Religion comes to us as an outpouring of grace from the profound spiritual realization of its author. Think Siddhartha Gautama under the Bo tree; Jesus at the Jordan River; or Moses at the burning bush. Following their revelation of immersion into the One, their teaching became focused on guiding their followers into this same realization. To reach the height of their revelation, we must advance beyond the realm of believing our duty fulfilled by simply following the rules or believing correctly, and meditate upon that relationship springing forth from our own spiritual discernment. In Matthew 13:44, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a treasure buried in a field, and then in verses 45-46 he compares it to a pearl of great price. In the first parable, the kingdom is found completely by accident, and in the second, after a long, diligent search. In both cases, however, the discoverers joyfully sacrifice everything they own to possess it.