By Reap Paden
It's another one of those paranormal subjects that so many people claim to be experts on...demons. There are many things that need to be taken into consideration when talking about demons. The logical place to begin would be the origin of demons, why did people start to believe in demons in the first place? Imagine back before medicine had advanced to the point it is today. If a person was to have one of the 6 general types of seizures listed here how would people explain it?
1) Grand-Mal seizure- the person loses consciousness and usually collapses. The loss of consciousness is followed by generalized body stiffening for 30 to 60 seconds, then by violent jerking for 30 to 60 seconds, after which the patient goes into a deep sleep. During grand-mal seizures, injuries and accidents may occur, such as tongue biting and urinary incontinence.
2) Absence seizures- causes a short loss of consciousness (just a few seconds) with few or no symptoms. These types of seizures happen most often to children and typically interrupts an activity and causes them to stare blankly. These seizures begin and end abruptly and may occur several times a day. People are usually not aware that they are having a seizure, except that they may be aware of "losing time."
3) Myoclonic seizures consist of sporadic jerks, usually on both sides of the body. Similar to brief electrical shocks. When violent, these seizures may result in dropping or involuntarily throwing objects.
4) Clonic seizures- repetitive, rhythmic jerks that involve both sides of the body at the same time.
5) Tonic seizures- a stiffening of the muscles.
6) Atonic seizures- A sudden and general loss of muscle tone, particularly in the arms and legs, which often results in a fall.
Any one of these would cause a person to be a bit freaked out either by having one or witnessing it, even if you knew the cause. What if you couldn't know the cause because science had not advanced far enough yet? People who had seizures were thought to be possessed by demons because there simply was no other explanation. There are explanations now, and if any doctor (or chip coffey) was to try and tell you the reason your child was having any of the above symptoms was demon possession you probably wouldn't be making that doctor your child's primary care physician unless you had a selfish need to be on television.
Another cause for people to believe someone was possessed by demons would be mental illness/side effects resulting from substances. I believe this to be the main cause of people claiming demon possession is real in modern times.
I believe any person or persons who claims that demons are walking amongst us, possessing people, and causing them to do things against their will needs to do some study on the brain and how it can be effected by chemicals and illness.
Any reasonable person would have to agree that the symptoms of seizures, drug abuse, mental illness, or just a need for attention could be mistaken for a demon possession. Despite this fact we see more and more people from the paranormal community raising their hands up and claiming to know something about 'demonology'. There is no reliable proof of demons. I spoke to a person who believed in demons yesterday. I asked him why he believed in demons and he answered "Because I've seen one" He described a short creature in a hooded garment. This went against all of the research I had seen on what demons were. My research described demons as having no form unless they had a host which was why they possessed people in the first place. After thinking about this and speaking with a couple other people I realized everyone I had spoken to gave a different definition as to what a demon was and how it would manifest itself, yet they all claimed to have been " studying demons for years" ....So much for experts.
I asked one guy if he could tell me why I had not ever seen or felt a demon after multiple times try to conjure one using various tactics. He told me I must be 'too strong' . Demons, by definition are only susceptible to the power of jesus. This is not a point open for debate IF demons are real then only the power of christ can fight them. I can't even say jesus really existed much less that he is fending off demons for me (I would like to thank him in-case he is fighting off demons for me without my knowledge, I'll be sure to purchase a nice gift for him at X-mas).
Then my demon expert told me a 'special door' needed to be opened in order to allow demons into this realm, he knew a way to open that 'door' but would not share it with anyone because it was far too dangerous. While thankful of his concern for my safety it seemed a bit egotistical for him to assume I was unable to handle such knowledge. I mean, really? My demonology expert warned me over and over how dangerous it was and begged me to be careful. The one thing that did scare me is I think this person actually believed what he was saying.
This brings me to another point- Why do people in the paranormal believe that nature makes so many mistakes? People like chip coffey who claim to have some sort of genetic defect that gives him an ability no one else has? I've said this before- The x-men are cartoon characters and people do not gain special abilities from radiation exposure either.
Let me wrap it up with this- You 'demon hunters out there? You need to be able to know there is not some other cause for what you think is a demon. You need to be educated enough to diagnose mental and physical conditions which could be causing a 'possession'. "I just know" or "I could feel an evil energy" does not cut it. You are involving yourself in another persons life in ways which could effect them and everyone they come in contact with for the rest of their lives. This is not something you should be doing unless you are an EDUCATED PROFESSIONAL in all aspects of what could a factor for a person claiming to be a victim of demons. Otherwise, mind your own damn business. Our mental health-care system is bad enough off, we don't need anyone helping others to become even more ill by supporting their delusions.Using the same explanations used by people in the dark ages is not the best way to the truth otherwise we would still be using the pear or iron maiden in our court system.
Next time I will be discussing your brain and why you can't trust it.
Looking inside the spiritual & literary worlds
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Issue 51 – Times Change—Reporting Continues!
By Kirby Robinson
It has been a very active fall for the staff of the EYE ON THE PARANORMAL. In just a few weeks we've gone from one post a week to a fine, dedicated staff of weekly and bi-monthly posters. Here is our current list of special contributors:
Monday: Ryan Harshbarger
Tuesday: Lisa Maliga
Wednesday: Kirby Robinson
[Every other] Thursday: Reap Paden
Friday: Dr. Michael Frisbee, DD/DM
Saturday: Martha Hazzard-Decker
Sunday: Reserved for Worldwide Prayer Circle
If you have the guts to take over my Wednesday spot every week, let me know. You'll need to have strong writing ability along with a thick skin. Contact me freeallspirits@live.com and we can get things set up.
WORLDWIDE PRAYER CIRCLE RETURNS ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4!
Due to demand by our readers, we're bringing back the prayer circle. Every Sunday, people from all faiths and from anywhere in the world, can post their prayer needs no matter how great or small. This is for you, your friends, family—anyone. Let's bring glory to the powers of love, faith and compassion.
OUR HARDEST HITTING INVESTIGATION YET!
Starting Wednesday, Nov 30 [we're giving our writers the week of Thanksgiving off] we'll launch a series of posts concerning online predators. These are people that have stalked, lied to, used, and abused Facebook pages and websites dedicated to the show Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal. We've received many warnings of violence and lawsuits if we go forward with this investigation. That tells us we are onto something. Apparently, no one within the paranormal community has the guts to say what it is…
LOS ANGELES: CITY OF ANGELS OR FALLEN ANGELS?
I have spent very little time this year in LALA-land and, unfortunately haven't been able to handle any cases there. A few weeks ago, I was given a case of a lady who has been dealing with a possible demonic attack directed at her home/life. I've been trying to find her some help. To date, whether it is a paranormal team or a church, no help has been found. But here is a list of excuses:
1 One church representative informed me there was no such thing as demons.
2 A church representative said they only helped church members. [Non-members would have to join the church in order to receive help.]
3 Another representative of a church informed me that they only worked with certain races.
4 One paranormal team asked for a fee upfront. The other asked to be paid at the end of the case.
5 The majority of churches contacted never returned my calls and/or emails.
So what does this tell us about the City of Angels?
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.
It has been a very active fall for the staff of the EYE ON THE PARANORMAL. In just a few weeks we've gone from one post a week to a fine, dedicated staff of weekly and bi-monthly posters. Here is our current list of special contributors:
Monday: Ryan Harshbarger
Tuesday: Lisa Maliga
Wednesday: Kirby Robinson
[Every other] Thursday: Reap Paden
Friday: Dr. Michael Frisbee, DD/DM
Saturday: Martha Hazzard-Decker
Sunday: Reserved for Worldwide Prayer Circle
If you have the guts to take over my Wednesday spot every week, let me know. You'll need to have strong writing ability along with a thick skin. Contact me freeallspirits@live.com and we can get things set up.
WORLDWIDE PRAYER CIRCLE RETURNS ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4!
Due to demand by our readers, we're bringing back the prayer circle. Every Sunday, people from all faiths and from anywhere in the world, can post their prayer needs no matter how great or small. This is for you, your friends, family—anyone. Let's bring glory to the powers of love, faith and compassion.
OUR HARDEST HITTING INVESTIGATION YET!
Starting Wednesday, Nov 30 [we're giving our writers the week of Thanksgiving off] we'll launch a series of posts concerning online predators. These are people that have stalked, lied to, used, and abused Facebook pages and websites dedicated to the show Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal. We've received many warnings of violence and lawsuits if we go forward with this investigation. That tells us we are onto something. Apparently, no one within the paranormal community has the guts to say what it is…
LOS ANGELES: CITY OF ANGELS OR FALLEN ANGELS?
I have spent very little time this year in LALA-land and, unfortunately haven't been able to handle any cases there. A few weeks ago, I was given a case of a lady who has been dealing with a possible demonic attack directed at her home/life. I've been trying to find her some help. To date, whether it is a paranormal team or a church, no help has been found. But here is a list of excuses:
1 One church representative informed me there was no such thing as demons.
2 A church representative said they only helped church members. [Non-members would have to join the church in order to receive help.]
3 Another representative of a church informed me that they only worked with certain races.
4 One paranormal team asked for a fee upfront. The other asked to be paid at the end of the case.
5 The majority of churches contacted never returned my calls and/or emails.
So what does this tell us about the City of Angels?
WE WANT TO WISH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF OUR READERS, AS WELL AS ALL THE FAKE PARA-CELEBS WE HAVE EXPOSED AND WILL EXPOSE IN THE FUTURE, A VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING !
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 15, 2011
Developing Compassion for All
Today I'm in the midst of taking pictures for my forthcoming book, THE JOY OF MELT AND POUR SOAP CRAFTING. Therefore, I didn't have time to write a blog.
I want to share a wonderful website with you, especially if you are interested in spiritual warfare. The following information is for people who are currently following the Buddhist path or may want to understand more about it. It's vital for any Buddhist practitioner to have compassion for all sentient beings, including negative spirits. As Lama Zopa Rinpoche writes:
"Think that the spirit is totally overwhelmed by delusion and ignorance, with a totally hallucinated mind, as well as under the power of karma and disturbing thoughts. Think that the spirit is in samsara [cyclic existence], completely overwhelmed by suffering, and generate compassion by reflecting in this way.
Each time the spirit harms you, the spirit creates negative karma, which causes him or her to be reborn in the hell realms, or again as a spirit, hell being, or animal, and to again harm you and others, create negative karma, be continuously born in the lower realms, and experience unimaginable suffering again and again."
To read more about this fascinating subject, please visit http://www.lamayeshe.com/index.php?sect=article&id=352 It's a wonderful and helpful website!
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Orbs, Dust or Reflections – Which is it?
By Martha Hazzard-Decker
(Authors note – there may be comments in some of the links for videos in this article that may not be the belief of the author or Eye on the Paranormal. The were added to explore a variety of beliefs and theories regarding orbs)
Orbs, Dust or Reflections – Which is it? Now this is the question most investigators and researchers would really like to know. There are many opinions regarding orbs and discussions have even turned ugly between believers and skeptics. Do you know where you stand on the subject? This seems to be a difficult question to answer and beliefs are usually strong as to what makes an orb. The skeptic’s response may come across more plausible than that of a believer. Orbs are easy to replicate during experimentation. Maybe a little too easy and this bothers some believers in the paranormal community.
East Texas Paranormal posted an Orbs Debunked article by Troy Taylor on their website in an effort to help educate those interested in the paranormal. Taylor takes the stance of many researchers and skeptics within this community. Orbs photographs are taken of many things which can include dust, light reflections in the lens, dirt, pollen and son on. Why does it seem to happen in so many declared haunted locations? A possible explanation could be that many of these locations are old dusty buildings, maybe a crowded home full of dust or are in outside locations such as cemeteries. Does the location have to be declared haunted to take the so called orb photograph? Most definitely not since the same conditions occur in a myriad of locations. There are many books written about photography and ghosts. Taylor’s Ghosts on Film from the Haunted Field Guide Series is one example.
There was a recent discussion in a paranormal group regarding orbs. Some of the participants warned the individual that they would probably get “slammed” if questions were asked but the individual was braved and asked away. While the discussion became heated, it was a good exchange of ideas and beliefs where one could say everyone agreed to disagree. Such discussions can be a good thing as it helps educate.
Orbs are not something to bring to the scientific community if an individual expects to be taken seriously as a researcher within that community. Then again, everyone learned during their school years that most of what we know or use, such as electricity or even that the world is round, came from the scientist or researcher, who was laughed out of the scientific community. Skeptics with closed minds can stifle growth and discoveries while the open minded skeptic can be god to have around.
There are many extremely intelligent individuals studying the paranormal. Conversations with them can be mind stimulating and possibly even lead to a new discovery when groups talk instead of shut down communication. YouTube has a plethora of orb videos. Many of them are the videos of, “look at the orbs I captured” and some will try to sway the skeptic into their way of thinking. This video done by Haunted Earth could fall under this classification. On the video the individual attempts to show skeptics that orbs are ghosts or spiritual and intelligent beings. He claims to be in the rooms alone and even stomps on the carpet in an attempt to make orbs for the camera. He gets comfy on the bed after stomping about and shows through panning his video that no orbs are floating around the room so that is probably not what causes orbs. He shows more in the video where orbs show up in the room on demand in the area of the room where he asks the spirit to appear. He’s very polite as he is telling the “orb” where to show itself. The “orb” in the video is suspicious if not only for the fact that there is now video showing what he is doing at the time or if indeed he is alone in the room. He does comment that a skeptic will probably see the orbs and say they were made by a flashlight. A better video of his experiment if it was done as stated would have been to have the entire room captured on video to show nothing has been staged. Otherwise it just appears to be non paranormal, even if the person is well respected in the field. Full disclosure helps.
There are some paranormal researchers who believe, like many, that there are true orbs that can be seen with your eyes and this is what determines it is an orb. Paranormal Research believes this is the case and has offered this video to showcase some of the orbs captured on film. This disclaimer states this is not offered as evidence but as an example of orbs.
Some of the true orb believers say orbs are beings, spirits, ghosts or energy and not mainly dust and particulates. Paulcmuir created Hopi Mythology, Tree Spirits and Orbs a video regarding the study into the “Orb Bar Wave. They show comparison images between fibroblasts, division, rock art, orbs and creation energy in their study data. The video shows a wide variety of images and how similar they are when viewed. The images are interesting and could lead to quite the discussion between believers and skeptics.
Ghostweb.com posted an article or statement on orbs and states that dust is the most common anomaly photographed by the beginning ghost investigator. The even have a base of over 1,000 photographs of non paranormal orbs for comparison. They suggest a new investigator shoot about 100 photos of dust, pollen, spores, rain, etc to see what they look like and to establish a baseline for later comparison. Ghostweb.com explains the term orb was coined in 1994 as a term to cover all of the anomalies and was not meant to mean ghosts. Ghostweb.com offers this as their explanation for ghost orbs, “We teach that a spirit is represented in an orb configuration pattern. When the spirit is moving about, its shape is an orb with a contrail, but when it comes to rest, meaning that it is no longer in motion, the spirit energy that is compressed within the orb is released and this spirit energy expands into what we call Ecto-Vapor or Ectoplasm. Often an orb will contain more than one soul and when its spirit energy is released, multiple orbs flow forth from the single orb. The orb may be observed as a small white ball of light shooting through a room and through a wall. When recorded on film, the orb size is often confused because the photo is only 2D and its size is dependent on how far from the lens the orb is when captured by the camera. Spirit orbs are most often confused with similar shaped anomalies that occur in nature, such as dust particles, grass, tree, or weed pollen, moisture, ice crystals, snow flakes, rain drops and other weather related anomalies. Since each area of our world produces different anomalies, it is prudent and necessary that a base line be established prior to any investigations. For example, I use a Sony DSC-T70 digital camera (8.1 megapixel) that treats dust particles as a diamond shaped anomaly while Sharon's Kodak Z650 digital camera (6.0 megapixel) will show that same anomaly in a hexagon shape. Learn how your own camera treats dust or pollen. Ghosts are everywhere, but not captured as clusters of orbs found in most photographs submitted to us. Common sense is very important in ghost research. Conduct investigations sampling natural non-spirit anomalies and see how your camera displays these anomalies.” This information was taken off their site for educational purposes only
It seems the jury is still out as to what orbs may or may not be energy or dust? That is a question which may never be answered, at least not for many years. Just google orbs and there will be thousands of sites to read in an attempt to decide what is an orb. You may come away more confused than ever but knowledge is always power so search away.
(Authors note – there may be comments in some of the links for videos in this article that may not be the belief of the author or Eye on the Paranormal. The were added to explore a variety of beliefs and theories regarding orbs)
Orbs, Dust or Reflections – Which is it? Now this is the question most investigators and researchers would really like to know. There are many opinions regarding orbs and discussions have even turned ugly between believers and skeptics. Do you know where you stand on the subject? This seems to be a difficult question to answer and beliefs are usually strong as to what makes an orb. The skeptic’s response may come across more plausible than that of a believer. Orbs are easy to replicate during experimentation. Maybe a little too easy and this bothers some believers in the paranormal community.
East Texas Paranormal posted an Orbs Debunked article by Troy Taylor on their website in an effort to help educate those interested in the paranormal. Taylor takes the stance of many researchers and skeptics within this community. Orbs photographs are taken of many things which can include dust, light reflections in the lens, dirt, pollen and son on. Why does it seem to happen in so many declared haunted locations? A possible explanation could be that many of these locations are old dusty buildings, maybe a crowded home full of dust or are in outside locations such as cemeteries. Does the location have to be declared haunted to take the so called orb photograph? Most definitely not since the same conditions occur in a myriad of locations. There are many books written about photography and ghosts. Taylor’s Ghosts on Film from the Haunted Field Guide Series is one example.
There was a recent discussion in a paranormal group regarding orbs. Some of the participants warned the individual that they would probably get “slammed” if questions were asked but the individual was braved and asked away. While the discussion became heated, it was a good exchange of ideas and beliefs where one could say everyone agreed to disagree. Such discussions can be a good thing as it helps educate.
Orbs are not something to bring to the scientific community if an individual expects to be taken seriously as a researcher within that community. Then again, everyone learned during their school years that most of what we know or use, such as electricity or even that the world is round, came from the scientist or researcher, who was laughed out of the scientific community. Skeptics with closed minds can stifle growth and discoveries while the open minded skeptic can be god to have around.
There are many extremely intelligent individuals studying the paranormal. Conversations with them can be mind stimulating and possibly even lead to a new discovery when groups talk instead of shut down communication. YouTube has a plethora of orb videos. Many of them are the videos of, “look at the orbs I captured” and some will try to sway the skeptic into their way of thinking. This video done by Haunted Earth could fall under this classification. On the video the individual attempts to show skeptics that orbs are ghosts or spiritual and intelligent beings. He claims to be in the rooms alone and even stomps on the carpet in an attempt to make orbs for the camera. He gets comfy on the bed after stomping about and shows through panning his video that no orbs are floating around the room so that is probably not what causes orbs. He shows more in the video where orbs show up in the room on demand in the area of the room where he asks the spirit to appear. He’s very polite as he is telling the “orb” where to show itself. The “orb” in the video is suspicious if not only for the fact that there is now video showing what he is doing at the time or if indeed he is alone in the room. He does comment that a skeptic will probably see the orbs and say they were made by a flashlight. A better video of his experiment if it was done as stated would have been to have the entire room captured on video to show nothing has been staged. Otherwise it just appears to be non paranormal, even if the person is well respected in the field. Full disclosure helps.
There are some paranormal researchers who believe, like many, that there are true orbs that can be seen with your eyes and this is what determines it is an orb. Paranormal Research believes this is the case and has offered this video to showcase some of the orbs captured on film. This disclaimer states this is not offered as evidence but as an example of orbs.
Some of the true orb believers say orbs are beings, spirits, ghosts or energy and not mainly dust and particulates. Paulcmuir created Hopi Mythology, Tree Spirits and Orbs a video regarding the study into the “Orb Bar Wave. They show comparison images between fibroblasts, division, rock art, orbs and creation energy in their study data. The video shows a wide variety of images and how similar they are when viewed. The images are interesting and could lead to quite the discussion between believers and skeptics.
Ghostweb.com posted an article or statement on orbs and states that dust is the most common anomaly photographed by the beginning ghost investigator. The even have a base of over 1,000 photographs of non paranormal orbs for comparison. They suggest a new investigator shoot about 100 photos of dust, pollen, spores, rain, etc to see what they look like and to establish a baseline for later comparison. Ghostweb.com explains the term orb was coined in 1994 as a term to cover all of the anomalies and was not meant to mean ghosts. Ghostweb.com offers this as their explanation for ghost orbs, “We teach that a spirit is represented in an orb configuration pattern. When the spirit is moving about, its shape is an orb with a contrail, but when it comes to rest, meaning that it is no longer in motion, the spirit energy that is compressed within the orb is released and this spirit energy expands into what we call Ecto-Vapor or Ectoplasm. Often an orb will contain more than one soul and when its spirit energy is released, multiple orbs flow forth from the single orb. The orb may be observed as a small white ball of light shooting through a room and through a wall. When recorded on film, the orb size is often confused because the photo is only 2D and its size is dependent on how far from the lens the orb is when captured by the camera. Spirit orbs are most often confused with similar shaped anomalies that occur in nature, such as dust particles, grass, tree, or weed pollen, moisture, ice crystals, snow flakes, rain drops and other weather related anomalies. Since each area of our world produces different anomalies, it is prudent and necessary that a base line be established prior to any investigations. For example, I use a Sony DSC-T70 digital camera (8.1 megapixel) that treats dust particles as a diamond shaped anomaly while Sharon's Kodak Z650 digital camera (6.0 megapixel) will show that same anomaly in a hexagon shape. Learn how your own camera treats dust or pollen. Ghosts are everywhere, but not captured as clusters of orbs found in most photographs submitted to us. Common sense is very important in ghost research. Conduct investigations sampling natural non-spirit anomalies and see how your camera displays these anomalies.” This information was taken off their site for educational purposes only
It seems the jury is still out as to what orbs may or may not be energy or dust? That is a question which may never be answered, at least not for many years. Just google orbs and there will be thousands of sites to read in an attempt to decide what is an orb. You may come away more confused than ever but knowledge is always power so search away.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Investigating to Reveal The Truth – But Are We?
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 .
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 .
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!
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