What Jesus said about killing to eat?

'Thou shalt not kill, for life is given to all by God, and that which God has given, let not man take away. For I tell you truly, from one Mother proceeds all that lives upon the earth. 

Therefore, he who kills, kills his brother. And from him will the Earthly Mother turn away, and will pluck from him her quickening breasts. 

And he will be shunned by her angels, and Satan will have his dwelling in his body. And the flesh of slain beasts in his body will become his own tomb. 

For I tell you truly, he who kills, kills himself, and whoso eats the flesh of slain beasts, eats of the body of death."

~ Jesus

Excerpt from, The Essene Gospel of Peace

I saw my Lord

I saw my Lord with the eye of the heart.
I asked, ‘Who are You?’
He replied, ‘You’.

~ Mansur Al Hallaj

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If one studies history of divine souls, one will always find find that those who preached love, compassion, universal brotherhood, respect for life, etc. you will find that they were inevitably persecuted by the government and the dominant religious authorities of the times.

Jesus Christ, The Sikh Gurus, are well known examples but much less is known about the  Sufi saint Mansur al-Hallaj. The people followed them in large numbers turning away from the priests and preachers of the times, towards these divine souls and masters. Following them  because they stirred their souls and enlightened them. 

However arrogant leaders of religious and political institutions can not accept nor forgive anyone who enlightens the masses. So they always try to destroy these great beings. 

But what difference do earthly matters of life and death make to the soul that is divine, and transcended this material world? They may destroy the body but not the soul, nor can they silence the words and the teachings.

One can also observe this, from the life of  Mansur al-Hallaj  (858 - 922).  He was a Persian  mystic, revolutionary writer and a major teacher and influence in the Sufi tradition.  

He spent long periods in meditation and was imprisoned by many who disapproved of his claim to be true only to the one God rather than to protocols of social and religious custom. 

Mansur was finally incarcerated for 9 years. Rather than getting destroyed, he rejoiced and used the time to meditate, realising that he and God were but one. When he emerged from his cell he kept uttering the the words,  "An Al-Ḥaq" (I am the Truth)

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He achieved the highest level of spiritual evolution when he proclaimed, that there was no separation  between him and God. This kind of statements are considered revolutionary and very dangerous by the clerics and the state for it negates their power over the spiritual individual. 

What would happen if the masses followed Mansur?
He was repeatedly asked to publicly recant, but he steadfastly refused. Unwilling to change his statements, he was finally sentenced to death. Mansur was not only to be killed but to be so destroyed that it must frighten others not to deviate from norms laid out by religious leaders.

Thousands of people witnessed his execution on the banks of the Tigris River. He remained defiant, and uncowed even as he was led to the scaffold. He was first punched in the face by his executioner, then lashed until unconscious, and then decapitated Witnesses reported that Al-Hallaj's last words under torture were "All that matters for the ecstatic is that the Unique should reduce him to Unity," after which he recited the Koranic verse 42:18. His body was doused in oil and set alight, and his ashes were then scattered into the river.

Mansur  Al-Hallaj taught people to find God inside their own souls. He preached without the traditional Sufi cloak and used language familiar to the local population.

Among other Sufis, Mansur was an anomaly. Many Sufi masters felt that it was inappropriate to share mysticism with the masses, yet Mansur openly did so in his writings and through his teachings. 

Mansur al-Hallaj claimed, "There is nothing wrapped in my turban but God." 

Did I tell you, I love you?

Once again as I embarked on a long journey, without my wife, I felt the pang of separation from my love and friend. I was filled with thoughts and emotions. 

When our being overflows with emotion it drives thoughts out of the mind emptying it, even if only for a brief moment. Then in this emptiness many thoughts surge in.

What if I never get to see her again? 
Its strange, that I have surrendered to Mohini, yet rather than becoming less I am further enriched, physically, emotionally and intellectually. This I guess is the power of love and friendship.


I always want to tell her that she means the world to me and I love her,  and a thousand other things. Words and thoughts which a man and woman, friends, and lovers  should be sharing with one another, but for some inexplicable reason almost never do so. 

Soon after leaving I usually sent her a message from my phone. The message could reflect care, love, regret, a joke, something romantic, advice, maybe even a reminder, whatever it is I feel at that moment. True friends and lovers never adulterate their feelings with too much thought. 

I asked myself, 'If you love her, why did you not tell her directly?'
For one my wife never believes me, after all the grief I give her. 
Secondly the last time I hugged and told her I loved her, , she spun around and confronted me, "Are you having an affair? "
"Of course not, I replied." 
I thought to myself, "By God! what a delightful thing that would be."  

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I like to converse with myself. 
Why do we seek to cling on to what we have? Maybe this is all that we have. 
There is God I am often told. 
But where is He?

God, He seems so very far away. The more I approach Him the more distant he seems to be. How many steps more must I travel to reach Him? And there are so many middle men.  My wife and my family, they are here and now. I have invested so much in these relationship, of course I have a right to expect a return on my love and devotion.

This is nonsense. If we expect something in return for our love and devotion then it's not love, its business. A commercial deal of give and take. 

Again I asked myself, 'what if I never saw her again?'  The survivor would be devastated. Really? Why should it be so?

From experience and understanding, realisation is born which blooms into acceptance.
Worry never robbed tomorrow of its sorrow, it just robs today of its essence.

We come alone into this world and alone we shall leave it.  How silly we humans are, that for the brief time we spend while we are here, to gather so much?  As if we will live here forever. Things, relationships, wealth, position, status, all we should relinquish voluntarily or they will be snatched away from us anyway.  Give and give with joy and without expectation. Share and share with compassion. 

Love is not a demanding but a giving. Only an Emperor can give with magnanimity. Where as a beggar is exacting, expecting his or her due in full, and if possible even more.  

Love and friendship fortunately are unlike money.
If we give and love unconditionally, the more we give the more we are enriched. 
Maybe I have evolved, maybe I have just grown too comfortable and lazy, maybe I am trying to fool destiny. I am lucky that I live like an emperor, I treasure just the moment, and I never send her sentimental messages anymore. 

Awakening all of Humanity

If you want to awaken all of humanity, 

then awaken all of yourself:

If you want to eliminate the suffering of the world, 

then eliminate all that is dark and negative in yourself.

Truly the greatest gift you have to give is, 

that of your own self-transformation.

- Lao Tzu

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A contemporary of Confucius, during 6th century BC.  Lao Tzu the legendary writer and philosopher is the author of the Tao Te Ching (The Way)  and the founder of philosophical Taoism. 

Falling or rising in Love?

"In fact a mature person does not fall in love, he rises in love. The word ’fall’ is not right. Only immature people fall; they stumble and fall down in love. Somehow they were managing and standing. They cannot manage and they cannot stand – they find a woman and they are gone, they find a man and they are gone. They were always ready to fall on the ground and to creep. They don’t have the backbone, the spine; they don’t have that integrity to stand alone."

"A mature person has the integrity to be alone. And when a mature person gives love, he gives without any strings attached to it: he simply gives. And when a mature person gives love, he feels grateful that you have accepted his love, not vice versa. He does not expect you to be thankful for it – no, not at all, he does not even need your thanks. He thanks you for accepting his love. And when two mature persons are in love, one of the greatest paradoxes of life happens, one of the most beautiful phenomena: they are together and yet tremendously alone; they are together so much so that they are almost one. But their oneness does not destroy their individuality, in fact, it enhances it: they become more individual."

"Two mature persons in love help each other to become more free. There is no politics involved, no diplomacy, no effort to dominate. How can you dominate the person you love? Just think over it. Domination is a sort of hatred, anger, enmity. How can you think of dominating a person you love? You would love to see the person totally free, independent; you will give him more individuality. That’s why I call it the greatest paradox: they are together so much so that they are almost one, but still in that oneness they are individuals. Their individualities are not effaced – they have become more enhanced. The other has enriched them as far as their freedom is concerned."

"Immature people falling in love destroy each other’s freedom, create a bondage, make a prison. Mature persons in love help each other to be free; they help each other to destroy all sorts of bondages. And when love flows with freedom there is beauty. When love flows with dependence there is ugliness."

- Osho

Oshio

What did Mahatma Gandhi really mean by Non Violence?

To commit an injustice is a sin, 

         but to tolerate injustice is also a sin.

                - Guru Gobind Singh ji

Ahimsa or non violence does not mean 'to do nothing'. It means not to not actively cause harm to others and to creation.

What Mahatma Gandhi ji advised the First Soldier of India?

In early 1947, India was rushing towards its date with freedom from British rule. However there loomed on the horizon a very dangerous storm of the threat of partition of India because of the differences between the two main egoistic leaders Jawaharlal Nehru and Mohamad Ali Jinnah.

Wiser counsel tried their best to prevent the partition. Amongst the sane, was the first soldier of India, Major General Cariappa, who suggested that Nehru and Jinnah  should sit down together and find an amicable solution to avoid partition.

Surprisingly, this suggestion was immediately condemned by Mahatma Gandhi in 'The Harijan', who frowned upon upon the expression of political views by a military man.

Gen Cariappa went to meet Gandhi ji. 

After some polite conversation the General came to the point. "Gandhi ji, I cannot do my duty well by my country If I concentrate only on telling my troops of non-violence all the time, subordinating their main task of preparing themselves efficiently to be good soldiers. So I ask you, please, to give me the child's guide to knowledge. Tell me please, how I can put this over, that is, the spirit of non-violence to the troops without endangering their sense of duty to protect themselves and the nation."

Gandhi ji, replied, "I myself am groping in the dark for the answer.  I will find it  someday and give you the answer."

The apostle of non-violence had no answer to give the first soldier of India. Gandhi ji, concluded that everyone must do their duty and to serve and to protect your country is the solemn duty of everyone, but more so that of the soldier.

Gandhi ji, was the first person to bless Brig. LP Sen before he left for Srinagar in Kashmir on his mission to repel the invading Pakistani forces.  

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Unfortunately India for long has been led mostly by small minded self serving leaders. Many leaders civilian and military lacking in spine and intelligence have conveniently twisted the words of Gurus, Mahatmas, and former military leaders to do precious little to protect the interests of India and her people.

If we have bad leaders, it is because we have voted them to be there. 

Let us imbibe the true spirit of liberty with dignity and prosperity. To become a great and responsible nation, who none other should fear unless they wish to deliberately cause India harm.

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The quotes of Mahatma Gandhi and Gen. Cariappa were taken from the book '**Mahatma Gandhi: The last phase**' written by Pyarelal Nayyar

Pyarelal Nayyar (1899–1982) was a ver active freedom fighter and the personal secretary of Mahatma Gandhi in his later years.

Religion and Wit

Ibn Sīnā. (980 - 1037AD) commonly known as Avicenna, was a Persian polymath who is regarded as one of the most significant thinkers and writers of the Islamic Golden Age.

Avicenna translated numerous Greco-Roman works. 
Based on his study of Persian and Indian mathematical systems, he developed and wrote 450 works. His work covered the fields of philosophy, medicine, astronomy, alchemy, geography and geology, psychology, logic, algebra, trigonometry, physics and poetry. 
He also contributed extensively to the field of Islamic theology.