My life has had its times of search for spirituality, and other times I was very ambivalent and at times hostile to such in my dimmer days. My interest in the different religious faiths has always been rather strong. And even after witnessing man’s rampant hypocrisy and misplaced allegiances in organized religion in my life, I was never so repulsed from the idea of this part of culture to totally reject the idea of the need for something much higher than ourselves. And I’m convinced that spirituality is important for me, and I attribute my moderate views, my imperfect lack of hatred for others as a benefit of it. And the question of how hatred is addressed by various faiths is the underlying theme. Could a faith intervention have saved my cousin from his unfortunate fate?
Judaism
My knowledge of Judaism is limited, and my association with those practicing this faith is very limited. Interesting enough while in Mississippi I had the most association with a family of Jews. As far as my aforementioned skinhead cousin’s exposure to the Jewish faith I know nothing, so it seems such I’m convinced now that they are. I will continue my journey on the basic mystery of how he developed such hatred for no apparent reason.
At the present time I’m exposed to Jewish choral music as the director is of the faith and actively spreads this culture to us in the city community chorus by such music. In this spring session we are singing a choral composition from Salamone Rossi or Salomone Rossi (ca. 1570 – 1630) who was an Italian Jewish violinist and composer. I have been listening to a download of his music recently. So I am being exposed, and am willing to submit to a fragment of this faith and culture.
HATRED (Heb. שִׂנְאָה), overt or covert ill will. The Torah explicitly prohibits hatred of one's fellow in the verse "Thou shall not hate thy brother in thine heart" (Lev. 19:17). Hatred is understood by the rabbis as essentially a matter of mental disposition, as implied in the phrase "in thine heart." One who expresses hostility to his fellow through word or deed, although he violates the commandment "love thy neighbor" and injunctions [authoritative warning or order] against injury, insult, vengeance, etc., is not, according to most rabbinic authorities, guilty of the specific sin of hatred referred to in Lev. 19:17 The reasons are, apparently, that covert hatred is the more vicious form (ibid. - same source) and that a person can defend himself against open hostility. The Talmud is emphatic in its denunciation of hatred. Hillel taught that the essence of the entire Torah is, "What is hateful to you, do not do to others," all else being "commentary" (Shab. 31a). Hatred of one's fellow creatures "drives a man out of this world" (Avot 2:16). One who hates his fellow is considered a murderer (DER, 11).
NOTE: Hillel, a Jewish religious leader, sage and scholar associated with the development of the Mishnah and the Talmud and the founder of the House of Hillel school of tannaim. He was active during the end of the first century BCE and the beginning of the first century CE. Hillel quoted on The Golden Rule "What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow: this is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn."
According to the Talmud gratuitous hatred is the most vicious form of hatred, and the rabbis denounce it in the most extreme terms. And just as “gratuitous hatred” does not mean hate for no reason, but rather exhibiting hatred born of selfishness, so too “gratuitous love” does not mean loving for no reason, but rather exhibiting love born of selflessness. During these nine days wherein we mourn the destruction of the Temple and the tragedies left in its wake, let us focus on this most fundamental of lessons and seek selflessness in place of selfishness, humility in place of haughtiness, joy in place of jealousy. May we thus merit Rav Kook’s promise wherein we see the rebuilding of our society with the Temple radiating its perfection.
Permissible Hatred in Judaism:
It is proper to hate the wicked. "Do not I hate them, O Lord that hate Thee?" (Ps. 139:21); "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil" (Prov. 8:13). The same thought is expressed in the Talmud (Pes. 113b). Exhortations to hate all manner of evil abound in the Bible (e.g, Ex. 18:21; Ps. 26:4). God Himself hates every form of immorality (e.g., Deut. 12:31; Isa. 1:14; Ps. 5:6) because of its harm to mankind, since God Himself cannot be affected (Saadiah Gaon, Beliefs and Opinions, 4:4). The enjoinder [a prohibition ordered by an injunction [authoritative warning or order]]
to hate evildoers applies, however, only to impenitent and inveterate sinners, those who pay no heed to correction (Maim. Yad, Roẓe'aḥ 13:14; Ḥinnukh, 238).
Finally the explanation that one non-Jewish idea of the “place” of the Jew is at play, as from this from The Association for Jewish Studies:
“Many people love “Jews”—that is, the concept of “Jews” they've constructed for their own purposes. They envision a particular role that “Jews” are assigned to play, and so long as Jews stay in that role we may genuinely be loved. But when Jews—actual Jews—do not deign to stay in the roles assigned to “Jews,” this favor yields to shock, then betrayal, then hatred.”
Islam
We were all rocked by September 11, 2001. It was very apparent at that time that radical Muslims had a deep hatred for Americans as witnessed by our nation on live television. But even at that time I had Muslim friends online and realized that what we saw was an extreme version of their religion. So below I search what Muslims say about hate.
For some time in recent years I corresponded with a devout Muslim in Egypt online. We had some very good discussions on Islam, and the American views on it. He sent me a link to the “correct” Qurʾān download in English, and urged me to reach out to Muslims here where I lived. I searched and found the group associated with the University of Montana but have yet to join them in conversation. I must admit there is a hesitation within me, a fear perhaps in doing such. Herein is the crux of the entire problem undoubtedly, the underlying fear. I especially appreciate the Muslim view on respect for Mother Earth as addressed in the Qurʾān. Perhaps this young man may have been working for a conversion of me, but all the same it was certainly a very worthwhile conversation for me to have.
Enmity and hatred are among bad characteristics prohibited in Islam, and they sometimes result in other vices such as backbiting, lying, accusing, scorning, abuse, offense, injustice, envy and niggardliness. They destroy man in this world and in the hereafter.
Allah the Most High said: “And let not hatred of a people – because they hindered you from the Sacred Mosque – incite you to exceed the limits.”
He also said: “And let not hatred of a people incite you not to act equitably; act equitably that is nearer to piety.”
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (S) said: “Do not sever your relations even with those who break them with you.”
He (S) also said: “Indeed, hating each other causes uprooting, not of your hair, but of your faith.”
He (S) also said: “No Muslim is permitted to break with his brother for three days; he who returns first will enter paradise first.”
Imam ‘Ali (a.s.) the Commander of the Faithful said: “Give up envy, lying and hatred; because these three bring shame to religion and destroy man.”
Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) said: “When two men of our follower are in a conflict and have broken with each other, the wronged one between them should go to his fellow and say: ‘My brother, the fault lies with me,’ so that they become friendly. Surely Allah is a good Judge; He will administer justice to the wronged one.”
He (a.s.) also said: “Magnify your fellows and pay tribute to them. Do not argue with each other; do not harm each other; do not envy each other; keep away from niggardliness; and be sincere servants to Allah,”
The Qurʾān and teachings of the Prophet, peace be upon him, provide guidelines and restrictions on the use of force. These instructions are often cherry picked out of context to demonstrate Islam’s alleged coercive nature. However, even an honest cursory examination of the Qurʾān and the life of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, will enable us to conclude that Muslims are not permitted to fight others based on belonging to another faith.
The Qurʾān is a practical book which allows those who are oppressed to fight against injustice. At the same time, it does not allow Muslims to respond to injustice with injustice. In other words, the Qurʾān demands that Muslims be just even with those who hate and fight them. O you who believe, be persistently standing firm for Allah witnesses for justice and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what you do (Qurʾān 5: 8).
Finally guidance in not succumbing to hatred:
Abu al-‘Aliyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “Learn the Quran and once you learn it, never place your desires elsewhere. Beware of these whims of yours, for they incite hostility and hatred between you.”
Zoroastrianism
The Magi in the story of Jesus Christ were reported to be of this ancient religion. In contemporary times, Freddie Mercury of Queen was of this faith. As Parsis [an ethnoreligious group of the Indian subcontinent], Mercury’s family the Bulsaras practiced Zoroastrianism. At Freddie Mercury’s funeral service in November 1991, wreaths lined the entrance of the West London Crematorium where a 25-minute private service was conducted by two Parsee priests.
Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds.
This threefold path is the center of the Zoroastrian faith. Zoroastrians believe that one knows what is good through the divine help of Vohu Manah (Good Mind), divinely-inspired conscience (Daena) and God's hearkener [a listener] to humans (Sraosha).
"INDULGE IN NO WRATHFULNESS, for a man when he indulges in wrath becomes then forgetful of his duty and good works . . . and sin and crime of every kind occur unto his mind, and until the subsiding of the wrath he is said to be just like Ahareman ["destructive/evil spirit" and the main adversary in Zoroastrianism].
I especially liked the following words in the Zoroastrian Marriage Service:
MARRIAGE SERVICE
Admonitions [authoritative council or warning]
" In the name and friendship of Ahura-Mazda. Be ever shining . . . Be increasing! Be victorious! Learn purity! Be worthy of good praise! May the mind think good thoughts, the words speak good, the works do good!... Be a Mazdayasnian [(worshiper of Ahuramazda [the creator deity in Zoroastrianism]), the divine Shapur [(309 – 379), also known as Shapur the Great, was the tenth Sasanian King of Kings (Shahanshah) of Iran. The longest-reigning monarch in Iranian history], King of Kings of the Iranians, and non-Iranians, of divine descent, son of the Mazdayasnan], accomplish works according to thy mind . . . speak truth . . . and be obedient. Be modest with friends, clever, and well-wishing. Be not cruel. Be not wrathful-minded. Commit no sin through shame. Be not covetous. Torment not. Cherish not wicked envy, be not haughty, treat no one despitefully, cherish no lust. Rob not the property of others, keep thyself from the wives of others. Do good works with good activity .... Enter into no strife with a revengeful man. Be no companion to a covetous one. Go not on the same way with a cruel one. Enter into no agreement with one of ill-fame .... Combat the adversaries with right .... Enter into no strife with those of evil repute. Before an assembly, speak only pure words. Before kings speak with moderation. In no wise displease thy mother. Keep thine own body pure in justice.
Sikhism
Shortly after 9/11 there were reports of the turbaned Sikhs being gunned down in hate crimes in America. Hatred extended into many walks of life as reported by the Sikh Coalition. This all showed a senseless act of violence and indicated great ignorance toward other faiths within the United States.
Hatred (or hate) is a deep and emotional extreme dislike, directed against a person, class of persons, certain object or class of objects. The objects of such hatred can vary widely, from inanimate objects to animals, oneself or other people, entire groups of people, people in general, existence, or the whole world.
What does Gurbani tell us about hatred?
Guru Arjan Dev is very clear in simply telling his disciples to "not harbor hatred for anyone"; the message is unambiguous, straight-forward and plain. No one can say that they have not understood this plain language! And this does not apply to the English translation only. The original tuk (line of verse) is just as blunt and plain.
In the next sentence, the Guru gives an equally simple explanation of why? "Because in each and every heart there is God!" So for the followers of Sikhi, the explanation has been put in very clear terms.
Pauree: WAWWA: Do not harbor hatred against anyone. In each and every heart, God is contained.
The All-pervading Lord is permeating and pervading the oceans and the land. How rare are those who, by Guru's Grace, sing of Him. Hatred and alienation depart from those who, as Gurmukh [Sikh script], listen to the Kirtan [Sanskrit word that means "narrating, reciting, telling, describing" of an idea or story] of the Lord's Praises
NOTE: Pauri, Pauree or Pouri is a Punjabi term for a 'step' (staircase), paragraph or section of verse in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, which the Sikhs regard as more than a holy book. The Sikhs treat their sacred scriptures as their living Guru. The holy text is also referred to as Gurbani or just Bani. Each paragraph of normal verse is called a Pauri or a Shabad. Various other words are used for special sections of Gurbani.
The foundational Sikh principle, ik oankar, asserts that the entire world is interconnected. Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh tradition, taught that we all contain the same divine light (joti), and that therefore, we are all equally divine. We each are unique, but we also carry an inner light that binds us all together.
"Those who have loved are those that have found God." — Guru Nanak
Buddhism
Interestingly, nearby (in Montanan terms) is a garden I haven’t visited. Garden of One Thousand Buddhas in Arlee, Montana. A website indicates “a giant meditative chakra sits peacefully in the Flathead Valley of western Montana.” I’m not familiar with any acquaintances who say they are Buddhists, although I have family members who may tend to this belief.
The Buddha believes that you have to come up with realizations of life from your own experiences. That is why the Buddha simply states and does not demand that you “still your hatred.” It is important that you recognize yourself, the damages hatred causes.
Hatred: the strong resentment you hold for another. We seek to justify our hatred. However, the Buddha would argue that there is no justified hatred. Hatred can be caused by many things, from the smallest acts to the most extreme offensive. WE can all imagine the smallest things that cause disdain towards another. In such extreme offenses like physical abuse, molestation, robbery, verbal insult, and mental destruction, hatred may seem justified. Some might argue that a person who faces such dire abuse is justified in their hatred because they have been extremely wronged. Yet, Buddhist would still argue that hatred is never warranted. The one who hates is the person who hurts the most in the end rather than the one being hated.
How you react to a situation is what you have control over. You have the ability to still your hatred. Holding onto your anger only hurts you in the end. Buddha’s message is that you deserve a life where you can move on and find happiness by letting go of hate. Letting go of hatred, thereby, making room for the positive aspects of life will lead to inner peace.
“Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This is a law eternal.” Buddha (6th or 5th century BCE) [Buddharakkhita’s translation]
Or more commonly seen:
“Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule.” — Buddha [Eknath Easwaran translation]
Jainism
Ahimsā in Jainism is a fundamental principle forming the cornerstone of its ethics and doctrine. The term ahinsa means nonviolence, non-injury and absence of desire to harm any life forms. Vegetarianism and other nonviolent practices and rituals of Jains flow from the principle of ahimsa.
The origins of Jainism are obscure. The Jains claim their religion to be eternal, and consider Rishabhanatha the founder in the present time-cycle, who lived for 8,400,000 purva years. Rishabhanatha is the first tirthankar among the 24 Tirthankaras [a saviour and spiritual teacher of the dharma (righteous path)] who is considered a mythical figure by modern day historians, based on loose support. Mahavira, the Jain patriarch, surpassed the morality of the Bible with a single sentence: 'Do not injure, abuse, oppress, enslave, insult, torment, torture, or kill any creature or living being.' Mahavira (6th century BCE) attained nirvana after his physical death at the age of 72. He was one of the most popular propagators of Jainism, and he is regarded as a reformer of Jainism rather than its founder. The Buddhists or the Jains do not depend upon God; but the whole force of their religion is directed to the great central truth in every religion, to evolve a God out of man.
Anger originates when we allow ourselves to be provoked. When an event occurs that instigates anger, our ego takes over, and we react. The intensity of our expression of anger then depends upon our psychological make-up. Some of us express anger instantly, while others express it over a long period of time -- sometimes over decades.
The initial feeling of anger invokes other destructive emotions, such as hate, revenge, resentment, and the desire to inflict violence. Anger also blocks our ability to reason and makes us momentarily insane. As a result, people lash out physically or verbally, or, on the other end of the spectrum, they become passive-aggressive. Jain philosophy describes four major negative emotions: krodh, maan, maya, and lobh, which are anger, arrogance, deceit, and greed. Jainism further describes the consequences of these emotions as depicted in the book Saman Suttam, "Anger destroys love, pride destroys modesty, deceit destroys friendship, and greed destroys everything." A major step is often missing between the origin of anger and its expression: awareness of our anger.
From the Jainism Global Resource Center:
If as a human, we don't pay attention and don't be discriminatory towards the raag (attachment) and the dwesh (hatred), then these two can put us further away from the liberation. Attachment and hatred are like road mines. If we are not careful and step on them, then they explode and derail our physical, verbal or mental attitude from the righteous path and pollute our souls with karmas. Therefore we should learn not only to detect them and ignore them, but we must learn how to diffuse them forever.
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I will continue on with this subject at least for one more writing. And I will certainly not end before stating what Humanists, our atheists and agnostics, our Free-Thinkers may say on the topic of hatred. I have been part of the Secularists of this area in Montana, and discussed issues with them, generally agreeing with their varying viewpoints.
6th Posting, February 7, 2023