Contemplation - is it variant of meditation? How do you reach it?
Lydia, contemplation is a quietness of all senses and emotions, and passionate pondering on the chosen subject. It is different than meditation. Meditation is surrendering and waiting to receive. It is a thomb of desire and dictature (omnipotence) of the supposed higher will.
In my case, contemplation is the dance between my desire and my will. They are seductive to each other, but tenderly and appreciatevely. I contemplate on any desired subject, and workshops of my being are all libraries of all concepts in all epochs and civilizations, all sciencies, religions, cosmogonies, myths ...... from all angles (male/female, illiterate, different levels of education and understanding .... etc )
Now this could sound funny, but honestly I think I was born in contemplation :)). I have never studied any technique or method.
About Leonardo
Leonardo (and Gutemberg), also lately Descartes and many others ... have understood a true nature of development of our civilization. Hipothetically, it could be described by use of Cartesian Coordinate System:
Supposedly, Will is north, and it's force lines go opposite to the force lines of south, which is supposedly Desire. Will without Desire is dictatorship and Desire without Will is chaos (anarchia). And now : THE SPACE BETWEEN N/S - it practically is HABIT/ADDICTION which polutes and confronts N/S.
This is shortest possible INTRO into verbatim of Leonardo's ambidextrousness.
Jesus' life and Gospels also suffered due to verbatim interpretation.
What this has to do with Gutemberg and Descartes?
The three of them (and many others I guess), including Nietzsche and Einstein (not sure for Tesla, I think he was close to understand it, but he refused or failed ...) they understood N/S as related to each other like mirrors. Thanks to understanding it, Gutemberg invented a printing press, where letters are upside down to the prinout.
Who figures out mirrors as mediators between south and north (will and desire), he also understands that good vs evil, in the way humans were taught, is one of the obscure ways of play in one the same ingenious scenery of originating the world and humans. Least benefit from that understanding is to overcome "courses" (anathemas) between left and right (side of body and everything else). Egyptian pharaoh ruled not 50:50 (like Judeo-Christians) but they have ruled over 100 % of the existing powers and forces.
100 % means that : AMBIDEXTROUS.
But when one rules over 100% power and forces, he can do any miracle, and also he can write by the both hands at once.
Learning from Leonardo was a kind of fun.
My entire life, and specially crucial roles in my family, were presented to me in fashion of Leonardo's getting reality.
It lasted 3 days (without pause, day and night) and was in rhyme, and I could really die laughing, but then - I have learned so so much.
Hope I have pleased your curiosity, thanks for asking.