The 4 contemplations – The corner stone of meditation practice and living a meaningful life

   If you are reading this email  then you probably don’t meditate  for a quick fix of” feel good” or as a way to circumvent life’s problems . You probably are a truth seeker practicing  meditation as a path to awakening your innate nature, becoming wiser, kinder and of benefit.

 

A house, if it’s to remain standing, has to have solid foundations. These 4 contemplations do just that for our formal meditation as well as our practice in everyday life.

When we deeply understand these 4 pillars, our meditation practice deepens and our life takes on a  preciousness,meaning and urgency.

 

This Sunday I will give an overview of all four contemplations and their context  within Vajryana (Tibetan) Dharma practice. On the 2nd Sunday of the following 4 months (November – February) a practitioner from our Centre, who has completed the foundation practices or is engaged in them,  will lead a guided meditation on one of the Contemplations. You will have a full month to work with each contemplation. 

As these truths soak into our marrow and cells our life cannot but change.  Slowly the contemplations turn our habit of investing happiness and meaning from outward worldly unstable phenomena inwardly to our own mind.

 

1. First contemplation  – Precious Human existence.  For the most part we take our life and the conditions we have for granted.  When we recognise the jewel we possess  an imense gratitude  is born in us and we use our life wisely.

 

2. Second contemplation – Impermanence – Because we crave stability and fear the uncertainty of change , we usually work hard to avoid the reality of impermanence and create the illusion of stability in our life. Living life with the wisdom of impermanence allows the accommodation of  what we don’t want , the non grasping of what we do want and the urgency to live each moment with appreciation as well as meaning.

 

3. Third contemplation – Karma. The most misunderstood new  word in the English language!  – Remember a store chain recently advertising its products as “Good food karma” !. Intention is central to creating both good and bad Karma. eventually we have to overcome both.

 

4. Fourth contemplation – suffering/dissatisfaction –  Life is subject to change and impermanence which by its nature isn’t fully satisfying and can  often result is us experiencing acute suffering.