Masada/Gaza/Samsara/Nataraja

[McCamy Taylor]

For decades, the invaders had claimed the crescent of land once known as Judea but now called Palestine. Their ancestors came from Asia Minor. An ancient war had set them adrift in Europe, but they had returned in glory. Superior numbers and weaponry gave them the right of might. They pointed out the inability of the current occupants to rule themselves. A firm hand was required to bring order from chaos.

The conquered peoples of Palestine had other ideas. However, they could not agree how they would fight the invaders, who really did have superior weapons and numbers. After decades of battles, which the conquerors always managed to win, some of the natives were ready to exchange one set of masters for another set of masters as long as it meant they could till their farms and feed their children. Others still wanted to resist the occupation, but they could not come to a consensus. Would they bargain or would they fight?

One particularly stubborn band of native rebels decided that death was preferable to tyranny. They seized a piece of land and vowed not to surrender. From their stronghold, they began to launch raids against the conquerors. Though they could never hope to drive the invaders away from Palestine, they made themselves martyrs….

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masada

For decades, the invaders had claimed the crescent of land once known as Judea but now called Palestine. Their ancestors came from Asia Minor. An ancient war had set them adrift in Europe, but they had returned in glory. Superior numbers and weaponry gave them the right of might. They pointed out the inability of the current occupants to rule themselves. A firm hand was required to bring order from chaos.

The conquered peoples of Palestine had other ideas. However, they could not agree how they would fight the invaders, who really did have superior weapons and numbers. After decades of battles, which the conquerors always managed to win, some of the natives were ready to exchange one set of masters for another set of masters as long as it meant they could till their farms and feed their children. Others still wanted to resist the occupation, but they could not come to a consensus. Would they bargain or would they fight?

One particularly stubborn band of native rebels decided that death was preferable to tyranny. They seized a piece of land and vowed not to surrender. From their stronghold, they began to launch raids against the conquerors. Though they could never hope to drive the invaders away from Palestine, they made themselves martyrs…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_Strip

At Savatthi. There the buddha said: "From an inconstruable (sic) beginning comes transmigration. A beginning point is not evident, though beings hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving are transmigrating & wandering on. What do you think, monks: Which is greater, the tears you have shed while transmigrating & wandering this long, long time — crying & weeping from being joined with what is displeasing, being separated from what is pleasing — or the water in the four great oceans?"
"As we understand the Dhamma taught to us by the Blessed One, this is the greater: the tears we have shed while transmigrating & wandering this long, long time — crying & weeping from being joined with what is displeasing, being separated from what is pleasing — not the water in the four great oceans."
"Excellent, monks. Excellent. It is excellent that you thus understand the Dhamma taught by me.
"This is the greater: the tears you have shed while transmigrating & wandering this long, long time — crying & weeping from being joined with what is displeasing, being separated from what is pleasing — not the water in the four great oceans.
"Long have you (repeatedly) experienced the death of a mother. The tears you have shed over the death of a mother while transmigrating & wandering this long, long time — crying & weeping from being joined with what is displeasing, being separated from what is pleasing — are greater than the water in the four great oceans.
"Long have you (repeatedly) experienced the death of a father... the death of a brother... the death of a sister... the death of a son... the death of a daughter... loss with regard to relatives... loss with regard to wealth... loss with regard to disease. The tears you have shed over loss with regard to disease while transmigrating & wandering this long, long time — crying & weeping from being joined with what is displeasing, being separated from what is pleasing — are greater than the water in the four great oceans. "Why is that? From an inconstruable beginning comes transmigration. A beginning point is not evident, though beings hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving are transmigrating & wandering on. Long have you thus experienced stress, experienced pain, experienced loss, swelling the cemeteries — enough to become disenchanted with all fabricated things, enough to become dispassionate, enough to be released."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsara_(Buddhism)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nataraja#cite_ref-The_Dance_of_.C5.9Aiva_0-0

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. we must remember that the Dwarf of Ignorance

is, indeed small when we conquer it within ourselves.