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Matthew Chapter 10-12

Mt 10: 

The Buddha had 40 arhants go out and teach. Jesus had 12 disciples. Sangharakshita ordained 12 people in the founding of the WBO. He didn't want 12, but it ended up being that number for various reasons. They all taught a narrow path that was not easy.

The fall of a sparrow is used in Hamlet.

I liked "...be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." 


Mt. 11

"...those born of woman..." is a phrase from Macbeth. 

Interesting quote through the mist of time. Children singing:

‘We played the pipe for you, 

and you did not dance; 

we sang a dirge, 

and you did not mourn.’

There's a kind of I told you so aspect to this, but it comes from children perhaps busking and begging. Later there's a thing about performing miracles, and even that didn't convert you. There's a kind of spitefulness. I mean I'm a father and my children don't always listen and there's a part of me that quotes the phrase, "...those that don't listen will feel." Not sure yet whether that is from the bible but I'm finding so many little phrases that are part of me that are from the bible. 

I like "...wisdom is provided right by her deeds." It's not what you say, it's what you do, and the plea is for those to go deeper, to be beyond superficiality. In Buddhism one of the fetters is superficiality. 

I don't think his yoke is light and his burden is easy if you're also going to war and being persecuted for your beliefs. I'm not sure if this is found in Buddhism: the expectation to be persecuted for being a Buddhist. I know the persecution of Muslims is justified by Buddhists by looking at the long history of the interaction of the two. I really struggle to forgive the Muslim warrior who destroyed Nalanda. 

Mt 12

It's OK for you to eat when you're hungry, "I desire mercy not sacrifice." Perhaps this is a kind of perfection of wisdom or even a dialectic teaching. 

I can't help but think of the time the Buddha came upon a sick monk being neglected by the other monks. He took care of the monk and said, what's wrong with you? The monks say the sick monk wasn't useful to them any more. And the Buddha is, I imagine, gobsmacked by their lack of sympathy.

It's funny when people not of a religion tell people of that religion to do something, misreading the teachings. I guess I do that a lot telling the Christians to be nicer, and maybe it's not a time for that. I have a hard time imagining the religious right is truly spiritual in their callus politics. It's hard because I want to judge. I know it's best to focus on yourself in the spiritual life,  

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