Hello and happy Tuesday to You!
I had a great day yesterday. I worked with a client most of the day and then headed in to work to catch up on piles of emails that I’ve not had a chance to address since my trip to Toronto!
In the evening, Vidya and I went into the hills behind my house for a good little 4 mile combination of meditative hiking and jogging. It felt great to get a good sweat, enjoy the evening nature sounds and see the sunset from high on the hill.
After that, a great dinner, a little artistic self expression and off to bed.
WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE FROM THE MASTERS
I have a great book for anyone wanting to experience the incredible synergy of teachings among Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, and Lao Tzu. It is titled, The Common Teachings of Four Mystical Traditions – JESUS, BUDDHA, KRISHNA, LAOTZU – The Parallel Sayings, edited and with in introduction by Richard Hooper.
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Today, I’d like to share some of their parallel teachings on wisdom and knowledge from page 110 and 111:
JESUS
Who, then, is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant who remains faithful, for the master will set him over all his possessions.
-The Gospels of Matthew and Luke
KRISHNA
At the end of many births, the wise person takes refuge in Me, realizing that all is the Self. That is a very great and rare soul.
-The Bhagavad Gita
BUDDHA
Those who are immature lose their watchfulness, but the wise guard it as their greatest treasure.
-The Dharmapada
LAO TZU
Once you have fulfilled your purpose, stop there. Do not boast or parade your secret. Give up pride!to over-develop is to increase decline!this is not the Way, and anything that is to increase decline!this is not the Way, and anything that resists the Way will soon cease to be.
-The Tao Te Ching
COMMENTARY
Wisdom is the synthesis of knowledge, come by way of practical experience. Our life is a process of first learning from our immediate influences and environment.
Next, we begin to learn who we are and what it is that we feel most natural doing to contribute to our own life, and the lives of others.
If we fall into the trap of identifying ourselves by what we do, or what others say about us, we run the great risk of becoming someone we think we should be, but find ourselves unhappy in many instances.
When our knowledge limits our ability to experience life and cultivate true wisdom (practical experience), we often begin believing our own thoughts as equal to, or above experiences.
Then we are trapped in our head where we run into perpetual conflict with ourselves; often, we blame others for our pains and challenges without realizing that our pains and challenges are a force of redirection, of “awakening”.
All the great Masters were efficient. They didn’t say much, didn’t want people writing things down and intellectualizing them.
They wanted their students to be fully present and EXPERIENCE the process of Self-Realization.
Today is a good day to meditate on yourself and look for all the ideas that create pain and slow your own spiritual awakening.
I wish for your own ability to see and feel the Love of The Universe and act in accordance with that knowing and experience with wisdom and mastery.
Love and chi,
Paul Chek
