ATTITUDES OF BEING
Based Upon
THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
a thematic approach
Background:
Found in the Gospel according to Matthew, chapter 5, 6 & 7, the Sermon covers the essentials of Jesus’ teachings.
The Beatitudes, verses 3-10 of chapter 5, are not only the introduction but the framework or essence around which the Sermon is developed. The remaining verses discuss Jesus’ understanding of the “Blessed” state of the Beatitude, “Attitudes of Being”, but the order is reversed.
UNIVERSAL TRUTH:
In the Beatitudes, Jesus parallels a universal theme found in all of the world’s religions. Direct correlation is found in the Budha’s 8-fold path and the 8-limbs of Raja Yoga from the Hindu tradition.
Session 2: Being Open — Unity: a consciousness of oneness.
Matthew 5:3: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
SM 21, “To be poor in spirit means to have emptied yourself of all desire exercise personal self-will.”
DPWY 59, “Blessed are the poor in pride.”
PC 48, “’Poor in spirit’ is a traditional Aramaic idiom meaning ‘humble.’”
Matthew 7:15-20, A Tree and Its Fruit “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.”
Matthew 7:21-23, Concerning Self-Deception: “Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord”, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only one who does the will of my Father in heaven.”
8-limbs Yama (self-restraint)
HTKG 141, “Yama is abstention from harming others, from falsehood, from theft, from incontinence, and from greed,”
8-fold path: Right understanding
BP 117, When is is developed it is the direct understanding of the true nature of physical phenomena and mental phenomena appearing in daily life.”
SUGGESTED READING:
SM 17-23, 131-142. DPWY 58-60, 145-146. PC 47-49. HTKG 141-143. BP 117-118.
THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT, Emmet Fox. (SM)
DISCOVER THE POWER WITHIN YOU, Eric Butterworth (DPWY)
PRAYERS OF THE COSMOS, Neil Douglas-Klotz (PC)
HOW TO KNOW GOD: The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali, Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood (HTKG)
THE BUDDHA’S PATH, Nina van Gorkom (BP)
Rev. Matthew E. Long – Peace Unity Network, Box 837, Clarkston, MI 48347 – (248) 891-4365
peaceunity.net peace.unity@sbcglobal.net