by Anthony Antonecchia
I understand the basic principles that connect all religions to be wonderfully woven through perennial wisdom and universal truths. In the heart of each path, I have encountered and experienced great oneness, loving-kindness, friendliness, benevolence, gratefulness, peace, joy, mercy, purity, and positivity. These unitive attributes are spiritual “spirit-jewels” which connect all peoples and paths through the pure heart essence of our spiritual-core, our common ground.
Sri Swami Satchidananda teaches, “Truth is One. Paths are many.” Pure Truth is universal, and all-paths ultimately lead to universal truth(s). Each individual’s spiritual soul journey is essentially a meaningful path of personal growth and love/consciousness/awareness expansion, ultimately leading to unity-union-oneness inter-connecting the light and love within with the Light and Love of All, all life, all beings, all places, all times, all there is, The One, The Universe, Creator, Source, Great Spirit, Holy Spirit, Sacred Energy, Pure Consciousness, God, Goddess/Goodness.
God is Good. To know God is to know what is good. What is good for God is good for all, because God is All, and in all. All is good, and goodness is in all. To see God is to see goodness within all. To be God, is to be good, benevolently, extending pure goodness unto all.
To love God is to love all. I resonate with Sathya Sai Baba’s teaching, “Love All, Serve All. Help Ever, Hurt Never.” Universal love, self-less service, and non-harm all shine and radiate from this illumining saying. Each of these rays shine forth from the One Light of Universal Truth, which ultimately connects all sacred/spiritual/religious/
“Core Values” are what seems to connect all paths, through the heart-center core of all. Core Values are core to our being, our existence, and our most optimal experience. Core Values of spirituality that connect all paths are limitless, inter-connected, and synergistic with each other. When a Core-Value is nurtured and cultivated within, the holistic eco-system of our being benefits as a whole, a variety of value-able qualities may flourish as a result. As we all are so inter-connected, as one expresses Core Value qualities, all around are benefitted and naturally nourished. Organically, what is inspired is the the reflection, expression, and expansion of core values through benefactors carrying the lit torch in their hearts to share and spread the light of core values with other hearts, with all hearts, as we shine in our sharing as One Heart illumined.
Zooming in closer toward the core for clarity, some of the many Core Values that connect all paths include Positivity, Well-Being, Love, Compassion, Peace, Joy, Gratefulness (gratitude, thanksgiving, thankfulness) Contentment, Kindness, Forgiveness, Selfless Service for the benefit of others, Benevolence, Friendliness, Respectfulness, Gentleness, Forgiveness, Truthfulness and Purity…through thought, word and deed (Pure mind, Pure Heart, Pure Body, Pure Spirit-Energy), Perseverance, Tolerance, Inner-Awareness (Connecting with the Indwelling sacred within… the Heart, breath, mind, body, and energetic field), Oneness (Inter-connectedness, Inter-dependence, Inter-relatedness, Inter-being, Oneness, Unity, True Self), Karma (Reap what you sow), Non-harm (Ahimsa Non-violence), Complimentary opposites (Yin-yang. Light-dark, night-day, Sacred masculine and sacred feminine), Simplicity, Sustainability (Care for Creation and balanced, reverential, relationship with the Natural world), Sacredness, Spiritual Practice (Self-discipline and virtue cultivation), Humility, Humor, Healing, Metaphor, and Meaning.
At their core, all-paths similarly express common values and principals, and each purposefully shines their light upon universal truth from different angles, from their own unique perspective. Comparatively exploring any particular principal or core value through multiple path perspectives, promotes the possibility for a wider spectrum of understanding, clarity, insight, and awareness in relation. Just as grains and legumes both compliment one another to form a full-scale complete protein, different paths and perspectives can complement one another to reveal truth more fully. I often discover that when exploring a principal or core value, one path will reveal and express one part of an insight, then exposure to additional path perspectives complimentary provides the supplemental wisdom component(s) necessary for deeper, optimal understanding. When I seek understanding of a universal principal, I find that exposure to a wide variety of sacred wisdom sources, helps me to holistically understand the many intricate aspects of this principal, along with what is valued most essentially, as expressed through reverence, emphasis, and repletion. The journey and process to the core can be as sweet, nourishing, and enjoyable, as the edible journey to one’s most favorite fruit core. May we savor, as we explore, toward the core, toward the One, toward Union, toward God, toward the Good together!
The beneficial relevance of these core values, principals, and qualities is manifold on many levels. On the individual level, encounters with core principal teachings can transform us, inspire us, and help to guide us toward optimal experience in this life. Awareness of universal principals can help shape our prayer life, what we intend for, what we affirm, and how we focus our life, and make decisions, to ultimately shape our course and our character consciously with clarity. How ideal life can be living these ideals. How whole, who holy, how happy they can vibrate within, and can also radiate beyond the person. Beyond the individual level, core values can be expressed and exemplified in our inter-actions. We can extend spiritual core values unto others harmoniously and non-harmfully, through sharing our inspired presence, being the change, of core universal truths, in our thoughts, words, and inter-actions, with those in our lives.
Ultimately, universal principals help to inter-link and unite us all through our common ground. They provide ways for us to identify, relate with, and understand each other. Universal principals help us to understand where our Venn diagrams overlap. May I/we embrace the diversity and the unity. May I/we accept and appreciate each colors spectacular contribution to the rainbow. I/we are all uniquely on an individual/infinite sacred journey. May I/we journey, in rainbow harmony; enhancing each others beauty complimentary, rising and arcing toward the Light of the One synergistic-ally, fully embracing our diversity…we are wholly holy in our Unity.
