Merton discovered a connection between the true Self and the no-self, which could be disclosed by transcending the ego-self through transcendent mystical experience; the true Self is fused with the highest reality or disappears into the Nothingness of God. Through understanding of the no-self in Buddhism, Merton realized that the notion of the no-self may become a bridge for connecting Christianity and Buddhism via the process of self-emptying or kenosis. He believed that Buddhist-Christian dialogue must “be sought in the area of the true self-transcendence and enlightenment. It is to be sought in the transformation of consciousness in its ultimate ground, as well as in its highest and most authentic devotional love.” Thus, Merton saw that the way of self-emptying or self-transformation through self-forgetfulness or self-losing could become the basic principle for Buddhist-Christian dialogue.
~Jaechan Anselmo Park
how will I share my sacred story?
inquiry for today~ may you remember how this too belongs here….
Our fate includes the bit and bite of necessity that places us in time as well as the timeless song in the soul that keeps us longing for the eternal. If we learn to express the divine word within us our destiny becomes expressed and we become agents of the ongoing creation of the world. If we fail to live out the portion of eternity given to us, no one will ever live it. For each soul is unique, each life a project conceived by the divine, and each a chance that life itself is taking.
~Michael Meade
Make Believe Boutique 