Christians

For most Christians an important part of the Bible are the New Testament words of Jesus.

According to a Bible I  looked into recently, the most important words of Jesus are in what the publisher calls "The great Commandment."

The Apostle Mark calls it the "First Commandment,"  which is closely followed in important by the "Second Commandment." It appears to be Jesus Himself who says, "There are no other Commandments greater than these."

These two greatest of Commandments are about love. Love seems to be a big deal for Jesus. It seems that the Greeks who wrote out thees Commandments had about half a dozen ways to write 'love;' each with a different meaning  The Greeks  selected one of them to use for the Word Jesus used. The Greeks were a discriminating  people as Jesus was a discriminating being. What meaning do you believe is meant in the Bible?

It is important to many Christians to give the words of the New Testament careful attention.

Looking at the first of these Greatest of Commandments, I see that the word 'thy' is used. 'Thy' refers to that which is your very own, but i contains much more meaning that that. It also means that which is familiar and friendly. More, it refers to that in which you trust and confide.

An important part of that First Commandment says, as I remember, "Love thy god with thy whole heart soul, mind, strength." That use of 'thy' suggests to me that Jesus thought that you have your very own God who is a familiar fried to you, in whom you can trust and confide. It also suggest that Jesus believed that you have heart, soul, mind that you can trust and learn how to use.

Jesus, it seems to me, said that one of the most important of ones doings is to love that very own God of yours. I'm pretty sure that does not mean that you should hug and kiss him, and take him to bed. I think that it means to love him a bit in the way his mother, Mary, loved Him. The love that Jesus speaks of seems to me to be about nurturing an supporting, and a helping to mature and thrive. I can figure how I might do that for my enemy or my neighbor. I'm not sure how to love a god or the God.  One can want the best for God. One might cooperate with Good. One can make a effort to get to know Him and his laws, and to be good followers of those  laws. God might find such cooperation loving. One can try.

Jesus, I believe, commands us to love our enemies. I don't thing that Jesus wants us to support are enemies in their efforts  against or to strengthen their ability to defeat us. He dose not want our
enemies to be strong successful enemies. I think that what he more probably wants is for us to help them be more successful human beings who we can trust in familiarity and friendship. Jesus seems to have thought that the good and goodness are important parts of love. We have a lot to learn

The second of the top two Commandments is the one I have found most useful to me. That's the one that says, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self." To me it provides direction for good living. Here and now   I've just a few hints about its usefulness.

To me it suggests that it is very important for me to know myself. It suggests that I ought to be clear about how I love myself.  It tells me that the better I am able to love myself the more successfully I may love another. I calls me to learn the nature of self love.

It seems that there were those who were not sure who Jesus meant should be included among our neighbors.  To help them to understand Jesus tells them a story. He has them imagine, as I remember, that they are strangers in a strange land and that we see a person strange to us and to the land. He has us see that the strange is in trouble. He lets us know that we ought help this strange overcome his trouble. He lets us know that such a 'stranger' is to be included among the neighbors we love as we love ourselves.

To me, it seems that Jesus directs those sense to widen and deepen their  understanding of: love, self, neighbor, enemy, God, heart, mind, trust, ....

She Spoke to Me or It's Mostly About Me, Myself, and I

I might even say "she spoke with me." We had a bit of a conversation. She didn't speak to me in Chitano, Spanish, or Mixe. The Chitano speaking people seem to know here best, but she is known widely among the people of Mexico. Her name has been heard in the Vatican.


She spoke to me in excellent English. It did seem a bit 'snipish' at first. I head her voice in my mind rather than through my ears. Our talk took place in my mind, seemed quit real. So real that she seemed to speak in the voice of a bit too haughty teenager.


Chitano is a Zapotecan or oto-manguean language.


The Chitano spoken in Juquila, it seems, is so special that it is often considered a language of its own. Juquila is a center for this special Chitano people. Chitano are few, but they can organize and they can fight. They care for the 'Virgin' and they have fought for her. Chitano are members of UCIRI, a large agricultural cooperative of indigenous people.


In English, she may be called the Virgin of Juquila. I did not call her that, nor did she call me Richard or Mr. Sheehan.


I think that I first heard of her in Oaxaca, Oaxaca. I felt her 'call' to me from that city. Later she told me that she made no such call and that it was unthinkable that she would do so.


From Oaxaca, I took the old road to the coast. I don't remember the village of Juquila, but am pretty sure I spent at least a night there. I do remember the great sanctuary built near Juquila. It was large and so made as to receive large numbers of Pilgrims. I remember offerings piled so large with offerings as to form a mountain made holy by faith. There was a large arch through which I could see the 'celito lindo' and across the valley. I did not feel La de Juquila there so continued on my way to her.


I walked up last the sanctuary and soon came to a humble chapel painted a notable gold-yellow. While I was still a ways from it, a tall dark man, wearing a shirt of color similar to that of the chapel, came out of the back door an pointed to a quebrada. I don't know how he detected my coming. He disappeared back into the chapel. I did not follow him him, but continued on to the quebrada which is where I had been headed.


I expected to find a waterfall and I did. the first appearance of the virgin had been near a small falls.


As I got to the edge of the arroyo, I found rustic stairs leading to a kind of viewing platform of cement and with a wrought-iron balustrade.The vie was not spectacular. Close below was a clear stream with a somewhat muddied bank. I was disappointed to see that there seemed to be some trash lying close to the stream. To my right was a little waterfall coming from a height I could not see. I was in the place I was looking for.


I walked down to the little stream. There I found what I had thought was trash was made up of a few tiny paper offerings. There were also many other little offerings there. They were mostly modeled of clay found near the stream Looking at them closely, I saw that they seem made to represent what their makers wanted. The largest number of them seemed to be modest little houses.


I walked up to the falls and saw no easy path to climb beyond them. I found more offerings in near-by niches. Had I the energy I had felt in earlier years I would have searched out the source of the water.


I walked back up to the little viewing platform and leaned upon its railing. There the talk began.

I Had Fun With My Mazda

Most Iranians are informed by the religious reform brought by Zarathustra. He put morality into Religion before Buddha, Jesus, and Mohamed.

He preached that man has the freedom of moral choice. He taught that man did not owe blind obedience, but rather had the responsibility to understand the injunctions of his religion.

He taught that goodness may proceed from good intentions. He supported the value of good thoughts, good words, and good deeds.

He valued highly the knowledge of mans inward relationship with truth.

For him the "Supreme Being" is realized as spirit.

He taught that it is man who has responsibility; that it is the good mind that may divine the truth; the mind may divine the false, less false, the less true; the true. The good mind has the ability to approach the truth.

He conceived of god as the Father of the Good and as the Creator of Truth. He announced his relationship with God to be a bit like this " .... the Good Mind instructed me to adore Him; by His Wisdom let Him teach me about what is best." He asks his listeners to " .... ponder well over all things, weigh my words with care and clear thought."

There are those who believe that in Zarathustra was a scientific spirit and a willing to use truth to unlock the source of power in nature.

Zarathustra seems to ask us to resist untruth and materialism, and to embrace freedom.

Rabindranth Tagore seems to have thought highly of Zarathustra's teachings.

Ahura

More Adena and Hopewell

The Adena culture which probably gave birth to the Hopewell Exchange System Not only used the spear, bow and arrow, and sophisticated trapping techniques, but also use a variety of spear throwers of excellent design. As we have said, hunting, fishing and wild gathering was in addition to a practical and efficient practice of agriculture.

There religion seems to have been strong and important and there remains evidence of their centers.Much of what we know about their religion consists of physical remains and artifacts that seem to have no economic use. We might profit by recognizing that many cultures were more whole than is ours and that the peoples of those cultures often did not emphasize the cultural categories that we do. For example the famous 'mounds' to which we have tended to give religious cognizance, probably had that, they were probably also focal points of trade, commerce, and social gatherings.
They may also have been teaching and and research centers. the mounds, for example, seem to be related to cycles they celebrated, measured by the lunar maximum and minimum as measured along the horizon. The solstices, equinoxes, and their quarters were also tracked at the mounds.

Like the rest of us, they seemed to have practiced 'art for arts sake.' An example of of their sensibilities may be seen in their many stone relief carvings. A marvelously graceful and clean lined carving in mica of a human hand remains strongly with me.

Christian Thoughts?

Prophets; Christians seem to feel relief that their age has passed.

Our useful, though fallible, prophets might be insightful writers who arouse social resentment and resistance.

The biblical wise-man's present, is the moment in which past and future are balanced, the uncertainties of the future being minimized by the observance of the law that comes down from the past. With some variation in the nature of 'the law,' isn't that the nature of all wisdom?

Some have called repentance the beginning of Christian life. Many Christians seem even more confused about the nature of repentance than some of the Apostles seem to have been. I think that repentance is about the wondrous mystery of reality. Some suggest that it relates to to a spiritual metamorphosis. I've called it part of the pureficatory process. Some benefit by calling it an honest and insightful change of outlook. Others have called it a move toward or into the one of all. You might benefit by calling it an enlarged vision of the dimensions of human life.

Some saintly persons have not called the illegal or immoral sinful, but rather say that failure to cooperate with god is where sin lies. Some religions have called the righteous man, the one who cooperates with the way of things. You might benefit, and stay on 'the straight and narrow,' by acting in accord with reality and purifying yourself of ignorance. Some call ignorance the great lie. Of course, you will probably also benefit a lot by avoiding the illegal and the immoral.

Some Christians have trouble locating 'the kingdom.' they get lost in time and space. They are helped when they are reminded that the central point is here and now. I suggest that the kingdom is not there, rather it is here, among us and within us now.

Faith might be called a power to act informed y vision. Vision may be informed by experience. If one goes into his house at night whit the thought that the electrical system has gone to hell and there is now way the light switch is going to work, he may spend the night i the dark. With a bit of faith he is more likely to try the switch. He may spend the night in the dark anyway, but h has given himself a chance for light. with continued faith he may repair a malfunctioning switch or an electrical system that 'has gone to hell.'

Moralists of some religions have been a bit like many of our parents were... Telling us the 'no,nos.' Jesus was not that way. For example, he understood the Ten Commandments rather than than learn them by rote. He restated them as an enthusiasm for life, respect for the dignity of persons, delight in helping others, a nurturing and strengthening love.

Jesus, I believe, knew that ignorance is a major, perhaps the major, source of the hurtful and harmful in man's existence. He chose enlightenment as the cure for ignorance. The enlightenment he chose included prompt, here and now, action to right wrongs.

It has seemed to me that Jesus was also interested in unification and the knowledge of oneness. he seems to preach the healing in unification,in the move to oneness. He tells us that the way to healing is open. He tells us that the way to abundant life is open to us. He tells us that man has infinite energy behind him to help himself.

Myanmar Connection: Nats

Nats

There were lots of nats in Myanmar long before the 37 Great Nats. A nat of the Great 37 is a bit like a saint or a martyr. such a nat was often a person highly honored and love in life, who died violently.

Other nats may be quite different and highly varied. Some may seem or be little interested in a human connection. Still the represent an energy which may exercise an important influence on a person. In thinking of a nat it may be helpful to recall hearth spirits and wood spirits. Its often best to have them not interested in you. It is very important not to have them against you.

King Alaugsithu

Perhaps later we can find time to peruse history forward and back word from the reign of the Great Nat King Alaugsithu AD 1112-1167.
He was king of Pagan. He had Malaysian connections. He followed king Kyanzittha the pious irrigation systems builder who reigned about AD 1084-1112; who was preceded by King Sawlu 1077-1084 who adopted and Arab.
I believe that Alaugsithu was fathered by Sawyun, a sun of King Sawlu.

Long Strong

We Know that there is great variety among Christians. We are beginning to discover the variety in Islam. Buddhism also has its variety. We as humans, for all our similarities, are each unique. Should we be surprised that we see our religions from so many different points of view?

Theravada is an important branch of Buddhism. I think that it is the dominant for of Buddhism in South East Asia. I believe that Burma, Myanmar, was the principle SEA power in the spread of Theravada Buddhism there. The Sinhalese of Sri Lanka have long been Theravada Buddhists and there has long been a cross-fertilization of Buddhism between what we came to call Ceylon and what we came to call Burma.

In Myanmar and in Sri Lanka Theravada is not the only Buddhism just as Buddhism is not he only religion.

There have been all kinds of Buddhist renewals just as there have been in Christianity. At times much of that renewal was carried by one man. Atisa (AD 982 - AD 1054) seems to have been such a man after the advent of Islam. Atisa probably spent a dozen years in what became southern Burma before going to Tibet to reform the tantric tradition there.

Theravada stayed strong through the Mongol invasions and the destruction of Pagan by them at the end of the 13th century. In the 15th century the Mon Dhammaceti order restored Theravada again.

You might find it interesting to check out Atisa and Pagan on line in Wikipedia or elsewhere. You might even find it fun to review the basic tenants of Buddhism.

On Considering the Bible

Man has seen law as bipartite for a very long time. Part of law refers to ones obligations to society. Another part of law refers to human observation of the repeating processes in nature. Looking at examples from history, it seems science may have developed more readily from polytheistic religion and that may be due to similarities between fate and natural law.

Proverb is a useful key for success in life. Proverb is a repository for wisdom. Wisdom and knowledge are not the same. Wisdom contains more potential for being able to deal appropriately with that which may happen. Knowledge seems more applicable to the particular and the actual.

Nineveh is a name for Assyria of visa versa.

Wisdom is dealt with in Ecclesiastes. It seems to be dealt with energetically. Koheleth, the editor, seems a vigorous realist. He seems to appreciate and open mind. As many wise me do, ha has collected Proverbs. ("Never a borrower or lender be.") He seems to see foggy thinking as a major sin. Like most wise men, he values detachment without withdrawal. He seems to believe that our ability to detect the cyclical rhythm in nature is to be understood and used for our benefit. Koheleth seems to use a concept related to mystery, obscurity, eternity as a path beyond linear thought. He seems a man who believes: "That which is worth doing is worth doing well." "Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desires." "Its best to by joyful." "Rejoice and play all over the earth." "Love of wisdom is creative."

At what point can we no linger tell the dancer form the dance?

Air, light, spirit see to refer to energy, perhaps a knowing energy. The invisible is the source of the visible and somehow an opportunity for human energy.

Hunters

Some men face their religion like children. They see the legs and horns and forget the heart and lungs.

Wonderul Site

Take some time to check out http://www.allconsidering
It's about life, spiritual growth, complimented by the ponderings of
a lovely lady and here teachers. Her posts treat morality,
comparative religion, consciousness, and better.

All Considering seems to be almost completely the creation of Katinka Hesselink. Don't let her competence, learning, and intelligence put you off.

She loves your thoughtful comments and I bet she will give a kind straight forward answer to your courteous question. If you want to improve your grades in a Comparative Religions class you will need but check out appropriate posts on the site.

Dwarka

Harriett got me to thinking of India, soo ....

Krishna was born in prison at Mathura and was smuggled out. As a teenager he returned to Mathura and killed Kamsa, the king; openinging the way for the old king, Ugrasena, to regain the thrown. Krishna and his Yadav clan became the de facto rulers.

Krishna was soon sent to Guru Sandipani's ashram to complete his education.

Kamsa's relatives and allies came to regain the thrown and Krishna returned to help his clan, but soon he and his clan had to retreat.

He retreated far and built a fabled city at Dwarka on the western coast of India. He built on the sunken ruins of of other important cities of even more ancient fable.

If we studied the texts of the Mahabhrata and of the Bhagwat Puran we might discover more or those fables.

Does my retelling seem true

Not Tao

Philosophers who laugh.
It is light, witty, and accessible.
Set your burden down and enjoy the water.
Accept the realty of freedom.
Easy does it.
Attend to your energy reserve.
No regrets.
The door is not locked.
Peacefully rejoice in reality.
Know the joy and security of wandering where there is no path.
Enjoy your wit and romantic adventures.
Is it really so?
Great knowledge and long life.
How do you know that it is so?
Be little moved by praise and blame.
Discriminate.Be clear about the knowledge of honor and disgrace.
Small self, little vanity.
Know the rule without ruling.
Know you.
Be willing to know the quality of your perception.
Let go of the clutter and trivia.
Nothing is useless.
All is useful.
As you smell the roses, hear the music.
As you speak, be aware of how little you know.
Nothing depends on your point of view.
Your opinion is changing this instant.
Let them be.
How can we understand it all in one day?
Clarify your understanding today.
Embrace reality.
Breathe well, smile gently.

Change Sweet Change

I´m back in La Paz after a very pleasant 3 days in Copacabana. Saw dancing Pacenos there and visited the Island of the Sun. Tomorrow I intend to visit Tijuanaco tomorrow. Tijuanaco is a set of ruins of the seat of important Incan and preIncan civilizations, Aymara and earlier. Pacenos, by the way, are city people from La Paz. They were celebrating a kind of religious ´madi gra.´
The present federal government here is the first to be run by Native Americas since the Conquest. They are experiencing a lot of national and internation resistance. They also have a lot to learn about their new position.