Contemplation
The concept of contemplation comes from the Latin word, contemplari. In ancient times, the Roman seers designated an area in the sky as the templum. They envisioned a corresponding templum (temple) on Earth so that the order of heaven above can be duplicated in the order of Earth below.
So, contemplation means the bringing together of the two temples, as the con in contempalri suggests.
Contemplatives are people whose consciousness of God permeates their entire lives, not just a few hours on the weekend or a few moments before a meal or a few minutes before bedtime.
Contemplation is the consciousness of living soaked in Grace, embraced in Love, imbued with Infinity, protected by the Almighty, empowered by the Creator, sustained by the Source, and fueled by the Force — and looking at life through godly eyes, seeing the Divine imprint in everyone and Its fingerprint in everything. For me, the Earth-church on which I live, move, and have my being every moment, offers the best opportunity to live such a God-loving and godly life.
Writing this book about Mother Earth and reflecting on the immense Universe surrounding me, has impacted me in such a way that a Church or any one religion is too small for my current cosmic consciousness.
I am evolving out of my old clannish, contracted, and tribal way of viewing reality, to a more comprehensive, global, and universal view of life. When I join the shamans of the aboriginal peoples of the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australia, and begin listening to nature, traditional sermons in churches sound stale and pale compared to sermons in stones, seas, and stars.
Along with American poet Christian Wiman, I believe that “faith itself sometimes needs to be stripped of its social and historical encrustations and returned to its first, church-less incarnation in the human heart.”
The following words of Japanese Zen monk Ikkuyu made me realize the limits of liturgy and helped me leave behind the clericalism of my past:
“Every day, priests minutely examine the Law and endlessly chant complicated sutras. Before doing that, though, they should learn how to read the love letters sent by the wind and rain, the snow and moon.”
My eco-spirituality is deeply influenced by Albert Einstein’s thought on religion:
“Try and penetrate with our limited means the secrets of nature and you’ll find out that, behind all the discernible laws and connections, there remains something subtle, intangible, and inexplicable. Veneration of this force beyond anything that we can comprehend is my religion.”
(from Cosmic Kindergarten: Earthly Lessons for a Heavenly Life)