Revelation - Paragraph 2
“Since the key revelation of each religion is also the end or goal to be realized, whatever this revelation is, will dictate the means of getting there. Thus, for example, if the revelation is God-in-nature, man seeks God there; if, however, God is revealed as immanent or within man himself, then a more inward path will be required. If, on the other hand, the revelation is the utter transcendence of God - beyond nature and ourselves - then a more outward path is required. In this way the key revelation not only dictates the goal to be attained, but the path to be taken to reach that goal. The reason different religions have different goals and paths is due solely to their different revelations.”
I really like this concept that what is revealed will determine the path. It helps explain the differences between various religions, perhaps among individuals as well. It also helps explain why tension exists among religions. If a certain religion’s revelation requires a particular path in order to realize the revelation we can then understand how that path will not necessarily line up with another religion who has understood a different revelation and thus a different path.
The only way, though, I can really understand or experience this text is to relate it to my own experience of revealtion. It may be unfair to compare a personal experience to the broad strokes that Robert’s is laying out here, although, now that I think of it and going back to something Robert’s said earlier on, all revelation initially begins with an individual and is then distilled to the group. While I do not feel compelled to distill my revelation to a group nor begin a movement, I will share a couple revelations I had and the resulting path.
The first revelation was that my conceptual view of God was not God. This realization took time to adjust to. If my God concept was indeed not God then what was God? If, as the mystics say, you can not think of God, then how in the world would you know you’ve run into such a Reality? These were interesting questions indeed and, while we won’t digress into the process of adjustment, which I call integration, integration is a path that must be learned in and of itself. This was one of the first paths I found myself on.
Another revelation along the way was that God is within as opposed to out there or, should we say, up there. Again, living a life with God from the inside and not the outside took integration and adjustment. The path here was learning to still myself and trust the silence. So it went, new revelations or discoveries accompanied by time for integration. This task of coming upon something new and integrating it into ordinary life should not be downplayed, many beliefs and self-identifications must be released. Living this way takes courage and compassion and it also helps to have a like-minded community of support.
A more recent revelation is that Love is everywhere; meaning in everyone and everything. There were a number of weeks where Love was exuding itself from everything and from everyone and from everywhere. Literally, when stepping on the ground Love oozed out, almost as an aroma, the air was infused with Love, and total strangers were Love too. This Love struck me as both ridiculous and reasonable all at the same time. Living life knowing everything is Love requires, as you might imagine, a period of integration and adjustment. If everything is already Love what is left for me to do?
One of the biggest noticings with this truth is how much I judge. One might say this noticing of judgement is a part of the path connected to living from everything is Love. There is not a day that goes by that I do not impose my judgements on something or someone. Judgement in this context doesn’t mean a surface judgement, such as is it safe to cross the street or my house is in need of paint, no, this type judgement is a heart matter, an invitation to see anew in each moment. I’m coming to see that if Love is present everywhere then all I need do is simply accompany Love to the best of my ability.
Returning to the first paragraph, there is definitely a truth to the concept that what is revealed determines the path. Each new revelation seems to be a small path unto itself. By path I mean the support needed to integrate new revelations into the ordinary life. Perhaps the path is a move to meditation, a simpler way of living, going to therapy, finding a mentor or a new community, or releasing a certain self-identification. The revelation will illuminate the path, which will “dictate the means of getting there.”
