Photo: Obama Meditating Before The Debate

[malik flavors]

More:http://www.flickr.com/photos/barackobamadotcom/sets/72157607533135519/

[medeak]

1. It's too private of a moment

feel wrong to look at it....

[Clio the Leo]

3. I understand what you mean but.....

... he was fully aware of the photographer behind him. Have no doubt of that.

If the future leader of the free world wants to demonstrate that he's not too big of a man to pray for strength, fine with me. ;)

[Critters2]

2. In our faith tradition--his and mine--we call it praying. And I'm not at all surprised. nt

[Clio the Leo]

4. I've got that hymn "It Is Well With My Soul" running through my mind. NT

[malik flavors]

5. well, no one can be certain what exactly he was doing. I figured he was just clearing his mind.

[johnaries]

15. Prayer, meditation, same thing. Both/either are very useful. nt

[graywarrior]

6. I love that photo.

He just cares so much.

[speedoo]

7. The photos with Michelle are very revealing IMO.

To me, they say she gives him a lot of strength.

[Ichingcarpenter]

8. He's not praying he is going over debate notes

I took put the original series of photos up... the page in front of him
are key points to be used in debates. I can blow it up to show you
if you don't believe me.

[faithfulcitizen]

11. I believe you.

[Clio the Leo]

13. well see, that's the beauty of prayer, you can do it with your eyes open....

.... and WHILE you are doing something else. But I agree, we're just speculating.

Kinda like here.........



He was probably just rethinking his shoe choice.

And I'm throwing this one in for free 'cause it's supercute.

[Cha]

19. Oh, that is so cute with Biden and

Michelle. I felt their need for hands grasping like it will be done for Biden on Thursday.

[CreekDog]

30. that's impressive since it would involve him seeing through his eyelids

:eyes:

i'm not saying he wasn't at some point going over the notes, i'm suggesting he wasn't doing it at that moment.

[Number23]

31. Wow

He's not praying he is going over debate notes

Well, I guess that changes the entire GIST of this thread then, huh???

:rofl:

[regnaD kciN]

9. MEDITATING????? Isn't that what BUDDHISTS do...???

They're a lot like Muslims, aren't they? :scared:

:sarcasm:

[faithfulcitizen]

10. I think he would saying praying.

[vanderBeth]

12. What is with the fear of the word meditating?

It doesn't always have religious connotations. I understood it to be used here to mean deep thinking. He is going over debate notes.

[Critters2]

14. He is of a specific faith tradition, which does not often use the word meditation.

We pray. What's with the fear of that word?

[vanderBeth]

17. He isn't doing anything religious at all. He is doing some thinking.

I don't understand why religion was interjected into this at all.

[CreekDog]

29. how do you know what he is doing?

since you are sure he was not praying.

[johnaries]

18. The same fear some people have of the word "meditation".

No matter what you call it or how you define it, it still has the same purpose and the same effect.

That's what scares many people - they assume it's only the intervention of a "higher power" that makes the difference.

[Critters2]

22. He's a Christian, of the same denomination as me. We believe in a Higher Power.

Why does that bother you?

[speedoo]

23. Many Christians, me included, meditate.

It's different from prayer, for me, at least. There is nothing in my Christian faith that prohibits, or even discourages, meditation.

[rebel with a cause]

25. I was raised a ministers daughter and my father used both words.

Meditation was used for thinking/pondering what would/should be done by you. Looking inside yourself for answers. It was a deep emotional time meant to calm your mind and bring you a sense of peace. Prayer was a time when you spoke with God and got guidance or asked for his help. I would actually think that meditation is probably more the word to use here, although others including yourself may feel prayer would be it.

Actually, my first thought was that he was studying the notes in front of him, concentrating/meditating on what he needed to do.

[Ichingcarpenter]

16. Meditating is not the same as concentration

it is really non thinking ......

Thinking is linear and sequential, a separation from the reality that is the subject of thought, and thus is an abstraction rather than the reality itself. Not thinking is suppressive. It cuts away thoughts the moment they arise, making the mind into a great impenetrable mountain-dead, unresponsive. Non-thinking has no such edges.

[vanderBeth]

20. I didn't mean to get into word games

I meant to say to I believe the OP was using the common "continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a deep or abstruse nature" definition of meditation.

[smalll]

21. Onepointednessgate!

Who does he think he is? Maitreya or something?!?!

[grantcart]

24. you just feel privledged to be a witness to all of it - all the pictures in the file are great this

one struck me - he clearly focuses on each person he meets.

[rebel with a cause]

26. He looks you in the eye, listens to you, and comes to a

connection before moving on to the next person. I was horid for holding on to his hand and making him listen to everything I had to ask him. He was very kind.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

27. He's obviously learned a lot from Bill Clinton. Bill does the same thing. n/t

[rebel with a cause]

28. He did that in 2004, and did not know Bill Clinton.

In fact according to Bill he does not know him at all even now. Only talked to him the other say in Harlem.