The Circa Way
You have heard it said that you must have a proper vertical relationship with the One, and a proper horizontal relationship with your neighbor. You have been given laws for worship and laws for community.
But I say to you, the vertical and the horizontal are one. When you see this, the two circles merge. The Kingdom is not above you; it is within you. And your neighbor is not separate from you; they are the mirror of your own heart.
On the Vertical Way
You were told, "You shall have no other gods." But I say, do not even make a god of your "God." Do not create a fixed idea, an idol of the mind, and call it the Truth. The Way is boundless. When you stop preferring "this" over "that," you are free from all idols.
You were told, "You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain." But I say, do not use any word to grasp the ungraspable. All arguments about the Way are in vain. "Right" and "wrong," "holy" and "profane"—these are the diseases of the mind. Be still, and let the name name itself within you.
You were told, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." But I say, do not divide your life into "holy time" and "ordinary time." Where will you find a moment that is not sacred? The eternal "now" is the only Sabbath. Live gently circa this moment; that is the only rest.
On the Horizontal Way
You were told, "Honor your father and mother." But I say, see the One in all. The beggar is your mother. The sparrow is your father. When you let go of all preferences, you honor the source of all life.
You were told, "You shall not murder," and I told you not to be angry. Now I say, do not even judge your anger. Anger arises. It is not you. Do not resist it; do not grasp it. This is the grace of imperfection. When you allow the anger to be, without becoming it, it dissolves. The plank in your eye is the preference for being a person who is "never angry."
You were told, "You shall not commit adultery," and I told you not to lust. Now I say, see the longing. The mind grasps. Do not condemn the grasping. Do not flee from it. Simply observe. In that still observation, the heart becomes pure. You are a work in progress, living circa the purity that is already yours.
You were told, "You shall not steal." But I say, what do you truly own? You lay up treasures in heaven, but even these you must let go of. Be poor in spirit. Be empty. When you are empty, the entire universe is yours, and there is nothing to steal.
You were told, "You shall not bear false witness." But I say, what is your truth? The moment you declare "I am right," you have borne false witness, for you have divided the One. Let go of your opinions. Live in the mystery, not in the answer.
You were told, "You shall not covet." But I say, coveting is the small distinction that splits heaven from earth. It is the mind that says "like" and "dislike." The Way is not difficult, only let go of preferences.
The Unfolding
This is the "circa" life. It is not a new law. It is the soft focus of faith.
Do not build your house on the rock of rigid doctrine, or on the sand of worldly opinion. Build your house on no-thing. Build it on the empty space of this moment.
You are not seeking a fixed point. You are the journey itself. You are always moving around the sacred center. You are never late. You are never lost. You are simply here.
Live gently within this unfolding grace. That is enough.