Father Charles was constantly pushing the envelope to remind us all that a New Consciousness was within everyone’s grasp. The path to transformation was via contemplation – a change in consciousness – a seeing of reality in a different light – a finding the Ground of Love in all reality. The following is a paper he wrote about this New Consciousness.
Quotes:
“I have come to realize that while we are distinct from this loving ground, the cosmic Christ, we are not separate from him. Here lies the basis for contemplative prayer. On this foundation we build a life of prayer. To seek how to “pray always” is not necessary since this stream of love is always flowing. We simply have to become aware of this constant stream of love.”
“A Sufi story speaks to this: one day a lover approached the home of his beloved. He knocked on the door. A voice within responded to the knocking: “Who is there?” The lover answered: “It is I”. The voice within spoke, almost sadly: “There is no room here for me and thee. The lover went away and spent much time trying to learn the meaning of the words of his Beloved. Sometime later he once again approached the home of his Beloved and knocked. Once again, the voice within asked: “Who is there?” This time the lover answered: “It is thou”. And the door opened and he entered into the home of his Beloved.”
“Many of us, I think, move from where we are separate from God to where we realize that, although distinct, we are not separate. This realization confirms that we are not separate from our brother and sister, nor from the earth.”
“At first, my spirituality was more about doing than being: more about fulfilling God’s will than experiencing it. The spirituality of dualism clearly stressed God’s transcendence and separateness from the world.“
The second mode of spirituality is less verbal, less speculative. It prefers silence to words. Experience is more important than scholastic terminology. There is a great desire to experience God. It is in forgetting myself that I find God and discover my true self in God. I feel comfortable in saying “It is thou”. I come to realize that God’s transcendence necessarily flows into immanence.”
“Where does contemplation lead one? Since it finds the ground of love in all reality, it leads to one’s sisters and brothers: creates a social consciousness; It leads to a deeper unity and love with and for the earth.”
“Contemplation leads to transformation. Without being unmindful of the need for change in behavior, the stress is on the need for a change in consciousness, coming to see reality differently.”
“As Thomas Berry points out, it is necessary for the human community in the earth community to go into the future as a single sacred community. The key to this is recognition that while distinct from the ground of love, we are not separate. Then we realize our unity and communion with every human being, with the earth, with the universe.”
A NEW CONSCIOUSNESS
Fr. Charles Brandt, rector
Black Creek
“Integrate spirituality and prayer into life.” – A Synod decision.
In all things there is a hidden ground of love. These are the words of Thomas Merton, my mentor in the life of prayer. He was one of the guides who inspired me to live as a hermit these last 25 years.
In my Anglican days, Dom John Chapman’s letters taught me Christian meditation, and a protege of his, Evelyn Underhill, also was a source of inspiration. Later, it was through the writings of Dom Bede Griffiths, OSB, I found my way into the Catholic church. In 1989, I spent two months and Father Bede’s Ashram, Saccidananda, South India. There “the hidden ground of love” confirmed me in the path of “praying always”.
I have come to realize that while we are distinct from this loving ground, the cosmic Christ, we are not separate from him. Here lies the basis for contemplative prayer. On this foundation we build a life of prayer. To seek how to “pray always” is not necessary since this stream of love, is always flowing between Jesus and the Father. We simply have to become aware of this constant stream of love.
A Sufi story speaks to this: one day a lover approached the home of his beloved. He knocked on the door. A voice within responded to the knocking: “Who is there? The lover answered: “It is I”. The voice within spoke, almost sadly: “There is no room here for me and thee. The lover went away and spent much time trying to learn the meaning of the words of his Beloved. Sometime later he once again approached the home of his Beloved and knocked. Once again, the voice within asked: “Who is there?” This time the lover answered: “It is thou”. And the door opened and he entered into the home of his Beloved.
The story in its two parts describes two modes of spirituality. Many of us, I think, move from where we since we are separate from God to where we realize that, although distinct, we are not separate. This realization confirms that we are not separate from our brother and sister, nor from the earth.
At first, my spirituality was more about doing than being: more about fulfilling God’s will than experiencing it. The spiritual spirituality of dualism clearly stressed God’s transcendence and separateness from the world.
The second mode of spirituality is less verbal, less speculative. And prefers silence to words. Experience is more important than scholastic terminology. There is a great desire to experience God. It is in forgetting myself that I find God and discover my true self in God. I feel comfortable in saying “It is thou”. I come to realize that God’s transcendence necessarily flows into imminence.
Where does contemplation lead one? Since it finds the ground of love in all reality, it leads to one sisters and brother brothers: creates a social consciousness; It leads to a deeper unity and love with and for the earth.
Contemplation leads to transformation. Without being unmindful of the need for change behavior, distress is on the need for change in consciousness, coming to see reality differently.
As Thomas Barry points out, it is necessary for the human community in the earth community to go into the future as a single sacred community. The key to this is recognition that while distinct from the ground of love, we are not separate. Then we realize our unity and communion with every human being, with the earth with the universe.