Teaching of Jesus on the Rule of Living

(Interpretation- Do to Others as Others Should Do to You')

Here Jesus is giving additional inputs to his disciples regarding his earlier teaching on account of some doubts raised by one of his disciples, Nathaniel.

Now read on:

Nathaniel asked Jesus this question: 

“Master, although you have taught us the positive version of the old rule of life, instructing us that we should do to others as we wish them to do to us, I do not fully discern how we can always abide by such an injunction. Let me illustrate my contention by citing the example of a lustful man who thus wickedly looks upon his intended consort in sin. How can we teach that this evil-intending man should do to others as he would they should do to him?”

When Jesus heard Nathaniel’s question, he immediately stood upon his feet and, pointing his finger at the apostle, said:

“Nathaniel, Nathaniel! What manner of thinking is going on in your heart? Do you not receive my teachings as one who has been born of the spirit? Do you not hear the truth as men of wisdom and spiritual understanding? When I admonished you to do to others as you would have them do to you, I spoke to men of high ideals, not to those who would be tempted to distort my teaching into a license for the encouragement of evil-doing.”

When the Master had spoken, Nathaniel stood up and said: 

“But, Master, you should not think that I approve of such an interpretation of your teaching. I asked the question because I conjectured that many such men might thus misjudge your admonition, and I hoped you would give us further instruction regarding these matters.” 

And then when Nathaniel had sat down, Jesus continued speaking: 

“I well know, Nathaniel, that no such idea of evil is approved in your mind, but I am disappointed in that you all so often fail to put a genuinely spiritual interpretation upon my commonplace teachings, instruction which must be given you in human language and as men must speak. Let me now teach you concerning the differing levels of meaning attached to the interpretation of this rule of living, this admonition to ‘do to others that which you desire others to do to you’:

 “1. The level of the flesh. Such a purely selfish and lustful interpretation would be well exemplified by the supposition of your question.

 “2. The level of the feelings. This plane is one level higher than that of the flesh and implies that sympathy and pity would enhance one’s interpretation of this rule of living.

' 3. The level of mind. Now come into action the reason of mind and the intelligence of experience. Good judgment dictates that such a rule of living should be interpreted in consonance with the highest idealism embodied in the nobility of profound self-respect.

 “4. The level of brotherly love. Still higher is discovered the level of unselfish devotion to the welfare of one’s fellows. On this higher plane of wholehearted social service growing out of the consciousness of the fatherhood of God and the consequent recognition of the brotherhood of man, there is discovered a new and far more beautiful interpretation of this basic rule of life.

 “5. The moral level. And then when you attain true philosophic levels of interpretation, when you have real insight into the rightness and wrongness of things, when you perceive the eternal fitness of human relationships, you will begin to view such a problem of interpretation as you would imagine a high-minded, idealistic, wise, and impartial third person would so view and interpret such an injunction as applied to your personal problems of adjustment to your life situations.

 “6. The spiritual level. And then last, but greatest of all, we attain the level of spirit insight and spiritual interpretation which impels us to recognize in this rule of life the divine command to treat all men as we conceive God would treat them. That is the universe ideal of human relationships. And this is your attitude toward all such problems when your supreme desire is ever to do the Father’s will. I would, therefore, that you should do to all men that which you know I would do to them in like circumstances.”

Nothing Jesus had said to the apostles up to this time had ever more astonished them. They continued to discuss the Master’s words long after he had retired. While Nathaniel was slow to recover from his supposition that Jesus had misunderstood the spirit of his question, the others were more than thankful that their philosophic fellow apostle had had the courage to ask such a thought-provoking question.

[The above narration giving the teaching of Jesus Christ on the Rule of Living is taken from the Urantia Book Paper 147 Para 4.1 -4.10 with a little editing / adaptation]

Extremely Expensive Foodstuffs and Medicines that could Shake Even the Sheiks!

By nature, Indian fellow men and women of my country are not adventurists. They do not normally venture out to eat some thing which are not approved by customs and habits. Common Indians are simple people and their food requirements are also simple. Even when they are very rich, they would not over step their eating habits and try out some thing which is not in their traditional menu as approved by the family traditions.

A majority of Indians are either vegetarians or prefer to be known as veggies even while they might occasionally relish non vegetarian food stuffs. Meat and wine are wishfully considered as vilely vices that entered in to the culture of some Indians from the Occident.

Indian Maharajas and the oriental royals, however promoted many ayurvedic and unani medicines which were used mainly to maintain their royal vigor and never hesitated to spend huge sums for such royal medicines that were out of reach to the commoners. Such medicines are available even now and the costs of such medicines are unimaginable to ordinary folks. Such exotic medicines made using various natural minerals, medicinal plants and animal products are available through out the world, though not common.

Some of these medicines are extremely useful and effective when administered by those are conversant with them. For example, in the Indian ayurvedic rasayana  chkitsa system there are such medicines which work like magic potions for certain kinds of diseases which are almost incurable for the modern medical scientists. But many of these medicines are too expensive. Costs of some of these medicines sometimes might be even equivalent to some of the modern chemotherapy medicines. Some twenty years ago, I purchased one gram a tasteless powder containing swarna bhasm (processed salt of gold) to be administered to the wife of a family friend as advised by an ayurvedic vaid (medical practitioner). The lady was discharged from a modern hospital to face her ultimate destiny as even morphine was not able to sooth her pain. She was critically ill and wriggling in pain due to an advanced cancer. I remember the powder immediately soothing her unbearable pain for some time whenever a small pinch of it was pasted on her lips. But the cost of the medicine at that time was about Rs.1000/- It costs about Rs.10000/- now and it is equivalent to about 8 dozes. Obviously such medicines are not for the common folks.

But medicines are medicines. Even ordinary folks might not hesitate to spend huge sums for medicines when such situations arise in life.

But what about eatables? How much money a person can spend for a kilogram of some kind of a food material? Mind you, I am not talking about food flavoring substances.

One such food stuff is the truffle. Remember, it is not a trifle, but the truffle. Both are foods. Trifle is a traditional dessert dish of the Scottish people. But truffle is a foodstuff that is grown below the ground. It is a kind of edible fungus just like the common mushrooms. Only difference is that it is not that common. These are obtained in countries like France. There are two kinds of truffles. The black truffle and the white truffle.

Truffles grow below the soil and trained dogs are used to locate a truffle that has grown underground.

But how much any one could spend for eating this mushroom? The average price of truffles are to the order of about Rs 300,000 to 400,000 per kilogram ($5000-6000). Even there are people who have auctioned a piece of truffle weighing 1.5 kg by shelling out a sum exceeding two million Indian rupees. That is the kind of craze among some people on earth for whom money is not a truffle worth.

Another expensive food cherished by extremely rich fellows is the eggs of a fish called beluga. The eggs are called beluga caviar. It costs over Rs. 650, 000 [$ 10,000] a kilogram.

For some avid fish eaters of Japan, spending some $ 1.8 Million for a 222 kg tuna fish was not too much. That is nearly Rs.520,000 per kg and yet they considered it a good bargain! Whatever tuna fish it is, most Indians get their tuna for Rs.100 per kg ! And tuna in India is one of the cheapest sea fish.

Some fruit lovers would not hesitate to spend as much as $ 4000 for a kg of their beloved grapes. But some fruit lovers of the world might even pay more to get some of these exotic fruits when they feel of relishing some of them.

I have written about these only to tell you some interesting things about our interesting world. In our world there are some of our fellow beings whose purpose of living is to live fulfilling their material passions. Fulfilling such passions is nothing bad, but living only for those passions forgetting certain other important aspects of life may not be so good. Why it is so needs to be explored with some passion of a different kind.

In this context I am compelled to quote a few words of caution that the authors of my favorite book (you have the details of it already in this page) of life guidance wrote in this book, to my human fellows who live passionately to accomplish their short term goals during their short life on this earth:

Do not try to satisfy the curiosity or gratify all the latent adventure surging within the soul in one short life in the flesh. Be patient! be not tempted to indulge in a lawless plunge into cheap and sordid adventure. Harness your energies and bridle your passions; be calm while you await the majestic unfolding of an endless career of progressive adventure and thrilling discovery (that awaits you beyond this short life of yours in your world) TUB 195:5.10

Yes, there is need for patience and restraint. Trying to fulfill all the passions means living a life about which you are not sure. But just as passions built in our minds, we also have analytic capacities and reasoning abilities with decision making powers. All are there because of a God who knows and prevails with some purpose.

Knowing the purpose of God for you in this life should also be a passion just as all those other things in life. Perhaps you would be able to live a much more purposeful and worthy life when you try to fulfill that passion too! 

Do You Allow Philargyria to Overtake You ? Is Your Life A Blessing or A Curse ?

Today I would like to share with my readers two things which have been  in my mind for quite some time, but intermixed with many other thoughts. But two things happened yesterday that caused these to be brought out that I write some thing about these and share with those who might happen to read it.

The first event was attending a small christian convention arranged by the small group of Malayalee Marthoma community of thirty odd families in Ranchi to which I too belong. Such annual congregational meetings arranged for a couple days are part of the routine programs of the Marthoma parishes for keeping the members refreshed of the good teachings of the Bible and giving them an opportunity for re-dedication of their individual lives to live a meaningful life. As we human beings are inherently non-perfect, there is a need for continuing efforts from the side of preachers and teachers for keeping us in the right path always. Even those exposed to such efforts also are not becoming anywhere near perfection is another thing that many others like to debate.

So our parish committee had invited a well known revival speaker from Kerala, who also happened to be an elderly priest of the Marthoma Church. He had come all the way as the main speaker for our spiritual three nights' christian conference and yesterday night we had the first night meeting from 6-30 PM to 9-00 PM at our small chapel located in the premises of St.Thomas School, Ranchi managed by our parish members. 

The opening remark of the speaker was a direct and piercing question to each one of the individuals assembled there including me who are all the so-called Christians. He asked this:

" Is your life a blessing? Or is it a curse?" He continued to expand that theme question further based on what Jesus has been told as taught as described in John 15: 1-17  . This is the famous teaching of Jesus about 'the vine and the branches' where he equates himself as the vine and his followers as the branches commanding his followers to love each other.

Incidentally this is the sum and substance of Jesus' teaching which is stressed again and again in the Urantia Book as well many times. Let me put it the way I understood it:

If God is the creator of humans, then He is the universal father of all human beings (for a moment let us forget all those other beings and things of the universe that He had created.) 

Then there exists a bondage of inherent brotherly or sisterly love among all humans. The fundamental duty of all human beings is to love his creator father God and also his siblings unconditionally. Love here has a different meaning. It means devotion, service and care than what other meanings that we attach with that word in some other context.

As children of God, the fundamental duty of all human beings is to abide in the love of God. And those who are not abiding in that love of nourishment would cease to exist just as the branches of the vine that is cut and removed from the vine.

When me and my wife returned back yesterday night at around 9.30 pm IST (17th Jan 2014) I thought of watching the late night news in the TV. All Indian channels were beaming the news about the sudden death of a glamorous Indian lady, the third wife of an internationally famous Indian and a high profile central government minister of India under mysterious circumstances in a five star hotel suite in New Delhi.

The lady was in her prime middle age and was materially very successful just as her husband.

The news media has been analyzing the cause and consequences of this tragic incident. How could these very successful people could have a life of miseries and sorrows in their private lives while publicly they appeared smiling and happy most of the times?

What went wrong?

How could they become some thing of a curse to themselves and many around them while every one viewed their life with full of blessings?

Were these blissful couple a blessing to others? 

Today morning while I was reading more about them using the internet resources, I chanced to read an interesting article titled : the Biblical Money Code. [It is too lengthy and you should consider clicking the link and reading the whole article yourself. It is worth reading. Book mark this page for a future reading if you do not have the time now.]

It is about the idea of money and wealth which matches with the concepts that I have been nourishing for some time now. It is written by one famous American, named Sean Hyman a successful investor, money maker and money giver. In the article, which perhaps you might have read by now, he is explaining the principles of money and wealth generation successfully in accordance with the teachings of the Bible.

Let me stress what he had stressed in the article: " Love of money is the root of all kinds of evil". But money is not the evil, it is the love for money.

And love for money and material gain is greed. I learnt a new word from Mr Sean Hyman, the humble american pastor who is also a successful investor who claims the use of the biblical money code for his success.

And that Greek word is : Philargyria [fil-aar-gee-rya] : the insatiable greed for money and material pleasures!

But when this philargyria overtakes the divine command we face the danger of being cut off from the nourishing love of God that enables us to live as a blessing to all including we ourselves.

And that is indeed a very pathetic situation.

But yet, it is indeed a puzzle for me that many of us are not able to overcome our greed and love for money, wealth and material pleasures. 

Are you using your knowledge, skills, competence and such other talents for the pursuit of philargyria?

Do you want to end up your life wretched as if entangled in curses for generations even when you had all the so-called genius and talents?

Think it over.

You could still be wealthy and your life could be a blessing to all if you do not allow that greed and love for money to overtake your mind and senses.

Modify your passions and ambitions with character and compassion. While you earnestly do your work and while you gain wealth and money, remember that you do that in accordance with the divine commandments.

We are not supposed to do our works affected by any kind of dishonesty that could deprive or cause some damage to our fellow beings. We have to be compassionate to our fellow beings-children of God- all the while we do our work.

Because we all exist for doing some kind of work which is a service to some others around us and we need to be compassionate to others while we do our part of the responsibilities entrusted to us.

If it is that way we are going to live a life which is a blessing to others. If it is a blessing to others it could no doubt be a blessing to us too!

Let not that type of things similar to the tragic case that I mentioned above happen in our lives!

Some Random Thoughts about Food, Living, Intelligence and Spiritual Wisdom !

The internet space has lot of information on foodstuffs of various kinds. Many sites are dedicated to cooking and healthy eating habits. Recipes of various kinds could be obtained by searching the net. But, yet I find there is some need for a comprehensive coverage of these raw food items at one place especially to aid those in India who use Hindi, Malayalam or English for their day to day communications.

For survival human beings need energy. Energy is obtained from foods that contain carbohydrates, such as starch, sugars, glucose and the like. Energy value of a food item is measured in terms of calories. Additionally they need some other foods that provide some other essential ingredients for various purposes and processes of their living bodies. Ideally the food taken by human beings should contain the following:

1. Carbohydrates (starch, sugar, glucose) and fats (oils, meat) for energy.

2. Proteins for body growth, cell repair and upkeep.

3. Roughage consisting mainly of dietary fibers which are not absorbed by the body, but are essential for smooth movement of food through the 8 m long alimentary canal aiding digestion and waste elimination.
4. Minerals which are compounds of metals and non-metals found in various foods which are required in low quantities for the body to synthesize various complex compounds for innumerable body functions.
5. Vitamins, which are complex compounds
6.Water, the main constituent of body cells and blood and the medium for expulsion of unwanted soluble wastes materials.
7. Ingredients that enhances taste, smell and color of food.

People have many common features and at the same time are different in many other features. So, eating habits, likes and dislikes and the manner in which food is digested, absorbed and utilized by the body all differ from person to person.

While statistical results published by various kinds of researchers may be useful for enriching our general knowledge in food and food related benefits and problems, it is foolishness to blindly believe such data as universal truths.

Enjoying a good or tasty food is not a sin. But living only for food indulgence is nothing less than a sin.

How much one should eat? And how often? It is foolishness to follow some rules always. If you follow rules for every thing, you degrade yourself as a robot. You degrade your human existence to that of a humanoid.

It is better that you make wise decisions based on your own judgments. After all why do you have that huge brain with all those intelligence if you are not to use it ?

At the same time, it is not a good idea to waste your time always thinking about food to take those wise decisions. There are much more important things in this life than food.

Human life is a mixture of many things. It involves survival, material existence, creativity, friendship and fellowship, discharge of duties and responsibilities and a desire to find the real force behind life whom we sometimes call as God. The latter desire when nurtured properly progresses towards an understanding towards the purpose of life. A man or woman who is realizing the purpose of life has progressed towards what is known as spirituality.

How to progress from material well being to spiritual well being? Is it essential?

Again, your own assessment is the best guide. You have all the inherent faculties and abilities for that judgement.

Is it possible for life to sustain without taking food?

Logically speaking, it should be possible. Food is required as an energy source for us because our body hardware is presently designed in that manner. Those who have designed it that way, logically should have known the methods of designing it in some other way as well.

For example, look at the plants. They are living. They take energy from sunlight and even convert the excess light energy as food for those living beings of the animal kingdom.

The divine designers of plants and animals have the knowledge to do it.

Then, why did they not give us that ability?

I think it is foolishness to question the higher intellectual wisdom of the divine designers of life.

Perhaps, they might disclose those secrets to us some appropriate time.

I am fortunate to learn some thing of the divine wisdom and I am truly amazed!

  

Are You Just Living to be Laughed and Clapped for a While Displaying Your Skills and Talents ?

Yesterday I have brought to your notice a list of twenty eight philosophical statements which the authors of my favorite book want us to give some special attention. Today, I want to discuss about the first statement from this list.

This statement in full is like this : A display of specialized skill does not signify possession of spiritual capacity; cleverness is not a substitute for true character !

It is not very difficult to digest the universal truth that this philosophical declaration contains. But just as there are people who can understand truths fully, there are people who do not get it so easily. Forget those people who do not try to understand or those who are with bloated egos and self pride that do not allow them to listen and tune to any other truths other than what they feel like agreeing. Forget also those who do not have any mind capacity or basic intellect to understand philosophical truths.

Now coming to the statement as above. It is not so difficult to understand that we humans exist in this world with varying levels of skills and abilities. We all have varying levels of abilities or talents. It could be physical, intellectual or philosophical. 

Some are extremely good in some sports and games. Some have much greater physical strength than many others. Some have much superior and beautiful bodies. Some are with high intellectual abilities in mathematics, physics and such other sciences. Some are very good inventors and may be owners of many patents. Some have acute business knacks and might have amassed money and wealth even they cannot measure or know.

During my school days, I used to wonder about the mathematical ability of a lady hailing from my neighboring state, Karnataka, in India. She is no more now, and her name is Shakuntala Devi. She never had any formal education, but she possessed a brain that was even faster than modern computers in arithmetical calculations. Indeed her ability even made our renowned physiologists wondering!

I watch those Karate black-belts break tiles and bricks with their bare hands, in awe. How is it that their hands become harder than rocks in a fraction of a second? How do their soft tissues change their softness to such awesome strengths? 

I had a lovely pet dog named, Sonu. She was a pure white Pomeranian  , though not as pure in her breed. She was our faithful companion and ferocious protector of our home for more than a decade! While her body and paws used to feel like soft cotton to us always, I used to marvel at her extra ordinary steel like strength her soft body acquired when need arose. She used to kill rats, house lizards and also some clever crows in just one blow with her otherwise soft paws. Is it not something exciting our curiosities? 

No doubt,  these abilities could be some extra ordinary gifts from the various agencies of God for enabling humans (and animals) not only to facilitate their material living, but also to make a few of us to think, explore and wonder about the supreme designs in the Nature that are presented to us by the agencies of God.  

But a mere possession of some of these extra ordinary gifts does not make any human being any special one for God. Because, such special gifts and abilities are abundantly provided in varying degrees to animals and humans. In the case of animals, the special abilities are for their natural survival and existence. But for human beings these abilities are not only for their own survival, but for them to care for others and also for realizing the existence of God from whom these talents come, with utmost humility.  

If the individual who possesses the special gift, instead of using it for his own selfish satisfaction, tries to find out what God wants him or her to do with that gift, he or she is making an effort towards enhancing his or her spiritual capacity. The person is aspiring to find out the unseen spiritual existence and desire of God!

Such persons would recognize the need for living according to the desire of God. The most essential feature of this recognition is the desire to love and serve other human beings, without the desire for gaining some personal benefits.

But a good majority of people forget this. Their special gifts soon transform and get augmented with cleverness. Cleverness is that special ability to cheat or hoodwink others. In that process they lose their spiritual capacity to love and serve others.

If our world appear as a world of partiality, injustice, envy, hatred and exploitation, it is because of the clever acts of such people. 

A mere possession of some special talent does not automatically ensure possession of a desirable and good nature that is known as character. Remember, most animals have some special abilities that are not found in humans. Many of these animals may pose a threat to our lives if we are not careful. They need not have a character that is too good for us! But humans are not to be like the unthinking animals. That is the reason why we are different. Character is what make us different from animals. But yet we find many human beings who are similar to animals. They are the characterless people. They just live like animals without using their superior abilities of mind which are not in animals. They refuse to recognize the existence of God and give reverence to Him, just as the animals. Many of them take undue pride in their abilities and the pride ultimately becomes the cause for their fall and destruction. How sad!

They have been privileged persons. But they refuse to realize the existence of the spiritual force that maintains every thing material and physical in this world. 

They refuse to enhance their spiritual capacities of coming near to God, a pre-requisite to progress in life even after their material existence in this world for some years. 

They become too pre-occupied with their special skills during their material existence that they forget to board the ship that could have taken them to the other shores of abundant life and everlasting adventure!

Character development while living a material life is essential for enhancing spiritual capacity. 

Spiritual capacity means the degree of nearness to God. Nearness to God provides the much desired potential for overcoming the dangers of personality destruction after material death. 

Material abilities and skills, though good while living in this world, do not ensure spiritual capacity or possession of a good character. Physical and mental abilities and skills do not make a person special for God. But spiritual nature makes a person special for God; a special feature that enhances the bond of love between man and God. The higher the spiritual ability, the more the person becomes humble! Because, with spiritual nature developing, the person begins to develop character and recognizes his or her insignificance before the Supreme existence of God. Selfishness and ego begin to vanish in such persons. In other words, animal nature begins to fade and the human becomes more like real humans instead of being like animals. 

More and more people with good character make this world transformed to a world with divine presence. Just as the heavenly worlds !

If you have some special material skills or abilities, you also have some additional responsibilities to use those in the manner in which they should be utilized. 

Mere possession of those special skills and abilities does not make you a desirable person for God. It has no significance in the long run !

So, if you think that you are a very clever person, beware of the dangers. Your cleverness for you would earn you only short term gains in this world. After all, your life span of a few decades is not at all a long term!

It would be preferable to discard that cleverness for character. But building a good character together with the possession of those skills and special abilities would make you not only desirable for the people of this world but also for God.

But when you are not very sure of the afterlife, you are bound to become anxious of getting the maximum and enjoying the maximum during the short span of life in this world. 

Let us drink and enjoy, you might think! Let me take advantage of my skills and my cleverness to the full, you might reason with your soul!

But when you are in your clever act, what could be the feeling of others who watch you from all around ?  

No doubt, the spectators might laugh and clap just as they do while watching those skillful circus clowns.

But are you living just to be laughed and clapped for a while ?

Are we living to show off our skills and talents for getting clapping from our fellows?

Do you want to be like a circus clown during the entire life span?

Is it not worth to think seriously?