“Son, listen. These are the characteristics of devils. That which is called ‘devil’ is not some actual great big black thing that scares and petrifies whomever sees it. A devil is anything that obstructs the achievement of freedom. Therefore, even loving and affectionate friends become devils [with regard to] freedom. Most of all, there is no greater devil than this fixation to a self. So until this ego-fixation is cut off, all the devils wait with open mouths. For that reason, you need to exert yourself at a skillful method to sever the devil of ego-fixation. As adjuncts, there are three devils that are born from ego-fixation; thus we have the four devils that must be severed. These are their names: Devil of the Material and Devil of the Immaterial; Devil of Exaltation and Devil of Inflation. Those are the four devils of ego-fixation”

- Machig Labdrön

These are creations that are sustained by faith. Make Belief.
From naming, credit coined, a web of associations. Knowledge. All of mind, recognized by mind alone. Shards among the shatter, a mirror of man.
God

State-mente: You can choose to evaluate ((this)) statement as True or False.

(both, neither) *

However you evaluate, the statement holds true. There is no innocense, you are responsible for your views and wherever they lead you.

Good luck.

Discipline related traits.

Mindfulness: To recognize disturbing emotions.
Perseverance: To follow through, through (disturbing emotions)
Wisdom: To discern that disturbing emotions are powerless, empty and Impermanent.
Concentration: To not get distracted by disturbing emotions.

Can you come up with anything else to add?

A Serpent guides me to damnation
All religion is a lie
I choose to question my creation
Whats the purpose of this life?
Obscene temptations of destruction lead me closer to this truth
With devastation comes a consequence created by abuse
And when they come to snuff your freedom
Make a stand they can't refuse
Invert your thoughts
And bait the pentagram
This world is an illusion
My intention's to relieve
Have left me down inside a hole
But through this brotherhood I've found a perfect way to gain control
A sacred pact of new perception
Burn the pig and bleed the goat
A witch has saved my intellect and through discretion now I know
Take 13 steps into the void
Face retribution all alone
I spit my poison to the priest who thinks his words can calm my soul
This rain will fall
And with these floods
There comes a message from an evil
Now a question haunts my mind
Will I survive it through the sleep?
I cannot help what I've become
My train of consequence
It moves along the tracks of what's been done...

How many summers do you have left?

Life sure is short, if we count the moments worth living. Easy to waste away the present distracted by a tomorrow that never comes.

We need SINGLE-MINDEDNESS in order to succeed in life:
Purity of heart, not willing any other thing than ONE.

Let go of distractions, release them from the mindstream so that ONE THING can settle in.

MAKE WAY – THE ONE PURPOSE is like royalty coming to visit, a traveller sent out by the Divine. We need to devote the time to create some extra space (a guest room) in our inner worlds so that the divinely manifested visitor may settle in. We can create the grounds for our visitor to stick around if we honor that space by protecting it and tending to it regularly, keeping it pristine.

That space wherein the ONE PURPOSE can claim residence isn’t
"made".
It’s already there.

We’re only to expel the clutter from our inner temple.

Here's an invitation to do some pre-yule de-cluttering:

- Set up a bright incorporeal light source in your mind's palace to illuminate any dark corners.

- Open the windows and let some fresh air in, and look under the rugs – they might be covering something up from back when you were sweeping the ground without proper dedication.

- Set up walls to keep out what needs to stay out. Find the door. Lock it. Seal windows shut.

- Implement a strong defense of weapons to scare intruders away or destroy them if necessary. Make the place look absolutely terrifying from the outside. (Be ready, intruders will show up.)

- Journalling is a great tool to use in addition to visualisation.

Whichever visual speaks to you and ends up working is fair game. In the end, it's about being left with a clean surface, a blank slate, a fresh canvas, clear waters, an open stage (insert your analogy here) that's both indestructible and devoid of anything other than emptiness.

It doesn't matter how small or big that empty, holy spot ends up being.
What matters is your perception of its existence.

P E R C E P T I O N
D E T E R M I N E S
E X P E R I E N C E .

Perception of emptiness causes experience of emptiness.

Once aware, no action can be performed without that awareness shining through.

:(:

Merry Christmas!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07ul1fK1Rtk

"Lama Dawa Rinpoche used to say Santa [Claus] is none other than Vaishravana, the king of the northern direction, who is known as the god of wealth, surrounded by his retinue of yakshas (dwarves), and living in the northernmost realm.

Offerings used to be placed at trees associated with Vaishravana in hopes he would grant wishes and bestow wealth (now we make offerings of cookies and milk to Santa). The christmas tree is the 'Wish-fulfilling tree' and Santa's seed syllable is HO."

~ Kunzang Dechen Chodron