שלום.नमस्ते.สมาธ.Pax.سلم.Peace.Sat Nam.صلح.Kwey.Amani.ειρήνη.Pace.Paz.Paix.Fred.Frieden.Vrede.Siochana.мир.امن.和平.平和.평화.Aloha.
Holy Scriptures Study, Week 22.2 Pekudei; 118.7.10
Torah
Shemot 38:21 – 40:38
All the items of the Mishkan are constructed.
“All the gold was used in the work to complete the sacred task. The amount of gold donated as a wave offering weighed 2,200 pounds by the sanctuary weight standard.
“The silver census money collected from the community weighed 7,545 pounds by the sanctuary weight standard.
“This total consisted of a third of an ounce of silver for each of the 603,550 men over twenty years old included in the census.” (v24-26).
“The copper donated as a wave offering weighed 5,310 pounds.” (v29).
Aaron’s garments are constructed.
The ephod and the breastplate are constructed.
The robe is constructed.
“All the work on the Meeting Tent was completed. The Israelites did all the work exactly as Adonai had instructed (Moshe).” (v32).
“(Moshe) inspected the entire Tabernacle. He checked the Meeting Tent with its equipment, its fastenings, frames, crossbars, pillars, and bases; the roof of tanned rams’ skins and the roof of blue-dyed sealskins, the cloth curtain; the ark and its carrying poles, the ark cover, the table and its equipment, the showbread, the pure gold menorah along with its prescribed lamps, all its utensils, and the illuminating oil; the golden altar, the anointing oil, the perfumed incense, the curtain for the Meeting Tent; the copper altar with its carrying poles and all its equipment; the washbasin and its base; the hangings for the enclosure, its poles and bases, the curtain for the entrance to the enclosure, its tying ropes and pegs, all the equipment used in the service in the Meeting Tent, the packing cloths for sacred use, the sacred garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments that his sons would wear to serve in the Tabernacle.
“The Israelites performed all the work exactly as Adonai had instructed (Moshe).
“When (Moshe) saw that all the work had been done exactly as Adonai had ordered, he blessed the craftsmen.” (v33-43).
“Adonai spoke to (Moshe), saying:
“ ‘You shall erect the Meeting Tent on the first day of the first month.” (v1-2).
Adonai commands the erection of the Meeting Tent; placement of the ark, cover, table, menorah, incense altar, sacrificial altar, washbasin, and the enclosure.
Adonai commands the anointing the Tabernacle and all its contents; the sacrificial altar, and washbasin.
Adonai commands the cleansing, anointing, ordaining, and clothing of Aaron and his sons.
The Tabernacle is erected.
“The cloud covered the Meeting Tent when Adonai’s glory filled the Tabernacle. (Moshe) could not enter the Meeting Tent once the cloud rested on it and Adonai’s glory filled the Tabernacle.
“Whenever the cloud lifted up above the Tabernacle, it signaled that the Israelites could move on.
“When the cloud did not rise, they would not begin their march until it lifted. Adonai’s cloud covered the Tabernacle by day, and the fire by night. The clouds by day and the fire by night led the Israelites in all their journeys.” (v34-38).
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Is there any metaphysical/esoteric significance regarding the specific material included within Aaron’s ephod and breastplate and the additional elements of the Mishkan? Amidst the aversion towards the worship of material objects, why are such Holy vestments and objects adorned with such ornaments? Does the implicit converse simplicity and modesty of a plain linen garment, or an ordinary tent, suggest less intrinsic Holiness? How does the Holiness of the materials of the Mishkan and the sacrifices upon the altar compare with the Holiness of the manna and the droplets of water the separate within the Reed Sea?
Within the description of the “quintessential offering,” within the Digha Nikaya, the Buddha describes the necessity of establishing proficient Peace and prosperity amongst all inhabitants throughout a kingdom, before beginning to offer a portion of the king’s wealth; what are the metaphysical implications that intrinsically exist within an offering/sacrifice, and how does a community progress beyond such sacrifices/offerings simply being a “taxation” upon the spoils gained through transgressive behaviour towards others?
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Bhagavad Gita
Chapters 9 – 10
“Because of your faith, I shall tell you the most profound of secrets: obtaining both jnana and vijnana, you will be free from all evil.
“This royal knowledge, this royal secret, is the greatest purifier. Righteous and imperishable, it is a joy to practice and can be directly experienced.
“But those who have no faith in the supreme law of life do not find (Me), Arjuna. They return to the world, passing from death to death.” (v1-3).
“I pervade the entire universe in (My) unmanifested form. All creatures find their existence in (Me), but I am not limited by them.
“At the end of the eon these creatures return to unmanifested matter; at the beginning of the next cycle I send them forth again.
“Controlling (My) prakriti, again and again I bring forth these myriad forms and subject them to the laws of prakriti.
“None of these actions bind (Me), Arjuna. I am unattached to them, so they do not disturb (My) nature.” (v7-9)
“The foolish do not look beyond physical appearances to see (My) true nature as the Lord of all creation.” (v11).
“But truly great souls seek (My) divine nature. They worship (Me) with a one-pointed mind, having realized that I am the eternal source of all.” (v13).
“Others follow the path of jnana, spiritual wisdom. They see that where there is One, that One is (Me); where there are many, all are (Me); they see (My) face everywhere.” (v15).
“I am the ritual and the sacrifice; I am the true medicine and the mantram. I am the offering and the fire which consumes it, and (That) to (Whom) it is offered.” (v16).
“I am the goal of life, the Lord and support of all, the inner witness, the abode of all. I am the only refuge, the one true friend; I am the beginning, the staying, and the end of creation; I am the womb and the eternal seed.” (v18).
“Those who follow the rituals given in the Vedas, who offer sacrifices and take soma, free themselves from evil and attain the vast heaven of the (deities), where they enjoy celestial pleasures.
“When they have enjoyed these fully, their merit is exhausted and they return to this land of death. Thus observing Vedic rituals but caught in an endless chain of desires, they come and go.” (v20-21).
“Those who worship (Me) and meditate on (Me) constantly, without any other thought, I will provide for all their needs.
“Those who worship other (deities) with faith and devotion also worship (Me), Arjuna, even if they do not observe the usual forms.
“I am the object of all worship, its enjoyer and Lord. But those who fail to realize (My) true nature must be reborn.” (v22-24).
“Whatever I am offered in devotion with a pure heart—a leaf, a flower, fruit, or water—I partake of that love offering.
“Whatever you do, make it an offering to (Me)—the food you eat, the sacrifices you make, the help you give, even your suffering.
“In this way you will be freed from the bondage of karma, and from its results both pleasant and painful. Then, firm in renunciation and yoga, with your heart free, you will come to (Me).” (v26-28).
“I look upon all creatures equally; none are less dear to (Me) and none more dear. But those who worship (Me) with love live in (Me), and I come to life in them.” (v29).
“Even a sinner becomes holy when he worships (Me) alone with firm resolve. Quickly his soul conforms to dharma and he attains to boundless peace.
“Never forget this, Arjuna: no one who is devoted to (Me) will ever come to harm.” (v30-31).
“All those who take refuge in (Me), whatever their birth, race, sex, or caste, will attain the supreme goal; this realization can be attained even by those whom society scorns.” (v32).
“Fill your mind with (Me); love (Me); serve (Me); worship (Me) always. Seeking (Me) in your heart, you will at last be united with (Me).” (v34).
“Listen further, Arjuna, to (My) supreme teaching, which gives you such joy. Desiring your welfare, O strong-armed warrior, I will tell you more.
“Neither (deities) nor sages know (My) origin, for I am the source from which the (deities) and sages come.
“Whoever knows (Me) as the Lord of all creation, without birth or beginning, knows the truth and frees himself from all evil.” (v1-3).
“Discrimination, wisdom, understanding, forgiveness, truth, self-control, and peace of mind; pleasure and pain, birth and death, fear and courage, honor and infamy;
“non-violence, charity, equanimity, contentment, and perseverance in spiritual disciplines—all the different qualities found in living creatures have their source in (Me).”
Arjuna asks to hear about the attributes of Brahman.
“All right, Arjuna, I will tell you of (My) (Divine) powers. I will mention only the most glorious; for there is no end to them.” (v19).
“I am the true Self in the heart of every creature, Arjuna, and the beginning, middle, and end of their existence.” (v20).
Sri Krishna describes additional attributes.
“But there is no end to (My) (Divine) attributes, Arjuna; these I have mentioned are only a few.
“Wherever you find strength, or beauty, or spiritual power, you may be sure that these have sprung from a spark of (My) essence.” (v40-41).
“But of what use is it to you to know all this, Arjuna? Just remember that I am, and that I support the entire cosmos with only a fragment of (My) being.” (v42).
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How does the teaching within Verse 2, regarding the practice of righteousness, compare with Moshe’s teaching, within Devarim of the Torah, regarding the proximity and feasibility of the mitzvot that Adonai commands upon the Israelites?
Within the opening of Chapter 9, on what or whose behalf is Sri Krishna speaking: Sri Krishna, Brahman, or another being/phenomenon?
Can the belief within the reincarnation of souls and the passages through many lives also be understood within a comparatively “linear” manner of emerging from the infinity of Brahman, experience the phenomenon of life within this temporal realm, and eventually returning to the infinity of Brahman; with the temporal perception of reincarnation simply being an experience of the infinity of Brahman from which each individual is derived and where each individual maintains a semblance of the omniscience of Brahman?
Within Verse 23, there is the teaching that even worship of other deities is actually worship of Brahman; how might this teaching be received, and/or criticised, within additional religious traditions (particularly Judaism and Islam), where there is an emphatic belief in monotheism? And how might such criticism be balanced amidst the belief of Brahman/Adonai/Allah/God being omnipresent and existing within all phenomena (or might such be dismissed as similarly adverse pantheism?
What may be some appropriate ways in which to perceive the manner in which an individual can “live in Brahman,” and through which “Brahman comes to life” within an individual?
Amidst the teaching within Verse 31, does a spiritual aspirant maintain any free will, or is the will of the individual necessarily amalgamated within Dharma, making “free willing” obsolete and irrelevant? Amidst the notion of all beings and phenomena conforming to the perceived Omnipotence of Brahman, does “free will” actually even exist, or is it simply an illusion?
Does Verse 32 teach a doctrine that alleviates the distinction of castes? How may such equanimity be appropriately understood?
How do the qualities, described within Verses 4 – 5, compare within the qualities that are specifically designated as, “feminine”?
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Digha Nikaya
Chapter 4
“Now the Exalted One early in the morning robed himself, and taking his bowl, entered Vesali for alms; and when he had passed through Vesali, and had eaten his meal and was returning from his alms-seeking he gazed at Vesali with an elephant look and addressed the venerable Ananda, and said:--‘This will be the last time, Ananda, that the Tathagata will behold Vesali. Come, Ananda, let us go on to Bhanda-gama.’
“ ‘Even so, (leader)!’ said the venerable Ananda, in assent, to the Exalted One.
“And the Exalted One proceeded with a great company of the brethren to Bhanda-gama; and there the Exalted One stayed in the village itself.” (v1).
“There the Exalted One addressed the brethren, and said:-- ‘It is through not understanding and grasping four truths, O brethren, that we have had to run so long, to wander so long in this weary path of transmigration—both you and I.
“And what are these four? The noble conduct of life, the noble earnestness in meditation, the noble kind of wisdom, and the noble salvation of freedom. But when noble conduct is realized and known, when noble meditation is realized and known, when noble wisdom is realized and known, when noble freedom is realized and known—then is the craving for future life rooted out, that which leads to renewed existence is destroyed, and there is no more birth.” (v2).
The Buddha proclaims describes upright conduct, earnest contemplation, and intelligence; emancipation from the Intoxications of Sensuality, Becoming, Delusion, and Ignorance.
The Buddha and Ananda travel to Hatthi-gama; and then to Bhoga-nagara.
The Buddha describes the “4 Authorities,” proclaimed by disciples:
1.) a teaching heard directly from the Buddha;
2.) a teaching heard from another company of brethren;
3.) a teaching heard from the elders of another company; and,
4.) a teaching heard from a single elder from another company;
Within each instance, the Buddha instructs the Sangha to compare the teaching with the Suttas and with the rules of conduct of the Sangha, to determine the veracity of such a teaching.
The Buddha provides additional discourse.
The Buddha and Ananda travel to Pava.
Chunda provides the Buddha and the Sangha with a meal.
“And when he was seated he addressed Chunda, the worker in metals, and said:--‘As to the truffles you have made ready, serve me with them, Chunda: and as to the other food, the sweet rice and cakes, serve the brethren with it.’” (v18).
“Now the Exalted One addressed Chunda, the worker in metals, and said:--‘Whatever truffles, Chunda, are left over to thee, those bury in a hole. I see no one, Chunda, on earth nor in Mara’s heaven, nor in Brahma’s heaven, no one among Samanas and (Brahminas), among (deities), and men, by whom, when he has eaten it, that food can be properly assimilated, save by a Tathagata.’” (v19).
The Buddha provides additional discourse.
The Buddha and Ananda go to Kusinara.
The Buddha requests to sit away from the path, and for Ananda to bring him some water.
Ananda explains that carriages recently travel by and muddy the water; the Buddha insists; Ananda eventually relents, places down the bowl, and the water is clear.
Pukkasa compliments the meditation of another spiritual aspirant who remains still as the previous carriages pass.
The Buddha describes maintaining such meditation and stillness amidst a thunder and lightning storm that kills 2 men.
Pukkusa honours the Buddha and provides the Buddha and Ananda with golden robes.
“Now not long after the Mallian Pukkusa had gone, the venerable Ananda placed that pair of robes of cloth of gold, burnished and ready for wear, on the body of the Exalted One; and when it was so placed on the body of the Exalted One it appeared to have lost its splendor!” (v37).
The Buddha explains such a phenomenon occurring on 2 occasions: when a Tathagata attains perfect insight, and when the Tathagata passes away from life.
The Buddha instructs Ananda to reassure Chanda to be guilt-free, and to explain that Chunda’s meal is a blessing, in that it facilitates the passing of the Buddha.
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Within the Buddha’s teaching regarding emancipation from the Intoxications, there is a perceivable sequence within the description of each of the specific Intoxications: Sensuality, Becoming, Delusion, Ignorance; does this have any direct, and/or intended, coinciding with what may be a perception of a man’s general experience within the actual process of having sexual intercourse: experiencing sensual arousal, emitting his seed, experience a certain euphoria amidst the emission of his seed, and experiencing an increased amount of numbness after the emission of his seed?
Is there are significance within the consideration of the Buddha being provided his last meal, which causes him the fatal bout of dysentery, by a man who works with metals? Also, the Buddha describes that only a Tathagata may be able to “assimilate” the truffles that Chunda serves to him, and yet, the truffles are also what cause the Buddha’s death; so can a Tathagata even “assimilate” Chunda’s truffles? And what exactly is meant by “assimilate;” is this simply a nuance of the English translation, and/or does this have an intentional implication regarding the Buddha’s ability to share the Dharma in a manner that is amenable with convention (and if so, what is it about Chunda’s truffles that seems to contain merit, and yet requires assimilation)?
The Buddha responds to Pukkasa’s honouring of another mendicant by describing a previous feat of a seemingly increased achievement of meditation; amidst the Buddha’s teaching regarding the maintenance of equanimity amidst the honour and dishonour provided by others, is this response from the Buddha an example of egotism, or is it simply the conferring of a lesson? Is the Buddha’s complexion against the gold a similar manifestation of the ego? And how does this compare with the competition between Moshe and Paraoh’s Priests?
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Gospels
5 – 7
“After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.” (v1).
Jesus heals an invalid man, by a pool, during Shabbat.
Jesus associates himself with God.
“Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees (God) doing; for whatever he does, that the Son does likewise. For (God) loves the Son, and shows him all that (God) is doing; and greater works than these will (God) show him, that you may marvel. For as (God) raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. (God) judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, even as they honor (God). He who does not honor the Son does not honor (God) who sent him. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes (God) who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (v19-24).
“I can do nothing on my own authority; as I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of (God) who sent me. If I bear witness to myself, my testimony is not true; there is another who bears witness to me, and I know that the testimony which he bears to me is true.” (v30-32).
“But the testimony which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which (God) has granted me to accomplish, these very works which I am doing, bear me witness that (God) has sent me. And (God) who send me has (by God) borne witness to me. (God’s) voice you have never heard, (God’s) form you have never seen; and you do not have (God’s) word abiding in you, for you do not believe him whom (God) has sent. You search the scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness to me; yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. I do not receive glory from men. But I know that you have not the love of God within you. I have come in my (God’s) name, and you do not receive me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? Do not think that I shall accuse you to (God); it is (Moshe) who accuses you, on whom you set your hope. If you believed (Moshe), you would believe me, for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?” (v36-47).
Jesus feeds 5,000 people with 5 barley loaves and 2 fish, with 12 baskets left over.
“Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.” (v15).
Jesus walks on water.
“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.’” (v35).
“The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” (v52-53).
Some of Jesus’s followers leave, and Jesus’s disciples remain with him.
“After this Jesus went about in Galilee; he would not go about in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill him. Now the Jews’ feast of Tabernacles was at hand. So his brothers said to him, ‘Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples may see the works you are doing. For no man works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world. For even his brothers did not believe in him. Jesus said to them, ‘My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify of it that its works are evil. Go to the feast yourselves; I am not going up to this feast for my time has not yet fully come.’ So saying, he remained in Galilee.” (v1-9).
Jesus teaches in Judea during Sukkot; there are disagreements regarding who Jesus is; the Pharisees discuss capturing Jesus.
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Amidst the invalid man being in such a condition for over 38 years, is there a potential for Jesus to wait until after Shabbat and heal the man?
Within the 5th chapter, Jesus nearly equates himself to God, yet also distinguishes himself as a subordinate of God, whereby God confers certain authority to Jesus; what explanation is provided for God conferring such authority, and what is the nature of such authority amidst the continuing Omnipotence of God (is this arrangement predicated upon preceding Prophesies, or is this a comparatively autonomous doctrine)? It seems as though Jesus is being offered as an intercessor; is this observation accurate, and if so, what are the implications of this? Amidst such a belief, what is the nature of the direct connexion, and symbiosis, that each individual maintains with God?
Within the Gospel according to John, there are very strong, direct, and vehement proclamations of Jesus’s authority and proximity to God; how does this compare with the respective narratives within additional Gospels (particularly where Jesus initially denies being the Moshiach, and when, upon healing other individuals, Jesus instructs the individuals to praise God and provide the offering according to the rules of Moshe)? How does this also compare with Jesus’s subsequent teaching regarding the falsity of one who makes self-proclamations?
Amidst the contemporary circumstance of much of conventional society being governed by people who proclaim the Faith of Christianity, and presumably the belief in the return of the Moshiach, does this intrinsically mean that such authorities anticipate, if only subconsciously, becoming the necessary antagonists of the Moshiach, and thereby are immersed within a paradoxical duality (that may also be somewhat symmetrical and uniform) whereby such authorities yearn for a Messianic protagonist whom to persecute particularly as a means of manifesting the Christian Prophesies of “Heaven on Earth”?
What lessons exist within the miracle of Jesus feeding the 5,000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish? How does this compare with the manna that Adonai provides to the Israelites? Is there a mass psycho-spiritual experience whereby the hunger pangs of the respective groups are satisfied wholly by the spiritual experience of being proximate with God?
How does Jesus’s utilisation of the first person singular compare, and contrast, with Sri Krishna’s utilisation of the first person singular? How do these compare with the Koran’s utilisation of the first person plural? And how do these compare with the first person singular, and plural, forms utilised within the Torah? And how does this compare with the Buddha’s first person plural, as well as third person singular forms?
What does Jesus actually mean when instructing his followers to “eat his flesh” and “drink his blood”? Is this meant literally, or is this meant as a symbolic representation of living in the manner of Jesus? How does this compare with the Bhagavad Gita’s teaching regarding the manner in which Brahman exists in all phenomena, even within the sacrifices that are provided to Brahman?
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Koran
Sura 24: Al Nur (The Light).
Sura 25: Al Furqan (The Discrimination).
“This is a chapter which We have revealed and made obligatory and wherein We have revealed clear messages that you may be mindful.” (v1).
“The adulteress and the adulterer, flog each of them with a hundred stripes, and let not pity for them detain you from obedience to Allah, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day, and let a party of believers witness their chastisement.” (v2).
Believers are forbidden to mate with adulteresses.
“And those who accuse free women and bring not four witnesses, flog them with eighty stripes and never accept their evidence, and these are the transgressors--” (v4).
“Except those who afterwards repent and act aright; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” (v5).
“And those who accuse their wives and have no witnesses except themselves, let one of them testify four times, bearing Allah to witness, that he is of those who speak the truth.
“And the fifth time that the curse of Allah be on him, if he is of those who lie.
“And it shall avert the chastisement from her, if she testify four times, bearing Allah to witness, that he is of those who lie.
“And the fifth time that the wrath of Allah to be on her, if he is of those who speak the truth.
“And were it not for Allah’s grace upon you and (Allah’s) mercy—and that Allah is Oft-returning to mercy Wise!”
Conspiring talk is chastised.
“And let not possessors of grace and abundance among you swear against giving to the near of kin and the poor and those who have fled in Allah’s way; and pardon and overlook. Do you not love that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” (v22).
“Unclean things are for unclean ones and unclean ones are for unclean things, and good things are for good ones and good ones are for good things; these are free from what they say. For them is forgiveness and an honourable sustenance.” (v26).
“O you who believe, enter not houses other than your own houses, until you have asked permission and saluted their inmates. This is better for you that you may be mindful.
“But if you find no one therein, enter them not, until permission is given to you; and if it is said to you, Go back, then go back; this is purer for you. And Allah is Knower of what you do.
“It is no sin for you to enter uninhabited houses wherein you have your necessaries. And Allah knows what you do openly and what you hide.” (v27-29).
“Say to the believing men that they lower their gaze and restrain their sexual passions. That is purer for them. Surely Allah is Aware of what they do.
“And say to the believing women that they lower their gaze and restrain their sexual passions and do not display their adornment except what appears thereof. And let them wear their head-coverings over their bosoms. And they should not display their adornment except to their husbands or their fathers, or the fathers of their husbands, or their sons, or the sons of their husbands, or their brothers, or their brothers’ sons, or their sisters’ sons, or their women, or those whom their right hands possess, or guileless male servants, or the children who know not women’s nakedness. And let them not strike their feet so that the adornment that they hide may be known. And turn to Allah all, O believers, so that you may be successful.” (v31).
“And marry those among you who are single, and those who are fit among your male slaves and your female slaves. If they are needy, Allah will make them free from want out of (Allah’s) grace. And Allah is Ample-giving, Knowing.
“And let those who cannot find a match keep chaste, until Allah makes them free from want out of (Allah’s) grace. And those of your slaves who ask for a writing of freedom, give them the writing, if you know any good in them, and give them of the wealth of Allah which (Allah) has given you. And compel not your slave-girls to prostitution when they desire to keep chaste, in order to seek the frail goods of this world’s life. And whoever compels them, then surely after their compulsion Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” (v33-34).
“Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth. A likeness of (Allah’s) light is as a pillar on which is a lamp—the lamp is in a glass, the glass is as it were a brightly shining star—lit from a blessed olive tree, neither eastern nor western, the oil whereof gives light, though fire touch it not—light upon light. Allah guides to (Allah’s) light whom (Allah) pleases. And Allah sets forth parables for men, and Allah is Knower of all things—” (v35).
“It is in houses which Allah has permitted to be exalted and (Allah’s) name to be remembered therein. Therein do glorify (Allah), in the mornings and the evenings,
“Men whom neither merchandise nor selling diverts from the remembrance of Allah and the keeping up of prayer and the paying of the poor-rate—they fear a day in which the hearts and the eyes will turn about.” (v36-37).
“That Allah may give them the best reward for what they did, and give them more out of (Allah’s) grace. And Allah provides without measure for whom (Allah) pleases.” (v38).
“The response of the believers, when they are invited to Allah and (Allah’s) Messenger that he may judge between them, is only that they say: We hear and we obey. And these it is that are successful.” (v51).
“Blessed is (Allah) Who sent down the Discrimination upon (Allah’s) servant that he might be a warner to the nations—” (v1).
“And those who disbelieve say: This is nothing but a lie, which he has forged, and other people have helped him at it. So indeed they have brought an iniquity and a falsehood.” (v4).
The Day of Discrimination is described.
The story of Noach and additional past communities are referenced.
“Seest thou not how thy Lord extends the shade? And if (Allah) pleased, (Allah) would have made it stationary. Then We have made the sun an indication of it,
“Then We take it to Ourselves, taking little by little.
“And (Allah) it is Who made the night a covering for you, and sleep a rest, and (Allah) made the day to rise up again.
“And (Allah) it is Who sends the winds as good news before (Allah’s) mercy; and We send down pure water from the clouds,
“That We may give life thereby to a dead land, and give it for drink to cattle and many people that We have created.
“And certainly We repeat this to them that they may be mindful, but most men consent to naught but denying.” (v45-50).
“And We have not sent thee but as a giver of good news and as a warner.” (v56).
“And when it is said to them: Make obeisance to the Beneficent, they say: And what is the Beneficent? Shall we make obeisance to what thou biddest us? And it adds to their aversion.” (v60).
“And the servants of the Beneficent are they who walk on the earth in humility, and when the ignorant address them, they say, Peace!” (v63).
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Verse 2, and subsequent verses, provide direct commands regarding the implementation of punishment within a domestic society; how do these doctrines and punishments compare with the doctrines dictating the requirements for a just war? And how does this compare with the Koranic teachings regarding the Prophet Muhammad, and the believer, only be established as warners?
What lessons can be learned from the effective jurisprudence taught within Verses 4 – 10? What is a proficient “burden of proof,” and how does one establish this? How do the teachings regarding the illusion of Maya, and the transitory nature of all phenomena (provided from both Hinduism and Buddhism) influence the reliability and infallibility of “evidence;” and how does the notion of all actions being derived from the Omnipotence of Allah factor into the assessment of guilt within any one individual, or phenomena?
How does this judicial process also compare with similar doctrine, regarding the test for adultery, commanded within the Torah?
How does the teaching regarding “unclean things” and “good things” compare with the caste system of Hinduism? How does this also compare with the rules of cleanliness within the Torah? What are appropriate practises of segregation within a society, and what are appropriate circumstances whereby forgiveness is compelled? Is uncleanliness a permanent designation, or is there an opportunity for a person to be redeemed? If redemption is possible, how does a society allow for an individual to perform such redemption, whilst also recognising the disfavour of the transgressive actions and distancing such actions from the “norm” of society? Is such “distance” actually possible, and what transgressions does a society necessarily enact when attempting to facilitate such separation?
Verses 27 and 29 provide a specific, tangible lesson regarding social etiquette and literal interaction amongst neighbours; how might these teachings of modesty be applied to additional types of social interaction? And what are additional examples, within the Koran and within additional religious traditions, that provide similar specific, tangible lessons (such as the permission for an individual to enter the field of an individual’s neighbour, and pluck from the produce of that field)? How might this teaching of entering one’s neighbours home be applied to the contemporary circumstances within the Western Hemisphere, and additionally?
How do the rules regarding slavery, within the Koran, compare with those found within the Torah? And how do these compare with the Buddha’s description of a slave becoming a spiritual
aspirant? What do Christianity and Hinduism teach regarding the institution of slavery?
How does the parable of the light compare with Jesus’s parable of an individual’s light being set atop a table? And how does the intersection of these 2 parables exist in confluence with the Bhagavad Gita’s teaching regarding the Adhyatma of Brahman existing within each individual?
What significance exists within the practise of “giving without measure,” as described within Verse 38?
Does Verse 51 command blind obedience? How does this compare with the Buddha’s teaching, “Be lamps unto yourselves,” and the Jewish tradition of questioning? How does the Hindu practise of asceticism exist within the context of obeying tradition?
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Blessings upon the Prophets:
May Peace and Blessings of the Highest Authority we respectively recognise, known by many names, including God, El Shaddai, Elohim, Adonai, Hashem, Brahman, Nirvana, Dharma, Karma, Tao, Gud, Dieu, Dios, Deus Dominus, Jah, Jehovah, Allah, Ahura Mazda, Infinity, Logic, Wakan Tanka, Ultimate Reality, and additionally, be upon the Rishis, Moshe, the Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, Baha’u’llah, Guru Nanak, Zarathustra, Avraham, Yitzak, Yaakov, Confucius, Lao Tzu, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, the Indigenous, Tainoterranea, Asia, Europe, Mediterranea, and Africa, and the Universe.
ૐ. אמן.
שלום.नमस्ते.สมาธิ.Pax.سلم.Peace.Sat Nam.صلح.Kwey.Amani.ειρήνη.Pace.Paz.Paix.Fred.Frieden.Vrede.Siochana.мир.和平.平和.평화.Aloha.
ૐ. אמן.
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