Love is the Fulfilling of the Law

ON LOVE; PART CCLXXIX

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GoodWill IS Love in Action

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Of all that the Master told us, He considered this as the Greatest of Commandments. So much of what we are to understand as aspirants or as believers is found in the precept that we must KEEP HIS WORDS:

“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30-31).

We ask ourselves WHAT THEN IS LOVE?

In a general sense love is benevolence, good will; that disposition of heart which inclines men to think favorably of their fellow men, and to do them good. In a theological sense, it includes supreme love to God, and universal good will to men.

We add to this THE EVER IMPORTANT AND HIGH IDEAL TAUGHT TO US BY THE CHRIST which can serve to both give us an understanding of what it means to Love oneself and how it is that we can Love our neighbor:

“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them“ (Matthew 7:12).

Yesterday’s essay continued our theme of Love as it affects the world of men or, better put, the lack of Love. We noted that until there is an aggressive move toward teaching our children the reality of Love thy neighbor rather than the current world trend that teaches them the same hatreds and prejudices that the parents may hold and educational systems teach there will likely be no fundamental corresponding change in the way that societies and cultures clash and while much of this is politically motivated there is a grain of religion evident throughout. And it IS NOT the parents and the educators alone who share this burden of change but the political rhetoric that is made public by some national and international leaders and others of influence. Sometimes it seems that there IS ONLY attitudes that are against and anti by one party or group against the doings or the plans of another and this cuts ALL ways most often without a compromising attitude and the result IS that nothing gets done or perhaps there comes an end result that IS contrary to the original objective of the parties. This showing of being against is a political, religious, and social dilemma that reaches to the core of our societies but it does not afflict ALL people as there are many around the world who do seek and recommend compromise but their voices are seldom heard over the clamor of the ‘for’ and ‘against’. This is of course a broad view of what we can see in the news on any given day and while we are most familiar with what happens here in America, this is much the same in most all corners of the world, in the so called ‘free’ countries and in those that are not so free although the dynamics likely change much in the latter.

What IS missing of course in some degree of Love in the equation and this again IS NOT that emotional Love that one may feel for others, for family, for friends or those things that may bring pleasure; this Love is as the Apostle Paul frames it for us below and as the Master states for us above. This Love is that which we paraphrase from the apostles writings saying that it IS patience, kindness, and a humble attitude that is not overly boastful nor envious nor selfish and is an attitude of trust, and while we ALL KNOW that this IS  a difficult undertaking within the confines of the more worldly understanding of Love, it is ever more difficult when the reality of its universality is considered, when one realizes that he must bring this Love to ALL men. But we do not need to start here in the depths of offering the totality of this Love to ALL; we can start with just the fundamental idea of basic GoodWill and to this idea of basic GoodWill we can offer the term understanding. Now as ALL spiritually oriented concepts there is the matter of degree and this is no different; while the preference would be that we understand that we ARE ALL the same, Souls working out a Life in form in the world as we progress to being able to express the Love and the Power of the Soul in the world, we can begin with the much more basic understanding that this IS ONE human family, on ONE Earth and under ONE GOD and by right instruction this can become the understanding of the next generation. In this sense of ONENESS we can find the common denominator that will allow the ‘for’ and the ‘against’ factions to see each other’s perspective but only in the combination of the common sense of compromise and discussion as a part of this right instruction. And we should add here that in such right instruction there will be a greater awakening by the youth of the world to the reality of their own place in the world and a much lessened need to have to overcome any wrong instruction that may have been received. When a child is not nurtured in hatreds and prejudices, he will not have the steeply formed ideas that are based in them thereby allowing for the Inner man to break through at an earlier age and with less of a worldly nature to overcome. We can see this in part working out in America in the area of race relations and if we look we can see our premise above as this has worked out over the last 50 years where each successive generation has and teaches less and less racial hatred and prejudice to the point where there IS significantly less strife and conflict and a far greater degree of acceptance. Yes there is still hatred and prejudice but this is no longer the common theme and those who yet harbor these feelings are frowned upon by even the common man; and, we might add here that this has had a worldwide impact.

If our theme can be understanding then, we can likely have a bit of an easier time in convincing the world of this viable approach which IS NOT ours but one that has been fostered by many throughout history and which is the targeted emphasis of world groups like the United Nations. From our perspective this understanding comes to us through revelations and revelations through our acceptance of the words of Wisdom from our own Souls which acts in Life as conscience. We can say here that by fostering understanding we are fostering at the same time a greater ability for man to hear and to heed his own Soul which, as we have ofttimes discussed, is constantly prompting the personality and constantly trying to wrest the focus of the personality away from the things of the world and onto the Truth as it flows from above, or, as the Master tells us, from within. Can we see how some degree of basic understanding can serve to help change the world and can we see that as more and more men find the ability to sense and to heed that Wisdom from above, that the degree of Love in the world will increase dramatically and, like the race relations issue above, that those who continue to foster separation and strife will become the minority and eventually be rendered impotent?

Now we understand that this is an approach to Life that many before us have seen and have discussed but this should not detract from our ongoing struggle to bring this idea and the yet more advanced ideas into greater play in the world today. From the beginning our blog has been dedicated to this as our tag line reads: ‘Dedicated to Truth, Goodwill and Right Human Relations’;  one closing banner’ message is the same as our headline ‘GoodWill IS Love in Action’ while the other highlights a necessary theme as we progress toward True understanding: ‘Unity in Diversity’ with the intent here to Unity in the apparent differences among men in form. And, our overriding theme has always been the idea that we offer again here today as the foundation of understanding; that we ARE ONE Humanity, living in ONE World, and that there IS and CAN BE ONLY ONE GOD. It IS here that we must begin as aspirants and while none need adopt our words, there is an understanding behind them that ALL aspirants and ALL disciples MUST understand if we are to be of any service to the world and this idea of service IS our accepted role. And we need not be perfect as while this may be an objective, it is not a criteria for the aspirant who IS working toward that goal; we have said that it IS here in the crucible of the world that we must work out our ability to expresses an ever greater degree the Power and the Love of the Soul, the Christ Within and we add here, if we did not do so previously, that service IS the way to express this Love and this expression of Love IS at the same time service. We should remember here the Master’s words as regards service and understand them in the broader sense and not the narrower; He says: “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40). In this saying that concludes a parabolic list of ideas that one could do for another, we find those things that a man may need such as food, shelter and clothing and this is thought, along with the added ideas of visitation for the sick and the imprisoned by some in rather concrete terms. As we caution above, we should try to see in this the broadest of interpretations and not limit them to the few examples. However, even beginning with these listed things as a way of Life can be considered as service to the the Master and thereby service to God but the overriding message here IS that to serve the needs of our neighbor, our brother or the stranger who qualifies as both, it so serve the Lord. And not only that we serve but that we serve as well the “least of these my brethren” and in this we get finally to the point that we had in mind when we began this series on Love and that IS that “God is no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34) and that we should be neither. And can we see here how our own GoodWill toward men goes a long way to accommodate this service to the Lord? that we need not seek out those who are in need although if we do so in Love and in a sense of duty we have done much. We have many words to say on respect from the perspective of the Apostle Peter’s words above and our own Light on this word as a service to ALL mankind but we will leave this for another day where we can give this idea the attention that it deserves along side of our current idea of understanding.

Repeating again Paul’s words to the Corinthians, we come today to the idea of how these ideas can bring to the aspirant that continued spiritual growth and to the disciple that greater understanding of his own spirituality; the apostle tells us:

But earnestly desire the best gifts. 

And yet I show you a more excellent way.

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love,

I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

And though I have the gift of prophecy,

and understand all mysteries and all knowledge,

and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains,

but have not love, I am nothing. 

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor,

and though I give my body to be burned,

but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;

does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;

does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;

bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.

But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease;

whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

For we know in part and we prophesy in part.

But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child;

but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face.

Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three;

but the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 12:31, 13:1-13

As Paul completes his thought regarding the temporal nature of those things that religion may deem important, he goes into a segment that can give us much understanding of the nature of the realizations that we can achieve as we let Love rule in our lives. If we can see the idea of “For we know in part and we prophesy in part” as a continuation of his showing us the temporal nature of these things, we can then see the reality of that duality of which we often speak, that duality that afflicts the aspirant and the disciple until that point of perfection where he becomes what we have called the True disciple. In this duality the Soul in form can exercise his will over the Life in the world when the focus is placed upon things divine and can lose this same control when the personality drifts back into the ways of the world in some regard and to some degree. Hence the apostle’s saying that these things that are largely of the world and the personality, prophecies, tongues and knowledge, as seen and interpreted through the not yet perfected personality will fail, cease and vanish and we should see that both fail and vanish are rendered from the same Greek word. And what IS his point here but to tell us that as we reach further along in the pursuit of our goal that these things that we think are important, the subject matter of the previous chapter, become less and less important and eventually WILL be done away which again IS the from the same Greek words as fail and vanish; katargeo.

Paul continues as he explains this same thing in different terms, terms that account for his own growth of spirituality and focus on the things of God and which point the way for us as aspirants to understand. This is of course a parabolic approach to this Truth where we should try to see the child as the man grounded in the world and who IS understanding, acting and speaking as a man in the world. The apostle skips over the reality of what he says earlier regarding perfection and leaves us here with the black and white understanding that we do as we do according to the world and, when we are complete in our Transformation, we will no longer understand, nor act, nor speak as the man grounded in the world. We must understand here that the apostle IS speaking to disciples and aspirants and therefore to men who have some ability to see what he IS saying that may be missed totally by those who are yet grounded or focused upon Life in the world and to this we can likely add those who live in the duality as we discuss above. The message however should be clear, as we grow in the Kingdom or, as the Kingdom grows in us, we leave behind those childish or worldly ways in favor of the ways of the man focused in God. Again, this works out in the lives of men by degree and this is offered for our encouragement.

The last part that the apostle gives us in in regard to the mirror and again we should see this in its intended parabolic nature. The idea of the mirror is of no consequence but the reality of the Soul and the personality stands as the object. The disciple and the aspirant in the world sees himself but not clearly, he understands but not completely and this is Paul’s point as he goes on to tell us that at that same point of perfection that he cites above, at that same point of being Transformed, the man sees himself as he Truly IS, he has broken the reflective glass through which he reckoned himself as the man in the world and realizes the Truth of his True nature as the Soul. And the same with the idea of KNOWING; as we have often discussed, this idea of KNOWING IS the culmination of faith, in its fullness it is this KNOWING that allows one to move the mountain and it IS at this point of perfection, of being Transformed, that one becomes the KNOWER and KNOWS the Truth of the God Within.

These three ways of viewing the achieving of the goal are here tied to Love by the apostle and this IS where they Truly belong as Love IS the beginning and the end of our journey from the man in the world focused upon the self and the self in the world to the man in the world who IS focused upon the the things of God, the perfect man who has achieved as the Master’s admonishes us, that we “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).

There is a saying from the Dhammapada that has a similar meaning to this idea of breaking the mirror and seeing clearly. The Buddha is speaking of the True man, the Soul, as the builder of the form in the world and about that point where the personality realizes this Truth. The Buddha says:

Vainly I sought the builder of my house
Through countless lives.
I could not find him…
How hard it is to tread life after life!
“But now I see you, O builder!
And never again shall you build my house.
I have snapped the rafters,
Split the ridgepole
And beaten out desire ⁵

This IS the point of perfection.

We did not get to complete our comments on Paul’s words on the ONE God that we have been discussing in parallel with these above on Love and we will get back to this in the next post.

Aspect of God	Potency	Aspect of Man	In Relation to the Great Invocation	In relation to the Christ
GOD, The Father	Will or Power	Spirit or Life	Center where the Will of God IS KNOWN	Life
Son, The Christ	Love and Wisdom	Soul or Christ Within	Heart of God	Truth
Holy Spirit	Light or Activity	Life Within	Mind of God	Way

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.

We should ever understand that the purpose of our aspiration and of our discipleship is to bring into the world our expression of the Love and the Power of the Soul both as an example of the righteous Life and as a ready aid to our brothers, our neighbors and the stranger who qualifies as both. Our intent should be to serve and in our service to instill in others that same sense that we have; from a spiritual perspective to the spiritual man, and from a worldly perspective to the man who is yet grounded in the world. The Apostle Paul puts it this way for us from his own Life and personal experience:

“for if I may proclaim good news, it is no glorying for me, for necessity is laid upon me, and wo is to me if I may not proclaim good news; for if willing I do this, I have a reward; and if unwillingly — with a stewardship I have been entrusted! What, then, is my reward? — that proclaiming good news, without charge I shall make the good news of the Christ, not to abuse my authority in the good news; for being free from all men, to all men I made myself servant, that the more I might gain; and I became to the Jews as a Jew, that Jews I might gain; to those under law as under law, that those under law I might gain; to those without law, as without law — (not being without law to God, but within law to Christ) — that I might gain those without law; I became to the infirm as infirm, that the infirm I might gain; to all men I have become all things, that by all means I may save some. And this I do because of the good news, that a fellow-partaker of it I may become;  have ye not known that those running in a race — all indeed run, but one doth receive the prize? so run ye, that ye may obtain” (1 Corinthians 9:16-24).

With this in mind we redo a past Quote of the Day and one that we have been using from very early on in this blog. The sentiment here is the fulfillment of our duty as aspirants and disciples and our duty it to instill these ideas in the hearts and minds of others.

Values to Live By

A Love of Truth—essential
for a just, inclusive and progressive society;

A Sense of Justice—recognition
of the rights and needs, of all.

Spirit of Cooperation—based
on active goodwill and the principle of right human
relationships;

A Sense of Personal Responsibility—for
group, community and national affairs;

Serving the Common Good— through
the sacrifice of selfishness. Only what is good for all
is good for each one.

The world of the future depends on what each one of us chooses to do today.

Let the peace of God rule in your hearts!

• ⁵ The Dhammapada (On Choices) Translated by Thomas Byrom