Editing Free migration (section)

==Spiritual perspectives on migration==
Through numerous situations and encounters, immigration can be a test of mental fortitude rather than physical ability. In [[Buddhism]], a [[bodhisattva]] is considered to be a guide to awakening and to the Pure Lands. "The Buddha declares that we are all bodhisattvas destined to attain full Awakening. It seems that each of us, then, is engaged in 'spiritual immigration'.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title=Strangers in This World|last=Thompson|first=John|publisher=Augsburg Fortress Publishers|year=2015|location=Minneapolis|pages=31–50}}</ref> The Buddha asserts that everyone is a bodhisattva, or a 'spiritual immigrant', who must attain various virtues which ultimately leads to ''[[prajnaparamita]]'', or 'transcendent wisdom'.<ref name=":1" /> The existence of Buddhas and [[Mahasattva]]s{{mdash}}'great beings' who have achieved a high level on the path to awakening{{mdash}}have created various branches of belief like [[Mahayana Buddhism]], which is a form of 'spiritual immigration'. "Buddhism is a type of immigration from the world of suffering to nirvana....We are all immigrants who, paradoxically, are seeking to and the land in which we already dwell".<ref name=":1" /> In terms of 'spiritual immigration', the path of the bodhisattva is a change of mental capacity rather than cosmic location.

According to Buddhist teaching, the purpose of a 'spiritual immigration' is to help guide the individual onto their future path.  The Pure Land is the state of untainted mind: reaching this land of purity requires persistent effort and practice. Along the journey, individuals learn to envision their future as a land of opportunity. The intention of the pure land is to assure that the individual achieves their personal goals in life{{mdash}}the betterment of oneself in order to reach nirvana. Alongside these goals, practitioners also learn about the relationship of 'self' and 'others', resulting in the renewal of all beings. The concept of the pure lands enforces the idea of 'spiritual immigration' as a form of mental encouragement.<ref name=":1" />

Migration is a spiritual journey that establishes a point of communication between the human and divine. Religious figures migrate from one place to another as immigrants: "In Christianity, God migrated to this world in the form of human Jesus; the Hindu God [[Krishna]] descended to earth to become a charioteer, a human being ([[Bhagavad Gita]] 1:20-47); and the Buddha 'becomes Awakened' when he became a wanderer and a stranger".<ref name=":4">{{Cite book|title=Strangers in This World: Multi-religious Reflections on Immigration|last=Hussam S., and Jorgenson, Allen G., and Hwang, Alexander Y.|publisher=Augsburg Fortress Publishers|year=2015|location=Minneapolis|pages=111–128|chapter=The Islamic Doctrine of Hijra (Migration)}}</ref> Adherents believe that religious figures have travelled from an unpurified state to a purified state: Buddha traveled from his privileged life to a life of poverty to gain divinity and knowledge; therefore divine figures like [[Gautama Buddha|Gautam Buddha]] viewed migration as purification. The Qur’an states that "they could migrate from their oppressed positions to another land of God".<ref name=":4" />

The doctrine of ''[[Hejira|Hijrah]]'' suggest that freedom of movement is a human right as well as a duty to God. [[Globalization]] affects religious perspectives on migration which seek to prevent the "destruction to the sanctity of human life and dignity".  Religious figures like Buddha and Jesus practised "a theology of migration".{{citation needed|date=December 2017}} According to adherents, immigrants should have the same rights as legal residents because world religions believe everyone is divine. It is also mentioned in the [[Quran|Qur’an]] that "strangers are entitled to the equal distribution of wealth".{{citation needed|date=December 2017}}<!-- please give Sura and Ayat --> Despite the acquisition of wealth in verse 8:41, the Qur’an states that "know that one-fifth of your battle gains belongs to the God and the messenger, to close relatives and orphans or to the needy and travellers (strangers).”<ref name=":4" />

According to Collier and Strain, the Roman Catholic Church has been helping migrants for decades.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book|title=Religious and Ethical Perspectives on Global Migration|last=Elizabeth W. Collier, and Charles R. Strain|publisher=Lexington Books|year=2014|location=Lexington|chapter=7: Migration in The Light of Scripture and Catholic Social Teaching}}</ref> The Christian faith receives a sense of justice for migrants from Abrahamic faith traditions. Catholics follow these guidelines to help immigrants: "for all persons on the move". The reasons to help those on the move were established in 1952 when leaders of the Roman Catholic Church published written material that reinforced the teachings of the church. One of the quotes from the Bible used to justify hospitality is "when an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as a citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God" (Leviticus 19:33).<ref name=":5" />

Strangers or those on the move should be treated equally, no less than anyone else. The modern nation state should open its borders because people may be migrating due to unfavorable circumstances. The Catholic Church believes everyone has a right to migrate to support their families; this idea of free migration allows "the human person [to precede] the state".”<ref name=":5" /> In some circumstances, the Church provides assistance to migrants and refugees. Some Catholic organizations offer educational activities on the legal process of immigration to the United States. Other types of aid include spiritual companionship, ESL classes for those who want to learn to speak better English, basic hygiene, and food. The Roman Catholic Church believes that helping those in need enables the growth of the human spirit.

Before the [[Columbian exchange]], there was an open border policy in the Americas that gave Native Americans access to travel freely and have open trade with other cultures.<ref name=":1" /> There was widespread trade among many First Nations that created free movement and travel for many foreigners. At the time, there was little border control, which allowed migrants to travel to various areas to settle. Immigration policy shifted towards control and nationalism after 1492. In the 20th century, immigration policy solidified borders in America, but many Native Americans advocated free movement and hospitality towards strangers. Native Americans historically have welcomed strangers with hospitality, sometimes making them relatives through an informal adoption system.{{citation needed|date=December 2017}} Migration in America can be understood through the religious and cultural perspectives of Native Americans.<ref>{{Cite book|title="Native American Hospitality and Generosity". Strangers in This World: Multireligious Reflections on Immigration.|last=Woodley, Randy|publisher=Berkeley: University of California Press|year=2015}}</ref>