Paths to Contemplation - 16

 The role of the senses in active contemplation

    Attempts at active contemplation will generally convince the average person, even a devout average person, that the senses, the emotions and the mind do not easily engage in a quiet resting in anything, much less in a God who is totally beyond their comprehension.  The senses, mind and emotions will continue to be engaged by sounds, sights and smells that come their way; anger about a botched car repair; or some slight at work.   The mind will be thinking about this, that and whatever, particularly if  the person trying to meditate has numerous pressing concerns.

    The harder one tries to suppress distractions, the more distracted one becomes.  Suppressing distractions itself becomes a major distraction.  What then is one to do about distractions?  We will specific techniques to suppress distractions in the next chapter.   For now, we  note that a continued focus on whatever it was that inspired the soul’s movement toward God and initiated the quiet resting in the first place, that is, the initial seed for contemplation, might be an aid to avoiding distractions.  If we are intent on one task, we might not then be bothered by thoughts of all the other tasks that remain to be completed.  Thus, continuing to listen to an inspiring musical work, for example, may assist in achieving a quiet, or at least semi-quiet, resting in God.   Continuing the contact with the inspirational work of art may assist us to go beyond ourselves, leaving the distracting influences inside of us behind.