SAME SOUL, MANY
B O D I E S—177
T h e way to assess ourselves and others is through relaxed spiritual contemplation and meditation, and the time to start is in the present. There is a difference between them, although they are close kin. Contemplation means concentrating on a specific subject or object—the idea of loving kindness, for example, or the beauty of a butterfly. Meditation requires keeping the mind completely blank, in a state of mindfulness or awareness, free to accept whatever feelings, ideas, images, or visions enter it and letting associations flow to all aspects of the object or t h o u g h t — t o understand its form, shape, color, essence. It is the art of observing without thought, without mental c o m m e n t . It is far easier for the Western mind to practice contemplation. We are used to focusing our brains on a given subject, thinking about it, and analyzing it. Meditation is more of an Eastern concept, difficult to grasp and requiring a great deal of practice. It takes m o n t h s or years to be able to meditate whole-mindedly, and you might not be able to fully master it in this one lifetime. T h a t doesn't mean, however, that you shouldn't try meditating now. (Remember: In this life, as in all others, you are consciously progressing toward immortality.) T h e attempt itself brings its own p r o f o u n d rewards, and you will soon find yourself looking forward t o the time of aloneness that meditation requires.
You might want to start with contemplation, and the object to concentrate on is yourself. To find out who you are now, think of yourself in the moment. Let whatever thoughts you have about yourself, good and bad, enter your consciousness. Which negative or judgmental images and feelings would you discard as n o longer accurate or valid? Which positive and self-healing impressions and feelings would you now add? W h a t life experiences have shaped you most profoundly? When you have another life, what d o you imagine would change f r o m this one? The point is not to "like" yourself or, indeed, pass judgment of any kind. You