Yratorm, LightMage

A tragic episode. But I don't hold with the death sentence, or with torture either. As Gandhi said, 'An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.'I think we should be thankful that our upbringing, our education, our peers and our experiences have made us beings who would not commit an act like that. There, but for the grace of god, go we.

Truefusion, ever heard of the saying "All that is needed for evil to triumph is that men of good will do nothing" - fanaticism is one of the evils of this planet - it is worse than other evils, because it is a good TURNED into evil. And it must be dealt with whenever we encounter it, or it will triumph, because it is so single-minded in it's intensity. I'm not usually sarcastic - but here it was called for. I stand by what I've written there - it was the RIGHT thing to write, and so I WROTE it. The warning is just fine by me. And if you were to execute me for saying what I had to say, I'd still say it if it was the right thing to do. You want something else to warn me about? Here it is: I usually answer posts on the forum using logic, but Hadi's answers are so single-minded that he completely ignores logic/or doesn't understand it/ or doesn't know the language. Whatever the reason, he doesn't really answer those who argue with him, he just repeats himself (for all practical purposes) again and again. And I tell you here that I would never have entered into this discussion, because I saw what he was in his very first post. My post was put up more to express my ADMIRATION for Master Bacarra and Electriic Ink for actually trying to talk logic to one to whom logic means nothing. I am not for or against a belief in god - there have been VERY sensible posts put up by believers, right on this thread. But I AM against fanaticism, and I will make a stand against it whenever I encounter it. And that is all. You may warn me again now. ___________________________ You want to see a REALLY insulting statement, here's one by Hadi: Master Bacarra has a fine mind - there's nothing wrong with it. Or, how about this one: Anyone who knows Master Bacarra knows that that accusation is completely untrue. Master Bacarra is just not that kind of person. On the contrary, it is Hadi who is repeating himself, and Master Bacarra who is showing great patience in his answers. Electriic Ink, I notice, has wisely abandoned the discussion, and so do I. As a matter of fact, had you not warned me, truefusion, the post I made in support of Master Bacarra and Eletriic Ink would have been the only one I would have put up here. I will not speak to Hadi directly, his mind is closed to what others have to say.

(A reading from the first book of Yratorm) For Yratorm came down from his mountain and he sayeth.... All ye who stand here, hail and bow down before Master Bacarra and Electriic Ink for the patience with which they have answered Hadi. For even the angels knoweth that such as he require great patience to answer. And now Bacarra and Ink will truly be blessed and their fields will be blessed and their cows shall grow fat and their flocks of sheep shall multiply. For behold he (or she) who shall oppose the fanatic shall be rewarded. _____________________________ Okay, please ignore the previous paragraphs . I've often thought about how profitable it would be to start my own religion, and I was just trying out the writing style. Right, just kidding. _____________________________ Honestly though, Hadi, I would never have answered you, honest. I would have been struck dumb by the awesome power and sheer pig-headed single-mindedness of your mind-set and said to myself.. 'behold, a fool who knows he is a fool is a wise man at least in this, but the fool who thinks he is a wise man is a fool indeed'. And I would have gone elsewhere, and written elsewhere, and left you to rot in a heaven of your own making. But Master Bacarra and Electric Ink have actually answered you point by point, using intellect (which you simply replace with blind faith). I admire, sincerely admire you both, Master Bacarra and Electriic Ink. Sincerely. You are both patient and highly intelligent. Note that I mean no offense to those like Watermonkey and others here who have an INTELLIGENT, THINKING belief in god. Actually, I found Watermonkey's post VERY interesting, even fascinating, but then most of his posts are that way. But blind faith and domineering beliefs - 'I am right and you are wrong, because so it is written'.. oh, spare me, please. I can understand belief in almost anything, but I detest the fanatic. Notice from truefusion: No need to call others names. Ever heard of, "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all"?

Would DEFINITELY be interested in what you have, Irdix And I'll put up the post on meditations to overcome fear in dangerous situations in a day or two as well. Am really interested in what you might have to add, so post it when you can Take care.

Hey, you were probably floating in the air above them (invisible) and got them to get together, then got them in the mood, then got them to 'do it' - all so you could exist, but after this masterpiece of manipulation, the sheer trauma of listening to your mom's heart beat for nine whole months with nothing else to think about drove you insane (like it does all of us humans - ever wonder why there are wars, here's your answer right here!!) - anyway, once you were born you learned your lesson and reformed and stopped manipulating people. Bad baby. Bad. JUST kidding, Not to be taken seriously. ________________________ Seriously... as I said before, read Johnathan Livingstone Seagull, for some fascinating thoughts on this subject. It's not a very long story, and I believe it's freely available on the net if you google it.

Hmm, I don't care one way or another, actually - death is death. We all die, there's no big deal there. Of course if you knew when you were going to die you could make your arrangements, meet friends etc. But why not do that anyway? Why not live every day, every week, every month to the full, as if it was a treasure - as indeed it is. Whether one lives one day longer or eighty years longer, every moment of live is precious and needs to be LIVED. And you know something? - if you do that.. it suddenly doesn't matter when you die, or whether you know about it in advance or not. You have lived, and lived well. When death comes for you, you will be able to look him right in the eye and smile in his very teeth, and die well. A good life, well lived; a good death, bravely met - what more could one possibly need? The time of it's coming is irrelevant.

Who was it who said 'An eye for an eye would make the whole world blind'? I think it was Gandhi. A significant sentiment, significantly put. _________________________________ Besides, have you even thought about what the death penalty would mean to a person whose really innocent? Have you ever heard of the concept of 'blood money'? In muslim countries where they have the death penalty and cut off people's hands for stealing and cut off their members for raping a girl, blood money is the money paid (by the state) to a man whose hand/penis/whatever is cut off and who is then subsequently PROVED TO BE INNOCENT!!! You think any amount of money can pay an innocent man back for the loss of his hand, or the loss of his penis? What about those who are executed in muslim countries? In that case, if the man is proved to be innocent later, the state pays the man's family a sum of money. What sum of money can compensate one for the loss of a friend/brother/lover? I am NOT completely against the death penalty, actually, but I think that even if there is a death penalty it must never be applied lightly, only to repeat offenders and in the most extreme cases. Because, you see, in a court of law, judgments aren't handed down by a perfect god, but by humans. And humans are so prone to error. If a death penalty is handed down, there must BE NO ERROR. Also, I think a death penalty is too much punishment for an ordinary rape. For murderers and for repeat, incorrigible, brutal, sadistic serial offenders, yes perhaps it might apply there - the same way one would put down a rabid dog. _________________________________ Other just as effective preventive measures that can also be taken: Now, I am a martial artist, and I tell you that it is possible to train a woman within five months so that no group less than three in number can rape her. I study one of the most potent martial arts on the planet, from some of the best teachers, and you can believe me if I say it's possible for a woman to turn herself into a most lethal weapon. A well trained woman can take out three strong men before they know what's happening. And yes, she'd use concealed weapons to do it. If it was night, she would use stealth as well. I train in Ninjutsu, in the east, and our whole lifestyle is based on efficient combat and efficient survival - on defeating the odds. I would say that it would be better to institute intense combat classes solely for girls in schools, including training in alertness, decisive action, and the use of deadly concealed weapons - it would be just as deterring for would-be rapists if every second woman was a walking death-trap. A man who wants to rape a woman wants sex, but he doesn't want to sleep with death. Give him even a 60% chance of that happening and he'll think twice, believe me. Prevention is BETTER than ANY cure. Let the trauma from the attack be with the ATTACKER, not with his would-be victim. Punishment AFTER the crime, no matter what the punishment, does NOT cancel the fact that the crime HAS happened. The crime, if at all possible, MUST NOT EVEN HAPPEN.

Well, meditation is a lot like exercise, you don't start out with the heaviest meditations. Generally one does simpler meditations first that 'build you up' so you can take on more difficult meditations. If you check out those meditations I put up on that link, you'll find that neither of them need you to empty your mind or anything of the sort, but they still have a calming effect. Meditating is a lot like lifting weight - you don't start out with a 200 or 300 pound bench press, similarly, you don't start out with the toughest meditations, you start with simple ones and progress as your ability to concentrate and focus improves. Then it becomes easy Why scale a cliff when there are steps cut into the side of the mountain, hehe.

Well, I realize you're speaking hypothetically, but your options are too limited. You be the prisoner on death row - me, I prefer dying free.Now as to the manner of my death, I'll swim against the current here and say I would like to die by cold steel. I'd like to have a great battle with say 50 enemies and then go down with a knife thrust in a vital organ after killing off at least fifteen. And when I fall down into a pool of blood, I want most of that pool of blood to not be mine, but the blood of the id**ts I've sent screaming down to hell before me. It would indeed be a fine death to die. I realize this sort of death is not easily available in the west, where they hide behind guns, but in many places in the east you can still go off this way (in a battle of steel) if you really want to. And yes, I'm in the east.In some parts of the east, the death described above is considered the finest, the bravest and the best sort of death to die.It may seem barbaric to people in the west, but I think that it is a fine death. No life is worth living that doesn't demand from you some courage - similarly, no death is worth dying that doesn't demand from you great courage. When the time comes to die, you must look death right in the eye and smile in his very teeth. Let those around you be in awe of the manner of your death, and also, if at all possible, in awe of the manner in which you live.Death row? How on earth would any force in the world get you there if you truly choose to die free?

Well, I'd recommend the book 'Johnathan Livingstone Seagull' to anyone whose searching for answers to questions about the meaning of life, and about death, etc. It's not a religious book or a tract, in fact it doesn't mention any religion, but it contains some very profound thoughts.I'm not for or against the existence of an 'other side' - as a matter of fact, where I live we call death 'the eternal secret'. There is some basis for the theory of re-incarnation, actually, as one sometimes comes upon 'old souls' - beings who have to be taught almost nothing of dozens of skills and arts, and who mentally, physically and spiritually exist on a higher plane, certainly. The world doesn't seem to tie them down so much either, materialism is just a word to them - it's like they've seen it all many times before.However, I'm still not for or against anything. I'm curious. I want to see what's on the other side. Perhaps it will be what we expect, perhaps not. But one thing I DO know - in THIS life, in THIS world, I'm going to live the best, highest life I can, because when the time comes for me to die, I want to look back and say 'it was a good life.'As for the next life, if any, I'll do the best I can with it, to the very best of my ability - WHEN I GET THERE

I used to meditate a lot, but real patience didn't come to me until I grew exceedingly powerful in the course of my martial arts studies. Once I achieved great personal power I found that even someone yelling in my face didn't faze me.So while meditation is a wonderful path to mental and spiritual growth, it's not the only path, indeed.These days if someone yells in my face I smile and tell them that they're only stressing themselves out, and I say it so calmly and reasonably that it 'brings them to their senses' in no time at all. Heck, even if someone attacks me (so long as he doesn't draw a weapon) I respond as gently as I possibly can.You know the saying 'With great power comes great responsibility..' well, I also think that sometimes, if your training is just right, with great power comes great patience, great kindness and understanding, and ultimate personal control.

Heh, I know exactly what you mean. It was pretty nasty for me too, cause I put up a lot of posts and then my net connection cut out for a few days, and when it came back I found that all the posts I'd made earlier had vanished, arrgghhh (the electricity and the power often go down where I live, firstly because it's very rough country and subject to violent storms, but also because things like the net and electricity have reached this region only recently, hehe. Actually, if it didn't cut out my 'window on the world' I wouldn't mind it. Anyway, there are compensations, like leading a totally stress-free life, having great teachers to help you grow mentally, physically, spiritually - I really can't complain). I think you could get that ability (to be 'invisible') back indeed, especially as you already have a 'feel' for it, if you know what I mean. It would be as easy as anything if you had someone else who could also do it to work with, or a good teacher - unfortunately, I doubt such things are easily available in the west. As for your experience with the voice, it's fascinating. Really fascinating. What did the voice say - did it just call out your name, or did it say something, and was that something even english? I'm really curious. I've had one or two experiences of the sort. In one, I was sleeping, and dreaming, and in my dream I was looking down at my body lying on the bed, and I also noticed that there was someone standing at the foot of my bed looking down at me. And I sort of floated down to my body, and as I 'merged' with my body, I opened my eyes (I really woke up), and there was really someone standing at the foot of my bed. And I sat up (I was wide awake now) and there was some moonlight streaming into the room, so I took a better look at the person (in such a situation I'm usually curious, not afraid). And it was a young woman, and she was very, very pale, and her eyes were gray, and she had a gray cloak on that covered her completely - a sort of hood was on her head, and only her face showed, and she had SUCH a sad expression on her face. And she didn't say anything, and I didn't speak either - we just looked at each other for a few minutes, and then she started to fade away - to vanish gradually. Suddenly I could see the outlines of the cupboard behind her through her, and she became less and less distinct, and finally disappeared. And I got up and put on the light and looked around. I wasn't afraid, but I also sensed (as I looked at her) that there was no reason to be afraid, that she meant me no harm. Anyway, that was one experience, it may have been a dream that somehow 'carried over' into the waking world, it may have been some shadow from another time and place, it may have been some entity, opinions are bound to differ. All I can say for a fact is that I was fully awake when I sat up in bed and looked at her, is all. Some VERY profound thoughts here, watermonkey. You mention that church, media, family tell us we're not to question things. I could add science. I find human science limited, in it's way. It questions, it studies, yet to me it's questions and it's studies seem to follow limited paths - and our science rarely, if ever strays beyond those paths. Perhaps after thousands of years our science might evolve to throw aside pre-set limitations and explore the cosmos not with human eyes, but with eyes not bound by human limitations. And then maybe, just maybe, true reality will be revealed. I have one more experience to tell about - it was pretty close to time-travel, but I think I've held the floor long enough, so I'll let a few other's have their say and then add it in. I've had some wonderful and very wise and very patient teachers, is all watermonkey. (considering I was always questioning them about EVERYTHING they were VERY patient indeed, believe me,

Hmm, to deal with stress, retire to a monastery or Ryu in the Himalayas. It works, ROFL. As a matter of fact I DO live in the Himalayas, just not in a monastery. It's very relaxing. Okay, for those who aren't quite in a position to do the above there are several ways. 1) Exercise while listening to music. 2) Commune with nature - a walk in a park sometime in the day is good. There a scientific basis for this, actually - the sunlight and the green wavelengths that trees radiate cause production of substances in your body that make you 'feel good' and have a calming effect. 3) Get adequate sleep - there's nothing like cutting short on sleep to stress you out. 4) Meditate. I've put up a good meditation or two at the link below, they should help - feel free to add more, anyone: Meditations to calm the Mind and improve Focus

Yup, putting on the wrong kind of weight is definitely unhealthy. Doctors have found that the much touted BMI is a much less accurate indicator of how healthy you are than how much larger than normal your waistline is. Studies have found that putting on fat in the stomach area is extremely unhealthy, and is directly linked to heart-disease and hypertension in many cases. Also, fat around the belly is very hard to get rid off as fat cells in this region actually secrete substances to 'protect themselves' so that the body 'burns them off' only as a last resort.So just eating to get fat quick will definitely cause problems that will come back to you later in life. However, IF you're really determined to do this just drink PLENTY of beer, you'll put on weight AND get a nice beer belly in no time at all (don't take that seriously, I'm NOT advising you to do that, hehe, but yeah, it gets the results mentioned).

Hehe - food? I love chocolate, but not too much of that available where I live (fortunately or unfortunately, )For the rest, there are no luxuries available in a Ryu in the himalayas, you get good nourishing food, sometimes it's tasty, sometimes it has no taste at all, all depends on a roll of the dice - in other words, on luck and on who does the cooking on a particular day As for the cuisine - it's a mix of chinese, tibetan, nepali and indian (again, depending on who does the d**n cooking, hehehehehehe)

Well, there just isn't any evidence for or against the existence of multiple universes.There are some thoughts on the matter. A Universe - everything in existence, would be everything in existence only to those 'in' it, as the laws of other 'universes' would probably be completely different, hence time and space might only be constituents of this universe.What I'm saying is that the properties of time and space may be part of the laws of this cosmos, and that time and space might not exist beyond this universe and/or in other universes, being replaced instead by other laws difficult for us to conceive. So the word Universe and it's implied meaning may only apply to this 'universe'.The laws of physics might be different in another universe. The number of dimensions might differ.Regarding an infinite universe:If you walk along the surface of the earth you could walk forever, but that doesn't at all make the earth infinite. Similarly, when it's dimensions are viewed correctly (instead of from a limited point of view), there is no reason why the universe should not have boundaries. Just because the boundaries are not visible to us doesn't mean they don't exist. Perhaps our eyes, our senses, our mind and our science might never evolve to know those boundaries, or perhaps they will. For now, we cannot know. It is too early in our civilization.Time (as it exists in our particular universe ) will tell.

Incidentally, there's also Murphy's law - if something can go wrong, it will.How about someone who the Greater Congo 'disregards' or 'ignores' getting his revenge by blowing up the dam itself? Right, dams are not easy things to blow up, but we're talking 'if's' here on such a large scale here that the idea of blowing up the dam seems relatively minor in comparison. And if someone does do that, there goes the great leader's plan right out the window at one 'blow'.The plan is limited, both temporally, geographically, and in it's consideration of all the things that could possibly go wrong.

Hmm, the size of the universe might be an illusion caused by the limitations of senses not evolved to understand it's true dimensions or essential aspects.Puzzling? Not really. But look at it this way. If you could be ANYWHERE you wanted to be by just deciding to be there, then what would the word 'distance' mean to you? Or would you even have such a word in your vocabulary?Just some personal thoughts, nothing more. But as our minds and knowledge grow over the next few billion years I have the feeling we're going to find the universe is a lot smaller and more finite than it seems to us now.

Hmm, I think that the term 'black hole' is misleading when applied to the experiment here. A Black Hole does not really have 'more gravity' than the star from which it was born, it's just that in a black hole all forces that normally oppose gravity in a star (such as the normal thermonuclear reactions) have failed, so that gravity rules as a force, and crushes the star down to a singularity.I don't think there's any need to fear even a 'real' a black hole with the mass of a proton - it cannot possibly last long before 'evaporating'. The idea of it 'growing uncontrollably' is impossible - the source of a black hole's 'power' is it's mass, and it's mass (in 'normal' black holes) is usually that of a giant star - there's no way anything with the mass of a proton could have anything even near that effect. In any case, as I've said, a 'black hole' with the mass of a proton would 'evaporate' very quickly in a flash of radiation.I won't say anything more specific about the experiment Matak mentions until I read up on it in more detail - as far as I can make out they are probably just going to use the accelerator to study how matter behaves in 'unusual' conditions. As I said, I'll have to read up on it a little more. I don't think there's any cause for concern yet, though. The experiment is more in the range of 'proving or disproving laws' rather than in the range of 'might destroy the known universe' hehe.

Hmm, I understand why you would feel nervous about meditation, norrad. Incidentally, are you deeply religious? Because generally initiation into any order is a significant decision, and rarely to be taken lightly. I study with a Ninjutsu Ryu in the east, and we engage in complex meditation for various reasons - to raise our consciousness, to improve our focus, to channel our energies and strengthen the will - for many more things than this, as well. Meditations are not difficult if you have a good teacher. Generally one should start with simple meditations and slowly go on to more complex ones. I've posted some simple 'layman's' meditations at this link: Meditations to Calm the Mind and Improve Focus I hope they are some help to you. I can post other, more complex meditations, but remember that my 'philosophy' is Ninjutsu, not Buddhism, so though it contains elements of Buddhism, it diverges into many other planes of thought and action.

When I was young I used to be quite 'preyed upon' by the paranormal. However, now I seem to be able to deal with it (I'll write more on my childhood experiences later in this post). There are people who can become 'immune' to the activities of ghosts, I think. For example, I routinely spend the night in any haunted house I'm told about. This isn't for 'fun' or 'kicks' it's more an honest investigation. However, I'm rarely bothered by the 'inhabitants' of various places, firstly (this is important) because intense meditations have made me very strong mentally and spiritually, but also probably because I have a very bad attitude. Basically, the attitude is this.. If a paranormal entity can't hurt me, my mind is calm and untroubled. If it CAN hurt me, then it might even kill me if I stay around it long enough. And if it does, I'll hunt it when I'm dead and put it through my dying torment again and again throughout eternity. And I would do that, believe me - with deathless, eternal hate. Somehow, this mindset seems spook the ghosts or 'inhabitants'. Anyway, when I enter an 'occupied property' they quieten until I leave again. It's actually happened several times. When I traveled I was often short on funds, so I would ask around and find a house with a 'bad name' - usually one in which a suicide or murder had occurred, and move in there. The fact that I used to stay in these places used to terrify the locals - they just couldn't understand how it was possible. ______________________ It was very, VERY different when I was a child - then dreams and the dark and 'sights' used to terrify me. There was a voice in the corner of my room that would cackle at me out of the dark. There was a 'sighting' that used to look like my mother, except that the top half of the body was missing. And when I slept it was most terrifying of all - a set of six black dogs used to chase me whenever I slept, through my dreams EVERY single night, just as soon as I closed my eyes. And in the shadows behind the dogs used to be a black garbed woman urging them on. Anyway, the dreams were the worst of all because I couldn't get any sleep, so finally I couldn't stand it any longer (I was just a kid) and I told my mother. And she told me, it's all a question of attitude. Whether you exist in this world, or in a spirit world or in a dream, you have your WILL, and if your WILL is strong, NOTHING will stand before you. You have to use your will as a WEAPON when you have no other weapon. Now, tonight you will sit and think of these creatures, and instead of fear, burn with anger, and when you sleep and the dream comes, FOCUS that anger on them. And it worked. When the dream came again (as it always did) I was like a god - in that dream world, I, a child, could do anything - I just hadn't realized it. And the woman and her dogs fled into the mist, and never came back. And I've never changed that attitude, instead, as a result of deep meditations and studies under some wonderful teachers, my will has grown much stronger than it was then. ______________________ The WILL is ALL - in this world or any other. And even a spirit in torment can still be afraid, of other spirits, perhaps, and yes, even of a mortal. Fear works both ways. Your will, your 'focus' is YOUR spirit essence, and if you work to make it strong enough it is feared in ANY world.

Ah well, I suppose we must fall back on Kipling for an answer, hehe ... It's pretty close to the codes by which I live. But I still think that this poem could just as well apply as a code of conduct for a woman as for a man. I really don't believe in gender differences where intelligence and strength of character and will and determination are concerned - in these areas I believe men and women are equals, are the same. Hmm, talking about courage/strength of character, etc. that reminds me.. I had an aunt (not really an aunt, a distant relative) in afghanistan - one day nine men tried to rape her. Tried. They picked the wrong woman by a long shot. She coldly killed seven of them with a Kalashinikov semi-automatic rifle. And she left two alive so that they could tell of it. See what I mean about gender differences not being as important as character/courage/will/intelligence, or the codes by which we live? Be we male or female. What makes a man a man is the same thing that makes a woman a woman: Strength of character. Intelligence. Will. Ability. And of course, perhaps most important of all.. one's dreams.