Drawing the mind into the heart?

[parhelion]

I've been doing some reading about "drawing the mind into the heart" on the internet.  Sometimes I think I know what different writers are getting at and sometimes I don't.  So, here is my current understanding . . . drawing the mind into the heart is continually attending to Christ's presence there as opposed to allowing my mind/attention to wander and be distracted by my outward life, sensual attractions, lured away to engagement with passionate thoughts, etc..

Am I anywhere close?

[IoanC]

I think you are very close. Both the mind and the heart are organs of the soul (as well as of the body) and they are meant to function together. Our thoughts must speak the language of the heart, of a good heart, the heart of The Gospel. To have our minds in your hearts means that we are paying attention to ourselves and do not allow ourselves to experience thoughts that are not in accord with the heart. Our spiritual illness is such that our minds are susceptible to a lot of thoughts that drag us away from our heart. I call those 'cold thoughts', or experiencing 'coldness of heart'. The thoughts provide the context of our lives, but our hearts define the quality of the thoughts. There is a saying: God can do everything that He wants, but He does not want to do everything that He can do. That's because even though He is all-powerful, He only wishes to do things that are good. In the same way, we must also investigate our thoughts and see if they are good. Thoughts can seem very attractive, very intellectual, but if they do not mean well, they are not good. Well, the rule is actually to not rely upon any of our thoughts, not just those that come from the tempter, but even our own thoughts, even our good thoughts. We have to remember that they are just thoughts. What we are seeking is pure prayer (of the heart) and to receive the Grace of The Holy Spirit or God's direct intervention so that we can be healed, restored to our initial state when God was the one illumining our minds and leading our lives. I recommend these articles from my blog:

http://romanianorthodoxyinenglish.blogspot.ro/2013/02/the-spiritual-movements-of-mind-elder.html
http://romanianorthodoxyinenglish.blogspot.ro/2013/02/the-two-toll-houses-when-mind-descends_2717.html
http://romanianorthodoxyinenglish.blogspot.ro/2013/02/the-levels-of-prayer-elder-cleopa.html

[Hinterlander]

This is discussed heavily in The Art of Prayer: An Orthodox Anthology. I have a hard time understanding it intellectually.

[Daedelus1138]

I've been doing some reading about "drawing the mind into the heart"

   No, it is actually quite literal.  Let me explain.   In my experience the prayers that are  that are clearly answered always involve the heart in some way.  And sometimes when I pray I am especially aware of my awareness moving inward or downward, to a less intellectual point of view but one that is more intuitive or emotional.  

  I used to practice yoga and the idea of the heart being a center of consciousness or connection to God is not strange at all in Asian cultures.  In fact I still see alot of benefit in yoga but it's not necessarily working on the same spiritual level as Jesus Christ... it's just a tool, not a substitute.

[Tags:]

OrthodoxChristianity.net > Moderated Forums > Orthodox-Other Christian Discussion > Orthodox-Protestant Discussion (Moderator: PeterTheAleut) > Topic: Drawing the mind into the heart?