Still Waters,

Thank you for that very illuminating link. I can understand the appreciation that Hindus or any theistic religion can have for the Beatitudes. It is more problematic for philosophies that deny God, the spirit or soul. Other philosophies could have adaptations that would acknowledge the wisdom of the majority of the Beatitudes. While I had suggested prefacing the Beatitudes with “graced with spirit” instead of “blessed” for a deeper understanding, others might adapt by saying “fortunate”. That is with the exception of the first and most important Beatitude….’blessed are the poor in spirit’….no one can be expected to be thankful for something they do not believe(spirit)…..and, of course, ‘blessed’ itself implies being graced from someone/something outside of one’s self….a deity.

The beauty of the link is that it provides insight from fresh eyes. The understanding of Christians can be greatly hindered by their familiarity with scripture……..they have memorized much without pursuing a deeper or symbolic meaning. IMO it is always worthwhile to revisit the familiar with the intention of removing blinders……