Theos-Talk Archives (April 2004 Message tt00578)

April; 18 2004

Re: Prayer ? To Maitreya Buddha ? How ? Why ?


Dear K


Does prayer (selfish form one's self, for forgiveness, etc... work? Or
do people hope for some special dispensation ?

Does anyone think that GOD can be fooled by their false promises? 

If GOD owns and created the UNIVERSE then what can any simple human
offer that HE does not already have? 

Why should prayer, and remorse, and "groveling in the dust" avail anyone
? 

I often wonder if people gave as much thought to doing good as they do
to being selfish, if the world would not be a better place? Why the
tendency to selfishness anyway? Some say: "ignorance," but have you
ever thought that "ignorance" really means: WE KNOW, BUT WE
DELIBERATELY REFUSE TO USE THAT KNOWLEDGE -- we IGNORE it. 

And again it occurs to me: If we know something is wrong, then why do
it at all? Why would anyone (who is sane) enjoy hurting others who are
weaker, or poorer, or nor needy, than they are ? 

If GOD did not create such a tendency then why is it that we can ? 

There is nothing we can enjoy beyond the tenure of a few years allotted
to each of us -- is there any proof that we can access by ourselves ? 

Who has returned from "Heaven" to tell us about it? [ I mean NOW, and
not some story from the past, that cannot be verified ?.] This sounds
to me very much like the old 'confidence' story of "pie in the sky." It
fools the selfish and the guilty.

How can it work in a Universe of exact LAW ?

Who has the power to break the inevitable law?

And if that were possible then who would bear the KARMA of such a
breakage?

But, all the WISE, all SAGES teach DHARMA true duty as brotherhood to
all -- as the sole path towards perfection -- we find this in Jesus's
words, in Buddha's, in Krishna, etc... everywhere. But the main problem
has been priestcraft -- where advantage has been taken of simple people
who are taught from an early age not to THINK, but to trust, to have
FAITH, and to BELIEVE. And then the false idea of the remission of sin
(and who recompenses or redresses the victims?) by prayer or praise is
taught. 

How many would ask: What kind of a God would be swayed or altered from
JUSTICE by praise or prayer? How could such a being (if it exists) be
trusted ? Since a stronger prayer, perhaps for vengeance, would annul
an earlier one for mercy ? 

But ......If only it could be made more plain that every human being has
a GOD-LIKE CENTER. That every thing in the whole UNIVERSE is united in
DIVINITY. We (says ancient and immemorial THEOSOPHY ) live in GOD --
and do not know it -- and many, secretly (they hope), act as devils
might to hurt and spite others.

See what the Buddha says:

[from LIGHT ON THE PATH OF ASIA]


Pray not! the Darkness will not brighten! Ask
Nought from the Silence, for it cannot speak!
Vex not your mournful minds with pious pains! 
Ah! Brothers, Sisters! Seek

Nought from the helpless gods by gift and hymn,
Nor bribe with blood, nor feed with fruit and cakes;
Within yourselves deliverance must be sought;
Each man his prison makes.

Each hath such lordship as the loftiest ones;
Nay, for with Powers above, around, below,
As with all flesh and whatsoever lives,
Act maketh joy and woe.

What hath been bringeth what shall be, and is, 
Worse -- better -- last for first and first for last; 
The Angels in the Heavens of Gladness reap 
Fruits of a holy past.

The devils in the underworlds wear out
Deeds that were wicked in an age gone by.
Nothing endures: fair virtues waste with time,
Foul sins grow purged thereby.

Who toiled a slave may come anew a Prince
For gentle worthiness and merit won;
Who ruled a King may wander earth in rags
For things done and undone.

Higher than Indra's ye may lift your lot,
And sink it lower than the worm or gnat;
The end of many myriad lives is this,
The end of myriads that.

Only, while turns this wheel invisible,
No pause, no peace, no staying-place can be;
Who mounts will fall, who falls may mount; the spokes
Go round unceasingly!

* * * *

If ye lay bound upon the wheel of change,
And no way were of breaking from the chain,
The Heart of boundless Being is a curse,
The Soul of Things fell Pain. 

Ye are not bound! the Soul of Things is sweet,
The Heart of Being is celestial rest;
Stronger than woe is will: that which was Good
Doth pass to Better -- Best.

I, Buddh, who wept with all my brothers' tears,
Whose heart was broken by a whole world's woe,
Laugh and am glad, for there is Liberty!
Ho! ye who suffer! Know

Ye suffer from yourselves. None else compels,
None other holds you that ye live and die,
And whirl upon the wheel, and hug and kiss
Its spokes of agony,

Its tire of tears, its nave of nothingness.
Behold, I show you Truth! Lower than hell,
Higher than heaven, outside the utmost stars,
Farther than Brahm doth dwell,

Before beginning, and without an end,
As space eternal and as surety sure,
Is fixed a Power divine which moves to good,
Only its laws endure.

This is its touch upon the blossomed rose,
The fashion of its hand shaped lotus-leaves;
In dark soil and the silence of the seeds
The robe of Spring it weaves;

That is its painting on the glorious clouds,
And these its emeralds on the peacock's train;
It hath its stations in the stars; its slaves
In lightning, wind, and rain.

Out of the dark it wrought the heart of man,
Out of dull shells the pheasant's pencilled neck;
Ever at toil, it brings to loveliness
All ancient wrath and wreck.

The grey eggs in the golden sun-bird's nest
Its treasures are, the bees' six-sided cell
Its honey-pot; the ant wots of its ways,
The white doves know them well.

It spreadeth forth for flight the eagle's wings
What time she beareth home her prey; it sends
The she-wolf to her cubs; for unloved things
It findeth food and friends.

It is not marred nor stayed in any use,
All liketh it; the sweet white milk it brings
To mothers' breasts; it brings the white drops, too,
Wherewith the young snake stings.

The ordered music of the marching orbs
It makes in viewless canopy of sky;
In deep abyss of earth it hides up gold,
Sards, sapphires, lazuli.

Ever and ever bringing secrets forth,
It sitteth in the green of forest-glades
Nursing strange seedlings at the cedar's root,
Devising leaves, blooms, blades.

It slayeth and it saveth, nowise moved
Except unto the working out of doom;
Its threads are Love and Life; and Death and Pain
The shuttles of its loom.

It maketh and unmaketh, mending all;
What it hath wrought is better than hath been;
Slow grows the splendid pattern that it plans
Its wistful hands between.

This is its work upon the things ye see,
The unseen things are more; men's hearts and minds,
The thoughts of peoples and their ways and wills,
Those, too, the great Law binds.

Unseen it helpeth ye with faithful hands,
Unheard it speaketh stronger than the storm.
Pity and Love are man's because long stress
Moulded blind mass to form.

It will not be contemned of any one;
Who thwarts it loses, and who serves it gains;
The hidden good it pays with peace and bliss,
The hidden ill with pains.

It seeth everywhere and marketh all:
Do right -- it recompenseth! do one wrong --
The equal retribution must be made,
Though DHARMA tarry long.

It knows not wrath nor pardon; utter-true
Its measures mete, its faultless balance weighs;
Times are as nought, to-morrow it will judge,
Or after many days.

By this the slayer's knife did stab himself;
The unjust judge hath lost his own defender;
The false tongue dooms its lie; the creeping thief
And spoiler rob, to render.

Such is the Law which moves to righteousness,
Which none at last can turn aside or stay;
The heart of it is Love, the end of it
Is Peace and Consummation sweet. Obey!


*********************

Best wishes,

Dallas

===================================

-----Original Message-----

From: K
Sent: Sunday, April 18, 2004 2:57 AM
To: 
Subject: Prayers ? To whom? Maitreya / I am / etc.


Hi

In discussions on this subject it seems to me that the essential point
that comes up (after having waded through all kinds of issues these
people have in common with theosophists) is that in the end, those who
believe in Maitreya (as explained by Creme) - don't believe that we as
human beings are strong enough to solve our own problems. 


Ultimately it seems they think we need a saviour to wake us up. 


Now the perennial wisdom does concede that we often need someone to
point the way, but ultimately we need to walk the path ourselves. 


Praying to some God or Maitreya or Master, isn't going to solve our 
problems (we have to clean up our own messes).


It may give us some temporary feeling of
peace (nothing wrong with that), but at the end of the day we have to
face our problems, conflicts, sorrows, attachments etc. again. 

Just a thought. 

K