Scriptures.
About the benefits of studying Holy Scriptures, such as Vedas, Torah, Bible, Quran, Guru Granth Sahib, etc.
If you study Torah in order to learn and do God's will (...) the whole world is indebted to you. You will be cherished as a friend, a lover of God and people. (Torah study) clothes you with humility and reverence (and) you benefit humanity with counsel and knowledge, wisdom and strength. Talmud, quoted after: Novak Philip, The World's Wisdom, P.214.
The holy words in Guru Granth Saheb are great mantras. By correctly performing the worship and recitation of these mantras a being achieves righteousness, riches, pleasures, salvation and fulfillment of all other desires during his life. The soul begins to swim in the waves of bliss and the mire of the world disappears from the eyes. (...) Guru Granth Saheb is a holy Indian cult scripture, in which the essence of all the Vedas and other scriptures are given. After testing the sweetness of their own experiences, the great Gurudevs have written of these experiences for the benefit of the world, and kept it like a treasure trove for the coming generations. Teachings of Babaji, P.23-24.
To lead a true life, one must have firm determination and be aware that there is one Soul present in all people. The Guru Granth Sahib for centuries has inspired the Sikh community with courage and determination; it is even in the blood of their small children. (...) Teachings of Babaji, P.55.
The words of the saints contain a vibration and energy that have the power to remove vice and evil from the world. The value of their words is that they inspire. This is why the scriptures say that their words have to be read again and again and to be meditated upon and put into practice. (...) Teachings of Babaji, P.56.
Shastriji speaks: Shri Babaji has organized the recitation of the Guru Granth Sahib at this sacred place. He thereby sets an example for all to follow. When such studies are undertaken in sacred places it charges them with divine energy and, like the flow of the waters of the river Ganga, benefits the whole world. Whenever recitations of such sacred scriptures take place, the vibrations go throughout the three worlds: bhu - earth, bhuvah - atmosphere, svaha - sky. But the recitation of the Guru Granth Sahib last year and htis year, here at Vishwa Mahadham, will reach the highest heaven - sachkhand - the seventh heaven, which is the heaven of Absolute Truth.
Rishis and maharishis have always recited and studied great scriptures in holy places, because they wanted the sound waves to reach through the seven heavens: bhu - bhuvah - svaha - maha - jaha - tapa - sat (i.e.) earth - atmosphere - heaven - great heaven - heaven of knowledge - heaven of penance - heaven of Truth. To direct sound through the seven heavens, it is necessary to have these studies taken up at such sacred sites. Teachings of Babaji, P.57.
The mere sound of these scriptures purifies, even without an understanding of their meaning. So listen attentively and be benefited by them. They are not ordinary words and sentences written by anybody. Their sounds and words are like mantras, full of spiritual power. (...) Teachings of Babaji, P.59.
He who reads a single stanza or even half of it piously becomes free from sin instantaneously. He who reads every day as much of Sivapurana as he can with devotion and alertness is called Jivanmukta (a living liberated soul). Sivapurana, Vidyesvarasamhita, Ch. II:20-21.
The sacred rites performed by the man who regularly reads or listens to the Sivapurana are effective millions of times more than usual. Sivapurana, Vidyesvarasamhita, Ch. II:33.
Read what has been written about Jesus. Meditate on it and convey it to others. Our Lady of Medjugorie, June 2, 1983.
(…) If you pray, God will help you discover the true reason for my coming. Therefore, little children, pray and read the Sacred Scriptures so that through my coming you discover the message in Sacred Scriptures for you. (…) Our Lady of Medjugorie, June 25, 1991. Words from Heaven, P.262.
(…) Little children, place the Sacred Scripture in a visible place in your family, and read and live it. Teach your children, because if you are not an example to them, children depart into godlessness. Reflect and pray and then God will be born in your heart and your heart will be joyous. Our Lady of Medjugorie, August 25, 1996. Words from Heaven, supplement.
A certain heathen came to Hillel and said to him: 'Convert me provided that you teach me the entire Torah while I stand on one food.' Hillel said to him, 'What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the entire Torah; the rest is commentary (...).' Talmud, quoted after: Novak Philip, The World's Wisdom, P.216.
Meditate and read good books more. There are so many inspiring things to know. (...) Happiness will never come if you don't concentrate and act on the wisdom of great men. Their thoughts are there to help you, in the scriptures and other truthful books. Paramahansa Yogananda, Man's Eternal Quest, P.79.
Owing to the partial loss and misunderstanding of the mystic tradition, followers of most religions use the term Bani, 'Word', for their various sacred books. The books themselves, however sacred and to whichever religion they may belong, are only verbal descriptions of the real Bani within. (...) Maharaj Charan Singh, Quoted after: Miriam Bokser Caravella, The Holy Name. P.104.
O our Father, do Thou cause the divine light of thy face to shine upon every one of us, for by the divine light of thy face, O Lord our God, hast Thou revealed to us the Torah, which sustains life, which teaches the love of kindness, righteousness, blessing, mercy, life, and peace. Jewish prayer. Quoted after: Miriam Bokser Caravella, The Holy Name. P.107.
Learning makes you in truth a heartless stone; love of God is not born of books. Kabir, quoted after Miriam Bokser Caravella, The Holy Name. P.222.
One might think that, with the Bible as the center of Christianity, the
unity of Christians could be easily realized. But unfortunately this has
not proved true, though we can consider it fortunate indeed that, as this
inability to unify proves, the letter of the Bible cannot really replace the
living Christ as the center of our faith. The Bible is the expression of
the life and work of God, and since life is greater than its expression, it
cannot be expressed completely in any logical or theological form.
Therefore, the Bible itself cannot escape being understood in many different
ways.
Thus we see how in the wisdom of God it is impossible in practice
to make the Scriptures the end or final authority to those who live in
fellowship with the Spirit. Kokichi Kurosaki
(1886-1970), One Body in Christ. Submitted to Merton-L
Discussion Group by Gary Horn.
Buddha was the first who dared to say: "Believe not because some old manuscript tell you it is so; believe not because it is your national belief, because you have been made to believe it from your childhood. But reason it all out (...). Vivekananda, quoted in: Nikhilananda, Vivekananda, A Biography, P.202.
Once the Roman government decreed that Isreal should no longer occupy itself with the study of Torah. Then came Pappos ben Judah who found Rabbi Akiva studying Torah in great assemblies. He said to him, "Akiva, are you not afraid of the Roman government?" Akiva replied with a parable, "It is like a fox that urged the fish to come up on to dry land in order to escape the fishermen's nets. The fish answered, if we are afraid in the element in which we live, how more should we be afraid when we are out of that element. We should then surely die. So it is with regard to the study of Torah which is our "life and the length of our days." Akiva (50-135 CE, Judea), quoted in: Michael Shire, The Jewish Prophet, P.55.
(...) all the time that I had was in the courts and palaces of the kings, engaged in their service. I had no leisure for study and looked at no book, but spent days in vanity and my years in trouble in getting riches and honour; and now those very riches have perished by evil adventure and the glory is departed from Israel. It was only after I had become a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, from one kingdom to another, and without money, that I sought out the book of God ... Isaac Abravanel (1437-1508, Spain), quoted in: Michael Shire, The Jewish Prophet, P.69.
Abbot Theodore of Pherme had three good books. And when he had come to Abbot Macarius he said to him: I have three books, and I profit by reading them Also the breathen ask to borrow them, and they profit also. Now tell me, what ought I to do? And the elder replied, saying: Those things that you do are good, but better than all else is to possess nothing. When he had heard this, he went off and sold the above-mentioned books, and gave their price to the poor. Thomas Merton, The Wisdom of the Desert, P.33.
One of the monks, called Serapion, sold his book of the Gospels and gave the money to those who were hungry, saying: I have sold the book which told me to sell all that I had and give to the poor. Thomas Merton, The Wisdom of the Desert, P.37.
A certain Philosopher asked St. Anthony: Father, how can you be so happy when you are deprived of the consolation of books? Anthony replied: My book, O philosopher, is the nature of created things, and any time I want to read the words of God, the book is before me. Thomas Merton. The Wisdom of the Desert. P.62.
When reading the Holy Scriptures, he who is humble and engaged in spiritual work will apply everything to himself and not to someone else. St. Mark the Ascetic (4th Century C.E.), quoted in: The Philokalia, Vol. I., P.110.
I must not allow any trafficking. I do need to search the Scriptures for that insight that will fuel the fires of love and self-sacrifice. But I must take care not to sell such thoughts and insights or to use them to make others think more of me or to write them in a book to make money. I must have that purity of heart, the Lord must so cleanse my temple, that I seek only him and share only to help others find him. (...) Pennington, Basil. (1978). O Holy Mountain! Journal of a Retreat on Mount Athos. P.114.
Those who know only scriptures know nothing. To know is to be. I know what I am talking about; it is not from reading, or hearsay. Sri Maharaj Nisargadatta. (2005). I am That. P.51.
See the related subjects: Enlightenment, Inspiration, Mysticism, Saints, Wisdom
Last updated: 2013/05/25