The past month has been a roller coaster of emotions, realizations, accepting truths, denying truths, being enlightened, and then becoming angry with disbelief and refusing enlightenment…. and so on and so forth.
I loath confusion and long for something in life to be just simple enough to accept it and run with it without having to change it or throw it away further down the road.
There are so many things that I want to express and write about today because I just haven’t and it is making a mess in my brain. My head is swirling with ideas, epiphanies, and the realization of my stubbornness to see, see again, learn, re-learn and remember something simple.
All of these thoughts were provoked by some conversations with my new found friends (and you know who you are!).
With this I digress and begin again with the question:
What is the “Way”?
What is the way of life?
The way to be?
The way to not be?
The way to love?
The way to do anything and nothing?
What is the “Way” in which we are to live?
First of all a text book definition of the word “way” is: “a method, style, or manner of doing something; a thoroughfare for travel or transportation from place to place; an opening for passage; characteristic, regular, or habitual manner or mode of being, behaving, or happening;…..” the definitions and synonyms go on and on….
So what is the “way”…is it a method? A Style? An opening? A passage? A mode of being and doing? Is the “WAY” a characteristic or tone of all that is? I say YES to all.
With knowing this, I am going to define the “WAY” OF LIFE OR BEING as a “CHARACTERISTIC/TONE” OF LIFE OR BEING.
In efforts to explain what I am pondering I will go to my spiritual roots…..
In Genisis 18:19 it says “…keep the way {characteristic or tone} of the LORD (Yehweh) by doing what is right and just…”
In 2 Samuel 22:22 & 31& 33 it says… “For I have kept the ways {characteristic or tone} of the LORD; I am not guilty of turning from my God.”
“As for God, his way {characteristic or tone} is perfect: The LORD’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.”
“It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way {characteristic or tone} secure.”
John 14:: 5 -7 says, “Jesus (Yeshua) answered, “I am the way {characteristic or tone} and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know[a] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
Now, keep this in mind and let’s explore another point of view….The Tao.
Just in case you don’t know about the Tao or the Tao Te Ching is a small collection of 81 verses of wisdom authored by a Chinese prophet by name of Lao-tzu. Tao Te Ching means to “live and apply the Great Way”.
According to the Tao the Way (characteristic or tone of life) is nameless, an origin of life, a mystery, the ancestor of all, the Father of all things, the supreme nourishing of good, deep nature, deep in the heart, leading without control or domination, discovery of truth.
The Tao gives shape to everything. The Way is the Tao. The Toa is the Way. The Father of All Things is the Tao. The way is the Father. The Tao is discovering Truth. The Truth is the way of God.
Wow. That is phenomenal. So let’s apply the Tao and the biblical references together…
Here is the original verse:
In 2 Samuel 22:22 & 31& 33
“For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I am not guilty of turning from my God.”
“As for God, his way is perfect: The LORD’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.”
“It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.”
Let’s rewrite this verse according to what the Tao and the Bible says….
“For I have kept the Tao of the LORD; I am not guilty of turning from my God.”
“As for God, his Tao is perfect: The LORD’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.”
“It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my Tao secure.”
And we could do this on and on with every verse of the Bible and every verse of other religious texts and ascended Masters.
The WAY or the CHARACTERISTIC/TONE of Life/Being is right, just, perfect, flawless, secure, strong, truthful and full of life. The WAY is nameless, an origin of life, a mystery, the ancestor of all, the Father of all things, the supreme nourishing of good, deep nature, deep in the heart, leading without control or domination, discovery of truth.
The Tao says,
“Discovering how things have always been bring One into harmony with the Way.” verse 14
“He who keeps the Tao does not want to be full. But precisely because he is never full, he can remain a hidden sprout and does not rush to early ripening.” Verse 15
“Being Divine, you will be at one with the Tao. Being at One with the Tao is eternal. This way is everlasting, not endangered by physical death.” Verse 16
Again, this is phenomenal. Do you see all this fitting together?
Let’s move on….
Consider Buddha’s words,
"You should do your own work, for I can teach only the way."
“Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.”
“If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him.”
In Buddhism, it is taught to take the “Middle Way”.
The ‘Middle Way’ is the Buddhist way of life; a self-development progression through the Noble Eight Fold Path which comprises Right Understanding, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration.
So….
Yehweh says His Way is secure…
Yeshua says He is the Way to Yehweh…
The Tao says the Way is eternal, nameless, Divine and the Origin of Life…
Buddha says he can teach the Way through the practice of pure virtues…
Do you see a common thread here?
A common Way? The same Tone. The same Characteristic?
You might ask yourself at this point…. Can we define this Tone? Can we define this Characteristic?
Of course we can….
Ask yourself what is the most powerful force on Earth and the Universe?
What does everyone desire?
What is the one characteristic that no one can live without?
LOVE.
Let’s see what our ascended Masters have said about this.
“Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit.” 1Corinthians 14:1
“and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us…” Ephesians 5:2
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” 1 Corinthians 13:3-5
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” 1 Corinthians 13:3-5
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:21-23
“Love vanquishes all attackers, it is impregnable in defense. When heaven wants to protect someone, does it send an army? No, it protects him with love.” - Tao Te Ching Verse 67
“Love is the fruit of sacrifice.” - Tao Te Ching verse 44
“The thought manifests as the word. The word manifests as the deed. The deed develops into habit. And the habit hardens into character. So watch the thought and its ways with care. And let it spring from love, born out of concern for all beings.” - Buddha
“Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule.” - Buddha
Again, I am speechless. The realization is profound.
Yehweh, Yeshua, Lao-tzu, and Buddha all say the same thing. The eternal way is Love.
The Way is Love.
The characteristic is love.
The tone is Love.
The vibration is Love.
God is Love.
The tone is God.
The characteristic is God.
Love is God.
How simple is that.
We are to live in Love, with Love, about Love.
In efforts to make a conclusion that is Universal.
I give you this….
“If we live, we live for the Lord {i.e. LOVE}; and if we die, we die for the Lord {LOVE}. So, whether we live or die, we belong to (the) Lord {LOVE}. 9 For this very reason, Christ {LOVE} died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord {LOVE} of both the dead and the living. You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s {LOVE’s} judgment seat. It is written: “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Yeshua {LOVE},
‘every knee will bow before Me {LOVE}; every tongue will acknowledge God {LOVE}.’” --Romans 14:8-12
‘every knee will bow before Me {LOVE}; every tongue will acknowledge God {LOVE}.’” --Romans 14:8-12
The Way is Love.
" Believe in Loves infinite journey,
for it is your own , for you are Love "
Love is Life.~Rumi
for it is your own , for you are Love "
Love is Life.~Rumi
It appears that Love was born from me,
But don't believe that!
In fact, I was born from that Love.
~Rumi
But don't believe that!
In fact, I was born from that Love.
~Rumi
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