Is contemplation just thinking things thoroughly?

[Haribo]

As the title implies, i still don’t know exactly what it is, some definition seem to be weirdly worded, other places i don’t know if they are talking about the same thing i am searching.

Sooo, is contemplation sitting down and thinking about what you really think deep down about something?

[r0ckyreed]

Wondering what contemplation really is, is a form of contemplation.  

18 minutes ago, Haribo said:

Sooo, is contemplation sitting down and thinking about what you really think deep down about something?

Although you can contemplate your goals and values and what you think about a certain issue, contemplation isn't just limited to that.  It is about using the intellect to derive truth of the matter by evaluation and by eliminating all that is false, until the only Truth remains.  

A simple definition of contemplation is the process of deeply thinking about something to derive the truth of the matter through direct consciousness.

Another definition is using the intellect to eliminate all that is false!

Yes, contemplation is the act and process of thinking things through thoroughly to get at the truth of the matter.

Curiosity, honesty, critical-thinking, and a desire for truth are what is needed to contemplate effectively.

I would suggest you read The Book of Not Knowing by Peter Ralston or watch Leo's videos on Contemplation, or watch my videos on Contemplation, but no amount of watching videos and reading books on Contemplation will get you any closer to Contemplation.  At some point, the books become a distraction from you doing the practice.  

You have to sit alone in nature with a journal and think deeply.  Contemplation is deep thinking and truthful evaluation.

You might wonder, where do I start?  Start with trying to write down The Truth.  That's it.  That is the only question, "What is true?" 

Start by doubting everything you think you know.  Try to get at something you do know beyond measure of doubt.  See what you discover.  

Start with these questions: "What do I really know for certain?", "What is True?", "Who am I?", and "What do I really want?"

Write your answers down so you can see your bullshit and then keep going until you have murdered The Buddha.

Good luck!  

[r0ckyreed]

Anyone else gonna answer? Contemplation is more important than psychedelics and meditation!

[Osaid]

Contemplation is thinking about something with the intention of generating insights from that particular thought.

"What is contemplation?" is a thought, but it's a thought that is intentioned in such a way that it leads you to create insights stemming from that thought. The structure here is in the form of a question. The thought is literally asking for an answer/insight from you, because it is a question. Not all thoughts have the same structure or intent. For example, Imagining an image of a bunny is not necessarily contemplation, but it is a thought.

[Carl-Richard]

Ask yourself a question and stick to it. I remember doing a spontaneous contemplation once when I was around 18 while high on weed. I asked myself "what causes the perception of time?", and eventually, I arrived at something which is actually very accurate: it's caused by the access to your memories. What I didn't know is that it's the same answer to "what causes the ego?".

Edited November 15, 2022 by Carl-Richard

[Danioover9000]

@Haribo

20 hours ago, Haribo said:

As the title implies, i still don’t know exactly what it is, some definition seem to be weirdly worded, other places i don’t know if they are talking about the same thing i am searching.

Sooo, is contemplation sitting down and thinking about what you really think deep down about something?

   What is thinking?

   What are things?

   What is through?

   Contemplation is not the following: construction, reading, writing, speaking, listening, figuring it out, problem solving, convergent thinking, rationalizing,

    What contemplation is, and things very similar to contemplation: Deconstruction, questioning, answering, open mindedness, fearlessness, self-inquiry, questioning with focus. 

[Batman]

Depends what you are contemplating or intending to acheive. If you want intellectual understanding and more precise/nuanced conceptual schemes, than thought is the medium.

But when you are going for awakening, than no, it is not about getting a conceptual answer. It is actually the other way around, it is about unraveling all identities (which are conceptual).

[UnbornTao]

Contemplation isn't limited to thinking, and it seems to me that it can occur independent of thinking. It is setting out to experience whatever is true regarding a particular subject matter. It's grasping something for real. Certainly thinking constantly takes place in the form of internal dialogue, but contemplation creates the space to achieve insights and breakthroughs, which go beyond intellect.

Consider the example of Newton and the apple.

[Danioover9000]

@UnbornTao

2 hours ago, UnbornTao said:

Contemplation isn't limited to thinking, and it seems to me that it can occur independent of thinking. It is setting out to experience whatever is true regarding a particular subject matter. It's grasping something for real. Certainly thinking constantly takes place in the form of internal dialogue, but contemplation creates the space to achieve insights and breakthroughs, which go beyond intellect.

Consider the example of Newton and the apple.

   Yes, Newton and the apple is a good example, but that insight was predicated on Newton thinking about the nature of gravity and mathematics, and a lot, before the apple hitting his head had the impact it needed to give him the insight.

[r0ckyreed]

Contemplation = Observation + Analysis

You can have observation without analysis, but you cannot have analysis without observation.  Can you have true analysis without thought?

[UnbornTao]

17 hours ago, Danioover9000 said:

@UnbornTao

   Yes, Newton and the apple is a good example, but that insight was predicated on Newton thinking about the nature of gravity and mathematics, and a lot, before the apple hitting his head had the impact it needed to give him the insight.

That would be study (reading, thinking, researching, figuring out), which is what provides the fertile ground for contemplation to take place.

In that case, I'd say that while study is about the mind, contemplation is about becoming conscious and having breakthroughs.

Just some thoughts, I haven't looked into this matter deeply.

[Moksha]

For me, contemplation only begins with a spark of thought. It is seeing beyond the words, and realizing the truth they point toward. It is joyful and nourishing, like rain seeping into the dry ground. I read a passage from the Bhagavad Gita, or some other spiritual source, and the words dissolve into a resonance with being. The fulfillment of contemplation is directly realized, and is entirely non-conceptual.

As Longchen Rabjam puts it:

Don’t dwell on the past, or fantasize about the future. Don’t engineer this natural, ongoing presence. Don’t direct the mind or draw it within. Just let it settle, without distraction, resting without grasping, or conceptually structuring this clarity that is vivid, quiet, lucid, illuminating.

[Jannes]

I don’t think contemplation has much to do with thinking. I feel like a low iq person could still contemplate really well. It’s a way of holding and moving your awareness to and through things you want to understand better. It’s quite intense but it does generate first order truths. Obviously thoughts can still be used to stay or get on track.

edit:

I remember that I asked myself that question when I was a child. When I got to that answer I felt like I discovered a superpower because it’s so different then normal thinking and produces such intelligent results. 

Edited November 17, 2022 by Jannes

[thisintegrated]

It's setting an intention and going "hrmmm" for extended periods of time.

[Michal__]

You have to build up your questioning muscle. That's contemplation.

You should perhaps start with something simple, if you're doing it sober. Like questioning your habits and trying to find the true reason behind them. 

Harder questions should be done on psychadelics. With an appropriate dose / compound.

Edited November 17, 2022 by Michal__

[The Mystical Man]

"Contemplation is the art of holding a word or a phrase patiently in the silence and stillness of awareness until it begins to disclose deeper and deeper meanings and understandings. Contemplation has the power to transcend beyond (not regress back from) the limits of analytical thought and logic, and open consciousness up to an order of wisdom and Truth that can only be described as revelation."

"Take a short phrase as your object of contemplation and simply hold it in your awareness for some time. Do not analyze or philosophize about it. And do not get lost in your imagination either. Just hold the phrase in awareness. Then be still. Let its meaning germinate within you. Then bring the word or phrase back into awareness again. Hold it there for some time, and then let it go and be still again. With a little practice you will get the hang of it and find your own rhythm." - Adyashanti (The Way of Liberation)