Lamps of Fire

The Spirit of Religion

India

“The unreal never is: the Real never is not. This truth indeed has been seen by those who can see the true.
Interwoven in all his creation, the Spirit is beyond destruction. No one can bring to an end the Spirit which is everlasting.
For beyond time he dwells in these bodies, though these bodies have an end in their time, whilst he remains boundless, immortal.” (Krishna, BG)

• The Real by double negation.
• Spirit is indestructible, woven into all. Without end (agapic). Spirit can be only created, never destroyed.
• Temporal bodies perish, or…reorganize towards the imperishable, the most creative

  Zoroaster

  Buddhism

“If by forsaking a small pleasure one finds a great joy, he who is wise will look tot the greater and leave what is less.” (Dhammapada 290)

“Victory brings hate, because the defeated man is unhappy. He who surrenders both victory and defeats, this man finds peace.” (Dhammapada 201)

• Obvious in the context of warfare. But it applies in the deepest sense… when I try to win, even against myself, the part of myself that loses is left hateful, and is not left behind, remains a part of me. Surrendering both victory and defeat is akin to surrendering knowledge of good and evil, abiding in oneness instead. That unity is peace.

“The perfume of flowers goes not against the wind: not even the perfume of sandalwood, of rose-bay, or of jasmine; but the perfume of holiness travels against the wind and reaches unto the ends of the world.” (Dhammapada 54)

• The path of holiness characterized not by falling into the winds of pleasure, but by sacrifice, by going against the wind.

“Look upon the man who tells thee thy faults as if he told thee of a hidden treasure.” (Dhammapada 76)

Jainism

Taoism

“To those who are good I am good.
To those who are not good I am also good, in order to make them good.
To those who are true I am true.
To those who are not true I am also true, in order to make them true.”
(TTC XLIX rendered by Juan)

“There are three treasures which I prize above all things.

The first is love,
The second is moderation,
The third is humility.
He who has love can truly be brave;
He who has moderation can have in abundance;
He who has humility can truly have power.

But now men want bravery, and not love;
They want abundance, and not moderation;
They want power, and not humility.
This is death.

For he who fights with love will win the battle.” (TTC LXVII rendered by Juan)

Confucius

Shintoism

“The first and surest means to enter into communion with the divine is by sincerity. If you pray with sincerity, you will surely feel the divine presence.” (Yamaha-Soko)

• Sincerity etymology means something like pure. A pure offering of attention, a sincere prayer, unites us with divinity.

“All ye under heaven! Consider Heaven as your father, earth as your mother, and all things as your brothers and sisters. You will then enjoy this divine country free from hate and sorrow.” (Oracle of Atsuta)

• The realm of existence as family.

“Be like a tree which covers with flowers the hand that shakes it.” (Japanese proverb)

• Forgive others. Bathe them in petals of forgiveness

“When the sky is clear, and the wind hums in the fir, ‘tis the heart of God who thus reveals himself.” (From a Tajima Shrine)

• Reminds me of Akame, the clear skies and sap smell of the firs.

Judaism

“Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts:
All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.

Yet the Lord will command his loving kindness in the day-time,
And in the night his song shall be with me,
And my prayer unto the God of my life.” (Psalm XLII)

Christianity

“But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.”

• The left hand as symbolic of strangers? Let not strangers (left hand) know what you (familiar right hand) give; give in secret for God in some sense is that secret—give in His likeness

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

• The spiritual affords the material, but the material does not afford the spiritual.

Islam

Sikhism

Part 1: Light

“There is an indefinable mysterious Power that pervades everything. I feel it, though I do not see it. …
And is this power benevolent or malevolent? I see it as purely benevolent. For I can see that in the midst of death life persists; in the midst of untruth, truth persists; in the midst of darkness, light persists. Hence I gather that God is Life, Truth, Light. He is Love. He is the supreme God.”
(MAHATMA GANDHI 1869-1948)

“Man ought to lay hold of God in everything, and he should train his mind to have God ever present in his thoughts, his intentions and affections….
…We ought not to have or let ourselves be satisfied with any thought of God: when the thought goes out God goes with it. No, what we want is a real subsistent God who far transcends the thoughts of men and creatures. This God does not disappear unless we turn our back on him of our own accord.” (Meister Eckhart, Collationibus Ch 6)