The Kingdom of God is the Pure Land

It is by being touched by suffering that one learns to understand and to be compassionate. If in the Kingdom of God there is no suffering, there will be no understanding and compassion either, and without that you cannot call it the Kingdom of God or the Pure Land of Buddhism. This is something very clear, very simple. So my definition of the Pure Land of the Buddha, the kingdom of God, is the place where there are plenty of opportunities for you to learn to be understanding and to be compassionate. When you have a lot of understanding and compassion, you are no longer afraid of suffering. — Thich Nhat Hanh, Pure Land, The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh

Suffering thus is essential to understanding birth and death, being and nonbeing. Indeed, the nondual reality consists of suffering and not-suffering, be it among Children of Light or lost sheep or even Buddhists. Even Hasidim who are moderates know this truth called nondual reality, as do moderate Sufi mystics.

When we chose neither left nor right, we get close to the nonduality of politics. YMMV

What I am saying is that the path of moderation is the nondual path. It is not a complicated bunch of mumbo-jumbo that New Age gurus sell at fair market value. Rather, the path of nonduality is free to anyone to understand.

Even the birds and the bees know of nonduality. Even in a world of survival of the fittest, the strong may prey on the weak but the weak often escape their destiny if the strong fail to act, be it due to error or fate.

Sometimes this only proves that the universe is nondual in nature. Thus in the Kingdom of God, there is still suffering.

Without suffering there cannot be understanding and compassion. Without God to smite Sodom and Gomorrah, there can be no Israel. Without Israel there can be no Babylonian captivity. Without captivity there can be no freedom. Without freedom, the imprisoned suffer.

This is why I know that the Kingdom of God is the Pure Land, even the three kingdoms of glory of the Latter Day Saints. Indeed, the New Heaven and the New Earth is the Pure Land.

Schizophrenia and Mysticism (Bibliographic Essay)

Schizophrenia and Mysticism is an essay which links schizophrenia with mysticism.

Mystic religions include Sufi, Jewish mysticism (Kabbalah and Hasidism), Zen, Gnosticism and similar faiths.

Most people display a sarcastic derision of mysticism.

The reason is that they cannot unravel the mystery into its basic components, due to ignorance and prejudice.

At the root of mysticism is truth. It isn't that complicated at all. It just needs an open mind.

It is possible for a person to have a mystic vision consisting of angels and celestial beings propitiating them like the Buddha.

Erowid is also a good website to get information on Gnosticism.

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Originally posted: June 1, 2005 2134H
Update posted: March 5, 2013 2355H