* Dawn Rising *  

I believe one of the main reasons why we find it HARD to FORGIVE others is because we keep focusing our attention on the NEGATIVE side of people---yet fail to see the other side, the BEAUTIFUL side of the coin. 

 

We distance ourselves from those whose thoughts and ideologies differ from us---yet we don’t want others to alienate themselves from us.  We want to be heard---but we refuse to listen to others. We talk AGAINST the Muslim terrorists---yet we seek to cover-up and drown the historicity of the bloody Christian inquisition.  Truth is, we get furious whenever anyone talks about our ugly side.

 

We talk about the evil of politics yet we fail to praise their achievements.  We complain about our  spouses, our children, our loved-ones---the things we DON’T want about them, yet seldomly talk about the things we LIKE and LOVE in them---such as their achievements as well as the joy and happiness they've given us.  Yet we were taught that Love keeps NO RECORD OF WRONGS!  And to top it off, we grumble about the miserable state of our family and the world we’re living in.

 

Is there anything wrong with us?  Do we need to re-educate ourselves with the basics?  Perhaps we need to learn a lesson from the children?

 

For “unless ye be converted and become like one of these little ones … “ … fine, go ahead, you may fill in the blanks.

 

Forgive me for saying most of the distressing facts going on around us.  I too have once been judgmental, censoring every man, being legalistic with my religion until the time came that I realized I wasn’t the ONLY one who deserves to be heard, to be cared for, to be understood---AND to be loved.   There are also others out there hungering after all these things.   And it would be selfish for my part to covet all of these for myself.   That was the time I came to be Born again---to be Enlightened---not with doctrines---not with dogmas that tend to choke man to legalism---but to the Reality above all realities … the Truth and Love and Joy that is everywhere surrounding me.

 

I am A Freethinker.  And also a Christian.  But sorry to tell you this but I do not see myself apart from the mistreated Buddhist, from the overlooked Muslim, from those Atheists and Hindus whose rights are oppressed---just as the Christ did not see Himself apart from Discriminated Samaritan. 

 

If, for instance, a Christian would invite me to slaughter a Muslim for no good reason---would I give in to his wishes? 

 

What if you find a gang of Christian students mocking a Hindu---will you “join in the fun” as well?  Making fun of others is right---so long as you’re not the laughingstock.  We are so valiant in protesting about Religious discrimination---so long as the ones involved are Christians.  We tend to sympathize with our “co-members” yet care less about those who are not.  And this sad thing is going even within our Christian circles.  How much more so  to those outside?

 

My friends, this shouldn’t be the case.  How can we brag of knowing what UNconditional Love is when we tend to be One-sided and prejudiced? My dearly beloved, the Golden Rule (like the Golden Sun) and the Royal Law applies to everyone---not just exclusively for ourselves.

 

A Human being IS a human being no matter whether his name is registered or not.  No matter whether he believes in God or not.  No matter whether he is a part of our group or not.  No matter whether he is beautiful or ugly.  No matter whether he is illiterate or well-learned.   No matter whether he is a Jew or a Samaritan. No matter whether he knows the Bible, the Qur’an, the Bhagavad-Gita or not.   No matter whether his skin is white, black or yellow … nothing will change the fact.  And a human being deserves to be loved, to be respected and to be cared for.

 

Even as most of us crave to.

 

Spirituality:

 

I will be brief with Spirituality.  All I want to share with you is that spirituality is not a religion---and I know most of you are well aware of that.  Spirituality is a state of being. 

 

To give you some insight:

 

How can you identify a merciful and kind person?  Is it when you see that person wearing a shirt with the word “I’m merciful, look at me” imprinted on it?  Funny as it may seem---No.   How can you identify a true believer---a Christian, perhaps---since most of you are?  Is it when you see someone clothed with a shirt with a streaking blue “JESUS” embossed on it?  Yes, that can be a witness BUT that is absolutely NOT a valid proof.   If it were, then perhaps the Pharisees in Jesus’ day wouldn’t be criticized by wearing all those Jewish paraphernalia’s of phylacteries and long robes to cover-up their corruption---don’t you think so?  When do you usually say to your neighbor: “I see Christ in you”?  Is it when you see him wearing his hair long, with well-trimmed beard or mustache?  No?  Or perhaps because he’s well-versed in the Bible and knoweth all the Scripture by heart, and faithfully attends Christian meetings every Sunday?  Again, all of these I’m saying may sound a bit silly BUT it could be one way of making you understand what spirituality is and what it is NOT.

 

And that is: spirituality is not something you wear, it’s not something you profess, it’s not something on the outside.  It is not something superficial.  It is not the cup and platter washed on the OUTSIDE. It is not intellectualism.  It is neither head knowledge NOR is it mere lip-service.

 

Take off all these superficial coverings, unrobe yourself, get rid of all artificial flavorings, be simple and natural and pure just like a newborn child, and then perhaps you can get a glimpse of its beauty.

 

It is who you are from WITHIN and when you know what it is from the heart, you become one with it and it becomes a part of your EVERYDAY life.

 

Just as Adam and Eve.

 

Just as a Bridegroom is to His Bride.

 

And lastly …

 

I’m not telling you to join me.  No. Fact is, I am not affiliated to any group and I am neither committed to any church, mosque, synagogue or temple.

 

I take them along them with me.

 

And so can you---even as Christ and all your Teachers, Gurus and Mahatmas did.

 

And that’s the bottom-line.

 

Blessed is anyone who finds the truth; but thrice blessed is he who FOLLOWS it.

 

Thank you so much for taking your time to read.

 

May you be blessed from Heaven,

AngelRai

 

 

The only way to make sure people you agree with can speak is

to support the rights of people you don't agree with.

 

Eleanor Holmes Norton

 

When we learn to appreciate the beauty rather than the ugliness

we see in our neighbor,  all form of hatred and variance would end.

 

Yours Truly

 

The capacity for getting along with our neighbor depends to

a large extent on the capacity for getting along with ourselves.

The self-respecting individual will try to be as tolerant

of his neighbor's shortcomings as he is of his own.

 

Eric Hoffer

 

Pick up a scarlet rose.  What do you appreciate most?

Is it the thorns or the lovely petals?

Is it just the stem or its transcendent fragrance?  The latter you say.

Therefore, treat your neighbors and all those

around you in the same way.

 

From Yours Truly

 

So oft in theologic wars,the disputants, I ween,

Rail on in utter ignorance of what each other mean,

And prate about an Elephant not one of them has seen!

 

John Godfrey Saxe

 

1887: referring to the Buddhist fable of the Blind Sages and the Elephant,

found in the Udana, chapter 6, section 4

 

When we talk about the truth in our group we often advertise those that are praiseworthy

yet seek to sweep every bad-report “under the rug.”  Yet when we talk about the Truth in others who differ from us, we often talk about their painful and shameful reality. The two faces of truth---Good as well as the Bad.  Yet we seek to take possession of all the goodness to our ownselves. Is this the way we love our neighbor as we love ourselves?  Think about it.

 

From Yours Truly.

 

It is the duty of every cultured man or woman to read sympathetically the scriptures of the world. If we are to respect others' religions as we would have them respect our own, a friendly study of the world's religions is a sacred duty.

 

Mohandas K. Gandhi

 

All ... religions show the same disparity between belief and practice, and each is safe till it tries to exclude the rest. Test each sect by its best or its worst as you will, by its high-water mark of virtue or its low-water mark of vice. But falsehood begins when you measure the ebb of any other religion against the flood-tide of your own.

There is a noble and a base side to every history

 

Thomas Wentworth Higginson

 

What is tolerance? -- it is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly -- that is the first law of nature.

 

Voltaire

 

Love covers a multitude of sins. So forgive, as you will be forgiven.

 

The Apostle James and the Most High Prince, Yeshua