Three Virtues Inspired By Matthew 22

May 29, 2023

As an INFJ, extremely Pluto-ruled individual, reflector in Gene Keys/Human Design, and person basically obsessed with NDE accounts, if I had to drop what I think would be the most important gem of wisdom, it would actually come straight out of the new testament in the Gospel of Matthew:

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (22:37-39).

I will explain. There is a lot going on here. It is talking about two virtues, and an occulted third virtue.

Virtue 1: Bhakti

The first virtue is bhakti which is also a form of yoga: Bhakti yoga which was adopted also for the formation of Christianity and heavily present in Islam and especially Sufism. Bhakti is this foremost devotion to that which is outside of us (though also part of us) and comes with endless names such as Ground of Being, Source, All That Is, The All, The Mystery. To acknowledge and have gratitude toward this Field of Fields, I 100% know for myself, it brings about serenity.

Virtue 2: Karma

But it actually cannot stop there. NDE account after NDE account shows that this place of Bhakti or Love State is the state we left and the one we will eventually return to. There is a reason we’re blinded from that Field, and it has all to do with having time and being able to create a story. Here there are contrasts in order to taste what it feels like experiencing different shades of non-Love. In other words, we live in a world of contrasts here in order to compare and contrast Source’s Love (Kabbalah Rabbi Michael Laitman makes mention of how this is the basic term in Kabbalah known as Bestowal).

So we live in this life not to just devote ourselves to a greater power and do nothing else. There is more to do and this brings up the second virtue. Just as in Kabbalah, Source is viewed as simply being the wellspring of Bestowal, we as individualized jiva souls connected to our own personal higher selves, can act out this bestowal property in our daily lives via various experimentations on how to find the balance of giving. This in the yogas would be classified as Karma yoga, the yoga of selfless acts toward another.

But we know love in this world is incredibly complex as it comes attached also with sustainability. In Buddhism, they’ve chosen the word compassion, and they also talk of “idiot compassion” which is detrimental to the self. To work it out is part of the path of Karma Yoga.

Virtue 3: Self-actualization

The reason we can’t simply just love in this world leads to the third virtue. The third virtue is implied in that Gospel of Matthew verse. This third virtue appears to be more hidden in the New Testament (occulted), and is about self-love. And there is a stereotype that occultism is fixated on this Superman, self-actualization sort of ideal.

To love your neighbor as yourself, to me, already seems to assume that yourself is a healthy yourself and so already whole within yourself. As the cliche goes, one cannot love another if one cannot love oneself, so this third virtue is vital.

This third virtue is also the antithesis to narcissism, which is the first deadly sin and the one that seems to breed all other of the deadly sins.

When we are truly whole within ourselves (accepting who we are), a wellspring of bestowal (much like how Kabbalah says Source is) opens within ourselves. In this state, we are in no need of validation from an outside source. Compare to the narcissist who is endlessly seeking validation (narcissistic supply) from outside because from the inside there is no connection to self, all energy is only compensating outward like a balloon, with a desert going on inside.

So in my life, I find that Matthew 22: 37-39 is the most important wisdom I’ve run across which of course is likely mirrored in places in all other religions and wisdom schools.