Man, as a Spirit, has as his present field of activity the Physical World, and has as his instrument a physical body. These are not conditions to be shunned or avoided, for they are the results of the efforts of an all-wise Creator. They are to be used so that man, the Spirit, can learn to become a divine creative intelligence as is his Heavenly Father, able to create on all levels of existence. Having mentioned briefly the basic way in which the Eastern and Western philosophies differ in regard to materialism, let us consider other differences in these philosophies. The crucial way in which the two philosophies differ is in their concept of the Christ.
Many Oriental teachings are silent on the subject.
Some Eastern philosophies, especially those which are promulgated in the West, acknowledge Jesus as a great Teacher who attained Christ-consciousness, or enlightenment, similar to that attained by Krishna or Buddha. They teach that devotion to Jesus, to the exclusion of other great Teachers, unnecessarily limits an aspirant to truth. If truth is universal, then Teachers throughout history are equally worthy of study. In fact, the more widely one studies from different sources, the more likely one is to arrive at a fuller understanding of the truth. The concept presented above indicates a lack of understanding regarding the spiritual evolution of our planet.