Page 87 - Mystic Pathways through the Bible

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chapter two 81
Therefore, when Lord Jesus uses the term “neighbor,” He is not referring to someone who lives or works in physical proximity to you. You can be physically distant from people, although they are very close. You can be in physical proximity to others, and yet they are distant. So it is not physical closeness that makes someone a neighbor.
Rather, “Love thy neighbor as thyself” speaks of the ideal of universal Selfhood. It is the recognition that the same Divine Self that underlies your personality underlies all personalities. If the human personality is a wave, the innermost core of that personality is the Ocean—and that Ocean of God is the Reality within every individual. God alone exists as the Indweller of all.
There is an interesting story about Ramana Maharshi, a great Sage in India, who demonstrated this sublime teaching. One day, thieves invaded his ashram, stole an assortment of valuables and beat him. Seeing this, an outraged disciple said, “I am going to nd those thieves and break their necks!” However, Ramana Maharshi said, “Do not do so! If your teeth were to bite your tongue, would you knock them out? No, you wouldn’t, because they are a part of yourself.”
Similarly, it is possible for you to develop the awareness that every being is as much a part of yourself as your teeth, ngers, or toes. The moment