At Monkfish Abbey, we believe all truth is God’s truth. We’ll take true things wherever we can find them, and we’re learning how to honor the truth in the faith of our fellow siblings.

One of our monks, Rebecca, has been finding a lot of inspiration in the Tao te Ching. Here are three selections she gave us during a lectio divina practice.

1
The Tao … that can be told of
Is not the eternal Tao;
The name that can be named
Is not the eternal name.
Nameless, it is the origin of Heaven and earth;
Namable, it is the mother of all things.

Always nonexistent,
That we may apprehend its inner secret;
Always existent,
That we may discern its outer manifestations.
These two are the same;
Only as they manifest themselves they receive different names.
That they are the same is the mystery.
Mystery of all mysteries!
The door of all subtleties!

42
Tao (The Way) gave birth to One; One gave birth to Two; Two gave birth to Three; Three gave birth to all the myriad things.
The myriad things carry the yin on their backs and hold the yang in their embrace, and derive their harmony from the permeation of these forces.
To be “orphaned,” “lonely,” and “unworthy” is what men hate, and yet these are the very names by which kings and nobles call themselves. Truly, things may increase when they are diminished, but diminish when they are increased.
What others teach I also teach: “A man of violence will come to a violent end.” This I shall regard as the parent of all teachings.

25
There was something nebulous yet complete,
Born before Heaven and earth.
Silent, empty,
Self-sufficient and unchanging,
Revolving without cease and without fail,
It acts as the mother of the world.

I do not know its name,
And address it as “Tao.”
Attempting to give it a name, I shall call it “Great.”
To be great is to pass on.
To pass on is to go further and further away.
To go further and further away is to return.

Therefore Tao is great, Heaven is great, earth is great,
And the king is also great.
These are the Great Four in the universe,
And the king is one of them.
Man follows the ways of earth,
Earth follows the ways of Heaven;
Heaven follows the ways of Tao;
Tao follows the ways of itself

At Monkfish Abbey, we like to process things in word and images. One mode of expression we use often is Collage. Tonya and Josh Hyde introduced it to us, and we’ve never set it down. Our Abbess often says that collage is our primary language.

Here are two pieces of collage that came out of time spent in lectio divina. The first is a response to a scripture reading, the second in response to a poem. At Monkfish Abbey, we try to provide a scriptural reference and another piece of writing for any given lectio theme. It allows people to step into the practice from whereever they are standing and broadens our understanding of how God speaks to us through scripture and art.
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Bearings in Christ

even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized – whoever. I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ – but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become just about every kind of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!

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When all you had was Him

O my Beloved,
I searched both worlds
but never found joy without you.
I have seen many wonders
but never a wonder like you

I pressed my soul’s ear
against countless doors
but never heard words as sweet as yours.

O what grace you pour upon your servants!
From our view the ocean looks so small!

O Saaqui, sweet sight of my eyes,
I’ve never seen one like you
in all of Persia or Arabia.
Pour the wine that takes me myself,
for this petty existence
brings nothing but fatigue.

You are the endless Love,
You are the heavenly song,
You are the mother and father
You are the one I always know.

We are scraps of iron
your love is the magnet that draws us near
Why should I seek?
All I need do is love…

Rest now my soul,
leave behind your religion
and your empty show of faith

Remember when your had no religion?
Remember when all you had was him.

-Rumi

Lectio Divina means ‘divine reading.’ It is a form of meditation which starts with the written word and expands into a series of images, emotions, or understandings. Lectio divina is traditionally done with Christian texts, but can also be done with other holy tomes and inspirational writings, or with sacred images or objects.

As usual, here at Monkfish Abbey, we’ve modified this traditional practice to appeal to postmodern sensibilities. To see our take on tradition, scroll down. For more classical approaches to lectio divina, here are some further resources:

Fr Thomas Keating, St. Benedict’s Monastery

Fr. Luke Dysinger, St. Andrew’s Abby, Benedictine

Monkfish Modified:
Lectio Divina

To begin, spend a few minutes settling down and becoming comfortable and still. You might begin by asking that your heart may be opened, or by offering to be receptive. Let your breathing become more deep-seated, gentler, and rhythmic, as you invite revelation and inspiration to come to you today.

Phase One: Lectio

Read your selection very slowly with an open mind. Don’t study or analyze the text, just read it slowly, aloud if you find that helpful. This is the lectio, or reading.

Phase Two: Meditatio

Read the piece through again. This time, when a particular sentence or phrase or single word “lights up” or “rings a bell”, stop reading. Resist the temptation to go on go on because something more “ah ha!” might be up ahead. (You can always use this piece another time to see what might be revealed to you later on in the text.) Try not to get caught up in spinning out reasons why this particular word or phrases has caught your attention. Practice being present to the draw of this particular word or phrase at this particular time.

Phase Three: Oratio
This phrase can be difficult to explain. The oratio is a conversation or prayer with the Divine. You begin on the receiving/listening end of this conversation. Repeat the word or phrase that has been given to you. Try to let it flow over you, baptizing your mind, soul, and spirit. This is like a blessing or consecration over you – a gift from the Divine, bathing, informing and blessing your life. Let the repetition of this word or phrase be a balm; a word of praise; a blessing; or even a rallying cry.

St Andrew’s Abbey describes oratio in this way:

Just as a priest consecrates the elements of bread and wine at the Eucharist, God invites us in lectio divina to hold up our most difficult and pain-filled experiences to God, and to gently recite over them the healing word or phrase He has given us in our lectio and meditatio.

During the oratio stage, you may decide to respond to the word or phrase you have been repeatedly receiving. Now you are on the speaking end of the conversation. You may choose to respond verbally, pictorially, kinetically, or in writing. Use your primary or most natural language language. This response might be an act of thanksgiving, a cataloging of questions that your lectio practice has raised, or a memorial to help you preserve this time spent in the presence of God. If you do not choose to respond during the oratio phrase, you may move on to contemplation. Otherwise, complete your practice with a moment of contemplation when you are done making your response.

Phase Four: Contemplatio
When you are ready, you may close your practice with a period of silent contemplation. Rest in the presence of the Divine, and in the pool which the words you have been given has formed around you. You might focus on your breath to help still your thoughts, imagining the life, energy, or force of the Divine flow in and out of you as you rest in God’s presence. If you wish you may close with a word, prayer or image expressing gratitude for this meditative time.