I was Baptized, raised and still consider myself a Christian. Christianity is the root of my spiritualism and religious beliefs and I thank God daily for His presence in our lives. I truly believe Jesus Christ was sent here by God to teach us the way to live in Harmony with all God's Creations.

I also believe there are many teachers, all guided by God, to help us on our Spiritual journey. They do not have to be "Christians" to teach us very important lessons in this life. These, for me, include Thich Nhat Hanh, HH Dalai Lama and Paramahansa Yogananda.

While traveling my Spiritual Path as a Christian with an open heart and mind to all religious beliefs I discovered teachings that feel very natural to me in Buddhism. More Specifically "Mindful Living" as taught by Thich Nhat Hanh. I tell people I view Buddhism as a way of life, a very important part of my spiritual life. Now many people are turned off by this. They do not see how I can practice Buddhism and still consider myself a Christian. But through recent interfaith dialog doors are being opened to realizing the similarity in both teachings, Thanks in great part to HH the Dalai Llama. A wonderful book I found recently, Spiritual Lessons for Buddhist and Christians, are excerpts taken from dharma talks given to religious leaders of many faiths by HH during the "Gethsemane Encounter".

Through Buddhism I have learned compassion and interbeing. Compassion not only for all, since we are all interconnected, but for myself also. Mindful Living has taught me how to live in the "Present Moment".

Another wonderful practice that Buddhism teaches is meditation. I started meditating some time in the 80's and have enjoyed practicing daily since. It is through prayer and meditation that I am in constant communication with God. It allows me to feel His presence in everything I do.

I have recently found a wonderful Christian form of meditation which can be practiced as illustrated below:

Christian Contemplative Prayer or Centering Prayer Has been described much better than I could hope to by those who have been practicing this wonderful form of meditation as:

The opening of mind and heart - our whole being - to God, the Ultimate Mystery, beyond thoughts, words and emotions, whom we know by faith is within us, closer than breathing, thinking, feeling and choosing; even closer than consciousness itself. The root of all prayer is interior silence. Though we think of prayer as thoughts or feelings expressed in words, this is only one expression. Contemplative Prayer is a prayer of silence, an experience of God's presence as the ground in which our being is rooted, the Source from whom our life emerges at every moment.

Centering Prayer facilitates the movement from more active modes of prayer - verbal, mental or affective prayer - into a receptive prayer of resting in God. It emphasizes prayer as a personal relationship with God. At the same time, it is a discipline to foster and serve this relationship by a regular, daily practice of prayer. It is Trinitarian in its source, Christ-centered in its focus, and ecclesial in its effects; that is, it builds communities of faith.

For the Church's first sixteen centuries Contemplative Prayer was the goal of Christian spirituality. After the Reformation, this living tradition was virtually lost. Today, with cross-cultural dialogue and historical research, the recovery of the Christian contemplative heritage has begun. The method of Centering Prayer, in the tradition of Lectio Divina (praying the scriptures) is contributing to this renewal.

Instruction for the Centering Prayer is very similar to meditation taught in Buddhism. Another wonderful similarity between Christianity and Buddhism.

*Choose a sacred word as the symbol of your intention to consent to God's presence and action within.

I chose the word Peace for my "mantra". Those who know me will not be surprised.

*Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly and silently introduce the sacred word as the symbol of your consent to God's presence and action within.

Most westerners will use a straight back chair. I usually sit in half lotus or seiza, but the position is not as important as long as you are comfortable and the back is straight to allow deep easy breaths.

*When you become aware of thoughts, return ever-so-gently to the sacred word.

This is where most people get frustrated. They often tell me that they cannot seem to keep thoughts of daily activities, concerns, anxieties, ect. from seeping in. I advise to keep practicing. Do not force these thoughts out. Give them the time if needed then return to the mantra. A lot of times answers to difficult situations come to me like this, and I am most grateful for the realization. This practice is very similar to "Mindful Meditation" as taught by Thich Nhat Hanh.

*At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed for a couple of minutes.

This allows you to ease back into full wakefulness. Also helps to appreciate the full effect this communication with God affords you.

For a more detailed explanation I suggest visiting The Method of Centering Prayer