The four Gospels are the sole source from which one knows of Christ and his teachings.
“The Kingdom of Heaven” belongs to the few, who can attain “Salvation”. The Kingdom of Heaven, the Kingdom of God means esotericism, that is, the inner circle of humanity and also the knowledge and the ideas of this circle. The Kingdom of God is on earth and can be attained during life. The approach to Truth requires exceptional efforts and exceptional conditions. Only a few can approach Truth.
“Poor in Spirit” – It does not mean “weak in spirit” or poor, destitute in the material sense. These words contain the Buddhist idea of non-attachment to things.
He warns against outward religious forms and outward piety and outward saintliness.
The Gospel parables are similar to Buddhist books parables in tone and composition.
Christ was acquainted with eastern teachings and particularly with Buddhism.
“Rich” has many different meanings. It contains the idea of “attachment”- sometimes the idea of great knowledge, a great mind, a great talent, fame, position. All these are riches. Attachment to Church religion is also “riches”. All close the entrance to the “Kingdom of Heaven”. When a “rich man” becomes “poor in spirit” , becomes able to enter “Kingdom of Heaven”.
Esotericism gives life. There is “new birth” or resurrection or resuscitation. Life without the idea of esotericism is regarded as death. The dead people are not those who are buried in the earth, but, on the contrary, those are living in the ordinary sense. But they are dead from the point of view of esotericism. In the esoteric circle there is no death.
Christ’s precepts on watchfulness are very similar to the precepts of Buddha on the same subject. The necessity for being ready at any moment and the impossibility of knowing beforehand are emphasized.
The knowledge and capacity to keep secrets, that is, the knowledge and capacity to be silent is also important. The idea of keeping secrets is connected in esotericism with the idea of conserving energy. Silence, secrecy create a closed circle. The ability to keep silence or to say only what is necessary and when it is necessary, is the first degree of control of oneself.
He never taught all men not to resist evil, to turn the left cheek when they are smitten on the right. These are rules for the disciples, not general rule of conduct.
For inheriting eternal life, one should love the lord, one’s God with his whole mind, whole heart, whole soul, total strength; and one should love one’s neighbour as oneself. But a neighbour is one, who shows mercy on him. From the esoteric point of view a man’s neighbours are those who help him or may help him in his striving either to know esoteric truths or to approach esoteric work.
He warned against pseudo – religion. A pseudo-religion is one, in which so-called religious teachers appropriate his teaching and in his name continue to teach exactly contrary to what He really taught. According to the Gospel terminology this is offence.
His teaching is not for all, but it is strictly practical in all its details. It is practical first of all because it is not for all.
The legend of the Holy Grail :- The idea of hidden knowledge and the possibility of finding it after a long and arduous search is its content. The Holy Grail, the cup from which Christ drank (or the platter from which Christ ate) at the last supper and in which Joseph of Arimethea collected Christ’s blood, was according to a mediaeval legend brought to England. To those who saw it the Grail gave immortality and eternal youth. But it has to be guarded only by people perfectly pure in heart. If anyone approached It who was not pure-enough, the Grail disappeared. So important is esotericism and salvation.
All ideas have been taken from the writings of P.D. Ouspensky.
