We need to be enlightened by the Holy Spirit dwelling on it. Our feelings cannot be counted on especially when we are going to something or if you're mad or angry or depressed or worried. If you're not enjoying your life then you're missing God's best for you. The pressure and problems of every day life is enough to defeat us. I know what I'm saying is much easier said than done believe me I know more than you think I do. Like I said whenever there is a holiday that glorifies Christ (Easter for example) satan hates it with a passion, he cannot stand it. Personally in my life right now I have two very sick relatives very close to me and one who died recently. All of this so close together thrown upon my sister and I. I know what hurt is. I know what pain is. I know what it's like to want to die but I'm here to tell you that Jesus Christ does not want that for us. Ignore these tormenting emotions they are demonic in every way. As I said, Every time there's a holiday that glorifies Christ satan absolutely without a doubt cannot stand it. You may know as a Christian or a believer sometimes more negative things seem to happen on holidays that glorify Christ which it could be a coincidence...I'm simply relaying what I've been told by people over the years and from my personal research. We must resist the Devil. He only comes to steal, and destroy.
Satan is the original liar. He is the “father” of lies. Satan told the first lie in recorded history to Eve, in the Garden of Eden. After planting seeds of doubt in Eve’s mind with a question (Genesis 3:1)he directly contradicts God’s Word by telling her, “You will not certainly die” (Genesis 3:4). With that lie, Satan led Eve to her death; Adam followed, and so have we all.
The many accounts of evil spirits in Scripture affirm the reality of powerful spiritual forces of wickedness. Evil spirits(also known as demons or devils) are depraved and quite familiar with human weaknesses and desires. They know it very well. Some are more vile than others. Spirits speak to all of us to inject ungodly beliefs into us. These are thoughts that steer us away from our identity in Jesus Christ. For some people these supernatural voices are far more destructive and can cause harm to the individual hearing them. For some individuals, hearing these thoughts can be just utter torment trying to convince them to commit suicide or to kill another. Oppression and Depression mimic each other in many ways. At times many are written off as highly depressed, now that evil can stay for life with no fear of being casted out.
When God tells us to forgive our enemies, it is not to do them a favor it is to do us a favor. We give that person free rent in our mind by allowing what they did to us constantly stay with us and torment us and I am one that has trouble with this myself. I can forgive but I can't forget which really means I haven't forgiven. Having bitterness and anger in your heart once again that negativity can attract unwanted spirits. I've once heard someone say "if we keep what God tells us to give the devil is going to take it." As long as we stay insecure and not move past we will only live with turmoil. No confidence at all. Our emotions will surely take over. Demons are attracted to this and will target you quicker than you can imagine. Our mind is the enemies battlefield friends. It's our weakness they go after. We must not let the past or what anybody has done to us continue to linger in us in a bad way. God will deal with them God will deal with everyone of us for the things that we've done that we know better. And I personally believe some people get dealt with while they're still on earth.
I've said many times satan goes after our mind. It's our number one weakness at times in my humble opinion. One way Satan gains control of the mind is when we place our trust in what many Christians mistakenly call the Holy Spirit. What I mean is "God told me to do this. . ." However, what God told them to do is completely contrary to God’s word. Jesus said in John 8:47 "He who is of God hears the words of God." God never, ever, ever leads us contrary to the Word of God. So when we receive anything we think is the Holy Spirit, the first question we must ask is "Does God’s word agree with what I believe is the Holy Spirit speaking to me?" Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 11:14 "And no wonder for Satan transforms himself into an angel of light." We should start each day by saying to God "We cannot do anything without you Lord, please be with us and guide us through every decision and choice we make." There are many demons assigned to torment us by satan just as Jesus assigns angels to look after us . We have demons running amok trying to destroy all humans before the appointed time. Yes they know very well the second coming of Jesus Christ will in fact take place. They already know they are defeated but they will still try to drag as many souls to hell with them or make our life hell in hopes we may take our own life or just live so miserable and depressed we end up making ourselves sick. They hate our guts and want nothing but death for us. And when we are not in control of our emotions and we make certain decisions and choices this is what the enemy is counting on.
We know that we are made up of body, soul and spirit. Again the soul in itself is made up of mind, will and emotions. Becoming a believer means we must have surrendered our will to the Lordship of Jesus Christ our savior. But the mind and emotions, we might not have fully surrendered to our Lord. In these circumstances either knowingly or unknowingly we are allowing the devil room to come into our lives and our homes and have a field day! Torment beyond imagining.
Many people are fooled by "familiar spirits" that come in the form of a dead love one or maybe someone who passed away for lived in that particular home at a time. That way they never truly get dealt with because people think it is a ghost a human spirit that has not yet crossed over. The Bible is full of information about familiar spirits. This allows us to study their wiles in the Bible and find out how they work. They may appear under different names; but their works, manifestations, and their deceptive ways are found both in the Old and New Testaments. We must, therefore, be alert and be prepared because Scripture warns us that these deceiving spirits and false manifestations will be found among God’s people in the last days. Familiar spirits operate under their master, Satan. They influence people to create hate and hurt. Basically raise hell and torment us relentlessly. They spew lies and make a person believe such horrible things of others and ourselves. To knowingly open oneself to the work of demons is an evil act: "Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery." To knowingly open yourself up to these demons and their tasks is considered a sin.
Written By Jennifer Lori Auld
Looking inside the spiritual & literary worlds
Saturday, April 4, 2015
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Diabolical/Paranormal Encounters in Job
By Reverend Mark Hunnemann
Chapter 1 of Job (background for entire book)
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 8 And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?”
Job 4
Eliphaz Speaks: The Innocent Prosper
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2 “If one ventures a word with you, will you be impatient? Yet who can keep from speaking?
3 Behold, you have instructed many, and you have strengthened the weak hands.
4 Your words have upheld him who was stumbling, and you have made firm the feeble knees.
5 But now it has come to you, and you are impatient; it touches you, and you are dismayed.
6 Is not your fear of God your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope?
7 “Remember: who that was innocent ever perished? Or where were the upright cut off?
8 As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same.
9 By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of his anger they are consumed.
10 The roar of the lion, the voice of the fierce lion, the teeth of the young lions are broken.
11 The strong lion perishes for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.
12 “Now a word was brought to me stealthily; my ear received the whisper of it.
13 Amid thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men,
14 dread came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake.
15 A spirit glided past my face; the hair of my flesh stood up.
16 It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; there was silence, then I heard a voice:
17 ‘Can mortal man be in the right before God? Can a man be pure before his Maker?
18 Even in his servants he puts no trust, and his angels he charges with error;
19 how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed like the moth.
20 Between morning and evening they are beaten to pieces; they perish forever without anyone regarding it.
21 Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them, do they not die, and that without wisdom?’
Psalm 8... A Psalm of David.
1 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?
5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet,
7 all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
9 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
In the first chapter of Job, God declares what is the truth regarding Job; he is a blameless and righteous man. He says this to Satan's face, but the devil argues with God.
Oblivious to Satan's schemes behind the scenes (Job, that is), there is an all-out assault by the roaring lion to attack, and then further destroy this man of God through demonic/Satanic influence on the counsel given to Job from his friends.This poor man who has lost everything, including his children, is attacked relentlessly by his friends who have fallen prey to Satan's suggestion that one's circumstances reveal one's character. Jesus deals with this persistent lie in John 9. The notion that there is a one-to-one correspondence between one's circumstances and their sin, is a lie from hell. Many righteous people have suffered chronic and acute pain.
In the dialogue of chapters 3-31, and then Elihu later, the friends are seeking to judge the nature of the very thing to which the reader has been made privy: God's evaluation of Job as a righteous man.Neither Job nor his friends are aware of this heavenly encounter between God and Satan, in which the Lord sets the record straight regarding the integrity of Job. This background needs to be kept in mind while reading the entire dialogue, and especially the text quoted above.We find that his three friends are playing right into the hands of the evil one and contradicting God's assessment of Job, as mentioned in the first two chapters.In 1:8 the Lord says there is no man on Earth like Job, that is how highly esteemed he is in God's eyes!
Eliphaz is the first to speak to Job after he and his friends sat in compassionate silence for 7 days. They should have kept their mouths shut, but they didn't. I have not read any commentators that agree with what I'm about to say, so I am a bit hesitant. Although Eliphaz begins with a fairly gentle tone (4:3-4) sympathy for Job quickly fades. The character of Job is consistently, and with increasing viciousness, probed under the assumption that his moral failures account for his present plight.How cruel...and how common.
Eliphaz (v. 5-11) begins his attack, and he then appeals to a "paranormal" experience he had to buttress the authority of what he is saying (v.12-16). Notice how he describes his encounter.
He infers that an authoritative word from God came to him quietly and stealthily in the middle of the night via a spirit being. He saw an apparition which caused the hair on his neck to stand on end, dread and trembling...ever heard/felt that?! This spirit glided past his face, and then stood still. While he could see a form, he could not make out its appearance. Perhaps he was seeing what we call a "shadow figure."
I must confess that this description has a very familiar ring to it, doesn't it? Here is my interpretation. Eliphaz was so over-awed by this singular experience that any discernment went by the wayside.
Given the context of this book, it makes sense that Satan had an angel of Light experience with Eliphaz. He told God he had been wandering the Earth, and perhaps he paid this guy a visit...a very convincing paranormal encounter. Satan had a vested interest in making sure that Job's friends were his unwitting accomplices in accusing/destroying Job...in making him unravel, and thus making God look like the fool.
After trying to impress Job with the immensity of his supernatural encounter, Eliphaz then relays what this being said. I ask: does it accurately communicate what we already know is God's assessment of Job, or does he accuse, which is Satanic by definition?
It is my opinion that this book is the longest and clearest expression of diabolical influence on believer/s in the bible. Peter expressed Satanic influence, and was rebuked for it, when he told Jesus that the atonement wasn't cool.
The being waxes mystical in a way that brings accusation in through the back door. Trying to sound "holy" one can easily see this short paranormal sermon (v 17-21) so accents the transcendence of God, that He is transcended right out of the picture. Please read these verses and see if they reflect what we know is the truth regarding God's assessment of Job in chapter 1-2?
Why should He care for puny man (this is not the celebratory theme as found in Psalm 8--it is a diabolical mangling of our finitude) I have included Psalm 8 above so you can see the contrast between the Word of God and what I believe is a diabolical mirror image of Psalm 8. Psalm 8 is a hymn of praise, celebrating our privileged place in the created order, which speaks of the glorious Creator.There is utter astonishment that the God who is great enough to create the universe, has such tenderness towards us, and has made humans the pinnacle of His grand creation.In contrast, read verses 17-21 in Job, which comes from the mouth of this mysterious apparition.God's greatness is extolled, but man is left crushed and "little" in God's eyes. See the contrast? Would Satan extol God? Sure, if the end result is crushing Job in the process! In addition God's covenantal name (Yahweh) is mentioned twice in Psalm 8 (verses 1, 9) which accents our Lord as our Redeemer, and covenental love (hesed). Again,in contrast, the apparition never uses covenantal language for God. He wants to keep God so "way out there", that He has no time for us puny creatures.I could spend a long time contrasting these two texts, but would simply ask the reader to compare/contrast them for yourself and come to your own conclusion.
The question asked in v.17 has already been answered by God in chapters 1-2. JOB IS RIGHTEOUS IN GOD'S EYES. And given what we know, why would a messenger from God speak of crushing humans (like Job) every day..perishing with no one regarding it? This is hardly the kind of thng God would have had said--especially at this stage in the dialogue, but it is the slippery, religious sounding words that are designed to crush...to give supernatural authority to Eliphaz's torrent of accusations against Job. I mean, who can argue with what a spirit says?!
To state that this section is a quote from Satan does not detract from the authority/inerrancy of Scripture because the bible quotes many things from evil men or diabolical beings, without affirming that they are true--it is is simply a historical narrative of the ongoing reality of spiritual warfare and the drama of redemption. Eliphaz's assault on Job continues in chapter five, and the others chime in with same diabolical accusation.
Do you allow your spiritual experiences to eclipse the authority of the Word of God? Do you criticize others...especially behind their back, or when they are struggling? Hurting people hurt people, and we need to be tender.. I know you/we do, because James says that nobody has tamed their tongue..NOBODY. To avoid causing the same damage as Job's friends, please think before you speak.And I would be remiss if I didn't remind us that we are in spiritual warfare just as real as Job's was.It is very easy to wonder if God is displeased with us if we are hit with wave after wave of troubles.A thousand times NO! We live in a Fallen world in which everything is bent.There is nothing we can do, as God's children, to make Him love us any more, nor is there anything we can do to make Him love us any less. Discipline is real but beyond the scope of this blog.
“Remember that my life is a breath; my eye will never again see good.
8 The eye of him who sees me will behold me no more; while your eyes are on me, I shall be gone.
9 As the cloud fades and vanishes, so he who goes down to Sheol does not come up;
10 he returns no more to his house, nor does his place know him anymore..
I had to add these verses because they explicitly state that once a man dies he will NOT come back to Earth...not come back to his home. Is that not the main contention of the paranormal community? However, the bible explicitly denies it!
In Chapters 35-37 Elihu, the youngest, does what young men often do--blow off arrogantly.
Chapter 1 of Job (background for entire book)
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 8 And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?”
Job 4
Eliphaz Speaks: The Innocent Prosper
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2 “If one ventures a word with you, will you be impatient? Yet who can keep from speaking?
3 Behold, you have instructed many, and you have strengthened the weak hands.
4 Your words have upheld him who was stumbling, and you have made firm the feeble knees.
5 But now it has come to you, and you are impatient; it touches you, and you are dismayed.
6 Is not your fear of God your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope?
7 “Remember: who that was innocent ever perished? Or where were the upright cut off?
8 As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same.
9 By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of his anger they are consumed.
10 The roar of the lion, the voice of the fierce lion, the teeth of the young lions are broken.
11 The strong lion perishes for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.
12 “Now a word was brought to me stealthily; my ear received the whisper of it.
13 Amid thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men,
14 dread came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake.
15 A spirit glided past my face; the hair of my flesh stood up.
16 It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; there was silence, then I heard a voice:
17 ‘Can mortal man be in the right before God? Can a man be pure before his Maker?
18 Even in his servants he puts no trust, and his angels he charges with error;
19 how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed like the moth.
20 Between morning and evening they are beaten to pieces; they perish forever without anyone regarding it.
21 Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them, do they not die, and that without wisdom?’
Psalm 8... A Psalm of David.
1 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?
5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet,
7 all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
9 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
In the first chapter of Job, God declares what is the truth regarding Job; he is a blameless and righteous man. He says this to Satan's face, but the devil argues with God.
Oblivious to Satan's schemes behind the scenes (Job, that is), there is an all-out assault by the roaring lion to attack, and then further destroy this man of God through demonic/Satanic influence on the counsel given to Job from his friends.This poor man who has lost everything, including his children, is attacked relentlessly by his friends who have fallen prey to Satan's suggestion that one's circumstances reveal one's character. Jesus deals with this persistent lie in John 9. The notion that there is a one-to-one correspondence between one's circumstances and their sin, is a lie from hell. Many righteous people have suffered chronic and acute pain.
In the dialogue of chapters 3-31, and then Elihu later, the friends are seeking to judge the nature of the very thing to which the reader has been made privy: God's evaluation of Job as a righteous man.Neither Job nor his friends are aware of this heavenly encounter between God and Satan, in which the Lord sets the record straight regarding the integrity of Job. This background needs to be kept in mind while reading the entire dialogue, and especially the text quoted above.We find that his three friends are playing right into the hands of the evil one and contradicting God's assessment of Job, as mentioned in the first two chapters.In 1:8 the Lord says there is no man on Earth like Job, that is how highly esteemed he is in God's eyes!
Eliphaz is the first to speak to Job after he and his friends sat in compassionate silence for 7 days. They should have kept their mouths shut, but they didn't. I have not read any commentators that agree with what I'm about to say, so I am a bit hesitant. Although Eliphaz begins with a fairly gentle tone (4:3-4) sympathy for Job quickly fades. The character of Job is consistently, and with increasing viciousness, probed under the assumption that his moral failures account for his present plight.How cruel...and how common.
Eliphaz (v. 5-11) begins his attack, and he then appeals to a "paranormal" experience he had to buttress the authority of what he is saying (v.12-16). Notice how he describes his encounter.
He infers that an authoritative word from God came to him quietly and stealthily in the middle of the night via a spirit being. He saw an apparition which caused the hair on his neck to stand on end, dread and trembling...ever heard/felt that?! This spirit glided past his face, and then stood still. While he could see a form, he could not make out its appearance. Perhaps he was seeing what we call a "shadow figure."
I must confess that this description has a very familiar ring to it, doesn't it? Here is my interpretation. Eliphaz was so over-awed by this singular experience that any discernment went by the wayside.
Given the context of this book, it makes sense that Satan had an angel of Light experience with Eliphaz. He told God he had been wandering the Earth, and perhaps he paid this guy a visit...a very convincing paranormal encounter. Satan had a vested interest in making sure that Job's friends were his unwitting accomplices in accusing/destroying Job...in making him unravel, and thus making God look like the fool.
After trying to impress Job with the immensity of his supernatural encounter, Eliphaz then relays what this being said. I ask: does it accurately communicate what we already know is God's assessment of Job, or does he accuse, which is Satanic by definition?
It is my opinion that this book is the longest and clearest expression of diabolical influence on believer/s in the bible. Peter expressed Satanic influence, and was rebuked for it, when he told Jesus that the atonement wasn't cool.
The being waxes mystical in a way that brings accusation in through the back door. Trying to sound "holy" one can easily see this short paranormal sermon (v 17-21) so accents the transcendence of God, that He is transcended right out of the picture. Please read these verses and see if they reflect what we know is the truth regarding God's assessment of Job in chapter 1-2?
Why should He care for puny man (this is not the celebratory theme as found in Psalm 8--it is a diabolical mangling of our finitude) I have included Psalm 8 above so you can see the contrast between the Word of God and what I believe is a diabolical mirror image of Psalm 8. Psalm 8 is a hymn of praise, celebrating our privileged place in the created order, which speaks of the glorious Creator.There is utter astonishment that the God who is great enough to create the universe, has such tenderness towards us, and has made humans the pinnacle of His grand creation.In contrast, read verses 17-21 in Job, which comes from the mouth of this mysterious apparition.God's greatness is extolled, but man is left crushed and "little" in God's eyes. See the contrast? Would Satan extol God? Sure, if the end result is crushing Job in the process! In addition God's covenantal name (Yahweh) is mentioned twice in Psalm 8 (verses 1, 9) which accents our Lord as our Redeemer, and covenental love (hesed). Again,in contrast, the apparition never uses covenantal language for God. He wants to keep God so "way out there", that He has no time for us puny creatures.I could spend a long time contrasting these two texts, but would simply ask the reader to compare/contrast them for yourself and come to your own conclusion.
The question asked in v.17 has already been answered by God in chapters 1-2. JOB IS RIGHTEOUS IN GOD'S EYES. And given what we know, why would a messenger from God speak of crushing humans (like Job) every day..perishing with no one regarding it? This is hardly the kind of thng God would have had said--especially at this stage in the dialogue, but it is the slippery, religious sounding words that are designed to crush...to give supernatural authority to Eliphaz's torrent of accusations against Job. I mean, who can argue with what a spirit says?!
To state that this section is a quote from Satan does not detract from the authority/inerrancy of Scripture because the bible quotes many things from evil men or diabolical beings, without affirming that they are true--it is is simply a historical narrative of the ongoing reality of spiritual warfare and the drama of redemption. Eliphaz's assault on Job continues in chapter five, and the others chime in with same diabolical accusation.
Do you allow your spiritual experiences to eclipse the authority of the Word of God? Do you criticize others...especially behind their back, or when they are struggling? Hurting people hurt people, and we need to be tender.. I know you/we do, because James says that nobody has tamed their tongue..NOBODY. To avoid causing the same damage as Job's friends, please think before you speak.And I would be remiss if I didn't remind us that we are in spiritual warfare just as real as Job's was.It is very easy to wonder if God is displeased with us if we are hit with wave after wave of troubles.A thousand times NO! We live in a Fallen world in which everything is bent.There is nothing we can do, as God's children, to make Him love us any more, nor is there anything we can do to make Him love us any less. Discipline is real but beyond the scope of this blog.
“Remember that my life is a breath; my eye will never again see good.
8 The eye of him who sees me will behold me no more; while your eyes are on me, I shall be gone.
9 As the cloud fades and vanishes, so he who goes down to Sheol does not come up;
10 he returns no more to his house, nor does his place know him anymore..
I had to add these verses because they explicitly state that once a man dies he will NOT come back to Earth...not come back to his home. Is that not the main contention of the paranormal community? However, the bible explicitly denies it!
In Chapters 35-37 Elihu, the youngest, does what young men often do--blow off arrogantly.
"Seeing Ghosts through God's Eyes" (also in a Kindle edition)...please consider purchasing my book which uses science, logic, and the bible to analyze the true source of power behind paranormal activity.
Monday, March 30, 2015
His Holiness the Dalai Lama Meets Foreign Visitors to Dharamsala
“Some time ago I thought it would be good,” he said, “if, when there are quite a number of visitors here, I could meet with them and share with them some of my thoughts and experiences. So, you can not only see my face, but also hear about what I think.”
He mentioned that we are all the same as human beings. We all want to be happy and we all value each others’ affection. It is the experience of care and affection at the start of our lives that equips us to be able to show affection to others when we are older. He pointed out that scientists today have found that having constant feelings of anger and hatred is bad for our health, whereas showing affection does us good.
Addressing particularly the Indians in the audience, he said that Tibetans have historically regarded Indians as their gurus because it was from them that they gained their knowledge. He quoted a great Tibetan teacher of the 14/15th century who said that although Tibet is a Land of Snow and the colour of snow is white, until the light of wisdom came from India, Tibet had remained in the dark. His Holiness said that his own study of the philosophy and psychology as taught by masters of Nalanda University was the basis on which he has been able to converse with modern scientists over the last thirty years. It has been a mutually rewarding dialogue. He expressed appreciation of the growing numbers of educated Indians who are showing an interest in the science of mind and other aspects of the profound knowledge of ancient India, much of it still very relevant today.
He also spoke of his admiration for India’s longstanding tradition of secularism, its unbiased respect for all spiritual traditions and even for the individual’s right to adhere to none.
“We should adopt such a secular approach to inner values and moral principles, which should be taught in schools, where everyone can hear them, not just in temples, churches and mosques.”
His Holiness went on to discuss three aspects of religion: firstly the message of love, compassion, tolerance and contentment that all religions have in common. Secondly, there is the philosophical aspect on which they all differ. He compared those traditions that believe in a creator god with those that believe in principles of causality, the idea that good actions lead to happiness while unwholesomeness produces sorrow. He joked about how people lazily blame what happens on their ‘karma’ as if their destiny were beyond their control. They forget that ‘karma’ means action and that they are its agents.
Finally, he mentioned the cultural aspects of religion, customs that are subject to change. He cited the general principle of equal opportunity that the Buddha granted to men and to women and yet men are predominant.
“It’s time for this to change,” he said, “We should have more real equality. Similarly, the Buddha disregarded India’s caste system and today it’s time for an end to caste discrimination. This is a cultural aspect of religious tradition that spiritual teachers should speak out against.”
Lastly, His Holiness remarked that he is Tibetan with a deep concern to preserve Tibet’s culture of peace, non-violence and compassion, values that can be of benefit to everyone. He also spoke of his concern to preserve Tibet’s natural ecology, noting that in terms of its glaciers Tibet is like a Third Pole. From these sources flow the major rivers of Asia that are crucial to the water supply of a billion people.
At the end of his outline of his three commitments: the promotion of inner values as the source of real happiness, the fostering of inter-religious harmony, as exemplified in India, and the preservation of Tibet’s language, culture and environment, he appealed to his listeners:
“If anything I’ve said has been of any interest, think about it some more and discuss it with your family and friends. Thank you. The day after tomorrow I’m leaving for Japan. See you again.”
Original link with photos http://dalailama.com/news/post/1255-his-holiness-the-dalai-lama-meets-foreign-visitors-to-dharamsala
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Symptoms of Spiritual Pollution, Part 2
Continued from:
Symptoms of Spiritual Pollution, Part 1
In our continuation of the blog on spiritual pollution I will cover the aspects of our houses and thus our property. Sadly, in our current society today many Christian homes are spiritually polluted (defiled) which demons flock to. This gives reason as to why so many husbands, wives’, daughters’ and sons are alcoholics, drug abusers, verbally abusive, or physically abusive. To add insult to injury, many of the homes contain the rosary which is professed by Catholics during prayer work. If you are not aware the rosary represents many different prayers unto the dead (including saints). Thus praying to dead human beings to intervene on our behalf spiritually as well as the saints is an abomination to the Lord and this is “Spiritism.”
Notice that in these homes a cross is present but the cross is empty today with no broken body of Lord Jesus (which is considered a torture device). This pattern is becoming more and more prevalent in our homes as well as churches. Images or sculptures of the Virgin Mary, the black Madonna, and the “Saints” etc. also give rise to Idolatry. Gifts of discerning of spirits are very much needed here, but with spiritual pollution occurring the Holy Spirit will flee. There is a huge difference between a demonic visitation and a demonic habitation. Unfortunately many people do not understand the difference between these two aspects.
So what then is a spiritual housecleaning? This is a devotion or pledge to God to renounce all the "garbage" in your life. However many people will not do this for they feel they have earned the right to hold onto this "garbage" for it is what made them who they are. The sources of spiritual pollution are listed as an example below:
1) Things related to heathen worship (Voodoo dolls, spirit masks, snakes, dragons, thunder birds, phoenixes, etc...).
2) Things related to past sin (necklace, love letters, photos).
3) Things with unknown history, (dedicate them to the Lord, pray about them. If problem persists, get rid of it).
4) Things that have become gods in our lives: (Collections, antiques, clothing, money, jewelry, etc…).
5) Ouija board (also known as a witch’s board).
6) Games such as or the like of Dungeons and dragons, Masters of universe, Pokemon (pocket – monster) and certain video games with witchcraft references, extreme violence, demonic or occult entities and images.
7) Buddhist, Hindu or other eastern worship artifacts.
8) Certain indigenous art or pagan worship items, Egyptian ankh (the cross with a loop on top).
9) Items related to Satanism, witchcraft, New age, Yoga, Unity, Zodiac, Crescent moon, crystal ball, pyramids, ancient obelisks or the Asherah poles of old testament, martial arts, judo karate.
10) Things related to astrology, horoscopes, and geomancy, Edgar Cayce, Jean Dixon.
11) Comic books, Rock posters, hard rock, music and materials with obvious images of darkness.
12) Pornographic materials of any kind, (including any explicit sexual videos, books, cable and satellite TV channels and Internet sites.)
13) Art with obvious demonic representations, such as: snakes, spirits, death, gargoyles, skulls and dragons etc.
14) Material related to Mormonism, Jehovah Witness, Unity church, Scientology, ancestral worship, Northern Mythology, Islam, Rosicrucianism, Zen, Hare Krishna, etc.
15) Things related to secret societies like Freemasonry, Eastern Star, Knights of Malta, Skull and Bones, Illuminati, etc.
16) Certain children’s books or movies, such as Harry Potter, which encourage children to seek access to spiritual power unauthorized by god.
17) Good luck charms. Amulets, fetishes.
18) Masonic rings, Masonic aprons, books or rings oriental, yin and yang symbols, fortune telling with tea leaves, tarot cards, talisman, etc.
19) Movies with occult messages, extreme violence, excessive foul language or explicit sexual content.
20) Books, novels that focus on sensuality or death and destruction.
21) Masks - death, demons, witches, etc.
22) Halloween: origin is the Celtic festival of Sanhedrin, Lord of death and evil spirits. To please the wandering spirits black sheep, cats, horses, human beings were offered as blood sacrifices thus candy has replaced the offering.
All of us want to have our homes to be spotless and fine. However, what we should have a desire for is our souls to be spotless and fine. Scripture states in 1 Corinthians 3:16 (KJV) "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" The purification process according to the Holy Bible is as follows that we are to put away the leaven. Leaven in scripture is referenced as sin, evil or false doctrine.
Objects of idolatry in our found in homes are a curse. Deuteronomy 7:25-26 "the graven images of their gods shall you burn with fire. You shall not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor takes it unto you, lest you be snared therein. For it is an abomination to the Lord your God." v/26 "neither shall you bring an abomination into your house, lest you be a cursed thing like it, but you shall utterly detest it and you shall utterly abhor it, for it is a cursed thing."
As stated I would provide the 7 steps to purification and here are the seven steps to purification:
1. Present yourself before the Lord for His inspection! Self-evaluation is not enough and is deceitful. Do as David did, he prayed, “Search me oh God, and know my heart, try me and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Ps. 139: 23-24.
2. Sanctify yourself. Cleanse your home of pornography and sin, defiled literature as well as movies. Sanctification is to be set aside for God as for his purpose.
3. Locate the offensive items to God. Achan's sin was located to the ground in his tent, with the silver (50 shekel) underneath.
4. Rid yourself of those things that defile. Remove anything that relates to the occult, heathen worship and to sin, and destroy them.
5. Be serious about it. Don’t allow your children, husband or wife to pollute, defile the house/home. Stop them and be very determined.
6. Renounce the enemy and your association with him. Break any contract or unholy ties. Renounce out loud and boldly. Repeat this renouncing for every item and every person involved.
7. Finally, consecrate your life and property to the glory of the Lord. Some Christians choose to anoint the house with oil as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. This is called a prophetic act.
Thus as Lord Jesus stated that in extremely grave cases prayer and fasting is required. Mark 9:29 (KJV) “And he said unto them, this kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.” I pray this shares light into your realm as to why these "unholy entities" are upon those who are not purified with the Lord Jesus and thus are spiritually polluted individuals. God's blessings and prayers that some of you will turn from your ways and hear the call that Jesus asks us to do to become spiritually pure.
Rev. Bradley Luoma, Exorcist
Symptoms of Spiritual Pollution, Part 1
In our continuation of the blog on spiritual pollution I will cover the aspects of our houses and thus our property. Sadly, in our current society today many Christian homes are spiritually polluted (defiled) which demons flock to. This gives reason as to why so many husbands, wives’, daughters’ and sons are alcoholics, drug abusers, verbally abusive, or physically abusive. To add insult to injury, many of the homes contain the rosary which is professed by Catholics during prayer work. If you are not aware the rosary represents many different prayers unto the dead (including saints). Thus praying to dead human beings to intervene on our behalf spiritually as well as the saints is an abomination to the Lord and this is “Spiritism.”
Notice that in these homes a cross is present but the cross is empty today with no broken body of Lord Jesus (which is considered a torture device). This pattern is becoming more and more prevalent in our homes as well as churches. Images or sculptures of the Virgin Mary, the black Madonna, and the “Saints” etc. also give rise to Idolatry. Gifts of discerning of spirits are very much needed here, but with spiritual pollution occurring the Holy Spirit will flee. There is a huge difference between a demonic visitation and a demonic habitation. Unfortunately many people do not understand the difference between these two aspects.
So what then is a spiritual housecleaning? This is a devotion or pledge to God to renounce all the "garbage" in your life. However many people will not do this for they feel they have earned the right to hold onto this "garbage" for it is what made them who they are. The sources of spiritual pollution are listed as an example below:
1) Things related to heathen worship (Voodoo dolls, spirit masks, snakes, dragons, thunder birds, phoenixes, etc...).
2) Things related to past sin (necklace, love letters, photos).
3) Things with unknown history, (dedicate them to the Lord, pray about them. If problem persists, get rid of it).
4) Things that have become gods in our lives: (Collections, antiques, clothing, money, jewelry, etc…).
5) Ouija board (also known as a witch’s board).
6) Games such as or the like of Dungeons and dragons, Masters of universe, Pokemon (pocket – monster) and certain video games with witchcraft references, extreme violence, demonic or occult entities and images.
7) Buddhist, Hindu or other eastern worship artifacts.
8) Certain indigenous art or pagan worship items, Egyptian ankh (the cross with a loop on top).
9) Items related to Satanism, witchcraft, New age, Yoga, Unity, Zodiac, Crescent moon, crystal ball, pyramids, ancient obelisks or the Asherah poles of old testament, martial arts, judo karate.
10) Things related to astrology, horoscopes, and geomancy, Edgar Cayce, Jean Dixon.
11) Comic books, Rock posters, hard rock, music and materials with obvious images of darkness.
12) Pornographic materials of any kind, (including any explicit sexual videos, books, cable and satellite TV channels and Internet sites.)
13) Art with obvious demonic representations, such as: snakes, spirits, death, gargoyles, skulls and dragons etc.
14) Material related to Mormonism, Jehovah Witness, Unity church, Scientology, ancestral worship, Northern Mythology, Islam, Rosicrucianism, Zen, Hare Krishna, etc.
15) Things related to secret societies like Freemasonry, Eastern Star, Knights of Malta, Skull and Bones, Illuminati, etc.
16) Certain children’s books or movies, such as Harry Potter, which encourage children to seek access to spiritual power unauthorized by god.
17) Good luck charms. Amulets, fetishes.
18) Masonic rings, Masonic aprons, books or rings oriental, yin and yang symbols, fortune telling with tea leaves, tarot cards, talisman, etc.
19) Movies with occult messages, extreme violence, excessive foul language or explicit sexual content.
20) Books, novels that focus on sensuality or death and destruction.
21) Masks - death, demons, witches, etc.
22) Halloween: origin is the Celtic festival of Sanhedrin, Lord of death and evil spirits. To please the wandering spirits black sheep, cats, horses, human beings were offered as blood sacrifices thus candy has replaced the offering.
All of us want to have our homes to be spotless and fine. However, what we should have a desire for is our souls to be spotless and fine. Scripture states in 1 Corinthians 3:16 (KJV) "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" The purification process according to the Holy Bible is as follows that we are to put away the leaven. Leaven in scripture is referenced as sin, evil or false doctrine.
Objects of idolatry in our found in homes are a curse. Deuteronomy 7:25-26 "the graven images of their gods shall you burn with fire. You shall not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor takes it unto you, lest you be snared therein. For it is an abomination to the Lord your God." v/26 "neither shall you bring an abomination into your house, lest you be a cursed thing like it, but you shall utterly detest it and you shall utterly abhor it, for it is a cursed thing."
As stated I would provide the 7 steps to purification and here are the seven steps to purification:
1. Present yourself before the Lord for His inspection! Self-evaluation is not enough and is deceitful. Do as David did, he prayed, “Search me oh God, and know my heart, try me and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Ps. 139: 23-24.
2. Sanctify yourself. Cleanse your home of pornography and sin, defiled literature as well as movies. Sanctification is to be set aside for God as for his purpose.
3. Locate the offensive items to God. Achan's sin was located to the ground in his tent, with the silver (50 shekel) underneath.
4. Rid yourself of those things that defile. Remove anything that relates to the occult, heathen worship and to sin, and destroy them.
5. Be serious about it. Don’t allow your children, husband or wife to pollute, defile the house/home. Stop them and be very determined.
6. Renounce the enemy and your association with him. Break any contract or unholy ties. Renounce out loud and boldly. Repeat this renouncing for every item and every person involved.
7. Finally, consecrate your life and property to the glory of the Lord. Some Christians choose to anoint the house with oil as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. This is called a prophetic act.
Thus as Lord Jesus stated that in extremely grave cases prayer and fasting is required. Mark 9:29 (KJV) “And he said unto them, this kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.” I pray this shares light into your realm as to why these "unholy entities" are upon those who are not purified with the Lord Jesus and thus are spiritually polluted individuals. God's blessings and prayers that some of you will turn from your ways and hear the call that Jesus asks us to do to become spiritually pure.
Rev. Bradley Luoma, Exorcist
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Is It Dangerous Taking A Interest In Demons And Demonology?
In my humble opinion if this is not a calling from Jesus Christ then yes, it's very dangerous getting to nosy. It can lead to obsession as that is already a major problem that started developing since 2004 when these ghost shows started. Many people out there have no business trying to get involved. I have proof of my education and references starting in 1992 before the reality tv shows. I had to hide this back in the day. My father was mocked being a Preacher and dealing with these things that sadly came with the job for lack of better words. It was just doing funerals, weddings, baptisms and church services. I pray before and after I go over EVP's or video. This is very serious stuff people. Google slender man. You will be shocked and it's only becoming more popular. Let's be obsessed with Angels of The Lord who can take out a army of demons with the snap of a finger. Have you not heard about the wrath of these Angels? There is a reason why demons FEAR they're smite. When a location has demons due to legal rights they never leave until they are banished. That means anyone coming into that building, home or property are in danger. Doing EVP's in your home are welcoming any demonic being to come on in and stay a while. They take that legal right and run with it. Watching these reality ghost hunting shows too much getting way too involved in them paying money to go see these wanna be celebs (not all bust most are) is inviting all that mess in your life. I still do things inadvertently that allow this. I'm human, I sin and I will always make these mistakes but thank God for giving his only Son to die on the cross of Calvary so that we may have ever lasting life. Know this, say this out loud. These evil things shutter at the name of Jesus Christ. My heart is with him and he is in mine. He is my savior and Lord. Nothing will ever change that. I was not forced to believe anything. I was allowed to use my own head to decide this.
One of my favorite shows is Sid Roths "It's Supernatural" on the Christian channel. He is a Jewish man who believes Christ is the son of God. He has some amazing guests who share stories of the experience they have had with the demonic and the supernatural realm that started with harmless ghost hunting or researching and spending a lot of time wanting to know more. It's a slippery slope my friends. In 1992 is when I officially started full force into this and I still very much dislike this ministry. You don't have many friends and you are deemed a liar or nut case. I work for God and I trust whatever he has for me to do. I no longer really care what man thinks or what others say.
Sid Roth He had a guest named Mel Bond who like me had the gift of the Spirit, discernment. God allowed him to see demons and this dark world in order to help people. I always wondered why God allowed me to be privy to the most dark disturbing things that puts your worst nightmare in the category of mild dreams. Half the time I stay quiet as I witness these vile things. This man Mel Bond has a amazing ministry and books that speak about the gift of the spirits and I suggest this as a great read. You can also find YouTube videos as well.
Many who dabble in researching this come across people with strange and outrageous claims. And as a serious investigator for lack of better words, we all know that many people will lie only get their faces on television and attention.
We must realize now that there are those that just want attention. And making claims that the devil is hiding inside of them is often a true way to get the community to notice them.
Though now a days a direct school of thought is that such hoax's might lead to serious incidents and still these bogus claims might just be the devil actually at work behind the scenes.
For those that make the real claims that someone in their life is possessed by a devil or ghosts or diabolical dark forces or often the person of suspicion. Their terrible claims range from extraordinary claims of people walking on ceilings, strange voices coming from peoples stomachs, and what seems to be snippets taken straight out of current movies like Paranormal Activity and the demonic classic of all times The Exorcist. And of course whether we the people alive today believe it or not, there are in this world many individuals that seek out demonic forces. And their intent for such and serious reasons can vary.
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. More attempted murders have 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. It will be created from all the hysteria. We need Christ more than ever. Cling to the Father and is 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.
Written By Jennifer Lori Auld
One of my favorite shows is Sid Roths "It's Supernatural" on the Christian channel. He is a Jewish man who believes Christ is the son of God. He has some amazing guests who share stories of the experience they have had with the demonic and the supernatural realm that started with harmless ghost hunting or researching and spending a lot of time wanting to know more. It's a slippery slope my friends. In 1992 is when I officially started full force into this and I still very much dislike this ministry. You don't have many friends and you are deemed a liar or nut case. I work for God and I trust whatever he has for me to do. I no longer really care what man thinks or what others say.
Sid Roth He had a guest named Mel Bond who like me had the gift of the Spirit, discernment. God allowed him to see demons and this dark world in order to help people. I always wondered why God allowed me to be privy to the most dark disturbing things that puts your worst nightmare in the category of mild dreams. Half the time I stay quiet as I witness these vile things. This man Mel Bond has a amazing ministry and books that speak about the gift of the spirits and I suggest this as a great read. You can also find YouTube videos as well.
Many who dabble in researching this come across people with strange and outrageous claims. And as a serious investigator for lack of better words, we all know that many people will lie only get their faces on television and attention.
We must realize now that there are those that just want attention. And making claims that the devil is hiding inside of them is often a true way to get the community to notice them.
Though now a days a direct school of thought is that such hoax's might lead to serious incidents and still these bogus claims might just be the devil actually at work behind the scenes.
For those that make the real claims that someone in their life is possessed by a devil or ghosts or diabolical dark forces or often the person of suspicion. Their terrible claims range from extraordinary claims of people walking on ceilings, strange voices coming from peoples stomachs, and what seems to be snippets taken straight out of current movies like Paranormal Activity and the demonic classic of all times The Exorcist. And of course whether we the people alive today believe it or not, there are in this world many individuals that seek out demonic forces. And their intent for such and serious reasons can vary.
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. More attempted murders have 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. It will be created from all the hysteria. We need Christ more than ever. Cling to the Father and is 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.
Written By Jennifer Lori Auld
Friday, March 27, 2015
Parenting--the Pleasures and the Pain
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” (Malachi 4:6)
[last verse in Old Testament.]
13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” Luke
And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. (Colossians 3:21)
By Reverend Mark Hunnemann
I have three children and three grandchildren, and they are the joy my heart. I'm sure many of you can relate. It is often said that there is not a handbook on parenting but that is not true; the bible has many insights into parenting. In fact, the book of Proverbs begins as a"handbook" from father (Solomon) to his children.
My greatest pleasures, as well as my greatest pain, has stemmed from parenting. Let me quickly add that the pain part was not necessarily due to my children's faults, but to my faults as a dad. Out of respect for my kids I will not mention personal details.
How do we know how to raise our children? How do we teach them how to love and respect others?
What does it mean to display mature masculinity or femininity? How do we teach them the difference between right and wrong? And what do we tell them is the most important thing in life? How do we attain eternal life? Without the bible we are left to wing it or do what our own parents taught us...but were they right?
Mary, the mother of Jesus, was told that a "sword would pierce her soul." A sword through the heart is an apt description of what parental pain feels like at times.Was Jesus ever spanked? I'm sure He was, not because of anything He did (He was sinless), but because Mary and Joseph were not perfect parents--all parents overreact at times, in some way...
It is instructive that the last comment in the Old Testament has to do with parents turning their hearts toward their children, and vice versa. There are thousands of images that the Lord could have chosen to symbolize the in breaking of the New Covenant, but the Lord chose the image of a parent turning their naturally selfish heart toward loving deeply their children. This shows how the gospel has a deeply invasive affect on the most basic of institutions, the family. Malachi is the last book in the Hebrew Old Testament and the last verse in the last chapter speaks to this matter of parents turning their hearts toward their kids. 400 years go by and when the New Testament opens, it is as if the Lord was still 'on the same page'....He does not skip a beat, but continues with the same imagery. He tells us that John the Baptist and Jesus will fulfill the prophecy of turning the hearts of the parents to their kids. He did not skip a beat over 400 years--obviously this is crucial to God.The point is this--we are all selfish and we need to daily ask God to turn our hearts to our children, and their hearts toward us.We need to ask the Lord for wisdom in knowing how to shepherd our children's hearts.
Parents, please take yourself and your children to church; a loving church that preaches the bible. Some of us have older children so all we can do is pray and gently suggest that we all need help with parenting, and a good children's ministry is invaluable. If you have younger children one of the most important things you can do as a parent is regular attendance at church. My family is not the only one that has had a painful experience with a church, but that is no reason to throw out the baby with the bath water.
Loving God is the single most important thing we can teach our children. But where do we learn how to love God? Reading the bible, and again, attending a good church with a solid children's ministry. Let me say this--cultivating your own personal relationship with God (through bible reading and prayer) is the most loving thing you can do for your child/ren. The Lord loves our children infinitely more than we do, and He created parenting/family. He longs for us to seek the wisdom we need for this unspeakably wonderful adventure.
Please, from the bottom of my heart, look to the Lord to help you with both the pleasures and the pain of parenting.
"Seeing Ghosts through God's Eyes" (also in a Kindle edition)...please consider purchasing my book which uses science, logic, and the bible to analyze the true source of power behind paranormal activity.
Monday, March 23, 2015
Interacting with Students and Teaching from Nagarjuna’s ‘Fundamental Wisdom’
“I am very happy to be here with you young people,” he told them. “Physically you are full of energy, still growing. For a person of 80 like me to be with you makes me feel fresh, whereas when I’m with other old people I tend to wonder who’ll go first me or them. As human beings, whether we are young or old, from the North or the South, whether we have a religious faith or not, there are no real differences between us. That’s why I always stress that we need to cultivate a sense of the oneness of all 7 billion human beings alive today.
“We’ve all been born from a mother who showered us with affection. Indeed without it we wouldn’t have survived. This maternal instinct is common to all mammals like us, but can even be seen in the way a butterfly looks for a safe place to lay her eggs on a leaf, since she will not be there when they hatch. Starting with our mother’s care, we all have experience of receiving help from others. People who benefit in infancy from their mother’s affection are happier later in life and more able to show affection to others.”
He said that if, on the contrary, we are full of fear, we will trust no one, and when we trust no one, we have no friends. Today, as people grow up, they tend to see things in materialistic terms of money and power. When there is also a lack of moral principles, this too easily leads to corruption, cheating and exploitation at a local and national level. The idea of war in which one side is victorious and the other is defeated is out of date. Now that we are so interdependent, our enemy’s destruction harms and does not benefit us.
His Holiness then told his audience he would like to hear their questions and the first, from a young man was a request for him to clarify his stance on homosexuality. He replied:
“This depends a lot on the individual’s situation. In general, if you are religious, you should try to follow the rules of your faith. There are a variety of activities that the Buddha’s teaching refers to as sexual misconduct. It’s better to avoid these, but if you do them, it doesn’t mean you cease to be a Buddhist. Those who hold the vows of a lay practitioner, a novice or a fully-ordained monk or nun are bound by four main pledges: not to kill a human being; not to tell a great lie, deceiving others about your spiritual attainments; stealing and sexual misconduct. If you commit any of these, you lose your vows and, for example, cease to be a monk or nun. In this context, sexual misconduct includes oral and anal sex, whereas masturbation, although considered wrong, does not entail your ceasing to be a monk,
“On the other hand, if you follow no religion, you are 100% free to do what you like, provided what you do is safe and doesn’t put you or anyone else at risk.”
A young woman wanted to know how to acquire genuine friends and His Holiness told her that you gather the kind of friends who stand by you, even when times are hard, by being honest, truthful and compassionate yourself. He said that if, on the other hand, you are filled with suspicion, you won’t easily attract such friends.
Another questioner asked if science and technology in general are helpful or harmful. His Holiness replied that he views them as helpful. He said:
“I love science and I admire the way most scientists are open-minded, free of bias and depend on reason.”
Asked how society should deal with terrorists, His Holiness agreed that it is a serious problem, but one that is a result of our past mistakes, particularly the idea that problems can be resolved by force.
In answer to a question about Chinese behaviour in Tibet, His Holiness said he wanted to distinguish between the Chinese people as a whole and the Chinese government. Within the government he wanted to distinguish between ordinary people and the hardliners who are lacking in knowledge. He said the existence of three empires, Tibetan, Mongolian and Chinese in the 7th, 8th and 9th centuries is a historical fact. He contrasted this with India that emerged as a united country after independence in 1947, having previously been only a collection of smaller kingdoms.
Before the session came to an end, student representatives announced projects they were taking on to make a contribution to creating a better world. They included efforts to support human rights, the sustainability of the environment, providing educational help to the economically weaker sections of society, providing educational help in villages and supporting the rights of women and children. Each announcement was met with applause. His Holiness remarked:
“These projects are wonderful. I’d like to share some of my experience with you. At the age of 16 I lost my freedom, at 24 I lost my country. I’ve spent 56 years as a refugee during which time the news has been continuously sad. But even under such circumstances I never lost hope or gave up my determination. Your success too will depend on your determination and self-confidence. Remember, if you benefit society, society will support you.”
In the afternoon, His Holiness returned to a completely different audience consisting of more than 340 adults, virtually all of them Indians. Rajiv Mehrotra, Secretary of the Foundation for Universal Responsibility, introduced His Holiness, who responded:
“Thank you Rajiv, my long-term, trusted friend. I appreciate your good work. Thank you for organizing this annual gathering again.”
He said that to gain a deeper understanding of reality, we need to employ intelligence and analysis to address our destructive emotions that are rooted in ignorance.
“As a practitioner I am now 80 years old and for the last 30 or 40 years I have thought seriously about what Nagarjuna has taught. I’ve found it’s really useful in tackling our destructive emotions. Practice isn’t just a matter of closing your eyes, but really engaging in analysis. Some friends ask why the Dalai Lama used always to talk about compassion, compassion, but now always seems to talk about shunya or emptiness. It’s because this is what I’ve found to be effective.”
He said that the Mulamadhyamakakarika, Nagarjuna’s ‘Fundamental Wisdom’ is the most important of his six collections of reasoning and consists of 27 chapters.
He remarked that the Buddha’s first turning of the wheel of Dharma consisted of his explanation of the Four Noble Truths, their nature, function and result that comes from practice. He pointed out that the Buddha was once an ordinary sentient being like any of us, but due to previous Buddhas’ teachings he set out to transform his mind and eventually became a Buddha.
His Holiness mentioned that all four schools of Buddhist thought, the Vaibhashika, Sautrantaka, Chittamatra and Madhyamaka accept the Two Truths, the truth of conventional appearance and the truth of deeper reality. The first two, the Vaibhashika and Sautrantaka accept that things exist externally. The Chittamatra or Mind Only school, however, say that so long as there is an observer there can be an observed object, thus challenging that it exists externally. This corresponds to Quantum Physics’ assertion that things have no objective existence. For Madhyamakas, things exist on the basis of designation. They do not exist ultimately, but do exist by way of convention.
Observing that, of the three great ancient civilizations, the Egyptian, Chinese and Indus Valley civilization, the latter seems to have produced a far larger number of great thinkers. He recalled a moving occasion when he actively returned aspects of the ancient Indian heritage to its Indian heirs by granting the Guhyasamaja empowerment to four teachers from the Benares Sanskrit University including Professors Tripathi, Upadhyaya and Tiwari.
His Holiness began his explanation of Nagarjuna’s ‘Fundamental Wisdom’ by reading the first six verses of Chapter 24. He said that to defeat the ignorance that is the basis of destructive emotions it’s necessary to refute the misconception of self. He noted that destructive emotions arise spontaneously and impulsively, whereas positive emotions that are a result of reasoning arise more slowly, but are more stable. This is why, he said, he has been encouraging scientists to participate in drawing up a map of the emotions.
As he continued to read through the verses, His Holiness explained that during the first turning of the wheel of dharma and the explanation of the Four Noble Truths, the explanation of the third Noble Truth hinted at the understanding of reality that can eliminate destructive emotions. During the second turning of the wheel, he elaborated on the experience of emptiness and during the third turning of the wheel, he clarified the nature of consciousness.
Towards the end of the session, His Holiness took questions from the audience. He will resume his reading of ‘Fundamental Wisdom’ tomorrow.
DalaiLama.com link including photos: http://dalailama.com/news/post/1246-interacting-with-school-students-and-teaching-from-nagarjunas-fundamental-wisdom
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