I hate to get all Biblical, but....

[manitou]

Does it seem like we're watching TV coverage of the meek inheriting the earth?

[Immortal4life]

Today it's looking like if the protesters in Egypt want to inherit the earth, it's going to take some action, some strength, and fiercness. Meekness may not get the job done. It remains to be seen if Mubarak is going to unleash force on the protestors, but already the anti-Mubarak protetors are battling the pro-Mubarak people.

[fiveelementtao]

Does it seem like we're watching TV coverage of the meek inheriting the earth?

 

Except that they aren't being very meek at all. Are you mistaking the word meek for poor?

 

According to the American Heritage Dictionary the definition of Meek is:

1. Showing patience and humility; gentle.

2. Easily imposed on; submissive.

 

Which begs the question: From a spiritual perspective, When is it a good idea to use violence to achieve one's objectives?

[Immortal4life]

Different spiritual paths have different ideas about using violence or force. Some choose to be totally pacifist, while others seem to condone self-defense or fighting for fundamental rights.

 

I feel those are the 2 personal choices that one should consider, either total non-violence and pacifism, or choosing to defend oneself, defend one's human rights, or protect the weak when necessary. To me it's a personal choice.

Edited February 2, 2011 by Immortal4life

[Ulises]

Power to the people!!!

 

via facebook:

 

"As an Israeli, I want the Egyptians to win

Israel's sense of entitlement is a curse, and we are all either under its spell or under its shadow; only the inconceivable that turns into the inevitable can bring change to this place."

http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/a-special-place-in-hell/as-an-israeli-i-want-the-egyptians-to-win-1.340886

[manitou]

I'm not sure how I mean meekness. It just keeps popping into my head. Maybe in terms of the ruled class in Egypt throwing off the yoke of the ruler. I'm just not sure that any word in the Bible or any other tome is absolutely to be taken at face value - who knows what the original intent of the speaker was? I'm not sure who the speaker even was - maybe Jesus? Maybe the speaker merely meant 'the ordinary man will inherit the earth'. Agreed....those people are not meek. What courage. If today was any example of what those poor people have to live with - I mean really - riders with whips on camels?

 

It just seems like there are a whole lot of dominoes on the verge of going down with this same thing, at the same time. So many things are branching together, and so many answers are being provided at this particular point in time. My head is kind of spinning -

[Birch]

I'm not sure how I mean meekness. It just keeps popping into my head. Maybe in terms of the ruled class in Egypt throwing off the yoke of the ruler. I'm just not sure that any word in the Bible or any other tome is absolutely to be taken at face value - who knows what the original intent of the speaker was? I'm not sure who the speaker even was - maybe Jesus? Maybe the speaker merely meant 'the ordinary man will inherit the earth'. Agreed....those people are not meek. What courage. If today was any example of what those poor people have to live with - I mean really - riders with whips on camels?

 

It just seems like there are a whole lot of dominoes on the verge of going down with this same thing, at the same time. So many things are branching together, and so many answers are being provided at this particular point in time. My head is kind of spinning -

 

It's an interesting book that I haven't read a great deal of. But apparently, it was also a collective effort with editing and all kinds of censorship. What I dislike about it is that so many people seem to use it as the be all and end all of instructions about how to go about living.

[joeblast]

I'm not sure how I mean meekness. It just keeps popping into my head. Maybe in terms of the ruled class in Egypt throwing off the yoke of the ruler. I'm just not sure that any word in the Bible or any other tome is absolutely to be taken at face value - who knows what the original intent of the speaker was? I'm not sure who the speaker even was - maybe Jesus? Maybe the speaker merely meant 'the ordinary man will inherit the earth'. Agreed....those people are not meek. What courage. If today was any example of what those poor people have to live with - I mean really - riders with whips on camels?

 

It just seems like there are a whole lot of dominoes on the verge of going down with this same thing, at the same time. So many things are branching together, and so many answers are being provided at this particular point in time. My head is kind of spinning -

"Meek" means what meek means - it doesnt appear that you really meant meek - but "those not in power" sounds a little more like it. Meek was quite intentional in that usage, that was from Jesus' sermon on the mount, iirc. Extrapolating terms arbitrarily far beyond their actual meanings is a bane and creates confusion. There's always slang, but too much incorrect usage usually winds up only producing obfuscation in general...

 

I read a short essay recently that basically said you dont have Thomas Jefferson without Martin Luther. I can sympathize with that and agree with it to a decent extent, but you always have to be wary when a bunch of fanatics try to amass as much power as possible and then...the issue is what do you do when the 20% want to impose their vision on the other 80%, 20 or 30% of whom may be remotely sympathetic? I'm all for giving people what they vote for, hamas appears just a bumbling as the plo and the people seem to be getting less of what they want from the ideologues. But Egypt has a lot more resources than Palestine or Tunisia.

 

The muslim brotherhood has 20% of the electorate and already in the vacuum they are speaking of war with Israel?? Ugh...

[Immortal4life]

I'm just not sure that any word in the Bible or any other tome is absolutely to be taken at face value - who knows what the original intent of the speaker was?

 

Exactly, understanding the context of writings, especially the historical context, can change the meaning greatly.

 

Check this out-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VzDZ6eySVA

 

Bonus-

Edited February 3, 2011 by Immortal4life

[fiveelementtao]

I'm just not sure that any word in the Bible or any other tome is absolutely to be taken at face value - who knows what the original intent of the speaker was?

 

True. It is hard to know if that was ever said or if it was recorded correctly, but...

 

The language is pretty clear... The original text you are quoting was originally written in Greek and the word translated into the English "Meek" was the Greek word "Praus" which also means, "mild, humble" So, unless there is some very deep ironic use of the word that I am missing, whoever wrote down this passage as it is recorded seems to be saying that the humble, and non-violent shall inherit the Earth.

 

Now, whether or not this is actually something that a man named Jesus said 2,000 years ago or is the invention of someone else later on... That is another issue altogether.

 

But, I believe that this quote does echo a familiar Taoist idea that humility will eventually triumph over grasping and greed. Too bad most modern Christians haven't seemed to understand their own scripture....

Edited February 3, 2011 by fiveelementtao

[manitou]

It doesn't seem possible that the Meek, in our current understanding of the word, could possibly inherit the earth. If we think of strictly humble people inheriting the earth, how long would that take? Humility is something that is achieved by not taking credit, not placing oneself first. It makes more sense to me that if it was Jesus talking, that he was referring to everyday man. Since we started this thread, there are now demonstrations in Saudi Arabia and other countries. It really may be happening.

[3bob]

"inherit the earth" can also be put into terms of a close enough frequency to inhabit the earth.

 

Further, the frequency of the earth is changing and increasing even though there is also great turmoil which would seem to say otherwise. Anyway if one accepts that idea then there comes a point where some of us souls will, and some us will not have enough frequency (so to speak) to inhabit an earth that has evolved; and of course there are also other realms quicker than and slower than the earth realm for whatever frequency we have attained or un-attained.

 

Om

Edited February 3, 2011 by 3bob

[manitou]

"inherit the earth" can also be put into terms of a close enough frequency to inhabit the earth.

 

Further, the frequency of the earth is changing and increasing even though there is also great turmoil which would seem to say otherwise. Anyway if one accepts that idea then there comes a point where some of us souls will, and some us will not have enough frequency (so to speak) to inhabit an earth that has evolved; and of course there are also other realms quicker than and slower than the earth realm for whatever frequency we have attained or un-attained.

 

Om

A wonderful observation.

 

Separate realities may meet at a junction of Here and Now at some point, depending on frequency of vibration. What a thought.

[manitou]

5 element - thanks for the links to the videos. interesting. As to the Thief in the Night they were referring to in the second one, I can't think of a better one than our president. My guess is that he's it.

[Sloppy Zhang]

It doesn't seem possible that the Meek, in our current understanding of the word, could possibly inherit the earth. If we think of strictly humble people inheriting the earth, how long would that take? Humility is something that is achieved by not taking credit, not placing oneself first. It makes more sense to me that if it was Jesus talking, that he was referring to everyday man. Since we started this thread, there are now demonstrations in Saudi Arabia and other countries. It really may be happening.

 

*puts on Christian hat*

 

The meek don't inherit the earth from other people, by their own authority.

 

They inherit it from God.

 

*takes off Christian hat*

[zerostao]

i think this is straight forward and simple. "the meek shall inherit the earth"

i really dont see any other outcome . i dont think it really has much to do (directly)with current events in north africa. the reason i believe this has nothing to do with it being a bible verse.

[manitou]

*puts on Christian hat*

 

The meek don't inherit the earth from other people, by their own authority.

 

They inherit it from God.

 

*takes off Christian hat*

 

 

Damn. I've got that dusty old hat still hanging in the back of my closet too.

[fiveelementtao]

I suppose that if I were to take a non-judgemental view of that verse, I don't think it is referring to current political unrest. This is nothing new. It has been happening like this for thousands of years. These guys who are protesting now, may be successful, maybe they won't. If they are successful, they will put "their" guys into power who are just as likely to oppress and minimize another religious or political group. So, I don't see this as the meek rising up to change the world for the better. They are probably fighting for access to jobs and money. Most likely if they had the means to provide for themselves, they wouldn't care about who was in gov't.

 

If I put my personal prejudice against organized Christianity aside, I take that Bible verse to mean that, in the end... Only those who are comfortable within themselves and can achieve a state of harmony and balance in whatever circumstance they are in will inherit the Tao, The Earth, Heaven, Nirvana etc... I don't think that if this is really something that Jesus said, that he was referring to violent, political upheaval.

 

just my opinion...

[Tree Stump]

It doesn't seem possible that the Meek, in our current understanding of the word, could possibly inherit the earth. If we think of strictly humble people inheriting the earth, how long would that take? Humility is something that is achieved by not taking credit, not placing oneself first.

 

If the bold and powerful destroy themselves by their own arrogance and selfishness, who will be left to 'inherit the Earth' ? Well, the meek of course.

 

- TS

[ShaktiMama]

[Sloppy Zhang]

They are probably fighting for access to jobs and money. Most likely if they had the means to provide for themselves, they wouldn't care about who was in gov't.

 

I've seen it in a couple places that job availability is one factor for a lot of people taking to the streets (as in, they aren't part of the dominant political group, so don't get preferential job handouts- if they had jobs, they wouldn't have a problem).

 

Not to diminish any movement or anything but.... yeah.

 

New players, old game.

[lazy cloud]

I am sure this has been explained away. Don't THEY always explain everything away?

 

 

[3bob]

Btw, there is nothning weak about the meek in great master soul such as Jesus,

unless you consider a blazing white-light torch of invincible and indomitable will that is also beyond measure in intensity, power, truth, scope, focus, wisdom and compassion to be weak...

Edited February 17, 2011 by 3bob

[manitou]

Btw, there is nothning weak about the meek in great master soul such as Jesus,

unless you consider a blazing white-light torch of invincible and indomitable will that is also beyond measure in intensity, power, truth, scope, focus, wisdom and compassion to be weak...

 

 

I fully agree here. There is nothing meek in a great master soul; no mistaking humility for meekness there.

 

But it doesn't seem to make sense to me that only the meek (aka, humble people) would inherit the earth. Doesn't seem like there'd be enough of them left to even find each other. It makes more sense to me that the original thought of the writer, whoever that was, was that the rulers would be displaced and the common man inherit the earth. I don't cotton to Christianity any more as a spiritual form, but prophesies are prophesies, regardless of where they come from. We all have the ability to tap into visions, once we get down deep enough. It just seems to me like the biblical writer was talking about a political condition, such as we have now; it makes sense to me that 1) this prophecy may be coming true, what with all the commotion around the world, and 2) for the first time in history we're all able to view it happening at the same time.

 

I think in all tomes we have to give a lot of leeway to the words because of the translation factor. Just look at how many ways the Tao can be translated. Would not the same thing happen with the bible from Sanskrit, if that were the original language of the writer? It's the fundamentalists that get themselves into trouble.

[Jetsun]

I don't think the meek inheriting the earth is meant literally, rather it is talking about realising a state of non duality where you realise that you are not separate from the entire world therefore you realise the world is part of you therefore you inherit the whole world as yourself.