Lots of love,

Vicky

I need to read this book!

Thought of the word ‘just’ and then also remembered elementary school today. Sometimes after recess, the boys were still wound up from outdoor play, and rowdy coming back into class. They would look at the teacher. And the teacher would only look over the top of her glasses. Then, all was quiet and class began.

Also, a comment I read just last week! One man’s blessing is another man’s curse.

Love to All, Jane : )

probably best translated into:
“the end justifies the means.”

however, the verb “heiligen” may be translated with “to justify” but there is also the word “holy” in there ….

just came into my mind when Paulo gave us the story.

There is a Mexican movie called Herod’s Law. It was very enlightening to watch as it describes exactly what you are mentioning about politics and corruption. But is it also true that our politicians are a reflection of the people they govern? Some of them might not be, but most of them do.
Look at what’s going on with our current president trying to take the power away from Corporations and give it back to the people.
I pray I will continue to be able to speak freely of the government, seeing what happened with the previous administration there is also the fear that I might not.

Love

Monica

I think that in the history of man there were some stages that fear was more understandable than ethics and teachings. Ahab, being a former ‘criminal’ could take the pulse of the people of the town. With the same way Religions use Hell in order to create fear in the Souls of people. I think that from the minute that Adam and Eve have lost Paradize the way to going back, has begun. The road of Enlightenment. May we all find our way, through LOVE and LIGHT and not by … fear! To use our logic and mind with wisdom.
LOVE,
Thelma xxx

Sadly… sadly, in my opinion, this doesn’t make me feel safer, and never has.

I live in an area where ‘hanging’ was the one and only method for justice if somebody was caught steeling cattle or killing each other. Later, in fact the town Florence, Arizona take pride in being the first place enforcing Death Penalty by hanging.
http://www.adc.state.az.us/adc/datasearch/dr_history.asp As you know a method later ‘improved’ to Lethal injection (I don’t see much difference to using a Gas Chamber, do you? except of course these are convicted criminals) Yes, the fear of getting the death penalty is supposed to prevent people from committing crimes, but does it?

No, no, no. For years, I was a pacifist, proud that in my country, Norway, we do not have the death penalty. We treat prisoners nice, and try to rehabilitate and transform the criminal mindset into a less aggressive one, who can experience love again.

How do we deal with Ahab if he is a terrorist, and go on a mass murdering of innocent people? Honestly, my pacifism changed on 9/11. Somebody has to work to stop terrorists, and place them on Guantanamo bay or wherever, and fight against evil destructive forces, but in my opinion without going back to the scare tactics of the past. Only by using humane approach can we create a better world. The gallows need to go. It’s a disgrace. Like in Pinal County, with 300 000 citizens, and 30 000 prisoners, where the main ‘business’ is to punish the criminals, the government has chosen the wrong ‘trade’, a disgraceful mission of life. The gallows need to go, and same with the Colosseum!

The crux of the film ‘Hero’ was when the understanding is reached, that the ultimate act of the warrior is to lay down his sword.

In Peruvian tradition they say that when the Inca shaman warriors went to battle and killed their enemy they shed some of their own blood on the corpse because they new that in different times they might have all been sharing stories around the fire.

The reason I loved this book (The Devil and Miss Prym) so much was it really taught me about human nature, good vs bad. The fact that we all have choices in life. We are capable of good deeds and bad deeds and it is a fine line which separates them. Before this I really thought that some people were just bad throughout but my eyes were opened and I realised they too were capable of becoming a good person if only they ‘chose’ the right way to behave instead of choosing the other.

Much love to you Paulo

xxx

It’s a continuous struggle we must fight in every single day of our existence against egoism and egocentrism. Egoism and egocentrism make us think that there is nothing more important than us and this also makes us forget our principles and other people. This concept should be synthetized in this extreme latin sentence: “mors tua, vita mea”.
It’s a moral challenge everyone has to face in everyday life.

love, Alice

The way that we live will either feed our love, or our fear. If we live out of balance with our integrity, our souls’ we will fear death because we have already died to ourselves many times, we just don’t realise it. When we live in balance and harmony with our souls’ we do not fear death because we know that we are beings that wear man different clothes and death is simply a change of outfit.

A shaman does not fear death, she makes death her friend because death reminds her to live every day, every moment fully and to love the life she has.

It is a good lesson, like a rocket, untill and unless you are not fired, you wont be serious of doing the things that you are possible to do.

thank you paulo :)

I have been thinking today,(after your twitter posts about Tony Blair … Brazil, etc.) how this world and the leaders of some of the countries feel that to change the world, they have to resort to violence. One CAN change the way things are done, just as your story (one of my favorites) above relates, by raising his voice either audibly or in pen or type, or paint brush,or video, there are ways to get the word out. This world is going trough a transition. With the financial crises around the globe, people are paying more attention to the internet; and, oh how quick news spreads. Covering up government leaders’ actions and lies is much harder to do now. Thank you for seeing the signs and not being afraid to risk by doing so much on the internet.

Love and an ignited fire light to you,
Lainee

What is interesting, is that the gallows didn’t have any efect on the ‘righteous’, people who were not into dark businesses, so to say. Which applies that they were feeling safe.

~*~*~*~

The object and its being there hints to the fact that if those other people, criminals, make a mistake, that costs them their life. Or at least it was meant to be thought of it, this way. Who knows, if Ahab would ever use it. But he used it as a ‘harsh warning sign’.

And these kind of signs are everywhere around us. Every day. And it’s up to us if we go along and play with the rules (that may be wrong or silly) or to say – I will not follow these rules.

On the other hand, I am not protecting the criminal side either. Yes, they should have another chance, but they should also have some kind of consequenses to make them think about the things they’ve done.

PS! Why did Ahab use other people (who had nothing to do with the idea of his) so he could make his point?

Love,
L.

Now lets be serious. ;)

“FEAR CAN HELP, BUT LOVE CAN MAKE US FREE.”
I’ve learned this while I’ve been trying to make my best to be a good believer. I am so hard to convince sometimes, and I cannot accept something just like that unless I understand it or feel it right.
So at the beginning I was trying to “obey” because of fear, but soon I understood that I should do whatever I do leaded from love. Fear is only needed to take that path sometimes. Maybe it is necessary.

Love
Olta

…he invented a system of disguised thuggery and called it Western society.