Contemplation as Olympic Sport

Simply put, no matter how intense the cerebral, psychic, emotional, or spiritual concentration/absorption may be, to the onlooker it's just an old man in waders who seems to have forgotten he was fishing. That is as it should be, while the music of the spheres is readily available to all -- and there have been no traffic jams reported recently on spiritual pathways -- the stream is not the ideal spot for contemplation. It lacks that one essential element, privacy. Why this is, I cannot tell, but I, and others, find a far greater sense of privacy while sitting at a table in a busy coffee shop than on the side of a hill in the Cairngorms, or deep in the woods of New Brunswick. Seemingly, there is an ever present expectation of "Presence" while alone, that is lacking in the movement of the herd. Anonymity among one's fellows has an effect of a strange sense of security that is lacking when you find yourself "naked before the world."

I was pleased to read that J.K. Rowling, of Harry Potter fame, still does most of her writing in a coffee shop. I would expect that disguise is necessary for her these days; nevertheless, the swirl of bustling waitresses, anxious commuters, and imminently-spilled coffee provides for her, as for many, a zone of calm and creative peace.

Suppose, however, that you find a sanctum sanctorum, a Snuggery, in your own home, as I have. How many feel comfortable spending time in contemplation? I don't mean "introspection" which is, paradoxically, counterproductive; but good old-fashioned "contemplation", that grand mystical experience that doesn't require any mystery.

Merriam-Webster Online Main Entry: con·tem·pla·tion Pronunciation: "kän-t&m-'plA-sh&n, -"tem- Function: noun 1 a : concentration on spiritual things as a form of private devotion b : a state of mystical awareness of God's being

Although I understand contemplation as an acknowledgment of the delightful Verities - not least of which, that God is and is a reward of them who diligently seek him - you may be of a different turn. Suppose you determine that this infinitely complex system that we inhabit was a matter of happenstance - some have done this, though it seems illogical - you still have plenty of opportunity to contemplate the "interconnectedness of all things". Surely, this is enough to send any cerebellum into overdrive. Should you wish to go deeper than the cranium and actually use your higher powers of thought - those atoms the Greeks called the Mind, the Will, and the Emotions, known collectively as the psyche or soul - the joys you will entertain will be profound and lasting. Climb on yet higher and you will never return as you were. And that transformation is the aim of contemplation.

© 2006 Reed F. Curry