beyond concept

"The deepest level of communication is not communication, but communion. It is wordless, it is beyond words, and it is beyond speech, and it is beyond concept." Thomas Merton, "The Hidden Ground of Love."

Ten years ago I'd have been incredulous had you told me that I'd be quoting a Trappist monk in support of the opening words of the Tao Te Ching, words rendered variously as:

"The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao,
The name that can be named is not the eternal name"
                                               Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English
 Or:
"The way that you can go
Isn't the real way
The name you can name
Isn't the real name"
                          Ursula Le Guin

Or:

"A Way that can be walked 
       is not The Way
 A name that can be named
       is not The Name"
                       Jonathan Star

That's because I was suffering from either/or.  If it's not from the Far East it's not my kind of nonverbal, mystical insight. If it's written by a Catholic, it'll be Religion, and I don't do Religion.

I still don't, in the sense of e.g. the Christian Catechism, Book of Common Prayer etc, but I do seek insights into...what can't usefully be named.  And I value anything from any faith system or philosophy that helps me towards living with a greater sense of unity with ....

Which is why I meditate, and it's meditation that has broken through either/or thinking in this area and taught me to value what is valuable - whatever it's called.

 (Even the croaks of ravens, see Feb 16th "The Naturalist..." etc.)