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Gems from the World’s Great Scriptures compiled and introduced by David Jurney
Wilmette, Illinois
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Bahá’í Publishing 415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091-2844 Copyright © 2007 David Jurney Reprinted by permission of George Ronald, Publisher All rights reserved. Published 2007 Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper ∞ 10
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ISBN-10: 1-931847-43-6 ISBN-13: 978-1-931847-43-8
Librar loging-in-P ubli ata Libraryy of Congr Congree ss Cata Cataloging-in-P loging-in-Publi ublicc ation D Data
Gems from the world’s great scriptures / compiled and introduced by David Jurney. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-1-931847-43-8 (alk. paper) ISBN-10: 1-931847-43-6 (alk. paper) 1. Religions. I. Jurney, David H. (David Harold) BL80.3.G46 2007 208’.2—dc22 2006051738
Cover design by Tracy Heckel of Guten Tag! www.gutentag.us Book design by Suni D. Hannan
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Contents INTRODUCTION ................................................. xiii AN ANCIENT LOVE STORY ..................................... 3 CREATION Gems from the Hindu Teachings .................................. 11 Gems from the Buddhist Teachings .............................. 12 Gems from the Jewish Teachings................................... 13 Gems from the Christian Teachings .............................. 13 Gems from the Islamic Teachings.................................. 14 Gems from the Bahá’í Teachings ................................... 16
PRAYER Gems from the Hindu Teachings .................................. 22 Gems from the Buddhist Teachings .............................. 24 Gems from the Jewish Teachings................................... 24 Gems from the Christian Teachings .............................. 26 Gems from the Islamic Teachings.................................. 27 Gems from the Bahá’í Teachings ................................... 28 v
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MEDITATION Gems from the Hindu Teachings .................................. 36 Gems from the Buddhist Teachings .............................. 38 Gems from the Jewish Teachings................................... 42 Gems from the Christian Teachings ............................. 44 Gems from the Islamic Teachings.................................. 46 Gems from the Bahá’í Teachings ................................... 47
FAITH Gems from the Hindu Teachings .................................. 56 Gems from the Buddhist Teachings .............................. 58 Gems from the Jewish Teachings................................... 60 Gems from the Christian Teachings .............................. 61 Gems from the Islamic Teachings.................................. 62 Gems from the Bahá’í Teachings ................................... 63
UNITY Gems from the Hindu Teachings .................................. 68 Gems from the Buddhist Teachings .............................. 71 Gems from the Jewish Teachings................................... 72 Gems from the Christian Teachings .............................. 73 Gems from the Islamic Teachings.................................. 74 Gems from the Bahá’í Teachings ................................... 74
LOVE Gems from the Hindu Teachings .................................. 82 Gems from the Buddhist Teachings .............................. 83 Gems from the Jewish Teachings................................... 85 Gems from the Christian Teachings .............................. 86 Gems from the Islamic Teachings.................................. 88 Gems from the Bahá’í Teachings ................................... 89 vi
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GUIDANCE Gems from the Hindu Teachings .................................. 98 Gems from the Buddhist Teachings ............................ 102 Gems from the Jewish Teachings................................. 106 Gems from the Christian Teachings ............................ 107 Gems from the Islamic Teachings................................ 112 Gems from the Bahá’í Teachings ................................. 116
REFERENCES ..................................................... 127 BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................. 137 INDEX ............................................................... 141
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Introduction
INTRODUCTION The following chapters contain excerpts from the sacred writings and teachings of the Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, Islamic, and Bahá’í religions. The sacred writings and teachings quoted here represent only a small part of the ocean of knowledge provided for our guidance. We have the opportunity to seek out the guidance provided in the sacred writings of these religions for our own development and for the advancement of civilization. History records our progress on this planet as we respond to an innate need to strive to higher and higher degrees of perfection. As we move forward, each generation has a larger knowledge base to build upon and the potential to develop deeper levels of consciousness and understanding. God has created humanity to move forward, and these sacred writings and teachings provide guidance and inspiration to help make that progress possible.
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Creation
T
he sacred writings of the religions tell us that God created the universe and the spiritual worlds beyond. When we study the planetary system, we become aware of the perfect order of the universe. The stars, planets, and moons move through space in predetermined orbits. Our planet earth, a very small segment of the universe, is part of the Creator’s complex and perfect design. Geologists tell us that the age of the earth is between four and ³ve billion years. During that time, the earth went through a long period of cooling and development and an atmosphere gradually formed. This was followed by simple forms of plants and animals, which have evolved into the complex and diverse forms that we witness on the earth today. Humankind is like a beautiful butter·y emerging from its cocoon—after millions of years of development humanity has attained its present state of perfection. As we study, we discover that humankind has continued to advance from prehistoric times through the long period of recorded history leading to the present. During the past six thousand years man has made tremendous progress. The ancient Hebrews thought they were at the center of the universe and that the sun, moon, and stars, revolved around 9
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them. Today we have extensive knowledge of our own galaxy and astronomers speak of more than one hundred billion other galaxies. How can we not be overwhelmed by contemplating the perfect creation of God? When we study the history of humanity, we see the human race moving towards higher and higher forms of social unity. From families, people came together and formed tribes. As humanity progressed, cities and later city-states were organized. In the seventh century, history records the beginning of nationhood. Today humankind moves toward a higher form of unity: global unity. God did not create the universe to stand still. He created a system that incorporates movement, development, and progress. Each generation of humanity witnesses this forward movement. The progress varies in di²erent cultures and in di²erent parts of the world, but the overall picture records progress during every period of history. If some segments of humanity seem to be regressing, many other segments of humanity are moving forward. The process of development and movement applies to the whole universe, but we are more clearly aware of the progress we see on this planet. We become impatient sometimes because we are in the primary-school stage of the development of humankind when we would like to be in the high school or college stages of the process. We long for the age of maturity when all people can live together on this planet in peace and harmony. The religions and their founders have had, and are having, a great in·uence on the people of the world. As we search and study both the physical and 10
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spiritual elements of the universe, we become more aware of the in³nite magnitude and the perfect order of God’s creation.
GEMS FROM THE HINDU TEACHINGS By Me, Unmanifest in form, This whole universe was spun: In Me subsist all beings, I do not subsist in them. And [yet] contingent beings do not subsist in Me— Behold my sovereign power (yoga)! My self sustains [all] beings, it does not subsist in them; It causes them to be. As in [wide] space subsists the mighty wind, Blowing [at will] ever and everywhere, So too do all contingent beings Subsist in Me: so must thou understand. All contingent beings pass Into material Nature which is Mine When an aeon comes to an end; and then again When another aeon starts, I emanate them forth. Firm-³xed in my material Nature Ever again I emanate This whole might host of beings, Powerless themselves—from Nature comes the power. 11
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These works of mine Bind Me not nor limit Me: As one indi²erent I sit Among these works, detached. [A world of ] moving and unmoving things Material nature brings to birth, while look on and supervise: This is the cause and this is the means By which the world revolves. For that a human form I have assumed Fools scorn Me, Knowing nothing of my higher nature (bhava)— Great Lord of [all] contingent beings.1
GEMS FROM THE BUDDHIST TEACHINGS And as all things originate from one Essence, so they are developing according to one law, and they are destined to one aim, which is Nirvana.2 And the Buddha said, “The Tathgata sees the universe face to face and understands its nature. He proclaims the truth both in its letter and in its spirit, and his doctrine is glorious in its origin, glorious in its progress, glorious in its consummation.”3
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Creation
GEMS FROM THE JEWISH TEACHINGS In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.4 When I behold Thy heavens, the work of Thy ³ngers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast established; What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that Thou thinkest of him? Yet Thou hast made him but little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor. Thou hast made him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet: Sheep and oxen, all of them, yea, and the beasts of the ³eld; The fowl of the air, and the ³sh of the sea; whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how glorious is Thy name in all the earth!5
GEMS FROM THE CHRISTIAN TEACHINGS I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.6 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the begin-
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