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“a naked intent directed at God for God alone”. |
The 14th century monk who wrote “Cloud of the Unknowing” describes contemplation as a blind love towards God, “a naked intent directed at God for God alone”, and the Christian mystic he defines it as “one who seeks only God”. Contemplation, as we look at the Latin origin, means “with time”, and contemplation then, means “spending time with God”. It is not about mastering a technique, but rather about relaxing acutely and letting go of all thoughts in the transcendent and eminent presence of God. Contemplation is something we allow. We allow ourselves to spend time with God, in the same way that we allow ourselves to spend time with the people we love deeply. Dionysius the Areopagite said: “in the earnest exercise of mystical contemplation, you leave the senses and the operations of reason and all things that the senses or reason can perceive, to the end that you raise yourself by this unknowing to union with Him Who is above all being and knowledge”. Some thinkers regard contemplation as the practice in which the mind is barren and receptive to receive from God, and meditation as the practice in which the meditator chooses his own subject to reflect upon. I believe that the only forceful concern here, is the individual's intent, and that you may call it “blue-berry-pie-eating” as long as your intention is communion and communication with God, living for God only, wanting to consummate the will of God only. That is our conviction in Christian Mysticism. And when we communicate with God, it should be by the constraints from our soul, above our mental blabber. It should be telepathically, meaningfully and silently during aloneness. ALONENESS Aloneness is the exaltation of being yourself within a domain of your own. It is euphoria and ecstasy on the existential level. It is joyfulness within a sweet alienation. It is dancing in the arcane depths of the secluded self. It is listening to the music of the spheres. It is drinking from the elixir of life that tastes like the milk from a woman's breast. It is experiencing an echo in the mountains. Aloneness does not happen to you, it wells up from the absolute core of your being to remain with you always. It is yours to taste, to fathom and to nurture. Once that has been mastered, there is no more dependence on anybody, on any situation or any circumstance. The journey to the innermost presbytery of the spirit, is a recessive expedition towards core aloneness. Within this aloneness, there is only God. It is the only way to experience Him entirely and lavishly, there is no other way. Aloneness is an esteemed gift from the ALONE to the alone.......... FROM: “THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS” Nymph completed her L.T.C.L. in music and drama, and obtained a B.A. Psychology and Philosophy a few years later. She trained as formal singer under various renowned vocal advisers and performed in numerous concerts, recitals, and oratorios. After a car accident that lead to a few neuro surgeries, she began investigating the benefits of deep relaxation and wrote a few books and numerous articles on the subject. e-mail: nymphkellerman@telkomsa.net websites: www.sazone.biz/bookshop http://www.spiralbookshop.com http://www.spiralstaircasebookshop.blogspot.com Subscription to “The Spiral news” is free and our contact information is spiralnews@spiralbookshop.com |