Search Inside Yourself Book Summary
Search Inside Yourself (SIY) by Chade-Meng Tan, Introducing Christian Mindfulness (ICM) by Richard H H Johnston, A Book of Sparks: Second Edition: A Study in Christian MindFullness (BoS) by Shaun Lambert // Summaries by Jess Martin
1. Remembering or Centering // Attention Training aka Mindfulness
The vision: To have a quality of mindfulness so strong that every moment in life, even in trying times, is infused with a deep calmness and a vivid sense of the presence of Christ. (modified SIY)
"Paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgementally." - Jon Kabat-Zinn
- "On purpose": intentionally choosing to turn our focus on something particular
- "In the present moment": keeping attention on our surroundings, our present thoughts, the moment we have right now
- "Non-judgementally": being kind to ourselves, even for our own unkind thoughts and responses and failure to pay attention
"Mindfulness within the Christian perspective is about not forgetting the things of God but remembering them." - BoS
"I don't want to talk about you like you're not in the room. I want to look at right you, speak right to you." - Jesus Culture
Practices:
- Mindfulness Meditation
- Walking Meditation
- Mindful Listening
2. Listening to One's Self // Self-awareness
The Vision: "Eventually, we reach a point where we are comfortable in our own skins. There are no skeletons in our closest we do not already know about. There is nothing about ourselves we cannot deal with." (SIY)
Emotional awareness: "accurately perceiving emotions in my body, knowing where they come from, and understanding how they effect my behavior." (SIY)
"We remain open to the Holy Spirit revealing to us aspects of our own thoughts and feelings that still need to change. Christian Mindfulness could best be described as coming out of hiding." (ICM)
Practices:
- Body Scan
- Journaling
3. Possessing the Mind of Christ // Self-mastery and Self-regulation
"Self-regulation is not avoiding emotions or denying or repressing true feelings." (SIY)
"You can’t stop the birds from flying over your head, but you can stop them from making a nest in your hair." - Charles Spurgeon
"while we cannot stop an unwholesome thought or emotion from arising, we have the power to let it go, and the highly trained mind can let it go the moment it arises." (SIY)
"The key is to let go of two things: grasping and aversion. Grasping is when the mind desperately holds on to something and refuses to let it go. Aversion is when the mind desperately keeps something away and refuses to let it come." (SIY)
Practices:
- SiBerian North RailRoad: Stop, Breathe, Notice, Reflect, Respond
- Meshing: let feelings pass through you like you are mesh screen.
- Boat-watching: watch thoughts and emotions pass like boats on a river; refuse to board the boats
4. Loving Others // Training Ourselves for Goodness and Compassion
"The more you think about something, the stronger the neural pathways conducive to that though become, and the easier it is to have that thought. Eventually, that thought becomes a mental habit and arises frequently and effortlessly."
"What emerges is not habitual, rule-bound patterns of thought and behaviour but an inner freedom that swims in the dynamic love of God for the world and its peoples." (BoS)
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." - Phil. 4:8
Practices:
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Just Like Me and Loving kindness meditation: (SIY pg. 169)
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Three Assumptions: starting meetings with a sense of trust (SIY pg. 180)
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Empathic Listening: listening for feelings by listening, looping and dipping
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Multiplying Goodness: wish goodness for others
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Tonglen Meditation: open yourself to bear the suffering of the world
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"Meditation is exercise for the mind."
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"Happiness is not something you pursue; it is something you allow. Happiness is just being."
Verses
"The Kingdom of Heaven is within you."
"Walk by the spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." - Gal. 5:16
"What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me–practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." - Phil. 4:9
"For this very reason, make very effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. ...if you practice these qualities you will never fall." 2 Peter 1:5-7 and 1:10
"But those that were sown on good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and a hundredfold." - Mark 4:20