 15 Jun 2010 @ 11:20
TOTALITY
Those who consider their path superior are condescending.
A parrot who speaks of the totality of the self is absurd.
Many paths lead to the summit,
But it takes a whole body to get there.
Once I met a woman who was a lifelong Christian. She had two sons
who practiced yoga. She thought that was wonderful, but they arrogantly
considered their beliefs to be superior to hers and told her that she
was not doing enough for her spiritual salvation.
No one has a right to condemn another person's spiritual beliefs. No
spiritual system is superior to another. Each one of us should have the
philosophy and practices that work for us. We should be happy once we
find it, we should help those who are interested in the spirituality we
represent, but none of us should behave condescendingly toward others'
spirituality.
We are all trying to get to the summit of spiritual realization, and
there are many valid paths leading to the top. Of course, the view and
terrain on one side of a mountain will differ from the other, but the
summit is identical no matter what your approach.
Whatever your path, all that matters is that you commit yourself
totally to following it. Others will do the same. As long as we all
climb, each from our own direction, and reach the summit of human
spirituality, we can achieve complete totality in our lives. Then all
the fracturing discussions of sects and different religions become
unnecessary.
365 Tao: Daily Meditations
Deng Ming-Dao
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