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Go forth, O monks, to bless the many, to bring happiness to the many, out of compassion for the worlds; go forth for the welfare, the blessing, the happiness of all beings......Go forth and spread the teaching that is beautiful in the beginning, beautiful in the middle and beautiful in the end...

dondi, It's nice to read a ramble or two, and thanks for your honest appraisal of Universalism. I would just repeat that "eternity" is a long time and if the door never shuts from God's side (apart from a quote from the Bible followed by a particular interpretation of it, can anyone offer a...

Juantoo3, Again a thank-you for your response. Its a pity we are not able to meet up over a pint in a pub (forgive the English slang!) where misunderstandiings could be sorted out in a connivial atmosphere. There are those here who appear ultra sensitive (not your goodself!), so I had better...

juantoo3, Thank you for your response. I do think that in a certain sense it is possible that all are predestined to love without any denial of free will.................though not if our relationship with/within God/Reality-as-is is frozen at death - which I admit does seem the teaching of...

The idea of "free will" seems to be going the rounds at the moment. The idea seems to raise its head as some sort of justification for "judgement" and I was reflecting on this from my own perspective. It does seem to me that in many ways the conservative/fundamentalist perspective...

Very interesting thread, in which I have a little bit of a vested interest.................I began my Discussion Forum life under the name of "Dookie", a name that my daughter had given me for no reason that I could ever force out of her. I gloried in the name until one guy asked me whether or...

From Karl Barth, one of the great Protestant theologians of the twentieth century..... Peculiar Christendom, whose most pressing problem seems to consist in this, that God's grace in this direction should be too free, that hell, instead of being amply populated, might one day be found to be...

Like wil I am unable to see any differences between people as being ultimately irrevocable. My own NT is a little rusty, having spent a long time away in the Pure Land ( :) ), but I recently saw the following quote on another forum...... Ephes. 1:9-10...............Having made known unto us...

Yes, I don't think we have to necessarily rely upon a particular book to gain guidance......................;) Anyway, I thought it might be appropriate here to quote a passage from an essay concerning the thought of Shinran. It takes up the theme of this thread to a certain extent, and...

Just drifting around a few other threads and for some reason my memory was jolted back to 1985, the time of Liveaid, and the famine in Ethiopia. During every newscast there seemed to be fresh pictures that called a lot of things into question. During those days I was walking my six year old...

As someone with a vested interest in this discussion, please allow for my bias......:D As a veteran of Discussion Forums I have mercifully survived many threads that revolve around such issues. They often crop up on Buddhist Boards, where the question is asked...............Can a Christian...

Glad to see that the words have attracted a little bit of comment........:) (The paradox seems to be that it is pure acceptance that provides the basis for genuine transformation) Anyway, from the pen of Shinran, from "Hymns of the Pure Land Masters", verse 95...... My eyes being...

Yes, perhaps too good to be true. Yet perhaps a welcome contrast with such things as seem - at least to me - too bad to be true...:) P.S. Anyway, for me, the key phrase is......I realize that I have always been living in her love. Nothing changes but our own realization.

As promised - or was it theatened? - on another thread............. Great compassion awaits us with open arms. Namu-Amida-Butsu is the beckoning call, "Come, just as you are." This openhearted welcome is quietly described by Koshin Ogui in an article carried in the Cleveland Buddhist...

Reading through this thread I was reminded of a small section from a book called "River of Fire, River of Water", which is an introduction to the Buddhist Pure Land tradition written by Taitetsu Unno. For anyone interested I have will post this on the Buddhist section of this forum, (i.e...

Earl, Thanks for the link. Seemed to speak for myself in many ways. Though I have heard that the ultimate task is to jump from the top of a hundred foot pole without a safety net, personally I need to know a couple of arms are there.......:) And given the unique circumstances of each, some...

Mark, Perhaps the existential reality is best summed up in the words of Thomas Merton.......................for we are already what we need to be.........all is grace.......a grace that nevertheless can never be finally claimed, but needs to be realised afresh in each moment. To move away...

Mark, Always good to exchange a few thoughts, especially between those of differing (?) faiths. At least its one step up from bigotry and intolerance.....:) I think there is also a short passage in Ephesians where St Paul speaks of "being chosen before the foundation of the world". I...

Dor, We must necessarily speak from out of our own experience and guidance. I respect your own. Christianity and universalism do not mix well. Maybe not for you, but for many other devout and committed Christians they mix very well indeed. Many see the norm of Christian thinking to be...

Regarding choice and free will etc etc, from a Buddhist (Pure Land) perspective, we do not choose, we are choosen. And all are choosen. Ultimately at some point we recognise that which IS, a gift eternally given, pure Grace. To believe that we are "saved" because of our own "choice" would be the...