Re: people like my wife who suffered religious abuse. You have to realize that they have been traumatized and you canāt just tell them āyou should be tolerant of Christianity.ā Anything Christian triggers her. When we first got together we still had one foot in Christianity by the way. We tried out some different churches and forms of Christian meditation, but at some point she just said, āforget Christianity. Itās not working for meā and she was beginning to work with Native American teachers and we began going to Buddhist meditation retreats, etc.
Then all of her anger and rage about how she was abused in the Church and in Christian schools growing up came out.
If you identify with being Christian, then itās good to recognize that some people suffered religious abuse in the name of Christianity. Think about all of the people who were sexually abused by Catholic priests, for instance! And yes, abuse happens in all religions. Itās just good to be aware that Christianity and even the word āGodā is very triggering to some people.
And also be aware that the word āGodā means many different things to different people. Many people do see the big male judge on the throne when they hear the word āGod.ā Other people think of a positive loving Jesus and others, like myself, have a more mystical view of the āGround of Beingā that is within and beyond all things. Itās a confusing word because it conjures so many different ideas and images in different people.
And Mysticism is diving into the Infinite Ocean that is beyond all concepts and discovering that you are the Ocean!
@BlessingsDeers Iād like to go to a rave with THOSE DJās! 
The late great DJ Cheb. I danced to his music many times at the Beloved Festival in Oregon.
Just as the Army Corps of Engineers has learned a lot about the Mississippi River by proactively trying to keep it in its channel, you learn a lot about fabrication by proactively trying to put it and keep it in right concentration.*
Pith Instruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
LOVE it!
Very BRILLIANT my Friend
Well aware of all this
South Park: Red Hot Catholic Love - Ending Speech
@fenwizard
For the record, Master Holecek identifies as a ārecovering Catholicā.
Highly recommend this book to you, and it may be a very precious goldmine for your wife, when she is ready:
Reverse Meditation:
I am not trying to minimize the pain and abuse she and so many have suffered from wolves ]psychopaths] wearing sheepās clothing. Hatred I think turns this pain to suffering, and there is a path out of this suffering.
If fundamentalist Christians stir up suffering in her, perhaps a small step froward might be to ask her:
How much do you hate the late, Great, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr???
[ I should become a spiritual rapper too, we would make a good duo 
]
These revere meditations fighting our prejudices can take years, decades, or lifetimes to weed out. Its not a quick fix, but there is a path out of this suffering:
Can I share a beach story with you?:
When Beings tell me that water is deeply triggering for them, due to past negative experiences, it truly breaks my heart!
I LOVE Water so much, because I know how cleansing, refreshing, Healing, rejuvenating and harmonizing it can be:
It all starts with dipping the toes slowly, with care, patience and love
hahahaā¦
@_Barry lately Iām singing āom mani padme homā a lot. done it beforeā¦ it indeed has magic.
as quoted in the video with AH (thanks for sharing @NightHawk999 ) - it allows me to savor hardship, instead of running from it. it might sound weird but with this mantra, it all just becomesā¦ LIGHT and LOVE.
Interesting stuff @NightHawk999, strictly from an art history point of view. Thanks for thinking of me in this regard brother!
Sure did, @NightHawk999 ! Beautiful song, thanks!
And today, with beloved @BlessingsDeers 's encouragement, I am posting this for our collective edification! Happy to invite @_Barry @fenwizard @mbready and @Bucket and all others along.
This offering reflects a deepening of understanding of Pitacca-samuppada- Dependent origination- ā¦the Buddhaās teaching on linear and synchronic causes and effects. Thanks going out to Simeon B. Mihaylov for his illuminations on this topic. See https://youtu.be/ryZp2UOobP8?si=49gdAzNRfdtIGOVu.
See also his prolific YouTube channel entitled Seeker to Seeker for so much moreā¦
This study happened in perfect synchronicity with @BlessingsDeersā sending along an artful and heartfelt gratitude that reminded me of the āblessing lightsā of Amitabah Buddha, as shared in Tulku Thondupās pure land meditation: The blessing lights purify the defilements as Ven.Tulku Thondup describes. See below:
Rejoice, rejoice and again I say rejoice!
@Kalabasis
https://www.shambhala.com/peacefuldeathjoyfulrebirth/
HATRED-All you hated in the form of darkness, the cause of rebirth in a hell realm , is totally purified. Ā„ You are filled with the blessing light of tolerance and compassion .Ā„Ā„Ā„Ā„
GREED- All your greed, the cause of rebirth in hungry ghost realm , is totally purified. You are filled with the blessing light of generosity . Ā„Ā„Ā„Ā„
IGNORANCE/CONFUSION- All your ignorance and confusion, the cause of rebirth in the animal realm , is totally purified. You are filled with wisdom light .Ā„Ā„Ā„Ā„
JEALOUSY-All jealousy, the root of rebirth in the demigodās realm( titans) Is totally washed away. You are filled with the light of tranquility and rejoicing .Ā„Ā„Ā„
ARROGANCE/LAZINESS Ā„ All arrogance and laziness, the cause of rebirth in the gods realm , is gone. Instead, you are filled with the light of diligence and humility .Ā„Ā„Ā„Ā„
DESIRE/WANTING-All desire and wanting, the seed of rebirth in the human realm , has vanished. You are with the blessing light of discipline and contentment .Ā„Ā„Ā„Ā„
Some wise and compassionate teachings from American Buddhist teacher Jack Kornfield.
Wonderfully inspired messaging from Jack, @fenwizard. Thank you.
This read offers more of a Buddhist informed historical take on this current zeitgeist of ā all against allā going on right now. Rather illuminating methinks.
Thank you for this.
And the links were fantastic!
This version of the link works, the one you posted had a bug:
Most welcome @NightHawk999 !
Just replaced the bugged link with hopefully the functional one.
Cheers!
It works now.
I did not realize Shambala was an actual place you could meet up with wise teachers. Pretty Awesome!
Thank you to you and @BlessingsDeers for telling me this