In the Golden State Killer's confession, he explained how a force would enter him and make him commit his brutally horrific crimes.
He said that he later got stronger and was able to keep it out. (IIRC)
The best help one can get requires that we pray to God with all our heart to guide us to the help we need. It requires clairity and humility and an honest seeking that will result in our finding the path that both makes us happier and reduces the unhappiness we cause others.
Such negative forces in the universe actively work in opposition to all happiness, both ours and those around us, but we are completely free to remain ignorant of their existence and Wisdom's teachings about human nature and our role as the moral agents of this world, with the requisite abilities and responsibilities it entails.
"The Way goes in." --Rumi
Look at Gukesh's face, his happiness and success, and know there is a direct correlation. This is because our life is a series of causes whose effects result according to a logic beyond what is currently accepted as present.
"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled is to convince the world he didn't exist." --from The Usual Suspects
Its effects on our minds (reasons, faulty data, and ill-logic) and hearts (selfish desires, ideals, attitudes, and behaviors) are the reason so much of the world is filled with misery, strife, and oppression. We must rise above our animal selfishness and will to competition, and embrace humanity and humanitarianism. In other words, we must resist our common enemy, who works on all our beings, and it has obviously been very successful.
Note that most people can't be occupied like the GSK was, although he probably didn't care for a long while thus refusing to fight it. The vast majority of us just have to contend with its suggested thoughts and feelings. It is almost always (IIUC) within our capability to resist sefishly ignorant possibilities. Note that we are all presented with suicide; it's part of its m.o., and we all must contend with that common tactic.
We love you. May peace be with us all as the selfish do their worst. The more of us that choose compassion, the sooner and more quickly this world will improve.
> We must rise above our animal selfishness and will to competition, and embrace humanity and humanitarianism. In other words, we must resist our common enemy, who works on all our beings, and it has obviously been very successful.
I generally dislike shifting the responsibility for the ills of the world onto some supernatural force. It feels like a cop-out. That said, your end result of pursuing humanitarianism and the common-good is great (and something that I believe everyone should strive towards), so however you arrive at that conclusion doesn't matter too much.
It is very rare (IIUC) that a person is forced to choose the selfishly callous acts that cause harm, however intentional or not. No, the vast majority of us are merely presented the possibilities (often in line with our personal predilections, often aligned with our cultures) after which we choose to act upon their ideas and feelings.
That rare person who is forced is the realm of the mentally ill and can be caused by physical problems such as heavy metal poisoning or trauma, especially to the head.
The key is our all accepting that we are responsible for the choices we make and their effects on others, and that our life's work is to learn how to make better choices in order to minimize unhappiness for others and maximize their (and our as the karmic result) happiness.
Look at the despots and massively selfish; they are never happy tho they may have all manner of money and the pleasures that can be bought. Happiness cannot be bought, it can only be earned in honest choosing and then reaping our sowing.
This cause and effect is a clue the universe gives us that how and what we choose are really important to our long-term peace and happiness, both individually and collectively. It is either the stick or carrot that tries to push us away from vice and toward virtue. This feedback system, like the entire universe, is designed for our happiness, but our free will remains sacrosanct, for good or ill, for Wisdom or ignorance, for love or hate. Like all things human, it is our choice.
What you say is also true of the majority of all people (thus far) of all forms of religion, as well as the atheists and agnostics. This is a human tendency; engaging in religiosity is not the purpose of religion; self-evolving (with the help of our Creator and Its universe) one's heart and mind is.
A religion without a compassionate basis has entirely lost its way, and that compassion must be for one and all people, not just their own kind/culture/society/whatever. No! That's the way of mammals; we must use our extraordinary human gifts choose to be much, much more, working beyond our tribes because we are one single human race, and we must expand our consciousness and ideals to embrace that essential fact.
Individual peace is the result of choosing service-oriented, active compassion/love. There is no other way, otherwise the inner tension pesists, including the results of willful ignorance to our need to self-evolve.
We must choose to try to help those around us, after we have stopped cruelly ignoring their unhappiness and/or, worst of all, willfully causing their misery. This also requires our refusing to coldly accept the oppression of the innocent. Our love for them must be of a different character and verve than our love for the oppressors.
He said that he later got stronger and was able to keep it out. (IIRC)
The best help one can get requires that we pray to God with all our heart to guide us to the help we need. It requires clairity and humility and an honest seeking that will result in our finding the path that both makes us happier and reduces the unhappiness we cause others.
Such negative forces in the universe actively work in opposition to all happiness, both ours and those around us, but we are completely free to remain ignorant of their existence and Wisdom's teachings about human nature and our role as the moral agents of this world, with the requisite abilities and responsibilities it entails.
"The Way goes in." --Rumi
Look at Gukesh's face, his happiness and success, and know there is a direct correlation. This is because our life is a series of causes whose effects result according to a logic beyond what is currently accepted as present.
"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled is to convince the world he didn't exist." --from The Usual Suspects
Its effects on our minds (reasons, faulty data, and ill-logic) and hearts (selfish desires, ideals, attitudes, and behaviors) are the reason so much of the world is filled with misery, strife, and oppression. We must rise above our animal selfishness and will to competition, and embrace humanity and humanitarianism. In other words, we must resist our common enemy, who works on all our beings, and it has obviously been very successful.
Note that most people can't be occupied like the GSK was, although he probably didn't care for a long while thus refusing to fight it. The vast majority of us just have to contend with its suggested thoughts and feelings. It is almost always (IIUC) within our capability to resist sefishly ignorant possibilities. Note that we are all presented with suicide; it's part of its m.o., and we all must contend with that common tactic.
We love you. May peace be with us all as the selfish do their worst. The more of us that choose compassion, the sooner and more quickly this world will improve.