A Walk with Three Spiritual Prophets

Three of humanity’s greatest spiritual prophets have been: Krishna of the Hindu religion born in
3228 BC; Buddha of the Buddhist tradition, born in 623 BC; and Jesus of Nazareth, who made such
an impact on humanity, that the world calendar was changed to begin with his birth.

From Krishna’s teachings in the Hindu scriptures of the Bhagavad Gita, we are told how to become
a selfless instrument of God and act in harmony with Divine Will. In the Buddhist tradition, we focus
on how to train our mind and heart in calmness and compassion, helping to create an inner oasis of
peace and strength. In the Christian Bible, Jesus tells us that we are the temple of the living God and
that the Spirit of God dwells within us. The interpretation for today encompasses scripture from
these three spiritual faiths.

Jesus shares what happens when we seek the wisdom of the Divine. In saying two of the Gospel of
Thomas, he says, "Let him who seeks continue seeking until he finds. When he finds, he will become
troubled. When he becomes troubled, he will be astonished, and he will rule over the All." Let us
combine this with saying ten where Jesus gives us this promise, "I have cast fire upon the world, and
see, I am guarding it until it blazes." [Take note that when Jesus speaks of “I,” he is not referring to
himself, but rather to God.]

Reflecting on these two scriptures, we all know too well that when we begin our journey of
transformation, we are often troubled because we discover aspects of ourselves that we realize
must be changed. And then one day we are astonished, for we finally see the Light of God’s Holy Fire
within ourselves, that same HOLY FIRE which was cast upon the world into every human being…
the Sacred Fire of God within our Soul that guides us in all aspects of our lives.

The Nazarene also tells us that we are not alone during this journey. In the Bible, John 14:18, he
says, “I will not leave you orphaned.” (Again, the I is referencing God.) This is quite a powerful
promise, especially during our earthly struggles when we experience transitory periods of not
knowing.

Keeping with this theme, let us look at the words of Krishna from the Gita. In verses 48, we read,
“Perform all your actions with your mind concentrated on the Divine, renouncing attachment and
looking upon success and failure with an equal eye.” In keeping with this search for the Divine, we
see that no matter what we experience in life, it is for our benefit.

In regard to attachment, Buddha said that attachment is the root of all suffering; and that we should
practice non-attachment, the letting go of our ego's constant grasping and clinging, thus helping to
alleviate suffering and increase peace of mind.

Jesus also speaks to this same attachment theme in the Gospel of Mary, verses 30 – 32. He says that
attachment to matter (to things) gives rise to passion against nature. “Thus, trouble arises in the
whole body; this is why I tell you: Be in harmony…”
When we look at attachment a bit closer, we see that most people are attached to many things:
emotions, events, judgments, belief systems, other people, and even to themselves, thinking that all
these things are permanent. To this effect, they rely on these attachments to give them a firm
foundation by which to live. But attachments are constricting, as they hold us in shackles and don’t
allow for the freshness of God’s spirit to flow through us. They bring a fear of what might happen if
we release our tight hold on them. Our attachments own us, they control our life, and we become
unbalanced.

Now, let us take notice of what happens when we are not attached. When we are living in harmony
with the Divine, and an experience happens that is not to our liking, instead of being attached to the
outcome, we can release our attachment to that experience. It is then that new doors open for our
highest good. Living a life of non-attachment and in harmony with Divine Will is vital to the success
of our spiritual path, as all three Prophets (Krishna, Buddha, and Jesus) have spoken to this practice.

In the Buddhist Dhammapada, a collection of sayings by Buddha, we read in verse one how the
thoughts that we are attached to create our reality. “All that we are is the result of what we have
thought. It is founded on our thoughts. It is made up of our thoughts. If one speaks or acts with an
evil thought, pain follows one, as the wheel follows the foot of the ox that draws the wagon.” We can
shorten this quotation by saying, “What we think, we become. We create our own reality.”

Also in Buddhism, one of the major focuses is on the Noble Eightfold Path: Right Understanding,
Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and
Right Concentration.

Here we have the wisdom of all three prophets intertwined, for as we live in this manner, we are
also living in harmony with the Divine; and equally so, we are following the path to discovering the
Blazing Fire within our soul.

In closing, I would like to share the teachings of the Nazarene in the Gospel of Mary. In chapter 8:13-
14, Jesus says, “Peace be with you – may my Peace arise and be fulfilled within you!” The peace that
he is referring to is one that actively grows within a person as they live their journey of
transformation. It is the same peace that develops as one follows the Eightfold Path in Buddhism, or
while living according to Divine Will, as shared in the Gita.

When taken to a higher level without imposed dogma, the words from these three prophets can be
woven into one magnificent tapestry of spiritual wisdom, guiding us on our journey of
transformation. As we walk through troubled times, may we be faithful to our chosen spiritual
practices, so that one day we shall discover the Blazing Fire of God that exists within.

Rev. Arlene Rose Curley Ph.D.

February 27, 2022