IN THE WORDS OF JESUS–Part 489

Love is the Fulfilling of the Law

ON LOVE; PART LXXXI

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GoodWill IS Love in Action

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“And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live , ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me. These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:13-26).

As we said in the last post, we are travelling over the next few days and this reality plays a part in the discussion that we are having regarding the role of the aspirant and the disciple in the world today. How can a man forsake ALL and yet still live, survive in the world, while retaining self sufficiency and not becoming a burden to the state or to others. The world today is a different place in these United States and the sense of personal responsibility is strongly preached from all corners of the social and political spectrum but in this is the rub as well. The Master tells us to “TAKE NO THOUGHT” and if we take this to its ultimate reality we could simply forsake ALL and rely on God to provide and this is clear in His parable saying: “Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap , nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?” (Matthew 6:26). We should remember here though that this is a parable and there is a reality that is likely not founded in an aspirants cessation of ALL activities while relying upon the Lord for sustenance although this can and likely should become the ultimate reality for the disciple. How must we act? what must we do to accommodate the rather stark teachings of the Master?

As aspirants we ever look for help in understanding our role; the goal is clear though seemingly far off and the immediate objectives are equally clear but at times muddled and confused as we meander through Life in this world. We learned from the words of the Tibetan that there are indeed few who realize the goal and he does say something about those who are doing as the Master tells us saying that we should “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in , and shall not be able” (Luke 13:24). We KNOW that the way is difficult as the Master tells us and we KNOW as well that there is none that can help us as this is a Truly personal endeavor and so we look to the Master’s words for guidance as we do in this blog. We have yet however to rely upon His words and do them and while we may tell ourselves that we KNOW NOT WHAT TO DO, the reality is steadily before us. We are told by the Tibetan that A paradoxical situation is brought about from the fact that the disciple is told to enquire the Way and yet there is none to tell him.  Those who know the Way may not speak, knowing that the Path is constructed by the aspirant as the spinner spins its web out of the centre [Page 585] of his own being.** In this reality we KNOW that we are alone ever trying to accomplish the Truth of the Apostle Paul’s words speaking of the Christ Himself saying that “Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby” (Ephesians 2:15-16).

While we can assume that the result is the important part, that for each of us, as aspirants “to make in himself of twain one new man” is the reality of discipleship wherein the Soul, the Christ Within, is being expressed through the Life of the man in form, we are still at a loss as to how exactly to get there and we should not get altogether too tied up in these words that were spoken in a different reality, a different culture and in a different mental and emotional era for man. This being said still leaves us with the reality of the Master’s words which we will here try to reconcile with some thoughts by the Buddha who warns about desire and the cessation of one’s succumbing to the wiles of the flesh and of the emotions and of the mind. From the Dhammapada ⁵, the book of the saying of the Buddha we read these thoughts scattered among His words; tells us that:

• Mistaking the false for the true, And the true for the false, You overlook the heart And fill yourself with desire. See the false as false, The true as true. Look into your heart. Follow your nature. An unreflecting mind is a poor roof. Passion, like the rain, floods the house. But if the roof is strong, there is shelter (On Choices).
• The fool is careless. But the master guards his watching. It is his most precious treasure. He never gives in to desire. He meditates. And in the strength of his resolve He discovers true happiness. He overcomes desire – And from the tower of his wisdom He looks down with dispassion Upon the sorrowing crowd (On Wakefulness).
• So the master directs His straying thoughts. Like a fish out of water, Stranded on the shore, Thoughts thrash and quiver, For how can they shake off desire? They tremble, they are unsteady, They wander at their own will. It is good to control them, And to master them brings happiness. But how subtle they are, How elusive! (On Mind).
• Who shall conquer this world And the world of death with all its gods? Who shall discover The shining way of dharma? You shall, even as the man Who seeks flowers Finds the most beautiful, The rarest. Understand that the body Is merely the foam of a wave, The shadow of a shadow. Snap the flower arrows of desire And then, unseen, Escape the king of death. And travel on…..The fragrance of sandalwood and rosebay Does not travel far. But the fragrance of virtue Rises to the heavens. Desire never crosses the path Of virtuous and wakeful men. Their brightness sets them free (On Flowers).
• Whatever a fool learns, It only makes him duller. Knowledge cleaves his head. For then he wants recognition. A place before other people, A place over other people. “Let them know my work, Let everyone look to me for direction.” Such are his desires, Such is his swelling pride. One way leads to wealth and fame, The other to the end of the way. Look not for recognition But follow the awakened And set yourself free (On The Fool).
• The wind cannot shake a mountain. Neither praise nor blame moves the wise man. He is clarity. Hearing the truth, He is like a lake, Pure and tranquil and deep. Want nothing. Where there is desire, Say nothing. Happiness or sorrow – Whatever befalls you, Walk on Untouched, unattached. Do not ask for family or power or wealth, Either for yourself or for another. Can a wise man wish to rise unjustly?……He leaves the dark way For the way of light. He leaves his home, seeking Happiness on the hard road. Free from desire, Free from possessions, Free from the dark places of the heart. Free from attachment and appetite, Following the seven lights of awakening, And rejoicing greatly in his freedom, In this world the wise man Becomes himself a light, Pure, shining, free  (On The Wise Man).
• At the end of the way The master finds freedom From desire and sorrow – Freedom without bounds……The master surrenders his beliefs. He sees beyond the end and the beginning. He cuts all ties. He gives up all desires. He resists all temptations. And he rises. And wherever he lives, In the city or the country, In the valley or in the hills, There is great joy. Even in the empty forest He finds joy Because he wants nothing (The Master)⁵.

There are more of these pearls of Wisdom that we will post in our next essay and discuss all from the perspective of the Master’s telling us that we should “take no thought” and we here again remind us ALL of His words:

“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink ; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap , nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow ; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is , and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you“ (Matthew 6:24-33).

We should note here that these words are a complete thought and not the separated verses that many may see or hear and in this reality we can find a clue to ALL that we are seeking in relation to the Master’s idea of forsaking ALL. This clue is of course in the very last verse saying: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you“

We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.

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.:

Today we post a World Prayer that is also included in the Prayers and Meditation section with some explanation of its source and its use. We are entering a time of the year which we can consider more sacred by way of the newness of Spring which should reflect in our newness of Life. This is the Festival of Easter and a time of rejoicing; not only for the Resurrection of the Lord from the Christian perspective but also for the teaching that is incorporated in the Master’s sacrifice 2000 years ago and in His continued sacrifice. We should remember His parting words: “I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20)

From the point of Light within the Mind of God
Let light stream forth into the minds of men.
Let Light descend on Earth.

From the point of Love within the Heart of God
Let love stream forth into the hearts of men.
May Christ return to Earth.

From the centre where the Will of God is known
Let purpose guide the little wills of men–
The purpose which the Masters know and serve.

From the centre which we call the race of men
Let the Plan of Love and Light work out
And may it seal the door where evil dwells.

Let Light and Love and Power restore the Plan on Earth.

• ⁵ The Dhammapada Translated by Thomas Byrom
• ** A TREATISE ON WHITE MAGIC OR THE WAY OF THE DISCIPLE BY ALICE A. BAILEY COPYRIGHT © 1951 BY LUCIS TRUST