altered through the practice of meditation, leading to physical health and peaceful union between body, mind, and soul.

She mentioned several benefits of practicing meditation. Meditation can calm the body and can help us control our emotions. In this way, those who practice meditation are reflective and responsive rather than reactive. They are in control of their own emotions rather than allowing others to take control or manipulate them.

She closed by highlighting several types of meditative practice. She spoke of meditative prayer, a practice of visualization for those who are suffering; meditation of loving kindness, a practice of blessing people with love and happiness; mantra meditation, a practice of using repetitive phrases to calm the mind, body, and soul; and meditation of compassion, an invitation to feel compassion toward ourselves and others.


Meditation in the Christian Tradition

Dr. Ed Shirley is a practicing Catholic and professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies at St. Edward's University in Austin. He believes that there has been very little distinction between prayer and meditation in the history of the Christian tradition, and for this reason, these practices often enhance one another and go together.

He described two particular styles of Christian meditation and made a distinction between them. Discursive meditation is a type of practice in which the mind is active. It might include reflection on a gospel passage or on a particular doctrine. In distinction, non-discursive meditation is designed to help quiet the mind. This type of meditation would include prayer through the rosary or the Greek Orthodox meditation on the Jesus Prayer.

Dr. Shirley talked about 4th century monastic desert communities that practiced meditation, particularly Lectio Divina, a practice of divine reading. This discursive type of meditation includes four steps:

1) Reading: A scripture passage is read.
2) Meditatio: A word or phrase is meditated and considered.
3) Oratio: Prayers of response are offered.
4) Contemplatio: Those who practice are invited to rest in God.

He closed with an example of non-discursive meditation, emphasizing the 14th century work called The Cloud of Unknowing. In this type of prayer, one word is uttered for the purpose of letting go of distractions and resting in God's presence. Christian meditation exists for communion with God and one another.


Meditation in the Jewish Tradition

Devora Brustin is the Senior Jewish Educator at Texas Hillel in Austin. She is also a certified hypnotherapist and doula (professional labor assistant, and she works as a family yoga instructor. She began her presentation by inviting us to move and shift if necessary, referencing the Jewish tradition of swaying at the Wailing Wall, putting all of heart, mind, and body into worship and contemplation.

She mentioned the importance of holy days and life cycle events in the Jewish tradition and stated that mediation is a part of these central rituals. She also mentioned the importance of prayer and informed the audience that the Hebrew word for prayer is rooted in an action of judging and evaluating. Above all, prayer is is a practice to "know thyself" and to know before Whom you stand.

She discussed Jewish mysticism, particularly the Kabbalist tradition. She also drew examples from the Talmud. In the Talmudic writings, sages are described as meditating an hour before and an hour after worship, and in the Hebrew Bible, Jacob meditates in the fields. Meditation has a long standing tradition in Jewish faith.

She emphasized the importance of community in the Jewish tradition as well. Meditation can be practiced individually, but it also has a high place in communal settings. Worship in synagogues requires that ten people, a minyan, are present, emphasizing unity through community intention to worship God.

She closed by discussing the importance of prayer shawls in Jewish worship. Prayer shawls contain 613 fringes to symbolize the number of commandments given by God. When Jews wrap themselves in shawls to pray, they are enclosing themselves in the commandments of God. Jews are also married under prayer shawls and are buried with them. Meditation on the acts and commands of God are central to Jewish life.


Meditation in the Islamic Tradition

Yetkin Yildirim is a researcher at the University of Texas and is the Vice President of the Institute for Interfaith Dialogue. He spoke about his faith with passion and enthusiasm, inviting the audience to learn of Islam from its sources, the Qur'an and the Hadith.

He began by discussing the Arabic root of the word Islam. This word comes from the same root as "shalom," meaning peace. Meditation in the Islamic tradition seeks to have peace within oneself, within parents and family, within neighbors, and within society at large.

He stated that worship and meditation go hand in hand in Islam. According to Islamic teachings, God desires three things from humanity: 1) Remembrance of God, 2) Reflection upon God's teachings, and 3) An Attitude of Thanksgiving. He cited Qur'an 51:56, which states that God has created humanity to worship and be thankful.

He described aspects of meditative worship. These include knowledge of God's attributes, prayers of praise and glorification, remembrance of God, prayers of supplication, the ritual of praying five times daily, thanksgiving, and patience. He stated that meditative worship helps us to become a mirror of God's attributes so that those around us begin to say, "That person reminds me of God."

Meditation in Islam helps Muslims to cleanse the the heart, establish virtues, and live according to the knowledge of God's presence. He closed by mentioning the five pillars of Islam and stated that these actions can be understood to be meditations. They include:

1) The acknowledgment of the oneness of God
2) Prayer five times a day
3) The practice of fasting, particularly during the season of Ramadan
4) The giving of alms and charity
5) The holy pilgrimage to Mecca at least once a lifetime, if resources and time are available


Austin Agape enjoyed this event and learned a great deal from the presenters. Thank you to University Baptist Church for your gracious hospitality and your commitment to Interfaith Dialogue!