The End of John

John was a interesting gospel to read because it felt like there was more to be said that wasn’t explored in Mark. The depth given in John is interesting to read about because it feels like he was right there when everything was happening. Instead of just an overview on the known facts, more is explored.

“Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. ³⁷ Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.”

Jesus doesn’t really seem sad to be leaving this “kingdom”. He really did think that his coming to Earth was just a mission. What surprised me the most about this part was the fact that he says that if this was a perfect world, he wouldn’t be delivered to the Jews. In a sense my perspective that Jesus came to Earth doing something he wanted has completely changed. Maybe I have been misinterpreting everything on the Bible for a long time but, now I understand Jesus truly was someone who wanted to have control over what he did. I always thought everything he did was his own wish and not anyone else’s.

Pilate was never really taken into depth in Mark. Before being chosen for crucifixion Jesus was taken to Pilate to judge him. I used to think Pilate wanted to execute Jesus and didn’t really care what happened to him. Now I am not so sure. Before anything Pilate actually defends Jesus,in a  mediocre way, but he still doesn’t seem content with the decision of the people. He follows what he is told but when “the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. 22 Pilate answered, what I have written I have written”. Instead of writing it again he leaves it how it is. Why would he do this? I believe it is because deep inside he knows that Jesus is actually the Son of God. Another example of when Pilate “helped”was when he didn’t deny his brethren the body of their master. If he was truly as terrible as the rest who judged Jesus, I am sure he wouldn’t have done this. In a sense I feel he was portrayed better in this Gospel than in Mark.

Since we discussed Jesus final words the other day, here are his final words in John:“8 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. 29 Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost”.  I seriously believe it was the vinegar that did it. I mean being thirsty and being offered a delicious beverage of vinegar affects your system. I thought that final words were like Grammy acceptant speeches, but they are quite simple. At least these are.I don’t really understand the full meaning of his final words, if they have any, and would like to go more into depth about this.

 

Appreciation

John is more detailed than Mark. Instead of giving us overviews on the life of Jesus, he actually goes deeper and writes about everything that happens. Reading John I feel like I am getting all the blanks that Mark left filled with the information in these pages. Right now I think of Mark as the opening act, while John is the full show.

“Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. 24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”

In Mark we never heard the part of Lazarus. After reading it I understand why Jesus’s day was coming up faster and why his fan base grew. I mean after seeing a dead guy rise up from the grave, how can you not believe that Jesus is the son of God? Another subject omitted from Mark was resurrection day of the people. Since I was little I was told that there will be a day when Jesus will come back to the people and with him will be all the dead people. So with what it is saying above I think the dead aren’t really dead but waiting to be called on to come back to the world of the living through Jesus. But only if you “believeth" in Jesus you will come back.

These priests sound meaner in John. In Mark you kind of got the idea that they were bad but in here you actually get to know what they were saying as the book progresses. In a way it wasn’t completely Gods idea that Jesus should die, but these priests plotted everything as well: “high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; 52 and not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. 53 Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.”Maybe God put the idea in their head but it sure doesn’t look like a higher power was manipulating these men. Weren’t they also a close connection between God and the people? They are priests after all. Personally I think they just killed him because they felt jealous he had a bond with God while they were being cast aside. Jesus actually created a relationship with those that surrounded him, while the priests kept to themselves.

The disciples got their moment to shine in John too. We get a clear picture of Judas Iscariot and the type of person he was: “hen saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, 5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.”Judas Iscariot sounds more like the type of person to chace a profit than chase a prophet. Here you can actually see his personality clashes with that of the other deciples because they don’t complain about things like foot ointment. He is also introduced as a “thief” and none of the other disciples had that title along with their names. Also, Jesus is shown to appreciate his deciples more. He actually praises them more and shows he is truly proud of the men they are. He says: “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13 Greater loves hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”He tells them they know him at a deeper level and that they aren’t his servants but his friends. You see that even though Jesus knew bad about his men, he appreciated them equally, even Judas.

One thing they didn’t leave out in either book was the fact that women are nothing. I am so tiered about reading about how we were just made to reproduce and have the children. I give Jesus credit for making it sound deep. Not many people, especially men, understand that pregnancy and the actual action of giving birth is painful. Jesus put it into a nice way by saying: “ 21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.” Ok why does it have to be a man? Are we only happy when we give birth to men? Anyway, Jesus only talks about this to say that they will have sorrow for his death but they will see each other again and the sorrow will go away. And of course birth is the only way to say “hey you’ll miss me but, we’ll see each other again soon”.

In book 17 he talks to his Father knowing that the time has come. In Mark he knows his time has come, but never is it mentioned what he prays for. In Mark you just hear that he stepped away from his disciples and went into the forest to pray. When he emerges from praying he is taken by the soldiers because he is betrayed. It’s different to see what he prayed than not to because you question what it it is he prayed for. In John, seeing what he prayed for exactly, you see that he prayed for mankind and that he gave us all we needed and that he knows what his sacrifice is for. When you see that he wasn’t scared to go and give his life for us, it creates a bigger picture. You understand that he had a purpose for being hear and as he had said “he was speaking for his Father”. He had a reason to be here and he had a clear purpose on what he wanted. Sometimes I wish I knew what I will become when I am older. Its probably because my future is uncertain right now and I don’t have someone telling me what to do to take the best path. The future is a mystery if you are not the official offspring of God.

John

Today I started reading a new Gospel, the one by John. It is very different from the one Mark wrote because it actually goes into depth into some details that weren’t explained in the first Gospel I read. Here we actually get to see the things that occurred form the characters point of view. Wjile in Mark we only got to see a very short passage onto every characters life.

First, Moses and the other prophets weren’t really mentioned in Mark. They only mentioned prophets in general but never really said the names of specific ones. For example in the first part Moses is mentioned along with his Ten Comandments: “We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph”. In Mark they never mention that Moses had written about the coming of Jesus. There are certain things like the Moses one, that aren’t fully explained or taken into depth in Mark.

“Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. 9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, 10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. 11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.”

Mark had serious issues if he didn’t mention this. I mean it was practically one of the most famous miracles of all time. I knew about the water turning into wine but didn’t think about it until now. In Mark they only discuss the healing miracles and nothing else. This was pretty big and I question why Mark left it out of his section. It’s not like you are walking down the street and there are tones of people that can turn water into wine.

Circumcision is mentioned again! I can’t believe this holly tradition was neglected by Mark. Not to mention that it wasn’t any other than Jesus who brought it up. I thought circumcision was given on the day of birth of the child. Now after having read that “ye on the Sabbath day circumcise a man. 23 If a man on the Sabbath day receive circumcision”, I’m beginning to question of the tradition was lost. Maybe I got confused in the present because I know that boys are circumcised now, no matter their religion for hygiene purposes. The last part of this section is also pretty interesting: “are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the Sabbath day? 24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment”. My favorite part in the end because it doesn’t matter that you are likeable on the outside; you could be a total duchebag on the inside. And it is kind of interesting how to make his point he uses the whole “circumcised on the Sabbath day” part.

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. 13 The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true. 14 Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. 15 Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. 16 And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me. 17 It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. 18 I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.”

Instead of just wrting that Jesus said something, John writes what he said. I felt that in Mark we only got the beginning of what was going to be said but no real depth into the matter. We also get to explore Jesus’s actual teachings like the one above. I like how Jesus compares himself to light and how he is a guide to those that want to follow. Somehow he doesn’t sound as tough in John as in Mark, he seems calm when he responds to the Pharisees and not ready to spit into someone’s ear. He seems to have more to share with the people and actally stands up for himself in a passive way.

“And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? 3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. 4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. 6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, 7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.”

Good old Jesus remedies. Now not only do we get to know ears weren’t safe from his holly spit but also the dirt was part of the equation. Now that I think of it, his spit must have had something that made everything all magical. I also can’t believe that they thought someone was a sinner if their child suffered any kind of handicap. Good thing Jesus set them straight. He also mentions himself as the light again, I have a feeling that is going to be a reoccurring theme.

End of Mark

Mark was shorter and to the point than the rest of the other gospels. The reason this reading was easier and a bit easier to understand was because it was written in a way that it doesn’t dwell in the small details but goes directly to the point.

Pilate, the guy that crucified Jesus, didn’t really seem like he wanted to. In the last moment I believe Jesus shocked him by his responses to whatever they asked him. Still Pilate chose to please the people over saving Jesus. And how did he please the people? By putting Jesus and Barabbas, a murderer, in front of the public so that they chose who they wanted to live. The people themselves were manipulated by the chief priests to choose the murderer over Christ; “For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy. 11 But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them”. (15:10:11). Priests are portrayed really negatively through the reading. Every time priests were mentioned it felt like they were describing someone who was corrupt. I think that the fear and angst that Jesus gave the priests was because they weren’t doing a good job being the messengers of God and he saw that. He told the people of the wrong the priests were doing and that posed a threat to them. For them it was all about internal reasons why they wanted Jesus to suffer.

“And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band. 17 And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head, 18 and began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! 19 And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him”. (15:16:17:18:19:20)

I remember that when the movie the about the Christ came out a few years back, we went to watch it. I remember that my mom had to cover my eyes in some parts that were to violent for me to see, but I remember seeing this scene in the movie. This is completely degrading to any human being and the worst part is Jesus is ok with it. The only reason he is ok with all of this is because he knew that the day would come when all this would happen and he also knew that this was his purpose to come into the world. If bullying didn’t exist back then, this was the day it was created. “They clothed him with purple” is a pretty funny line. What is so wrong about purple? Was it the unholy color of the time; the neon green to stand out in a crowd?

In book 16 it is the first time Mary Magdalene is mentioned. They don’t really go into depth with her; they just say Jesus “had cast seven devils”. (9:16) and he had appeared to her on the first day of the week. I thought she was mentioned more but apparently she just wasn’t that important; sad. I also thought it was sad that his own disciples kind of didn’t really pay attention to his different forms. Then when he actually appears to all of them at the same time, they do believe he came back. His disciples don’t really trust each other if they don’t believe that some of them saw him and the others did not.

“Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was raised. 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into the entire world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.”(16:14-20)

That must be annoying. To resurrect and the first thing you have to do is reprimand your disciples “their unbelief and hardness of heart”. Poor guy never cached a break between teaching, being crucified, and his followers. I liked how in the end he sends his disciples to spread his knowledge around the world. In a way this part is insulting to other religions because he says they are cast out devils. We got over that pretty quickly; I have friends that are neither baptized or part of any of the branches of Christianity.

Now that all the mysteries of the life of the son of God are a bit clearer, I can actually understand certain things about Jesus I never really could. I always just thought of him as the son of God that was born to Mary and if that hadn’t had happened Christmas wouldn’t exist. And that in itself is a tragedy. But he was born and he wasn’t just a bigger being, he was a teacher. He just wanted to teach people a good path to follow in life like Confucius or Krishna. Beneath all his holiness, he was just a man trying to make paths clear to the world.

Geting All Tough

“And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. 43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: 48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”9:42

What shocked me a lot about what I read was that, it wasn’t all healing and being kind. Jesus got this tough guy attitude all through books 9-15. He even got a bit graphic about the punishment of those that are bad and deserved to go to hell. Sure all these people deserve their punishment for being evil and having been sinful but, it was still surprising to read Jesus’ words. I thought everything was forgiven completely and you had a clean slate but apparently you lose something if you are going to heaven. Like “And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire”. So you have to leave one eye in hell. It’s Kind of sad if you think about it. One eye saw something less holly than the other. I understand that to become completely clean you have to obey the Ten Commandments and pray but I had never really hurt about leaving body parts in hell.

Can you imagine getting to your house and finding out that someone who had keys let a bunch of nasty people in to have a party? You get home and your house is complete destroyed, even though you thought you had left it in good hands. To Jesus his house is the temple because it’s the only focus point of connection to God, his father. So I completely get his pissed of reaction when he got to the temple and found that it wasn’t treated correctly. According to him “My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? But ye have made it a den of thieves”.11:15. He just marched in there and took back what truly belonged to him. I don’t think it was irrational at all that he marched into the temple and scared a bunch of people away because he is right about the temple being made into a joke. They lost all the values that David and the other prophets had given them. By Jesus doing this, it opened their eyes.

Jesus and Confucius have the same attitude. They treat their disciples the same way and their lesson, the way in which they are said kind of feel the same. By just saying the simplest thing they both shock those that surround them. A quote in particular that I thought could have been something Confucius would say was: “Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it. 16 And they brought it.And he saith unto them, Whose isthis image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar’s. 17 And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. And they marveled at him”.(12:15:16:17). Their reasoning’s are similar and both are all about being kind and respect. Confucius didn’t have a God but the way in which he shared his ideas with his disciples like they still had to be open to the world somehow, sounds like Jesus. They both were teachers in a way because both wanted to share their teachings through lessons. Every time Jesus is going to guide the sheep they say he is teaching.

Stalking is totally ok if you are the son of God. Just by looking at someone buying eggs in the morning you can come up with a totally new lesson for your pupils. Just by looking at a widow deposit money, Jesus said a wise thing:”Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: 44 For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, evenall her living”.(12:43:44) How can he tell all this by just looking at rich men and a widow deposit money? I guess he got vibes off of people.

Jesus knew the future and didn’t try and change it. He knew everything that was going to happen to him and to his followers. I know that if I knew some part of my future I would be freaked out if it wasn’t positive. It’s just sad to think that all through his life Jesus knew that what whould happen to him would be unavoidable. But the worst part is that he knew what would happen after he left: “Take heed lest any man deceive you: 6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ;and shall deceive many. 7 And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such thingsmust needs be; but the end shallnot beyet. 8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these arethe beginnings of sorrows”.(13:6:7:8) If I knew these things would happen when I was gone, I’d feel way more powerless. I would be there in spirit but I wouldn’t be able to give any kind of guidance when it happened. What I am trying to say is that, Jesus had true courage to accept everything so willingly and bravely.

Jesus Christ Super Star

Finally we get to read about Jesus and see what he was all about. In this first reading I did, I saw that he was a very simple man that enjoyed healing those that sought him. It’s nice to read about one sole character for a change and get to understand Jesus for the first time. I had never really gone into depth about it until now. In 3rd grade we would read the Bible to prepare for the First Communion but we were like eight so it doesn’t really count. Now being older we get to not only read it but actually understand what they say.

“And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. 45 But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.” (1:44)

Don’t you hate it when that happens? You tell someone to shut their mouths about something you don’t want everyone to know and then they go and tell everyone. I’ve had my experiences and have handled them by hiding from people and then when the news dies down, I come back out into the world. That’s just me, a mere mortal that is not the daughter of God. Jesus on the other hand couldn’t hide. He had to be nice to everyone and cure a bunch of people after this guy went and opened his mouth. This tells me that Jesus was a very patient man. If I was him I probably would have made the guy get “leprosy” again. God wouldn’t have approved and probably a burning bush nearby would have let me know it was wrong but I think privacy has to be respected. If the guy deserved it he deserved it, too bad Jesus was incapable of vengeance.

Jesus was a total rebel that told everyone of when they thought badly about what he did. In the second book of Mark he talks about David and how he “did eat the showbread” to prove to some men that were there that eating is not a sin. I wonder what else was considered a sin. Scribes apparently think many things are sinful like:” when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners? 17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance”. This is how everyone has to think, that even though you did a mistake you can still regret it and pull back together. Don’t judge a person because of their past.

Confucius and Jesus could have exchanged some tips. Maybe not in their teaching, but on their stalkers. The sad part is that most of Jesus followers go to be healed and then they leave, but to Confucius they keep coming back. Jesus only had 12 that he considered worthy of hanging with him and, even though they don’t mention it, I think Confucius also had his elite posy. Later on more people begin to come but for some reason I think there is hidden motive in both scenarios.

Jesus was trying to teach everyone to have a kind heart. God sent him down to Earth to be a teacher for those that were lost “because they were as sheep not having a shepherd” (6:34). By understanding everything he was teaching everyone I think I will finally be able to understand why pushed Jesus to sacrifice himself for humanity. I know he did sacrifice himself but I don’t fully understand why.

I just learned how to cure someone who is deaf and has a speech impediment, Jesus style. Miracles are miracles in themselves because, how can you expect that by Jesus putting “his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue” that a man can hear and talk? Then another spit miracle occurred: “he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes”. Miracles aren’t very pretty. I mean I’d be freaked out if someone spit into my ear and into my eyes. Maybe I could try it someday. Build a nice career as a nun and go around spitting in people ears screaming “Be Gone Satan!” It wouldn’t be that great though, nuns rarely get to do anything cool. Nuns should have been given a gift like Jesus disciples. Was Jesus also pro men only?

Mark has been full of healing and I hope that after these first 8 books, we see a more close and personal Jesus not so many miracles. All the things he says are full of wisdom and its hard at times to choose what to write about. But up to now it has been very interesting. For those who dont know there is a musical called "Jesus Christ Superstar". Personally I have never seen the musical but saw part of the theme song once. I decided to put my title as the name of the musical because it's so positive and a great way to start the New Testament.

Here is a clip of the "theme song". These people would have made John Travolta proud and are really funny.

Grand Finale

It is the end of the Tao and I just finished reading the last pages of its teachings. I enjoyed the Tao and the last reading was very deep and varied, as usual. I had never felt the calmness the Tao brought upon me and don’t think any text can do that. Even though the text is paradoxical and contradicts itself in parts, it manages to say so much in so little. Like a fellow classmate said that it might be short but it still feels like pages because you really have to think about what it really means.

Everyone hopes their life will be complete and that when we are on our own we will have our dream job and our dream life. Sometimes priorities come first and we must put our dreams hold to first survive. You might get a job you don’t really like but you have to work there because it pays your bills. You tell yourself that someday you will quit and go and get the job you wanted from the start. In the Tao they saw “he works without doing” (47) couldn’t this be that you work but don’t feel you are doing anything because it is not where you are meant to be? You might be working but you aren’t achieving anything at all. I don’t know why I related that quote to the examples above but I just hope that whenever I start working I won’t feel the emptiness of working and not doing anything at all.

“The more laws and restrictions there are,

The poorer people become.

The sharper men’s weapons,

The more trouble in the land.

The more ingenious and clever men are,

The more strange things happen.

The more rulers and regulations,

The more thieves and robbers.”

Pg 59 (57)

I had never really thought about these aspects in this way. I thought being poor was because there just wasn’t enough for everyone but maybe laws and restrictions do have to do with it. If you think about it in Colombia the reason so many people are poor is because they don’t have a job and the reason there are no jobs is because you have to have certain requirements to enter that job. The part of the weapons is also true. If you think about it there was less death with swords and punches than there are now with missiles and nuclear bombs. The more powerful weapons we find the closer we get to our own destruction because we will lose control. More deaths per second because that’s what it takes, seconds for a bullet to leave a gun and take a life.

“Ingenious and clever men” are definitely the cause of strange things. Have you seen infomercials? Now there are some crazy products out there like the “Baba de Caracol” that supposedly makes your skin softer and lose weight. Have we really gotten to a point where rubbing spit from an animal is our salvation? Strange products are out there. “More thieves and robbers” is so true. I mean if you think about it the more rules there are the more there are going to be people ready to break them. It would get too hard to get what you want without being prosecuted by the laws that you would ultimately steal to get what you want.

“Happiness is rooted in misery. Misery lurks beneath happiness”(58). If we didn’t know misery how would we know happiness? I had never thought it had been “rooted in misery” but I knew happiness couldn’t exist without the other. They had mentioned this before in another scroll and the idea remains but now we see that happiness could actually be considered to be born from misery. “The female overcomes the male with stillness,

Lying low is stillness.”

Pg 63 (61)

Finally they talk about some sort of female empowerment. It is the first time in a text in which females are actually shown being better than men in something. Even though it isn’t very big its something.I believes that what this is saying is that women can handle issues in a calmer manner than men. By saying we are “lying low” it means we do not rush into situations but that we actually think over what we are going to do. Stillness is being hidden in a way but always thinking over what is going on. You know how people underestimate the person next to you when you are talking to another? The person is listening to what you say but they are just “lying low” in total “stillness” waiting for the moment when what you just said could be used.

Everyone wants to be forgiven when you make a mistake. Since I was little in church there is always the part about confession; when you must forgive yourself to God and to your brethren. You can do it privately or in church when everyone does it in union. I thought that being Catholic was cool because unlike some religions forgiveness was always there for everyone. Then in the Tao they also mention forgiveness for your sins and was pretty shocked. I also wonder if it’s the same way of forgiveness like it is for Catholics or is it different. Something very interesting about the Tao is that it says that everyone likes the Tao because they find what they seek. Up to know in my sort of religious life I haven’t really seen a way in which the Bible either tells me what I seek or leads me towards it. I definitely haven’t seen many white pigeons in my life.

“Truthful words are not beautiful.

Beautiful words are not truthful.

Pg 83 (81)

This was one of the best quotes in the reading. Why; because they are pure and true. Instead of turning it round and round in your head you know that what it says here is direct. How many times has a guy said beautiful things not being truthful and just wanting something? Sometimes hearing beautiful words that are not truthful is more painful than the truth itself. Disguising the truth by beauty is just making it uglier beneath the surface.

It was very nice to read the Tao Te Ching because it made you look at things from different perspectives. It showed a world that is not ruled by being egocentric or how much a person has. It talks about a world where everyone is equal and what one has is shared with the rest.