old3bob

in other words it sounds like you have no experience in seeing the hell realms and the Beings there-in as recounted by countless witness over thousands of years...Btw there are many Buddhists who have no trouble giving witness to pure-land or heavenly realms and the Beings there-in (also for Beings like Quan-Yin, the Jade Emperor, and guardian Spirits) and who may also give witness and warnings about the opposite to that. How convenient to write -off thousands of years of witness by people and even parts of Buddhist doctrine!? (for instance Tibetan examples that do not deny such realms) Non-duality is fine but it is not smug.

the horn of the Rhino does not or can not pierce some of us...(my paraphrase from a T.T.C. chapter)

I'd say it is correct that various Beings in existence, for example those operating in: the lower, middle, and upper astral, the causal and or any other names or realms per different terminologies should not be written off as only being some kind of projections by humans...for imo it should only take some undeniable glimpses of such by us humans to realize that. (along with seeing and feeling the outer results of their actions whether divine or demonic which there are reams of witness to over thousands of years, including from the historic Buddha Himself in parts of well recognized Buddhist doctrine.

tiny deer takes on Rhino and comes out ahead! maybe its just play time for the Rhino...

nothing is a poor word. I'd say the real meaning is no-thing which is not nothing or not things of the mind depending on your take... (for all things come and go in flux)

we have not even touched a on a fraction of destructive and evil greed that is harming the Earth's eco-systems and all the creatures that live in them including ourselves! As for many animals like cows and chickens and the way they are often treated, it's truly a nightmare that many of us consume without thinking much about it....until careless contamination of same causes sickness or even death among us! (along with vibrations of fear and suffering that result form many animals are put through which is then hormonally transferred into their flesh) I have been a vegetarian on and off but I'm just as guilty as many are when it comes to not demanding the best possible kosher like practices and or more humane like treatment of animals used for food. The FDA and other related parties are pretty much bought and sold by big companies to increase their profits to the max.

Btw Lord Rama didn't forgive King Ravana but Ravana apparently came to the realization that it was good that was killed by Rama..."its a strange, strange world Master Jack".

and Jesus saying the following about the humans who crucified him, "Forgive them Father they know not what they do". But he was not so kind when speaking to or about demonic beings in Revelations and elsewhere. Is that something some well meaning Christian's don't understand and thus also try to apply forgiveness to demonic forces?

what? i like Bud light but Modelo more.

well there is the case of having kind thoughts while somebody may be killing you, like Mahatma Gandhi had. (a rare case)

but while drinking vegetarian beer together that should not be to hard?

and to give a biblical paraphrase that goes along that line: "it not what goes into the mouth but what come out of it..." but don't tell that to a hard core vegetarian.

is it really possible to be (humanly) kind/aka non-violent while killing somebody, as Krishna more or less taught before the great and bloody slaughter of battle recounted in the Bhagavad Gita took place?

not sure if that was directed at old3bob but he did mention karma yoga earlier which you seemingly ignored the import of while harping on your favorite of Buddhism...

ok, "if", and lots of other aspects besides just fear.

in the know platitude's galore, try to stop them...

metaphysical platitudes mean well but are very limited...

ideally...

ok, and the word ourselves would be more fitting imo. Thus not just a working on ourselves but at the same time a working for karma yoga that impacts and effects all of us.

ok, and while you are at it Luke take a good look at well recorded history that shows when and how those humanistic virtues are or have been systematically destroyed and how naivety about that destruction continues and does not help preserve same...Granted we can still find some safe places and kindness in mankind for awhile but for how long and where as we also see malicious darkness and murder making gains, where do North Koreans, Russians, Chinese, many South and Central American peoples, many Indonesian's, Mexicans, many middle Eastern and far East peoples, many Europeans, Nordic areas of peoples, Ukrainian's, countless indigenous peoples, Africans, many various Asians and also North Americans go to or how they hopefully maintain such freedoms without a fight for same or to reclaim such on multiple levels? (and lets not forget some Australian peoples who have suffered greatly from genocide as have many Indian peoples around the world have , along with many Indian people in India and countries nearby it whose people suffer in crushing poverty!)

and some are not afraid since they know that their all mighty intellect is far superior to what they label as opiates of religious and spiritual folks...

ask all the enlightened or advanced masters and students worth their salt why they are not afraid to use terms like "evil, demonic, and hell realms or beings" in their spiritual teachings & warnings that give and have protections against same, (along with graphic depiction's of such like on the Tibetan Wheel of Life and so many other examples across a very board spectrum of ways and religions) some of which have lineages and precepts going back thousands of years...

well I'd say much of what passes for human affairs takes place on the surface (so to speak) but that there can also be elements underneath that which are demonic affairs that sometimes seduce, drive or infect impressionable humans . We also have some people who willfully and knowingly align themselves with evil. I'd also add that it is impossible to be truly enlightened without facing and overcoming any evil that may be in oneself and also outside oneself. (along with any pretenses or silences of being above it all and or that ignoring same is nuts)

when there was more of a balance at various times and places....lets remember the wounded can be the most dangerous and the evil on Earth knows its days are numbered thus its doing as much damage as possible before then. Btw, you got to be kidding about a review since this is a spiritual topic...that applies to most all people and their lives in one way or another here on earth. Was the holocaust only political or also of great spiritual darkness....

your last sentence was fine imo, the rest sounded like foolish B.S.