When we come to the fork in the road

A post about the basics of discipleship and our "pragmatic mysticism"

The earliest designation for the teachings of Jesus was “The Way” or “The Road.” By that term, one would rightly conclude that the definite article indicates something distinctive, something singular, not to be confused with other “ways.” We can compare this with the terminology used in other religions and philosophies: looking eastward, Taoism, for instance, teaches “the Tao” (“tao” means “way”), Shinto means “the way of kami” (“kami” refers to sacred powers, deities), and the Dhammapada, one of the most important books of Buddhism, means “the steps (or stanzas) of the Dharma (meaning principles of virtue, moral law)” that embody “the way” (the magga or marga). The list of singular “ways” in the study of comparative religion is a long one, but my only point here is that all of them intimately associate right morals with right “spirituality” (I balk at using that fluffy, pastel-hued term, as always, but it’s the popular term and so I’m more or less stuck with it). For those of us who adhere (while admiring the best to be found in all the other paths that aspire to virtue and transcendence) to Jesus’ way as the Way above all, it’s important to note that what it has in common with all other traditions is an emphasis on right morality or right practice (“orthopraxy”), so that one’s practice (ascetical, mystical, sacramental, devotional, etc.) is unsullied and leads to real transformation.