I routinely teach a class I call “Contemplative Spirituality.” In the syllabus I make the bold assumption that during the course of the semester, the students will learn how to become contemplatives. Of course, in the beginning of the semester, they do not even know what the word, contemplative, means. It is understandable when some make the connection between contemplate and contemplation. And for those folks, to contemplate means to think seriously about something. This is a good start.
As they soon begin to learn, however, contemplation has more to do with awareness and living attentively. Clearly, that encompasses thinking, but it is more than thinking. Contemplation is not one more philosophy or religious perspective. You will find contemplatives in all the major religious traditions. And the way I understand it, you can be an atheist and be contemplative. Of course, atheists would be different kinds of contemplatives than an evangelical Christian. But that’s part of the beauty of it, as far as I am concerned.
A basic book I use for the class is by Roger Walsh. He is bold in his title, calling the book Essential Spirituality. I like this, however, because it suggests that to become contemplative is essentially spiritual and that is as good as it gets in life. That is my conviction and so it is I invite students into this consideration. I am sure you cannot require someone to become contemplative, but through invitation most students begin to see the reason to be contemplative. It makes life richer and more meaningful. Most of us want that.
One of my favorite pages in his book is the page that shares some Zen wisdom. On the surface level, this make no sense. But as you get deeper into your knowing and feeling, you understand more about what life really is about. And once you begin to understand that, you can start to live toward that reality. Once you enter into this realm of being, you get a sense for the depth and breadth that is possible in life. That is exciting.
I would like to share a couple of the Zen-type sayings that point to the contemplative path. I can share a little of my own sense about them, but they can also give you a good place to ponder the contemplative path. Suffice it to say, the person standing at the beginning of that contemplative path might well ask a couple questions. This is how the teaching is posed.
The first question the contemplative-to-be might ask is about enlightenment. This likely assumes that enlightenment is “what it’s all about.” Fair enough. That would lead to the question. So the contemplative-to-be asks, “Is there anything I can do to make myself enlightened?” Good question, we think. The Zen master offers this cryptic answer. “As little as you can do to make the sun rise in the morning.” This is where it would be good to take a few minutes or few days (or maybe years) to ponder the saying.
Fast forward, I will offer a couple obvious comments. It is a legitimate question to ask what we can do to become enlightened. The Zen master points to the contemplative truth that ultimately contemplation is a gift. One way to say it is to acknowledge at some point we “get it.” This recognizes that some people may not “get it” for some reason. There is no reason here to speculate why some get the gift and others do not. But there probably are some good reasons.
Because there apparently is nothing we can do (since we know for sure we do not make the sun rise), one option might be resignation---do nothing---and depressingly conclude to bag it. This is effectively where most of us wind up. This is sad. It does not have to be this way. This leads to the second question the contemplative-to-be asks. This contemplative-to-be has assumed there are some exercises that might lead to the enlightenment.
He or she laments, “Then of what use are the spiritual exercises you prescribe?” This recognizes the Zen master has offered some kinds of exercises that have some apparent link to being contemplative. But if we can’t achieve enlightenment, any more than we can make the sun rise, what’s the use of exercises. Again, this seems like a legitimate question. What’s the point of the exercises?
The Zen master offers a classic answer: “To make sure you are not asleep when the sun begins to rise.” I hope you smile, as I did, when this savvy answer comes. The exercises are designed to keep us awake---aware and alert. We should not be caught sleeping when the sun rises. And so it goes with enlightenment. We will never be enlightened if we are asleep.
Of course, sleep is often used metaphorically. I can literally be wide awake and still metaphorically be sleeping. Descriptively, we talk about “sleepwalking” through life. That is more apt than we might imagine. To sleepwalk through life means we will never be enlightened. There are good exercises that help us keep awake and aware. And these usually require a modicum of discipline. And perhaps this says why so many of us won’t be contemplatives. We are not so good at discipline.
So to be contemplative is not possible for you to achieve, but it requires disciplined exercise to be given the gift.
As they soon begin to learn, however, contemplation has more to do with awareness and living attentively. Clearly, that encompasses thinking, but it is more than thinking. Contemplation is not one more philosophy or religious perspective. You will find contemplatives in all the major religious traditions. And the way I understand it, you can be an atheist and be contemplative. Of course, atheists would be different kinds of contemplatives than an evangelical Christian. But that’s part of the beauty of it, as far as I am concerned.
A basic book I use for the class is by Roger Walsh. He is bold in his title, calling the book Essential Spirituality. I like this, however, because it suggests that to become contemplative is essentially spiritual and that is as good as it gets in life. That is my conviction and so it is I invite students into this consideration. I am sure you cannot require someone to become contemplative, but through invitation most students begin to see the reason to be contemplative. It makes life richer and more meaningful. Most of us want that.
One of my favorite pages in his book is the page that shares some Zen wisdom. On the surface level, this make no sense. But as you get deeper into your knowing and feeling, you understand more about what life really is about. And once you begin to understand that, you can start to live toward that reality. Once you enter into this realm of being, you get a sense for the depth and breadth that is possible in life. That is exciting.
I would like to share a couple of the Zen-type sayings that point to the contemplative path. I can share a little of my own sense about them, but they can also give you a good place to ponder the contemplative path. Suffice it to say, the person standing at the beginning of that contemplative path might well ask a couple questions. This is how the teaching is posed.
The first question the contemplative-to-be might ask is about enlightenment. This likely assumes that enlightenment is “what it’s all about.” Fair enough. That would lead to the question. So the contemplative-to-be asks, “Is there anything I can do to make myself enlightened?” Good question, we think. The Zen master offers this cryptic answer. “As little as you can do to make the sun rise in the morning.” This is where it would be good to take a few minutes or few days (or maybe years) to ponder the saying.
Fast forward, I will offer a couple obvious comments. It is a legitimate question to ask what we can do to become enlightened. The Zen master points to the contemplative truth that ultimately contemplation is a gift. One way to say it is to acknowledge at some point we “get it.” This recognizes that some people may not “get it” for some reason. There is no reason here to speculate why some get the gift and others do not. But there probably are some good reasons.
Because there apparently is nothing we can do (since we know for sure we do not make the sun rise), one option might be resignation---do nothing---and depressingly conclude to bag it. This is effectively where most of us wind up. This is sad. It does not have to be this way. This leads to the second question the contemplative-to-be asks. This contemplative-to-be has assumed there are some exercises that might lead to the enlightenment.
He or she laments, “Then of what use are the spiritual exercises you prescribe?” This recognizes the Zen master has offered some kinds of exercises that have some apparent link to being contemplative. But if we can’t achieve enlightenment, any more than we can make the sun rise, what’s the use of exercises. Again, this seems like a legitimate question. What’s the point of the exercises?
The Zen master offers a classic answer: “To make sure you are not asleep when the sun begins to rise.” I hope you smile, as I did, when this savvy answer comes. The exercises are designed to keep us awake---aware and alert. We should not be caught sleeping when the sun rises. And so it goes with enlightenment. We will never be enlightened if we are asleep.
Of course, sleep is often used metaphorically. I can literally be wide awake and still metaphorically be sleeping. Descriptively, we talk about “sleepwalking” through life. That is more apt than we might imagine. To sleepwalk through life means we will never be enlightened. There are good exercises that help us keep awake and aware. And these usually require a modicum of discipline. And perhaps this says why so many of us won’t be contemplatives. We are not so good at discipline.
So to be contemplative is not possible for you to achieve, but it requires disciplined exercise to be given the gift.
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