Meditation & Prayer #65

These two mainstays of spiritual practice, around the world and in different religious traditions, are utilized by living beings in connection with their spirituality. It could be said that they suit two different types of temperament among seekers, like the contemplative and the devotional. When they are examined from a philosophical view, it becomes clear that both have benefits and drawbacks for the earnest practitioner. Therefore, better than a comparison between the two is an application of both into spiritual
life, with an eye towards rounding out human character. The dharma teaching contained within this chart allows the devotee and practitioner to do just that, revealing the fruits and the potential pitfalls of these two universal occupations — all laid over a backdrop of a rare painting of Swami Vivekananda, who was a past master of both.