Coaching Like Jesus

Many reasons are given as to why people of the Christian faith still treat the Old Testament as sacred, though this was the scripture of those who denied him and crucified him, based on its teachings.?

I am not a Christian and perhaps have no right to opine. As a Hindu, I believe Jesus and his teachings to be as meaningful as Vedic scriptures. I find the Old Testament more in line with post-Vedic mythologies. The Old Testament is not about truth. It’s perhaps metaphorical. The New Testament is the homespun truth of the son of a carpenter, a wise Prophet, who offered parables and sermons based on spiritual truth shorn of rituals. Jesus was a Coach. For this, he was denounced.

The New Testament has two famous sermons, the Sermon on the Mount in the Book of Mathew, and the Sermon on the Plains in the Book of Luke. Both were delivered by Jesus. Both are very similar. I asked a few practising Christians whether both were the same Sermon reported differently. They said they were different. Others differ. Jesus spoke Galilean, not the formal Aramaic of the region. In Galilean, the Aramaic word meant both mount and plain. I leave Christian theologists to battle this.

I love the Sermon, whether delivered on the Mount or Plain. Jesus said:

Blessed?are?the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed?are?they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed?are?the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed?are?they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

The Aramaic word translated in the King James' version as ‘blessed’ could also mean joyous and delighted amongst others in Gaelic. Some other words too can be interpreted differently from King James'. Here’s an alternative translation from Aramaic with meaning not used in the official texts, and yet, as accurate.?

What joyousness is offered to you when you feel your spiritual poverty! For there is no charge to enter the realm of Heaven's Kingdom.

What delight comes to you when you wait upon the Lord! For you will find what you long for.

What blessing comes to you when gentleness lives in you! For you will inherit the earth.

How enriched you are when you crave righteousness! For you will be surrounded with fruitfulness.

The focus moves from the power of the Prophet to the spirit of the listener. That is probably what Jesus did as a Coach. Jesus spoke to the poor and oppressed about a Kingdom they can enter when they shed their wealth and power, fear and greed, seeking poverty, humility, gentleness and righteousness. Jesus spoke of the internal state of energy that resides in us, one that we find when the veil of ego is lifted. Jesus did not preach. Jesus evoked awareness as a Coach. Jesus lived and died to spread this message.?

There are no conditionalities in Jesus’s sermon. The words are direct, precise and generatively evocative. Lift the veil and you shall see, knock and the door will open, he says. Jesus’ words are similar to the statements of the Upanishad and the Buddha. This Sermon is the essence of Jesus’ teachings as are the?mahavakya?of Upanishad, and the Noble Truths of the Buddha.

Jesus did not come from a source of knowledge, ego, power and authority. His was a humble inquiry and a vulnerable offering. He lived, died and coached through stories, parables and metaphors. One that an ordinary mortal, any coach, can emulate as a Hero’s Journey.?

Reflection

·??????Whether you are of Christian faith or not, read the Sermon on the Mount and ask yourself ‘What did Jesus offer’?

·??????No one can relive the life of Jesus or Buddha, nor needs to do. One can live in their mindset. What will you then be??

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Ram is a co-founder and mentor at Coacharya?https://coacharya.com. Ram's focus is the integration of Eastern wisdom with modern science, spiritually, systemically and sustainably. Visit Coacharya.