Point of Nothingness

"At the center of our being is a point of nothingness which is untouched by sin and by illusion, a point of pure truth, a point or spark which belongs entirely to God, which is never at our disposal, from which God disposes of our lives, which is inaccessible to the fantasies of our own mind or the brutalities of our own will. This little point of nothingness and of absolute poverty is the pure glory of God in us. It is so to speak [God's] name written in us, as our poverty, as our indigence, as our dependence, as our sonship [and daughtership]. It is like a pure diamond, blazing with the invisible light of heaven. It is in everybody, and if we could see it we would see these billions of points of light coming together in the face and blaze of a sun that would make all the darkness and cruelty of life vanish completely . . . . I have no program for this seeing. It is only given. But the gate of heaven is everywhere."

~ Thomas Merton's description of the True Self as written following his "conversion" at Fourth and Walnut.

"Most people spend their entire lives living up to their false self, the mental self-images of who they think they are, instead of living in the primal "I" that is already good in God's eyes. But all I can "pay back" to God or others or myself is who I really am. This is what Merton is describing above. It's a place of utter simplicity. Perhaps we don't want to go back there because it is too simple and almost too natural. It feels utterly unadorned. There's nothing to congratulate myself for. I can't prove any worth, much less superiority. There I am naked and poor. After years of posturing and projecting, it will at first feel like nothing. But when we are nothing, we are in a fine position to receive everything from God. As Merton says above, our point of nothingness is "the pure glory of God in us." If we look at the great religious traditions, we see they all use similar words to point in the same direction. The Franciscan word is "poverty." The Carmelite word is nada or "nothingness." The Buddhists speak of "emptiness." Jesus speaks of being "poor in spirit" in his very first beatitude.

The Bible as a whole prefers to talk in images, and the desert is a foundational one. The desert is where we are voluntarily under-stimulated--no feedback, no new data. Jesus says to go into the closet or the "inner room." That's where we stop living out of other people's response to us. We can then say, I am not who you think I am. Nor am I who you need me to be. I'm not even who I need myself to be. I must be "nothing" in order to be open to all of reality and new reality. Merton's reservoir of solitude and contemplation allowed him to see the gate of heaven everywhere, even on a common street corner. A Zen master would call the True Self "the face we had before we were born." Paul would call it who you are "in Christ, hidden in God" (Colossians 3:3). It is who you are before having done anything right or anything wrong, who you are before having thought about who you are. Thinking creates the false self, the ego self, the insecure self. The God-given contemplative mind, on the other hand, recognizes the God Self, the Christ Self, the True Self of abundance and deep inner security. We start with mere seeing; we end up with recognizing."

Summary: Commit to seeing God's presence in someone or some creature this day. If appropriate, you might say, "The Christ in me sees the Christ in you." If it is uncomfortable to speak these words aloud, carry them in your heart. Bring this loving gaze and an inner stance of humility and recognition to all you encounter."

~ Fr. Richard Rohr, TRUE SELF – FALSE SELF

Image ~ Leonardo Da Vinci, Baptism of Christ
"John the Baptist is observed gently pouring water over Christ’s head. God’s hands outstretched coming down from the sky, a dove descending his arms symbolizing of the Holy Spirit. With radiant beams of light streaming from his glory all cautiously blending into the canvas well-encapsulated embodying of the divinity of Christ, as well as acknowledging his unison as part of the Holy Trinity. Additionally, Jesus is placed at the center of the masterpiece, with his hands enclasped in a praying position, exemplifying of his grace and humbleness.

Leonardo was 23 years old at that time, and the angel to the left is documented as having been painted by this young apprentice, a fact of which has caused so much excitement and called forth discussions; so much special commentary and mythology. Modern critics further attribute that much of the striking landscape in the background of the painting, as well as, the figure of Christ to Leonardo da Vinci’s touch too. Of the four figures illustrated in the painting, one angel (the one holding Christ’s clothes), stands out significantly better than the others.

Leonardo stands out, with his contribution being the angel holding the Mantel, the Kneeling figure illustrates of attributes that Leonardo da Vinci would retain, and carefully develop throughout the rest of his Art Career.

Particularly the exotic luminous tumbling locks of hair carefully washed brightness in the eyes, plus that sweet look or sense of humor conveyed on the face. Even the turf of grass at the angel’s knee voices of his interest to come in all facets of nature. It is said that after taking a look at Leonardo’s angel touch, Verrocchio never again ever wanted to raise a brush, he felt so ashamed and humiliated; for how could an apprentice’s touch be far much superior to his, it was from this that he swore to never again ever touch color.

An x-ray of this painting discloses that the original sketching for the angel that Verrocchio did for Leonardo is entirely different from the final result set forth. This further exemplifies of da Vinci’s ingenuity, for even at this early stage he already was freeing himself from his master’s confines and following down his now own path."
~ leonardo-da-vinci.net/baptism-of-christ/