Practical Mysticism · Chapter
The First Form of Contemplation explained
The chapter describes the gradual process of contemplation beginning with the natural world, where the practical man, through purification and disinterested love, opens himself to a deeper communion with Reality.
What happens
The chapter describes the gradual process of contemplation beginning with the natural world, where the practical man, through purification and disinterested love, opens himself to a deeper communion with Reality. It emphasizes that this first form of contemplation involves a loving exploration of the world at hand, leading to a perception of the divine in all creatures, as exemplified by mystics and poets like Julian of Norwich, Florence Nightingale, and Walt Whitman.
Themes in this chapter
Contemplation and Action
The chapter emphasizes that true contemplation is a practical activity that opens up new levels of the world, integrating inner vision with daily existence.
Union with Reality
The first form of contemplation is described as a gradual self-mergence and communion with the greater Life, leading to an apprehension of Reality.
Perception and Illusion
The chapter contrasts the false world of 'Nature' with the true world perceived through contemplation, highlighting the transformation of perception.
Characters to notice
- The Practical Man
The practical man is led through concentration, recollection, and self-criticism to achieve a state of disinterested love and begin his contemplative journey.
- Julian of Norwich
Julian of Norwich is cited for her vision of a hazel nut, perceiving in it the epitome of all creation and the sustaining love of God.
- Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale is mentioned for her aspiration to see only God in her friends and in her cats, exemplifying the search for inner significance.
- Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman is referenced as a poet who translates direct contemplative experience into words, conveying the secret of the universe.
- William Blake
William Blake is noted for his philosophy urging exchange of the false world of 'Nature' for the true world of 'Imagination,' and for describing a simplified state of consciousness.
Key passages
“Your opening and His entering are but one moment.”
The moment you open yourself to the divine, the divine enters you simultaneously.
Attributed to Meister Eckhart, this captures the instantaneous union between human receptivity and divine action.
“I must strive to see only God in my friends, and God in my cats.”
I must endeavor to perceive the divine presence in all beings, both human and animal.
Florence Nightingale's aspiration illustrates the contemplative search for inner significance in every fragment of life.
“I swear the Earth shall surely be complete to him or her who shall be complete, The Earth remains jagged and broken only to him or her who remains jagged and broken.”
The world appears whole and perfect to those who are whole themselves, but remains fragmented to those who are fragmented.
This quote from Walt Whitman emphasizes the correspondence between inner completeness and the perception of reality.