Contemplation

Introduction

Epictetus has a very graphic way of describing the internalization process of Stoic philosophy.

Those who have taken in the principles raw and without any dressing immediately want to vomit them up again, just as people with weak stomachs bring up their food. Digest them first, and then you won’t vomit them up in this way. Otherwise they do indeed become nothing more than vomit, foul stuff that isn’t fit to eat (Discourses 3.21.1).

Digestion of food is similar to contemplation - it is a matter of letting the ideas settle; to become a part of who you are. The process of education informs us of the ideal; it shows us what to aim for. However, there is a gap between our ideal self and where we are today - contemplation is the process of being aware of that gap. We first go through the process of education and repetition and then we contemplate by conducting an analysis on where we fall short as an individual.

Related to this gap analysis is admiration. Admiration is the contemplation of virtuous qualities in others. Marcus Aurelius performed this exercise when he wrote Book 1 of the Meditations.

Another aspect of contemplation is thinking on the Nature of things and how you as an individual fit in all of it. In a sense, contemplation looks like meditation.

Settling Concepts

Much of our culture today is about speed and instant gratification. We are impatient and want everything explained to us immediately. If it can't be reduced to a 30 second Tik Tok video, then why bother trying? And when we've finished with one short-lived video, we immediately forget and are looking for the next one. Others may read a book, but blow through the pages so quickly, they've hardly been able to retain much of what they've read. At other times, when we take in information, we may not be discriminating enough and we don't wrestle with concepts.

The solution to this problem is to slow down and allow information and concepts to settle and become knowledge. Sometimes we have to wrestle with ideas and propositions to ensure they are sound. We may need to spend time alone, thinking deeply about a concept, or perhaps we need to engage in dialogue with others, who can help us refine our way of thinking and understanding. And even after we wrestle with the concepts, we ought to spend time alone checking our understanding and comprehension.

The ultimate proof of serious contemplation is your actions. Epictetus continues with the digestion analogy, when he said,

But after having digested them, show us some resulting change in your ruling centre, just as athletes show in their shoulders the results of their exercises and diet, and those who have become expert craftsmen can show the results of what they have learned (Discourses 3.21.3).

One Stoic idea which I struggled mightily with was that of memento mori - the idea that each of us is mortal and that we must always remember our death will come. Early in my Stoic journey, I was quick to process the idea and I did not fear death as deeply as many do. The problem I faced, however, was falling into the thinking that since the sum total of my life will be death, then what is the point of it all? A part of me kept returning to the idea: "let's just get on with it (death) if that is the only permanent state we are going to be in! Why all this waiting?" I struggled with this idea for four or five years before I came across a couple of passages from Hadot's books as well as a book by Albert Camus. After I read some key passages from these books, the matter of striving to live and not being too quick to settle for death, finally sunk into my heart.

All my thoughts on this matter were captured in a blog post from November 2019 and can be found at "Memento Mori (Memento Vivere) and Why I Should Give a Damn." But the three key quotes which helped me to see a clearer light, are noted below. The first is from Hadot:

The main question is not at all whether or not we are satisfied with ourselves, but whether, more generally, there is anything at all with which we are satisfied. Let us suppose we said Yes to one single instant: we have thereby said Yes not only to ourselves, but to the whole of existence. For nothing is sufficient unto itself - neither in ourselves, nor among things - and if, just one single time, our soul has vibrated and resonated with happiness, like a stretched cord, then it has taken all of eternity to bring about that single event. And, at that unique instant of our Yes, all eternity was accepted, saved, justified and affirmed. (The Inner Citadel, p. 144)

The second from Georges Friedmann:

Take flight every day! At least for a moment, which may be brief, as long as it is intense. A "spiritual exercise" every day - either alone, or in the company of someone who also wishes to better himself. Spiritual exercises. Step out of ... duration ... try to get rid of your own passions, vanities, and the itch for talk about your own name, which sometimes burns you like a chronic disease. Avoid backbiting. Get rid of pity and hatred. Love all free human beings. Become eternal by transcending yourself.

This work on yourself is necessary; this ambition justified. Lots of people let themselves be wholly absorbed by militant politics and the preparation for social revolution. Rare, much more rare, are they who, in order to prepare for the revolution, are willing to make themselves worthy of it (Philosophy as a Way of Life, p. 81).

And the third from Albert Camus:

I leave Sisyphus at the foot of the mountain. One always finds one’s burden again. But Sisyphus teaches the higher fidelity that negates the gods and raises rocks. He too concludes that all is well. This universe henceforth without a master seems to him neither sterile nor futile. Each atom of that stone, each mineral flake of that night-filled mountain, in itself, forms a world. The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy (They Myth of Sisyphus).

I share all of the above simply to note to the reader that sometimes it takes a long time and a lot of effort to grapple with deep, philosophical concepts. We don't know when someone will say the right thing or when we will encounter some passage in a book which will strike our soul in just the right way. But it took over five years before I finally came across all three of those passages and connected the dots. Settling is not a precise and rapid process; it takes time and effort. The only advice I would have for those who might be struggling to understand is to have patience and keep digging. Marcus Aurelius gave himself this advice when he said,

Dig inside yourself. Inside there is a spring of goodness ready to gush at any moment, if you keep digging. (Meditations 7.59).

Admiration

Every time I begin to read Meditations Book 1, I find myself getting bogged down a bit. On the one hand, I can easily blow through the list of people and virtues Marcus observes in others, as it seems to run on through an endless list of good attributes. On the other hand, when I slow down to really read each chapter, I find myself trying to deeply contemplate each and every attribute, and each chapter is enough for a lifetime of study. Chess has been compared to "a sea in which a gnat may drink and an elephant may bathe." I think the same can be said of Book 1 of Meditations.

Marcus spent time with the people who he discusses in Book 1. He had time to observe and think about them as individuals. Admiration is a two-fold process of contemplation. It is first an exercise of living and working with other people and observing how they act and react to many different circumstances. The more you are able to work with people and observe them in many different settings, the more intimate you become with their thought processes and way of viewing the world. You begin to pick up nuances in the way they make decisions and how they exercise virtue.

And secondly, after you have spent enough time with people and are able to admire their good qualities, you then may spend time reflecting on those attributes and contemplate how you can incorporate these into your life. As part of this exercise of contemplation, Marcus wrote these qualities down so as to be able to refer to them again. We may do the same with those people we admire most in our circles of friendships and acquaintances.

I've found myself playing this two-step game for most people in my life. On the day I write this part of the essay, I can reflect back on my busy calendar and count the many meetings and interactions I had today. I won't name full names, but I will share my admiration of people from today alone. Andrew has always been very cordial and professional in all his interactions. I'm impressed with this ability and capacity to understand many different technologies and how they all interact with each other to deliver value to the business. Rapha is one of my best friends at work and I've always been impressed with his endless energy to always question the value of how we work. He is always willing to raise awareness of potential work issues, which many others would overlook or want to avoid. Carlos is a very diligent technician and has never shied away from digging into problems and working on them until solved. His methodical way of troubleshooting usually yields quick results. Tony is an example of loving to study and someone who is constantly looking for lessons to be learned from losses and failures.

Admiration is something that a Stoic can always practice. Whether the Stoic chooses to deeply contemplate the people he's most profoundly grateful for in his life or if he chooses to constantly observe and note virtues in the people he encounters on a daily basis, admiration is an exercise a Stoic should practice often in his life.

Meditation

Meditation on and remembering things we've previously learned, is another spiritual exercise. In this exercise, we are writing to our minds the correct dialogue and discourse with ourselves. This allows us, when an event occurs, to have the right reaction and perspective on it. For example, premeditatio malorum is the practice of meditating on what our life would be like if we experienced the death or suffering of a loved one, or perhaps our own poverty. As we contemplate these events happening in our life, we remember that these things are out of our control and they are not morally bad, and that there are virtues such as courage and fortitude, which we could exercise in order to demonstrate our abilities given to us by Nature. And when these events actually happen, we are prepared and are more accepting of our fate.

Of course, as part of this exercise, we ought to write the dialogue we would have with ourselves. This becomes the basis for remembering what we have learned from our meditation. Then, in later practices of meditation or during the course of our daily routine, we would repeat these reminders and personal meditations.

Another important type of contemplation is found in what Marcus Aurelius wrote in Meditations 2.9.

Always remember these things: what the nature of the Whole is, what my own nature is, the relation of this nature to that, what kind of part it is of what kind of Whole; and that there is no one who can prevent you keeping all that you say and do in accordance with that nature, of which you are a part.

In this passage, he advises that we should constantly be mindful of our position in relation to the whole. This is a theme that comes up again and again in his Meditations. We are a speck in the Universe and we ultimately have control over our attitude and how we perceive the world.

How do you become more mindful?

You meditate - it's as plain and simple as that.

How do you meditate?

There are lots of options and ways. Regardless the method, what you are trying to aim for is the ability to pause and reserve judgement on things and events. You want to get away from the automatic response. It is not easy.

Some will sit in solitude and just observe their thoughts. Others will concentrate on a single thought and not let their mind wander. But again, no one way is correct. Rather if the way you meditate helps you have greater control over that pause, then it is working. More will be discussed on the subject of meditation in the essay on observation.

Conclusion

Contemplation is the on-going process of encoding your philosophy into your heart and mind. It is not easy, free-flowing work. Sometimes it will take effort and a lot of focus to be able to have a concept settled in your mind. But, if you put in the work, the consequences will emerge in your actions and right way of thinking. You will have kept the principles as a part of you and they will show in your actions.