MEDITATION 698: Matthew Fox, Thomas Merton and Meister Eckhart on the Divine Spark within All Things plus spiritual conservation of energy (6/15/22)

Dear Friends,

We hope that you are safe and well.

Today's Meditation features Matthew Fox putting Thomas Merton and Meister Eckhart in dialogue with Buddhism and Christianity to explore the Divine Spark within all things. Ubuntu (I am because you are) also adds light and love and connection. We all grow together. Everything belongs. Nothing is lost: there is a spiritual as well as physical conservation (and conversation) of energy--as you already experience.

We invite you to join us as we commit ourselves to working tirelessly to end systemic and structural racism in our society, in the church, in healthcare, in the workplace--wherever it shows up so that everyone may come to have more abundant life. May this meditation nourish our contemplative-active hearts and sustain all of us in action.

In the spirit of our philosophy of co-creating community and our awareness that the Spirit speaks through each of us, we invite you to share your meditations with us as well. We truly believe that it is God's economy of abundance: when we share our blessings, our thoughts, our feelings, we are all made richer.

We hope and pray that you find peace, healing, hope and the infusion of joy in your life!

With our love and care,

Ron and Jean

MEDITATION 698: Matthew Fox, Thomas Merton and Meister Eckhart on the Divine Spark within All Things plus spiritual conservation of energy

The Creation Spirituality Lineage Calling All Social and Environmental Activists, Mystic Explorers, Justice Makers, Cosmic Thinkers, Earth Keepers

Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox

Spark of the Soul as Cosmic Christ

in Merton & Eckhart

June 15, 2022

Merton talks about Eckhart’s “Christian doctrine of creation” in which he recognizes that the distinction between Creator and creature does not have the last word. “A basic unity within ourselves at the summit of our being where we are ‘one with God’” prevails.

That is the image of God in us, the “spark of the soul” in Eckhart’s language, that can also be called the Cosmic Christ. Merton writes that

something like the ‘New Man’ of Christianity, as understood by the Christian mystics (including the Apostles)” is at work. “’I live,’ said Paul, ‘now not I but Christ lives in me.’

“Cosmic Consciousness: The more you know about consciousness, the more you know about Buddha or God.” Image by Hartwig HKD on Flickr.

Merton pivots to the Buddhist understanding of the Buddha Nature in all things. “In Zen enlightenment, the discovery of the ‘original face before you were born’ is the discovery not that one sees Buddha but that one is Buddha…”

Merton recognizes the Cosmic Christ—the Christ in all beings—as parallel to the Buddha Nature experience in Buddhism and in doing so is echoing Meister Eckhart. Consider this poem entitled “O Sweet Irrational Worship.”

The consciousness of Nature: “Tree of Life.” Image by Daniel Arrhakis on Flickr.

Wind and a bobwhite

And the afternoon sun.

By ceasing to question the sun

I have become light,

Bird and wind.

My leaves sing.

I am earth, earth

All these lighted things

Grow from my heart.

One commentator on this poem says: “The earth song conveys Merton’s consciousness of the ground of being.” Indeed it does—and it is Eckhart’s consciousness also. It is a profound Cosmic Christ consciousness telling of the light in all things, ourselves included. We are all Cosmic Christs.

And all beings are: “Life is this simple: We live in a world that is absolutely transparent. The divine is shining through it all the time. This is not just a nice story or a fable—it is true.”

Eckhart does not limit his theology to our being other Christs but to our acting like other Christs and imitating him and his compassion in our actions. He says that we are to be

…doing his works [and] behaving exactly like Jesus….Christ says here, ‘Follow me’…‘follow’ is a command to act….Mold yourself in all your works on his pattern.

In his New Seeds of Contemplation Merton writes:

If we believe in the Incarnation of the Son of God, there is no one on earth in whom we are not prepared to see, in mystery, the presence of Christ.

Peaceful warriorhood: Asya Serpinska, 77-year-old Hostomel Animal Shelter owner, went toward the front lines of the Ukraine-Russia conflict to rescue pets and zoo animals caught in the fighting. Washington Post

And again,

We do not see the Blinding One in black emptiness. He speaks to us gently in ten thousand things….He shines not on them but from within them.

To view today's video, please click the image. You will be taken to today's post on the Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox website, where you can see the meditation in a larger version and also view and post your Comments. In the sharing that follows, a kind of community is developing around the DM.

If you can't reach Matthew's video on the website, try his Vimeo channel HERE.

Queries for Contemplation

Do you find the Christ, the Buddha Nature, the Image of God not so much shining on things as shining from within things? Have you also become light and earth and bird?

Adapted from Matthew Fox, A Way To God: Thomas Merton’s Creation Spirituality Journey, pp. 229-233.

And Matthew Fox, Passion for Creation: The Earth-Honoring Spirituality of Meister Eckhart, p. 347.

Banner Image: “Cosmic Consciousness: Growing awareness and a consciousness expanding into the cosmic frame liberate the ego from its annoying inner conflict. ” Image by Hartwig HKD on Flickr

Pastor's Letter

MEDITATION 698: Matthew Fox, Thomas Merton and Meister Eckhart on the Divine Spark within All Things plus spiritual conservation of energy (6/15/22)