The process of synthesis used in Simple Reality requires that we weave together apparently disparate sources of wisdom into one seamless tapestry. Doing so with the world’s great religions is not difficult. “Reality is One,” says Hindu scripture and so it is affirming the importance of a profound context or worldview to begin the process of self-transformation. For another example let us compare the Buddha’s Triple Gem with the Three Great Questions. The first is an Eastern source of wisdom and the second is the modern Western language found in Simple Reality.
The Buddhist teaching which advises taking refuge in the Triple Gem means availing oneself of the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. The Buddha is our own Buddha nature or what a Christian would call Christ Consciousness. The Dharma is the teaching of the Buddha, the path to Self-realization and the Sangha is the supportive community of fellow seekers.
Now we will see how that parallels the answers to the Three Great Questions. The first question is—Where am I? This question is asking—What is the nature of reality? The content of the Dharma worldview answers that question. The second question is—Who am I? In asking this question we are searching for our identity. Since according to the Buddha, we all have Buddha nature or Buddha identity, that question is answered. The third question is—Why am I here? Since we are here to participate in the Sangha, to serve our fellow human beings in community and with compassion, that question is also answered. Learning to see the Oneness of all profound wisdom is one of the indicators that we are waking up. Profoundly understood, the teachings of all religions could be summed up in the simple statement, truth is One.
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References and notes are available for this essay.
Find a much more in-depth discussion in books by Roy Charles Henry:
Who Am I? The Second Great Question Concerning the Nature of Reality
Where Am I? The First Great Question Concerning the Nature of Reality
Simple Reality: The Key to Serenity and Survival
