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Introduction21
allrealitythatwestudy,andifwearegoingtounderstandtheother
personfromherperspectiveandtheinterconnectedness,itbecomes
anessential(assumed)featureofreality.
So,fortheanalysesthataremadeinthebook,wecoulddefine
contemplationatthismomentasfollows:
Contemplationisakindofactivitythatleadstoacertainstateof
mind,andatthesametime,itisamethodofobtainingknowledgeabout
someobjectsatthepresenttime,andalsoaboutgettingknowledge
itself,hereandnow,bymindfulinsightintotheperceived(andalso
imagined)phenomenaorobjects,andalsointotheself.
***
Thisbookconsistsof10chapters.Inchapteronethebookbegins
withconsiderationsconcerningidentityprocesses.Theseareprocesses
throughwhichwebecomesocialbeingsandtakeonspecificsocial
rolesandrealizespecificmoralcareers.Weexperiencethesocialorder
normally,covetingitinourprocessofknowing,andweachievethis
byfollowingitsrulesandnorms.Thisisestablishedthroughidentity
processes,whichconstructtheimagesofanindividualinanactiveway.
Thereisalsoanalysisoftheanamnesisprocess,i.e.recallingtheobvious
butunnoticedphenomena;thisinvolvestheawarenessofthedialogue
oftheself(innerconversation),whichhasbeenhistoricallyexcluded
fromthecolloquialconsciousnessinfavourofhierarchicalandcollective
thinking,andinourparticularWesterncivilizationbytheconvictionof
anecessaryHdistinctness”anduniquenessoftheselfintheworld,where
paradoxicallyweexperienceanever-progressinguniformity.
Thesecondchapterdescribeshowthepracticeofmeditation
canexplainalotaboutsociety.Althoughweseemtobealonewhile
meditating,concentratingonsomethingornothing,weunderstand
societybasedontheexperiencesanddiverseinterpretationsof
meditation.Inthischapterweconsiderwhatwe,associalscientists
(especiallypsychologists,socialpsychologistsandsociologists)butalso
philosophers,cangetfromthepracticeofmeditationandphilosophies
ofmeditation.Weexplorethemainadvantagesofmeditationasan
epistemologicalpractice,especiallythosecomingfromBuddhism.The
mainaimistogaininsightthathelpsusseethechangingnatureofthe
mindanditscreativenature,whichiswithoutessence.Observinghow
themindworkyieldsmanyinspirationsforanalysisoftheconnections
betweenthemind,self,andsociety,anditsHemptynature”(no-mind,
no-self,no-society).