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ESSAYS 3
The book, Essays 3 is the last book
of essays written by Maitreya. This book is mostly related to
spiritual
purification of
the individual and community. The books of essays cover many
topics in this regard.
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Golden
Rule:
Do to others as you expect others to do unto
you.
But if they did not do unto you as you expect,
forgive them.
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INTRODUCTION
In any given situation according to time, place, and
people involved, the purpose (Daharma)
of the laws are to bring justice. Therefore, we can never set some
rigid rules and regulations and assume in all similar circumstances
they can bring justice.
That is why when laws and a set of rules are created
to regulate the society or to bring justice, after some period of
time, such societies realize that those laws have become more
important than the justice which they were supposed to bring.
That is, the following of the laws becomes so
important that their spirit to bring justice is lost. Then they
almost become rituals which are to be automatically performed
instead of to be understood and changed to bring justice for each
situation. In other words, the notion would be law, not justice, so
a bureaucracy would be created. But whatever is rigid in this
universe and does not do what it was intended to do (its
Darma) has no choice but to be broken and replaced by another
system which will suit the situation, or one which is flexible
enough to change and adapt to the situation.
In order to bring a high ideal of justice to
society, also only those who have overcome and have no guilt any
longer can judge. The points above were well demonstrated by
Esa and the adulterous woman. They brought her to him saying
that they had caught her in the act of adultery and according to the
laws of Moses she should be stoned.
Esa
said that he who has no guilt should throw the first stone. All left
and no one was found worthy to judge her.
They were following the law but without considering
her situation and also how hard it is to overcome. That is why only
those who have overcome (have no guilt) know how hard it is to do
so. They are aware of the forces in the universe and society, and
how they cause a man to do things that he might not have done
otherwise.
So such a person or persons will look at each
situation on a deeper level by their
intuition and knowledge, and then they will judge others. Only
these people should be selected into the judiciary body of the
government.
However, a base of general laws to govern the
society can be accepted. But in each situation these basic laws
should be adjusted to bring the desired justice. These Divine basic
Laws have been brought to humanity through Moses and
Prophet Muhammad.
Of course, many argue that these laws are harsh and
outmoded. But the reason they have not been able to be used in any
society to bring justice is because there has never been a society
and people who have created an environment where these laws can be
used.
In order to implement His Laws, a just society with
just leaders is necessary. Unless an ideal environment is created,
no law is just!
If such an environment is created, and then a person
commits crimes, a harsh justice given through a just judge is
readily acceptable. That is because in this situation the person has
not done the crime because of physiological or safety needs, but
other tendencies which deserve punishment.
Also it might be argued that according to the Law of
Karma, people will be
punished for their bad actions. Why then do we need to punish them
externally if we know that they will be punished anyway?
Although that is true and the realized person has no
doubt about that, not all people are realized. This external symbol
of internal punishment is for those who are in their physical levels
and need to see the punishment in this level.
Those who are in the
spirit
and see the justice in the
spirit will not
sin. He who does not
sin does not need any laws.
In the following pages, some recommendations,
Commandments, and points will be considered as guidance on the
spiritual path. They are by no means the ultimate and not all of
them are applicable for all. But except for the Commandments and
Laws which should be followed, they are recommendations for those
who follow them and will benefit the aspirants in their spiritual
path, according to their situation (time, place, and people
involved).
The essence of the teachings of
Maitreya is the
Eternal Divine
Path, which leads a person to become
Divine. So he who follows this path and has become it does not
need to follow any rituals or laws, but the recommendations and laws
in this book are helpful for a person to follow the Divine Path.
So it is a two-way consideration -- those who follow
these recommendations (or any other practices helpful to them) will
find it easier to follow the
Eternal Divine
Path, and he who is following the Path and has become it will
easily follow these recommendations, understand their depth, and
greatly benefit from them.
However, no rituals,
meditation,
exercises, etc., are valid if they do not lead a person to follow the
Eternal Divine
Path.
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