(RNS) — Texas voters on Tuesday (Nov. 2) overwhelmingly supported a measure barring governments from taking any kind of action that limits religious services, such as the public health orders that shut down houses of worship and businesses earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Proposition 3, which will add a clause to the Texas Constitution forbidding state or local authorities from prohibiting or limiting religious services, garnered 62.4% of votes, according to unofficial results from the Texas secretary of state.
The measure had the support of the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops and some other — but not all — religious groups.
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Category: Buddhism
A perfect moral, dramatic, pragmatic, linguistic, psychological, spiritual, and emotional act…
…is a proper FIML query.
It is perfect (in no special order) morally because it seeks truth and goodness between two people; dramatically because it uses our innate dramatic instinct to question our own deep sense of live drama in the moment; pragmatically because it is eminently practical; linguistically because it is an extremely good use of language, possibly the best use; psychologically because it benefits both the self and other in profound ways while also revealing deep behavioral patterns painlessly; spiritually because it stimulates the spirit and spiritual metacognition, bringing both partners closer to their ideals; and emotionally because it forestalls false negative and destructive emotional responses, replacing them with joyful understanding. FIML is a pursuit of truth shared by two people. It is a technique, a method, that can be used in any religion, philosophy, world-view, or lifestyle. In the beginning, FIML does not even depend on scrupulous truthfulness because the practice itself will reveal the value of truthfulness, which ultimately will require almost no effort. Truthfulness is an instinct or inkling of deepest consciousness. Once seen, it calls forth itself.
ABN
This video can be seen as a description of how childhood abuse leads to adolescent and adult abuse of the victim because deep patterns have been internalized; and these patterns attract more abuse. A full understanding of Buddhist karma must include understanding this
Karma is the record of the mind. Understanding karma changes it. ABN
Putin warns the West is destroying itself: “It happened in our country before and after the 1917 revolution, the Bolsheviks followed the dogmas of Marx and Engels. And they also declared that they would change the traditional lifestyle, the political, the economic lifestyle, as well as the very notion of morality, the basic principles for a healthy society”
“The preparedness of so-called social progress believes in bringing a new conscience, a new consciousness to humanity, something that is more correct,” Putin said. “But there is one thing I would like to say: The recipes they come up with are nothing new. Paradoxical as it may seem, this is something we saw in Russia. It happened in our country before and after the 1917 revolution, the Bolsheviks followed the dogmas of Marx and Engels. And they also declared that they would change the traditional lifestyle, the political, the economic lifestyle, as well as the very notion of morality, the basic principles for a healthy society. They were trying to destroy age-old and century-long values, revisiting the relationship between the people, they were encouraging informing on one’s own beloved, and families. It was hailed as the march of progress. And it was very popular across the world and it was supported by many, as we see, and it is happening right now.”
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What Putin is talking about is an insidious, almost hidden form of KOBK. These KOBK forces have already conquered virtually all of American cultural high-ground. They are actively trying to destroy our society and falsely claiming to be able to “replace” it with impossible-to-realize dreams. You must understand that when your opponent is playing by KOBK rules, you have no choice but to fight back with full knowledge of what they are doing, fully recognizing how successful they have already been. USA and Western democracies are weak in strategic thinking due to many easy decades and the influence of a bad side of Christianity that promotes a mushy love and tolerance over realistic wisdom and action. Properly understood, Buddhism does not have this problem because wisdom is always the paramount virtue; without wisdom all other virtues are prone to error. ABN
Kill-or-be-Killed (KOBK) as a guide to how top global players MUST think (and so should you if you want to understand them)
When American generals wanted to nuke the Soviet Union at the close of WW2, they were proposing a KOBK strategy; “kill” the SU now while we still can before they grow big enough to “kill” us.
When McArthur wanted to nuke communist China and take it over during the Korean War, he was proposing KOBK. When Lyman Lemnitzer proposed a false flag operation to provoke war with Cuba, he was proposing a KOBK strategy that would have impacted the Soviet Union and possibly started WW3.
KOBK is 100% amoral. It is how top people must think and act. They have no choice. MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction), which is a bastard child of KOBK, only worked for a few decades vis-à-vis the Soviet Union. I do not believe it is a workable strategy against China. Even if USA/West appears to cooperate with China, neither side can possibly ignore the KOBK reality of the situation. Xi Jinping in particular has no choice but to play KOBK at home and on the world stage.
I myself do not like KOBK and wish it were not the absolute bottom line it is. I myself am a practicing Buddhist who strongly believes in the most basic Buddhist teaching: “Do no evil ever. Do good always. Purify your mind.” That said, if I were thrust into power at the top, how could I not see the reality of KOBK? How could I not consider that my adversaries must be thinking in KOBK terms and therefore so must I? To think KOBK at the top is to do KOBK unless you are a fool.
Ordinary people with little or no power are fortunate in that they can practice basic Buddhist morality and actually purify their minds. A top KOBK player could also be a good Buddhist but their thinking would surely be more complex and stressful than mine. Buddhism actually recognizes that some very powerful world leaders who appear from an ordinary angle to be cruel are not cruel at all but are Bodhisattvas bringing millions closer to enlightenment by showing them the deep reality of this realm of suffering.
If we want to analyze the current world situation, we must understand that top people cannot but think in KOBK terms. Is the Western cabal trying to take over the world? Of course they are. Is China trying to destroy the Western cabal and take over the world? Yes, they probably are unless they think they are “cooperating” with the cabal… as Saddam Hussein and Muamar Gadhafi did. Hussein thought it would be madness for the West to destroy him because he was the strongest asset they had against Islamic terrorism. Gadhafi held similar delusions believing the West would never harm him because his Libya was a solid bulwark against uncontrollable African immigration into Europe. Both men miscalculated. The KOBK thinking of the West was different than that.
When thinking about the covid bioweapon and the weaponization of the covid response and Chinese actions against Taiwan, we must consider how top players are using KOBK strategies.
UPDATE: The stolen presidency in USA, exposure of covid vaxxes as bioweapons, and the war in Ukraine clearly strengthen the argument made above. ABN
Small signs Deep State/cabal is faltering
A major untold story of the Trump era has been the political comeback of the CIA, NSA, and FBI, who thanks to an ingenious marketing campaign now enjoy widespread support among young liberal influencers. Only a partial link as the rest is paid, but his example of the Young Turks extolling the CIA’s virtue to their listeners is interesting. They were always CIA/Cabal assets, and knew the big secret. That Cabal now feels it needs to burn its deep cover influencers to buy cred says they are on the ropes. If they were still in control, those influencers would be the controlled opposition attacking the CIA and the establishment and Cabal wouldn’t care because they would be in full control regardless. It is weird to see people reach out to fans, and lure them in and fake loyalty, knowing all the while they are just fucking them all over. That type of work has to blacken your soul.
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Cabal may be faltering but I put nothing past them, including a new bioweapon attack, crashing the economy, or starting WW3. If they cannot withdraw into safety, and they have bet the ranch, they may lose everything and they know it; hence a strong KOBK response must be expected. Expecting something does not mean we will lose. It only means we are recognizing the game that is being played around us. Most Americans are weak in KOBK basic strategic thinking because we have been on top for a long time. China, for example, has been struggling for 200 years to understand and deal with the West, while the West has been blithely and naively hoping that China will become like us for the last 20 years. Our assumptions have brought us weakness and stupid policies, while China’s have taught them over many generations that losing sucks and winning demands ruthless KOBK strategies. If anyone thinks this is not a Buddhist analysis, remember that wisdom and hard realism are paramount Buddhist virtues. ABN
Worst case scenario: It IS a “Poison Death Shot”
It wasn’t a blunder. It was deliberate. The Covid-19 vaccine was supposed to fail like all the coronavirus vaccines before it. That’s the point. That’s why the drug companies skipped the animal testing and long-term safety trials. That’s why the FDA rushed it through the regulatory process and suppressed the other life-saving medications, and silenced all critics of the policy, and pushed for universal vaccination regardless of the risks of blood clotting, cardiac arrest, stroke and death. And that’s why the world is on the threshold of an “international catastrophe of mass mortality.” It’s because that’s how the strategy was planned from the very beginning.
The vaccine isn’t supposed to work, it’s supposed to make things worse. And it has! It’s increased the susceptibility of millions of people to severe illness and death. That’s what it’s done. It’s a stealth weapon in an entirely new kind of war; a war aimed at restructuring the global order and establishing absolute social control. Those are the real objectives. It has nothing to do pandemics or viral contagion. It’s about power and politics. That’s all.
The Conspiracy Theorists Were Right; It IS a “Poison-Death Shot”
Mike Whitney at his darkest. Many signs say he’s right. This outcome is a slice in my Bayesian pie of possibilities. Add vaxxing children, closing schools, and classifying vax deaths as covid deaths. In Buddhism earth is within the realm of delusion, a realm laden with group karma that acts like glue. Only a few escape alone or in small groups. A friend converted whole-heartedly to Buddhism when during this pandemic she was struck with an overwhelming vision of the First and Second Noble Truths: the truth of suffering and its cause—delusion. Group karma is karma we share with others. Understanding it often leads to reclusion or greater selectivity of companions. Fully understanding it leads to enlightenment. All of our institutions have failed. Mainstream culture is a flood of bilge. Seen as my friend saw it, this is a good and proper vision. It is the truth of samsara. ABN
Catholic Troops Can Refuse COVID Vaccine, Archbishop Declares
Catholic U.S. troops should be allowed to refuse the COVID-19 vaccine based solely on conscientious objection and regardless of whether abortion-related tissue was used in its creation or testing, the archbishop for the military declared in a new statement supporting service members who are seeking religious exemptions.
“No one should be forced to receive a COVID-19 vaccine if it would violate the sanctity of his or her conscience,” said Archbishop for the Military Services Timothy P. Broglio, in a statement released Tuesday.
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Excellent news. Of course, the same is true for all Buddhists and, indeed, all human beings with an active conscience. ABN
TEXAS: Executive Order Prohibiting Vaccine Mandates By Any Entity
Governor Greg Abbott today issued an executive order stating that no entity in Texas can compel receipt of a COVID-19 vaccination by any individual, including an employee or consumer, who objects to such vaccination for any reason of personal conscience, based on a religious belief, or for medical reasons, including prior recovery from COVID-19.
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Good way to put it. First Amendment religious freedoms should include “personal conscience” since there is no clear line between this and religion. Buddhism is very much a philosophy and a religion, no clear line. Also, Kristi Noem get your ass in gear and do this for SD. Ignore the money or give it back and prove you have a “personal conscience.” ABN
Top doc behind covid vax & policy mistakes quits
Dr. Francis Collins is reportedly stepping down from his role as Director at the National Institutes of Health. The news was broken by Politico late Monday night:
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Would be a great moral act and help the entire world if Collins were to come clean on all the covid bs right now. He has the Noble Lie excuse. Or the Noble Lie that went off the rails excuse. However he puts it, if he just tells the truth and addresses covid mistakes (including vax mortality, harms, and failures) honestly, the world will come out ahead of where he and Fauci have led us. I do not see any way that Collins does not know he is guilty of destroying millions of lives. From a Buddhist point of view, a full confession from him if done well will clear all his horrible karma and improve the lives of everyone in the world. In Buddhism, the way for him to proceed is: 1) admit his fault completely; 2) explain how it happened but do not excuse yourself from your role in any of it; 3) vow never to do anything like it again; 4) make amends wherever possible to the people you have harmed. Not an easy thing to do, but great expiations require great acts. I honestly wish him the best. He can set an example for all the scientists, doctors, medical professionals, administrators, and pharmacists who have actively and passively contributed to the covid mass murders. ABN
FIML is especially good for and accessible to very sensitive people who pick up on communication signs much more than most people and who love having those sensitivities but do not know how to manage them well
If your head is often boiling with ideas, associations, memories, signs and signals from people and the world around you and you love it but maybe it’s driving you crazy… and you have a partner who is similar or at least understanding, then you will love FIML and become good at it if you try.
Buddhism and KOBK: Kill-or-be-killed
Buddhism holds that the human realm is ineluctably characterized by delusion. That means the human realm, NOT individual humans.
KOBK is a deep feature of the human mind, at both societal and individual levels. At the societal level (more than a small group), KOBK cannot be eliminated. This is so because large groups always communicate on levels that do not represent the fullness of human subjective experience; and this causes serious mistakes to arise and accrue, leading to clashes, violence, war. From a Buddhist point of view, this might be thought of as the basis for the delusion that always binds human life until at an individual level, it is seen through and completely understood causing enlightenment or freedom from all delusion and the cessation of rebirth in the human realm.
In Buddhism, a full understanding of suffering, dukkha, the First Noble Truth yields complete enlightenment instantly.
Before we attain that stage of existence, Buddhism counsels us to behave compassionately toward all other sentient beings while keeping our spiritual eye on ultimate wisdom, total liberation from the dukkha of the human realm.
Buddhism does not reject new ideas. KOBK is a game-theory explanation of one reason the human realm has always been characterized by delusion and suffering. This analysis of KOBK should not in any way encourage any intelligent person to consciously engage in KOBK behaviors (except in some kinds of self-defense). If KOBK is fully understood, it should help us as individuals and friends to better access the ultimate reality of the Buddha Mind, the Tathagata, Logos, God.
In Buddhism we did not “originally sin.” We are originally good but we are living in a pretty rough place. If we understand that many people with enormous earthly power feel forced to engage in KOBK, we will better understand this realm.
further reading: How to understand the deep strategy of earthly political power: KOBK
Instinct as felt resonance with Logos/Tathagata
You can see this in many ways. Instinct, intention, karma, where you are, what is happening, what is prompting your mind, what you remember, care about, are mindful of… ABN
The spiritual imperative or Buddhism restated
The ultimate human game-theory game is kill-or-be-killed.
Historically, all empires, states, and political groups have proved this fact. Presently, covid biowarfare is proving this fact.
What can I do as an individual? Nothing to change the above. But many things to change yourself.
The briefest way to state what to do is Buddhist practice.
The First Noble Truth of suffering has always been true and is confirmed in our time.
The Second Noble Truth of the cause of suffering has always been true and is confirmed in out time.
The Third Noble Truth of the cessation of suffering largely depends on individual behavior, as defined by Buddhist practice. The human realm is trapped in the ultimate game-theory game, but the individual is not because the individual can let go of the causes of suffering and rise spiritually.
The Fourth Noble Truth of the way to end suffering is the Noble Eightfold Path. This way also largely depends on induvial behavior, diligence, concentration, and activity.
Buddhism is not nihilism, theism, or atheism. It is a stark recognition of the reality of the human realm. By our own efforts we can recognize our position in this realm and grow spiritually through Buddhist practice.
Buddhavagga: The Buddha
190-191. He who has gone for refuge to the Buddha, the Teaching and his Order, penetrates with transcendental wisdom the Four Noble Truths — suffering, the cause of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the Noble Eightfold Path leading to the cessation of suffering.
192. This indeed is the safe refuge, this the refuge supreme. Having gone to such a refuge, one is released from all suffering.
American Buddhist Net 