Your True Self is Life and Being and Love. Love is what you were made for and love is who you are.
Richard Rohr
Your True Self
Topic: Self-Cultivation & Health
Your True Self is Life and Being and Love. Love is what you were made for and love is who you are. When you live outside of Love, you are not living from your true Being or with full consciousness.
Richard Rohr, OFM, born in 1943 in Kansas, is a renowned American Franciscan priest and celebrated writer on spirituality, presently based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Ordained in the Roman Catholic Church in 1970, Rohr embarked on a spiritual journey that has since garnered widespread attention and respect. By 2011, PBS had recognized him as "one of the most popular spirituality authors and speakers in the world," a testament to his influential presence in contemporary spiritual discourse.
In his pursuit of spiritual growth and community building, Rohr has achieved noteworthy milestones. He attained his Master of Theology degree from the University of Dayton in 1970. The subsequent year saw him founding the New Jerusalem Community in Cincinnati, Ohio. But perhaps his most enduring legacy stems from establishing the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1986. Here, he has diligently served as the founding director and academic dean of the Living School for Action and Contemplation. Rohr's teachings, embodied in the school's curriculum, revolve around seven themes explored deeply in his book, "Yes, And."
Rohr's contributions to Christian spirituality, while transformative for many, have occasionally faced scrutiny and opposition, especially from certain conservative Catholic factions. These groups have sometimes critiqued his interpretations and teachings as diverging from traditional Catholic orthodoxy. In this context, a defining moment in his career was his meeting with Pope Francis, who gave a heartfelt endorsement to Rohr's book, "The Universal Christ." This endorsement can be viewed as a significant vindication of Rohr's teachings. It not only bridged potential theological divides but also highlighted Rohr's influential and valued position within the broader spectrum of Christian thought and practice.
Rohr, Richard. Immortal Diamond: The Search for Our True Self. Jossey-Bass, 2013.
Richard Rohr
Theme: Being in Self
About This Richard Rohr Quotation [Commentary]
Richard Rohr’s quote, “Your True Self is Life and Being and Love. Love is what you were made for and love is who you are,” is a profound statement on the essence of human existence. Rohr emphasizes that at the core of our being lies an identity intrinsically connected to love. This love is not just an emotion or a transient state but the very foundation of who we are. Rohr’s assertion that “your True Self is Life and Being and Love” suggests that our most authentic identity is rooted in a divine and unconditional love that transcends the superficial layers of our personality and ego.
In the context passage, Rohr elaborates on this concept by stating that living outside of love means not living from our true being or with full consciousness. This highlights the idea that to be truly conscious and authentic, one must align with love as a fundamental principle. Rohr’s words invite us to reflect on how often we might stray from this core truth by allowing fear, anger, or other negative emotions to dictate our actions and thoughts. When we do so, we are not living in harmony with our true nature, which is inherently loving and connected to the divine source of all life.
The theme of “Being in Self” is subtly woven through Rohr’s message, underscoring the importance of self-awareness and authenticity. By recognizing that love is our true nature, we can begin to live more consciously and authentically, embodying the qualities of compassion, kindness, and understanding in our daily lives. Rohr’s teachings remind us that returning to this state of love and being is not just a spiritual goal but a return to our most genuine and divine selves.
Experiencing the True Self [Commentary by Richard Rohr]
Your True Self is who you objectively are from the moment of your creation in the mind and heart of God, “the face you had before you were born,” as the Zen masters put it. It’s who you were before you did anything right or anything wrong, or made any decisions for good or ill. It is your Substantial Self, your Absolute Identity, your Anchored Self, which can be neither gained nor lost by any technique, group affiliation, morality, or formula whatsoever.
The only and single purpose of religion is to lead you to a regular experience of this True Self. Every sacrament, every Bible, every church service, every song, every bit of ministry or ceremony or liturgy is for one purpose: to allow you to experience your True Self-who you are in God and who God is in you (see John 14-17). If it fails to do this, it is junk religion.
Only healthy and mature religion is prepared to point you beyond the merely psychological self to the cosmic, universal, and God Self. Only great religion is prepared to realign, re-heal, reconnect, and reposition you inside the family of all things. That is why I cannot give up on religion, as unhealthy as it often is. It is still the full conveyor belt that includes all stages and can even forgive and include the mistakes of every stage.
—Rohr, Richard. Just This. CAC Publishing, 2017, pp. 88-89.
Additional Luminary Quotes Guide Commentary
Richard Rohr’s reflection on the True Self provides a deep insight into human identity and spirituality. He describes the True Self as an intrinsic part of our being, established from the moment of creation and untouched by our actions or affiliations. This “Substantial Self” or “Absolute Identity” aligns with the theme of “Being in Self,” emphasizing that our deepest self is inherently connected to the divine. Rohr asserts that the primary purpose of religion is to facilitate a regular experience of this True Self, suggesting that authentic religious practice should guide us beyond our ego and psychological constructs to unity with the cosmic and divine. This perspective invites a reevaluation of religious practices, urging them to realign with their fundamental goal of revealing our divine nature and fostering a holistic connection within the family of all things.
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