01
Sit quietly in the stillness of eternal silence and see what is central to you and is the source of your life-- to the wonder and joy of being alive. Seek the heart of you and what you do with all your heart. Separate your life into what is central for you, what is peripheral, and what is Not You at all. Spend some time with this every time you sit in the silence, walk through the silence, enjoy the silence you carry with you in the midst of "the noise of the world." How much time, in a week, say, do you spend in each of these three areas? The You, the Not Really You, and the Not You At All. How can you change the ratios and work You more fully into your life? Live toward assisting your life in flowing from and revolving around, coalescing around, what is authentically You. Begin now living toward what is central to you, and let nature take its course.
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02
Our primary allegiance-- our liege loyalty and filial devotion-- is to our original nature and its source. Everything else is the canvass, the milieu, the Umwelt, the Sitz im Leben, upon which, within which, we bring forth who we are to the glory of life and being. The life we live is a celebration of our origin and our essence. How joyfully and truthfully do we celebrate ourselves? How fully and completely do we bring ourselves forth? If we do not live in the service of the truth of who we are, what do we serve with our life in the time we have for living? We sacrifice ourselves, and our life, for what?
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03
Generosity and kindness are not means to some end. They are ends in themselves. They exist for no reason beyond being what they are. All good things are that way. They aren't good for anything. They are good themselves. And being good in themselves, they are good for nothing beyond themselves. In this way, the theologians have robbed Jesus of his benevolent goodness, and made him good for "the salvation of the world." Jesus, like the Buddha before him, and like thousands of others before, and after, them, was "One Thus Come." In other words, "he was just himself." "He was just who he was." He was good. He wasn't good for anything. "The salvation of the world" needs unpacking and throwing away. If you read the fine print, you will find that Jesus can't save anyone who doesn't believe in him and his death on a cross as the propitiating sacrifice that absolves them of their sin. "Salvation," we read, "is by faith alone." "The salvation of the world" is contingent on the world having faith. Jesus can't save an unbelieving world. The world saves itself by faith in Jesus. "Faith alone" is the key to salvation. So our place is give up the idea that "the salvation of the world" is contingent on the faithfulness of a good man, and start living as good women and men ourselves. Living faithful to the expression of goodness, of generosity and kindness, of compassion and benevolence, for no reason-- not to get anything thereby-- but to simply express who we are in the day-to-day affairs of life. As those "thus come." Just being who we are, faithful to ourselves in doing justice, loving kindness, and being sources of gentleness and tender mercy throughout our days upon the earth.
