"One of our own"
At one level the various worlds of Faith are drawing closer together. Certainly they are when the actual [i]experience[/i] of faith is compared, rather than the more dogmatic and creedal form
I have, though, noticed in some quarters an almost unyielding determination to retain a uniqueness, even an "only way" mentality, for ones own religion.
A case in point is with the Christian mystic Meister Eckhart. Although Eckhart is now quoted with pleasure and approval by those of numerous faiths, there are still some who insist that understood correctly, he is "one of our own" and of nobody else. Some diehards perform mental gynastics, logical somersaults, bend over backwards to see each and every sermon of Eckhart as only supporting the dogmatics of the Christian Faith.
Here is an Eckhart verse:- "They do Him wrong who only worship God in one particular way:- they end with the way, rather than God."
This is a very apt phrase in the context of this thread, in as much as there is the Biblical verse:- "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me. "
Very easy then to simply say, with regard to Eckhart's words, "yes, I have the Way, what is he on about? Jesus of course." No recognition of just Who is speaking - the eternal, living Word.
As I see it, there is only one Reality. Which can be experienced in infinite ways, each unique for each of us. My own faith is that another name for Reality could be "Grace" (A "gift" if one insists upon dual language) This for me is the "One Way", not a set of words, but Reality itself, in which we live and move and have our being.
I do not seek to downgrade those who have "accepted Christ as their own personal saviour". Why should I? But if subsequently such people refuse to acknowledge any "way" but their own then in effect, at least to me, they subscribe to "Jesusanity", not the Christian Faith as such, Christianity.
A pertinent "scripture" (if anyone likes that sort of thing) is from the Lotus Sutra....
[i]I bring fullness and satisfaction to the world,
like rain that spreads its moisture everywhere.
Eminent and lowly, superior and inferior,
observers of precepts, violators of precepts,
those fully endowed with proper demeanor,
those not fully endowed,
those of correct views, of erroneous views,
of keen capacity, of dull capacity -
I cause the Dharma rain to rain on all equally,
never lax or neglectful.
When all the various living beings
hear my Law,
they receive it according to their power,
dwelling in their different environments.....
..The Law of the Buddhas
is constantly of a single flavour,
causing the many worlds
to attain full satisfaction everywhere;
by practicing gradually and stage by stage,
all beings can gain the fruits of the way.[/i]
(The Lotus Sutra, Parable of the Dharma Rain)
I have, though, noticed in some quarters an almost unyielding determination to retain a uniqueness, even an "only way" mentality, for ones own religion.
A case in point is with the Christian mystic Meister Eckhart. Although Eckhart is now quoted with pleasure and approval by those of numerous faiths, there are still some who insist that understood correctly, he is "one of our own" and of nobody else. Some diehards perform mental gynastics, logical somersaults, bend over backwards to see each and every sermon of Eckhart as only supporting the dogmatics of the Christian Faith.
Here is an Eckhart verse:- "They do Him wrong who only worship God in one particular way:- they end with the way, rather than God."
This is a very apt phrase in the context of this thread, in as much as there is the Biblical verse:- "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me. "
Very easy then to simply say, with regard to Eckhart's words, "yes, I have the Way, what is he on about? Jesus of course." No recognition of just Who is speaking - the eternal, living Word.
As I see it, there is only one Reality. Which can be experienced in infinite ways, each unique for each of us. My own faith is that another name for Reality could be "Grace" (A "gift" if one insists upon dual language) This for me is the "One Way", not a set of words, but Reality itself, in which we live and move and have our being.
I do not seek to downgrade those who have "accepted Christ as their own personal saviour". Why should I? But if subsequently such people refuse to acknowledge any "way" but their own then in effect, at least to me, they subscribe to "Jesusanity", not the Christian Faith as such, Christianity.
A pertinent "scripture" (if anyone likes that sort of thing) is from the Lotus Sutra....
[i]I bring fullness and satisfaction to the world,
like rain that spreads its moisture everywhere.
Eminent and lowly, superior and inferior,
observers of precepts, violators of precepts,
those fully endowed with proper demeanor,
those not fully endowed,
those of correct views, of erroneous views,
of keen capacity, of dull capacity -
I cause the Dharma rain to rain on all equally,
never lax or neglectful.
When all the various living beings
hear my Law,
they receive it according to their power,
dwelling in their different environments.....
..The Law of the Buddhas
is constantly of a single flavour,
causing the many worlds
to attain full satisfaction everywhere;
by practicing gradually and stage by stage,
all beings can gain the fruits of the way.[/i]
(The Lotus Sutra, Parable of the Dharma Rain)
