Life, Death, and Kingship

[qos]

One of my ongoing fascinations in the area of spirituality and lore is the concept of the Divine/Sacrificial King. It touches my interests in theology, sovereignty, the hieros gamos, and more.

Gray had an unusual take on the subject that I wanted to post here "just because." My Buddhist friends may find this of particular interest, since to me it seems that he's talking about the bodhisattva nature/path.

This passage is from the chapter on Chesed, which is associated with Mercy and with the divine overflowing of abundance and generosity.


"We often think self-sacrifice is the greatest good we can imagine, but on a higher level it is even greater to remain expressed in self for the sake of other selves. The real sacrifice of a Divine King is not their death by crucifixion or other means, but their incarnation into a human body. Birth binds, and death liberates them from their self-accepted obligation. Strictly speaking, the Cross is the wrong is the wrong symbol to use for sacrifice. It should be the cradle. But then, we are looking at the whole Mystery upside down!"
(The Ladder of Lights, p. 137)


Without wanting to take anything away from the Mystery and meaning of the Crucifixion, I really like this perspective. Most of us are not going to be put in a situation where we're going to have to face dying for our beliefs -- but each and every day we have to choose what we're going to live for, and the manner of our living. For those of us who believe in reincarnation, this goes a step further to address the magnitude of the decision to reincarnate with an attitude of doing so in the service of others, when we could just as easily avoid the whole messy, often painful experience. Call it the bodhisattva path, call it living within and bringing about the Kingdom of God, it works out to the same thing: being devoted to the salvation/enlightenment/rising up of all, not just self.

I for one need that reminder on a regular basis.

Comments

[malakhgabriel.livejournal.com]

Very interesting passage. Reminds me of something I wrote about Christmas a few years ago (http://laotzuribbon.livejournal.com/19512.html).

It's taken me far longer to get to a point where I can appreciate the Crucifixion/Resurrection, and I still struggle with it. The incarnation, though, is something that really touches me deeply.

[coen.livejournal.com]

In some cultures (Japanese culture comes to mind, but I think it is not the only one) dying is the highest price one can pay to repent for their mistakes.
This idea has been very popular in Europe too. But somehow, modern western culture sees it differently. The highest price one can pay to repent for their mistakes is to live and face their mistakes, and try to deal with it.

I am going to get away from the spiritual level and take it down to a more earthly level, if you don't mind.
In the netherlands, it used to be so that if someone made an important mistake at work, people wanted that person to quit, or be fired. Nowadays more people want the person who messed up to stay, and clean up their mess.
When the dutch government admitted that they messed up in the war in Sebrenica, all of the ministers quitted their job. The dutch people did not appreciate that at all. It was seen as a cowardly act. The ministers should have stayed after admitting their mistakes.

Quiting (or dying, which is the ultimate form of quiting) is no longer seen as an honourable punishment, but as an easy way out. The honourable thing is to stay and to clean up the mess.

Seeing things from this perspective, the cradle would indeed be a better symbol for Jesus' gift to mankind than the cross.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

That is an interesting perspective. I know that given the choice, I would *not* choose to be reincarnated back to this messy, frustrating existence. Should I be willing to make that choice? I don't know. But the idea that Christ's choice to be born is more inspiring than his choice to die is thought-provoking.

[sashajwolf.livejournal.com]

My grandfather (who was not a Christian, but was interested in its ideas as the thoughtful, self-taught man he was) once told me he thought the Nativity was a very violent story, because the contrast between infinity and this world of limitations must have been so stark.