...and he was executed for blasphemy. Almost a thousand years later, the great Muslim sage, Mansur al Hallaj, said, "I am the truth," and he, too, was executed for blasphemy. I enjoy telling people, "I am the truth and so are you," and so far I haven't been executed. Ha ha. Of course, you never know what may happen five minutes from now.
The path of non-duality leads in two directions. First, it leads within, to self-realization. Then, it leads outward into the world. When the Buddha realized the truth, he reportedly said, "Wonder of wonders, in all the universe I am the only one." Jesus said, "My Father and I are one." Kabir said, "Behold, but one in all things; it is the second that leads you astray."
Zen has ten pictures that represent the spiritual path of non-duality. The tenth picture shows a little old man with a big grin on his face wearing sandals and carrying a bag over his shoulder. The title of the picture says, "Entering the marketplace with helping hands."
The sage does not see self or other. She helps without helping and has no thoughts about helping. Her life is lived in service to THIS without any thoughts ABOUT this. She is the living truth in action. For her, there is no self that needs improvement, and there are no thoughts about attachment or non-attachment. She is as incomprehensible as the truth, itself. Anyone who wishes to find the truth must leave the ordinary world behind, and, in the words of the Christian mystic, Jacob Boehm, "Enter THAT in which no creature dwelleth."
The path of non-duality leads in two directions. First, it leads within, to self-realization. Then, it leads outward into the world. When the Buddha realized the truth, he reportedly said, "Wonder of wonders, in all the universe I am the only one." Jesus said, "My Father and I are one." Kabir said, "Behold, but one in all things; it is the second that leads you astray."
Zen has ten pictures that represent the spiritual path of non-duality. The tenth picture shows a little old man with a big grin on his face wearing sandals and carrying a bag over his shoulder. The title of the picture says, "Entering the marketplace with helping hands."
The sage does not see self or other. She helps without helping and has no thoughts about helping. Her life is lived in service to THIS without any thoughts ABOUT this. She is the living truth in action. For her, there is no self that needs improvement, and there are no thoughts about attachment or non-attachment. She is as incomprehensible as the truth, itself. Anyone who wishes to find the truth must leave the ordinary world behind, and, in the words of the Christian mystic, Jacob Boehm, "Enter THAT in which no creature dwelleth."
