14 Mar Foundational Thinking #8

Walk the Path

“No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.” This statement was made by Buddha.

We see in this Teaching, the journey to “salvation”, in Christian terms, is really dependent upon ourselves. We can’t ask God, Jesus, Buddha, Shiva and any of the other gods to whom man pays homage to do this for us, no matter how much and how hard we pray to them.

The path that each must walk, is the inward one. Remember the Teaching that the “kingdom is within.” Only man would have you believe that it is outside of you. The exact opposite of what Jesus taught. Here is what Jesus said: “If those who lead you say to you, See, the Kingdom is in Heaven, then the birds of the heaven will precede you. If they say to you, It is in the sea, then the fish will precede you. But the Kingdom is within you and it is without you. If you [will] know yourselves, then you will be known and you will know that you are the sons of the Living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, then you are in poverty and you are poverty.”

That statement is one of the 114 Universal Teachings Jesus taught to mankind. These Sayings/Teachings were written down during the time Jesus was teaching and demonstrating the Power of God. This is from the Gospel According to Thomas, a scroll found at Nag Hamaddi, Egypt.

Jesus indicated just how difficult it is to go within. At the same time he alluded to the teachings of man, who make it very easy to get into heaven, into the kingdom. There are Teachings about that, as well. Both are found in this Universal Teaching: “Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. 14. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (Matthew 7:13-14)

The early followers of Jesus were called “Gnostic’s”. They knew that true salvation was in the application of the Universal Teachings that Jesus presented. Most of the Gnostics were formerly Essenes, another spiritual sect of the Jewish people. Jesus, John the Baptist and each of their parents were Essenes.

The purpose of the Essenes was to raise their consciousness so that an enlightened and powerful soul could enter into the material plane and lead mankind to a higher level of understanding and consciousness. They studied the scriptures in remote locations in the deserts. The reason for this was so as not to be distracted from material concerns. Their material needs were supplied by the Essenes who stayed in the cities and provided sustenance for the group.

The Essenes and the Gnostics have both been written out of the Bible. This was done to further the misconception that the only way to God and salvation was through Jesus and the church. This is NOT something that Jesus taught. He always said the “kingdom was within.”