#path of righteousness

[compassionmattersmost]

Ramayana No. 19: Revisiting the Ramayana with Venkatesananda’s Take: Lessons from Valmiki’s Experience

As we begin our exploration of the Ramayana through Venkatesananda’s version, it’s fascinating to revisit the early stages of this epic tale, particularly through the lens of Valmiki’s own transformation. In this version, we are reminded of how the sage first heard the Ramayana from Narada and later expanded upon it after a transformative experience with the hunter and his divine encounter with…

[mindfulldsliving]

Trusting the Lord in Times of Suffering: An Expository Study of Alma 14

In our journey of faith, suffering can often feel insurmountable. It's in these moments that we must remember Christ's example and His ultimate sacrifice.

Alma the Younger and Amulek are led away from the fire that has consumed the believers in Ammonihah. Suffering is an inevitable part of the human experience, especially for believers striving to walk the path of righteousness. In Alma 14, we find a profound example of enduring faith amidst unimaginable trials. Alma and Amulek faced severe persecution and witnessed the martyrdom of the faithful,…

[stacysloft]

Good Night Sleep

Dream Diary: April 12, 2023

I woke up with this thought inkling from my dream…

The path of righteousness is slow and steady but it will grant you the good night sleep you want.

[claypigeonpottery]

sold

she's fierce and beautiful and I am so pleased

the sheer fabric effect was tough, but so worth it

and the rim! 😍

[cerealboxlore]

I love how casually crying over Billy Batson is just how some of my days are now.

I thought about him and the Bromfield family, how he had struggled for years to find a place where he belonged and had to suffer through horrible living conditions because of terrible people. I thought about how after his parent's deaths, no one took care of him. No one let him grieve. No one let him cry on their shoulders and told him everything was going to be okay. Just looks of discontent and frustration, thinking that he was just an inconvenience to the foster system. He must have thought he was too hard to love. Not enough.

His uncle Ebeneezer was your classic narcissistic abuser who didn't care about others. All he cared about was money. He didn't care about taking care of Billy when he was supposed to.

I saw a video before where the narcissistic behavior of a parent/guardian was replicated, and the person said, "Have you thought that maybe you're just not easy to love?" And I imagine Ebeneezer saying that to a little Billy Batson, who just wants to be held and is being refused emotional support and help. Billy was made to feel small and inferior to all the adults around him, who said he wasn't special for his parents dying and that he needed to grow up and stop being so immature.

"Your feelings don't matter."

"Are you talking to me? Did anyone ask you to talk? Be quiet."

"You need to stop asking for so much. You live under my roof, that's more than what others would do."

"I don't care about your feelings. Stop being so emotional."

"You're being dramatic. You made me hit you. This is your own fault for talking back."

Billy has gone through so much over the years since his parents' deaths, and I can't imagine how relieving it must have been for him to meet the Bromfields. I think about Nick listening to Billy and taking the time to hear him and focus on what he wants and needs. Going on car rides and eating big belly burgers to their hearts content. Baking cookies and cakes at home (because Nora Bromfeild should not be trusted with a kitchen) and just enjoying life. Eating fresh cookies with milk, talking about their hobbies and personal lives. How Billy doesn't have to hide any secrets from them, and they give him all the privacy he wants, respecting his space and choices.

Billy would finally find hobbies for himself! He could take the time to let himself be happy and enjoy wasting time. I think it was either stamp or coin collecting that was his old hobby in the older comics. With the Bromfields, he can start living life as Billy Batson without worry of being neglected or shamed for being present. He doesn't have to deal with narcissistic abuse anymore (except for when fighting his villains).

I don't know what the point of this post was, I just wanted to talk about Billy and how he made me cry after eating a mango and thinking too hard.

[msngrgod]

hrmmm..... ik you're not my dad (apollo is), but you are one of my favorite gods

oh! a child of apollo! ,,,,,,,,,, you want some moly? it’ll upset your dad~

[muninnhuginn]

Thinking about "your weakness is how you always want to be the hero" and how the series returns to this at the end

Li Lianhua hated how he acted as Li Xiangyi and spent years trying to distance himself from it, but ultimately he still fell back into the similar patterns, for all his added experience

His main priority was always to "do the right thing" regardless of how that would impact on those around him. And it *did* impact those around him. From Qiao Wanmian and Shan Gudao as Li Xiangyi to Fang Duobing and Di Feisheng as Li Lianhua

Giving the Styx flower to the emperor so he could use it as leverage to guarantee Fang Duobing and his family's safety. Using the last of his power to save Yun Biqiu. Constantly putting others above himself whilst actively refusing to recognise that his self-sacrificial nature would hurt those he cared about most

And sure, he thinks he's going to die anyway. They're going to be hurt regardless and he can't do anything about that. His odds are low of the Styx flower even working. But ultimately, he refuses to even consider trying. Li Xiangyi has been dead a long time and Li Lianhua is just there to tide things over. What value is the life of a ghost

To the end, he lives and dies a hero. To the end, he refuses to live for himself.

[fruitchakra]

the very first panel of naruto:

the very last panel of naruto:

interesting how they are both related to the vandalism/rejection/destruction of konoha

[bonefall]

Joss Whedon can fuck off. Dude saw that the directors and writers were heading towards Hawk/Widow in the MCU and threw in Hulk/Widow and gave Clint a family because fuck Hawk/Widow fans, right? Also fuck what the actors want too.

I DON'T KNOW WHO THESE CHARACTERS ARE BUT I AGREE! FUCK JOSS WHEDON!!

[wordsbyhisheart]

Al-Fudayl ibn 'lyad (Allah mercy on him) said in one of his sermons: It is strange that you wish to live in the Paradise of Firdous and in the neighborhood of the Merciful with Prophets, truthful, martyrs and pious men but what actions you have done for it, what passions you have given up for it, what tie of relationship you have united after it was severed, what faults of your brother you have forgiven, and what distant persons you have brought near for God.

(Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din, Vol. II, Love & Brotherhood)

Al-Fudayl ibn 'lyad's sermon highlights the inconsistency between desiring a place in the highest level of Paradise (Firdous) alongside prophets, martyrs, and the righteous, and failing to perform the actions that would warrant such a reward.

the sermon calls for sincere introspection and encourages actions that align with the lofty spiritual aspirations of a believer.

— wordsbyhisheart

[bite-the-bloody-hand]

There was a fun conversation happening in the Owlcat discord a while back where someone just could not understand why Iomedae is so against any mythic path that isn't Legend or Angel.

The two factions were Team 'Stupid Lawful Iomedae' and Team 'Stupid Writing' and unfortunately both of them are wrong. Trust me, my cousin's a lawyer.

It's not that being Lawful makes Iomedae stupid, it's that being Lawful means that she has to do some pretty heinous, backhanded shit to secure the legitimacy of her worship - and this is because that's what her church wants.

Throughout the game's narrative it's made abundantly clear that the Crusade isn't about preventing loss of life or retaking the blighted lands or even just saving people from horrible demise: it's about 'restoring order' and 'returning to the status quo,' for the purpose of insinuating Cheliaxian law on that region of Golarion. It's always been about expansion and conquest "done by the right people." It was convenient to sit for years letting the indigenous Kellids and Sarkorian population die out when the Wound first opened, so a Cheliax-backed conquering force could move in from their already established bases and annex all of that land for themselves.

That's why Lady Konomi is always pushing for the Knight Commander to kowtow to the Capital and the Capital's Allies in Cheliax. Mendev is excellently positioned to become an "ally" (read: vassal state) to Cheliax and secure their holdings in that central region - something that had already been in motion.

If you played Kingmaker, it was heavily implied (if not outright stated) that Pitax was the Chelaxian wedge in the River Kingdoms; losing that land to the suddenly extraordinarily successful barony-to-kingdom would have been a HUGE blow. Pushing even harder to have Mendev pick up the slack - especially with them being neighbors - would have been a major priority. It has never been about saving people.

Yes, by Gods, the Angel path does a lot of lip service towards the cause of the righteous, the inherent horror and sympathy of Galfrey's position, and the relative powerlessness of the Angelic Host to do much of anything without a mortal champion at the tip of the spear. But that mortal champion must also be aligned with the wants of the church, which are the wants of Cheliax. That mortal champion cannot be tainted by, say, a personal belief that slavery is wrong even if it is the law. Even if the Angel by their side also carries that belief*.

Demons are chaotic, and their hierarchy is lawless, therefore it MUST be Iomedae and her Crusade that heals the worldwound because that proves the rule of law. It doesn't matter to Iomedae and her followers that the Azata are often THE guys to go to for stopping demon incursions** - it's about proving that their method is superior, righteous, and good. Even if that means allowing slavery, standing by as an indigenous population gets wiped out, and outright stalling the war effort if it gets in the way of political landgrabbing.

@thedosianexplorer also makes a good point about how the Crusade in-game reflects the real-world historical attitude of 'Crusading as an Act Of Love:' "if the good townsfolk die while we're not stopping this demon incursion, as long as they already loved and followed Iomedae, so they're saved, so it's fine."

All this to say, I don't think this is a case of Stupid Character or Stupid Writing - it's very deliberate. I also personally theorize that the other reason Iomedae('s Church) is so obsessed with proving her legitimacy is because Iomedae personally took out Aroden to 'prevent him from falling to darkness.' Iomedae and her church are very 'if you have bad thoughts you are a bad person' so I feel as though presuming that starts with her icing Aroden because he was having Dark Thoughts isn't totally out of line here. Iomedae needed to kill Aroden because what else would she be if her God turned out to be corrupt?

*The Hand of the Inheritor's downfall during Act 4 is my favorite ingredient of this whole fucked-up recipe: He left the service of an angel that had risen from being a devil only to find himself in the service of a mortal-turned-god from the Slavery Is Good And We're Bros With Asmodeus Country. No wonder he freaks out so bad.

**I find it deeply compelling that even in our own real world cosmology, it's essentially Yazatas vs Demons and Angels vs Devils. So having the Angel faction come in and say 'actually we're way better for this job than you, and we're going to prove it and then everyone will see that the real righteousness is the righteousness of law' is a WILD narrative choice that I really jive with.

[fadeintoyou1993]

[mindfulldsliving]

Alma 13:1-19 and Redemption Through Priesthood Ordinances

Understanding how Alma 13 applies to our lives today can help us see the continued importance of priesthood ordinances and principles in guiding us to Jesus Christ.

How Priesthood Ordinances in Alma 13:1-19 Point Me to Jesus Christ for Redemption Understanding the priesthood ordinances in Alma 13:1-19 is pivotal for both Latter-day Saints and Evangelical Christians seeking a deeper connection to Jesus Christ. These verses outline the purpose and divine nature of the priesthood, illustrating how it guides believers toward redemption through Christ’s…

[prolibytherium]

saw you posting about spiciness earlier, was it you who posted the recipe for the "virgin hot toddy" on your old blog? if so, could you repost that recipe? ive been stopped up as a motherfucker for days and at this point all i want is to be absolved in a great and purifying flame

Yes that was definitely me

Here is my Hot Toddy recipe, which is designed to destroy your esophagus with purifying flames so that any cold/flu throat pain you're experiencing becomes irrelevant

INGREDIENTS

Tea of choice (ideally something soothing to the throat like echinacea or licorice, but it doesn't matter because you won't be able to taste it)

Cayenne pepper

Dried hot pepper, dealer's choice

Ground ginger and/or tumeric

Apple cider vinegar

Lemon juice

Honey

Whiskey (Fireball if you hate yourself)

At least 5 cloves of garlic

STEPS

Put on hot water til it boils

Crush the garlic and let it sit in open air for 10 minutes (I read somewhere that this preserves some antibacterial chemical or other, no goddamn clue if this is true).

Pour your boiling water over the tea bag and garlic and spices and let sit for a while

Don't remove the garlic. You have to drink it with the garlic.

Add everything else besides the alcohol

Wait until it's cool enough to drink and add your whiskey/Fireball last (so that the alcohol isn't broken down too much by the heat.) You are going to want to be drunk for what is to come.

Stir

Consume

[raffaellopalandri]

A Short Comparison: Shaolin Virtues vs. Confucian Principles

Both Shaolin virtues and Confucian principles are guiding lights for ethical conduct, but they stem from different philosophical backgrounds. Photo by Diana on Pexels.com Shaolin Temple, far from just a martial arts school, is steeped in the rich tapestry of Buddhist philosophy and is considered the cradle of Chan (Zen) Buddhism in China. This Buddhist foundation deeply influences and shapes…

[aingeal98]

Idk man but like. There were people who insisted the Russia Ukraine situation was too complicated to support one side and then dedicated their time to making Ukrainians and their supporters seem as evil as possible while mocking anyone who thought it was fucked up Russia wanted to slaughter them all and calling them stupid childish liberals. And it was blatantly clear to everyone with a brain not full of propaganda that these people did not care about the Ukrainians at all and saw them as subhuman. They're still doing in now with Iran, because the girls beaten to death by the morality police are an acceptable sacrifice to them.

And now there's people insisting the Israel Palestine situation is too complicated to support one side and then dedicating their time to making Palestinians and their supporters seem as evil as possible while mocking anyone who thinks it's fucked up how Israel wants to slaughter them all and calling them stupid childish leftists... So I hate to break it to them but no one is believing you care about Palestinians when you can't even acknowledge what Israel has done and is currently doing to them. Just like you rightfully didn't believe tankies cared about Ukrainians. Your dehumanisation and appalling lack of morals doesn't suddenly become justified because the team you hate is supporting the resistance this time and YOUR team is supporting the fascists. You're both awful because it should never be about teams in the first place lol. Tankies and Biden fanatic Liberals/Centrists hate each other more than they care about any human life as anything other than a news update they can use to mock "the other side" with. Caring about atrocities is met with sneering disdain, tankies say liberals only care because it serves American interests. Liberals say that leftists only care because it goes against American interests. The idea that there are people who can be horrified by both Ukraine and Palestine, as well as Syria, the Congo, Armenia and many other atrocities happening, is a thought that neither side can acknowledge. Because if they stop making sweeping generalisations about The Enemy they'll be forced to confront the evil rotting their own mentality.

They're usually more polite and well adjusted than Republicans. Republicans will just come out and say that everyone who's not them deserves to die. These two groups will go "Yes obviously we don't want anyone to die BUT-"

Take away the bullshit and the core is the same. Callous indifference towards any suffering innocents not belonging to their "in group", often masked with false righteous fury. Yes we support these people losing their liberties and lives but look at the slogan they picked to protest their right to be considered humans deserving of dignity and respect. Isn't it a little too distasteful? A little too ominous towards their oppressors? Let's ignore the dead bodies and fascist governments and spend the day talking about that instead.