What is contemplation practice?
When we use our ability to hear, at a basic level we take in information, but truly hearing something means that we understand it, or as the phrase goes, we “get it.” Further, when we truly hear something, we also remember it. Because truly hearing enables us to have an object to hold in mind, we can explore the next step, contemplation. The good news is that it is easy to do contemplation practice because we only need the power of our thoughts. The mind is always alive with thoughts; the mind is always moving with its natural energy. Fortunately, we are in no danger of using up that particular natural resource. To contemplate, in our sense of the term, means both to hold your mind to something and to relax. If you want to understand something more deeply, you focus your attention on it. But for it to really penetrate, you need to relax, which gives it a chance to permeate your conceptual thought process. If you are reading teachings, you need to take time to study and think about what
