Page "Christian meditation" Paragraph 58

During the Byzantine Empire, between the 10th and 14th centuries, a tradition of prayer called hesychasm developed, particularly on Mount Athos in Greece, and continues to the present.

St. Gregory of Sinai is considered by most to be the founder of the hesychastic approach to prayer.

This tradition uses a special posture and breathing rituals, accompanied by the repetition of a short prayer ( traditionally the ' Jesus Prayer ') giving rise to suggestions that it may have been influenced by Indian approaches.

" While some might compare it prayer with a mantra, to use the Jesus Prayer in such a fashion is to violate its purpose.

One is never to treat it as a string of syllables for which the ' surface ' meaning is secondary.

Likewise, hollow repetition is considered to be worthless ( or even spiritually damaging ) in the hesychast tradition.

" This style of prayer was at first opposed as heretical by Barlam in Calabria, but was defended by Saint Gregory Palamas.

Coming from hesychia (" stillness, rest, quiet, silence "), hesychasm continues to be practiced in the Eastern Orthodox Church and some other Eastern Churches of the Byzantine Rite.

Hesychasm has not gained significance in the Western churches.