Contemplation is ... Practice of contemplation. The meaning of the word "contemplation"

Contemplation is the oldest spiritual practice. In the teaching of Zen, mystical contemplation is the basis on which all the spiritual development of man is based. The ability to contemplate is an art that can not be comprehended by everyone. Contemplation is not for beginners, only an experienced seeker is capable of contemplating.

An experienced searcher

Who is an experienced seeker? This is the person who has already rejected or has come close to rejecting his ignorance - the night time. He is the one who constantly asks God for his sleepless smile. An experienced seeker forms within himself an unquestioning love of God, renouncing his will.

The philosophical meaning of the concept of "contemplation"

In the philosophical sense, contemplation of the world has many meanings, which sometimes even contradict one another.

1. Visual contemplation, which has a special meaning.
2. Contemplation as a general perception of the world.
3. Unreasonable, incomprehensible perception of reality.

But there is another group of meanings, in which contemplation is something immediate, not having to do with feelings. Here, contemplation involves the perception of the world by non-sensible values, values, and the like. This group includes the following:

1. Contemplation as an analysis of meanings of a mathematical or logical nature.
2. The internal process of the direct formation of ideas, that is, contemplation in the spirit of Plato.
3. Contemplation in the Kantian sense, as a moral awareness of norms and ethical principles.
4. Contemplation as the perception of the perfect, God Himself is an intellectual form of contemplation in the style of German idealism.

Practice of contemplation

To contemplate is to know the world and its beauty without words. A person who constantly practices this teaching does not become more intellectually developed or professionally fit. Nevertheless, the ability to contemplate can make a person more calm, teach him to apply correctly the knowledge that he already has. Spiritual practices are the direct path to the development and advancement of man to what is called the spirit. Practicing contemplation, the seeker is looking for a direct way to get rid of the emotions of the past and anxiety about the future.

It is impossible to contemplate the world without activating the internal dialogue, and this requires a lot of time. Contemplation of the beautiful is the direction of attention not only to external, but also to internal objects. This skill, which is available for mastering only a narrow circle of persons. Therefore, do not expect that you will quickly master this practice - it is not given to anyone immediately. Only regularly engaged, you can get rid of the power of obsessive thoughts and ideas and achieve inner balance and silence.

How to start the practice

The development of this practice is best to begin with the contemplation of nature. The main advantage of nature is not in any of its spiritual advantages over everything else, but in the fact that the human mind least of all seeks to analyze and understand it. When a person looks at a stone, a tree or a river, his mind is silent. Communicating in the society, we always notice and try to analyze all the details: we listen to the sounds, peer at the faces of people, read signs. To learn how to simply contemplate the beauty of nature, you need to go camping, for example, to the mountains. Picturesque landscapes will become a magnificent background. Of course, later you still have to learn to contemplate and the world in which you live.

Forms of contemplation

Mastering spiritual practices, in particular contemplation, it is necessary to take into account the form, since it also has significance. As already mentioned above, there is an external and internal form of contemplation. However, any Zen master knows that the concepts "inside" and "outside" are purely debatable. At the same time, internal contemplation requires more practice and training. An example of such a doctrine is Vipassana.

One must understand that man is a complex being, and the development of one attention will not be enough to master the practice of contemplation. It is necessary to change the perception and attitude to your life in general. First of all, you need to give up smoking, alcoholic beverages, drugs, adhere to a healthy diet and lifestyle. So you accumulate a huge amount of energy, which is necessary for contemplation. You should pay attention to your mental state: get rid of obsessive thoughts and ideas that will interfere with the mind to correctly perceive the process of contemplation.

Contemplative practice implies a direct visual perception of objects, the world in general or in general, the internal formation of forms in which everything material and meaningful is manifested.

Contemplation of form and essence

In the Kantian sense, contemplation of form is space and time, in which sensations are analyzed. They are the essence of the given reason. These are ready-made forms of inner contemplation, which do not depend on experience, but only enable it to be found. Contemplation of the idea and essence is a spiritual process by means of which a person manages to comprehend the idea of an object. According to Plato, even before her migration to the body, the soul was contemplating ideas. That is, in this case, contemplation of the essence is understood as a logical value, mediated by perception.

Zen practice

Zen practice of contemplation is called praise. Literally this term means "head of speech". In this case, the "head" is the vertex on which thoughts and speech are exhausted. Therefore, contemplation is the bringing of a person into a state of calm and clarity of mind, in which the distracting and clouding perception of the chatter subsides. In Zen, the main factor of contemplation is the maintenance of a constant sense of inquiry.

Having started to study, try to always support the questioning: "What do you see? What do you hear? "And before the initial interest fades, you need to ask a new question. Thus the process of inquiry will not be interrupted, a new question will be imposed on the previous one, and so constantly. In addition, we need to ensure that the overlay is regular and smooth, but there is absolutely no need to just repeat the question automatically. This is not a mantra. Telling yourself around the clock "What is this?" Is useless. The main task is not just to repeat words, but to maintain a sense of inquiry. Once this process is established, the mind will become calm.

Tips for the seeker

Contemplation is the battle of obsessive thoughts and drowsiness of mind on one side and the pity on the other. In contemplation, concentration and wisdom must be integrated into one whole. Without concentration, it will be difficult to cope with false perception, and without wisdom, ignorance will increase. You are not the first and not the last who enters this path. So do not stop, even if at times it seems to you that this practice is too complicated. All without exception, mentors - both ancient and modern - experienced certain difficulties along this path.

Every morning we must wake up for the night. This intention must be strengthened every day until it becomes inexhaustible. Try to control your behavior, never disregard the moral commandments on which the practice of contemplation is based. When the praise begins to ripen, and the mind becomes sharper, it is extremely important not to stop and continue the studies. After all, the goal of this teaching is a full immersion in the praise. All the rest should be ruled out.