What lessons do you learn from the long passages in your scripture...as opposed to the short

[whirlingmerc]

It seems being very short or very long is part of what it punched or explained. Sometimes you hit a staccato note and sometimes play a long song.

I know the longest prayer of Jesus is John 17, The longest extended teaching in Romans is the 2 chapters in Romans on community.

Some Psalms are very long (some very short) and part of the emphasis is the size


The Super Epic Psalms - what they emphasize ( from Psalms Book 1 - P…

 

[Spirit of Light]

I learn equally from both short and long suttas in buddhism. in my understanding it is not the lenght that is important but the contents

 

[Aupmanyav]

I generally skip long passages. Hinduism has a wealth of very precise short statements with big meaning (Brahma Sutras are an example). For example, Sankaracharya's statement - "Bramha satyam, Jagan-mithya, jeevo Brahmaiva na parah" (Brahman is truth, the world is illusion, a living being is none other than Brahman). A whole philosophy in one line of a verse.

The problem is that in long passages some one is trying to brainwash you. He is giving his meaning of the short statement. Why not try to get your own meaning directly from the statement.

 

[TransmutingSoul]

They both have a benefit. The short passages are great for specific meditations. The long Passages tend to tell a more complex story.

Regards Tony

 

[Ellen Brown]

It seems being very short or very long is part of what it punched or explained. Sometimes you hit a staccato note and sometimes play a long song.

I know the longest prayer of Jesus is John 17, The longest extended teaching in Romans is the 2 chapters in Romans on community.

Some Psalms are very long (some very short) and part of the emphasis is the size


The Super Epic Psalms - what they emphasize ( from Psalms Book 1 - P…


View attachment 26183

I try not to post more than a dozen lines. More is too much.

 

[Quintessence]

My religion doesn't really have scriptures, and contemporary Pagans are sometimes known as the "people of the books." One of the things that means is that, by and large, the lessons of wisdom we take from written words come in the length of books rather than a paragraph or two. Poetry has its place to be sure, as do short pithy wisdom sayings (Druidry as these, and a couple examples are in my signature). But most of us are pretty bookish.

I can't post a book here, of course, but to give an example of something that was an early inspiration to me? I've had a fascination with the Four Elements as an idea since I was a kid, so I did some pretty extensive research on the history of the idea. Reading the parts of Aristotle that pertained to them was pretty eye-opening in that it nailed the case shut on contemporary Pagans "doing it wrong" so to speak, since that perspective was reflected in writings I read in other time periods up until the modern occult revival.

 

[arthra]

"What lessons do you learn from the long passages in your scripture...as opposed to the short...?"

The Baha'i Writings are very vast and only partially translated. One of the most popular books are the "Hidden Words" and there are both Hidden Words translated from Persian and others from Arabic. They were revealed while Baha'u'llah was exiled to Baghdad and He was walking along the shores of the Tigris River. They are supposed to represent the essence of the Prophets teaching in past dispensations. From the introduction:

"He Is the Glory of Glories
This is that which hath descended from the realm of glory, uttered by the tongue of power and might, and revealed unto the Prophets of old. We have taken the inner essence thereof and clothed it in the garment of brevity, as a token of grace unto the righteous, that they may stand faithful unto the Covenant of God, may fulfill in their lives His trust, and in the realm of spirit obtain the gem of divine virtue."

The Hidden Words | Bahá’í Reference Library

So these are a collection of succinct powerful verses... such as:

"O Son of Spirit!
My first counsel is this: Possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart, that thine may be a sovereignty ancient, imperishable and everlasting."

The verses consist of spiritual admonitions. My wife and brother-in-law both became Baha'is on perusing these couplets.

The longer Writings are generally responses to questions people had and some are Tablets Baha'u'llah wrote to reigning monarchs while He Himself was a prisoner of the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.. these documents are more detailed with many references and make for fascinating reading. I'll attach a reference to one of them:

The Summons of the Lord of Hosts | Bahá’í Reference Library

 

[whirlingmerc]

I try not to post more than a dozen lines. More is too much.

There is a place for short tweets and a place for long I suppose

The Super Epic Psalms book 1- what the longer Psalm point to

 

[whirlingmerc]

I generally skip long passages. Hinduism has a wealth of very precise short statements with big meaning (Brahma Sutras are an example). For example, Sankaracharya's statement - "Bramha satyam, Jagan-mithya, jeevo Brahmaiva na parah" (Brahman is truth, the world is illusion, a living being is none other than Brahman). A whole philosophy in one line of a verse.

The problem is that in long passages some one is trying to brainwash you. He is giving his meaning of the short statement. Why not try to get your own meaning directly from the statement.

There is some value in a movie trailer, sound bite, etc... short statement ... and sometimes less is more powerful

But watching a movie trailer is not the same as watching the movie

The Super Epic Psalms book 1- what the longer Psalm point to

 

[Vinayaka]

Length. in my view, certainly doesn't equate to quality. I much prefer shorter, which will stick with you easily.

 

[Aupmanyav]

There is some value in a movie trailer, sound bite, etc... short statement ... and sometimes less is more powerful

But watching a movie trailer is not the same as watching the movie

IMHO, you are not familiar with 'Brahma Sutras'. Just have a glance at this page: Jijnasadhikaranam: Topic 1 – Brahma Sutras – Chapter 1: Samanvaya Adhyaya

This is the first aphorism of 'Brahma Sutras' ('Athāto Brahmajijnāsā'), just two words, and see what all is involved.

 

[rayanic]

زندگی نامه مختصر امام زمان (عج)

حضرت مهدی (ع) امام دوازدهم شیعیان و فرزند امام حسن عسکری (ع) و نرجس خاتون (س) می باشند. ایشان طبق بیشترین روایت، روز جمعه نیمه شعبان 255 هجری قمری متولد شدند. و در سال 260 هجری در سن 5 سالگی پس از درگذشت پدر بزرگوارشان، به امامت رسیدند.