Love is the Fulfilling of the Law
ON GOD; Part XCVI
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment . He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also” (1 John 4:1-21).
Today is the day of the Wesak Festival, a day that is considered by some as one of the True High Holy Days of each year. Based upon the story that we posted yesterday as our Quote of the Day, we should see, if nothing else, the Spirit of cooperation between the Christ and the Buddha and between their sincere followers. There were several points in this story that are beyond the scope of what our posts have been and any of these words will turn up a wealth of information on the internet should one choose to learn more. According to the story the Buddha has left, if it can be so stated, His place in the scheme of things here on this Earth while the Christ remains with us as He said that He would when He said “I am with you alway , even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:20). In addition to this the Master did also tell us that He would return to us and, although many may think that they know how this will happen, there are in reality none that Truly KNOW save perhaps some of His saints and the highest of disciples; to be sure we can trust that they would be those of whom we spoke in the last post, those who would fit into the Master’s criteria of “every one that is perfect shall be as his master” (Luke 6:40). There is some confusion between the idea of the coming of the Master and the end, the tribulation if you will, and many theories abound. How should these things be understood? Simply as a mystery and frankly one that does not really matter. We know that much of what is said of these events the gospels is unclear and sometimes contradictory and we should understand that some of it simply cannot happen as it is portrayed; to this we add our lack of understanding of the time aspect and in the timing of things that were expected in His generation, we are even more perplexed.
We should remember that the Master teaches in parables and that there is likely somewhere in these sayings a key to understanding that we have not yet found; there is however a more important part than those that we cannot comprehend and which take up much time and attention in the church. What is the more important part? The Master’s words that tell us to “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come” (Matthew 24:42). Several of the Master’s parables are teachings and warnings that a man should be ready and we should see this as being ready for many things; for the return of the Master, for the end of ones Life on Earth and for the end of this phase of creation; we do not as men KNOW when any of these things will happen. In being ready we should understand that we are to be in that state of discipleship the the Master teaches for it is only in this state that there is True salvation. We should understand too that this is a teaching that has gone forth to many generations in the last 2000 plus years and opportunity after opportunity has been afforded to ALL. When does opportunity cease? we do not know and this is the message of the Master in His saying: “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matthew 24:36). Do we understand the point that the Master makes to us ALL, to those who understand and to those who do not; to the intelligent and to the unintelligent the message is clearly stated; to those who see religion in a devotional and emotional way the message is clearly stated and with all this clarity we still do not get it, we still do not understand that the time is at hand, it is now. This is the way of mankind to put it off another day despite the Master’s warnings that we do not and can not know the time and this human attitude is the result of the illusion, the glamour and the deception of Life in this world.
The whole of the gospels can be seen as the Master’s attempt to make of each of us a disciple and this is the end result of following what He tells us to do, the end result of keeping His words. In some parts His teaching is rather straightforward, in other parts it is couched in parables and in still other parts, like what we are speaking of above, His teaching is given in a way tries to make one understand that this is something that we must do before it is too late. He speaks to all of us in a way that we can understand and accept but unfortunately this does not always come through in the doctrine and the dogma that is learned in the church. The aim and the objective of all is discipleship and the rewards that the Master cites are the rewards of disciples and the more that a man can Truly focus upon the Christ Within and His righteousness, the more that he will see that this is True.
We may seem to be a bit off of the our starting point but there is a message here that we should understand. The Master is yet with us as He said and He will come among us again as He said and it is in His coming that we may find the value of the parabolic and obscure sayings referenced above. If we, as men in form, can form that bond with our Christ Within, if we can repent and follow Him and keep His words, we will put ourselves into that unique position of recognizing Him and KNOWING Him when He returns. Can we understand this? Not only do we not know when He will return, but we do not know how He will return either. Just as the Jews and their religious leaders of 2000 years ago did not recognize the Messiah, so will those who do not Truly follow Him and keep His words not know Him when He comes again. Ponder on this.
Returning to our thoughts on the Buddha, we should see that in His return to join with the Christ in the blessing of humanity, there is a great Love that brings Him back. The narrative tells us that this is a sacrifice and that there is a great cost to the Buddha in doing this yet He does it year after year in continual service to the Christ and to this Earth. The teachings of the Buddha are that we must see the world for what it is and that we must understand the True nature of man; we must see that the consciousness that we are is not to be guided by the temporal nature of the world of things but by the Truth as it flows from within. He does not say this in so many words but He does say this and He does tell us to focus upon the Truth of Life and not upon the falsity of life in form. Yesterday, because of the length of the Wesak story, we posted a different Quote of the Day on the main page and this is an example of what we are here saying:
We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts we make the world. Speak or act with an impure mind And trouble will follow you As the wheel follows the ox that draws the cart. We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts we make the world. Speak or act with a pure mind And happiness will follow you As your shadow, unshakable. (Dhammapada Part 1; on Choices)5 .
Can we see in this two of the ideas that we have been discussing; focus and illusion? It is our focus that dictates what we think about and how we think about it. If one’s focus is on the world of things then our thoughts are on that world and the illusions that we have set up to govern our lives. Conversely, if our focus is upon the Soul, the Christ Within, then we will be thinking about these things and not the wiles of the flesh, we free ourselves from the illusion. The Buddha makes this clear in another saying that we have covered before in some detail (In the Words of Jesus parts 273-274):
Do not live in the world, In distraction and false dreams. Outside the dharma. Arise and watch. Follow the way joyfully through this world and beyond. Follow the way of virtue. Follow the way joyfully Through this world and on beyond! For consider the world – A bubble, a mirage. See the world as it is, And death shall overlook you. Come, consider the world, A painted chariot for kings, A trap for fools. But he who sees goes free. As the moon slips from behind a cloud And shines, So the master comes out from behind his ignorance And shines. The world is in darkness. How few have eyes to see! How few the birds who escape the net and fly to heaven! (Dhammapada Part 13; on The World)5
While from different perspectives and in different cultures, the teachings of the Buddha are remarkably similar to the teachings of the Christ yet this is not recognized by the doctrinal adherents of either Teacher. The reality of what both of these Great Teachers and Avatars have brought to the human family is swallowed up in the illusion and glamour of the world of things and it is these that cause our deception. Focused on the world and Life in the world we are deceived by the things of the world and it is only in True repentance, which we can see here as a change in focus, that we can free ourselves and be among the few birds who escape the net and fly to heaven.
We did not get to our chapter from John’s epistle today; we will get back to it in the next post. With the shortness of this one perhaps we can reread the Wesak story and understand and better appreciate the cooperation and the brotherhood of the Christ and the Buddha and all who attend to this festival.
Note on the Quote of the Day
This daily blog also has a Quote of the Day which may not be in any way related to the essay. Many of these will be from the Bible and some just prayers or meditations that may have an influence on you and are in line with the subject matter of this blog. As the quote will change daily and will not store with the post, it is repeated in this section with the book reference and comment.
I had the privilege of attending a First Communion for a grandchild today at a Church whose patron Saint is Saint Frances of Assisi. At the end they read this prayer which we make today’s Quote of the Day.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury,pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen
This is a prayer that is Truly in line with the teachings of the Master and the ideals encapsulated in this should be those that govern our lives and our prayer should be that ALL can see Life in this same way.
