Dalai Lama Teaches The Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment

Thiksey, Ladakh, J&K, India, 11 August 2016 - This morning, the sky was cloudy as His Holiness the Dalai Lama drove to the teaching ground at Thiksey, where thousands of people had gathered to hear the teaching, receive the Long Life Empowerment and participate in the Offerings and Prayers for His Holiness’s Long Life. His Holiness began by announcing the presence among them of a Thai Bhikkhu who he met the day before.

“He follows the Pali tradition which first recorded the Four Noble Truths and the 37 Factors of Enlightenment—the foundation of all Buddhist teachings. We also have the Vinaya, the code of monastic discipline in common. Indeed, both the Pali and Sanskrit traditions of Buddhism uphold the Three Collections of the Teachings and the practice of the Three Higher Trainings: morality, concentration, and wisdom.

"Although these are fundamental to our tradition too, we somehow overlook them in favour of deity yoga practice. Yet they are the foundations necessary for doing tantric deity practice. Deity yoga will only be effective if we cultivate the practices of the awakening mind of bodhichitta and an understanding of emptiness.”

His Holiness went on to say that having faith is not enough, following the teachings of the Buddha requires reason and understanding, without which Buddhism will not last long in the world. He added that he is inclined to change the order of the Stages of the Path approach and begin with Special Insight rather than the importance of Reliance on Spiritual Teacher. Following the traditional order and suggesting that if you do not follow the Lama’s instruction you will go to hell risks filling the students with fear instead of enthusiasm. His Holiness said the Buddha’s teaching about suffering and its origin is not intended to cause fear and anxiety. His explanation of true cessation achieved by following the true path is a source of joy.

His Holiness was forthright:

"I am being sincere and straightforward with you. With regard to the cause of Tibet and keeping the Buddhadharma alive, we are at a critical juncture. Since you show your devotion to the teaching of the Buddha, I insist that you study it.”

His Holiness remarked that by cultivating the awakening mind of bodhichitta and the wisdom understanding emptiness we can counter our extreme self-cherishing attitude and misconceptions of true existence. He observed that he finds it helpful to engage the four establishments of mindfulness in connection with the four noble truths such that the mindfulnesses of body, feeling, mind and phenomena lead respectively to an awareness of true suffering, true origin, true cessation and true path.

Alignment of mindfulness of phenomena with the true path yields a direct realisation of emptiness, which he said Nagarjuna alludes to when he says, "Fabrication is ceased by emptiness". Khunnu Lama Tenzin Gyaltsen clarified this as, "Fabrication ceases within emptiness". Je Tsongkhapa also writes that when a yogi attains total absorption in emptiness all the defilements in his or her mind are said to dissolve within the empty nature of his or her mind itself; they do not go anywhere else, but simply disappear within the sphere of emptiness. His Holiness concluded:

“Meditating on the emptiness of your own mind is more powerful and significant than meditating on the emptiness of an external object like a pot. It counters your own fundamentally distorted conception of reality. If your realisation of emptiness is coupled with bodhichitta, you can achieve Buddhahood. And we need both bodhichitta and wisdom understanding emptiness in order to make the practice of deity yoga effective.”

His Holiness resumed his reading of the ‘Lamp for the Path’ at the point where it explains developing the aspiration for enlightenment. In preparation for the rite for generating the awakening mind he lead a recitation of the seven-limb prayer with a verse from the ‘Prayer of Samantabhadra's Noble Conduct’:

Whatever little wholesome energies I have collected 

By prostrating, making offering, confession, rejoicing, 

Requesting to give teaching, and requesting not to pass away

I dedicate all of them to attain full awakening.

Prior to the ceremony for generating aspiring and engaging bodhichitta His Holiness gave Upasaka/Upasaki precepts to those interested among the lay people. He gave the bodhisattva vows, asking those assembled to repeat the following verses three times after him:

I seek refuge in the Three Jewels.

I confess all misdeeds individually.

I rejoice in the virtues of all beings.

I take to heart the Buddha’s enlightenment....

He encouraged his listeners to consider the great significance of the bodhisattva vows as they repeated:

Having developed the intention for highest enlightenment

I shall invite all sentient beings as my guests

And I shall engage in the delightful practices of bodhisattvas ….     

He reminded them that they should know the 18 Root Downfalls and 46 Secondary Infractions avoiding which constitute the bodhisattva’s vows, but stressed that the essence of them all is to restrain selfishness. He told them how fortunate he felt to be able to encourage thousands of people to generate the aspiring bodhichitta, to take the bodhisattva vows and venture into the great practices of the bodhisattvas.

His Holiness conferred the Long Life Empowerment—the Wish-fulfilling Wheel of White Tara. He advised that on a practical level living a long life depends on maintaining hygiene and good health. From a spiritual point of view, however, the practice of bodhichitta and wisdom understanding emptiness protect us from obstacles and help create favourable conditions for spiritual progress.

"If you wish to have more friends,” he said, “you should cultivate bodhichitta. You will attract friends without having to seek them out. If you prefer to make enemies of people, harbour malicious thoughts towards them and they will naturally become hostile to you.

"What is of utmost importance is to feel determined to achieve a transformation of your mind. This is what the teachings I have given over these two days are meant for."

To conclude the day’s events, Thiksey Rinpoche led the community of monks, nuns and Ladakhi lay people in making prayers that His Holiness lives long based on the rite related to the Sixteen Arhats.

original link with photos http://www.dalailama.com/news/post/1433-teaching-the-lamp-for-the-path-to-enlightenment-a-longevity-empowerment-and-a-long-life-offering

Essential Oils & Raindrop Therapy, Demonic Doorways, Part 2

Continued from Essential Oils & Raindrop Therapy, Demonic Doorways, Part 1

In this continuation of using Essential Oils and Raindrop Therapy we laid the ground work as to why this is purely Demonic.  Recapping these oils are infused from a blend of LAKOTAH Native American healing aspects along with Eastern Medicinal (Hindu) practices.  The reason why this is improper for Christians to partake is because of how they are made – nothing more than potions!

“Many people have said that we communicate to our Father through the pineal gland. I have not found documentation on that, so I don’t know that it is a correct statement, but I do believe when you have a spiritual experience you get this warm, burning, fuzzy feeling in your bosom. The chemical that creates that warm fuzzy feeling in your bosom is secreted from the pineal gland, and that may be the reason we are told by some scientists that the pineal gland is responsible for that communication which is very special” (D. Gary Young).

This is so totally New Age and demonic. D. Gary Young says this in the section called “Increasing Spiritual Communication.” Well, if he was actually communicating with the true God of the Bible he would know truth.  Because this oil opened his third eye, this is why he is spouting demonic lies and not Biblical truth!

D. Gary Young goes on to advise, “Let me share this with you–if you want to have a beautiful experience, take three drops of Cedar wood and mix it with six drops of Sandalwood and one drop of Cassia–then go into that sacred, quiet space and put this on and do your prayers and your meditations, and when you regain consciousness, write down what you remember. It will be a beautiful experience for you.”

Regain consciousness? What kind of experience is this? I will tell you what kind of experience that is - DEMONIC POSSESSION. Folks when I pray and have a good time with the Lord God Almighty I am not in an altered state of consciousness. This is so occultic and Demonic I don't even know how Christians as well as others who are not Christian cannot even see this!

To really understand where I am going, you need to understand what this type of witchcraft is. I am sure you have all heard the word 'potion' before. And maybe in a Bible Study you have heard the word for sorcery in Greek is Pharmakeia (Strong’s Greek 5331). These words refer to medicines or drugs that are combined together to accomplish a physical or spiritual intention. It is a potion. By the way I had to engage the Spirits of Pharmakeia in several past cases as RULING Spirits within several people!

What most people don't understand is that this practice of Raindrop Therapy opens your 'fifth' element up known as Akasha. In Vedantic Hinduism, Akasha means the basis and essence of all things in the material world; the first material element created from the astral world. A Vedic mantra “pṛthivyāpastejovāyurākāśāt” indicates the sequence of initial appearance of the five basic gross elements. Thus, first appeared the space, from which appeared air, from that fire or energy, from which the water, and therefrom the earth. It is one of the Panchamahabhuta, or "five gross elements"; its main characteristic is Shabda (sound). The direct translation of Akasha is the word meaning "upper sky" or 'space' in Hindu.

Many aroma therapists associate holistic aroma therapy with the theories of life force, vital energy, meridians and chakras, all of which are rooted in Taoist, Hindu and other eastern philosophies and eastern religions. Many alternative therapies are associated with New Age ideology and healing, based on the idea that God is a ‘universal force’ or ‘energy’ rather than the Christian belief in a personal God and Heavenly Father. Does this line up with the Holy God of the Bible, absolutely not!

Now if you think that this Essential Oil company and these other oil companies are not using psychic energy through WITCHCRAFT to charge their oils go ahead and read what D. Gary Young from Young Living oils has to say about it:

“Let me share a concept that we are going to get into later this week. You hold the oil in your hand and project your thoughts–whether you actually hold that oil and give it a blessing. To me, it isn’t the focal-ness of what you are saying that determines whether that oil has been blessed for that purpose, but the fact that you have directed your energy into that substance. That is what enhances the substance to do more and go further than it would ordinarily.”

D. Gary Young goes on to stated “That is an area where people say, ooh–now we are getting out in left field here. This is starting to sound like voodoo medicine.  Believe me, if anyone has that feeling, write it down!  Before class is over, I am going to show you scientifically how that works. It’s very frustrating for me at times when I talk to people about prayer or meditation or focusing thought without words and making things happen. We are so programmed to think Oh, you can’t possibly do that, that’s the workings of the devil.”

D. Gary Young goes on to state “Somewhere in Galatians it says, “All things that are good are of me.”  Write that down and keep that in mind.  Go look it up. That will do you more good than me doing it for you. It’s there.  All things that are worthy or of a good report.  It’s a beautiful scripture. When somebody starts to criticize you about what you are sharing with them and saying these are the workings of the devil, just pull out that scripture and read it to them. If they are an atheist, it won’t do you much good–and that is when you just stomp on their toe! Tell them if they had more faith, their toe would heal quicker! (12 Oils of the Bible, Gary Young)

People the scripture this man is quoting is from Romans 8:28, not Galatians and this scripture refers “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”  The KEY is called according to his purpose – thus meaning you work the WILL of God in your life – Casting out demons, going laying hands on the sick, washing the feet of your brothers, etc!

D. Gary Young is practicing witchcraft and so many Christians who are not doing their homework and just going with the 'feel good' moment are getting caught up in this 'sifting' of God.  This is exactly how witches have been using oils, way before Christians ever got involved. And this is exactly how Young Living is openly marketing their oils - BLATANT WITCHCRAFT!  People you need to stop using this falseness, get your life right with God, ask for forgiveness and repent of your evil ways. Then and only then can you cast out these Witchcraft & Demonic forces and layers out of you!

Rev. Bradley Luoma

Is "The Conjuring 2" Cursed?

Hi there. I hope everybody had a wonderful weekend and you are enjoying this wonderful Sunday. It is sunny here finally. I'm sure it will rain at some point but I hope everybody else is having some decent weather as well today. I know many are tired of the constant storms. I know I hate Monday's. Lol. I always have.

The next subjects came to light via news a few days ago so I can't say much of anything about the validity of all the details. I don't know them all but I can share what I do know so far via research. I'm just merely sharing with you what I came upon and what I learned.

The news that an Indian man died while watching The Conjuring 2 and then his body disappeared has been making the social media rounds for the past few days now, but it is not the only spooky story [of summoning real-life viral demons] relating to the movie that has social media users buzzing about The example, a video posted on twitter. The users handled “Rivaldy SB” supposedly shows the girl being possessed by some demonic entity in a movie theater showing The Conjuring Two In the low-quality video, the girl'........to catch this entire article go to this link to read about the real horror victims. A lot of things to be happening after the movie opened and some say even in their own home? Are they saying it's dangerous to see this? Does it open one up to view these things just for entertainment? Or research?

Ouija Boards are so very popular. We all know that. But they seem to be bigger than ever before. Halloween isn't far away either. I have witnessed awful consequences when people play around with these. In my humble opinion they are nothing more than portals to the demonic. Christ warns us about this.."Beware Of The Familiar Spirit." Our friends and loved ones are mimicked by demonic entities in a effort to trick us into offering help or becoming highly involved in keeping the communication going. This eventually allows them legal ground into our life. Now it's power is greater, stronger.

These things hate humans and anyone who loves Christ. Believe me don't be fooled. They will torment you day and nightand your loved ones into thinking you are crazy. Things will escalate and get worse over time. This situation will not go away on it's own. You can't ignore it and it eventually go away. You will be tormented beyond belief. I am very strong about this due to what I've witnessed and do not want anyone to even entertain the thought. No matter how curious you are, Is it really worth the risk involved?

Someone asked me why people claim demons hang around cemeteries? Well, I feel evil lurks in the dark. They hate the light. In my humble opinion...... I found in research is that cemeteries are dangerous places to be messing around with any of this. Just my opinion it's places to see possibly inhuman spirits also known as Demons. Sadly these are places that are very common for thrill seeker's and ghost hunters. The reason why I personally believe this (just my opinion) there is a lot of sadness and despair. Not everyone handles death well. Even after years have passed by. We know Demons feed off negativity and sadness. Going into A cemetery or graveyard after hours is asking for trouble even if your not looking. Just going to see a family members headstone in innocence, attachment can happen pending on your emotions or for just being there.

Many won't come forward but I have dealt with many cases of attachment from harmless ghost hunting or just hanging around these places after hours. In most cases pending on your intentions it gives them a legal right to harass you and worse..follow you and attach to you. Now they are in your personal space. Cemeteries with its energy of decay and death attracts entities. Entities can feed on extreme emotions, usually negative emotions such as grief and despair, of which there is plenty at the cemetery! It's a perfect hunting ground for demons on whoever drags in drunk or seeking thrills. God only knows what would happen.


Written By Jennifer L Auld
Biblicaldemonologist@gmail.com

Dalai Lama Gives Talk on Introductory Buddhism

Dharamsala, HP, India, 27 May 2015 - His Holiness the Dalai Lama was given a traditional Tibetan welcome when he arrived at the Upper Tibetan Children’s Village School this morning. A large group of female students sang a traditional welcoming song. As His Holiness walked from his car to the stage he greeted people in the crowd who caught his eye. Approximately 4500 students from Upper and Lower TCV Schools, Gopalpur, Suja and Chauntra TCVs, Sherab Gatsel Lobling, students at various universities and others currently attending a Teacher Training organized by the Education Department of the CTA, were seated under an awning on the Upper TCV basketball court.

Once His Holiness had taken his seat, several groups of lay-people performed exemplary debates directly in front of the stage discussing the three kinds of knowledge, the two methods for generating the awakening mind of bodhichitta, definitions of the Three Jewels, the Four Noble Truths and so forth.

“Today, people from a variety of places have gathered here to listen to an introduction to Buddhism,” His Holiness began. “This is the ninth occasion that we’ve done this and it looks like this might be the biggest yet. Students and teachers from different schools, my greetings to you all - Tashi delek. I’d especially like to greet those who have just debated in front of us and congratulate them for taking an interest in logic and philosophy.

“In Tibet in the past almost no one from the lay community or even from among the nuns engaged in debate. This was one of our shortcomings. In the 56 years we’ve been in exile, I’ve urged people, even those belonging to monasteries and nunneries that had no tradition of study to take it up. Phende Lekshe Ling, Namgyal Monastery, is an example. When it was established by the 7th Dalai Lama he asked the monks of Zhalu Monastery to give the monks of the new monastery training in performing rituals. Like those at Gyumey and Gyutö Tantric Colleges, they were adept, but followed no course of study. That has changed. Similarly, study in the nunneries has succeeded to the point that we will shortly have nuns who have become Geshes or Geshemas.”

He said that the excellent Nalanda tradition had spread across the length and breadth of Tibet and yet the majority of the people did not properly appreciate it. It is a tradition that relies on investigation and analysis, not just scriptural quotation. He cited the Buddha’s advice to his followers not to accept what he taught at face value, but to test it the way a goldsmith satisfies himself of the value of gold.

His Holiness remarked that the psychology and philosophy explained in the Nalanda tradition are of great interest to contemporary scholars and scientists. They are sufficiently impressed to enquire whether its dialectical approach can be applied to other academic disciplines. He feels it can. He mentioned that while Buddhist traditions identify 49 or 51 emotions, the American psychologist Paul Ekman has done extensive research into facial expressions that enable him to identify 15.

When, 40 years ago, His Holiness was thinking of opening a conversation with modern scientists, a Western Buddhist friend cautioned him to be careful saying that science is the killer of religion. He considered this carefully and concluded that, as a tradition based on reason, Buddhism was not vulnerable to this threat. He went ahead and is confident that the results have been mutually beneficial. One result is that monks in the great monasteries re-established in South India now study science as part of their curriculum.

“When I reached Mussoorie in April 1959, most of you were not born. Now I’m in my 81st year and I will definitely not live for another 80 years, but judging by my present physical health I might live another 10 or 20 years. You Tibetans who are young today will have to shoulder the responsibility of preserving our religion and culture. Our brothers and sisters in Tibet are not free to do so. We who have such freedom should exercise it.

“Conditions in Tibet in the past were ripe for change,” His Holiness said. “In retrospect I can see that many things could have been done differently. The 13th Dalai Lama tried to strengthen links between different parts of Tibet because the country was politically fragmented. But what bound all Tibetans together was their Buddhist culture, their respect for and study of the Kangyur and Tengyur. This was also true of the Himalayan and Mongolian regions too.”

His Holiness pointed out that every one of the 7 billion human beings alive today wants to be happy. He clarified that the Bodhisattva ideal is not about abandoning our own happiness, but about giving priority to the happiness of others.

“However,” he asked, “how can you help others if you can’t help yourself? We pray that all beings be free from suffering, but for the prayer to be fulfilled we need to do something about it.”

Recalling his recent discussions with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who also visited TCV, he said that their conclusion was that we need to find happiness without violence, which is something everyone can try to do. He said that it’s clear that if humanity is happy, each of us as individuals will be happy too. He repeated that as human beings we are all responsible for each other; we all have the potential to be kind and affectionate. He also spoke about his commitment as a Buddhist monk to promoting harmony among the world’s religious traditions.

Finally, His Holiness spoke of his commitment to preserving the natural environment of Tibet, something of importance not only to Tibetans but also to maybe 1 billion other people in Asia who depend on the waters of rivers that rise in Tibet.

He also voiced his concern to preserve Tibetan culture, a culture of peace and non-violence, which can make a positive contribution in the wider world. He told the story of a former Tibetan official who had emigrated to the USA and was working cleaning vegetables in a university kitchen. His colleagues noticed that he was carefully rescuing worms and bugs he found on the vegetables, setting them aside and taking them outside to release them at the end of his shift. They asked what he was doing and he told them that Tibetans try not to kill small creatures, but to protect life wherever they can. Shortly afterwards he noticed that several of them were following his example. His Holiness concluded:

“I’ve done what I can to preserve Tibet’s ecology and its compassionate, non-violent culture. Now I’m passing this responsibility to you.”

He announced that he will give a further introduction to Buddhism tomorrow. He will also lead a ceremony for generating the awakening mind of bodhichitta and make time to answer students’ questions. The day after that, he will give an Avalokiteshvara empowerment.

link with photos http://dalailama.com/news/post/1273-the-first-of-two-introductory-talks-on-buddhism-at-upper-tcv

After School with Satan?

Hi there I hope you guys had a great weekend and the weather was great your way. I know the subject is not the best like I said it's just my humble opinion from what my point of view is on this subject matter. This subject just really needs to be discussed I think or brought out in the open if it hasn't already. I'm sure everybody heard about the huge statue that stands in front of that Temple I believe? I could be wrong on that. I'm sure it's beautiful but is it safe? Is having after school  for kids with education and educational toys kind of dicey with young children? And I say this with respect. Below is the little information I have on this as of right now.

A Satanic temple was revealed a few months back and now they are making headlines again on the morning news. They are offering afterschool care and it is really making some of the locals people scared, nervous, terrified and angry. According to The Washington Post, members of the Satanic Temple hope that their after school program compete with the Christian program, the Good News Club, that is allowed in public schools. I'm sharing this wiki description article below with you that gives more detailed information. It's worded well so all understands who reads this blog or stumble upon it.



What Is Satanism? According to Wikipedia

The downward-pointing pentacle is often used to represent Satanism.
Satanism is a group of ideological and philosophical beliefs based on the character of Satan.[1] Although the public practice of Satanism began with the founding of the Church of Satan in 1966, historical precedents exist: a group called the Ophite Cultus Satanaswas founded in Ohio by Herbert Arthur Sloane in 1948.[2]

Satanism is a group of ideological and philosophical beliefs based on the character of Satan.[1] Although the public practice of Satanism began with the founding of the Church of Satan in 1966, historical precedents exist: a group called the Ophite Cultus Satanaswas founded in Ohio by Herbert Arthur Sloane in 1948.[2]

Eliphas Levi's Sabbatic Goat (known as The Goat of Mendes or Baphomet) has become one of the most common symbols of Satanism.

Satanist groups that appeared after the 1960s are widely diverse, but two major trends are theistic Satanism and atheistic Satanism. Theistic Satanists venerate Satan as a supernatural deity, viewing him not as omnipotent but rather as a patriarch. In contrast, atheistic Satanists regard Satan as merely a symbol of certain human traits.[3]

There are signs that Satanistic beliefs have become more socially tolerated.[citation needed]

Contemporary Satanism is mainly an American phenomenon, the ideas spreading with the effects of globalization and the Internet.[4] The Internet promotes awareness of other Satanists, and is also the main battleground for the definitions of Satanism today.[4]Satanism started to reach Eastern Europe in the 1990s, in time with the fall of the Soviet Union, and most noticeably in Poland and Lithuania, predominantly Roman Catholic countries.[5][6] It was estimated that there were 50,000 Satanists in 1990. There may now be as many as 100,000 Satanists in the world.[1]

Supreme Court Ruling

Eliphas Levi's Sabbatic Goat (known as The Goat of Mendes or Baphomet) has become one of the most common symbols of Satanism.

The Satanic Temple is lobbying to bring its "After School Satan Club" to public elementary schools throughout the country, The Washington Post reports.

Members of the Satanic Temple who are proponents of the program say that the purpose of the club would not actually be to worship the devil, but rather to promote rational thinking.

“It’s critical that children understand that there are multiple perspectives on all issues, and that they have a choice in how they think,” said Doug Mesner, the Satanic Temple’s co-founder added that “Satan” is just a “metaphorical construct” that represents the rejection of tyranny of the human mind. The after school clubs would emphasize reasoning and social skills. They would also feature healthy snacks for kids, creative learning activities, a science lesson, and art projects.

Unless they are breaking the law they have a right just like us. That's their religious freedom. I just fear this will turn bad. I had to share this with my readers. But, true satanists have in breeders unlike the wannabe's. They have what you'd call  inbreeders. If not then an animal. Human is first choice. I'm just being honest here. I know this information is highly disturbing however, I don't know how else to say it so I just do it. It's just not a good scene whatsoever in my opinion But it is their right.

Just have faith we know God's in control. So nothings going to happen or pass that God doesn't want to happen. Feel free to give your opinions and discuss this. I know everybody will have an interesting opinion on this. Feel free to share you're views.

Written By Jennifer L Auld

Why Do You Keep Harping Over & Over Again About These Stupid Ghosts?

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

Circa 1530 AD....

"Dr. Martin Luther, why do you keep harping, over and over, about justification by faith alone?"

Luther..."Two reasons--it is the article upon which the church stands or falls, and I also harp on it every week because my people forget it every week."

Circa 1960 AD....

"Dr. King, why do you keep harping, over and over,  on civil rights?"

Dr Martin Luther King...."Because it is so ensconced in our society, both in and out of the church...it is also making the watching world think that Jesus is irrelevant to cultures  most pressing needs. God has given me a dream..."

Which of you could say to MLK while he was alive, "I think you are right but I am too busy with my business/kids to DO anything. Can't you just give it a rest?!" Or..."Stop talking about this dream...folks are getting tired of it." (this was actually said to MLK by his closest advisers on the eve of the historic DC speech).

 One could multiply this list of folks who made a significant impact on culture, with many, many more, in large measure  due to their perseverance in face of pressure to shut up. I  tremble with unworthiness to  mention my passion in even  the same paragraph as these two mighty MARTINS. But please note this crucial fact--it is the SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ISSUE  AT STAKE, that emboldens me to press on in face of many  people getting sick and tired of my "ghost  posts."....and I have no delusions of grandeur regarding myself. In fact, I have trouble even getting out  of bed...bent and broken. I am unworthy to place myself next  to two of my heroes. However, I have thinking of writing  this blog for quite awhile now.

My father, a WW II vet, died the day after his 90^th  birthday. My mom and dad were very busy--business owners and  raised 10 kids--but the Dairy Queen my father owned/operated was perhaps the only company in Moore County, NC where a black man was hired on equal basis of anyone else. In the 1950's everybody had segregated bathrooms and water  fountains....NOT MY DAD.--one fountain, and 2 bathrooms (men/women)....as a result, my dad had a large black clientele. Most white folks there basically ignored the issue of "separate but unequal."

I, like lots of folks on Facebook, have hundreds of friends.....these include folks I've known for 40 years  or more, who are very dear to me. But one thing I can count on is that when I post on ghosts, it is clear that they have  had enough. I am very thankful for the faithful few who are in tune with God's heart on this issue.

I am ignorant of many subjects, but I do know what the bible, science, and sound reasoning has to say about the ever-growing fascination with the paranormal in general, and trapped spirits in particular. Like the two Martins mentioned above, I am utterly convinced that this issue HAS TO BE REPEATED OVER AND OVER....The notion of ghosts is not only  ensconced in our culture--in and out of the church--but that there are objective indicators that suggest that the notion of ghosts is possibly Satan's most successful and effective tool in spreading the kingdom of darkness and ushering in the man of lawlessness/antichrist.

We need to repeat this regularly because we forget it regularly--we all have busy lives, which tend to mute even the loudest cries of pointing out danger. And as MLK said in  his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" the church is becoming/appearing increasingly irrelevant to the most significant issues of our day.

MLK certainly rallied some of the church to this issue where Satan was attacking, but most Christians (even those who  were in basic agreement) just wanted him to shut his dang mouth. "The church should focus on preaching the simple gospel and not get caught up in cultural issues." Similarly, Christian leaders today, as a whole, think that addressing the paranormal craze is ludicrous...not part of  preaching the simple gospel. Apparently they have not read the prophets, who ceaselessly thundered against all manner of cultural decay. Or evil and error. EVIL AND ERROR...wicked behavior and wicked beliefs. Or do we even believe that some beliefs, or even practices, can be called WICKED ANYMORE?

Up to this point, my regret is not having written a second volume which deals with specific issues---the lunacy of  residual energy, the cruelty and stupidity of the notion of poltergeists, the obvious parallels between EVP solicitation and a Ouija Board session., etc. But I remain firm that all the other occult sins rely heavily on the notion of trapped spirits. Mediums and psychics would be largely out of work without their alleged aid from their friendly ghosts.

Christian leaders...and most Christians are simply lazy, devoid of critical thinking skills..and don't care about the next generation. "Give me affluence and peace of  mind....I do not want to THINK about what issues may be more serious than those that grip me." I have tried over and over to show WHY the notion of ghosts is OUR generations most significant wrong belief. Every generation has its own specific issues which the devil is attacking, and it is our responsibility to determine what our blind spots are--or we will be like my parents generation re: race. The Greatest Generation (they were/are) was in large measure horribly deficient re race.

The old analogy applies well here...if a movie theatre is actually on fire, the most compassionate thing to do is scream as loud and often as possible.."Fire...fire...fire...fire"

I have written nearly 200 blogs, almost all dealing directly or indirectly, with ghosts. W/o going into detail it is phenomenal the range and comprehensiveness of the destruction that this belief has caused.

There is no other occultic belief (inviting the curse of God) that is nearly as popular and destructive as the notion of ghosts. Let us think about our children and grandchildren, and the spiritual/cultural conditions we will be bequeathing them. As always, may God's glory inflame us.

Amen.

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

The Dalai Lama on Countering Stress & Depression

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

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

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

I write this as someone who lost his freedom at the age of 16, then lost his country at the age of 24. Consequently, I have lived in exile for more than 50 years during which we Tibetans have dedicated ourselves to keeping the Tibetan identity alive and preserving our culture and values. On most days the news from Tibet is heartbreaking, and yet none of these challenges gives grounds for giving up. One of the approaches that I personally find useful is to cultivate the thought: If the situation or problem is such that it can be remedied, then there is no need to worry about it. In other words, if there is a solution or a way out of the difficulty, you do not need to be overwhelmed by it. The appropriate action is to seek its solution. Then it is clearly more sensible to spend your energy focussing on the solution rather than worrying about the problem. Alternatively, if there is no solution, no possibility of resolution, then there is also no point in being worried about it, because you cannot do anything about it anyway. In that case, the sooner you accept this fact, the easier it will be for you. This formula, of course, implies directly confronting the problem and taking a realistic view. Otherwise you will be unable to find out whether or not there is a resolution to the problem

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

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

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

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

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


The Dalai Lama

December 31, 2010

Originally published in the Hindustan Times, India, on January 3rd, 2011