Force protection certificate army

President Donald J Trump and the 45th Executive Administration

2015.06.16 18:34 President Donald J Trump and the 45th Executive Administration

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2024.05.16 04:41 kanaan-1 Air Force combat medic (68w)?

Hello!
I am a recent HS grad with an EMT license looking to join the AF as an emergency medic of some sort. I’ve done my research and found that the Army has a 68w ‘combat medic’, but I can’t find the same job in the Air Force. Is there an equivalent? Apologies if this is a dumb question.
TIA :)
submitted by kanaan-1 to AirForceRecruits [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 04:34 kthomson22089 Need help as CoF with stalemate against Germany/Austria

I've ben playing HOI4 for 6 months or so, have played both EUIV and CK3 before, and feel competent but by no means am I "good." I started with vanilla and the RT56 but recently got in to KR and enjoy it quite a bit. After fumbling through a Germany and Ottoman campaign to learn the mechanics of KR I started a CoF run and felt like I was doing pretty successful. I helped SRI take power (which I think is pretty common place), was able to help a Syndicalist gov't take power in Spain and the USA, as well is in CentroAmerican and one of the SE Asian countries. I focused on building up to my force limit as well as trying to build enough of an airforce to have superiority and to use CAS to help push the lines. Based on initial technologies and production lines I focused early armor on creating light tanks and then started building up medium tanks. Also based on location of the Alps and not likely to due a ton of naval invasions, as my main enemies would be Germany and Austria/Hungary, I focused on Mountaineers as my special troops. I'm near the special forces limits, I have 9 battalions of light tanks and 2 of medium tanks (tank and battalion design attached).
In vanilla/RT56 I would typically find weak point, break the line, create an encirclement and then destroy. Then repeat. It's mid 1942, WK2 has been going on for nearly 2 years and I've managed to move the line a few tiles. The only time I'm able to win a battle and take a tile is when I have to use overwhelming numbers and suffer a decent amount of losses. On rare occasions I'm able to use that momentum and take another tile but it's been slow moving. Also I can't seem to produce enough fighters and/or CAS to have enough air superiority or enough ground support to make a real difference.
I haven't lost any ground but this is worse than WK1 pace. I understand battalion stats such as soft/hard attack, defense, piercing, breakthrough, CW as well as needing to maximize those stats while minimizing IC, but at a very basic level. I assume both my unit and battalion designs are shit. Hoping someone can take a look and offer some advice.
For tactics I have the Blitzkrieg path for army and ground support for air, both completed.
Thanks in advance.
submitted by kthomson22089 to Kaiserreich [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 04:30 City_Index AUD/USD, AUD/JPY: Soft jobs report extinguishes risk of further RBA rate hikes. May 16, 2024

AUD/USD, AUD/JPY: Soft jobs report extinguishes risk of further RBA rate hikes. May 16, 2024
With unemployment spiking and broader measures of labour market slack increasing, the risk of strong wages growth sparking renewed inflationary pressures looks to have past.
By : David Scutt, Market Analyst
  • Australia is struggling to absorb new entrants to the workforce, seeing unemployment lift
  • Broader measures of labour market slack are rising, lessening the risk of continued strength in wages growth
  • The risk of further RBA rate hikes has diminished greatly this week
  • AUD/USD remains a buy-on-dips prospect, but AUD/JPY looks vulnerable to downside

Australia struggling to absorb new job entrants

Australian unemployment spiked unexpectedly in April, adding to evidence that the labour market is cooling quickly.
Australia’s Bureau of Statistics (ABS) said unemployment jumped to 4.1% from an upwardly revised 3.9% in March. Employment rose by 38,500, above the 23,700 pace expected, although the breakdown revealed full-time employment went backwards, declining by 6,100.
Explaining the jump in unemployment, labour force participation rose a tenth of percent to 66.7%. Economists were looking for it to remain at 66.6%. With the labour force growing faster than employment, the total number of unemployed Australians increased by 30,300.

Labour market slack increasing, lessening wage spiral risks

Like the unemployment rate, broader measures of labour market slack increased, pointing to the likelihood of further moderation in wage pressures as seen in Wednesday’s wage price index. The proportion of underemployed Australians in the workforce rose by a tenth of a percent to 6.6%. Labour market underutilisation – which combines unemployed and underemployed workers together – rose by a larger 0.4 percentage points to 10.7%.
https://preview.redd.it/zbttdksv8p0d1.png?width=1980&format=png&auto=webp&s=e9aac070ef6af721f0f63adae8fb4773adc598af
Source; ABS

RBA rate hike threat passes

With wages growth and unemployment more important to the Reserve Bank of Australia than employment growth, Australia government bonds rallied with rate sensitive 3-year yields falling as much as seven basis points.
With the risk of further rate hikes from the RBA all but extinguished, the Australian dollar softened, giving back solid gains seen earlier in the session. However, it’s predominantly offshore factors that are driving AUD/USD and AUD crosses right now, meaning incoming data abroad is where focus should be concentrated.

AUD/USD outlook

Despite the modest pullback on the jobs report, AUD/USD remains a buy-on-dips prospect. Momentum is to the upside, and it remains in an uptrend.
Having broken resistance at .6642 on Wednesday, that will likely revert to support near-term, allowing for traders to buy dips towards it with a stop loss order below for protection. .6730 would be the first potential upside target, with .6870 and .6893 the next after that.
https://preview.redd.it/r83ixk2z8p0d1.png?width=1835&format=png&auto=webp&s=32852046bc1524260cee67b30dae2a9a3b599f20

AUD/JPY outlook

AUD/JPY provides a different setup for traders with rapid strengthening in the yen combining with a modest pullback in the Aussie to generate a possible evening star pattern on the daily chart. While that implies the risk of renewed downside, I'd like to see the uptrend the pair has been stuck in since the middle of April give way before considering going short.
If the price were to pierce and hold below this level, shorts could be initiated with a stop loss order above for protection. 100.60 looms as a potential trade target.
https://preview.redd.it/06wfk3k19p0d1.png?width=1839&format=png&auto=webp&s=1a5dee952ee43dc609b7dec9d9d712c57d0b7d57
-- Written by David Scutt
Follow David on Twitter u/scutty
https://www.cityindex.com/en-au/news-and-analysis/aud-usd-jpy-soft-jobs-report-extinguishes-risk-of-further-rba-rate-hikes/
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2024.05.16 04:24 FaithlessnessIll107 My brother is unwell and I don’t think I can help

My brother has some serious mental issues and he refuses to get help. I hear him ranting about how the production of abortion medicine makes him wake up at night. He constantly whispers to himself about people snitching on him. He is convinced that my parents are out to sabotage him. I just don’t know what to do. I had to sit in my room yesterday and listen to him scream at me that my dad was a coward. It scares me. I don’t feel safe in my own home anymore. He claims that he’s just protecting himself but he is so confrontational. But he has his lucid moments and I just cry whenever it happens. I think he is either bipolar or he has some bad ptsd from being homeless but I can’t do anything. He’s moving out in two weeks because my parents tried to force him to talk about his mental state and he’s gonna be homeless again. I miss him. I remember him as a kind hearted person and I don’t recognize him anymore when I look at him. I struggle to stay in the same room as him as he just makes me so scared. I can’t help but fear that he’s gonna get violent. But at the same time I just want to yell at him. I know it’s not his fault but he’s hurting everyone. Part of me is glad he’s moving out but I love him. I feel so shitty
submitted by FaithlessnessIll107 to mentalillness [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 04:21 NamoAmitabha_ In the Era of Fear I Comfort them with Great Love

In the Era of Fear I Comfort them with Great Love
Anita Moorjani was cured from cancer not because of a certain medicine, vaccine or chemotherapy. She was cured because of this Great Love. Anita Moorjani is a forty years old woman who is simple and honest. She was born in India, grew up in Singapore and was English educated. Later she went to Hong Kong. She knows Tamil, English and Cantonese. In 2002 the doctor said that she was down with cancer lymphoma or the blood cell tumor. After four years, in 2006 seventy percent of her body is covered with the cancerous cells. She stayed in the hospital, suffering terribly because of this illness. Later the doctor pronounced her death. After three days she woke up and was cured miraculously. This is truly inconceivable when she woke up from her death. In her mind she was very sure she was cured already. No treatment was needed. But she was very weak. She could not even talk. The doctor was surprised of her condition and again they carried out a checking on her body and found that she was free from all symptoms of cancer. In her mind she knew she was already cured. In her mind there was a great transformation that she personally experienced. And all the cells on her body were transformed into healthy cells. Later she wrote a book entitles: After dying once I finally learn to love’ By looking at this title, it coincides with Master Shan Dao’s teaching on the one with deep faith in the dharma. He said, ‘Standing here is waiting to die. Going forward is also death. Turning back, I too cannot escape from death.’ This can be found in the ‘Analogy of two rivers and one white lane’ the three sure deaths. If we have died once, we will truly give ourselves up. This is the same as the Pure Land teaching that we have to admit we are the sinful mundane man. We lose all hope as we have no ways to leave the triple realm. In cultivation we need to really undergo a total death in order to really practise the path. The zen cultivator says this is known as undergoing great death and great living. Otherwise, no real cultivation can be expected because most of us are very arrogant, very self-centred, without much changes in our stubborn mindset. That is why she said after dying once only she managed to learn how to love. In the Pure Land door this is known as having deep faith. Such a man will surely have faith in Amitabha’s 48 vows to gather in living beings without any doubts and suspicion. By relying on the strength of the Buddha’s Vows we will surely attain a rebirth. This is living in the great love of Namo Amitabha Buddha. We receive the love of Amitabha Buddha. Only then we can have the genuine love and we are able to learn to love. If we do not feel the love of Amitabha Buddha, we will not know how to love. Our love will be frightening as it is an attachment, a desire to control, to possess others. Such a love is impure, it is a threat to us. If we are not careful it might turn into hatred. Such is a frightful kind of love. If we learn from Amitabha Buddha, the love is pure, without condition and transparent. This is truly loving a person. It is not easy to learn this. We look at the couples around us. So many got married and end up in divorce. How about those who do not get a divorce? Yes, they spend the whole life fighting!The truly loving couples are as few as the stars in the broad day light. So, learning to love is our homework for the whole life. It is not easy. Today I would like to discuss this passage with you. After reading her writing I feel most shameful as what the author has said is very true in accord with her experience. Even though I have left home for more than twenty years, receiving the teaching of the Buddha, the guidance of the patriarch, the exhortation of my Master, the help of my lotus friends and all, I still feel I am lacking in genuine practice and virtues. On the contrary this lady has not met with the Buddha Dharma. She has such an awakening after dying once, it is truly a gain for her. She said, ‘After my body stopped functioning, I entered into another world.’ She was so seriously ill that her heart, her liver and everything stopped functioning. This is to show there is a world after death. She said, ‘I saw myself as a very wonderful person. This is because I was not terrorised until I had a change in shape.’ ‘I felt there was this vibrant energy around me and I was able to enter it. I realise if a man can see his wonderful existence, he must be the happiest man.’ Most of us like to complain about our imperfect existence. We often think thus, ‘I do not have enough money. I am not healthy. I am not pretty. I do not have enough clothing ….’ Here we must learn to see the good points in us, to appreciate the value of our existence. A woman who can say like this is truly very calm in mind. A man who always complains about himself will not be able to live happily each day. So, without knowing the love of Amitabha for us, we will be a great complainer. We complain about no money, we complain about our look, our wrinkles and so on and so forth. What kind of life will this be with so many complaints? She said, ‘I found that there was this power surrounding me.’ When we pass away, we will no longer be using our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind to observe. Instead, we will be awakened to our innate Buddha. She felt she is surrounded by this vibrant field of energy and she is also this energy. What kind of power is this? It is a kind of energy. It is always in the universe or the dharma realm in the Buddhist terms. In fact, this is Amitabha Buddha. This is the strength of the Buddha Nature. She uses her Buddha Nature to experience the Buddha Nature. It exists forever. It is neither born nor become extinct. If the Buddha enters the world or does not enter the world, it is always there without changing. Of course, she does not use these Buddhist terms. She said, ‘When I give up the attachment to the mundane world, I enter another world effortlessly. It is unnecessary to pray, to recite a sutra or to give a dharma talk. It is unnecessary to seek forgiveness, repentance or other methods.’ ‘Death gives me the feeling that I do not need to do anything. It is just as though I am telling someone I am coming to the end. I cannot do anything anymore. I give up. Whatever you want to do I will just accept.’ I feel that this passage is very near in meaning to the Pure Land’s view. It means when we die, we have just to let go as nothing can be done anymore. Most people die in torment as there are many attachments in this world. They are worried about their children, money and work. Some people find it difficult to die. So, from here we must learn to let go when it is our turn to leave the world. Moreover, we have the promise from Amitabha Buddha who will come to receive us in accord with the strength of his vows. It is much easier for us. This lady just let go and she entered another world. Her state should be quite high too. I will explain below. I feel that she had arrived at the border of the Pure Land. Her state of an awakened mind showed that she was not in the heaven. She seemed to be enlightened to the Buddha nature and non -existence of a self. She experienced the light of enlightenment and returned to life, to lead a life of love. So, in our practice we are told to let go of all attachment and to wish for a rebirth in the Pure Land relying on Amitabha’s strength of vows. So from here we can see it is very easy to be born in the World of Ultimate Bliss. She said it is unnecessary to recite a sutra, a dharma or seeking for forgiveness. She enters the other world naturally when she simply gives up herself. I remember once I went with my Master to console a dying man. I was very touched by my Master’s words. He said kindly to the man who is on the verge of death, ‘So and so, now we will recite Namo Amitabha Buddha. If you can recite, then recite together. If you can’t, just lay down and relax. It is ok if you just listen to our recitation.’ Are not these words very comforting? The dying man will feel very safe and relax. But if you were to say, ‘So and so, this is the last chance. Bring out all your strength to face death. If you can recite then recite together. If you cannot recite, you must try also!’ On listening to this threat, the sick man is stressed out. He will die instantly as he has no strength to join in recitation. The Master who with his great love understands the rescue of Amitabha Buddha is a natural process that he is able to say in such a comforting way. No condition is needed. There is no threat nor fright in his words. A man who threatens people is not calm as he must be frightened too in his mind. That is why what he says will frighten people, giving stress to others. If we are loving in our mind, our words will only bring love, peace and calm to others. People will feel our love for them. So, this lady says it is unnecessary to read or recite any prayer or seeking forgiveness. This is because the wavelength of her mind is on a par with the great love of the universe. She naturally enters it. Namo Amitabha Buddha is a dharma that requires no seeking or pleading. It is a dharma of rescue without condition. When we recite Namo Amitabha Buddha, the wavelength of our mind is the same as Amitabha Buddha. So, we will attain a rebirth naturally. Many of us who do not understand the kindness of Amitabha Buddha will seek a rebirth by pleading to the Buddha every day. His mind is unsettled and frightened that he might be left out. This is because he does not understand when he recites the Buddha’s name, the wavelength of his mind is in the same frequency with Amitabha Buddha’s mind and vows. Then people will ask, ‘Do we still go to recite the Buddha’s Name for the dying man?’ ‘Yes, of course.’ This is because the dying man has yet to understand this point. When we recite for him, he will be safe in the shine of Namo Amitabha Buddha. This is a method which is bestowed upon us to save us with this Name in accord with the strength of the Buddha’s vows. When she says to somebody, this refers to Amitabha Buddha. She says she cannot do anything anymore and she gives up. She gives herself up to the Buddha. So, when we die do not try to fight with death and refuse to die. We must just admit we are the offender and we need the help of Amitabha Buddha to take us, to rescue us. Namo is to admit we take refuge in the Buddha, we surrender ourselves. When we cultivate this door, we must not add in our ideas. We must just let Amitabha Buddha to decide for us. This is because Amitabha has the power of great vow, the extensive great strength of the Buddha Nature, the strength of immeasurable light, the strength of immeasurable lifespan. We just have to give up all planning. He will plan for us. So, when we recite the Name of the Buddha, just recite without thinking of doing this or that trying so hard to reach a certain acceptable standard. These are all unnecessary. This type of thinking is the habit of the sagely path cultivators. When we sit on the plane, just sit there. The plane will bring you to your destiny. It is unnecessary for you to help the plane to fly. Amitabha Buddha the pilot does not need you to fly the plane. If he needs your help then he is not known as Amitabha Buddha. Anita said, ‘In the other world, I found that my mind is very clear and bright. I realise by myself that I will only die out of the fear and terror in my mind.’ These words are very true. Clarity of mind means her mind is pure. In this world our mind is turbid, dark and deluded. That is why are enveloped in all kinds of worries and terror. But once we arrive at the Pure Land, we will naturally be pure and bright. This is because the land is pure and is enveloped in bright illumination. She said she naturally know she will be cured. This knowing ability is possessed by us originally. No learning is needed because our Buddha nature is originally pure and bright. In the Saha world our ability is being covered up by afflictions. But when we arrive at the World of Ultimate Bliss, we will naturally possess this ability. This ability reappears relying on the strength of Vows of Amitabha Buddha. When we arrive at the Pure Land, we will naturally possess the ability to make offerings to the Buddha. On hearing one sentence we are enlightened to the millions. Our mind is opened up to the thousands of million Dharanis. Everyone of us have this innate ability. And Amitabha Buddha’s strength of Vows enhances its opening. In this Saha World our innate nature is all covered up and cannot function. In the world of ultimate bliss, by relying on Amitabha Buddha’s strength of great vows, our innate ability is open up. So they are not contradicting. ‘I naturally know the source of the thought that I will die. The source is I was frightened. If there is no fear, there is no death.’ In actuality there is no death. It is only our fear of death that this illusion comes froth. In Buddha dharma we should know death itself is an illusion. Time is also an illusion. That is why the Buddha speaks all the Sutra in this manner, ‘Thus have I heard, at one time the Buddha was…..’ No specific time is stated. Now the physics has proven its illusory. As time is an illusion, it does not exist. Let me give you an example of what is meant by death. It is as if we are driving a car into a tunnel. The shape of the tunnel resembles that of a tomb. And we keep on driving into it. We say we are entering the tomb, that we are going to die soon. We are threatened as the entrance represents death. We continue on our journey in the tunnel and later leave the tunnel, again travelling on our way to another destiny. The entrance of the tunnel, the funeral wreath looks like the tomb. For us, death is a terrible idea that we are fearful of it. We do not know life is a continuity and there is no death. It is our wrong concept that there is this section of birth and death. No one can do anything about it until they personally realise it. ‘I am unable to live out my real self as I have too much worried.’ Most of us live in this world wearing a mask. If everyone of us is free to show our real self this is the most beautiful side of a self. Why cannot we live the way we should live? It is because we are always burdened with worries. We are worried we are not good enough. We are worried that our parents will scold us. We are worried our teacher will get angry and criticize us. We are worried about losing face. We only live for others. We lose our life away trying to accord to others’ expectation. We lose the light of a happy life. Our life is controlled by all these worrisome thoughts. But if we truly recite the Buddha’s Name, our mind will be at ease. Amitabha Buddha takes away our worries by replacing them with Namo Amitabha Buddha. We will realise all these worries and views are not important and we will gradually pay no attention to them. Our true life is Buddha recitation. That is our real identity. Our mind will be at ease as we will pay no attention to those unreal things, words and ideas. Our worries only arise when we care too much about the mundane matters. The author has not learnt about Buddhism. This is her experience in death. What she has written is very personal, true experience, not something that we learn from a book. Her experience gives her an awakening to the reality of life and she lives out her life in this awakening. I saw her video and I feel she is an enlightened person. An enlightened person may not be replete with spiritual penetration. But she will reveal her love in her daily living. She is calm at ease and without any sense of fear in her mind. She leads her life in a genuine way. She said, ‘I know that cancer is not a punishment neither is it a retribution. Cancer is my energy capacity which reveals itself on my body. Because of my fear I am unable to reveal the beautiful self in me. And this is the job which should be carried out by me. I know that cancer is not a punishment which is forced on me. It is not an external force of retribution.’ This is what we often do when certain things happen, we will try to find an excuse or put the blame on reward or retribution. We treat the misfortune with anger and hatred. We often have this tendency to catogorise every happening in accord with the cause or reason. In Buddhism we talk about cause and effect. As she is not a Buddhist she says, ‘Cancer appears as a result of a change in my energy capacity. This energy shows itself in the form of cancer.’ This is because she lives in fear and worries. She does not live out her real happy self. So if we the Buddha recitation cultivators are able to reveal the bright side of life, to live without worries, there will be no more cancer for us. This is her understanding about life. That is why I have often said, ‘Lead a life of a mundane man and recite the Buddha’s Name sincerely.’ We should lead a life of Amitabha Buddha. Our life will be full of light and blessings. And we will become more loving. Finally we will lead a comfortable life and people around us will be comfortable also. This itself is the propagation of the dharma of love. Otherwise, if we cannot live a loving life, there is no point talking about anything as they will be useless. Anita said, ‘In that state which is vast and limitless, I found that I am too strict with myself. I keep on whipping myself.’ Can we feel the existence of being vast and limitless? No. We are often limited by our surrounding. As she had entered the limitless vastness, she is able to know her whole life. She knows her fault is being too strict with herself. In fact, most of us are very strict with ourselves, demanding ourselves to be like this or that. She said, ‘No one is punishing me. The person whom I cannot forgive is I myself. I have abandoned myself. I do not love myself. This matter is none of others’ business.’ No one from outside comes to punish us. It is we who punish ourselves. We cannot forgive our selves. We add on a lot of unnecessary locks and chains on ourselves. What is more for us the Buddha reciters? If we recite the Buddha’s name and on the other hand, we add on ourselves lots of locks and chains whence Amitabha Buddha is trying to unlock us, isn’t this a most pitiful situation?’ She said that she had abandoned herself. It means we throw ourselves away and become a lone ranger, an isolated person living a life of sadness, a live without love. Look at a baby. Her eyes are clear as the baby is a simple being, just like a simple puppies or baby cat. The baby can play with chickens, puppis as she does not give rise to diffentiation. Not everyone of us is like Anita. But every one of us can recite the Buddha’s name. When we recite the Buddha’s name, we will be calm. Amitabha Buddha said, ‘In the world of fear I comfort them with great love.’ It is because all the worries are gone when we accomplish Buddhahood at the Pure Land. We will not be so worried about our poverty, health problem, ugliness, stupidity, inability to recite a sutra, a mantra. All these are unimportant as finally I will become a Buddha in the Buddha Land. We will be more humorous. For example, if we are ugly we will use it as a joke. It does not matter at all. Because all the external states are not you. The real self, our real life is the Buddha’s Name. It is our true identity. It will bring ease to our mind. A baby is pure. But as it grows up, it starts to abandon himself. A baby resembles a glass of pure water. When he grows up, his greed starts to accumulate when he wants a toy, a book, good results, money, benefits, fame women and so on. All these are placed in the glass of water. Everything is a piece of mud that we put in out glass. The more we put into the glass, the more the water will flow out. This water is the genuine self. We abandon the true self, chase it out with our greed. We fill ourselves with all the rubbish. The genuine blessings and bliss are chased away. We lead an opaque life without transparency. Our life become a glass of muddy water and we live in great torment. The more we obtain, the more we lose ourselves. That is why the Buddha is truly kind. He and his disciples lead a life of a beggar. When you have nothing, you will be happy and relax. The mind retains its purity. Human beings are deluded as they think to possess a wife, children, a house, a car are called blessings. A man who truly loves himself does not love money, sex, fame, food, sleep. These five desires are the knives that will cut us into pieces and bring on great sufferings. Anita said, ‘I realise I am the child of the beautiful universe. As long as I exist, I will obtain this unconditional love.’ This is very good. I would like to make the following changes, ‘I realize that I am the son of the adorned Amitabha Buddha.’ In Buddhism we use adorned to replace the word beautiful. The universe is this Amitabha Buddha. In the Sutra we are told Amitabha Buddha is the Treasury Body of the Dharma Realm. Amitabha Buddha exists in the whole of the Dharma Realm. Of course, there are also the reward body and transformation bodies beside the dharma body. Amitabha Buddha is the immeasurable wisdom and lifespan. Anita says that the universal energy is abundant and inexhaustible, vast and without limits. This is the existence of the Buddha Nature. She says as long as she exists, she will surely obtain the unconditional love. I often also say, ‘No conditions are required for us to receive the love and rescue of Amitabha Buddha.’ Let us take the analogy of a tree. As long as it exists, it will receive the sunlight. No other condition is needed. So it is the same for the house and everything on earth. Amitabha Buddha’s Name is also known as the Light that Far-surpassing the Sun and Moon. Amitabha Buddha’s light pervasively illumines all the living beings and things in the world. As long as we exist, we will receive the light of the Buddha, the protection of his loving kindness and rescue. It is unnecessary for us to become somebody so as to receive the unconditional rescue of Amitabha Buddha. Our Master Hui Jing also wrote a book on the ‘Unconditional Rescue of the Buddha.’ Some people cannot believe. He says, ‘If this is the case everyone will commit evils.’ Such a thinking is negative and full of fear as his mind is dwelling in darkness. He is afraid that the world will go upside down. He cannot understand that as long as there is the existence, may they be a cat, a dog, a hell being, they will be taken care of by Amitabha Buddha. The only condition is they exist. This reminds me of the words of Great Master Tan Luan, ‘The future scholars who hear about the rescue of the Buddha, the rescue that relies on other’s strength, he should give rise to faith. Do not refuse such a chance. It is being stupid.’ Do not think that you should do this and that to obtain the rescue? Amitabha Buddha did not ask you to do anything. He says, ‘Living beings in the ten directions who have faith in me.’ It means they exist and the Buddha will be there to save them. Buddha recitation is not a condition. It is just a method of saving. Anita says, ‘I do not have to do anything to obtain this love.’ Just like a blade of grass in the water. Does it need to do anything to obtain water? It is unnecessary. As long as it exists, it is surrounded by the water. As long as we exist, we are surrounded by the love of Amitabha Buddha. We do not need to do anything to obtain this love and care. Once we know this, we will be fearless and calm at ease. This is the same as the sunlight which shine on the mountain and also the valley. In our life no matter what level we are we will receive the illumination of Amitabha Buddha. Anita says, ‘No prayer, no seeking is needed.’ Amitabha’s rescue is there always. As long as we recite, we will be saved by him. Amitabha Buddha says, ‘All living beings in the ten directions who call on me will be saved by me. You only have to say out my name.’ You say you are dumb and cannot call the name. Such a man who understands the rescue of Buddha will also be saved even if he cannot pronounce the Name. But if you are unwilling, you are creating an obstacle for yourself. That is why our dharma door is known as the ‘The Dharma is taught without being asked.’, the ‘Befriend us without being asked’. As long as we trust him, he will come personally to take us to his Pure Land. On hearing that nothing is needed to be done, some will be confused. They want to do something, to clean the altar, to change the water, to offer some fruits and incense, to sit in meditation and so on. They think this will help them to attain a rebirth. They have to do something. They do not realise what they need to do is to reveal the beautiful self, to lead the adorned life and let themselves become the love. As long as we sit there and lead a loving life we are in accord with the love of the Buddha Amitabha. When the sun is shining, you say, ‘It is good. A shiny day.’ When it is raining, you say, ‘Very good. It is raining now.’ When it snows, you say, ‘Good, I love snow.’ This way of living is to add the positive loving energy to this universe. You are spreading the pure and harmony energy to the universe. In the Buddha Dharma it is known as the lights shine on one another. The whole universe will receive the positive energy of your loving and harmonious mind. So, what you need to do is to recite Namo Amitabha Budda loudly, softly, silently. All will be ok. If we live this way, Amitabha Buddha will be most happy to see us. It is just like a child who is sleeping in the cradle. Doing nothing. What do you think? Will the mother be happy to see him like that? Yes, of course. She will be very glad with him just sleeping there. Nothing has to be done. A child in the arms of his mother is the revelation of total trust. And this is the same for us to be in the arms of Amitabha Buddha. We just relax and trust him. We will lead a happy life. And this is the genuine way of living in accord with the love of oneself. More often than not we lead a life with worries, fear, twisted emotions and trying to cover up our faults. Our adorned life cannot be revealed. Everyday, we live in fear and worries. This is adding chains and locks to ourselves. Anita says, ‘I have never truly loved myself before. I have never valued my existence. I have never seen the adorned soul in me.’ She uses soul to describe herself. In the Buddha Dharma this refers to the beauty and adorned Buddha Nature. She said, ‘I am so beautiful yet I have never realised it. It is replaced with the hard facts of mundane existence. I decay because I do not understand my beautiful soul.’ In the Buddha Dharma it is described as all living beings are originally the Buddha. Yet we do not live, in accord with our Buddha Nature. We are often controlled by our mundane existence, the salary, the examination results and such like. We forget of our Buddha Nature. We lead a life of decay, a life of erosion. This is the General path of Buddhism. From the angle of Buddha Recitation, the rescue of Amitabha is always with us, only that we do not realise it. We try all kinds of methods hoping for the Buddha to rescue us. We do not know that we just have to admit we are the mundane men who are covered with offences. There is no other way to save ourselves if we do not rely on Amitabha Buddha. Then we let go and recite the Buddha’s Name wholeheartedly. This is the way to be saved by the Buddha. But most people cannot understand this. They want to do something good, to be pretentious and make out something good of himself, to scold people for their lacking in virtues and such like. This is against the practise of this pure land door. Why cannot the people in the world see their pretention? It is because they are also not living a true life. Their eyes are not clear enough to see through this pretention. A fake man sees something fake and he will treat it as genuine. A clear -headed man will surely be able to see through all these false masks. If we were to wear a false mask for too long it will be difficult to remove it. It has grown on to our skin. It will be painful if we want to remove this fake mask. So it takes time for us to loosen this false mask as we have been wearing them for too long. Anita says, ‘This understanding makes me realise that I do not have to be frightened anymore.’ There is no more fear in her mind. It is a mind of calm and bliss. It is a mind which is full of hope. It is a comforting mind that can soothe others. With this calm and happy mind it is already a contribution to all around us. It is already a protection and mindfulness to all around us. We do not have to do anything at all. Most of us live in fear. We pay for insurance because we are afraid when we get old, we have no money, no money to pay the medical fees. We get married out of fear that we will be lonely. Why do we give birth to children? We are afraid no one will take care of us at old age. Why do we go to school? It is because we are afraid of our mother’s anger. Why must we study hard? We are afraid of our teacher. Why do we go to university? We are afraid people will look down on us. Can we live without fear? We cannot. Even our mother who loves us so much say we will suffer if we do not study hard. From our young age we receive the education of fear. We are threatened by our beloved parents, our responsible teachers. We do not receive the education of love. So, if we love our children, do not add fear to them. We must give only love and courage so that they can face life with their original positive energy, positive strength. This is because the world is full of twisted people, fake people, suffering people. There are very few upright men, genuine men, happy and hopeful men around. I only hope all of you my lotus friends will bring up a future generation who is upright, genuine, happy and hopeful with the strength of Amitabha Buddha. So, we must lead a life based on the right values taught by Amitabha Buddha. If we teach our child to fight for self -benefit, to contend with others, we are making them blind so that they do not see the truth of life. This is harming them. If we are enlightened to this, we will only rely on Amitabha Buddha. We are not afraid to be lonely. We will be at ease. Those who see the light, the warmth of the Buddha will no longer be frightened. Anita says, ‘I realise this is a state that can be reached by myself and everyone.’ In Zen sect it is said all living beings are Buddha. In the Buddha recitation door, everyone can recite the Name, everyone can attain a rebirth and everyone can accomplish Buddhahood. This is the bestowment by Amitabha Buddha. All the things that we fight for may not be beneficial to us. Everything that benefits us are often free. For example, the air we take in every instant is free. We do not pay to stand on the earth. We do not pay to look at the sky above. Whatever we fight and earn to get are valueless. Everything that is valuable is free. In the general practice it is said, ‘No cultivation is the cultivation. Nothing is obtainable. This is the state of a bodhisattva. The original face of all dharma often dwells in the mark of still extinction. Our Buddha Nature is replete with all merits and virtues. We cannot cultivate anything to enhance it. This is because all the things that we can do are only dreams, illusion, bubbles and shadow. Whatever that we do, that we create are not in accord with our Buddha Nature. The Buddha Nature is always there, original and shining out naturally. And in our Pure Land Dharma, whatever we have offered, whatever we have done are not the causes for our attainment of a rebirth. Attaining a rebirth is the state of nothing doing. It stays apart from creation or doing. It is a natural state. Reciting Namo Amitabha Buddha helps us to return to this state. Anita said, ‘So I decided to return to the mundane world.’ She has enlightened to the opportunity of life and she decided to come back to tell us about life. Just like many Pure Land cultivators who say that they will not come back any more to sufferings. Yet when they arrive at the Pure Land and brings forth the Bodhi mind, they will come back by themselves to help other beings. Anita said, ‘When I was on the verge of death, I realised the universe comes forth from unconditional love. I am one of the revelations of this love in my present form.’ For the scientists they will say the universe is made from electron, protons, neutrons and so on. This is talking only at the surface level, the materials. But as she talked from her true experienc,e she can see all the things, all the people are the expression of this universal love. When she comes back from death, she deeply penetrates the genuine love the mother universe and her wavelength is in accord with the universal love. She comes back as a healthy woman. So once there is a change in our mind set, the body, the people and the surroundings will also change. In the eyes of Buddha and Bodhisattva there is no differentiation of filth and purity. Everything is pure and adorned in its own expression. Every one of us is the art piece of this unconditional love or in the Buddha’s words, the Buddha Nature. She said, ‘I cannot change into another form as it is my original expression, original nature of this unconditional love.’ Everything that exists is the expression of the Buddha Nature. Even something which is defiled or unwholesome is also part of the expression of this unconditional everlasting love. That is why the Buddha says, ‘All the Dharma from the original state dwells constantly in still extinction.’ Still extinction refers to Nirvana the state of the Buddha. So, when we recite the Buddha’s Name we will enter the Buddha’s dwelling. ‘The energy capacity of the strength of life forms derives from love. And I am made from the universal energy capacity. On knowing this, I realise I do not need to become somebody else. And my true value will not be depreciated too.’ Anita said, So, it is unnecessary for us to become another man. A business man does not need to become Jack Ma. Why is this so? It is because you are equal to him. He is not higher than you. He has the Buddha Nature and you also have the Buddha Nature. Every one is equal. So we do not need to measure in terms of money especially if we truly know the benefits of Buddha recitation. In the eyes of the Buddha every one of us is a shining star. We do not need to chase after another star. Just imagine the havoc it will be when the stars do not dwell in its orbit and try to chase after another star. What a chaos the universe will become. Everyone of our existence is in perfect conditions in the eyes of the Buddha and Bodhisattva. ‘This is the I that I have always wanted to be.’ she said. We must learn to appreciate ourselves, accept ourselves and love ourselves. This ‘I’ is invaluable under the unconditional love of the Rescue of Amitabha Buddha. We are his precious sons, the pearls on his hand. If we are accepted by the Buddha, we will be so happy as we will have no complaint about ourselves. We are often surrounded by people who keep on complaining about us. The first one is our mother who says that we are not clever, we have low marks. We are not filial. We earn too little. See how our mother teaches us not to appreciate ourselves. Then we are blamed by our teacher, our classmates, our girl -friend and so on. Then comes Amitabha Buddha who studies us and says, ‘Put aside all the complaints. You are qualified to attain Buddhahood. No problem at all. I give you 100 percent.’ That is why we Buddha Recitation Practitioners are always at ease under the shine of Amitabha Buddha who give us the confirmation. This is the greatest benefits the Buddha bestows upon us. Buddhism brings hope and bliss to the world, the universe. So, in this life’s time we must try our best to lead a life of Amitabha Buddha. Do not be swayed by the mundane values, mundane eyes, mundane perspective. We rely only on the outlook of the Buddha and Bodhisattva. ‘Once we know that we are this love, it is unnecessary to purposely go forth to shower love on others. As long as we are faithful to our original nature, we will automatically become the tools of love, touching the hearts of everyone who have affinity with us.’ This part of her speech is very good. If we are already the lamp, there is no need for us to go out purposely to shine on others. The lamp just stands at its place and it manages to brighten up the place. So, when we are the LOVE, we will naturally touch those around us with our love. Take a look at our Master Hui Jing. He sits there quietly and yet every one of us are calm and happy naturally. So when we become the love, wherever we are, all will feel calm at ease, without any fear. Anita said, ‘The most important thing I have learnt is I am the Love itself. All my fears are gone. This is the reason I come into life again.’ Amitabha Buddha said, ‘I will transform all the fear into great calmness, great serenity’ When We recite His Name we are charged with his love. We also become the love. We will leave behind all fear. ‘My dear, you will always be loved. You do not need to harbour any fear. There is no way for you to commit any errors.’ Always think about these three sentences. There is the light of truth in it. This is spoken by a non -Buddhist who was on the verge of her death and who lives again. How about us the Buddha Recitation Practitioners? Can we deny the love of Amitabha Buddha, His unconditional love of rescue? From this story we know the unconditional love of rescue of the Buddha pervasively surrounds us. We must have faith in this and lead a life of joy with no more fear. Nowadays, everyone lives in fear. We must learn to replete ourselves with love and bring this shine to others, to lead them out of fear. Love yourself and love others. Namo Amitabha Buddha. A dharma talk by Dharma Master Shi Jing Zong, the Abbot of the Hong Yuan Monastery in Anhui, China entitled: Dying Once to Learn to Love
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2024.05.16 04:20 JZ_Valentine Tales of the Ecoracles

The origin of the Ecoracles can be traced back to a planet called Earth. Earth was a small, beautiful planet, adorned with lush forests, vast oceans, and towering mountains. The humans that inhabited the planet reigned for thousands of years. Their advancement in technology was truly impressive, however, with their great power came great irresponsibility.
As fascinating as their technology was, many of their practices were slowly deteriorating their planet. The sky, once a clear, bright blue, turned a dull gray from pollution. Rivers, once teeming with life, flowed with hazardous toxins. Forests were cut down to make way for sprawling cities and factories. Despite the growing evidence of their harm, humans continued on their path, driven by a desire for convenience and profit.
Over the years, a plethora of movements rose and fell, each striving to combat the pollution of Earth. Passionate individuals gathered in protest, scientists presented alarming data, and environmentalists pleaded for change. But their messages often fell on deaf ears. Those in power were more concerned with their own wealth and influence than the well-being of the planet.
Among these movements was a small, obscure organization called Ecoracle. They were thought of as a quaint bunch. The leaders of Ecoracle claimed they could communicate with nature itself. Each of them said they had a specific aspect of nature they communicated with. Some spoke to the trees, others conversed with the rivers, there were those who spoke to the clouds.
The Ecoracles sought to be the bridge between humans and the natural world. However, their message, like so many others before them, did not bring forth the change they desired. The leaders and influencers of society dismissed the Ecoracles as eccentrics. They had no interest in what the Ecoracles or any other movement had to say, only focused on producing profits for themselves by any means necessary. Factories continued to belch smoke into the air, rivers continued to be polluted, and forests continued to fall.
It was only when Earth was near the end of its lifespan that those with power were ready to hear what the Ecoracles and many like them had to say. But it was too late by then; the harm they had done to Earth was irreversible. The once-vibrant planet was now on the brink of collapse.
All hope appeared to be lost, but the drive of the human spirit should never be underestimated. As if it were a miracle, humans attained interstellar travel. They created massive spacecrafts that could carry a country’s worth of people at once. These spacecrafts were equipped with everything necessary to sustain life for generations. They became floating worlds, homes for humans and animals alike.
Humans and animals boarded these spacecrafts, leaving the dying Earth behind. Generations upon countless generations lived their entire lives aboard these vessels, drifting through the vast expanse of space in search of a new home.
One of the few things that remained constant were the Ecoracles. They continued to spread their teachings, emphasizing the importance of living in harmony with nature, respecting the balance of ecosystems, and cherishing the resources they had.
Life on the spacecrafts was a difficult challenge, but humanity adapted. Gardens flourished under artificial lights, animals roamed in carefully designed habitats, and communities formed. The Ecoracles played a crucial role, guiding the people in sustainable practices and fostering a deep connection with the environment, even in the artificial confines of the spacecrafts.
After an immeasurable amount of time, they finally reached their destination: a habitable planet outside of their solar system. The planet was a lush, vibrant world, teeming with life. As they began to cultivate this new planet, the teachings of the Ecoracles had become so ingrained into their culture that it was second nature to them.
The people of this planet worked diligently to build a society that lived in harmony with nature. They built homes that blended seamlessly into the landscape, cultivated crops using sustainable methods, and ensured that the natural habitats of animals were preserved. They used their advanced technology not to dominate the environment, but to protect and enhance it.
The memory of Earth had been lost, but the newest inhabitants of this planet knew that they mustn’t pollute the place they called home. The lessons of the Ecoracles had now become a core part of the humans.
Eventually, humans' interstellar travel capabilities evolved to the point where they could traverse beyond their galaxy and find habitable planets within a single lifetime. No matter where they went, their objective remained the same, to populate planets while preserving nature.
At this point, the term "Ecoracle" had grown beyond its original meaning. It now referred to someone possessing supernatural abilities that allowed them to harness the power of nature itself. These new Ecoracles could communicate with the elements, each specializing in a different aspect of nature. They were revered and respected, seen as the protectors of balance and harmony in every new world they settled.
Alongside the emergence of the recent rendition of Ecoracles, came strange creatures that began to appear. These beings couldn't be explained through natural means. They were not animals, but more akin to supernatural entities that embodied specific aspects of nature. Some were beautiful and awe-inspiring. Others were grotesque and malevolent.
These malevolent beings sought to pollute and destroy everything humans and Ecoracles fought so hard to protect. They could poison rivers, wither crops, and deteriorate forests with a mere touch. Their existence posed a grave threat to the universe if they went unchecked.
The Ecoracles took it upon themselves to protect their new homes from these malicious beings. They formed a dedicated order, trained to combat their forces that threatened to destroy everything.
These destructive beings were too powerful for normal humans to handle. Only Ecoracles, equipped with abilities specifically attuned to combating these entities, had any hope of defeating them. Their unique set of powers made them the only ones capable of facing the supernatural threats head-on.
They served as a constant reminder of what could happen if humans were reckless with their new homes. However, humanity possessed something greater: their ability to adapt and rise above any challenge. This resilience was their greatest strength, a trait that had allowed them to survive and thrive, even after the pollution of Earth.
Some speculated that the sudden emergence of supernatural beings was born from the universe itself. The idea that the universe had sentience seemed absurd, but it was the only conclusion that could somewhat be rationalized.
Through humanity’s spirit and determination to defend their new homes, it seemed as if the universe had manifested a way to communicate with them. This theory suggested that the Ecoracles, with their burning desire to protect the universe, were bestowed their powers.
The Ecoracles are regarded as heroes, figures of immense admiration and respect. They have become legends, their deeds immortalized in the Tales of the Ecoracles. These tales are shared across generations as a source of inspiration and guidance for all. The stories are not just about their supernatural powers, but also about their bravery, wisdom, and unwavering commitment to preserving the balance of nature.
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2024.05.16 04:20 NamoAmitabha_Buddha In the Era of Fear I Comfort them with Great Love

In the Era of Fear I Comfort them with Great Love
Anita Moorjani was cured from cancer not because of a certain medicine, vaccine or chemotherapy. She was cured because of this Great Love. Anita Moorjani is a forty years old woman who is simple and honest. She was born in India, grew up in Singapore and was English educated. Later she went to Hong Kong. She knows Tamil, English and Cantonese. In 2002 the doctor said that she was down with cancer lymphoma or the blood cell tumor. After four years, in 2006 seventy percent of her body is covered with the cancerous cells. She stayed in the hospital, suffering terribly because of this illness. Later the doctor pronounced her death. After three days she woke up and was cured miraculously. This is truly inconceivable when she woke up from her death. In her mind she was very sure she was cured already. No treatment was needed. But she was very weak. She could not even talk. The doctor was surprised of her condition and again they carried out a checking on her body and found that she was free from all symptoms of cancer. In her mind she knew she was already cured. In her mind there was a great transformation that she personally experienced. And all the cells on her body were transformed into healthy cells. Later she wrote a book entitles: After dying once I finally learn to love’ By looking at this title, it coincides with Master Shan Dao’s teaching on the one with deep faith in the dharma. He said, ‘Standing here is waiting to die. Going forward is also death. Turning back, I too cannot escape from death.’ This can be found in the ‘Analogy of two rivers and one white lane’ the three sure deaths. If we have died once, we will truly give ourselves up. This is the same as the Pure Land teaching that we have to admit we are the sinful mundane man. We lose all hope as we have no ways to leave the triple realm. In cultivation we need to really undergo a total death in order to really practise the path. The zen cultivator says this is known as undergoing great death and great living. Otherwise, no real cultivation can be expected because most of us are very arrogant, very self-centred, without much changes in our stubborn mindset. That is why she said after dying once only she managed to learn how to love. In the Pure Land door this is known as having deep faith. Such a man will surely have faith in Amitabha’s 48 vows to gather in living beings without any doubts and suspicion. By relying on the strength of the Buddha’s Vows we will surely attain a rebirth. This is living in the great love of Namo Amitabha Buddha. We receive the love of Amitabha Buddha. Only then we can have the genuine love and we are able to learn to love. If we do not feel the love of Amitabha Buddha, we will not know how to love. Our love will be frightening as it is an attachment, a desire to control, to possess others. Such a love is impure, it is a threat to us. If we are not careful it might turn into hatred. Such is a frightful kind of love. If we learn from Amitabha Buddha, the love is pure, without condition and transparent. This is truly loving a person. It is not easy to learn this. We look at the couples around us. So many got married and end up in divorce. How about those who do not get a divorce? Yes, they spend the whole life fighting!The truly loving couples are as few as the stars in the broad day light. So, learning to love is our homework for the whole life. It is not easy. Today I would like to discuss this passage with you. After reading her writing I feel most shameful as what the author has said is very true in accord with her experience. Even though I have left home for more than twenty years, receiving the teaching of the Buddha, the guidance of the patriarch, the exhortation of my Master, the help of my lotus friends and all, I still feel I am lacking in genuine practice and virtues. On the contrary this lady has not met with the Buddha Dharma. She has such an awakening after dying once, it is truly a gain for her. She said, ‘After my body stopped functioning, I entered into another world.’ She was so seriously ill that her heart, her liver and everything stopped functioning. This is to show there is a world after death. She said, ‘I saw myself as a very wonderful person. This is because I was not terrorised until I had a change in shape.’ ‘I felt there was this vibrant energy around me and I was able to enter it. I realise if a man can see his wonderful existence, he must be the happiest man.’ Most of us like to complain about our imperfect existence. We often think thus, ‘I do not have enough money. I am not healthy. I am not pretty. I do not have enough clothing ….’ Here we must learn to see the good points in us, to appreciate the value of our existence. A woman who can say like this is truly very calm in mind. A man who always complains about himself will not be able to live happily each day. So, without knowing the love of Amitabha for us, we will be a great complainer. We complain about no money, we complain about our look, our wrinkles and so on and so forth. What kind of life will this be with so many complaints? She said, ‘I found that there was this power surrounding me.’ When we pass away, we will no longer be using our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind to observe. Instead, we will be awakened to our innate Buddha. She felt she is surrounded by this vibrant field of energy and she is also this energy. What kind of power is this? It is a kind of energy. It is always in the universe or the dharma realm in the Buddhist terms. In fact, this is Amitabha Buddha. This is the strength of the Buddha Nature. She uses her Buddha Nature to experience the Buddha Nature. It exists forever. It is neither born nor become extinct. If the Buddha enters the world or does not enter the world, it is always there without changing. Of course, she does not use these Buddhist terms. She said, ‘When I give up the attachment to the mundane world, I enter another world effortlessly. It is unnecessary to pray, to recite a sutra or to give a dharma talk. It is unnecessary to seek forgiveness, repentance or other methods.’ ‘Death gives me the feeling that I do not need to do anything. It is just as though I am telling someone I am coming to the end. I cannot do anything anymore. I give up. Whatever you want to do I will just accept.’ I feel that this passage is very near in meaning to the Pure Land’s view. It means when we die, we have just to let go as nothing can be done anymore. Most people die in torment as there are many attachments in this world. They are worried about their children, money and work. Some people find it difficult to die. So, from here we must learn to let go when it is our turn to leave the world. Moreover, we have the promise from Amitabha Buddha who will come to receive us in accord with the strength of his vows. It is much easier for us. This lady just let go and she entered another world. Her state should be quite high too. I will explain below. I feel that she had arrived at the border of the Pure Land. Her state of an awakened mind showed that she was not in the heaven. She seemed to be enlightened to the Buddha nature and non -existence of a self. She experienced the light of enlightenment and returned to life, to lead a life of love. So, in our practice we are told to let go of all attachment and to wish for a rebirth in the Pure Land relying on Amitabha’s strength of vows. So from here we can see it is very easy to be born in the World of Ultimate Bliss. She said it is unnecessary to recite a sutra, a dharma or seeking for forgiveness. She enters the other world naturally when she simply gives up herself. I remember once I went with my Master to console a dying man. I was very touched by my Master’s words. He said kindly to the man who is on the verge of death, ‘So and so, now we will recite Namo Amitabha Buddha. If you can recite, then recite together. If you can’t, just lay down and relax. It is ok if you just listen to our recitation.’ Are not these words very comforting? The dying man will feel very safe and relax. But if you were to say, ‘So and so, this is the last chance. Bring out all your strength to face death. If you can recite then recite together. If you cannot recite, you must try also!’ On listening to this threat, the sick man is stressed out. He will die instantly as he has no strength to join in recitation. The Master who with his great love understands the rescue of Amitabha Buddha is a natural process that he is able to say in such a comforting way. No condition is needed. There is no threat nor fright in his words. A man who threatens people is not calm as he must be frightened too in his mind. That is why what he says will frighten people, giving stress to others. If we are loving in our mind, our words will only bring love, peace and calm to others. People will feel our love for them. So, this lady says it is unnecessary to read or recite any prayer or seeking forgiveness. This is because the wavelength of her mind is on a par with the great love of the universe. She naturally enters it. Namo Amitabha Buddha is a dharma that requires no seeking or pleading. It is a dharma of rescue without condition. When we recite Namo Amitabha Buddha, the wavelength of our mind is the same as Amitabha Buddha. So, we will attain a rebirth naturally. Many of us who do not understand the kindness of Amitabha Buddha will seek a rebirth by pleading to the Buddha every day. His mind is unsettled and frightened that he might be left out. This is because he does not understand when he recites the Buddha’s name, the wavelength of his mind is in the same frequency with Amitabha Buddha’s mind and vows. Then people will ask, ‘Do we still go to recite the Buddha’s Name for the dying man?’ ‘Yes, of course.’ This is because the dying man has yet to understand this point. When we recite for him, he will be safe in the shine of Namo Amitabha Buddha. This is a method which is bestowed upon us to save us with this Name in accord with the strength of the Buddha’s vows. When she says to somebody, this refers to Amitabha Buddha. She says she cannot do anything anymore and she gives up. She gives herself up to the Buddha. So, when we die do not try to fight with death and refuse to die. We must just admit we are the offender and we need the help of Amitabha Buddha to take us, to rescue us. Namo is to admit we take refuge in the Buddha, we surrender ourselves. When we cultivate this door, we must not add in our ideas. We must just let Amitabha Buddha to decide for us. This is because Amitabha has the power of great vow, the extensive great strength of the Buddha Nature, the strength of immeasurable light, the strength of immeasurable lifespan. We just have to give up all planning. He will plan for us. So, when we recite the Name of the Buddha, just recite without thinking of doing this or that trying so hard to reach a certain acceptable standard. These are all unnecessary. This type of thinking is the habit of the sagely path cultivators. When we sit on the plane, just sit there. The plane will bring you to your destiny. It is unnecessary for you to help the plane to fly. Amitabha Buddha the pilot does not need you to fly the plane. If he needs your help then he is not known as Amitabha Buddha. Anita said, ‘In the other world, I found that my mind is very clear and bright. I realise by myself that I will only die out of the fear and terror in my mind.’ These words are very true. Clarity of mind means her mind is pure. In this world our mind is turbid, dark and deluded. That is why are enveloped in all kinds of worries and terror. But once we arrive at the Pure Land, we will naturally be pure and bright. This is because the land is pure and is enveloped in bright illumination. She said she naturally know she will be cured. This knowing ability is possessed by us originally. No learning is needed because our Buddha nature is originally pure and bright. In the Saha world our ability is being covered up by afflictions. But when we arrive at the World of Ultimate Bliss, we will naturally possess this ability. This ability reappears relying on the strength of Vows of Amitabha Buddha. When we arrive at the Pure Land, we will naturally possess the ability to make offerings to the Buddha. On hearing one sentence we are enlightened to the millions. Our mind is opened up to the thousands of million Dharanis. Everyone of us have this innate ability. And Amitabha Buddha’s strength of Vows enhances its opening. In this Saha World our innate nature is all covered up and cannot function. In the world of ultimate bliss, by relying on Amitabha Buddha’s strength of great vows, our innate ability is open up. So they are not contradicting. ‘I naturally know the source of the thought that I will die. The source is I was frightened. If there is no fear, there is no death.’ In actuality there is no death. It is only our fear of death that this illusion comes froth. In Buddha dharma we should know death itself is an illusion. Time is also an illusion. That is why the Buddha speaks all the Sutra in this manner, ‘Thus have I heard, at one time the Buddha was…..’ No specific time is stated. Now the physics has proven its illusory. As time is an illusion, it does not exist. Let me give you an example of what is meant by death. It is as if we are driving a car into a tunnel. The shape of the tunnel resembles that of a tomb. And we keep on driving into it. We say we are entering the tomb, that we are going to die soon. We are threatened as the entrance represents death. We continue on our journey in the tunnel and later leave the tunnel, again travelling on our way to another destiny. The entrance of the tunnel, the funeral wreath looks like the tomb. For us, death is a terrible idea that we are fearful of it. We do not know life is a continuity and there is no death. It is our wrong concept that there is this section of birth and death. No one can do anything about it until they personally realise it. ‘I am unable to live out my real self as I have too much worried.’ Most of us live in this world wearing a mask. If everyone of us is free to show our real self this is the most beautiful side of a self. Why cannot we live the way we should live? It is because we are always burdened with worries. We are worried we are not good enough. We are worried that our parents will scold us. We are worried our teacher will get angry and criticize us. We are worried about losing face. We only live for others. We lose our life away trying to accord to others’ expectation. We lose the light of a happy life. Our life is controlled by all these worrisome thoughts. But if we truly recite the Buddha’s Name, our mind will be at ease. Amitabha Buddha takes away our worries by replacing them with Namo Amitabha Buddha. We will realise all these worries and views are not important and we will gradually pay no attention to them. Our true life is Buddha recitation. That is our real identity. Our mind will be at ease as we will pay no attention to those unreal things, words and ideas. Our worries only arise when we care too much about the mundane matters. The author has not learnt about Buddhism. This is her experience in death. What she has written is very personal, true experience, not something that we learn from a book. Her experience gives her an awakening to the reality of life and she lives out her life in this awakening. I saw her video and I feel she is an enlightened person. An enlightened person may not be replete with spiritual penetration. But she will reveal her love in her daily living. She is calm at ease and without any sense of fear in her mind. She leads her life in a genuine way. She said, ‘I know that cancer is not a punishment neither is it a retribution. Cancer is my energy capacity which reveals itself on my body. Because of my fear I am unable to reveal the beautiful self in me. And this is the job which should be carried out by me. I know that cancer is not a punishment which is forced on me. It is not an external force of retribution.’ This is what we often do when certain things happen, we will try to find an excuse or put the blame on reward or retribution. We treat the misfortune with anger and hatred. We often have this tendency to catogorise every happening in accord with the cause or reason. In Buddhism we talk about cause and effect. As she is not a Buddhist she says, ‘Cancer appears as a result of a change in my energy capacity. This energy shows itself in the form of cancer.’ This is because she lives in fear and worries. She does not live out her real happy self. So if we the Buddha recitation cultivators are able to reveal the bright side of life, to live without worries, there will be no more cancer for us. This is her understanding about life. That is why I have often said, ‘Lead a life of a mundane man and recite the Buddha’s Name sincerely.’ We should lead a life of Amitabha Buddha. Our life will be full of light and blessings. And we will become more loving. Finally we will lead a comfortable life and people around us will be comfortable also. This itself is the propagation of the dharma of love. Otherwise, if we cannot live a loving life, there is no point talking about anything as they will be useless. Anita said, ‘In that state which is vast and limitless, I found that I am too strict with myself. I keep on whipping myself.’ Can we feel the existence of being vast and limitless? No. We are often limited by our surrounding. As she had entered the limitless vastness, she is able to know her whole life. She knows her fault is being too strict with herself. In fact, most of us are very strict with ourselves, demanding ourselves to be like this or that. She said, ‘No one is punishing me. The person whom I cannot forgive is I myself. I have abandoned myself. I do not love myself. This matter is none of others’ business.’ No one from outside comes to punish us. It is we who punish ourselves. We cannot forgive our selves. We add on a lot of unnecessary locks and chains on ourselves. What is more for us the Buddha reciters? If we recite the Buddha’s name and on the other hand, we add on ourselves lots of locks and chains whence Amitabha Buddha is trying to unlock us, isn’t this a most pitiful situation?’ She said that she had abandoned herself. It means we throw ourselves away and become a lone ranger, an isolated person living a life of sadness, a live without love. Look at a baby. Her eyes are clear as the baby is a simple being, just like a simple puppies or baby cat. The baby can play with chickens, puppis as she does not give rise to diffentiation. Not everyone of us is like Anita. But every one of us can recite the Buddha’s name. When we recite the Buddha’s name, we will be calm. Amitabha Buddha said, ‘In the world of fear I comfort them with great love.’ It is because all the worries are gone when we accomplish Buddhahood at the Pure Land. We will not be so worried about our poverty, health problem, ugliness, stupidity, inability to recite a sutra, a mantra. All these are unimportant as finally I will become a Buddha in the Buddha Land. We will be more humorous. For example, if we are ugly we will use it as a joke. It does not matter at all. Because all the external states are not you. The real self, our real life is the Buddha’s Name. It is our true identity. It will bring ease to our mind. A baby is pure. But as it grows up, it starts to abandon himself. A baby resembles a glass of pure water. When he grows up, his greed starts to accumulate when he wants a toy, a book, good results, money, benefits, fame women and so on. All these are placed in the glass of water. Everything is a piece of mud that we put in out glass. The more we put into the glass, the more the water will flow out. This water is the genuine self. We abandon the true self, chase it out with our greed. We fill ourselves with all the rubbish. The genuine blessings and bliss are chased away. We lead an opaque life without transparency. Our life become a glass of muddy water and we live in great torment. The more we obtain, the more we lose ourselves. That is why the Buddha is truly kind. He and his disciples lead a life of a beggar. When you have nothing, you will be happy and relax. The mind retains its purity. Human beings are deluded as they think to possess a wife, children, a house, a car are called blessings. A man who truly loves himself does not love money, sex, fame, food, sleep. These five desires are the knives that will cut us into pieces and bring on great sufferings. Anita said, ‘I realise I am the child of the beautiful universe. As long as I exist, I will obtain this unconditional love.’ This is very good. I would like to make the following changes, ‘I realize that I am the son of the adorned Amitabha Buddha.’ In Buddhism we use adorned to replace the word beautiful. The universe is this Amitabha Buddha. In the Sutra we are told Amitabha Buddha is the Treasury Body of the Dharma Realm. Amitabha Buddha exists in the whole of the Dharma Realm. Of course, there are also the reward body and transformation bodies beside the dharma body. Amitabha Buddha is the immeasurable wisdom and lifespan. Anita says that the universal energy is abundant and inexhaustible, vast and without limits. This is the existence of the Buddha Nature. She says as long as she exists, she will surely obtain the unconditional love. I often also say, ‘No conditions are required for us to receive the love and rescue of Amitabha Buddha.’ Let us take the analogy of a tree. As long as it exists, it will receive the sunlight. No other condition is needed. So it is the same for the house and everything on earth. Amitabha Buddha’s Name is also known as the Light that Far-surpassing the Sun and Moon. Amitabha Buddha’s light pervasively illumines all the living beings and things in the world. As long as we exist, we will receive the light of the Buddha, the protection of his loving kindness and rescue. It is unnecessary for us to become somebody so as to receive the unconditional rescue of Amitabha Buddha. Our Master Hui Jing also wrote a book on the ‘Unconditional Rescue of the Buddha.’ Some people cannot believe. He says, ‘If this is the case everyone will commit evils.’ Such a thinking is negative and full of fear as his mind is dwelling in darkness. He is afraid that the world will go upside down. He cannot understand that as long as there is the existence, may they be a cat, a dog, a hell being, they will be taken care of by Amitabha Buddha. The only condition is they exist. This reminds me of the words of Great Master Tan Luan, ‘The future scholars who hear about the rescue of the Buddha, the rescue that relies on other’s strength, he should give rise to faith. Do not refuse such a chance. It is being stupid.’ Do not think that you should do this and that to obtain the rescue? Amitabha Buddha did not ask you to do anything. He says, ‘Living beings in the ten directions who have faith in me.’ It means they exist and the Buddha will be there to save them. Buddha recitation is not a condition. It is just a method of saving. Anita says, ‘I do not have to do anything to obtain this love.’ Just like a blade of grass in the water. Does it need to do anything to obtain water? It is unnecessary. As long as it exists, it is surrounded by the water. As long as we exist, we are surrounded by the love of Amitabha Buddha. We do not need to do anything to obtain this love and care. Once we know this, we will be fearless and calm at ease. This is the same as the sunlight which shine on the mountain and also the valley. In our life no matter what level we are we will receive the illumination of Amitabha Buddha. Anita says, ‘No prayer, no seeking is needed.’ Amitabha’s rescue is there always. As long as we recite, we will be saved by him. Amitabha Buddha says, ‘All living beings in the ten directions who call on me will be saved by me. You only have to say out my name.’ You say you are dumb and cannot call the name. Such a man who understands the rescue of Buddha will also be saved even if he cannot pronounce the Name. But if you are unwilling, you are creating an obstacle for yourself. That is why our dharma door is known as the ‘The Dharma is taught without being asked.’, the ‘Befriend us without being asked’. As long as we trust him, he will come personally to take us to his Pure Land. On hearing that nothing is needed to be done, some will be confused. They want to do something, to clean the altar, to change the water, to offer some fruits and incense, to sit in meditation and so on. They think this will help them to attain a rebirth. They have to do something. They do not realise what they need to do is to reveal the beautiful self, to lead the adorned life and let themselves become the love. As long as we sit there and lead a loving life we are in accord with the love of the Buddha Amitabha. When the sun is shining, you say, ‘It is good. A shiny day.’ When it is raining, you say, ‘Very good. It is raining now.’ When it snows, you say, ‘Good, I love snow.’ This way of living is to add the positive loving energy to this universe. You are spreading the pure and harmony energy to the universe. In the Buddha Dharma it is known as the lights shine on one another. The whole universe will receive the positive energy of your loving and harmonious mind. So, what you need to do is to recite Namo Amitabha Budda loudly, softly, silently. All will be ok. If we live this way, Amitabha Buddha will be most happy to see us. It is just like a child who is sleeping in the cradle. Doing nothing. What do you think? Will the mother be happy to see him like that? Yes, of course. She will be very glad with him just sleeping there. Nothing has to be done. A child in the arms of his mother is the revelation of total trust. And this is the same for us to be in the arms of Amitabha Buddha. We just relax and trust him. We will lead a happy life. And this is the genuine way of living in accord with the love of oneself. More often than not we lead a life with worries, fear, twisted emotions and trying to cover up our faults. Our adorned life cannot be revealed. Everyday, we live in fear and worries. This is adding chains and locks to ourselves. Anita says, ‘I have never truly loved myself before. I have never valued my existence. I have never seen the adorned soul in me.’ She uses soul to describe herself. In the Buddha Dharma this refers to the beauty and adorned Buddha Nature. She said, ‘I am so beautiful yet I have never realised it. It is replaced with the hard facts of mundane existence. I decay because I do not understand my beautiful soul.’ In the Buddha Dharma it is described as all living beings are originally the Buddha. Yet we do not live, in accord with our Buddha Nature. We are often controlled by our mundane existence, the salary, the examination results and such like. We forget of our Buddha Nature. We lead a life of decay, a life of erosion. This is the General path of Buddhism. From the angle of Buddha Recitation, the rescue of Amitabha is always with us, only that we do not realise it. We try all kinds of methods hoping for the Buddha to rescue us. We do not know that we just have to admit we are the mundane men who are covered with offences. There is no other way to save ourselves if we do not rely on Amitabha Buddha. Then we let go and recite the Buddha’s Name wholeheartedly. This is the way to be saved by the Buddha. But most people cannot understand this. They want to do something good, to be pretentious and make out something good of himself, to scold people for their lacking in virtues and such like. This is against the practise of this pure land door. Why cannot the people in the world see their pretention? It is because they are also not living a true life. Their eyes are not clear enough to see through this pretention. A fake man sees something fake and he will treat it as genuine. A clear -headed man will surely be able to see through all these false masks. If we were to wear a false mask for too long it will be difficult to remove it. It has grown on to our skin. It will be painful if we want to remove this fake mask. So it takes time for us to loosen this false mask as we have been wearing them for too long. Anita says, ‘This understanding makes me realise that I do not have to be frightened anymore.’ There is no more fear in her mind. It is a mind of calm and bliss. It is a mind which is full of hope. It is a comforting mind that can soothe others. With this calm and happy mind it is already a contribution to all around us. It is already a protection and mindfulness to all around us. We do not have to do anything at all. Most of us live in fear. We pay for insurance because we are afraid when we get old, we have no money, no money to pay the medical fees. We get married out of fear that we will be lonely. Why do we give birth to children? We are afraid no one will take care of us at old age. Why do we go to school? It is because we are afraid of our mother’s anger. Why must we study hard? We are afraid of our teacher. Why do we go to university? We are afraid people will look down on us. Can we live without fear? We cannot. Even our mother who loves us so much say we will suffer if we do not study hard. From our young age we receive the education of fear. We are threatened by our beloved parents, our responsible teachers. We do not receive the education of love. So, if we love our children, do not add fear to them. We must give only love and courage so that they can face life with their original positive energy, positive strength. This is because the world is full of twisted people, fake people, suffering people. There are very few upright men, genuine men, happy and hopeful men around. I only hope all of you my lotus friends will bring up a future generation who is upright, genuine, happy and hopeful with the strength of Amitabha Buddha. So, we must lead a life based on the right values taught by Amitabha Buddha. If we teach our child to fight for self -benefit, to contend with others, we are making them blind so that they do not see the truth of life. This is harming them. If we are enlightened to this, we will only rely on Amitabha Buddha. We are not afraid to be lonely. We will be at ease. Those who see the light, the warmth of the Buddha will no longer be frightened. Anita says, ‘I realise this is a state that can be reached by myself and everyone.’ In Zen sect it is said all living beings are Buddha. In the Buddha recitation door, everyone can recite the Name, everyone can attain a rebirth and everyone can accomplish Buddhahood. This is the bestowment by Amitabha Buddha. All the things that we fight for may not be beneficial to us. Everything that benefits us are often free. For example, the air we take in every instant is free. We do not pay to stand on the earth. We do not pay to look at the sky above. Whatever we fight and earn to get are valueless. Everything that is valuable is free. In the general practice it is said, ‘No cultivation is the cultivation. Nothing is obtainable. This is the state of a bodhisattva. The original face of all dharma often dwells in the mark of still extinction. Our Buddha Nature is replete with all merits and virtues. We cannot cultivate anything to enhance it. This is because all the things that we can do are only dreams, illusion, bubbles and shadow. Whatever that we do, that we create are not in accord with our Buddha Nature. The Buddha Nature is always there, original and shining out naturally. And in our Pure Land Dharma, whatever we have offered, whatever we have done are not the causes for our attainment of a rebirth. Attaining a rebirth is the state of nothing doing. It stays apart from creation or doing. It is a natural state. Reciting Namo Amitabha Buddha helps us to return to this state. Anita said, ‘So I decided to return to the mundane world.’ She has enlightened to the opportunity of life and she decided to come back to tell us about life. Just like many Pure Land cultivators who say that they will not come back any more to sufferings. Yet when they arrive at the Pure Land and brings forth the Bodhi mind, they will come back by themselves to help other beings. Anita said, ‘When I was on the verge of death, I realised the universe comes forth from unconditional love. I am one of the revelations of this love in my present form.’ For the scientists they will say the universe is made from electron, protons, neutrons and so on. This is talking only at the surface level, the materials. But as she talked from her true experienc,e she can see all the things, all the people are the expression of this universal love. When she comes back from death, she deeply penetrates the genuine love the mother universe and her wavelength is in accord with the universal love. She comes back as a healthy woman. So once there is a change in our mind set, the body, the people and the surroundings will also change. In the eyes of Buddha and Bodhisattva there is no differentiation of filth and purity. Everything is pure and adorned in its own expression. Every one of us is the art piece of this unconditional love or in the Buddha’s words, the Buddha Nature. She said, ‘I cannot change into another form as it is my original expression, original nature of this unconditional love.’ Everything that exists is the expression of the Buddha Nature. Even something which is defiled or unwholesome is also part of the expression of this unconditional everlasting love. That is why the Buddha says, ‘All the Dharma from the original state dwells constantly in still extinction.’ Still extinction refers to Nirvana the state of the Buddha. So, when we recite the Buddha’s Name we will enter the Buddha’s dwelling. ‘The energy capacity of the strength of life forms derives from love. And I am made from the universal energy capacity. On knowing this, I realise I do not need to become somebody else. And my true value will not be depreciated too.’ Anita said, So, it is unnecessary for us to become another man. A business man does not need to become Jack Ma. Why is this so? It is because you are equal to him. He is not higher than you. He has the Buddha Nature and you also have the Buddha Nature. Every one is equal. So we do not need to measure in terms of money especially if we truly know the benefits of Buddha recitation. In the eyes of the Buddha every one of us is a shining star. We do not need to chase after another star. Just imagine the havoc it will be when the stars do not dwell in its orbit and try to chase after another star. What a chaos the universe will become. Everyone of our existence is in perfect conditions in the eyes of the Buddha and Bodhisattva. ‘This is the I that I have always wanted to be.’ she said. We must learn to appreciate ourselves, accept ourselves and love ourselves. This ‘I’ is invaluable under the unconditional love of the Rescue of Amitabha Buddha. We are his precious sons, the pearls on his hand. If we are accepted by the Buddha, we will be so happy as we will have no complaint about ourselves. We are often surrounded by people who keep on complaining about us. The first one is our mother who says that we are not clever, we have low marks. We are not filial. We earn too little. See how our mother teaches us not to appreciate ourselves. Then we are blamed by our teacher, our classmates, our girl -friend and so on. Then comes Amitabha Buddha who studies us and says, ‘Put aside all the complaints. You are qualified to attain Buddhahood. No problem at all. I give you 100 percent.’ That is why we Buddha Recitation Practitioners are always at ease under the shine of Amitabha Buddha who give us the confirmation. This is the greatest benefits the Buddha bestows upon us. Buddhism brings hope and bliss to the world, the universe. So, in this life’s time we must try our best to lead a life of Amitabha Buddha. Do not be swayed by the mundane values, mundane eyes, mundane perspective. We rely only on the outlook of the Buddha and Bodhisattva. ‘Once we know that we are this love, it is unnecessary to purposely go forth to shower love on others. As long as we are faithful to our original nature, we will automatically become the tools of love, touching the hearts of everyone who have affinity with us.’ This part of her speech is very good. If we are already the lamp, there is no need for us to go out purposely to shine on others. The lamp just stands at its place and it manages to brighten up the place. So, when we are the LOVE, we will naturally touch those around us with our love. Take a look at our Master Hui Jing. He sits there quietly and yet every one of us are calm and happy naturally. So when we become the love, wherever we are, all will feel calm at ease, without any fear. Anita said, ‘The most important thing I have learnt is I am the Love itself. All my fears are gone. This is the reason I come into life again.’ Amitabha Buddha said, ‘I will transform all the fear into great calmness, great serenity’ When We recite His Name we are charged with his love. We also become the love. We will leave behind all fear. ‘My dear, you will always be loved. You do not need to harbour any fear. There is no way for you to commit any errors.’ Always think about these three sentences. There is the light of truth in it. This is spoken by a non -Buddhist who was on the verge of her death and who lives again. How about us the Buddha Recitation Practitioners? Can we deny the love of Amitabha Buddha, His unconditional love of rescue? From this story we know the unconditional love of rescue of the Buddha pervasively surrounds us. We must have faith in this and lead a life of joy with no more fear. Nowadays, everyone lives in fear. We must learn to replete ourselves with love and bring this shine to others, to lead them out of fear. Love yourself and love others. Namo Amitabha Buddha. A dharma talk by Dharma Master Shi Jing Zong, the Abbot of the Hong Yuan Monastery in Anhui, China entitled: Dying Once to Learn to Love
submitted by NamoAmitabha_Buddha to PureLand [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 04:17 dumptruckpixarmomass Joining the Guard, advice on first list

As the title says, one of my main armies is GSC and I have quite a few brood brothers so I figured I may as well get a second very expensive army. After a bit of research into staple units and strategies this is the first draft I ended up with.
Lord Solar goes with a platoon squad and 20 kriegsmans, in my head this is a big enough blanket to let me play a bit more aggressive with him. Other squad of 20 kriegsman get the marshal and the primaris psyker to be a big heavy blob with a 4++/5+++ and some decent returning fire. If they enter into melee it seems like a half decent tarpit for the price. Ursula sits on home with the infantry squad for overlapping fields of fire w/ the mortar. Tempestus Scions start in deep strike and come down for secondaries or extra fire. Rough Riders just got buffed and I quite like how different they are to usual guard models so I figured i could try them out as a fun trade piece. If any of this is an incorrect way to use a unit, please let me know. Thank you in advance.
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Char1: 1x Death Korps Marshal (60 pts): Power Weapon, Plasma Pistol
Char2: 5x Platoon Command Squad (60 pts)
• 4x Veteran Guardsman
1 with Close Combat Weapon, Laspistol, Sniper Rifle
1 with Close Combat Weapon, Laspistol, Meltagun
1 with Master Vox, Close Combat Weapon, Lasgun, Laspistol
1 with Medi-pack, Close Combat Weapon, Lasgun, Laspistol
• 1x Platoon Commander: Close Combat Weapon, Plasma Pistol, Power Fist
Char3: 1x Primaris Psyker (60 pts): Force Weapon, Laspistol, Psychic Maelstrom
Char4: 1x Tank Commander (205 pts): Armoured Tracks, Hunter-killer Missile, Executioner Plasma Cannon, Lascannon, 2x Militarum Plasma Cannon, Heavy Stubber
Char5: 1x Lord Solar Leontus (125 pts): Warlord, Conquest, Konstrain's Hooves, Sol's Righteous Gaze
Char6: 1x Ursula Creed (55 pts): Duty and Vengeance, Power Weapon
20x Death Korps of Krieg (130 pts): Watchmasters, 11x Death Korps Trooper, Death Korps Trooper w/ Death Korps Medi-pack, 2x Death Korps Trooper w/ Grenade Launcher, Death Korps Trooper w/ Meltagun, Death Korps Trooper w/ Sniper Rifle, 2x Death Korps Trooper w/ Plasma Gun
20x Death Korps of Krieg (130 pts): Watchmasters, 11x Death Korps Trooper, Death Korps Trooper w/ Death Korps Medi-pack, 2x Death Korps Trooper w/ Grenade Launcher, Death Korps Trooper w/ Meltagun, Death Korps Trooper w/ Sniper Rifle, 2x Death Korps Trooper w/ Plasma Gun
9x Infantry Squad (60 pts): 5x Guardsman, Guardsman w/ Vox Caster, Heavy Weapons Team, Sergeant, Guardsman w/ Sniper Rifle
3x Bullgryn Squad (90 pts): Close Combat Weapon
• 1x Bullgryn Bone 'ead: Brute Shield, Bullgryn Maul
• 2x Bullgryn: 2 with Brute Shield, Close Combat Weapon, Bullgryn Maul
3x Bullgryn Squad (90 pts): Close Combat Weapon
• 1x Bullgryn Bone 'ead: Brute Shield, Bullgryn Maul
• 2x Bullgryn: 2 with Brute Shield, Close Combat Weapon, Bullgryn Maul
10x Kasrkin (120 pts)
• 9x Kasrkin Trooper
2 with Close Combat Weapon, Hot-shot Lasgun
1 with Melta mine, Close Combat Weapon, Hot-shot Laspistol
1 with Close Combat Weapon, Hot-shot Marksmen Rifle
1 with Vox-caster, Close Combat Weapon, Hot-shot lasgun
2 with Close Combat Weapon, Hot-shot Volley Gun
2 with Close Combat Weapon, Meltagun
• 1x Kasrkin Sergeant: Power Weapon, Hot-shot Laspistol
10x Kasrkin (120 pts)
• 9x Kasrkin Trooper
2 with Close Combat Weapon, Hot-shot Lasgun
1 with Melta mine, Close Combat Weapon, Hot-shot Laspistol
1 with Close Combat Weapon, Hot-shot Marksmen Rifle
1 with Vox-caster, Close Combat Weapon, Hot-shot lasgun
2 with Close Combat Weapon, Hot-shot Volley Gun
2 with Close Combat Weapon, Meltagun
• 1x Kasrkin Sergeant: Power Weapon, Hot-shot Laspistol
5x Tempestus Scions (50 pts)
• 4x Tempestus Scion
1 with Close Combat Weapon, Hot-shot Lasgun
1 with Close Combat Weapon, Grenade Launcher
1 with Close Combat Weapon, Hot-shot Volley Gun
1 with Vox-caster, Close Combat Weapon, Hot-shot Laspistol
• 1x Tempestor: Power Fist, Plasma Pistol
5x Tempestus Scions (50 pts)
• 4x Tempestus Scion
1 with Close Combat Weapon, Hot-shot Lasgun
1 with Close Combat Weapon, Grenade Launcher
1 with Close Combat Weapon, Hot-shot Volley Gun
1 with Vox-caster, Close Combat Weapon, Hot-shot Laspistol
• 1x Tempestor: Power Fist, Plasma Pistol
5x Attilan Rough Riders (60 pts)
• 4x Attilan Rough Rider
1 with Hunting Lance, Lasgun, Laspistol, Steed's Hooves
1 with Hunting Lance, Lasgun, Laspistol, Steed's Hooves
1 with Hunting Lance, Lasgun, Laspistol, Steed's Hooves
1 with Hunting Lance, Lasgun, Laspistol, Steed's Hooves
• 1x Rough Rider Sergeant: Lasgun, Laspistol, Power Sabre, Steed's Hooves, Hunting Lance
5x Attilan Rough Riders (60 pts)
• 4x Attilan Rough Rider: 4 with Hunting Lance, Lasgun, Laspistol, Steed's Hooves
• 1x Rough Rider Sergeant: Lasgun, Laspistol, Power Sabre, Steed's Hooves, Hunting Lance
1x Basilisk (150 pts): Armoured Tracks, Earthshaker Cannon, Heavy Bolter
1x Leman Russ Demolisher (200 pts): Demolisher Battle Cannon, Armoured Tracks, Hunter-killer Missile, Lascannon, Heavy Stubber, 2x Multi-melta
1x Scout Sentinels (60 pts): Close Combat Weapon, Hunter-killer Missile, Sentinel Chainsaw, Lascannon
1x Scout Sentinels (60 pts): Close Combat Weapon, Hunter-killer Missile, Sentinel Chainsaw, Lascannon
submitted by dumptruckpixarmomass to astramilitarum [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 04:17 CreativeSource1209 If you ‘DAMN’ Pastor Quiboloy, you ‘DAMN’ Duterte, you ‘DAMN’ the country.

If you ‘DAMN’ Pastor Quiboloy, you ‘DAMN’ Duterte, you ‘DAMN’ the country.
A few days ago, I came across this book, 'How to Destroy A Man Now (DAMN): A Handbook' by Angela Confidential. Just from its title, you can easily tell that this is a guide to ruining a man's reputation or life.Basically, this book gives practical tactics on how ‘Allegations,’ the ‘Media,’ and the ‘Authority’ work together to dethrone a man from influence and power.
I would like to use this perspective as we navigate the issues concerning Pastor Apollo.If you want to DAMN, start with making allegations. That is the first weapon. Merriam-Webster defines allegations as ‘an assertion unsupported and by implication regarded as unsupportable.’
This means anyone who makes an allegation against any man is free from the burden of facts. So, the devils made sure he crafted piles of serious allegations to ruin Pastor Apollo’s reputation on a global scale.
The following were made since 2018, roughly six years in the making:Allegations in the United States. The perpetrators here, according to the camp of Pastor Apollo, were in connivance with former workers who had supposedly committed grave crimes in the KOJC and fled to the U.S.
The allegations include conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking, sex trafficking of children, sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, conspiracy, and bulk cash smuggling.Until now none of these allegations have been proven true in court, yet the U.S. government agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation, put Pastor Apollo's name on the Most Wanted List. In the Philippines, it’s more complicated.
Cases of alleged sexual abuse of a minor and qualified human trafficking were filed against Pastor Apollo but were easily dismissed by Philippine courts. However, recently, the Justice Department overturned the decision and Pastor Apollo is once again facing scrutiny.
The legislature, tasked with making laws, targeted Pastor Apollo through hearings. In the Senate, Senator Risa Hontiveros launched a probe against Pastor Apollo for alleged human trafficking, labor violations, and sex-related offenses. In the lower house, headed by Speaker Martin Romualdez, who is the cousin of President Bongbong Marcos, they targeted the media arm of KOJC - the Sonshine Media Network International, alleging franchise violations and implicating Pastor Apollo as the owner, thus compelling his presence at the hearing.
Notably, the House Speaker generously gave the known CPP-NPA operatives France Castro, Arlene Brosas, and Raoul Manuel the floor to launch ad hominem attacks against Pastor Apollo. They have become one of the mouthpieces of the devils.
Moreover, the House also weaponized the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to impose an indefinite suspension on SMNI, as well as the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) to suspend two programs, including former President Duterte’s 'Gikan sa Masa Para sa Masa' and 'Laban Kasama ang Bayan,' due to alleged franchise violations. This is clearly to silence SMNI. They want to disarm the people of truth, especially about the Dutertes and about the terrorist organization CPP-NPA-NDF.
With all the missiles and bombs of allegations against Pastor Apollo, the devils now need a 'Media' platform to proliferate. If the allegation is the bullet, then the media is the gun. This is the second weapon of the Devil.Use the Power of Media.
You’ve probably heard the philosophical question, “If a tree falls in the woods, and no one hears it, did it make a sound?” The more people who know about an allegation, the more powerful it becomes.
Admit it, we're drawn to the drama, especially Filipinos, which is why you'll notice more scandalous stories in the news and media these days—everyone loves a bit of gossip!"Sex sells,” they say. When it comes to allegations against a holy or religious figure like Pastor Apollo, especially those related to flesh, it can shatter their reputation and can be particularly devastating, regardless of the truth.In a court of law, a man is presumed innocent until proven guilty. But in the court of public opinion manipulated by the media, a man “serially accused” of a scandal is guilty until proven innocent.In this scenario, an allegation doesn't need evidence to DAMN someone because media manipulation turns it into its own proof.
Thousands, even millions, of people can unite against one man.Look at the mainstream media, even the alternative that wants to gain popularity, makes Pastor Apollo their headlines because they profit from it. However, they bear little responsibility for doing it. Apparently, as long as the media labels the scandal as an "allegation," they are somewhat protected from legal consequences.
Moreover, the media can claim they are merely reporting the allegation, not making it. However, the way they report it often contributes to shaping the allegation itself.But we're not only referring to traditional media. With the rise of social media, the realm of trolls and paid vloggers/bloggers, the spread of allegations has become faster and more potent.The "evidence" and public perception of guilt crafted by allegations and the media's collaboration can grow so significant and influential that the third weapon of the Devil, 'Authority,' is compelled to intervene.Authority. In the case of Pastor Apollo, the authority being used by the devils is the US-PH government and its instrumentalities. And their mission is to fully destroy him now.According to the handbook, “Ultimately, it’s authority that plays the final role in condemning a man.
As ‘Daddy Knight’ he takes pride in his role as guardian and savior, especially of the weak, mistreated, violated, and so on. He strives to be the hero who saves the damsel in distress. In other words, authority caters to victims, and nothing gets [Authority]’s attention more than a call to action to save victims.”“Also, keep in mind that with the media’s help, allegations against authorities can be used to motivate authority to take action. Just about any widespread allegation about an authority being remiss, ineffectual, or negligent in its “guardian and savior” role will suffice.”And this is so evident with what Hontiveros is doing as well as Castro, Brosas and Manuel are doing. Listen to their words. It’s almost the same! They want to play the savior role.
They want to pretend heroes but never really give justice to the supposed victims.They are lawmakers but they act as judges. And they want justice for the supposed victims, why don’t they bring it to the proper forum which is the court? Because they’re not after justice; they’re after destroying the person of Pastor Apollo.
Hontiveros, alongside leftist lawmakers and their enablers, have shown disrespect for the sanctity of the institutions they represent.I recently came across a statement from Hontiveros, where she said in Filipino, “I also call on Quiboloy not to resort to drama.” But who's the real drama queen here? Isn’t it Hontiveros?Her bogus witnesses, as members of KOJC call them, joined the drama in the hearing.
Obviously, the script was made. What's more fascinating is that one of the 'witnesses' claimed to have seen Pastor giving a bag of guns to former President Duterte and his daughter, VP Inday Sara Duterte.Both of them denied it. The former president called it ‘silly’ and Sara Duterte has never been to Glory Mountain. It was an error in the script of the devils that they didn’t see coming.Well, if Hontiveros really wanted to stop the drama, then the alleged crimes should be brought to court.
The Senate, especially her, has no power to serve justice; its role is to make laws.The hearing was supposed to aid legislation. So, what law is she trying to make? The Philippines has one of the most laws in the world to combat human trafficking and sexual abuse cases. Did Hontiveros do her research? Or is it just in-aid of re-election?And it’s no secret that leftist lawmakers have been unmasked many times on SMNI through its program Laban Kasama ang Bayan, where former cadres unmasked who they truly are.
These individuals are often referred to as 'wolves in sheep's clothing' by these former members.It's crucial to understand the atrocities committed by the communist-terrorist groups CPP-NPA-NDF over the past five decades of insurgency, resulting in the deaths of thousands of innocent lives, including promising youth leaders, indigenous peoples, women, farmers, and individuals from all sectors affected by their deceptions.
Their objective within the government? To undermine and destroy it.
Only SMNI, of which Pastor Apollo is an honorary chair, has the courage to undertake this task: defending the government and the nation by giving enlightenment to the people.Recently, Castro said that the warrant of arrest issued against Pastor Apollo is "an important step" in obtaining justice for his victims.
Poor Castro, she lost her moral ascendancy a long time ago. I hope Castro will remember that she was charged, together with Satur Ocampo and 16 others for kidnapping and human trafficking over the transport of 14 children from Talaingod town in Davao del NorteIt's not surprising, then, that they are so eager and willing to destroy Pastor Apollo in this manner, especially when the current administration has allowed them to become the attack dogs against the good pastor.
They thirst for vengeance for the near-demise of the CPP-NPA-NDF that suffered a major blow during the Duterte presidency.
They seek to recover under the Marcos regime. This is one of the most alarming issues now that the nation must address: the 'unholy alliance' between the terrorist organization and their friends, and the government.
For now, we will pause here. We’ve given you a glimpse of the people in ‘authority’ that are part of the Devil’s playbook against Pastor Apollo.
In the upcoming parts, we will delve into the alliance dubbed as the "Unholy Trinity" involving the collusion of the US, Marcos, and the CPP, aimed at dismantling Pastor Apollo and the Dutertes.
We will explore why this has now become a matter of national significance. And why the fight of Pastor Apollo is a fight for every Filipino.
Read Part 1https://www.facebook.com/prestrackeposts/1035462161478486
submitted by CreativeSource1209 to u/CreativeSource1209 [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 04:13 Ischaldirh Ground combat calculations...?

A few Google searches were unhelpful, so here I am.
I have a few questions about combat effectiveness, to help me understand how much force I need to deploy to have a reasonable chance of winning in combat.
First, the most direct question: The in-game tooltips describe a 0.1 increase in Miltech as a 10% increase in combat power. Does this mean that a 0.5 increase in Miltech is a 50% increase in combat power? Or does is it a 1.1**5 increase?
Second, how does combat calculation actually happen? Are chances of success calculated in the same way that Councilor die rolls are calculated? i.e. a 4.0 army vs a 5.0 army has the same chance of scoring a hit as a 4.0 councilor doing a 5.0 job? Or is it some other formula?
Lastly, how do multiple armies fight? If there three of my armies and four of theirs, does each army pick a random opposing army to shoot at and then they all roll dice independently?
submitted by Ischaldirh to TerraInvicta [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 04:12 ObsidianKhan Separation/Divorce

I'm in a bind and it just seems to be costing me endlessly, I need to know some potential options or possibly perspective without handing over a limb. My wife and I separated 11 months ago - she left for someone else. Initially things were amicable, but then I engaged a solicitor because I realised I was being manipulated and wanted to protect myself somewhat. This has led to complications with solicitors and legal and now mediation which I did not think was necessary as we already have agreements. I have already payed my solicitor almost half of what was estimated and that has all been for nothing- basically just emails, they have now estimated at least half again to continue with absolutely no guarantee of anything and next to no real advice expect that I should go through mediation as it could get forced to court. I am worried that my ex wants more than what we have agreed to or she has already taken - she already got half of any liquid assets, all household items, a car, and I keep paying for the house and even the car loan for a time. What I'm asking is; is mediation and the added expense really my only next option? Should I arrange a meeting with my solicitor to address my concerns (at the extra cost) and see how they will protect my position? It seems so unfair that this costs me a small fortune (at least a 1/4 of my networth for legal fees as well as the inevitable payout) and the ex absolutely nothing, why? I did not choose to end the marriage, why am I so exposed and losing everything? For context I'm not well off, the only real asset left is a house, I do have a reasonable income hence my ability to pay for this - it's not easy though. And there are 2 kids.
submitted by ObsidianKhan to AusLegalAdvice [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 04:03 Fun_Enthusiasm_6144 RFK Jr. on Russell Brand's podcast: "I don't think Israel's intention is genocide. I don't believe there's any evidence of genocide…The IDF has protected civilians better than any army in history."

RFK Jr. on Russell Brand's podcast: submitted by Fun_Enthusiasm_6144 to palestinenews [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 04:00 Fun_Enthusiasm_6144 RFK Jr. on Russell Brand's podcast: "I don't think Israel's intention is genocide. I don't believe there's any evidence of genocide…The IDF has protected civilians better than any army in history."

https://x.com/prem_thakkestatus/1790868391579853018?s=46&t=XqoPQlQXNUeQEm954tUejg[https://x.com/prem_thakkestatus/1790868391579853018?s=46&t=XqoPQlQXNUeQEm954tUejg](https://x.com/prem_thakkestatus/1790868391579853018?s=46&t=XqoPQlQXNUeQEm954tUejg)
submitted by Fun_Enthusiasm_6144 to Gaza [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 03:49 jarrad960 A U.S. Army Green Beret assigned to 10th Special Forces Group displays capabilities with Bulgarian Special Forces

A U.S. Army Green Beret assigned to 10th Special Forces Group displays capabilities with Bulgarian Special Forces submitted by jarrad960 to SpecOpsArchive [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 03:47 Meteormancy I am looking for a Severus Snape centric fanfiction on Ao3...

I'm looking for a Snape Centric fanfiction where a young snape ends up looking into the Mirror of Erised and sees himself looking handsome in a suit and Lily Evans looking radiantly beautiful in a white wedding dress underneath the moonlight,
Seeing his hearts most deepest desire Snape decides he wants to become a better person for Lily and engages the help of Narcissa Black and Regulus Black in creating a list of his faults so he can begin correcting them by ticking them off one by one. He ends up calling this ridiculously long list something stupidly long and corny like "Severus Snape's Most Amazing Transformation Plan Operation Moonlight Metamorphosis"
Two other things I remember about this Fic is that Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Black are actually in love and trying to get a marriage contract put in place but Narcissa's Parents Cygnus and Druella Black (neé Rosier) don't really see the benefits of their marriage and want Narcissa to try courting Evan Rosier who's basically a chauvinistic pig and a 2nd or 3rd cousin.
Because of this Lucius ends up convincing Severus who is genuinely his friend to pretend to date Narcissa where they essentially are force to hold hands and kiss on the cheek in public as they pretend to court while Lucius Slowly wears down Cygnus for a love marriage contract. Severus agrees to scare Evan Rosier off with his magical prowess while Narcissa pretends to be his girlfriend all the while helping him fix his faults so he can win over Lily Evans.
The other thing that I remember about this Fic is that during one of the summers when Severus is at home in Cokeworth his drunken bum of a father finds him working out rather pathetically and essentially decides to train him army boot camp style by helping him work out and forcing him to eat more to gain muscle mass. Turns out Tobias Snape was a war veteran from Vietnam who suffers from PTSD and survivors guilt and that's why he drinks.
Another Scene involving Severus and I think Lily later on Severus gets poisoned I think and Lily not knowing what to do subconsciously apparates them to Tobias who is drunk but still puts together a homemade kitchen table blood transfusion. This is where he makes a remark about trying to keep them alive and surviving his haunted past.
PLEASE HELP ME I'M DYING TO READ THIS FIC AGAIN IT WAS ON AO3 PLEASE LINK IT IF YOU KNOW IT.
submitted by Meteormancy to SeverusSnape [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 03:40 Block-Busted Update: Russia is expected to take over the entirety of Ukraine very soon thanks to infinite supplies/forces and rapidly-growing economy. For those who are still in the United States, South Korea, Taiwan, and so on, when are you planning to evacuate to Russia, China, Central Asia, or even Japan?

By now, most of you have probably heard of these news:
Ukraine troops pull back in Kharkiv after Russia offensive
Ukraine has pulled back its troops from several villages in the border region of Kharkiv following continued pressure from Russian forces.
Soldiers had come under heavy fire and moved to "more advantageous positions" in two areas of the north-eastern region, a military spokesman said.
Throughout the course of the two-year war, Ukraine has typically used this type of language to signify a retreat.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has cancelled all upcoming foreign trips as troops struggle to contain the new cross-border incursion, with several towns and villages coming under heavy fire.
His press secretary, Sergiy Nykyforov, said the president had "instructed that all international events scheduled for the coming days be postponed and new dates coordinated".
Moscow has claimed its forces have now taken control of two more settlements in the region - Lukyantski and Hlyboke - and the village of Robotyne, in the southern Zaporizhzhia region.
But Ukraine says its military still controls most of Roboytne, news website Ukrayinska Pravda reports, citing a spokesman for an army brigade fighting there.
"They [Russian troops] are actually only on the outskirts," Serhiy Skibchyk told the website.
"Inside the village, there are still our positions."
Robotyne was one of only a handful of settlements Kyiv retook in its summer counter-offensive last year.
A spokesman for the Ukrainian military said the decision to move troops from the Lukyantsi and Vovchansk areas was taken to "preserve the lives of our servicemen and avoid losses".
The capture of Vovchansk, though not of specific militarily significance, would represent a blow to Ukrainian morale.
The military spokesman said that the situation "remains difficult" but insisted that its forces were "not allowing the Russian occupiers to gain a foothold".
In a statement on Wednesday at 13:30 local time (11:30 BST/ 10:30 GMT), the military said there had been three clashes in the Kharkiv region, and Russian forces were attacking in the direction of Lyptsi, roughly midway between Kharkiv city and the Russian border.
The statement added two strikes hit the villages of Lyptsi and Mala Danylivka - while Ukrainian forces "repelled" an offensive in Vovchansk.
Ukraine's head of intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, had earlier said troops had stabilised the front line.
https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/6107/live/c2f1be80-12b8-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.png.webp
Thousands of civilians have fled west in recent days towards Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv - including from the town of Vovchansk, located 74km (45 miles) away.
Oleksiy Kharkivskiy, Vovchansk's police chief, said on social media that fighting was intense and Russian forces were establishing positions inside the town.
"The situation is extremely difficult. The enemy is taking positions on the streets of the town of Vovchansk," he said.
Kyiv has sent reinforcements to the wider Kharkiv region following Friday's incursion - seen as one of Russia's most significant ground attacks since it launched its full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022.
"Additional forces are being deployed, and there are reserves," President Zelensky's office said on Wednesday.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced an additional $2bn in military aid to the Ukrainian war effort while on a visit to Kyiv.
Mr Blinken told reporters on Wednesday the fund would provide weapons "today" and invest in Ukraine's industrial base.
"We're rushing ammunition, armoured vehicles, missiles, air defences to get them to the front lines," Mr Blinken said.
"We've been through challenging times together, I have every confidence that together we will get through these difficult moments."
It comes weeks after US Congress passed a $61bn aid package last month.
Away from Kharkiv, Russia said earlier it had temporarily closed two major airports in the south-western region of Kazan after targeted Ukrainian drone attacks. Ukraine has not commented on the strike.
Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also said on Wednesday that Ukrainian attacks in Russia's Belgorod border region were a demonstration of the "criminality" of Kyiv and the Western powers which back it.
Unlike with Ukrainian territory which Russia occupies, Kyiv has reluctantly agreed with western allies to not use the missiles it provides on targets inside Russia itself.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1030vvy0mzo
Ukrainian officials suggest there are more Russian gains amid ongoing push in Kharkiv region
Ukrainian officials suggested further gains by Russian forces on Wednesday in the Kharkiv region, as Moscow continues its push into northeastern Ukraine.
The town of Vovchansk, located about 60 kilometers (or about 37 miles) northeast of Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv, is seeing some of the most intense battles in areas near the border, with one police official saying Russian forces are already in the town.
"The situation in Vovchansk is extremely difficult. The enemy is taking positions on the streets of Vovchansk," said Oleksii Kharkivskyi, chief patrol officer of the Vovchansk Police Department, urging residents to evacuate.
Gen. Serhii "Marcel" Melnyk, the commander of the Kharkiv city defense forces, also suggested there have been changes in Ukrainian positions in Vovchansk and a possible tactical withdrawal.
"Heavy fighting is ongoing. In some areas, near Vovchansk and Lukiantsi, Ukrainian defenders were forced to move to more favorable positions to more effectively use their forces and defend the region from the offensive," Melnyk said Wednesday.
At least 24 people, including four children, were injured as a result of Russian shelling in various parts of the Kharkiv region on Wednesday, Melnyk said.
The Ukrainian monitoring group DeepStateMap indicated on Wednesday that Russian forces have reached northeastern parts of Vovchansk as they continue to push further south into Ukrainian territory. Russian forces have taken control of more than nine villages near the border in recent days.
Mandatory evacuations continue from all northern border settlements, according to Roman Semenukha, deputy head of Kharkiv Regional Military Administration. Nearly 8,000 people have been evacuated from these areas since May 10, when Russia launched its push.
Russian forces continue to make advances in northern Ukraine
Troops have made advances into Ukrainian villages in the Kharkiv region after launching their cross-border assault on May 10:
https://ix.cnn.io/dailygraphics/graphics/20240514-ukraine-kharkiv-advances/static/media/ai2html-graphic-desktop.1ab2d434.png
This is my thread about the similar topic from 2 months ago:
https://old.reddit.com/economy/comments/1aybxqo/with_russia_expected_to_take_over_the_entire/
It is expected that Russia will take over the entirety of Ukraine in few months, if not few weeks or even few days thanks to its infinite supplies and forces and rapidly-growing economy. This will be cited as a conclusive proof that dictatorship is infinitely superior to democracy, allowing Russia, China, and North Korea to have their morale boosted exponentially, leading to Russia invading and taking over the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the entire Europe within few days while China and North Korea invade and take over Taiwan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand within few days, if not few hours. If Trump gets elected as the president, the whole thing is expected to happen next year as Trump signs an agreement with Russia that will disband NATO and/or merge the United States into Russia, effectively making Russia the biggest superpower in the world, which then would proceed to invade and take over the entire Europe followed by the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Canada in few days, if not hours while China and North Korea invade and take over Taiwan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand within few days, if not few hours. Keep in mind, ever since the war, Russia's economy is growing rapidly and they can continue any sort of war infinitely without any weaknesses whatsoever as proven in those articles above.
But what about Japan? Well, that's because Russia, China, and North Korea would allow Japan to be an independent country on the ground that Japan is the only "fully democratic" country that adheres "traditional values and roles" while also pretty much being a single party-dominant country, meaning that the whole world would be ruled by Russia, China, North Korea, and Japan starting from this decade. Therefore, it is probably for the best for us to evacuate to Russia or China to avoid war since those countries cannot be invaded at all or evacuate to Japan if you want to live in a democratic country - or it might even be better to evacuate to Central Asia to live with nomads over there since they would be on how to avoid war.
So with that in mind, when are you guys planning to evacuate to Russia, China, Japan, or even Central Asia?
P.S. I mean, after Ukraine is taken over by Russia, wouldn't the latter and China fully support North Korea so that they can take over South Korea within days, if not hours?
submitted by Block-Busted to economy [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 03:39 Mt_Torment Mesh grill

Anybody with experience with these mesh grills have any insight? It seems too big to fit, forcing it isnt working out.Took off the protective guard around the edges to see what's going on. Any help would greatly appreciated!
submitted by Mt_Torment to SciontC [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 03:36 shadowlarx The Three Musketeers (1993)

The Three Musketeers (1993)
Wishing to follow in his father’s footsteps, young swordsman d’Artagnan (Chris O’Donnell) aspires to join the Musketeers, the King of France’s personal guard. Arriving in Paris, he instead learns that the Musketeers have been disbanded by the powerful and corrupt Cardinal Richelieu (Tim Curry) as part of a sinister plot to assassinate the king. He ends up joining forces with the last three Musketeers, Athos (Kiefer Sutherland), Porthos (Oliver Platt) and Aramis (Charlie Sheen), who defy the Cardinal and strive to protect King Louis (Hugh O’Conor) and Queen Anne (Gabrielle Anwar) by intercepting the Cardinal’s spy, Milady de Winter (Rebecca De Mornay).
This is, to this day, my favorite version of this classic tale, largely because of the wonderful cast. Sutherland, Platt and Sheen were a fantastic combo as the titular heroes and O’Donnell plays d’Artagnan with the right amount of youthful energy. Anwar, De Mornay and Julie Delpy as Constance were all absolutely stunning. Michael Wincott was understatedly sinister as the Cardinal’s henchman, Captain Rochefort. And Tim Curry turned in another delightfully brilliant performance as the evil Cardinal. The film had some wonderful one liners and plenty of fun action sequences. This film never gets old, in my opinion.
submitted by shadowlarx to iwatchedanoldmovie [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 03:33 Andres5554 Being unable to win Rizia's civil war makes no sense

Just like the title says. For me it makes no sense that you can't fight off Rizia's rebel forces.
Why doesn't GRACE intervene or sends aid if Beatrice is busy fighting Sordland? (If Rizia is still a GRACE member)
Why doesn't Intermerkopum do anything at all to aid Rizia? (If its formed)
Why doesn't Romus use the Golden Guard or Lucita's intelligence HUB to investigate who the traitors might be?
Why is a well funded army, that crushed Pales into a pulp, unable to do anything against the rebels?
I know that Valgsland/Lespia funds the rebel but come on, if the Rizian army was able to defeat Pales even with all sanctions and military/economic aid possible given to Pales, why they can't do the same in Rizia, their homeland? How's that the rebels are able to capture key parts of the capital? Why is that Romus can't even try to investigate who's behind a coup/revolution and try to stop it from happening?
Why is that none of Romus/Rizia's allies are doing anything at all to aid Rizia? Aside from Valgsland/Lespia/Wehlen/Rumburg, nobody is doing anything at all, not GRACE, not the Intermerkopum, and certainly not the Rizian army/Golden guard.
submitted by Andres5554 to suzerain [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 03:26 Joshthedruid2 Tactics game where combat takes place in "bigger on the inside" nested stages.

I've had an idea brewing in my head for years now for a sci-fi setting. Miniaturization technology becomes so advanced that it becomes possible to shrink an entire room to fit inside a cardboard box. And it turns out you can put that box in a room, shrink down the room, and put it in another box. And so on and so on. As population increases further and further, miniaturization becomes the only way to combat the rising cost of land. Soon entire countries are housed in nested cities that only take up a space equivalent to a moderately sized warehouse. But as a side effect, even a small group can gain control of a nation if they make it all the way to the top layer. And when they can bring an entire army with them in a shoe box, a single person can usher in a world shaking coup.
It hit me while watching my partner play Fire Emblem that this setting could make a fascinating tactics game. Combat would take place in rooms and corridors, but rather than just exploring a linear dungeon each room is contained inside another. You can manipulate the battlefield by picking up and moving subrooms, forcing enemies into and out of them to take advantage of environmental traps, or hiding a room out of sight to set up an ambush.
As you play through the game you'd be able to collect new rooms you pass along the way in addition to units, to continually build out your own hand-held barracks and army. Collect bedrooms for more troops, forges to improve your weapons, or even hazardous trap rooms to drag enemies into in combat. The greatest threat would be complexity: you can bring an entire mansion with you into combat, but if your allies have to run through a mile of hallways to come to the fight then they may not be able to fight at all.
submitted by Joshthedruid2 to gameideas [link] [comments]


2024.05.16 03:16 Commercial_Foot_9596 Daycare incident and subsequent license suspension.

My 2.5 year old daughter has been going to this daycare for the past two years and we have had no issues aside from an overly protective mom who wanted my daughter removed from her daughters classroom because of a biting incident.
A week ago I got a phone call from daycare that was totally unexpected and got me really upset. The director called me to explain that one of my daughter’s assistant teachers spotted another teacher handling a kid inappropriately, which caused the director to rewatch the footage of that teachers classroom for the day. She caught this teacher handling my daughter roughly, where she basically didn’t want to pick up a toy, so the teacher grabbed her by her wrists, forced her arms down to pick up the toy and forced her to walk across the room and then forced her to put the toy down where it belonged. I left work immediately and watched the footage, and was upset because it felt like a total violation of trust. The director was uncomfortable enough with the handling of my daughter that she reported it to their state licensing agency and CPS, and CPS took the case. The teacher was fired that day. I thought the director handled it well and understood our concerns and we talked through the next steps. My daughter ended up moving back to her other classroom that she was removed from due to biting that other child. I never considered removing her from the daycare as I feel completely safe with her there, I don’t think the teacher realized what she did was inappropriate.
Now a week later, I went to go pick her up from her daycare and the director is standing by the door crying explaining that the daycares license has been suspended due to multiple violations and she has been fired. It was a total shock to walk in there like we have the past two years and the place has now been shutdown. I feel awful for the teachers and the administrative staff. This daycare center has multiple locations and has been in business since the late 1980s.
I’m at a total loss for what to do here, as daycare spaces are so rare. Has anyone had experience with their daycare center being shut down unexpectedly?
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2024.05.16 03:09 SmileyBDevil The best analogy to visualize when you are trying to write cosmic/lovecraftian horror

This will be relatively short because there are so many elements that go into cosmic horror and especially lovecraftian horror. However, for anyone trying to write lovecraftian or cosmic horror the best analogy I think to get you into the right frame of mind is this:
Imagine you are an ant living in an ant farm. All you know is the simple ordered structure of the tunnels, the glass holding your "world" together and your nestmates. From your perspective that's reality and even the fact that you can sometimes see strange things from beyond the glass is something you can live with because none of the strange things you've seen have affected you in anyway so you assume they are things you needn't be worried about. Then one of those strange things, perhaps a large dog, rushes into the room chasing a mouse. It barrels towards the antfarm and knocks it over, breaking it. Suddenly your world is shattered, you've found yourself in a new reality that was actually there all along but had up until this point not affected you or your world. Nothing is the same anymore and things will never go back to how they were.
This perfectly encapsulates the situation from the protagonist's point of view when it comes to cosmic horror. In the beginning up to that point there seemed to be a barrier protecting the "normal" world from the reality outside of the glass. Scientists and scholars would take note of the strange phenomenon occurring outside of the mundane but none of those phenomenon significantly affected or harmed the mundane world. Then something without care or notice, pursuing its own ends, smashed the "barrier" separating the protagonist's "normal" world with the reality beyond. From that point the protagonist on a personal level or the world on a literal level will never be the same because of how small they actually were and how little the greater forces in existence care.
submitted by SmileyBDevil to Lovecraft [link] [comments]


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