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 49 Ki Teitzei; 119.1.1
Torah
Devarim
21:10 – 25:19
“When you go to war
against your enemies, Adonai will help you defeat them, and you will take many
prisoners. If you find a beautiful woman
among the captives and are attracted to her, you may marry her. When you bring her home, she must shave off
the hair on her head and cut her fingernails.
Then she must change her foreign clothing and remain in your home,
mourning for her father and mother for a full month. After that you may marry her and make her
your wife.” (v10-13).
“This is the law when a
man has two wives, one whom he loves and one whom he dislikes, and both wives,
the loved one and the unloved one, have given birth to sons, but the first-born
is the son of the unloved wife. When the
man divides his property, he must not give the son of the beloved wife more (than)
the first-born son of the unloved wife.
“He must give the son of
the hated wife a double portion of all his property because he is the
first-born and it is his legal right.”
(v15-17).
Capital punishment is
deemed for an unruly son.
“If a person is legally
sentenced to death, you must hang him from a tree. You must not allow his body to hand on the
tree overnight, but you must bury him on the same day. A person who has been hanged is an insult to
Adonai, and you must not let it desecrate the land Adonai is giving you as a
heritage.” (v22-23).
“If you see an ox or a
sheep wandering around lost, you must not ignore it. You must return it to the owner.
“If the owner is not
nearby, or if you do not know who the owner is, you must take the animal to your
own farm. You must care for it until the
owner claims it, and then you must return it to him.
“You must do the same in
the case of any animal, or an article of clothing, or anything else that
someone loses and you find. You must
hold it for the owner.” (v1-3).
“No woman shall dress in
men’s clothing, and no man shall dress in women’s clothing. Adonai hates cross-dressing behaviour.” (v5).
“You must not plant two
types of crops in your vineyard. If you
do, it is forbidden to eat the yield of the grapes you planted and the fruit
from the second crop.” (v9).
“You must not plow with an
ox and a donkey in the same team. You must not wear clothing in which wool and
linen are woven together in the same garment.”
(v10-11).
“You must sew tassels on
the four corners of the garments that you wear.” (v12).
Rules regarding divorce,
claims and slander regarding unchastity, are described.
“If a man is found
sleeping with someone else’s wife, both the woman and the man lying with her
shall be put to death. You must rid
Israel of evil.”
When a man has sex with a
woman engaged to be married, capital punishment is prescribed for both
(including the woman because she abstains from screaming for help; except when in the field, where there is an
absence of help).
“If a man meets a virgin
girl who is not engaged, and he is caught raping her, the rapist must give the
girl’s father fifty silver shekels. He
must marry the girl that he raped, and he cannot divorce her as long as he
lives.” (v28-29).
“A son must not marry his
father’s wife. This would shame his
father.” (v1).
Additional prohibitions
regarding marriage are provided.
“You must not hate the
Edomite, because he is your relative.
You must not hate the Egyptian, because you were once a stranger in his
land. Therefore, the grandchildren of
the Egyptians who left Egypt with you may convert in the third generation and
marry Israelites.” (v8-9).
Rules regarding
cleanliness within a camp, particularly during war, are provided.
“If a slave escapes from
his master, you must not force him to return.
“You must allow him to
live alongside you in your cities wherever he chooses, and you must not
discriminate against him. You must do
nothing to hurt his feelings.” (v16-17).
Prostitution is
prohibited.
“You must deduct advance
interest from loans made to an Israelite, whether for money or for food or for
anything else for which interest is normally taken.
“You may take interest
from a foreigner, but you must not do so from an Israelite. If you observe this rule, Adonai will bless
you in all your undertakings in the Promised Land that you are going to
occupy.” (v20-21).
“When you make a sacred
pledge to Adonai, pay it on time, because Adonai demands that you honor all
your promises. It is not a sin to avoid
making plesges. But if you make a sacred
pledge, be sure to keep your promise to Adonai.” (v22-24).
“If you enter your
neighbor’s vineyard and you are hungry, you may eat as many grapes as you
desire, but you are not permitted to take bunches of grapes home with you.
“It is the same when you
are in your neighbor’s field of grain.
You may pick and eat the grain with your hand, but you are not allowed
to cut the stalks with a sickle and take them with you.” (v25-26).
Rules regarding divorce
are prescribed.
“A newly married man must
not be drafted for military service of forced into any other type of
service. He must be allowed to remain
with his bride for one year, so that he can be happy with his bride.” (v5).
“You must not take an
upper or lower millstone as a pledge for a loan because the owner makes his
living by grinding grain into flour.”
(v6).
“If a man kidnaps a fellow
Israelite, and forces him into slavery and then sells him, the kidnapper shall
be put to death. You must rid yourself
of such evildoers in your community.”
(v7).
“When you make a loan of
any kind to your neighbour, you must not go into his house to take something as
security.
“You must stand outside,
and the man who owes you the money will bring the security item outside to you.
“If the man is poor and
has only a coat to pledge, you must not keep the poor person’s warm coat
overnight as security.
“You must return his coat
to him at sundown, so that he will be able to sleep in his warm garment, and he
will bless you for it. Then you will have
performed a righteous deed.” (v10-13).
“You must not withhold the
wages that are due your poor labourer, whether he is an Israelite or a
foreigner living in your land. You must
pay him on the same day, before the sun goes down. He is a poor man, and he needs his daily
wages because his family depends on the money.
“Do not give him a reason
to complain to Adonai, because you will be guilty of sin.” (v14-15).
“You must not deny justice
to the foreigner or the orphan. You must
not take a widow’s clothing as a pledge for a loan.” (v17).
“Always remember that you
were a poor slave in Egypt, and Adonai freed you. That is why I am commanding you to observe
these rules.” (v18).
“When there is a problem
between people, the judges will decide who is guilty and who is innocent.” (v1).
Rules regarding a brother
marrying his deceased brother’s wife and raising children for him, are
prescribed.
“You must not cheat by
using two different weights, one heavy and one light. You must not cheat by using two different
measures, one long and one short.
“You must have accurate
weights and accurate measures. If you do
this, you will enjoy a long life in the land that Adonai is giving you. Using dishonest weights and measures is
repugnant to Adonai.” (v13-16).
--
What is the context of the
rules regarding marrying a captive foreign woman? What is the propensity of this allowance or
rule towards motivating Israelis towards invading additional nations simply to
attain additional wives? Is there any
limit to prevent such from happening?
What are additional precepts that govern righteous interaction between
foreigners? How does this compare with
the respective teachings within additional traditions?
What are additional,
traditional rules regarding an Israeli man having multiple wives, including
throughout the historic tradition since the conveyance of the Torah to
Moshe? How do these practises compare
and contrast within those found within the Koran, as well as within the historic
tradition of Islam, as well as that of Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, and
additionally?
Why is capital punishment
prescribed when an impaled (hanged) body is abhorred by Adonai?
How does the alTruistic
mitzvah, shared within the opening of Chapter 22, fit within the context of the
previously described mitzvot regarding captives and capital punishment?
Do the prohibitions
regarding the mixture of crops and fabrics have any implications regarding the
interaction between Israelis and additional nations? What are appropriate applications, and what
are inappropriate applications? And what
implication do these applications have regarding the current Diaspora of
Judaism and the substantial history of intermarriage and miscegenation within
Judaism?
What is the nature of the
righteousness within the prohibition of charging interest towards other
Israelis; and what is the nature of the
contradiction within the permission of charging interest towards
foreigners? How does this also compare
with similar dichotomies of treatment towards Israelis and foreigners? What is an appropriate balance of treatment
towards all people? Is this even an
appropriate consideration? How do the respective
teachings of equanimity, within Hinduism and Buddhism, compare with this
distinction? How does this also compare
with the teachings of compassion (and the benevolent Samaritan) that Jesus
provides? And how does this compare with
appropriate teachings from the Koran and Islam?
Do we each have a unique responsibility towards our respective,
immediate kindred, and families, and if so, how do we appropriately balance
such responsibilities with the responsibilities that we maintain towards all
humans, and indeed, all beings? What is
the appropriate line of distinction between how we treat foreigners and how we treat
family?
--
Bhagavad
Gita
Chapters
7 – 8
“With your mind intent on
(Me), Arjuna, discipline yourself with the practice of yoga. Depend on (Me) completely. Listen, and I will dispel all your doubts; you will come to know (Me) fully and be united
with (Me).
“I will give you both
jnana and vijnana. When both these are
(Realised), there is nothing more you need to know.” (v1-2).
“Earth, water, fire, air,
akasha, mind, intellect, and ego—these are the eight divisions of (My)
prakriti.”
“But beyond this I have
another, higher nature, Arjuna; it
supports the whole universe and is the source of life in all beings.” (v4-5).
“There is nothing that
exists separate from (Me), Arjuna. The
entire universe is suspended from (Me) as (My) necklace of jewels.” (v7).
“Arjuna, I am the taste of
pure water and the radiance of the sun and moon. I am the sacred word and the sound heard in
air, and the courage of human beings.”
(v8).
“My eternal seed, Arjuna,
is to be found in every creature. I am
the power of discrimination in those who are intelligent, and the glory of the
noble.” (v10).
“The states of sattva,
rajas, and tamas come from (Me), but I am not in them.
“These three gunas deceive
the world: people fall to look beyond
them to (Me), supreme and imperishable.
“The three gunas make up
(My) divine maya, difficult to overcome.
But they cross over this maya who take refuge in (Me).” (v12-14).
“(Benevolent) people come
to worship (Me) for different reasons.
Some come to the spiritual life because of suffering, some in order to
understand life; some come through a
desire to achieve life’s purpose, and some come who are men and women of
wisdom.
“Unwavering in devotion,
always united with (Me), the man or woman of wisdom surpasses all the
others. To them I am the dearest
beloved, and they are very dear to (Me).
“All those who follow the
spiritual path are blessed. But the wise
who are always established in union, for whom there is no higher goal than
(Me), may be regarded as my very Self.”
(v16-18).
“When a person is devoted
to something with complete faith, I unify his faith in that.
“Then when his faith is
completely unified, he gains the object of his devotion. In this way, every desire is fulfilled by
(Me).
“Those whose understanding
is small attain only transient satisfaction:
those who worship the deities go to the deities. But (My) devotees come to (Me).” (v21-23).
“Delusion arises from the
duality of attraction and aversion, Arjuna;
every creature is deluded by these from birth.
“But those who have freed
themselves from all wrongdoing are firmly established in worship of (Me). Their actions are pure, and they are free
from the delusion caused by the pairs of opposites.” (v27-28).
“O Krishna, what is
Brahman, and what is the nature of action?
What is the adhyatma, the adhibhuta, the adhidaiva?
“What is the adhiyajna,
the supreme sacrifice, and how is it to be offered? How are the self-controlled united with (You)
at the time of death?” (v1-2).
“My highest nature, the
imperishable Brahman, gives every creature its existence and lives in every
creature as the adhyatma. My action is
creation and the bringing forth of creatures.”
(v3).
“The adhibuta is the
perishable body; the adhidaiva is
Purusha, eternal spirit. The adhiyajna,
the supreme sacrifice, is made to (Me) as the Lord within you.” (v4).
“Those who remember (Me)
at the time of death will come to (Me).”
(v5).
“Remembering (Me) at the
time of death, close down the doors of the senses and place the mind in the
heart. Then, while absorbed in
meditation, focus all energy upwards to the head.
“Repeating in this state
the divine Name, the syllable Om that represents the changeless Brahman, you
will go forth from the body and attain the supreme goal.” (v12-13).
“Those who (Realise) life’s
supreme goal know that I am unmanifested and unchanging. Having come home to (Me), they never return
to separate existence.” (v21).
“This supreme Lord (Who)
pervades all existence, the (True) Self of all creatures, may be (Realised)
through undivided love.” (v22).
“The six months of the
northern path of the sun, the path of light, of fire, of day, of the bright
fortnight, leads knowers of Brahman to the supreme goal.
“The six months of the
southern path of the sun, the path of smoke, of night, of the dark fortnight,
leads other souls to the light of the moon and to rebirth.” (v24-25).
“There is merit in
studying the scriptures, in selfless service, austerity, and giving, but the
practice of meditation carries you beyond all these to the supreme abode of the
highest Lord.” (v28).
--
How does the element of
the “source of life in all beings” compare and contrast with the 4 previous
elements that Sri Krishna describes, and what is the nature of the confluence
of this phenomena with that of the entre 8 divisions of prakriti?
Sri Krishna describes a
person’s experience being manifest through the concentration of a person’s
Faith, and that many people seem to simply yearn for transient phenomena and
circumstances; within this consideration: what is the quintessential “wish” or
aspiration that an individual may maintain?
And how can that aspiration actually be manifested within this temporal
Realm? May it be considered that this
aspiration already exists (perhaps only as a semblance, even simply through the
thought within a person’s mind)? Amidst
this, what is a person’s responsibility in further manifesting this aspiration?
Amidst Sri Krishna’s
description of Brahman as the Ultimate Reality beyond the duality of existence
and abstinence from existence (and particularly amidst Sri Krishna’s
utilisation of the 1st person singular in communicating this
“Phenomenon” or as this “Phenomenon”), what is the accuracy (or lack thereof)
within depicting this Ultimate Reality as a character that resembles some form
of personification? What phenomenon is
actually being referenced within each of the occasions that the English word,
“Lord,” is utilised in translations of Sri Krishna’s teachings?
When referencing the
“darkness” of the night, and the “brightness” of the day, are there any ethnic
inferences that are intended, and/or historically inferred from this apparent
geography bias (comparing the North with the South)?
--
Digha
Nikaya
Dasuttara
Suttanta (Chapters 8 – 10)
“There are Eight Things
that help much…that must be (Realised).”
(v1).
“Eight that help
much:--the eight conditions, the eight causes which conduce to attaining that
wisdom in those fundamentals of religious life which have not been attained, to
multiplying, expanding, developing, perfecting those that have been
attained. Herein, friends, 1.) one dwells near the Master, or near a
fellow-disciple occupying the place of teacher, whereby he is strongly
established in conscientiousness, prudence, love, and respect. 2.)
Under such circumstances he approaches his teachers from time to time
and asks and considers, saying:
‘(Leader), how is this? What does
this mean?’ And to him those reverend
ones reveal what is hidden, make plain what is obscure, and dispel any doubts
in perplexing matters. 3.) When he has heard their doctrine, he succeeds
in obtaining a double serenity, that of body and of mind. 4.)
Moreover, friends, a brother, virtuous, habitually self-restrained with
the self-restraint of the Canon law, proficient in behaviour and propriety,
seeing danger in the smallest offence, undertakes to train himself in the
stages of the training. This is the
fourth… 5.) Moreover, friends, a brother having learnt
much, bears what he has heard in mind and stores it up. And whatever doctrines, lovely in the
beginning, in the middle, at the end, both in the letter and in the spirit,
commend a religious life that is absolutely fulfilled and made quite pure,
those doctrines are by such a brother
much learnt, remembered, treasured by repetition, pondered in mind, well
penetrated by intuition. This is the
fifth… 6.) Moreover, friends, a brother is habitually
stirring up energy for the elimination of bad qualities, the evoking of
(benevolent) qualities, indomitable, strongly progressing and never shirking
with respect to what is (benevolent).
That is the sixth… 7.) Moreover, friends, he is clear-minded,
supremely heedful and discriminating, noting and remembering what has long
since been done and spoken. This is the
seventh… 8.) Moreover, friends, a brother is habitually
contemplating the rise and passing away of the five aggregates of grasping, to
wit: ‘Such is the material aggregate,
such its cause, its cessation.’
Similarly for the four mental aggregates. This is the eighth condition, the eighth
cause of such as conduce to attaining that wisdom in the fundamentals of
religious life which have not been attained, to multiplying, expanding,
developing, perfecting those that have been attained.’” (v1).
2.) 8 to be developed: Aryan 8-Fold Path: Right Belief, Right Aspiration, Right Speech,
Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Thought, Right Meditation.
3.) 8 to be understood: 8 matters of Worldly concerns (previously
referenced within the Sangiti Sutta).
4.) 8 to be eliminated: 8 wrong factors of character and conduct
(previously referenced within the Sangiti Sutta).
5.) 8 belonging to decline: 8 bases of slackness (previously referenced
within the Sangiti Sutta).
6.) 8 belonging to distinction: 8 bases of setting afoot an undertaking
(previously referenced within the Sangiti Sutta).
7.) 8 hard to penetrate: 8 unseasonable intervals for life in a
religious order (previously referenced within the Sangiti Sutta)
8.) 8 to be brought to pass: the eight thoughts of a superman.
“There are Nine Things
that help much…that must be (Realised).”
(v1).
1.) 9 that help much: 9 states of mind and body which are rooted in
orderly thinking.
2.) 9 to be developed: 9 factors in wrestling for utter purity.
3.) 9 to be understood: 9 spheres inhabited by beings.
4.) 9 to be eliminated: 9 things springing from craving.
5.) 9 belonging to decline: 9 bases of quarrelling.
6.) 9 belonging to distinction: 9 suppressions of quarrelling.
7.) 9 hard to penetrate: 9 differences.
8.) 9 to be brought to pass: 9 perceptions.
9.) 9 to be thoroughly learnt: 9 successional states.
10.) 9 to be (Realised): 9 successional cessations.
“There are Ten Things that
help much…that must be (Realised).)
(v3).
1.) 10 that help much: 10 doctrines conferring protection.
2.) 10 that must be developed: 10 objects for self-hypnosis.
3.) 10 that must be understood: 10 areas of sense contact.
4.) 10 that must be eliminated: 10 wrong factors.
5.) 10 belonging to decline: 10 bad channels.
6.) 10 belonging to distinction: 10 benevolent channels of action.
7.) 10 hard to penetrate: 10 Ariyan methods of living.
8.) 10 that must be brought to pass: 10 perceptions.
9.) 10 to be thoroughly learnt: 10 causes of wearing away
10.) 10 to be (Realised): 10 qualities of the adept.
--
Why do some of the Pali
Text Society translations of the Digha Nikaya so frequently resort to
abbreviated representations of the original Digha Nikaya texts (particularly
amidst the propensity of duplication through contemporary practises)? What does this reveal about the discipline
and patience that is maintained for the Pali Canon, and the unique type of
discourse within Therevadan Buddhism?
How does this compare with the literary tradition of the Torah and Talmud,
within Judaism, as well as within the respective traditions within additional
religions? What challenges do such
canons provide towards Western intellect and pragmatism?
What is the exponential
base of the “numbered doctrine,” and what is the nature of the confluence of
the respective numbered doctrines with each other? How does this compare with the numerological
practises within Judaism, Hinduism, and perhaps within Christianity and Islam,
as well?
--
Gospels
Luke 23
– 24
“Then the whole company of
them arose, and brought him before Pilate.
And they began to accuse him, saying, ‘We found this man perverting our
nation, and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself
is Christ a king.’ And Pilate asked him,
‘Are you King of the Jews?’ And he
answered him, ‘You have said so.’ And
Pilate said to the chief priests and the multitudes, ‘I find no crim in this
man.’” (v14).
Pilate sends Jesus to
Herod and Herod sends Jesus back to Pilate.
“And Herod and Pilate
became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at
enmity with each other.” (v12).
Pilate addresses the
crowd, again, and the crowd demands the release of Barabbas, and the
crucifixion of Jesus.
“And as they led him away,
they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid
on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus.”
(v26).
“Two others also, who were
criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place which is
called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on the right
and one on the left. And Jesus said,
‘(Deus), forgive them; for they know not
what they do.’” (v32-34).
“One of the criminals who
were hanged railed at him, saying, ‘Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!’ But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you
not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we are receiving the due reward of our
deeds; but this man has done nothing
wrong.’ And he said, ‘Jesus, remember me
when you come into your kingdom.’ And he
said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in
Paradise.’” (v39-43).
“It was now about the
sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour while
the sun’s light failed; and the curtain
of the temple was torn in two. Then
Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, ‘(Deus), into thy hands I commit my
spirit!’ And having said this he
breathed his last.” (v44-46).
Joseph of Arimathea takes
Jesus’s body.
“But on the first day of
the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices which they
had prepared. And they found the stone
rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, behold,
two men stood by them in dazzling apparel;
and as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men
said to them, ‘Why do you (search) the living among the dead? Remember how he told you, while he was still
in Galilee, that the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men,
and be crucified, and on the third day rise.’”
(v1-7).
The women tell the
Apostles of seeing the Angels, however, the Apostles refuse to believe.
“That very day two of them
were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and
talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing
together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing
him.” (v13-16).
Jesus addresses the
Apostles, with the Apostles perceiving him as a stranger; and the Apostles describe the events
regarding Jesus’s crucifixion.
The Apostles invite Jesus
(perceived as stranger) to share a meal.
“When he was at table with
them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they
recognized him; and he vanished out of
their sight.” (v30-31).
The 2 Apostles return and
tell the additional Apostles; and Jesus
reappears.
“Then he said to them,
‘These are my words which I spoke to you, while I was still with you, that
everything written about me in the law of (Moshe) and the prophets and the
psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then he
opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and said to them, ‘Thus it is
written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,
and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to
all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things.
And behold, I send the promise of my (Deus) upon you; but stay in the city, until you are clothed
with power from on high.’
“Then he led them out s
far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them,
and was carried up into heaven. And they
returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple
blessing God.” (v44-53).
--
In professing Jesus as
Saviour and equating Jesus to Deus, do such Christians establish unfair (or
disproportionate) expectations on others when anticipating the return of
Jesus? What is the nature of “escapism”
in relying upon another figure for bearing one’s past transgressions and
burdens, and being charged with being a martyr?
Within Christian belief and doctrine, what responsibility does each
Christian have to manifest the compassion and righteousness of Moshiach (the
Messiah)? In awaiting for the return of
Jesus, do Christians intrinsically establish an ironical paradox of challenging
any such proclaimant in a similar manner that Jews are described as challenging
Jesus? How might this cycle be remedied
and reconciled? Is the actual temporal
agenda of Christianity in closer adherence to the Book of Revelations or the
Sermon on the Mount? How can the Sermon
on the Mount be manifested within a continuing, conventional manner? Is there any evidence of such a civilisation
existing within humanity (or the semblance of such sustained practises within
any human society or civilisation)? How
might contemporary circumstances be appropriate transformed into such adherence
to the Sermon on the Mount, and how may this coincide with similar
“quintessential” teachings respectively from Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and
Islam?
Why does Jesus walk
towards his crucifixion? Does such
walking suggest his acquiescence to the circumstances, and perhaps a perception
of legitimacy within his crucifixion (perhaps, as Jesus proclaims, according
the Will of Deus); this, as opposed to
refusing to walk and being forcefully carried?
How do Jesus’s final words
on the cross, as depicted within the Gospel of Luke, compare with those
respectively from the distinct Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John? What are the differences and what are the
implications of each?
What lessons of
benevolence and humility can be appropriate drawn from the example of the
Apostels being unable to recognise Jesus?
How does the conclusion of
the Gospel according to Luke compare with the respective conclusions of the
Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, and John?
What lessons are to be appropriately drawn from the final sentence
describing the Apostles praying within the Temple? What are the implications regarding how the
Apostles (and Christians) are to continue the Faith that Jesus begins (particularly
comparing the comparative absence of a missionary doctrine, within the Gospel
according to Luke, with the increasingly militant missionary message within
additional Gospels)?
--
Koran
Sura 89: Al Fajr:
The Daybreak
Sura
90: Al Balad: The City
Sura
91: Al Shams: The Sun
Sura
92: Al Lail: The Night
Sura
93: Al Duha: The Brightness of the Day
Sura
94: Al Inshurah: The Expansion
Sura
95: Al Tin: The Fig
“By the daybreak!
“And the ten nights!
“And the even and the odd!
“And the night when it
departs!
“Truly in this is an oath
for men of understanding.” (v1-5).
References are made
regarding Ad, Thamud, and Paraoh.
“As for man, when his Lord
tries him, then gives him honour and favours him, he says: My Lord honours me.
“But when (Allah) tries
him, then straitens to him his subsistence, he says: My Lord has disgraced me.
“Nay, but you honour not
the orphan,
“Nor do you urge one
another to feed the poor,
“And you devour heritage,
devouring all,
“And you love wealth with
exceeding love.
“Nay, when the earth is
made to crumble to pieces,
“And thy Lord comes with
the angels, ranks on ranks;
“And hell is made to
appear that day. On that day man will be
mindful, and of what use will being mindful be then?” (v15-23).
“O soul that art at rest,
“Return to thy Lord,
well-pleased, well-pleasing,
“So enter among My
servants,
“And enter My
Garden.” (v27-30).
“Nay, I call to witness
this City!
“And thou wilt be made
free from obligation in this City—
“And the begetter and he whom he begot!
“We have certainly created
man to face difficulties.
“Does he think that no one
has power over him?
“He will say: I have wasted much wealth.
“Does he think that no one
sees him?” (v1-7).
“Have We not given him two
eyes,
“And a tongue and two
lips,
“And pointed out to him
the two conspicuous ways?
“But he attempts not the
uphill road;
“And what will make thee
comprehend what the uphill road is?
“It is to free a slave,
“Or to feed in a day of
hunger
“An orphan nearly related,
“Or the poor man lying in
the dust.
“Then he is of those who
believe and exhort one another to patience, and exhort one another to mercy.
“These are the people of
the right hand.
“And those who disbelieve
in our messages, they are the people of the left hand.
“On them is Fire closed
over.” (v8-20).
“By the sun and his
brightness!
“And the moon when she
borrows light from him!
“And the day when it
exposes it to view!
“And the night when it
draws a veil over it!
“And the heaven and its
make!
“And the earth and its
extension!
“And the soul and its
perfection!—
“So (Allah) reveals to it
its way of evil and its way of (benevolence).”
(v1-8).
“By the night when it
draws a veil!
“And the day when it
shines!
“And the creating of the
male and the female!—
“Your striving is surely
for diverse ends.
“Then as for him who gives
and keeps his duty,
“And accepts what is
(benevolent)—
“We facilitate for him the
way to ease.” (v1-7).
“By the brightness of the
day!
“And the night when it is
still!
“Thy Lord has not forsaken
thee, nor is (Allah) displeased.
“And surely the latter
state is better for thee than the former.
“And soon will thy Lord
give thee so that thou wilt be well pleased.
“Did (Allah) not find thee
an orphan and give thee shelter?
“And find thee groping, so
(Allah) showed the way?
“And find thee in want, so
(Allah) enriched thee?
“Therefore the orphan,
oppress not.
“And him who asks, chide
not.
“And the favour of thy
Lord, proclaim.” (v1-11).
“Have We not expanded for
thee thy breast,
“And removed from thee thy
burden,
“Which weighed down thy
back,
“And exalted for thee thy
mention?
“Surely with difficulty is
ease,
“With difficulty is surely
ease.
“So when thou art free
(from anxiety), work hard,
“And make thy Lord thy
exclusive object.” (v1-8).
“By the fig and the olive!
“And mount Sinai!
“And this city made
secure!—
“Certainly We created man
in the best make.
“Then We render him the
lowest of the low,
“Except those who believe
and do (benevolence); so there is a
reward never to be cut off.
“So who can give the lie
to thee after this about the Judgment?
“Is not Allah the Best of the
Judges?” (v1-8).
--
Within what chronological
sequence are the concluding Suras of the Koran initially revealed to the
Prophet Muhammad, PBUH? And what is the
reasoning for concluding the Koran with such brief Suras? What influence may these Suras have when
placed within the chronological sequence next to additional, comparatively
larger Suras? What is the distinction
within the revelations provided from the Koran to the reader and the audience,
when these Suras are listed within such a chronological order?
What is meant by, “soul at
rest”? How does this compare with the
Bhagavad Gita’s description of the Atman?
How does the verse
regarding man being created to “face difficulties” compare and contrast with
the Buddha’s 1st of the 4-Fold Noble Truth regarding Dukkha? How does the proceeding verse, regarding
power, also compare and contrast with the Buddha’s teachings regarding
Dependent Origination? How do the
aggregate of these respective doctrines and teachings (from both the Koran and
the Buddha) compare and contrast with each other? Is there a singular line of doctrine that can
be genuinely extrapolated from both of these?
What is to be
appropriately understood from the personification and the genderising of the
Sun and the Moon?
--
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 .
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