Poetry: Turning the other cheek

Yes, l agree. It, our world, would be a more wonderful place if all could/would love as much as they can do so. Yes, the picture illustrates my point well, l think too.

@innertalks If there was more love in the world there would be more peace. There would be less wars and murders.

@askme123 Yes, peace comes from a greater acceptance of others, which is a part of our loving them too, I think.

@innertalks I felt bad about it. It seems some people wanted to take advantage of the current situation.

@Shavkat Yes, there are always some types, who will come out of the woodwork to take advantage of any situation like this. Even here in Australia, there is major flooding here right now, and looters have come out to loot abandoned houses. They are being called grubs, not Australians.

Thanks. I was sort of inspired by the war in the World at the moment, as in this dire situation of War, it would be very hard indeed to turn the other cheek towards the aggressor.

No, I do not think that that teaching is to be found elsewhere, as in most other religions, there is a cry for justice to be done, and judgements to be made. In Islam, for example, we find this verse in the Koran. Quran 5:45. And therein We had ordained for them: 'A life for a life, and an eye for an eye, and a nose for a nose, and an ear for an ear, and a tooth for a tooth, and for all wounds, like for like.'

@Shiva49 Yes, but to be fair, the next verse clarifies this, a bit more. They are saying that God, originally ordained that this action (an eye for an eye, the right of retaliation) would be fair, but that he then gave conscience to humans, lifting them above the animals, who abide by this rule. "But whosoever forgoes it by way of charity, it will be for him an expiation." Then in a later verse, this is said too: (verse 75) "Whoever forgoes his right of retaliation does a good deed which will atone for many of his sins. The same is confirmed by a tradition of the Prophet (peace be on him) in which he said: 'Whoever receives an injury on his body, then pardons (the inflictor of the injury), his sins are atoned for to the measure of his pardoning.'" Quoting stuff, without the background readings, can give a different slant on what is meant then, and make it sound worse, than what was really being said. Like all scripture, the Koran, is up to interpretation too, and is a bit hard to understand, and to fathom, at times too.

@innertalks That quote denotes a negation of love and life itself!

Thanks, siva. That's well put, too. We have our feelings and thoughts, that usually spring up first. Feelings can stop us from following good thoughts, and they can also fuel and create bad thoughts too. Emotions can sometimes even bypass thoughts, and launch themselves at others, in a flooding way too, like anger can do so. Thoughts should curb emotions, and balance them, not fuel them more too. In the background of both thoughts and feelings, we should respect love, and so allow love to come to the fore, and stonker any wrong thought from being actioned, or any wrong feeling/emotion from being displayed, and thrown at someone else too. We should live from love, for love, a life in actioned love, by allowing love to influence both our thoughts, and our feelings then too.

@Shiva49 Yes, generally, the lowly worker, boot-wearing types, can see love, and connect in that way to others, but when somebody has a position higher than the normal person, either madness, or badness, might suddenly arise in them, to help them to try to meet (overcome) their incompetence, at being trusted into such a position. Not many, at a higher level, in our societies, can ignore these fear-driven needs, of their position, and still keep a level head, connected to a heart of love, too.

@innertalks Reality is such, we are led by suspicions of others' motives. That is applicable both at individual and national levels. This keeps us at loggerheads. We need love to oil the relationships for it to shine the light ahead for future generations than leave a quarrelsome legacy that leads us nowhere.

That's true. Not many people like to hurt themselves. We should love others, and never think of hurting them, treating them as a good friend, or neighbour, if we can do so.

@Shiva49 Yes, truth can be freeing to all who hear it with an open heart, and mind. We should allow a certain amount of slack in our relationships, and not play the hard line with people. We should forgive easily, and not want our pound of flesh, at any cost, both to them, and to ourselves too. We should be friendly, rather than adversarial.

@innertalks I like to bend over backward to please my neighbors and love has cut through hardened attitudes of suspicion. I recall "Truth from his lips prevailed with double sway, And fools, who came to scoff, remained to pray." I would substitute with love which is the greatest enabler for coexistence and peace.

Thanks. I am pleased that you agree with my thoughts.

@innertalks You're welcome. Have a nice day.