[Matthew 5:8 NIV]
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
[Tao Te Ching 3 Star]
When action is pure and selfless
Everything settles into its own perfect place
Hugely interpreted, widely misunderstood, the Matthew saying of Jesus yields seemingly endless meanings.”Purity” is often read as moral rectitude, religious conformity, or pious otherworldliness. But these approaches seem to miss the essence.
Setting the Tao alongside the Gospel helps bring a wider vision of living in accord with the way of things rather than in constant opposition to them, as is often the case in dualistic religious practice.
Its a fruitful line of enquiry to ask how “seeing God” might have an equivalence with “things being settled”.
For example, “righteousness” might be expressed as (to quote Radiohead) “everything in its right place”, rather than a more moralistic, excluding, and judgemental reading.
Don Rogers said
Maybe the better question lies in what the meaning of to see God.
Don Rogers said
That should read:”Maybe the better question lies in what is the meaning of to see God.
cosmicpirate said
When we get out of our own way – being transparent to the transcendent, like a hollow bamboo – then we realize that everything is as it is.