Editor's Note: This was originally published in 2012.
So I've about had it. This week, while sifting through the news, I have come across SIX articles, all claiming that we humans are going to
single-handedly wipe out life on earth. Through ocean acidity, climate change, and a host of other "evils," we're the reason Wall-E is going to exist.
Enough, already.
There
are many ways to view theology, but they all boil down to two essential
rules of thumb: there is a Supreme Being, or there isn't.
Now,
if there isn't, then you're pretty much resigned to atheism. If there
is, then there's a whole host of religious options available to you.
Now here's the thing, if you happen to subscribe to a particular
religion - and at this point in the conversation, it doesn't matter
which one - then the end of the world is spelled out for you. I'm
willing to bet, dollars-to-doughnuts, that your god is scheduled to
return to earth.
Let's take Christianity, for example. In Revelation, John writes:
I
saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose
rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages
war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns.
He has a name written on it that no one knows but he himself. . . .
Then
I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered
together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. But
the beast was captured and with it the false prophet . . . The two of
them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. . . .
Then
I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and
the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and
books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life.
The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the
books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades
gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged
according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into
the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose
name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake
of fire.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away . . . He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" (Revelation 19:11-12, 19-20; 20:11-15; 21:1,5).
Scary
stuff, some of it. Notice, though, that the earth isn't destroyed by
carbon gasses, nuclear war, or a lack of Twinkies. In the Christian
worldview, Jesus returns and gets rid of evil, permanently.
"But I'm not a Christian! I'm Hindu!"
No problem.
According to the Kalki Purana,
"One of mud will be born" on earth. He will be the Avatar of Visnu,
Kalki. Coming on a white horse, he will slay Kali, the demon-god who
incites evil on earth. Thus will end the Kali-Yuga, and an age of
purity will begin.
"But I'm not a Hindu! I'm Muslim!"
No problem.
In
Surah Al-Furqan, we read, "The Day the Heavens shall be rent asunder
with clouds, and angels shall be sent down descending (in ranks) - that
day, the dominion as of right and truth, shall be (wholly) for (Allah)
Most Merciful: it will be a day of dire difficulty for the
Misbelievers" (24-25, trans. Yusuf-Ali).
The end of the world will be one in which the heavens are torn open and Allah reveals Himself, to the dismay of all non-Muslims.
"But I'm a Latter-Day Saint, not a Muslim!"
No problem.
In Doctrine and Covenants,
the LDS church states: ". . . [Jesus] now reigneth in the heavens and
will reign till he descends on the earth . . . which time is nigh at
hand . . . but the hour and the day no man knoweth, neither the angels
in heaven, nor shall they know until he comes" (49:6-7).
"I'm not a Mormon, but a Buddhist! What do you have to say about that, jerk?!"
No problem.
In
his Sermon of the Seven Suns, the Buddha proclaimed that over the
course of several years, seven suns would eventually appear in the sky.
Each sun would bring with it a cataclysmic event, similar to the
cataclysms outlined in other faiths. Eventually, the sheer multitude of
suns in the sky will burn up the earth and cause it to explode.
"Excuse
me, but I'm an atheist. I believe in a random process of evolution
that has been going on for millions of years. None of this hocus-pocus
religion interests me."
No problem.
Michael
Chrichton penned a remarkable dialogue concerning what should be the
evolutionists view on mankind and the fate of earth in his novel, Jurassic Park. While I could certainly sum it up, he does a much better job:
"'Let
me tell you about our planet . . . Our planet is four and a half
billion years old. There has been life on this planet for nearly that
long, Three point eight billion years. The first bacteria. And,
later, the first multicellular animals, then the first complex
creatures, in the sea, on the land. Then the great sweeping ages of
animals - the amphibians, the dinosaurs, the mammals, each lasting
millions upon millions of years. Great dynasties of creatures arising,
flourishing, dying away. All this happening against a background
of continuous and violent upheaval, mountain ranges thrust up and eroded
away, cometary impacts, volcanic eruptions, oceans rising and falling,
whole continents moving . . . Endless, constant and violent change . . .
Even today, the greatest geographical feature on the planet comes from
two great continents colliding, buckling to make the Himalayan mountain
range over millions of years. The planet has survived everything, in
its time. It will certainly survive us.'"
"Hammond
frowned. 'Just because it lasted a long time,' he said, 'doesn't mean
it is permanent. If there was a radiation accident. . . .'
"'Suppose
there was,' Malcolm said. 'Let's say we had a bad one, and all the
plants and animals died, and the earth was clicking hot for a hundred
thousand years. Life would survive somewhere - under the soil, or
perhaps frozen in Arctic ice. And after all those years, when the
planet was no longer inhospitable, life would again spread over the
planet. The evolutionary process would begin again. It might take a
few billion years for life to regain its present variety. And of course
it would be very different from what it is now. But the earth would
survive our folly. Life would survive our folly. Only we,' Malcolm
said, 'Think it wouldn't.'
"Hammond said, 'Well, if the ozone layer gets thinner -'
"There will be more ultraviolet radiation reaching the surface. So what?'
"'Well. It'll cause skin cancer.'
"Malcolm
shook his head. 'Ultraviolet radiation is good for life. It's
powerful energy. It promotes mutation, change. Many forms of life will
thrive with more UV radiation.'
"'And many others will die out,' Hammond said.
"Malcolm sighed. 'You think this is the first time such a thing has happened? Don't you know about oxygen?'
"'I know it's necessary for life.'
"'It is now,'
Malcolm said. 'But oxygen is actually a metabolic poison. It's a
corrosive gas, like flourine, which is used to etch glass. And when
oxygen was first produced as a waste product by certain plant cells -
say, around three billion years ago - it created a crisis for all other
life on our planet. Those plant cells were polluting the environment
with a deadly poison. They were exhaling a lethal gas, and building up
its concentration. A planet like Venus has less than one percent
oxygen. On earth, the concentration of oxygen was going up rapidly -
five, ten, eventually twenty-one percent! Earth had an atmosphere of
pure poison! Incompatible with life!'
"Hammond looked irritated. 'So what is your point? That modern pollutants will be incorporated, too?'
"'No,'
Malcolm said. 'My point is that life on earth can take care of
itself. In the thinking of a human being, a hundred years is a long
time. A hundred years ago, we didn't have cars and airplanes and
computers and vaccines. . . . It was a whole different world. But to
the earth, a hundred years is nothing. A million years is nothing.
This planet lives and breathes on a much vaster scale. We can't
imagine its slow and powerful rhythms, and we haven't got the humility
to try. We have been residents here for the blink of an eye. If we are
gone tomorrow the earth will not miss us.'"
Now,
I'm not advocating evolution, or any other religion, for that matter.
Jesus claimed to be Lord and God, He raised Himself from the dead to
prove it, and when He says He's coming again, I believe Him. But the
point, folks, is this: no matter what you believe, no matter what faith
you follow, no matter what god you believe in (or don't believe in),
human beings are not going to be responsible for the end of the world.
To assume that we have the power to wipe out all life on earth is simply
arrogant. I am not suggesting we dump oil in our oceans, stop
recycling, or waste resources. What I AM suggesting is that we relax a
little bit on all of this nonsense that we're ultimately going to
destroy this planet. No major religion suggests it, and evolution
renders our planet hardier than we think.
So why are we
so worried? Oh, and, if you want another bright spot, we can now
safely rule out the Mayan predictions. There you go, one less thing to
worry about, right? :-)
Friday, December 30, 2016
Friday, December 23, 2016
The Giants of the Coast
Across the sea, they came. Their boats were light, like canoes, but
large, like the Spanish ships. The men aboard the ships - white men
without beards - were so large that an average man only reached their
knees. The wealthy among them dressed in animal skins, while the rest
wore nothing at all.
They were skilled architects and built sturdy, strong houses. They also dug great wells out of the rock of the land, drawing sweet water from deep underground. The wells were lined with handmade bricks, so as to last many, many years. To dig these wells required great strength, and we were much amazed to see it accomplished.
They had no women with them, and in congregating with our own, the women were killed. For this we were angry, and rose up against them. They did violence to us men, as well, and though our warriors were valiant, because of their strength and size, we were unable to overcome them. So they remained for many years, and the two peoples did not get on well.
Because of their inability to take wives from among us, the men practiced detestable acts with each other. They showed no humility towards us or towards the gods, and they were duly punished for their crimes. One day, a bright fire came out of the heavens, and the giants were all consumed, their bodies burnt up. Only a few bones remained, and this we know to be true, because we can see the burnt up bones for ourselves, just as we can see where their houses and wells once stood.
-From an Incan legend, as told to Pedro de Cieza de Leόn
They were skilled architects and built sturdy, strong houses. They also dug great wells out of the rock of the land, drawing sweet water from deep underground. The wells were lined with handmade bricks, so as to last many, many years. To dig these wells required great strength, and we were much amazed to see it accomplished.
They had no women with them, and in congregating with our own, the women were killed. For this we were angry, and rose up against them. They did violence to us men, as well, and though our warriors were valiant, because of their strength and size, we were unable to overcome them. So they remained for many years, and the two peoples did not get on well.
Because of their inability to take wives from among us, the men practiced detestable acts with each other. They showed no humility towards us or towards the gods, and they were duly punished for their crimes. One day, a bright fire came out of the heavens, and the giants were all consumed, their bodies burnt up. Only a few bones remained, and this we know to be true, because we can see the burnt up bones for ourselves, just as we can see where their houses and wells once stood.
-From an Incan legend, as told to Pedro de Cieza de Leόn
Friday, December 16, 2016
The Yaksha
One day, a brahmin was distraught to find that he could no longer perform tapas,
as his tools had become entangled in the horns of a stag. So he
enlisted the help of the warriors of the Pandava clan to pursue the
animal and retrieve the churning stick. The warriors - who were all
brothers - chased the stag through the forest, but to no avail; it was
too quick for even them.
They sat beneath a tree to rest, ashamed and confused as to why they were unable to capture the animal. For surely their experience in battle had proven their might and worth tenfold? Yet they were unable to defeat a common beast. One of the brothers, whose name was Yudhishthira, instructed another brother to climb a tree and see if any water could be found. The brother, who was named Nakula, spotted a grove of trees nearby, around which were many water cranes. So he set off to fetch the water.
Nakula came to a beautiful lake, clear as glass, and surrounded by flowering trees, spreading vines, and birds of lovely colors. Overjoyed, he descended to the water and began to draw it out of the lake in a vessel. Before he could finish, however, a voice spoke to him.
"My son, do not draw the water until you have answered my questions."
Nakula, who feared his mind was stretched to the limit with exhaustion, ignored the voice. He drank the water, and immediately died.
Meanwhile, the others noted that he had not returned. So Yudhishthira sent Sahadeva to see what was the matter. He arrived at the lake and saw Nakula dead, and would have done something about it had the lake not looked so inviting. So he went to the edge and drew some water, so as to refresh himself, when the same voice spoke up. He too ignored it, drank, and died.
Mighty Arjuna went, armed with his bow, Gandiva, and was dismayed to see both of his brothers dead. He also noted how inviting the water was, and so went to drink, when the same warning echoed around him. He did not ignore it, but instead challenged the speaker to reveal himself, and so take part in a battle. When the voice did not answer, Arjuna fired an arrow into the surrounding woods. The voice issued a second warning. Arjuna declared that nothing could stop him, and so drew water, drank, and died. Some time later, the brothers sent Bhima to see what had happened, and he, too, drank and died.
Yudhishthira himself came this time, and was horrified to see four of his brothers dead. He sat beside them and mourned, for he had no one to help him in his fight to win back his kingdom. He noted that there were no footprints, nor any sign of a struggle. He concluded that the being that killed his brothers must be supernatural, and so descended to the lake so as to draw water for the last rites due his brothers. The voice spoke loudly to him, and said, "It is I who killed your brothers."
Yudhishthira looked around, but so no one. The voice continued: "I will kill you unless you answer my questions."
Yudhishthira asked, "What are you? You must be a mighty being to slay men whom neither the gods nor demons can slay. So I ask again: what are you?"
"I am a Yaksha, mighty Yudhishthira. May you have prosperous fortune."
As Yudhishthira watched, a massive figure began to form. Its eyes burned like the sun, and its voice was the thunder in the heavens. It said, "I warned your brothers, but they heeded me not. This water is my water, and those who touch without my consent must die, as your brothers did."
The warrior replied, "I will answer your questions as I am able, for I have no desire to take that which does not belong to me."
So began the questions, and Yudhishthira answered them. In so doing, he led himself from darkness into light, and became full of wisdom.
What is heavier than the earth?
Mother
What is taller than the sky?
Father
What is more swift than the wind?
The mind
What is more plentiful than the grass?
Thoughts
Who is the traveller's friend?
A companion
Who is the householder's friend?
A spouse
Who is the invalid's friend?
A doctor
Who is the dying man's friend?
His charity
What must we renounce to become loved?
Our pride
What must we renounce to become free of misery?
Our anger
What must we renounce to become wealthy?
Our desire
What must we renounce to become happy?
Our greed
What is our greatest treasure?
Skill
What is our greatest wealth?
Education
What is our greatest gain?
Health
What is our greatest happiness?
Contentment
What defines a man?
His offspring
Who is a man's God-given friend?
His wife
What is his life's support?
Rain
What is his purpose?
Charity
What causes the sun to rise?
Brahma
Who moves around Brahma?
The gods
What causes the sun to set?
Dharma
What holds him firm?
The truth
The tendency here would be to offer commentary on every question. Rather than do that, however, I want us to explore the fundamental philosophies behind the myth as a whole, because these philosophies form the very basis of Hindu thought. Therefore, if we can demonstrate accuracy (or fallacy) in the very basic heart of these philosophies, we can move in a direction of believing (or disbelieving).
The general thrust of Hinduism is the belief that we must restore our relationship to God, who is kept at a distance from us by our own greed, pride, anger, desire, and so on. How do we accomplish this? The third question addresses that: we must keep our minds under control.
Now, it should only take us a moment to realize that this is nearly impossible, for even the second question notes that our minds can travel to a thousand different places in a mere instant. Benjamin Franklin, in his autobiography, made a list of virtues that he tried to practice each and every day until, after thirteen weeks' time, he would have attained perfection. In his own words: "I fell far short of it." Our minds can only, with great effort, be partially controlled, our desires only partially squelched.
Ever had a tune stuck in your head that you couldn't get out? Ever had a craving for a type of food thay wouldn't go away until you had that particular food? Ever been in a bad mood you just couldn't shake?
So here's the deal: the basis of Hindu thought is founded on an impossibility. Now - and please listen carefully - this is not an anti-Hindu rant. This is not a call to gather up your torches and pitchforks and storm the homes of your Hindu neighbors. I am not advocating a trade embargo on India. Please don't vandalize local Hindu temples.
My point is that this myth sets forth a mode of thinking that is impossible to fulfill, without any guidance as to how to accomplish these goals. What does that mean for the accuracy of the myth?
It gives it credibility.
Assuming that Yudhishthira existed (and there's no reason to assume he's fictional - that is, there's no scroll somewhere with author's notes charting out the character development), in order to take a difficult (impossible) philosophy as truth, something must convince you that this thing has authority. Dead brothers, unharmed by any weapon, would do it. A being that can turn itself invisible would do it. A being whose eyes blazed like the sun and who, when compared to a large warrior, was considered massive would do it.
Yudhishthira saw this being and believed what it said, in spite of its impossible assertions. The Yaksha, in other words, persuaded a trained warrior to listen to him. Not too many men in that day would be able to do that.
So what is the Yaksha? Clearly, he is supernatural. He's also, clearly, lying. Most cultures believe in evil spirits, even our modern-day science-oriented culture. We are largely a materialistic society who has pushed God to the fringes, and yet our bookstores have shelves devoted to "true" tales of ghostly horrors.
Because it remains a universal myth, then, and because this particular myth seems to point us in the same direction, we can suspect that the Yaksha story recounts a collaboration between a warrior and an evil spirit. The Bible calls Satan "The Father of Lies," but his deceptions are rarely outright lies, but are rather lies mixed with a bit of truth (c.f. Genesis 1-3).
The Yaksha states that the mind is powerful; this is true. With it, we invent and create, we make decisions that impact our lives and the lives of people around us, and we delve into our own deepest thoughts and emotions.
The Yaksha states that the mind needs to be controlled and tamed; this is true. If left unchecked, those decisions, thoughts, and emotions of which we are capable can descend into some very, very dark places. If left unchecked, our darkest thoughts turn into darker realities. Wars and crime are proof of that.
The Yaksha states that we are capable of controlling our own minds; this is the lie that has been artfully mixed in with truth. As we have established, our minds are - on the best of days, with the sun out of our eyes and the wind in our favor - barely under our control. As we also established, only a few moments of thought would reveal that to us. What control we can accomplish, is rarely maintained, and control in one area always - this is what Franklin discovered - leaves a vacuum and a failure in another.
Why, then, would this stalwart warrior believe in what he learned that day? Because the Yaksha was a real entity, and because what it conveyed was a classic example of an old theme: lies become more believable when mixed with truth.
They sat beneath a tree to rest, ashamed and confused as to why they were unable to capture the animal. For surely their experience in battle had proven their might and worth tenfold? Yet they were unable to defeat a common beast. One of the brothers, whose name was Yudhishthira, instructed another brother to climb a tree and see if any water could be found. The brother, who was named Nakula, spotted a grove of trees nearby, around which were many water cranes. So he set off to fetch the water.
Nakula came to a beautiful lake, clear as glass, and surrounded by flowering trees, spreading vines, and birds of lovely colors. Overjoyed, he descended to the water and began to draw it out of the lake in a vessel. Before he could finish, however, a voice spoke to him.
"My son, do not draw the water until you have answered my questions."
Nakula, who feared his mind was stretched to the limit with exhaustion, ignored the voice. He drank the water, and immediately died.
Meanwhile, the others noted that he had not returned. So Yudhishthira sent Sahadeva to see what was the matter. He arrived at the lake and saw Nakula dead, and would have done something about it had the lake not looked so inviting. So he went to the edge and drew some water, so as to refresh himself, when the same voice spoke up. He too ignored it, drank, and died.
Mighty Arjuna went, armed with his bow, Gandiva, and was dismayed to see both of his brothers dead. He also noted how inviting the water was, and so went to drink, when the same warning echoed around him. He did not ignore it, but instead challenged the speaker to reveal himself, and so take part in a battle. When the voice did not answer, Arjuna fired an arrow into the surrounding woods. The voice issued a second warning. Arjuna declared that nothing could stop him, and so drew water, drank, and died. Some time later, the brothers sent Bhima to see what had happened, and he, too, drank and died.
Yudhishthira himself came this time, and was horrified to see four of his brothers dead. He sat beside them and mourned, for he had no one to help him in his fight to win back his kingdom. He noted that there were no footprints, nor any sign of a struggle. He concluded that the being that killed his brothers must be supernatural, and so descended to the lake so as to draw water for the last rites due his brothers. The voice spoke loudly to him, and said, "It is I who killed your brothers."
Yudhishthira looked around, but so no one. The voice continued: "I will kill you unless you answer my questions."
Yudhishthira asked, "What are you? You must be a mighty being to slay men whom neither the gods nor demons can slay. So I ask again: what are you?"
"I am a Yaksha, mighty Yudhishthira. May you have prosperous fortune."
As Yudhishthira watched, a massive figure began to form. Its eyes burned like the sun, and its voice was the thunder in the heavens. It said, "I warned your brothers, but they heeded me not. This water is my water, and those who touch without my consent must die, as your brothers did."
The warrior replied, "I will answer your questions as I am able, for I have no desire to take that which does not belong to me."
So began the questions, and Yudhishthira answered them. In so doing, he led himself from darkness into light, and became full of wisdom.
What is heavier than the earth?
Mother
What is taller than the sky?
Father
What is more swift than the wind?
The mind
What is more plentiful than the grass?
Thoughts
Who is the traveller's friend?
A companion
Who is the householder's friend?
A spouse
Who is the invalid's friend?
A doctor
Who is the dying man's friend?
His charity
What must we renounce to become loved?
Our pride
What must we renounce to become free of misery?
Our anger
What must we renounce to become wealthy?
Our desire
What must we renounce to become happy?
Our greed
What is our greatest treasure?
Skill
What is our greatest wealth?
Education
What is our greatest gain?
Health
What is our greatest happiness?
Contentment
What defines a man?
His offspring
Who is a man's God-given friend?
His wife
What is his life's support?
Rain
What is his purpose?
Charity
What causes the sun to rise?
Brahma
Who moves around Brahma?
The gods
What causes the sun to set?
Dharma
What holds him firm?
The truth
The tendency here would be to offer commentary on every question. Rather than do that, however, I want us to explore the fundamental philosophies behind the myth as a whole, because these philosophies form the very basis of Hindu thought. Therefore, if we can demonstrate accuracy (or fallacy) in the very basic heart of these philosophies, we can move in a direction of believing (or disbelieving).
The general thrust of Hinduism is the belief that we must restore our relationship to God, who is kept at a distance from us by our own greed, pride, anger, desire, and so on. How do we accomplish this? The third question addresses that: we must keep our minds under control.
Now, it should only take us a moment to realize that this is nearly impossible, for even the second question notes that our minds can travel to a thousand different places in a mere instant. Benjamin Franklin, in his autobiography, made a list of virtues that he tried to practice each and every day until, after thirteen weeks' time, he would have attained perfection. In his own words: "I fell far short of it." Our minds can only, with great effort, be partially controlled, our desires only partially squelched.
Ever had a tune stuck in your head that you couldn't get out? Ever had a craving for a type of food thay wouldn't go away until you had that particular food? Ever been in a bad mood you just couldn't shake?
So here's the deal: the basis of Hindu thought is founded on an impossibility. Now - and please listen carefully - this is not an anti-Hindu rant. This is not a call to gather up your torches and pitchforks and storm the homes of your Hindu neighbors. I am not advocating a trade embargo on India. Please don't vandalize local Hindu temples.
My point is that this myth sets forth a mode of thinking that is impossible to fulfill, without any guidance as to how to accomplish these goals. What does that mean for the accuracy of the myth?
It gives it credibility.
Assuming that Yudhishthira existed (and there's no reason to assume he's fictional - that is, there's no scroll somewhere with author's notes charting out the character development), in order to take a difficult (impossible) philosophy as truth, something must convince you that this thing has authority. Dead brothers, unharmed by any weapon, would do it. A being that can turn itself invisible would do it. A being whose eyes blazed like the sun and who, when compared to a large warrior, was considered massive would do it.
Yudhishthira saw this being and believed what it said, in spite of its impossible assertions. The Yaksha, in other words, persuaded a trained warrior to listen to him. Not too many men in that day would be able to do that.
So what is the Yaksha? Clearly, he is supernatural. He's also, clearly, lying. Most cultures believe in evil spirits, even our modern-day science-oriented culture. We are largely a materialistic society who has pushed God to the fringes, and yet our bookstores have shelves devoted to "true" tales of ghostly horrors.
Because it remains a universal myth, then, and because this particular myth seems to point us in the same direction, we can suspect that the Yaksha story recounts a collaboration between a warrior and an evil spirit. The Bible calls Satan "The Father of Lies," but his deceptions are rarely outright lies, but are rather lies mixed with a bit of truth (c.f. Genesis 1-3).
The Yaksha states that the mind is powerful; this is true. With it, we invent and create, we make decisions that impact our lives and the lives of people around us, and we delve into our own deepest thoughts and emotions.
The Yaksha states that the mind needs to be controlled and tamed; this is true. If left unchecked, those decisions, thoughts, and emotions of which we are capable can descend into some very, very dark places. If left unchecked, our darkest thoughts turn into darker realities. Wars and crime are proof of that.
The Yaksha states that we are capable of controlling our own minds; this is the lie that has been artfully mixed in with truth. As we have established, our minds are - on the best of days, with the sun out of our eyes and the wind in our favor - barely under our control. As we also established, only a few moments of thought would reveal that to us. What control we can accomplish, is rarely maintained, and control in one area always - this is what Franklin discovered - leaves a vacuum and a failure in another.
Why, then, would this stalwart warrior believe in what he learned that day? Because the Yaksha was a real entity, and because what it conveyed was a classic example of an old theme: lies become more believable when mixed with truth.
Sunday, December 11, 2016
The Giant Kangaroos
**NOTE: ORIGINALLY POSTED 3/26/12**
Once, there were two brothers of the family name Byama. After a wicked man named Thoorkook killed their sons, the brothers decided to take revenge. So they changed themselves into giant kangaroos, and hopped about near Thoorkook's dwelling place. Thoorkook's dogs scented them, and gave chase. The brothers, disguised as the kangaroos, hopped faster and faster, leaving the dogs behind. But one of the dogs ran ahead of the pack, and just as he was about to catch them, they turned and rent him in two with their giant paws. They threw the body into a nearby watering hole.
They continued to hop, and the dogs continued to give a frenzied chase. The dogs lagged further behind, save one, who ran ahead of the pack. Just at the last moment, the giant kangaroos rent him in two with their giant paws. One by one, over many days, the chase continued in such a manner until all of the dogs were gone.
The brothers changed themselves back into men, and entered Thoorkook's camp. When he saw them, he grabbed his weapons, but the brothers made a show of peace by laying their weapons aside. The elder brother said, "While we were away hunting, you came with your dogs and killed our children. Now we have killed your dogs - even as we speak their bodies are being picked clean by the buzzards. You, however, we will not kill with deception, but as men who fight other men." Having said this, the brothers picked up their weapons and advanced. Thoorkook also picked up his weapon, and prepared to fight.
The fight waged on for many hours, as the men were all skilled at battle. Each time Thoorkook hurled his spear, the brothers protected themselves with shields. Each time the brothers hurled their spears, Thoorkook did likewise. At long last, the elder brother threw his spear with such force that it pierced Thoorkook's shield, entered into his throat, and came out the other side.
Not wishing their enemy to remain dead, they turned him into the Mopoke bird, who only lives at night and has a wretched cry. Thus is he punished forever.
When the brothers returned home, they discovered that their wives were still mourning the loss of their children. So they turned their wives into Curlews, whose mournful cries echo out from the bushes day and night.
-From Australia
Once, there were two brothers of the family name Byama. After a wicked man named Thoorkook killed their sons, the brothers decided to take revenge. So they changed themselves into giant kangaroos, and hopped about near Thoorkook's dwelling place. Thoorkook's dogs scented them, and gave chase. The brothers, disguised as the kangaroos, hopped faster and faster, leaving the dogs behind. But one of the dogs ran ahead of the pack, and just as he was about to catch them, they turned and rent him in two with their giant paws. They threw the body into a nearby watering hole.
They continued to hop, and the dogs continued to give a frenzied chase. The dogs lagged further behind, save one, who ran ahead of the pack. Just at the last moment, the giant kangaroos rent him in two with their giant paws. One by one, over many days, the chase continued in such a manner until all of the dogs were gone.
The brothers changed themselves back into men, and entered Thoorkook's camp. When he saw them, he grabbed his weapons, but the brothers made a show of peace by laying their weapons aside. The elder brother said, "While we were away hunting, you came with your dogs and killed our children. Now we have killed your dogs - even as we speak their bodies are being picked clean by the buzzards. You, however, we will not kill with deception, but as men who fight other men." Having said this, the brothers picked up their weapons and advanced. Thoorkook also picked up his weapon, and prepared to fight.
The fight waged on for many hours, as the men were all skilled at battle. Each time Thoorkook hurled his spear, the brothers protected themselves with shields. Each time the brothers hurled their spears, Thoorkook did likewise. At long last, the elder brother threw his spear with such force that it pierced Thoorkook's shield, entered into his throat, and came out the other side.
Not wishing their enemy to remain dead, they turned him into the Mopoke bird, who only lives at night and has a wretched cry. Thus is he punished forever.
When the brothers returned home, they discovered that their wives were still mourning the loss of their children. So they turned their wives into Curlews, whose mournful cries echo out from the bushes day and night.
-From Australia
Friday, December 2, 2016
Izanagi and Izanami
Izanagi and Izanami came to earth over the Rainbow Bridge, and
Izanagi brought his jeweled spear with him. The earth was not as we
know it now, however, but was a deep, oily ocean. Izanagi plunged his
spear into the chaos, and stirred it. When it stirred around and
around, he drew out the spear and let a single drop of water fall from
the tip. The water turned into an island.
They stepped off of the bridge and onto the island. On this island, they created a tall stone column. The column was sacred, and contained the sacred stories of the ancients. Izanagi walked around the column in one direction, and Izanami walked around the column in the opposite direction. They met, and the two were married, and they consummated that marriage. From this coupling, Izanami gave birth to everything in the world: the eight islands of The Empire, the gods and goddesses of water and nature, the mountains, streams, plants, animals, and even the mountains. At long last, Izanami gave birth to fire, but the fire consumed her as a fever, and she died, descending into the Underworld.
Izanagi was grief-stricken and chased after her. It was dark, and he was unable to see, so he pulled a comb from his hair. The comb was wooden, and very ornate, but he did not care. He lit it on fire, hoping to see his bride. What he saw was terrifying, and he recoiled.
She was a rotting corpse, her flesh hanging off of her bones, her mouth agape. Issuing from that dreadful mouth was a scream vile enough to cause Izanagi to turn and flee. She flew after him, shrieking all the while, her demons and minions joining in the chase.
Izanagi made it to the entrance of the Underworld, and rolled a stone over the opening, trapping his corpse-bride and her demons inside. She vowed that, as an act of revenge, she would steal 1,000 people a day in death. Izanagi replied that he would cause 1,500 people to be born each day. And so it was that, just as the two were married at a stone column, so did that marriage end at a stone, and thus are the living and dead forever separate.
-Japanese Folklore
So many parallels here, it's odd, to say the least. There's a Rainbow Bridge (Norse), a deep, chaotic Ocean (Hebrew, Sumerian, Greek) the birth of gods and goddesses (Greece, Sumerian, Norse, etc.), Death and Pursuit to the Underworld (Greece), demons (most ancient religions everywhere). It's almost as if the world's cultures were derived from, and spread from, a single origin. It's almost as if one culture divided into several, and each of those divided into several more, and each of those divided, and so on, carrying parts of their ancient stories with them. Just file that away under things that make you go "hmmmmm."
They stepped off of the bridge and onto the island. On this island, they created a tall stone column. The column was sacred, and contained the sacred stories of the ancients. Izanagi walked around the column in one direction, and Izanami walked around the column in the opposite direction. They met, and the two were married, and they consummated that marriage. From this coupling, Izanami gave birth to everything in the world: the eight islands of The Empire, the gods and goddesses of water and nature, the mountains, streams, plants, animals, and even the mountains. At long last, Izanami gave birth to fire, but the fire consumed her as a fever, and she died, descending into the Underworld.
Izanagi was grief-stricken and chased after her. It was dark, and he was unable to see, so he pulled a comb from his hair. The comb was wooden, and very ornate, but he did not care. He lit it on fire, hoping to see his bride. What he saw was terrifying, and he recoiled.
She was a rotting corpse, her flesh hanging off of her bones, her mouth agape. Issuing from that dreadful mouth was a scream vile enough to cause Izanagi to turn and flee. She flew after him, shrieking all the while, her demons and minions joining in the chase.
Izanagi made it to the entrance of the Underworld, and rolled a stone over the opening, trapping his corpse-bride and her demons inside. She vowed that, as an act of revenge, she would steal 1,000 people a day in death. Izanagi replied that he would cause 1,500 people to be born each day. And so it was that, just as the two were married at a stone column, so did that marriage end at a stone, and thus are the living and dead forever separate.
-Japanese Folklore
So many parallels here, it's odd, to say the least. There's a Rainbow Bridge (Norse), a deep, chaotic Ocean (Hebrew, Sumerian, Greek) the birth of gods and goddesses (Greece, Sumerian, Norse, etc.), Death and Pursuit to the Underworld (Greece), demons (most ancient religions everywhere). It's almost as if the world's cultures were derived from, and spread from, a single origin. It's almost as if one culture divided into several, and each of those divided into several more, and each of those divided, and so on, carrying parts of their ancient stories with them. Just file that away under things that make you go "hmmmmm."
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