Learning from Brother Lawrence
I decided to revisit the writings of 17th-century French monk Brother Lawrence who championed “practicing the presence of God.” His Spiritual Maxims are reprinted in the back of SOP (2022). I'm thankful for that, as it turns out they were not included in the copy of Brother Lawrence's writings I had downloaded from some free book site. In reading through the maxims I was struck by how perfectly they applied to what those of us following the JH practice are doing, and how they validated some of my experiences. Let's take a look.
Here are some quotes from Spiritual Maxims, along with a few of my own thoughts. (Note that Brother Lawrence's references to “God” can easily be replaced by “your invisible friend.”)
“We must perceive, continually and equally, all actions as forms of small conversations with God...”
Just a perfect description of what we aspire to. It points to weaving your connection to your Friend into all your activities. Though it comes more easily for some than others, it's an ideal toward which to strive. With persistence we can approach it.
“[P]ause for a brief moment, as often as we can, in order to love God from the bottom of our hearts, like a quick taste taken in passing, and in secret.
After all, you cannot forget that God is present, right in front of you, during your actions; that he is at the core and center of your soul. So why not at least, from time to time, stop your external occupations, and even your spoken prayers, in order to adore him interiorly, to praise him, to give him your questions, to offer him your heart, and thank him?
What could be more agreeable to God than to stop thus, thousands of times every day; what could be more agreeable than that all beings withdraw into their interior and love Him?”
I find this to be very much in line with my experience involving repeatedly returning my attention to my Friend. I've written about this here. This repeated turn of attention, even short of any talking, reconnects you with your Friend and seems to stimulate parts of the brain that are underactive in Parkinson's. This manifests for me as pleasant feelings of energy in the head/neck portion of the Du channel and in the heart. (See posts here and here for tips on getting in touch with such head and heart feelings.)
I've lost count now of how many times this has bailed me out of horrid Parkinson's feelings. Most recently it proved a potent antidote to some intense anxiety. That could be the subject of another post. But it seems those of us engaged in the JH practice have at our disposal, in practicing the presence, an effective anti-anxiety technique that is virtually unknown to the general mental health community. And I have little doubt it will figure prominently in the next time I turn off pause.
Are you up to “thousands of times every day”? Neither am I. So we have room to do more. So let's get going!
“We do this, not so much because God will notice this often repeated worship, but rather that, in the end, this worship will become natural and we will feel that God is one with our soul and that our soul is one with God.”
It does get easier.
“The presence of God is giving our mind’s attention to God or recalling to mind that God is present.”
It's really that simple.
“[Here Brother Lawrence is talking about himself.] Sometimes, feeling confusion about how to behold and love God, he simply remembers God. Other times, he focuses his attention on the name of God, or silently converses with God, confides in God about his life and the peace of his soul.”
There are a variety of ways of giving our mind's attention to our Friend. You can also say “you.” Most recently I've taken to simply saying, “I'm in your presence” or “I do this in your presence.”
“[T]his interiorized awareness, whether it sometimes precedes, however briefly, his external actions or, at other times, is simultaneous with the external actions, must always be present when the actions are
finished: when one is finished with all external actions one must end, always, with the internal awareness.”
Here I think Brother Lawrence is acknowledging that certain activities might distract us from our focus on the presence of our Friend, but that we should always make sure, at a minimum, to return to that focus immediately upon finishing any such activity.
That's just a sampling, but I hope it proves useful. (See also this past post for some Rupert Spira comments on “practicing the presence.”) See the Spiritual Maxims for many more valuable insights.