I had an interesting conversation with a good friend and business associate today. After briefly reviewing some business matters, we started discussing where his is in his life and how that's been affected by recent events. Over the past few months he has been going through one of those "refiner's fire" stages of life that we all experience at one time or another. You could say it was the result of bad decisions--after all, it was his own choices that created the situation. You might also say that it was the result of living at a lower level of consciousness and this experience was a vehicle for him to cross the threshold to a higher level.
The big difference is that he now has a greatly increased awareness of his spirituality. In the past, he wasn't really sure whether he could even believe in God or any kind of spiritual premise to life. However, recent experiences have caused him to turn his attention inward and examine what led him to this point in his life and what it all meant for him. As a result, he began exploring his spiritual roots and over time he gained a deep realization of his spiritual self and the importance of that to true happiness.
As we discussed this, our conversation started to expand into more general aspects of spirituality, beyond his specific experiences. We began exploring our individual experiences and what we've learned from them. Now in a sense, we have very different beliefs. He is a practicing Catholic while I do not participate in organized religion; my approach tends towards the integration of truth from all its sources, both systematized and experiential. Yet, in part because of our markedly different sprititual practices, we had a thoroughly edifying and inspiring discussion. In the course of our conversation, I realized that I was gaining a tremendous amount of insight from our discussion; definitely more than the sum of what we were saying. It got me thinking about why that might be, which brought to mind the New Testament passage where Jesus makes a promise to his disciples:
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20
What does it mean to be gathered in his name? We certainly weren't participating in a joint worship, as the most obvious interpretation of the verse would point to. We certainly weren't in a place of worship. But weren't we discussing the essence of his message? The teachings of Jesus point to an expansion of awareness that leads us from a fear-based behavior focus, as was taught in the Old Testament, to compassion-based intention focus. He taught not to get caught up in the observances and laws, but to love God and love your fellow man and let right action follow.
So if we could be said to be "gathered together in [his] name," then what does it mean to have Jesus in our midst? Looking just at his life I consider Jesus first and foremost a teacher, and as such I consider the spirit of Christ to be that of truth, which is explicitly enumerated as one of the gifts of his Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:8.
For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
Through the Spirit of Christ, we can receive direct revelation of wisdom and knowledge. So many sources claim authority, yet here we are told that we don't need scriptures or prophets to find truth. It will be conveyed by spirit. This is precisely what is taught in the Four Pillars of Buddhism:
1. A special transmission outside of the scriptures.
2. No dependence upon words or letters.
3. Direct pointing at the soul of man.
4. Seeing into one's own nature and the attainment of Buddhahood.
When we combine these two teachings, we come away with a clear pattern for finding greater truth. By gathering with a common purpose to expand our spirit, we open ourselves to the direct transmission of truth, the revelation of our true nature, and the expansion of our consciousness. So when my friend and I began an earnest and open discussion of our experiences on our spiritual path, we opened ourselves up to a direct channel of truth. This occurred because we kept ourselves completely open, even to ideas that challenged our individual beliefs. We were able to direct our awareness at the level of spirit, so ego did not have the option to filter, distort or prejudge what was being said. As a result, we both came away with insights that we could not have planned to find or provide. It was really a profound experience to experience that in such an unexpected setting.
In our efforts to live truth, it is important to remember that we don't always know where we will find it. It will often come when we are not looking for it and in a way we are not expecting. I am very driven to uncover and synthesize whatever I can find into greater understanding, and that's a pillar of my spiritual practice. But all we really have to do is keep our hearts open to receiving whatever the universe is willing to teach us and truth will come to us. As a result we will experience continual expansion of spirit and the joy that results. How much more sublime can it get?
