When 'happiness' eludes us -- as, eventually, it always will -- we have the invitation to examine our programmed responses and to exercise our power to choose again. Through exaggeration, confusion, and distortion, we have allowed our politics, our church and our families to fall out of emotional balance. We can learn to heal our reactive responses by seeking "emotional sobriety," which is really the task that we call contemplation.
Bill Wilson, one of the founders of the 12 Step Program of Alcoholics Anonymous, said that recovery was not complete until addicts achieved "emotional sobriety." In many ways he was saying the same thing that mystical religion recognized -- authentic spirituality should lead to a total "rewiring" of both our conscious lives and our unconscious programming. It will not just change external behavior, but internal emotions and responses, our entire pattern of thinking.
Contemplation is not first of all about being religious, introverted, or pious -- it is about being emotionally and mentally honest! Contemplation is an alternative consciousness that refuses to identify with or feed what are only passing shows. It is the absolute opposite of addiction, consumerism or any egoic consciousness.
Egoic consciousness is the one we all normally operate with, until we are told there is something else! Every culture teaches egoic consciousness in different ways. At that level it is all about me, my preferences, my choices, my needs, my desires and me and my group as the central reference point. It was religion's job to tell us about a different kind of software and the original word for it was simply prayer. But even the concept and practice of prayer became captive to the voracious needs of the ego. Even prayer became a way to get God to do what we wanted.
Thus we use the word contemplation so people might know we are talking about a totally different operating system, different software where the private self is not the center of attention and interpretation. This is the "grain of wheat" that Jesus says must die "or it remains just a grain of wheat." But if it dies, "it bears much fruit" (John 12:24). Mature and contemplative religion has always known that we need a whole new operating system, which Paul called "the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16) or a "spiritual revolution of the mind" (Ephesians 4:23).
Only with this new mind can we also develop a new heart and a new emotional response to the moment. When it is not all about me, I can see from a much deeper and broader set of eyes. In time our responses are much less knee jerk, predictable and self-centered. Only contemplative prayer touches the deep unconscious, where all of our real hurts, motivations and deepest visions lie. Without it, we have what is even worse -- religious egoic consciousness, which is even more defensive and offensive than usual! Now it has God on its side and is surely what Jesus means by the unforgivable "sin against the Holy Spirit." It cannot be forgiven because this small self would never imagine it needs forgiveness. It is smug and self-satisfied.
We must learn and practice this new mind or there will be no real change, no authentic encounter with ourselves, God or anybody else. Find your own practice and learn a new mind. Contemplation really is the change that changes everything.
This article is adapted from "The Change that Changes Everything," by © Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, in the October 2011 edition of The Drumbeat. Used with permission of The Center for Action and Contemplation.
Fr. Richard Rohr will speak on the topic of "Emotional Sobriety: Rewiring Our Programs for Happiness" in an upcoming webcast from the Center for Action and Contemplation.
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Contemplation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Contemplation
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Christians are actually commissioned by Christ to preach. God is loving, love being His major attribute, but not His only attribute. Three others that He has in perfect harmony with love is 1. wisdom 2.power and 3. justice. Out of love, God exercises perfect justice and He alone is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of another human being. God does inflict punishment on the ungodly, but only after extensively reaching out to them. For instance, Noah was the first person designated as a preacher (2 Peter 2:5). God judged an ancient world, but Noah was commissioned to sound the warning pointing the way to salvation (the ark) which he did so for 50 years before the deluge.
Really, though, the preaching is the preaching of "good news" of God's Kingdom. God has provided for a kingdom that will stand forever (Dan. 2:44) and be a perfect government, unlike any government man could invent for himself. And as the writer of this article alludes to, we can find ourselves and contemplate our place in this wonderful future of God's design.
I prefer Mother Teresa's advice to young nuns in her charge: "Your job is not to convince people to believe in Jesus. Your job is to *be* Jesus to them." Actions speak louder than words.
Also, I am not sure about your view of the sin against the Holy Spirit:
"Only contemplative prayer touches the deep unconscious, where all of our real hurts, motivations and deepest visions lie. Without it, we have what is even worse -- religious egoic consciousness, which is even more defensive and offensive than usual! Now it has God on its side and is surely what Jesus means by the unforgivable "sin against the Holy Spirit." It cannot be forgiven because this small self would never imagine it needs forgiveness. It is smug and self-satisfied."
I have been taught that the sin being referred to by Jesus here is totallly turning your back on God. Example, spending a life trying to avoid God, or even worse, actively working against Him. Of course, if a person is sinning and does not ask for forgiveness, as you point out, he is in serious trouble. This is where a good examination of conscience, based upon a deep reading of the ten commandments and beatitudes, is a great help. If a person does this, he will not be able to act as you describe - smug and self satisfied. After the examen, go to the Sacrament of Penance with the deepest of sorrow.
Veritas.
Through the years I've found that contemplation is good for constructing the foundation the we base all of our thoughts and actions. Part of my foundation is that everything that comes to me is necessary for my growth and that I can turn any (apparent ) adverse situation to my benefit. So, now, when a difficult situation comes, I don't contemplate on it. I just take time to reach a level of peace within myself, and the solution always comes.
Also, I've realized, that it's not happiness that we're after. It's peace of mind that is the real prize.
----an apt description of the Apostle Paul, wouldn't you say ?
I welcome your thoughts.
However the religion is completely independent of the contemplation. The misunderstanding arises when people try to describe the result of contemplation. It is not easy to turn contemplation into words and if you acquired a religious vocabulary somewhere along the line you are almost certain to use. Thereby offending people who have rejected religious rhetoric to the extent that they will never be able to hear the rest of what you are saying.
The effect of rejected religious rhetoric is very strong. I feel it myself on this very Huffpost page when I am unable to read an article whose title contains the phrase "Blessed Mother".
To those who object I say - read it again - overlooking the religious rhetoric - and consider the considerable virtues of contemplation.
Superstition, religion, dogma, faith, all tend to promote delusions, submission and manipulation.
2. Jesus was influenced by Buddhism in the years prior to the start of his ministry and that accounts for why the New Testiment God is different from the Old Testiment God,