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I saw another thread entitled 'How to destroy evil', and when I saw its contents I realized that the thread was focused on a particular practice. My response to that thread would have been unrelated or off topic. So I started this one as a different topic and approach to dealing with evil, if such a thing exists. So my questions are: What defines evil? How would you deal with it, besides the meditative approach?

Hi Moximi. I hope you succeed in all you goals, and be happy about it. No fear!

There are different kinds of hermits (besides the crab). The question is mainly pointing to your own thoughts about a hermit if you are or wanted to be a hermit.

Some think I am more of a recluse than a hermit. They think this because I do not socialize as much as they do. As far as I know, a recluse is a person who avoids other people, but that is not me. I always welcome anybody who wishes to visit. Yet I am selective with whom I visit, unless invited. The reason is that most others prefer to talk about everything else except the truth. So all I end up doing is sitting and listening but not engaging to support their avoidance. Though in such cases I often engage in a quirky way, that points to a deeper meaning or truth. Some get it, others just think I am a strange one. At home, I live in silence. No radio or TV. Though I do get on line like I am right now. It is part of my purpose in life; to be as true and loving towards myself and others. Often friends will ask what my view is on some latest news, but I am not aware of the news. Come to think of it, I don't even know who is our prime minister. They ask why I am not concerned about world affairs. My answer is 'Nothing is new, the stories are the same but different words. I love being with the truth. Most people I meet do not. So I prefer to be with the truth, in my silence, than with others. My girlfriend is similar, We both see each other regularly yet we both prefer to live alone. I am very happy with such an arrangement with her and others. I am happy when I have visitors and when I visit. And I am also happy when I am alone and when I am alone again (visitors leave). So, what does that mean; am I a hermit, a recluse, celibate, or other?

Here is a photo of the lift-span bridge which the console came from. It was built in 1964 and the console was replaced in 1995, and again in 2014. The above console was the original one.

Thanks Loreena and Annetta. Decided to use the computer to draw a layout of the control panel. This will make it easier for me to grasp what is involved to operating a lift-span bridge. Both the Control and extend/normal switches were unclear to me. The control panel on top of the console could not be removed because of the wiring harness. Mapping the panel wiring seemed too difficult to observe from underneath. My girlfriend, Julie, suggested to use a dental mirror which she recently bought from an op-shop. She always comes up with great ideas. However, using a torch and mirror proved difficult in tight areas. Then a woman volunteer from the museum suggested to use my mobile phone camera. Another great idea. Help comes from everywhere if open to receive it. From these photographs and notes, a diagram of switch connections was made. Below shows one of them. Even so I still did not know what all these connections were for. I needed information on how to operate the bridge, but soon found out that was not possible due to security reasons. However, the operator was willing to to be interviewed. So a list of questions were compiled. At the interview, I showed a photo of the control panel. Though the operator never saw that panel before (panic), he was able to tell me what the switchers were for (relief). From this information I soon realized that the wiring was largely irrelevant for a working model bridge. So I decided to strip all the wiring and start from scratch. This means it was time to start designing the electronics, with whatever was available, at minimal cost to the local museum (non-profit org). It has been a long time since I have done anything in electronics. My knowledge in electronics is antiquated in comparison to modern technology. So I decided to keep it simple, and see if I can use minimal electronics and focus on using relays.

Evil exists in the form of fear by those that fear. The only true reality is truth, and its expression of unconditional love. Anything else is untrue and its expression is fear-based. So, evil in itself does not exist. But those that fear and express that fear give birth to what is evil. Evil/fear, by itself has no internal energy source like truth has. Truth is creative and radiates, where fear destroys and collapses. It relies on the wasted transformed energy from truth to untruth, from love to fear, by those that fear. A fearful person is under tension, and in that tension they squeeze out their life energy. It is wasted energy. This bled energy gives more storyline to reasons to have fear. Evil, the fearful story in others, is fed by those that fear. People that purposely suggest fear for other to fear, feed of their fear. They get energized by it, just like evil does. I quite often see people purposely cause tension in others for personal gain. This fearful exploitation of others can be anywhere between very subtle uncomfortability to absolute terror. In this regard I see evil as a manifestation by the fearful. It is the fearful that experiences evil. There is an old cliche which points to what is evil. Fear can be seen as False Evidence Appearing Real.

Wow, I just read the last 20 or so answers since my last visit to this thread. Did I just see 'what is evil' play its tune here?

Heroes remind, and give hope, to the fearful that it is possible to overcome fears. It reminds and challenges them, that to do so requires some test of faith and values. However, to the hero, especially the truthful person, they do not even consider themselves as a hero. They just see themselves as being faithful to the truth. Truth of the matter gives a knowing of how, or space, to move through the fear. This knowing transcends any language and time, and becomes difficult to explain how it came about. But seeing the truth of the matter gives them that knowing that it is okay to risk it regardless if they survive or not. The knowing of what is true was worth the risk to them. There are many examples of those that risk their lives to save others. However, there are other people that are considered as heroes because it purely appeases the admire's own ego ideal of self. The hero may be as described above, but the admirer also claims the hero's actions for themselves. It can be seen when someone boast about the hero story that pleases them. Many sporting fans display such hero worship.

Hello egoeimai. I was talking about our own quest to acknowledge, accept and find irrelevant our fear about why we compare. It is not about stopping it but disarming it by its truth. In case of confusion with my words for 'before the comparing becomes us', it refers to 'before the comparing becomes a person (us) who compares'. Hope this is clearer.

Hello Ritu. Do not forget we are still human beings. We still have an ego, which is fear-based. Therefore fears will pop up. Comparing, and all other forms of tension, is fear-based. So, we cannot stop it from arising. However, we can quiet it down to a point where it stays dormant, or appears to be. It can be very cunningly subtle. So, the quest then is to recognize the truth of our comparing (our fear), and accept it. Then suddenly it will no longer be relavent. So the quest is to do this before the comparing becomes us. Note, this is not like denial. Denial does not accept the truth, or else it would not deny it.

Hello The Universe. I can only speak from my experience. No not really. It can be at first sudden and then gradual. The BANG bit is when all of a sudden you realize everything you thought was true was only a fabrication of the mind, and is not true/real. This is because one's life was based on, or censored by, the fearful ego. The real truth and reality is back-to-front to what you had believed all along. The sudden BANG is the 180 deg reference shift from fear-based thinking to love-based thinking. All ones teachings, lessons learnt, and experiences become reset and this may take time. Everything is seen with a totally different point of view. It is a view which penetrates everything this realm seems to portray, because others are portraying a realm based on fear and not on love.

Best friends are mutual friendships. It depends what you both are being mutual about. Some say that their best friend always supports them. Even when they are untrue? Yep! Unfortunately. Many so-called best friends are really not that friendly. They tend to tell you what they think you want to hear, and not the truth. The fear losing their friendship because the friendship has been mutually beneficial to both concerned. The saying, "Love your enemy" has reason for it. An enemy has no investment in pleasing you and is more likely to tell you the truth about yourself than a so-called best friend. The best friendship is between honest truthful people, or working towards that end. Each is not afraid to question the other for their truth, and each is willing to expose their fears to each other. In this way, truth is practiced, and both are helping each other towards enlightenment.

What is it you miss about being with her that is different to not being with her? The answer to that truth will reveal what you really miss about her, and find difficult without. What I do is simply love the love that loves me. Anything else is a story that can be edited by both. But the love within, that bit of unconditional love that we have for each other, is eternal. That love transcends all stories, all difficulties, and all lack. Mutual truth for each other will reveal each other to each other. It cannot get any closer - there is no distance anymore. In that truthful relationship is oneness.

What creates hero's? Admiring the person who showed the ability to conquer fear.

What do we do when we judge? We compare others with our self. What self, our ideal self? If we do not measure to our own ideals (the assumed point of self-acceptance), then any judgement on our self will reflect our imperfections, shortcomings and defects of character (what we do not accept about our self). Mathew 23:12: For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Enlightenment is being no longer ignorant of what is and is not true. Truth is, and it contains no story to prove itself to be true. It can only be. It can only be known. It is a knowing which transcends language which logic cannot grasp. An enlightened person is the embodiment of truth and no longer recognized ignorance or untruths. It cannot because to acknowledge ignorance is to be ignorant. Experience is a change from one state to another. We can experience awakenings, but enlightenment is fully awoken and no more changing required. The person only knows truth, and lives it. A true human being. Genuine. Real. Is.

When we awake we notice the difference between what is true and what was not true. We still experience our ignorance. Most of us experience episodes of awakening. They can be call spiritual experiences that may bring a person closer to full awakening, or enlightenment. Enlightenment is living a life of truth, no longer ignorant.

Some people awaken suddenly, but most others who are awake awoke slowly. In either case, no one way is necessarily so. However, we can all agree that if awakening was easy, everybody would be awake. Don't worry about what is right, wrong, dangerous, easy, etc. Worry is a cover story draped over the real truth of the matter. Each person is responsible for ALL their own thoughts and actions. If a person chooses to believe something, then that is their choice, and nobody else. Life experience is experimental and sometimes it will blow up in your face. Soon we learn to become more sensitive to our own discernment. We approach things more softly, gently, patiently, allowing, tolerant, and above all with love of the truth. In this way, we maybe more discerning than before. We can then see and pick out the diamonds in the rough without worrying about the rough.

Shin, interesting thread. In the beginning (new born) we were really experiencing the truth of this reality. Then as the mind started to fabricate meaningfulness to everything we sensed, the truth started to get hidden by cover stories (veils). For example. When we hear something, our cover stories immediately present themselves as to what those particular sound waves represent. We no longer experience just the sound waves - without interpretation. The sound waves, in this realm, are not just facts, but true. Our interpretations are purely interpretations, and not necessarily revealing the truth, that they are just sound waves. Like you pointed out. Our so called perceived reality is purely a fabrication by our own mind.

Hello Brivido. A simple and direct answer is my avatar. But I have never met anybody who has seen a Being in a person before. Put into explanatory words may just be a story to you. So maybe the following statements might strike a cord in you to find your own truth in this matter. I am not here for my self. The superficial "I" is just a fabricated story, by my mind, to make sense of itself. The true "I" is spirit - the essence of what is true. And it has nothing to say about the self, for it is not true. I am here to be true, and to live true. My body is an organic mechanism for expressing truth, which is unconditional love. This expression is to remind others to what is true. Through letting go of my self, truth has space to move through my body to express itself.

Hello Steph1988. My words in blue.

Empty.

Just like now?

Good to read. Remember, one day at a time. And if that seems too long, then cut that time down to half a day at a time, etc. It works if you work it.