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The Good Shepherd and The End of the World
By Fr. Thomas R. Harding, Th.D.
This homily has been posted with the direct and generous permission of the late Fr. Thomas Harding, Th.D. (1918-2005).
There are some great quotations in the readings today. In the First Reading, Isaiah 25:9-10:
This is the Lord for whom we have waited; let us be glad and rejoice in His Salvation.
In the Responsorial Psalm, Psalm XX111, the most familiar of all the 150 Psalms:
The Lord is My Shepherd, I shall not want He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters; He restores my soul.
In the Second Reading, the Epistle of Paul to the Philippians 4:19:
I can do all things in Him who strengthens me.
In the Gospel of Matthew 22:
when the invited guests did not come to the Wedding Feast of the King’s son, the King told his slaves to go out and invite everyone whom they met so the wedding hall was filled with guests” “And so it will be when Christ the King will invite everyone into the Kingdom.
Thank God we have the Good Shepherd, Christ the King as Our Saviour.
His Second Coming will mark the end of the world, as we know it. For some time now we have been threatened by terrorism and world-wide conflict. We can’t help but wonder if the “end of the world” is near. How and when will the world end?
There are many eventualities. We generally think of the end of the world as a Sidereal Cataclysm, a doomsday,¹ a day of wrath and so we do not look forward to it.
There are so many stars hurtling about and brushing past. There are so many exploding worlds on the horizon, so surely by the implacable laws of chance, our turn will come, and we shall be stricken and killed or at least we shall be left to face a slow and lingering death in our earth-bound prison.
Meanwhile, apart from this possibility, we are ever more threatened by internal dangers, by biological or chemical warfare, by weapons of mass destruction in the hands of evil people, by onslaughts of microbes, by organic counter-evolutions. Sterility, wars, revolutions, pollution of the earth and water, the atmosphere, the stratosphere; there are so many ways of coming to an end.
So to sum up, there are eventualities. We have turned them over in our minds. We have read descriptions of them in the novels of the Goncourts, Robert Hugh Benson, the works of H. G. Wells, modern science fiction,² Star Wars, or in the scientific treatises of famous men and women.
Each of them is perfectly feasible. We could at any moment be crushed by a gigantic comet, and equally true, tomorrow the earth might quake and collapse beneath our feet. Or some individual or group could trigger a nuclear war to annihilate us all. Or we could be the victim of global warming, of gas emissions or the toxic poisons of industry, while leaders of businesses and governments could drag their feet in facing up to the warning of Kyoto Protocols and postpone their action until the year 2010 or 2020 for the sake of profits. That may be too late.
However, we have higher reasons to be sure that these things will not happen. Surely the Lord, the Good Shepherd, the Mighty Watch Man will intervene and come rattling His keys to rescue us all. Surely this is in the hands of God and His plan for the end of the world will be fulfilled.
As a matter of fact, the End of the World will be a Triumph of Christ as it is identified with His Second Coming. Christ has already put His plan into place. The last days come in two stages.
The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ marked the first stage. By these saving acts, Christ introduced into the world and into human history the final order of things. The new creation has begun. We already have eternal life.
The second stage will be the second coming of Christ. But I have good news for you. Before that there will be the “Golden Age of Peace”. Evil will have been reduced to a minimum and disease and hunger will have been conquered; the war on poverty will have been won and people will be living by the precepts of the Sermon on the Mount and there will be unanimity, love and peace among men, women and children on earth.
Then Christ will come on the clouds of heaven, accompanied by all the Angels in great power and majesty to judge the living and the dead.
For as lightning comes from the east and shines even to the west so will also the coming of the Son of Man be (Matthew 24:27).
By the way you can read the prophecy of the Golden Age of Peace in the Book of Isaiah, Chapter 11:6-9 and in Chapter 65. It is described metaphorically as follows:
Wolves and sheep will be together and leopards will lie down with young goats. Calves and lion cubs will feed together and little children will take care of them. Cows and bears will eat together and their calves and cubs will live in peace Lions will eat straw as cattle do. Even a baby will not be harmed if he or she plays near a poisonous snake. On Zion, God’s Holy Hill there will be nothing harmful or evil. The land will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the seas are full of water.
So cheer up. The Golden Age of Peace lies ahead. As Pope Paul VI said on one occasion: “No more war. War no more.” Everything is in the hands of God.
May George W. Bush, Tony Blair, the United Nations, Saddam Hussein and people of all nations join together in praying to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit for the “Golden Age of Peace” to come Amen! So Be It!
References in Sacred Scripture to the Golden Age of Peace
Isaiah 11:6-9, 65:25
Joel 3:10
Mica 4
Zechariah 3:10
Revelation 20:6
2 Corinthian 12:2-6
Revelation 9
Isaiah 4
Matthew
Ezechiel
Notes
¹ In the original manuscript: dooms day
² In the original manuscript: scientific fiction
This homily is not to be copied, duplicated, modified nor distributed in any way
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- Christ, The Timeless Shepherd! (psalmsofpraisewomensministries.wordpress.com)
- “I am the Good Shepherd” (worryisuseless.wordpress.com)
- The Head of the Church, by Protopresbyter Michael Pomazansky [Das Haupt der Kirche. Von Erzpriester Michael Pomazansky] (consensuspatrum.wordpress.com)
- Shepherds or Farmers? (speculativefictionweblog.wordpress.com)
- Christ In Every Book!! (bemagnified.org)
- Sunday (April 29): “I am the Good Shepherd” (shechina.wordpress.com)
- Why I Am Not A Postmillennialist (5ptsalt.com)
- Truth and error in J. Marcellus Kik’s preterism (creationconcept.wordpress.com)
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Is Conflict an Inherent Factor of Religion?
Conflict: Rishi S
One of the most difficult areas to get past in human relations is the idea that “my” religion or ideal is Truth and yours isn’t. When someone says to you that your beliefs are all wet compared to his or hers, how does that make you feel? Historically, it has made people feel so bad that they have killed each other. This is not good.
If only there was a way where we could sincerely say to those who are not of our faith, “You’re okay, even if you do not believe our way.” Unless we find a way to honestly and openly do that, unless we as a nation find a way to say to other countries that they are okay just as they are developing, (as if we didn’t have our problems as a young nation), then we will be in constant conflict.
If, for a moment, we can leave aside threatening and incendiary remarks, such as, “If you don’t become enlightened, you will be reborn into suffering forever,” “Unless you accept Jesus as your savior, you will go to hell,” and “Allah is the only God, accept him or else,” along with all the other claims of various religions (and the numerous branches of the various religions that separate us further, i.e., Catholic and Baptist in the Christian faith), what is there left to talk about?
If we have nothing left to talk about, then of course religion can justifiably be termed a vehicle of separation; something that has caused violence in the past and continues to be a destructive force in the present.
Some might say that their beliefs and principles are more important than any conflict, and that they are ready and willing to die for them. Okay, passion is an important factor, and if their religion or ideal sanctifies conversion by force, then one would be justified in their mind. I posit, however, that in the deep tentacles of all religions lies a universal love for all mankind, regardless of beliefs, and that conversion by force comes from man‘s ego.
In reality, we usually tolerate beliefs other than our own and generally smile and make nice to people of other faiths. But down deep, if we think that they are misguided and that we should save them, or resent the fact that they can’t see the light and consider them inferior to ourselves, then we are two-faced.
Perhaps better than becoming two-faced is having it out with them; arguing about our religions until we are blue in the face, totally exhausted, and ready to strangle each other. At least we would be honest.
In my articles, I try to promote principles that apply to all religions regardless of beliefs. I do this in order to advance past narrow opinions and toward more universal love and respect for each other. I’m not always successful.
I try to see the end product of what a particular religion produces regarding the type of people that result. Are they only nice in a playacting way, closet bigots, or are they genuinely interested in others well being, regardless of the others beliefs?
I can’t say that one way or the other is right or Truth, but I can say, as I look back at history, that one way promotes peace and the other conflict. Again, if conflict is your cup of tea, then I can’t say that you are wrong, but I can say that conflict will create suffering for yourself and others. Also, I can safely, I believe, say that peace promotes ease and joy for yourself and others. Just look at a family in conflict compared to a family in peace. To playact peace is to pretend to be peaceful around your peers but scream at your kids or husband in Wal-Mart! This is also being two-faced.
What it all boils down to is whether or not strong beliefs are worth conflict. If you say yes, then your life will be in conflict. You can’t have conflict with those outside of your immediate group without eventually having conflict within your group. It’s never an outside influence that brings up conflict, conflict is already planted in your mind just looking for a target, and when the outside targets aren’t there, the sharks eat themselves.
The question is; do you want to change your mind from one of conflict to one of peace? Don’t answer too quickly; many people prefer conflict. Conflict, win or lose, boosts the ego and makes one feel that they are alive. Peace, on the other hand does not increase ego or support the notion of a person separate from everyone else.
In my articles, I mention ego or self all the time, because ego, not religion or ideals per se, is the central reason for our internal and external conflicts. The idea of “me.”
So how can you change your state of mind of conflict? Can you keep your strong beliefs and resolve the conflict in yourself? That would be the best of both worlds.
I believe that we can do that, it‘s just a matter of calming down an ego that we have created and now must constantly shore up. This creates the fundamental conflict within ourselves, and has nothing to do with religion or religious beliefs, but everything to do with how we get along with ourselves, our group, and fellow human beings.
If ever there would be a universal religion, it would work toward resolving this problem of conflict within ourselves. Regardless of what we believe or what books we follow, until we understand ourselves and how we interact with that little person inside our heads, all of our actions and ideas will be skewed.
But once we know ourselves and how we operate, we can then believe as we choose, while at the same time understanding and accepting the rest of humanity regardless of their beliefs, because we will know that we are all fundamentally the same.
Anagarika eddie is a meditation teacher at the Dhammabucha Rocksprings Meditation Retreat Sanctuary www.dhammarocksprings.org and author of A Year to Enlightenment. His 30 years of meditation experience has taken him across four continents including two stopovers in Thailand where he practiced in the remote northeast forests as an ordained Thervada Buddhist monk.
He lived at Wat Pah Nanachat under Ajahn Chah, at Wat Pah Baan Taad under Ajahn Maha Boowa, and at Wat Pah Daan Wi Weg under Ajahn Tui. He had been a postulant at Shasta Abbey, a Zen Buddhist monastery in northern California under Roshi Kennett; and a Theravada Buddhist anagarika at both Amaravati Monastery in the UK and Bodhinyanarama Monastery in New Zealand, both under Ajahn Sumedho. The author has meditated with the Korean Master Sueng Sahn Sunim; with Bhante Gunaratana at the Bhavana Society in West Virginia; and with the Tibetan Master Trungpa Rinpoche in Boulder, Colorado. He has also practiced at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, and the Zen Center in San Francisco.
Article Source: Amazines.com
Making Smaller Footprints
Buddhist Meditation by drinksmachine
On my way up the mountain carrying some roofing materials I stopped to catch my breath, and as I unconsciously gazed at a scrub cedar tree that I had trimmed a month before to make the trail, an insight popped up. They happen at random like this, and seldom have anything to do with the thinking mind, they just come from another place.
If I happened to die at the foot of this tree, the 70 % water that this body consists of and the remaining ash that’s left over would quickly sink into the soil at the base of this tree and disappear. This being the case, why would I want to make a fuss about my life? In many ways, after all is said and done, this little scrub cedar tree is as important or more so than I ever was or ever will be.
I have made my way through this experience called a lifetime for 68 years now, making lots of waves for myself and everyone else, and realize in hindsight, in the wake of those waves that can toss your ship about, that the really important things in life leave few footprints on the earth.
My footprints are still huge but I am doing what I can to lessen them. I live in a 52 Square foot cabin that I built for $1500. 7 ½ feet by 7 ½ feet, no water, no plumbing, but I do have a small electric heater for the wintertime and a lamp. Three luxuries – a land line, a DSL line, and a laptop are available to me in the little office trailer at the main center, as is the bathroom with hot showers. So I am not exactly living a life of Robinson Crusoe! But I feel privileged that I can live this way in an out of the way Texas ranch on eighty-five acres in the hill country.
Because of the remote location and rough dirt roads, (a 3 1/2 hour round trip to Lowe’s and Home Depot), my Silverado four-wheel drive V-8 is a necessity for getting through muddy roads and hauling building materials (I build small meditation cabins up on the mountain), but I try to go into town only once a week in order to save on gas and truck maintenance. My social security check actually doesn’t allow for much more!
There seems to be a knack for keeping footprints small, even in the midst of a busy life. If your wants are small, if you can get by with little and still be happy, then the footprints begin to shrink. Wanting and craving for things and experiences so that we don’t become bored is what causes “Big Foot” footprints! Whatever you buy, gasoline or big screen TVs, they set into motion a string of footprints, from industrial pollution to financing terrorism.
As a nation, we are largely unaware, I believe, of just how large our footprints have been. Consumerism (to keep the economy strong, even if we have to borrow heavily!), international adventurism, all kinds of manic activity has been unconsciously encouraged to keep things going and exciting. But yet, surveys show that Americans are not as happy as people in many countries, including some fairly poor third world countries. Why is this? If you read some of the articles here, you can feel the increasing unhappiness. Could it be that happiness comes from a different place than from consuming, adventurism, and how much money we can accumulate?
How can you get by in life with little and still be happy? If you presently rely on outside stimulation for your happiness, feeling that you are not complete within yourself and need outside stimulation, be it consumer goods, cars, TVs, houses, relationships, even religion; then your happiness depends upon something outside of yourself, something that you can think up. As such, it is a drug so to speak, and the fix needs to be repeated often. Otherwise you might fall into loneliness and despair. This requires an endless struggle to provide yourself constantly with these outside stimulations, again, no different from any addiction.
But when our minds are unattached, non-dependent, when we can frame an entire cabin with no thinking whatsoever except for which board comes next, then there is a certain peace that comes with that, a contentment that requires nothing outside our ourselves. There is just “that” in front if us, and this is a satisfaction that requires nothing, and is unchanging regardless of the physical circumstances.
This kind of contentment is 180 degrees away from the constant stimulation that depletes our body and minds so much. It not only relieves the mind of it’s many contrived burdens, but brings up a certain kind of deep courage where even the fear of death becomes as nothing. And if we look closely, it is this fear of death, as a subconscious basis, that instills all the little fears in our hearts daily.
Working up on a mountain by myself with power tools and ladders, and at least two hours from a hospital or EMS service, doesn’t bother me in the least. (I am, however, naturally mindful and not distracted when I work because of my meditation practice). Plus being 68 years old I could have the massive stroke or chest pains at any time, but that doesn’t bother me either, even though the body only lasts so long. But again my meditation practice over thirty years has been good for my immune system, stress relief, and my health, and the only “medications” I take are vitamins. (Sorry Pharma industry!)
Emergencies in a remote area don’t bother me because meditation, in some ways, is a practice for dying. Once you practice dying, and face it head on, the fear dissolves, the concept of death changes, and dying becomes not an emergency at all, just a change of clothes. Meditation also relieves the impulsive urges so that the mind can relax and enjoy life without necessarily doing something to keep the mind busy. This is a big stress reliever when you learn how to do this.
All in all, if you can find a way to relax into smaller footprints for yourself, I believe that not only will you be happier, but you will have a good feeling that you are helping your fellow human beings by taking it easy on this fragile earth.
Anagarika eddie is a meditation teacher at the Dhammabucha Rocksprings Meditation Retreat Sanctuary and author of A Year to Enlightenment. His 30 years of meditation experience has taken him across four continents including two stopovers in Thailand where he practiced in the remote northeast forests as an ordained Thervada Buddhist monk. He lived at Wat Pah Nanachat under Ajahn Chah, at Wat Pah Baan Taad under Ajahn Maha Boowa, and at Wat Pah Daan Wi Weg under Ajahn Tui. He had been a postulant at Shasta Abbey, a Zen Buddhist monastery in northern California under Roshi Kennett; and a Theravada Buddhist anagarika at both Amaravati Monastery in the UK and Bodhinyanarama Monastery in New Zealand, both under Ajahn Sumedho. The author has meditated with the Korean Master Sueng Sahn Sunim; with Bhante Gunaratana at the Bhavana Society in West Virginia; and with the Tibetan Master Trungpa Rinpoche in Boulder, Colorado. He has also practiced at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, and the Zen Center in San Francisco.
Article Source: amazines.com
Inner Peace Tip – Taking Responsibility..
Inner Peace by d0.0b / yop
I don’t follow the news much these days, partly because I have been aware of how I am affected by all of the negative spin that has been put on what is happening globally. With that in mind, I have made a conscious choice to be very deliberate in what I do watch, learning to put everything into perspective.
My attention, however, has been caught with the recent death of Michael Jackson. I learned about his death through a friend and also saw coverage of it while working out at the gym I belong to. Day after day there has been something about Michael and the wonderings of what happened. I became curious as to how it was that so much attention was put onto his life and death. How is it that so many can die, yet there are a few who have the limelight put onto them after departing?
I happened to catch an interview of Deepak Chopra as he spoke of his long time relationship with Michael. The major point that he emphasized was that throughout Michael’s life those around him enabled him. That is, people took care of him and to some extent protected him from harm’s way.
What I was struck with by this comment was how, perhaps, as a nation we have been enabled by those around us to not be accountable or responsible for decisions or actions that we have made. I look at my own life and realize how I have relied on forces outside myself to keep me safe and to take care of me. When I allow myself, without judgment, to look at different aspects of my life, I realize that in some areas, I have perhaps been taken care of too much.
As a nation, many of us have lived in a pseudo wealth mentality thinking that it bought us happiness. Having easy access to whatever we have wanted to purchase or what we thought would bring us fulfillment. In the past, it was easy to get multiple credit cards and spend money that perhaps we didn’t have.
Now that the paradigm or reality of over-consumerism is cracking, folks who have been used to having so much, are finding that they are having to cut back. What was so easily purchased or obtained is now not as readily available. As a result, many folks are experiencing fear that their needs will not be met or that they will be able to take care of themselves.
What if, what we are looking for, is slumbering quietly within us? That it isn’t out there, it is inside of us.
What does that mean? It means that what we may have been illusively searching for, that thing out there to make us happy, is only a temporary fix to a feeling of emptiness within. Perhaps looking within to what we really want is what we are all being called to explore.
I can recall countless times that if I misplaced something, I simply went out and bought another one. Now, I have the acute awareness to be grateful for what I have taken for granted in the past. As a result, I look around my surroundings and notice how truly blessed I have been over the years with everything that I been given. Noticing this, I am releasing that which no longer serves me and finding that life is becoming less complex and fulfilling.
I am reminded of people in other countries who, according to our Western standards, have nothing compared with what we have. Yet, they are the ones who seem the happiest with what they do have. They enjoy the simple pleasures of being with family and friends. Of being grateful for the water they drink and the fruit from which they harvest.
Somehow many within the US have forgotten these simple pleasures. In the big pictures, perhaps we are all being reminded of what truly fill our hearts from the inside out.
Catherine VanWetter is a Holistic Family Healing Practitioner trained in a variety of healing techniques that help people find Inner Peace Through Generational Family Healing. She invites you to be gentle, compassionate, and courageous as you put down your weapon of choice and step into a field of Grace.
Catherine invites you to a complimentary copy of her Morning Meditation, Welcoming A New Day, http://www.ToTheHeartOfTheMatter.com.
Additional information on this and similar topics are available at Catherine’s website, blog and radio program “Inspirations of the Heart”. All may be found at http://www.ToTheHeartOfTheMatter.com.
Connect with Catherine: Twitter: @SouloftheHeart Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/catherinevanwetter
Related Articles – Holistic Family Healing, Soul of the heart, family healing, Generational Family Healing Inner Peace, finding peace, world peace
Source: amazines.com
Gandhi in vogue among American celebrities
Gandhi Memorial by Steve Fernie
Special to Earthpages.org
Peace icon Mahatma Gandhi appears to be back in vogue among Hollywood and other celebrities.
Saturn award winner actress Kristen Bell (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) was spotted in New York City streets wearing V-neck T-shirt displaying Gandhi’s large picture.
Actress-supermodel Jessica Szohr (Gossip Girl), Oscar winner Angelina Jolie (Changeling), Golden Globe nominated Jessica Alba (Dark Angel), Grammy nominated Rihanna (Good Girl Gone Bad), etc., also reportedly carry Gandhi T-shirts. DJ I-Dee (Isaac DeLima), scratch music prodigy and winner of DMC USA, was seen in a Miami (USA) club wearing neon Gandhi T-shirt.
A prestigious fashion themed exhibition titled “Italian knots: Evolution, language and style of the tie”, organized by Associazione Culturale Colosseum Roma, showing at Embassy of Italy in Washington DC (USA) till July two, displays Gandhi’s picture prominently along with the pictures of the likes of Oscar winner George Clooney (Good Night, and Good Luck).
Acclaimed Indo-American statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, welcoming Gandhi’s rediscovery by American celebrities, urged them also to look deeper into Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence, his commitment to world peace, and his work for the upliftment of the downtrodden.
Rajan Zed, who is chairperson of Indo-American Leadership Confederation, further said that although Gandhi never set foot on America, yet he was on Time magazine covers in 1930, 1931, and 1947; Time Person of the Year in 1930; and was runner-up for Time Person of the Century. Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) was one of the few men in history to fight simultaneously on moral, religious, political, social, economic, and cultural fronts.
Krishna, Buddha and Christ: The same or different? (Part 5 and Conclusion)
Reclining Buddha
Copyright © Michael Clark. All rights reserved.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
A Voice from God
In Catholicism peaceful living and spiritual growth go hand in hand. As the believer increases in perfection and becomes closer to God the soul usually experiences an increase in heavenly graces.
The Christian vessel, as it were, washes not just the outside but the inside of the cup to receive the pure waters of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 23:26).
Christian mysticism is not understood as a prelude to or justification for violence. However, one might object by citing Joan of Arc, her voices apparently coming from God and urging her to lead the French army into battle.
But it was the Catholic Church which eventually canonized her. The Gospels, themselves, never condone violence.
God or no God?
As mentioned earlier, religion can be complicated. Whenever one makes an assertion, an exception seems to arise. But the New Testament and Buddhist ideals of non-violence clearly differ in the sense that Buddhists do not believe in an ultimate, omnipotent, omniscient and eternal God.
Put simply, Buddhists do not believe in God. Instead, Buddhists normally contextualize the idea of God saying “God” is just another cultural concept to get past on the road to Nirvana, a journey involving the belief in reincarnation.
In Christianity, however, the unselfish love of enemies arises from inviting the living presence of God to dwell in one’s heart. Happiness isn’t just inside, as so many say. Rather, happiness is having a good relationship with God, who ultimately is beyond the self but also immanent.
Christian salvation doesn’t merely rely on one’s own contemplative efforts because God, and not oneself, is believed to be the source of all goodness and being.
Some see this ultimate dependence on God as a weakness but from a Christian perspective it’s just the way things are.
One will only get so far through one’s own initiative. And that, for many Christians, is a serious limitation for Buddhists.
Granted, Buddhism speaks of compassionate and intervening bodhisattvas who dispense graces to seekers along the way. But these exalted beings are not regarded as God.
A monotheistic God is never present in Buddhism and at some point even bodhisattvas must be surpassed to enter into the nothingness/fullness of Nirvana, a place where the apparently illusory idea of individuality also vanishes.
While some Christian mystics do talk about losing the self in a boundless ocean of God’s love, God never disappears from the picture. And it’s doubtful that Christian mystics are advocating a complete loss of individuality.
Heaven and Hell
Related to the discussion on violence and non-violence is the Buddhist perception of hell.
Hell isn’t eternal for Buddhists. It’s more like a stopover in a crummy hotel room where one eventually checks out.
Likewise with heaven. Heaven is described as a sort of ‘spiritual health spa’ enjoyed between lifetimes and the reincarnating soul must eventually leave heaven to become fully enlightened. In fact, in Buddhism one encounters numerous heavens and hells before reaching full enlightenment.
Upon attaining enlightenment, Buddhists say the soul realizes it doesn’t exist and even the idea of past lives becomes illusory. After all, how can one have a past life is one never existed?
These are interesting philosophical ideas but a Christian aiming for heaven might wonder if the Buddhist heavens could be astral realms and not heaven as understood within Christianity.
Since Buddhist hells are not eternal, they perhaps would be closer to the Catholic notion of purgatory because for Christians hell is eternal. Nor is the Christian hell a mere way-station or, for that matter, cool Hollywood fantasy as we see in movies and video games.
For the vast majority of Christians, hell is just hell, forever and ever and ever…
And when it comes to the opposite, namely paradise, the Christian understanding of grace as a living presence that guides believers to an eternal heaven is relativized and arguably absent in Buddhism.
True, Buddhist schools variously speak of emptiness, fullness and enlightenment. And they speak of transitional grace and temporary heavens and hells. But Buddhist do not believe in eternal heaven and hell as articulated within Christianity.
Conclusion
This brief comparison suggests that the scriptures and beliefs emerging from Krishna, Buddha and Christ exhibit points of similarity but are not equivalent.
As we’ve seen, the Mahabharata speaks of peace but in the Gita Krishna emphasizes holy warfare.
By way of contrast, Christ, as part of the Holy Trinity is said to be co-equal with God and the Holy Spirit and willing to sacrifice himself on a cross rather than engage in violence.
Meanwhile, Buddha doesn’t believe in God and the Buddhist nirvana is said to surpass the Christian understanding of heaven and hell.
Both Krishna and Buddha speak of many lifetimes and associated opportunities for salvation through reincarnation, whereas the Christ of the Gospels entreats disciples to get it right the first time, presumably because for Christians there is no reincarnation.
To gloss over these and other differences may be well-intentioned but imprecise. And it’s doubtful that a confused belief in religious homogeneity will contribute to meaningful dialogue and genuine interfaith harmony.
While many promising commonalities can be discerned among today’s faith groups, it will take clear and honest thinking for humanity to get it right for the 21st century and beyond.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
Krishna, Buddha and Christ: The same or different? (Part 4)
Reclining Buddha
Copyright © Michael Clark. All rights reserved.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 5
War and Peace
When interpreted literally, the Gita says Arjuna shouldn’t be despondent because his killing is in accord with God’s will.
If Arjuna detaches himself from his feelings bad karma will not arise from his violence. Most Hindus would probably say Arjuna’s not angry. If anything, he’s at first reluctant, almost like a Hamlet who just can’t muster up the gumption to act.
Ultimately, Arjuna’s just doing his duty for God, fulfilling his dharma as a kshatriya, a member of the warrior caste.
The Gita and the New Testament present two remarkably different pictures.
God as Krishna in the Gita exhorts Arjuna to engage in violence while God as Jesus in the New Testament says merely being angry is tantamount to being a murderer worthy of hellfire. In other words, Jesus says don’t even consider violence (1 John 3:15).
But the New Testament goes even further. It calls upon believers to love their enemies, turn the other cheek and pray for those who persecute them.
Because the New Testament doesn’t advocate the belief in reincarnation, Christians should try their best to lead good lives, here and now–and not in ten, twenty or a hundred lifetimes down the road.
There’s a difference in both emphasis and direction between these two texts that’s hard to overlook.
The Gita affords violence a sort of mythic grandeur, obscuring the ugly realities of blood and gore with ethereal prose and metaphysical justifications, while the New Testament clearly directs believers away from violence.
For Jesus Christ, at least, the Jesus of the New Testament, the violence of man against man is simply unacceptable.
Krishna, Buddha and Christ: The same or different? (Part 3)
Reclining Buddha
Copyright © Michael Clark. All rights reserved.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4 | Part 5
Another Inconvenient Truth
Although the religions of Krishna, Buddha and Christ each allow for the idea of the Just War, they arguably differ.
Let’s look at Christianity first.
Christians generally put more stock in the New Testament (NT) than the Old Testament (OT). The NT advocates turning the other cheek and loving one’s enemies while the often spiteful and bellicose OT speaks of getting “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.”
Christian theologians say the OT and NT inform one another. But the NT is taken as the fulfillment of the somewhat imperfect OT, as embodied in the person of Jesus Christ.
True, the Christian Bible consists of both the OT and NT. But from the one to the other there’s a definite movement away from violence to peace, from tribal retribution to a global message of selfless service.
This worldwide message of “peace above all” is universal. Christians unanimously agree that anyone can convert to Christianity, whereas some Hindus maintain that one must be born a Hindu–that is, for some Hindus true conversion for non-Hindus is not possible, a stance that seems tantamount to racism and hardly a universal message for mankind to unite in peace.
While some public figures like to gloss over this obvious difference between Christianity and some Hindu fundamentalists, it cannot be denied. And mere platitudes that obscure the issue aren’t going to change that inconvenient truth. What might change it is facing the issue head on instead of ignoring it out of ignorance or expedience.
Earth poised for breakthrough event?
Rotation of the Earth by Ian T Edwards
By Steve Hammons
Many of us wonder about special sensitive military, intelligence and research activities.
When we think about unusual missions and special operations, we realize that personnel involved must be flexible and ready to innovate and respond to changing circumstances at times.
We watch, often with troubled hearts, about activities in Iraq and Afghanistan. We remember the difficulties and pain of the Vietnam War era. And we wonder about future bloodshed and suffering.
Many people hope for some kind of breakthrough into a new world, where the human race can make progress and discover greater peace and prosperity.
Some people hope for and believe that a miracle of some kind might happen.
They wonder if physics, such as the sought-after “unified field” of Einstein’s theories, might be relevant. Will the natural world change in some way? Might we become more aware of other hidden dimensions around us?
Could spiritual beliefs and views of Heaven and Earth actually prove to be based on scientific realities?
What part do UFOs and other unusual phenomena play? Do incidents like the Stephenville, Texas, sightings and the 1997 “Phoenix lights” case result in greater awareness by people that something is going on? Is human consciousness changing, as we discover more about ESP and things like “remote viewing?”
We know that many people are researching and working on questions like this. What have they found? And what might it mean to all of us?
Some of us are hopeful. Some of us are cynical. Some of us hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
In my novels, MISSION INTO LIGHT and the sequel LIGHT’S HAND, a special joint-service team of ten women and men are brought together in a sensitive and classified intelligence research project.
From their base in San Diego, they conduct research on several interesting areas, some seemingly unrelated.
But, they keep getting indications that something may happen. A “breakthrough event” of some kind. They suspect that the paths of research they are following will lead them to some kind of success. Success for their fellow Americans, for the human race and for planet Earth.
What follows is an account of the breakthrough event that occurs toward the end of the second novel.
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Read full article at the author’s website » JOINT RECON STUDY GROUP
Christians-Muslims-Hindus-Jews to pray together at Nevada hilltop at sunset to honor Gandhi
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Special to Earthpages.org
October has been designated as “Gandhi Month” by a team of Nevadans in USA who want to celebrate his 139th birth-month to highlight his message regarding human and spiritual rights.
Lead by Right Reverend Gene Savoy Jr., bishop of International Community of Christ, and Rajan Zed, acclaimed Hindu leader, this team will culminate the “Gandhi Month” celebrations with prayers from major world faiths by religious leaders of Nevada on a 5,000 foot high hilltop at Red Rock Consecrated Sanctuary north of Reno at sunset on October 12.
At this unique first-of-its-kind celebration, the recitations at the sunset to honor the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi will include Christian prayers in English, Muslim prayers in Arabic, Hindu shlokas in Sanskrit, Buddhist prayers in Pali, Jewish prayers in Hebrew, a Baha’i prayer in Persian, and a Native American chant in the Sioux tradition. All attendees will do mass recitation of one of the Gandhi’s favorite songs, “Raghupati raghav rajaram,” on the occasion.
A ringing of bells ritual, with bells collected worldwide, will be held exactly at sunset during this ceremony in memory of Gandhi as a promoter of global peace. Representatives of different faiths will garland a picture of Gandhi, and tributes will be paid to him in an interfaith dance. According to Zed and Savoy, they would like to make “Gandhi Month” an annual feature in Nevada. The two are also pushing for Gandhi monument around the state capitol in Carson City and Gandhi statues in Las Vegas and Reno.
A Nevada-wide essay competition will be held in October on the topics of non-violence, peace, conflict resolution, etc., to promote Gandhi’s teachings.
“This special sunset service is being held in recognition that every member of human family, equally and without distinction, is invested in God with a spiritual nature. Gandhi acknowledged this and was a champion of religious freedom as a fundamental human right,” Reverend Savoy said.
“There is a renewed interest world over in Mahatma Gandhi and his ideas, who is universally venerated as one of the paramount moral, political, and social leaders of the recent history,” Rajan Zed adds.
