laedain (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} laedain) wrote,@ 2009-03-06 03:43:00 |
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Jesus and Krshna, more on metaphor within scripture
"Don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing." Again, I return to looking at Matthew's Gospel looking at the metaphors and trying to get at the nuances without anything but my intuition and prayer.
Dangerous for a Roman Catholic, no?
In any event, I really believe that the key to understanding this is to look outside of Yeshua's teaching. In fact, I'm going to step outside of the Hebraic culture he came from and look at the advice Krshna gave to a troubled warrior.
Yes, yes, I know, this quote from Yeshua is prefaced by the explanation of don't do things so that the doing is known, do them because you are doing a righteous deed.
Krshna's advice is much the same, "Make all deeds an act of worship." Krshna also picks up on the idea of unownership of one's deeds that Jesus is advocating. After all, he (and yes he IS prone to hyperbole) is advocating doing righteous deeds so that no one, not even yourself is aware of the deed.
Awareness isn't so much the issue as is the show about it. The deed should be done without any hoopla. With out any expectation of notice, praise or reward. The doing is its own reward.
What about the results of the doing?
Here is where Krshna steps in and adds to my understanding of things. "Action ( with a selfish motive ) is far inferior to this Yoga in the form of equanimity. You do seek refuge in this equipoise of mind, Arjuna; for poor and wretched are those who are instrumental in making their actions bear fruits." And, from slightly earlier, "Your right is to work only, but never to the fruit thereof. Be not instrumental in making your actions bear fruit, nor let your attachment be to inaction."
So, do the right thing for the sake of doing the right thing. Let God worry about the outcome of your actions. It is enough that you acted.
This surrender of the fruits of our labor to God is a wonderful extension of what Jesus is trying to get his followers to understand, that we must listen to God's word (know Torah) and act on our understanding, for His glory. Our action is a gift, and it is not to us to dictate the outcome. Who gives a child a toy and then dictates to that child how to play with it? So, when we deny ourselves the knowledge of our charitable works by simply doing the right thing and moving on, we complete this by letting God take our deeds and mixing them into the fabric of His creation.
So, in our unknowing, we surrender the outcome of our deeds to God, and as God brings this about, often in ways beyond our ability to know, I find that this brings a fullness to the metaphor that Yeshua used.
"Don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing." Again, I return to looking at Matthew's Gospel looking at the metaphors and trying to get at the nuances without anything but my intuition and prayer.
Dangerous for a Roman Catholic, no?
In any event, I really believe that the key to understanding this is to look outside of Yeshua's teaching. In fact, I'm going to step outside of the Hebraic culture he came from and look at the advice Krshna gave to a troubled warrior.
Yes, yes, I know, this quote from Yeshua is prefaced by the explanation of don't do things so that the doing is known, do them because you are doing a righteous deed.
Krshna's advice is much the same, "Make all deeds an act of worship." Krshna also picks up on the idea of unownership of one's deeds that Jesus is advocating. After all, he (and yes he IS prone to hyperbole) is advocating doing righteous deeds so that no one, not even yourself is aware of the deed.
Awareness isn't so much the issue as is the show about it. The deed should be done without any hoopla. With out any expectation of notice, praise or reward. The doing is its own reward.
What about the results of the doing?
Here is where Krshna steps in and adds to my understanding of things. "Action ( with a selfish motive ) is far inferior to this Yoga in the form of equanimity. You do seek refuge in this equipoise of mind, Arjuna; for poor and wretched are those who are instrumental in making their actions bear fruits." And, from slightly earlier, "Your right is to work only, but never to the fruit thereof. Be not instrumental in making your actions bear fruit, nor let your attachment be to inaction."
So, do the right thing for the sake of doing the right thing. Let God worry about the outcome of your actions. It is enough that you acted.
This surrender of the fruits of our labor to God is a wonderful extension of what Jesus is trying to get his followers to understand, that we must listen to God's word (know Torah) and act on our understanding, for His glory. Our action is a gift, and it is not to us to dictate the outcome. Who gives a child a toy and then dictates to that child how to play with it? So, when we deny ourselves the knowledge of our charitable works by simply doing the right thing and moving on, we complete this by letting God take our deeds and mixing them into the fabric of His creation.
So, in our unknowing, we surrender the outcome of our deeds to God, and as God brings this about, often in ways beyond our ability to know, I find that this brings a fullness to the metaphor that Yeshua used.
