The first Christians obtained their wisdom through detachment. They went into the desert, founded monastic and ascetic societies, and thusly detached from the material of civilization were able to focus on the immaterial.
Buddhist monks do the same; in fact, in all religions one can find that wisdom is generally found through detaching one's mind from the present material and sending it into the immaterium of deep thought, prayer and contemplation.
I believe prayer is vital to spiritual health. I also find it very hard to pray; this is a personal issue I wish to resolve. In general terms, however, it is contemplation of the self and prayer to the divine, God, from which our human wisdom comes.
Let me suggest that all of you seek and learn detachment, if only for an hour or two a day. Find an hour in your schedule to lock the door, sit on your bed, close your eyes, and pray, contemplate, or just think about yourself, your environment, and how they interact with the spiritual.
I find that many who 'pray' simply speak and that ends the prayer. I personally believe prayer should occur within deep thought. If it helps you to say it out loud, then do so. True prayer, as described in the Bible, however, is that which occurs when you are alone, "in a closet". I dislike open prayer simply because I don't want to prove to others how spiritual I am. "I am holier than thou" isn't something I like to say. I prefer private, contemplative, prayer.
Read some Thomas Merton sometime. He's a wonderful Christian writer from here in Kentucky.
Thanks for reading.
-patrick
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