Holy Scriptures

[Faith III]

Feel free to share your favourite religious texts and the quotes/teachings it contains.

To start it off, I'll drop a few gems:

Gospel of Matthew 7:1 - "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."

Qur'an 18:109 - "Say, "If the ocean were ink for the words of my Lord, the ocean would run out, before the words of my Lord run out, even if we double the ink supply."

Bhagavad Gita - "The mind acts like an enemy for those who do not control it."

Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 821 - "I was wonderstruck and astonished, when I looked inside; I cannot even describe its glory and grandeur. I am intoxicated and enraptured with it, and I am wrapped in it, through and through. ||1|| No worldly entanglements or snares can trap me, and no trace of egotistical pride remains. You are the highest of the high, and no curtain separates us; I am Yours, and You are mine. ||2||"


You don't even have to believe in what's being written but just feel the words. Mesmerising!

 

[Jane_the_Bane]

Gospel of Mark 8,36
"What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?"

Tao Te Ch'ing, chapter 1:
"The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao
The name that can be named is not the eternal name
The nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth
The named is the mother of myriad things
Thus, constantly without desire, one observes its essence
Constantly with desire, one observes its manifestations
These two emerge together but differ in name
The unity is said to be the mystery
Mystery of mysteries, the door to all wonders"

Liber Al vel Legis, ch. 1, 29-30:
"For I am divided for love's sake, for the chance of union.
This is the creation of the world, that the pain of division is as nothing, and the joy of dissolution all."

Meister Eckhart:
"There exists only the present instant... a Now which always and without end is itself new. There is no yesterday nor any tomorrow, but only Now, as it was a thousand years ago and as it will be a thousand years hence. "

 

[Jane_the_Bane]

By the way, Faith III:

I know next to nothing about Sikhism, and even Wikipedia is not particularly helpful in outlining the actual, specific beliefs of that particular religion, apart from describing it as a monotheistic faith born of a combination of Islamic and Indian thought.

 

[Rajni]

“Adore Me only with heart undistracted; turn all your thought toward solitude, spurning the noise of the crowd, its fruitless commotion.” ~Lord Krishna, BG 13:10

"God gives the Spirit without limit." ~ John 3:34

"God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us." ~ 1 Corinthians 12:6

 

[awitch]

LTS-4: "A man's prayers are his own business."

 

[Forge3]

1 Corinthians 13
New International Version (NIV)
13 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

 

[Thetruefaith]

Hi i'm new here, and as a muslim, i would like to share some verses from the Qura'an if you don't mind

1- Qura'an-Taha-Verse 124 (And whoever turns away from My remembrance - indeed, he will have a depressed life, and We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection blind.)

2- Qura'an - Alnour(The Light) -Verse 40 (or, they are like darkness upon a deep sea covered with a wave above which is another wave, above which are clouds, darkness piled one upon the other; when he stretches out his hand he can scarcely see it. indeed, to whomsoever allah assigns no light, he shall have no light.)

 

[SanFrank]

Ben sira 6.10 "Be like a father to orphans, and provide widows with the help their husbands can no longer give them. Then you will be like a child of the Most High, and he will love you more than your own mother does."

Isaiah 53 "Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand."

Sura 3.2 "allah' no god but he, the living one" (biblical lord)

 

[Illuminaughty]

Liber Al vel Legis, ch. 1, 29-30:
"For I am divided for love's sake, for the chance of union.
This is the creation of the world, that the pain of division is as nothing, and the joy of dissolution all."

The most profound statement in the text imo.

 

[Eudaimonist]

I should only believe in a God that would know how to dance.
-- Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra

 

[Illuminaughty]

I like this one too:

We are all better artists than we realize
Nietzsche

 

[Arthra]

Since the first quote was on judging I thought I'd offer some selections from the Baha'i Writings on that:

By the righteousness of God! Ye shall hear all things proclaim: 'Verily, He the True One is come. Blessed are they that judge with fairness, and blessed they that turn towards Him!'"

(Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 65)


Judge fairly, I adjure thee, and arise to serve thy Lord. He, verily, shall reward thee with a reward which neither the treasures of the earth nor all the possessions of kings and rulers can equal.

(Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 76)

GOD, the True One, testifieth and the Revealers of His names and attributes bear witness that Our sole purpose in raising the Call and in proclaiming His sublime Word is that the ear of the entire creation may, through the living waters of divine utterance, be purged from lying tales and become attuned to the holy, the glorious and exalted Word which hath issued forth from the repository of the knowledge of the Maker of the Heavens and the Creator of Names. Happy are they that judge with fairness.

(Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 21)

 

[Eudaimonist]

I like this one too:

We are all better artists than we realize
Nietzsche

That's a good one. I'm tempted to post the prayer Conan makes to his god Crom in the original Conan movie, but I think its beauty would be lost on most of the posters here.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[Faith III]

By the way, Faith III:

I know next to nothing about Sikhism, and even Wikipedia is not particularly helpful in outlining the actual, specific beliefs of that particular religion, apart from describing it as a monotheistic faith born of a combination of Islamic and Indian thought.

A general preconceived idea of Sikhism would be that it's an amalgam of Islam and Hinduism, however, one can find many similarities between Christianity and Islam. To say one is a derivative of another is improper. Sikhism is a sovereign faith of dharmic origin founded by Guru Nanak in the fifteenth century. After Guru Nanak followed nine other Gurus. Thereafter the tenth Guru appointed the Guru Granth Sahib as the eternal Guru. Sikhs believe in one God who is the God of all. The concept of God is best summed up in the Mool Mantar, the first ever composition uttered by Guru Nanak Dev: "God is One. He is the Supreme Truth. He the Creator, is without fear and without hate. He is immortal. He is neither born and nor does He die. By Guru's grace shall He be met. Chant And Meditate on His Name. In the beginning, He was the Truth. Throughout the ages, He has been the Truth. He is the Truth now and He shall be the Truth forever." (Guru Granth Sahib Ji, 1).

A Sikh place of worship is called a Gurdwara.

One of the major principles of Sikhism is equality of all humanity regardless of caste, colour, class, culture, gender, wealth, and religion. "All beings and creatures are His; He belongs to all." (Guru Granth Sahib Ji, 425). The Sikh Gurus taught to recognise the Lord's light within all, "In each and every heart He has infused His Light." (SGGS, 18). To demonstrate equality of all, the Gurus established langar. "Langar is free food served in all Gurdwaras, which is prepared by a Sikh congregation and then consumed by the guests while sitting at the same level on the floor next to each other since there is nothing lower than the floor. The purpose of the Langar is to both feed the needy and to eliminate any type of caste system. While eating Langar together, there remains no difference between rich and poor, superior or inferior, for all present are eating the same food at the same level. Langar is served in all Gurdwaras around the globe twenty-four hours a day."

Sikhs also believe in reincarnation, karma and jivan mukti (attaining liberation whilst alive).

The Sikh Gurus taught its disciples to practice truthful living, "Truth is higher than everything; but higher still is truthful living." (SGGS, 62.) Thus the Gurus instructed the Sikhs to do the following:

Simran - the act of rememering God
Seva - selfless service to humanity without consideration of reward
Naam Japo: Repetition of the Naam (Name of the Lord)
Kirat Karo: Work honestly by earning from the sweat of your brow
Vand Chakko: Share your fruits with others

Conquer the Five Thieves:
Kaam: Lust
Krodh: Anger
Lobh: Greediness
Moh: Attachment (to worldly things)
Ahankar: Egotism

Replace the Five Thieves with the Five Virtues:
Sat: Truthfulness
Santokh: Contentment
Daya: Compassion
Nirmata: Humility
Pyare: Love

Additionally, one must: Uphold moral values - defend, safeguard and fight for the rights of all creatures and in particular your fellow beings. A Sikh must always be prepared to give their life for all supreme principles. Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru, is an example of this. Without hesitation, he made the decision in sacrificing himself so the Hindus did not have to either be forcefully converted to Islam or face persecution as a result of not doing so. This was the ultimate sacrifice for freedom of religion. In memory of this, Guru Tegh Bahadur is referred to as the "shield of India".
Positive Attitude to Life: “Chardi Kala” – Always have a positive and optimistic and buoyant view of life.
Disciplined Life: Upon baptism, must wear the 5Ks; strict recital of the 5 prayers Banis, etc.
No Special Worship Days: Sikhs do not believe that any particular day is holier than any other
Actions Count: "According to their own actions, some are drawn closer, and some are driven farther away." (SGGS, 8.)
Living a Family Life: Encouraged to live as a householder to provide and nurture children.
Sharing: It is encouraged to share and give to charity.
Accept God's Will: Develop your personality so that you recognise happy event and miserable events as one. "One who knows that pain and pleasure are both the same, and honor and dishonor as well, who remains detached from joy and sorrow, realizes the true essence in the world. ||1|| Renounce both praise and blame; seek instead the state of Nirvaanaa. O servant Nanak, this is such a difficult game; only a few Gurmukhs understand it! ||2||1||" (SGGS, 218.)

Prohibited Behaviour:
Non-Logical Behaviour: Superstitions; rituals, which have no meaning, pilgrimages, fasting and bathing in rivers; gambling; circumcision; worship of graves, idols, pictures; compulsory wearing of the veil for women; etc
Material Obsession: (“Maya&#8221 Accumulation of materials have no meaning in Sikhism. Wealth, gold, portfolio, stocks, commodities, properties will all be left here on Earth when you depart. Do not get attached to them.
Sacrifice of Creatures: Sati – widows throwing themselves in the funeral pyre of their husbands; lamb and calf slaughter to celebrate holy occasions; etc
Non-Family Oriented Living: A Sikh is not allowed to live a recluse, beggar, yogi, monk, nun, celibate, etc
Worthless Talk: bragging, gossip, lying, etc are not permitted.
Intoxication: Drinking alcohol; Drugs; Smoking tobacco; consumption of other intoxicants, etc
No priestly Class: Sikhs do not have to depend on a priest for any of the functions that need to be performed.

Lastly, Sikhs are against actively proselytising as we promote honesty and integrity. We are to set examples and those convinced follow.

I know I've missed out a lot of info but hopefully now you have a better understanding of the Sikh faith.

 

[Sister of Faith]

The last verses of Al Kahf (the Cave): Translation of the meaning>>>>

[18:103]
Say: Shall We inform you who will be the greatest losers by their works ?

[18:104]
Those whose effort goeth astray in the life of the world, and yet they reckon that they do good work.

[18:105]
Those are they who disbelieve in the revelations of their Lord and in the meeting with Him. Therefor their works are vain, and on the Day of Resurrection We assign no weight to them.

[18:106]
That is their reward: hell, because they disbelieved, and made a jest of Our revelations and Our messengers.

[18:107]
Lo! those who believe and do good works, theirs are the Gardens of Paradise for welcome,

[18:108]
Wherein they will abide, with no desire to be removed from thence.

[18:109]
Say: Though the sea became ink for the Words of my Lord, verily the sea would be used up before the words of my Lord were exhausted, even though We brought the like thereof to help.

[18:110]
Say: I am only a mortal like you. My Lord inspireth in me that your God is only One God. And whoever hopeth for the meeting with his Lord, let him do righteous work, and make none sharer of the worship due unto his Lord.

 

[sidhe]

"Anything worthwhile is dangerous." - Victor Anderson

"White magic is whatever is pure and noble. Black magic is whatever works!" - Victor Anderson

"Just because you're an atheist doesn't make your gods any less false." - J. R. "Bob" Dobbs

"Lie down on the floor and keep calm." - John Dillinger

"Beyond a certain point, the whole universe becomes a continuous process of initiation." - Robert Anton Wilson

 

[Illuminaughty]

Yeah, every prayer should end with "and if you do not listen, the hell with you." Conan rules.

 

[Jane_the_Bane]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBGOQ7SsJrw

Crom!

 

[Eudaimonist]

That video brings tears to my eyes.

I knew a group of self-labelled Cromists for a brief time a decade or two ago. I suppose that you could say that Cromism was intended as a "parody religion", though it did have a serious point. Crom was supposed to symbolize a somewhat deistic god that doesn't grant prayers, but rather honors courageous and self-reliant action. It is an archetype that is perhaps needed today.

[If this post is extra wide on your screen, I'm not sure how that happened.]



eudaimonia,


Mark

 

[Jane_the_Bane]

What - you mean a god that does not thrive on regressive impulses, causing his followers to think of themselves as mere children in need of paternal authority? A god whose followers do not suffer from beaten wife syndrome, arguing that they deserve whatever is coming to them, no matter how badly they are treated?

I short: a god for adults who encourages responsibility and independence?

Preposterous!