By Dr. Michael “White Wolf” Frisbee, DD/DM
Many who saw the name of my blog, “The Paranormal Christian” probably had a passing thought, “Isn’t that an oxymoron?” Well, only if you have erringly come to the belief that God has nothing to do with what is really out there. To make that error, opens you up to all kinds of nastiness that truly does exist, waiting to get access to you, entrap you, attach itself to you.
I came to accept Jesus Christ in 1982, after spending four years in a downward spiral of witchcraft leaning into Satanism. I was delivered up from this, and received a miracle healing by the grace and power of our Lord. I spent the next seven years battling demonic forces and those I was associated with in my practice of witchcraft, seeking to tear me down, or destroy me. I literally had to become a demonologist in order to fight and survive.
In 1989, I began my work as a Christian Demonologist, as well as, a Paranormal Investigator and Researcher. In my work since, I have come to understand through scriptures and personal experience that what people are out there “hunting” and seeking evidence of, proof that is human spirits or ghosts exists, and of the afterlife – DOES NOT EXIST. When we die, the scriptures are very clear we go on to our judgment, and we do immediately. We don’t hang around, we don’t try to finish the business of our previous life, and we don’t seek to bring closure to those we left behind.
Hebrews 9:26-28 (NASB)
26 Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, 28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.
There is no waiting period from the time we die to when we receive Judgment.
For many of you, this is too incredulous to believe. Your mind wants to block the thought process that leads to understanding that truth. Think on this though; think on it long and hard. Why would God, the author of all things, allow a man like Adolf Hitler, Jeffery Dahlmer, or any other evil individual to haunt a location, a family, or roam the earth, rather than go directly to their judgment and begin their punishment?
For that matter, look at the converse of the situation. Why would He allow a child, an innocent, or a believer, to be held back on this earth, wandering, seeking some lost loved one, etc rather than bring them directly into Heaven for their reward and be in His presence? The answer is that He would not. So the question comes to bear – if what we are seeking proof of is not human ghosts, what are they?
Demons – plain and simple. The Bible speaks plainly of them; Jesus Christ dealt with them quite a bit in His ministry throughout the Gospels. He cast them out, warned us about them, instructed us how to armor ourselves against them, even how to do battle against them. If you believe in Jesus – then you must believe in Demons. Demons are here for one purpose; to remove us from the presence of God through any means possible.
Ephesians 6:10-20 NASB
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, 19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Demons are fallen angels, here long before we were. They know every detail of every life that has ever lived on this planet. They can present themselves in any form, even beings of light. They are able to deceive our senses, even our spirits, which is why we need to be strong in faith and trust in the Lord, and have the Holy Spirit working within us, so that we can truly discern what we are dealing with. Because they can mimic any human being, this means they can deceive us into believing we are contacting our loved ones past or others that have died.
However, should we be seeking them out, even in the name of scientific inquiry. Perhaps God could was giving us warning for times like this, in an age where the Paranormal has increasingly caught our attention.
Deuteronomy 18:10-12 (NASB)
10 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12 For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD; and because of these detestable things the LORD your God will drive them out before you.
Doing such things opens us up to be drawn in by the demonic, to gain attachments of demons, to be led down a bad path to destruction.
We will be discussing items like this in the coming blogs I post. Tomorrow I also launch my weekly radio show by the same name on Blog Talk Radio. Tomorrow’s topic will go deeper into this topic, as more importantly – the subject of EVP’s, the life blood of today’s investigations. There are ugly parallels between EVP collection, and using a Ouija Board. Join Rev. Mark Hunnemann, author of “Seeing Ghosts Through God’s Eyes”, and I from 7 – 9 pm Saturday November 12th. The web address is http://www.blogtalkradio.com/theparanormalchristian .
Looking inside the spiritual & literary worlds
Friday, November 11, 2011
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Elvis & Michael: The Hidden Connection
By Kirby Robinson
From the book Paranormal Teachings: The Best of Shedding Some Light
We hoped to begin unearthing more information about the deceptive actions that continue to plague Psychic Kids: Afterword on Facebook. Predators are still allowed to fish for victims on that page and related sites and boards run by Chip Coffey and Sandra Lynn Sparks. But due to a very heavy case load we are unable to do so. However, we'll start the series next week even if it means more nights without sleep.
For a change of pace, we are sharing a blog we posted concerning the connection between Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson. In the future we will do a karma of the Michael Jackson case as there is more to this case than meets the eye.
The world was greatly saddened by the deaths of three icons of American and pop culture: Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and, of course, Michael Jackson. Michael’s passing is sad just as the passing of anyone is, whether they’re famous or not. Yet for the joy and happiness that he brought to millions of this world now and for years to come, he paid a price just as Elvis paid a price for his fame and fortune.
I’m surprised that many have not focused on the strong Elvis/Michael connection. Their life paths mirrored each others. It is more than just by chance that there is a spiritual connection between the two. Let us take a look at their similarities.
~ 1 They were both born into poor working class families.
~ 2 They both had a parent that pushed them.
~ 3 They both started out young.
~ 4 They both could sing and dance
~ 5 They both were called King for their generation. Elvis was the King of Rock, and Roll Michael was the King of Pop.
~ 6 They both became known by one name: Elvis. Michael.
~ 7 They both had a story book wedding.
~ 8 Michael married Elvis’s daughter, Lisa.
~ 9 They both looked for something spiritual within their lives.
~ 10 They both had fears about their deaths.
~ 11 They both had heart conditions.
~ 12 They both were surrounded by yes men more interested in what they could get out of Elvis/Michael than in a desire to help the person.
~ 13 Their respective homes, Graceland and Neverland, were both symbols of heaven and a better world.
~ 14 Their deaths left people wondering what happened. In addition, both have estates that will make more money from their deaths than they made while they were alive.
These are physical similarities but there is a stream of similarities that show Elvis and Michael were spiritual brothers.
Many do not know that Elvis was a twin. His brother (Jesse Garon) was stillborn. Throughout his life, Elvis was always haunted by his missing brother.
Let’s take a look at the numerology of both Elvis and Michael respectively. Elvis was born 1/8/1935 which makes him a 9. 9 people are often driven to find a spiritual path and tend to have issues when it comes to spiritual matters. In many ways they are like Job they are blessed but then they can be tested as well. Being a 9 means his life cycle runs every 9 years. Elvis’s death came on 8/16/1977 which was ruled by the number 3 which is the number of justice, and a good day for a 9 to die on. It can be interpreted that in death they will find what they did not find in life, as they were looking for that missing thing or person. Now, Elvis’s mother, Gladys, was born 4/25/1912 which makes her a 6. This number tends to focus on growth, ambition and success in life. Vernon, his dad, was born on 4/10/1916 which is a 4, influencing him focus on foundations. Those born under the number 4 tend to be fixed and not risk takers. 4 and 6 are good matches. 6 tends to be closer to 9 than 4 does which means that Elvis was closer to his mom.
Michael was born on 8/29/1958 which makes him a 6. This number is focused on growth and is commonly referred to as a reversed 9, and Elvis was a 9. Michael was at the lowest point within his current cycle in the months of June, July and August of this year. Now was NOT the time for him to start anything new and his health was bad for being at this low point. Elvis died while in a transient phase of his cycle. By the way, if you take Michael’s parents: his mom, Katherine, was born 5/4/36 which makes her a 9. His dad, Joe, was born on 7/26/29 which makes him a 9 as well. So, within a chart of Michael/Elvis you have running though it currents of 9 and 6.
Here is one more interesting point of numerology. If Elvis’s twin brother had lived, 1958 would have been a transient year for him. In this case the spirit moved from the spiritual realm to the physical one.
Another point I would like to make is that Elvis had a concern over the civil rights issue of the 1960s. Two songs come to mind: “In the Ghetto” and “If I Can Dream.” Those songs are about social injustices. Michael had concerns over civil rights but because many around him never wanted him to speak out he did it through music just like Elvis did.
When it came to sex appeal the path was interesting for both musicians. With Elvis, the Colonel and his people, The Memphis Mafia, used every angle to play on Elvis and his sex appeal with women. With Michael, they did everything to bury his sex appeal. When it came to film, Michael was desperate to have a film career but for reasons known only to his family and management, none of them seemingly wanted him in front of the camera. Conversely, Elvis was forced into making movies, most of them bad.
They both ended up having sleeping issues. Elvis slept during the day time, and Michael could not fall asleep. It is odd that the two kings never came face to face. But then one king would have gotten upstaged. They can’t turn Neverland into Graceland West. There are laws about burying people on private property. Michael will be buried at Forest Lawn.
Both Elvis and Michael were more than social and cultural icons -- they were brothers bound by spirit and soul. May they find on the other side what they never found here.
From the book Paranormal Teachings: The Best of Shedding Some Light
We hoped to begin unearthing more information about the deceptive actions that continue to plague Psychic Kids: Afterword on Facebook. Predators are still allowed to fish for victims on that page and related sites and boards run by Chip Coffey and Sandra Lynn Sparks. But due to a very heavy case load we are unable to do so. However, we'll start the series next week even if it means more nights without sleep.
For a change of pace, we are sharing a blog we posted concerning the connection between Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson. In the future we will do a karma of the Michael Jackson case as there is more to this case than meets the eye.
The world was greatly saddened by the deaths of three icons of American and pop culture: Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and, of course, Michael Jackson. Michael’s passing is sad just as the passing of anyone is, whether they’re famous or not. Yet for the joy and happiness that he brought to millions of this world now and for years to come, he paid a price just as Elvis paid a price for his fame and fortune.
I’m surprised that many have not focused on the strong Elvis/Michael connection. Their life paths mirrored each others. It is more than just by chance that there is a spiritual connection between the two. Let us take a look at their similarities.
~ 1 They were both born into poor working class families.
~ 2 They both had a parent that pushed them.
~ 3 They both started out young.
~ 4 They both could sing and dance
~ 5 They both were called King for their generation. Elvis was the King of Rock, and Roll Michael was the King of Pop.
~ 6 They both became known by one name: Elvis. Michael.
~ 7 They both had a story book wedding.
~ 8 Michael married Elvis’s daughter, Lisa.
~ 9 They both looked for something spiritual within their lives.
~ 10 They both had fears about their deaths.
~ 11 They both had heart conditions.
~ 12 They both were surrounded by yes men more interested in what they could get out of Elvis/Michael than in a desire to help the person.
~ 13 Their respective homes, Graceland and Neverland, were both symbols of heaven and a better world.
~ 14 Their deaths left people wondering what happened. In addition, both have estates that will make more money from their deaths than they made while they were alive.
These are physical similarities but there is a stream of similarities that show Elvis and Michael were spiritual brothers.
Many do not know that Elvis was a twin. His brother (Jesse Garon) was stillborn. Throughout his life, Elvis was always haunted by his missing brother.
Let’s take a look at the numerology of both Elvis and Michael respectively. Elvis was born 1/8/1935 which makes him a 9. 9 people are often driven to find a spiritual path and tend to have issues when it comes to spiritual matters. In many ways they are like Job they are blessed but then they can be tested as well. Being a 9 means his life cycle runs every 9 years. Elvis’s death came on 8/16/1977 which was ruled by the number 3 which is the number of justice, and a good day for a 9 to die on. It can be interpreted that in death they will find what they did not find in life, as they were looking for that missing thing or person. Now, Elvis’s mother, Gladys, was born 4/25/1912 which makes her a 6. This number tends to focus on growth, ambition and success in life. Vernon, his dad, was born on 4/10/1916 which is a 4, influencing him focus on foundations. Those born under the number 4 tend to be fixed and not risk takers. 4 and 6 are good matches. 6 tends to be closer to 9 than 4 does which means that Elvis was closer to his mom.
Michael was born on 8/29/1958 which makes him a 6. This number is focused on growth and is commonly referred to as a reversed 9, and Elvis was a 9. Michael was at the lowest point within his current cycle in the months of June, July and August of this year. Now was NOT the time for him to start anything new and his health was bad for being at this low point. Elvis died while in a transient phase of his cycle. By the way, if you take Michael’s parents: his mom, Katherine, was born 5/4/36 which makes her a 9. His dad, Joe, was born on 7/26/29 which makes him a 9 as well. So, within a chart of Michael/Elvis you have running though it currents of 9 and 6.
Here is one more interesting point of numerology. If Elvis’s twin brother had lived, 1958 would have been a transient year for him. In this case the spirit moved from the spiritual realm to the physical one.
Another point I would like to make is that Elvis had a concern over the civil rights issue of the 1960s. Two songs come to mind: “In the Ghetto” and “If I Can Dream.” Those songs are about social injustices. Michael had concerns over civil rights but because many around him never wanted him to speak out he did it through music just like Elvis did.
When it came to sex appeal the path was interesting for both musicians. With Elvis, the Colonel and his people, The Memphis Mafia, used every angle to play on Elvis and his sex appeal with women. With Michael, they did everything to bury his sex appeal. When it came to film, Michael was desperate to have a film career but for reasons known only to his family and management, none of them seemingly wanted him in front of the camera. Conversely, Elvis was forced into making movies, most of them bad.
They both ended up having sleeping issues. Elvis slept during the day time, and Michael could not fall asleep. It is odd that the two kings never came face to face. But then one king would have gotten upstaged. They can’t turn Neverland into Graceland West. There are laws about burying people on private property. Michael will be buried at Forest Lawn.
Both Elvis and Michael were more than social and cultural icons -- they were brothers bound by spirit and soul. May they find on the other side what they never found here.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
The 4 Noble Truths
By Lisa Maliga
This is the basic view of the Four Noble Truths that all schools of Buddhism follow. Rather than just list them, each will be given a solid description.
After Buddha Shakyamuni attained enlightenment beneath the Bodhi Tree, he was ready to teach what he had learned. To five disciples he gave his first teaching, that of the Four Noble Truths. They are referred to as truths since that is the understanding and realization that Buddha taught.
Noble Truth # 1 - The Truth of Suffering:
There are two types of suffering. The internal suffering of all sentient beings, the definition of which encompasses humans, animals and insects, and the external or environmental sufferings. All those living in samsara (the endless cycle of rebirths that we endure until we attain enlightenment) are subject to suffering.
Most people have delusions and are therefore subject to more suffering than those without. People and all types of animals have the nature of suffering as they both experience and are the experiencer of suffering.
True Suffering is either internal or external.
Internally, there is the suffering of change: as the waves of the ocean change, and as the clouds in the sky are fleeting, so too do feelings of happiness switch to those of despair. When one has dependence upon internal and external causes, the change is swift. If you're hungry and have no money to buy food, you only get hungrier therefore your misery increases. If you buy a new car, you're happy. If that new car gets stolen you're unhappy. All of existence is seen as suffering since unhappiness and happiness are of the same nature. Within the ocean of cyclic existence from human life to animal life and all our lifecycles whatever the realm [samsara] we continuously suffer.
Pervasive suffering: This is the suffering we experience on every level.
There is also the suffering of birth: Due to our delusions and karmic action we've taken birth into the realm of samsara countless times, always enduring great suffering. This will continue endlessly unless we learn to eliminate the root of delusion and karma (action). Those who don't believe in the future do so as they're convinced by delusion that there is no future and no future lives. We can prepare ourselves for future lives by putting effort into eliminating delusion and negative karmic actions.
Sickness is another suffering. The body is fragile, constantly coming into contact with sufferings great and small. Something as simple as a head cold can discourage us. Temperature changes bother us. A person is surrounded by illness, whether he/she is currently sick, or by others who often are in worse shape.
Aging: The nature of the body changes, giving way to decay. Even if young and healthy now, how will you look in 50 years? Aging causes each person various degrees of suffering.
Death: Like taxes, this is inevitable. The mind is separated from the body at death. There is a fear of death which increases the suffering. Through meditation we can overcome death, as we aren't attached to the body. The well-trained mind is a fearless mind. The 4 sufferings of birth, sickness, aging and death are frequently referred to in Buddhist texts.
External suffering encompasses 6 categories. All existence consists of 6 realms which are used to teach people how to meditate on suffering. By meditating on these unhappy realms, a person wishes to leave cyclic existence and achieve the mind of renunciation. The 6 realms are named after the citizens of the realms.
In the desire realm of the gods, there is battle against the demi-gods and there is a huge amount of desire and jealousy which brings with it great mental suffering. Gods with more merit lord it over the gods with lesser merit. Although the gods have the enjoyments of plentiful food, booze and girlfriends/boyfriends, they return to lower realms when their karma is depleted. Upon their death they experience great pain and are ignored by the other gods. Even the gods in the formless realms suffer upon their deaths as they know they have to return to the lower realms.
Demi-gods don't have it quite as good as the gods and are always the losers in the perpetual battles that are fought. Most of their lives in this realm are spent fighting.
Humans suffer from being born, aging, illness, death and having to part with what/whom they are close to. They are constantly undergoing obstacles when they want to achieve a goal like earning more money or trying to establish a relationship with someone who ignores them. Humans often have to encounter horrible situations such as war, famine, and plague.
Animals suffer from ignorance, as they're unable to speak our language. Animals are at the mercy of the weather, hunger and thirst. Sadly, animals are often captured and put into a zoo or displayed in a circus. In the wild, they are hunted by poachers, or as food by other people and animals.
Hungry ghosts live in a realm in which their grotesque forms consist of long, narrow necks, weak limbs and huge, protruding bellies. Their residence is a vast, empty desert where they constantly search for food and drink and find nothing.
Although many people don't believe in hell, Tibetan Buddhism teaches students that there are several levels, including 8 levels of fiery hells and 8 levels of freezing hells. There are also a few neighboring hells that consist of fiery ash, swamps made of waste matter and a molten lava river.
To experience the suffering of samsara is something you must do in order to understand the sufferings of other beings, regardless of their realm.
Noble Truth # 2 - The Origins of Suffering:
This is the suffering of all sentient beings in relation to their environment. In Buddhism, nothing is believed to be true until it's been experienced. The teachings are true as the teachers have experienced them and have recognized this themselves. Imagine that you visit a psychic and are told that in one year you'll win a lottery. Nice thought, highly unlikely, you'd think. But it really happens and then that remark from a psychic becomes true. When Buddha taught the 4 Noble Truths to his students, only after they practiced them did they occur.
Karma:
Every action that we do is karma, from the smallest to the largest.
Karma of the body, speech and mind can also be referred to as physical, mental and verbal action.
Further, there are virtuous, non-virtuous and neutral actions.
The 10 non-virtuous actions are: killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct which comprise the 3 non-virtuous actions of the body.
Lying, divisive talk, swearing, and gossip are the 4 non-virtuous actions of speech.
Engaging one's mind in objects of attachment; thinking thoughts of harming others, and wrong views such as self-cherishing [in which we value ourselves above all others] are the 3 non-virtuous actions of mind.
To engage in virtuous actions, you reverse every negative into a positive. Instead of stealing, you abandon stealing and thoughts about stealing. Naturally this applies to all of the actions.
Delusion:
Delusion is ignorance. It's the mind grasping at non-reality. Or a dark, dull mind. The 6 root delusions are:
Ignorance - the deluded mind which hides the mind from seizing the nature of the object clearly.
Hatred - the deluded mind that hates oneself and/or others.
Attachment - the deluded mind that prizes oneself too highly along with being too attached to others and/or material objects
Pride - the pride of the deluded mind seeing oneself as better than others.
Deluded doubt - the doubt which develops negative emotions within us.
Deluded view -Due to ignorance and attachment, a person cultivates a view that is false.
There are 4 characteristics of full karma for any action. Intention, preparation, performance and, finality. For example, if a person were to commit a robbery, they would have to hatch the plot, prepare for the robbery, steal from whatever source they've selected, and get home safely with all the money.
Positive, Negative & Mixed Actions:
These 3 actions, also referred to as white, black and mixed, produce various results. All positive karma is virtuous as all negative karma is non-virtuous. Mixed karma can go either way, depending upon the circumstances.
Propelling & Completing Karma:
To propel is to throw and that's what each birth seems like""being thrown into a family and later having to fend for oneself. If the actions one has done in the past are negative, rebirth into hell, hungry ghost and animal realms is the result. For positive past actions, the realms of the gods, demi-gods and humans are where someone is sent.
Completing karma is what one achieves in each lifetime. If a person is born into the human realm with numerous physical ailments, that negative completing karma is being realized. The same holds true for those born into great wealth and fame.
Noble Truth # 3 - The Cessation of Suffering:
Since our causes for problems can be eliminated, we learn to be free of suffering. This is achieved when we realize that the way we're taught to see things, whether oneself, others, or any type of phenomena, existing from ourselves. Overcoming delusional thinking, we are then free of the 4 sufferings, [birth, sickness, aging and death] as those are generated within a mind that's unclear of the truth.
The 4 characteristics of true cessations are: Cessation, peace, benefit and pleasure, a result of the first two and definite emergence.
Noble Truth #4 - The Truth of the Path:
There are 4 True Paths which are attained once we overcome the need to be attached and have everything pretend to be permanent. A basic example would be this: How many people have chosen a permanent job over a temporary job and been fired or quit within six months? Where's the permanence in that? On a more sublime level, if we understand impermanence fully then we achieve liberation. The second path is that objects/ideas/feelings, etc. are pleasurable. Actually, they are only misery in disguise.
The third path is to rid ourselves of wrong view and comprehend emptiness. Our Compositional factors [aggregates] aren't different from our selves. Our self doesn't exist independently. We come to the final path when we understand there is no self, there is selflessness.
Read more about the 4 Noble Truths! As always, the Dalai Lama has a great way of explaining dharma!
This is the basic view of the Four Noble Truths that all schools of Buddhism follow. Rather than just list them, each will be given a solid description.
After Buddha Shakyamuni attained enlightenment beneath the Bodhi Tree, he was ready to teach what he had learned. To five disciples he gave his first teaching, that of the Four Noble Truths. They are referred to as truths since that is the understanding and realization that Buddha taught.
Noble Truth # 1 - The Truth of Suffering:
There are two types of suffering. The internal suffering of all sentient beings, the definition of which encompasses humans, animals and insects, and the external or environmental sufferings. All those living in samsara (the endless cycle of rebirths that we endure until we attain enlightenment) are subject to suffering.
Most people have delusions and are therefore subject to more suffering than those without. People and all types of animals have the nature of suffering as they both experience and are the experiencer of suffering.
True Suffering is either internal or external.
Internally, there is the suffering of change: as the waves of the ocean change, and as the clouds in the sky are fleeting, so too do feelings of happiness switch to those of despair. When one has dependence upon internal and external causes, the change is swift. If you're hungry and have no money to buy food, you only get hungrier therefore your misery increases. If you buy a new car, you're happy. If that new car gets stolen you're unhappy. All of existence is seen as suffering since unhappiness and happiness are of the same nature. Within the ocean of cyclic existence from human life to animal life and all our lifecycles whatever the realm [samsara] we continuously suffer.
Pervasive suffering: This is the suffering we experience on every level.
There is also the suffering of birth: Due to our delusions and karmic action we've taken birth into the realm of samsara countless times, always enduring great suffering. This will continue endlessly unless we learn to eliminate the root of delusion and karma (action). Those who don't believe in the future do so as they're convinced by delusion that there is no future and no future lives. We can prepare ourselves for future lives by putting effort into eliminating delusion and negative karmic actions.
Sickness is another suffering. The body is fragile, constantly coming into contact with sufferings great and small. Something as simple as a head cold can discourage us. Temperature changes bother us. A person is surrounded by illness, whether he/she is currently sick, or by others who often are in worse shape.
Aging: The nature of the body changes, giving way to decay. Even if young and healthy now, how will you look in 50 years? Aging causes each person various degrees of suffering.
Death: Like taxes, this is inevitable. The mind is separated from the body at death. There is a fear of death which increases the suffering. Through meditation we can overcome death, as we aren't attached to the body. The well-trained mind is a fearless mind. The 4 sufferings of birth, sickness, aging and death are frequently referred to in Buddhist texts.
External suffering encompasses 6 categories. All existence consists of 6 realms which are used to teach people how to meditate on suffering. By meditating on these unhappy realms, a person wishes to leave cyclic existence and achieve the mind of renunciation. The 6 realms are named after the citizens of the realms.
In the desire realm of the gods, there is battle against the demi-gods and there is a huge amount of desire and jealousy which brings with it great mental suffering. Gods with more merit lord it over the gods with lesser merit. Although the gods have the enjoyments of plentiful food, booze and girlfriends/boyfriends, they return to lower realms when their karma is depleted. Upon their death they experience great pain and are ignored by the other gods. Even the gods in the formless realms suffer upon their deaths as they know they have to return to the lower realms.
Demi-gods don't have it quite as good as the gods and are always the losers in the perpetual battles that are fought. Most of their lives in this realm are spent fighting.
Humans suffer from being born, aging, illness, death and having to part with what/whom they are close to. They are constantly undergoing obstacles when they want to achieve a goal like earning more money or trying to establish a relationship with someone who ignores them. Humans often have to encounter horrible situations such as war, famine, and plague.
Animals suffer from ignorance, as they're unable to speak our language. Animals are at the mercy of the weather, hunger and thirst. Sadly, animals are often captured and put into a zoo or displayed in a circus. In the wild, they are hunted by poachers, or as food by other people and animals.
Hungry ghosts live in a realm in which their grotesque forms consist of long, narrow necks, weak limbs and huge, protruding bellies. Their residence is a vast, empty desert where they constantly search for food and drink and find nothing.
Although many people don't believe in hell, Tibetan Buddhism teaches students that there are several levels, including 8 levels of fiery hells and 8 levels of freezing hells. There are also a few neighboring hells that consist of fiery ash, swamps made of waste matter and a molten lava river.
To experience the suffering of samsara is something you must do in order to understand the sufferings of other beings, regardless of their realm.
Noble Truth # 2 - The Origins of Suffering:
This is the suffering of all sentient beings in relation to their environment. In Buddhism, nothing is believed to be true until it's been experienced. The teachings are true as the teachers have experienced them and have recognized this themselves. Imagine that you visit a psychic and are told that in one year you'll win a lottery. Nice thought, highly unlikely, you'd think. But it really happens and then that remark from a psychic becomes true. When Buddha taught the 4 Noble Truths to his students, only after they practiced them did they occur.
Karma:
Every action that we do is karma, from the smallest to the largest.
Karma of the body, speech and mind can also be referred to as physical, mental and verbal action.
Further, there are virtuous, non-virtuous and neutral actions.
The 10 non-virtuous actions are: killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct which comprise the 3 non-virtuous actions of the body.
Lying, divisive talk, swearing, and gossip are the 4 non-virtuous actions of speech.
Engaging one's mind in objects of attachment; thinking thoughts of harming others, and wrong views such as self-cherishing [in which we value ourselves above all others] are the 3 non-virtuous actions of mind.
To engage in virtuous actions, you reverse every negative into a positive. Instead of stealing, you abandon stealing and thoughts about stealing. Naturally this applies to all of the actions.
Delusion:
Delusion is ignorance. It's the mind grasping at non-reality. Or a dark, dull mind. The 6 root delusions are:
Ignorance - the deluded mind which hides the mind from seizing the nature of the object clearly.
Hatred - the deluded mind that hates oneself and/or others.
Attachment - the deluded mind that prizes oneself too highly along with being too attached to others and/or material objects
Pride - the pride of the deluded mind seeing oneself as better than others.
Deluded doubt - the doubt which develops negative emotions within us.
Deluded view -Due to ignorance and attachment, a person cultivates a view that is false.
There are 4 characteristics of full karma for any action. Intention, preparation, performance and, finality. For example, if a person were to commit a robbery, they would have to hatch the plot, prepare for the robbery, steal from whatever source they've selected, and get home safely with all the money.
Positive, Negative & Mixed Actions:
These 3 actions, also referred to as white, black and mixed, produce various results. All positive karma is virtuous as all negative karma is non-virtuous. Mixed karma can go either way, depending upon the circumstances.
Propelling & Completing Karma:
To propel is to throw and that's what each birth seems like""being thrown into a family and later having to fend for oneself. If the actions one has done in the past are negative, rebirth into hell, hungry ghost and animal realms is the result. For positive past actions, the realms of the gods, demi-gods and humans are where someone is sent.
Completing karma is what one achieves in each lifetime. If a person is born into the human realm with numerous physical ailments, that negative completing karma is being realized. The same holds true for those born into great wealth and fame.
Noble Truth # 3 - The Cessation of Suffering:
Since our causes for problems can be eliminated, we learn to be free of suffering. This is achieved when we realize that the way we're taught to see things, whether oneself, others, or any type of phenomena, existing from ourselves. Overcoming delusional thinking, we are then free of the 4 sufferings, [birth, sickness, aging and death] as those are generated within a mind that's unclear of the truth.
The 4 characteristics of true cessations are: Cessation, peace, benefit and pleasure, a result of the first two and definite emergence.
Noble Truth #4 - The Truth of the Path:
There are 4 True Paths which are attained once we overcome the need to be attached and have everything pretend to be permanent. A basic example would be this: How many people have chosen a permanent job over a temporary job and been fired or quit within six months? Where's the permanence in that? On a more sublime level, if we understand impermanence fully then we achieve liberation. The second path is that objects/ideas/feelings, etc. are pleasurable. Actually, they are only misery in disguise.
The third path is to rid ourselves of wrong view and comprehend emptiness. Our Compositional factors [aggregates] aren't different from our selves. Our self doesn't exist independently. We come to the final path when we understand there is no self, there is selflessness.
Read more about the 4 Noble Truths! As always, the Dalai Lama has a great way of explaining dharma!
Monday, November 7, 2011
Self Induced Hauntings: Can We Create The Boogeyman???
By Ryan Harshbarger
I believe that anyone can conquer fear by doing the things he fears to do, provided he keeps doing them until he gets a record of successful experience behind him. Eleanor Roosevelt
“Times are tough these days.” With the economy crisis and people losing their jobs, homes and families being forced to live below their normal means of survival. It's no wonder that so many claims of paranormal activity have began to surface. Stress has became any everyday emotion for most of us that have been affected by these rough times. Can this cause us to create a buffet for spirits to feed on? If you are familiar with poltergeist activity then you might concur with this possibility. Stressful homes are a playground so to speak for those on the other side. Due to all the residual energy that is left behind by families that are undergoing changes that they are normally not accustomed to can build up, and cause the sightings of shadow people and many other forms of the unknown to make its presence known. If you have any familiarity with how energy works and how it flows then you can understand that stressful homes can in fact become saturated with malevolent spirits.
I worked a case where a family was being troubled by apparitions appearing in the hallways and electrical devices acting strangely. As I began to investigate the recent changes within the home that could be the catalyst of this haunting. I learned that the husband had recently been laid off and the wife recently became another statistic with her business going under. I was curious about how close these occurrences began after these unfortunate events, and the wife informed me “not until the home went into foreclosure.” Later that night after learning this terrible addition to an already tragic shift I began to notice a sense of heaviness as well and some shadowy figures manifesting in the main hallway. I noticed as well that upon entering the home that the upkeep was less than standard “as far as cleanliness goes,” this is another level to the building blocks of a haunting that I have learned over my years in the field. I was always taught that the cleanliness of our home is a reflection of ourselves. I see it as, “if a home is tidy and neat than the person is usually chipper and happy,” but “if a home is crowded, dusty and dirty than that person is usually unhappy and depressed.” “To summarize the analogy a home's upkeep is a reflection of our own emotions.”
The same philosophy applies to individuals that are dealing with health issues. They seem to be more susceptible to run-ins with the paranormal as well. Stress is an emotion that opens a lot of doors that not always can be explained by science. So here is a question to ponder, “can a person that suffers from mental illness be haunted?” “Where does the mental illness end and the hauntings begin?”
If we shut ourselves off from society and trap ourselves in our own worlds we are basically becoming the perfect target. Many reclusive and troubled individuals claim to experience paranormal activity. The sad part is that many professionals deem them as merely undergoing “psychological disorders” such as bi-polar schizophrenia or under the influence of some sort of illegal drugs. What if their claims were actually legit? What if the traumatic experiences that the subject has experienced did actually open them up to some sort of unknown realm? I know the skeptics will probably say “they need professional help” and in some cases that very well may be true. Trauma, depression, death and negative emotions are a gateway to experiences that may not be as simple as black and white. We unfortunately live in a time currently that is full of all sorts of heavy emotions and many people are experiencing hauntings so we are left with many unanswered questions. I too have been an example of this theory. In moments where stress levels have been high and my health was below par I have freaked myself out and have seen things creeping in the shadows. I want to open this article up to the readers and see what kind of different thoughts you the reader have. I personally believe that moments of despair are the roots that bloom into ghostly trees.
Okay, so think about all the times that you have experienced something unexplainable and ask yourselves “what were your emotions at that current time?” Did you recently lose someone? Were you in a bad mood?
Have you ever been on a ghost hunt with your team, and at a location that you are unfamiliar with? Were you given info about that certain place you suddenly started to experience? The human mind can easily be manipulated subconsciously especially in moments of weakness. There is a test you can try for yourselves the next time you're hunting with your team members take two separate locations 1) a home or whatever that has absolutely no paranormal claims at all and 2) a home you get, that in-fact has a plethora of ghouls lurking, and don't tell the lucky candidates which is which just the stories and see what happens. I can guarantee you that no matter what story you tell you will have all sorts of personal experiences in the location that isn't even haunted.......... Try It I Dare You!!!!!!!!
I am one of those skeptics that believes. I am just skeptical of most evidence that is presented to the public. No one has yet to provide any substantial evidence to conclude that ghost even exist to the scientific community. I have seen things, heard things and experienced many things that I cannot explain. I know that there is more to life than what we see and understand but I think that too many teams are getting a little carried away with what they are claiming as actual evidence. So we need to start taking more time to examine what we present, and use our brains to analyze instead of convincing ourselves that we have captured the undead with security cameras and fluctuations in the natural EMF.
Believe me I cannot wait to see a piece that stumps everyone, I would cherish that moment forever: Until then I am convinced that most claims can be explained by folklore and imagination.....
We can convince ourselves of many things, as a child I would scream because I used to think my G.I Joe's were creating a conspiracy to murder me in my sleep. Atmospheres that are unique and or a bit creepy always hold tales of some kind of mystery. If we can separate ourselves from that human flaw of creating the boogeyman in every dark corner, and injected a bit more logic and question the scary stories perhaps one day we can better understand the unknown. We are all products of our own surroundings and like the client's that are under stress or the man who is ill. We have to ask ourselves can we create these hauntings and are they the real kind????
I believe that anyone can conquer fear by doing the things he fears to do, provided he keeps doing them until he gets a record of successful experience behind him. Eleanor Roosevelt
“Times are tough these days.” With the economy crisis and people losing their jobs, homes and families being forced to live below their normal means of survival. It's no wonder that so many claims of paranormal activity have began to surface. Stress has became any everyday emotion for most of us that have been affected by these rough times. Can this cause us to create a buffet for spirits to feed on? If you are familiar with poltergeist activity then you might concur with this possibility. Stressful homes are a playground so to speak for those on the other side. Due to all the residual energy that is left behind by families that are undergoing changes that they are normally not accustomed to can build up, and cause the sightings of shadow people and many other forms of the unknown to make its presence known. If you have any familiarity with how energy works and how it flows then you can understand that stressful homes can in fact become saturated with malevolent spirits.
I worked a case where a family was being troubled by apparitions appearing in the hallways and electrical devices acting strangely. As I began to investigate the recent changes within the home that could be the catalyst of this haunting. I learned that the husband had recently been laid off and the wife recently became another statistic with her business going under. I was curious about how close these occurrences began after these unfortunate events, and the wife informed me “not until the home went into foreclosure.” Later that night after learning this terrible addition to an already tragic shift I began to notice a sense of heaviness as well and some shadowy figures manifesting in the main hallway. I noticed as well that upon entering the home that the upkeep was less than standard “as far as cleanliness goes,” this is another level to the building blocks of a haunting that I have learned over my years in the field. I was always taught that the cleanliness of our home is a reflection of ourselves. I see it as, “if a home is tidy and neat than the person is usually chipper and happy,” but “if a home is crowded, dusty and dirty than that person is usually unhappy and depressed.” “To summarize the analogy a home's upkeep is a reflection of our own emotions.”
The same philosophy applies to individuals that are dealing with health issues. They seem to be more susceptible to run-ins with the paranormal as well. Stress is an emotion that opens a lot of doors that not always can be explained by science. So here is a question to ponder, “can a person that suffers from mental illness be haunted?” “Where does the mental illness end and the hauntings begin?”
If we shut ourselves off from society and trap ourselves in our own worlds we are basically becoming the perfect target. Many reclusive and troubled individuals claim to experience paranormal activity. The sad part is that many professionals deem them as merely undergoing “psychological disorders” such as bi-polar schizophrenia or under the influence of some sort of illegal drugs. What if their claims were actually legit? What if the traumatic experiences that the subject has experienced did actually open them up to some sort of unknown realm? I know the skeptics will probably say “they need professional help” and in some cases that very well may be true. Trauma, depression, death and negative emotions are a gateway to experiences that may not be as simple as black and white. We unfortunately live in a time currently that is full of all sorts of heavy emotions and many people are experiencing hauntings so we are left with many unanswered questions. I too have been an example of this theory. In moments where stress levels have been high and my health was below par I have freaked myself out and have seen things creeping in the shadows. I want to open this article up to the readers and see what kind of different thoughts you the reader have. I personally believe that moments of despair are the roots that bloom into ghostly trees.
Okay, so think about all the times that you have experienced something unexplainable and ask yourselves “what were your emotions at that current time?” Did you recently lose someone? Were you in a bad mood?
Have you ever been on a ghost hunt with your team, and at a location that you are unfamiliar with? Were you given info about that certain place you suddenly started to experience? The human mind can easily be manipulated subconsciously especially in moments of weakness. There is a test you can try for yourselves the next time you're hunting with your team members take two separate locations 1) a home or whatever that has absolutely no paranormal claims at all and 2) a home you get, that in-fact has a plethora of ghouls lurking, and don't tell the lucky candidates which is which just the stories and see what happens. I can guarantee you that no matter what story you tell you will have all sorts of personal experiences in the location that isn't even haunted.......... Try It I Dare You!!!!!!!!
I am one of those skeptics that believes. I am just skeptical of most evidence that is presented to the public. No one has yet to provide any substantial evidence to conclude that ghost even exist to the scientific community. I have seen things, heard things and experienced many things that I cannot explain. I know that there is more to life than what we see and understand but I think that too many teams are getting a little carried away with what they are claiming as actual evidence. So we need to start taking more time to examine what we present, and use our brains to analyze instead of convincing ourselves that we have captured the undead with security cameras and fluctuations in the natural EMF.
Believe me I cannot wait to see a piece that stumps everyone, I would cherish that moment forever: Until then I am convinced that most claims can be explained by folklore and imagination.....
We can convince ourselves of many things, as a child I would scream because I used to think my G.I Joe's were creating a conspiracy to murder me in my sleep. Atmospheres that are unique and or a bit creepy always hold tales of some kind of mystery. If we can separate ourselves from that human flaw of creating the boogeyman in every dark corner, and injected a bit more logic and question the scary stories perhaps one day we can better understand the unknown. We are all products of our own surroundings and like the client's that are under stress or the man who is ill. We have to ask ourselves can we create these hauntings and are they the real kind????
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Forensic Interviews and Paranormal Investigations
By Martha Hazzard Decker
Do you have any medical issues? Do you have any mental problems? Do you drink or do drugs? Sounds like booking questions at the local jail or doctor’s office, right? No, these are some of the questions asked by some paranormal investigators while conducting interviews of potential clients. Some of those investigators were a part of law enforcement and detectives at one time or another. Some may still be in the law enforcement field. This is something that has been discussed within the paranormal community.
Some investigators without any law enforcement background may think these are rude questions to ask a client. While other researchers and investigators, including this author, also have a background in criminal investigations and believe these are normal and important questions to ask, along with a number of other questions such as, what was the weather like or what time does it happen. The eyes of the law enforcement paranormal investigator and the mind work differently than most and can be a handy asset to have on a team.
While some investigators may take the client at their word and go into the investigation to find the proof to support the client’s claims, former law enforcement paranormal investigators go into the investigation with a different view. They may not be complete skeptics, but they will take what the client claims and look for concrete causes for the claims. As former police officer TL Jones has said, “Until I see it with my own eyes,” she is not gong to believe it really happened. It’s not that she is saying the client isn’t truthful; it’s that they may believe something to be other than what it really is in reality. Jones wants to be there when the EVP is captured to know without a doubt that the recorder wasn’t manipulated. Other researchers say the same thing. Jones now writes paranormal mystery novels and has been on several radio shows discussing not just her books but the police angle to investigations.
There are several books written that can be applied to paranormal investigations which were written for law enforcement. Author Katherine Ramsland Ph.D. has been to at least one paranormal conference to discuss paranormal investigations and how to conduct them much like you would at a crime scene. In fact, she took the same presentation used to train police and converted it to be applied in the paranormal realm. She is a forensic psychologist and author. One of her books is Ghost: Investigating the Other Side. She has the same philosophy about investigating a scene. Leave no stone unturned and check every where for information.
Ramsland mentions in an interview on another website that she has encountered frauds while they were trying to give her a paranormal experience. She is not the only one to encounter frauds and some of the frauds can be the clients. One researcher spoke to this author about an investigation where a client wanted the group to find activity at their location. They did something that would be good for all groups to do before an investigation. They researched the property to check on the history of the location. What was discovered was that the old looking house was a new house built to look old and the property never had a building on it prior to the current building. Nothing had been recorded that had ever happened on the property. Investigators went to the location to conduct their investigation with an open mind being aware that there was nothing associated with the building. What they found during the investigation was that the owners had rigged some special effects to make it seem as if the place was indeed full of paranormal activity. The owners wanted the place to be “declared” as haunted so they could market it as a haunted place, hoping to profit with all the notoriety of having a haunted venue. This then brings into question another thought voiced by other investigators, “What makes a place truly haunted?” Responses to this in the comment section may help others decide on what to pay for or not pay for when it comes to visiting haunted locations.
One group that incorporates common police investigative tactics with the paranormal is Missouri Ghost Hunters Society. Brian Lile has 20 years of law enforcement in his background. They use common forensic techniques such as evidence collection, investigative photography and interviewing, according to their webpage. All of this can be used by any paranormal investigator. You can even put together a forensic kit for the paranormal investigation. This helps in debunking and verifying claims. This would include items such as measuring tape or rulers, temperature or thermometer, fingerprint dust, luminal for detecting blood or lack of, camera, recorder and so on. There are a number of online stores that sell forensic equipment. CrimeTech is such a site. They sell just about anything you can think of to obtain evidence.
Processes used by police detectives can help paranormal investigators to understand what is real, mistaken and subjective. An example could be the one of a social worker and a detective visiting the same house at the same time. During the visit numerous people come and go after a brief visit. The social worker may sit their and think this family seems to have quite the support group while the detective sits there and thinks, “dope house.” There is an interesting article about Paranormal Activity and the FBI: how to avoid common investigative pitfalls recently published. Officers often operate on “gut” feelings during their career. This may even help keep them safe. Their senses are tuned into what’s happening around them more than the average person. This can be learned as can crime scene investigations. Many local colleges will have police academies or criminal justice classes. This means there will be basic crime scene textbooks that can be purchased. A lot can be learned from those. Then there are online sites such as Calibre Press or Police One where a lot of online investigative information can be gleaned without purchasing anything.
The main focus of this article is to be open minded when going into an investigation without a predisposition that it is or isn’t as the client claims. By keeping an open mind and unbiased opinion investigators will be more open to any evidence that does present instead of immediately dismissing something that may become important at a later date. Be sure to get a full interview from the family that includes medical history, interview neighbors without telling them what’s going on next door, obtain the names of collaterals who may be witnesses or have been told about incidents and interview them. Work toward cooborating the client’s statements. Ask about criminal history, research the history if the building and property. Check old newspaper articles. The library and local paper can be a great source of information. Check with the county to see who has owned the property if the current owner doesn’t have that information available. Try to contact former owners and interview them. The list can go on and on but the information obtained can lead to a really great investigation.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Issue 50 – Para-Celebrities Go Off the Deep End!
By Kirby Robinson
Now that Halloween has gone it's time to refocus our attention on those crazy, wacky and [usually] fake para-celebs. They keep on proving that Lindsay Lohan has nothing on them when it comes to acting like a fool.
"RON TEBO & KIRBY ROBINSON DOMESTIC TERRORISTS" CLAIMS SANDRA SPARKS & CHIP COFFEY
One of our sources deep inside the CCC [CHIP COFFEY CLAN] has shared with us that a few weeks ago Sandra Lynn Sparks, with the okay of Chip Coffey, [she never does anything without his okay] contacted both the FBI and HOMELAND SECURITY about us. Why? She claimed that our posting on the Psychic Kids Facebook page warning people about predators [names will be named next week] made us domestic terrorists. Time and money would be better spent by both agencies not on real terror threats from within and outside this nation but going after both Ron and myself. After both agencies respective reps fell to the floor laughing [as we have been told all law enforcement reps did when Sandra contacted them], they told Sandra to seek help with any mental issues she might be dealing with.
Is this not sad? If you dare speak out against such fakes as Michelle Griffin, Chip Coffey and Chris Fleming they go to such lengths and their egos are so big they think the world revolves around them.
None of these actions will stop us from reporting the story, nor will it cause us to fear them. In the weeks to come we will be digging deeper into their deceptions, exposing more and more of their lies.
HAUNTED HUMAN SKULL IN ZAK BAGAN'S BASEMENT!
Guess Zak Bagans of Ghost Adventures needs some PR or was feeling a little low. We have many issues with this story.
1 Notice that Zak contacted TMZ about this story, and not the other way around. Why TMZ and not a paranormal news outlet? Is Zak is trying to stir up some PR for his show and his new book?
2 No proof is offered about his claims.
3 It just can't be a priest coming to his home -- it has to be a bishop.
The thing that really upsets me when you read such false claims is that it damages the credibility of those who are really suffering and who need real help.
GREAT QUESTIONS DESERVE A RESPONSE
Over the weekend this was posted on my Facebook page.
Patricia Deshane
Hi Kirby,
Thank you for accepting my friend request. I discovered you when I was checking out the case
on Jennifer Arnold (still reading up on it). I'm a bit leery on listening to the EVP's. I've heard that even making copies of recordings of demonic evp's could result in them following you home or making their way into your life (this was said at a lecture given by an infamous couple who made a living doing paranormal work), so even though I would like to hear the evp's, I'm erring on the side of caution. Do you have any thought's on this? Enjoyed looking at your photo's, especially the visit's to the graves. Thank you for sharing those. Looking forward to listening to the prerecorded show coming up on Sat. night.
In Love and Light,
Patricia D
Thank you for accepting my friend request. I discovered you when I was checking out the case
on Jennifer Arnold (still reading up on it). I'm a bit leery on listening to the EVP's. I've heard that even making copies of recordings of demonic evp's could result in them following you home or making their way into your life (this was said at a lecture given by an infamous couple who made a living doing paranormal work), so even though I would like to hear the evp's, I'm erring on the side of caution. Do you have any thought's on this? Enjoyed looking at your photo's, especially the visit's to the graves. Thank you for sharing those. Looking forward to listening to the prerecorded show coming up on Sat. night.
In Love and Light,
Patricia D
You are right in being very careful when it comes to EVP'S [as yet no one knows where they come from. Are they of ghosts, etc.]. Demons love to pass themselves off as ghosts so here is what happens when it comes to EVP'S.
You record an EVP of a ghost [demon] and it makes you happy and excited in a sense you embrace it, thus the demon has gotten a casual invitation into your life. You then take it home or download it onto your PC it now is inside the walls of your home. Again, a casual invitation into your life. To clarify, casual invitations don't carry the same weight as formal invitations, but they allow the demon to be around you so you might try to strike up a further interaction with this ghost/demon. This means you two draw closer to each other allowing its claws to get deeper into you and your life.
It's a cycle that is so easily missed. The best thing to do is not start it but the temptation is so great almost every paranormal group has them and every time people go out on an investigation they record them. It's best to say a personal prayer of protection prior to and after listening to them.
Now there will be those that will call me an alarmist in these cases, but it's better to be safe then haunted.
DO YOU HAVE THE GUTS & TALENT FOR MY WEDNESDAY BLOG?
EYE ON THE PARANORMAL has expanded and we are now posting great articles many times a week in our quest to become a full time news source for the paranormal community. I've decided to move my Wednesday blog to a new blog we are launching soon.
So if you have the guts to take over my spot can do it every week. If you have writing ability along with a thick skin, please contact me ASAP. We'd like to get the new blog going so you can count on us for not only news but views no one has the guts to share. Contact me at freeallspirits@live.com and we can get things set up.
NEW RADIO APPEARANCE
Sunday, November 6 at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/unknownpg 9-11 PM EST.
BISHOP LONG ON SUNDAY NIGHTS
Join Bishop Long on Sundays from 8 to 10 pm on http://www.usocc.org/USOCC/USOCC_Radio.html for his show Sacred Division. My segment is at 9 PM and is called SAY WHAT? I talk about things within the paranormal community that has caught my eye and raised my dander.
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/eyeonparanormal
A CALL TO ACTION! If you have a website, forum or blog you can set up an Amazon Associates Affiliate Program link and sell the Kindle version of "Paranormal Reality: Investigating Paranormal State" and "Paranormal Teachings: The Best of Shedding Some Light" and earn money. You can also sell other books and products that Amazon offers. Here's the Amazon Associates Affiliate Program link.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Mount Kailash: The Holy Mountain
By Lisa Maliga
 |
| Mount Kailash, Tibet |
A single circumnambulation around Mount Kailish wipes away the sins of a lifetime. Revered by Buddhists, Hindus, Jains and Bons, this remote Tibetan mountain attracts scores of pilgrims.
High on the remote western Tibetan plateau, in the northernmost region of the Himalayas, sits Mount Kailash, the holy mountain. The Tibetan people have named it Kang Rinpoche, or Snow Jewel, and the Indians refer to it as Mount Meru. Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain pilgrims from the world over go to this holy mountain to circumambulate rather than scale the 22,028-foot high peak. In fact, climbing Mount Kailash is forbidden. The only person to have ever been atop the sacred mountain was Milarepa, a 11th century Tibetan Buddhist yogi.
Mount Kailash is commonly referred to as the center of the universe in Eastern religious texts from India to Japan. Rooted in the seventh hell and bursting through the highest heaven, it is also believed to be the World Pillar. Hopi Indians recognize Kailash as being at the opposite side of their Black Mesa, thus it's a cosmic backbone.
Hindus who walk around the 32-mile circumference of Mount Kailash use the term parikrama. They believe that Lord Shiva, one of their three main gods, resides atop what they call Mount Meru. Tibetans refer to the clockwise circumambulation as a kora. Both words mean the same thing: pilgrimage. Doing a walk around the mountain can wipe away a lifetime's worth of sins, or negative karma as is the term in Eastern religions. "He who performs the Parikrama, the ritual circumambulation of the holy mountain, with a perfectly devoted and concentrated mind goes through a full cycle of life and death" Lama Anagarika Govinda, 'The Way of the White Clouds.'
The Jains who refer to Kailash as Mount Ashtapada believe the founder of their faith, Rishabanatha, resides atop the mountain. And the Bons [or Bonpos], the religion which predates Buddhism in Tibet, maintain that the entire mystical region and the Nine-Story Swastika Mountain is the seat of all power. When viewed from the south face, a swastika can be seen. Unlike the Jains, Buddhists or Hindus, the Bons make counterclockwise circumambulations. "According to Bonpo accounts, 18 enlightened teachers will appear in this eon and Tonpa Shenrab, the founder of the Bon religion, is the enlightened teacher of this age. He is said to have been born in the mythical land of Olmo Lung Ring, whose location remains something of a mystery. The land is traditionally described as dominated by Mount Yung-drung Gu-tzeg (Edifice of Nine Swastikas), which many identify as Mount Kailash in western Tibet. Due to the sacredness of Olmo Lung Ring and the mountain, both the counter-clockwise swastika and the number nine are of great significance in the Bon religion." From "˜The Office of Tibet'
Devout Tibetan Buddhists will do full length prostrations, a feat which takes several weeks, around Mount Kailash, increasing the amount of purification they will receive. Many pilgrims do a complete round of the mountain in one day, an accomplishment made more difficult by the 15,000-foot high altitude. Pilgrimages are by their very nature meant to be arduous, and as the Ngari region of Mount Kailash has no airports or train stations nearby, people arrive at their spiritual destination by foot, horseback, yak or jeep. Tarchen is a small settlement near the south face of the mountain; the place where most pilgrimages begin.
Those unwilling or unable to make the kora around the mountain can hire someone who will, thereby splitting the accumulated merit 50/50. This doesn't allow either the person who sponsors the kora or the one who actually makes the journey to attain instant enlightenment. For those who make the kora, aside from enduring highly changeable weather conditions, there are four prostration points in which to pay physical homage. Many pilgrims make sure they visit the three monasteries located along the path. Near the top of the kora is the Shiwa Tsal, named after the famed cremation grounds in India. Pieces of clothing, a lock of hair or a drop of blood are left there as an offering, signifying the pilgrim's understanding of death and rebirth. At the highest point of the circuit, just over 18,000 feet, is Dolma La Pass, meaning 'She Who Helps Cross.' [The Sanskrit name for the female Buddha is Tara]. This refers to the crossing over to liberation as well as being able to complete the pilgrimage circuit around Kailash. The great boulder of Tara is swathed with long, colorful strings of prayer flags which send out messages of peace with each flap they make in this windy region.
Mount Kailash is also the source of four major rivers: the Indus, the Brahmaputra, the Karnali and the Sutleg. The comparison to the Indian legend of Mount Meru from whose summit flows four great rivers that irrigate all of Asia is hard to miss.
Eighteen miles southeast of Kailash is the circular, turquoise Lake Manasarovar, or Tso Rinpoche, [Precious Lake], a 64-mile circuit, which is rarely completed except by the most devout. Bathing in the lake, or even dousing one's head with the holy water, is said to be of enormous spiritual benefit to those who can brave the icy water which many claim contain miraculous powers. Hindus are told that complete immersion into the lake ensures they be reborn as a god. Tibetans, on the other hand, avoid bathing in the lake so as not to make it dirty. This is a freshwater lake, three miles above sea level. There is a saltwater lake, separated by a narrow peninsula, named Raksas Tal, or devil's lake. Pilgrims don't bathe or circumambulate this crescent moon-shaped body of water, but do pay their respect by glancing in its direction.
Five monasteries have been rebuilt on the shores of Lake Manasarovar since 1981before the Chinese invasion in 1959 there were eight. Fatigued pilgrims are allowed to stay in the monasteries. Fewer than 500 Indian nationals are allowed to make the pilgrimage per year due to the Chinese and Indian governments. Most of the Indians allowed in are selected via a lottery and the ability to pay their own way is evident in the fact that the majority of them are middle-aged businessmen from large cities.
Before the Cultural Revolution, pilgrims were selected by their bountiful faith. They traveled on foot or horseback. Some of them made the journey by doing the full-length prostrations along the way, an endeavor which could last for years, depending upon the distance and the weather conditions. Few pilgrims were armed, making them prey to thieves. But even under such extreme conditions, they were unafraid of death; dying during a pilgrimage pretty much guaranteed them a lot of good karma points. Pilgrimages require a degree of flexibility that most people aren't required to possess in a world with guaranteed insurance benefits and retirement plans. To make a spiritual journey is to rid oneself of habits and to open the heart, making the pilgrim ego less and pure; then allowing this transformation to reach out and positively affect others.
"There is no place more powerful for practice, more blessed, or more marvelous than this; May all pilgrims and practitioners be welcome!" Milarepa, Tibetan Buddhist yogi [circa 1052 - 1136]
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