FIVE JEWELS OF WISDOM

A Discourse on the Art of Questing Life

By David Barrett-Murrer

Introduction

    The Five Jewels of Wisdom serve as a powerful source of inspiration for individuals seeking spiritual awakening. By internalizing these teachings, one can experience a profound cleansing of the mind and make rapid progress toward enlightenment. This approach is not confined to any specific belief system and can be embraced by anyone regardless of their faith. The Five Truths that underpin this method have been recognized for centuries and are akin to spiritual diamonds scattered throughout the secular world.

These jewels are:

(1) The Awareness of Karma

(2) The Spirit of Harmlessness

(3) The Cessation of Selfish Desire

(4) A Sustained Loving Attitude

(5) The Harmony of Freedom

    The concept of karma holds a profound truth that can revolutionise your life. It's a truth that has been known for ages, yet its practical significance often eludes us. When we grasp this truth, we understand that our suffering is not always imposed on us by others but is often a result of our own thoughts, words, and deeds.

    Karma is the law of cause and effect, also known as the law of reactivity. In science, it is known as the law of action and reaction. Although this law is part of most philosophies and cultures, its practical implications are seldom considered.

    Karma is not a hidden secret. It is a truth that has been overlooked and misunderstood. Mere acknowledgement is not enough; one must actively engage with this truth and live in its awareness. Only then can karma become a powerful force of transformation, a jewel of cleansing in one's life.

    Many people wonder how they can advance spiritually. Everyone can benefit from understanding the nature of karma as it is worked out in one's daily life. One will gain a theoretical understanding by thinking about and pondering the concept of karma. From this understanding, it is easy to discover that karma is a reality in everyone's life. If you can live with the awareness of karma, then the process of cleansing will naturally occur. This is part of the spiritual path that everyone can actively work on, irrespective of who or what you are.

    So what is this truth, this dynamic jewel of cleansing? It is simply this. Every thought we think, every word we speak, and every deed we do (good, bad and indifferent) will return to us in some form or another.

    The consequences are that if we hurt someone physically, emotionally, or mentally, then someone will, sooner or later, hurt us. If we love or show kindness, then that love or kindness will also return to us in some form or another. As in the Christian Bible, it is repeated that as we sow, so shall we reap what we have sown. These were once words of real significance, and they can still be used by those who understand the workings of karma in their lives.

    In this truth of karma, the three areas of activity are indicated as physical acts, words and thoughts. Moses gave the children of Israel a simple guide concerning their physical acts in the Ten Commandments. This is an essential and universal guide that every Jew, Christian and Muslim should adhere to (since all three are part of the same line of divine guidance). Yet sadly, even these simple commandments are mostly platitudes, just empty words in our modern-day world. If it were not so, how could a Christian kill a Muslim, a Muslim kill a Jew, or a Jew kill anyone? Have they forgotten the sixth commandment, 'You shall not kill'? However, their wars for power continue today. Some nations and weapon manufacturers make huge profits from wars.

    What people fail to see is that every act of violence they perform is accountable under karmic law. Sooner or later, in this or another life, they will suffer an equal act of violence and reap the full impact of their actions. Every hurt, severe or minor, on another being will incur a karmic reaction that will return to the perpetrator. The hard fact is that if you hurt or cheat someone, then someone, sooner or later, will hurt or cheat you.

    It may help in the understanding of karma to realise that karma is impersonal and indifferent to one's actions. Karma does not judge us. Rather, it simply returns to us in time and space what we put out in our thoughts, words and actions. If we show kindness and compassion to others then that kindness and compassion will certainly return to us in some form or other. Good deeds return spiritual merit or positive karma, while bad deeds return suffering or negative karma.

    Most people can distinguish between good and bad physical acts, but when it comes to acts such as adultery, for example, many fail to acknowledge the suffering inflicted on the innocent spouse and children. If your actions and choices cause suffering to others, then that suffering will return to you.

    Can you imagine the negative karma incurred by a terrorist who blows up innocent people just to make a political statement? If these terrorists truly understood the law of karma, would they want to acquire such a heavy karmic burden?

    Now, many people control their actions and do no physical harm to others. Yet, they still suffer emotionally, which brings us to the second area of karmic activity, which involves the words we speak and how we speak them. As our words invoke both good and bad karma, there are many ways in which we can be hurt by what we say to and about them. If we are feeling angry and voice that anger, causing distress to others, then it is a form of emotional abuse.

    Even malicious gossip is a form of verbal violence. Remember that those who gossip to you about others will also gossip to others about you. It is a vicious circle that many take pleasure in without realising the inevitable consequences of their malicious words. Thereby failing to see the real reason behind their suffering.

    Words can also be used to damage an individual's reputation, harming that person indirectly. Again, these words are karmic, and those who smear and slander another are opening themselves up to the same.

    Words can equally be used to heal, comfort and inspire others. This is positive karma, and these qualities of comfort and inspiration will enrich your life. Jesus gave us an excellent guide when he said, 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you' [Luke 6:31].

    Now, some are mindful of what they say, but others still say unkind and hurtful things to them. This brings us to the most important area of karmic activity: the thoughts we think. Cruel thoughts about others are as bad as cruel words or deeds, and all incur karma. There is no escaping the consequences of our thoughts, words, and deeds. Karma is unerring in all matters and cannot be avoided.

    Before speaking or acting negatively, you must think about it and mentally agree. If someone has developed a habit of negative or cruel responses, it may seem like this is an unstoppable process. However, a little awareness of the processes involved will soon reveal that one must agree with the action before acting on it. Usually, it comes as an urge to act on the first thought. If it is a habit, then going with it is almost effortless. However, with a slight effort of mind, you can refuse to act, overriding the urge. People have free will, so there is always a choice involved.

    When Jesus said that even thinking of adultery with someone is to commit that sin [Matthew 5:27–5:28], he was referring to the sins of the mind, our thoughts. Where Moses gave us the law of the commandments, which so many people have found unable to obey, Jesus gave us a tougher discipline that is much harder to live by.

    The things we do, the words we speak, and the thoughts we think are all karmically accountable. This can be terrible news for those who enjoy harming others and get an emotional kick out of it. On the other hand, for those who wish to enrich their lives, it is a wonderful revelation since karma works both ways. One only has to think, say and do the things that will help, comfort and inspire others to live a brighter and happier life. In this way, one begins to see the good in others and not dwell on the bad. Remember, we are all imperfect beings on the path of spiritual awakening.

    Our behaviour colours our lives with suffering, indifference or joy depending on what we think, say and do. We are in the driving seat regarding these matters. The following sentence provides an insight into the nature of suffering and the ending of suffering. Apart from past karma that has to be worked off, no one makes us suffer; we suffer by what we think, say and do. If each of us accepts this as a fact, the technique of positive harmlessness can become a powerful cleansing agent for one's heart and mind.

 THE SPIRIT OF HARMLESSNESS

    With the understanding of karma comes a profound realisation that all one needs to do is master the art of harmlessness in thought, word, and deed. Then, one’s karma becomes positive, and one’s life is transformed accordingly.

    A distinction should be made here between positive and negative harmlessness. Many immature or weak people use negative harmlessness because they fear other people’s reactions. This is simply a form of escape from the brutal world as they see it, whereas positive harmlessness is refraining from the urge to harm because the understanding of karma has been internalised. This means that they are aware of the consequences of their actions and are not acting out of fear of reprisals.

    It’s important to show mercy to others, as it’s the quality of strong, mature individuals who conscientiously choose to act harmlessly. Thus, they grow spiritually until the path of awakening becomes their only meaningful goal. It is a goal that all of us are striving to achieve, whether or not we are aware of it.

    Although simple, this harmlessness technique is difficult to adopt as a living awareness and challenging to master. It’s one of the most powerful techniques on the spiritual path and takes time, patience and a loving attitude. The spirit of harmlessness is a technique known for centuries by many different religions and belief systems. There are many examples of this in Jainism and Christianity. One familiar example is when Jesus told us to ‘love one another’ [John 15:12–15:13].

    A common error is when people think that they will advance spiritually by performing a particular meditation, by repeating a mantra or prayer, or by following some guru. Yet if they knew the true nature of awakening, they would see that the spirit of harmlessness is far more powerful than any other method, old or new.

    To ignore this technique of harmlessness is to discard a dynamic jewel of cleansing. It may be dismissed because it was found too hard to adopt or seen as too simple to be of any value. Yet, the truth is that focusing on this technique can, over time, do more for you than a lifetime of following other methods. Only by persisting can you learn the actuality of this ancient truth.

    The truth is that harmlessness is next to Godliness. The very substance of one's soul is spiritual love that is expressed as compassion. When there is no hate or bad feelings, then compassion can enter, and the light of one's soul can radiate through one's being. The spirit of harmlessness effectively prepares the ground for the soul to enter and illuminate one's life. However, while hate and bad feelings exist, the soul remains in abeyance. If you want the communion of God, Who is perfect love, then every shred of hate and negativity must be transcended. Here lies an opportunity for anyone who is truly seeking the only goal that really matters, a goal that has been called by various names such as liberation, moksha, enlightenment and the Kingdom of God.

 THE CESSATION OF SELFISH DESIRE

    Desire is generally a wish or longing for someone or something. It is an emotional thought focused on wanting or not wanting, which is commonly expressed as a craving for some object, person, or power.

    Here is another area of deep emotional suffering that stems from selfish desires. Buddha, who gave us great insights into the nature of desire, said that desire is the cause of all suffering, which means that to harm someone intentionally, you must first have the desire to hurt that person. While the technique of harmlessness covers a large area of negative desire, there is still an equally large area of selfish desire to which even spiritually advanced people can so easily succumb. Desire is simply an emotive thought focused on someone or something.

    At this stage, a distinction should be made between positive and negative desires. Positive desires are those that enhance one's development and help those around one. Take, for instance, the desire to become a doctor, a scientist, an artist, or the best human being one can be. These are positive desires and a natural part of the human experience. The diversity of human interests provides the individual with many potential experiences. Positive desires indicate one's true direction and should be encouraged.

    Negative desires can manifest themselves as selfish desires. Wishing or longing for anything unattainable will certainly cause suffering in one form or another. Whether you want to be wealthier or younger or desire another person's partner, your desire will eventually lead to suffering. Likewise, craving things you cannot afford will cause dissatisfaction with your current lifestyle. The desire for wealth is a negative one that has tempted many people into criminal activities to accumulate money.

    However, other negative, far subtler desires are equally damaging to one's emotional well-being. These are comparison, ambition, and self-importance.

Comparison

    Comparing yourself with other people can lead to a negative desire to be superior to another person or feel inferior to others, making you unhappy. Instead of just being yourself, there is a discord between what you are and what you think you should be or have.

    If the comparison is made to that of a spiritually awakened person like Buddha or Christ, the desire to be like them can be positive and part of the path. However, if the comparison is made based on someone’s wealth, social status, or position of authority, then the desire to be like them is negative. This negativity will rob you of your peace of mind, and your thoughts will be filled with stressful and unattainable desires. Losing one’s peace of mind leads to nothing but unhappiness.

Ambition

    When the desire is worked at intensely enough, it becomes the dominant factor in one's mind. From this burning desire comes ambition. To be ambitious is to be obsessed with some overwhelming desire. Many sacrifices must be made to achieve that ambition, such as neglecting family and friends. Much negative karma is also incurred as one treads over others to achieve the status or power they think will bring them happiness. However, without peace of mind, there can be no true and abiding happiness. Therefore, to be ambitious is to be possessed by negative desire.

Self-importance

    The primary cause of emotional suffering is usually our sense of self-importance. This can affect anyone from the least evolved to some of the most advanced individuals. The inherent drive of self-importance is a common source of emotional stress. Consider the following examples to put the nature of self-importance into an understandable perspective.

    If someone insults you, then it is your sense of self-importance that responds emotionally with hurt and retribution. Likewise, if someone praises you, then it is your sense of self-importance that responds emotionally with a feeling of pride and self-esteem. When self-importance is frustrated, then it becomes self-pity, which is one of the most crippling states of emotional suffering. Yet if one has no sense of self-importance, then insults and praise are meaningless.

    Socialites, intellectuals, and the wealthy tend to develop a hard-core sense of self-importance. These people usually find the path of awakening far more difficult since the path really begins when self-importance ends. The average person, who has less of a sense of self-importance, can and often does progress faster. It was true in Jesus's time and is still true today.

    From an awakened state, one sees the greater view of the soul, in which the personality is but a shadow of that soul. What does it matter to the soul if its shadow is insulted, praised or even abused? Likewise, would it matter to you if you saw a group of people insulting your car by calling it a stupid, ignorant piece of machinery or by praising it? It is the substance of the greater view, as seen by the soul, that dispels all sense of self-importance. Soul exists in a state of unity within a sea of love where self-importance is a shallow state that, eventually, everyone will transcend.

Self-importance is an inferior substitute for the purity of soul awareness.

    At this stage, all that is needed is to become aware of your selfish desires, comparisons, ambitions, and sense of self-importance. By recognising them for what they are, you will gradually transcend them and regain the peace of mind that comes from the purity of soul awareness.

A SUSTAINED LOVING ATTITUDE

    The awareness of karma gives one an understanding of the consequences of one's thoughts, words and deeds. The spirit of harmlessness gives one the means to cleanse oneself of much negativity. Then, the awareness of selfish desires reveals the cause of unnecessary suffering and stress. The fourth jewel of cleansing makes this process an uplifting experience since it involves cultivating a sustained, loving attitude, which brings a lightness of being into one's life and includes the cleansing quality of innocent laughter. The joy of laughter is a spiritual gift on the thorny path of spiritual awakening. It allows us to laugh at ourselves and see the brighter side of life in the secular world. However, malicious laughter and ridicule naturally express hate and bad feelings.

    Everyone has a loving attitude for certain people and things, such as their family, pets, home and garden. This attitude is there to a lesser or greater degree in everyone. To cultivate a loving attitude, this subtle quality must be discovered and expressed in daily life. For instance, that lovely feeling comes when you reconnect with a long-lost friend. In that moment of reconnection, close your eyes, forget your friend, and try to capture the unique quality of this extraordinary feeling. The quality of this loving attitude matters, not the reasons that manifest it. To understand love, you need to realise that it comes from within your being and that the people or things you love are merely the means for bringing this love to the surface.

    Many people fail to cultivate a loving attitude because they have not yet learned to forgive themselves and others. Forgiveness is not some sentimental idea but a practical way of clearing the mind and heart of unnecessary activity and emotional stress.

    There is a simple technique that you can use to enhance this subtle quality in your life, and it only takes five minutes each morning and five minutes last thing at night. Settle yourself comfortably with your eyes closed, take a few deep breaths, and relax. Now begin gently cultivating a loving attitude by visualising the ones you love most and capturing the quality or feeling of love. Then, gradually expand that feeling to include all the people you know, even those you dislike and those who dislike you. Feed this feeling with all the moments you have known or given love. Then, slowly extend this loving feeling to include the human race and the natural world. Finally, summon all the love you can until your love is absorbed within the greater love of God.

    Do this in the morning and last thing each night. If you persist for a few months, you should see a positive change in your life. This is not a sentimental or superficial activity. It is a jewel of cleansing that can, over time, connect you with the source of love within your being. The substance of the soul is spiritual love, and by using this technique, you are working towards union with that soul. The soul is the true master within and the inner guiding light in everyone.

    Another good reason for the daily cultivation of a loving attitude is that it will bring continuity to your life regarding your spiritual quest. A quest that can all too easily be forgotten or dismissed when busy in the secular world. This daily routine of cultivating a loving attitude is the natural preamble to daily meditation. After working with a loving attitude, ponder on the jewels of wisdom or any other teaching that you find appealing. This is the beginning of a meditation that will allow you to understand at a deeper, more intuitive level.

    Please do not dismiss these simple techniques, for they are some of the most profound truths on the spiritual path. Work with them, live with them, and discover for yourself the actual potency of these jewels of cleansing.

    The awareness of karma, the spirit of harmlessness, the cessation of selfish desire, and the sustained loving attitude with its spirit of forgiveness are the means for anyone to take up the spiritual path. This path eventually leads to a freedom that most people cannot even imagine. It does not matter who you are or even what you believe since these jewels of cleansing are a small part of the universal teaching of the New Age and apply to everyone.

THE HARMONY OF FREEDOM

    From the jewels of cleansing, one can discover the jewel of revelation, which eventually culminates in the harmony of freedom. Human consciousness is driven to seek its expansion. From the beginning, man has been confronted by the wondrous mystery of existence. Through the ages, he has expanded his awareness and understanding of our present state of being.

    Everyone is part of this expansion of consciousness. It is an expansion that has brought about marvellous discoveries regarding the natural world and the human species. However, collectively and individually, human consciousness is still fragmented by emotional and intellectual awareness. This fragmentation is the cause of conflicts and divisions between people, nations, religions, and ideologies invented by man. Conflicts and suffering will remain while there is a separation between people, groups, and nations.

     The cleansing of the fifth jewel of revelation comes in the understanding of the greater view in which the fragmented states of human consciousness are effortlessly transformed into a state of observable unity. Then, and only then, can this fifth jewel come forth with its revelations. In essence, this last jewel can be summed up as a deliberate expansion of consciousness with the letting go of self, belief and doubt. Hence, having these jewels of cleansing on the path of awakening is necessary.

     What is left when these cleansing jewels have done their work? A being whose body, heart, mind and soul function harmoniously. Now, the awareness of karma, the spirit of harmlessness, the cessation of selfish desire, and a sustained loving attitude are internalised and guide one through the interests and concerns of the secular world. You discover that your state of body, heart and mind have now gained an evenness of being. As many have before you, you may feel that you are in this world but not of this world.

     This evenness of being is the razor's edge, the middle path and the narrow way upon the thorny path of return to our divine origins. With this harmony of being, one can catch the elusive spirit of freedom that can take one to the very source of one's being. Yet, one cannot seek this subtle harmony. One cannot create it or even cultivate it. It is given by the grace of God to those who have attained an enduring evenness of being.

 
    The perfect jewel of enlightenment is finally discovered through the harmony of freedom. It is the heart of the lotus (soul), the living light that is eternal, and it is freedom from the long, dark process of human evolution. Then, one encounters a new and vast horizon waiting to be explored by the courageous questing soul.

    Human evolution and the path of awakening is a process of gradual development. The four jewels of cleansing and the fifth jewel of revelation can significantly enhance what is usually a slow process. The truth is that you need so little, but that little is not necessarily easy. In the beginning, many people find the working of these jewels an arduous task. However, once you have acknowledged these truths in your life, they take on a new and penetrating meaning. Little by little, you will grow more aware of yourself, others, and the natural world. Into this enhanced state of awareness, more profound revelations will naturally arise. Then, the jewels of cleansing are not seen as a discipline but as a natural balance on the path of awakening.

    There is a Buddhist story that indicates a very subtle truth. Please note that this is a free interpretation of the story and should not be considered as Buddha's actual words. The story is merely a parable.

    Buddha was often questioned by learned men on the nature of the cosmos and the natural world, but he usually said little or nothing. One day, while he was staying in a forest retreat in Kosambi, a group of his disciples were questioning him about the existence of God and the nature of the cosmos. Finally, Buddha picked up a few leaves and held them in his hand for all to see. Then he asked them, 'Which is more, the leaves in my hand or all the leaves in the forest?'

    They replied that the leaves in the forest were abundantly more than the few leaves in his hand. Buddha agreed, then said, 'If the leaves in this forest represent the sum of all the knowledge that I possess, then I tell you this: All that you need to know to reach enlightenment is contained in these few leaves in my hand. What I have not told you is not useful to the path. Therefore, I have not burdened you with what is not useful.' Buddha said that there is no need to understand everything. You only need to understand a little, and that little may be enough to understand everything.

    For Buddha, that little is expressed in the Four Noble Truths and the Eight-Fold Path of his teaching. Here, that little is expressed in the four jewels of cleansing and the fifth jewel of revelation. For those of you who can see or sense the rightness of these jewels, you have enough to place your feet firmly on the path of awakening. Then there is no turning back.

    In the story of the leaves, it should be noted that Buddha was indicating a way for his disciples to go beyond the intellect, that is, knowledge and thought. For the average person, emotional awareness must be cleansed of selfishness and gradually transcended. Then, intellectual awareness is duly worked at, and finally, this too is also transcended.

    The first four jewels of wisdom aid the transformation of emotional and social awareness. The fifth jewel begins to expand consciousness by developing intellectual awareness until the limitations of the intellect are seen. Usually, this involves studying the teachings and cultivating a greater, more inclusive view of existence. This may include science, philosophy, psychology and other schools of thought. It is simply the accumulation of intellectual knowledge that expands consciousness to a certain point. Then, the limitation of intellectual knowledge is seen for what it is, and it loses its attraction. Once seen, the realm of knowledge ceases to be so important. Now, intuitive awareness gradually becomes the source of revelations that the intellect can barely define. Beyond intuitive awareness, one discovers the realm of spiritual awareness (nirvana), where the journey begins anew on a higher turn of the upward spiral to the divinity that is the source of all being.

    This discourse can easily be read in an hour. However, to fully understand and benefit from these cleansing jewels of wisdom, one must ponder them profoundly and discover their inner meanings. Only by living in the understanding of these jewels can they transform your state of being. No one can do this for you. All one can do is inspire others towards their own understanding. For those who act on this inspiration, the path of awakening is theirs.

From the writings, 'In the Spirit of Freedom' by dbm

Copyright © dbm (David Barrett-Murrer) Feb 1998. All rights reserved.