Meet the Characters on " The Dangerous Journey"
Michael Servetus
Frances David & King Sigismund
UUism Comes to America
George deBenneville
John Murray
Joseph Priestley
Growth & Change
Michael Servetus (1511 – 1553)
Servetus was one of the first people to write down his ideas about Unitarianism in a book. It was called On the Errors of the Trinity. The “Trinity” is the Christian belief that God is made up of three parts: God the father, God the son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit. In the 1500’s the rulers of many countries were Christians who believed in this 3-part God and REQUIRED all people in those countries to believe the same thing. (QUESTION: Do you think a person can be required to believe something?) Michael Servetus believed that Christians should look to the Bible, not their rulers, for answers about God, and he could find no words in the Bible to support this idea of God in three parts. (“Uni” is a prefix meaning “one”, so the word “Unitarian” means belief in the “oneness” of God.) His book made many people angry and scared. Soon after it was published Servetus changed his name and went into hiding. He became a very good doctor and lived for quite awhile in peace and quiet. But he couldn’t hold back his strong religious feelings. He began writing again and when his real identity was revealed, he was arrested and eventually burned at the stake. Michael Servetus was a Unitarian martyr. His death led to increased interest in the debate about the nature of God and religious freedom.
Francis David (1510 – 1579) and King John Sigismund (1540 – 1571)
In the 1500’s Unitarian believers were scattered in many different countries. At one point they were a majority in Poland! In Transylvania (a country which no longer exists but included the area now known as Hungary and Romania), Francis David converted the Transylvanian King John Sigismund to Unitarianism. In 1568, King John declared total religious freedom in Transylvania. This meant that the government would not interfere with what people believed. Although this idea seems normal to us today, this was the only country at that time to allow religious freedom. Despite a lot of anger and abuse, even death threats, King John held fast to his ideas, and religious liberty remained the law of the land until his death in 1571. King John’s successors were Catholic, not Unitarian. Francis David was fired from his position as Court Preacher. This did not silence him, however, and he continued to preach around the country. Like Servetus, Francis David was eventually arrested for heresy (religious ideas that are different from those approved of by the official church or government) and died while in jail on that charge.
Unitarianism and Universalism Come to America
All three of the men most responsible for bringing Unitarianism and Universalism to America were raised in England during the time when the ideas of John Calvin were popular. Calvinism taught that God decided before you were even born whether, when you died, you would be “saved” and go to heaven, or go to hell to be tortured forever. According to the church, very few were chosen to go to heaven. People were told that if they go to church and if they work hard and make a good living that might be a sign that God had chosen them to go to heaven. This way of thinking made many people very nervous, especially in times of trouble. When bad things happened that might also be a sign—a sign that you were not chosen by God.
Calvinism was a very stern and harsh religion, and eventually people began to question it. They refused to believe that God would be so mean. They said, “God is loving and wants to save everyone in heaven.” They said, “God does not make people do good or bad things; people choose this themselves!” These people came to be called “Universalists” because they believed in universal (meaning everyone) salvation.
George deBenneville (1703-1793)
When George deBenneville was born, his mother died. Queen Anne of England, a good friend of his mother’s, took George into her home as an infant and raised him as a prince. As a young man George enjoyed the wealthy social life of London, and worried little about his own future. In fact, he felt superior to most people. Then, on a trip to Africa, he had an experience which would change him forever. He saw native peoples not acting as savages (a common view at the time) but with such kindness and brotherly love that they seemed more true to the teachings of Jesus than many so-called “Christians” back in England! He saw people putting faith in a loving God who wanted to save all creatures, great and small. George returned home feeling very sad about his old life. He had a terrible dream that he was burning in hell and for many months his friends thought he would never be happy again. Then one day he decided two things which would stay with him all his life: 1. that good and evil are things that start deep inside each person, not by God’s choosing, and 2. that God’s love is for everyone, not just a chosen few.
With these new ideas George got well again, became a doctor, and began traveling; doctoring and preaching his new faith. In France he was arrested for heresy, and because of his noble upbringing, just narrowly escaped beheading! From France he traveled to Germany and Holland and then finally to America in search of a place where he could think and speak freely about his religion. In America deBenneville made friends with the Native American Indians. He made a dictionary of Indian, German and English words so the colonists and natives could talk to each other. The Native Americans taught him about healing through plants. During the Revolutionary War, deBenneville doctored both the British and American soldiers. He died at the age of 90 having truly lived his Universalist principles of the loving kindness of God and the preciousness of every human life.
John Murray (1741 -1815)
Like George deBenneville, John Murray grew up in a Calvinist family. He tried hard to please his father and mother, to study and pray and do well in everything, to prove that God had chosen him to be “saved” and to go to heaven. As a married man, John and his wife Eliza became interested in the Universalist ideas which a small group of people were preaching in London. Together they studied the new ideas of a loving God and soon decided to join the Universalists. Although this caused them to lose many old friends, they found hope instead of stern judgement in their new religion. It brought them new friends and great happiness. Murray even preached from time to time in their small church.
Then tragedy struck. The next year both Eliza and their one-year old son got sick and died. Devastated by this loss and hoping to leave his old life behind, Murray sailed to America in1770. The ship struck a sandbar off the coast of New Jersey and while they waited for the tide to rise, John went ashore to get supplies. Standing beside the first cabin he came to was a small church. The farmer who owned the church, Thomas Potter, invited John to stay the night. That evening Potter told him how he had built the little church and was waiting for someone to come who would preach about a loving God who saves all people, not just a chosen few. Potter told John that when he saw the ship on the sandbar a small voice inside him said, “There, in that ship may be the preacher you are expecting.” He was right! Though Murray had intended never to preach again, he agreed to preach the next Sunday. That was the beginning of the Universalist Church in America! Murray settled in Gloucester, Massachusetts where despite angry protests from some, he preached to a growing number of people as the “good news” of Universalism began to spread.
Joseph Priestley (1733 – 1804)
You are more likely to hear the name Joseph Priestley in a science class than in most Sunday Schools in America. That’s because he is best known as the scientist who discovered oxygen. But he also started the first Unitarain Church in America!
As a young man Priestley studied ministry in England. Because he did not agree with the idea of the Trinity, the only churches which would hire him were small and poor and generally not very successful. For a livelihood, he turned to teaching and developed a fascination with scientific experimentation. He continued his interest in religion too, writing books and preaching in a Unitarian church in England. Then at age 58 Priestley was accused of being a traitor to England because he supported the idea of equality of all people and thought the laws should be changed to allow religious freedom. One night an angry mob burned both the Unitarian Church where Priestley spoke and Priestley’s home and beloved laboratory in Birmingham. He and his wife fled to London (about 100 miles away), traveling only at night so as not to be caught. But life in London was still very hard for the Priestleys. Many people would not associate with them. They decided to go to America. When they arrived in Philadelphia, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams all sent letters of welcome, because of Priestley’s fame as a scientist. Free to speak about his Unitarian beliefs, Priestley established the First Unitarian Church in Philadelphia in 1776. It was the first official Unitarian church in America.
Growth and Change
Unitarian Universalists today honor the courage of these three men and their families. Many others followed in their footsteps as Unitarianism and Universalism grew, first in the New England states and then across the country with the pioneering ministry of many Unitarian and Universalist women. In 1961 the Unitarians and Universalists joined together to become one organization. More and more people join our churches every year. As we grow in numbers, so too do we grow as a religion, always responding to new ideas and changes in the world. Ours is a living tradition with a long history and a bright future!
Why do we have funerals?
Goal:
To better understand the reason for death rituals.
Preparation:
1. Locate one of the following books in your local library:
• The Happy Funeral by Eve Bunting
• Grandpa’s Slide Show by Deborah Gould
• Saying Good-bye to Grandma by Jane Resh Thomas
2. Read background information from Lessons of Loss on different religious and cultural beliefs and practices regarding the afterlife and rituals for mourning, including a section on UU beliefs and theology.
Activities:
• Read your selected book.
• Use the questions below to stimulate discussion.
• Summarize by saying that many people find it difficult to accept the reality of a death, especially when the deceased is much beloved and significant in the mourner’s life. However, death rituals, such as wakes, funerals, and sitting Shiva (a Jewish tradition), help to make the death more real and to enable the mourner to adjust to a world in which the deceased is physically not present. Use material from the background information as appropriate to your situation.
Questions for discussion:
The Happy Funeral
• How does Laura’s family prepare for the funeral?
• What happens at the funeral home?
• How does Laura feel as she attends her grandfather’s funeral?
• What rituals are included in the funeral?
• What do you think the family gains from holding a funeral?
Grandpa’s Slide Show
• Why do people bring food to the house after Grandpa dies?
• Why does Dad say that at the funeral, “we’ll need to act calm”? What happens there? How do people react?
• What happens after the funeral?
• What do Sam and Douglas learn about attending a funeral?
Saying Good-bye to Grandma
• How did Suzie feel about seeing her grandmother’s body at the wake? What was it like when she got there?
• What happened during the funeral?
• Where did Suzie and her family go after the funeral service?
• Why did everyone go back to the church for dinner?
• How do you think Suzie felt at the end of the day? Do you think she was glad she went to the funeral? Why or why not?
Guided Mediation
10 minutes
Invite participants into a guided mediation. Begin by asking them to find a comfortable position either sitting with a straight spine on a cushion or lying on the rug on the floor. Ask them to close their eyes and take a couple of long, slow, deep breaths. Continue by saying something like the following guiding words from On the Path by Wayne Arnason: "Now I’d like you to take a cleansing breath by first exhaling all of your discouragements and disappointments of this past week, breathing them out as you exhale…And now slowly inhale hope and vision…And now take another cleansing breath by exhaling pain and sadness…And now exhale tension and frustration…And inhale relaxation and peace." (Pause for 10 seconds).
"Now let come into your awareness one of your favorite places in nature, a place that you visit on a regular basis, perhaps in your backyard or in a nearby park or woods or near your congregation. A place nearby that is special to you, where you can feel a sense of peace…Now let your imagination take you to that place." (Pause for 20 seconds.)
"Find a comfortable spot to sit in this place…And experience the energy of this place…Feel your inner self becoming quiet, calm…As you sit, feel yourself connecting with the essence of this place, its own inner energy…Feel how this energy can help to hold you, to heal you, to nurture you." (Pause for 20 seconds.)
"Now invite yourself to communicate with the essence of this special place. You may imagine this essence of energy taking on a form, or you may wish to experience it in a more general way…Let the essence become very real to you…Now express your gratitude to this essence for helping to nurture you…Ask this essence how it would like to be treated…Ask if it has a message for you. Be still within and listen for an answer." (Pause for 30 seconds.)
"Now feel your sense of gratitude for having this special place available to you." (Pause for 10 seconds.)
"And when you are ready, bring your awareness back to this room and open your eyes."
When all participants have opened their eyes, gather in a circle and invite them to share how they experienced the guided mediation.
Frequently Asked Questions about ISLAM
Islam is the name of the religion Muslims follow. Maybe you have a good friend who is Muslim, or a neighbor or family member and you know a lot about it. Maybe you’ve never thought about these words. Our thoughts are made up of the facts we know about something combined with our feelings about it. One feeling we often get when we don’t know very much about something is fear. I bet you can think of lots of examples of this-like little kids who are afraid of friendly clowns until they learn that a clown is a person dressed in a costume. The more we know about something the less afraid we are. Another thing that can happen when we don’t know very much about something is that we make assumptions, which is a big word for guessing and believing without really knowing.
This is a hard time to be a Muslim in America because many people don’t know very much about Islam. Read the FAQs (frequently asked questions) below. The more we learn about people who are different from us, the more respect we will have for them and the less afraid we will be of them. Respect and care for people who are different from us are important to Unitarian Universalist people.
Q. What do Muslims believe?
A. Muslims believe in one God, whom they call Allah. They believe that one man, Muhammad, was chosen by Allah in A.D. 610 to be the last prophet, the last person to bring God’s message to the people of earth. They believe that other prophets came before Muhammad, including the Jewish prophets (like Moses) and the Christian prophets (like Jesus). They believe that all the prophets were human beings put on earth to teach people how to live peacefully and how to worship one God. Muslim people believe that Muhammad was the last prophet and so his words are the final and most important words to live by today. Like Judaism and Christianity that came before it, Islam is a religion of peace, kindness, and forgiveness.
Q. What is the Koran?
A. The Koran, or Qur’an, is the Muslim holy book. Muslims believe it is the record of exact words God said to the Prophet Muhammad. It is written in Arabic, so all Muslims learn Arabic.
Q. What are the ‘Five Pillars’ of Islam?
A. Muslims believe that after death people will go to Paradise or to Hell depending on how well they have lived their lives as Muslims, how well they have followed Islamic laws and fulfilled their duties to God. Every Muslim has 5 duties, called the Five Pillars of Islam. They are:
First Pillar: Make a statement of belief that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah.
Second Pillar: Pray five times a day: at dawn, noon, afternoon, evening and nightfall. The prayer, called Salat, takes about 15 minutes and is done facing toward Mecca (the holiest place in Islam, in Saudi Arabia).
Third Pillar: Muslims must give part of their money or possessions to charity.
Fourth Pillar: Muslims must fast (not eat or drink) in the daytime during the month of Ramadan (The exact dates of Ramadan vary from year to year because the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar. See pages 5 and 6 of the booklet, Cycle of Seasons* for more information about lunar calendars.)
Fifth Pillar: Muslims must try to make a pilgrimage (travel) to Mecca at least once in their lifetimes.
Q. Where do Muslims live today?
A. Muslims live all over the world. Many live in countries where people speak Arabic, like Saudi Arabia where Islam started. But millions of others, in fact most Muslims live in non-Arabic speaking countries. About 7 million Muslims live in the United States. Islam is one of the fastest-growing religions in the world.
Q. Why do some Muslim women wear scarves on their heads and veils over their faces?
A.Islam teaches both men and women to be modest, to wear clothes that cover their bodies loosely. In some Islamic countries, women are required to cover their bodies so only their faces and hands show. Muslims believe this protects women from being stared at and that helps people to give them respect. The scarf many Muslim women wear is called a "hijab." In only a few, very strict Islamic countries are Muslim women required to cover their faces.
Q.What is jihad? What does Islam say about terrorism?
A.In the Arabic language the word "jihad" means "struggle," to try your best and put out a great effort. In Islam, it means to struggle to be a good Muslim-sometimes to struggle within yourself to live by Islamic rules and to be the best Muslim you can be. Islam does not support terrorism! Muslims who commit terrorist acts are not following Islam. They are wrongly using the name of Islam to get more power.
Q.Can Jews or Christians live in Islamic countries?
A.Yes. Islamic law allows people to practice any religion they want. In general, Muslims are very tolerant of religious differences.
*If you are a member of CLF, your family got a copy of The Cycle of Seasons booklet when you joined. If you can’t find it, look lunar calendar up in the encyclopedia.
Background for Teachers for "Was Jesus really born on Christmas?"
"In our manner of telling the story of the birth of Jesus… we have tried to give some understanding of how the story first came to be told, and in addition we have placed it alongside the stories of the miraculous births of Buddha and Confucius. With the three stories side by side, it is hoped that children may be given a broader understanding which will enable them to think for themselves. We hope that the result will not be merely a negative disbelief; that it may rather be a new appreciation of the significance to humankind of a truly great person and a realization that all people everywhere feel touched by an unutterable mystery when in the presence of a newborn babe." – Sophia Lyons Fahs in From Long Ago and Many Lands
Was Jesus really born on Christmas?
Goal:
To place the story of the birth of Jesus in the context of other legends surrounding religious figures. To understand the story as a conglomeration of several references in the Bible.
Preparation:
Make copies of “What to look for in Jesus’ birth stories.”
Read “Background for Teachers”
Gather Bibles
Introduction:
UUs can enjoy the birth legend of Jesus at Christmas time without worrying about whether it is true or not. We realize that such stories as this one and those about the births of other great prophets cannot be scientifically true, yet many of us like to hear them. Why? Because the stories remind us that these great and good people were admired and loved and honored long ago as well as now. They are myths that may not be true on the outside, but are true on the inside, in our hearts.
Activities:
Read “The Birth of Jesus,” “The Birth of Buddha,” and “The Birth of Confucius.” Discuss some of the similarities and differences in the birth stories (ie: the angel, the elephant and the unicorn all announce the births and the presence of music in the sky). Talk about how people with imagination, coming from different countries, paint ideas differently. Each one introduces symbols that are meaningful to them. Help your kids see myths not as untruths but as imaginative responses to religious questions.
Find the story of Jesus’ birth in the 4 gospels in the New Testament: Mark, Matthew, Luke and John. Using the chart “What to look for in Jesus’ birth stories,” find the sources for each question in each of the 4 gospels. Notice similarities and differences. Which version are you most familiar with? You may also wish to see the Cheat Sheet.
Jonah and the Large Fish
GOD SAID TO JONAH, "Go at once to the great city of Nineveh and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before me." Jonah knew that if he gave the people of Nineveh God’s warning, they would beg for forgiveness. Jonah was also sure that they would be forgiven, since God was a merciful God. Jonah didn’t like the Ninevites and didn’t want them to be forgiven, so he took a ship to Tarshish, a town in the opposite direction from Nineveh, and the one farthest away.
While that ship was sailing to Tarshish, a terrible storm came up. The sailors were very afraid, and they threw all their cargo into the sea to lighten the ship in the water. Jonah, meanwhile, was fast asleep below deck.
The captain woke Jonah and begged him to call upon his God to keep them from dying. Then the sailors questioned him. "Where do you come from? Why are you here? When they found out that he was running away from his God, they cried, "What is this you have done? What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?"
Jonah answered, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you; for I know it is because of me that this great storm has come upon you."
Still they tried to get back to land, but the storm got worse. Finally, they realized that they would have to throw Jonah into the sea if the rest of them were to be saved. So they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea. The sea stopped its raging, and the sailors were certain that God had caused the storm.
God then provided a large fish to swallow Jonah; and Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three nights and three days. Then Jonah prayed to God for deliverance; God spoke to the fish, and it spewed Jonah out upon the dry land.
Again, God told Jonah to go to Nineveh, and this time Jonah went. The people of Nineveh listened to Jonah, and they begged God to forgive them. God heard their cries and was full of mercy for the Ninevites, just as Jonah knew God would be. Therefore they were forgiven. This made Jonah angry, but God finally convinced him that the people of Nineveh were worth saving.
Krishna, Champion of the Oppressed
When, if ever, is it right to go to war?
ACCORDING TO A HINDU STORY, long ago there came a time when the people became jealous and deceitful, and the leaders oppressive. Priests became insincere and some stole the gifts brought to the gods. Kings were tyrannical. Tribes and nations were continually warring one against another.
Then Brahman, the Eternal One, decided to give mankind a special helper, a human Savior who would live among men and protect and guide them and teach them the way to live. And so it happened that one day a divine child was born. At his birth, angels appeared, singing praises. They bowed down before him and named him Krishna, the Savior of Mankind, the incarnation of the Eternal Brahman.
Now Krishna of course was a human being as well as a god. He was born in India where at that time everyone belonged to a "caste." His was the Warrior caste, which meant that his dharma or destiny must be fulfilled in war and struggle.
But as a child Krishna did not seem to be a warlike person. He lived happily with other children, wandering with them over the fields and woods, and helping to tend the cows. He learned to play the flute, and often played it while his young friends danced together. A strong boy, he soon became a favorite among his friends, perhaps because he always seemed to use his strength to protect the weak. Many tales have been told of Krishna’s gallant and miraculous deeds during his youth. Always these were done in order to protect some innocent sufferer, or to save some person or animal in trouble.
As Krishna grew older, he left his happy life as a cowherd, became a student of the sacred books, and gave himself to a life of simple living and fasting. His teacher was amazed at his brilliance and devotion.
After finishing his studies, Krishna became the champion of one tribe or another which had been unjustly treated. Always his championship was of the weak against the strong and the evil. If happiness were to be spread among all the people, cruelty had to be destroyed even if war must be waged to achieve this. Thus Krishna, born into the Warrior caste, was true to his dharma.
As the years passed, the warring groups in India grew stronger and larger and the battles became fiercer until India became divided into two warring nations. One nation was ruled by the evil king, Duryodhana; the other, by the good king, Yudisthira, long remembered for his justice and good-will. Finally, the selfish and ambitious King Duryodhana banished the good King Yudisthira and his people into exile and refused to allow even five villages to be shared with them.
After Yudisthira had tried unsuccessfully for thirteen years to settle the matter without a major battle, preparations were begun for an all-out war between the armies of the two kings. Both sides came to Krishna asking for his help. Duryodhana, the evil king, asked Krishna for armies. Arjuna, the brother of the good King Yudisthira, asked not for armies but for Krishna alone, saying "Friendship is the strongest weapon in the world. I want you for my charioteer." Both kings were granted their wishes, and Duryodhana chuckled at Arjuna’s foolishness.
Not long after, in the red dawning of the morning, the two great armies faced each other on the sandy plains of Kurukshetra. The evil king was in his chariot at the head of one great army, now even larger than before. Arjuna, brother of the good king, was in his chariot at the head of the other army. But with Arjuna stood the god Krishna as charioteer.
Arjuna looked about and his heart grew faint, for he saw the faces of fathers and grandfathers, teachers, uncles, sons, brothers, grandsons, and friends. He spoke despairingly to Krishna:
"O Krishna, Krishnal Now that I look on all my own kins-n;en, arrayed for battle, my limbs have become weak, my mouth, is parching, my body trembles, my hair stands upright, my skin seems to be burning! My bow slips from my hand and my brain is whirling round and round. What can I hope for from this killing of kinsmen? What do I want with victory and empire?"
"Krishna, hearing the prayers of all men,
Tell me how we can hope to be happy
Slaying the sons of Dritarashtra?"
Evil they may be, worst of the wicked,
Yet if we kill them, our sin is greater.
* * * * * * * * * * *
"What is the crime I am planning, O Krishna?
Murder most hateful, murder of brothers!
Am I indeed so greedy for greatness?
Rather let the evil children come with their weapons
Against me in battle!
I shall not struggle, I shall not strike them.
Now let them kill me, that will be better."
Having spoken so feelingly, Arjuna threw aside his arrows and his bow. He stood as if already mortally wounded, his heart torn with sorrow.
Krishna was silent for a while. Arjuna tried once more to speak. ‘Which is worst," he cried out again, "to win this war, or to lose it? I scarcely know. My mind gropes about in dark-ness. I cannot see where my duty lies. Krishna, I beg you to tell me frankly and clearly what I ought to do. I am your disciple. I have put myself into your hands. Show me the way."
Krishna then answered: "Your words are wise, Arjuna, but your sorrow is for nothing. The truly wise person mourns neither for the living nor for the dead. Bodies are said to die, but THAT which possesses the body is eternal. It cannot be limited or destroyed. The real life within each one cannot be wounded by weapons, nor burned by fire, nor dried by the wind, nor wet by water. It is deathless and birth-less. It is indestructible. Therefore, never mourn for anyone.
"And besides, Arjuna, you were’ born in the warring caste. Fighting to protect, fighting to save others from oppression, is your duty. If you turn aside from this righteous way, you will be a sinner.
"Die, Arjuna, and you win Nirvana. Conquer and you enjoy the earth. Stand up now, and resolve to fight. Realize that pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat are one and the same; then go into battle."
So Arjuna, the disciple of Krishna, rose and obeyed. A conch was blown and the blare of a thousand conches responded. Arrows shot through the air like meteors; the sun itself was shrouded in the dust of the battle. Horses leaped; men ran at each other with swords. Hundreds, even thou-sands, were wounded or slain.
With each new dawn, the battle was begun afresh, day after day for eighteen days. Finally, the evil King Duryodhana was slain, and Arjuna and Yudisthira were the victors.
In the early dawn after the battle, the plain was grim with the bloody burden of thousands of dead. It was a weary sight for miles around. Weeping wives searched for the bodies of their lost husbands. Mothers mourned over their dead sons. An old grandmother sat on the ground and wept. UO shame on prowess" she cried. "Shame on courage! Shame on war that leaves weeping women to bear the burden of grief"
In spite of all this, because of the terrible war and the courageous victory of Arjuna, there was finally peace in the land. Yudisthira was crowned king of both nations. He reigned as undisputed ruler of all India for thirty-six years and in his time there was justice throughout the kingdom. The people saw in Yudisthira the ideals which Lord Krishna had taught them to attain.
"He did not hate any living creature.
He was friendly and compassionate to all,
He freed himself of the delusion of "Me" and "Mine,"
He accepted pleasure and pain with tranquility,
He was forgiving, ever contented, self-controlled,
He was neither vain nor anxious about the result of his actions."
(Based on extracts from an unpublished manuscript, "India’s Story of Krishna," by Sophia Lyon Fahs. This was based in turn on Bhagavad-Gita: The Song of God, translated by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood (Hollywood, California: Vedanta Society of Southern California, latest edition 1972). Extracts are quoted with the permission of the Vedanta Society of Southern California.)
