Religion Magazine

The Way

By Ldsapologetics
"The Kingdom of God is within you and all around you, yet you do not see it." (Jesus in The Gospel of Thomas)
"The Way holds all things within itself.  Like the vastness of the universe, it lacks nothing, and nothing needs to be added to it." (The Buddha in The Third Chinese Patriarch of Zen)
"The Way is complete in itself.  All blessings come from it, and it holds nothing back from anyone." (Lao Tzu in the Tao Te Ching)
The Way is what the movement founded by Jesus Himself was called.  According to modern scholars that movement died out around 70AD.  The movements that sprang up were about Jesus, they were not faiths of Jesus.
In other religions The Way is described best as the path one follows that leads toward the divine or in Buddhism, leads to an eternal awakening.  In all traditions it is used to describe the path to truth.
This is not an abstract concept, it is possible to change your perception so that as Alice saw another world through the looking glass, you too can see the Kingdom all around you and you can feel it burn within you.
"Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4:10-14)
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’a]">[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’b]">[b]” (Luke 10:27)
These commandments ask us to love.  And I think that living water described by Jesus is His way of describing the ultimate truth of God because once you feel it, once you see that Kingdom within you and all around you, you will have that spring welling up in you.  
A teacher can only show you the door; you're the one who has to walk through it.
We are all conscious beings and during the living of everyday life we run on a default setting.  This is why I believe we see ourselves, each other and the world as such a negative place.  Quick to criticize others or bait them into a negative reaction we spread the misery and like crabs in a bucket we pull each other down so that none may rise above.
But when we extend love and forgiveness we lighten the burden we carry and that of others.  You cannot love one whom you judge/condemn for the same reason that you must first unclench your fist before taking someones hand.
When you feel that unconditional love of God, you love others and yourself enough to be able to withstand the pains and hurt felt throughout life.
The forgiveness bestowed upon us by the Atonement is extended to all everyday.
We are told by Jesus in scripture that if we forgive others God will forgive us but if we judge them harshly then we will be judged by the same measure by God.
The Kingdom of God is built on forgiveness and love.
When we alter our perception enough to have what can be called "Christ-consciousness" we become part of the body of Christ.  We become his disciples not because we check off the list of commandments like a packing list but because the love we extend to all is evidence of our transformation into the discipleship of Jesus.
The example set by Jesus in His life and ministry is one of unconditional love to all and the example forgiveness is plain to see and feel as well.
Exuding that love IS The Way.  It is The Way back home, to God, to Christ.  The Way to being Christ-like and seeing Christ in all others.

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