I would like you to take a few moments considering the methodologies utilized in the ministries of Jesus, the Christ and Gautama, the Buddha. Did either man indulge in pontificating theological and abstract nuances? Did either man discourse primarily with the learned scholars of his era? Did either man arrange his teaching around the acquisition of skillful actions and forbearance from unskillful actions? Did either man teach that the end of suffering is found in the here and now and not in some future existence? Is not the Kingdom of God within just another way to describe nibbāna? And so on and so on . . .
In truth, both teachers lived and interacted amongst persons from all socioeconomic levels, the educated and literate, the simple and nonliterate, the loved or disliked, the householder, and the mendicant. Both teachers focusing upon the alleviation of unnecessary suffering–physical or mental, disease, disability, existential distress, unfair treatment, and oppression. Both having scant time to engage in unnecessary theological discussions.
Developing and offering workable methodologies useful for the alleviation of unnecessary suffering and unskillful thinking is a reliable sign that one is involved with a true esoteric school. The Institute finds much usefulness and benefit from the Buddhist approach.
In truth, we stand on common ground with a number of other sound approaches to life being offered, e.g., the Rosicrucian Order, Gurdjieff, the Buddha, pre-Pauline Christianity, the Self-Realization Fellowship, and Hermeticism.
When you are involved in our experiential lessons, you realize that our approach is twofold. First, we teach the ‘Path of Work.’ Work refers to practical efforts to: [1] arrive at a clear understanding of the real danger in unskillful living, [2] finding a way to escape from unskillful living, [3] getting a ‘taste’ of the Kingdom of God within, [4] working for the welfare and happiness of yourself and others, and many more things.
Personally, I am fond of using terminology introduced to the West by Gurdjieff, though it has been updated so to correspond with modern findings in science and psychology.
Our road to awakening is structured around application of various forms of the Freedom Exercises combined with extensive efforts in self-observation of your current thoughts, feelings, motivations, desires, and actions and self-reflection as to the fruits of your actions. It is a very straightforward approach done in everyday living circumstances.
Parallel to the Path of Work runs the Path of Study. The Path of Study is of secondary importance compared with the Path of Work. For only the Path of Work will remove your illusions and unskillful actions and bring you to stream-entry. The Path of Study is an interesting supplement as it concerns intellectual matters reading upon the construction and physics of the universe and all which is in it. These blogs are part of the Institute’s Path of Study. The Work exercises are for students.
I have found that joining the Path of Study to the Path of Work is efficient.
Tomorrow, I think we will return to our discussion of self and not-self from a modern psychospiritual vista.