Bodhisattva & the Six Perfections

By Lisa Maliga

In Tibetan Buddhism, a Bodhisattva is anyone who is motivated by compassion and seeks enlightenment not only for him/herself but also for everyone...

Becoming a Bodhisattva is a huge step in helping not only yourself, but also every other sentient being, both seen and unseen. Most people are self-motivated and work primarily to solve their own problems, keeping others a distant second. Should someone do an act of kindness, repayment is generally expected whether in the form of a thank you and/or further praise.

A Bodhisattva is motivated by pure compassion and love. Their goal is to achieve the highest level of being: that of a Buddha. Bodhisattva is a Sanskrit term which translates as: Bodhi [enlightenment] and sattva [being]. And their reason for becoming a Buddha is to help others. The Bodhisattva will undergo any type of suffering to help another sentient being, whether a tiny insect or a huge mammal. In Shakyamuni Buddha’s 'Perfection of Wisdom in 8,000 Lines' it states: “I will become a savior to all those beings, I will release them from all their sufferings.” If this sounds familiar to anyone not acquainted with Buddhism, then you only need to think of the example of Jesus Christ, a true Bodhisattva.

When someone first enters the way of the Bodhisattva, they develop Bodhicitta, or, mind of enlightenment. Even as a person strives towards such an exalted goal, they feel as though they are limited by the fact that they, too, are suffering. So that they can be of aid to others, they decide to become Buddhas for a Buddha is capable of unlimited compassion and wisdom. Also, Buddhas are able to relate to all others at whatever level is needed. To those of lesser intelligence, a Buddha will use simpler words; and to those of great intelligence, a Buddha can explain answers in a more exalted language.

By entering the Bodhisattva way, the mind must become enlightened. And so the training begins by generating the 6 Perfections.

The 6 Perfections are: 1] generosity, 2] ethics, 3] patience, 4] effort, 5] concentration, and 6] wisdom.

Generosity – How does one become more generous? Is it possible to rid oneself of materialistic tendencies, selfishness and a desire to want to be kind to others and give to those who lack? Being able to provide for people by starting a business and then hiring those who need jobs would be profitable not only for yourself but for those who were previously unemployed. Volunteering your time and talents to those who need them is also a way of cultivating generosity. To share Buddhist teachings so people are able to help themselves and in turn, others, is the finest gift you can offer. You have created a positive ripple effect. The ripples of the teachings will travel far and wide to allow many to be assisted.

The attitude behind your generosity is of the utmost importance; giving with anger or the desire for payment isn’t a good motivation. But if you have a humble motivation to help, then you’re on your way to become a Bodhisattva.

Ethics – Knowing the basic difference between right and wrong is imperative to generating the 6 Perfections. To practice the perfection of ethics means to refrain from doing harm to yourself and all those around you. Killing, sexual misconduct, consuming harmful substances such as alcohol or drugs, being deceitful, and using abusive language must be avoided. All harmful actions are caused by a mind that harbors them; therefore it’s highly important to be mindful of all your thoughts.

Patience – A lack of patience is prevalent in today’s society and this will change if we want to evolve into a Bodhisattva. Patience is the antidote to anger. In Chandrakirti’s 'Supplement to the Middle Way' he writes: “It makes us ugly, leads to the unholy, and robs us of discernment to know right from wrong.” When we become angry, our body stiffens, our blood pressure rises, our breathing is impaired, as is our reason. Far too many people languish in prisons due to a few seconds when they went out of control and their anger harmed someone. Anger directed at oneself can result in suicide. Anger causes wars of all sizes.

Patience creates a joyousness within us. Our features become relaxed and we can look many years younger. We are then tolerant and happy and much further along the path of becoming a Bodhisattva.

Effort – Enthusiastic effort is necessary if you want to achieve anything, but for something as noble and challenging as joining the ranks of the Bodhisattvas, effort is definitely a requirement. Who doesn’t want their efforts repaid instantly? However, the way of the Bodhisattva is arduous and requires virtues that many of us currently lack. Laziness is a huge fault that curtails effort. Tomorrow never comes so your effort is needed NOW!

Concentration – Developing a calm mind through meditation will sharpen our concentration. Being able to focus single-pointedly on one object with a non-wavering mind will be a great advantage. The calm-abiding mind develops clairvoyance and abilities to heal ourselves and others. When radiating inward and outward calm, you’ll become like a lighthouse in a stormy night. You’ll inspire others with your strong mental capabilities and they in turn will want the inner peace that you have found for yourself. Concentration is a form of mindfulness. This means that when you pay unwavering attention to what you’re doing, you avoid many frustrations. Lack of mindfulness in the kitchen might result in burning a casserole, which not only wasting the ingredients, but twice as much time will be spent cleaning up the mess. Not practicing mindfulness when driving causes accidents. As Lama Tsong Khapa writes in his 'Summary of the Stages of the Path': “Concentration is a king with dominion over the mind, once placed, immovable like the king of mountains.”

Wisdom – Wisdom is the root of all great qualities we can cultivate in this life. As the Sixth Perfection, it is the total of the other five. Meditation on wisdom is essential for entering into the stages of being a Bodhisattva. Buddhist texts emphasize two vital subjects when it comes to knowledge—selflessness and impermanence. Everything changes constantly. One day you leave work at 5:30, the next day it’s 5:45. Nothing is fixed; it’s variable. As for selflessness, we must first discover the location of the self. Is it in the body? If so, where—the mind? The physical world and all living beings are created by the mind. As we are the results of our past actions, so is the world we live in. Since there are places on earth that are like heaven, those areas where so much virtue has settled that people travel great distances to see such wonderful locations. Conversely, the hellish regions are dense accumulations of non-virtue and evil thrives there, keeping people captive to the negative states of consciousness.

To become a Bodhisattva is to be fearless. There is no aversion for those who are hostile and there is no obsessive clinging to those who are closest to us. There is no possessiveness, only love, compassion and discernment into the nature of reality.

Santideva, the 8th century Bodhisattva wrote a book entitled 'Bodhisattvacharyavatara,' which is one of the most important texts that students of Tibetan Buddhism study. The title has been translated into 'A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life' and is written in verse form. While there are only 10 chapters, dealing with the 6 perfections as well as developing the spirit of awakening, in chapter 10, verse 55 the entire essence of the meaning of Bodhisattva is beautifully expressed:

“For as long as space endures

And for as long as living beings remain,

Until then may I too abide

To dispel the misery of the world.”

A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life 

The Demon Doctors Credibility Shattered: A Look Into The New Age Of Ministry

By Ryan Harshbarger

Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

The self proclaimed “demon doctors” have been on my radar for the past month and the feedback hasn't been very pleasant at all. I recently have received information from four of their prior clients and all four have stated pretty much the same results of the doctors work. The clients all wish to remain anonymous, which I happily obliged too. The most shocking one was of a couple that were being physically attacked by unseen forces almost nightly. The families child was also being victimized by this malevolent force. Upon coming across the website for the demon doctors the family contacted them with hopes of getting their lives back, and reclaiming a shred of what they once had. After an hour and a half phone consultation the wife was told that “she had allowed several high ranking demons into the family's home” and that the demon doctors could resolve this situation for the family. Two weeks went by and the doctors arrived and did a quick walk through of the home. Mr. Hasankani went into a “trance like state” in the living room and told the clients that he was contacting the “Arch Angels” to enter the home and forcefully remove the malevolent entities. Several nights went by without any issues and then the family was right back where they had initially started, times ten. The anonymous client told me that the activity intensified so badly that they were forced to move from their home and actually had to leave the state. Unfortunately they didn't fully escape the evil and the new home began to become another war-zone. The wife immediately contacted the demon doctors to tell them about how the violence had amplified and that the once happy home was being destroyed nightly. Mr. Hasankani told the frantic client “that the family are all allowing this to happen, and there was nothing more that could be done.”

This seems to be becoming a trend with several other groups other then the demon doctors and this behavior should immediately be eradicated. In part 1 of this article I asked the question “are they doing more harm then good?” After speaking with several of their clients and reading all the feedback from the article, people like this are in fact harming innocent people daily. “Announcing yourselves as Dr's should be a crime and is very misleading.” Both gentlemen from this team clearly stated they have absolutely no theological degrees or any degree in social work or psychology. Yet they are doing something that is very dangerous not only to themselves but the clients as well. “Here's the kicker, you ready for this?” The client I spoke with as well as the other three were all under the impressions that these guys were actually doctors. Sad right? Yeah, I thought you would agree. Is it not a crime to proclaim yourselves as an M.D and offer services under that title?  

“This leads me to my next area of attack.” I'm noticing a lot of paranormal investigators are receiving online ordained minister degrees. If you have not seen these sites where you too can obtain one, then do a little research and you will be very surprised as to how easy it is to get one by just filling in the blanks. “I filled one out in less than 4 minutes just to prove a point.” When a person receives this piece of paper, “yes it does allow you to marry people etc.” However, it does not give you the proper tools or the right to start doing exorcisms and giving theological advice to clients dealing with demonic forces.” Every day I am getting info and emails about paranormal teams having at least one person on their team that is either an ordained minister or a demonologist. “This is getting way out of hand!” I agree that upon entering any haunted locations you should always surround yourselves with protection from whatever higher power you believe in. You and your team should always be saying a protective prayer or ask to be surrounded by the white light of protection, but just because you have an online minster degree does not give you the proper training to engage in spiritual warfare. “This is happening almost daily and that's the saddest part.” To me this is a total mockery of religion and these people need to be stopped immediately. There are certain individuals out there that are demonologists and have the correct education and training to offer help to those in need such as Kirby Robinson and Leon Wilkes, just to name a couple. These guys are the real deal and have dedicated their lives and have received the calling from GOD to take on evil and banish it. Neither of them have received an online degree in demonology or a fill in the blank minister degree.   

Clearly the demon doctors are not affiliated with any Church or have any legit theological background and neither does most of these paranormal ministers. Now, I'm not saying that all the teams don't have actual ordained ministers but for the most part “they don't.” If you read the Canon Law 1172 paragraphs 1 and 2 on exorcisms to any of these charlatans they don't even know how to respond. Do you all remember when orbs were the big thing? Times were so much more simplified back then, now its all about demons for some reason. With shows like Dwayne Claude's and Bob Larson's ignorant attempts to fool the masses, they seem to be resonating somewhere because demons seem to sell. Look, I've witnessed two legitimate exorcisms and witnessed a deliverance and it's most certainly not something you can learn from a website or by reading two Michelle Belanger books. The Church is not very happy with this recent turn these paranormal teams have taken and I don't blame them. Even if you do not believe in demons and you only recognize energy, then you can at least accept that dark energy is around us and it feeds on emotion and turmoil. The people that are going through this need real help. The last thing they need is someone using Harry Potter type wizardry to manipulate clients into believing that they are out of harm's way and leaving them in the dark. As a paranormal investigator you are inclined to help the client find resolution and guide them to the answers they need. These people are depending on you for answers, so the best thing you can do is get your team in contact with a local Church for proper theological guidance and help. Some Churches are a little touchy on this subject matter so do your homework before you go marching in and ranting on about demons. This way if you do happen to run into a very nasty force you have a pillar of faith to lean on and help those in need.

I shouldn't even have to be saying this but paranormal teams need to STOP taking on demonic cases they are only doing more harm than good. Is it going to take someone getting killed or seriously injured before this stops? Any guy that shows up in a trench-coat with a brief case, a Bible, a cross and a super-soaker loaded with Holy Water, chances are he's just a 46 year old guy that lives in his mother's basement watching one too many Paranormal State episodes. The world we live in now is full of so much stress, with the economy and foreclosures taking away family homes it's a miracle that most have held on to their sanity at all. If you or someone you know is being tormented by evil forces, be wise about your decisions and don't rely on teams that have the best website or someone that claims to be a demonologist. First contact the Church for help and understand the best a paranormal team can do is only document the evidence. This documentation can be used to assist the Church to better understand what is happening, but unless the the team has a legitimate Priest or access to one, do not rely on these teams to cleanse your home of demonic forces.

For those who guide these people are leading them astray; And those who are guided by them are brought to confusion. Isaiah 9:16                      

David Roundtree Interview about The Probe Part 2

By Martha Hazzard-Decker

Author’s note – This author made several attempts to contact Andy Coppock to obtain his view regarding his modifications on the inductive probe. Coppock did not respond.

Just what is the Probe? Does it fall under the realm of Instrumental Transcommunication devices (EVP & ITC)? This is a question that can be debated probably all day long between ITC paranormal users and those investigating paranormal possibilities but in a more definitive and scientific manner. Part one of this interview was with author and ITC researcher April Slaughter. She believes the Probe works and contact can be made with the other side. In Part two one of the four Probe testers, David Roundtree explains his thoughts about working with the Probe and if he thinks it works.

Slaughter had stated that there are other inductive probes out there and she didn’t want individuals to see photos of the Probe Andy Coppock gave her for fear that it could be mistaken with the common inductive probe. If you google Andy Coppock a vast array of information can be found about him and his device. However, there are not as many videos found showing Coppock using his Probe. It seems, according to quite a few comments on websites, that there used to be quite a few videos posted. There are numerous skeptics posting comments about how voice is coming from the device on these websites along with a few believers.

David Roundtree has researched paranormal phenomena for about 25 years using a scientific point of view and is the director of Scientific Paranormal Investigative Research Information and Technology (S.P.I.R.I.T). Roundtree is also the co-director of New Jersey Paranormal Research Group along with several other groups, including those involving engineering. His primary research is studying electronic voice phenomena (EVP), environmental alterations present during possible paranormal activity and searching for the source. He has former law enforcement background and approaches paranormal investigations using his forensic training in conducting a search for possible reasons causing activity.

Roundtree stated, “there isn’t a shred of evidence and no scientific explanation,” for voices coming through on the Probe. He explained that if an individual understands how the inductive probe works then they would understand how, “far fetched,” obtaining any EVP sounds. There are numerous inductive probes listed for sale on eBay. They come in a variety of sizes and prices. They are designed to work with tone test sets to identify and trace wires within a group with out damaging insulation. Using the inductive Probe is similar to using RF band radio and expecting it to, “magically pick up scanning words,” according to Rountree. He did say that using proper methods, “communication may be possible.”

Roundtree said that EVP is possible, especially when using a dynamic microphone, but they are rare. In about 25 years of research Roundtree said he has about 25 recordings he would classify as an EVP. He described the use of Shack Hacks, ghost boxes and the Ovilus as entertainment and not actual professional, scientific tools. The Shack Hack is a radio which randomly scans AM and FM stations. Their speed of scanning can be adjusted by the user or maker of the modifications. The Franks Box operates with an AM chip and works the same as the Shack Hack, going up and down the AM band. According to Roundtree, without an RF spectrum analysis three is no way to figure where the words are coming from using the Shack Hack or a ghost box.

“The Ovilus is a hoot and is sold for entertainment and not scientific.” . Tools like the Ovilus have a large amount of words programmed into their controls and when listening to it phonetically often words will make sense to the listener. There are 10,000 words programmed into a word memory chip that is triggered by environmental changes decided by the builder, according to Roundtree. When it comes to individuals claiming they heard their name mentions, Roundtree stated there are over 1,100 common names programmed into the vocabulary. This would stand to reason that should one be in a large group with the Ovilus running someone in the group might hear their name called out. “Any item sold as a phone app for $1.99 is designed to use when you get together with friends and you want to spook someone. It’s designed like an oracle.” Remember the old eightball nearly everyone had as a child? You would ask it a question then turn it over to reveal the answer to your question with a response of yes or no.

The Probe used by Coppock has been used by Roundtree and others for years, but as a tool for work and not the paranormal. It’s used to trace out wiring. It’s used by moving down pins till you find the wire you’re looking for and it does pick up EMF, but the quality of the speaker is very poor said Rountree. He explained they have a cheap speaker and it would not be possible to hear a human quality voice coming from it.

Roundtree stated he has seen videos of it in use and the voices allegedly coming from the Probe do fall into the human harmonic spectral range. Roundtree said it is hard to ask him to believe it is coming from the Probe and to “buy into the myth.” Roundtree said, “the voice is not coming from the wand (Probe) because of the quality.” Roundtree does not know how Coppock is doing the voice with the Probe. He explained that anyone can do the sound analysis using files such as Audacity.  These programs can take apart the acoustic quality and will show that the voice Coppock said is coming from the Probe is definitely human and is “coming from somewhere.” Roundtree said, “The Probe is getting interesting files but there is no scientific value to claim.”

The “ITC community has it wrong and there is fraud,” according to Roundtree.  He said the key is in knowing EMF and EVP, how it works and how sounds are broadcast and received back. You can’t take one or two pieces of equipment to decide if it’s communication because that should take 10-12 pieces of equipment, according to Rountree.

Roundtree believes one has a better chance of getting a good EVP by using a good quality recorder and a headset. One that he recommends is the ZOOM. He said a dynamic microphone and good headset should be used with recorders so one can hear in real time. “There is no button on them that says normal or paranormal.”

What does Rountree do before he classifies a sound as an EVP? He will send the sound clip to five random  people he knows without telling them what he thinks it says and let them decide. If they say they hear what he heard, then he classifies it as an EVP.

Roundtree is the author of “Paranormal Technology: Understanding the Science of Ghost Hunting.”  You can find a link for his book and additional information on his website Spin Investigations. This is Roundtree’s first book to provide a scientific method to ghost hunting. It includes in-depth explanations, techniques, experiments and answers.

Issue 49 – Chip Coffey Clan in Quicksand of Lies/Old Sparky's Rants Continue

By Kirby Robinson

As the fallout grows over Chip Coffey's hate speech towards blind people, backed up by Michelle Griffin [Babbling Babs] they use more deceptions to fool the public. Chip is such a master psychic that he didn't see this coming? Old Sparky starts a new page to make her bosses more money … and more shocking news…

NEW RADIO APPEARANCES

Monday, October 24, 2011 - 10 to Midnight [EST]

http://www.granddarkconspiracy.com/index.php 

Wednesday, October 26, 2011 - 7:00 PM [MST] or 9:00 PM [EST]

Truth Theorem Radio

EYE ON THE PARANORMAL IS EXPANDING!

Yes folks, we're growing. My editor will post on Tuesday, along with other guest writers who will be filling our Thursdays to keep you updated with news no one will tackle other than us [and Scifake]. We have repeatedly set records for the number of views, thanks to our readers and our intrepid reporters.

Currently we have blogs on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, every other Thursday, and Saturday. If you would like to post a paranormal blog, we'll add you to the list. Contact me at freeallspirits@live.com and we will get you set up.

Two Thursdays a month Reap Sow will post his views beginning on October 27th.

BISHOP LONG ON SUNDAY NIGHTS

Join Bishop Long on Sundays from 8 to 10 pm on http://www.usocc.org/USOCC/USOCC_Radio.html for his show Sacred Division. My segment is at 9 PM and is called SAY WHAT? I talk about things within the paranormal community that has caught my eye and raised my dander.

MICHELLE GRIFFIN [BABBLING BABS] LOSING CREDIBILITY

Babbling Babs' credibility ship is sinking fast! Last week Ron Tebo got a call from her as she said that she was very upset about Chip Coffey's hate speech. She didn't know he would do such a thing and claimed she was only laughing at Chip sticking his face into the camera lens.

We aren't sure why she called Ron Tebo. Maybe she figured that her well known charms directed towards male para-celebs normally get her what she wants. I publicly [as well as contacting Ron myself] said if she would write a post for the Eye on the Paranormal stating this and condemning bigotry in general I would no longer mention her in reference to this incident. To date there has been no response. Babbling Babs was lying about the whole thing.

Not to rehash the whole video, but watch it yourself. She was laughing long before Chip stuck his face into the lens. Chip brought up my blindness on the Psychic Kids page. Babbling Babs and Sandra Sparks [Old Sparky] even did a series of blogs about it. This kinda tells me that this whole action was planned from the start. As for Babbling Babs, did you know … ?

MICHELLE GRIFFIN [BABBLING BABS] WORLD-RENOWNED PSYCHIC!

Babbling Babs did a gallery reading over the weekend. In the press release she was classified as a "world renowned psychic." When she was with Mr. Burns there was no mention of her being psychic. When she was with Mr. Moon, no mention of her being psychic. But she gets around Mr. Coffey and she becomes a world renowned psychic? May we ask what major prediction has she ever made? The only thing we can come up with is that Chip freely teaches the tricks of the trade to anyone. 

CHIP COFFEY POSES AS SANDRA SPARKS [OLD SPARKY]!

We've learned that Chip Coffey has been known to post as Sandra on the Psychic Kids pages [the old and the new ones]. He even had a heavy hand in the blogs that are full of lies and misinformation that Old Sparky posted about Ron Tebo and me.

Speaking of Old Sparky…

She started a new Psychic Kids page to make up for the lost revenue her bosses suffered from due to A&E stepping in and blocking her from posting links to the Chip Coffey Clan's pages and websites. The new page is the same as the old page with predators and profiteers posting there. But more on that next week.

OLD SPARKY'S RANTS - PART 2

This week's plate addresses a blog posted by Sandra/Chip/Chris that is so full of errors we almost lost count of 'em!

Health issues sometimes reflect what is going on inside a person. I am not cold to the fact that Kirby Robinson is losing his eyesight, but the old saying about "what you don't use, you lose," seems to be coming true for him. A narcissist never looks past his own face. Kirby pretends to, but he only looks at things he believes will make him look even better. At this point, Kirby is the reverse of Dorian Gray: He keeps a portrait of himself in his mind that is young and handsome and heroic. How heroic? Kirby once wrote that "some people think I am Superman." The "some people" is Kirby.

The outside man shows an aging Hippy who would have no direction if he didn't have an obsession that supports his narcissism.

Kirby has a savior complex. He isn't following Jesus Christ, he has to be the savior!

He believes that repeatedly quoting scriptures and saying he is a true Christian will give him victory over his enemies. Never mind that a few months ago he claimed on a radio show that he was Buddhist, which is not compatible with Christianity. I don't think he knows much about real Christianity anymore than he knows things about real Buddhism. Zen meditation practice is the only Buddhist method that you can comfortably use and keep a Christian faith. Otherwise - you end up with a practice as split as Kirby's reasoning about many things.

I used to be a Zen Buddhist, until I realized my psychic experience did not hold up the Buddhist model of emptiness - I found the energy of the universe quite full. I left Buddhist practice as soon as I fully understood it. I haven't seen a sign that Kirby understands either Christian or Buddhist concepts.

For one thing: Kirby can't keep himself from lying. It's a compulsion.

In the middle of the Psychic Kids flame wars, Kirby announced that he was personally flying to Atlanta to meet with the A.B.A. to discuss the qualifcations of Chip Coffey's attorney, who had sent an e-mail to Ron Tebo to warn him to stop libeling Chip as a fraud and child predator.

The American Bar Association? In Atlanta? Why would he have to fly from Los Angeles to see them at all? What would he accomplish on the trip? He could just call or e-mail and find out what he wanted to know. He never did say anything more about the trip.

And...Funny how he didn't take any time off from harassing people that week.

The next week he had his "team of attorneys" serve me with papers suing me over book reviews I had written on his e-books, hysterical that I had used the phrase (justly deserved) that some things in the book were "plain made up." He claimed his lawyers forced Amazon.com to take down the reviews. He also claimed Amazon affirmed that I was always doing "nasty things."

The truth is I deleted the reviews in the wee hours one morning just to see if he would claim he had something to do with it - and he did.

As for the claims of a weekend of conferences with his attorneys - Really? He spent that much money on a bad review, which was not his first? And...he didn't notice the reviews until Sunday. He could contact attorneys in L.A. with a claim on a weekend? Even when asked repeatedly, Kirby would not supply the names of his team of attorneys. He couldn't. There were none.

Of course...I never was served with papers. Kirby doesn't know where I am. I never even received an e-mail from attorneys - that could have been done through my website. And, of course, I would confirm that the e-mail actually came from attorneys, then would send them my evidence about Kirby.

But none of that happened. He just left the idea hanging in the air that he did these things.

In this recent attack on Chip Coffey Kirby claimed that he couldn't file a lawsuit yet because filing for a lawsuit would cost him $25,000. The fee for filing a civil complaint like this varies, but it averages between $300 and $500 across the country. Lawyers get expensive, but he should have already known that since he claimed to spend so much time with lawyers in September.

Kirby claims to be a demonologist and exorcist with 25 years of experience.

Kirby claims he graduated in the class of 1981 from Indiana State University, majoring in history. He does not list a degree. He also claims to have graduated class of 2004 in psychology from Los Angeles City College. It sounds very impressive. If he graduated from IU with, I assume, a bachelor's degree, how did he go back to an Associate's degree level college, and get a degree in psychology? Psychology is taught at LACC, but in preparation for an Associate's degree in Human Services. In other words - it's a prepatory program for social workers, NOT for psychologists. There's no degree in psychology there.

Neither school has courses in demonology, and studies in history can lead to graduate work in theology, which might include demonology. However, unless he were an actual university trained clergyman - well, you get my drift.
Kirby is a fraud. He is just a guy who set himself up as an expert in something he has no training for.

As far as I'm concerned, the only demonologist I will respect as a professional is someone with a degree in theological history with a concentration in some sort of theological lore. For me, though I understand there is negative conscious energy, what we recognize as demons only exist in myths and minds. So, for me, every exorcist is a fraud. That's a long discussion for my blog on Psychic Sensibiliy. Here, it's just one of my firm personal rules - tell me you're an exorcist, and I will not take another word you say seriously.

With Kirby, that's easy. And that's what he hates about me. He wants to be taken seriously.

By the way - Kirby has been "extremely upset" about a video in which Chip Coffey seems to make fun of him being visually impaired. Chip comes up close to the video camera mimicking the only way Kirby can watch television in order to make his assessment of what's going on with the television shows, criticism he wrote about in way too much detail in his self published e-book Paranormal Reality: Investigating Paranormal State. I question his ability to do that as well.

You see, I was temporarily blind when I was a pre-teen. It's sort of hard to get visual detail when you can't see clearly. Very hard.

That's it for this time.

1 Sorry, Sandra /Chip/Chris, or whoever wrote the above blog. Take some time to do your research. I began losing my eyesight early in life. The eye disorder that I suffer from is genetic, which means there is nothing that can be done for it. I had to make the hard choice not to have kids as they could suffer from it and I didn't want to put them through it.

2 It's a very cheap trick to only provide part of a quote "some people think I am Superman." Why not tell the rest? There is only one superman, Sandra, and it is not Chip, Chris or any of the para- celebs that you, Babbling Babs and the other para-backscratchers hang with. That man was Christ.

3 Calling me an old hippie -- is the best you can do? And the narcissism label is so overused. As to my direction, I help people. What do you do Sandra, Chip and Chris? Do you help people or only help yourself to other people's money? As to the savior complex, unlike the CCC, I reject the lie that started in the Garden of Eden. That is the core of the new age which is that man can be like God. Only Christ is the savior -- not me, not any man.

4 Where did YOU get your degree in comparative religion? Your claim that Buddhism and Christianity can't be followed by a person at the same time is not supported by people who know the subject far better than you ever will. You speak of Zen as if it is the only school -- which it's not.

Try Tibetan Buddhism, led by a living Buddha, who along with other masters have published books on the subject such as:

The Good Heart: A Buddhist Perspective on the Teachings of Jesus by His Holiness the Dalai Lama 

Jesus and Buddha: The Parallel Sayings by Marcus Borg 

Living Buddha, Living Christ 10th Anniversary Edition by Thich Nhat Hanh 

Going Home: Jesus and Buddha as Brothers by Thich Nhat Hanh 

I think the world can put more faith in the teachings of these men, than the hate and lies that come out of you and the CCC.

4 Sandra Lynn Sparks really sucks as an investigator. Yes, Sandra I live in L.A. but does that mean I'm always there?  To date, I've been in L.A. for about 4 weeks total as my calling requires me to go and help people in other places. It's starting to look as if I won't make it back to L.A. till early 2012.

5 As to the $25,000 [which at the time they did this blog they didn't know I had talked to Chip's lawyer -- what a bunch of sad psychics these people are] is the amount that Chip's lawyer said he would need up front to take a case against you. But in time all things will be handled.

6 Like all the shameless fakers you work for and worship dearly, you say I make things up, but you never prove them. It's easy to make claims and fail to back them up.

7 Indiana University and Indiana State are two different schools in two different cities in two different parts of the state. Can we say foot in the mouth? Yes we can.

8 Why LACC? Classes were $20 per hour, at that time, compared to Cal State or UCLA which runs $400+ per hour. Due to my legal blindness it was FREE, and is located next to the Braille Institute. As to the focus of the department, here are a few of the classes I took:

Introduction to Psychology   

Introduction to Biological Psychology

Personality Psychology

Introduction to Social Psychology

Introduction to Abnormal Psychology

Intro to Lifespan Psychology

Computer Software for Mental Health Professionals

Group Dynamics 1 & 2

Family Systems

Introduction to Drug & Alcohol Abuse

Introduction to Counseling Techniques

There were six field sites working with people and families in crisis

Stress Management

Along with many other classes

Why did I do this? Sandra and the CCC are so dull and uninformed that I'll have to explain it to them. The majority of demonic or ghost hunting claims have nothing to do with the paranormal. They have more to do with emotional and mental issues as well as things going on within families. I advise anyone who is doing this work to take some form of training that allows them to understand this and correctly direct their clients to places where they can receive proper help.

9 As to my work in demonology, the CCC should spend more time reading the Bible. There is a thing called The Great Commission that Christ shared with his disciples. You get your training out in the field working cases and studying what the Bible and other sacred texts teach on this matter.

10 Notice that Old Sparky has to experience every suffering that others go through. Ron said he was molested. Sandra says she was. I am going blind; she also had a temporary bout of blindness. She says she is suffering due to no job, no money, bad illnesses etc. None of this is true. You see, Sandra is the kind of person who is better than anyone. Her suffering is greater than anyone else's. Her wit and intelligence is above all others. Yes, the term is overused, but it does seem that Sandra's a narcissist.

WE DOUBLE DOG DARE YA TO WATCH THIS VIDEO OF OLD SPARKY!!

There are no words I can think of! Maybe you can come up with a better description than me!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zB9ncXKaRM&feature=youtu.be&a

Next week we'll take a look at Psychic Kids: Afterword and begin a close look into Chris Fleming's background.

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Just Be Happy!

The Dalai Lama

By Lisa Maliga

We all want to be happy. If we can just be happy, then all our problems will disappear. Despite the tragedies that sometimes overwhelm us, what we see on TV, online, or read in a newspaper, against difficult odds, we still persevere in our quest for that elusive and seemingly fleeting state of happiness.

I received an e-mail with the subject heading proclaiming: "I'm not happy." My initial thought was that it was the sender's problem, and not mine. After perusing the missive, which was sent to several others, I came to the conclusion that the person chose to be unhappy about a temporary situation. It certainly wasn't as serious as the death of a loved one, but for some reason I was reminded of a passage I had read in a book by the Dalai Lama entitled 'The Art of Happiness.' The Dalai Lama recalls: "…I have lost my most respected tutor, my mother, and also one of my brothers. When they passed away, of course, I felt very, very sad. Then I constantly kept thinking that it's no use to worry too much, and if I really loved these people, then I must fulfill their wishes with a calm mind. So I try my best to do that. So I think if you've lost someone who is very dear to you, that's the proper way to approach it. You see, the best way to keep a memory of that person, the best remembrance, is to see if you can carry on the wishes of that person."

No matter how much death and misfortune we've encountered, we all wish to be free from suffering. To achieve happiness, we can go about it in a couple of different ways. We can constantly pursue every material possession, or we can just appreciate what we have. The Dalai Lama writes: "So, the first step to seeking happiness is learning. We first have to learn how negative emotions and behaviors are harmful to us and how positive emotions are helpful. And we must realize how these negative emotions are not only very bad and harmful to one personally but harmful to society and the future of the whole world as well. That kind of realization enhances our determination to face and overcome them. Once we realize that, we become determined to cherish, develop, and increase those positive emotions no matter how difficult that is…now the secret to my own happiness, my own good future, is within my own hands."

The above referenced book was first published in 1998. A few years after having read it, I attended a public talk by the Dalai Lama. Being located near good old Hollywood, California, the event was emceed by the actress, Sharon Stone, who had to do some improvisation whilst the audience awaited the delayed arrival of the Dalai Lama, who was stuck in traffic. She even read the words 'peace' and 'compassion' from the dictionary she had brought along with her, and it struck me as a bit surreal. Almost as strange as the fact that the event was held inside the museum's auditorium at the Forest Lawn cemetery – the final resting place of such household names as: George Burns and Gracie Allen, Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable and Walt Disney. While I had read many of the Dalai Lama's books, seen movies about him, and watched interviews, seeing him walking towards the small stage just a few feet from where I sat was awe inspiring. There was the maroon and gold robed Tibetan Buddhist monk, looking as friendly and wise as ever. I felt very happy, because the happiest man from Tibet was in the room!

After giving a short speech about his favorite subjects, peace and compassion, he spent more time answering questions that people had written down on cards beforehand. The first questioner wanted to know if violence was ever necessary? The Dalai Lama simply answered, "No!" But that answer wasn't enough so he elaborated a bit.

However, the next questioner was with a group of teens from a detention camp. Most of them were from gang-ridden areas of South Central Los Angeles. A teenager stood amidst her peers and read aloud her question. I don't recall it verbatim, but two words stood out: cruel world. She then wanted to know what to do when someone got in her face. The Dalai Lama replied that Buddha himself didn't have it easy. And he, having to leave Tibet, didn't have a simple life. He told of how the Tibetan people were viewed by the occupying Chinese as inferior. He mentioned a meeting with a black man in South Africa and strongly emphasized that we are all the same. His Holiness looked at the cluster of camp kids and wished he could spend more time with them. The Dalai Lama called for the teen that had asked the question and sprung up from his chair and hurried over to her. An attending monk escorted the African-American girl over, and the Dalai Lama hugged the embarrassed and giggling girl. It was the most spontaneous show of genuine compassion that I had ever witnessed. 

Sometimes I still act impulsively and angrily, temporarily forgetting what I had seen. But after a while, I calm down and recall that wonderful scenario set inside a cemetery on a midsummer day. A man, revered by his countrymen as a God-King, had been so moved by a young person's anguish that he only thought to offer comfort. I think of how that teen was hugged and helped, and so were all the others gathered there.

If something can be put right

Why be unhappy?

If a thing cannot be put right,

What good is being unhappy?

Shantideva

"The Doctor Will See You Now." A Look at The Demon Doctors

By Ryan Harshbarger

Dear Archangels, I, who am deserving of nothing, beseech thee, go now to Our Lord and Our Lady of Good Success and intercede for me, as this poor servant desires to prostrate himself before Them and submit to whatever they desire. As my heart and my entire being belongs to Them, may I, like a small drop of dew, lose myself in the immensity of the Divine Being.  Amen.

Over my 16 years of being involved in the field of paranormal research I have met many people and have come across thousands of theories and methods of contacting and cleansing haunted locations. I have witnessed everything from charlatans take advantage of people's weaknesses and I've been present when valid responses have brought hope to many searching for answers from the other-side. Recently I have noticed a shift in the paranormal community's evidence and their explanations as to what is causing homeowners and business owners to experience things they cannot explain. Perhaps all the recent skepticism that has not only discredited most of the evidence and in some cases even brought shame to many teams has made them look for a new angel that's not so easy to debunk. Whatever the case it seems that demons are the new fashion in paranormal research; everyone seems to be jumping on this bandwagon and trying desperately to ride this crazy train to the very end.

If you are serious about researching the paranormal and have been on more than 5 investigations with a team that actually knows what they are doing, then you're usually aware that almost 99% of the time most of the claims can be explained by natural phenomenon and in many cases just poor upkeep of the locations. Most of the time you're just sitting in dark creepy rooms talking to yourselves for 6 hours without yielding any results at all, “that's just part of it.” In almost all the various spectrum's of this field there is always a group or an individual that claims to be an expert, this I scratch my head on because paranormal research is by no means a perfect science. If it were, then the  legitimate scientific community would acknowledge it as such. Right?

While roaming the Internet I happened to stumble across a team called the “Demon Doctors”. I was floored by this and had to get a hold of these guy's and hear their story, so I sent an email to them and asked if we could do a little interview so I could find out what this mystic and pragmatic pitch was all about. The members are Dr. A. Hasankhani and Dr. J. Dodd. My first question obviously was “are you guy's really doctors?” “Neither of them hold a PhD or an Md” so I was kind of confused. Dr. Hasankhani's explanation to this was “well when you're in need of help and you want someone professional you go see a Dr.” Both gentlemen were very humble and seem like what they're doing is for the benefit of those in need so I gave them praise on that because that's what the world needs more of, “people helping people.” I was curious about how they vanquish the demons and unclean spirits so I asked if they had any affiliation with any church or if their exorcisms were sanctioned by a priest and both denied any affiliation with any church whatsoever. My personal beliefs on this matter are that “the Church should always be involved or at least briefed.”

 Their methods are very unique, Dr. Hasankhani informed me that he uses spirit guides to asses demoniacally infested homes and that him and his partner can actually “call upon the Arch-Angels to enter the homes and vanquish the demons.” They can even do this over the phone, (yes over the phone) they claim to be the only humans on earth that have this gift bestowed upon them to contact and utilize Arch-Angels to engage in combat with demons that are terrorizing families across the U.S.

I asked both gentlemen how they came to have these powers and Dr. Hasankhani's response was that his “spirit guide” informed him of his ability and Dr. Dodd had actually been involved in an accident where he was clinically dead and brought back to life, he later ran into Dr. Hasankhani and he informed Mr. Dodd that he too possessed this ability to call upon the Angels. Both men don't seem concerned with the churches view on people performing these exorcisms and vanquishing demonic forces because both men view their abilities as gifts from GOD. I did go over the Cannon Law 1172 paragraph's 1 and 2 with both men, Dr. Dodd's response was “there are many manmade laws out there and the Churches laws are manmade law, no disrespect to the Church by no means but they are manmade laws.” 

So do these two guy's honestly have a GOD given ability to call upon Angels to vanquish demons? Well, unfortunately I was unable to contact any of their clients to get any sort of validity towards their claims. They do however post many compelling testimonials on their website but by no means can I call that creditable because all the client information is kept sealed tight. I have been a believer in spirit guides for quite some time now and firmly believe that we all do have protectors on the other-side that keep us in check, so that I can buy into but the claims of being able to call upon Arch-Angels without  any theological background nor any deep religious support other than self proclaimed connections I kind of have a hard time buying into. “Personal relationships with GOD is a wonderful thing.” I think that everyone has that connection and if they were not so distracted by all the day to day routines of life we could perhaps hear his calling like those that came before us. Mankind has so many things that push us away from the creator and the theological guidelines that are meant to lead us towards the light, it's sad actually all the deaf ears that have been turned to such a beautiful message.

Obtaining higher levels of consciousness are practices that date back to the first steps of mankind. So if these two gentlemen have somehow managed to tune into a frequency that most cannot, “then why not share this gift with the world?” They don't charge for their services so we can't dub them scam artists by no means, but we can look into a theory of “the power of suggestion” perhaps the clients   that they are helping are not dealing with “biblical demons” but “personal demons” per say, all these clients may need is a guiding voice to somehow use a method of “subliminal rearrangement.” I know that may sound a bit out there as well but look at it like going to counseling. Through a method of breaking down the symptoms and claims, they are able to use a calming voice that somehow convince the clients that what was tormenting them has been cleansed by Angelic intervention. With that refreshing news they are able to take the proper steps of getting a handle on their own troubles. By no means am I saying that this is the explanation of what they are doing, but the human brain does work in very mysterious ways and sometimes a person just needs to be told “everything is OK now” and that can then become the catalyst of a new beginning for them. “So is that a bad thing?”  Are these guy's really calling upon Arch-Angels? That's a question I cannot answer but as long as they are helping people and not making a mockery out of the mission of helping those in need I see no harm done.