Last week in my general post on Lectio Devina (Divine Reading), Leigh of Five Acres And A Dream had asked the following question:
"I would be interested in understanding the difference between meditation (meditatio) and contemplation (contemplatio)."
The following is my understanding of these concepts. Any and all errors remain my own. Of note, I have found the book Praying the Word: An Introduction to Lectio Divina by Enzo Bianchi to be extremely helpful in this matter.
Meditatio: Meditation. From Bianchi's work:
"Reflect on the text with your understanding, enlightened by God's own light. As you proceed, you may want to make use of some aids....Chew the word over in your heart and apply the message to yourself, to your life situation....Focus on Christ. Reflect on Christ who dwells within you and not just on yourself alone. It is he who will transform you".
Contemplatio: Contemplation. Again, from Bianchi:
"You are now in partnership with the Lord. Try to see everything through his eyes: yourself, other people, life events, history, every creature, and the whole world. Contemplation is seeing everything and everyone through God's eyes...
Simplified, meditation is when I reflect on the Word and seek to understand it; contemplation is when I apply the Word to my life as God would have me see it.
Perhaps an example is in order.
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21)
Meditatio: I read and re-read this passage several times. I have found if I read it out loud, it forces me to slow down and actually listen to the words. I consult any concordances or Bible aids (I have both in mine, a New King James version) for commentary on the passage. In this case, of interest is the word "treasures" - thesauros in the Greek - which means not only treasure, but store, treasure box, storeroom.
Contemplatio: I think about the passage and see what sticks out to me, what calls out in my mind. For example, in this passage Christ is talking about "treasures", which seems to indicate (based on what can happen to it - thieves, rust, moths) as physical treasure - which is usually how it is translated. But as I think about it, treasure is (to me, anyway) not just found in physical things. It is found in other things as well: Friendship. Education. Physical Health. Family Relationships. These are all "treasures" as well - how do I lay them up in Heaven as well? (I do not have a firm answer to this yet).
In short: Meditation is where I think over the verse itself in multiple different forms and fashions. Contemplation is where I take the verse and work to apply it to my own life, trying to understand it as God would have me apply it to my life.
An illuminating post TB, contemplating those treasures IMO people are the base, what relationships you have with others is most important. Good points to think about this day.
ReplyDeleteThank you Nylon12. I really am blessed.
DeleteFor me, meditation is me controlling my mind and contemplation is my mind controlling me.
ReplyDeleteOh, I like that Ed. That is a very easy way to put it into words.
DeleteWhen I say you can have a two way conversation with God, this is half of it. What more can He say, than what He has said in the Bible? We pray, we read the Bible, we meditate on what we've read, we contemplate how it applies to us and that is where He speaks to us. Definitely a two way conversation. And Jesus told us how that works: John 14:6 "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." John 16:7-9 "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin..."
ReplyDeleteVery good reminder of what I need to be about. Life sure gets in the way sometimes.
STxAR, I have to have patience, as I tend to rush through the conversations, and those conversations cannot be rushed.
DeleteLife certainly complicates it for us, does it not?
Thank you for coming back to this and discussing it more in depth. Your understanding of meditation fits with how I have always perceived it. Contemplation is the more elusive concept for me, so I've been thinking about what your wrote. I have no conclusions and am trying to fit it into a broad application for myself.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of contemplation, I think of another word, "contemplative," as in a contemplative life. That is immensely appealing to me. Your definition is definitely applicable and sent me off in search of other definitions to anchor the concept for me. This is from Wikipedia - "In a religious context, the practice of contemplation seeks a direct awareness of the divine which transcends the intellect, often in accordance with prayer or meditation." Perhaps another way of saying the same thing.