A NEW RELIGION
  • Intro
  • A) Seven Themes
    • I. Relating to the above
    • 2. The Premise
    • 3. You know the truth
    • 4. There is meaning
    • 5. Appreciation and humility
    • 6. Help
    • 7. Living
    • A) Commentary
  • B) Realizations
    • 1. Realizations Introduction
    • 2. Aspects
    • 3. Roots of the New Religion
    • 4. My journey just to God
    • 5. Meditation and talking to God
    • 6. Christianity
    • 7. Judaism and Islam
    • 8. Local Indigenous and Eastern traditions
    • 9. New Age Individualism Isolation Evolution Devolution
    • 10. Gravitational Bands and The American Indian
    • 11. Transcendentalism and Deism
    • B) Commentary
  • C) Information
    • 1. Three Religions Judaism Rosenzweig History Torah 1.A thru E
    • 2. Three Religions Judaism Evidence 1.F thu L
    • 3. Three Religions Moses Torah Exodus 2.A thru C
    • 4. Three Religions Judaism Exodus Mythicism 2.D thu E
    • 5. Christianity Intro Versions Timing Sources 3.A thru C
    • 6. Christianity Arguments For and Against 3. D. thru J
    • 7. Christianity. Mythicist - Atwill 3. K thru L
    • 8. Islam-Sadar Ali Bukhsh-4.A thru C
    • 9. Islam: Hussein, Ali essays - Pro/con research 4.D thru K
    • 10. Islam: Nevo, Koren, Spencer 4.L. thru P
    • 11. Islam: Spencer, Mizrachi, Lewis, 4.Q thru U. 5. Summary
    • C) Commentary
  • General Comments
  • Wisdom/Truths
  • Contact
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Wisdom/Truths

Various writings and poetry from sages and thinkers from the past and present with some emphasis upon Judaic   sources are shown.  The purpose is to enliven and stimulate our spiritual sensibilities on many levels.  This is one..  While 'A New Religion' seeks to relate to the above in a fresh way, these writings are part of the soil that can nourish this effort..

Dangerous gazing:  Teachings of the sages

12/20/2017

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15.
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(After the second Temple was burned to the ground the Jews scattered to foreign lands and the rabbinic traditions began.  The attempts were to hold on the the essence of the teachings yet adapt to various locations.  Often the rabbinic traditions get criticized because they were commentary on the orginal writings, or Torah.  Hence, they were seen as too far removed from the original texts.  However, one can see in their writings subtleties which apply to life with true understanding.  The many interpretations and to the scope of human experience.

One can see in this tradition how one statement can lead another person to dig within themselves to find various truths from experience and observation.  We can all benefit from this?


Pirket Avot”  Teachings of the Sages

2:16   

Can our gaze ruin someone's life?  Rabbi Joshua warns that it can, describing the power of erasure and absence that one person can impose upon another.


Commentary on 2:16 from Siddur

There is a gaze that sees what is not there, a gaze of absence that a person is capable of bringing into the world, looking at what is and noting most especially what is lacking.  This erasing gaze is treated by Rabbi Joshua as the opposite of faith.  Opposite faith stands erasure.  In opposition to the gaze of faith, which calls on every creature to grow, stands the indifferent, erasing gaze of evil.  The begrudging eye—an evil look that empties out what is, the evil impulse—evil that directs itself toward destruction of what is, hatred of one's fell human beings—going about in the world just wishing everyone would disappear.

It is no surprise at all that in Hebrew the two words er(awake, ayin-resh) and ra (evil, resh-ayin) are reverse twins.  Together they map out the axis of faith and Jewish ethics one should be awake to the possibility that exist within each person, within each moment; one should find in oneself and all encounters some small measure of good, some hint of what can be redeemed, some possibility of growth.  Without that generous, awakened gaze, we become selfish and our view of the world becomes sour and toxic.
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  • Intro
  • A) Seven Themes
    • I. Relating to the above
    • 2. The Premise
    • 3. You know the truth
    • 4. There is meaning
    • 5. Appreciation and humility
    • 6. Help
    • 7. Living
    • A) Commentary
  • B) Realizations
    • 1. Realizations Introduction
    • 2. Aspects
    • 3. Roots of the New Religion
    • 4. My journey just to God
    • 5. Meditation and talking to God
    • 6. Christianity
    • 7. Judaism and Islam
    • 8. Local Indigenous and Eastern traditions
    • 9. New Age Individualism Isolation Evolution Devolution
    • 10. Gravitational Bands and The American Indian
    • 11. Transcendentalism and Deism
    • B) Commentary
  • C) Information
    • 1. Three Religions Judaism Rosenzweig History Torah 1.A thru E
    • 2. Three Religions Judaism Evidence 1.F thu L
    • 3. Three Religions Moses Torah Exodus 2.A thru C
    • 4. Three Religions Judaism Exodus Mythicism 2.D thu E
    • 5. Christianity Intro Versions Timing Sources 3.A thru C
    • 6. Christianity Arguments For and Against 3. D. thru J
    • 7. Christianity. Mythicist - Atwill 3. K thru L
    • 8. Islam-Sadar Ali Bukhsh-4.A thru C
    • 9. Islam: Hussein, Ali essays - Pro/con research 4.D thru K
    • 10. Islam: Nevo, Koren, Spencer 4.L. thru P
    • 11. Islam: Spencer, Mizrachi, Lewis, 4.Q thru U. 5. Summary
    • C) Commentary
  • General Comments
  • Wisdom/Truths
  • Contact