Many people have enjoyed watching the movie, The Da Vincni Code. At the end of the movie, Tom Hanks says "maybe human is divine." That is what this article is about. The Hebrew scriptures were probably good at helping new societies since it covered a lot of basic rules on how to live in a good way.
But Jesus rebelled against this and taught people to forgive others instead, hence the saying "turn the other cheek." The basic message of Jesus was not that He was going to die to get rid of the Adam and Eve curse. So what was it? We can use the process of elimination.
Did He tell people to love a certain building or place like a temple? No. Did He tell people to love a certain idea and kill other people who are against it? No. Did He tell people to love or worship a certain book? No. He said "Love thy neighbor." Did He say "Love thy neighbor if they are good in your judgment and they have the same beliefs as you?" No. Did He teach that the sacred or holy thing on this planet was a book (like the bible), place, building, belief or chalice (cup)? No.
He taught that the holy or sacred thing on this planet is the human being. But people were searching for the Holy Grail (cup or dish used by Jesus). Well, search no further. The true world treasure can be found by you looking in the mirror. It is you. And this is the one thing on this entire planet that deserves love and respect, the human being. That was the basic message of Jesus.
There are some modern day sayings like "Those who know, do. Those who don't know, teach." Then there is one, "Talk is cheap." Another is "Actions speak louder than words." Now you can ask any medical doctor or anthropologist if Jesus was a fish, camel, tree, a wheel or a human being. They will tell you that He was a human being. So besides teaching this outrageous notion that a human being is divine, He lived it. He demonstrated what He was teaching with His life and actions. This is by far the harder thing to do. Did Jesus say that He was the light of the world and no one else?
Some people are concerned about mistranslations of the bible so here are several of them. Jesus said the following to His disciples according to the King James Version, (Matthew 5:"Ye are the light of the world...." In The Jerusalem Bible, He says "You are the light of the world...." In New International Version (NIV), He says "You are the light of the world...." In the New American Bible (NAB), He says "You are the light of the world...."
Jesus says (Matthew 7:1) "Do not judge, or you too shall be judged." Jesus says (Matthew 7:3) " Why look at the speck in your brother's eye when you miss the plank in your own." Jesus says (Matthew 7:12) (NAB) "Treat others the way you would have them treat you: this sums up the law and the prophets." In NIV "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." Also in (NIV) Matthew 5:38, it says " If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." Now doesn't this sound excessive to you, unless the human being is divine.
Instead of me putting up a list of how we should treat others, you can create a list of how you would like others to treat you. Then you could follow that on how to treat others. This needs to begin and end with you. You are not really doing this for others but for yourself. If you help someone thinking that you are doing it for him, it will make you resent helping him if he treats you badly. Jesus taught to do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
The reason that you do this is not for the other person but for you. By doing this, it opens doors and helps you to discover the incredible beauty that is inside of you. By hurting others, it closes doors for you making it harder to feel your true nature which is perfect peace, endless love and unlimited happiness and way beyond that. It is better to help strangers that you may never see again. By helping friends and relatives, you may be doing it expecting something back from it. The act of helping stranger could be called random acts of kindness. When someone is treating you badly, they are giving you their good luck. So enjoy this gift. If you treat them badly, you are giving your good luck to them.
There is a new psychology called Positive Psychology. You can read about it in a book called Authentic Happiness (© 2002) by Martin E.P. Seligman, Ph.D. He is the Fox Leadership Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, the director of the Positive Psychology Network and the former president of the American Psychological Association. Among the 20 books he wrote are Learned Optimism and The Optimistic Child. Andrew Weil, M.D. says "Martin Seligman is the leading spokesman for the new movement of Positive Psychology, which focuses on mental health rather then mental illness."
He teaches how it is better to focus on increasing happiness instead of getting rid of mental problems. It tells about a study they did in a class where they had people go out and have fun. When they got back, they let te others know the results. They enjoyed themselves. No surprise there. Then they went out and did altruistic acts where they help other people. They came back and reported the results. They had life changing experiences. One guy decided to change his major in college due to it. So that is something you can do to help yourself.
The cover story of Time Magazine January 17, 2005 is about Dr. Seligman and the group he put together (which includes Dr. Edward Diener-- AKA Dr Happiness) to form the Positive Psychology Network. The article is called The New Science of Happiness. Copyright 2008 by Chuck Bluestein.
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