Adoration of the Magi
Peter Paul Rubens, 1619

My dear friends,

On this day, Christians celebrate the day of Epiphany, a day to remember the revelation of Jesus as the Son of God to the Gentiles, as told in the story of the Magi in Matthew 2:1-12. This story reminds us of the universal nature of God's love, as the Magi, who were not Jews, were among the first to pay homage to Jesus.

In Ephesians 3:1-12, the Apostle Paul speaks of his own calling to bring the Good News of Jesus to the Gentiles, and he emphasizes the mystery of God's plan to bring salvation to all people, regardless of their background or status:

In the Bodhisattva path, we recognize the fundamental equality of all beings, for all possess buddha-nature, the potential to awaken. Paul's revelation that "the Gentiles have become fellow heirs" mirrors the insight that no one is outside the scope of the divine love, which we in our tradition understand as bodhicitta, the "Awakening Mind" of compassion and wisdom that seeks liberation for all without distinction. Just as the Magi, strangers to the covenant, were drawn to the light of Christ, so too are all beings drawn to the light of their own innate wisdom when conditions ripen.

Paul's self-understanding as a servant of this gospel, granted by the power of grace, is similar the Bodhisattva vow. We do not serve the Truth by our own merits alone, but are moved by the power of bodhicitta, which arises when self-grasping is relinquished. Grace, in this sense, is the natural activity of wisdom and compassion flowing unobstructed through a purified vessel. Paul becomes such a vessel, offering the universal message not for personal gain, but as a servant of the whole.

The "boundless riches of Christ" that Paul proclaims are not unlike the inexhaustible treasury of merit and wisdom cultivated on the Bodhisattva path. These are not material riches, but the rich variety of wisdom, method, and compassion that meet beings where they are. That these mysteries were "hidden for ages" and now revealed shows the progressive unfolding of realization, just as the Truth is skillfully revealed according to the capacities and karma of sentient beings. The church, in this light, can be understood as the sangha, the community of practice through which the wisdom of interdependence and compassion becomes manifest.

Paul concludes that all this is according to an "eternal purpose," fulfilled in Christ, through whom access to the divine is given in boldness and faith. From the Bodhisattva perspective, this reflects the timeless intention of the awakened ones to lead beings to liberation, accomplished through skillful means adapted to time and place. Christ is one such manifestation of awakened activity, opening the way for communion with the divine ground beyond ego, fear, or separation. Faith, then, is not mere belief, but a confident trust in the presence of the gift of bodhicitta, which carries us beyond our limitations toward universal liberation.

Epiphany is not only the revelation of Christ to the Gentiles, but the shining forth of the light of awakening to all beings, regardless of name, nation, or tradition. As Paul speaks of unity in Christ, so the Bodhisattva sees all beings as limbs of one body, to be healed and brought to fulfillment through the great heart of compassion. Let us, then, follow this path with humility and joy, that we too may become servants of the light, bearers of the mystery revealed: that all beings are heirs to the divine, and all may enter the path of peace.