Monday, November 14, 2016

"this is Elias" - The First will be the Last

Tokyo


The First will be the Last

There is a philosophy in the Japanese Buddhism that one should abandon relying on himself to be spiritually saved but has to wholly rely on Buddhist deities, and therefore bad men would be more easily saved than good men.

It is because a human being has only limited capacity in doing good or evil.  Even his power of self salvation is limited.  If he relies on himself, he would turn back to infinite power of the Buddha and other Buddhist deities.

In this context, one who has been living a decent life is proud of himself as a good man.  So he would stick to himself and his goodness in the final moment of his life and rely on his capacity to be saved.   But as a result, he makes it difficult for him to be saved by the Buddha and other Buddhist deities.

In contrast, one who has committed various sins and crimes is aware of his small capacity to save himself.  He knows that he cannot be saved by himself.  So, such a bad man would rather turn to  the Buddha and other Buddhist deities for salvation.  As a result, he makes it easier for him to be saved by the Buddha and other Buddhist deities.

This teaching denies superficial judgment on good and evil of people.  Those who look good and live good are not necessarily easily saved.  Rather those who live a sinful life can be more easily saved as they would have no meas to save themselves except relying on the Buddha and other Buddhist deities.

The life in this world is a matter of finiteness.   However, salvation of souls is a matter of infinity.  There will be great reversion or changeover of order and value when we get across the border from finiteness to infinity.  But none can comprehend it clearly and totally while they live.


So, Christ Jesus said, "The first will be the last while the last will be first."


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Mat 11:14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
Mat 11:15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.