Volume V: The Unfinished Questions

¹A truly honest synthesis must acknowledge what it cannot resolve. The traditions genuinely disagree about some of the most fundamental questions, and pretending otherwise produces a kind of spiritual kitsch that is faithful to no tradition and useful to no one. The disagreements are real. They are not misunderstandings to be smoothed over. They are genuine differences in the vision of reality, in the understanding of the person, in the account of suffering and liberation.

²What follows is an attempt to face these disagreements honestly, to acknowledge what the synthesis cannot resolve, and to show what is genuinely accessible to a person who engages the full range of the spiritual traditions without pretending that the tensions do not exist.

³The method is not to resolve the tensions but to show what can be learned from holding them honestly—what insights emerge from the friction between traditions that are genuinely in disagreement, what possibilities open up that are not visible from any single tradition alone, what practical wisdom is available to a person who recognizes that the truth is larger than any one tradition's articulation of it.

¹The most fundamental disagreement among the spiritual traditions is about the nature of the ultimate reality: is it personal, is it impersonal, is it beyond both categories, is it something that can only be approached from one direction by some people and from another direction by other people?

²The Personal Ultimate

³The Abrahamic traditions—Judaism, Christianity, Islam—are the most clear in their insistence that the ultimate reality is personal. The God of the Torah is the God who speaks to Abraham, to Moses, to the prophets. The God of the Christian tradition is the God who enters into the history of the world in the person of Jesus. The God of the Islamic tradition is the God who speaks in the Quran, who commands, who guides, who loves. The personal God is not a distant abstraction; the personal God is involved in the world, in the history, in the lives of the people.

⁴The God of the Torah is the most vividly personal in the Hebrew Bible. "The Lord said to Abraham, 'Go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you.' ... The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, 'Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you.'" (Genesis 12:1, 26:2-3). The God of the Torah is not the God of the philosophical abstraction; the God of the Torah is the God who speaks, who commands, who promises, who is in covenant with the people.

⁵The God of the Christian tradition is the most intensely personal in the New Testament. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). The incarnation is the most radical form of the personal God: the eternal enters into the temporal, the infinite enters into the finite, the divine enters into the historical, in a way that is not simply a metaphor but a claim about the nature of the ultimate reality.

⁶The God of the Islamic tradition is the most powerfully personal in the Quran. "Say: He is Allah, the One. Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He begets not, nor is He begotten; and there is none comparable to Him" (Quran, 112). The Surah 112 is the most concentrated statement of the Islamic vision of God, and it is significant for the teaching that God is the One, the Eternal, the without comparison, the without partner, the without equal. The Quran is the word of God, the direct speech of God, the guidance from God.

⁷The Sufi tradition preserves the personal vision of God while adding the depth of the love and the annihilation. The Conference of the Birds: "The seeker sees the Simurgh, and understands that he is the Simurgh" is the most radical expression of the personal vision, because the personal God is not only the object of love but the reality of the self. The Sufi vision of the personal God is not the God of the purely external religion; the Sufi vision of the personal God is the God of the heart, the God of the love, the God of the intimate encounter.

⁸The Sikh tradition's Guru Granth Sahib is the most integrated vision of the personal God. "He is the One, without a second; He is the Truth, the Fearless, the Without Hate. He is the Creator, and He is the creation; He is the One, and there is no other" (Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 294). The Sikh vision of the personal God is the vision that combines the devotion with the metaphysical insight, the love with the knowledge.

⁹The Hasidic tradition's teaching of the divine spark is the most intimate vision of the personal God. "Every person has a divine spark that is always in connection with God. The person's task is to reconnect with this connection, to remember this connection, to rejoice in this connection" (from the Baal Shem Tov's teachings). The Hasidic vision of the personal God is the vision that the person is never separate from God, and the spiritual life is the recognition of this connection.

¹⁰The Impersonal Ultimate

¹¹The Upanishadic tradition is the most clear in its insistence that the ultimate reality is beyond the personal. Brahman is not a person; Brahman is the ground of all being, the reality behind all appearances, the identity of the self with the ground. The Upanishads are careful to say that Brahman is not the same as the personal God of the popular religion, but the personal God (Ishvara) is a manifestation of Brahman for the sake of the devotees. The ultimate reality is not personal; it is the ground from which both the personal and the impersonal arise.

¹²The Buddhist tradition is the most uncompromising in its insistence that the ultimate reality is not personal. The Buddha did not teach a personal God; the Buddha taught the cessation of suffering through the recognition of the impermanence, the unsatisfactoryness, and the not-self of all phenomena. The Mahayana tradition's teaching of the emptiness of all phenomena is the most radical statement of the impersonal ultimate: all phenomena are empty of inherent existence, and there is no personal ground behind the emptiness. The ultimate reality is not a person; it is the nature of all things, the emptiness of all things, the suchness of all things.

¹³The Taoist tradition is the most elegant in its insistence that the ultimate reality is not personal. The Tao is the way of all things, the pattern of all existence, the process by which everything unfolds. The Tao is not a person; the Tao is not a god; the Tao is not a being. The Tao is the way, and the way is the way of the world, the way of the self, the way of all things.

¹⁴The Stoic tradition is the most ironic in its insistence that the ultimate reality is not personal. The Stoics believed in the logos, the rational principle that permeates the universe, but the logos is not a person; the logos is the rational principle, the order of the universe, the reason that is in all things. The Stoic God is not a personal God; the Stoic God is the rational principle, the order of the universe, the logos.

¹⁵The Jain tradition is the most uncompromising in its insistence that the ultimate reality is not personal. The Jains do not believe in a personal God; the Jains believe in the liberated souls (Siddhas) who have achieved the highest state, but the ultimate reality is not a personal God; it is the state of liberation, the state of the jiva that is free from all karma, free from all bondage, free from all suffering.

¹⁶The Beyond-the-Categories Ultimate

¹⁷The apophatic traditions are the most important in the spiritual domain for the teaching that the ultimate reality is beyond all categories, beyond personal and impersonal, beyond all description, beyond all conception.

¹⁸The Cloud of Unknowing is the most important text of the apophatic tradition in Christianity, and it is significant for the teaching that the person knows God not through any knowledge, not through any vision, not through any understanding, but through the love that is directed into the cloud of unknowing, piercing the cloud with a single point of longing love. The cloud of unknowing is the place where the person is between the personal and the impersonal, the place where the person knows God beyond all categories, beyond all descriptions, beyond all conceptions.

¹⁹The Cloud of Unknowing's teaching is that the person cannot know God through the knowledge of the person's mind, through the concepts of the person's intellect, through the images of the person's imagination. The person must forget all of these, must cast them into the cloud of forgetting, and must direct the love into the cloud of unknowing, piercing the cloud with a single point of longing love. The person knows God in the darkness, in the unknowing, in the cloud, and this knowledge is more real than any knowledge that can be known through the mind.

²⁰The Mystical Theology of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite is the most important text of the apophatic tradition in the Christian West, and it is significant for the teaching that the cause of all is beyond all assertion, beyond all predication, beyond all name, beyond all description. The person must strip away all the names of God, all the attributes of God, all the concepts of God, and enter into the darkness of the unknowing, where the person knows God beyond all names, beyond all concepts, beyond all descriptions.

²¹The apophatic tradition in the Hindu Vedanta is the most important, because the Upanishads teach that Brahman is neti neti—"not this, not this"—the negation of all categories, all descriptions, all conceptions. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: "It is not the body, not the breath, not the mind, not the intellect, not the ego. It is what remains when all these are set aside; it is the seer that cannot be seen, the hearer that cannot be heard, the thinker that cannot be thought, the knower that cannot be known." The apophatic way is the way of the negation of all that is not the true nature, the way of the recognition of the self that is beyond all categories.

²²The apophatic tradition in the Islamic Sufism is the most important, because the Sufi teaching of the fana (annihilation) is the way of the negation of the self, the way of the recognition of the Divine beyond all categories. The Conference of the Birds: the seeker is annihilated in the Simurgh, and the seeker sees himself, the thirty birds, and understands that he is the Simurgh. The abolition of the self is the way of the recognition of the Divine beyond all categories, beyond personal and impersonal, beyond all description.

²³The apophatic tradition in the Taoist tradition is the most elegant, because the Tao te Ching's opening lines are the most famous expression of the beyond-the-categories ultimate: "The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth. The named is the mother of the ten thousand things." The negation of the naming of the Tao is the way of the recognition of the Tao beyond all categories, beyond personal and impersonal, beyond all description.

²⁴What Is Genuinely Agreed and What Is Genuinely Disputed

²⁵What all the traditions genuinely agree on is that the ultimate reality is not captured by the ordinary conceptual apparatus; that the ordinary concepts are inadequate to the ultimate reality; that the person cannot know the ultimate reality through the mind, through the intellect, through the concepts, through the language. The person must be transformed to know the ultimate reality, and the transformation is the condition of the knowledge.

²⁶What the traditions genuinely disagree about is whether the ultimate reality is personal, impersonal, or beyond both categories. The Abrahamic traditions say it is personal; the Upanishadic and Buddhist and Taoist traditions say it is impersonal; the apophatic traditions say it is beyond both categories. These are genuine disagreements, and they are not merely differences of emphasis or differences of temperament. They are differences about the fundamental nature of the ultimate reality, and they are not fully resolvable by any synthesis.

²⁷What is most interesting about the disagreement is not that the traditions disagree but that the traditions are all right from within their own perspective. The person who encounters the ultimate reality through the path of the personal love, through the path of the devotion, through the path of the relationship with the Divine, will experience the ultimate reality as personal, and the experience will be genuine. The person who encounters the ultimate reality through the path of the knowledge, through the path of the recognition, through the path of the insight into the nature of the self, will experience the ultimate reality as impersonal, and the experience will be genuine. The person who encounters the ultimate reality through the path of the love and the knowledge together, through the path of the apophatic silence, through the path of the direct encounter beyond categories, will experience the ultimate reality as beyond both personal and impersonal, and the experience will be genuine.

²⁸The disagreement is not a matter of error; it is a matter of the different paths, the different capacities, the different starting points. The person who is a lover will encounter the ultimate reality as a beloved; the person who is a knower will encounter the ultimate reality as a ground; the person who is a mystic will encounter the ultimate reality as beyond all categories. All three experiences are genuine, and all three are valid from within the perspective that gave rise to them.

²⁹The synthesis must honor all three perspectives without resolving the disagreement, and must show that the truth is too large for any single perspective to capture. The person who has only the personal vision of the ultimate reality has only one dimension of the truth; the person who has only the impersonal vision has only one dimension of the truth; the person who has only the beyond-the-categories vision has only one dimension of the truth. The person who has all three visions has the full dimension of the truth, and the full dimension is the wisdom made one.

¹The most difficult tension among the spiritual traditions is the question of whether the world is real or illusory, whether the world is the creation of God, the manifestation of the Tao, the play of the Divine, the prison of the demiurge, the dream of the mind, or the field of the spiritual life.

²The World as the Creation of God

³The Abrahamic traditions are the most clear in their insistence that the world is the creation of God, the world is the work of the Creator, the world is good, the world is the place of the spiritual life. The Torah: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light" (Genesis 1:1-3). The creation is the work of God, the creation is declared good, the creation is the place of the covenant.

⁴The Christian tradition inherits the creation theology of the Torah and develops it in the light of the incarnation. "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son" (John 3:16). The world is the creation of God, the world is loved by God, the world is the place of the incarnation, the world is the place of the redemption. The Christian vision of the world is the vision of the world as the creation of God, the world as the place of the love of God, the world as the place of the spiritual life.

⁵The Islamic tradition's vision of the world is the vision of the world as the creation of Allah, the world as the place of the submission, the world as the place of the spiritual life. "Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is, over all things, Disposer of affairs" (Quran, 39:62). The world is the creation of Allah, the world is the place of the submission to Allah, the world is the place of the spiritual life.

⁶The Hasidic vision of the world is the vision of the world as the place of the divine sparks, the world as the place of the hidden divine presence, the world as the place of the tikkun. "Every person has a divine spark that is the essence of their soul, and this spark is always in connection with God. The person's task is to reconnect with this connection, to remember this connection, to rejoice in this connection" (from the Baal Shem Tov's teachings). The Hasidic vision of the world is the vision of the world as the place of the divine presence, the world as the place of the spiritual life, the world as the place of the tikkun.

⁷The World as Illusion

⁸The Hindu tradition is the most important for the teaching of the world as maya, the world as the illusion, the world as the appearance of the Brahman in the mode of limitation. The Advaita Vedanta: the world is not absolutely real, because only Brahman is real; the world is not absolutely unreal, because it appears and functions in ordinary experience. The world is the appearance of the real in the mode of limitation, and the recognition of the real as the only reality is the liberation.

⁹The Bhagavad Gita: "The material energy is the inferior energy, and the living beings are the superior energy. The material energy is the field of activity, and the living beings are the knowers of the field. The knowledge of the distinction between the field and the knower of the field is the true knowledge, and this knowledge is the liberation" (Bhagavad Gita, 13:6-34, paraphrase). The world is the field of activity, not the ultimate reality; the person is the knower of the field, not the field itself; the liberation is the knowledge of the distinction.

¹⁰The Maya in the Upanishadic tradition is the most sophisticated account of the world as the illusion. The world is the projection of the avidya (ignorance), the avidya that projects the world as real and separate from the self. The liberation is the dissolution of the avidya, the recognition of the identity of the Atman with the Brahman, and the recognition that the world is the appearance of the Brahman in the mode of limitation.

¹¹The Buddhist tradition is the most uncompromising in its teaching of the world as the illusion, but in a very specific sense: the world is not illusory in the sense that it does not exist; the world is illusory in the sense that it appears to have a substantial, independent, permanent existence when it does not. The Diamond Sutra: "All conditioned phenomena are like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow, like dew or a lightning flash. Thus one should contemplate them" (Diamond Sutra, Chapter 32). The world is the dream, not in the sense that it is nothing, but in the sense that it appears substantial when it is not.

¹²The Tibetan Book of the Dead: the appearances of the bardo states are the projections of the mind, and they are empty; if one recognizes them as such, one is liberated; if one does not, one becomes attached and is reborn. The world of the bardo is the world of the projections of the mind, and the recognition of the emptiness of the projections is the liberation.

¹³The Maya in the Yogacara school: the world is mind-only, the external world does not exist apart from the mind, the mind is the source of all appearances. The liberation is the recognition of the mind-only, the recognition that the external world is the projection of the mind, and the recognition that the mind is the ground of all experience.

¹⁴The World as Process

¹⁵The Taoist tradition is the most important for the teaching of the world as process, the world as the way of the Tao, the world as the flow of the changes. The Tao te Ching: "The Tao produced One; One produced Two; Two produced Three; Three produced the ten thousand things." The world is the product of the Tao, the world is the process of the changes, the world is the flow of the events. The spiritual life is the alignment with the process, the practice of the wu-wei, the life of the person who is in harmony with the way of the world.

¹⁶The Zhuangzi: the world is the equality of all things, the world is the transformation of all things, the world is the flow of the life. The person who is in the world is the person who is in the flow, the person who is in the equality of all things, the person who is free of the attachments to the categories. The person's liberation is the recognition of the flow, the recognition of the equality of all things, the recognition of the person as the part of the process.

¹⁷The Liezi: the man who has no self is the man who acts without self-interest, who responds to the world without resistance, who is at peace with the process. The person's liberation is the recognition of the process, the recognition of the person as the part of the process, the recognition of the person as the flow of the life.

¹⁸The World as the Prison

¹⁹The Gnostic tradition is the most important for the teaching of the world as the prison, the world as the creation of the demiurge, the world as the place of the trap for the divine spark. The Apocryphon of John: the Pleroma is the fullness of the divine realm, the Aeons are the emanations of the divine, Sophia falls from the Pleroma, and from Sophia comes the Demiurge Yaldabaoth, the flawed creator of the material world. The person is the divine spark trapped in the material world, and the liberation is the escape from the material world, the return of the divine spark to the Pleroma.

²⁰The Gnostic vision of the world as the prison is the most radical in the spiritual tradition, because the world is not the creation of the true God but the creation of the flawed demiurge, and the person's liberation is not the transformation of the world but the escape from the world. The world is the prison of the divine spark, and the spiritual life is the journey of the escape, the journey of the return to the Pleroma.

²¹The World as the Place of the Spiritual Life

²²The Confucian tradition is the most important for the teaching of the world as the place of the spiritual life, the world as the place of the ethics, the world as the place of the cultivation of the person. The Analects: the person's task is the cultivation of the virtues in the world, the person's task is the rectification of the heart in the world, the person's task is the service to the family and the community in the world. The world is the place of the ethics, the world is the place of the cultivation, and the person's liberation is the transformation of the person in the world, the transformation of the person through the practice of the virtues.

²³The Stoic tradition is the most important for the teaching of the world as the place of the reason, the world as the place of the virtue, the world as the place of the acceptance of the fate. The world is the creation of the logos, the world is the place of the reason, the world is the place of the virtue, and the person's liberation is the alignment of the person's reason with the cosmic reason, the acceptance of the fate, the practice of the four virtues.

²⁴The Quaker tradition is the most important for the teaching of the world as the place of the service, the world as the place of the simplicity, the world as the place of the truth-telling. The Quaker meeting for worship is the time of the silence and the service, the Quaker testimony of peace is the commitment to the non-violence in the world, the Quaker testimony of simplicity is the commitment to the life without the accumulation of the possessions. The world is the place of the service, the world is the place of the simplicity, the world is the place of the truth-telling.

²⁵The country wisdom tradition (Red Sky at Night, etc.) is the most important for the teaching of the world as the place of the practical knowledge, the world as the place of the connection to the land and the seasons, the world as the place of the reconnection to the rhythms of the life. The country wisdom is the wisdom of the practical knowledge, the wisdom of the connection to the land and the seasons, the wisdom of the reconnection to the rhythms of the life, and the person's liberation is the reconnection to the world, the reconnection to the rhythms of the life, the reconnection to the practical knowledge that is the wisdom of the country.

²⁶The Synthesis of the World as the Place

²⁷The synthesis of the world as the place is the recognition that the world is all of these and none of these, that the world is the creation of God and the illusion and the process and the prison and the place of the spiritual life. The person's relationship to the world is the person's most difficult and most important spiritual task, and the person's liberation is the transformation of the relationship to the world, not the escape from the world, not the denial of the world, not the annihilation of the world, but the transformation of the relationship to the world.

²⁸The person who lives in the world as the creation of God loves the world as the creation of God. The person who lives in the world as the illusion is free from the attachment to the world as the illusion. The person who lives in the world as the process is in harmony with the world as the process. The person who lives in the world as the prison is free from the attachment to the world as the prison. The person who lives in the world as the place of the spiritual life is engaged with the world as the place of the spiritual life.

²⁹The person's relationship to the world is the person's most difficult spiritual task, and the person's liberation is the transformation of the relationship to the world. The transformation is the result of the practice, and the practice is the cultivation of the person in the world, the cultivation of the person through the engagement with the world, the cultivation of the person through the transformation of the relationship to the world.

¹The body-spirit problem is one of the most persistent in the spiritual tradition, and the different traditions have very different answers to the question of the relationship between the body and the spirit, the body and the soul, the body and the mind, the body and the consciousness.

²The Body as Obstacle

³The traditions that see the body as an obstacle to the spiritual life are the traditions that see the spiritual life as the escape from the body, the liberation from the body, the transformation of the person beyond the body. The Christian tradition: the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, but the body is also the source of the temptation, the source of the sin, the source of the death. The Desert Fathers: the body is the enemy of the spiritual life, the body is the source of the logismoi, the body is the obstacle to the prayer and the contemplation. The body must be disciplined, but the body is also the temple.

⁴The Buddhist tradition: the body is one of the five aggregates, the body is the source of the suffering that comes from the attachment to the physical form, the body is the object of the mindfulness as the body, the body is the object of the observation of the decomposition. The body is the most accessible object of the mindfulness, and the mindfulness of the body is the foundation of the practice, but the body is also the source of the suffering, and the liberation is the freedom from the attachment to the body.

⁵The Gnostic tradition: the body is the prison of the divine spark, the body is the creation of the demiurge, the body is the obstacle to the liberation, the body is the place of the trap. The liberation is the escape from the body, the return of the divine spark to the Pleroma. The body is the enemy of the spiritual life, the body is the obstacle to the liberation.

⁶The Body as Vehicle

⁷The traditions that see the body as a vehicle of the spiritual life are the traditions that see the spiritual life as the transformation of the whole person, the transformation of the body as well as the mind, the transformation of the body as the expression of the spiritual transformation.

⁸The Hindu tradition: the body is one of the five sheaths in the Taittiriya Upanishad, the body is a manifestation of the prakriti, the body is a vehicle of the transformation through the practice of the yoga, the pranayama, the meditation on the chakras. The body is the vessel of the transformation, the body is the means of the liberation, the body is the expression of the divine.

⁹The Taoist tradition: the body is the vessel of the circulation of the light, the body is the means of the transformation of the essence into the energy, the energy into the spirit. The inner alchemy is the somatic transformation, the transformation of the energy through the practice of the subtle body, the meridians, the circulation of the light. The body is the primary vehicle of the transformation, and the liberation is the transformation of the body into the spirit.

¹⁰The Tibetan Buddhist tradition: the body is the vessel of the subtle energy, the body is the means of the transformation through the practice of the tummo, the channels, the winds, the drops. The body is the vehicle of the transformation, the body is the means of the liberation, the body is the expression of the nature of mind.

¹¹The Sufi tradition: the body is the vessel of the whirling, the body is the means of the transformation through the practice of the dhikr with the breath, the whirling dance, the meditation on the heart. The whirling is the expression of the spiritual transformation, the whirling is the dance of the soul in the presence of the Divine. The body is the vehicle of the transformation, the body is the expression of the spiritual life.

¹²The Christian contemplative tradition: the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, the body is the means of the prayer, the body is the vessel of the contemplation. The Jesus Prayer is practiced with the body, with the breath, with the mind, with the heart. The body is the vessel of the prayer, the body is the means of the transformation, the body is the expression of the spiritual life.

¹³The Body as the Expression of the Spirit

¹⁴The traditions that see the body as the expression of the spirit are the traditions that see the spiritual life as the transformation of the whole person, the transformation of the body as the expression of the spiritual transformation, the transformation of the body as the sign of the spiritual life.

¹⁵The Hindu tradition: the body is the expression of the divine, the body is the manifestation of the prakriti, the body is the temple of the atman. The Tirumurai and the Divya Prabandham: the hymns of the Tamil tradition are the expression of the devotion, the expression of the love, the expression of the spiritual life in the body. The body is the expression of the devotion, the body is the expression of the love, the body is the expression of the spiritual life.

¹⁶The Taoist tradition: the body is the expression of the circulation of the light, the body is the expression of the transformation of the essence into the spirit. The internal alchemy is the expression of the spiritual transformation, the internal alchemy is the transformation of the body into the spirit. The body is the expression of the Tao, the body is the expression of the way, the body is the expression of the spiritual life.

¹⁷The Buddhist tradition: the body is the expression of the mindfulness, the body is the expression of the compassion, the body is the expression of the liberation. The Zen tradition: the body is the expression of the zazen, the body is the expression of the sitting meditation, the body is the expression of the enlightenment. The body is the expression of the practice, the body is the expression of the realization, the body is the expression of the spiritual life.

¹⁸The Christian tradition: the body is the expression of the love, the body is the expression of the service, the body is the expression of the charity. The Desert Fathers: the body is the expression of the ascesis, the body is the expression of the poverty, the body is the expression of the obedience. The body is the expression of the spiritual life, the body is the expression of the virtue, the body is the expression of the love.

¹⁹The Integration of the Body and the Spirit

²⁰The integration of the body and the spirit is the recognition that the body is not the enemy of the spiritual life, not the prison of the divine spark, not the obstacle to the liberation, but the vessel, the vehicle, the expression of the spiritual life. The body is the means of the transformation, the body is the expression of the transformation, the body is the sign of the liberation.

²¹The person who recognizes the body as the vessel of the spiritual life is the person who practices the mindfulness of the body, the person who practices the yoga of the body, the person who practices the inner alchemy of the body, the person who practices the prayer with the body, the person who practices the service with the body, the person who practices the love with the body. The person who recognizes the body as the expression of the spiritual life is the person who lives the spiritual life in the body, the person who expresses the spiritual life in the body, the person who transforms the body through the spiritual life.

²²The transformation of the body through the spiritual life is the recognition that the body is not separate from the spirit, not the enemy of the spirit, not the prison of the spirit, but the vessel, the vehicle, the expression of the spirit. The body is the means of the transformation, the body is the expression of the transformation, the body is the sign of the liberation. The transformation of the body is the transformation of the person, and the liberation of the body is the liberation of the person.

¹The problem of suffering is the most difficult problem in the spiritual tradition, and the different traditions have very different answers to the question of the nature of suffering, the cause of suffering, the meaning of suffering, and the means of liberation from suffering.

²The Buddhist Diagnosis of Suffering

³The Buddhist tradition is the most systematic in its diagnosis of suffering, and the Four Noble Truths are the most complete expression of the Buddhist vision of suffering. The first noble truth: "This is suffering: birth is suffering, aging is suffering, sickness is suffering, death is suffering; sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair are suffering; association with the unbeloved is suffering; separation from the loved is suffering; not getting what one wants is suffering. In short, the five aggregates subject to clinging are suffering." The second noble truth: "This is the origin of suffering: the craving that leads to rebirth, the craving for sensual pleasure, the craving for becoming, the craving for non-becoming." The third noble truth: "This is the cessation of suffering: the cessation of this craving, the relinquishing of this craving, the abandonment of this craving, the release from this craving. This is the cessation of suffering." The fourth noble truth: "This is the path to the cessation of suffering: the noble eightfold path."

⁴The Buddhist diagnosis of suffering is the most complete in the spiritual tradition, because the Buddhist analysis of the causes of suffering (the craving, the attachment, the ignorance, the clinging to the five aggregates) is the most systematic, and the Buddhist analysis of the means of liberation from suffering (the Eightfold Path, the four foundations of mindfulness, the five aggregates, the twelve links of dependent origination, the seven factors of awakening, the thirty-seven factors of awakening) is the most complete.

⁵The Buddhist vision of the meaning of suffering is the most direct: suffering is the problem, and the meaning of suffering is the motivation for the spiritual life. The person who experiences suffering is the person who is motivated to seek the liberation from suffering, and the person who seeks the liberation from suffering is the person who is on the path. The suffering is the starting point of the spiritual life, and the liberation from suffering is the goal of the spiritual life.

⁶The Hindu Vision of Suffering

⁷The Hindu tradition's vision of suffering is the most varied, because the Hindu tradition has multiple paths, and the meaning of suffering is understood differently in the different paths.

⁸The Yoga tradition: suffering is the result of the afflictions (the kleshas: ignorance, ego, attachment, aversion, and clinging to life), and the cessation of the afflictions is the liberation. The person's suffering is the result of the ignorance of the true nature of the self, the ego that is the false identification with the body, the mind, the intellect, the ego, the attachment to the objects, the aversion to the objects, the clinging to the life. The liberation is the recognition of the true nature of the self, the dissolution of the ego, the cessation of the attachment and the aversion, and the acceptance of the life and the death.

⁹The Bhagavad Gita: suffering is the result of the identification with the body, the mind, the intellect, the ego, and the liberation is the recognition of the self as the witness of the gunas, the self as the eternal, the self as the indestructible. "The self is not born, nor does it die; it is not created nor does it cease to exist. The self is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, and ancient. It does not die when the body dies" (Bhagavad Gita, 2:20). The liberation is the knowledge of the self, the knowledge of the eternal, the knowledge of the witness of the gunas.

¹⁰The Bhakti tradition: suffering is the result of the separation from the Divine, and the liberation is the reunion with the Divine through the love, the devotion, the surrender. The person's suffering is the result of the separation from Krishna, Vishnu, Shiva, the Divine Mother, and the liberation is the love, the devotion, the surrender to the Divine. The love is the vehicle of the liberation, the love is the means of the knowledge, the love is the condition of the liberation.

¹¹The Jnana tradition: suffering is the result of the ignorance of the identity of the Atman with the Brahman, and the liberation is the recognition of the identity. The person's suffering is the result of the ignorance, the attachment to the world, the attachment to the self, and the liberation is the discrimination between the real and the unreal, the recognition of the identity of the Atman with the Brahman, the recognition of the self as the eternal, the self as the witness, the self as the one with the ground of all.

¹²The Christian Vision of Suffering

¹³The Christian tradition's vision of suffering is the most complex in the Western tradition, because the Christian tradition has to account for the suffering of the innocent, the suffering of the righteous, the suffering of the Christ, and the meaning of these sufferings in the context of the love of God.

¹⁴The Book of Job is the most important treatment of the problem of suffering in the Christian tradition, and it is significant for the teaching that the suffering of the innocent is not the result of the sin, is not the result of the failure, is not the result of the punishment, but the result of the mystery of the divine will. "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? ... Have you entered the storehouses of the snow? Have you seen the treasures of the hail?" (Job 38:4, 22-23). The answer to the problem of suffering is not the solution but the encounter with the immensity of the Divine, and the recognition that the human mind is too small to contain the full truth of the matter.

¹⁵The Gospel of John: the suffering of the Christ is the central event of the spiritual life, and the suffering of the Christ is the suffering of the God in the person of Jesus. "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). The suffering of the Christ is the suffering of the love, the suffering of the redemption, the suffering of the victory over the death. The person's suffering is the participation in the suffering of the Christ, and the liberation is the resurrection, the eternal life, the union with God.

¹⁶The Cloud of Unknowing: the suffering of the spiritual life is the work of God in the soul, and the suffering is the most precious of all the sufferings, because it is the purification of the soul. The soul must not resist the suffering, must not try to understand the suffering, must not flee from the suffering. The soul must accept the suffering, embrace the suffering, and let the suffering do its work, because the suffering is the means by which God purifies the soul and prepares the soul for the union.

¹⁷John of the Cross: the dark night of the soul is the most painful passage of the spiritual life, and the suffering of the dark night is the suffering of the purification, the suffering of the stripping away of all that is not God, the suffering of the transformation of the soul by the love of God. The soul must pass through the night without resistance, without understanding, without any comfort except the knowledge that God is the one who is doing the work.

¹⁸Julian of Norwich: the suffering of the world is the suffering that is ultimately transformed by the love of God, and the meaning of the suffering is the recognition that "all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well." The suffering is not the ultimate reality, and the love of God is greater than all the suffering, and the person who knows the love of God knows that the suffering is ultimately transformed.

¹⁹The Taoist Vision of Suffering

²⁰The Taoist tradition's vision of suffering is the most distinctive in the spiritual tradition, because the Taoist tradition does not see suffering as the problem to be solved but as the symptom of the misalignment with the way, and the liberation from suffering is the alignment with the way.

²¹The Tao te Ching: the suffering is the result of the attachment to the desires, the attachment to the knowledge, the attachment to the ambitions. "Eliminate the pursuit of learning, and you will be without sorrow. 'Yes' and 'no' are far apart. 'Good' and 'bad' are far apart. What the world calls beautiful is not beautiful; it creates evil. What the world calls good is not good; it creates ugliness. Therefore, the sage dwells in the direct, the unadorned, the unpretentious, the simple, the selfless, the few desires" (Tao te Ching, 19). The person who eliminates the pursuit of learning, the person who lets go of the categories of good and bad, beautiful and ugly, the person who dwells in the direct, the simple, the selfless, the few desires—the person is free from the suffering.

²²Zhuangzi: the suffering is the result of the attachment to the values, the attachment to the judgments, the attachment to the categories. "From the viewpoint of the Dao, things have no nobility or baseness. From the viewpoint of the self, each thing considers itself noble and others base. Therefore, the sage does not take any side, does not judge anything as better or worse, and is free from the suffering that comes from judgment" (Zhuangzi, "The Autumn Floods," paraphrase). The person who does not take any side, the person who does not judge anything as better or worse, the person who is free of the judgments—the person is free from the suffering.

²³The Liezi: the man who has no self is the man who is free from the suffering, because the self is the source of the suffering. "The man who has no self is the man who has recognized that the self is not separate from the world, and that the attempt to make the self separate is the source of all suffering. The man who has no self is the man who acts without self-interest, who responds to the world without resistance, who is at peace with the world" (Liezi, Chapter 6, "The Sage," paraphrase). The person who is free from the self is free from the suffering, and the person who is at peace with the world is free from the suffering.

²⁴The Sufi Vision of Suffering

²⁵The Sufi tradition's vision of suffering is the most eloquent in the Islamic tradition, and the Sufi teaching of the suffering as the fire that burns away the self, the suffering as the longing that draws the soul to the Divine, is one of the most important insights in the spiritual tradition.

²⁶The Masnavi: the suffering is the fire that burns away the self, the suffering is the longing that draws the soul to the Divine, the suffering is the pain of the separation that is the origin of all music. "The reed complains because it is separated from the reed bed. This complaint is the origin of all music, and the music is the expression of the pain of the separation. The pain of the separation is the greatest gift that the Divine gives to the soul, because it is the force that draws the soul back to its source" (Masnavi, Book 1, opening, paraphrase). The suffering is the gift, the suffering is the force, the suffering is the origin of the music.

²⁷The Conference of the Birds: the journey through the seven valleys is the journey through all the sufferings of the soul, and the final revelation is that the suffering was the path of the union all along. "In the Valley of Search, the seeker's suffering is the suffering of the search; in the Valley of Love, the seeker's suffering is the suffering of the longing; in the Valley of Knowledge, the seeker's suffering is the suffering of the understanding; in the Valley of Detachment, the seeker's suffering is the suffering of the letting go; in the Valley of Unity, the seeker's suffering is the suffering of the seeing that all is God; in the Valley of Astonishment, the seeker's suffering is the suffering of the awe; in the Valley of Poverty and Annihilation, the seeker's suffering is the suffering of the nonexistence. And the final revelation is that the suffering was the path of the union all along" (Conference of the Birds, summary of the seven valleys, paraphrase).

²⁸The Stoic Vision of Suffering

²⁹The Stoic tradition's vision of suffering is the most practical in the Western tradition, and the Stoic teaching of the suffering as the result of the judgment, the suffering as the result of the attachment to the externals, is one of the most important insights in the spiritual tradition.

³⁰Epictetus: "The suffering that comes from the external events is not the real suffering; the real suffering is the internal suffering that comes from the judgment that these events are bad. When the judgment is removed, the suffering is removed. The person who judges that the external events are bad is the person who suffers; the person who does not judge that the external events are bad is the person who does not suffer" (Epictetus, Discourses, 2.1, paraphrase). The person who does not judge the externals as bad is the person who is free from the suffering, and the person who is free from the suffering is the person who is free.

³¹Marcus Aurelius: "The person must see the events as they are, and not as the person thinks they are. The person must see the events as the change, the flux, the impermanence; the person must accept the events as they are, and not as the person wants them to be. The suffering is the result of the resistance to the events, and the liberation is the acceptance of the events" (Meditations, various passages, paraphrase). The person who accepts the events, the person who does not resist the events, the person who sees the events as the change—the person is free from the suffering.

³²Seneca: "We suffer more often in imagination than in reality. ... We are more often frightened than hurt; and we suffer more from imagination than from reality" (Seneca, Letters, 13). The person who suffers in the imagination is the person who is not free from the suffering; the person who does not suffer in the imagination is the person who is free from the suffering; the person who sees the events as they are, and not as the person imagines them to be, is the person who is free from the suffering.

³³The Meanings of Suffering

³⁴The meanings of suffering are not unified across the traditions, and the unification would be a loss. The Buddhist meaning of suffering is the motivation for the spiritual life; the Hindu meaning of suffering is the result of the ignorance of the true nature of the self; the Christian meaning of suffering is the participation in the suffering of the Christ and the transformation by the love of God; the Taoist meaning of suffering is the symptom of the misalignment with the way; the Sufi meaning of suffering is the fire that burns away the self; the Stoic meaning of suffering is the result of the judgment.

³⁵The person's relationship to the suffering is the person's most difficult spiritual task, and the person's liberation is the transformation of the relationship to the suffering. The transformation is the result of the practice, and the practice is the cultivation of the person in the relationship to the suffering, the cultivation of the person through the transformation of the relationship to the suffering.

³⁶The person who understands the suffering as the motivation for the spiritual life is the person who seeks the liberation from suffering. The person who understands the suffering as the result of the ignorance of the true nature of the self is the person who seeks the recognition of the true nature of the self. The person who understands the suffering as the participation in the suffering of the Christ is the person who seeks the union with God. The person who understands the suffering as the symptom of the misalignment with the way is the person who seeks the alignment with the way. The person who understands the suffering as the fire that burns away the self is the person who seeks the annihilation in the Divine. The person who understands the suffering as the result of the judgment is the person who seeks the discipline of the judgment.

³⁷The synthesis of the meanings of suffering is the recognition that the suffering is all of these and none of these, that the suffering is the motivation for the spiritual life and the result of the ignorance and the participation in the suffering of the Christ and the symptom of the misalignment and the fire that burns away the self and the result of the judgment. The person's liberation is the transformation of the relationship to the suffering, the recognition that the suffering is the most difficult and most important spiritual task, the recognition that the person's relationship to the suffering is the person's relationship to the spiritual life itself.

¹The most important practical insight in the spiritual traditions is that different paths are suitable for different temperaments, different capacities, different starting points. The person who is a lover will follow the path of the love; the person who is a knower will follow the path of the knowledge; the person who is a worker will follow the path of the action; the person who is a contemplative will follow the path of the silence; the person who is an activist will follow the path of the service.

²The Hindu Mapping of Paths to Temperaments

³The Bhagavad Gita's teaching of the three yogas (karma yoga, jnana yoga, bhakti yoga) is the most important mapping of the paths to the temperaments in the Indian tradition. "The karma yoga is the path of action; the person who is given to action, who is engaged in the world, who is active in the life, who is energetic, who is practical—that person follows the karma yoga. The jnana yoga is the path of knowledge; the person who is given to the study, who is philosophical, who is intellectual, who is reflective, who is contemplative—that person follows the jnana yoga. The bhakti yoga is the path of devotion; the person who is given to the love, who is emotional, who is devoted, who is surrendered, who is loving—that person follows the bhakti yoga" (Bhagavad Gita, 3:1-20; 12:1-20; 18:1-66, paraphrased).

⁴The Gita's teaching of the integration of the three yogas is the most important insight, because the person who follows one path with sincerity will naturally find the other paths arising. "The three yogas are not different paths; they are the same path seen from different angles. The person who follows the karma yoga will find the jnana yoga arising in the action, and the bhakti yoga arising in the devotion. The person who follows the jnana yoga will find the karma yoga arising in the knowledge, and the bhakti yoga arising in the love. The person who follows the bhakti yoga will find the karma yoga arising in the service, and the jnana yoga arising in the knowledge" (Bhagavad Gita, 3:1-20, paraphrase).

⁵The Sikh Guru Granth Sahib's teaching of the five stages (doot, daasya, sakhya, vatsalya, madhurya) is the most important mapping of the stages of the path in the Sikh tradition. "The five stages are the five stages of the development of the relationship between the soul and the Divine: the servant of God, the friend of God, the child of God, the lover of God, the beloved of God. The person progresses through these stages as the relationship deepens, and the final stage is the union with the Divine" (Guru Granth Sahib, various angas, paraphrase).

⁶The Buddhist Mapping of Paths to Capacities

⁷The Buddhist tradition's teaching of the diverse capacities is the most important in the Buddhist tradition, because the Buddhist tradition has the most systematic account of the different capacities, the different temperaments, the different starting points. The Buddha's teaching was adapted to the capacity of the person; the person of high capacity received the teaching of the emptiness; the person of medium capacity received the teaching of the middle path; the person of low capacity received the teaching of the karma, the ethics, the meditation.

⁸The Mahayana teaching of the bodhisattva's vow is the most important in the Buddhist tradition for the understanding of the diverse capacities, because the bodhisattva's vow is the vow to liberate all beings, and the recognition of the diverse capacities is the recognition that the bodhisattva must adapt the teaching to the capacity of the being. The Lotus Sutra: the Buddha teaches the single vehicle of the bodhisattva, but the teaching is adapted to the capacity of the being, and the beings are liberated according to their capacity.

⁹The Tibetan Buddhist teaching of the Dzogchen and the Mahamudra is the most important in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition for the understanding of the diverse capacities, because the Dzogchen and the Mahamudra are the teachings for the highest capacity, the persons of the highest capacity who can recognize the nature of mind directly. The preliminary practices (the ngondro) are the teachings for the persons of the lower capacity, the persons who must prepare themselves through the purification, the accumulation of the merit, the cultivation of the devotion.

¹⁰The Christian Mapping of Paths to Temperaments

¹¹The Christian tradition's teaching of the diverse paths is the most varied in the Christian tradition, because the Christian tradition has the most different spiritualities: the spirituality of the Desert Fathers and Mothers (the path of the ascesis, the combat with the logismoi), the spirituality of the Cloud of Unknowing (the path of the apophatic contemplation), the spirituality of Meister Eckhart (the path of the birth of the Word in the soul), the spirituality of Julian of Norwich (the path of the love), the spirituality of Teresa of Avila (the path of the interior castle, the progressive deepening of the prayer), the spirituality of Thomas Merton (the path of the contemplative life in the modern world).

¹²The different Christian spiritualities are the different paths for the different temperaments, and the person who is given to the ascesis follows the path of the Desert Fathers; the person who is given to the contemplation follows the path of the Cloud of Unknowing; the person who is given to the love follows the path of Julian of Norwich; the person who is given to the intellectual understanding follows the path of Meister Eckhart; the person who is given to the progressive deepening follows the path of Teresa of Avila; the person who is given to the integration of the contemplative life with the modern world follows the path of Thomas Merton.

¹³The Sufi tradition's teaching of the diverse paths is the most varied in the Islamic tradition, because the Sufi tradition has the most different spiritualities: the path of the dhikr (the practice of the remembrance of God), the path of the love (the path of Rumi, the path of the Conference of the Birds), the path of the knowledge (the path of Ibn Arabi, the path of the Fusus al-Hikam), the path of the service (the path of Al-Ghazzali, the path of the Ihya Ulum al-Din). The person who is given to the remembrance follows the path of the dhikr; the person who is given to the love follows the path of Rumi; the person who is given to the knowledge follows the path of Ibn Arabi; the person who is given to the service follows the path of Al-Ghazzali.

¹⁴The Taoist Mapping of Paths to Temperaments

¹⁵The Taoist tradition's teaching of the diverse paths is the most varied in the Taoist tradition, because the Taoist tradition has the most different spiritualities: the path of the wu-wei (the practice of the non-action, the effortless action), the path of the inner alchemy (the practice of the circulation of the light, the transformation of the essence into the spirit), the path of the external alchemy (the practice of the elixir, the herbal practices), the path of the Confucian alignment (the practice of the alignment with the cosmic order, the cultivation of the virtues in the world). The person who is given to the simplicity follows the path of the wu-wei; the person who is given to the somatic transformation follows the path of the inner alchemy; the person who is given to the external practices follows the path of the external alchemy; the person who is given to the ethical alignment follows the path of the Confucian alignment.

¹⁶The Stoic Mapping of Paths to Temperaments

¹⁷The Stoic tradition's teaching of the diverse paths is the most integrated in the Stoic tradition, because the Stoic tradition has only one path: the path of the reason, the path of the virtue, the path of the acceptance of the fate. But the Stoic tradition recognizes the different temperaments, and the different persons are suited to the practice of the path in different ways. "The person who is given to the theoretical understanding follows the path of the theoretical wisdom; the person who is given to the practical action follows the path of the practical virtue; the person who is given to the social engagement follows the path of the social justice; the person who is given to the personal discipline follows the path of the personal temperance" (from the Stoic texts, as expressed in Epictetus, Discourses, various chapters, paraphrase).

¹⁸The Quaker Mapping of Paths to Temperaments

¹⁹The Quaker tradition's teaching of the diverse paths is the most integrated in the Quaker tradition, because the Quaker tradition has only one path: the path of the silence, the path of the simplicity, the path of the truth-telling, the path of the service. But the Quaker tradition recognizes the different temperaments, and the different persons are suited to the practice of the path in different ways. "The person who is given to the silence follows the path of the silence; the person who is given to the simplicity follows the path of the simplicity; the person who is given to the truth-telling follows the path of the truth-telling; the person who is given to the service follows the path of the service" (from A Quaker Book of Wisdom, as expressed by Robert Lawrence Smith, paraphrase).

²⁰The Practical Wisdom of the Heterogeneous Paths

²¹The practical wisdom of the heterogeneous paths is the recognition that no single path is suitable for everyone, and that the person must find the path that is suitable for the person's temperament, the person's capacity, the person's starting point. The person who is a lover must find the path of the love; the person who is a knower must find the path of the knowledge; the person who is a worker must find the path of the action; the person who is a contemplative must find the path of the silence; the person who is an activist must find the path of the service.

²²The person who tries to force a path that is not suitable for the person's temperament will fail, and the failure is the result of the mismatch, not the result of the person's fault. The person who finds the path that is suitable for the person's temperament will succeed, and the success is the result of the match, not the result of the person's virtue. The practical wisdom is the recognition of the heterogeneity of the paths, the recognition of the diversity of the temperaments, the recognition of the importance of the match between the path and the temperament.

²³The synthesis of the heterogeneous paths is the recognition that all the paths are the paths, and the person must find the path that is suitable for the person, and the person must follow the path with sincerity, with perseverance, with love. The person who follows the path with sincerity, with perseverance, with love will be transformed, and the transformation will be the liberation, and the liberation will be the wisdom made one.

¹The inter-tradition dispute is the most difficult problem in the spiritual synthesis, because the traditions genuinely disagree on some of the most fundamental questions, and the disagreements are not merely differences of emphasis or differences of temperament. The disagreements are real, and they are not fully resolvable by any synthesis.

²The Problem of the Exclusive Claim

³The most difficult of the inter-tradition disputes is the exclusive claim. The Christian tradition's claim that Jesus is the only way to the Father is the most exclusive claim in the spiritual tradition. "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). The Christian tradition's claim is that the only path to the ultimate reality is the path of the Christ, the path of the incarnation, the path of the redemption through the death and the resurrection of the Christ.

⁴The Islamic tradition's claim that Muhammad is the final prophet in the Abrahamic line is the second most exclusive claim in the spiritual tradition. "Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets" (Quran, 33:40). The Islamic tradition's claim is that the only path to the ultimate reality is the path of the submission to Allah, the path of the following of the Prophet Muhammad, the path of the Quran as the word of God.

⁵The Hindu tradition's claim that the Vedas are the only authority for the spiritual life is the third most exclusive claim in the spiritual tradition. The Upanishads are the source of the spiritual life, the Upanishads are the only authority for the non-dual knowledge, and the person who follows the path of the Upanishads is the person who follows the only true path. The Vedas are the scripture of the Hindu tradition, and the Vedas are the authority for the spiritual life.

⁶The Buddhist tradition's claim that the Buddha's teaching is the only path to the liberation from suffering is the fourth most exclusive claim in the spiritual tradition. The Four Noble Truths are the only truth, the Eightfold Path is the only path, and the person who follows the path of the Buddha is the person who follows the only true path. The Buddhist tradition's claim is that the only true teaching is the Buddha's teaching, and the only true path is the Buddha's path.

⁷The Problem of the Mutual Recognition

⁸The most difficult of the inter-tradition disputes is the problem of the mutual recognition. The traditions cannot agree on the mutual recognition of the other traditions as genuine paths to the ultimate reality, because the traditions claim the exclusive right to the ultimate reality, and the claim of the exclusive right is the core of the identity of the tradition.

⁹The person who is a Christian recognizes the other traditions as genuine in some sense, but the person who is a Christian also recognizes that the Christian tradition is the true tradition, the tradition of the incarnation, the tradition of the redemption through the death and the resurrection of the Christ. The Christian tradition's claim of the exclusive right is not the claim that the other traditions are false in every respect, but the claim that the other traditions do not have the full truth, the full knowledge, the full salvation.

¹⁰The person who is a Muslim recognizes the other traditions as genuine in some sense, but the person who is a Muslim also recognizes that the Islamic tradition is the true tradition, the tradition of the submission to Allah, the tradition of the following of the Prophet Muhammad. The Islamic tradition's claim of the exclusive right is not the claim that the other traditions are false in every respect, but the claim that the other traditions do not have the full truth, the full knowledge, the full submission.

¹¹The person who is a Hindu recognizes the other traditions as genuine in some sense, but the person who is a Hindu also recognizes that the Hindu tradition is the true tradition, the tradition of the non-dual knowledge, the tradition of the Vedas as the authority. The Hindu tradition's claim of the exclusive right is not the claim that the other traditions are false in every respect, but the claim that the other traditions do not have the full truth, the full knowledge, the full liberation.

¹²What the Synthesis Can and Cannot Do

¹³The synthesis cannot resolve the problem of the exclusive claim, because the exclusive claim is the core of the identity of the tradition, and the identity of the tradition is not negotiable. The synthesis cannot say that the exclusive claim is false, because the claim is the core of the identity, and the claim is the witness of the person who is a part of the tradition.

¹⁴The synthesis can say that the exclusive claim is the witness of the person who is a part of the tradition, and that the witness is genuine from the perspective of the tradition, but that the witness is not the whole of the truth, and that the whole of the truth is larger than the witness of any single tradition. The synthesis can say that the truth is too large for any single tradition, and that the person who recognizes the truth must be open to the truth that is larger than the tradition, larger than the exclusive claim, larger than the identity of the tradition.

¹⁵The synthesis can say that the person who is a part of the tradition must honor the tradition, must honor the exclusive claim, must honor the identity of the tradition, while also recognizing that the tradition is not the whole of the truth, that the exclusive claim is not the whole of the truth, that the identity of the tradition is not the whole of the truth. The person who honors the tradition while recognizing the limitation of the tradition is the person who is faithful to the tradition and faithful to the truth.

¹The practical difficulties of the spiritual life are the most difficult and the most important, because the recognition of the truth is not the same as the transformation of the person, and the transformation of the person is the most difficult and the most important of the spiritual tasks.

²The Difficulty of the Beginning

³The first practical difficulty is the beginning, the difficulty of starting the spiritual life when the person is so deeply embedded in the ordinary consciousness, the ordinary desires, the ordinary fears, the ordinary patterns. The person who is beginning the spiritual life is the person who is awakening to the truth, but the awakening is only the beginning, and the beginning is the most difficult part, because the person must find the path, must find the teacher, must find the practice, must find the way to begin.

⁴The Buddhist teaching of the first foundation of mindfulness (the mindfulness of the body) is the most practical of the Buddhist teachings for the beginning, because the body is the most accessible object of the mindfulness, and the mindfulness of the breathing is the most practical of the mindfulness practices. "The person who begins the spiritual life should begin with the mindfulness of the breathing, the mindfulness of the body, the mindfulness of the simplest object. The person should not try to understand everything at once, but should begin with the simplest practice, and trust that the practice will lead to the understanding" (from the Satipatthana Sutta, MN 10, paraphrase).

⁵The Quaker teaching of "let your life speak" is the most practical of the Quaker teachings for the beginning, because the person who begins the spiritual life should not try to speak the truth but should let the life speak the truth. The person should live the truth, the person should practice the truth, the person should embody the truth, and the person's life will speak the truth without the person's words.

⁶The Taoist teaching of the wu-wei is the most practical of the Taoist teachings for the beginning, because the person who begins the spiritual life should not try to do too much, but should begin with the simplest practice of the wu-wei, the practice of the non-action, the practice of the effortlessness. The person should begin with the simplest practice, the person should begin with the practice of the letting go of the desires, the letting go of the ambitions, the letting go of the knowledge, and the person should trust that the practice will lead to the understanding.

⁷The Difficulty of the Continuation

⁸The second practical difficulty is the continuation, the difficulty of maintaining the practice over time, the difficulty of continuing the spiritual life when the initial enthusiasm fades, when the difficulties arise, when the obstacles appear, when the person becomes bored, when the person becomes discouraged, when the person becomes distracted.

⁹The Buddhist teaching of the right effort (the cultivation of the four right efforts: the prevention of the unwholesome states, the abandonment of the unwholesome states, the cultivation of the wholesome states, the maintenance of the wholesome states) is the most practical of the Buddhist teachings for the continuation, because the person who maintains the practice is the person who develops the four right efforts, the person who prevents the unwholesome states, the person who abandons the unwholesome states, the person who cultivates the wholesome states, the person who maintains the wholesome states.

¹⁰The Christian teaching of the perseverance in the prayer is the most practical of the Christian teachings for the continuation, because the person who maintains the practice is the person who perseveres in the prayer, the person who continues the prayer even when the prayer becomes dry, even when the prayer becomes difficult, even when the prayer becomes boring. The person who perseveres in the prayer is the person who continues the practice, the person who does not give up, the person who does not quit, the person who does not abandon the practice.

¹¹The Taoist teaching of the wu-wei is the most practical of the Taoist teachings for the continuation, because the person who maintains the practice is the person who practices the wu-wei, the person who does not force the practice, the person who does not try to achieve the practice, the person who simply rests in the practice, the person who trusts that the practice will lead to the understanding. The person who does not force the practice, the person who does not strive for the practice, the person who does not make an effort of will—the person who maintains the practice.

¹²The Difficulty of the Obstacles

¹³The third practical difficulty is the obstacles, the difficulties that arise in the practice, the difficulties that the person must face and overcome. The person who practices the spiritual life will encounter the obstacles, and the person must recognize the obstacles, must understand the obstacles, must work through the obstacles.

¹⁴The Buddhist teaching of the five hindrances is the most practical of the Buddhist teachings for the obstacles, because the person who practices the spiritual life will encounter the five hindrances: the sensual desire, the ill-will, the sloth and torpor, the restlessness and worry, the doubt. The person must recognize the hindrances, must understand the hindrances, must work through the hindrances, and the person who works through the hindrances is the person who is free from the hindrances.

¹⁵The Christian teaching of the seven deadly sins (the pride, the greed, the wrath, the envy, the lust, the gluttony, the sloth) is the most practical of the Christian teachings for the obstacles, because the person who practices the spiritual life will encounter the seven deadly sins, and the person must recognize the sins, must understand the sins, must work through the sins. The person who works through the sins, the person who overcomes the sins, the person who is free from the sins—is the person who is free from the obstacles.

¹⁶The Sufi teaching of the seven valleys (the Valley of Search, the Valley of Love, the Valley of Knowledge, the Valley of Detachment, the Valley of Unity, the Valley of Astonishment, the Valley of Poverty and Annihilation) is the most practical of the Sufi teachings for the obstacles, because the person who practices the spiritual life will go through the seven valleys, and the person must recognize the valleys, must understand the valleys, must work through the valleys. The person who works through the valleys, the person who goes through the valleys, the person who is free from the obstacles—is the person who is free from the difficulties.

¹⁷The Difficulty of the Integration

¹⁸The fourth practical difficulty is the integration, the difficulty of integrating the spiritual life with the ordinary life, the difficulty of living the spiritual life in the world, the difficulty of being the person who is transformed in the world while still living in the world.

¹⁹The Buddhist teaching of the integration of the practice with the ordinary life is the most practical of the Buddhist teachings for the integration, because the person who practices the spiritual life must integrate the practice with the ordinary life, must bring the mindfulness into the daily activities, must bring the compassion into the daily interactions, must bring the wisdom into the daily decisions. The person who integrates the practice with the ordinary life is the person who lives the spiritual life in the world, the person who is the person of the spiritual life in the ordinary life.

²⁰The Christian teaching of the integration of the prayer with the ordinary life is the most practical of the Christian teachings for the integration, because the person who practices the spiritual life must integrate the prayer with the daily life, must bring the prayer into the daily activities, must bring the love into the daily interactions, must bring the service into the daily work. The person who integrates the prayer with the ordinary life is the person who lives the spiritual life in the world, the person who is the person of the spiritual life in the ordinary life.

²¹The Taoist teaching of the wu-wei as the integration of the practice with the ordinary life is the most practical of the Taoist teachings for the integration, because the person who practices the spiritual life must integrate the wu-wei with the daily life, must bring the wu-wei into the daily activities, must bring the naturalness into the daily interactions, must bring the effortlessness into the daily work. The person who integrates the wu-wei with the ordinary life is the person who lives the spiritual life in the world, the person who is the person of the spiritual life in the ordinary life.

²²The Practical Wisdom of the Difficulties

²³The practical wisdom of the difficulties is the recognition that the difficulties are the normal, the difficulties are the expected, the difficulties are the part of the practice, the difficulties are the means of the transformation. The person who recognizes the difficulties as the normal, the person who recognizes the difficulties as the expected, the person who recognizes the difficulties as the part of the practice—the person is free from the anxiety of the difficulties, the person is free from the fear of the difficulties, the person is free from the discouragement of the difficulties. The person who is free from the anxiety, the fear, the discouragement of the difficulties is the person who can work through the difficulties, the person who can overcome the difficulties, the person who can continue the practice through the difficulties.

²⁴The synthesis of the practical wisdom of the difficulties is the recognition that the difficulties are the normal, the difficulties are the expected, the difficulties are the part of the practice, the difficulties are the means of the transformation. The person who recognizes the difficulties as the normal, the person who recognizes the difficulties as the expected, the person who recognizes the difficulties as the part of the practice—the person is free from the anxiety, free from the fear, free from the discouragement of the difficulties. The person who is free from the anxiety, the fear, the discouragement of the difficulties is the person who can work through the difficulties, the person who can overcome the difficulties, the person who can continue the practice through the difficulties.

¹When all the differences are acknowledged, when all the tensions are held honestly, when all the disagreements are not resolved, there is a core of agreement that emerges across the traditions. The core is not a doctrine; it is a set of practical insights that all the traditions share, and the practical insights are the most important part of the wisdom made one.

²1. The person is not what the person thinks they are.

³The ordinary consciousness is mistaken about the nature of the self, the nature of the world, the nature of the relationship between the self and the world. The liberation is the recognition of the true nature of the self, the true nature of the world, the true nature of the relationship between the self and the world.

⁴2. Suffering is real, and the suffering is the starting point of the spiritual life.

⁵The person who experiences suffering is the person who is motivated to seek the liberation from suffering, and the person who seeks the liberation from suffering is the person who is on the path. The suffering is the starting point of the spiritual life, and the liberation from suffering is the goal of the spiritual life.

⁶3. The liberation is the cessation of suffering, the recognition of the true nature of the self, the alignment with the truth.

⁷The liberation is the result of the practice, the liberation is the result of the transformation of the person, the liberation is the result of the recognition of the truth, the liberation is the result of the cessation of the suffering.

⁸4. The practice is the necessary means of the liberation, and the practice is the most difficult and the most important of the spiritual tasks.

⁹The person who practices the spiritual life is the person who is transformed, and the person who is transformed is the person who is liberated. The practice is the necessary means of the liberation, and the practice is the most difficult and the most important of the spiritual tasks.

¹⁰5. The attention is the most fundamental of the faculties, and the training of the attention is the most fundamental of the practices.

¹¹The person who trains the attention is the person who is transformed, and the person who trains the attention is the person who is liberated. The training of the attention is the most fundamental of the practices.

¹²6. The will is the most important of the faculties, and the training of the will is the most important of the practices.

¹³The person who trains the will is the person who is transformed, and the person who trains the will is the person who is liberated. The training of the will is the most important of the practices.

¹⁴7. Love is the most powerful of the forces, and the cultivation of love is the most powerful of the practices.

¹⁵The person who cultivates love is the person who is transformed, and the person who cultivates love is the person who is liberated. The cultivation of love is the most powerful of the practices.

¹⁶8. Silence is the most important of the practices, and the practice of the silence is the means of the encounter with the truth.

¹⁷The person who practices the silence is the person who encounters the truth, and the person who encounters the truth is the person who is liberated. The practice of the silence is the means of the encounter with the truth.

¹⁸9. The community is the most important of the supports, and the practice of the community is the means of the transformation of the person.

¹⁹The person who practices the community is the person who is supported, the person who is supported is the person who is transformed, and the person who is transformed is the person who is liberated. The practice of the community is the means of the transformation of the person.

²⁰10. The truth is larger than any single tradition, and the person who seeks the truth must be open to the truth that is larger than the tradition.

²¹The person who is open to the truth that is larger than the tradition is the person who is open to the whole of the truth, the person who is open to the truth that is larger than the exclusive claim, the person who is open to the truth that is larger than the identity of the tradition. The person who is open to the whole of the truth is the person who is wise, the person who is open to the whole of the truth is the person who is liberated.

¹The wisdom made one is the wisdom of the traditions, gathered together, recognized as the convergent insight of the spiritual life. The wisdom is not the property of any tradition; the wisdom is the common inheritance of the spiritual life, and it is the common inheritance of the person who seeks the liberation.

²The person who reads all of this together is the person who recognizes the convergent insight, the recognition that the person is not what the person thinks they are, the recognition that the liberation is the recognition of the true nature of the self, the true nature of the world, the true nature of the relationship between the self and the world. The person who recognizes the convergent insight is the person who is beginning the spiritual life, the person who is on the path, the person who is transforming, the person who is liberating.

³The person who reads all of this together is the person who recognizes the practical wisdom, the recognition that the practice is the necessary means of the liberation, the recognition that the training of the attention is the most fundamental of the practices, the recognition that the training of the will is the most important of the practices, the recognition that the cultivation of love is the most powerful of the practices, the recognition that the practice of the silence is the means of the encounter with the truth, the recognition that the practice of the community is the means of the transformation of the person.

⁴The person who reads all of this together is the person who recognizes the distinctive contributions of the traditions, the recognition that each tradition has something to offer that no other tradition fully offers, and that the person who seeks the whole of the wisdom must engage the full range of the traditions, must recognize the distinctive contributions of each tradition, must honor the distinctive contributions of each tradition.

⁵The person who reads all of this together is the person who recognizes the unresolved tensions, the recognition that the traditions genuinely disagree on some of the most fundamental questions, and that the disagreements are real, and that the disagreements are not fully resolvable by any synthesis. The person who recognizes the unresolved tensions is the person who is honest about the spiritual life, the person who recognizes the limitations of the synthesis, the person who recognizes the need for the practice, the person who recognizes the need for the transformation.

⁶The person who reads all of this together is the person who recognizes the simplicity that remains, the ten core things that all the traditions agree on, the practical insights that are the most important part of the wisdom made one.

⁷The person who reads all of this together is the person who begins the spiritual life, the person who is on the path, the person who is transforming, the person who is liberating. The person who reads all of this together is the person who is beginning to be wise, the person who is beginning to be liberated, the person who is beginning to be one with the wisdom of the traditions.

⁸This is the wisdom made one, the wisdom of the traditions, the wisdom of the convergent insight, the wisdom of the practical wisdom, the wisdom of the distinctive contributions, the wisdom of the unresolved tensions, the wisdom of the simplicity that remains.

⁹The person who reads all of this together is the person who is beginning to be wise.

¹⁰AUTHORS AND TEXTS THAT HAVE SHAPED THIS SYNTHESIS

¹¹Hinduism: The Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, Atharvaveda; the Upanishads (Isha, Kena, Katha, Mundaka, Aitareya, Taittiriya, Chandogya, Brihadaranyaka, Mandukya, Taittiriya, Shvetashvatara, Muktika); the Bhagavad Gita; the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali; the Samkhya Karika of Isvarakrishna; the Brahma Sutras of Badarayana; the Vivekachudamani of Shankara; the Yoga Vasistha; the Ashtavakra Gita; the Avadhuta Gita; the Devi Mahatmya; the Tirumurai of the Tamil Saiva tradition; the Divya Prabandham of the Tamil Vaishnava tradition; the Ribhu Gita; Gaudapada Karika; the Puranas (Vishnu Purana, Shiva Purana); the Dattatreya teachings.

¹²Buddhism — Theravada: The Pali Canon/Tipitaka (Digha Nikaya, Majjhima Nikaya, Samyutta Nikaya, Anguttara Nikaya, Khuddaka Nikaya: Dhammapada, Sutta Nipata, Udana, Itivuttaka); the Abhidhamma Pitaka; the Vinaya Pitaka; the Jataka tales.

¹³Buddhism — Mahayana: The Prajnaparamita Sutras (Heart Sutra, Diamond Sutra, Lotus Sutra, Avatamsaka Sutra, Lankavatara Sutra, Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra, Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra); the Pure Land texts (Infinite Life Sutra, Nembutsu); the Mahaparinirvana Sutra; the Samdhinirmocana Sutra; the Ratnagotravibhaga (Uttaratantra).

¹⁴Buddhism — Vajrayana/Tibetan: The Tibetan Book of the Dead (Bardo Thodol); Dzogchen teachings (Nyingthig Yabshi, Longchenpa's Seven Treasures, the Dzogchen tantras); Mahamudra texts; Guhyasamaja Tantra; Chakrasamvara Tantra; Kalachakra Tantra; Santideva's Bodhicaryavatara; the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying.

¹⁵Jainism: The Acaranga Sutra; the Sutrakritanga; the Bhagavati Sutra; the Tattvartha Sutra; the Uttaradhyayana Sutra.

¹⁶Taoism: The Tao te Ching; the Zhuangzi (Inner Chapters, Outer Chapters, Miscellaneous Chapters); the Liezi; the I Ching (Book of Changes with the Ten Wings commentaries); the Wenzi; the Huainanzi; the Baopuzi; the Yangchu texts; the Secret of the Golden Flower (Tai Yi Jin Hua Zong Zhi); the Book of Balance and Harmony (Zhong He Ji); the Neidan (Inner Alchemy) texts.

¹⁷Confucianism: The Analects (Lunyu); the Mencius; the Doctrine of the Mean (Zhongyong); the Great Learning (Daxue); the Xunzi; the Spring and Autumn Annals (Chunqiu); the Classic of Filial Piety; the I Ching in the Confucian commentary tradition.

¹⁸Judaism: The Torah/Pentateuch; the Prophets (Nevi'im: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel); the Writings (Ketuvim: Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Lamentations, Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah, Chronicles); the Babylonian Talmud; the Jerusalem Talmud; the Midrash (Genesis Rabbah, Exodus Rabbah, Leviticus Rabbah); the Zohar; the Sepher Yetzirah; the Etz Chaim (Lurianic Kabbalah); the Pardes Rimonim (Moses de Leon); the writings of the Baal Shem Tov and the Hasidic masters.

¹⁹Christianity — New Testament: The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John); Acts; the Pauline Epistles (Romans, 1-2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, Philemon); the General Epistles (Hebrews, James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude); Revelation; the Apocrypha of the New Testament (Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Philip, Gospel of Mary, Apocryphon of John, Gospel of Truth, Proto-Gospel of James, Infancy Gospel of Thomas, Acts of Paul and Thecla, Shepherd of Hermas, Didache).

²⁰Christianity — Early Church/Monastic: The Sayings of the Desert Fathers and Mothers (Apophthegmata Patrum); Evagrius Ponticus (Praktikos, Antirrhetikos, Kephalaia Gnostica); John Cassian (Conferences, Institutes); Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (Mystical Theology, Divine Names, Celestial Hierarchy, Ecclesiastical Hierarchy); Meister Eckhart (Sermons, Treatises); Julian of Norwich (Revelations of Divine Love); Hildegard of Bingen (Scivias, Liber Divinorum Operum, Physica, Causae et Curae); Teresa of Avila (Interior Castle, The Way of Perfection, The Life); John of the Cross (The Dark Night of the Soul, The Ascent of Mount Carmel, The Living Flame of Love, The Spiritual Canticle); Thomas Merton (New Seeds of Contemplation, The Seven Storey Mountain, No Man Is an Island); Richard Rohr (Falling Upward, The Universal Christ); Henri Nouwen (The Return of the Prodigal Son, The Inner Voice of Love).

²¹Christianity — Quakers: A Quaker Book of Wisdom: Life Lessons in Simplicity, Service, and Common Sense by Robert Lawrence Smith; the Journal of John Woolman; the Epistles of the Early Quakers; the writings of George Fox; the writings of Margaret Fell.

²²Islam — Quran and Hadith: The Quran (especially the Meccan suras: Surah 112 Al-Ikhlas, Surah 1 Al-Fatiha, Surah 96 Al-Alaq, Surah 74 Al-Muddaththir, Surah 93 Al-Duha, Surah 94 Al-Sharh); Sahih Bukhari; Sahih Muslim; Abu Dawood; Tirmidhi; Ibn Majah; Daruqutni; Malik's Muwatta.

²³Islam — Sufism: Rumi's Masnavi (particularly Book 1, the reed flute opening); Rumi's Divan Shams; Fariduddin Attar's Conference of the Birds (Mantiq al-Tayr); Attar's Ilahi Nama (The Divine Names); Sana'i's Hadiqat al-Haqiqah (The Garden of Truth); Al-Ghazzali's Ihya Ulum al-Din (The Revival of the Religious Sciences); Al-Ghazzali's Al-Munqidh min al-Dalal (Deliverance from Error); Ibn Arabi's Fusus al-Hikam (The Bezels of Wisdom); Ibn Arabi's Futuhat al-Makkiyah (Meccan Illuminations); Ibn Arabi's Whoso Knoweth Himself; Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi's Maktubat (Letters); Shah Wali Allah's Hujjat Allah al-Baligha.

²⁴Zoroastrianism: The Avesta (Yasna, Vendidad, Yashts, especially the Gathas); the Bundahishn.

²⁵Greek/Platonic/Neoplatonic: Plato (Republic, Phaedo, Symposium, Phaedrus, Timaeus, Laws, Apology, Crito, Meno, Euthyphro, Gorgias, Cratylus, Parmenides, Theaetetus, Sophist, Statesman); Aristotle (Nicomachean Ethics, Metaphysics, De Anima); Plotinus (Enneads); Porphyry (Isagoge, On Images of the Gods, On Abstinence); Iamblichus (On the Mysteries); Proclus (Elements of Theology, Commentary on the Timaeus); pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (Mystical Theology, Divine Names, Celestial Hierarchy, Ecclesiastical Hierarchy).

²⁶Stoicism: Epictetus (Discourses, Enchiridion, Fragments); Marcus Aurelius (Meditations); Seneca (Letters to Lucilius, Natural Questions, On Benefits, On Anger, On Providence, On the Tranquility of Mind, On the Happy Life, On the Shortness of Life); Zeno of Citium (fragments); Cleanthes (Hymn to Zeus).

²⁷Hermetic: The Corpus Hermeticum; the Asclepius; the Hermetic fragments.

²⁸Egyptian: The Pyramid Texts; the Coffin Texts; the Book of the Dead (Pert em Hru); the Book of Gates; the Amduat (Book of That Which is in the Underworld); the Litany of Re; the Book of the Earth; the Book of Caverns; the Opening of the Way (Isha Schwaller de Lubicz).

²⁹Mesopotamian: The Epic of Gilgamesh; the Enuma Elish; the Atrahasis.

³⁰Indigenous/Other: The Ifa Odu Corpus (Yoruba); various Bantu philosophical texts; specific primary recorded sources from Native American, Australian Aboriginal, and other oral traditions; the Book of Enoch; the Book of Jubilees; the Wisdom of Solomon; the Sirach (Ecclesiasticus); the Prayer of Manasseh; the 1 Enoch; the 2 Enoch; the Apocalypse of Abraham; the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs; the Liturgy of the Hours.

³¹Other Formative Texts: The Kybalion (recognizing it as a later text but relevant for Hermetic principles); the texts of the Shetaut Neter (Egyptian wisdom tradition); the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying (Sogyal Rinpoche's compilation from traditional sources); the writings of Alan Watts; the writings of Jiddu Krishnamurti; Sri Aurobindo's The Life Divine; Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now; A Course in Miracles.

³²Celtic and related primary texts: The Song of Amergin; the Book of Taliesin; the Black Book of Carmarthen; the Book of Aneirin; the Táin Bó Cúailnge (Cattle Raid of Cooley); the Acallam na Senórach (Colloquy of the Ancient Saints); The Shining Realm; The Sidhe by John Matthews; The Mist-Filled Path by Frank MacEowen; The Faerie Way by Hugh Mynne; The Book of Celtic Wisdom by Michael Scott; The Opening of the Way by Isha Schwaller de Lubicz; Red Sky at Night by Jane Struthers; Textbook of Wisdom by Edward de Bono; Five Volumes of Spiritual Wisdom.

³³And the person who reads all of this together is the person who is beginning to be wise. The person who reads all of this together is the person who is beginning to be liberated. The person who reads all of this together is the person who is beginning to be one with the wisdom of the traditions.

³⁴The person who reads all of this together is the person who is beginning to recognize the wisdom made one.

³⁵End of the Five-Volume Synthesis.