Holy Scriptures Study, Week 30 Kedoshim; 118.8.28

שלום.नमस्ते.สมาธ.Pax.سلام.Peace.Sat Nam.صلح.Kwey.Amani.ειρήνη.Pace.Paz.Paix.Fred.Frieden.Vrede.Siochana.мир.امن.和平.平和.평화.Aloha.

Holy Scriptures Study, Week 30  Kedoshim;  118.8.28

Torah

Vayikra 19:1 – 20:27

“Adonai spoke to (Moshe), and told him:  Speak to the Israelite community and say to them:

“You must be holy, because I am Adonai and I am holy.

“Every person must respect his mother and his father.  You must observe the Sabbath as a day of rest.  I am Adonai.  I demand it.

“You must not worship false (deities), and you must not make idols of any kind.  I am Adonai.  I forbid it.”  (v1-4).

“When you reap your grain harvest, leave some of the wheat at the edges of your fields, and do not pick up the loose stalks that have fallen to the ground.

“You must not pick up the fallen bunches of grapes in your vineyards.  And you must not pick up the loose grapes that have fallen to the ground in your vineyards.  Leave it all for the poor and the stranger who lives in your midst.  I am Adonai.  I demand it.”  (v9-10).

“You must not steal.

“You must not cheat.

“You must not lie to one another.

“You must not swear falsely and use My name.  If you do, you will bring shame to My name.  I am Adonai.  I forbid it.”  (v11-12).

“You must pay your worker on time.  You must not withhold the daily wages of your workers until morning.  You must not curse a deaf person.  You must not trip a blind person.  You must fear Adonai.  I am Adonai.  I require it.”  (v13-14).

“You must not interfere with justice.  Do not favour the poor or show favouritism to the rich.  You must judge people fairly.”  (v15).

“You must not spread gossip.

“You must not stand still if your neighbor’s life is in danger.  You must try to help.  I am Adonai.  I demand it.

“You must not be jealous of your neighbor.

“You must warn your neighbour if he does something wrong.  You must not close your eyes to wrongdoing.”  (v16-17).

“You must not hold a grudge against people.

“You must love your neighbors as much as you love yourself.  I am Adonai.  I demand it.”  (v18).

“You must faithfully observe My commandments.  You must not mate your cattle with other species.

“You must not plant your fields with different kinds of seeds.  You must not wear clothing that contains a forbidden mixture of wool and linen.”  (v19).

“If a man sleeps with a slave woman who is engaged to another man, and she has not been given her freedom, she must be tried in court, but neither of them shall be put to death, because she was not free.”  (v20).

“You must not degrade your daughter and make her into a prostitute, because you will make the land immoral, and the land will be filled with evil.”  (v29).

“When a foreigner comes to live in your land, do not insult or discriminate against him.  The foreigner who becomes a citizen must be treated exactly the same as a native-born person.  You must love him just as much as you love yourself.  You must remember that you were once foreigners in Egypt.  I am Adonai.”  (v33-34).

“You must not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight, or volume.”  (v35).

“You must use an accurate scale, correct weights, and honest dry and liquid measuring cups.  I am Adonai, who took you out of Egypt.  Observe My rules and My commandments.  I am Adonai.  I require it.”  (36-37).

“Adonai spoke to (Moshe), and told him:  Say the following to the Israelites:

“Any person, whether an Israelite or a foreigner, who lives among you and sacrifices his children to the idol Molekh must be executed.”  (v1-2).

The death penalty is prescribed for:  cursing one’s parents;  sexual intercourse with a married woman, the wife of one’s far, or one’s daughter-in law;  homosexuality;  bestiality;   

Banishment, dying childless, and additional punishment is prescribed for marrying a mor and her daughter;  having sexual intercourse with one’s sister, a woman during her menstrual flow, or one’s tante;  and marrying the wife of one’s brother.

“You must not follow the customs of the nations that I am driving out before you, because they are completely immoral and I detest their customs.

“As I have already said to you, ‘Conquer the land that I have promised to give you as an inheritance.  It is a land flowing with milk and honey.’  I, Adonai, have chosen you from among all the other nations.”  (v23-24).

“You shall be holy to Me, for I, Adonai, am holy, and I have chosen you from among the nations to be My own.”  (v26).

--

Within the beginning of this Parshah, there is, essentially, a repetition of many of the mitzvot included within the “10 Commandments,” with the exception of abstinence from killing, and abstinence from committing adultery (with, interestingly, an exception to the capital punishment prescribed for adultery, when such adultery is conducted with a female slave);  is there any significance and/or intentionality with this?

Amidst the mitzvah of treating people equally, both the “rich” and the “poor,” and the previous mitzvah to leave the corners of the field for the poor and the stranger, what “provisions” are we supposed to provide the “rich”?  What deficiency exists specifically within the “rich”?

How is a person actually supposed to love another person as one’s own self?  Are there different degrees of responsibility, and love, that we are supposed to provide to different types of people:  such as a child and an elder?  Do we have an additional responsibility to care for our own selves and tend to our own respective needs, simply as a means of pragmatism;  and if so, how does that affect the manner in which we are supposed to care and tend to others?

The Parshah, “Kedoshim,” includes a substantial number of detailed mitzvot for living ethically;  do these mitzvoth serve as a “core” of Jewish ethics?  What significant mitzvot are excluded from this Parshah, and how does this affect any authoritative concentration within Kedoshim?

What are the details regarding the planting of different kinds of seeds?  What explicit, tacit, and/or perceived implications does this have towards the marriage and procreation of people from different tribes?

Within this Parshah, there are certain “allowances” for having sexual intercourse with a slave woman who is engaged to another man;  yet, general sexual intercourse with an “unbetrothed” slave woman seems completely permissible;  what implications does the effective “permissiveness” of having sexual intercourse with a slave woman have regarding the integrity of the mitzvah to abstain from adultery?  How does this compare with the Koran’s permission of sexual intercourse with those “whom your right hand possesses”?  Whilst murder, stealing, and adultery are explicitly forbidden, there seems to be a certain duality in the allowance for warfare (amidst a “just cause”), usurping the spoils gained through such warfare, and enslaving women and effectively having sexual intercourse with such slave women;  what effectively prevents “righteous” men from falsely condemning others as a premise for warfare, and behaving within increasingly transgressive manners, all predicated upon this premise of “contrived” or “trumped up” unrighteousness?

What does it actually mean to be a “chosen people”?  Understanding “Israel” as meaning, “One who wrestles with God and man and prevails,” might this be applicable to anyone, or anyone who self-identifies as such?  Does such a consideration lend itself to diluting the hereditary lineage of B’nai Israel, or might such an inclination to self-identify as a bar/bat Israel connote that such an individual may actually be derived from a “lost tribe,” and may simply be proclaiming an historically suppressed heredity and descendence from Israel?  And amidst the notion of all individual being created from Adonai, might there be a coinciding manner in which each individual is derived from, and belongs to, a “chosen people,” and that we, as humanity, are simply intended to discern the nature of the “chosenness” of each other?

--

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.”  (v3).

“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.”  (v4-5).

“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 who surrender to Brahman all selfish attachments are like the leaf of a lotus floating clean and dry in water.  Sin cannot touch them.

“Renouncing their selfish attachments, those who follow the path of service work with body, senses, and mind for the sake of self-purification.”  (v10-11).

“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.

“But ignorance is destroyed by knowledge of the Self within.  The light of this knowledge shines like the sun, revealing the supreme Brahman.”  (v15-16).

“Those who cast off sin through this knowledge, absorbed in the Lord and established in (the Lord) as their one goal and refuge, are not reborn as separate creatures.”  (v17).

“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.”  (v22-24).

“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.”  (v25-26).

“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) are the friend of all creatures, the Lord of the universe, the end of all offerings and all spiritual disciplines, they attain eternal peace.”  (v27-29).

“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.

“Therefore, Arjuna, you should understand that renunciation and the performance of selfless service are the same.  Those who cannot renounce attachment to the results of their work are far from the path.”  (v1-2).

“For aspirants who want to climb the mountain of spiritual awareness, the path is selfless work;  for those who have ascended to yoga the path is stillness and peace.

“When a person has freed himself from attachment to the results of work, and from desires fo the enjoyment of sense objects, he ascends to the unitive state.”  (v3-4).

“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.

“To those who have conquered themselves, the will is a friend.  But it is the enemy of those who have not found the Self within them.”  (v5-6).

“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.

“They are completely fulfilled by spiritual wisdom and Self-(Realisation).  Having conquered their senses, they have climbed to the summit of human consciousness.  To such people a clod of dirt, a stone, and gold are the same.

“They are equally disposed to family, enemies, and friends, to those who support them and those who are hostile, to the (benevolent) and the evil alike.  Because they are impartial, they rise to great heights.”  (v7-9).

“Those who aspire to the state of yoga should seek the Self in inner solitude through meditation.  With body and mind controlled they should constantly practice one-pointedness, free from expectations and attachment to material possessions.”  (v10).

“Select a clean spot, neither too high nor too low, and seat yourself firmly on a cloth, a deerskin, and kusha grass.

“Then, once seated, strive to still your thoughts.  Make your mind one-pointed in meditation, and your heart will be purified.

“Hold your body, head, and neck firmly in a straight line, and keep your eyes from wandering.

“With all fears dissolved in the peace of the Self and all desires dedicated to Brahman, controlling the mind and fixing it on (Me), sit in meditation with (Me) as your only goal.

“With senses and mind constantly controlled through meditation, untied with the Self within, an aspirant attains (Nirvana), the state of abiding joy and peace in (Me).”  (v11-15).

“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.

“Through constant effort they learn to withdraw the mind from selfish cravings and absorb it in the Self.  Thus they attain the state of union.”  (v16-18).

“When meditation is mastered, the mind is unwavering like the flame of a lamp in a windless place.

“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.

“Having attained that abiding joy beyond the senses, revealed in the stilled mind, he never swerves from the eternal (Truth).

“He desires nothing else, and cannot be shaken by the heaviest burden of sorrow.”  (v19-22).

“I am ever present to those who have (Realised) (Me) in every creature.  Seeing all life as (My) manifestation, they are never separated from (Me)”  (v30).

“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.”  (v35).

“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!

“Even among those who meditate, that man or woman who worships (Me) with perfect faith, completely absorbed in (Me), is the most firmly established in yoga.”  (v47).

--

Within Chapter 3, Arjuna asks about the nature of the action that Sri Krishna demands of him, and within Chapter 5, Arjuna asks about the distinction of action and renunciation;  what is the appropriate balance that is explained amidst the aggregate of the Bhagavad Gita (particularly considering the affirmation of the distinctions of responsibilities amidst the different varnas)?

Amidst the teaching regarding an individual simply being a conduit of the senses, and essentially abstaining from being “the doer,” what is the very nature of the “self” (small “s” emphasised)?  What is the nature of an individual’s consciousness/awareness that leads to the perception of existence?  What is the nature of the connexion between this consciousness/awareness and the material construct that seems to facilitate such consciousness/awareness, within the experience of life?  And what is the nature of this consciousness/awareness amidst the degradation of the material construct and the perceived “life” connected with this consciousness/awareness?  Does such consciousness/awareness exist beyond the experience of life;  and if so, what is the nature of that consciousness?  Is there legitimacy within the notion of those of our loved ones, who are passed from this life, continuing to “live”/exist (perhaps, at least, within a “conscious”/ “aware”) manner, as we are able to continue to remember such loved ones, and the manner in which our continuing thoughts, speech, and action are influenced from the aggregate of such loved ones?

What is actually meant by the “Lord of this world”?  Does this mean, “Brahman,” or does this refer to something else?  What is the connexion between the “Lord of this world” and “nature”?  Verse 14 seems to imply that “nature” behaves in a manner that is distinct from (and perhaps superceding of) the “Lord of this world;”  is this accurate;  and if so, what is the nature of the authority that governs nature?  What are the implications of all this regarding the phenomenon of Brahman?  Or does “nature” simply exist as a subordinate of the “Lord,” Brahman, with this teaching implying that such action is “beneath” that of Brahman, and is directly facilitated through nature (and perhaps implying that such action is indirectly manifest from Brahman through nature)?

Do “clouded judgment” and “wisdom obscured by ignorance” refer to an individual’s inability to recognise the equanimity within all circumstances:  that ultimately, beyond the experience of pain and pleasure, there is simply “that which is”?  How does this compare with the passage from Bereshit, within the Torah of Judaism, whereby, after Moshe asks Adonai who Adonai is, Adonai responds by saying:  “I am that I am,” establishing the Holy name of Adonai (HaShem, which is left unspoken):  “YHVH”?

Is “seeing the same Self” in all phenomena the consequence of proficient equanimity and understanding that all phenomena are ultimately derived from Brahman?  What is the direct and metaphysical nature of such understanding, and what are the implications therein?

How does an individual maintain such an understanding of the material Universe without having some form of direct “dependence on external support,” such as water and food with which to sustain one’s self?  What does such “independence” actually mean?

How does Chapter 5 compare with Kedoshim?

How does being “equally disposed to family, enemies, and friends,” compare with, “loving your neighbour as yourself,” and, “loving the stranger as yourself,” and “loving your enemy

The early passage within Chapter 6 provides rather specific directions in how to practise meditation, Yoga, and the religious doctrine of the Bhagavad Gita and Hinduism;  what similarly detailed, pragmatic constructions can be evidenced within additional religious traditions?  How does this compare with the animal sacrifices and the construction of the Mishkan, within the Torah?  How does this compare the “Lord’s Prayer,” and Jesus’s instructions to his disciples in ministering to others, within the Gospels?  How does this compare with the minor details of mere ethics of the Buddha, within the Digga Nikaya?  How does this compare with the guidelines for marriage, inheritance, and taxation, within the Koran?  What additional comparisons may be drawn?

Can “beholding the Self by means of the Self” also be understood within the notion of “experiencing compassion by providing compassion”?  How does this compare with Jesus’s teaching:  the measure one gives is the measure one receives?  And how does that compare with the mitzvah of utilising fair measures, found both within Judaism and Islam?

How does Verse 30 compare with the descriptions of Creation, provided from the Koran, as well as the narrative of Bereshit, provided from the Torah?  How does this compare with the opening of the Gospel according to John?  And how does the nature of the narrative context of the Christian Gospels compare and contrast with the that of the Bhagavad Gita (regarding whose story is told and who is doing the telling of the story)?

How does the dialogue between Arjuna and Sri Krishna compare and contrast with the respective dialogue between Moshe and Adonai, between Jesus and Deus, between Muhammad and Jibril and Allah, and between the Buddha and celestial beings as well as his religious followers?

--

Digha Nikaya

Maha Samaya Suttanta

“Thus have I heard.  The Blessed One was once dwelling among the Sakiyas, at Kapilavatthu in the Great Wood, together with a great band of the brethren, about five hundred of them, all being Arahants.  And (deities) from the ten thousand world-systems oft-times assembled there that they might visit the Exalted One and the band of brethren.

“Now to four (deities) of the hosts of the Pure Abodes this thought occurred:-- ‘That Blessed One is now dwelling among the Sakiyas, at Kapilavatthu in the Great Wood, together with a great band of the brethren, about five hundred of them, all being Arahants.  And (deities) from the ten thousand world-systems oft-times are assembling there to see the Exalted One and his band of brethren.  What if we, too, were to go into his presence, and before him were to recite each of us a poem?’

“Then those (deities), as easily as a strong man might stretch out his arm, or draw back his out-stretched arm, vanished from the Pure Abodes, and appeared before the Exalted One.  There they saluted him and stood on one side.”  (v1-3).

Each celestial beings recites a brief poem to honour the Buddha.

“Then said the Exalted One to the brethren:-- ‘Oft-times, brethren, do (deities) from the ten world-systems foregather to see the Tathagata and the company of the Brethren.  Whosoever, brethren, in the past were Arahant Buddhas supreme, upon them waited a like number of the heavenly hosts, and a like number shall wait upon whosoever shall, in the future, be Arahant Buddhas supreme.  I will detail to you, brethren, the names of the hosts of (deities), I will publish abroad, brethren, their names, I will teach you, brethren, their names.  Hearken hereunto and pay heed, and I will speak.’”  (v4).

The Buddha provides a proceeding poem and discourse regarding an assembly including celestial beings.

“And He-Who-Sees by insight knew all this

“And understood.  Then to his followers

“Who loved his word the Master spake:  ‘The host

“of Mara comes!  Brethren, beware of them!’

“And they, hearing the Buddha’s word, forthwith

“Held themselves all alert.  The foe departs

“From them in whom no lust is found, nor e’er

“Upon whose bodies stirs a hair.  (Then Mara spake:--

“ ‘All they, those victors in the fight, for whom

“ ‘All fear is past, great of renown, his followers,

“ ‘Whose fame among the folk spreads far and wide,

“ ‘Lo!  Now with all creation they rejoice.’”

--

What is the intentionality and significance within the sequence of Suttas within the Digha Nikaya?  What are the implications regarding the respective placement of each Sutta, particularly considering those Suttas which are included after the Suttas that describe the passing of Siddharta Gautama from this temporal life?  Whilst many of the preceding Suttas seem to focus on the doctrine of the Buddha, many of the proceeding Suttas seem to focus on the Buddhas dialogues and interactions with celestial beings;  is there any legitimacy within this observation, and if so, is this intentional, and what may be the significance of such?

How does the described interaction between the Buddha and celestial beings (and the essential subordination of the celestial beings to the Buddha) compare with similarly contextualised interactions respectively described within the Torah (Avraham, Israel, and Moshe with angels), within the Koran (Muhammad with Jibril), within the Gospels (Jesus with Satan and angels), and Bhagavad Gita (Arjuna with Sri Krishna)?

What is the intention of the inclusion of the narratives regarding celestial beings when the Buddha puts very little significance within beliefs of Heaven and the existence of celestial beings?

Is there any significance within the fact that this Sutta concludes with the quotation from Mara?

--

Gospels

Matthew 9 – 12

“And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city.  And behold, they brought to him a paralytic, lying on his bed;  and when Jesus saw their faith he said to the paralytic, ‘Take heart, my son;  your sins are forgiven.’  And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, ‘This man is blaspheming.’”  (v1-3).

“As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office;  and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’  And he rose and followed him.

“And as he sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.”  (v9-10).

“And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’  But when he heard it, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’  For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.’”

Jesus heals the woman with the 12-year menstrual flow.

“And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players, and the crowd making a tumult, he said, ‘Depart;  for the girl is not dead but sleeping.’  And they laughed at him.  But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.  And the report of this went through all that district.”  (v23-26).

Jesus heals 2 blind men and a dumb demoniac.

“And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the (Sovereignty), and healing every disease and every infirmity.  When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;  pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into (Deus’s) harvest.’”  (v35-38).

“And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity.  The names of the twelve apostles are these:  first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother;  James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;  Philip and Bartholomew;  Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;  James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;  Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.”  (v1-4).

“These twelve Jesus sent out, charging them, ‘Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  And preach as you go, saying, ‘The (Sovereignty) of heaven is at hand.’  Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons.  You received without paying, give without pay.  Take no gold, nor silver, nor copper in your belts. No bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor a staff; for the labourer deserves his food.”  (v5-10).

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves;  so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”  (v16).

“When they deliver you up, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say;  for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour;  for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your (Deus) speaking through you.”  (v19-20).

“Brother will deliver up brother to death, and father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake.”  (v21-22).

“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master;  it is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master.”  (v24-25).

“So have no fear of them;  for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.”  (v26).

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth;  I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.  For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;  and a man’s foes will be those of his own household.”  (v34-36).

“And when Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.”  (v1).

John the Baptist inquires into Jesus, and Jesus proclaims the example of John the Baptist.

“At that time Jesus declared, ‘I thank (Thee), (Deus), Lord of heaven and earth, that (Thou) hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes;  yea, (Deus), for such was (Thy) gracious will.  All things have been delivered to me by my (Deus);  and no one knows the Son except (Deus), and no one knows (Deus) except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal (Deus).  Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me;  for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’”  (v25-30).

“At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath;  his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.”  (v1).

Jesus heals a withered man’s hand during Shabbat.

“And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.  For the Son of man is (leader) of the Sabbath.”  (v7-8).

Jesus heals a demoniac.

“But when the Pharisees heard it they said, ‘It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.’  Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand;  and if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself;  how then will his kingdom stand?’”  (v24-26).

“And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Threfore they shall be your judges.”  (v27).

“When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through waterless places seeking rest, but he finds none.  Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’  And when he comes he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.  Then he goes and brings with him seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter and dwell there;  and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.  So shall it be also with this evil generation.”  (v43-45).

“While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him.  But he replied to the man who told him, ‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’  And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers!  For whoever does the will of my (Deus) in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother.’”  (v46-50).

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What is the metaphysical nature of the healing and forgiveness that Jesus provides?  By forgiving the sins of others, does Jesus actually incur the negative Karma of such individuals, and is this what eventually leads to his crucifixion?  And/or does Jesus transfer such negativity through his admonishment of the Pharisees and Sadducees?  What is the power that exists within forgiveness, and is it appropriate/possible for a 3^rd party to effectively forgive someone within a dispute between 2 other parties?  Amidst the notion of Jesus dying for the sins of others, what is the consequence of individuals who transgress after receiving such forgiveness (does Jesus’s crucifixion exist as an “eternal fount” of forgiveness);  is such forgiveness automatic, or is it only conditional amidst an individual’s submission to the power of Jesus’s 3^rd party forgiveness;  and if so, does such submission automatically exempt any person from subsequent transgressions? 

Jesus seems to essentially refer to his disciples as the “sick” and the “sinners,” calling the Pharisees the “healthy” and the “righteous;”  how does this balance with Jesus’s condemnation of the Pharisees and the religious authorities of his era, as well as with the Sermon on the Mount?

How does “desiring mercy rather than sacrifice” compare with the teachings regarding renunciation and service provided within the Bhagavad Gita?

How does the example of the “sleeping girl” appropriately shape perception regarding the resurrection of Jesus;  as well as the phenomenon of death, itself?

Why are the 12 disciples of Jesus listed with different names within the different Gospels?  How does this number, 12, coincide with the 12 tribes of Israel, the 12 months in a year, and additionally?

How do Jesus’s initial instructions to his disciples compare to contemporary conventional Christian Churches and ministries, as well as contemporary Christian missionary endeavours?  Is this an appropriate comparison, and what may the reasons for returning to, and/or becoming distant from, such lifestyles?

Jesus refers to Deus as the “Creator” of his disciples (and applying the masculine, parental term), and this is similar to traditional practises within Judaism;  what is the nature of the paradox of Gentiles, sympathising with the children of Israel, perhaps being considered effectively as “adopted” children of Deus (and maintaining a “natural” connexion with an area of land), and the children of Israel essentially proclaiming the right of stewardship of the “adopted” land of Israel (and maintaining a “natural” connexion with Deus)?  How do the respective connexions (respectively with Deus and with an actual area of land) influence the manner in which either group of individuals emphasise self-identification?

How does “brother delivering up brother” and “hated by all” coincide with Jesus’s teaching to accept his leadership because his burden is light?

Does the prophesy of persecution actually influence Jesus’s disciples to pursue such persecution?  How does this coincide with the influences of those who actually impose such persecution?

How does Jesus’s encouragement of his disciples compare with Moshe’s bolstering of the Israelites upon leaving Egypt and crossing the Reed Sea;  with Sri Krishna’s instructions towards Arjuna;  the Buddha’s address (and instruction for self-conquest) to his Sangha, and the Koran’s address towards the Umma regarding conflict with others?

How is Jesus’s teaching regarding “the sword” to be appropriately understood?  Does this mean that Jesus intends to directly wage violence against people or simply that Jesus intends to reveal difficult Truth to people in such a manner that it prompts confusion and violent animosity within individuals?  How does this compare with Jesus’s compassionate teachings and the Sermon on the Mount?

How do Jesus’s teachings regarding “brother delivering up brother,” “son against father,” “all these are my brothers and sisters,” celibacy, and additionally, influence the family construct within a conventional Christian community and society?

Why does Jesus proclaim exclusive proprietary knowledge of Deus?  What implication does this have on previous Prophets who exist before Jesus’s ministry, and many of whose teachings Jesus substantially relies?  Amidst the propensity of others previously knowing Deus without Jesus’s intercession, what propensity exists for others subsequently knowing Deus without Jesus’s intercession?

Is it actually necessary for Jesus to heal the man’s withered hand during Shabbat, rather than waiting until after Shabbat?  What type of authority is Jesus proclaiming as “leader of Shabbat;”  what are the implications of his proclamation regarding the nature of the connexion of humanity and the natural Universe;  what teaching is Jesus attempting to impart?  And how does the assertion of such leadership compare and contrast with Jesus’s teaching regarding “first being the last and the last being the first”?

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Koran

Sura 36:  Ya Sin

“O man,

“By the Quran, full of wisdom!

“Surely thou art one of the messengers.

“On a right way.

“A revelation of the Might, the Merciful,

“That thou mayest warn a people whose fathers were not warned, so they are heedless.

“The word has indeed proved (True) of most of them, so they believe not.

“Surely We have placed on their necks chains reaching up to the chins, so they have their heads raised aloft.

“And We have set a barrier before them and a barrier behind them, thus We have covered them, so that they see not.

“And it is alike to them whether thou warn them or warn them not—they believe not.

“Thou canst warn him only who follows the Reminder and fears the Beneficent in secret;  so give him (benevolent) news of forgiveness and a generous reward.

“Surely We give life to the dead, and We write down that which they send before and their footprints, and We record everything in a clear writing.”  (v1-12).

“And set out to them a parable of the people of the town, when apostles came to it.

“When We sent to them two, they rejected them both;  then We strengthened them with a third, so they said:  Surely we are sent to you.

“They said: You are only mortals like ourselves, nor has the Beneficent revealed anything—you only lie.

“They said:  Our Lord knows that we are surely sent to you.

“And our duty is only a clear deliverance of the message.

“They said:  Surely we augur evil from you.  If you desist not, we will surely stone you, and a painful chastisement from us will certainly afflict you.

“They said:  Your evil fortune is with you.  What!  If you are reminded!  Nay, you are an extravagant people.

“And from the remote part of the city there came a man running.  He said:  O my people, follow the apostles.

“Follow him who asks of you no reward, and they are on the right course.

“And what reason have I that I should not serve (Allah) Who created me and to Whom you will be brought back.

“Shall I take besides (Allah) (deities) whose intercession, if the Beneficent should desire to afflict me with harm, will avail me naught, nor can they deliver me?

“Then I shall surely be in clear error.

“Surely I believe in your Lord, so hear me.”  (v13-25).

“Alas for the servants!  Never does a messenger come to them but they mock him.”  (v30).

There is the description of nature and Creation from Allah.

There is the description of punishment.

“So this day no soul is wronged in aught;  and you are not rewarded aught but for what you did.”  (v54).

“That day We shall seal their mouths, and their hands will speak to Us, and their feet will bear witness as to what they earned.”  (v65).

“And We have naught taught him poetry, nor is it meet for him.  This is naught but a Reminder and a plain Quran.”  (v69).

“So let not their speech grieve thee.  Surely We know what they do in secret and what they do openly.”  (v76).

Is not (Allah) Who created the heavens and the earth able to create the like of them?  Yea!  And (Allah) is the Creator of all, the Knower.

“(Allah’s) command, when (Allah) intends anything, is only to say to it, Be, and it is.

“So glory be to (Allah) in Whose hand is the (Sovereignty) of all things!  And to (Allah) you will be returned.”  (v81-83).

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How is the “paradox of the believer” reconciled:  in that the believer is charged to warn unbelievers, yet there is the description of unbelievers refusing to heed the warning of the believers?  How is the further paradox reconciled:  in that disbelief exists amidst the Omnipotence of Allah?

Can “fear” for Allah be understood as “awe” of Allah?  How does this compare with additional religious traditions?

How does the reception of the messengers compare with Jesus’s guidance to his disciples?  What irony may be perceived within the perceived dissonance of the interaction between the respective disciples of Jesus and the messengers of Allah?

Does the unbelievers reference to the “Beneficent” connote a belief, among the unbelievers, within Allah (and simply doubt within the messengers), or a categorical disbelief within benevolence, itself?

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Blessings upon the Prophets:

May Peace and Blessings of the Highest Authority we respectively recognise, known by many names, including God, El Shaddai, Elohim, Adonai, Hashem, Brahman, Nirvana, Dharma, Karma, Tao, Gud, Dieu, Dios, Deus Dominus, Jah, Jehovah, Allah, Ahura Mazda, Infinity, Logic, Wakan Tanka, Ultimate Reality, and additionally, be upon the Rishis, Moshe, the Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, Baha’u’llah, Guru Nanak, Zarathustra, Avraham, Yitzak, Yaakov, Confucius, Lao Tzu, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, the Indigenous, Tainoterranea, Asia, Europe, Mediterranea, and Africa, and the Universe.
ૐ.  אמן.

שלום.नमस्ते.สมาธิ.Pax.سلام.Peace.Sat Nam.صلح.Kwey.Amani.ειρήνη.Pace.Paz.Paix.Fred.Frieden.Vrede.Siochana.мир.和平.平和.평화.Aloha.

ૐ.  אמן.