שלום
.नमस्ते.สมาธ.Pax.سلام.Peace.SatNam.صلح.Kwey.Amani.ειρήνη.Pace.Paz.Paix.Fred.Frieden.Vrede.Siochana.мир.امن.和平.平和.평화.Aloha. .
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.. .
Holy Scriptures Study, Week 37
Shelach Lecha; 118.10.9
Torah
B’midbar 13:1 – 15:41
“Adonai instructed (Moshe)
and said, ‘Send out scouts as spies to explore the Canaanite territory that I
am about to give the Israelites. Choose
one scout from each tribe. Make sure
that each scout is a leader of his tribe.’”
(v1-2).
The names of the scouts
are listed.
“When (Moshe) sent the
scouts to explore the Canaanite territory, he said to them, ‘Head north to the
Negev, and then continue to the hill country.
“ ‘See what king of land
it is. Are the people who live there
strong or weak, few or many? Is the
inhabited area (beneficial) or bad? Are
the cities where they live open or fortified?
Is the soil rich or weak? Does
the land have trees or not? Make a
special effort to bring back samples of the fruits.’” (v17-20).
The scouts purvey the land
and the people.
“When they came to Nahal
Eschkol, they cut a branch with a cluster of grapes. It was so large that it needed two men to
carry it on a pole.” (v23).
“At the end of forty days
they came back from exploring the land.”
(v25).
“They gave the following
report: ‘We went to the land where you
sent us, and as you can see from its fruit, it is (actually) flowing with milk
and honey.
“ ‘However, the people
living in the land are powerful, and the cities are large and well
fortified. We also saw the descendants
of the Anakim. Amalek lives in the
Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites, and
Amorites live in the hills; and the
Canaanites live near the Mediterranean Sea and on the banks of the
(Yordan).’” (v27-29).
“Caleb tried to encourage
the people. Caleb said ‘We must advance
and occupy the land. We can do it!’
“The other scouts
disagreed with Caleb. ‘We cannot conquer
them! They are much too powerful for
us!’” (v30-31).
“Then they began to spread
discouraging reports about the land they had explored. They told the Israelites, ‘The land we
scouted is a land that will defeat invaders.
All the men we saw there were huge!
While we were there, we saw Anakim.
Compared with them we looked and felt like tiny grasshoppers.’” (v32-33).
“That night, after the
report of the scouts, the entire community began to shout and cry.” (v1).
“Two of the scouts,
(Yoshua) son of Nun and Caleb son of Yefuneh, tore their clothes in shame. They said to the whole Israelite community,
‘The land that we explored is a very (beneficial) and fertile land!’” (v6-7).
“Adonai said to (Moshe),
‘How long will this people continue to anger Me? How long will they refuse to believe in Me
despite all the miracles that I have done for them? I will kill them with a plague. Then I will make you and your descendants
into a greater, more powerful nation.’”
(v11-12).
Moshe pleads with Adonai
and references one of the previous communications from Adonai.
“ ‘ ‘Adonai is slow to
anger, rich in love, and forgiving of sin and rebellion. But (Adonai) does not forgive those who do
not repent. (Adonai) does not leave the
guilty unpunished, (Adonai) punishes the children for the sins of their parents
to the third and fourth generation.’
“ ‘Please, with Your great
love, forgive the sins of this nation, just as You have forgiven them from the
time they left Egypt until now.’”
(v18-19).
“Adonai answered, ‘I will
pardon them as you have requested. But
as surely as I live, and as surely as My glory fills all the world, I will
punish all the people who have witnessed My glory and the miracles I performed
in Egypt and the wilderness but who still test Me and refuse to obey Me. They will never see the land that I swore to
give to their ancestors. None of those
who doubted Me will ever enter the land.’”
(v20-23).
“The only two exceptions
will be Caleb son of Yefuneh and (Yoshua) son of Nun.” (v30).
“Your bodies will rot in
the desert. Your children will wander
from place to place in the desert for forty years, and sudder for your lack of
faith until the last of your corpses drop here in the desert.” (v32-33).
The scouts die in a
plague.
Israelis try to invade
Eretz Israel and are summarily chased away.
Adonai command the
provision of offerings.
“The foreigner who lives
among you and presents a fire offering as a thank you gift to Adonai, he must
follow the exact same procedure. The
same rule shall apply both to you and to the foreigner who lives among
you. It is a law for all generations
that the foreigner and you are the same before Adonai. You and the foreigner who lives among you
shall be judged by the exact same law.”
(v13-16).
Adonai commands offerings
amidst the community’s violation of a mitzvah.
“If a person
unintentionally commits a sin, he must bring a young female goat for a sin
offering.” (v27).
“The exact same law
applies to Israelites and to the foreigners who live among you.” (v29).
“But is a person
deliberately commits a sin, then it makes no difference whether he is an
Israelite or a foreigner, he has wilfully disobeyed Adonai and shall be cut off
from the community.” (30).
“While the Israelites were
in the desert, they found a man gathering firewood for (Shabbat).” (v32).
“Adonai instructed
(Moshe), ‘Tell the people to take him outside the camp and execute him.’” (v35).
“Adonai spoke to (Moshe),
and told him: Tell the Israelites to sew
fringes on the corners of their garments and insert a blue cord in each corner
of the fringe.
“ ‘When they see the
fringes, they will be reminded to obey Adonai’s commandments and not follow the
evil in their heart and be blinded by the degraded sight of their eyes. When they see the fringes, they will remember
and observe all My commandments and be faithful to Adonai.” (v37-40).
--
Beyond the characteristics
that Moshe explicitly solicits, what additional characteristics are beneficial
to know about a new land that people are going to inhabit?
What is the nature of the
doubt that exists within the scouts?
After successfully departing from Egypt, how does such doubt re-emerge
to discourage going into Eretz Israel? How
is proficient Faith sustained for an enduring duration?
Is there any legitimacy
within the connexion between the exaggerated characteristics of the fruit and
the people within Eretz Israel and with the significant distance that people
often seem to perceive between the temporal actuality wherein people
respectively exist and the experience of continual Peace and prosperity (and/or
of Heaven)?
What is the nature of the
relationship of Adonai between Moshe and Israelis, in that there is
conversation and a perceived “malleability” of the Will of Adonai? Is such communication of “malleability”
simply a façade to encourage “ownership” on the part of Moshe and
Israelis? How does this compare to the
respective relationships between Arjuna, Sri Krishna, and Brahman; between Jesus and Deus; between the Buddha, Enlightenment, and
Nirvana; and between Muhammad (PBUH),
the Angel Gabriel, and Allah?
How can the doubt of
Israelis be appropriately understood as the “hardness of heart” or fear that
generally seems to exist within convention;
and what lessons, from this passage, can be appropriately shared to
transform convention? Is transformation
even possible and/or desirable?
Amidst the repeated and
emphasised teachings regarding equanimity amongst native Israelis and
foreigners, how are such teachings reconciled within the distinctions regarding
enslavement, usury, and additional practises?
Whilst the many of the
distinctions regarding the treatment of the ger (foreigner) may be perceived as
archaic, there is the consideration that such laws are revolutionarily
compassionate when established a number of millennia ago; how might some of these commandments be
appropriate understood within a contemporary, global (Universal) context and
consciousness?
The strings of the tzitzit
are described as representing (or having some connexion with) human hair; what implications/limitations does this have
amidst the awareness that the hair of many people is wool-like, rather than string-like?
How do the “corners with
the tzitzit” compare with the “corners of the field”? How does this compare with the dresscode
respectively prescribed by the Buddha and Jesus? How does the concept of the reminder of the
tzitzit compare with the Buddha’s description of severe austerity being
conducted substantially as a means of gaining recognition (and perhaps economic
benefit) within a community?
--
Bhagavad Gita
Chapters 1 – 2
“O Sanjaya, tell me what
happened at Kurukshetra, the field of (Dharma), where my family and the
Pandavas gathered to fight.” (v1).
“Having surveyed the
forces of the Pandavas arrayed for battle, prince Duryodhana approachd his
teacher, Drona, and spoke.
“ ‘O my teacher, look at
this mighty army of the Pandavas, assembled by your own gifted disciple,
Yudhishthira.’” (v2-3).
The army of the Pandavas
is described.
Both armies blow conch
horns.
Arjuna commands Sri
Krishna to drive the chariot into the middle of the battlefield.
“And Arjuna, standing
between the two armies, saw fathers and grandfathers, teachers, uncles, and
brothers, sons and grandsons, in-laws and friends.
“Seeing his kinsmen
established in opposition, Arjuna was overcome by sorrow. Despairing, he spoke these words:” (v26-27).
“O Krishna, I see my own
relations here anxious to fight,
“and my limbs grow
weak; my mouth is dry, my body shakes,
and my hair is standing on end.”
(v28-29).
“O Krishna, I have no
desire for victory, or for a kingdom or pleasures.
“Of what use is a kingdom
or pleasure or even life, if those for whose sake we desire these things—
“teachers, fathers, sons,
grandfathers, uncles, in-laws, grandsons, and others with family ties—are
engaging in this battle, renouncing their wealth and their lives?
“Even if they were to kill
me, I would not want to kill them, not even to become ruler of the three
worlds. How much less for the earth
alone.” (v32-35).
“Where there is no sense
of unity, the women of the family become corrupt; and with the corruption of its women, society
is plunged into chaos.” (v41).
“This despair and weakness
in a time of crisis is mean and unworthy of you, Arjuna. How have you fallen into a state so far from
the path to liberation?
“It does not become you to
yield to this weakness. Arise with a
brave heart and destroy the enemy.”
(v1-2).
“You speak sincerely, but
your sorrow has no cause. The wise
grieve neither for the living nor for the dead.
“There has never been a
time when you and I and the kings gathered here have not existed, nor will
there be a time when we will cease to exist.”
(v11-12).
“When the sense contact
sense objects, a person experiences cold or heat, pleasure or pain. These experiences are fleeting; they come and go. Bear them patiently, Arjuna.
“Those who are not
affected by these changes, who are the same in pleasure and pain, are (Truly)
wise and fir for immortality. Assert
your strength and (Realise) this!”
(v14-15).
“The impermanent has no
(Reality); (Reality) lies in the
eternal. Those who have seen the
boundary between these two have attained the end of all knowledge.” (v16).
“You were never born; you will never die. You have never changed; you can never change. Unborn, eternal, immutable, immemorial, you
do not die when the body dies.” (v20).
“The Self cannot be
pierced by weapons or burned by fire;
water cannot wet it, nor can the wind dry it.
“The Self cannot be
pierced or burned, made wet or dry. It
is everlasting and infinite, standing on the motionless foundations of
eternity.
“The Self is unmanifested,
beyond all thought, beyond all change.
Knowing this, you should not grieve.”
(v23-25).
“The Self of all beings,
living within the body, is eternal and cannot be harmed. Therefore, do not grieve.” (v30).
Sri Krishna explains the
benefits of warfare for a Kshatriya.
“Those who follow this
path, resolving deep within themselves to (search for) (Me) alone, attain
singleness of purpose. For those who
lack resolution, the decisions of life are many-branched and endless.” (v41).
“There are ignorant people
who speak flowery words and take delight in the letter of the law, saying that
there is nothing else.
“Their hearts are full of
selfish desires, Arjuna. Their idea of
heaven is their own enjoyment, and the aim of all their activities is pleasure
and power. The fruit of their actions is
continual rebirth.
“Those whose minds are
swept away by the pursuit of pleasure and power are incapable of following the
supreme goal and will not attain Samadhi.”
(v42-44).
“You have the right to
work, but never to the fruit of work.
You should never engage in action for the sake of reward, nor should you
long for inaction.
“Perform work in this
world, Arjuna, as a man established within himself—without selfish attachments,
and alike in success and defeat. For
yoga is perfect evenness of mind.” (47-48).
“(Search for) refuge in the
attitude of detachment and you will amass the wealth of spiritual
awareness. Those who are motivated only
by desire for the fruits of action are miserable, for they are constantly
anxious about the results of what they do.
“When consciousness is
unified, however, all vain anxiety is left behind. There is no cause for worry, whether things
go well or ill. Therefore, devote
yourself to the disciplines of yoga, for yoga is skill in action.
“The wise unify their
consciousness and abandon attachment to the fruits of action, which binds a
person to continual rebirth. Thus they
attain a state beyond all evil.
“When your mind has
overcome the confusion of duality, you will attain the state of holy
indifference to things you hear and things you have heard.”
“When you are unmoved by
the confusion of ideas and your mind is completely united in deep Samadhi, you
will attain the state of perfect yoga.”
(v49-53).
“They live in wisdom who
see themselves in all and all in them, who have renounced every selfish desire
and sense craving tormenting the heart.”
(v55).
“Neither agitated by grief
nor hankering after pleasure, they live free from lust and fear and anger. Established in meditation, they are (Truly)
wise.” (v56).
“Fettered no more by
selfish attachments, they are neither elated by (beneficial) fortune nor
depressed by bad. Such are the
seers.” (v57).
“When you keep thinking
about sense objects, attachment comes.
Attachment breeds desire, the lust of possession that burns to anger.
“Anger clouds the judgment; you can no longer learn from past
mistakes. Lost is the power to choose
between what is wise and what is unwise, and your life is utter waste.
“But when you move amidst
the world of sense, free from attachment and aversion alike,
“there comes the peace in
which all sorrows end, and you live in the wisdom of the Self.” (v62-65).
--
The Bhagavad Gita opens
with the king of the antagonists soliciting his advisor to describe the field
of “battle” (field of Dharma); whereby
the advisor describes a conversation of a prince amongst the antagonists who is
observing the army of the protagonist, the Pandavas; what esoteric significance exists within the
confluence of these positions and the intrinsic interaction that exists
therein?
Is there any significance
within Arjuna proceeding into the middle of the battlefield to closer observe
his adversary?
What influence emerges
when a soldier proficiently perceives the humanity (and perhaps the intrinsic
merit, and even Divine quality) that exists within the proclaimed enemy?
How do Arjuna’s words and
actions exist within the context of the typical thought processes of a persona
who abandon’s the household life and becomes an ascetic?
Within Chapter 2, Sri
Krishna penetrates through Arjuna’s temporal façades and speaks directly to the
soul of Arjuna; what are some simple,
everyday manners in which we each can “speak directly” to the souls of each
other? And what influence might such
communication have?
Understanding that the
Self intrinsically exists beyond pain and pleasure, and that the Self
ultimately and equitably exists as the quintessential essence of each being
within the Universe, how does 1 proceed beyond the notion of permissibility to
treat any being in any manner because, ultimately, all beings exist beyond the
temporal experiences (and any aversions) towards such treatment? How does 1’s own experience of pain and
pleasure (and perhaps somewhat deficient personal Realisation of the Self)
influence the manner in which 1 interacts with others? Does 1’s own pain encourage and/or discourage
1 from similarly imposing pain upon others?
Might abiding by one’s
Varna responsibilities and existing within the conventional constructs of
society may be considered as the a form of searching for the fruit of one’s
deeds?
--
Digha Nikaya
Udumbarika Sihanada
Suttanta
“Thus have I heard:
“The Exalted One was once
staying near Rajagaha, on the Vulture’s Peak.
Now at that time there was sojourning in Queen Udumbarika’s Park
assigned to the Wanderers the Wanderer Nigrodha, together with a great company
of Wanderers, even three thousand. Now
the householder Sandhana went forth in the afternoon from Rajagaha to call on
the Exalted One. Then it occurred to
him: It is not timely to call just now
on the Exalted One; he will be in
retirement. Nor is it the hour for
calling on the brethren who are practising mind-culture; they will be in retirement. What if I were to go to Udumbarika’s Park and
find our Nigrodha, the Wanderer? And
Sandhana did so.
“Now at that time Nigrodha
the Wanderer was seated with his large company, all talking with loud voices,
with noise and clamour, carrying on childish talk of various kinds, to
wit: tales of kings, robbers and state
officials; tales of armies, panics, and
battles; talk about foods and drinks,
and clothes, beds, garlands, and perfumes;
talks about relatives; talks
about carriages, villages, towns, cities, and countries; talks about women; talks of heroes; gossip from street-corners and the places for
drawing water; ghost-stories; desultory talk; speculative talk on the world and the
sea; on existence and non-existence.
“And Nigrodha the Wanderer
saw the householder Sandhana approaching in the distance, and called his own
company to order, saying: Be still, sirs,
and make no noise. Here is a disciple of
the Samana Gotama coming, the householder Sandhana. Whatever white-robed lay disciples of Gotama
there be dwelling at Rajagaha, this Sandhana is one of them. Now these (benevolent) gentlemen delight in
quiet; they are trained in quiet; they speak in praise of quiet. How well it were if, seeing how quiet the
assembly is, he should see fit to join us.
And when he spake thus, the Wanderers kept silence.” (v1-3).
Sandhana criticises the
loudness of Nigrodha and the assembly, and honours the example of serenity of
the Buddha.
Nigordha rebukes
Sandhana’s criticism, and challenges the example of the Buddha.
“The Samana Gotama’s
insight is ruined by his habit of seclusion.
He is not at home in conducting an assembly. He is not ready in conversation. He is occupied only with the fringes of
things. Even as a one-eyed cow that,
walking in a circle, follows only the outskirts, so is the Samana Gotama. Why forsooth, householder, if the Samana
Gotama were to come to this assembly, with a single question only could we
settle him; yea, methinks we could roll
him over like an empty pot.” (v5).
“Now the Exalted One heard
with his clair-audient sense of hearing, pure, and surpassing that of man, this
conversation between Sandhana the householder and Nigrodha the Wanderer.” (v6).
The Buddha immediately
visits the vicinity of Nigrodha, and begins walking on air; Nigrodha similarly addresses the assembly to
welcome the Buddha.
The Buddha arrives, and
Nigrodha poses a question.
“What, (leader), is this
religion of the Exalted One, wherein he trains his disciples, and which those
disciples, so trained by the Exalted One as to win comfort, acknowledge to be
their utmost support and the fundamental principle of righteousness?” (v7).
“Difficult is it,
Nigrodha, for one of another view, of another persuasion, or another
confession, without practice and without teaching, to understand that wherein I
train my disciples, and which they, so trained as to win comfort, acknowledge
to their utmost support and the fundamental principle of righteousness. Come now, Nigrodha, ask me a question about
your own doctrine, about austere scrupulousness of life: in what dos the fulfilment, in what dos the
non-fulfilment of these self-mortifications consist?” (v7).
“When he had said this,
the Wanderers exclaimed loudly, with noise and clamour: Wonderful, sir! Marvellous is it, sir, the great gifts and
power of the Samana Gotama in withholding his own theories and inviting the
discussion of those of others!” (v7).
“Then Nigrodha bade the
Wanderers be quiet, and spake thus to the Exalted One: We, (leader), profess self-mortifying
austerities; we hold them to be
essential; we cleave to them.” (v8).
The Buddha details
examples of severe asceticism, and then criticises the practise of such: self-complacency; despising others; inebriation, infatuation, carelessness; complacency after receiving fame, gifts; self-exaltation over others; inebriation, infatuation, and carelessness
after gifts; arrogance in selecting
food; searching for favour amongst
rajas; jealousy towards practises other
ascetics; jealousy towards gifts for
other ascetics; sitting in public; deception in receiving alms; unTruthfulness; unappreciation towards Tathagatas; temper and enmity; and, hypocrisy and additional malevolence.
The Buddha describes a
practise without such tendencies, and Nigrodha agrees with merits.
The Buddha teaches an
increasingly righteous practise.
“Take the case, Nigrodha,
of an ascetic self-restrained by the Restraint of the Fourfold Watch. What is the Restraint of the Fourfold
Watch? It is when an ascetic inflicts
injury on no living thing, nor causes injury to be inflicted on any living
thing, nor approves thereof. He takes
not what is not given, nor approves thereof.
He utters no lies, nor causes lies to be uttered, nor approves
thereof. He craves not for the pleasures
of sense, nor leads others to crave for them, nor approves thereof. Now it is thus, Nigrodha, that the ascetic
becomes self-restrained by the Restraint of the Fourfold-Watch.” (v16).
The Buddha describes the
alleviation of the 5 Hindrances:
hankering after the world, ill-will, sloth and torpor, flurry and worry,
and doubt.
The Buddha describes
pervading the entire world with the thought of love, pity, and equanimity.
The Buddha describes the
recollection of previous states of existence.
The Buddha describes the
acquisition of deva-vision: being able
to read the existences of other beings.
The Buddha describes this
as the pinnacle.
The wanderers celebrate
the Buddha’s teachings; and Sandhana
reintroduces the previous criticisms that Nigrodha voices.
Nigrodha apologises to the
Buddha for such criticisms.
The Buddha asks whether
Nigrodha’s traditional teachers describe an Arahant as talking loudly in
assemblies or retreating quietly in solitude;
Nigrodha affirms the latter.
Nigrodha apologises again.
“But I, Nigrodha, say this
to you: Let a man of intelligence come
to me, who is honest, candid, straightforward—I will instruct him, I will teach
him the (Dharma). If he practise
according as he is taught, then to know himself and to (Realise) even here an
now that supreme religion and goal, for the sake of which clansmen go forth
from the household life into the homeless state, will take him seven
years. Nay, Nigrodha, let be the seven
years. If he practise according as he is
taught, then to know for himself and (Realise) even here and now that supreme
religion and goal, for the sake of which clansmen go forth from the household
life into the homeless state, will take him six years, five years, four years,
three years, two years, one year,…six months…five months, four, three, two
months, one month, half a month. Nay,
Nigrodha, let be half a month. Let a man
of intelligence come to me, honest, candid, straight-forward; I will instruct him, I will teach him the
(Dharma), and if he practise according as he is taught, then to know for
himself and to (Realise) that supreme religion and goal, for the sake of which
clansmen go forth form the household life into the homeless state, will take
him seven days.” (v22).
“Maybe, Nigrodha, you will
think: The Samana Gotama has said this
from a desire to get pupils; but you are
not thus to explain my words. Let him
who is your teacher be your teacher still.
Maybe, Nigrodha, you will think:
the Samana Gotama has said this from a desire to make us secede from our
rule; but you are not thus to explain me
words. Let that which is your rule be
your rule still. Maybe, Nigrodha, you
will think: The Samana Gotama said this
from a desire to make us secede from our mode of livelihood; but you are not thus to explain my
words. Let that which is your mode of
livelihood be so still. Maybe, Nigrodha,
you will think: The Samana Gotama has
said this from a desire to confirm us as to such points of our doctrines as are
wrong, and reckoned as wrong by those in our community; but you are not thus to explain my words. Let those points in your doctrines which are
wrong and reckoned as wrong by those in your community, remain so still for
you. Maybe, Nigrodha, you will
think: The Samana Gotama has said this
from a desire to detach us from such points in our doctrines as are
(benevolent), reckoned as (benevolent) by those in our community; but you are not thus to explain my
words. Let those points in your
doctrines which are (benevolent), reckoned to be (benevolent) by those in your
community, remain so still.” (v23).
“But, O Nigrodha, there
are bad things not put away, corrupting, entailing birth renewal, bringing
suffering, resulting in ill, making for birth, decay and death in the
future. And it is for the putting away
of these that I teach the (Dharma), according to which if ye do walk, the things
that corrupt shall be put away, the things that make for purity shall grow and
flourish, and ye shall attain to and abide in, each one for himself even here
and now, the understanding and the (Realisation) of full and abounding insight.” (v23).
“When he had thus said,
the Wanderers sat silent and annoyed, with hunched back and drooping head, brooding
and dumbfounded, so were their hearts given over to Mara.”
--
What is the reason for
this Sutta being named after the queen who provides the land to the
wanderers? How might this practise of
conventional support for asceticism be proficiently maintained within “Western”
“industrial” and “post-industrial” societies?
Is there any relevance
within the observation that Sandhana intends to visit Nigrodha before Nigrodha
even sees Sandhana and prepares the assembly to receive Sandhana? Does Sandhana intend to visit irregardless of
Nigrodha’s preparation? Do Nigrodha and
the assembly already generate sufficient merit to warrant Sandhana’s initial
intention of visiting Nigrodha? Is this
an extension of the serenity that Sandhana cultivates within himself?
Amidst the experience of
substantial equanimity, and accepting all the experiences of suffering as
emanating from 1’s own previous thoughts, words, and deeds, how does 1
appropriately reconcile the notion that the respective suffering that all other
beings experience (even that which is facilitated through the thoughts, words,
and deeds of the individual considering such) are similarly the results of the
respective thoughts, words, and deeds of each respective being? What affect does this notion have upon the
phenomenon of the ego and the personal self (amidst the implicit suggestion
that an individual’s own thoughts, words, and actions are actually the
manifestation of the thoughts, words, and actions of others; whilst simultaneously, all the respective
thoughts, words, and actions of all other beings also being the manifestation
of the thoughts, words, and actions of the individual considering such)? What does this reveal about the ultimate
unity amidst the infinity of the Universe?
How may this be perceived within an increasingly temporal, tangible,
ordinary manner; what may be some
“everyday” examples of this awareness and unity? And how can this awareness be cultivated to
increasingly alleviate the experience of dukkha within this temporal Realm?
Whilst the wanderers
marvel at the Buddha’s solicitation of a question from Nigrodha’s own practise,
what relevance is there for the Buddha to be able to explain the Buddhist
Dharma in a manner that Nigrodha and the assembly are able to comprehend? Or, is soliciting a question regarding
another’s Dharma actually a lesson of the Buddhist Dharma? How does this compare with Jesus’s teaching
regarding the “last being first,” and the subsequent notion of individuals
“racing to be last”?
What skill is necessary in
being able to prevent lies from being told by others?
Within this Sutta, the
Buddha briefly describes the experience of past lives; within additional Suttas, the Buddha
extensively describes a being exhausting merit within another Realm and
immediately appearing within this temporal Realm; however, there seems to be an absence of any
description regarding the “reverse” of this Becoming: whereby a being accumulates so much merit
that the being immediately exhausts the being’s “demerits” and is immediately
transferred into another, higher Realm of existence (whereby instead, there is
the description of beings, within this temporal Realm, only achieving ascension
into a higher Realm through a life of benevolence and eventually experiencing
death [the passing from life]); is there
any legitimacy within this notion of immediate “Reverse Becoming”? Also, within the Judaism, there is the
practise of kashrut and the intricate separation of the “clean” from the
“unclean;” and within this, Israelis are
commanded to be mindful about eating any material, and even eating from any
items (including one’s own hands) that are defiled in some manner; how might this notion of “Reverse Becoming,”
be appropriately considered within the context of “Reverse Kashrut”: whereby, in addition to ensuring the
“absolute” cleanliness of one’s nutrients and the items that provide such
nutrients, observers of kashrut are equally diligent in maintaining the
“cleanliness” that emits from such practitioners, ensuring that the aggregate
consequences of every thought, word, and deed that an individual commits are
similarly “clean” and “undefiled” for every additional being and all life that
experiences such consequences?
The Buddha describes the
duration of days required for adoption of the Buddhist Dharma, from 7 years all
the way down to 7 days; how does this
description of numerics compare with the conversation between Avraham and
Adonai regarding the destruction of Sodom (regarding the presence of 10
righteous men); with the conversation
between Jesus and Peter (regarding forgiving one’s brother 70 x 7
occasions); and with the Koranic
teachings regarding the number of wives a man is permitted to have (1, 2, 3,
4…)?
This Sutta concludes
within a rather dismal and atypical manner, whereby the listeners are described
as being discouraged and succumbing to baser tendencies; what is the purpose for this conclusion, and
what are appropriate lessons to be gleaned from this?
--
Gospels
Mark 4 – 6
“Again he began to teach
beside the sea. And a very large crowd
gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the
land. And he taught them many things in
parables, and in his teaching he said to them:
‘Listen! A sower went out to
sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell
along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it had
not much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had not depth of
soil; and when the sun rose it was
scorched, and since it had not root it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns and the thorns
grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain.
And other seeds fell into (beneficial) soil and brought forth grain,
growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a
hundredfold.’ And he said, ‘He who has
ears to hear, let him hear.’” (v1-9).
Jesus explains the parable
to his disciples.
“And he said to them, ‘Is
a lamp brought in to be put under a bushel, or under a bed, and not on a
stand? For there is nothing hid, except
to be made manifest; nor is anything
secret, except to come to light.’”
(v21-22).
“The measure you give will
be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. For to him who has will more be given; and from him who has not, even what he has
will be taken away.” (v24-25).
Jesus tells the parable of
the mustard seed.
Jesus calms the seas.
Jesus heals Legion.
Jairus asks Jesus to heal
his daughter.
“And a great crowd
followed him and thronged about him. And
there was a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years, and who had
suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no
better but rather grew worse. She had
heard the reports about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched
his garment. For she said, ‘If I touch
even his garments, I shall be made well.’
And immediately the haemorrhage ceased;
and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had
gone forth from him, immediately turned about in the crowd, and said, ‘Who
touched my garments?’ And his disciples
said to him, ‘You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who
touched me?’’ And he looked around to
see who had done it. But the woman,
knowing what had been done to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down
before him, and told him the whole (Truth).
And he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’” (v24-34).
People perceive Jairus’s
daughter as dead, and Jesus restores her.
“He went away from there
and came to his own country; and his
disciples followed him. And on (Shabbat)
he began to teach in the synagogue; and
many who heard him were astonished, saying, ‘Where did this man get all this? What is the wisdom given to him? What mighty works are wrought by his
hands! Is not this the carpenter, the
son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his
sisters here with us?’ And they took
offense at him. And Jesus said to them, ‘A
prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own kin,
and in his own house.’ And he could do
no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands upon a few sick people and
healed them.” (v1-5).
“And he called to him the
twelve, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the
unclean spirits. He charged them to take
nothing for their journey except a staff;
no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not put on two
tunics. And he said to them, ‘Where you
enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. And if any place will not receive you and
they refuse to hear you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your
feet for a testimony against them.’ So
they went out and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many demons, and anointed
with oil many that were sick and healed them.”
(v7-13).
There is the description
of Herod beheading John the Baptist.
Jesus feeds 5,000 men with
5 loaves of bread and 2 fish.
“Immediately he made his
disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida,
while he dismissed the crowd. And after
he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. And when evening came, the boat was out on
the sea, and he was alone on the land.
And hw saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was
against them. And about the fourth watch
of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, but when they saw
him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw him, and were
terrified. But immediately he spoke to
them and said, ‘Take hear, it is I; have
no fear.’ And he got into the boat with them
and the wind ceased. And they were
utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their
hearts were hardened.” (v45-52).
Jesus heals additional
people at Gennesaret.
--
Within the parable of the sower
of seeds, what relevance exists within the notion that each person become like
the sower of the seeds? And amidst that,
what relevance exists within the notion that amidst the path, the thorns, and
rocky ground, the sower also sows seeds in beneficial soil, and there is
beneficial harvest that is reaped from this?
For even the most ardent Christian, is it appropriate to consider that
some of that Christian’s seeds may fall within the path, the thorns, and rocky
ground? Whilst we strive to plant our
seed within beneficial soil, is it appropriate to be reconciled with the
prospect of some seed falling unto infertile soil, or even being planted within
beneficial soil and without producing?
If so, what is the effect of such a notion upon the very parable itself?
How does Jesus’s teaching
regarding “additional will be given to those who have,” intersect with Jesus’s additional
teachings that advocate for the materially impoverished? Does this suggest that the meagre “possessions”
of the materially impoverished are taken away;
and/or perhaps that the spiritually “destitute” experience increasing
malaise? How is the notion of moderation
and balance appropriately understood within this context?
What is the physical,
metaphysical, and esoteric nature of healing?
How much of healing can be facilitated by an individual’s own
concentration of will, how much is subject to the aggregate influences of
others, and how much is determined by additional phenomena? How does the nature of interdependence
influence an individual’s experience of wellbeing; and amidst such interdependence, how can an
individual improve an individual’s own wellbeing, as well as the wellbeing of
all others? If the woman has sufficient
Faith to be healed simply by touching Jesus’s clothing, what prevents her from
simply healing herself (what element/characteristic within herself prevents her
from having that same sufficient Faith within herself)? What is the physical, metaphysical, esoteric
quality/phenomena that transfers from Jesus to the woman to make her well? Is there a coinciding negative/malaise that
Jesus incurs through providing her with such healing? And if so, is it this negative
phenomena/malaise that Jesus inflicts upon the Pharisees and conventional
leaders of his era, which eventually leads to his own crucifixion? Is there a 0-sum gain with respect to
wellbeing within the Universe; and does
increased wellbeing for 1 individual necessitate decreased wellbeing for
another individual? Is there any
variance within such malaise wherein an appropriate balance of wellbeing can be
experienced by all individuals? How does
Faith facilitate such?
Within the retelling of
the woman who experiences the healing form the flow of blood, there is a
considerable amount of reliance upon the woman’s rendering of that
narrative; and indeed, within the
Christian Gospels, there are a number of women who play prominent roles within
facilitating the narrative and teachings of Jesus, from Mary (his mor), to Mary
Magdalene, to the woman with the flow of blood, to the adulteress, to the woman
at the well, and additionally; what
effect does this female influence have upon the conveyance of the Christian
doctrine? How does this compare with the
presence of woman respectively within the Torah (such as with Chavah, Sara,
Hagar, Rivkah, Rachel, Leah, Miriam, and additionally); the Bhagavad Gita (particularly regarding the virtue
of women affecting society); the Digha
Nikaya (perhaps regarding the female ascetic who transcends the righteousness
of her colleagues); and the Koran
(particularly concerning the teachings regarding wives, families, widows, and specifically
the wives of Muhammad [PBUH])?
Within the description of
Jesus walking atop the water of the sea, there is the description that his
disciples are immediately afraid of him and perceive him as a ghost (even after
spending a considerable amount of episodes with him and even going out and
healing others based upon his teachings);
what does this reveal about the nature of fear: how an individual can even be afraid of that
which is extremely close to, and benevolent towards, an individual? What relevance exists within the notion that
all phenomena can exist in a similar manner:
causing an initial fear, yet ultimately existing within a benevolent and
intimate manner? How does this
experience of fear compare with respective experiences of fear that are
described within the Torah (by Israelis);
the Bhavagad Gita (by Arjuna);
within the Koran (by both believers and unbelievers); and within the Digha Nikaya (perhaps by the wanderers
and additional individuals who have difficulty with the Buddha’s teachings)?
--
Koran
Sura 47: Muhammad
Sura 48: Al Fath; The Victory
Sura 49: Al Hujurat; The Apartments
Sura 50: Qaf
“Those who disbelieve and
turn men from Allah’s way, (Allah) will destroy their works.
“And those who believe and
do (benevolence), and believe in that which has been revealed to Muhammad—and it
is the Truth from their Lord—(Allah) will remove their evil from them and
improve their condition.
“That is because those who
disbelieve follow falsehood, and those who believe follow the Truth from their
Lord. Thus does Allah set forth their
descriptions for men.
“So when you meet in
battle those who disbelieve, smite the necks;
then, when you have overcome them, make them prisoners, and afterwards
set them free as a favour or for ransom till the war lay down its burdens. That shall be so. And if Allah please, (Allah) would certainly
exact retribution from them, but that (Allah) may try some of you by means of
others. And those who are slain in the
way of Allah, (Allah) will never allow their deeds to perish.” (v1-4).
“Surely Allah will make
those who believe and do (benevolence) enter Gardens wherein flow rivers. And those who disbelieve enjoy themselves and
eat as the cattle eat, and the Fire is their abode.” (v12).
“A parable of the Garden
which the dutiful are promised: Therein
are rivers of water not altering for the worse, and rivers of milk whereof the
taste changes not, and rivers of wine delicious to the drinkers, and rivers of
honey clarified; and for them therein
are all fruits and protection from their Lord.
Are these like those who abide in the Fire and who are made to drink
boiling water, so it rends their bowels asunder?” (v15).
“And there are those of
them who (search) to listen to thee, till, when they go forth from thee, they
say to those who have been given knowledge:
What was it that he said just now?
These are they whose hearts Allah has sealed and they follow their low
desires.” (v16).
“And those who follow
guidance, (Allah) increases them in guidance and grants them their observance
of duty.” (v17).
“Obedience and a gentle
word was proper. Then when the affair is
settled, it is better for htem if they remain (True) to Allah.” (v21).
“Surely those who turn
back after guidance is manifest to them, the devil embellishes it for
them; and lengthens false hopes for them.” (v25).
“That is because they say
to those who hate what Allah has revealed:
We will obey you in some matters.
And Allah knows their secrets.”
(v26).
“And be not slack so as to
cry for peace—and you are the uppermost—and Allah is with you, and (Allah) will
not bring your deeds to naught.” (v35).
“The life of this world is
but idle sport and play, and, if you believe and keep your duty, (Allah) will
give you your reward, and (Allah) does not ask of you your wealth.
“If (Allah) should ask you
for it and press you, you will be niggardly, and (Allah) will bring forth your
malice.
“Behold! You are those who are called to spend in
Allah’s way, but among you are those who are niggardly; and whoever is niggardly, s niggardly again
his own soul. And Allah is
Self-Suficient and you are needy. And if
you turn back (Allah) will bring in your place another people, then they will
not be like you.” (v36-38).
“Surely We have granted
thee a clear victory,
“That Allah may cover for
thee thy alleged shortcomings in the past and those to come, and complete
(Allah’s) favour to thee and guide thee on a right path.
“And that Allah might help
thee with a mighty help.
“(Allah) it is Who sent
down tranquillity into the hearts of the believers that they might add faith to
their faith. And Allah’s are the hosts
of the heavens and the earth, and Allah is ever Knowing, Wise—
“That (Allah) may cause
the believing men and the believing women to enter Gardens wherein flow rivers to
abide therein and remove from them their evil.
And that is a grand achievement with Allah.” (v1-5).
There is the description
of excuses provided from desert dwellers.
“Those who lagged behind
will say, when you set forth to acquire gains:
Allow us to follow you. They
desire to change the word of Allah. Say: You shall not follow us. Thus did Allah say before. But they will say: Nay, you are jealous of us. Nay, they understand not but a little.” (v15).
“Allah indeed was well
pleased with the believers, when they swore allegiance to thee under the tree,
and (Allah) know what was in their hearts, so (Allah) sent down tranquillity on
them and rewarded them with a near victory.”
(v18).
“And (Allah) it is Who
held back their hands from you and your hands from them in the valley of Makkah
after (Allah) had give you victory over them.
And Allah is ever Seer of what you do.”
(v24).
“Muhammad is the Messenger
of Allah, and those with him are firm of heart against the disbelievers,
compassionate among themselves. Thou
seest them bowing down, prostrating themselves, (searchin for) Allah’s grace
and pleasure. Their marks are on their
faces in consequence of prostration.
That is their description in the Torah—and their description in the
Gospel—like seed-produce that puts forth its sprout, then strengthens it, so it
becomes stout and stands firmly on its stem, delighting the sowers that (Allah)
may enrage the disbelievers on account of them.
Allah has promised such of them as believe and do (benevolence),
forgiveness and a great reward.” (v29).
“O you who believe, be not
forward in the presence of Allah and (Allah’s) Messenger, and keep your duty to
Allah. Surely Allah is Hearing, Knowing.
“O you who believe, raise
not your voices above the Prophet’s voice, nor speak loudly to him as you speak
loudly one to another, lest your deeds become null, while you perceive not.
“Surely those who lower
their voices before Allah’s Messenger are they whose hearts Allah has proved
for dutifulness. For them is forgiveness
and a great reward.” (v1-3).
“O you who believe, if an
unrighteous man brings you news, look carefully into it, lest you harm a people
in ignorance, then be sorry for what you did.”
(v6).
“And if two parties of the
believers quarrel, make peace between them.
Then if one of them does wrong to the other, fight that which does
wrong, till it return to Allah’s command.
Then, if it returns, make peace between them with justice and act
equitably. Surely Allah loves the
equitable.” (v9).
“The believers are
brethren so make peace between your brethren, and keep your duty to Allah that
mercy may be had on you.” (v10).
“O you who believe, let
not people laugh at people, perchance they may be better than they; not let women laugh at women, perchance they
may be better than they. Neither find
fault with your won people, nor call one another by nick-names. Evil is a bad name after faith; and whoso turns not, these it is that are
iniquitous.” (v11).
“O you who believe, avoid
most of suspicion, for surely suspicion in some cases is sin; and spy not nor let some of you backbite
others. Does one of you like to eat the
flesh of his dead brother? You abhor
it! And keep your duty to Allah, surely
Allah is Oft-Returning to mercy, Merciful.”
(v12).
“O mankind, surely We have
created you from a male and a female, and made you tribes and families that you
may know each other. Surely the noblest
of you with Allah is the most dutiful of you.
Surely Allah is Knowing, Aware.
“The believers are those
only who believe in Allah and (Allah’s) Messenger, then they doubt not, and
struggle hard with their wealth and their lives in the way of Allah. Such are the (Truthful) ones.” (v15).
“Surely Allah knows the
unseen of the heavens and the earth. And
Allah is Seer of what you do.” (v18).
“Almighty God! By the glorious Qur’an!
“Nay, they wonder that a
warner has come to them from among themselves;
so the disbelievers say: This is
a wonderful thing!
“When we die and become
dust—that is a far return.
“We know indeed what the
earth diminishes of them and with Us is a book that preserves.” (v1-4).
There is the description
of the Creation and the natural miracles provided from Allah.
There is the description
of Al Yom Qayimah.
“And certainly We created
the heavens and the earth and what is between them in six periods, and no
fatigue touched Us.” (v38).
--
The teaching of Allah
removing “evil” from believers implies that believers actually have “evil” that
warrants removal; does the possession of
any type of evil necessarily connote a lack of Faith within Allah? What is the distinction between the “evil”
maintained by believers amidst the “evil” maintained by unbelievers?
How may the teachings
provided within Verse 4 be applied to chronic, socioeconomic battles/conflict
that may be waged without, necessarily, direct physical violence, yet that may
also have rather significant consequences?
What are appropriate protocols for responding to such conflict and for
resolving such conflict?
How does the Koranic
description of the Garden of Heaven compare with the Torah’s description of
Eretz Israel, within Parashah Shelach Lecha, as the scouts enter into it?
How does the Koranic
teaching regarding being “increased” within guidance compare with Jesus’s
teaching regarding those who have receiving an additional amount?
How does the Koranic
teachings regarding the influence of the “devil” compare with the Digha Nikaya’s
description of the wanderers being overcome by “Mara”?
--
Blessings upon the
Prophets and Ancestors:
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, our
Ancestors (Known and Unknown), and the Indigenous of Tainoterranea, Asia,
Europe, Mediterranea, and Africa, and the Universe. ૐ. אמן .
שלום.नमस्ते.สมาธ.Pax.سلام.Peace.SatNam.صلح.Kwey.Amani.ειρήνη.Pace.Paz.Paix.Fred.Frieden.Vrede.Siochana.мир.امن.和平.平和.평화.Aloha.
ૐ.
אמן .
