Dalai Lama: Countering Stress & Depression

At a fundamental level, as human beings, we are all the same; each one of us aspires to happiness and each one of us does not wish to suffer. This is why, whenever I have the opportunity, I try to draw people's attention to what as members of the human family we have in common and the deeply interconnected nature of our existence and welfare.

Today, there is increasing recognition, as well as a growing body of scientific evidence, that confirms the close connection between our own states of mind and our happiness. On the one hand, many of us live in societies that are very developed materially, yet among us are many people who are not very happy. Just underneath the beautiful surface of affluence there is a kind of mental unrest, leading to frustration, unnecessary quarrels, reliance on drugs or alcohol, and in the worst case, suicide. There is no guarantee that wealth alone can give you the joy or fulfilment that you seek. The same can be said of your friends too. When you are in an intense state of anger or hatred, even a very close friend appears to you as somehow frosty, or cold, distant, and annoying.

However, as human beings we are gifted with this wonderful human intelligence. Besides that, all human beings have the capacity to be very determined and to direct that strong sense of determination in whatever direction they like. So long as we remember that we have this marvellous gift of human intelligence and a capacity to develop determination and use it in positive ways, we will preserve our underlying mental health. Realizing we have this great human potential gives us a fundamental strength. This recognition can act as a mechanism that enables us to deal with any difficulty, no matter what situation we are facing, without losing hope or sinking into feelings of low self-esteem.

I write this as someone who lost his freedom at the age of 16, then lost his country at the age of 24. Consequently, I have lived in exile for more than 50 years during which we Tibetans have dedicated ourselves to keeping the Tibetan identity alive and preserving our culture and values. On most days the news from Tibet is heartbreaking, and yet none of these challenges gives

grounds for giving up. One of the approaches that I personally find useful is to cultivate the thought: If the situation or problem is such that it can be remedied, then there is no need to worry about it. In other words, if there is a solution or a way out of the difficulty, you do not need to be overwhelmed by it. The appropriate action is to seek its solution. Then it is clearly more sensible to spend your energy focussing on the solution rather than worrying about the problem. Alternatively, if there is no solution, no possibility of resolution, then there is also no point in being worried about it, because you cannot do anything about it anyway. In that case, the sooner you accept this fact, the easier it will be for you. This formula, of course, implies directly confronting the problem and taking a realistic view. Otherwise you will be unable to find out whether or not there is a resolution to the problem.

Taking a realistic view and cultivating a proper motivation can also shield you against feelings of fear and anxiety. If you develop a pure and sincere motivation, if you are motivated by a wish to help on the basis of kindness, compassion, and respect, then you can carry on any kind of work, in any field, and function more effectively with less fear or worry, not being afraid of what others think or whether you ultimately will be successful in reaching your goal. Even if you fail to achieve your goal, you can feel good about having made the effort. But with a bad motivation, people can praise you or you can achieve goals, but you still will not be happy.

Again, we may sometimes feel that our whole lives are unsatisfactory, we feel on the point of being overwhelmed by the difficulties that confront us. This happens to us all in varying degrees from time to time. When this occurs, it is vital that we make every effort to find a way of lifting our spirits. We can do this by recollecting our good fortune. We may, for example, be loved by someone; we may have certain talents; we may have received a good education; we may have our basic needs provided for - food to eat, clothes to wear, somewhere to live - we may have performed certain altruistic deeds in the past. We must take into consideration even the slightest positive aspect of our lives. For if we fail to find some way of uplifting ourselves, there is every danger of sinking further into our sense of powerlessness. This can lead us to believe that we have no capacity for doing good whatsoever. Thus we create the conditions of despair itself.

As a Buddhist monk I have learned that what principally upsets our inner peace is what we call disturbing emotions.  All those thoughts, emotions, and mental events which reflect a negative or uncompassionate state of mind inevitably undermine our experience of inner peace. All our negative thoughts and emotions - such as hatred, anger, pride, lust, greed, envy, and so on - are considered to be sources of difficulty, to be disturbing. Negative thoughts and emotions are what obstruct our most basic aspiration - to be happy and to avoid suffering. When we act under their influence, we become oblivious to the impact our actions have on others: they are thus the cause of our destructive behaviour both toward others and to ourselves. Murder, scandal, and deceit all have their origin in disturbing emotions.

This inevitably gives rise to the question - can we train the mind? There are many methods by which to do this. Among these, in the Buddhist tradition, is a special instruction called mind training, which focuses on cultivating concern for others and turning adversity to advantage. It is this pattern of thought, transforming problems into happiness that has enabled the Tibetan people to maintain their dignity and spirit in the face of great difficulties. Indeed I have found this advice of great practical benefit in my own life.

A great Tibetan teacher of mind training once remarked that one of the mind’s most marvellous qualities is that it can be transformed. I have no doubt that those who attempt to transform their minds, overcome their disturbing emotions and achieve a sense of inner peace, will, over a period of time, notice a change in their mental attitudes and responses to people and events. Their minds will become more disciplined and positive. And I am sure they will find their own sense of happiness grow as they contribute to the greater happiness of others. I offer my prayers that everyone who makes this their goal will be blessed with success.


The Dalai Lama

December 31, 2010

Handling The Devil's Attacks & Spiritual Attacks

Hello my friends. I hope everybody had a great weekend and stayed warm most of all. Lol. 40 degrees here in Florida for the entire weekend. I know what you're thinking "geez that's not a big deal others are in 20° temperature" I realize some under zero. I am a wimp. Lol. Florida girl home grown. I can't handle very cold weather.

Spiritual Warfare

Spiritual warfare is an activity by Christians whereby Satan and demons are fought, using a variety of methods and prayers depending on the group, mostly a lot of prayer and fasting. From a biblical point of view, spiritual warfare is the cosmic war of good versus evil: its battles are fought daily between God and Satan; between the Christian Church and the world fueled by our spiritual enemy; and within every child of God, between the Holy Spirit and the lusts of the carnal flesh. The clear meanings of good and evil, as defined by God l than man, are revealed within the verses of the Holy Bible and the life of Jesus Christ.

The natural reaction to a spiritual attack is fear then worry. If we stay in that place of panic, we pray and speak the truth. And if we camp in fear's tent, we shrink back from the joy and power Jesus wants to give us in the midst of the battle. Ultimately, this comes down to a question of God's bigness. Do we believe God is bigger than our worry? Than Satan's attack? Then the fears that keep us up at night? We have a choice to give into fear thinking or surrender it to God. Of course, we initially feared and freaked out a bit.

These vile creatures know our every weakness and fears. I was once told by a client who under went deliverance that "I'd rather have dealt with physical pain the last six months then deal with the mental pain inside of my head that was being caused". He almost ended up committed but thank God no. He was delivered. If it had not had been committed most likely for a very long time. We are going around saying you're under demonic oppression you never know how people are going to react or what they're going to say.  You can't trust people anymore.

The Bible makes it clear that there are demons, or evil spirits, in the world that interfere in people's lives (Ephesians 6:11-19). Evil forces, powers, influence the minds of individuals, bringing upon unusual behavior that the individual isn't known to do, changes in personality, unfounded illness that you know is there but no one can find a cause, suicide, inability to function normally. As a result of these forces, people can become a danger to themselves and to their families and friends. Even co-workers.

The Book of Daniel, chapter ten, provides one of the most striking examples of spiritual warfare found in Scripture. Remember when Daniel was held in captivity in a foreign land due to a great spiritual conflict, which led to the conquest of Israel and Judah. He resorts to intense prayer, which includes fasting, to seek guidance from God, verses 2,3. He receives a miraculous vision and word, verses 5–9 (which introduce. 10–12), from one having the appearance of a man (cf. verses 16,18), who may have been an angel, but whose description in verses 5,6, seems to match that of Christ in Revelation 1:13–16. Daniel’s earthly conflict extends to the heavenly realm, as the spiritual messenger was delayed by a demon, until being assisted by an archangel, verses 12–14. Strong resistance was met due to the importance of the answer to Daniels’s prayer, as it is a prophecy on Satanic activity

These dark forces are always at work. They never stop. they cause humans to have emotional trauma. The most common are:

Emotional pain, depression, low energy levels, constant fatigue, suicidal thoughts and/or attempts, drug and/or alcohol addictions, unhealthy addictions, over eating, hearing voices in the mind, strange or weird thoughts that don't seem your own, being directed by an inner voice, most mental illness, mental or emotional instability, poor concentration, mood swings, multiple personalities, confusion, deep anger/aggressiveness, nightmares or any negative/terrifying dreams/day dreams, sleep paralysis, anxiety, paranoia, constant negative or fear based thoughts and/or emotions, waking up tired after a full night's rest, criminal and/or violent behaviors, sexual abuse, mental noise (unclear thinking), dark thoughts and impulses, unexplained physical pain or problems without any known cause, constantly sabotaging yourself or others, negative beliefs, religious fanaticism, abusing or attacking others either emotionally, physically etc., energy stealing among people, limited/lower consciousness, feelings of giving everything up, feeling your life is being controlled by something outside of yourself, constantly trying to control or have power over others, loss of your purpose/path in life, loss of your power/soul and more.

Just live a positive life then get rid  of anybody in your life that's bringing you down. Focus on Jesus Christ he is the only way. The devil hates humans and sends his demons out on assignments to sabotage us. This world has gotten so bad but nothing is too big for our Lord, remember that. There is not a problem that he cannot fix. Jesus promises us in His name we are safe from the enemy. Make God your saving grace.

Written by Jennifer L Auld

Dalai Lama: 5 things to keep in mind for the next four years

By Jen Christensen
January 18, 2017
The Dalai Lama has some advice for anyone who is looking for happiness, no matter what their circumstances.

The Nobel Peace Prize-winning spiritual and political leader of the Tibetan people in exile, spoke about the incoming administration in an interview with CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
The "president, of course, (is a) very important individual, but basically I (am) always telling (people), the world belongs to humanity," said the Dalai Lama during the Emory-Tibet symposium of Scholars and Scientists held at the Drepung Monastic University in India in December. "Each nation belongs to the people," he said.
In other words, take comfort in the fact that our country is not run by a lone individual, albeit one that is incredibly powerful.

"America, I consider the leading nation of the free world," His Holiness said.
In an earlier interview he said he plans to meet with President-elect Trump after his inauguration and added that once in power, all presidents are forced to work with "reality," and "so I have no worries."
America will always keep an "emphasis on liberty, democracy, rule of law," he said, and "the people elected now have the responsibility" to work together and will have to use "team work," since "America is a democracy and the power is divided."
If, however, someone's confidence in the country's checks and balances is still failing them, His Holiness has some additional advice to help you stay happy, no matter what happens in the world around you.

You do you

First step, work on compassion and start by developing it for yourself.
"Mainly," he said, feeling happy is largely about "your own mental attitude."
If you remain someone who is "honest, truthful," about how you feel, you can find happiness "no matter what (the) surrounding situation."
His Holiness is talking, in part, about the Buddhist concept of self-compassion. He believes we'd all be happier people if we learned more about our own selves and embraced who we are, flaws and all.

Which side of ourselves will prevail?
When you have compassion for someone, typically that means you are recognizing and validating someone's pain.
Psychologists have shown when you do that, you automatically develop feelings of kindness and caring for that person. You develop concern for their general well-being.

Self-compassion, then, is when you are kind, rather than critical, toward yourself, even when you mess up or when you are in some form of emotional pain.
Don't confuse this with self-pity, when you dwell on that pain. Instead, it's when "in instances of pain or failure, rather than being harshly self-critical; perceiving one's experiences as part of the larger human experience rather than seeing them as isolating; and holding painful thoughts and feelings in mindful awareness rather than over-identifying with them," writes scholar Kristin Neff in Self-Compassion and Psychological Well-Being.
Neff is an associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin's department of educational psychology and an expert on self-compassion.

Buddhism Fast Facts
"Most people have much more compassion for others than themselves," Neff said.
If you can develop a compassion toward yourself, it is easier to feel compassion toward others "and is much more sustainable," Neff said.
And the Dalai Lama believes that with less self-criticism, your "health will be much better." Many studies back that up.

Take time to think
It's a lot easier to feel compassion if you take the time to reflect on what you're experiencing. The Dalai Lama, for instance, gets up at 3 am to meditate five hours a day.
You probably don't have that much time, but even 10 minutes of meditation has been shown to help your thought process. Meditation can physically change the parts of the brain that help you better handle stress and increase your feelings of empathy, studies show.
Longer meditation sessions, even 20 minutes, can improve your mood, your attention span and memory.
Thinking more deeply, you start to realize, His Holiness said, that "nothing exists as (it) appears."
Take the time to put your feelings in context, he said, "then the very basis of these negative emotions becomes thinner, thinner, thinner."

Anger be gone
If you do feel angry about the election, or any other circumstance, don't let it dominate your thoughts. Constant anger can lead to depression, insomnia, overeating, heart problems, strokes and early death, studies show.

How to stop being annoyed by life
"Constant anger is very bad for our health," His Holiness said. "I try to keep compassion" constantly in mind and then stay "surrounded by (other) compassionate people" that can reduce your anger. Do that and your health will be "much better."
A lot of negative thought is rooted in perception, studies show, but that doesn't have to mean you become a Pollyanna about negative experiences. "If a glass is half full, you can't pretend it's full," Neff said. "If you can think about wrapping your suffering and anger in a kind of care and compassion and concern, it can activate the reward center of the brain."
Working with Tibetan teachers over the years, she said, she has been impressed that despite their difficult circumstances of having to flee their country and live as refugees, as the Dalai Lama has since 1959, many people seem to be happy. "It is not like they deny their suffering, they are open to it, but they hold those feelings with love and compassion," she said.

Help others
Another key to happiness, His Holiness suggests, is to "try to be of some service to others." If you can help others, then "no matter what (the) surrounding situation, you can keep (up your) self-confidence and happiness."
Service can come in the form of volunteering, like at a soup kitchen, or on a candidate's campaign, but it can also be simpler, like being a good listener when people are upset.
Volunteers feel more socially connected, they're less lonely, and suffer from depression less, studies show. Volunteering creates physical benefits too: Regular volunteers are less likely to develop high blood pressure and live longer, some studies show.
Simple acts like being a good listener can also reduce your own feelings of stress and improve your feelings of well-being, other studies show.

Act like a kid
Finally, be playful and childlike. Children, the Dalai Lama said are "very honest" and often accept people without judgment.
"They don't care what's their religion, what's their nationality, they don't care what sort of family background" they have, he said. "Basic human nature is compassionate."
While competition and materialism can encourage those feelings to go "dormant," he said, playfulness can bring those feelings back.
His Holiness is constantly laughing and he's playful even when he speaks about such serious subjects.
Studies back up his advice, showing that adults who are playful have more positive relationships and better life satisfaction. They also tend to be healthier and experience less anxiety.

Considering this advice could make a real difference to how you experience the next few years.
"I will always feel there is real hope we can do something. So no matter (what the) difficult circumstances, it is really worthwhile," the Dalai Lama said.
"Make (an) effort (and) once you committed effort, even small effort results will come," the Dalai Lama said. "You get tremendous sort of satisfaction and then feel happy."

link and photos: http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/18/health/dalai-lama-guide-to-surviving-trump/

Dalai Lama Says to Check Your Motivation

Avalokiteshvara Permission, Long Life Offering and Conclusion of Kalachakra Empowerment

Bodhgaya, Bihar, India, 14 January 2017 - Crowds two or three metres deep lined the road as His Holiness the Dalai Lama made the short journey from Namgyal Monastery to the Kalachakra Temple hoping to catch a glimpse of him once again this morning. The Sikyong, Parliamentary Speaker and Chief Justice, for the CTA, and a representative of the sponsors accompanied him from his car to the stage. Once again he acknowledged the audience, the eminent Lamas on the stage and in the temple inspected the Kalachakra sand mandala, before taking his seat on the throne.

“Usually at the end of a series of teachings like this we do a White Tara Longevity Empowerment,” His Holiness told the gathering, “but on this occasion I thought we might do a Chenresig permission from Tagphu Rinpoche’s cycle of visions. It’s called Avalokiteshvara Sarvadugati Parishodana. It’s said that every time you receive this, one rebirth in the lower realms is averted. I received it from my tutors, first from Tagdag Rinpoche and later again, as a result of a dream I had, from Trijang Rinpoche. While I do the preparation, you can recite ‘Manis’.

“There are different explanations of Om Mani Padme Hum, but in general Om is the opening syllable while Mani means jewel and indicates the awakening mind of bodhichitta. Just as a jewel fulfils people’s wishes, so bodhichitta benefits beings. Padme means lotus and indicates wisdom, the ability to discern right from wrong and how things are to a broad extent—how things are impermanent, in the nature of suffering and so on. Padme also indicates the ability to understand emptiness. In terms of the result, Mani gives rise to the Form Body. The wisdom of the Buddha always abides in emptiness, seeing the diversity of things and aware of their suchness. The lotus, indicating wisdom, gives rise to the Truth Body. Wisdom and bodhichitta, lotus and jewel, are combined in enlightenment.”

His Holiness began the permission by performing a ritual to mollify any hindering forces. The Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay came forward to offer a mandala, accompanied by his young daughter.

His Holiness took the opportunity to give a reading transmission of the Kalachakra Six Session Yoga compiled at his instigation by his ordination master, Kyabjé Ling Rinpoche. Copies of this in Tibetan and English translation had been distributed earlier. His Holiness advised that it is good to clean the room before reading the verses. He added that if you have images of the enlightened ones, it’s fine to set them up, but images are not something to get excited about or to boast about. He recalled that Milarepa had no images in his retreat cave, in fact no possessions at all—and he attained enlightenment in that life.

“We’ve been going through teachings for the last few days,” His Holiness observed. “Check your motivation. Don’t let yourself become preoccupied with things of this life or even of the next. Don’t settle for finding peace for yourself alone either. Reflect on the difficulty of finding this human life, how things are impermanent and that cyclic existence is in the nature of suffering. Take refuge in the Three Jewels, develop a determination to be free of cyclic existence, generate bodhichitta and think about how we are beset by wrong views that can be overcome.

When it came to His Holiness’s name mantra, he said that he had received it from Kyabjé Ling Rinpoche and now the audience had heard it from him.

Resuming the permission, His Holiness explained that it related to Khasarpani Avalokiteshvara with Green Tara to his right and Ekajati to his left.

He observed that humans are social beings, and while the intelligent thing to do is to try to help each other, we tend instead to work only for our own benefit. Nowadays, however, we do not live in isolation. Bodhichitta is about taking responsibility for each other’s welfare. He stressed that although all religious traditions teach about love and compassion, concern for others is not just a religious attitude, it’s of practical value.

“There will be change in Tibet,” His Holiness declared. “Tibetans who came here to attend the Kalachakra Empowerment were called home. Some officials in Tibet referred to the Empowerment as illegal—according to what legal system, I wonder? What they said was just an opinion. Nevertheless, Tibetans were warned that if they didn’t return in time, they would face trouble or their relatives would face penalties. This kind of action contributes nothing to social harmony, it is just disruptive.

“I’m pleased that Tibetans continue to be good hearted and generous. Chinese and other people abroad tell me this is something they admire in Tibetans. It’s something for us to be proud of.

“With regard to inter-religious harmony, instead of focussing so much on being Nyingmas, Sakya, Kagyus or Gelukpas, we should remember that we all follow the same teacher, the Buddha Shakyamuni and that our traditions derive from the 17 Masters of Nalanda.

“We can pray that all sentient beings are blessed by Avalokiteshvara Khasarpani. As a commitment it would be good if you could recite 10,000, or 1000, at least 100, ‘manis’ every day.

“There my job is done. Now it’s up to Sakya Dagtri to lead the Long-Life Offering.”

After a moment’s reflection, His Holiness picked up where he’d left off:

“Usually there is a point in the ceremony when the Lama accepts the Long Life prayers offered to him. In fact, my prayer every day is to remain as long as space remains and as long as beings remain. In this life, someone who started as a small boy in a remote and secluded part of Amdo has now reached the age of 81 or 82. I can see what benefit I can offer to others. You Tibetans have a link to Chenresig and to me—I will continue to try to do my best to help you.

“I’ve been very moved by the story of the First Dalai Lama, Gendun Drup, who was a great scholar and adept. He lived to a ripe old age and when his disciples told him there was no doubt he would be born in a Pure Land, he told them that was not what he wished at all. He said he wanted to be where there were unprotected sentient beings, and that he’d be there to help them. I have to take rebirth and it would be better to do so in a place where I can serve others.

“You are making this Long Life Offering to me and praying ‘May you live 10,000 years’, but we know that’s not possible. However, my dreams and other indications have shown that I could live to be 113. I don’t know about that, but I think I can say I’ll live to be 100. So, be happy, be at ease.”

A magnificent Long Life Offering ensued, starting with a recitation of the Praise to the 17 Masters of Nalanda, followed by Trijang Rinpoche’s long eulogy of the garland of lives of the Dalai Lamas reaching back to the early Kings of Tibet and Buddhist masters in India. A ritual involving White Tara was then performed. The Nechung Oracle appeared in trance and there was a seemingly unending procession of people bearing offerings.

The last event of the morning was a ceremony to conclude the Kalachakra Empowerment 2017. Chairman of the Kalachakra Organising Committee, Kalon of the Department of Religion & Culture, Ven Karma Gelek Yuthok read a summary financial statement, noting that a full account would be posted on the Kalachakra 2017 website for all to see.

Actor Richard Gere, long-term student of His Holiness's, staunch friend of Tibet and Chairman of the Board of the International Campaign for Tibet was called on to say a few words:

"I don't think there's anyone here who fails to realise what an extraordinary opportunity this is, to be in Bodhgaya to be taking teachings from His Holiness, to be here with him, to spend these last many days with him and to become completely saturated in his kindness, his love and forgiveness. Hopefully we'll all walk away with a little more love, a little more kindness, a little more warmth in our hearts, a little more wisdom, a little more commitment to keep working very hard to transform our minds and our hearts.

"The great Milarepa once said that the real monastery is in our hearts, and the real Dalai Lama is in our hearts. The more time we spend with him, he completely saturates us with his wisdom and his compassion and his love for us. (Huge applause).

"It's not easy to get to Bodh Gaya, but those of us who made it here have to remember the Tibetans inside Tibet. They are really the focus of our love and compassion above all, above everything else. It's really all for them."

The Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay attributed the success of the event to His Holiness's leadership and example. He urged Tibetans in particular to pay close attention to His Holiness's advice, "In this day and age when violence is rife in the world, His Holiness not only preaches non-violence, he puts it into practice. We need to follow his example. May His Holiness soon return to Tibet, may freedom prevail in Tibet. Let us fervently pray that he may yet give the Kalachakra again on the ground in front of the Potala Palace in Lhasa."

Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, had come to Bodhgaya especially to take part in the concluding events for the Kalachakra Empowerment. He linked this to other celebrations that have taken place in the state in the past month, such us the anniversary of the birth of the 10th Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh.

He said the people of Bihar were honoured and privileged to have been able to assist the organising of His Holiness’s 34th Kalachakra Empowerment here in Bodh Gaya. This is the fifth time they have done so. He said His Holiness’s teachings unite people of different cultures and nationalities, while the Kalachakra Empowerment enhances love and compassion in the world. He prayed that His Holiness would live to 113 and looked forward to the Kalachakra Empowerment being held in Bodhgaya again in the future. He also thanked His Holiness for supporting his initiative to prohibit liquor in Bihar.

In his remarks, His Holiness said that after listening to the Chief Minister, he was optimistic about a revival of interest in Buddhism. He suggested that the Nalanda tradition could be revived by Biharis, even though many of the great thinkers of the past seemed to have come from South India. With regard to the Chief Minister’s request that he give the Kalachakra Empowerment in Bodhgaya again, he said he would have to convince him first that he wouldn’t catch a cold.

His Holiness commended the organising committee’s excellent preparations and efficient provision of facilities and arrangements. He said everything had gone very smoothly.

“The most important thing that each and every one can do is to cultivate a warm heart, to commit ourselves to developing a sense of bodhichitta and an understanding of emptiness.

“Finally, I’d like to thank all the Indian police and security forces who have worked efficiently to ensure my security during this event, I have particularly valued the fact that so many of them were happy to return my smile.”

Kalon Choekyong Wangchuk, Vice-Chairman of the Kalachakra Organising Committee, delivered a vote of thanks in Hindi.

link with photos: http://dalailama.com/news/post/1531-avalokiteshvara-permission-long-life-offering-and-conclusion-of-kalachakra-empowerment

False Prophets And Satan's Deceptions

Hello everybody I hope you had a great weekend and you are enjoying this wonderful Sunday. The weather dipped down pretty cold for us here in lovely Florida. LOL We had a cold weekend. Now it's back to the 70s so that's very good. I'm a big wimp when it comes to cold weather. Just can't tolerate it for too awfully long.

Jesus had warned us that “false prophets” will come and try to lie and deceive even God’s elect (Matthew 24: 23-27.) The best way to guard yourself against falsehood and lies false teachers is to know the truth. To spot a counterfeit, study the real thing. Any believer who “correctly handles the word and who makes a careful study of the Bible can identify false doctrine. For example, a believer who has read the activities of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit will immediately question any doctrine that denies the Trinity. That just isn't right to deny that. Therefore, really study the Word and judge all teachings by what the Scripture tells us, not man.

Lying is the enemy's main weapon against God’s children.....The most common lie is " God's not real" "there is no God,” “God doesn’t care about you,” “the Bible cannot be trusted,” But we have to remember the apostle Paul tells us that Satan “masquerades as an angel of light” so that what he says and does sounds good and seems reasonable. Another example would be "familiar spirits" demons masquerading as your past love one in order to get a foothold into your life. Of course they would know exactly what to say that only your grandmother would know and they could appear to look like your lost and dearly departed. The Bible warns us to "be aware of the familiar spirit". Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but in-wardly are ravenous wolves.”

Are you being told different things that you know do not agree with what you know from the Bible? If you are it may be because that wolf in sheep’s clothing does not know the Bible and he is counting on his audience not knowing the Bible also. This is why I feel it's so very important for the Christian to read their Bible on a daily basis even if it's just for 10 minutes....because when you know the truth, a lie will be very clear to you. They are very easy to spot. We just have got so many, many frauds out there that you just have to be so careful. The Bible says the devil comes to kill and destroy that's all he wants. He truly hates humans and most likely animals that's why he wants our souls so we burn in hell for all eternity with him. That's why I believe he sends demons out to carry on assignments by taking advantage of nonbelievers and attacking the ones who do believe.

Demonic Strongholds:

A demonic stronghold is one of the enemies tricks. He will  send powerful demons your way. Strongholds is anything powerful enough to hold you in its dominion to keep you from receiving God’s love, mercy and truth. Once a stronghold is established, you provide an open door for the enemy and become exposed to demonic control and oppression in that area of your life. The existence of a stronghold can be recognized because it will be that area of your life in which you consistently have problems and cannot cope in life. Our thoughts influence our emotions and our physical reactions. A thought may seem harmless, but it can become physically, emotionally or spiritually dangerous.  Satan will bring evil thoughts into our minds. We cannot entertain these. This will only give way to the enemy. We need to rebuke the evil thoughts from our minds as soon as they start. This is so important.

Demons:

A demon or demonic entity has never been human. Not ever. It is believed to be a force that can be conjured and controlled. You can conjure them but once one comes through they only obey Satan. They are also believed to have the ability to possess or inhabit the body of humans and the only way to rid the person of them is to conduct deliverance and/or Exorcism. Demons are portrayed differently in different cultures. Some believe demons to be actual physical beings that can take the form of anything, including animals. Others consider the real demons as more of a spiritual force of evil battling for one's soul. They have been feared and written about in almost every culture in one form or another

A Few Examples Of The Type Of Attacks

Emotions. Exaggerated emotional states: fear, anxiety, anger, panic, shame, rejection, grief that is over-extended or out of proportion, hopelessness, helplessness.
              
The Mind. Tormenting thoughts of suicide, self-mutilation thoughts, confusion, forgetfulness, blocked memory, self hate, feelings of worthlessness and thoughts of being unloved and thoughts that God won't ever forgive you and he doesn't love you.

Some call up demons to use their aid in gaining success. Others call them to make a man or woman fall in love with them or to leave their spouses and become armored with them alone. Yet still some call on these dark forces to wreck havoc in the lives of others for their own evil reasons. Making any kind of a deal with a demon has serious ramifications when it's all said and done. They hate humans. When I say hate I do mean HATE! Why would they want to help us? Think about this. Look at the Slender Man epidemic. Attempted murder had taken place in the name of pleasing the master demon Slender Man. If something doesn't exist, if given enough attention will take on a life of its own. Like a Poltergeist. It will be created from all the hysteria. We need Christ more than ever. Cling to the Father and His Holy name, through only Him are we safe from this wicked world that Satan is taking over through channels most never even of thought of.

Selling Your Soul:

Obsession with demons is really quite common.  It's not healthy in any way. Think about it, we don’t need to be devil worshippers, wearing robes and sacrificing animals. People metaphorically sell their souls everyday. People gradually abandon their humanity for some goal they feel is more important. For instance, some are willing to do whatever it takes to be successful, even if that includes harming others. Think of a gangbanger involved in a drive-by shooting, or a big businessman who feels no guilt about downsizing, firing employees and harming families.  After awhile it gets easier and easier until neither cares anymore. Hey, it's just business I'm not personally making up the rules. Every day people sell their souls, if they realize it or not. The enemy is very, very sneaky. He hates all humans.

I'd like to leave you with a couple of comforting verses to look up if you'd like:

For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20

“And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues” Mark 16:17

This is one of my favorite scriptures.....“No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from me,” Isaiah 54:17

Written by Jennifer L Auld

Culture Watch: Television & Demonaphobia

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

This blog was originally posted on December 7, 2012.

The deception began with a bang. The DT crew (Destination Truth) went to the Mayan ruins, which was the site of untold number of human sacrifices to idols—which as the bible tells us is participating in demons. In light of this, one would have thought they would have put demons at least on their possible suspect list for the accelerated paranormal activity there; they didn’t. Instead, team DT posited, before even went there, that the recent accelerated activity was either due to the sacrificial victims or the Mayan warriors. Even though scared to death at points, demons were not even an option.

I try to stay in touch with popular culture, so I watch as many of the haunted TV shows as I can. What I am sharing is based on what I witnessed over the last month of watching the following shows: Destination Truth, Ghost Adventures, Haunted Collector, A Haunting, The Dead Files, Paranormal Witness, Haunted Highway, and one more about hauntings at colleges but I can’t for the life of me remember the name.  Sheesh. That is eight shows on three nights of the week (Tues., Wed., Friday). People’s beliefs and worldviews are unconsciously shaped by exposure to this much haunted TV, but this is but a tip of the paranormal iceberg on TV. One list had about fifty shows, which in some form or fashion, focus on the assumed reality of ghosts. FIFTY!  Of course they are not all on the same season schedule, and a few on the list are now cancelled—but as with The Ghost Whisperer or Charmed, re-runs are current with a number of these. That is an incredible number of shows, which reveals how we are witnessing a paradigm shift in our understanding of spirituality (topic for another day). This phenomenon is both a shaper of culture as well as a reflection of it.

My purpose in watching all these shows was in part to answer this question: is TV phobic regarding demons? The undeniable answer is “yes”; the vast majority of these shows avoid fingering demons as the cause of supernatural activity in homes or businesses. Whether it is the individuals or the networks (or both) that are demonaphobic, the reality is that the phobia is ubiquitous. As with the opening scene with DT, it is astounding how hesitant folks are on these shows to assign the blame on demons for even the most despicable activity. For varying reasons, the almost monolithic consensus of investigators is that demonic encounters are rare. So, in that regard the TV shows are mirroring current beliefs in this field. One quick example. The much respected John Zaffis is called in to assuage the fears of a young mom. There has been verbal threats and physical violence, to the point she is terrified. During an EVP session (red flag!) John asks the spirit if it is angry with the family, and child’s voice answered, "no". Based almost entirely on this captured EVP, John interprets all of this scratching, pushing, and threats as an expression of trust that this child ghost feels with the young mom. A touching scene follows, and I am feeling nauseous. That is baloney sir. Do you always trust children’s voices? What would you think of a living child who scratched and pushed people and threatened them? I would have had my rear-end whipped good as a child if I did half of what that demon did to those people. That is calling wrong…. right-something the bible condemns. On another episode his tech, Brian, got a long triple scratch down his back, and demons were not mentioned at all—not amongst themselves (that we know of) or with the client. Does anybody else find that problematic? Two per show… that makes eight hair raising episodes in a month, in which a world famous, professing Christian demonologist does not even mention demons.

While watching Paranormal Witness tonight I thought that, finally, they will call a spade a spade. Two or three deputies are witness to some hair raising activity in an old theatre. After what he called demon like activity, one of them quit. It seemed that, given all the focus on the sheer evil of this entity, that a demon was going to be the culprit. Wrong. By the end, it was reported that a young man had died in a fire there and all the activity was then viewed through that prism. So, in all those shows I watched, I do not recall a demon being seen as the cause of the supernatural activity. Moreover, most of the time, demons were not even mentioned. We are talking several dozen episodes. THAT frequency and repetition is clearly influencing people’s views regarding both ghosts and the demonic.  It makes me weep.

I find this very troubling because it is only reinforcing in the audience’s minds that ghosts are the only plausible explanation for supernatural activity. It is shaping their view of supernatural reality…millions of people. “Yes demons are real, but rare”. Sound familiar?  It should, because demonic rarity is the majority view of investigators. Sure it happens but even the most “negative” (grown to really dislike that word) entities are almost always viewed as irregular humans or possibly some whacked out dimensional being (eg energy vampires—demons can mimic that). If it smells like sulfur, levitation is occurring, tables are flying across the room, apportation, extreme aversion to blessed objects, client speaking backwards in Latin, and people are being hurt, THEN folks will discuss the possibility of demonic presence. Sheeesh….(OK, a bit exaggerated) Once you introduce the concept of ghosts (including poltergeist and residual), then identifying demons is hopelessly subjective.

Stop! Everyone believes that demons are deceptive, so why the almost fervent hesitancy to label something demonic unless all the aforementioned is present? Even veteran, biblical demonologists fall prey to this faulty logic when they assume they will always feel heaviness in the air if there is a demonic infestation. If you have a strong gift of discernment (there are gradations of sensitivity), then that is a horse of a different color. But generally, demons can leave a palpable sense of peace and love. That is certainly an implicate of the angel of light principle, and there is a plethora of anecdotal evidence to support this. They can control the vibe of a house. How convincing is an angel-cloaked demon going to be if everyone has the heeby-jeebies around them or feel nauseous and so on? Back to the fervent hesitancy.

Satan is not omnipotent, but he is showing considerable power in how he has promoted this demonaphobia. The issue is not what you personally believe—the issue is, what is the message coming across the TV? This was an experiment to observe. The bottom line is that if the angel of light principle is real—and it is—then there is no way to make a list of criteria for demonic presence; they can and do break all the rules and all the stereotypes. And to rule out from the get-go the possibility of demonic activity is not science, it is ideological assumptions. (REPEAT) It is the opposite of true science…destination untruth. 

Demonaphobia….that is what is plastered all over TV these days. This is a call to all bible believing Christians to be salt and light for the glory of God.

Mark Hunnemann is the author of Seeing Ghosts Through God's Eyes: A Worldview Analysis of Earthbound Spirits. It's also available in eBook format.

The Dalai Lama on Living, Loving, Laughing and Dying: the Buddhist Way

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is in Mumbai at the invitation of the Nalanda Shiksha, a collection of Indian Buddhist groups from places as far flung as Bangalore, Bir, Sankisa and Nasik. Having come to Dharamsala in 2012 and 2013 to listen to him, this is the first time they have gathered in Mumbai, where the teachings are hosted by Somaiya Vidyavihar, an eclectic education institution.

This morning His Holiness walked through a Festival of Tibetan Culture organized by Tibetan MP Karma Yeshi, that featured an exhibition focused on the history of Tibet, a Medicine Buddha sand-mandala under construction and an opportunity to consult a team of physicians from the Tibetan Medical & Astro Institute.

After His Holiness had taken his seat on the stage, proceedings began with a recitation in Sanskrit of the Campus Prayer. Introducing His Holiness, Mr Samir Somaiya, President of the Somaiya Trust, whose motto is Knowledge Alone Liberates, remarked that this is his third visit. He noted that when his grandfather started Somaiya Vidyavihar in 1959, his intention was that any person of any background could come and receive an education in any branch of study. Today, the wish remains to provide a holistic education that contributes to training the mind. Before requesting His Holiness to speak he quoted the Dhammapada “Rather than hear a thousand words without meaning, better to hear one word through which to attain peace.” His Holiness responded:

“I am very happy to be here once more. I met your father, a wonderful man who is no more. It’s natural that new faces come and old ones disappear. The important thing is to lead a meaningful life so we can die without regret. Meaningful means not only earning money and fame, but helping others. We all have a responsibility to help our human brothers and sisters. I really appreciate the opportunities and different styles of education you provide here.”

He said that because he was going to explain the Buddha’s teachings he would like to begin with a recitation in Pali of the ‘Mangalam Sutta’, followed by ‘An Invocation of the Seventeen Great Sagacious Adepts of Glorious Nalanda,’ recited simultaneously in Tibetan, Hindi and English. He quoted from the colophon that prayer to explain why he had composed it: ‘At the present time, when in the ordinary world there is great advancement in the fields of science and technology, but we are also distracted by the hustle and bustle of our busy lives, it is extremely important that those of us who follow the Buddha should have faith based on knowledge of his teaching. Therefore, we should examine the reasons for it with an unbiased and inquisitive mind, analyzing them closely.’

“We should be 21st century Buddhists with a thorough knowledge of what the Buddha taught. Just closing our eyes and reciting the refuge formula is not enough, we need to know what it means. Why is the Buddha respected? because of his conduct and knowledge. We can’t just rely on his kind face; we have to examine his teachings. From an intellectual point of view the Buddha’s teaching is marvellous, but even more important is that we can use it to transform our emotions. Through such practice in life after life he attained enlightenment. “

His Holiness explained that when we examine the teachings we should investigate them without bias. He said we need a degree of scepticism, which prompts questions, leading to an eagerness to investigate, which in turn will yield answers. This was the approach of the great masters of Nalanda. Buddhism in general and the Nalanda tradition in particular stress the use of reason. His Holiness said that texts written by the masters of Nalanda are extremely useful and that he himself began to learn from them at the age of seven. He mentioned that when Western writers in the late 19th and early 20th century dismissed Tibetan Buddhism as Lamaism, they overlooked its real value. They had no appreciation of its use of philosophy and epistemology or of the subtlety of Buddhist tantra.

Buddhism was introduced to Tibet in the 8th century by Shantarakshita, a top scholar from Nalanda invited by the Tibetan Emperor. He initiated the translation of more than 300 volumes of Buddhist literature mostly from Sanskrit, but also from Pali and Chinese. Tibetans studied these texts rigorously and eventually composed their own commentaries. When Dipamkara Atisha came to Tibet in the 11th century, the country had fragmented and yet his influence, also linked to Nalanda, was deep and widely felt. His Holiness made the point that these ancient Indians were Tibetans’ gurus and that as chelas or disciples Tibetans had proved themselves reliable. They had kept alive values and practices forgotten in the land of their origin and now brought them back again.

“Why do we need inner peace? because, for one thing, a calm mind is important for our health. Constant fear, anger and stress can make us ill. All sentient beings want to live a happy life, but most, like animals and birds seek to do so only a sensory level. Their intelligence is limited and yet they respond to affection and kind words. We human beings have intelligence that allows us to project into the future and remember the past. We invented language and writing, but we also developed faith.”

His Holiness explained that in theistic terms there is faith in a creator god, but in non-theistic terms there is faith in causality. Both approaches have been of great benefit to humanity in the past and will continue to be so in the future. Those who believe they were created by god see a spark of god in everyone. Buddhists on the other hand speak of everyone having Buddha nature. In non-theistic traditions there is greater emphasis on our own effort. If we create positive action, we meet with positive results. Actions that bring joy we regard as positive, those that provoke misery we regard as negative. His Holiness said:

“Some of my friends who follow Dr Ambedkar dislike the word ‘karma’ because it is used by those of the dominant caste to justify the caste system. There are lazy and defeatist Tibetans too who say because everything depends on karma there’s nothing left to do. However, we must work to create more powerful karma or action by which we can change or neutralize our negative karma. Strong positive action can prevent the ripening of earlier negative actions. It depends on what we do, which is why the Buddha said we are our own masters.

“We Buddhists don’t believe in a self separate from the body and mind. We say that although there is no independent self, there is a self existing in dependence on the body and mind.”

Some people describe Buddhism not so much as a religion, but more as a science of mind. In fact those Indian traditions that train in concentration and insight have a wealth of understanding of the workings of the mind. Meanwhile Madhyamaka and Quantum Physics adopt a similar stance. The Indian nuclear physicist Raja Ramanan once told His Holiness of his pride when what he read in Nagarjuna resonated with the approach of Quantum Physics. There is also a wealth of information about tackling those emotions that disturb our inner peace.

Taking up a different point His Holiness said that major religious traditions in India have lived together side by side for a long time. He quoted Mr Advani as saying that democracy has succeeded in India because of ahimsa or non-violence and respect for others’ rights and views. He commended keeping your own faith, but respecting that of others. Inter-religious harmony is a longstanding Indian tradition and a living example that it is possible. His Holiness said that whenever he travels abroad he considers himself a messenger of India.

If ethics depended only on one religious tradition, it would have only a limited appeal, whereas ethics need to be accessible to all 7 billion human beings, who include the 1 billion who have no faith. This is why, he said, we need a system of secular ethics and mentioned that a program of secular ethics is being designed for use in schools.

After a break for lunch, His Holiness resumed, clarifying that some Christian and Muslim friends have objected that secularism can seem akin to atheism and opposed to religion. He counters by saying that in the Indian understanding a secular approach is one that respects all religious traditions and even those who believe in none. He continued:

“If we are truthful, honest and have a genuine concern for others’ well-being, a respect for them, there is no room to bully, exploit or cheat them. A more compassionate mind brings with it self-confidence, which gives rise to honesty, truthfulness and transparency. Therefore, the real meaning of secular ethics is to be warm-hearted. This warm-heartedness doesn’t necessarily derive from faith, but from our natural sense of affection. Dogs and cats, for example, appreciate sincere affection. They respond in kind, for although dogs can’t smile, they wag their tails while cats purr and retract their claws.”

We all depend on others for our survival, so we need affection. However, this biological factor tends to apply only to friends and relatives. It takes the use of our intelligence to be able to see that an enemy is also a human being, a human brother or sister, someone to whom we can extend love and compassion. Only human beings can do this. His Holiness explained that compassion is a source of happiness, while self-centredness can lead ultimately to violence. Mentioning that in many cases corruption is also a form of violence, he advised that the practice of ahimsa should include being honest and truthful. He said that the quality of our actions, whether they are positive or negative, depends on our motivation. This is why we have to transform our minds.

With regard to the Buddha’s teaching, he taught in response to a request. In Varanasi he taught the Four Noble Truths, explaining them three times in terms of nature - that there is suffering, its cause, cessation and the path; in terms of function - that we should know suffering, overcome its causes, and attain cessation by following the path; and in terms of result - having eliminated the cause, suffering is overcome, having followed the path, we attain cessation. He said that knowing suffering, there is nothing to be known; eliminating the cause, there is nothing to eliminate; attaining cessation there is nothing to attain and cultivating the path, there is nothing to be cultivated.

His Holiness drew attention to the observation of American psychiatrist Aaron Beck that when we are angry about something or attached to something, we sense that the object of our anger or attachment is completely negative or attractive, but 90% of this is our own mental projection. He remarked that this accords with what Nagarjuna taught too.

He said that suffering is based on ignorance. Ignorance of causality is rooted in ignorance about reality. While the first turning of the wheel of Dharma dealt with the Four Noble Truths, the second dealt with the nature of reality and the third with clarity and awareness, the nature of the mind. Because of the nature of the mind we can eliminate its defilements, overcome suffering by eliminating its causes, and achieve cessation by following the path.

His Holiness answered several questions from the audience including a request for advice about how to meditate. He recommended reading Kamalashila’s ‘Stages of Meditation’. As to how to overcome anger, he recommended studying Chapter 6 of Shantideva’s ‘Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life’. And finally, when asked whether the conduct of ahimsa or non-violence does not suggest that we should be vegetarian, he quoted a Sri Lankan monk who told him that because a Buddhist monk who depends on alms has no kitchen he has to accept whatever he is given. Therefore, he is neither vegetarian nor non-vegetarian. That said His Holiness pointed out that in the Tibetan community the main kitchen in monasteries and schools is now generally vegetarian. He conceded that although he encourages vegetarianism, for health reasons, on the advice of Tibetan and Ayurvedic physicians, he himself has been unable to maintain an entirely vegetarian diet.

His Holiness will continue to teach tomorrow. See this page for part 2 [including photos]. http://www.dalailama.com/news/post/1134-living-loving-laughing-and-dying-the-buddhist-way---mumbai---second-day

Can Our Emotions Really Attract Demonic Activity?

Happy 2017 ladies and gentlemen! I pray everybody had a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year. Hoping everyone had lots of good food and you were with the people that you love. Here in Florida it was not very cold so it didn't seem like Christmas but the weather is starting to drop. For Florida 43° is cold! But during the day it's been in the high 50s which to me is still freezing. Lol. I'm definitely a southern girl. I was born and raised here.

I'd like to take a moment of silence for the people who were injured and died from the shooting in the Fort Lauderdale airport.......................

I'm heart broken to hear of this. We don't want to start the new year like that, it really ticks me off. Once again so many innocent lives and people severely injured. It never ceases to amaze me what I hear anymore. The whole pizza gate issue that's going on has just got me sick to my stomach doing research on that I had to stop after I put out a blog about it. I can only take so much disgusting images and deep web stories that may not be true but still there is something going on with that! There's something not right when Podesto refers to three children under the age of nine as "entertainment." I just want to know why he is not made to answer that one question and there so many others that are just so disgusting. I don't know why he's not being made to answer what these three young kids were doing for them. But that's another whole subject. I won't go on my rant.

Anyway, It's like this state has a curse on it or something but I know God is in charge nothing is going to happen that he doesn't want to happen. No matter who is president. People don't want to accept our new president but the World is not for me to worry because again the Lord is in charge nothings going to happen that is not supposed to. I know where I'm going when I pass on so death is not such a scary thought for me. The Bible says we are to rejoice in one's death because they are now reunited with family and most of all they are no longer hurting and they are with the Lord Jesus Christ. I look forward to getting away from this awful world we are in.

The reason I chose this topic is because I'm randomly asked "is it true anger really attracts negativity when we don't keep our emotions in check not allowing sadness or anger to overtake us?" I say yes. And this is from my own personal experiences. Bitterness or holding a grudge things like that can put you on the Demonic radar. These are completely normal feelings. I'm just simply stating that when someone goes so far with it that they just won't let it go it feeds these vile entities. Same with vicious gossip against someone. They love chaos in the home within the family for example and couples in general. Friends, co workers etc...There is no limits when it comes to these creatures. They stop at nothing.

In the Bible it states what we speak, we speak into existence there is also another verse that tells us about the tongue being a double edged sword. It can make you or break us. Constantly speak negatively about ourselves like "oh it's not going to get better things always go bad it's always going to be that way etc.. and this goes with anything in any situation when you're speaking against yourself. And it's something that even I can admit that I have a problem with. And it has caused some problems. But every day I remind myself  to take any negativity in stride and speak positive about the situation. It's better to do it in a positive manner. It's one less door the enemy can slip through.

Once an entity has attached itself to a living person it will not flee on it's own. The Bible makes that pretty clear. It will only flee when said living person passes on. Or some feel when a black magician or someone practicing dark magic puts a curse on a person for the duration of generations by sending a dark entity to that person. That entity goes from one generation to another until it has been dealt with properly. Once you open the door it is very hard to close it. Even if someone inadvertently gave a demon legal rights even though they didn't mean to it's still very difficult to close Pandora's box for lack of better words.

Please think twice when presented with anything like Ouija boards and things to that nature. It's best to just be curious and leave it at that. It's not worth going further. It can and does destroy lives. Demons prey on people through those mimicking another like a aunt who passed or parent. It's only to gain your trust to draw you in. Demons are so very tricky and want to remain out of hell because even for them they are suffering its horrible and of course this is an opinion and it too is subjective but demons don't want to go away they hang on for dear life because they don't want to go back to hell because of all the torment they are scared of Satan. And again this is all subjective but they don't want to go back and be punished by Satan for losing a soul. Even demons don't want to be there. Doesn't that just speak volumes?

So if we try to focus on the positive side of things even if there is no positive side continue to think "well it'll get better" instead of speaking  death (metaphor for negative) into it. I always thought my father was doing that just to scare my sister and I. But for our particular religion I can honestly say that I've had my own struggles with this. I've had things backfire on me so I really need to watch what comes out of my mouth because... look what I do those vile things can't be very happy with me.

I wish everyone a blessed week.

Written by Jennifer L Auld

The Dalai Lama Makes a Pilgrimage to the Mahabodhi Temple

Bodhgaya, Bihar, India, 29 December 2016 - Addressing pilgrims who are about to return to Tibet, first thing this morning, His Holiness the Dalai Lama told them they were a source of inspiration to Tibetans in exile. He spoke of the value of Tibetan religious traditions and stressed the need to study and develop a sound understanding. He told those who had intended to attend the Kalachakra Empowerment not to worry if circumstances now made that difficult. He encouraged them to remember to think of Kalachakra on 13th, 14th and 15th of the Tibetan month, which correspond to the 11th, 12th and 13th of the common calendar. He assured them that as he gives the Empowerment, he will think of them and keep them in mind, so they can feel confident that they have received its blessings. He mentioned a precedent from the time of the Buddha when, because of circumstances, monastic ordination was given from a distance.

His Holiness led the pilgrims through a short ceremony for generating the awakening mind of bodhichitta and gave them transmission of the mantras of Buddha Shakyamuni, Avalokiteshvara, Manjushri and Arya Tara.

Amidst elaborate provisions for his security, His Holiness then drove the short distance to the gate of the Mahabodhi Temple compound, where he was received by the Gaya District Magistrate, Mr Ravi Kumar and the Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee Secretary, Nangsay Dorje. Two monks from the Mahabodhi Society escorted His Holiness down to Bodhi tree and the Vajrasana beneath it. From there, also accompanied by the Gaya Senior Superintendent of Police, Ms Garima Malik and the DIG, Mr Surabh Kumar, he began to walk clockwise around the temple.

Reaching the door to the inner sanctum he entered, paid his respects before the statue of Buddha Shakyamuni and sat on the floor. The monks from the Mahabodhi Society chanted the Mangala Sutta in Pali. Next, His Holiness, and monks from Namgyal Monastery recited the ‘Sutra Recollecting the Three Jewels’, ‘In Praise of the Buddha for Teaching Dependent Arising‘, the ‘Praise to the 17 Masters of Nalanda’, the ‘Supplication to the Buddha known as Drumbeat of Truth’, the ‘Prayer for the Long Life of the Dalai Lama’ composed by Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodro, the ‘Praise for the Ecumenical Flourishing of the Teachings’, the ‘Power of the Words of Truth’, the one verse prayer for His Holiness’s long life and the ‘Verses of Auspiciousness of the Three Jewels’.

Emerging from the temple, and escorted once again by the two monks from the Mahabodhi Society, His Holiness completed his circumambulation of the temple. Saluting friends and well-wishers on the way, he put his shoes back on and climbed the steps up to the gate. From there he drove back to the Gaden Phelgyeling – Namgyal Monastery.

original link with photo http://dalailama.com/news/post/1518-his-holiness-the-dalai-lama-makes-a-pilgrimage-to-the-mahabodhi-temple