Because the God who dwells at the heart of each creature has eternally emptied himself out in ecstatic love, we have a multitude of mirror-images, but NO originals!

Following a Buddhist approach to reality, we might say that every creature in the cosmos is actually a mirroring of every other creature.  In fact, there are ONLY mirror-images, but no originals!  This is one way of interpreting the teaching on sunyata, or "emptiness."  In other words, all beings are empty of a substantial self.

A Christian mystical approach can add an interesting twist to this scenario. It would claim that actually - in principle - there really ARE a multitude of originals reflected in the mirror that each creature embodies.  However, because the Divine Presence indwelling each of those creatures is eternally EMPTIED-OUT in ecstatic and blissful love, all we have left are the mirror-images.

How amazing!  The cosmos is composed of a multitude of mirror-images with no Originals, because those Originals - in God - have eternally emptied themselves out in ecstatic love!

Theologian Raimon Panikkar calls this "The Cross at the heart of the Godhead."  However, it is a Cross that is - in the final analysis - endlessly ecstatic!

Photo: The perfect reflection of Beckwith Mountain in Lost Lake makes it difficult to tell which is the original, and which is the reflection.  Indeed, from a higher point of view, BOTH are reflections!

Lost Lake is off the Kebler Pass Road near Crested Butte, CO.  This photo was taken on September 22, 2012.