reply to post by idle_rocker
I have a little theory, that the Three Wise Men from the Orient (far East) and the gifts of their three prescious substances, is an allegory for the
teachings of Lao Tzu, Confucious and Buddha, who lived as contemporaries or at nearly the same time, about 500 years BC, which, when appropriated and
integrated by Jesus resulting in his "birth", awakening or Epiphany, and to this day, the Church marks a day near Christmas in celebration of the
Three Wise Men, called "Epiphany Sunday"..
In other words, although a Jewish Mystic, I strongly intuit that Jesus was also well aquainted with and had integrated the teachings from the far
East, from the "three wise men from the Orient".. and his teachings, they reflect this, as being founded on oneness ie: the amount ye measure out,
will be measured unto you, etc.
IMO, and I too am a Christian believer, Jesus reframe of the law appears to have been cast in the light of Buddhism, but in terms of what I like to
call "the relativity of human being" as a family framework in a grand "kingdom of heaven" under the One who is both above all and in all as the
final frame of reference. He also liked to use "kingdom of heaven" to distinguish or differentiate from the earthy kingdoms of the imperialist Roman
Empire for example, whereby the PTB had corrupted the temple and were squeezing Jesus' people and community dry, and so his position was also
political, while making an appeal to a higher power, and the emergence of a whole new way of being and seeing ie: "the kingdom of heaven is close at
hand".
Seems that little has changed since his time, but that the same hope remains, for a transformation, at all levels, starting with the individual and
from there operating as a bottom up, emergent phenomenon.
I realize that's a little off topic here, but who cares..