The Old Testament (Torah) EZEKIEL

Ezekiel, Chapter 1 1: Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. 2: In the fifth day of the month,

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The Old Testament (Torah) DANIEL

Daniel, Chapter 1 1: In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. 2: And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land

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The Old Testament (Torah) HOSEA

Hosea, Chapter 1 1: The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. 2: The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And

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The Old Testament (Torah) JOEL

Joel, Chapter 1 1: The word of the LORD that came to Joel the son of Pethuel. 2: Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers? 3: Tell ye your children of it, and

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The Old Testament (Torah) AMOS

Amos, Chapter 1 1: The words of Amos, who was among the herdman of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. 2: And he said, The LORD will roar

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The Old Testament (Torah) OBADIAH

Obadiah, Chapter 1 1: The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom; We have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle. 2: Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art

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The Old Testament (Torah) JONAH

Jonah, Chapter 1 1: Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2: Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. 3: But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and

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The Old Testament (Torah) MICAH

Micah, Chapter 1 1: The word of the LORD that came to Micah the Morasthite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. 2: Hear, all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord GOD be witness against

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The Old Testament (Torah) NAHUM

Nahum, Chapter 1 1: The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. 2: God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. 3: The LORD is slow to anger, and

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The Old Testament (Torah) HABAKKUK

Habakkuk, Chapter 1 1: The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see. 2: O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! 3: Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence

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The Old Testament (Torah) ZEPHANIAH

Zephaniah, Chapter 1 1: The word of the LORD which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah. 2: I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the

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The Old Testament (Torah) HAGGAI

Haggai, Chapter 1 1: In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying, 2:

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The Old Testament (Torah) ZECHARIAH

Zechariah, Chapter 1 1: In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, 2: The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers. 3: Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of

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The Old Testament (Torah) MALACHI

Malachi, Chapter 1 1: The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi. 2: I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, 3: And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and

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The Buddhist Universe – Chapter 1: The Realms of Rebirth

The doctrines of karma and rebirth are fundamental to Buddhist theory and practice. Karma is the law of the cause and effect of actions, according to which virtuous actions create pleasure in the future and non-virtuous actions create pain. It is a natural law, accounting for all the happiness and suffering in the world.

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The Buddhist Universe – Chapter 2: A Call to Practise

It is a common tenet of Buddhist traditions that human life, or more specifically rebirth as a human born with access to the dharma, is very precious; something difficult to find and, if found, of great meaning. In a famous passage, the Buddha described a single blind tortoise swimming in a vast ocean, surfacing

The Buddhist Universe – Chapter 3: Karma Tales

The doctrine of karma is one of the foundations of Buddhist thought and practice. The sufferings that beset humans (and all sentient beings), as well as the happinesses they enjoy, are considered to be the results of deeds done in the past. Over the centuries, Buddhists, both monks and laity, have remained preoccupied with

The Buddhist Universe – Chapter 4: A Lesson from a Ghost

Ghosts are one of the six types of beings that populate the Buddhist universe. Although they have their own underground realm, some of them venture into the human world, invisible to all but the spiritually advanced, as in the story below. Ghosts suffer from hunger and thirst (thus, the common translation from the Chinese,

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The Buddhist Universe – Chapter 5: A Scripture that Protects Kings

The word of the Buddha is said to possess extraordinary power, and there are many stories told of miracles that occurred when a sutra, or even the title of a sutra, was recited. The efficacy of scripture in Buddhism, therefore, does not derive simply from the ideas and doctrines it contains. Its more immediate

The Buddhist Universe – Chapter 6: One Buddha per Universe

The selection below is drawn from the famous Questions of Milinda (Milindapanha), a dialogue between a Bactrian Greek king named Milinda and a Buddhist monk named Nagasena. It is uncertain whether such a dialogue ever took place. There was indeed a famous king named Menander (Milinda in Indian sources) who ruled over a large

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