Jesus encourages us to be more than just the letter of law: thou shalt not kill. Whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgement, he says in his Sermon on the Mount. Buddha tells us that anger is a poison that consumes reason and compassion and spreads like fire. Christ wants to take three steps back. Insult? Injury? Being aware of ones own actions and words, one can prevent anger. Being aware of ones own inner peace and being able to notice the seed of ones own anger, the fire can be doused ... or at least controlled, thus preventing a crime.
Being aware of a law is helpful, but being aware of the thoughts and emotions that cause one to react regretfully is even better. Buddha had no laws, but a voluntary recipe to cure the disease of human suffering: whether by choice or temporary loss of control, ones negligent actions will bring personal regret, shame and sin. A law hangs above us as a warning and the fear of punishment hopes to limit transgression. But if we blindly arrive again and again and again at the threshold of transgression and then cross it, how helpful is this? Having been punished, we hope to curb undesirable behaviour in the future as our lesson is learnt. But if we don't understand how we arrived at the threshold of breaking a law and we are not in control of our reason at that critical moment before toppling over, how helpful is the law in preventing sin?
Threats and punishments are the backbone of laws, yet Jesus asks us to be more than just lawabiders. We are to be aware of the seed of transgression, follow it along all its stages, know it, recognise it every time it raises its ugly head. For if we are aware of the emotions that blind us or the thoughts that put us in danger of regretful words or hurtful actions, we can nip them at the bud. If we truly knew how painful and toxic anger is to ourselves and others we can limit it before disaster occurs. Jesus is asking us to be mindful. He is asking us to be masters of our own mind and body. He is asking us to develop wisdom and compassion in the form of Self-control for the benefit of our own Self and others.
So not only do we not kill and follow God's Law, we do not even arrive at the point of causing ourselves and others to transgression. In humbleness and peace we are safe to nurture our wisdom and compassion, to observe our motivations and to be vigilance of distractions that might lead us astray. Blessed is the Self-awakened man who through the strength and warmth of his own heart shows others the way home into God's embrace.
Deo gratias.
Being aware of a law is helpful, but being aware of the thoughts and emotions that cause one to react regretfully is even better. Buddha had no laws, but a voluntary recipe to cure the disease of human suffering: whether by choice or temporary loss of control, ones negligent actions will bring personal regret, shame and sin. A law hangs above us as a warning and the fear of punishment hopes to limit transgression. But if we blindly arrive again and again and again at the threshold of transgression and then cross it, how helpful is this? Having been punished, we hope to curb undesirable behaviour in the future as our lesson is learnt. But if we don't understand how we arrived at the threshold of breaking a law and we are not in control of our reason at that critical moment before toppling over, how helpful is the law in preventing sin?
Threats and punishments are the backbone of laws, yet Jesus asks us to be more than just lawabiders. We are to be aware of the seed of transgression, follow it along all its stages, know it, recognise it every time it raises its ugly head. For if we are aware of the emotions that blind us or the thoughts that put us in danger of regretful words or hurtful actions, we can nip them at the bud. If we truly knew how painful and toxic anger is to ourselves and others we can limit it before disaster occurs. Jesus is asking us to be mindful. He is asking us to be masters of our own mind and body. He is asking us to develop wisdom and compassion in the form of Self-control for the benefit of our own Self and others.
So not only do we not kill and follow God's Law, we do not even arrive at the point of causing ourselves and others to transgression. In humbleness and peace we are safe to nurture our wisdom and compassion, to observe our motivations and to be vigilance of distractions that might lead us astray. Blessed is the Self-awakened man who through the strength and warmth of his own heart shows others the way home into God's embrace.
Deo gratias.
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