Beyond Labels
Photo by Erol Ahmed
On these pages you’ll find references from Vedanta, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and other great spiritual traditions.
If you feel that the credibility of a spiritual reference depends on the author’s tradition, religion, denomination, membership status, gender, or rank, this website may not be for you!
On the other hand, if you find yourself inspired by Truth expressing Itself wherever it may be found, please enjoy your visit with us!
What's beautiful
about mystical study
and mystical exploration
is that it almost doesn't matter
which tradition you're in.
Each tradition expresses Truth
in a unique way,
but the underlying message
is really the same,
that God animates all of existence.¹
— Daniel Matt
If our faith can be shaken
from merely learning
about a different tradition,
then that faith
is not worth keeping.²
— Reverend Dr. Kang Won Yong
There is no rung of Being
on which we cannot find
the holiness of God
everywhere and at all times.³
— Martin Buber
This is the secret
of the unity of God,
no matter where I take hold
of a shred of it,
I hold the whole of it.⁴
— Martin Buber
Martin Buber, one of the greatest and most influential Jewish thinkers of the Twentieth Century, says of Jesus (‘Yeshua’ in Hebrew):
From my youth onwards
I have found in Yeshua my great brother…
my own fraternally open relationship to him
has grown ever stronger and clearer,
and today I see him
more strongly and clearly
than ever before.⁵
— Martin Buber
The prophetic words of Balaam, a non-Jewish prophet, are found in Torah and in some Hebrew prayers.
We learn from [the story of Balaam]
that we are allowed to learn
from the prophets of other religions
and even to include some of what they offer in our Judaism.⁶
— Rabbi Justin Jaron Lewis
References
[1] Daniel C Matt, Exploring the Kabbalah • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRX7OEcj1MY • 09.20.2019
[2] Haemin Sunim, The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down: How to Be Calm in a Busy World, (Penguin Books, 2012), p. 240 • Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County • https://www.interfaithccc.org/prayers-from-many-faiths-in-an-age-of-fear-and-pandemic/ • The Reverend Dr. Kang Won established the Yong Kyoung Dong Presbyterian Church in Seoul, Korea
[3] Martin Buber, Ten Rungs, (Citadel Press, 1947, 1995), p. 15
[4] Martin Buber, Ten Rungs, (Citadel Press, 1947, 1995), p. 54
[5] Martin Buber, Two Types of Faith, (Syracuse University Press, 2003), p. 12
[6] Justin Jaron Lewis, D'var Torah on Chukat-Balak July 1 2023, • https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&fbclid=IwAR27vx7IWwZ-tKvDksDaykpglNqZ5XR7dBH0UkYhUnP9WTnfZxXhRkrdwOI_aem_AU2imWrjn1lb_Q30zCtlDK2agnTZcnp5meVO8jo2JnN58vKzJua2fP37NlNUXl0UGC8&v=lHspAvx1rA4&feature=youtu.be • 07.04.2023
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