What do you think?
Rate this book
The Art of Contemplation: A gentle path to wholeness and prosperity
GENTLE PATH TO AWAKENING The purpose of science is to unlock life’s many mysteries and attempt to understand the way things work. But there are subjects that may always be impenetrable to science. You are such a mystery. While we may one day understand how a human being works, our true depth lies beyond the domain of objective understanding. To know what we really are, we will have to go beyond the mind itself. This is the purpose of the Art of Contemplation.
98 pages, Paperback
Published July 19, 2018
243 people are currently reading
946 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
July 30, 2022
Great Meditation/Contemplation Primer!
This was one of two books that was recommended by the author to begin one’s Gene Keys odyssey; this book being the much lesser, girth-wise, of the two books. However, although Rudd recommended that one begin with this book first, I had already begun reading The Gene Keys and was about 20% into it when Rudd suggested this book as well, in one of the free courses on The Gene Keys dot com. OMG, where has this method been all my life! GREAT information!
I’ve been meditating for about 58 years – since I was about 8 years old – and have tried just about every conceivable way to meditate possible (as far as I know). I just wish I had found this method first, although Rudd says it’s a bit different than meditation, in my experience after comparing them, it’s only slightly different, but it makes a HUGE difference in how I go about meditating. Or… contemplating as Rudd prefers to call it.
One of the problems has been that one school of thought on meditating insists that it is necessary to clear the mind of thought completely. To be quite honest, that always seemed unrealistic to me. It’s very difficult – especially for a beginner – to completely clear the mind of thought. Consequently, there are many who are turned away from meditation because they CAN’T tame the Monkey Mind, and hence, think that they’re failures where meditation is concerned.
However, the contemplation method REQUIRES one to think! Yet, it is necessary to focus on one thing or thought in particular. And through this method one finds themselves actually meditating … through The Art of Contemplation.
Excellent way to learn how to truly meditate and contemplate.
Kudos to Mr. Rudd!
This was one of two books that was recommended by the author to begin one’s Gene Keys odyssey; this book being the much lesser, girth-wise, of the two books. However, although Rudd recommended that one begin with this book first, I had already begun reading The Gene Keys and was about 20% into it when Rudd suggested this book as well, in one of the free courses on The Gene Keys dot com. OMG, where has this method been all my life! GREAT information!
I’ve been meditating for about 58 years – since I was about 8 years old – and have tried just about every conceivable way to meditate possible (as far as I know). I just wish I had found this method first, although Rudd says it’s a bit different than meditation, in my experience after comparing them, it’s only slightly different, but it makes a HUGE difference in how I go about meditating. Or… contemplating as Rudd prefers to call it.
One of the problems has been that one school of thought on meditating insists that it is necessary to clear the mind of thought completely. To be quite honest, that always seemed unrealistic to me. It’s very difficult – especially for a beginner – to completely clear the mind of thought. Consequently, there are many who are turned away from meditation because they CAN’T tame the Monkey Mind, and hence, think that they’re failures where meditation is concerned.
However, the contemplation method REQUIRES one to think! Yet, it is necessary to focus on one thing or thought in particular. And through this method one finds themselves actually meditating … through The Art of Contemplation.
Excellent way to learn how to truly meditate and contemplate.
Kudos to Mr. Rudd!
December 29, 2022
As with many self-mastery/betterment books I have read, this one features a gratuitous amount of what I would call ‘hippy enlightenment’. If you’re willing and able to look past this and get to the core of the message, there are many useful tips, mantras, and practices shared by Richard Rudd.
I found many of the lessons here especially helpful as I work to gain command over my pride and instinct toward a defensive mindset in challenging situations.
The core of the book focuses on three practices that can help you gain greater control of yourself in various life situations: pausing, pivoting, and merging. For the most part, I find the applications and benefits of these practices to be sound, and have indeed worked on becoming more intentional in these, particularity pausing and pivoting.
All in all, I wouldn’t call this book life changing, but it certainly serves as a good reminder to show malleability in response to life’s unpredictability
I found many of the lessons here especially helpful as I work to gain command over my pride and instinct toward a defensive mindset in challenging situations.
The core of the book focuses on three practices that can help you gain greater control of yourself in various life situations: pausing, pivoting, and merging. For the most part, I find the applications and benefits of these practices to be sound, and have indeed worked on becoming more intentional in these, particularity pausing and pivoting.
All in all, I wouldn’t call this book life changing, but it certainly serves as a good reminder to show malleability in response to life’s unpredictability
December 30, 2024
Really amazing little book on contemplation & finding moments of peace in daily life. I think I’ll be coming back to it a lot.
“The ultimate goal of contemplation is to bring our inner and outer lives into balance. Then we can be inwardly fulfilled *and* outwardly content. Contemplation achieves this aim through teaching us how to cultivate a sense of presence. We will learn that the true purpose of life is not something we are here to *do*, rather it is something we are here to *be*. It is a quality or inner virtue that we bring to everything we do in life. To find our purpose is to find a nobility of spirit that pervades our entire life. When we have found this, what we *do* is of less importance because the *doing* may change. However, our being is the one thing that will never change. It alone makes us unshakeable, stable and radiant - we *become* the purpose of our life.”
“The ultimate goal of contemplation is to bring our inner and outer lives into balance. Then we can be inwardly fulfilled *and* outwardly content. Contemplation achieves this aim through teaching us how to cultivate a sense of presence. We will learn that the true purpose of life is not something we are here to *do*, rather it is something we are here to *be*. It is a quality or inner virtue that we bring to everything we do in life. To find our purpose is to find a nobility of spirit that pervades our entire life. When we have found this, what we *do* is of less importance because the *doing* may change. However, our being is the one thing that will never change. It alone makes us unshakeable, stable and radiant - we *become* the purpose of our life.”
October 29, 2020
Fabulous, easy and deep read to encourage you with simple ways to bring contemplation into your life. it offers a path to come back to over and over as life happens. This is one you will return to bask in.
March 3, 2023
Over the past few years I have developed a practice of meditating, but that has mainly about focusing on my breath and trying not to let my mind wander. The art of contemplation taught be an alternative meditative practice, but this one allows for your mind to wander. It's not as much trying to limit my thoughts, but to pause when I feel myself out of sync with where I would like to be, pivoting to a more positive state of mind, and merging that with my everyday interactions. So much of our attention is thrown all over the place in our lives, but to be able to recognize when I can pause and contemplate has already opened doors toward calm in my life since I starting reading The Art of Contemplation. Just like most things, this is a practice, which can and will be improved over time the more practice I put into contemplating, but this book has taught me another way to create and expand peace in my everyday life.
November 11, 2022
A simple Aaron Rodgers book club read with some helpful contemplation and reflection exercises
Read
April 22, 2025very poetic and contemplative. easily one of my favorite spiritual books.
June 9, 2024
Read this thanks to Cherie Burton’s Women Circle and it is almost entirely underlined! Beautiful book, dials down all the important steps to finding peace and being peaceful.
This class and its readings have rearranged my entire soul 🤍. I’ve always been in love with life because I was raised by a mom who saw the world through art and fairy tales (I miss just the way she said “The Cloisters”), but my entire worldview has shifted as a result of reading this book. Theresa new euphoria to being alive, a celebration of breath, and the minutiae and pettiness are still here to deal with but so secondary to life. Two words from Cherie’s class and readings: embodiment and alchemy (like coal to diamonds). Have enjoyed diving in to each day loving it for what it is and being in awe of the miracle, magic, and beauty here.
This class and its readings have rearranged my entire soul 🤍. I’ve always been in love with life because I was raised by a mom who saw the world through art and fairy tales (I miss just the way she said “The Cloisters”), but my entire worldview has shifted as a result of reading this book. Theresa new euphoria to being alive, a celebration of breath, and the minutiae and pettiness are still here to deal with but so secondary to life. Two words from Cherie’s class and readings: embodiment and alchemy (like coal to diamonds). Have enjoyed diving in to each day loving it for what it is and being in awe of the miracle, magic, and beauty here.
November 20, 2023
Honestly was not expecting to love this book as much as I did. I think I was expecting it to me too removed and more “nature/universe” based— but I found it very easily applicable as a person who regularly attends church and has more religious based beliefs. I really feel like no matter what way you lean spiritually, the words in this book are uplifting, encouraging, guiding and descriptive on how to pursue a more centered you. But not centered ON you. Things he would say I would recognize in my own beliefs just called by a different name. I loved that.
February 19, 2024
Richard Rudd’a content is precise and insightful. Richard has a simplistic sutra-esk way of writing that inspires further contemplation on the very sentences he wrote. His paradoxical nature inspires the very action the book is teaching the reader to cultivate, fulfilling its purpose to a tea.
However word choice often feels slightly disingenuous to his true thoughts. As if more flowery language was used in attempt of pushing a feeling on the reader unnaturally
However word choice often feels slightly disingenuous to his true thoughts. As if more flowery language was used in attempt of pushing a feeling on the reader unnaturally
November 29, 2022
Delicious book that everybody's should read at least once in their life. It's really interesting and easy to insert into your life and to just live in the present moment with ease.
I recommend to anybody who's struggle and need guidance to be more in their body and observe.
I recommend to anybody who's struggle and need guidance to be more in their body and observe.
May 21, 2023
A must read book on anyone starting their spiritual journey but not sure where to begin. The book can lead you in gently through the Art of Contemplation.
October 26, 2023
Writing and thought-style did not resonate with me but there is value here!
March 9, 2024
Too wooey for me.
I’m all about finding metaphors to live by, but the author really stretches and twists scientific facts more than he can get away with.
I’m all about finding metaphors to live by, but the author really stretches and twists scientific facts more than he can get away with.
March 9, 2024
Great easy read to get you in a contemplative mindset. If you’re interested in being more contemplative I think it’s a great place to start.
April 5, 2024
Many profound lessons comprised in a few pages. Its teachings are to be learned through practice, not reading. One of those books you can read every year and discover new things every time.
July 5, 2025
its a quick read but definitely a book you go back to for reference again and again
Currently reading
July 10, 2025This is my third slow read in one and half year.
Like meeting a new friend :)
Like meeting a new friend :)
October 12, 2022
Book DAWN!
Read for the Aaron Rodgers book club and got me into reading again. Great read for a beginner learner and amazing introduction for contemplation.
Read for the Aaron Rodgers book club and got me into reading again. Great read for a beginner learner and amazing introduction for contemplation.
January 16, 2025
This might be the most valuable book I've ever read, and I've read some real pearls or treasures of books, like Paul Chek's "How To Eat, Move And Be Healthy!" and Ibrahim Karim's "Back To A Future For Mankind" just to name two.
If you want to improve your life, whether it be with health, relationships with others, or financial success or whatever area, this book is absolutely great. It's a simple and short book, yet so profound when you actually start to get the messages, which are also very easy to get once you start to put some emphasis and priority on practicing what the book teaches. So all that's really stopping you from getting benefit out of this book, is your own lack of commitment.
And fear or discomfort. In the beginning of your journey with this book, it may feel uncomfortable and "off" doing the first exercise, but, not in a wrong way off or uncomfortable.
It is a book I recommend to just about anyone and everyone with basic english language skills. Go get yours already and stop reading silly reviews!
If you want to improve your life, whether it be with health, relationships with others, or financial success or whatever area, this book is absolutely great. It's a simple and short book, yet so profound when you actually start to get the messages, which are also very easy to get once you start to put some emphasis and priority on practicing what the book teaches. So all that's really stopping you from getting benefit out of this book, is your own lack of commitment.
And fear or discomfort. In the beginning of your journey with this book, it may feel uncomfortable and "off" doing the first exercise, but, not in a wrong way off or uncomfortable.
It is a book I recommend to just about anyone and everyone with basic english language skills. Go get yours already and stop reading silly reviews!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews