שלום.नमस्ते.สมาธ.Pax.سلام.Peace.SatNam.صلح.Kwey.Amani.Barış.ειρήνη.Pace.Paz.Paix.Fred.Frieden.Vrede.Siochana.мир.امن.和平.平和.평화.Aloha.
.
.
.
Shalom
(Hebrew). Namaste (Sanskrit). Samadhi (Thai/Pali). Pax (Latin). Salaam
(Arabic). Peace (English). Sat Nam (Punjabi). Solh (Persian). Kwey (Lakotah).
Amani (Swahili). Barish (Turkish). Erieni (Greek). Pache (Italiano). Paz
(Espanol). Paix (Francais). Fred (Scandinavian). Frieden (Deutsch). Siochana
(Irish). Mir (Russian). Amin (Urdu). Heping (Mandarin). Heiwa (Japanese).
Pyeonghwa (Korean). Aloha (Hawai’ian). Peace (Common Symbol). Peace (Common
Sign). Peace (General American Sign Language). Peace (American Braille).
Holy Scriptures Study, Week 48 Shoftim; 118.12.19
Torah
Devarim
16:18 – 21:9
“Appoint judges and
officials for your tribes in the towns that Adonai has given you, and make sure
that they judge the people fairly.”
(v18).
“Do not distort justice
and do not give special consideration to anyone. You must not take bribes, because bribery
blinds the wise and ruins the words of the righteous. Only pursue justice and honesty, so that you
may live and occupy the land that Adonai is giving you.” (v19-20).
“You must not sacrifice to
Adonai any ox, sheep, or goat that has a serious defect, because Adonai considers
this an insult.” (v1).
“If you discover a man or
a woman in one of your communities doing evil, dishonouring Adonai’s covenant
by bowing down to the sun, the moon, or other heavenly bodies whose worship I
have strictly prohibited, when you learn about it, you must listen and
carefully question the witnesses. If the
accusation is (True), and this revolting practice has taken place in Israel,
then you must take the man or the woman who did the wicked act out to the gates
of the town, and you shall stone the man or the woman to death. The accused must be put to death only by the
testimony of two or three witnesses.
“The witnesses shall be
the ones to throw the first stones, and only then shall the other people
continue the stoning. In this way you will
eliminate evil from your midst.” (v2-7).
“When you have conquered
the land that Adonai is giving you, and you have occupied it and settled down,
you will start to think, ‘We must appoint a king, just like the other nations
around us.’ Then you must appoint the
king whom Adonai will choose. You must
appoint an Israelite as your king. DO
not appoint a foreigner who is not one of your brethren.
“The king must not build
up great herds of horses for himself and send buyers to Egypt to purchase more
horses. Adonai has warned you that you
must never again return to Egypt.
“The king must not marry
many wives, for they will divert his attention from his governmental
duties. The king must not spend his time
accumulating silver and gold. When the
king is chosen for the royal throne, he must have a copy of the Torah scroll
written for him by the Levitical priests.
This scroll must always be in his possession, and he must read from it
every day of his life. By doing so he
will learn to respect Adonai and faithfully observe every commandment in the
Torah. He will not feel that he is
better than everyone else, and it will prevent him from turning away to the
right or to the left. In this way he and
his descendants will have a long and successful reign on the throne.” (v14-20).
“The Levitical preists and
the entire tribe of Levi will not own any property in the land of Israel. Therefore they shall live only from Adonai’s
offerings and gifts.” (v1)
“You must also give the
priests the first fruits of your grain, wine, and oil and the first wool from
the shearing of your sheep.” (v4).
Adverse religious
practises of other tribes are forbidden for Israelis to practise.
“Instead Adonai will
choose one of you from among your brethren to be a prophet like me, and you
must listen to him.” (v15).
“When a prophet speaks in
Adonai’s name, and what he says does not happen or come (True), then the
message was not spoken by Adonai. The
prophet was a fake; do not believe his phony
prophecies. You must not allow yourself to
be impressed by a false prophet.” (v22).
The 3 refuge cities are
commanded.
The difference between an
unintentional homicide and a murder is illustrated.
“One witness is not enough
to convict a person for a crime that he may have committed. Guilt must be established by the testimony of
at least two or three witnesses.
“If a false witness
testifies against someone, both the accused and the accuser must appear before
the priests and judges who are involved in the case. The judges shall carefully question both of
them, and if the accuser is found to have lied, he must receive the same
punishment as was intended for the accused.
This is how you must remove such evil from your midst. In this way other people will learn and will
be afraid and will never again commit such a crime. You must have no pity for crimes of this
kind. You must take a life for a life, a
tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, and a foot for a foot.” (v15-21).
“Before you approach the
battlefield, the priest will speak to the soldiers.
“He will say, ‘Soldiers of
Israel, today you are about to do battle against your enemies. Do not be fearful, do not be afraid, do not
panic, and do not run away from the enemy.
Adonai is the One who is going into battle with you. (Adonai) will fight with you against your
enemies, and (Adonai) will make you victorious.’
“Then the tribal leaders
shall speak to the troops and say, ‘Has any man among you just built a new
house and not yet moved into it? You can
return home, because you may die in battle and then another man will live in
it.
“ ‘Are there any soldiers
among you who have just planted a vineyard and have not tasted the first
grapes? You can go home, because you may
die in battle and someone else will enjoy your grapes.
“ ‘Is there any soldier
among you who is engaged to be married?
You may go home and get married, because it is not right for you to die
in battle and for someone else to marry her.’
“The leaders shall then
continue speaking to the soldiers and say, ‘Is there any man among you who is
fearful and afraid? You must go home,
because your cowardice will demoralize the other troops.’ When the leaders have finished speaking to
the soldiers, they will appoint experienced battle commanders to lead the
troops.”
“When you attack a city,
you must first propose a peaceful settlement.
If the city surrenders peacefully and opens its gates to you, then all
the people inside shall become your subjects and serve you as laborers.” (v10-11).
“However, if they refuse
your peace offer and decide to resist, you shall besiege the city. When Adonai hands it over to you, kill all
the males. However, you may keep the
women, children, animals, and all the (treasures) of the city. You may use all the plunder from your enemies
for yourself.
“That is what you must do
to the cities that are very far away from you and do not belong to the nations
in the area.” (v12-14).
“You must not allow anyone
to remain alive in the cities of the nations that Adonai is giving you as your
possession.” (v16).
Sacrifice of a female calf
is proscribed amidst the occurrence of an unsolved homicide.
--
Within Parashah Shoftim,
there are a number of different forms of governance explicitly and implicitly
communicated, including a magistrate oligarchy, monarchy, democracy, and
Theocracy; what is the intended system
of governance for Israelis? How does the
phenomenon of Prophethood factor within this intended system of governance? And how does this compare and contrast with
the respective systems of governance within Hinduism and Islam? What are the respective systems of governance
within Buddhism and Christianity (both practised and decreed), and how does
this compare and contrast, as well?
Amidst the prohibition of
property for Levis, what is the intended economic system for Levis; and what is the intended economic system for
all Israelis? How does the ownership
prohibition for Levis compare with the asceticism respectively practised by the
Buddha, Jesus, and Hindu Sadhus? How
does this compare with conventional economic systems (historic and
contemporary) respectively, and collectively, amongst Judaism, Hinduism,
Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam?
The symmetry of imposes
the intended punishment towards a falsely accused person back upon the person
who make the false accusation seems logical;
however, how is the person deemed to be a “false witness” (does this
require at least 2 or 3 witnesses)?
Also, it seems that when an individual endeavours to engage within false
witnessing, that individual becomes susceptible to the betrayal of any
additional false witnesses that collude with that individual, and thus to the
punishment involved; how do these 2
principles (of 2 or 3 witnesses, and of “reverse punishment upon the false accuser”)
effectively prevent such collusion?
How do exemptions for
battle compare with historic and contemporary circumstances whereby the
soldiers of armies are very much within the army simply to acquire a house,
vineyard, and wife, yet are unafraid of going into battle?
Regarding the commands of
offering foreign nations the exclusive “Peace terms” of becoming enslaved to
Israelis, killing all the men and enslaving all the women and children and
treasures (amidst the “Peace terms” being refused), and completely annihilating
all the previous inhabitants of Eretz Israel (including the women and
children); how do these commands balance
the extensive mitzvot of righteousness amongst B’nai Israel? How are such terms of war actually any
different from any other colonial or imperial civilisation?
--
Bhagavad
Gita
Chapters
5 – 6
“O Krishna, you have
recommended both the path of selfless action and sannyasa, the path of
renunciation of action. Tell me
definitely which is better.” (v1).
“Both renunciation of
action and the selfless performance of action lead to the supreme goal. But the path of action is better than
renunciation.” (v2).
“Those who have attained
perfect renunciation are free from any sense of duality; they are unaffected by likes and dislikes,
Arjuna, and are free from the bondage of self-will.
“The immature think that
knowledge and action are different, but the wise see them as the same. The person who is established in one path
will attain the rewards of both.
“The goal of knowledge and
the goal of service are the same; those
who fail to see this are blind.” (v3-5).
“Perfect renunciation is
difficult to attain without performing action.
But the wise, following the path of selfless service, quickly reach
Brahman.” (v6).
“Those who follow the path
of service, who have completely purified themselves and conquered their senses
and self-will, see the Self in all creatures and are untouched by any action
they perform.” (v7).
“Those who know this
(Truth), whose consciousness is unified, think always, ‘I am not the
doer.’
“While seeing or hearing,
touching or smelling; eating, moving
about, or sleeping; breathing or
speaking, letting go or holding on, even opening or closing the eyes, they
understand that these are only the movements of the senses among sense
objects.” (v8-9).
“Those whose consciousness
is unified abandon all attachment to the results of action and attain supreme
peace. But those whose desires are
fragmented, who are selfishly attached to the results of their work, are bound
in everything they do.” (v12).
“Neither the sense of
acting, nor actions, nor the connection of cause and effect comes from the Lord
of this world. These three arise from
nature.” (v14).
“The Lord does not partake
in the (benevolent) and evil deeds of any person; judgment is clouded when wisdom is obscured
by ignorance.” (v15).
“But ignorance is
destroyed by knowledge of the Self within.
The light of this knowledge shines like the sun, revealing the supreme
Brahman.” (v16).
“Those who possess this
wisdom have equal regard for all. They
see the same Self in a spiritual aspirant and an outcaste, in an elephant, a
cow, and a dog.
“Such people have mastered
life. With even mind they rest in
Brahman, (Who) is perfect and is everywhere the same.
“They are not elated by
(benevolent) fortune nor depressed by bad.
With mind established in Brahman, they are free from delusion.
“Not dependent on any
external support, they (Realise) the joy of spiritual awareness. With consciousness unified through
meditation, they live in abiding joy.”
(v18-21).
“Pleasures conceived in
the world of the senses have a beginning and an end and give birth to misery,
Arjuna. The wise do not look for
happiness in them.
“But those who overcome
the impulses of lust and anger which arise in the body are made whole and live
in joy.
“They find their joy,
their rest, and their light completely within themselves. United with the Lord, they attain (Nirvana)
in Brahman.
“Healed of their sins and
conflicts, working for the (benefit) of all beings, the holy sages attain
(Nirvana) in Brahman.
“Free from anger and
selfish desire, unified in mind, those who follow the path of yoga and
(Realise) the Self are established forever in that supreme state.” (v22-26).
“Closing their eyes,
steadying their breathing, and focusing their attention on the center of
spiritual consciousness,
“the wise master their
senses, mind, and intellect through meditation.
(Self-Realisation) is their only goal.
Freed from selfish desire, fear, and anger, they live in freedom always.
“Knowing (Me) as the friend
of all creatures, the Lord of the universe, the end of all offerings and
spiritual disciplines, they attain eternal peace.” (v29).
“It is not those who lack
energy or refrain from action, but those who work without expectation of reward
who attain the goal of meditation.
Theirs is (True) renunciation.”
(v1).
“Reshape yourself through
the power of your will; never let
yourself be degraded by self-will. The
will is the only friend of the Self, and the will is the only enemy of the Self.” (v5).
“The supreme Reality
stands revealed in the consciousness of those who have conquered
themselves. They live in peace, alike in
cold and heat, pleasure and pain, praise and blame.” (v7).
“Select a clean spot,
neither too high nor too low, and seat yourself firmly on cloth, a deerskin,
and kusha grass.
“Then, once seated, strive
to still your thoughts. Make you mind
one-pointed in meditation, and your heart will be purified.” (v11-12).
“Arjuna, those who eat too
much or eat too little, who sleep too much or sleep too little, will not
succeed in meditation.
“But those who are
temperate in eating and sleeping, work and recreation, will come to the end of
sorrow through meditation.” (v16-17).
“In the still mind, in the
depths of meditation, the Self reveals (Itself). Beholding the Self by means of the Self, an
aspirant knows the joy and peace of complete fulfilment.” (v20).
“Little by little, through
patience and repeated effort, the mind will become stilled in the Self.” (v25).
“When a person responds to
the joys and sorrows of others as if they were his own, he has attained the
highest state of spiritual union.”
(v32).
“It is (True) that the
mind is restless and difficult to control.
But it can be conquered, Arjuna, through regular practice and detachment.
“Those who lack
self-control will find it difficult to progress in meditation; but those who are self-controlled, striving
earnestly through the right means, will attain the goal.” (v35-36).
“Krishna, what happens to
the man who has faith but who lacks self-control and wanders from the path, not
attaining success in yoga?” (v37).
“Arjuna, (My) son, such a
person will not be destroyed. No one who
does (benevolent) work will ever come to a bad end, either here or in the world
to come.” (v40).
“Meditation is superior to
severe asceticism and the path of knowledge.
It is also superior to selfless service.
May you attain the goal of meditation, Arjuna!” (v46).
--
Amidst the notion of
action and renunciation, there is the consideration of a man who considers the
extremity of selflessness and selfishness:
on the 1 side, the man decides to abstain from causing the very least
amount of harm towards other beings;
thus, he refuses to eat and drink anything (usurping nourishment from
others); he considers immediately
killing himself, however, he also considers this may cause others trauma; thus, he sits quietly, alone, in a field, and
meditates until he passes from dehydration and starvation; on the other side, the man decides to conquer
all of his enemies and indulge in all the pleasures of the senses; he forms an allegiance with other men and is
successful in annihilating all his enemies;
however, he begins to become fearful of betrayal from his allies, and
thus he carefully plots to annihilate all his allies; he is successful, and there only remains
through his Realm of the Universe his family and wives; and then he becomes fearful of his sons
attempting to overthrow his authority, so he annihilates all his sons; all that remain are his wives and daughters; yet, he is unable to provide sufficient
attention to all his wives, and becomes fearful of lesbian factions emerging
and overthrowing him; so he carefully
plots and annihilates all his wives; and
upon the prospect of all his daughters becoming his wives and similarly
plotting against him, he annihilates all his daughters; thus, he similarly becomes alone, and he is
feeble from his conquests, and thus unable to fend for himself; and he similarly retires to a quiet field,
sits, and passes away from dehydration and starvation; do the extremities of selflessness and
selfishness extend further than these scenarios? Does the awareness of these extremities
effectively quell the, perhaps, subconscious initiative to pursue such
extremities? And what is an appropriate
balance for people to maintain amidst the spectrum of these extremities?
Amidst the notion of the
“senses amidst sense objects” teaching within Verses 8 – 9, how does this
affect the perception of the concept of “free will”?
Is the reference to the
“Lord,” within Verses 14 – 15, a reference to Brahman? How does this teaching affect the concept of
“Omnipotence”? Amidst the absolute
practise of equanimity and indifference, does this annihilate the very
existence of “benevolent” and “malevolent”:
that all phenomena, circumstances, and experiences simply “are”? And if so, how does an individual maintain
such equanimity and indifference whilst continuing to maintain life and engage
within “subject” and “self-interested” pursuits to sustain one’s life (and thus
demonstrating a lack of indifference [an specific preference for life]), and
abiding by intrinsic allegiances to sustain the individual’s life? In contrast, how do individuals appropriately
transcend the presumption of “invincibility,” accepting the experience of
suffering as an intrinsic, inevitable, and purposeful phenomenon within life,
and abstain from unduly (transgressively) reacting to such experiences of
suffering? What is the legitimacy within
the offering that suffering provides the opportunity for compassion, and this
is exactly the meaning of life (and that all beings, in some form or another,
provide such benefit to other beings)?
Is it accurate to perceive
that the “self-Realisation that any 1 individual pursues is the exact same
“self-Realisation” that all individuals pursue, because “self-Realisation”
equates to “Self-Realisation,” with the “Ultimate Self” existing the same
within all beings?
Amidst the teaching of
meditation being superior to selfless service (and perhaps contrarily, selfless
service being superior to renunciation), what is the appropriate balance
between meditation and selfless service?
There is the consideration that when 1 thoroughly dedicates 1’s self to
meditation, this requires a change of lifestyle whereby all that 1 does is done
to facilitate that individual’s practise of meditation (maintaining a
minimalist lifestyle to facilitate continual meditation), and that seems to
prevent 1 from engaging within substantial selfless service (which requires
energy, resources, and heartbeats) which withdraw 1 from continually practising
meditation; thus, this seems to revisit
the comparison between renunciation and selfless service; and again, what is the appropriate balance?
--
Digha
Nikaya
Dasuttara
Suttanta
“Thus have I heard:
“The Exalted One was once
staying at Campa, on the banks of Lak Gaggara, with a great company of the
brethren, about five hundred in number.
There the venerable Sariputta addressed them, saying, ‘Friends,
brethren!’ ‘Yes, friend,’ responded the
brethren. And the venerable Sariputta
spake thus:--
“In groups from one to ten
will I declare
“The (Dharma), that so ye
may Nibbana win,
“That ye may make an end
of ill and pain,
“That ye may be from every
bond set free.” (v1).
“There is One thing,
friends, that helpeth much, One thing that is to be developed, One that is to
be understood, One that is to be eliminated, One that belongs to disaster, One
that leads to distinction, One that is hard to penetrate, One that is to be brought
to pass, One that is to be thoroughly learnt, One that is to be
(Realised).” (v2).
The responses to each of
these categories respectively are:
1.) zeal in things that are
benevolent; 2.) mindfulness amidst body and feelings; 3.)
contact as a condition of intoxicants and grasping; 4.)
conceit of “I am;” 5.) disorderly thinking; 6.)
orderly thinking; 7.) immediacy of succession in mental
concentration; 8.) sure and unshakeable knowledge; 9.)
all beings are maintained by causes;
10.) sure and unshakeable
emancipation of mind.
The 2’s are: 1.)
mindfulness and deliberation;
2.) calm and insight; 3.)
mind and body; 4.) ignorance and the craving for rebirth; 5.)
contumacy and friendship with evil;
6.) suavity and friendship with
benevolence; 7.) that which is the cause, condition of the
corruption of beings, and that which is the cause, condition of the
purification of beings; 8.) insight into extinction, and insight into not
coming to be; 9.) 2 elements:
the conditioned and the unconditioned;
10.) supernormal knowledge and
emancipation.
The 3’s are: 1.)
intercourse with noble-minded persons, hearing the Dharma, and progress
in the Dharma and the minor doctrines;
2.) the 3 modes of concentrative
thought: mental application after sustained thought, sustained thought without
mental application, and concetrative thought without either; 3.) 3
feelings: pleasure, pain, and
neutral; 4.) 3 cravings:
sensual, rebirth, and ending life;
5.) 3 roots of demerit: greed, hate, illusion; 6.) 3
roots of merit: disinterestedness, love,
intelligence; 7.) 3 elements of deliverance: renunciation (escape from desires),
immaterial (escape from materiality), conditioned (cessation from
becoming); 8.) 3 knowledges:
of the past, future, and present;
9.) 3 elements: of sensuous desires, of Rupa, of Arupa; 10.) 3
branches of wisdom: intuition of former
births, intuition of the deceases and rebirths of beings, and intuition of the
extinction of the intoxicants.
The 4’s are: 1.) 4
wheels: orbit of a favourable place of
residence, orbit of association with benevolence, perfect adjustment of one’s
self, and the cycle of merit wrought in the past; 2.) 4
applications of mindfulness regarding:
body, feelings, thought, and ideas;
3.) 4 nutriments: solid
nutriment, contact, purposes of the mind, and (rebirth) consciousness; 4.) 4
floods: sensuous desire, rebecoming,
erroneous opinions, and ignorance;
5.) four bonds: sensuous desire, rebecoming, erroneous
opinions, and ignorance; 6.) 4 detachments from the 4 bonds; 7.) 4
concentrations: leading to decline,
leading to maintenance, leading to distinction, leading to Nirvana; 8.) 4
knowledges: of the Dharma, of the
corollaries of the Dharma, of another’s consciousness, and popular
knowledge; 9.) 4-Fold Ariyan Truth regarding: ill, genesis of ill, cessation of ill, and
the path to the cessation of ill;
10.) 4 fruits of the life of a
recluse: fruit of each path of
stream-winning, of once-returning, of never-returning, and of Arahantship.
The 5’s are: 1.) 5
factors in spiritual wrestling:
confidence in Faith, beneficial health, honesty, energy, and insight; 2.) 5
factors of perfect concentration:
suffusion of rapture, suffusion of easeful bliss, suffusion of
telepathic consciousness, suffusion of light, and images for retrospective
thought; 3.) 5 aggregates of grasping: material qualities, feeling, perception,
volitional and other complexes, and consciousness; 4.) 5
Hindrances: sensuality, malevolence,
sloth and torpor, excitement and worry, and doubt; 5.) 5
spiritual barrennesses: doubt within the
Buddha, within the Dharma, within the Sangha, within the discipline, and mutual
discord; 6.) 5 spiritual faculties: Faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration,
and insight; 7.) 5 elements favourable towards
deliverance: detachment from sensuous
desires, ill will, cruelty, external objects, and individuality; 8.)
5-fold intuition of concentration:
rapture is both present happiness and future happiness, rapture is
Ariyan/unworldly, rapture only pursued by noble men, rapture is benevolent,
rapture is personally attained; 9.) 5 occasions of emancipation: from hearing the Dharma from a Buddha or
fellow disciple, from teaching the Dharma, from reciting the Dharma, from
meditating upon the Dharma, from understanding the Dharma; 10.) 5
bodies of doctrine: ethics, concetrative
exercise, ingihts, emancipation, and knowledge and insight required for
emancipation.
The 6’s are: 1.) 6
occasions of fraternal living; 2.) 6 matters for recollection; 3.) 6
organs of sense; 4.) 6 groups of cravings; 5.) 6
forms of irreverence; 6.) 6 forms of reverence; 7.) 6
elements tending to deliverance;
8.) 6 chronic states; 9.) 6
unsurpassable experiences; 10.) 6 super knowledges.
The 7’s are: 1.) 7
treasures; 2.) 7 factors of enlightenment; 3.) 7
stations of consciousness; 4.) 7 forms of latent bias; 5.) 7
vicious qualities; 6.) 7 virtuous qualities; 7.) 7
qualities of the benevolent; 8.) 7 perceptions;
9.) 7 bases of Arahantship; and, 10.)
7 powers of the Arahant.
--
How do these numerical
teachings compare with the previous numerical teachings within the Sangiti
Sutta, as well as the additional Buddhist Dharma and the additional numerical
teachings therein? How does these
compare and contrast within similar and additional numerical teachings and
emphases within Judaism, Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam?
What is the
actual/intentional significance within the distinctions between the 10
different categories framing these numerical teachings?
Amidst the 1st
iteration of the 4’s, what is the nature of the “4 wheels” (residence,
community, self, and past)? What is the
nature of the “wheel” and the “orbit” within each of these phenomena, and are
there additional phenomena that may be included within this consideration?
What is the nature of the
4 nutriments?
What does “decline” mean
within the “4 concentrations”?
Why is the 4-Fold Noble
Truth listed as #9 amongst the “4’s”?
How do the 5 occasions of
emancipation facilitate the benefit that is described therein? What is the intrinsic similarity amongst the
5 occasions of emancipation; and what
some distinguishing characteristics? Are
there any additional, distinct processes that may be added to these 5 occasions
of emancipation?
--
Gospels
Luke 20
- 22
“One
day, as he was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the
chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up and said to him, ‘Tell us
by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this
authority.’” (v1-2).
Jesus
asks from what authority John the Baptist preaches, and upon the hesitancy of
the scribes and elders, Jesus refuses to communicate the authority from which
he preaches.
Jesus
tells the parable of the ungrateful servants who kill the man’s son.
“But
he looked at the and said, ‘What then is this that is written:
“
‘ ‘The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the
corner’? Every one who falls on that stone
will be broken to pieces; but when it
falls on any one it will crush him.’”
(v17-18).
“They
asked him, ‘Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no
partiality, but (Truly) teach the way of God.
Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?’ But he perceived their craftiness, and said
to them, ‘Show me a coin. Whose likeness
and inscription has it?’ They said,
‘Caesar’s.’ He said to them, ‘Then
render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are
God’s.’” (v21-25).
“And
Jesus said to them, ‘The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage; but those who are accounted worthy to attain
to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given
in marriage, for they cannot die any more, because they are equal to angels and
are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.’” (v34-36).
“And
in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, ‘Beware of the
scribes, who like to go about in long robes, and love salutations in the market
places and the best seats in the (Synagogues) and the places of honor at
feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.’” (v45-47).
“He
looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury; and he saw a poor widow put in two copper
coins. And he said, ‘Truly I tell you,
this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for they all contributed out of their
abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all the living that she
had.’” (v1-4).
“And as some spoke of the
(Temple), how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, ‘As for
these things which you see, the days will come when there shall not be left
here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.’” (v5-6).
“And he said, ‘Take heed
that you are not led astray; for many
will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not
be terrified; for this must first take
place, but the end will not be at once.’”
(v8-9).
“Then he said to them,
‘Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in
various places famines and pestilences;
and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. But before all this they will lay their hands
on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the (Synagogues) and prisons,
and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. This will be a time for you to bear
testimony. Settle it therefore in your
minds, not to meditate beforehand how to answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which
none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and
brothers and kinsmen and friends, and some of you they will put to death; you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your
lives.’” (v10-19).
“And he told them a
parable: ‘Look at the fig tree, and all
the trees; as soon as they come out in
leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking
place, you know that the (Sovereignty) of God is near. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not
pass away till all has taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away, by my words will not pass away.’” (v29-33).
“But take heed to
yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness
and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a snare; for it will come upon all who dwell upon the
face of the whole earth. But watch at
all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that
will take place, and to stand before the Son of man.’” (v34-36).
“And every day he was
teaching in the (Temple), but at night he went out and lodged on the mount
called Olivet. And early in the morning
all the people came to him in the (Temple) to hear him.” (v37-38).
“Now the feast of
Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called (Pesach). And the chief priests and the scribes were
(searching) how to put him to death; for
they feared the people.” (v1-2).
Judas conspires to betray
Jesus.
Jesus convenes a Seder
with his disciples.
“And he took a cup, and
when he had given thanks he said, ‘Take this, and divide it among
yourselves; for I tell you that from now
on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the (Sovereignty) of God
comes.’ And he took bread, and when he
had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body
which is given for you. Do this in
remembrance of me.’” (v17-19).
“A dispute also arose
among them, which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. And he said to them, ‘The kings of the
Gentiles exercise (leadership) over them;
and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But no so with you; rather let the greatest among you become as
the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.
For which is the greater, the one who sits at table, or one who
serves? Is it not the one who sits at table? But I am among you as one who serves?” (v24-27).
“And he said to them, ‘When
I sent you out with no purse or bag or sandals, did you lack anything?’ They said, ‘Nothing.’ He said to them, ‘But now, let him who has a
purse take it, and likewise a bag. And
let him who has no sword sell his mantle and buy one.’” (v35-36).
“And he withdrew from them
about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, ‘(Deus), if (Thou) art
willing, remove this cup from me;
nevertheless not my will, but (Thine), be done.’” (v41-42).
“While he was still
speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading
them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss
him; but Jesus said to him, ‘Judas,
would you betray the Son of man with a kiss?’
And when those who were about him saw what would follow, they said, ‘(Leader),
shall we strike with the sword?’ And one
of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, ‘No more of this!’ And he touched hi ear and healed him.” (v47-51).
Peter denies Jesus on 3
occasions before the cock crows.
“And the (Leader) turned
and looked at Peter. And Peter
remembered the word of the (Leader), how he had said to him, ‘Before the cock
crows today, you will deny me three times.’
And he went out and wept bitterly.”
(v61-62).
--
How do the scribes,
elders, Pharisees, and Sadducees amongst the period of Jesus’ temporal
existence, compare with contemporary Christians?
What implications does
Jesus’ teaching, regarding marriage in the age to come, have pertaining to the
practise of marriage within the temporal experience?
What is the nature of the
confluence between the “likeness of Caesar,” “the widow’s 2 copper coins,” and
the practise of asceticism and the refusal to utilise any money? How is these phenomena factor within the “economic
doctrines” regarding the Buddha and the disciplines of Buddhist Monks and Nuns,
with the distinction of Levi’s, with the Hindus Sadhus, and within Islam, as
well?
How does Moshe’s warning
regarding false prophesy compare with Jesus’ warning regarding false
prophesy? Are such warnings similarly
provided within Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam;
and if so, how does such compare and contrast with these?
What is the nature of a
“self-fulfilling prophesy,” and the manner in which people begin to enact
adverse circumstances as a means of attempting to fulfil such prophesies? How do the teachings of behaviour amidst such
adversities compare with previous teachings of righteousness, compassion, and
benevolence during “ordinary” circumstances?
It may be considered that
a strongly genuine and earnest apostle of Jesus receives the passage of Chapter
21 as a teaching to share the Gospel with all humanity and that such “sharing” requires formally
converting all humanity to Christianity, and officially proclaiming the
Christian Faith, in order to prepare humanity for the prophesy that Jesus
communicates; however, that may be
understood as a “surface level” reception of Jesus’ message, and that “loving
others as 1 loves 1’s self, involves learning about others and being willing to
accept the Truth that others have to offer, as well;” an example of this “Golden Rule” may be
explained through Jane and Joanne; Jane
likes apples and Joanne like oranges;
when Jane wants to be nice to Joanne, is it appropriate for her to give
Joanne an apple or an orange? And when
Joanne wants to be nice to Jane, is it appropriate for her to give Jane an
orange or an apple? And when Jane and
Joanne are Truly close friends, does it matter what 1 gives the other?
What is the nature of both
the strength and the weakness of the master;
and the strength and the weakness of the slave?
How does Jesus’ teaching
for acquiring sandals, bags, and swords, affect his preceding teaching to go
without 2 sandals and without 2 tunics?
And how is the “swords” doctrine affected by Jesus later proclaiming, “This
is enough,” and healing the slave whose ear is cut off from 1 of Jesus’
disciples? Amidst the continuation of
temporal life, and continuing convention therein, and the existence of the
followers of Jesus therein, what are the temporal systems of economics and
governance that are to be implemented from the aggregate of Jesus’ teachings
(from 1st to last, to 2 tunics, and inbetween)? What teachings supercede other teachings, and
what teachings remain constant? How does
this compare with the mitzvot that Moshe imparts, as well as the respective
teachings and practises within Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam?
--
Koran
Sura 84: Al Inshiqaq:
The Bursting Asunder
Sura 85: Al Buruj:
The Stars
Sura 86: Al Tariq:
The Comer by Night
Sura 87: Al A’la:
The Most High
Sura
88: Al Ghashiyah: The Overwhelming Event
“When the heaven bursts
asunder,
“And listens to its Lord
and is made fit;
“And when the earth is
stretched,
“And casts forth what is
in it and become empty,
“And listens to its Lord
and is made fit.
“O man, thou must strive a
hard striving to attain to thy Lord, until thou meet (Allah).” (v1-6).
“Then as to him who is
given his book in his right hand,
“His account will be taken
by an easy reckoning,
“And he will go back to
his people rejoicing.
“And as to him who is
given his book behind his back,
“He will call for
perdition.
“And enter into burning
Fire.
“Surely he was erstwhile
joyful among his people.
“Surely he thought that he
would never return to Allah—
“Yea, surely his Lord is
ever Seer of him.” (v7-15).
“But nay, I call to
witness the sunset redness,
“And the night and that
which it drives on,
“And the moon when it
grows full,
“That you shall certainly
ascend to one state after another.”
(v16-19).
“By the heaven full of
stars!
“And the Promised day!
“And the bearer of witness
and that to which witness is borne!
“Destruction overtake the
companions of the trench!—” (v1-4).
“Surely the grip of thy
Lord is severe.
“Surely (Allah) it is Who
creates first and reproduces;
“And (Allah) is the
Forgiving, the Loving,
“Lord of the Throne of
Power, the Glorious,
“Doer of what (Allah)
intends.” (v12-16).
“Nay, those who disbelieve
give the lie—
“And Allah encompasses
them on all sides.
“Nay, it is a glorious Qur’an,
“In a guarded tablet.” (v19-22).
“By the heaven and the
Comer by night!
“And what will make thee
know what the Comer by night is?
“The star of piercing
brightness—
“There is not a soul but
over it is a keeper.
“So let man consider of
what he is created.
“He is created of water
pouring forth.
“Coming from between the
back and the ribs.
“Surely (Allah) is Able to
return him to life.
“On the day when hidden
things are manifested,
“Then he will have no
strength nor helder.
“By the cloud giving rain,
“And the earth opening with
herbage!
“Surely it is a decisive
word!
“And it is not a joke.
“Surely they plan a plan,
“And I plan a plan.
“So grant the disbelievers
a respite—let them alone for a while.”
(v1-17).
“Glorify the name of thy
Lord, the Most High!
“Who creates, then makes
complete,
“And Who measures, then
guides,
“And Who brings forth
herbage,
“Then make it dried up,
dust-coloured.
“We shall make thee recite
so thou shalt not forget—
“Except what Allah
please. Surely (Allah) knows the
manifest, and what is hidden.
“And We shall make thy way
smooth to a state of ease.
“So remind, reminding
indeed profits.
“He who fears will mind,
“And the most unfortunate
one will avoid it,
“Who will burn in the
great Fire.
“Then therein he will
neither live nor die.
“He indeed is successful
who purifies himself,
“And remembers the name of
his Lord, then prays.
“But you prefer the life
of this world,
“While the Hereafter is
better and more lasting.
“Surely this is in the
earlier scriptures,
“The scriptures of
(Avraham) and (Moshe).” (v1-19).
“Has there come to thee
the news of the Overwhelming Event?
The penalty and the reward
are described.
“See they not the clouds,
how they are created?
“And the heaven, how it is
raised high?
“And the mountains, how
they are fixed?
“And the earth, how it is
spread out?
“So remind. Thou art only one to remind.
“Thou art not a warder
over them—
“But whoever turns back
and disbelieves,
“Allah will chastise him
with the greatest chastisement.
“Surely to Us is their
return.
“Then it is for Us to call
them to account.” (v17-26).
--
What is the nature and
intentionality of the personification of natural elements within the Koran (as
it pertains to obeying the Will of Allah)?
Amidst the obligatory compliance of natural phenomena to the Will of Allah,
how does this affect the perception of the concept of “free will”?
How does the light and the
description of the “Comer by night” compare both with the “light upon a table”
(and atop a hill), that Jesus teaches, as well as the “night visitor” during
the Pesach that causes the first-born of the Egyptians to pass away? How is this notion of knowledge and life similarly
understood within this context? How may
this also be evidenced and compared/contrasted with narratives respectively
within Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity?
Amidst the opening of Sura
Al A’la, what is the nature of the distinction between, “creation” and “completion;” as well as between, “measuring” and “guiding”?
Does belief within the Omnipotence
of Allah necessarily alleviate the existence of free will as simply (or effectively)
an illusion? Amidst a substantially
humble disposition, does the semblance of “free will” help to explain why
suffering exists amidst the existence of the will of Allah, Who is benevolent,
Most Compassionate, Most Merciful, Most Gracious? Does suffering exist exactly according to the
Will of Allah; and thus, does suffering
ultimately serve some benevolent purpose (such as, perhaps, to enact
compassion, mercy, and grace)? And, in a
similar manner, does “disbelief” exist (perhaps as a means of proclaiming
belief)?
How does the duty of being
a “reminder,” compare and contrast with Jesus’ call to his disciples, with
Moshe’s call to Israelis, with the Buddha’s call to the Sangha, and with
Krishna’s call to Arjuna? According to
the aggregate of these teachings, as well as the respective teachings of
Prophets and leaders from the aggregate of the Universe’s religions, traditions,
and belief systems, what is intended as the aggregate social, political, economic,
environmental, and educational construct of humanity and of the Universe?
--
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.Barış.ειρήνη.Pace.Paz.Paix.Fred.Frieden.Vrede.Siochana.мир.امن.和平.平和.평화.Aloha.
.
.
.
ૐ.
אמן .
