 random as it sounds. You’ve got these different colorful blocks (those are your shared interests, hobbies, life goals), but what do you think holds them all together? Super glue? Nah. It’s the Lego baseplate – and in your relationship, that’s your spiritual connection.

Having a spiritual connection is about praying together, growing together in God’s Word, and supporting each other in faith. It’s the bedrock of a Christian relationship. It gives depth to your connection and a sense of purpose to your relationship. Think of it as an unseen cord weaving you and your partner together in God’s love and grace. It’s the Proverbs 27:17 kind of connection: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

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So next time you’re building that metaphorical Lego house, remember the importance of the baseplate – your spiritual connection. Just don’t step on any Legos barefooted – I hear that’s less fun.

Physical Attractiveness in a Christian Relationship

A Face Only a Mother Could Love

There’s no denying it, we live in a world that idolizes physical attractiveness. It’s like everywhere you turn there’s another picture-perfect Instagram couple grinning back at you. Sure, physical attraction is part of the package. It’s the initial spark, the butterflies in the stomach, the reason you might sneak a second glance during the church service. “For man looks at the outward appearance…” as the good book says in 1 Samuel 16:7, right?

But we can’t forget the rest of that verse, “…but the LORD looks at the heart.” In other words, God cares about what’s on the inside, not just what’s on the outside. Now don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing sinful about thinking your significant other is a bona fide hottie. But it’s like a cherry on a sundae; nice to have, but not the main event.

FURTHER READ: Is It Okay for a Christian to Date?

Beauty: More Than Skin Deep

Here’s the truth bomb: Physical attraction isn’t everything. It’s like a fun movie trailer; it might draw you in, but it’s not the whole story. I mean, have you ever watched a movie that had a fantastic trailer, but the actual movie was a complete snoozefest? That’s what a relationship built only on physical attraction can be like.

You see, the heart of a person, their character, is what truly defines them, not their six-pack abs or their stunning eyes. Proverbs 31:30 hits the nail on the head: “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.”

We’re all going to get old and wrinkly one day, folks. That’s when the inner beauty, the stuff that really matters, steps into the spotlight. Now, isn’t it better to spend a lifetime with someone whose heart mirrors the love of Christ, than to focus solely on the outer shell that fades with time? Just some food for thought.

Biblical Perspectives on Beauty and Attraction

The Holy Writ on Hotness

Let’s talk Bible and beauty, shall we? If we scoured the Good Book from Genesis to Revelation, guess what? We’d find no divine commandment saying, “Thou shalt only date supermodels.” Quite the opposite, actually.

In Proverbs 11:22, the Bible drops this wisdom bomb: “Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.” Ouch, right? You see, the Bible is pretty clear that physical beauty, without godly character, is about as appealing as bling on a pig.

FURTHER READ: Should a Christian Remarry After His or Her Spouse Dies?

The Unseen Glow-Up

Ever heard of the concept of inner beauty? Sure you have. It’s the thing every beauty pageant contestant talks about when asked what truly defines a person. But let’s ditch the clichés for a moment and talk about the biblical perspective.

Peter, the guy who literally walked on water with Jesus (until he freaked out, but we’ve all been there, right?), gives us a solid take on this. In 1 Peter 3:3-4, he tells women, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment… Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”

This is not to say you should ditch your favorite outfit for a sackcloth and ashes. It simply emphasizes that the heart—the kindness, gentleness, love, faith—should be our true glow-up. Now, that’s a beauty regimen I can get behind! And trust me, that’s the kind of beauty that truly turns heads, especially the One that matters most.

God’s Design for Relationships

Beyond the Surface Level

You’ve heard it said, “God works in mysterious ways,” right? Well, when it comes to relationships, His design is intriguingly brilliant and goes way beyond six-pack abs and flawless hair.

In Genesis 2:18, God decided it wasn’t good for Adam to be alone. So, He made a helper suitable for him – Eve. God’s intention wasn’t merely to give Adam someone pretty to look at but to provide companionship, support, and unity. He created a relationship where two individuals could walk together towards a common spiritual purpose.

Sure, Eve probably had a million watts smile and Adam, well, he was the only guy in the world, so best by default. Still, God’s design for relationships was never just about physical attraction.

FURTHER READ: Can a Christian Guy and Girl Be Just Friends?

The Divine Matchmaking Criteria

When it comes to compatibility, the world might want you to believe that it’s all about shared hobbies, mutual friends, or even how you both enjoy pineapple on pizza (a debate for another day). But God’s divine matchmaking has a unique criterion – spiritual compatibility.

Ever read 2 Corinthians 6:14? Paul wasn’t talking about the perils of gym partnerships when he said, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.” Nope, he was talking about relationships.

Being spiritually compatible doesn’t mean you agree on every minute theological point or that your partner can recite the entire Bible backwards. It’s about sharing the same foundational faith and values, and together, striving to grow closer to God.

Because at the end of the day, your shared faith is what will hold you together when life throws its curveballs. And let’s be real, in those moments, the size of your partner’s biceps or the perfection of their eyebrows won’t matter quite as much.

Understanding Attraction in its Broad Spectrum

Attraction: It’s Not Just About the Butterflies

Pop quiz: When you think of attraction, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? If it’s sweaty palms and a racing heart every time you see your crush, well, you’re not entirely wrong. But, attraction isn’t just about the fizz and pop of chemistry. It’s a buffet, my friends, not a one-course meal.

Enter emotional, intellectual, and spiritual attraction. Emotional attraction is that heart-to-heart connection where you just “get” each other. Intellectual attraction? It’s the meeting of minds, the thrill of deep conversations, and shared perspectives. And spiritual attraction, well, that’s the biggie for us Christians. It’s about connecting at the soul level over shared faith and purpose.

FURTHER READ: The Christian Way to Deal with a Cheating Spouse

Attraction that Goes the Distance

Let’s cut to the chase. Why do these forms of attraction matter in a Christian relationship? Why can’t we just stick to swiping right on the cutest profile picture and call it a day?

Because, my dear friend, these deeper forms of attraction build a relationship that goes the distance. They create a connection that outlasts changes in physical appearance and circumstantial ups and downs. They’re the ingredients of a companionship where you’re not just lovers but best friends, intellectual companions, and spiritual partners. Now that’s relationship gold.

Remember Ecclesiastes 4:12? “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” I’d like to think that the three strands in a relationship are emotional, intellectual, and spiritual attraction. Woven together, they form a bond that’s not easily broken. So here’s to attraction in its broad spectrum and to relationships that are not just about the fizz, but the enduring flame.

The Role of Character in a Christian Relationship

Heart Before Hairdo

Ever heard that saying, “beauty fades, but character lasts?” Sure, it’s a cliché, but it’s got some serious truth to it. In the grand scheme of Christian relationships, it’s all about the heart, folks. I mean, think about it. You don’t fall in love with someone’s mascara or their snazzy new shoes, right?

Character is the fabric of who we are, and it’s not something you can gloss over with a flattering filter or a stylish haircut. Remember that golden nugget from Proverbs 31:30? “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.” Same goes for the guys, too. Godly character trumps a jawline that could cut glass, every time.

FURTHER READ: I’m a Christian. Can I live with my boyfriend?

Character: The Secret Sauce of Fulfilling Relationships

So, why exactly is a godly character such a big deal in a fulfilling relationship? Simple. A relationship built on godly character is like a house built


 the ritual prayers performed by Muslims five times a day facing the Kaaba in Mecca.

The Five Daily Prayers, known as Salat in Islam, are a fundamental act of worship and one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Muslims are required to perform these prayers daily at specific times, demonstrating their submission and devotion to Allah. The Salat acts as a direct link between the individual and God, serving as a reminder of the importance of spirituality and the presence of God in daily life.

The five prayers are as follows

  1. Fajr: The pre-dawn prayer before sunrise.
  2. Dhuhr: The midday prayer after the sun has passed its highest point.
  3. Asr: The afternoon prayer.
  4. Maghrib: The prayer just after sunset.
  5. Isha: The evening prayer.

These prayers help to maintain mindfulness, gratitude, and a sense of discipline in the lives of Muslims.

The Gayatri Mantra – Hinduism

A highly revered mantra from the Rigveda, it begins with “Om Bhur Bhuvaḥ Swaḥ, Tat Savitur Vareṇyaṃ…”

The Gayatri Mantra is a revered mantra in Hinduism, dedicated to Goddess Gayatri, the personification of the divine Shakti (energy) and the mother of all Vedas. It is one of the oldest and most significant prayers in Hinduism. The mantra is taken from the Rigveda, an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns.

In Sanskrit, the Gayatri Mantra is:

“ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात्”

“Om Bhur Bhuvaḥ Swaḥ Tat Savitur Vareṇyaṁ Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi Dhiyo Yo Naha Prachodayat”

We meditate on the glory of the Creator;

Who has created the Universe;

Who is worthy of Worship;

Who is the embodiment of Knowledge and Light;

Who is the remover of Sin and Ignorance;

May He open our hearts and enlighten our Intellect.

The Gayatri Mantra is considered a powerful tool for spiritual awakening and is recited for wisdom, divine guidance, and illumination of the mind. It is chanted at dawn, noon, and dusk, transitioning between the three realms of consciousness – awake, dream, and deep sleep.

The Om Mantra – Hinduism

Considered the most sacred mantra in Hinduism, it represents the sound of the universe and is simply “Om” or “Aum.”

The Om Mantra is one of the most significant and sacred mantras in Hinduism and other Dharmic religions like Buddhism and Jainism. It is often referred to as the Pranava mantra, symbolizing the ultimate reality, consciousness, or Atman (soul, self).

In Sanskrit, “Om” (sometimes spelled as Aum) is the sacred syllable, representing the essence of the ultimate reality, consciousness, or Atman.

  • Om (ॐ): It represents the ultimate reality or consciousness, encompassing the three sounds A-U-M, which symbolize creation, preservation, and dissolution, respectively.

The chanting of Om is considered a spiritual icon and a representation of the divine energy or the sound of the universe. It is often chanted at the beginning and end of Hindu prayers, religious ceremonies, and meditation sessions.

The pronunciation of “Om” involves three sounds: “A” (pronounced like “awe” as in law), “U” (pronounced like “oo” in boot), and “M” (pronounced like “mm” at the end of hmm).

Om is believed to bring a sense of peace, calmness, and spiritual connection when chanted or meditated upon. It is a way to connect with the divine and reach a higher state of consciousness.

The Heart Sutra – Buddhism

A key Mahayana Buddhist text that begins with “Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, when practicing deeply the Prajna Paramita perceives that all five skandhas are empty…”

The Metta Sutta – Buddhism

Also known as the “Loving-kindness Sutra,” it is a meditation on loving-kindness and compassion.

The Serenity Prayer – General

Widely used in recovery programs, it begins with “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”

The Heart Sutra is not typically recited as a prayer in the same way that prayers are recited in certain religious traditions. Instead, it is primarily chanted, studied, and contemplated upon as a sacred text imparting profound wisdom and insights into the nature of reality and the path to enlightenment in Mahāyāna Buddhism.

Chanting the Heart Sutra is a meditative practice, and the recitation is often accompanied by a sense of reverence, mindfulness, and a deep contemplation of its teachings. It is seen as a way to connect with the core teachings of emptiness, interdependence, and wisdom within the Buddhist tradition.

Here is an example of how the main mantra of the Heart Sutra

One of the most recited elements of this sutra in the Buddhist tradition, is chanted

Sanskrit Mantra: “Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Svaha”

Approximate Pronunciation:

“Gah-teh Gah-teh Pah-rah-gah-teh Pah-rah-sah-mah-gah-teh Boh-dhi Swa-ha”

This mantra is repeated in a meditative rhythm during practice. Each word holds profound meaning related to the pursuit of enlightenment and the understanding of emptiness and interdependence in Mahāyāna Buddhism.

The Prayer of St. Francis – Christianity

Known for its message of peace and selflessness, it begins with “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace…”

“The Prayer of St. Francis,” also known as the “Peace Prayer” or “Prayer for Peace,” is a Christian prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, a revered Christian saint. Although historically St. Francis did not actually write this prayer, it is deeply associated with his teachings and spirit of humility, love, and peace.

Here is the English translation of “The Prayer of St. Francis”:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me bring love.
Where there is offense, let me bring pardon.
Where there is discord, let me bring union.
Where there is error, let me bring truth.
Where there is doubt, let me bring faith.
Where there is despair, let me bring hope.
Where there is darkness, let me bring your light.
Where there is sadness, let me bring joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not seek to be consoled as much as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

These are just a few examples of famous prayers, and there are many more from different faiths and spiritual traditions. Each of these prayers holds deep significance for its respective followers and serves various purposes, from worship and meditation to seeking guidance and solace.

Compilation of prayers by theme

Ready to deepen your spiritual connection through prayer? Explore more content now!

Morning Prayers

“Lord, thank you for this new day you’ve given me. May your light guide my steps and your love fill my heart. Amen.”

“Loving God, I ask you to heal my wounds, both physical and emotional. May your healing power bring me relief and restoration. Amen.”

Night and Bedtime

“Thank you, Lord, for this day that comes to an end. Guide my dreams and allow me to rest in your peace. Amen.”

Short Prayers

  1. “God, help me.”
  2. “Jesus, I trust in You.”
  3. “Thank you, Lord.”

Opening Prayers for Meetings

“Our God, guide us in this meeting so that our words and actions reflect your love and wisdom. Amen.”

“Heavenly Father, grant me strength to face the challenges of this day. Let me see the light amidst the darkness. Amen.”

“Lord, grant me the strength to overcome adversities and persevere in my faith. I trust in your power and love. Amen.”

“God of peace, fill my heart with your serenity and calmness. May your peace reign in my life and in the world. Amen.”

“May the Lord bless us and keep us, show us his face and have mercy on us. May he turn his face towards us and give us peace. Amen.” (Based on Numbers 6:24-26)

“Almighty God, I ask you to protect me and surround me with your shield of love and safety. Amen.”

Fear and Anxiety

“Heavenly Father, free me from fear and anxiety. Help me to trust in you completely and find peace in your presence. Amen.”

Guidance and Wisdom

“Lord, illuminate my path and guide my decisions. Grant me wisdom to choose what is right and just. Amen.”

“God, guide me in my job search. Open doors and place opportunities in my path. Help me find a job that is fulfilling and worthy. Amen.”

“Thank you, heavenly Father, for all the blessings you have given me. Help me to live each day with gratitude in my heart. Amen.”

“God, I thank you for life


 came to be part of modern understandings of modern Paganism that extend from the “rediscovery” of Paganism during the Enlightenment into the present day. In pre-Christian Slavic polytheism, the gods were sometimes worshipped in sacred places where there were no man-made structures and the gods manifested in nature itself. For many polytheistic religions, sacred groves and forests were counted as the official centers of worship, where important community rites were carried out, and any violation of this space meant an attack on the community itself. In this, the idea that Paganism is a “nature-based religion” or that it involves “nature worship” is not really inaccurate.

But of course, to reduce Paganism to solely a sacralization of nature or natural states is reductive to the point of being ahistorical. After all, contrary to the popular idea that humans came up with the gods as reifications of natural forces that they merely didn’t understand, several of the gods of polytheism barely have anything to do with the natural world as we understand it. Insofar as we may venture to understand the gods of polytheism in terms of what they were “gods of”, there are gods of marriage (such as Hera, Hymen, Frigg, Pushan etc.), music (Apollo, Sarasvati, Ihy, Bragi etc.), law or justice (Tyr, Mitra, Lugh, Ma’at etc.), commerce or wealth (Mercury, Cernunnos, Lakshmi, Njord etc.), agriculture (Yarilo, Dagon, Sucellus, Dagda etc.). smithing and craftsmanship (Hephaestos, Ptah, Gofannon, Vishvakarman), and kingship (Horus, Anu, El, Baal etc.) to name a handful of things. Some gods are gods of both natural things and human constructs. Zeus, for example, is a god of law and order as well as the sky. Utu is a god of law as well as the sun. Demeter is also a goddess of law, as well as a goddess of the earth. Pan is a god of music as well as the wild. Ukko is a god of agriculture as well as the sky and thunder. Freyr is a god of kingship and war, as well as the weather and virility. Svarog is a god of smithing as well as the sky. Veles is a god of commerce, as well as a god of water, earth, magic, and the underworld. We can’t forget that almost none of the gods of polytheism were ever just gods of one thing or another, and sometimes multiple gods share the same domain or function. On top of that, across the old polytheistic religions, the gods had numerous epithets that represented various characteristics and functions attributed to them.

In a sense, it’s still true that Paganism, in both a modern and a historical sense, believes in a natural world that is considered divine or imbued with divine presence to some extent or another, and this likely lends itself to modern interpretations entailing nature worship, which may or may not have been applicable to the original pre-Christian religions. Though, of course, some pre-Christian traditions were arguably closer to some idea of “nature worship” than others, such as Germanic polytheism with its worship of the various nature spirits alongside the gods and the worship of gods and spirits in trees and natural environments. Pre-Christian polytheism often tended to intersect with animism in this regard, especially in traditions such as Heathenry, and some even argue that some form of pantheism is also part of this rich picture. Still, for historical Paganism, one of the larger points is the idea that divine exists in multiplicity, that divine presence is not one but many. Of course, even before Christianity emerged, later developments of pre-Christian polytheistic ended up prefiguring the monotheism that would later dominate “the West”, or later ideas of “universal religion” that would stretch from the Renaissance to Theosophy and to the New Age movement. Plutarch, for instance, argued that there were not different gods across peoples but instead one single Intelligence that rules the world that is merely called different names and worshipped in different ways as time passes. In The Metamorphoses by Apuleius, the goddess Isis presents herself as “the single power which the world worships in many shapes, by various cults, under various names”. The Roman theologian Cornelius Labeo proposed that the oracle of Clarian Apollo stated that the god Iao was the supreme god, who in winter was called Hades, in spring was called Zeus, in summer was called Helios, and in autumn Dionysos. After the Roman Empire adopted Christianity as its official state religion, defenders of paganism sometimes argued that Christians and pagans were merely worshipping the same god under different names. Neoplatonists argued that all things derived existence from a single source referred to as The One, and that the purpose of life as to become united or re-united with The One. Otherwise polytheistic philosophers such as Aristotle and Plato introduced concepts that may have prefigured the God we know today, such as the unmoved mover or Demiurge. And of course, at various points before the rise of Christianity, there were a few monotheistic cults that emerged, such as the Egyptian cult of Aten under the pharaoh Akhenaten or the Hellenistic cult of Zeus Hypsistos.

My point here is that Paganism in a historical sense (and honestly a modern sense too) was not one single set of beliefs in the way we understand Christianity to be (and, even there, Christianity isn’t necessarily as monolithic as we imagine it to be). That extends to other beliefs as well, such as pertaining to death. While modern Paganism can include a belief in reincarnation, it’s not clear that this belief was universally held in pre-Christian traditions. It is possible that some Germanic pagans did believe in a form of reincarnation; Roman sources purported that the ancient Teutons believed in rebirth and thus did not fear death, while some scholars suggest that Germanic pagans believed in rebirth within the extended clan based on some archaeological findings and exegesis of some stories in the Sagas. Many Norse polytheists, however, don’t share this concept, and have a wide array of beliefs about the afterlife that don’t necessarily end in rebirth. Indeed, the “more authentically pagan” version of Ragnarok ends not in the rebirth of the cosmos (as in the familiar post-conversion telling) but instead in its utter oblivion. Greek polytheist beliefs on this range from the arrival of most (if not all) souls to a dreary underworld, to the belief that the soul may go to a blessed afterlife upon achieving ritual purity or initiation into the mysteries of a god, to Plato’s account of how souls are judged and either admitted to a good afterlife or damned to a bad one again prefiguring Christian teaching), and of course the concept of reincarnation was sometimes proposed. What little we know about what we call the Celtic polytheists suggests that they probably believed in reincarnation, but some suggest that the soul goes to the Otherworld, a place inhabited by gods and spirits, after death. In ancient Egypt, it was believed that by living a virtuous life, the soul would be judged as being worthy to enter the field of reeds, or that by successfully undergoing a journey through the underworld and overcoming its perils, the soul would gain an immortal second life. Relevant to the conversation is the way that pre-Christian belief systems frequently advanced the concept of a cyclical cosmos, in which the cosmos is periodically formed, dissolved, and reformed again. The Norse cosmology appears to suggest cyclic time and rebirth, as did some of classical Greek philosophy such as Stoicism and Pythagoreanism, and it is very prominent in Indian religious philosophy.

Paganism in a historical sense isn’t really one set of beliefs. In fact, there is as Kadmus Herschel and Jake Stratton-Kent show an opposition between distinct expressions of pre-Christian religion, linked to the development of philosophy in one case and a change in the mode of Greek society in the other case, that is relevant to how I aim to elaborate Satanic Paganism. That said, I think the way we deal with Paganism, as an idea, is sort of a compound idea in which we find and derive the premise of a natural world brimming with the multiplicitous divine presence worshipped in and through the world, and often worshipped not out of fear or even bargaining but out of awe and yearning. Paganism as a concept can also be loosely defined by its particular conception of what religion is, as will be further explored. Whereas Christianity via Lactantius frames religion as “re-ligare”, meaning to be bound, as in bound to God or to the single ultimate truth, pre-Christian religion via Cicero is based on “re-legere”, meaning to go over again, which seemed to mean to a constant return to the ancestors and the gods, perhaps denoting a consistent process of ritual observance. It’s also possible to read “re-legere” in terms of observance as meaning to observe the cycle of reciprocity, a concept that animates the bulk of the pre-Christian attitude towards the gods. This is to be understood as the relationships in which humans give to the gods through their devotion (typically offerings) so that the gods may acknowledge this devotion and typically bestow blessings to humans in various ways. Heathens understand this as the Gifting Cycle, Hellenists understand this as Kharis, but even if it doesn’t have its own distinct name or terminology, the basic concept can be found basically everywhere in P


 seal of behavior, karmamudra. To see things like illusions and completely free from all mental fabrications is their seal of preventive measures, their dharmamudra. Not allowing themselves ever to be tarnished by stains of selfishness is a seal of close bond for them, samayamudra. To see that voidness and compassion are of one taste is mahamudra, the great seal for them.

In terms of tantra, the hidden measures to protect the mind, then relying on a partner to help transfer them to higher states of realization would be their seal of behavior, their karmamudra. Never to be separated from having the energy-winds and consciousness joined together is their seal of preventive measures or dharmamudra. Never to allow the close bonds with the practices and vows to degenerate is the seal of the close bond for them, their samayamudra. And to make manifest the deep awareness that is simultaneous with each moment is their great seal of reality, their mahamudra.

Within the context of the teachings on tummo, which is the inner flame of the subtle energy heat at the navel, doing the various physical exercises in order to get the energy-winds in motion and under control is the practice of the seal of behavior, or karmamudra. To gain a very blissful deep awareness based on this is the seal of preventive measures, or dharmamudra. To have no attachment toward that blissful consciousness is the seal of the close bond, samayamudra. The spontaneous fulfillment of all purposes would be the great seal mahamudra.

The nonconceptual deep awareness of voidness, voidness being the absence of all fantasized, impossible ways of existing, can also be described as the mahamudra or great seal. And how is that derived? When you look at the syllables that make up the Tibetan word for mahamudra, chaggya chenpo (phyag-rgya chen-po), the first syllable “chag” stands for the deep awareness of the absence of all fantasized, impossible ways of existing, the deep awareness of voidness. The second syllable, “kya” stands for liberation from all uncontrollably recurring phenomenon of samsara and the “chenpo,” meaning “maha” or “great,” stands for the unity of these.

Furthermore, all of one’s practices from the beginning steps of taking a safe and sound direction in life, all the way up to reaching the fully enlightened state of a Buddha, all of these things are included within the sphere of this great seal of reality or mahamudra.

The actual textual sources for the teachings on mahamudra found in tantra are in the texts known as the Seven Texts of the Mahasiddhas, mahasiddhas being the adepts with actual attainments. There’s a text by the great master, Mahasukha, called Establishing the Hidden Factors. Then there’s a disciple of Mahasukha, whose name is Anangavajra, and the text that he wrote is called Establishing Method and Discriminating Awareness. The next text was written by his disciple, King Indrabhuti, and it’s called Establishing Deep Awareness. His wife or queen, Lakshmikara, wrote a text called Establishing Non-discordance. The next text, by Dombi Heruka, is entitled Establishing What Simultaneously Arises. Then the next one is by the master Darikapa and is called Establishing the Very Nature of the Reality of the Great Hidden Factors. Lastly, there’s another text by a female practitioner, the Yogini Chinto, who wrote Establishing the Very Nature of the Reality of What Follows from Becoming Clear about Functional Phenomena.

The additional sources mentioned in the text for the tantra mahamudra teachings are The Three Core Volumes of Saraha, referring to his three collections of songs or dohas: The King Dohas, The Queen Dohas and The Commoner Dohas. All of these texts speak about these essential points of mahamudra. With respect to the sutra teachings on mahamudra, this will be the subject matter for tomorrow. Are there any questions?

Participant: Have any of these texts been translated into English?

Alex: Some songs by Saraha, called “The Royal Songs of Saraha,” have been translated, but I’m not really sure whether they are from these three collections or from other songs by him.

Participant 2: You mentioned that at early stages in concentration when you notice that you have many thoughts, this is a good sign. Why is that?

Serkong Rinpoche: It is helpful because you have to come to recognize what is the nature of thoughts. Since you need to recognize the nature of thoughts, then having these thoughts is not a bad thing. It’s something that is helpful for being able to recognize their nature. If you look at us now, most of us are quite mindless in the sense that we don’t really notice or pay much attention to the thoughts we have. So, in a sense, it seems like we don’t have any thoughts.

So when you first sit down and examine the mind and thoughts come up, then it’s something useful. It is, for instance, like when you are trying to identify a disease, in the Tibetan medical system they apply certain methods to make the disease come to a head so they can really see what the disease is and then treat it properly. Likewise, rather than being very mindless and not having much going on in your head at all, when you sit, it is good to first start having these thoughts come up, because then you get subject matter to work on to identify what the nature of thought is. When you walk around and you don’t think much of anything at all, that’s not very good because then you have no material to gain insight into. Whereas when you sit down, and try to concentrate, getting a lot of thoughts is something that can be helpful.

Participant 3: Is it helpful or harmless, or doesn’t it matter to know what stage of concentration you have reached?

Alex: Of the nine stages, you mean?

Participant 3: Yes.

Alex: Rinpoche says the question is a bit strange if you think about it, it is as if while you are in grammar school you asked, is it necessary to know what grade you are in. It’s pretty strange to want to know what grade you are in when you are in that grade. When you are in the first, or the second, or the third grade, of course you know you are in the first grade or second grade. So if you ask, is it necessary to know what grade you are in when you are in school, that’s pretty weird. So Rinpoche doesn’t quite understand what point you have in mind when you ask is there a necessity to know what grade you are in.

Serkong Rinpoche: If I ask you in grammar school, is it necessary to know what grade you are in while you are going to grammar school, what would you answer to my question?

Participant 3: I would give you a particular grade.

Alex: No, that’s not the question. The question is not which grade are you in, the question, which is what you asked, was, is it necessary to know what grade you are in? Is it necessary to know what grade you are in while you are attending grammar school?

Participant 3: It helps.

Alex: When you are in a grade, when you are in first grade or second grade, of course you know what grade you’re in.

Participant 3: So you know what room to go to. I’ll try and clarify that. If you….

Alex: Of course, you have to know which room in the building each of classrooms for each of the grades is in. That’s something else, but Rinpoche doesn’t understand at all what you are driving at with the question you are asking. Is it necessary to know what grade you are in while you are going to school? Of course you know what grade you are in.

Serkong Rinpoche: But if you ask, for instance, if when you reach third grade is it necessary to know that you’ve gotten to the third grade, then, yes, sure.

Participant 3: If you have attained a certain level of understanding and you fixate on that, does that mean that you lose your power of concentration over other things?

Alex: Rinpoche says what’s the point of sitting and focusing on the fact that now you are in the third grade?

Participant 3: That’s why I’m asking, is it necessary to know that, because then you would lose….

Alex: No, Rinpoche is saying that simply because when you know you are in the third grade, it doesn’t follow that you are going to sit there and dwell on the fact that, “It’s really great, I’m in the third grade.”

Participant 3: But I could feel proud of my achievement.

Alex: Are you saying, that if you didn’t know what stage you were at, then you’d have nothing to feel proud about and, therefore, it’s better not to know what stage you’re at? What are you saying? Does anybody understand what he’s asking?

Participant 4: Are you trying to say that knowing what grade you are in, you know which particular aspect of the Dharma to approach, or which particular practice to employ?

Participant 3: Let me ask it in another way. Does an enlightened person know that one is enlightened?

Serkong Rinpoche: When you are enlightened you know everything, so obviously you also know that you’ve become enlightened, you’re omniscient. When you become enlightened you know absolutely everything, so obviously you would know that as well, it’s


 is believed to connect us to the natural energies of Pachamama (Mother Earth) and clear our chakras, especially the heart chakra.

Participants frequently report seeing life energy in the form of luminous fibers emanating from mountains, people, and even their fingertips. San Pedro provides a window into spiritual dimensions that are often unseen in daily life, offering a deeper understanding of the invisible world that shamans have long connected with.

The Visionary Experience and Healing

San Pedro can induce vivid, colorful visions and offer spiritual guidance to those seeking answers to their life questions. These visions are often accompanied by an inner knowing, providing clarity and insight. Additionally, the plant can trigger physical purging, particularly when individuals are processing energetic blocks or unresolved emotions. The purging process, though intense, typically brings a sense of deep relief and healing.

Shamanic Ceremonies and New Possibilities

In Andean shamanic tradition, San Pedro is believed to open a portal of un-manifested possibilities. Shamans use this time to identify the best potential outcomes for individuals or situations, then speak to those possibilities through their prayers and intentions. By doing so, they help manifest the best versions of people or situations into reality.

During ceremonies, shamans often pray with tobacco and make offerings to usher in these possibilities. This sacred process is believed to transcend the fabric of time and space, creating new paths for healing and transformation. When a shaman forms a deep relationship with San Pedro, connecting with its spirit and their own intentions, spontaneous and unexplained healing can often occur.<|endoftext|>New Unitarian Universalist Hymnal Just Contains John Lennon's 'Imagine'

U.S.—A new printing of the Unitarian Universalist hymnal just contains one song: John Lennon's "Imagine."

The official UUA hymnal, titled Songs of Doubt, includes the popular song in a few dozen different arrangements and nothing else.

Now UUA church members can sing along with deeply spiritual lyrics such as "Imagine there's no heaven / It's easy if you try / No hell below us / Above us only sky." While UUA churchgoers aren't required to participate in hymn singing, the preaching of the Word, church attendance, or anything else, church leaders hope this move will encourage more parishioners to sing along.

"The old hymns were problematic because they mentioned Jesus, the cross, and God sometimes," said a UUA pastor of doubt formation. "Now we can sing that there aren't any countries, nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too, just like the Great Feminine Spirit in the sky would have us do."

"One day all the world will live as one, as Lennon's classic hymn says," she added. "Preferably under communism<|endoftext|>Greetings! I’m Moiz ul Rehman, the founder of Spiritual Radar. I am delighted to welcome you to our platform, where we delve deep into the enigmatic world of dreams.

At Spiritual Radar, we believe that dreams are not just fleeting images that visit us in our sleep but profound messages from our subconscious mind, offering insights into our innermost desires, fears, and potentials.

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At Spiritual Radar, we believe in making dream interpretation accessible and affordable. Our Dream Teller service is available for a nominal fee of just $15 per dream. This fee includes:

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Dreams have fascinated humanity for millennia. From ancient civilizations to modern psychology, the interpretation of dreams has always been seen as a bridge to the unknown realms of our psyche. Dreams can be:

  • Reflective: Mirroring our waking life experiences and emotions.
  • Predictive: Offering glimpses into potential future events or outcomes.
  • Symbolic: Using symbols to convey deeper meanings and insights.
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At Spiritual Radar, our Dream Teller service is crafted to help you decode these symbols and narratives, providing you with a clearer understanding of your subconscious messages.

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Our Dream Teller service is a comprehensive approach to dream interpretation, designed to provide you with detailed and meaningful insights. Here’s how it works:

  1. Share Your Dream:
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    • Confidentiality Guaranteed: Your privacy is our priority. All information shared with us is kept strictly confidential.
  2. Dream Analysis:
    • Expert Analysis: Our team of experienced dream analysts will meticulously examine your dream. We draw upon a wealth of knowledge from various disciplines, including psychology, mythology, and spirituality.
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    • In-Depth Report: You will receive a detailed, personalized report of your dream interpretation. This report will include an analysis of the symbols, themes, and potential messages from your subconscious.
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    • Continued Support: Dreams are dynamic and can evolve over time. We offer follow-up sessions to delve deeper into recurring themes or to address any new dreams you might have.
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Why Choose Spiritual Radar?

  • Expertise and Experience: Our team comprises skilled dream analysts with years of experience in dream interpretation. We blend psychological theories with spiritual insights to offer a holistic approach to dream analysis.
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  • Holistic Approach: We consider not only the dream itself but also your personal life context, emotions, and experiences. This comprehensive approach ensures a more meaningful and accurate interpretation.
  • Confidential and Trustworthy: Your trust is important to us. We guarantee complete confidentiality and handle your dreams with the utmost care and respect.
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Understanding your dreams can have profound benefits for your personal and spiritual growth:

  • Self-Discovery: Gain insights into your innermost thoughts and feelings, helping you understand yourself better.
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Unlock the secrets of your dreams with Spiritual Radar. Our Dream Teller service is here to guide you on your journey of self-discovery and personal growth. Contact us today to share your dream and begin your transformative journey.

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Thank you for choosing Spiritual Radar. I look forward to helping you navigate the fascinating world of dreams.

Warm regards,

Moiz ul Rehman
Founder, Spiritual Radar

Exlore our Dream Blogs<|endoftext|>You will discover the tools to unlock the awesome powers of your subconscious mind. You can improve your relationships, your finances, your physical well-being. Once you learn how to use this unbelievably powerful force there is nothing you will not be able to accomplish. Join the race of successful people who have already unlocked the power of their subconscious mindsn the past I had a relationship, it was messy and unorganized. All I would do is worry Id lose her. That was my biggest fear. And I thought about it almost everyday. And one day I did. It was hard, but I learned from my mistake. I lost her so I could find someone better. Someone who fits perfectly to my soul. Someone who I feel so at home and comfortable with. And instead of worrying about me losing her, im celebrating with joy, and im excited to grow in life with her and get oldAnyone who is stuck in indolence and debts can notice that he has come to this by a gradual and systematic refusal to do what he likes and what he believes in as a whole. That's why we must always do the things that truly fill us with joy, and for that, you don’t usually need much money. That's what is waiting for us here and now, what all our loved ones are waiting for. It always begins with what is available, here and now, from a small to an ever-increasing thing.
<>I’m glad you’re enjoying my book on using the law of attraction for a specific person, G! There are a couple of possibilities for why he didn’t come. 1) You had resistance. For example, you may have had some fears or doubts about what would happen once he got there. 2) You tried to control the outcome. When you bought the ticket, you decided how things were going to happen. Rather than letting the Universe determine how he would come to you, you decided how he would come.
<>Hi Elizabeth, Ive just read the book – ive always visualised and practised gratitude and its worked well for me. However when it comes to love, not so much. I read the section on vibrational matches. When i think


 thousand.

On a wooden panel from the tomb of Hesi, which probably dates from the end of the Archaic Period, we find a portion of an inscription in which the deceased prays for incense and for libations of cool water, wine, unguents, bulls, oxen, &c., by the thousand. 2 On a panel of a relief from the tomb of Hetep-her-s two tables laden with offerings are represented; on the one are fruit and flowers, and on the other joints of meat and loaves of bread and cakes, and on three lower tables, of similar shape, are two dead geese and the head of a bull. This tomb was built in the reign of Khufu. 1 In the tomb of Ptah-kha-mert is a tabulated list of offerings ninety-six in number, 2 and in the tomb of Ankh-ma-ka, who lived in the reign of User-en-Ra, (Vth Dynasty) are two tabulated lists of offerings, the one containing ninety-six objects, and the other one hundred and four. 3 From the reliefs which decorate the walls of several of the tombs of the Vth and VIth Dynasties it is certain that in addition to the bread, fruit, wine, beer, &c., which were offered to the dead, living animals were brought to the tombs and offered up as sacrifices on their behalf. In the tomb of Ptah-shepses 4 we see among those who bear gifts to the tomb ministrants leading goats, gazelle, calves, and sheep, and in one of the lower registers is depicted the slaughter of two bulls, from each of which a fore-leg is being cut off.

If we compare the lists of offerings given in the various tombs it at once becomes apparent that each list only contains a selection of names of objects; that the man who drafted the inscriptions for the mason to cut on the walls usually included only the most important names, and that the number of these depended upon the space which he had at his disposal. In the case of king Unas the various objects named as offerings are more than one hundred and forty in number, and in the pyramid of Pepi II. the number is still greater.

Now in addition to supplying us with the names of the objects which pious men were expected to bring to the graves of their dead, the inscriptions on the mastaba tombs and other monuments of the Ancient Empire also tell us the names of the chief festivals of the year, during which they were expected to present their offerings. On the sarcophagus of Khufu-ankh (IVth Dynasty) the following festivals are mentioned:--

1. Festival of the New Year.

2. Festival of Thoth, (19th day of Thoth).

3. Festival of the beginning of the year.

4. Festival of Uak, (17th or 18th of Thoth).

5. Great Festival, (4th of Mekhir).

6. Heat Festival, (in the month of Mekhir).

7. Appearance of Menu Festival, (30th day of Pashons).

8. Festival of Uah-akh, (preparing the fire-altar).

9. Festival of Satch.

10. Festival of the beginning of the month.

11. Festival of the beginning of the half month.

12. Every festival on every day for ever  1.

Passing now to the period of the XIIth Dynasty, we find that lists of offerings similar to those on monuments of the Vth and VIth Dynasties are not unknown, and a good example of such is given in the tomb of Amen-em-hat at Beni Hasan. Here on one of the walls is a picture of the deceased seated, with tables and stands loaded with offerings before him, and in the upper registers is a tabulated list containing the names of one hundred and twenty-one offerings. 2 This may for convenience' sake be called the Great List of Offerings. Elsewhere are given three copies of a list containing the names of twenty-two offerings, 3 this may be called the Little List of Offerings. A Great List, containing the names of fifty-four offerings, and a Little List, containing the names of twenty-two, are also found in the tomb of Khnemu-Hetep. 4 The list of the festivals given in the latter tomb is long, and contains the following:--

1. Festival of the New Year.

2. Festival of Thoth.

3. Festival of Pert Menu.

4. Festivals of Pati, 12 in number.

5. Great Festival.

6. Festivals of Great Heat and Little Heat.

7. Festivals of the month, 12 in number.

8. Festivals of the half-month, 12 in number.

9. Festival of Aha.

10. Festivals of Sat, 12 in number.

11. Festival of Khen.

12. Festival of the Nile Flood.

13. Festival of the rise of Sothis.

14. Festival of the rise of Sem.

15. Festival of Khet kerh.

16. Festivals of the 6th day of the month, 12 in number.

17. Festival of [Shetchet] sha.

18. Festivals of the Five Epagomenal Days.

19. Good Festival of him that is on the hill, i.e., Anubis.

20. Festival of Uak.

2 1. Festival of Thoth.

22. Great Festival and Little Festival of . . . . . .

23. Great Festival and Little Festival of the Year.

It will be noticed that in the above list some seventy-three festivals are mentioned. The 1st, 6th, 15th, and one other day in each month were fixed festival days, and, if to these we add the other 25 festival days, we find that on an average every fifth day was a day of festival. We are, then, justified in assuming that offerings were made to the dead by well-to-do people about once a week, and at some seasons of the year oftener. In the lists of Festivals given in documents of later periods 1 several other Festivals are mentioned, and during the most flourishing periods of Egyptian history the offerings in the tombs of kings and wealthy folk were renewed, wholly or in part, daily. Thus to feed the spirits of the dead who belonged to him was as much the duty of a pious man as to feed the living who depended upon him, and there is no doubt that, when the country was in a settled state, a regulated portion of the produce of each man's estate was set apart for the dead.

From several Chapters in the Theban Recension of the Book of the Dead many illustrations of the great importance attached to sepulchral offerings may be obtained. In Chapter I. the deceased beseeches the gods "who give cakes and beer to the perfect souls" to give him cakes and beer at the "two seasons," i.e. morning and evening, daily. In Chapter LII. he prays that he may not be made to eat what is an abomination to him. "Filth is an abomination unto me, and let me not be obliged to eat of it instead of the funerary cakes which the Kau (or, Doubles) eat. Let it not touch my body, let me be not obliged to take it in my hands, and let me not be obliged to walk thereon." And in answer to a question as to what be would live upon before the gods, he replies, "Let me live on the seven loaves and cakes which are brought before Horus" and Thoth, and let me eat my food under the sycamore tree of Hathor. Give me authority over my own fields in Tattu, and over my own crops in Annu. Let me eat bread made of white barley, and drink beer made from red grain." In another place he says, "I live upon what the gods live upon, and I eat of the cakes which are in the hall of the lord of sepulchral offerings," (Chap. LIII.).

In the Papyrus of Nebseni, Chapter CLXXVIII., is a version of a text to which reference has already been made, but in its later form it is so instructive that one or two passages may well be quoted from it. In it Nebseni is made to say: "The Eye of Horus hath been presented unto thee, and it feedeth thee with the food of offerings. O Osiris, let him not suffer thirst before his god, let him suffer neither hunger nor thirst, and let the god Ahu carry them away, and let him do away with his hunger, O thou that fillest, O thou that fillest hearts. O ye Chiefs who dispense cakes, O ye who have charge of the Water-flood (i.e., the Nile), command ye that cakes and ale be given unto the Osiris Nebseni, even as Ra himself commanded this thing. Moreover, Ra hath commanded those who are over the abundance of the year to take handfuls of wheat and barley and to give them unto him for his cakes, for behold, he is a great bull. . . . They shall give cakes and beer unto the scribe Nebseni, and they shall prepare for him all good and pure things this happy day, things for journeying, and things for travelling, things of the Eye of Horus, things of the Boat, and all things which enter into the sight of the god.... The Eye of Horus hath ordained these things for the scribe Nebseni, and the god Shu hath ordered that where


 them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.

Revelation 17:1-18 ESV - Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk." And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: "Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations."

John 5: 2-4 (NKJV): Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.

Mountain of God: Isaiah 37 (NIV) - 3 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

Jesus on Crucification: the Cross

Exodus: 3 (NIV) - 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.

Genesis: 32 (NIV) - 24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak." 30 So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared." 32 Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.

Rosary: Within the Roman Catholic Church, the Rosary has five sets of ten beads. Each set of ten beads is called a decade. Each decade is separated by one large bead. Different prayers are recited for different beads. The "Our Father" or "Lord’s Prayer" is recited on the large bead while the "Hail Mary" is prayed on each of the small beads.

The Hail Mary prayer: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. - Catechism of the Catholic Church. Libreria Editrice Vaticana. 1994.

Revelation:1 NIV) - 12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man,[d] dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

Revelation:22 (NIV) - Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

Revelation 12:1-6 (ESV) -

Joshua: 5 (NIV) - The Fall of Jericho - 13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, "Are you for us or for our enemies?" 14 "Neither", he replied, "but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come." Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, "What message does my Lord have for his servant?" 15 The commander of the Lord’s army replied, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy." [Note: the same statement appeared when Moses saw god in burning bushes - Exodus:3] And Joshua did so.

Ezekiel: 1 (NIV) - 27 I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. 28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.

Bye-bulll on Idolators / Pagans
Revelation 21: 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars — they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.
Jesus as Son of Mary

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, "He became truly man while remaining truly God. Jesus Christ is true God and true man." Catechism of the Catholic Church says, "The mystery of Christ's resurrection is a real event, with manifestations that were historically verified, as the New Testament bears witness."

Acts 1:14, NIV - They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. Luke 1:31 - You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. Luke 11:27 - As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, "Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you." Luke 1:34 "How will this be", Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" 35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Matthew 1: 18 - This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19-Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

The Hebrew Scriptures document approximately forty polygamists, including such prominent figures as Abraham, Jacob, and David. 2 Samuel 5:13 - "After he left Hebron, David took more concubines and wives in Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him." 1 Kings 11:3 - "He (Solomon) had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines... 4 - As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been... 5 - He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites."

Killings by God

Exodus 3: (NIV) - 18 The elders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, 'The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God.’ 19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him. 20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go.

Exodus 4: Killing of first-born babies, Exodus 12: 12 - For that night I will go through the land of Egypt and strike down every first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and I will mete out punishments to all the gods of Egypt, I the LORD.

Isaiah:37 (


 where now can there be any ungenerated darkness? Or how can darkness be understood to exist at all, unless it is something simply accidental? Archelaus said: Forasmuch, indeed, as the word of the Gospel is understood much better by you than by this person who puts himself forward as the Paraclete, although I could call him rather parasite than paraclete, I shall tell you how it has happened that there is darkness. When the light had been diffused everywhere, God began to constitute the universe, and commenced with the heaven and the earth; in which process this issue appeared, to wit, that the midst, which is the locality of earth covered with shadow, as a consequence of the interposition of the creatures which were called into being, was found to be obscure, in such wise that circumstances required light to be introduced into that place, which was thus situated in the midst. Hence in Genesis, where Moses gives an account of the construction of the world, he makes no mention of the darkness either as made or as not made. But he keeps silence on that subject, and leaves the explanation of it to be discovered by those who may be able to give proper attention to it. Neither, indeed, is that a very arduous and difficult task. For to whom may it not he made plain that this sun of ours is visible, when it has risen in the east, and taken its course toward the west, but that when it has gone beneath the earth, and been carried farther within that formation which among the Greeks is called the sphere, it then ceases to appear, being overshadowed in darkness in consequence of the interposition of the bodies? When it is thus covered, and when the body of the earth stands opposite it, a shadow is superinduced, which produces from itself the darkness; and it continues so until again, after the course of the inferior space has been traversed in the night, it rolls towards the east, and is seen to rise once more in its wonted seats. Thus, then, the cause of the shadow and the night is discovered in the solidity of the body of the earth — a thing, indeed, which a man may understand from the fact of the shadow cast by his own body. For before the heaven and the earth and all those corporeal creatures appeared, the light remained always constant, without waning or eclipse, as there existed no body which might produce shadow by its opposition or intervention; and consequently one must say that nowhere was there darkness then, and nowhere night. For if, to take an illustration, it should please Him who has the power of all things to do away with the quarter which lies to the west, then, as the sun would not direct its course toward that region, there would nowhere emerge either evening or darkness, but the sun would be on its course always, and would never set, but would almost always hold the centre tract of heaven, and would never cease to appear; and by this the whole world would be illumined with the clearest light, in virtue of which no part of it would suffer obscuration, but the equal power of one light would remain everywhere. But on the other hand, while the western quarter keeps its position, and the sun executes its course in three parts of the world, then those who are under the sun will be seen to be illuminated more brightly; so that I might almost say, that while the people who belong to the diverse tract are still asleep, those former are in possession of the day's beginning. But just as those Orientals have the light rising on them earlier than the people who live in the west, so they have it also more quickly obscured, and they only who are settled in the middle of the globe see always an equality of light. For when the sun occupies the middle of the heavens, there is no place that can appear to be either brighter or darker (than another), but all parts of the world are illuminated equally and impartially by the sun's effulgence. If, then, as we have said above, that portion of the western tract were done away with, the part which is adjacent to it would now no more suffer obscuration. And these things I could indeed set forth somewhat more simply, as I might also describe the zodiacal circle; but I have not thought of looking into these matters at present. I shall therefore say nothing of these, but shall revert to that capital objection urged by my adversary, in his affirming so strenuously that the darkness is ungenerated; which position, however, has also been confuted already, as far as that could have been done by us.

23. The judges said: If we consider that the light existed before the estate of the creatures was introduced, and that there was no object in an opposite position which might generate shadow, it must follow that the light was then diffused everywhere, and that all places were illuminated with its effulgence, as has been shown by what you have stated just now; and as we perceive that the true explanation is given in that, we assign the palm to the affirmations of Archelaus. For if the universe is clearly divided, as if some wall had been drawn through the centre of it, and if on the one side the light dwells, and on the other side the darkness, it is yet to be understood that this darkness has been brought accidentally about through the shadow generated in consequence of the objects which have been set up in the world; and hence again we must ask who it is that has built this wall between the two divisions, provided you indeed admit the existence of such a construction, O Manichaeus. But if we have to take account of this matter on the supposition that no such wall has been built, then again it comes to be understood that the universe forms but one locality, without any exception, and is placed under one power; and if so, then the darkness can in no way have an ungenerated nature. Archelaus said: Let him also explain the following subject with a view to what has been propounded. If God is seated in His kingdom, and if the wicked one in like manner is seated in his kingdom, who can have constructed the wall between them? For no object can divide two substances except one that is greater than either, even as it is said in the book of Genesis, that God divided the light from the darkness. Consequently the constructor of this wall must also be some one of a capacity like that: for the wall marks the boundaries of these two parties, just as among people who dwell in the rural parts a stone is usually taken to mark off the portion of each several party; which custom, however, would afford a better apprehension of the case were we to take the division to refer specially to the marking out of an inheritance failing to brothers. But for the present I have not to speak of matters like these, however essential they may appear. For what we are in quest of is an answer to the question, Who can have constructed the wall required for the designation of the limits of the kingdom of each of these two? No answer has been given. Let not this perfidious fellow hesitate, but let him now acknowledge that the substance of his duality has been reduced again to a unity. Let him mention any one who can have constructed that middle wall. What could the one of these two parties have been engaged in when the other was building? Was he asleep? Or was he ignorant of the fact? Or was he unable to withstand the attempt? Or was he bought over with a price? Tell us what he was about, or tell us who in all the universe was the person that raised the construction. I address my appeal to you, O judges, whom God has sent to us with the fullest plenitude of intelligence; judge which of these two could have erected the structure, or what the one could have been doing all the while that the other was engaged in the building.

24. The judges said: Tell us, O Manes, who designated the boundaries for the kingdom of each, and who made the middle wall? For Archelaus begs that due importance be attached, to the practice of interrogation in this discussion. Manes said: The God who is good, and who has nothing in common with evil, placed the firmament in the midst, in order to make it plain that the wicked one is an alien to Him. Archelaus said: How fearfully you belie the dignity of that name! You do indeed call Him God, but you do so in name only, and you make His deity resemble man's infirmities. At one time out of the non-existent, and at another time out of underlying matter, which indeed thus existed before Himself, you assert that He did build the structure, as builders among men are wont to do. Sometimes also you speak of Him as apprehensive, and sometimes as variable. It is, however, the part of God to do what is proper to God, and it is the part of man to do what is proper to man. If, then, God, as you say, has constructed a wall, this is a God who marks Himself out as apprehensive, and as possessed of no fortitude. For we know that it is always the case that those who are suspicious of the preparation of secret perils against them by strangers, and who are afraid of the plots of enemies, are accustomed to surround their cities with walls, by which procedure they at once secure themselves in their ignorance, and display their feeble capacity. But here, too, we have something which ought not to be passed over by us in silence, but rather brought prominently forward; so that even by the great abundance of our declarations on the subject our adversary's manifold craftiness may be brought to nought, with the help of the truth on our side. We may grant, then, that the structure of the wall has been made with the purpose of serving to distinguish between the two kingdoms; for without this one division it is impossible for either


 victims.

Five years later, Jacobs continued, those efforts were put to the test when he discovered that a fellow inmate he’d come to know was believed to be responsible for the death of Jacobs’ brother — an event that happened within days of Jacobs’ own crime.

When he heard this news, Jacobs said, he realized how easy it would be to reverse his progress. “I had the opportunity to change back into the kid who took a 20-year-old’s life for no reason, no justifiable reason,” he said. “I could live in the conversation that I’ve been having in my head since my brother died: Vengeance. Retribution.”

But more than anything, Jacobs said, he wanted forgiveness. “I want to be forgiven for what I had taken from this family when I was 15 years old,” he said. “And in that moment … I remember the (Biblical) scripture saying, ‘Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.’ The God that I believe in was not telling me to change (but to) be something new. Something completely different. Something you are not in this moment. Because in that moment, I’m mad. I’m vengeful. I’m retributive. (And) in that moment, I made the choice to transform.”

He chose to extend the same forgiveness he seeks. “Not only because he is entitled to be redeemed. Not only because I want to go home,” Jacobs said. “But because I want to be something new.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom commuted Jacobs’ sentence earlier this month to make him eligible to seek parole immediately because Jacobs “has dedicated himself to his rehabilitation and becoming a productive citizen” since he was imprisoned. “This act of clemency does not minimize or forgive his conduct or the harm it caused,” Newsom’s statement says. “It does recognize the work he has done since to transform himself.”

Jacobs shared his story as the CNN Original Series “This Is Life with Lisa Ling” filmed at the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad, California, for an episode about a reading program that connects prep school students with prisoners facing life sentences. You can listen to Jacobs’ speech below.

His wasn’t the only story of transformation during the making of the episode. Below, hear from two other inmates who describe how they, too, have sought restoration.

‘A moral obligation’

For seven years, Palma School in nearby Salinas has partnered with the Correctional Training Facility on a reading program that brings together a small group of students and prisoners to learn from one another and foster empathy.

Earlier this year, two CTF inmates were given special permission to attend an assembly at Palma and share their stories with the private school’s students. One of the two was Alfredo “Freddie” Ortega, who was incarcerated in 2008 and is eligible for parole in June 2030.

In his speech, Ortega was candid about his upbringing and the decisions he made as a teen to join a gang. Now 37 years old and facing a life sentence, Ortega reflected on how past fears and insecurities led him to where he sits today, and how he wants to live his life going forward.

“Growing up, I allowed myself to develop an unhealthy desire to be accepted by my friends, who also became gang members. My childhood fears of being different, the fear of rejection, fear of not being liked, fear of not fitting in led me to seek acceptance, recognition and attention from my peers … (and) contributed to my violent behavior,” Ortega told the Palma students. “Today I am deeply ashamed that I became that selfish, impulsive and irresponsible person that cared very little for the right of others and cared nothing for their safety. Today I feel a moral obligation to live my life in a manner that displays compassion, kindness, respect and dignity towards others.”

Listen to Ortega’s story below.

‘I’m going to do something new’

Vincent Rivera, 35, spoke frankly about his path toward transformation. Along with Jacobs, he shared his history, and how he found himself in a space where he wanted to become something new.

“When I came to prison, I had a choice to make,” Rivera said. “What am I going to do? How am I going to fit in? … I thought like, man, this is it. I’m going to die in prison. I came to prison with 96 years to life.”

But, he said, “I made a decision for my future. I made a decision that says, ‘You know what? I’m going to do something new that I’ve never done before. I’m going to start making right decisions.'”

While the death of his father tested his resolve, Rivera said, he remains committed to his new direction. “It (was) an invitation to do one of two things: either I could backslide a little bit and justify it by my father’s death, or I could use it to motivate me to go forward.’

Rivera has been in prison since 2013 and is eligible for parole in April 2035. Listen to Rivera’s story below.

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The article emphasizes the importance of normality in emotions, advocating for pure love and self-realization to overcome emotional dependency. Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan's teachings highlight the transformation from emotional love to pure love through self-realization, leading to harmonious relationships and freedom from emotional bonds.
Having Normality in Emotions
Our emotions should remain in normality, neither above normal nor below!
Normality means our behaviour is just like that of actors or actresses in plays or movies. For instance, an actor acts like a good husband and is nice to his wife in the play. He says positive things to her which makes her feel happy. When he comes back home from a business trip, he says to his wife, “I missed you and I did not like being away from you.”
‘Such positive and loving behaviour wins the wife over’ - this message is so nicely conveyed by the husband and wife via their acting that it creates pleasure and conviction in the mind of everyone who sees them (their audience)!
You too can act similarly in your personal life.Perform your role in life with the same degree of conviction as the actors and actresses. That will make everyone in your family happy. And more importantly, it makes you free from the bonds of emotional dependency towards your co-dependent.
Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan says that intellect makes one emotional. Imagine what would happen if this train were to become emotional? It will cause accidents and kill many people. Similarly, when humans become emotional, countless organisms in our body die. So, remain in ‘motion.’

Just imagine what would happen if the driver of a train becomes emotional? It will lead to a collision of the train and several people will die, isn’t it?! And we become responsible for it. Therefore, realize your responsibility and remain in normality!
Not Emotional Love, Adopt Pure Love!
When people say that they love each other, one is generally referring to the emotions which are an outcome of attraction and attachment for each other. Emotions, by their inherent nature, rise and over time fade out; whereas pure love is a constant phenomenon; it neither increases nor decreases.
Where there is pure love, one does not hurt anyone’s feelings through his actions. Even his speech does not hurt; it is without mistakes. Nobody gets hurt by his spoken words because he has genuine love for everyone! How does the pure love arise? Read
Can Get Rid of Emotional Dependency and Fix Codependent Relationships in just Two hours
Let’s understand how...
In 1958, Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan attained Self-Realization! He had a wife and was a contractor in business. Throughout his life, he took good care of his wife. Going ahead, his wife lost vision in one eye. But this didn’t affect him at all, because after Self-Realization, he had become an embodiment of Pure Love. His emotions were replaced by Pure Love now!
He lived an exemplary life and provided such art of living to the common masses, which made it possible even for a layman to maintain happy, peaceful and harmonious relationships with everyone. One could do this by making minimum changes in his external behaviour and yet reap maximum benefits in terms of healthy relationships. How??
By attaining Self-Realization and adopting the right understanding in life.
What is Self-Realization? And how does it Solve the Problem of Emotional Dependency?
Do you know we all are really a ‘Pure Soul’? And Soul itself is ‘Pure Love’!
Owing to ignorance of ‘who am I?’ we believe ourselves to be the body or the name given to this physical body. Consequently, we develop attachment for everybody towards whom we feel above-normal emotions and we become emotionally dependent; and simultaneously harness hatred for those towards whom we have negative emotions such as anger, jealousy, envy, sadness, etc.
The very nature of emotions is such that it inevitably leads to more and more suffering in life. But if we can somehow do away with the ignorance and know that really ‘I am a Pure Soul’, we can find a way out of all the suffering. Want to know more about Self Realization process? Read
To our Best Fortune...
Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan, after Self-Realization, also attained special divine powers, with the help of which, he was able to impart Self-Realization to people at large. Before he passed away, he blessed Pujya Deepakbhai with those divine powers too. As a result, we can easily attain Self-Realization today, with the direct grace of this Living Gnani!!!
With enormous compassion in His heart, Gnani removes the darkness of ignorance within us and bestows the real knowledge


including parachute) jumps off a plane and begins her descent.
Throughout this problem use 9.80 m/s^2 for the magnitude of the acceleration due to gravity.

At some point during her free fall, the sky diver reaches her terminal speed. What is the magnitude of the drag force Fdrag due to air resistance that acts on the sky diver when she has reached terminal speed?

For an object falling through air at a high speed , the drag force acting on it due to air resistance can be expressed as

,F=Kv^2

where the coefficient K depends on the shape and size of the falling object and on the density of air. For a human body, the numerical value for K is about 0.250 kg/m.

Using this value for K, what is the terminal speed vterminal of the sky diver?

When the parachute is fully open, the effective drag coefficient of the sky diver plus parachute increases to 60.0 kg/m. What is the drag force Fdrag acting on the sky diver immediately after she has opened the parachute?

What is the terminal speed vterminal of the sky diver when the parachute is opened?

Get this answer with Chegg Study<|endoftext|>Registration Dossier

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Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.

The new ECHA CHEM database has been released by ECHA, and it now contains all REACH registration data. There are more details on the transition of ECHA's published data to ECHA CHEM here.<|endoftext|>One very important thing to do before using a sensor and trying to develop an application using it is verifying that it's output is actually correct. If this does not happen to be the case we need to calibrate the sensor (alternatively it could also be broken but that's rather unlikely in this case).

In my case on two different micro:bit's the magnetometer, without calibration, was quite a bit off of what it is supposed to measure. Hence for the purposes of this chapter we will just assume that the sensor has to be calibrated.

The calibration involves quite a bit of math (matrices) so we won't cover it here but this Design Note describes the procedure if you are interested.

Luckily for us though the group that built the original software for the micro:bit already implemented a calibration mechanism in C++ over here.

You can find a translation of it to Rust in src/calibration.rs. The usage is demonstrated in the default src/main.rs file. The way the calibration works is illustrated in this video:

You have to basically tilt the micro:bit until all the LEDs on the LED matrix light up.

If you do not want to play the game every time you restart your application during development feel free to modify the src/main.rs template to just use the same static calibration once you got the first one.

Now where we got the sensor calibration out of the way let's look into actually building this application!<|endoftext|>Supplementary Materialscells-08-00045-s001. and had increased H2AX recruitment and cell cycle delay.

Supplementary Materialscells-08-00045-s001. and had increased H2AX recruitment and cell cycle delay. Compensatory HIF-2 activity in HIF1 knockout cells is the main cause of this radioprotective effect. Under hypoxia, HIF1 knockout cells uniquely had a strong increase in lactate production and decrease in extracellular pH. Using genetically identical HIF- isoform-deficient cells we identified a strong radiosensitizing of HIF1, but not of HIF2, which was associated with a reduced extracellular pH and reduced glycolysis. 0.001) indicating that normalized RID reflects the number of -H2AX foci. 2.8. Cell Cycle Analysis For cell cycle analysis, cells were incubated either under normoxic or hypoxic conditions for 24 h, exposed to radiation and placed under normoxia for 4 h. Cells were washed with PBS, treated with trypsin and fixed in ice-cold 70% ethanol for at least 24 h. Before analysis, cells were washed with PBS and stained with propidium iodide (PI) for 30 min at room temperature. Analysis was performed using a FACS CANTO II. Data obtained from the cell cycle distributions were analyzed using a FlowJo_10. 2.9. pH and Extracellular L-Lactic Acid Measurements Changes in extracellular pH were monitored using a pH meter (Beckman Coulter, Brea, CA, USA, pH 350). Cells were seeded at different cell numbers and incubated for 24 h under 0.2% O2. Levels of extracellular L-Lactic acid were measured using the L-Lactic acid kit (Biosentec, Toulouse, France) according to manufacturers guidelines. Both pH and L-Lactic acid levels were corrected for cell counts. 2.10. Metabolic Profiling Cells were seeded at an optimized cell density of 3 104 cells/well. Metabolic profiles were generated by replacing the growth medium for assay media 1 h before using the Seahorse XF96 extracellular Flux analyzer (Seahorse Bioscience, Billerica, MA, USA) according to manufacturers guidelines. 2.11. Statistics All assays were performed at least three times, and results are expressed as means standard deviations. Analyses were performed with GraphPad Prism 5. Statistical assessments were always performed relative to WT cells. Unpaired two-tailed Students values 0.05 were considered significant. 3. Results To examine the radiobiological AS-605240 enzyme inhibitor and metabolic properties of HIF-1 and HIF-2, AS-605240 enzyme inhibitor we generated HIF loss-of-function mutants in H1299 cells using the type II CRISPR/Cas9 system. Single allele sequencing confirmed that cells carried mutations that led to premature termination of the HIF- open reading frame. Each knockout harbored two or three different mutated alleles leading to one or several STOP codons (Physique S2). We verified that H1299 clones did not have the Cas9 plasmid integrated (data not shown). Western blotting confirmed the absence of HIF proteins (Physique 1A). We observed a prominent increase in HIF-2 stabilization following hypoxia incubation in H1KO cells, but without elevated HIF-2 mRNA expression levels (Physique S3). On ZPK the contrary, HIF-2-deficiency did not influence the hypoxic induction of HIF-1 protein expression. The overall expression levels of HIF-1 were decreased in all the knockout models in comparison with WT cells (Physique 1A). Next, we decided the mRNA expression levels of the canonical hypoxia-induced genes CAIX, GLUT1, CITED2 and TWIST1. We observed that this induction of these genes was severely compromised in the absence of HIF-1 and/or HIF-2 proteins under hypoxia (Physique 1B). Furthermore, only AS-605240 enzyme inhibitor AS-605240 enzyme inhibitor small differences were seen in the proliferative capacity of single HIF mutants in comparison with WT cells, both under normoxic and low oxygen conditions. In dHKO cells, a small but significant (= 0.0124) growth delay was observed compared to wildtype cells under normoxic conditions (Figure 1C) and under prolonged hypoxic conditions (= 0.0494) (Physique 1D). Open in a separate window Physique 1.<|endoftext|>Cyber Cops

Cybersecurity is a critical field focused on protecting digital systems, networks, and sensitive data from cyber threats. In today’s interconnected world, businesses and individuals face increasing risks from hackers, malware, and other malicious activities. Effective cybersecurity involves implementing a range of measures, including firewalls, encryption, secure coding practices, and regular security audits. These defenses are designed to prevent unauthorized access, data breaches, and disruptions that can have serious consequences for organizations and individuals alike.

In addition to technical defenses, cybersecurity also emphasizes the importance of user awareness and training. Human error remains one of the biggest vulnerabilities, making it essential for users to recognize potential threats like phishing scams and weak passwords. By combining advanced technology with informed practices, cybersecurity plays a vital role in ensuring the safety and integrity of our digital lives, allowing us to operate securely in an ever-evolving cyber landscape

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Torrential rains in Smokies destroy trails, roads and other infrastructure

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7.13.22 Porters Creek Road washoutA washout is seen along Porters Creek Road in Great Smoky Mountains National Park following torrential rain on July 12. National Park Service

Flooding causes Smokies damage, prompts water advisory for Sevierville

SEVIERVILLE — Extremely heavy rain on July 12 in the Smoky Mountains caused a cascade of problems now just coming to light.

Sevierville and Sevier County issued a boil-water advisory early Thursday after debris flushed by Tuesday’s floodwaters clogged the city water utility’s main intake on the French Broad River, leading to pressure decreases that opened up lines to possible outside contamination.

In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Greenbrier campground was closed indefinitely after the swollen Middle Prong of the Little Pigeon River wiped out roads, trails and bridges in