Cain : Abel :: Yin : Yang in nature and history

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2. 2. Christian baptism scroll in ancient China

      
   3. [2:19 PM]

      You are looking at Nestorian Christian baptism, for the Nestorians were those Christians who reached ancient China, where it did fairly well before being basically snuffed out by Emperor Wuzong in 875.
   4. [2:24 PM]

      Some Nestorians continued to exist in succeeding centuries, but imperial oppression had about the same effect as hail on a field of grain.
   5. [2:27 PM]

      Meantime, Buddhism proselytised to a certain extent in the West, notably among the Greeks; hence the term Greco-Buddhism.
   6. [2:32 PM]

      Obviously, this move of Buddhism into Europe (roughly-speaking) died out much as the Nestorians did. In any case, one shares these facts in order to draw attention to a special coincidence-which-isn't in religious history: the conversion of ancient China to Buddhism and of ancient Rome to Christianity began in the same century, in both cases due to a special event bearing the mark of supernatural influence: these being the famous Road to Damascus incident that Saul had before becoming Paul, which led to the rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire; and the dream of Emperor Mudi which led to the rise of Buddhism in the Far East.
   7. [2:34 PM]

      
   8. [2:37 PM]

      Notice the white horse here. This is a representation of the white horse which famously brought the first Buddhist sutras to ancient China at the command of this Emperor Mudi. The dream involved a "flying golden god" hovering around the Emperor's palace, merely that; the figure reportedly said nothing. Upon waking, the Emperor inquired: Where is this "flying golden god" to be found? One of his advisors is said to have identified this figure as Buddha, hence Mudi's command to go to India and pick up some textbooks! So they came back on this horse, and this temple here is specifically called "White Horse Temple", the first Buddhist one in all of China and, so far as I know, the Far East. (edited)
   9. [2:38 PM]

      Of note, Saul's encounter with Jesus occurred while he was awake and had audio; while Mudi's dream occurred of course while he was sleeping and happened in silence.
   10. [2:40 PM]

       Now, this is all meant in the spirit of getting you to see the shockwaves that a rational person can discern in world history in the near wake of the 1st Coming.
   11. [2:41 PM]

       This is not meant to be New Church doctrine at all, but it does relate to a New Church doctrine, namely that there is indeed an architecture to world religion, which like every other details of existence falls under the heading of God's direct management as Providence.
   12. [2:42 PM]

       For instance, the New Church believes that Islam exists to counterbalance the harmful effects of the Council of Nice by emphasising monotheism; as well as to provide a suitable vehicle for drawing many people across a vast swathe of the world out of idolatry in a manner appropriate to their culture.
   13. [2:43 PM]

       
   14. [2:45 PM]

       The yinyang is of course associated with China, and rightly so; but it should be noted that the origins of it are lost in antiquity, and the pattern shows up all over spiritual and natural life. It shows up, for instance, in the way that bubbles will rise in the sea as raindrops fall from the sky. It shows up also in the relations of such instructional figures as Cain and Abel; Zara and Perez; and Esau and Jacob. In each of these cases an alert person can discern the two dots and the two expanses.
   15. [2:47 PM]

       One will provide one filling of this rubric: in consideration of Cain and Abel, and without detracting from the other significant meanings of this story, here is the rough key: white dot -- Cain's tilling of the ground black dot -- Abel's sacrifice of animals white expanse -- the murdered black expanse -- the murderer
   16. [2:48 PM]

       One would submit to you, in the spirit of confirming your faith by seeing the architecture of God's intervention in human affairs, that the arrival of Buddhism to ancient China and Christianity to ancient Rome constitutes a gigantic yinyang centred around the crucifixion of Jesus.
   17. [2:49 PM]

       The white and black expanses, then, we know. And the dots too we know, the arrival and (roughly speaking) dying out of Buddhism in the West and Christianity in the East.
   18. [2:51 PM]

       One would especially like people to see this sort of shockwave proceeding from the crucifixion because it gives the rational person aware of the spiritual world a basis for recognising the shockwaves proceeding from the 2nd Coming just as surely.
   19. [2:55 PM]

       "Emancipation Read to Serfs" by Boris Kustodiev

       
   20. [2:56 PM]

       Celebrating Emancipation From Slavery