Holy Scripture Study (Week 5; Chayay Sarah) (118.3.6)

Holy Scripture Studies, Week 5, Chayay Sarah (118.3.6)

Chayay Sarah

Bereshit 23:1 – 25:18

Sarah passes

Avraham negotiates with Ephron and Hittites for burial location

Avraham sends servant to find a wife, amongst Avraham’s relatives, for Yitzak

Avraham’s servant makes prayer to Adonai and finds Rivkah

Avraham’s servant communicates with Laban and rest of Rivkah’s family

Marriage arrangement made for Rivkah and Yitzak and Rivkah agrees to depart for Yitzak

Avraham marries Keturah and has additional children

Avraham passes, and Yitzak and Ishmael bury him at Machpelah

Ishmael passes, with his lineage described

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With the negotiation for the burial location, what intrinsic principles regarding the stewardship of land, may be discerned from this example and aggregately within the human experience?

What is the story with the additional children that Avraham fathers? How many wives does Avraham actually have?

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Bhagavad Gita 9 - 10

All Creation is derived from, and returns to, Brahman

Wise look beyond aesthetics to realise Brahman

Jnana: spiritual wisdom, seeing Brahman within everything

Various descriptions of the Omnipresence of Brahman

Brahman is ultimately the destination of all worship

Make all actions (eating, sacrificing, helping, suffering) an offering to Brahman

All creatures are perceived equal to Brahman; Brahman “comes alive” in those creatures that worship Brahman

Absolving of harm through devotion to Brahman

Supreme goal available to all births, races, sexes, castes

Brahman is without beginning or end

Numerous characteristics, specifically described, are derived from Brahman

Arjuna reveres Sri Krishna and solicits description of attributes of Brahman, and guidance for meditation

“I am the True Self in the heart of every creature”

Sri Krishna describes deities, Vedas, senses, nature, sages, weapons, sex, death, animals, logic, letters, seasons, and Om

Brahman describes futility in considering all attributes and simply being appeased with understanding of Omni existence

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How does the communication between Arjuna and Brahman, via Sri Krishna, compare with the communications of Avraham, Yaakov, Moshe, Jesus, Muhammad, and additional Prophets, with God, amidst the Angels, Gabriel, Michael, and additionally?

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Ambattha Sutta 1

Pokkharasadi send his pupil, Ambattha, to visit the Buddha, whilst he visits the Ikkhanankala Wood of King Pasenda of Kosala, and to determine legitimacy of the Buddha

Pokkharasadi describes 32 signs of prominent man: a sovereign of the World or a Buddha

Ambattha visits the Sangha, and the members deem him worthy to approach the Buddha

Ambattha calls the Buddha a nigger, and besmirches the Sakya clan

The Buddha asks how the Sakya clan causes Ambattha offence

Ambattha describes previous incident where Sakyas seem to laugh at Ambattha (a Brahmin) and provide little courtesy

The Buddha explains that the Sakyas have prerogative within own homeland

Ambattha describes four castes: Brahmin, Kyshatra, Vaisaka, Sudra

The Buddha asks about the lineage of Ambattha

The Buddha calls Ambattha a nigger and describes Ambattha’s lineage from the slave of a Sakya king and compels Ambattha to agree with this description; Ambattha complies

The Buddha provides Ambattha some reprieve through describing subsequent prominence of Ambattha’s ancestor

The Buddha explains superiority of Kyshaitras over Brahmins

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What is the significance within the distinction of the prominent man with the 32 signs either becoming a “sovereign of the World” or a Buddha, rather than simply describing the singular distinction of a Buddha? What is the significance in describing the choice?

Does the Buddha find difficulty maintaining a discourse with anyone?

Is the Buddha’s description of the traditional practices and acceptances of Brahmins and Kshatriyas accurate with history and contemporary practices? What is the logic behind these explanations?

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Gospels

Matthew 18 – 21

Disciples ask Jesus who is the greatest in Heaven; Jesus teaches to be humble like children

Jesus teaches to remove causation of personal transgressions towards others

Jesus tells parable of rejoicing over lost sheep

Jesus provides guidance regarding the reconciliation of disputes

Peter: “How often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?”; Jesus: 70 x 7

Jesus teaches parable of the ungrateful servant who is previously forgiven

Jesus explains fallacy of divorce; teaches implicit doctrine of celibacy

Jesus reaffirms mitzvot communicated by Moshe: abstinence from killing, adultery, stealing, false witnessing, as well as honouring father and mother, and loving one’s neighbour as one’s self

Jesus: it is easier for a camel to travel through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter Heaven

Jesus teaches parable of the generous householder who provides same wage to all workers

First as last and last as first

James and John attempt to gain status; other disciples become indignant; Jesus teaches doctrine of the teachers being servants

Jesus heals 2 blind men

Jesus instructs disciples to retrieve a colt and ass to bring him into Jerusalem; people provide garments and branches on the road

Jesus rebukes money changers within the Temple

Jesus curses the fig tree

Elders challenge Jesus’ authority and Jesus bewilders elders by asking about the authority of John the Baptist

Jesus teaches parable of the obedient and disobedient sons

Jesus teaches parable of the rebellious tenants

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Does Jesus effectively teach a doctrine of celibacy for his disciples? What is the meaning of, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear,” and “men who become eunuchs for the sake of Heaven”?

What are the implications of the “first being last” and the “last being first” when a proficient number of people share this doctrine and are all striving to be the servant? Does this mean that amidst such transcendent awareness, the ones who allow others to serve those ones become the first again? Where does the cycle stop? What is an appropriate balance of moderation?

The anecdote of Jesus and the fig tree seems to reveal some human-ness within Jesus; how is it that he is “fooled” by a fig tree, and then how is it that he becomes so hostile that he curses the fig tree into shriveling; and why is this described as an amazing feat?

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Koran

Sura Al Ma’idah; The Food

There is the description of food allowances and food prohibitions

There is the guidance for washing before prayers

There is the command to be just and to maintain equitability beyond hatred and biases

There is the reference to the Children of Israel

There is an address to the People of the Book proclaiming the emergence of the Messenger

There is the sharing of a story of Moshe

There is the story of Cain and Abel

There is the command of punishment (cutting off hands) of thieves; yet, there is description of forgiveness for those who repent and reform

There is reference to Judaism and the provision of the Torah

“Vie one with another in virtuous deeds.” (48)

There is the description for abstaining from building friendships with Christians and Jews; similarly with people who mock Islam

There is the rejection of the Christian trinity doctrine

There is additional instruction regarding permissible food

Offering of food, clothing, or fasting prescribed amidst expiation from an oath

Intoxicants and games of chance are prohibited

There is the description of trial from Allah

There is additional description of Jesus

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How does halal compare with kashrut?

What are the details involved with wudu?

What is the balance of justice amidst punishment and forgiveness? In the example of the “cutting of the hands” of the thief, how much time does the thief have to communicate proficient repentance and reform to prevent the cutting of the hands? What actually is the legitimacy of property rights amidst the practice of warfare and commandeering treasures from military conflict? What is “cut off” from the rest of society for negating whatever material necessities the thief previously experiences when initiating the theft? Under what context is the usurping of property appropriate, including the practice of Zakat and additional principles?

What is the esoteric, metaphysical comparison and contrast amidst “Israel” and “Islam;” struggling against God and prevailing, with submission to God? What are the implications within the intrinsic differences between these 2 terms, and how may proficient reconciliation be reached and sustained? Also, how are these 2 terms, ideas, principles, actually similar, identical, and/or simultaneous (perhaps also considering the paradox of life: to love and to live requires providing benefit to others and causing transgression towards others)?