Religiosity

In observance of Christmas, I present teachings from the Holy Bible, the principal scripture in the Christian faith.

Merry Christmas! May you all have a day filled with peace and joy.

Christmas and the Season of Goodwill

Christmas is widely celebrated to commemorate the birth of Jesus, the central figure of the Christian faith. Christians believe that Jesus, born to Mary and Joseph, a Jewish couple in Palestine in the first century AD, was the Christ (from the Greek word Khrist?s meaning “the anointed,” or “the chosen one of God”.)

To be precise, in the Christian tradition, December 25 is the first of the twelve days of Christmas. Traditionally, this twelve-day Christmas celebration ends with the feast of “Epiphany,” held on January 6 or on the first Sunday after Christmas.

Over the years, Christmas has transformed into a secular holiday. Historians and religious scholars believe that the December date for the birth of Christ was set around the time of the winter solstice to fit in with pre-Christian pagan traditions of feasting during the occasion of the sun’s annual rebirth, in late December. Besides, the Church of Rome (now the Vatican) did not establish the festival as Christian until the middle of the fourth century.

Christmas Spirit in Action

No other holiday boasts a richer variety of rituals, traditions, and customs. Christmas celebrations vary around the world in length and style. The Christians attend midnight or Christmas day Church services and set up a Tyrolean crib at home featuring the town of Bethlehem and the manger to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ.

The season of good will is marked by exchange of gifts and greeting cards, sumptuous dinners, familiar hymns and songs, brightly lit trees, red-ribboned wreaths, ornaments and decorations, Santa Claus, and stockings. During the last few decades, the “Christmas shopping season” has become economically imperative as the time of new product introduction and hectic shopping.

The Holy Bible

The Bible (from the Greek word ta biblia, for “the books”) is a compilation of scripture in Judaism and the Christian faiths. It is the most widely read literature in the world.

The Christian Bible consists of the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament contains nearly all of the same writings as the Hebrew Bible; the New Testament is a collection of writings dating from after the life of Jesus. The New Testament includes the Gospels (the central message of Jesus Christ and the promise of salvation for the faithful,) the Acts of the Apostles (the stories of the few years after Jesus’ death,) the Epistles (details of the Christian faith), and the book of Revelation (a vision for the end of time.)

Inspirational Quotations from the Christian Bible

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
—The Holy Bible (Scripture in the Christian Faith)

Confess your trespasses to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
—The Holy Bible (Scripture in the Christian Faith)

Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
—The Holy Bible (Scripture in the Christian Faith)

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
—The Holy Bible (Scripture in the Christian Faith)

Man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.
—The Holy Bible (Scripture in the Christian Faith)

God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
—The Holy Bible (Scripture in the Christian Faith)

The entire law is summed up in a single command, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
—The Holy Bible (Scripture in the Christian Faith)

You cannot serve God and Mammon.
—The Holy Bible (Scripture in the Christian Faith)

He who attempts to resist the wave is swept away, but he who bends before it abides.
—The Holy Bible (Scripture in the Christian Faith)

The waters wear the stones.
—The Holy Bible (Scripture in the Christian Faith)

The kingdom of God is within you.
—The Holy Bible (Scripture in the Christian Faith)

He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
—The Holy Bible (Scripture in the Christian Faith)

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.
—The Holy Bible (Scripture in the Christian Faith)

In observance of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, I present wisdom from the Talmud, a sacred text of the Jewish faith.

Hanukkah, “Festival of Lights”

This year, the eight-day Hanukkah festival began at sunset on December 1 and concludes on December 9. Hanukkah was established in 165 BCE by the warrior-leader Judah Maccabee to commemorate the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem following a past desecration of the temple by invaders. Hanukkah (‘Dedication’ in Hebrew) is also known as the “Festival of Dedication,” or the “Festival of Lights.”

Jewish families celebrate Hanukkah by kindling the lights of a nine-branched candlestick called the ‘Menorah‘. They kindle one light on the first night, two on the second night and so on. Each night, they also kindle the ninth light, the ‘Shamash‘, for kindling the others. The Shamash is usually higher or lower than the other eight in the Menorah.

The Talmud

The word Talmud is short for ‘Talmud Torah,’ which means “study of the Torah” in Hebrew. The Torah is the Hebrew term for the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.) The Talmud is composed of several volumes of rabbinical discussions about the interpretation of the Biblical text related to Jewish history, philosophy, ethics, and customs—the meaning and conduct of life, in general.

The central part of the Talmud is the Mishnah, a record of the core teachings of Jewish faith that were previously preserved only orally. Surrounding the Mishnah is the Gemara, the interpretation and commentaries of the Mishnah. The Talmud has no single author. Rather, it is a collection of several volumes, to which Jewish scholars have added their accumulated knowledge over the course of time since about 220 CE.

For an introduction to the significance and the development of the Talmud, I recommend the excellent video documentary, “The Talmud” (available on NetFlix.)

The world’s most recognized dictum, the “golden rule,” is based in the Talmud: “Do not unto others that which you would not have them do unto you. That is the entire Torah; the rest is commentary.”

29 Inspirational Teachings from The Talmud

First correct thyself, then correct others.
—The Talmud (Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith)

Do not confine your children to your own learning, for they were born in another time.
—The Talmud (Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith)

Sinful thoughts are even more dangerous than sin itself.
—The Talmud (Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith)

No Israelite is allowed to lend usuriously to a non-Israelite.
—The Talmud (Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith)

Learn first and philosophize afterwards.
—The Talmud (Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith)

As a tree is known by its fruit, so man by his works.
—The Talmud (Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith)

A miser is as wicked as an idolater.
—The Talmud (Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith)

Even for the rebuilding of the Temple the instruction of the children must not be interrupted.
—The Talmud (Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith)

A dream that is not interpreted is like a letter that has not been opened.
—The Talmud (Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith)

The Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs all around the world celebrate the three-day festival of Deepavali festival from today. Deepawali (literally, “row of lamps,” often contracted to “Diwali”) celebrates, among other things, the return of Lord Rama, his consort Sita, and brother Lakshmana, from a fourteen-year long exile that culminated in the slaying of demon-king Ravana. People celebrated Lord Rama’s return to his kingdom by illuminating his kingdom with lamps—hence the label Deepavali.

Happy Deepavali to all our readers!

To observe Deepavali, we present below a few inspirational quotations from the Bhagavad Gita, one of the noblest scriptures of the Hindu faith.

Inspirational Quotations from the Bhagavad Gita

“Bhagavad Gita,” literally “Songs of the Lord,” is a compilation of 700 verses rendered by Krishna, an incarnation of one of the central deities of Hinduism, to the warrior Arjuna. The occasion is the historic battle of Kurukshetra between Arjuna and his brothers on one side and their cousins on the other.

Like the great scriptures of the other faiths, Bhagavad Gita discusses various beliefs, values, and disciplines central to the conduct of a good and meaningful life: devotion, attachment, conflict of motives, ethical actions and consequences, sense of duty, and misgiving from right actions—values and teachings very much even to this day. We recommend these translations and commentaries by Sri Sankaracharya, Annie Besant, Edwin Arnold, and other free texts from the Internet Archive.

From the “‘Songs of the Lord”

Let a man lift himself by his own self alone, let him not lower himself; for this self alone is the friend of oneself and this self alone is the enemy of oneself.
—The Bhagavad Gita (Hindu Scripture)

Because the fool wants to become God, He never finds him. The master is already God, Without ever wishing to be.
—The Bhagavad Gita (Hindu Scripture)

In this world three gates lead to hell—the gates of passion, anger and greed. Released from these three qualities one can succeed in attaining salvation and reaching the highest goal.
—The Bhagavad Gita (Hindu Scripture)

Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men follow in his footsteps, and whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.
—The Bhagavad Gita (Hindu Scripture)

There is more happiness in doing one’s own (path) without excellence than in doing another’s (path) well.
—The Bhagavad Gita (Hindu Scripture)

Those who are interested in self-realization, in terms of mind and sense control, offer the functions of all the senses, as well as the vital force (breath), as oblations into the fire of the controlled mind.
—The Bhagavad Gita (Hindu Scripture)

Whatever the state of being that a man may focus upon at the end, when he leaves his body, to that state of being he will go.
—The Bhagavad Gita (Hindu Scripture)

He who sees Me everywhere, and sees everything in Me, I am not lost to him, nor is he lost to me.
—The Bhagavad Gita (Hindu Scripture)

Set thy heart upon thy work but never its reward.
—The Bhagavad Gita (Hindu Scripture)

There are two ways of passing from this world – one in light and one in darkness. When one passes in light, he does not come back; but when one passes in darkness, he returns.
—The Bhagavad Gita (Hindu Scripture)