Pureland.

Pureland is a branch of Mahayana Buddhism.

Pureland is the abode of the Buddha and the Bodhisatvas.

And unexpectedly the practise of Pureland Buddhism does not involve adherence to high moral principles.

Pureland Buddhist meditation involves constantly bringing to mind the Buddha or Bodhisatva in the hope of being reborn in the Pureland.

Neither does Pureland Buddhism require abstinence from sex.

Its adherents are householders and families like any other.

So do not despair.

Help is at hand.    

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Sunset.

Bathed in a rosy glow.

Washed by gentle waves.

Blessed in the peaceful 

Interlude of

Sunset.

Photo Credit: Michael Sidorychev.

Krishna.

As the Indian god of light Krishna has also been said to be born at the Winter Solstice.

This is when the Sun is at its most distant in the Northern Hemisphere and (after three days stationary) begins to return towards the North.

This date is known as the Birth of the Sun.

And it is celebrated as the birthday of Jesus Christ because this is when the light was born into the world.

So all cultures share in the Light.

And celebrate its birth. 

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The Fiducial Points

The original Fiducial Points in Astrology were the fixed stars Aldebaran and Antares which were located at the mid-points of Taurus and Scorpio when Astrology was conceived.

This was the most appropriate placing for the middle of Spring and Autumn.

As time went by, however, Astrologers observed that the Vernal Equinox moved backwards through the Astrological Signs.

This gave birth to the Astrological Ages.

At present the Vernal Equinox is at 5° Pisces but because we are still in the Age of Pisces the Vernal Equinox is fixed at 0° Aries for the whole of the Age.

As we approach the Age of Aquarius there will be much debate about the position of the Vernal Equinox and the fixing of the Tropical Horoscope.       

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Warm and Fuzzy.

Many Christians will dismiss love as just a warm and fuzzy feeling.

Action, they say, is what is required.

But few Christians put their faith into action.

If they did the world would be a different place.

I say better warm and fuzzy than cold and hard.

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Consolation.

Many scriptures and hymns talk about victory, conquest, glory.....

This is to try to win.

It is the way of the world to win.

And many commentaries paint the Resurrection as a victory over death and evil.

As if somehow Jesus won.

But Jesus did not win in a worldly sense.

He did not live and reign on Earth.

And scriptures that claim victory and reign are misguided.

They are thinking in a worldly way.

God's final act of love for His prophet was a consolation.

He could not change the world and establish the Kingdom that he dreamed of.

But God is faithful.

He raised him from the dead to Heaven.

And what they saw was not glory but Light.

So on Earth we should not seek to win, we should only seek to help and to love.

This is the way of God.

Our reward will be the consolation prize.

But the consolation prize is greater than any empty prize on Earth.

It is the gift of Eternal Life in Heaven.  

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Sex-Phobia.

Why do so many religious people have a phobia about sex?

It would seem that feelings of fear and guilt about sex become associated with concepts of the goodness and purity of God.

They feel dirty and defiled.

But this is not a healthy attitude.

In her book The Female Eunuch Germaine Greer devoted a whole chapter to loathing and disgust.

She claimed that after sex men projected feelings of loathing and disgust onto women.

And this may be the source of religious men's phobia about sex.

From Adam and Eve to Augustine and beyond sex has been a bone of contention for religious people.

My idea is that instead of banning sex or branding it bad and sinful we should develop a healthy attitude to the pleasure of sex.

Sex is the consummation of love.

And as such it is part of God's plan for humanity.

God's Will is that we love one another.

And sex is an adjunct of love. 

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