Page 13 - Mystic Pathways through the Bible
P. 13
d
chapter one 7
IX. Thou shalt not bear false witness.
X. Thou shalt not covet.
The Ten Commandments became the rock and foundation of a powerful religious movement in Judaism and Christianity. When we study these commandments in the light of the Vedic culture, we discover their great importance in that culture as well. Indeed, if these commandments are properly understood, they can be seen to be of paramount importance in all religious and moral teachings.
Although the Ten Commandments are understood to be God’s message, their deeper implications are hardly known or understood. Often they become dry ethical rules, simply to be committed to memory and rarely practiced. In the light of Yoga philosophy, you will be able to see the depth and profundity of these commandments. They imply a study of the very basic structure of the mind that leads to the development of virtues and a deep insight into the meaning of universal law.
The commandments must be well comprehended, not only by the individual, but by the world as well, because life must be founded on dharma or righteousness. The Sanskrit word dharma actually means “that which upholds.” Dharma is a very signi cant term in Hindu as well as Buddhistic mysticism. Every Buddhist monk repeats,