Today, I'll offer a few thoughts on:
- Israel's karma
- A secret even bigger than Israel's nuclear arsenal: Successful efforts to create humanoid life
- The concept of "nation"
- The nature of the "god" embraced by the Jews
Israel's Karma
Countries are bound by the law of karmic reward and retribution - just as individual people are. When people die, their karmic status doesn't disappear - it gets carried over to their next incarnations. When countries die, it gets a bit more complicated. For a country's boundaries can remain roughly the same, but the living essence of what comprises a country can change radically. For instance, the Spain that had numerous colonies and great wealth once upon a time is quite different from the Spain that exists today - a Spain struggling with high unemployment and a much reduced influence in the affairs of Europe.
At this point, it would be helpful to keep in mind what the word "karma" means. According to the Wikipedia article on karma:
Karma means action, work or deed;[1] it also refers to the principle of
causality where intent and actions of an individual influence the future
of that individual.[2]"
From this definition, it's easy to see that what one thinks ("intent") has a place right alongside action. If one is delusional, then he may be forgiven a flawed intent and actions based on that intent. But not entirely forgiven. If evil actions are committed by a delusional person, the karmic retribution to be suffered by that person will serve to teach him a valuable lesson. In that way, his future intent won't be as heavily influenced by delusions. It's unfortunate that this future might occur after this lifetime. If this turns out to be the case with a critical mass of the Jewish people, then the fortunes of the state of Israel will suffer a dramatic reversal. That would be only a matter of time.
In the name of backtracking from that critical mass, it's never too late to make efforts toward enlightenment.
I'm speaking primarily of the siege mentality casting a pall over a majority of the Jews living in Israel as well as in the illegal settlements - which is all of them. Not to mention, how shabbily they are treating their half-brothers living in the Occupied Territories. [Same father, Abraham; different mothers, Hagar and Sarah.] To be sure, those half-brothers would treat Israel's Jews just as shabbily if the balance of power were to be reversed. But sometimes a more effective use of power is to be the first to extend the hand of friendship, even though one might be powerful enough to insist on the status quo.
To their very great advantage, though, the Jews of the world are far from being one monolithic entity. That might explain why Israel does not permit Jews living abroad, that is with few exceptions, to vote in Israel's elections. The Jews living in other countries simply represent a group that is, generally speaking, far more diverse and liberal in its outlook than those living in Israel. As for the Right of Return, non-Israeli Jews in large numbers don't want to move to Israel since they're perfectly at home in their current environments.
The karma of Israel is also being influenced by the profound influence that Buddhist thought has on many young and disillusioned Jews. Those who consider themselves to be Jewish only in terms of tribal identity sense that something is fundamentally wrong in the worldviews of avowedly religious Jews.
A secret even bigger than Israel's nuclear arsenal
That secret is: Israel's successful efforts to create humanoid life. They look like us, they talk and act like us, but they're man-made "human" beings. To use an ancient term, they are Golems. But because of huge advances in medical technology, in large part inspired by the work of Nazis like Dr. Mengele, there were vast improvements in what might be called Golem-creation technology. Israel's secret program to create a Golem was prompted by a belief, common among secular Israeli Jews, that the God of the Hebrews had failed to prevent the Holocaust. So these seculars decided that some type of supernatural intervention, which they themselves could control, was needed.
By the way, this "God of the Hebrews" was not the God who created the universe (Who, BTW, doesn't exist since the universe wasn't created - it always was and always will be), an idea embraced (though never publicly) by the seculars. More on that in the last section of this post.
In the name of provoking the deep-think on this issue, I direct you to two links - one of which is to an article I'd posted earlier on this blog:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golem
http://ind4prez2012.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-golem-of-chicago-rahm-emanuel.html
The Concept of "nation"
I have grave misgivings concerning the concepts of nation, national sovereignty, and tribal identity. These three constitute the greatest threats to peace and, even, the continued existence of mankind. Because of my concerns here, I renounced my USA citizenship over three years ago, designating myself as a citizen of Greater Terra instead. That's just an airy way of saying, "I'm now a citizen of the world, which I feel should be regarded as one nation."
As for what I consider to be the ideal form of government, that would be a form of kingship. Ideally, a Buddha would be the king and his subjects would be everybody in his realm whom he is trying to manifest their own buddhahood.
I feel that the Israeli Jews in particular have made a grievous error in how they perceive nationhood and any greatness that might accrue to it. I offer two quotes immediately following this link:
http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/8176/jewish/Chapter-12.htm
QUOTE
2. And I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will aggrandize your name, and [you shall] be a blessing.
:UNQUOTE.
Regarding what I yellowed above, how can one person ("you," that is, Abraham) be made into a nation, great or otherwise? The idea of a particular person ("you") being a nation is forcefully conveyed in a statement attributed to King Louis XIV: "The state? I am the state." It's ironic, though, that this same king on his deathbed, as advice given to his heir, said:
"Do not follow the bad example which I have set you; I have often
undertaken war too lightly and have sustained it for vanity. Do not
imitate me, but be a peaceful prince, and may you apply yourself
principally to the alleviation of the burdens of your subjects."[86]*
And this from a king regarded by many as great. It's too bad his enlightenment came so late in his life. The negative karma King Louis's "bad example" created in his role as king-state wrought havoc on France, especially in the forms of two world wars in which it suffered greatly.
QUOTE:
7. And the Lord appeared to Abram, and He said, "To your seed I will give this land," and there he built an altar to the Lord, Who had appeared to him.
:UNQUOTE.
The "seed" referred to had to be Isaac and Ishmael. Unfortunately, it appears the Bible makes "clear" that only Isaac was the intended. But...it might be useful to remember that God did not write the Bible, that the only words in God's own handwriting were the Ten Commandments, which are silent on this matter.
It would have been better for world history had not Abraham sent his son Ishmael and Hagar out into the desert to die, for that was surely his intention. If instead a way, through good parenting and God's guidance, could have been found to unify Ishmael and Isaac in the the bonds of brotherly love, we today might have ended up having that "great nation" which was promised but remains elusive to this day. God's guidance simply wasn't there. And Abraham was such a mentally disturbed person, his fatal flaws infect his followers to this day.
The nature of the "god" embraced by the Jews
"I am a jealous God...I am an angry God." No wonder so many have abandoned this particular deity. And, yes, to be sure: He is not the only God out there. Even in Buddhist literature, untold trillions of gods are said to exist. Just as there are untold trillions of Buddhas, who are marked by such tranquility that they never get angry or jealous. As for all of those gods out there, their deepest heartfelt desire is to attain the highest goal - to become fully enlightened Buddhas.
A friend of mine once claimed: "Whoever caused Noah's flood wasn't God, since (in His desire to destroy the sinful) He killed untold millions of animals. That was not God-like behavior and is unforgivable."
Also, this God accepted and was pleased by burnt offerings. Again, innocent animals are made to suffer.
Then there's the interesting case of the siege of Jericho, in which the victorious Jews killed every man, woman, and child, excepting the harlot Rahab and her family because she had sheltered Jewish spies within Jericho. But the victorious had no problem killing all of Jericho's ox, sheep, and asses because they thought they were following God's commands. It would be too easy to say, "They should have done a little more thinking before slaying." But who wants to question the favor bestowed by some supernatural force who might well have been a devil? And, yes, Buddhism speaks of many devils, some of whom serve to protect the Buddhist Law. I guess that means, there's good in even the worst.
Given the God-awful behavior of the God of the Jews, I can easily understand why the more ponderous among them are attracted to the Buddha. For he never favored anybody in particular, saying, "I have no mind to love one thing or hate another." It is the vow of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas to save and protect all living things. So a Buddha never would have done anything as loathsome as causing a Great Flood or approved of eating meat.
There are Jews in Israel who strongly disapprove of the behavior of their fellow tribalists. Members of "Not in my name" come to mind. And they do more than just disapprove. I can only hope and pray that large numbers of them are also Buddhists (or soon shall be), though perhaps only secretly. Much work toward change has to be done, and better sooner than later.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Steven Searle, just another member of
The Virtual Samgha of the Lotus and
Former Candidate for USA President (in 2008 & 2012)
Contact me at bpa_cinc@yahoo.com
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