The first trumpets are sounding,listen carefully and you will hear.

The First Four Trumpets
As was the case with the breaking of the seven seals, the first four trumpets in the sequence are set apart from the last three. At the end of the fourth trumpet, John hears an eagle flying in midair call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!” (v. 13). The first four judgments are differentiated from the more terrible ones that follow in two ways: first, they affect primarily the natural world rather than the inhabitants of the earth; second, each affects only a third of the earth, trees and grass (v. 7), the sea, sea creatures and ships (vv. 8-9), rivers and springs of fresh water (vv. 10-11), and the sun, moon and stars (v. 12), respectively. The limitation to one-third leaves room for more terrible destruction to come, whether in connection with the last three trumpets or the later visions. Still, one-third is more than one-fourth. Eugene Boring (1989:135) notes that “in the first cycle, one-fourth of the earth’s inhabitants were struck (6:8); in this cycle the scale goes up to one-third,” adding wisely, “to inquire whether this is a third of the original whole, or a third of what remained after one-fourth had been struck would be a wrong question; John works with the imagination, not calculators.”

The four areas affected–earth, sea, fresh water and sky–made up the whole of the human environment as the ancients perceived it. These four spheres were what Jews and Christians acknowledged as God’s creation (compare 14:7). Despite the discovery of new oceans and continents, even the exploration of space, these four–earth, sea, fresh water and sky–are still the natural components of the human environment as we define it today. Already in the sixth seal, John had begun to view some of these spheres of creation as potential spheres of the creator’s judgment. He had seen four angels “holding back the four winds of the earth from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree” (7:1). All the terror inherent in the metaphor of wind is now to be unleashed as the trumpets blow. Yet wind plays no explicit role in the trumpet series. Fire takes its place, probably with reference to the Sinai scene. Just as the traditional trumpet of God is multiplied by seven in the book of Revelation, so the Lord’s descent in fire on Mount Sinai (Ex 19:18), echoed in John’s “fire from the altar” (Rev 8:5), is serialized in the first three trumpet blasts: hail and fire mixed with blood . . . hurled down upon the earth (v. 7), something like a huge mountain, all ablaze . . . thrown into the sea (v. 8) and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky (v. 10). For John, no less than for the author of Hebrews, “our God is a consuming fire” (see Heb 12:29).

Three of the four judgments echo the plagues of the Exodus, preceding the giving of the law at Mount Sinai: hail in connection with the first trumpet (v. 7; compare Ex 9:23-25), the sea’s turning to blood in the second (vv. 8-9; compare Ex 7:20-21) and darkness in the fourth (v. 12; compare Ex 10:21-23). Yet Mount Sinai, not the Exodus, dominates the imagery, at least up to this point. Fire, not hail or blood, is what damages earth, trees and grass (v. 7; contrast Ex 9:25). When a third of the fresh waters turn bitter (v. 11), not bloody, it is more like the waters of Marah after the departure from Egypt (Ex 15:23) than the plagues themselves. Finally, the dimming of the light of sun, moon and stars by one-third (v. 12) is far from equivalent to the “darkness that can be felt” or “total darkness” that covered Egypt (Ex 10:21-22). Yet these reminders of the Exodus alert us to watch for more as the visions continue. The controlling theme is closer to the theme of Sinai–fire from heaven.

When the angel blows the second trumpet, the scene echoes Jesus’ promise to his disciples that “if anyone says to this mountain, `Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart . . . it will be done for him” (Mk 11:23). In Revelation the mountain is no ordinary mountain, but a vehicle for fire sent down from God. It is as if Mount Sinai itself, all ablaze (v. 8; compare Heb 12:18) has been taken up and thrown into the sea. “Later Christian piety, prompted by Paul (Gal 4:25) and Hebrews (12:18-21), saw in Mount Sinai the terrors of the old law which condemns the sinner ” (Sharrock 1987:388). In The Pilgrim’s Progress, for example, John Bunyan’s Christian

was afraid to venture further, lest the Hill should fall on his head: wherefore there he stood still, and wotted not what to do. Also his burden, now, seemed heavier to him, than while he was in his way. There came also flashes of fire out of the Hill, that made Christian afraid that he should be burned: here therefore he sweat, and did quake for fear (Sharrock 1987:63).

Although the book of Revelation makes no such link between its Sinai imagery and “the curse of the law” (Gal 3:13; 4:25), it is still true that John views the throwing of the fiery mountain into the sea as an act of God’s grace on behalf of God’s people. Hard as it may be to accept (because we are not accustomed to thinking of God as the author of destruction), this is the case with each of the first four trumpets. They are God’s answer to “the prayers of the saints” (8:3).

Even the star that falls from the sky in connection with the third trumpet is a messenger of God. It is easy for us to think otherwise, since C. S. Lewis gave the name “Wormwood” to an agent of Satan, the nephew of the infamous Screwtape and recipient of The Screwtape Letters. But the star called Wormwood in John’s vision is no satanic messenger. Rather, it is the personification of something God threatens to do to God’s people when they allow themselves to be deceived by false prophets (see Jer 23:15, “I will make them eat bitter food [KJV wormwood] and drink poisoned water, because from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has spread throughout the land”; compare Jer 9:15). Given the mischief of the Nicolaitans and “Jezebel,” the situation in Asia Minor in John’s day was similar to the one lamented by Jeremiah.

When the fourth trumpet sounded (v. 12), nothing fell from the sky. But the dimming light of sun, moon and stars, and consequently of both day and night, sent a signal that the worst was yet to come. This impression is confirmed by the voice of an eagle or vulture directly overhead, announcing three even more terrible “woes” or judgments against the earth’s inhabitants.

When discussing big ideas like global peace and a global shift into a higher state of consciousness, most people are either skeptical of these possibilities, or uncertain of how this could possibly come to pass in a world as riddled with challenges as ours. In these scientifically driven times, some people are discovering that within the human body lies a realm of unexplored technologies offering new ways to interact and connect with other people, and with all life on Earth.

What is the over-looked potential of the human heart? Could it be more than just another organ that helps to keep the body alive?

We give tremendous credit to the brain as being a generator or receiver of consciousness and thought, but could it be that some of our thought processes, especially our intuition, originate not from the brain, but from the heart? Does the human heart have an active role in how we relate both consciously and unconsciously to the material world around us?

Diving into these interesting questions, the Institue of Heart Math is “an internationally recognized nonprofit research and education organization dedicated to helping people reduce stress, self-regulate emotions and build energy and resilience for healthy, happy lives. HeartMath tools, technology and training teach people to rely on the intelligence of their hearts in concert with their minds at home, school, work and play.” [Heart Math]

Some of their research is discovering that the human heart is capable of:

– Providing intuitive guidance to the brain and rational thought systems
– Compassion is an emotion which propels the heart into synergistic energy with the brain and the
environment
– Compassion is an emotion which propels the heart into synergistic energy with the brain and the
environment
– The heart is a source of energy for the body
– The is the primary creator of the bodies electro-magnetic field
– The heart is capable of communicating with others on an unseen level
– The coherence of an individual’s heart’s energetic field contributes to the collective field of
human energy
– The heart’s wellness and coherence can address serious psychological problems like depression and PTSD

It appears that our hearts may do so much more than just pump blood.

“The heart – this beating lump of muscle is in a way a little like a smart phone, invisibly connecting us to a large network of information. It is through an unseen energy field coming from the heart that humans are profoundly connected to all living things. This energy of the heart literally binds us to each other. Every person’s heart contributes to a ‘collective field environment.

Whether through personal relationships, social connections, or even the global community – we are all connected to a field of electromagnetic energy. Increasing individual awareness of what we bring to this field environment could be the key to creating a sustainable future, a future that we can be proud to have helped create.” [HeartMath]

From the persistent mysteries of the Pyramids of Giza, to the unexplored potential of the human heart, the times we live in demand that we re-think what has already been given us, that we look within for solutions and ideas to the problems without. If human beings can unlock the technology of the heart to achieve greater internal coherence, electro-magnetic coherence, and coherence with other human beings, then we may be able to unlock the mystery of how to bring great global changes such as peace and cooperation.

This short video above explains the importance of the heart connection and how each of us adds to this collective energy field, whether we know it or not.

What is the over-looked potential of the human heart? Could it be more than just another organ that helps to keep the body alive?

Some of their research is discovering that the human heart is capable of:

It appears that our hearts may do so much more than just pump blood.

This short video above explains the importance of the heart connection and how each of us adds to this collective energy field, whether we know it or not.

Enlightment , Spiritual Awakening

http://iamspirituality.com/top-10-ways-to-achieve-spiritual-enlightenment/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Enlightenment
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enlightenment_(spiritual)
So what exactly IS spiritual enlightenment anyway?
http://endless-satsang.com/spiritual-enlightenment-spiritual-awakening.htm

More and more people are awakening spiritually and are longing for more than is available in the material world. This list has been gathered through my own physical experiences, in addition to other sources. Check and see which of these you recognize or are currently experiencing:

• An increase in occurrences – (there aren’t any coincidences) An increase in psychic, mediumistic, clairvoyant, and intuitive skills.

• Acute sensitivity to negative energy around specific people or environments.

• A desire to “find yourself”, change your social group, behavior, job etc. Sudden extreme sensitivity to people or crowds. You may find that your once sociable nature suddenly disappears and you simply cannot bear to be with certain friends, family members, colleagues, or coworkers.

• Sudden awareness of recurring patterns or relationships- A noticeable inability to tolerate someone with whom you have had a previously close relationship.

• Sudden inexplicable panic or anxiety attacks occurring at any time with no valid reason. A feeling that something has changed within you.

• Acute sensitivity to shopping malls or crowded environments such as restaurants, clubs, festivals, and so on.

• Extreme sensitivity to mobile and digital phones, laptops, computers, wireless routers, and all microwave technology, as well as certain types of lighting.

• Zoning out for long periods of time with an overpowering need to sit and do nothing. (This often occurs as a result of our consciousness spending increasing amounts of time in the fourth and fifth dimensions.)

• Changes in your energy levels-The need to rest and sleep for much longer than usual or sudden insomnia in normally sound sleepers.

• Falling asleep and then waking in the middle of the night at or around the same time, feeling wide awake and needing to be up, and oddly not being tired the next day as expected. (This is a sign of your consciousness adapting to new cycles of activity.)

• Strange electrical energy coursing through the body or body parts like legs or arms. (This is caused by the raised frequencies from the Galactic centre flooding the planet. These energies assist in the process of rewiring the physical and Light-Body in order to carry higher vibrating energies.)

• A whole range of physical experiences caused by detoxification as the body continues to release years of physical, karmic, emotional, and mental toxic waste, producing symptoms including: fatigue and exhaustion;excess thirst; stomach upsets, including cramps, headaches, especially at the base of the skull and migraines with pains over the crown and in one or both eyes; muscle, neck, and shoulder pains.

• Dizziness, balance problems, and feeling spacey (triggered by being in higher states of consciousness).

• Shaking. • Increased appetite, either putting on weight, maintaining it or losing it no matter how much or little you eat. (This is because the body needs huge amounts of fuel for the process of shifting from the third to fifth dimensional frequency.)

• Sudden cravings for foods and beverages you have not wanted or eaten for years or since childhood. (This helps us to release memories of stored trauma, or connects us to a pleasant memory which creates a momentary shift in our consciousness to enable a release to take place.)

. A Stronger Connection to Nature,

. Quicker Manifestations

. A Change in what you read, watch on TV, hobbies

Psychological Reactions

A spiritual Awakening can also produce a number of unpleasant psychological reactions. Feelings of fear and disorientation are common following the onset of an Awakening. Depression, guilt, and anxiety are common. In most cases, these emotional reactions are temporary and can be handled by continued pursuit of spiritual awakening – through personal ceremony, prayer and meditation. The main thing to remember during this period of transition is that the power and peace of the holy spirit within overcomes any transient emotions.

According to Steve Gunn, a metaphysical practitioner, “…A spiritual awakening is a process of considerable inner change that some people will go through where their entire being, consciousness and intuitive abilities ascend to another – higher – level of energy and awareness. As an experience it can, and most often will, be profound and disturbing with little or no feeling of control and most often no idea what’s actually happening…”

An Awakening Brings Powerful Positive Reactions

We attempted earlier in this article to describe the wonderful, euphoric emotions felt when a spiritual Awakening occurs — but failed to adequately describe the glorious event. The arousal of the spirit within begins with the deep realization that God does indeed live within the soul. This ‘knowing’ brings about strong feelings of confidence and well-being. Fears are reduced and your entire being is infused with the beauty of the world. Negative emotions and traumas leave the body and life energy is restored. Psychic healing takes place as the bioplasmic matter of the body is revitalized. This type of healing is also referred to as magnetic healing, faith healing, charismatic healing, Pranic healing, therapeutic touch, laying of the hand, or Ki healing. A feeling of tranquility affects many areas of ones behavior.

All five senses of hearing, sight, touch, smell and taste can be increased with an Awakening. New creative talents may surface and become stronger with practice. There are many examples in history of people who developed artistic talents after an Awakening. Other, more rare aspects of an Awakening include strange reoccurring dreams, hearing voices, seeing auras, new intuitions and psychic abilities are all possible. Even more rare affects are telepathy, precognition and the ability to channel healing energy. Even though these new talents may be fleeting or weak at first, it is possible to sharpen these abilities with time and practice.

A spiritual Awakening can happen in a single Moment or develop after years of effort. Regardless, Spirit will eventually lead all humans to God. “…every knee will bow and every single tongue will confess.” (Romans 14:11). Every human will ascend back to the Creator of all things.

Simply put, spiritual enlightenment is a concept mostly associated with Buddhism and Hinduism, but it also has unrecognized connections into most other religions as well. Enlightenment implies complete understanding of life and the universe, which usually is accompanied by a detachment of all things impermanent and a complete awareness of everything that is, at the moment that it is. The spiritual belief purports that non-enlightened life is full of suffering produced by desire and other emotions that attach the mind to worldly things; suffering is the inevitable result of attachment to these necessarily transitory things. A person thus becomes enlightened when they remain in the world yet becomes free of attachment to it. Enlightenment is considered the end of a being’s spiritual journey, be it within one life or across many.

In Buddhism, enlightenment is called nirvana. Nirvana is believed to be a state of peace and unity with the cosmos. Different forms of Buddhism teach different techniques for achieving nirvana. Orthodox Buddhists, for example, try to directly follow Buddha’s teachings: in particular, the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. Others, such as Zen Buddhists, may use challenging mental exercises, such as koans, which are solutionless riddles designed to jerk one’s mind out of conscious thought into enlightenment. Most forms of Buddhism also use regular meditation as a central element of the path to spiritual enlightenment.

Hinduism also uses the concept of nirvana, called moksha, considering it a representation of freedom from desire and other worldly passions. Spiritual enlightenment is also part of the conclusion to the Hindu cycle of reincarnation. In this belief, souls enter many different bodies through the course of their existence. In each of the lives they lead, they develop spiritually. The ultimate goal of this spiritual development is moksha, a liberation from the system of earthly suffering, which includes the idea of spiritual enlightenment.

Christians who have passed through the portal of enlightenment have historically been deemed by the church to be mystics; one who through direct communication with God commands a mystical understanding of God and all things spiritual; one who has a mystical understanding beyond those who have spent a lifetime in religious study and servitude to God. But the two other major Abrahamic religions of Judaism and Islam have enlightened congregants as well. In fact, both religions have subset sects who focus on the attainment of enlightenment as their primary goal. Judaism has Kabballah. In Islam, the Sufis chase the mystical experience. It is because of this non-denominational foundation that enlightenment is generally considered a mystical concept. That is, it contains the promise of a spiritual clarity lying beyond description by words and attainment by action, regardless of religion. For example, one cannot become enlightened by reading, even if one can recite the words of every religious sage. Enlightenment is a potentially universal experience, but each being comes to it through a unique path. Teachers may provide assistance and provocation along the way, but they cannot impose enlightenment on their pupils; one becomes enlightened alone.

The concept of spiritual enlightenment in Buddhism and Hinduism is related to but distinct from ideas such as salvation and transcendence associated with Christianity. Whereas most versions of Christianity emphasize love of Jesus Christ as a prerequisite to spiritual completeness, enlightenment usually implies liberation from teachers and doctrine—one famous Zen koan suggests: “If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him!” Enlightenment also does not involve the existence of a heaven distinct from earth, although it is also noted that even Jesus mentioned there may not be a separation of the two in the Gospel of Thomas and other Gnostic gospels. It places more emphasis on a transformation of the soul’s relationship to the world of objects. The enlightened being continues a corporeal existence after having gained awareness of the illusory nature of reality. There is no separate space to which one ascends.

As a person who has passed through the portal of enlightenment, I can say that there is a huge difference between simply deciding to reject worldly suffering and attachments… trying intentionally to be enlightened… compared to actually passing through the experience of spiritual awakening that is most commonly called enlightenment. There is an actual experience where you tap into the universal intelligence and energy that transcends our own lives and individual existences. It grants spiritual knowledge, wisdom, and ultimately inner peace. It grants immediate universal understanding of God, the Universe, the meaning of your own existence. Most importantly, it answers the question “why”.

To answer the question of HOW one achieves enlightenment. the answer is to simply stop all conscious thought in your mind, while listening for God. I say the word “simply” very tongue in cheek, because frankly, it is not a simple task to accomplish at all. But it is the process of stopping conscious thought that allows for the process of enlightenment to occur. You must cease the voice in your head to hear the voice that comes without sound. You must stop thinking about today, tomorrow, yesterday, what you’re going to watch on TV, that you’re hungry right now, or thirsty, or that there’s a dog barking, or that you thought this answer to this question was too ambiguous, or too simple to be plausible. Stop all thoughts of color, of noise, of the fact that you’re trying to clear the thoughts in your head. It is only when you silence the sights and sounds within your mind that you will see and hear what exists just beyond your mind’s grasp. The Energy, the Intelligence, God.

Let me clarify further:

Numerous people globally have found enlightenment in many various ways throughout history… many spontaneously without even searching for the phenomenon. But the one common denominator that has not been noticed (until recently) is that every instance of enlightenment almost always come from a place where the mind has been stilled within the person who has experienced it.

Numerous methods have been the catalyst for the engagement of the enlightenment experience. Meditation, Yoga, Contemplative Prayer, Martial Arts Katas, Pilgrimages, Fasting, Dancing, Quaking/Shaking (ref: Quaker and Shaker religions), Exhaustion, Sweat Lodges, Psychadelics (Psilocybin Mushrooms, Peyote, LSD, DMT), Deep Emotional Despair, Near Death Experiences, etc. And in all of these, and all of the others not mentioned, there comes a point when the conscious mind is silenced.

In meditation, the point of the exercise itself is to silence the mind. In Yoga, you focus on the movements and the breathing, which quiets the mind down to thinking about just a couple things (close to a point of thinking of nothing). In contemplative prayer (Google it), you silence yourself, and listen for God. Through martial arts katas, you learn them so well, you don’t have to think about them (reducing conscious thought). In fasting, you deprive your body of nourishment that helps the brain function at a higher level, which clears your mind. Through exhaustion or sweat lodges, you physically stress your mind into shutting down (not recommended). The same is true with the drug induced experiences… they inhibit your brain’s ability to operate normally, ceasing conscious thought (however they also inhibit your ability to process and understand the experience when it actually happens – not a preferred method). The latest studies on psilocybin that include live fMRI and PET scans prove this is more than just theory. Some people have found enlightenment through experiencing depression or deep emotional despair… where their mind is so filled with pain, that it snuffs out other conscious thought. Near death of course narrows brain and thought activity. All these have been common catalysts for people attaining enlightenment.

So whatever path you choose, choose one that ceases your mind’s activity, and God will then touch you directly, and it is then that you will understand everything there is to know. And you will know it when enlightenment happens, because it will change your life forever. If you think you’ve had a universal-type “everything is one” experience previously, but aren’t sure if you experienced enlightenment, you have NOT passed through the enlightenment portal. You have experienced what is called an “awakening”, which is a less dramatic and less profound experience, but one that gives you a peek into the secrets of divinity and the truth about God and all existence.

In comparison to having an awakening experience, to attain a full enlightenment experience you must clear your mind of all conscious thought, reach out and LISTEN for God without thinking ANYTHING. Then if you’re lucky, and can maintain a TOTAL thought void, God will touch you with a drinking-from-a-fire-hydrant experience of pure love, pure spirit, pure intelligence and pure knowledge… that you will never, ever forget. And then you will know everything there is to know.

Where do people find enlightened teachers? The most popular answer to that question is India. There are tons of Gurus there. But there are also many false Gurus who believe they know the path but don’t, or who know they don’t know the path and who are intentionally pulling the wool over your eyes for monetary gain. Outside India, more and more of us human beings are becoming enlightened, and some of us are selecting the path to become spiritual guides. In our communication age, you should be able to find an enlightened teacher whom you can connect with intellectually rather easily without leaving your desk.

For instance my free video podcast series answers many questions like these and the others connected to the topic of enlightenment (IAMSpirituality.com). I’ve tried to make it a no-BS format that speaks plain answers without the typical enigmatic riddles that spiritual guides usually use.

So how do you know when someone is enlightened? Tough one. But I think you will know it when you hear it. But as a warning, you will NOT know how to identify the unenlightened until you hear the messages from one whom is truly enlightened, so I suggest listening to people who are widely accepted as enlightened, such as the Dalai Lama, Gandhi, Eckhart Tolle, and to a lesser extent, Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, etc. There are also some very good Indian Gurus on YouTube now. Keep searching until you find someone you can connect with who’s approach keeps you interested.

Stay away from anyone who wants to charge you money for spiritual assistance. I like to keep all my stuff free, except where there are production costs (like with apps, books, etc.). We may accept donations for bandwidth, but beyond that, information on how to connect with God directly to get your own answer (I think) should be free whenever possible.

Insight, Wisdom

The fool who knows that he is a fool is for that very reason a wise man;
the fool who thinks that he is wise is called a fool indeed.

So resolve yourselves. It’s not just by sitting with your eyes closed that you develop wisdom. Eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind are constantly with us, so be constantly alert. Study constantly. Seeing trees or animals can all be occasions for study. Bring it all inwards. See clearly within your own heart. If some sensation makes impact on the heart, witness it clearly for yourself, don’t simply disregard it.

Whenever we feel that we are definitely right, so much so that we refuse to open up to anything or anybody else, right there we are wrong. It becomes wrong view. When suffering arises, where does it arise from? The cause is wrong view, the fruit of that being suffering. If it was right view it wouldn’t cause suffering.

If, as in a dream, you see a light brighter than the sun, your remaining attachments will suddenly come to an end and the nature of reality will be revealed. Such an occurrence serves as the basis for enlightenment. But this is something only you know.
You can’t explain it to others.

Or if, while you’re walking, standing, sitting, or lying in a quiet grove, you see a light, regardless of whether it’s bright or dim, don’t tell others and don’t focus on it.
It’s the light of your own nature.

Of if, while you’re walking, standing, sitting, or lying in the stillness and darkness of night, everything appears as though in daylight, don’t be startled.
It’s your own mind about to reveal itself.

Or if, while you’re dreaming at night, you see the moon and stars in all their clarity, it means the workings of your mind are about to end.
But don’t tell others.

… the fools of this world prefer to look for sages far away. They don’t believe that the wisdom of their own mind is the sage… the sutras say, “Mind is the teaching.” But people of no understanding don’t believe in their own mind or that by understanding this teaching they can become a sage. They prefer to look for distant knowledge and long for things in space, buddha-images, light, incense, and colors. They fall prey to falsehood and lose their minds to insanity.

Sometime, somewhere you need to take something to be the truth. But if you cling to it too strongly, then even when the truth comes in person and knocks on your door, you will not open it.

You can think of the nature of mind like a mirror, with five different powers or “wisdoms.” Its openness and vastness is the “wisdom of all-encompassing space,” the womb of compassion. Its capacity to reflect in precise detail whatever comes before it is the “mirrorlike wisdom.” Its fundamental lack of any bias toward any impression is the “equalizing wisdom.” Its ability to distinguish clearly, without confusing in any way the various different phenomena that arise, is the “wisdom of discernment.” And its potential of having everything already accomplished, perfected, and spontaneously present is the “all-accomplishing wisdom.”

Wrong views and wrong convictions can be the most devastating of all our delusions. Surely Adolf Hitler and Pol Pot must have been convinced that they were right too? And yet each and every one of us has that same dangerous tendency as they had: to form convictions, believe them without question, and act on them, so bringing down suffering not only on ourselves but on all those around us.
On the other hand, the heart of Buddha’s teaching is to see “the actual state of things, as they are,” and this is called the true View. It is a view that is all-embracing, as the role of spiritual teachings is precisely to give us a complete perspective on the nature of mind and reality.