[Then] ... Iēsous [Jesus] ... said, while teaching in the temple precinct, “You do know both me and where I’m from! And I didn’t come at my own instigation - no, the one who sent me is full of truth - though you don’t know him."
*Sarah Ruden. The Gospels: A New Translation.
All truths are manifestations of one Truth, like all sunshine is the radiance of one Sun. All teachings true, to some degree carry the scent of God. And as there is no Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu ... Sun, there is no Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu ... truth. Truth is truth, and truth is Truth. We apply labels to the husk. Truth is the kernel.
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A relative visited the wise man, bringing a duck as a gift. The bird was cooked and eaten. Soon, one guest after another began to call, each claiming to be a friend of the friend of the man who brought the duck. Each one expected to be fed and housed on the strength of that bird. Finally, the wise man could stand it no longer.
Sometime later, a stranger arrived at the wise man's door and said, "I'm a friend of the friend of the kinsman who brought you the duck." And, like the others, he sat down, expecting to be fed. The wise man placed a bowl of steaming water before the visitor. "What's this?" asked the guest. "This," said the wise man, "is the soup of the soup of the duck that was brought to me by your friend."
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Trying to inherit sacred truth without making it our own is like trying to eat someone else's duck – it is already eaten. We need to bring our own duck – discover for ourselves the truth.
We are helped by what others have taught us, but we decide for ourselves through honesty and experience. This process is called spiritual discernment.
We respond to what others teach in three ways. Sometimes, we accept what we hear after thoughtful consideration or spontaneous inner confirmation. Other times, we decide it is not true, again after consideration. Occasionally, we put it on hold, giving even more time to reflect on it.
Have you had some cherished beliefs change over time? Have you come to hold some claims as valid that you once did not? Have you sensed a spontaneous and immediate inner confirmation of the truth or falsehood of some teaching given you?
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*(C) Brian K. Wilcox, 2023. Permission given to use photographs and writings with credit given to copyright owner.
*Brian's book is An Ache for Union: Poems on Oneness with God through Love. The book is a collection of poems Brian wrote based on wisdom traditions, predominantly Christian, Buddhist, and Sufi, with extensive notes on the poetry's teachings and imagery.
