Sandal of Zen Buddhism: Lesson of a Wasted Life

It is said that Bodhidharma came from India and bought what became Zen Buddhism to China. 

He supposedly impressed the emperor and other monks by staring at a wall in a cave while sitting still for 9 years. As a result he lost the use of his legs.

For the other monks who were engaging in his deep meditation techniques but growing physically weak, he invented the martial arts combat training of Kung Fu. This was to strengthen the body to endure the rigorous hours of endless meditation. 

When he died it is said that years later his tomb was opened and all his followers found was one old sandal.

Q: So what's the Lesson of all this?

Observe: All those years of monks (including Bodhidharma) spent in hard physical training of Kung Fu so as to just sit for endless hours in wasteful meditation of twisting the mind like a pretzel----(Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 2 Timothy 3:7) followed by death (All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. Ecclesiastes 3:20).

Q: Was it worth it?....staring at a wall for 9 years.....and all that was left in his dust was a sandal.....

Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

Romans 5:18

No deep meditation techniques, 

no wasted time staring at a wall, 

no rigorous martial arts training required.

Mindfulness

"Mindfulness means focusing your attention on what your body is doing: your beating heart, your breathing, the positions of your arms and legs and the like.

Meditation can be harmful – and can even make mental health problems worse (The Conversation, 19 July 2024). Miguel Farias is

an associate professor of clinical psychology at Coventry University near London, UK. There has been a surge of interest by scientists in mindfulness over the past eight years, Farias says. 

Q: Why? 

“Since mindfulness it’s something you can practice at home for free, it often sounds like the perfect tonic for stress and mental health issues.” Books, YouTube videos and even phone apps make it look beneficial and safe.

Q: But where did this practice come from?

"Mindfulness is a type of Buddhist-based meditation in which you focus on being aware of what you’re sensing, thinking and feeling in

the present moment.

The first recorded evidence for this, found in India, is over 1,500 years old. The Dharmatrāta Meditation Scripture, written by a community of Buddhists, describes various practices and includes reports of symptoms of depression and anxiety that can occur after meditation. It also details cognitive anomalies associated with episodes of psychosis, dissociation and depersonalisation (when people feel the world is “unreal”)."

Red flags should go up immediately upon reading this. Ancient Buddhists in India were not using the scientific method to test what types of mental activity improve well-being. They were following religious texts based on their theological views of the world.

Farias mentioned five types of harm that were reported in the Buddhist “Scripture” by those who meditated in this way, up to and including psychosis. Similar types of harm are being reported by the practitioners of mindfulness today. Some of them are downright scary.

"These studies show that adverse effects are not rare. A 2022 study,

using a sample of 953 people in the US who meditated regularly, showed that over 10% of participants experienced adverse effects which had a significant negative impact on their everyday life and lasted for at least one month.

According to a review of over 40 years of research that was published in 2020, the most common adverse effects are anxiety and depression. These are followed by psychotic or delusional symptoms, dissociation or depersonalisation, and fear or terror."

Such adverse effects, Farias adds, are not limited to habitual practitioners, but include first-time users or dabblers into mindfulness. There are many, he admits, that seem to benefit from mindfulness meditation, but the promoters on social media rarely mention the potential harms.

Mindfulness is an occult practice, not a science! The Bible warns about the occult. Avoid all forms of divination, including the seemingly innocent ones like water witching and palm reading. They are doorways for demons to gain access to human minds that can lead to further deception and oppression later on.

Psychologists who refuse to consider the existence of evil spirits cannot begin to understand what is going on when they merely speak of “unpleasant experiences” by people who have opened themselves up to demonic powers, and are suffering the consequences. Imagine a secular scientist watching the man with the “Legion” of demons in Mark 5, then trying to write it up in a scientific paper in psychological terms! It would be completely baffling to him. He would see only a man acting crazy, but not the evil spirits controlling him. "

CEH

IN the NEWS - Rome bowing to Buddha

Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 

Exodus 20:3

"The Vatican continues leaving a trail of bad theology and

ecumenicms in its wake, with The Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue releasing a joint statment with the Mahamakut Buddhist University, Chinese Buddhist Order of Sangha in Thailand, and others, on a recently held Buddhist-Christian Colloquium.

"As Buddhists and Christians, we see the Buddha and Jesus as Great Healers. 

The Buddha pointed to greed 

and Jesus to sin 

as the cause of suffering. 

On many levels, Jesus and the Buddha proposed love and compassion as medicine to drive out the darkness in the human heart and the world. Nourished by their respective spiritual teachings, Buddhists and Christians, for thousands of years, have adopted compassionate ways of living to address the suffering of life." 

Protestia

SDA Issues - Beware of this Sabbath Keeping / Woke MOTHER OF ALL CULTS

"Apparently Ahn Sahng-hong claimed the mission of the SDA Church was ended when he left it in 1962 and thereby started the another Church in South Korea in 1964 for the next phase of truth to be uncovered.

This led to his GENUINE CULT of the World Mission Societal Church of God, considered the fastest growing CULT today. 

@ Born a Buddhist in 1918 in Korea. 

@ Baptized an SDA in 1954. (He claimed to have been baptized in 1948 but Church records show 1954)

@ Kicked out of the SDA Church in 1962 for strange teachings.

@ Started the Church of God Jesus Witnesses Church in 1964.

@ Beliefs include keeping the Sabbath, reading of his books of "truth" that he wrote, insinuated he was the next Elijah, stressed that Passover HAS to be kept at twilight each year in order to be saved, that the world would end in 1988 and that women in church wear head coverings. Also, he gave lip service to the triune Godhead but appears to have been of the mindset that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit shift between each other.

@ In today's Church members have to not only tithe their income but

also on gifts they receive. It is reported the Church arranges marriages within.

@ He died in 1985 of a stroke the day after he had a heart attack.

@ He was married and had 3 children but also took a mistress named Zahng Gil-jah (born 1943) who is now proclaimed the "mother god".

@ After his death his Church split into two: One group claimed to be his true followers and stayed in South Korea. His wife and 3 children aligned with that group at the time. 

The other group split off under a male leader and Ahn Sahng-hong's mistress Zahng Gil-jah which by 1997 began using the name World

Mission Societal Church of God. 

@ They declared Zahng Gil-jah to be the "mother god" and that Ahn Sahng-hong was actually Christ.

@ They now declare that  Ahn sahng-hong was the 2nd coming of Christ by supposedly restoring what they call "the Passover of the New Covenant" by grossly twisting Hebrews 9:28 . . . (so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him) OUT OF CONTEXT.

@ This is the group that has gone globally and has become the fastest

growing CULT in the world. It is said that they encourage abortion (so as not to be tied down with a child for Ahn Sahng-hong is soon to lead his return among his angelic host) and shun recruiting the elderly.

@ They target affluent areas mostly (but not exclusively) by standing around shopping malls, stores and colleges looking for people to approach.

@ The Church members are advised to only read the Church website online because they claim the internet is the Tree of The Knowledge of Good And Evil.

@ It seems that in America they make contact by asking if you know

there's a "mother god". There line is something along the lines that "everyone has a mother" and that if God is the "Father" there to obviously is a "mother" then proceed to string verses out of context together. They try and get you into a Bible study at the Church where eventually you are love bombed that week and usually a call for your baptism in that same week. 

@ People are baptized in the name of the Father, "Christ Ahn Sahng-hong", and the Holy Spirit. It is said that the first time they hear Ahn Sahng-hong's name is at baptism.

@ They apparently oppose celebrating all holidays, including Thanksgiving.

@ They also hold "Talk Concerts" about so-called "climate change".

@ If you are wondering how this CULT is growing fast, part of it, at least in the following news story, seems to be the appeal to some of a "mother god" whom they apparently associate as the Holy Spirit.

"LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - Walking through downtown Thursday, you may have passed signs and people sharing a message that’s a bit

unusual to the standard ear. Members of the World Mission Society Church of God stood at Jefferson Square Park to share their belief that God is a woman. The church believes in the second coming of Christ and said its members learn from facts and proof and not from what's previously learned. Madelyn Brown, 23, became a member of the church about four years ago. Previously Baptist and Catholic, Brown joined her church's campaign to share the message about its heavenly mother. The campaign is happening in 35 countries. "It's actually really moving to see times change according to Bible prophecy and be more accepting women in power and women in large roles,” said Brown." WAVE TV

So that's how they do it.....sort of a Woke-edged Pseudo-Christianity for the ITCHING EARS 

of the world of today  

Hanging & chilling with the Queen of Woke - AOC

 

For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts... 2 Timothy 4:3

Papal Notes - Another Gospel is where Ecumenism Leads

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Galatians 1:6

 

"Pope Francis received Taiwanese Buddhists at the Vatican. After

praising the sacred values and principles of Buddhism, Francis invoked the name of Buddha, asking that He guide the monks into a closer relationship with everyone, including the planet. The Pope’s heretical action elevates Buddha to the status of a spiritual leader on par with Jesus Christ. Pope Francis expressed the following words to the Buddhist delegation:

“Your visit, which you have termed an educational pilgrimage, represents a privileged occasion for advancing the culture of encounter …  For as we experience others in their diversity, we are encouraged to move outside of ourselves and to accept and embrace our differences.” 

“The culture of encounter builds bridges and opens windows to the sacred values and convictions that inspire others. It tears down the walls that divide people and keep them prisoners of preconceptions, prejudices or indifference.” 

“Dear friends, it is my hope that this educational pilgrimage will lead you, guided by the thoughts of your spiritual teacher Buddha, to a deeper encounter with yourselves and with others, with the Christian tradition, and with the beauty of the earth, our common home.”  

This is a mixture of ecumenism and 

reverence for nature and false gods. 

As a result, the uniqueness of the Christian faith and witness is

diminished, and the false notion that Christianity and all other religions, including Mother Earth worship, are equal and valid is propagated."

AdventMessenger

Papal Notes - Francis Hails The Buddha

Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you.

Deuteronomy 6:14

"Vesak is a holy day observed by Buddhists worldwide. 

This day honors the important events surrounding the life of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. On May 1, 2022, through the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, Pope Francis addressed Buddhists, equating Buddhism and Christianity and placing them on the same level.

This is the embodiment of the modern ecumenical movement. As a result, the uniqueness of the Christian faith and witness is

diminished, and the false notion that Christianity and all other religions worship the same God is promoted. 

During the Feast of Vesak, the Vatican issued the following statement:

“The Buddha and Jesus Christ direct their followers to transcendent values, albeit in different ways. The noble truths of the Buddha explain the origin and causes of suffering and indicate the eightfold path that leads to the cessation of suffering. “It is the fading away and cessation of that very same craving with nothing left over; giving it away, letting it go, releasing it, and not adhering to it” (Dhammacakkappavattanasutta, 56.11). If practiced, the teaching is a cure to the ceaseless grasping that leads to greed and power-plays.”

Rome is praising and encouraging Buddhist practice. The ecumenical movement is determined on spreading a counterfeit gospel by leaving people in their errors and in a false religious system." AdventMessenger

IN the NEWS - Makyo

 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 2 Timothy 3:7

"What contemporary and ancient meditators have always known, ....the practice is not all peace, love, and blissful glimpses of

unreality. Sitting zazen, gazing at their third eye, a person can encounter extremely unpleasant emotions and physical or mental disturbances.

 

Zen Buddhism has a word for the warped perceptions that can arise during meditation: makyo, which combines the Japanese words for “devil” and “objective world.” Philip Kapleau, the late American Zen master, once described confronting makyo as “a dredging and cleansing

process that releases stressful experiences in deep layers of the mind.”

 

However, this demanding and sometimes intensely distressing side of meditation is rarely mentioned in scientific literature, says Jared Lindahl, a visiting professor of religious studies at Brown University, who has an interest in neuroscience and Buddhism. 

Along with Willoughby Britton, a psychologist, the two meditators have co-authored a study that documents and creates a taxonomy for the variant phenomenology of meditation. The paper, published in Plos One, is the beginning of an ongoing series of studies.

The researchers identified 59 kinds of unexpected or unwanted experiences, 

which they classified into seven domains: 

cognitive, 

perceptual, 

affective (related to moods), 

somatic, 

conative (related to motivation), 

sense of self, 

and social. 

Among the experiences described to them were feelings of

anxiety and fear, 

involuntary twitching, 

insomnia, 

a sense of complete detachment from one’s emotions, hypersensitivity to light or sound, 

distortion in time and space, 

nausea, 

hallucinations, 

irritability, 

and the re-experiencing of past traumas. 

The associated levels of distress and impairment ranged from “mild and transient to severe and lasting,” according to the study. Most would not imagine that these side-effects could be hiding behind the lotus-print curtains of your local meditation center."

 LilaMacLellan

Buddhist on Green Religion

They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator... Romans 1:25 NIV

 The Green Glue that could help bring the world together spiritually....

A Buddhist Declaration on Climate Change

 

"Our ecological emergency is a larger version of the perennial human predicament. Both as individuals and as a species, we suffer from a sense of self that feels disconnected not only from other people but from the Earth itself. As Thich Nhat Hanh has said, "We are here to awaken from the

illusion of our separateness." We need to wake up and realize that the Earth is our mother as well as our home—and in this case the umbilical cord binding us to her cannot be severed. When the Earth becomes sick, we become sick, because we are part of her.
The Buddhist teaching that the overall health of the individual and society depends upon inner well-being, and not merely upon economic indicators, helps us determine the personal and social changes we must make.
Individually, we must adopt behaviors that increase everyday ecological awareness and reduce our "carbon footprint".
We must "de-carbonize" our energy systems as quickly as feasible by replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources that are limitless, benign and harmonious with nature. The compulsion to consume more and more is an expression of craving, the very thing the Buddha pinpointed as the root cause of suffering.
We have a brief window of opportunity to take action, to preserve humanity from imminent disaster and to assist the survival of the many diverse and beautiful forms of life on Earth."

Buddhist Mystic takes 50 on a "tour of hell"

Buddhist mystic, Kek Eng Seng, took 50 people in Malaysia, including western journalists, on a supposed "tour of hell". Some claimed to have seen dead relatives in the distance. One journalist claimed his head was hot and was told it was his "soul" attempting to exit his body. Another saw a rainbow in the sky. Another claimed someone approached them and said they should try being a vegetarian!! These "experiences" sound more heavenly than the other place.
Of course we know from scripture that "hell" does not yet exist. It is the lake of fire in the end that
consumes once and for all. For the dead are dead until the resurrection.
Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, Jeremiah 27:9