229 lines
10 KiB
Plaintext
229 lines
10 KiB
Plaintext
Degraded Human Nature
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World Scripture
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DEGRADED HUMAN NATURE
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In previous chapters, we have gathered passages which testify to humanity's
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true status as the highest sentient being; passages which describe the purity
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and goodness of the original human nature; passages which describe the
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perfection of human existence, filled with divine love and compassion. Yet in
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fact, most people exhibit a character that is more animal-like than divine.
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Human nature has fallen far from the ideal of love and holiness which is
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exalted by the world's religions.
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Many people, influenced by the Darwinian theory of evolution, regard the animal
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within human beings as an integral part of human nature, an inheritance from
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our ape-like progenitors. Indeed it is undeniable that the human being, by
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virtue of having a body, possesses instinctive and animal-like appetites and
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desires. But the position of most religions is that the essence of the human
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being is to be found in his spirit, which should dominate and control the body.
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Perhaps the meaning of evolution is that humans are in the process of
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transcending the animal stage and evolving to the point where the rational and
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ethical sense will be dominant.
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Thus, while human behavior often may be instinctual and low, it is not the
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expression of the human essence. It is rather a corruption of human nature and
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a regression from realizing the true purpose of life. In theistic religions,
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such behavior is viewed as the result of humankind's separation from God. A
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degraded human being may be regarded as even lower than an animal, for at least
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an animal strives to realize its limited purpose, while benighted humans stray
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far from theirs.
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The scripture passages gathered here approach this theme in three ways. Most
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people have deviated from their original nature, their hearts having become
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defiled and alienated from communion with God. The accumulation of sinful
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deeds, deluded thoughts, and base passions creates fetters that enslave those
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who indulge in them. Being thus degraded, they have sunk to the level of
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beasts and even lower.
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God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.
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1. Judaism and Christianity. Bible, Ecclesiastes 7.29
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Surely We created man of the best stature;
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Then We reduced him to the lowest of the low,
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Save those who believe and do good works,
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and theirs is a reward unfailing.
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2. Islam. Qur'an 95.4-6
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A little confusion can alter the sense of direction; a great confusion can
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alter the inborn nature.
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3. Taoism. Chuang Tzu 8
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4. Be not like those who forget God, and therefore He made them forget their
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own souls!
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Islam. Qur'an 59.19
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The effect of wrong belief is so dominant that the self does not evince its
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inborn inclination to the real path, just as the invasion of a bile-infected
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fever brings an aversion to sweet juice.
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5. Jainism. Nemichandra, Gomattasara
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This consciousness (citta) is luminous, but it is defiled by adventitious
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defilements.
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6. Buddhism. Anguttara Nikaya i.10
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Delusion is a sort of demonic force. People's original mind is pure but it
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becomes perverted due to delusion and other karmas.
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7. Jainism. Kundakunda, Pancastikaya 38
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Ecclesiastes 7.29: Cf. Romans 1.21-25, p. 396; Book of Songs, Ode 255, p. 385.
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Qur'an 95.4-6: Cf. Qur'an 70.19-22, p. 384. Chuang Tzu 8: Cf. Chuang Tzu 11,
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p. 421; Book of Songs, Ode 255, p. 385. Anguttara Nikaya i.10: Luminous
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consciousness is citta. Cf. Sutra of Hui Neng 6, p. 399; Perfection of Wisdom
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in Eight Thousand Lines 12.3, p. 402; Holy Teaching of Vimalakirti 3, p. 220;
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Mahaparinirvana Sutra 214-15, p. 219.
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- - - - - - - - - - - -
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Satan said, "I will take of Thy servants a portion marked off; I will mislead
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them, and I will create in them false desires; I will order them... to deface
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the fair nature created by God." Whoever, forsaking God, takes Satan for a
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friend, has of a surety suffered a loss that is manifest. Satan makes them
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promises, and creates in them false desires; but Satan's promises are nothing
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but deception.
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8. Islam. Qur'an 4.118-20
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Your mind, having become diseased and bewildered because of the false
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sense-conceptions accumulated since beginningless time, has developed many
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desires, attachments and habits. From these there have arisen, incident to the
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ever-changing processes of life, arbitrary conceptions concerning self and
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not-self and as to what is true and what is not true. These arbitrary
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conceptions have not developed in a normal way from your pure Mind Essence, but
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in an abnormal way because of the prior false conceptions that had their origin
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in the sense organs, like the sight of blossoms in the air that come to
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diseased minds. They falsely appear to have had their origin in the
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enlightening and Essential Mind but, in truth, they have arisen because of
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diseased conditions.
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9. Buddhism. Surangama Sutra
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Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save,
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or His ear dull, that it cannot hear;
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but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God,
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and your sins have hid His face from you so that He does not hear.
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10. Judaism and Christianity. Bible, Isaiah 59.1-2
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All vices are like chains thrown around the neck.
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11. Sikhism. Adi Granth, Sorath, M.1 p. 595
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Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a
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slave to sin."
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12. Christianity. Bible, John 8.34
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Through wrong belief, indulgence, negligence, passions and activities the
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individual self attracts particles of matter which are fit to turn into karma,
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as the self is actuated by passions. This influx of karma results in bondage.
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13. Jainism. Tattvarthasutra 8.1-2
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Surangama Sutra: Cf. Chuang Tzu 11, p. 421; Sutra of Hui Neng 6, p. 399.
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Sorath, M.1: Cf. Gauri Ashtpadi, M.1, p. 531. Tattvarthasutra 8.1-2: Cf.
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Pancadhyayi 2.57, p. 387.
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Denizens of hell are bound by hate,
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Hungry ghosts by misery,
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And beasts by blindness.
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Men by lust are bound,
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By jealousy, asuras,
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And the devas in heaven by pride.
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These Six Fetters are the obstacles to liberation.
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14. Buddhism. Milarepa
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Bound by the fetters of the fruits of good and evil, like a cripple; without
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freedom, like a man in prison... thus they call him.
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15. Hinduism. Maitri Upanishad 4.2
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The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately corrupt; who can
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understand it?
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16. Judaism and Christianity, Bible, Jeremiah 17.9
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Mencius said, "Slight is the difference between man and the brutes. The common
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man loses this distinguishing feature, while the gentleman retains it."
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17. Confucianism. Mencius IV.B.19
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By doing evil the self becomes a rogue, an animal, or inhabitant of hell; and
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always beset by thousands of pains, it strays incessantly.
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18. Jainism. Kundakunda, Pravacanasara 1.12
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Having attained human birth, which is an open gateway to Brahman, one who...
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remains attached to the ties of the world is not fit to be called human.
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Pleasures of sense may be had in all lives: leave them, then, to the brutes!
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19. Hinduism. Srimad Bhagavatam 11.3
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That man in whom there never kindles
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One spark of the love of God,
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Know, Nanak, that his earthly vesture
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Is no better than that of a swine or dog!
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20. Sikhism. Adi Granth, Slok, M.9, p. 1428
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Milarepa: Cf. Dhammapada 345-46, p. 418; Digha Nikaya ii.276, p. 390; Udana
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75-76, p. 417; Sutta Nipata 948, p. 531. Maitri Upanishad 4.2: Cf. Maitri
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Upanishad 3.2, p. 412; Bhagavad Gita 3.36-37, p. 417; Mundaka Upanishad 2.2.8,
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p. 530. Pravacanasara 1.12: Cf. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10, p. 408.
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- - - - - - - - - - - -
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Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth,
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for the Lord has spoken:
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"Sons I have reared and brought up,
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but they have rebelled against me.
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The ox knows its owner,
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and the ass its master's crib;
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but Israel does not know,
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my people does not understand."
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21. Judaism and Christianity. Bible, Isaiah 1.2-3
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And recite to them the tiding of him to whom We gave Our signs, but he cast
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them off, and Satan followed after him, and he became one of the perverts. And
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had We willed, We would have raised him up, but he inclined towards the earth
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and followed his lust. So the likeness of him is as the likeness of a dog; if
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you attack it it lolls its tongue out, or if you leave it it lolls its tongue
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out. That is that people's likeness who cried lies to Our signs. So relate
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the story; haply they will reflect....
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We have created for hell many jinn and men; they have hearts, but understand
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not with them; they have eyes, but perceive not with them; they have ears, but
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they hear not with them. They are like cattle; nay, rather they are further
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astray. Those--they are the heedless.
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22. Islam. Qur'an 7.175-79
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If man does worthily, they [i.e., God] say to him, "You were created before the
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angels of the service"; if he does not, they say to him, "The fly, the gnat,
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and the worm were created before you."
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23. Judaism. Midrash, Genesis Rabbah
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Greed and evil are king and minister, falsehood their officer; Lust the
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counselor who is called for advice--all three hold conclave to chalk out plans.
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The subjects, bereft of understanding, are carcasses full of straw.
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24. Sikhism. Adi Granth, Asa-ki-Var, M.1, p. 468-69
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Isaiah 1.2-3: Cf. Exodus Rabbah 31.15, p. 177. Asa-ki-Var, M.1: Cf. Sorath,
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M.3, p. 390; Luke 9.60, p. 583; Berakot 18ab, p. 583; Maitri Upanishad 6.28, p.
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1054.
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