The Great Way
Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, and Lao Tzu: The Parallel Sayings
"The Kingdom of God is within you and all around you, yet you do not see it." ~The Gospel of Thomas; parallels: Luke, Mary, Dialogue of the Savior
"Those who seek to find the One without ceasing, will find the Lord dwelling in their own hearts." ~The Bhagavad Gita
"The Kingdom is not coming in any way that you can observe. The Kingdom of God is already here—within you." ~The Gospel According to Luke; parallels: Thomas, Mary
"Those who find the Way are those who have love and forgiveness in their hearts." ~The Bhagavad Gita
Judas asked Jesus, “How do we find the Way?” Jesus answered, “By developing love and compassion.” ~Dialogue of the Savior
"Listen to the Way which is called the eternal." ~The Upanishads
"Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you." ~The Gospel According to Matthew; parallels: Luke, Thomas
"Why should there be a reservoir when there is a flood everywhere?" ~The Upanishads
"The Way holds all things within Itself. Like the vastness of the universe, it lacks nothing, and nothing needs to be added to it." ~The Third Chinese Patriarch of Zen
"The Way is empty, the Way is full. There is no way to describe what it is. Find it within yourselves." ~The Tao Te Ching
"Before you set foot on the path, master yourself." ~The Dhammapada
"The perfect man is one whose sins are forgiven. He becomes one with the Way." ~The Tao Te Ching
"No one can understand the Way unless they have pure hearts." ~The Dhammapada
"In bygone days men of wisdom honored the Way by declaring that it could be found by all who seek it." ~The Tao Te Ching
"Listen carefully and faithfully to the Way—for it is mighty." ~The Sutra of Forty-two Sections
"The Way is complete in itself. All blessings come from it, and it holds nothing back from anyone." ~The Tao Te Ching
"The Way you have found is not known even to the angels. It proceeds from the One. Follow it." ~Dialogue of the Savior
"There are two paths that are eternal: the path of light and the path of darkness. One path leads to liberation, the other leads to sorrow." ~The Bhagavad Gita
"Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." ~The Gospel According to Matthew; parallel: Luke
"The light that resides in the sun shines light on all beings. It enters the Earth as my Being, for I nourish all things." ~The Bhagavad Gita
"When I came among humanity I opened the door to the Way. I showed you the path that you must follow. You will find it within yourselves." ~Dialogue of the Savior
"I have revealed to you the most secret doctrine...those who are able to see it have seen the Light." ~The Bhagavad Gita
"Words cannot describe what the Way is, but do not lose sight of it, for then it might be lost forever." ~The Buddha
"The Way is mighty, yet people prefer smaller paths." ~The Tao Te Ching
"Once you have crossed the river, leave the raft behind. This is the Way I have taught you." ~The Majjhima Nikaya Sutra
"I seek to understand and walk the Way, so that I do not lose sight of it. The Way is not complex, nor is it hidden from anyone. People just choose to ignore it." ~The Tao Te Ching
"Those with a pure heart, and who seek the Way without ceasing, will find it. It is like cleaning glass until the dust is removed." ~The Dhammapada
"The secret of the Way waits for those who have overcome desire." ~The Tao Te Ching
"Open the door to the Way that is within you, so that you may be a guide to those who wish to follow you. Encourage all those who are ready to follow the Way and receive its blessings." ~The Second Apocalypse of James
"I am the Way for the traveler. I am the Master who watches in silence. I am your friend and your shelter. I am the beginning and the end of all things. I am the seed of the Universe. I am the supreme treasure." ~The Bhagavad Gita
"I am a beacon of light to those who see Me. I am a mirror to those who look for Me. I am a door to those who knock on Me. I am a Way for you, the traveler." ~The Hymn of Jesus from The Acts of John
"When the mind becomes still, when thinking ceases, this is the beginning of the supreme path." ~The Katha Upanishad
"The Kingdom is within you, and one who knows himself will find it." ~Papyrus Oxyrhynchus; parallels: Thomas, Luke, Mary, Dialogue of the Savior
"God allowed man to look outward, but in seeing the outer, the inner is ignored. Those who see the eternal, turn their gaze within." ~The Katha Upanishad
"Seeking within, you will find stillness. Here there is no more fear or attachment—only joy." ~The Dhammapada
"When the wise man hears of the Way, he tries hard to follow it. When the average person hears of the Way, he tries to keep it, but eventually loses it. When those who are ignorant hear of the Way, they just laugh. If people didn’t laugh at it, it wouldn’t be the Way." ~The Tao Te Ching
"Those are fortunate who have eyes to see the great Way. They know that there is no other path to purifying the intellect. Seek this Way." ~The Dhammapada
"Those who say they have found the Way, have not. That which is eternal, cannot be spoken of. It lies within." ~The Tao Te Ching
"It is good to practice the Way, and to seek truth. Being in harmony with the Way is even better." ~The Kevaddha Sutra
"He who knows the Way does not let it show. Neither does he seek to be rewarded by anyone. Those who know the Way find their reward within themselves." ~The Tao Te Ching
"Many are the paths of men, though all those paths end in Me for those who love Me." ~The Bhagavad Gita
"Follow Me and leave the dead to bury the dead." ~The Gospel According to Matthew; parallel: Luke
"Follow the way of righteousness, for it leads to the highest goal." ~The Bhagavad Gita
"True humanity is within you. Seek and you will find it." ~The Gospel of Mary [Magdelene]; parallels: Thomas, Matthew, Luke
"Let those who are wise seek the Way. Those who find it will not return." ~The Bhagavad Gita
"Hurry, now, to follow the Way, for it is plain to seek but hard to walk upon." ~The Epistula Apostolorum
"The Way of the transcendent is difficult for mortals to attain." ~The Bhagavad Gita
"It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of heaven." ~The Gospel According to Matthew; parallel: Luke
"Those who follow the Way are like dry grass. They need to be protected from the flames of desire." ~The Sutra of Forty-two Sections
"To have knowledge of the Way is good. Conforming to the Way is best." ~The Tao Te Ching
"To follow the Way is goodness. To conform to the Way is greatness." ~The Sutra of Forty-two Sections
"If you seek the Way through learning, you will not understand it. If you seek the Way with a humble heart, then you will find it." ~The Tao Te Ching
"To live according to the Way is not easy or hard. But it is impossible for those who are fearful and lack commitment." ~The Third Chinese Patriarch of Zen
"The Way rewards those who embrace it. Misfortune waits for those who abandon it." ~The Tao Te Ching
"It is hard for those with power and wealth to follow the Way." ~The Kavaddha Sutra
"Act in harmony with the Way, and you will become the Way. Nurture the Way within yourself, and you will live a virtuous life." ~The Tao Te Ching
"The Master gives himself up to whatever the moment brings. He knows that he is going to die, and he has nothing left to hold on to; no illusions in his mind, no resistance in his body.He doesn’t think about his actions; they flow from the core of his being. He holds nothing back from life; therefore he is ready for death, as a man is ready for sleep after a good day’s work." ~Lao Tzu
~Excerpt from 'Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, and Lao Tzu: The Parallel Sayings' by Richard Hooper
Amazing Earth Artwork & Photo by Jon Foreman: Sculpt The World
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