"I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (Jesus of Nazareth)
Jesus' statement has usually been taken as a claim to Christian superiority and exclusivism. Yet this statement is not only the essence of Christianity: it is the essence of Vedanta, and Buddhism, and all great spiritual paths.
I Am IS the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to God except through the I Am. The I Am is the portal to God at the center of the soul.
Then what is the Way, the Truth, and the Life? The Way is the spiritual practice taught by the Guru's initiation. The Truth is our own Being. The Life embodies that Being's fullest potential in the form of the Avatar for our inspiration and encouragement. The Avatar, the Guru and the Self are not three different paths. The Avatar, the Guru and the Self are three aspects of the same consciousness. We can practice service to the Guru and his method of meditation, while worshiping our chosen form of God's embodiment - our Ishta-devata - such as Sakyamuni Buddha, Krishna, Jesus, or Sai Baba. As we cultivate our heart's with devotion and our hands with service, we grow in Self-realization. The Way, the Truth and the Life are Karma, Jnana and Bhakti Yoga, and they are one path.
So what is the source of religious conflict that creates so much suffering and warfare in the world?
Judgment.
Karma comes through judgment, liberation through non-judgment. Millions are enlightened by following Christ. No one is enlightened by condemning Christians. Millions are enlightened by following Mohammad. No one is enlightened by condemning Muslims. Millions are enlightened by following following Sai Baba. No one is enlightened by condemning him. Millions are enlightened by practicing TM, Vipassana, Kundalini Yoga, Art of Living. No one is enlightened by claiming one way superior or another false. Let this be our last judgment.
"I worship Christ as Lord," one says. Another: "I worship Krishna." "I merge my awareness with the Formless Divine,' says another. "I serve my Guru and practice his path." "My political activism is my path." "I honor Buddha-nature in all sentient creatures." Where is the conflict between these statements? There is no conflict at all.
Now compare these statements with the following. What is the difference?
"My way is the right way. Your way is the wrong way." "The form of God you worship is not the true God." "Your both wrong, God has no form." "I am a Christian and those who practice any other religion go to hell." "Activism is superior to Meditation." "My Guru is better than your Guru!"
Notice how childish the second set of statements sound. Why? Because religious conflict arises when we make comparison. To judge another person's spiritual path in relation to our own is the root of a great deal of the world's suffering. When we are comparing objective results in a laboratory experiment, when we are choosing which kind of mushrooms are edible, when we are selecting a college suitable for our learning style, we must practice discrimination and comparison. But in the spiritual life, comparison between ourselves and another is unpardonable sin against the Holy Spirit, for it denies the sanctity of the others' Personhood.
The first sign that a man has lost his way is when he says, "My way is the only way." In saying this, an evangelical may even feel that he or she is doing us a favor, by informing us of the truth. But real Truth is not to judge.
"Judge not, lest ye be judged." (Jesus of Nazareth)
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