old3bob

yea, that donut demon is insidious and diabolical not unlike his big brothers. Btw. the Sage is stronger than broccoli diety.

if we do not defend against inner and outer evil or deny its existence then we are at least cowards or those that have been fooled. Btw I'd say most Buddhist schools have many protective deities, devas, along with masters in human and astral form (and of higher realms) that are not cowards or those that have been fooled.

right, but how did we who are also of groups lose so much control or at least influence related to the bigger picture in the first place? In other words in our group karma situations while our more individual karmas may be ok but obviously not with enough people since so many fall for cults of personality and violence that then affect or impact on our individual lives in ways which there is hardly no way of getting away from. For instance and just on the physical level the air, water, and food we all need to be clean and healthy is being polluted or coming up short with there hardly being no way to get away from such situations in a world that is getting smaller and smaller, so to speak. Airborne mercury particles to name just one element of pollution is being released from burning coal in older power plants near populated areas that then ends up and accumulates in very remote, pristine mountain lakes and in the fish there that most would think would be safe to eat but are not! (Sorry kids, those trout we caught are poisoned)

agreed that was more true way back then, but less true now with fewer places that any people could go unnoticed, undercover, or to a sustainable off grid environment and survive physically and practice their spiritual ways. Back in earlier times of lesser technology dictatorships still took almost absolute control along with them committing massive events of violence against human rights along with forms of genocide being committed against many millions of people but now such is against billions of people!! Thus we have an unbalanced planet of dark, heavy karma that exists and is soon and or in many cases presently coming to a head with a lot less places to go physically to get away from it. Sure there are nearly unlimited astral realms one could retreat to as a non-physical being while evil more or less takes over the Earth for who knows how long? Thankfully that won't last forever and the Earth and peoples will regenerate to see a new day, alas to me we don't really have go so far into the hole before climbing out of it but we still do anyway! Thanks be to the strong, brave and spiritual helpers who stand against the evil tide! As for the dubious song of, "don't worry be happy", such isn't possible for most humans.

Although during the times listed below some spiritual schools were able to go into hiding (or secrecy) a.k.a. underground, but this time it is different with weapons now a thousand times more powerful ! "World War I (1914–1918): Estimated 15–22 million deaths (9–11 million military, 6–13 million civilians). Some estimates include up to 50 million additional deaths from the 1918 influenza pandemic. World War II (1939–1945): Estimated 60–85 million total deaths. This includes roughly 20–25 million military deaths and 40–55 million civilian deaths, with the Soviet Union and China suffering the highest casualties. Soviet Union via Stalin (1920s–1953): Estimates range from 6 million to over 20 million, with post-1991 research suggesting around 9 million direct victims (including executions, Gulag deaths, and the Holodomor/famine). Some, including Alexander Solzhenitsyn, have argued for much higher numbers, up to 60 million. China via Mao Zedong (1949–1976): Estimates range from 40 to 70 million or more. The highest death toll occurred during the Great Leap Forward (1958–1962), with 15–45 million deaths. The Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) resulted in an additional 1–8 million deaths. Khmer Rouge (Cambodia, 1975–1979): Estimated 1.5–2 million deaths, which represented nearly a quarter of Cambodia's population at the time. Korean war, The conflict caused around one million military deaths and an estimated one and a half to three million civilian deaths. Vietnam, The war exacted an enormous cost: estimates of Vietnamese soldiers and civilians killed range from 970,000 to 3 million. Some 275,000–310,000 Cambodians, 20,000–62,000 Laotians, and 58,220 US service members died." And many other deadly wars or regional conflicts not mentioned above....

or it could be to cover up a bump on the nose? btw, some beauty marks are not that beautiful imo except in the eyes of the beholders...and there no way a guy can cover up a big beer belly but guys get more slack for things like that compared to women.

Maybe you've got a problem saying that just asking about that could be a problem.

some say never say never. (when the world and people are forever changing this and that way )

Note about the quote above: it mentions "individual soul" yet I'd say Brahman or The Self is not a particular individual or soul per major Hindu teachings; it also seems to allude to the idea that illusion or maya manifests from non-illusion or Brahman which is self-contradictory. It makes sense to me when or if schools more or less beat around the bush about a bush that can't really be nailed down intellectually, although that may also have problems if one keeps beating forever and never has resolution. Btw. I'll buy your insight about an incomplete understanding...

On a tangent about judgement; I have to say that to me Master Jesus hit the nail on the head when He said to a gathering that was getting ready to stone a woman to death, "let any among you without sin cast the first stone", and none could.

Apathy is apathy not something high and mighty or deep...

If someone has worked out related types of karma on a subject then it is no longer in them, which does not mean they can't like it and thus fight for dharmic truth... Btw there was a world of hurt that Gandhi (and countless others over the ages) did not like and who thus fought for truth!!

"Advaita Vedanta is a major school of Hindu philosophy (darshan) focusing on non-dualism, positing that the individual soul is identical to the ultimate, formless reality Propounded by Adi Shankara, it teaches that only Brahman is real, while the perceived, diverse world (aka duality, my insert) is a manifestation of illusion maya" from Ai And it sounds to me like some or certain schools related to Buddhism and their interpretation's are along that line.

There is that saying that if there is something you don't like then its a reflection of what's in you, or a problem of yours. Well I don't quite buy that huge generalization, granted it may be true in some cases but not in others... hells bells does your introspective head hurt ?