* Dawn Rising *  

Hi everyone! Friends, Jew Christian and Moslem alike.  It's been awhile since I hadn't posted and I guess this would be a perfect time to express my thoughts on Life, Love and Spirituality

 

Allow me to share them with you  

 

First, let me talk about what Life is to me.  It is more than mere existence.  It is a process of learning, and growing to maturity.   There are those who say that life has a purpose.  And based on my humble observation, most of them profess religion.  They claim to have a profound knowledge of God and divinity.  And when asked what this “life’s purpose” mean, they would usually say and most often, in unison that it is to serve God and eventually to live with Him and reap their rewards in Heaven.  I personally have no objections in that statement made.  Because I, for one firmly believe that life has a purpose.  And indeed, what beauty is it to say that we are, in our own individual way, treading “life’s journey.”  But are we treading life, or more precisely, are we traveling this journey and making our lives better only because of the rewards and pleasures we want to receive after this life---plainly put “The Afterlife.”  Let us, for a moment, take some time to pause and think deeply about this thing.   Now, I don’t want you to get me wrong.  I am not here to argue with whatever your stand in life is.  Whether you’re a theist an atheist, a believer or a non-believer (which terms are more less than often taken loosely)---is not my concern.  All I want to hear from you is: are you willing to live and walk this journey, this existence (or whatever you wish to call it) even if there were no rewards after this existence?  What if there wasn’t any palace in the sky?  What if there wasn’t a thing called eternal life?  A blissful world where we could enjoy life unending?

 

What would your outlook in life be?    Would that made you so distressful and unhappy?

 

     Good. Most of us believe there is a Heaven and a Hell where Evildoers suffer eternal torment. But what if there wasn’t any Hell?  No fires of Gehenna where sinners would “gnash their teeth” forever?  Do you think immorality and all bad things (disorderly and perverted is more apt to use I believe) would escalate?   And what about you? What would be your response?  Would this satisfy you in any way?  Or would you loose all sense of morality seeing that after this life you wouldn’t suffer for your MISdeeds?

 

     Here on earth we have prison cells and torture chambers mostly intended for the lawbreakers.  And this is what brings men fear---fear to break the laws that govern their community and their nation.

 

     What if there wasn’t any?  No prison cells, no torture chambers and no lethal punishment for breaking the laws?  Would this be enough reason for you to break into men’s privacies and rob another’s properties, to be mean with your neighbor---and whatever list there may be added---to do everything that is indecent, horrible and vile?

 

     These are just a few questions I’d want you to put in consideration.   Since we’re all living in the 21^st century, perhaps it wouldn’t be hard to grasp what I mean.  But if we’re living

our life merely because of the rewards here---or in the afterlife then perhaps in this advanced

 

age, we haven’t shown much progress with ourselves.

 

Love, Spirituality and Brotherhood:

 

     What is Love?  Again, allow me to quote what we often hear from preachers and the clergy---they who claim to know the true and genuine definition of Love.  Love, they say, is patient, and kind. It is not jealous, not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

 

     In all these we can see the image of Beauty---Beauty because it does not go against the Law of order hence, it is not disorderly.   But why is it, that they who so often talk and preach about Love is so slow in putting their beliefs into practice?  They say Love isn’t selfish---but all the time we hear politicians, religious leaders, spiritual guides and even Radio commentators and DJS promoting their OWN selves, their OWN beliefs, their OWN groups, Station IDS, TV channels, religions, churches, etc. as SUPERIOR above the REST.  Tell me if all these isn't true. 

 

     And all this are done without regard of the beauty, the goodness, the love they see in others.  All of them are proclaiming that they’re ALL NUMBER ONE!  No one wants to be inferior to the others.  Where then is the VIRTUE of HUMILITY when all we see in MOST angles are  nothing but the glorification and the exaltation of the SELF?  How then, could we link that with the word: Unselfish?  When we are SELFISH all we see is the SELF.   And where the SELF lives people become blind.  Blind because they see only nothing BUT themselves.  Their kindness, their beauty, their splendour, their intelligence, their success.  Isn’t that quite, to put things in the vernacular---Luciferic? 

 

     Can an unselfish person EXCLUSIVELY see himself apart from every other?  Can we contain all the truth, beauty and splendour and goodness of this universe to ourselves?  In my humble opinion, a true Unselfish soul will not claim any exclusivity to himself as though he is superior from every other but will see his connectedness with every other----just as the head sees its unity with the parts of the body.   And just as one member is helpless without the other so are we helpless living alone by ourselves.  Therefore we must realize our connectedness.  Not just with every person---but with every tree, flower and with every being alive---that we may bring our efforts and talents into better use for the good of all creation.

 

     Others say that Man only knows what Love is.  I believe not so.  When birds and the animals care and feed their young, when they shield them from harmful elements, when they teach them how to live and soar the skies---isn’t that called love?  Yet these animals we call them don’t enroll their young in universities---they don’t go to churches---they don’t have politics---and most of all they don’t argue with regards to their differences.   So I believe we cannot limit LOVE only to ourselves but LOVE is everywhere---as we believe GOD is---and as LOVE touches every heart---so GOD does.

 

Now, being aware of our connectedness with every other, we finally come to the word “brotherhood.”  Martin Luther King and many among those historical figures that have gone ahead of us often tell us about the brotherhood of man.  But is there any true and genuine worldwide brotherhood when men have created a turbulent sea of factions and sects fanning the flame of disunity among them?  Most people when asked who their “true” brothers are, would give a common response that they are those who share their beliefs. 

 

And what about them who oppose their “system of beliefs”?  Unbelievers.  Heretics.  Apostates. No matter how good, kind and generous they may be.

 

Very amusingly, the other side would say exactly the same thing.   But if most of them would just follow the Great Teacher who sees beauty in every man this Pandora’s Box of divisiveness along with every sort of Religious and Racial Hatred wouldn’t come into existence. 

 

Once asked what a true neighbor is, His response came not as anticipated.  His parable portrayed the beauty found in every other man---even among those whom most Jews of his days discriminated.  His Lips speaks about the kindness that is all-inclusive---all pervading---all encompassing.  And this kindness and compassion knows no bounds.  It can touch the heart of any man who freely allows it in.  His eyes, oh How Beautiful they were---who can see deep within the heart. 

 

In His days, He was despised because He befriended those whom most fanatical religionists of his days detested.  And His acts of kindness weren’t regarded as genuine, only because His beliefs were quite “unorthodox” “cultic” or even some sort of Jewish “New-Age” (if that word exist) at that time.*  For instance, by showing kindness to a bedridden man on the day of rest He was indirectly reprimanded.   Was He wrong because He wasn’t following “the rules?”  Rules that, after all, cannot cure the sick, and alleviate pain? Tell me, since the “heart is deceitful above all things” what harm is there in “breaking one legalistic rule” when one’s motive is honorable and just?  Are there no “exceptions to the rule” when it comes to exercising love, mercy and compassion---the vital things (the substance) of the Law? 

 

We are fond of hurling labels and hurtful epithets on people we don’t like.  On people who, although they may not be wrong in terms of conduct---differ from us in terms of belief.  And so it was that in His time, the Christ was called “A Samaritan” and somewhat “Demon-Possessed.” Does His conduct and character have anything to do with it?  Not the least. 

 

His fellow Jews reasoned out that they are NOT stoning Him for MANY GOOD DEEDS---but because He said something their ears DON’T want to hear.  And when you look closely all He said was something that went against their Monotheistic Doctrine.

 

Even the Religious leaders of His day warned the man healed of his blindness to offer God---not Jesus---due thanks.  Because He, they reasoned is a sinner (for what? Healing men of their infirmities and exercising mercy) nope! 

 

Because He keepeth NOT the Sabbath Day!

 

There goes that doctrine thing, again.

 

My friends, are you following?  This thing often results when one shows an inconsiderate attitude towards another all because of DOGMA and DOCTRINAL differences.  Now I’m not saying that you should wipe off all your beliefs and creeds for the sake of Love.  All I’m saying is, we shouldn’t allow these minor differences to create a meaningless grudge towards our neighbor.

 

For instance, if a Muslim, or a Jew, a Buddhist or even an Atheist shows us compassion, we musn't dare call it “false compassion, false mercy---or deceitful love” all because their "label" differs from us.

 

For if a Christian would ask Christ  today what a true neighbor is, what do you think would be the nature of His response?  Would it also come unanticipated by the Christian as it was to the Jew?

 

I’ll leave the answer to you.

 

I have been through many churches and organized religions in the past---I even tried atheism to be honest---until I opened up my eyes, mind and heart to the all-inclusive truth and all pervading love that is among all flowing from the Source who made them all. 

 

The only thing I can say is that hatred only breeds hatred and love begets love.   The main reason I believe why most of us can’t deal well with each other is because we tend to focus and fix our eyes on what we DISLIKE from the other.  Hence political as well as religious factions and divisions were conceived due to this sort of mentality.  Yet oh my friends, if we can learn---even for a moment---even for a day---to look on the good side in every man, their admirable traits, just as Jesus beheld the beauty of the Samaritan---to appreciate the positive attributes of every other group**---all this hate, anger and resentment we have within us would gradually dissipate.   

 

 

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For the remainder, please turn over to part 2.  Thank you kindly!

 

* More so, because His uncompromising manner (or "style") of preaching was diverse from the preachers of His day. 

 

**  All of us have his own share of flaws anyways---why not look at the brighter side of every man?