Essays Essays III
ESSAYS 3
The book, Essays 3 is the last book of essays written by Maitreya. This book is mostly related to spiritual purification of the individual and community. The books of essays cover many topics in this regard.
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Golden Rule:
Do to others as you expect others to do unto you.
But if they did not do unto you as you expect, forgive them.
INTRODUCTION
In any given situation according to time, place, and people involved, the purpose (Daharma) of the laws are to bring justice. Therefore, we can never set some rigid rules and regulations and assume in all similar circumstances they can bring justice.
That is why when laws and a set of rules are created to regulate the society or to bring justice, after some period of time, such societies realize that those laws have become more important than the justice which they were supposed to bring.
That is, the following of the laws becomes so important that their spirit to bring justice is lost. Then they almost become rituals which are to be automatically performed instead of to be understood and changed to bring justice for each situation. In other words, the notion would be law, not justice, so a bureaucracy would be created. But whatever is rigid in this universe and does not do what it was intended to do (its Darma) has no choice but to be broken and replaced by another system which will suit the situation, or one which is flexible enough to change and adapt to the situation.
In order to bring a high ideal of justice to society, also only those who have overcome and have no guilt any longer can judge. The points above were well demonstrated by Esa and the adulterous woman. They brought her to him saying that they had caught her in the act of adultery and according to the laws of Moses she should be stoned. Esa said that he who has no guilt should throw the first stone. All left and no one was found worthy to judge her.
They were following the law but without considering her situation and also how hard it is to overcome. That is why only those who have overcome (have no guilt) know how hard it is to do so. They are aware of the forces in the universe and society, and how they cause a man to do things that he might not have done otherwise.
So such a person or persons will look at each situation on a deeper level by their intuition and knowledge, and then they will judge others. Only these people should be selected into the judiciary body of the government.
However, a base of general laws to govern the society can be accepted. But in each situation these basic laws should be adjusted to bring the desired justice. These Divine basic Laws have been brought to humanity through Moses and Prophet Muhammad.
Of course, many argue that these laws are harsh and outmoded. But the reason they have not been able to be used in any society to bring justice is because there has never been a society and people who have created an environment where these laws can be used.
In order to implement His Laws, a just society with just leaders is necessary. Unless an ideal environment is created, no law is just!
If such an environment is created, and then a person commits crimes, a harsh justice given through a just judge is readily acceptable. That is because in this situation the person has not done the crime because of physiological or safety needs, but other tendencies which deserve punishment.
Also it might be argued that according to the Law of Karma, people will be punished for their bad actions. Why then do we need to punish them externally if we know that they will be punished anyway?
Although that is true and the realized person has no doubt about that, not all people are realized. This external symbol of internal punishment is for those who are in their physical levels and need to see the punishment in this level.
Those who are in the spirit and see the justice in the spirit will not sin. He who does not sin does not need any laws.
In the following pages, some recommendations, Commandments, and points will be considered as guidance on the spiritual path. They are by no means the ultimate and not all of them are applicable for all. But except for the Commandments and Laws which should be followed, they are recommendations for those who follow them and will benefit the aspirants in their spiritual path, according to their situation (time, place, and people involved).
The essence of the teachings of Maitreya is the Eternal Divine Path, which leads a person to become Divine. So he who follows this path and has become it does not need to follow any rituals or laws, but the recommendations and laws in this book are helpful for a person to follow the Divine Path.
So it is a two-way consideration -- those who follow these recommendations (or any other practices helpful to them) will find it easier to follow the Eternal Divine Path, and he who is following the Path and has become it will easily follow these recommendations, understand their depth, and greatly benefit from them.
However, no rituals, meditation, exercises, etc., are valid if they do not lead a person to follow the Eternal Divine Path.