Guest guest Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 I am looking for the source of a quote. It goes something like, "Blessed are the peacemakers (or is it blessed are the meek) for they shall inherit the earth." If this is from the Bible, could someone give the exact quote and a proper interpretation. Thanks, Love to all Harsha ===== /join Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 It's from the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 5, Verse 9: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God." I don't think it requires any interpretation per se, but of course ymmv. On Mon, 10 Feb 2003 13:45:03 -0800 (PST) Harsha <harshaimtm writes: > I am looking for the source of a quote. It goes > something like, "Blessed are the peacemakers (or is it > blessed are the meek) for they shall inherit the > earth." > > If this is from the Bible, could someone give the > exact quote and a proper interpretation. > > Thanks, > > Love to all > Harsha > http://come.to/realization http://www.atman.net/realization http://www.users.uniserve.com/~samuel/brucemrg.htm http://www.users.uniserve.com/~samuel/brucsong.htm ______________ Sign Up for Juno Platinum Internet Access Today Only $9.95 per month! Visit www.juno.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 Mathew 5:9 from the bible: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. RL --- Harsha <harshaimtm wrote: > I am looking for the source of a quote. It goes > something like, "Blessed are the peacemakers > (or is it > blessed are the meek) for they shall inherit > the > earth." > > If this is from the Bible, could someone give > the > exact quote and a proper interpretation. > > Thanks, > > Love to all > Harsha > > ===== > /join > > > > > > > > > > Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign > up now. > http://mailplus. > Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 halo, namaste, i just joined the group this morning, thank you for having me...a minute ago there were no answers and now there are three, the statement your referring to is from mathew and is one of the 8 beautitudes, i got this information from google.com and there are lots of commentaries on what the word meek means, i very rarely do essays but thanks for the inspiration, good satsang. 1st: blessed are the pure in spirit for their is the kingdom of heaven 2. blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted 3.Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth"Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy 4. "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness. for they shall be filled 5."Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy 6. "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God" 7."Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God" 8."Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you" http://www.pbministries.org/books/pink/Beatitudes/bea_conclusion.htm sincerely devi aka chitra these fit in nicely with the yamas and niyamas and also the buddhist noble path Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 Thank you Bruceji. You are right that it does not require any interpretation. It's beauty lies in its simplicity. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God." --- Bruce Morgen <editor wrote: > > It's from the Gospel of > Matthew, Chapter 5, > Verse 9: "Blessed are > the peacemakers, for > they will be called > sons of God." I don't > think it requires any > interpretation per se, > but of course ymmv. > > > On Mon, 10 Feb 2003 13:45:03 -0800 (PST) Harsha > <harshaimtm > writes: > > I am looking for the source of a quote. It goes > > something like, "Blessed are the peacemakers (or > is it > > blessed are the meek) for they shall inherit the > > earth." > > > > If this is from the Bible, could someone give the > > exact quote and a proper interpretation. > > > > Thanks, > > > > Love to all > > Harsha > ===== /join Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 , "devianandi <devi@p...>" <devi@p...> wrote: > halo, namaste, i just joined the group this morning, > thank you for having me...a minute ago there were no answers > and now there are three, the statement your referring to is from > mathew and is one of the 8 beautitudes, > > i got this information from google.com and there are lots of > commentaries > on what the word meek means, i very rarely do essays but thanks for > the inspiration, good satsang. > > 1st: blessed are the pure in spirit for their is the kingdom of heaven > 2. blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted > 3.Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth"Blessed are > the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy > 4. "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness. > for they shall be filled > 5."Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy > 6. "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God" > 7."Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children > of God" > 8."Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for > theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall > revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil > against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for > great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets > which were before you" > > http://www.pbministries.org/books/pink/Beatitudes/bea_conclusion.htm > > sincerely > devi aka chitra > > these fit in nicely with the yamas and niyamas and also the buddhist > noble path Hi Devi: This is a beautiful passage. Thanks for looking it up. It is upbeat and soothing at the same time. The Beatitudes. You can't beat 'em. Love Bobby G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 10, 2003 Report Share Posted February 10, 2003 , Harsha <harshaimtm> wrote: > I am looking for the source of a quote. It goes > something like, "Blessed are the peacemakers (or is it > blessed are the meek) for they shall inherit the > earth." > > If this is from the Bible, could someone give the > exact quote and a proper interpretation. > > Thanks, > > Love to all > Harsha com Namaste Harsha, It is one of the eight beatitudes from the 'Sermon on the Mount', given by Jesus. It actually encapsulates the teaching of Jesus and early Christianity. Swami Prabhavananda does a great treatment on it in his 'The Sermon on the Mount according to Vedanta', put out by the Ramakrishna Math---Mylapore, Chennai,1964........ONS...Tony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 11, 2003 Report Share Posted February 11, 2003 , "saktidasa <saktidasa>" <saktidasa> wrote: > , Harsha <harshaimtm> wrote: > > I am looking for the source of a quote. It goes > > something like, "Blessed are the peacemakers (or is it > > blessed are the meek) for they shall inherit the > > earth." > > > > If this is from the Bible, could someone give the > > exact quote and a proper interpretation. > > > > Thanks, > > > > Love to all > > Harsha > com > > Namaste Harsha, > > It is one of the eight beatitudes from the 'Sermon on the Mount', > given by Jesus. It actually encapsulates the teaching of Jesus and > early Christianity. Swami Prabhavananda does a great treatment on it > in his 'The Sermon on the Mount according to Vedanta', put out by the > Ramakrishna Math---Mylapore, Chennai,1964........ONS...Tony. The Sermon on the Mount according to Vedanta Swami Prabhavananda The BEATITUDES 'Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Ignorance and delusion are characteristic of the unregenerate mind. This ignorance is confirmed and buttressed by our sense of ego—our idea that we are separate from one another and from God. Egotism must be overcome if the mind is to be freed from delusion. Therefore—blessed are the meek. But why does Christ say that they shall inherit the earth? At first sight, this seems difficult to understand. Among the yoga aphorisms of Patanjali (yoga means union with God, also the path to that union) there is one aphorism which corresponds to this beatitude: "The man who is confirmed in non-stealing becomes the master of all riches." What is meant by "non-stealing"? It means that we must give up the egotistic delusion that we can possess Things, that anything can belong exclusively to us as individuals. We may think: "But we are good people. We do not steal anything! Whatever we have, we have worked for and earned. It belongs to us by right." But the truth is that nothing at all belongs to us. Everything belongs to God. When we regard anything in this universe as ours, we are appropriating God's possession. What then is meekness? It is to live in self-surrender to God, free from the sense of "me" and "mine." This does not mean that we should get rid of wealth, family, and friends; but we should get rid of the idea that they belong to us. They belong to God. We should think of ourselves as God's servants to whose care he has entrusted his creatures and possessions. As soon as we understand this truth and give up our deluded individual claims, we find that in the truest sense everything belongs to us after all. Conquerors who try to become masters of the world by force of arms never inherit anything except worry, trouble, and headaches. Misers who accumulate huge wealth are only chained to their gold, they never really possess it. But the man who has given up his sense of attachment experiences the advantages which possessions afford without the misery which possessiveness brings. Many people dislike this saying of Christ because they think that the meek can never achieve anything. They think that no happiness is to be had in life unless one is aggressive. When they are told to give up the ego, to be meek, they are afraid that they will lose everything. But they are wrong. In the words of Swami Brahmananda "People who live in the senses think that they are enjoying life. What do they know about enjoyment? Only those who are filled with divine bliss really enjoy life." But arguments will not prove this truth. You have to experience it; then only will you be convinced. If a spiritual aspirant sincerely follows Christ's teaching of meekness, he will find it very practical. He will find that anger and resentment can be conquered by gentleness and love. The Chinese mystic Lao Tm expressed this truth by saying: "Of the soft and weak things in the world, none is weaker than water. But in overcoming that which is firm and strong, nothing can equal it. That which is soft conquers the hard. Rigidity and hardness are companions of death. Softness and tenderness are companions of life." By sincerely giving up the ego to God, by being meek, we will gain everything. We will inherit the earth. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God In every religion we find two basic principles: the ideal to be realized and the method of realization. Every scripture of the world has proclaimed the truth that God exists and that the purpose of man's life is to know~ him. Every great spiritual teacher has taught that mat~ must realize God and be reborn in Spirit. In the Sermon the Mount the attainment of this ideal is express as perfection in God: "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." And the method of realization which Christ teaches is the purification of the heart which leads to that perfection. What is this purity which we must have before God reveals himself to us? We all know of people whom would describe as pure in an ethical sense, but they have not seen God. What is the reason? Ethical life, the steady practice of moral virtues, is needed as a preparation for spiritual life and therefore is a fundamental teaching in every religion. But it does not enable us to see God. It is like the foundation of a house; it is not, the superstructure. What is the test of purity? Try to think of God now, this very moment. What do you find? The thought of his presence passes through your mind, perhaps like a flash. Then many distractions begin. You are thinking of everything else in the universe but God. These distractions show that the mind is still impure, and therefore not ready to receive the vision of God. The impurities consist of various impressions which the mind has gathered from birth to birth. The impressions have been created and stored in the subconscious part of the mind as the result of an individual's thoughts and actions, and in their totality they represent his character. These impressions must be dissolved completely before the mind can be considered pure. St. Paul referred to this overhauling of the mind in his Epistle to the Romans, when he said: "...be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." According to Yoga psychology, there are five root causes of impressions in the mind. First is ignorance, in a universal sense, of our divine nature. God dwells in and around us, but we are not conscious of this truth. Instead of seeing God, we see this universe of many names and forms which we believe to be real—just as a man who sees a rope lying on the ground in the dusk may believe it, in the twilight of his ignorance, to be a snake. Secondly, there is the sense of ego, projected by this ignorance, which makes us think of ourselves as separate from God and from one another. Out of the sense of ego we develop attachment and also aversion; we are attracted by one thing, repelled by another. Both desire and hatred are obstacles in the path to God. The fifth cause of impure mental impressions is the thirst to live, which Buddha calls tanha, and to which Christ refers when he says: "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it." This clinging to life, or fear of death, is natural to all, good and bad alike. Only the illumined soul has no ignorance, no sense of ego, no attachment, no aversion, and no fear of death; the impressions have all vanished. Even if God were to offer us spiritual enlightenment this very moment, we would refuse to accept it. Even if we have been seeking God, we momentarily draw back in panic when we are about to have his vision. We instinctively cling to our surface life and consciousness afraid to give them up, even though doing so me passing into an infinite consciousness, compared which our normal perceptions are, as the Bhagavad Gita says, "like a thick night and a sleep." Swami Vivekananda, the apostle of Sri Ramakrishna was from his boyhood a pure soul longing for God. Yet he experienced that same fear. When he first came to his future master, Sri Ramakrisbna gave him a touch, and his spiritual vision began to open. Then Vivekananda cried out: "What are you doing to me? I have my parents at home!" And Sri Ramakrishna said: "Oh you too!" He saw that even this great soul was subject to the universal clinging to surface consciousness. There are many ways to purify the heart. As we shall see, Christ teaches them throughout his Sermon. The main principle in all the methods is devotion to God. The more we think of the Lord and take refuge in him, the more we shall love him—and the purer our hearts will become. The principle of centering our life in God is equally affirmed by holy men of the Jewish, the Christian, and the Hindu traditions. "The Lord is my strength and my shield," said the Psalmist. In the Imitation of Christ4 we read: "Thou art my hope, thou art my trust, thou my comfort... I find all infirm and unstable whatever I behold outside thee." Swami Brahmananda taught his disciples this same' truth: "Hold on to the pillar of God." In India, the children first hold on to a pillar, and then spin round it—without danger of falling. In the same way, as long as we hold on to God, we realize that the experiences of pleasure and pain are impermanent in their very nature. And as we continue to hold on to the pillar of God and become devoted to him, our passions and cravings, which obstruct God-vision, lose their strength. One method to calm the mind and grow in purity is to try to feel that we are already pure and divine. This is not a delusion. God created us in his own image; purity and divinity are therefore basically our nature. If we cry all our lives that we are sinners, we only weaken ourselves. Sri Ramakrishna used to say that by repeating constantly, "I am a sinner," one really becomes a sinner. One should have such faith as to be able to say: "I have chanted the holy name of God. How can there be any sin in me?Admit your sins to the Lord," Sri Ramakrishna taught, "and you vow not to repeat them. Purify body, mind, and tongue by chanting his name. The more you move toward the light, the farther you will be from darkness." Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Only when we have been illumined by the unitive knowledge of God do we really become his children and peacemakers. Of course it is true that we are always his children, even in ignorance. But in ignorance our ego is "Unripe, it is self-assertive and forgets God. We cannot bring peace until we have realized our oneness with God and with all beings. In the state of transcendental consciousness (that perfect divine union which the Hindus Call samadhi) the illumined soul has no ego; his ego is merged in the Godhead. When he returns to a lower Plane of consciousness he is again aware of his individuality; but now he has a "ripe" sense of ego which does not create any bondage for himself or for others, In illustration of this ripe ego the Hindu scriptures speak of a burnt rope; it has the appearance of a rope but it cannot tie anything. Without such an ego it would not be possible for a God-man to live in a human form and teach. When I was a young monk, a disciple of Ramakrishna once said to me: "There are times when it becomes impossible for me to teach. No matter where I look I see only God, wearing so many masks, playing in so many forms. Who is the teacher then? Who is be taught? But when my mind comes down from plane, then I see your faults and weaknesses and to remove them." There is a passage in the Bhagavata, a popular devotional scripture of the Hindus, which reads: "He whose heart God has become manifest brings peace and cheer, and delight everywhere he goes." He is peacemaker Christ speaks of in the Beatitudes. I am reminded of a life that I have seen—the life of master, Swami Brahmananda. Whoever came into presence would feel a spiritual joy. And wherever went he brought with him an atmosphere of festivity. In one of our monasteries there were a number young postulants, not yet trained, fresh from school When they had been together a short time, their tendencies began to assert themselves, and they formed cliques and quarreled. A senior swami of our order went to investigate. He questioned everybody soon discovered the ringleaders. Then he wrote to Swami Brahmananda, who was the head of our order, that these boys were unfitted for monastic life and should be `expelled. My master answered: "Don't anything about it. I am coming myself." When arrived at the monastery, he did not question anyone He just started living there. He insisted on only one thing~—that all the boys should meditate in his presence regularly every day. The boys soon forgot their quarrels. The whole atmosphere of the place became uplifted. By the time Swami Brahmananda left, two or three months later, perfect harmony had been established in the monastery. No one had to be expelled. The minds and hearts of the postulants were transformed. When I first came to our monastery at Belur, two young boys quarreled and came to blows. Swami Premananda, the abbot, saw this and asked Brahmananda, his brother disciple, to send the boys away. My master told him: "Brother, they have not come here as perfect souls. They have come to you to attain perfection. Do something for them!" Swami Premananda said: "You are right!" He called all of us monastics together and brought us to Swami Brahmananda. With folded hands he asked my master to bless us. Swami Brahmananda raised his hand over our heads, and one by one we prostrated before him. Speaking from my own experience, I can only say that that blessing was like a cooling spring to a fevered body. It gave one an inner exaltation which could be felt but not described. All our troubles were forgotten, and our hearts were full of love. This is how a real peacemaker affects us. When our hearts are uplifted by his presence, we no longer have any desire to quarrel, because we are engaged in the love of God.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 11, 2003 Report Share Posted February 11, 2003 > > Hi Devi: > > This is a beautiful passage. Thanks for looking it up. It is upbeat > and soothing at the same time. The Beatitudes. You can't beat 'em. > > Love > Bobby G. devi: your welcome..going from being jewish to the search for enlightenment through eastern teaching, christianity and the Bible never really appealed to me (but Jesus did)anyway i always wondered about the beautitdes, now i know themm. sorry for the typo mistakes by the way ok, love devi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 11, 2003 Report Share Posted February 11, 2003 Tony, Many Thanks for sharing this. Beauty - well said. In this way you too are a Peacemaker - blessed are you for sharing Peace. Love blossoms wherever you walk - walk on! Love and Gratitude, Om, Hari Om Saktidasa Om Om James , "saktidasa <saktidasa>" <saktidasa> wrote: > , "saktidasa <saktidasa>" > <saktidasa> wrote: > > , Harsha <harshaimtm> > wrote: > > > I am looking for the source of a quote. It goes > > > something like, "Blessed are the peacemakers (or is it > > > blessed are the meek) for they shall inherit the > > > earth." > > > > > > If this is from the Bible, could someone give the > > > exact quote and a proper interpretation. > > > > > > Thanks, > > > > > > Love to all > > > Harsha > > com > > > > Namaste Harsha, > > > > It is one of the eight beatitudes from the 'Sermon on the Mount', > > given by Jesus. It actually encapsulates the teaching of Jesus and > > early Christianity. Swami Prabhavananda does a great treatment on > it > > in his 'The Sermon on the Mount according to Vedanta', put out by > the > > Ramakrishna Math---Mylapore, Chennai,1964........ONS...Tony. > > The Sermon on the Mount according to Vedanta Swami > Prabhavananda The BEATITUDES > > 'Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the > earth. > > Ignorance and delusion are characteristic of the > unregenerate mind. This ignorance is confirmed and > buttressed by our sense of ego—our idea that we are > separate from one another and from God. Egotism must > be overcome if the mind is to be freed from delusion. > Therefore—blessed are the meek. But why does Christ > say that they shall inherit the earth? At first sight, > this seems difficult to understand. Among the yoga > aphorisms of Patanjali (yoga means union with God, > also the path to that union) there is one aphorism > which corresponds to this beatitude: "The man who is > confirmed in non-stealing becomes the master of all > riches." What is meant by "non-stealing"? It means > that we must give up the egotistic delusion that we > can possess Things, that anything can belong > exclusively to us as individuals. We may think: "But > we are good people. We do not steal anything! Whatever > we have, we have worked for and earned. It belongs to > us by right." But the truth is that nothing at all > belongs to us. Everything belongs to God. When we > regard anything in this universe as ours, we are > appropriating God's possession. > What then is meekness? It is to live in self-surrender > to God, free from the sense of "me" and "mine." This > does not mean that we should get rid of wealth, > family, and friends; but we should get rid of the idea > that they belong to us. They belong to God. We should > think of ourselves as God's servants to whose care he > has entrusted his creatures and possessions. As soon > as we understand this truth and give up our deluded > individual claims, we find that in the truest sense > everything belongs to us after all. > Conquerors who try to become masters of the world by > force of arms never inherit anything except worry, > trouble, and headaches. Misers who accumulate huge > wealth are only chained to their gold, they never > really possess it. But the man who has given up his > sense of attachment experiences the advantages which > possessions afford without the misery which > possessiveness brings. > Many people dislike this saying of Christ because they > think that the meek can never achieve anything. They > think that no happiness is to be had in life unless > one is aggressive. When they are told to give up the > ego, to be meek, they are afraid that they will lose > everything. But they are wrong. In the words of Swami > Brahmananda "People who live in the senses think that > they are enjoying life. What do they know about > enjoyment? Only those who are filled with divine bliss > really enjoy life." But arguments will not prove this > truth. You have to experience it; then only will you > be convinced. > If a spiritual aspirant sincerely follows Christ's > teaching of meekness, he will find it very practical. > He will find that anger and resentment can be > conquered by gentleness and love. The Chinese mystic > Lao Tm expressed this truth by saying: "Of the soft > and weak things in the world, none is weaker than > water. But in overcoming that which is firm and > strong, nothing can equal it. That which is soft > conquers the hard. Rigidity and hardness are > companions of death. Softness and tenderness are > companions of life." By sincerely giving up the ego to > God, by being meek, we will gain everything. We will > inherit the earth. > > Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God > > In every religion we find two basic principles: the > ideal to be realized and the method of realization. > Every scripture of the world has proclaimed the truth > that God exists and that the purpose of man's life is > to know~ him. Every great spiritual teacher has taught > that mat~ must realize God and be reborn in Spirit. In > the Sermon the Mount the attainment of this ideal is > express as perfection in God: "Be ye therefore > perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is > perfect." And the method of realization which Christ > teaches is the purification of the heart which leads > to that perfection. > What is this purity which we must have before God > reveals himself to us? We all know of people whom > would describe as pure in an ethical sense, but they > have not seen God. What is the reason? Ethical life, > the steady practice of moral virtues, is needed as a > preparation for spiritual life and therefore is a > fundamental teaching in every religion. But it does > not enable us to see God. It is like the foundation of > a house; it is not, the superstructure. > What is the test of purity? Try to think of God now, > this very moment. What do you find? The thought of > his presence passes through your mind, perhaps like a > flash. Then many distractions begin. You are thinking > of everything else in the universe but God. These > distractions show that the mind is still impure, and > therefore not ready to receive the vision of God. The > impurities consist of various impressions which the > mind has gathered from birth to birth. The impressions > have been created and stored in the subconscious part > of the mind as the result of an individual's thoughts > and actions, and in their totality they represent his > character. These impressions must be dissolved > completely before the mind can be considered pure. St. > Paul referred to this overhauling of the mind in his > Epistle to the Romans, when he said: "...be ye > transformed by the renewing of your mind." > According to Yoga psychology, there are five root > causes of impressions in the mind. First is ignorance, > in a universal sense, of our divine nature. God dwells > in and around us, but we are not conscious of this > truth. Instead of seeing God, we see this universe of > many names and forms which we believe to be real—just > as a man who sees a rope lying on the ground in the > dusk may believe it, in the twilight of his ignorance, > to be a snake. Secondly, there is the sense of ego, > projected by this ignorance, which makes us think of > ourselves as separate from God and from one another. > Out of the sense of ego we develop attachment and also > aversion; we are attracted by one thing, repelled by > another. Both desire and hatred are obstacles in the > path to God. The fifth cause of impure mental > impressions is the thirst to live, which Buddha calls > tanha, and to which Christ refers when he says: "For > whosoever will save his life shall lose it." This > clinging to life, or fear of death, is natural to all, > good and bad alike. Only the illumined soul has no > ignorance, no sense of ego, no attachment, no > aversion, and no fear of death; the impressions have > all vanished. > Even if God were to offer us spiritual enlightenment > this very moment, we would refuse to accept it. Even > if we have been seeking God, we momentarily draw back > in panic when we are about to have his vision. We > instinctively cling to our surface life and > consciousness afraid to give them up, even though > doing so me passing into an infinite consciousness, > compared which our normal perceptions are, as the > Bhagavad Gita says, "like a thick night and a sleep." > Swami Vivekananda, the apostle of Sri Ramakrishna was > from his boyhood a pure soul longing for God. Yet he > experienced that same fear. When he first came to his > future master, Sri Ramakrisbna gave him a touch, and > his spiritual vision began to open. Then Vivekananda > cried out: "What are you doing to me? I have my > parents at home!" And Sri Ramakrishna said: "Oh you > too!" He saw that even this great soul was subject to > the universal clinging to surface consciousness. > There are many ways to purify the heart. As we shall > see, Christ teaches them throughout his Sermon. The > main principle in all the methods is devotion to God. > The more we think of the Lord and take refuge in him, > the more we shall love him—and the purer our hearts > will become. > The principle of centering our life in God is equally > affirmed by holy men of the Jewish, the Christian, and > the Hindu traditions. "The Lord is my strength and my > shield," said the Psalmist. In the Imitation of > Christ4 we read: "Thou art my hope, thou art my trust, > thou my comfort... I find all infirm and unstable > whatever I behold outside thee." > Swami Brahmananda taught his disciples this same' > truth: "Hold on to the pillar of God." In India, the > children first hold on to a pillar, and then spin > round it—without danger of falling. In the same way, > as long as we hold on to God, we realize that the > experiences of pleasure and pain are impermanent in > their very nature. And as we continue to hold on to > the pillar of God and become devoted to him, our > passions and cravings, which obstruct God-vision, lose > their strength. > One method to calm the mind and grow in purity is to > try to feel that we are already pure and divine. This > is not a delusion. God created us in his own image; > purity and divinity are therefore basically our > nature. If we cry all our lives that we are sinners, > we only weaken ourselves. Sri Ramakrishna used to say > that by repeating constantly, "I am a sinner," one > really becomes a sinner. One should have such faith as > to be able to say: "I have chanted the holy name of > God. How can there be any sin in me?Admit your sins > to the Lord," Sri Ramakrishna taught, "and you vow not > to repeat them. Purify body, mind, and tongue by > chanting his name. The more you move toward the light, > the farther you will be from darkness." > > Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called > the children of God. > > Only when we have been illumined by the unitive > knowledge of God do we really become his children and > peacemakers. Of course it is true that we are always > his children, even in ignorance. But in ignorance our > ego is "Unripe, it is self-assertive and forgets God. > We cannot bring peace until we have realized our > oneness with God and with all beings. In the state of > transcendental consciousness (that perfect divine > union which the Hindus Call samadhi) the illumined > soul has no ego; his ego is merged in the Godhead. > When he returns to a lower Plane of consciousness he > is again aware of his individuality; but now he has a > "ripe" sense of ego which does not create any bondage > for himself or for others, In illustration of this > ripe ego the Hindu scriptures speak of a burnt rope; > it has the appearance of a rope but it cannot tie > anything. Without such an ego it would not be possible > for a God-man to live in a human form and teach. When > I was a young monk, a disciple of Ramakrishna once > said to me: "There are times when it becomes > impossible for me to teach. No matter where I look I > see only God, wearing so many masks, playing in so > many forms. Who is the teacher then? Who is be taught? > But when my mind comes down from plane, then I see > your faults and weaknesses and to remove them." > There is a passage in the Bhagavata, a popular > devotional scripture of the Hindus, which reads: "He > whose heart God has become manifest brings peace and > cheer, and delight everywhere he goes." He is > peacemaker Christ speaks of in the Beatitudes. I am > reminded of a life that I have seen—the life of > master, Swami Brahmananda. Whoever came into presence > would feel a spiritual joy. And wherever went he > brought with him an atmosphere of festivity. > In one of our monasteries there were a number young > postulants, not yet trained, fresh from school When > they had been together a short time, their tendencies > began to assert themselves, and they formed cliques > and quarreled. A senior swami of our order went to > investigate. He questioned everybody soon discovered > the ringleaders. Then he wrote to Swami Brahmananda, > who was the head of our order, that these boys were > unfitted for monastic life and should be `expelled. My > master answered: "Don't anything about it. I am coming > myself." When arrived at the monastery, he did not > question anyone He just started living there. He > insisted on only one thing~—that all the boys should > meditate in his presence regularly every day. The boys > soon forgot their quarrels. The whole atmosphere of > the place became uplifted. By the time Swami > Brahmananda left, two or three months later, perfect > harmony had been established in the monastery. No one > had to be expelled. The minds and hearts of the > postulants were transformed. > When I first came to our monastery at Belur, two young > boys quarreled and came to blows. Swami Premananda, > the abbot, saw this and asked Brahmananda, his brother > disciple, to send the boys away. My master told him: > "Brother, they have not come here as perfect souls. > They have come to you to attain perfection. Do > something for them!" Swami Premananda said: "You are > right!" He called all of us monastics together and > brought us to Swami Brahmananda. With folded hands he > asked my master to bless us. Swami Brahmananda raised > his hand over our heads, and one by one we prostrated > before him. Speaking from my own experience, I can > only say that that blessing was like a cooling spring > to a fevered body. It gave one an inner exaltation > which could be felt but not described. All our > troubles were forgotten, and our hearts were full of > love. This is how a real peacemaker affects us. When > our hearts are uplifted by his presence, we no longer > have any desire to quarrel, because we are engaged in > the love of God.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 12, 2003 Report Share Posted February 12, 2003 , Bruce Morgen <editor@j...> wrote: > > It's from the Gospel of > Matthew, Chapter 5, > Verse 9: "Blessed are > the peacemakers, for > they will be called > sons of God." I don't > think it requires any > interpretation per se, > but of course ymmv. > Bruce, isn't htere a qote about the meek will inherit the kingdom of god? love, karta > > > I am looking for the source of a quote. It goes > > something like, "Blessed are the peacemakers (or is it > > blessed are the meek) for they shall inherit the > > earth." > > > > If this is from the Bible, could someone give the > > exact quote and a proper interpretation. > > > > Thanks, > > > > Love to all > > Harsha > > > > __________> http://come.to/realization > http://www.atman.net/realization > http://www.users.uniserve.com/~samuel/brucemrg.htm > http://www.users.uniserve.com/~samuel/brucsong.htm > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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