Rebirth, Karma (cause and effect) Fickleness, Psychology, and Samsara

Nah, Jesus and Buddha are alive and well in the hearts of billions of people all having the correct answers to the Big Picture. :wink:

A writing by Sun-Lotus 1279. It should be studied because it concerns all religion, based on the Lotus Sutra.

The Teaching That Accords with the Buddha’s Mind

YOU have kindly sent me three koku of rice. I immediately placed it as an offering before the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law, the single vehicle, and chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo just once. I have done this so that your beloved son may “assuredly and without doubt”1 be escorted to the pure land of Eagle Peak.

The nature of cause and effect is like the relationship of flower to fruit. Or it is like the case of a single flame, no bigger than the light of a firefly, which, when applied to a thousand-ri plain of dried grass, in the space of an instant burns first one blade of grass, then two, then ten, a hundred, a thousand, and ten thousand, so that the grass and trees over an area of ten or twenty chƍ are consumed all at once. A dragon who places one small drop of water in its claws and ascends to the heavens can cause rain to fall upon the major world system. When performed as an offering to the Lotus Sutra, even a small act of goodness produces benefits that are equal in magnitude to these.

One hundred years after the passing of the Buddha, there was a ruler in India known as Ashoka the Great, who reigned over one quarter of the eighty-four thousand states that make up the continent of Jambudvīpa. He was attended by the dragon kings and summoned the demons to serve him, and, with sixty thousand arhats as his teachers, he vowed to erect eighty-four thousand stone stupas and make offerings of a hundred thousand million gold pieces to the Buddha. Such was the stature of this great ruler. But if we inquire as to what meritorious deeds from past existences allowed him to achieve such greatness, we find that he had done no more than offer a single mud pie to Shakyamuni Buddha.2

Shakyamuni Buddha had an uncle named King Dronodana, and this king’s son was known as Aniruddha. This prince was born with a bowl in his hand, and the bowl had rice in it. When the rice was eaten, more rice appeared in the bowl and kept on appearing, so that there was never a time when the bowl was empty of rice. As a result, when he was a child, the prince was given the name At Will, and through the power of the Lotus Sutra he became a Buddha known as the Thus Come One Universal Brightness.3 If we inquire what cause from a previous existence brought all this about, we find that it was because, in a time of famine, he offered a meal of millet to a monk who was a pratyekabuddha.4

If one can gain benefits such as these even from making an offering to a pratyekabuddha, then the benefits gained by giving alms to the votary of the Lotus Sutra are infinitely greater, p.968exceeding even those gained by making offerings to countless Buddhas.

Nichiren is an inhabitant of the country of Japan. Within the seven-thousand-yojana area that constitutes the southern continent of Jambudvīpa, there are eighty-four thousand states. Among these, there are sixteen great states, five hundred middle-sized states, ten thousand small states, and countless smaller states scattered about like grains of millet. India is a major country, comprising five regions. In the midst of the ocean to the east of it there is a little island, which is the country of Japan. Japan is situated over a hundred thousand ri to the east of the central region of India.

During the thousand years following the passing of the Buddha, known as the Former Day of the Law, Buddhism remained within the confines of India and was not transmitted to other countries. But after the thousand years of the Former Day of the Law had ended and the world was fifteen years into the Middle Day of the Law, Buddhism was transmitted to the land of China. Three hundred years after it was introduced to China, it was transmitted to the Korean kingdom of Paekche. And after it had been in Paekche for a hundred years and 1,415 years had elapsed since the passing of the Buddha, a bronze-gilt statue of Shakyamuni Buddha and copies of various scriptures were for the first time introduced to Japan in the reign of the thirtieth human sovereign, Emperor Kimmei.

Since that time, over seven hundred years have passed. The great collection of scriptures that has reached Japan during this period has increased to more than five thousand or seven thousand volumes, and the number of schools has grown to eight, nine, and then ten. In the country of Japan there are sixty-six provinces and two islands, over three thousand shrines dedicated to the gods, and over ten thousand Buddhist temples. Half the men and women of the country are priests and nuns, and the Buddhist teachings flourish here in a manner that surpasses that of China and India.

But within the world of Buddhist teachings, various controversies have arisen. The adherents of the Pure Land school look upon Amida Buddha as their object of devotion, and the adherents of the True Word school worship the Thus Come One Mahāvairochana, while the people of the Zen school, ignoring both sutras and Buddhas, take Bodhidharma as their object of devotion. As for the adherents of the other schools, they for the most part are influenced by and follow the Nembutsu proponents and the True Word advocates. And though they do not necessarily regard either of these schools as superior, they are swayed by the more powerful and influenced by the larger of the two, and hence take Amida Buddha as their principal object of devotion.

Rejecting Shakyamuni Buddha, who is the sovereign, teacher, and parent of our present world, they pray to escape to another world that is located a hundred thousand million worlds away and that belongs to Amida Buddha, a complete stranger. This Amida Buddha is neither our parent nor our sovereign nor our teacher, but merely a figure who, in a certain sutra, made forty-eight false vows. And yet foolish persons, believing these vows to be true, madly clang out a rhythm on bells and dance and leap about, reciting the name of Amida Buddha. But though they abandon the world of their parent in disgust, the messengers whom Amida Buddha has promised to send to welcome them do not appear, and they lose their way in the sky while in an intermediate state between death and rebirth. The karma that comes from slandering the Law pulls them downward, plunging them into the prison of p.969the three evil paths, where the fearful demon wardens of hell pounce upon them with delight, binding them and subjecting them to endless torments.

When, based on the sutras, I speak in general terms of such matters, only I, of all the 4,994,828 men and women in Japan, am thought strange, and the other 4,994,827 persons all regard me as their enemy. Strangely enough, they do not follow Shakyamuni, who is their sovereign, teacher, and parent. What is more, they curse and strike me, drive me away, and, by resorting to slander, cause me to be sentenced to exile or execution. It is the way of the world that the poor fawn upon the rich, the lowly revere the noble, and the few follow the many. So even those persons who chanced to put their faith in the Lotus Sutra are intimidated by society and fear others, and many of them fall into hell. This is most pitiful.

But, perhaps because of Nichiren’s ignorant outlook or some past karma, when I read the statements that “the Lotus is the foremost,”5 that “among the sutras I have preached, now preach, and will preach, this Lotus Sutra is the most difficult to believe and the most difficult to understand,”6 and that “I am the only person who can rescue and protect others,”7 I take them to be the golden words of the Thus Come One himself. They are not my own words at all.

The people of today, however, believe the pronouncements of their own teachers to be the golden words of the Thus Come One. Thus they place such pronouncements on the same level as the Lotus Sutra, considering the two to be of equal authority; or they regard these teachings as superior to the Lotus Sutra; or they reason that though their teacher’s pronouncements are inferior they are well suited to the capacity of the people.

One should understand that, of the sacred teachings of the Thus Come One, there are those that are preached “in accordance with the minds of others,” and those that are preached “in accordance with the Thus Come One’s own mind.” Thus, when a parent yields to the will of his or her child, that is a case of the former. But when the child complies with the will of the parent, that is the latter. All the other sutras are examples of preaching in accordance with the minds of others, because, when expounding them, the Buddha adjusted himself to the minds of all other living beings. But the Lotus Sutra is an example of preaching in accordance with the Buddha’s own mind, because in it the Buddha had all living beings comply with his own mind.

The various other sutras represent the teachings of the Buddha, but if one puts faith in them, then one is simply following the minds of ordinary people and will never be able to attain Buddhahood. The Lotus Sutra is both the teaching of the Buddha and the embodiment of the Buddha wisdom. If one puts sincere faith in each character and brushstroke in it, then one will become a Buddha in one’s present form. For example, a piece of white paper becomes black when dipped in black ink, and black lacquer turns white when white liquid is poured into it. Just as poison turns into medicine, so do ordinary individuals change into Buddhas. Accordingly we call it the wonderful Law.

And yet the people of today, of both high and low station, look with contempt upon Shakyamuni Buddha, their father in the present world, and instead revere Amida or Mahāvairochana, strangers with whom they have no connection at all. In doing so, are they not lacking in filial piety? Are they not slanderers of the Law? When I say this, however, all the people of Japan join together in reviling me. And it is quite natural that they should, for the crooked piece of wood hates the p.970straightness of the inking line that marks it for cutting, and the dishonest man is not pleased with the honest administration of government.

During the reigns of the ninety-one human sovereigns of our country, there have been twenty-six persons who committed treason. Among them were men such as Prince ƌyama and ƌishi no Omaru, as well as Masakado, Sumitomo, and the Evil Minister of the Left.8 When these men concealed themselves in the mountain forests of Yoshino or of the Totsu River, or went into hiding in the waters around Tsukushi and Chinzei, the warriors in every nearby village and the natives of every island in the region set out to attack them. But the distinguished sages, as well as the priests, nuns, and women of the various mountains, temples, and shrines, did not regard them as their particular enemies. In the case of myself, however, men and women of high and low station, as well as nuns, priests, and distinguished sages, all look upon me as their particular enemy.

The reason is this: All people are concerned about their next lifetime, but the priests and nuns, who would appear to ponder more deeply about this than other men and women, in fact set aside the matter of rebirth in the pure land and merely act as guides in helping people get through this present lifetime. Wise persons and sages are also given to insisting that they are correct and superior to others, that they are heirs to the teachings of a certain founder, and that they have legitimate claim to a certain domain. They place great emphasis upon fame and personal gain, and give little thought to any kind of serious search for the way.

And so, when I, neither hesitating to speak out nor fearing others, tell them frankly that they are ignorant persons who have misunderstood the true meaning of the Buddhist teachings, and that they are slanderers of the Law; when I deliver a sharp rebuke to them, mindful of the Thus Come One’s golden words “You should realize that that monk is betraying the Buddha’s teaching”9 and trusting in the passage of scripture that reads, “We will be envoys of the World-Honored One, facing the assembly without fear”;10 when I do this, censuring those who “suppose they have attained what they have not attained, being proud and boastful in heart,”11 then how can they fail to turn upon me with hatred and jealousy?

Thus, throughout the seven reigns of the heavenly deities, the five reigns of the earthly deities, and the more than ninety reigns of the human sovereigns of Japan, no one can match me in the degree to which, for the sake of the Lotus Sutra, I am detested by the three types of enemies. It was no ordinary connection that led you to visit such a man, one who is hated by all persons of both high and low station. Perhaps it is because you were my parent in a previous existence or my brother sometime in the past that you were moved to visit me. Or perhaps it is because you established profound ties with the Lotus Sutra in the past, and the seeds that will lead you to become a Buddha have matured in this present age, that busy as you are in your capacity as a lay member of society you have found time from your public duties to give thought to me.

In addition, your journey from the province of Tƍtƍmi to Mount Minobu here in the district of Hakiri in Kai Province is over three hundred ri, and the lodgings along the way must have been wretched. Ascending the ridges, you came out into the light of the sun or the moon, but descending into the ravines, you must have felt as though you were entering a pit. The currents in the rivers are as swift as an arrow, and the large stones carried along in them prevent men and horses from p.971crossing. Boats are as perilous as scraps of paper cast on the water. The men one encounters on such a journey are rough woodcutters, and the women are like female mountain demons. The trail is as narrow as a rope, and the trees are as dense as grass. What ties from past existences could have led you to pay me a visit in such a place as this? Shakyamuni Buddha must have led you by the hand, with Shakra as the horse you rode on, Brahmā as your companion, and the sun and moon acting as your eyes along the way. Thank you, thank you for your extraordinary efforts!

There are many other things I would like to say, but I have caught a cold and am feeling quite miserable, so I will end here.

Nichiren

The second day of the fifth month in the second year of Kƍan (1279), cyclical sign tsuchinoto-u

Reply to Niike

Background

This letter, written at Minobu in the fifth month of 1279.

Scenes from the movie, “The Little Buddha” that depicts the Enlightenment and defeat of Mara (King Devil) by Gautama Buddha sitting under the Bodhi tree

I am not a complex person. I care about very few things but if I do care, I care a lot. The Lord is the number one thing I care about because the happiness I receive in the other things I care about, are all connected to The Lord. What I attempt to do each day, is to give The Lord my best efforts. In doing this, I accomplish a lot for those that depend on me. Sometimes I come to a place where I don’t have the answer. It’s a problem I can’t solve
no matter how hard I try. I call it my personal “red sea”. I pray and have faith. I do not remember when it didn’t part, allowing me to witness the problem being solved and myself to move on. Over the years as this continues to happen, my faith continues to grow.

Many years ago, something bad happened. I didn’t lose my faith but continued on. Years later, something great happened that never would have happened, had the bad thing not happened years earlier. This again increases my faith to keep on keepin on.

My advice to all is; Love The Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. Give The Lord and those that count on you
your very best efforts. Place yourself in the back of the line, having faith. The neatest thing you’ll learn over time is, you can not outgive The Lord and you will surely be a blessed person.

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There was a time in my early life when I became very aware of how pure hearted people with a pure faith were different from religious people who wrangled over religious terms and argued over intellectual interpretations and rigid denominational dogma.

It pained me to see how easily, disputes began between people of different sects/denominations.

I was about 4 yrs old in CA when my father called his mother in Nashvillle to wish her happy birthday and put me on the phone with her for a few minutes. Out of the blue she told me proudly, "Your Granddaddy (who passed away when my father was only 15yrs old), “refused to shake hands with Booker T Washington and how she had to chase Darkies out of the chicken coup with a broom!”'. My father who could hear her talking, looked like he regretted putting me on the phone with his mother and took the receiver and wished her Happy Birthday again and hung up.

I had a list of my most important interests and connections, My favorite Movies were Cecil B Demille, The Ten Commandments and Samson and Delilah, his silent Films then later, William Wylers film, Ben Hur. My mother, taught me about movies and music and I was obsessed by biblical epics, gospel and classical music and books, that conveyed deep revelatory experience. Jesus was my complete focus.

At the time I was attending Lutheran church and Sunday school–my Mom’s religion. She grew up in, in Wisconsin. Both my parents and later siblings attended. At age 11 I attended “Confirmation Class” with our Pastor and was confirmed.

When I was 15 yrs, I was in my school library when I was reading history books, when I leaned against a tall, wood, bookcase and bumped the bookcase a book, fell off the top, and landed on my head and bounced onto my table and opened to a page with an entry on “Gautama Sakyamuni Buddha
” I sat down and read it and at the end thought, “my gosh, an earlier Jesus.”. These early life experiences led me to realize that Jesus was a Buddha and I studied history and language and the more I knew, the more I knew that things are not quite so cut and dried as what was taught I’m Bible class—nor in science class and that was OK. The truth of things was not dogma, but direct experience and pure faith.

My Church of Christ Grandmother would insult my mom over her Lutheranism saying smugly, “you’ll learn!”. Disunity of believers was a key element of concern for correct understanding.

In my life, it was Jesus who led me to true Mahayana Buddhism and the Lotus Sutra. I found that Jesus is a Bodhisattva and a Buddha who lived in The Middle Day of the Law. (Zoho).

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Keep in mind what I call “the current of the times”. My grandmother would refer to young black babies as “N” babies and yet, she had a beautiful soul. When she was young and her “play-doh” was soft, those whose fingers shaped her, left these dimples of the times on her that she carried forward in her life. I do not hold it against her because I know it was a leftover from her time of formation.

In this life and on my journey, like you, I encounter hate. What I’ve discovered is, how weak it is. It has no basis in logic or in scripture. I hold fast to my faith, engage but maintain my direction. I think of myself as a simple lit match. Who can see it? It’s just a small match but as things around me get darker, it becomes more visible to those there in the darkness with me. I believe this is The Lord’s intent for all of us who have been truly baptized by the Holy Spirit. Let Jesus who abides in me be the “Light” for others to see and hopefully come to. The motivation is love, not any hate of any kind. I wish this Blessing and happiness for all.

This past weekend I went to a birthday party and celebrated the 92nd birthday of the daughter of my grandmother. This lady is still mentally strong and physically capable. Again
I am truly blessed because this unbelievable lady
is my mother who helped shape my play-doh.

Keep on keepin on rp5x5. I read your posts and you have a good heart. My compliments in enduring through these crazy times we’re in. This very thread is a good example and again
my compliments.

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Our problem in this country stem from Liberals removing Faith from schools and wanting to replace God with their version of Karma.
They start early and mold ones “Soul” to their warped liking.
Faith gives people strenght to overcome the life’s obstacles and Liberals will have none of that but subject people to a life of dependancy so they can control them.

They start early like in the kindrgarden and it culminates in the Unis where they spew out brainwashed zombies like we see today on parade.

Jesus taught karma.
There is only one karmic Law.

Karma in this culture and generally in the world is not understood well.

Cause and Effect (karma) is not something to criticize as if it’s a leftwing goof. “Karma” is the Supreme law. You reap what you sow.

Faith sows good harvest and confronts evil karma directly.

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Then the Buddha King Wisdom of the Pure Flower Constellation addressed
the Bodhisattva Wonder Sound: “Do not look lightly on that domain or conceive a low
opinion of it. Good son! That saha-world with its high and low [places] is uneven and full of earth, stones, hills, and filth; the body of the Buddha is short and small, and all
the bodhisattvas are small of stature,whereas your body is forty-two thousand yojanas
[high] and my body six million, eight hundred thousand yojanas. Your body is of the
finest order, [blessed with] hundreds of thousands of myriads of felicities, and of a wonderful brightness. Therefore on going there do not look lightly on that domain,
nor conceive a low opinion of the Buddha, nor of the bodhisattvas, nor of [their]
country.”
The Bodhisattva Wonder Sound replied to that buddha: “World-honored one!
That I now go to visit the saha-world is all due to the Tathagata’s power, the
Tathagata’s magic play, and the Tathagata’s adornment of merit and wisdom.”
Thereupon the Bodhisattva Wonder Sound, without rising from his seat and
without stirring his body, entered into contemplation. By the power of his
contemplation, on Mount Gridhrakuta, not far distant from the Law seat, there
appeared in transformation eighty-four thousand precious lotus flowers with stalks of
jambunada gold, leaves of white silver, stamens of diamond, and cups of kimshuka
gems. "
from the Lotus Sutra, Wonder Sound chapter

That was a great post, Smyrna.

I have had the same experiences and agree with you 100%

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Buddha Shakamumi is quoted by Nichiren, from the “Benevolent Kings Sutra” and the “Great Collection Sutra”:

"Great King, the region where my teachings now hold sway consists of one billion Sumeru worlds with one billion suns and moons. Each of these Sumeru worlds comprises four continents. In the southern continent of Jambudvīpa, there are sixteen great states, five hundred middle-sized states, and ten thousand small states. In these states, seven types of fearful disasters may occur. All the rulers of these states agree that these are indeed disasters. What, then, are these disasters?

“When the sun and moon depart from their regular courses, when the seasons come in the wrong order, when a red sun or a black sun appears, when two, three, four, or five suns appear at the same time, when the sun is eclipsed and loses its light, or when one, two, three, four, or five coronas appear around the sun, this is the first disaster.

“When the twenty-eight constellations do not move in their regular courses, when the Metal Star,18 the Broom Star, the Wheel Star, the Demon Star, the Fire Star, the Water Star, the Wind Star, the Ladle Star, the Southern Dipper, the Northern Dipper, the great stars of the Five Garrisons, and all the many stars that govern the ruler, the three high ministers, and the hundred officials—when each of these stars manifests some peculiar behavior, this is the second disaster.

“When huge fires consume the nation, and the people are all burned to death, or when there are outbreaks of demon fire, dragon fire, heavenly fire, mountain god fire, human fire, tree fire, or bandit fire19—when these prodigies appear, this is the third disaster.

“When huge floods drown the population; when the seasons come out of order and there is rain in winter, snow in summer, thunder and lightning in winter, and ice, frost, and hail in the sixth month;20 when red, black, or green rain falls; when mountains of dirt and stones come raining down, or when it rains dust, sand, or gravel; when the rivers and streams run backward; when mountains are afloat and boulders are washed away—when freakish happenings of this kind occur, this is the fourth disaster.

“When huge winds blow the people to their death, and the lands, the mountains and rivers, and the trees and forests are all at one time wiped out; when great winds come out of season, or when black winds, red winds, green winds, heavenly winds, earthly winds, fire winds, and water p.10winds blow21—when prodigies of this kind occur, this is the fifth disaster.

“When heaven and earth and the whole country are stricken by terrible heat so that the air seems to be on fire, when the hundred plants wither and the five kinds of grain22 fail to ripen, when the earth is red and scorched and the inhabitants all perish—when prodigies of this kind occur, this is the sixth disaster.

“When enemies rise up on all four sides and invade the nation, when rebels appear in the capital and the outlying regions, when there are fire bandits, water bandits, wind bandits, and demon bandits,23 and the population is subjected to devastation and disorder, and fighting and plundering break out everywhere—when prodigies of this type occur, this is the seventh disaster.”

The Great Collection Sutra says: “Though for countless existences in the past the ruler of a state may have practiced the giving of alms, observed the precepts, and cultivated wisdom, if he sees that my teaching is in danger of perishing and stands idly by without doing anything to protect it, then all the inestimable roots of goodness that he has planted through the practices just mentioned will be entirely wiped out, and his country will become the scene of three inauspicious occurrences. The first is high grain prices, the second is warfare, and the third is epidemics. All the benevolent deities will abandon the country, and although the ruler may issue commands, the people will not obey them. The country will constantly be invaded and vexed by neighboring nations. Violent fires will rage out of control, fierce winds and rains will abound, the waters will swell and overflow, and the inhabitants will be blown about by winds or swept away by floods. The paternal and maternal relatives of the ruler will join in plotting revolt. Before long, the ruler will fall gravely ill, and after his life has come to an end, he will be reborn in the great hell
 And the same fate will befall the ruler’s consort, his heir, the high ministers of the state, the lords of cities, the village heads and generals, the magistrates of districts, and the other officials.”

Quoted in the Securing the Peace in tne Land —Rissho Ankoku Ron written by Nichiren in 1260AD

Nichiren Daishonin writes in a letter known as “On Omens”:

"Strange occurrences in the heavens frighten all people, and calamities on earth disturb everyone. When the Buddha was about to expound the Lotus Sutra, he caused the five omens and the six omens1 to appear.

Of these, the omen of the earth shaking indicates that the earth trembled in six different ways. Interpreting these in the third volume2 of his Hokke Mongu, the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai states: "[One of the six is that] the east rises and the west falls. The eastern quarter corresponds to the color green and governs the liver, which in turn governs the eyes. The western quarter corresponds to the color white and governs the lungs, which in turn govern the nose.

Hence, the east rising and the west falling indicate that the benefit of the eyes appears, and in response, the earthly desires of the nose disappear.

Similarly, when the benefits of the nose appear, in response, the earthly desires of the eyes disappear. In like manner, the rise and fall of the other directions signify the appearance of benefit and the disappearance of earthly desires with respect to the other sensory organs."

Concerning this, the Great Teacher Miao-lo says: “The directions signify the six sense organs. It is already established that the eyes and the nose represent, respectively, east and west. It follows, then, that the ears and the tongue correspond, respectively, to north and south. The center corresponds to the mind, while the four directions indicate the body. The body is endowed with the four sense organs, and the mind is connected to all four. Hence the mind induces rise or fall with respect to [the sensory functions of] the body.”

The ten directions are “environment” (eho), and sentient beings are “life” (shoho). Environment is like the shadow, and life, the body. Without the
body there can be no shadow. Similarly, without life, environment cannot exist, even though life is supported by its environment. The eyes correspond to the eastern quarter. From this we also know that the tongue corresponds to the southern quarter, the nose to the western quarter, the ears to the northern quarter, the body to all four quarters, and the mind to the center.

Therefore, when the people’s five sense organs are disordered, the four quarters as well as the center will be startled and shaken, and as signs of the consequent destruction of the land, mountains will collapse, grasses and trees wither and rivers run dry.

When the people’s eyes, ears and other sense organs are confused and disturbed, extraordinary changes occur in the heavens, and when their minds are agitated, the earth quakes."

(from “On Omens,” from Major Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Volume One.)

Buddhism is more then just belief and is the opposite of superstition, but many people do not understand when they study Buddhism what is spoken of in
terms of verbal means and what is really referred to.

Above, the Daishonin is defining the ten directions of space as originating within the center of
the human being. He describes Esho Funi, the oneness of the person with the environment and explains that a corrupted mind and corrupted collective mind causes the disharmony and suffering rampant in the world. Even if we are polite and follow rules just practicing for our self, nothing will be accomplished. Life will just go by.

Adhering to superstitious ideas and missing the real meaning of these kind of explanations confuses the meanings of religion, yet even ignorant people can become enlightened.

The commies think everyone against them are nazis and the nazis think every one is a commie. All this started in Europe. It’s weirdo karma from past lives.

“Oh Wondersound, if, on going to that little Saha World on the edge of the Milky Way Galaxy, please remember not to despise them just because they are puny beings, living in this dusty rocky world, of uneven places and beings of short stature. Even the Messiah/Buddha himself, in that world is a mere 5 or 6 feet tall and you here are 42, 000 Yojanas* feet tall and I am 6,000,000, and 800,000 Yojanas* tall. You can go there if you ask.”

Wondersound says, “I go because of the workings of the Eternal secret, True Apparatus of the Tathagata.”

To the Earth, he left, taking with him 84,000 shining ones.

Do not despise that world, despite it’s idiocy.

*“1 Yojana = 16000 Hastasx24/18 = 21333.33 Hastas = 42667 feet Thus 1 Yojana = 42667/5279 = 8 miles To justify reductions in scale, Vamsidhara observes that yojana is defined on the basis of human body, Thus a yojana is 16000 hastas and a hasta is 24 finger widths.”

There were far more trade and cultural contacts between the Roman world and India than most people realize. Alexander the Great created an empire that stretched between eastern Mediterranean and northern India. Greco-Indian Buddhist empires continued for several hundreds of years after Alexander and were involved in the development of the Silk Road that connected China and the Roman Empire.

Greek traders connected the Mediterranean to the spice markets of southern India. According to tradition, the apostle Thomas came on the trade routes and started Christian Churches that continue to this day.

This BBC documentary explores the history and visits many of the historical sites in India and Central Asia.

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Some local Indian traditions insist that Jesus Christ retired to India after his crucifixion and live until about 80 years old, as a married man with children.

Interesting mold of his feet on the gravestone. :thinking:

Suzanne Olsson who was trying for years to have DNA at Rozabal tested, but was denied and her Visa cancelled. She passed away in 2022. Her co-author Fida Hassain passed away in 2016.

The Srinigar {Kashmir) Islamic sect, the Jesus in Ahmadiyya - Wikipedia began the Jesus in Kashmir beliefs. Olsson had DNA studies done on native people in Kashmir and the findings were interesting.

The Lotus Sutra of Mahayana Buddhism, was compiled from oral sources at councils that took place in Kashmir in the 1st/2nd century.

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"asogi ko, Jo zai ryojusen Gyu yo sho jusho.

Shujo ken ko jin Dai ka sho sho ji, Ga shi do

annon, Tennin jo juman. Onrin sho dokaku

Shuju ho shogon, Hoju ta keka, Shujo sho

yuraku. Sho ten gyaku tenku, Jo sas-shu

gigaku, U mandara ke, San butsu gyu daishu.

Ga jodo fu ki, Ni shu ken sho jin, Ufu sho kuno,

Nyo ze shetsu juman."

English:

"In the Innumerable kotis of aeons

I have been on Grdhrakuta

And in various other lands.

Though mankind should see the aeons end,

And the world consumed in flames,

Yet this spot shall be in peace,

Filled with gods and men.

Gardens and palaces adorned with gems,

Trees of treasure laden with fruit –

A place where all amuse themselves.

Above, the gods strike heavenly drums –

A ceaseless rhythmic strain.

On the Buddhas and his people

Mandaras fall like rain.

While my pure land rests untouched,

Men, scorched in flames of lust,

See the world filled to o’erflow

With countless sorrow, fears and woe."