Q. Why did Jesus say, “Leave your hometown, your relatives, your parents and your homes, and go to the land I am going to show you.”?

Q. Why did Jesus say, “Leave your hometown, your relatives, your parents and your homes, and go to the land I am going to show you.”?

A. You should not mistake this for a message that entices, or encourages you to leave, or betray your beloved people, including your parents who gave birth to and have taken care of you in order to follow him. He even said, “Love your neighbours as yourselves.”

Your hometown, your relatives, your parents and your homes here imply the illusions which are so strongly attached to you that they are very difficult for you to remove. The land he says he is going to show you implies Heaven in Christianity and the Pure Land, enlightenment in Buddhism. In other words, it means that if you remove all illusions, you will go to Heaven.

Student: “How can I go to Heaven?”
Master: “Throw away the illusion of Heaven.”

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway