The Power of Contemplation: A Spiritual Path to Compassion and Connection
Let’s quietly change the world.
Recently someone whose work I hold in high regard interviewed a New Age guy whom I found to be somewhat of a fake. I’ve heard some of his promos and thought, “Oh geez, this is pseudoscience.” I guess that he now has a new book out or something, so of course he’s all I see on my social media and YouTube feed. I have to figure out how to get him out of my algorithm.
However, I figured I’d give him another try, especially since I woke up feeling relatively empty inside. The video began with him giving some sort of workshop, but then it went to the meditation. During the meditation, there’s a picture of him dressed in what looks like Buddhist or priestly robes (he’s not affiliated with any spirituality other than New Age). Behind him are flames.
What? I noticed someone else remarked that in the comments, but they also said they liked the meditation. So I continued, figuring I had to give it a chance before I passed judgment.
The meditation was a watered-down version of basically any guided manifestation meditation you’ve ever heard. Start with the breath, notice your body, focus your thoughts on how you’d like to feel, and let go of what doesn’t serve you. About halfway through, I said, “This is crap.”
Then I turned to one of my favorite breath practitioners whose practices always serve like an Etch-a-sketch to my brain. Honestly, whatever negative thoughts or anxieties I feel when I begin get shaken away. A 20-minute session makes it MUCH easier to sit in stillness because you honestly feel high on oxygen.
As I sat for a few moments feeling a deep sense of gratitude and release, one image came to my mind—Merton. I realized I needed to return to Merton after a long absence. Thomas Merton has been so integral to my spiritual path, and I had become so eager to read the works that influenced him that I forgot how meaningful his words are to me.
People who’ve heard of Thomas Merton might have read The Seven Storey Mountain, and perhaps they’ve said that’s their favorite book. Others might say their favorite is New Seeds of Contemplation. By far, my favorite Merton text is The Inner Experience. If you look at my copy, you’ll notice more highlights and side notes in this book than any other book in my library (others have come close).
So even though I had been re-reading St. Ignatius again, I have to return to what originally moved me. I’ll be creating other posts concerning Evagrius’ Eight Logismoi as I deal with each of those gremlins individually, but I need to remember where I’m called: the common ground of contemplation.
Contemplation is where most spiritual traditions meet. All major religions have a branch of mysticism or contemplation that is always in touch with the core of humanity as part of creation. The work involves moving beyond the distractions and temptations of the ego (or false self) to live in abundance with God (or pure consciousness).
Contemplation recognizes the interconnectedness of all creation. Once you recognize this interconnectedness, you think twice about being an asshole to others. You pause before getting angry at the cashier for taking too long. You also don’t react in anger to other people’s anger.
You reconsider what harmful media you take in or endorse because you know how that not only covers up what’s good in this world but also feeds those thoughts that feed the ego. You understand that by giving these media, these influencers, and these advertisers your attention, you’re also encouraging them to create more like it.
You change any habits and behaviors that might bring harm to the environment. That means living in simplicity, knowing that you don’t need to satisfy every sensory urge that might seize you at any moment. Before buying something, you ask, “What harm came from producing this” and “Where will this be in 50 years?”
Let’s continue cultivating a community of contemplatives.
In contemplation, you have one simple desire—to honor God and His creation. Any promises of happiness, comfort, or pleasure from any source besides God are illusory or temporary, and there is always a 2.0 available once that happiness, comfort, or pleasure runs out.
Contemplation recognizes your pain and suffering but also opens you up to the vast expansiveness of God’s creation. Rather than ruminating on your suffering and saying, “Poor me,” demanding that God and the world cater to your immediate needs, you realize how your suffering cleans you out. As devastating as it might be at the moment, there’s a little flicker of hope, a blade of grass that manages to stay alive through the catastrophe that somehow gets you through.
Like a meat tenderizer to your psyche, suffering breeds compassion for others who might be walking with you. You realize you’re not alone. Many people are ascending the mountain with you, and you offer your hand to those who have fallen but also accept the hand of others. And you continue to walk. Move forward, even if the path doesn’t feel like it’s getting you anywhere.
Let’s continue cultivating a community of contemplatives. Our voices and spirits might not crack the social media and Google algorithms, but we can say “no” and “dislike” to those messages and voices that feed the ego, keep us distracted, and bring harm and insult to others. Let us scrutinize our thoughts, words, and actions so that they are serving virtues such as compassion, humility, gratitude, and patience.
Let us also encourage others who are walking the same walk. Let us have the mind of service, not consumption. Let us see that God is always in our midst, kissing us through the air we breathe. Let us be grateful for the many plants and trees that give us oxygen and life. Let our feet embrace the earth with every step.
Will you join me?