Who are you communicating with when Divining?

Originally Posted by Gem

What I feel is the 'way'... involves the purification (as I call it).

To just be as you are is not an option, you are this way, so the inquiry is a deeper look into what that is.

This has an effect much like sound describes, and also, removes false notions and emotional blockages, so that what is pure and holy can come through us and be expressed in the world.

Yes I also believe in purification. I think that introspection is a good means of purification but I don't think that alone is enough. For one I think that we need Higher Guidance since our lens introspection is also contaminated by our own conditioning. It's like a some who is tied up trying to untie themselves. Only someone who is free can set you free.

Secondly I think we need some daily spiritual practice in order to control the mind.

I also think we have to avoid certain activities that are by definition impure.

Originally Posted by sound

Your idea slash [belief] that I believe that beliefs are 'bad' is off the mark

Then I don't understand what point you've been trying to make. Some beliefs are false and some are true. Obviously if they are false then that is problem. But having beliefs is not a problem.

[sound]

Originally Posted by I-Ching

Then I don't understand what point you've been trying to make. Some beliefs are false and some are true. Obviously if they are false then that is problem. But having beliefs is not a problem.

There is no actual point ... I am just expressing my understandings, based on my experience. Like you have stated/suggested? it isn't the act of believing which is the problem, it is the nature of the belief itself which can be misleading, and /or inhibiting. Beliefs can seem to lead us to deeper understandings ... they appear to serve as a one way bridge in one respect ... once we get across the river, we dont need that same bridge any more to get to the side we are already on lol... the bridge we use to return to the side from whence we came is called hindsight haha I am just making it up as i go along I_ching ... just like you yeah lol ...

[Gem]

Originally Posted by I-Ching

Yes I also believe in purification. I think that introspection is a good means of purification but I don't think that alone is enough. For one I think that we need Higher Guidance since our lens introspection is also contaminated by our own conditioning. It's like a some who is tied up trying to untie themselves. Only someone who is free can set you free.

Secondly I think we need some daily spiritual practice in order to control the mind.

I also think we have to avoid certain activities that are by definition impure.

Certainly... some guidance is very helpful and everyone needs a helping hand sometimes. This happens spontaneously as though you want a guide, because there is one there already... kinda sorta... I mean, you have what you want... but as you said before, desire is distracting, as it comes from imaginary lack.

Daily practice is also 'the way', it's a matter of self respect and improvement, or a healing or purification if you will.

If the intent is pure one will lose interest in intoxication, deception, killing, harming and other malintentions.

It's important, in my opinion, to know you are this way and not some other way, and You are on the journey, not waiting in the future somewhere.

Originally Posted by sound

I am just expressing my understandings

I'm not quite sure what your understanding is. What are your beliefs?

Originally Posted by sound

I am just making it up as i go along I_ching ... just like you yeah lol ...

Speak for yourself. I'm not making anything up. Speculation is big stumbling block on the Path.

Originally Posted by Gem

Certainly... some guidance is very helpful and everyone needs a helping hand sometimes. This happens spontaneously as though you want a guide, because there is one there already... kinda sorta... I mean, you have what you want... but as you said before,

Through Divination you can access your Guide at anytime. How do you get Guidance?

Originally Posted by Gem

desire is distracting, as it comes from imaginary lack.

True

Originally Posted by Gem

Daily practice is also 'the way', it's a matter of self respect and improvement, or a healing or purification if you will.

By Practice I mean some form of chanting, prayer, meditation etc. Something more on the level of the mind rather than on the intellectual level.

Originally Posted by Gem

If the intent is pure one will lose interest in intoxication, deception, killing, harming and other malintentions.

True, unfortunately many people claim to be spiritual but still engage in these activities

Originally Posted by Gem

It's important, in my opinion, to know you are this way and not some other way, and You are on the journey, not waiting in the future somewhere.

Not quite sure what you mean

Originally Posted by I-Ching

What makes you think your "tools" have their own entity? I mean if you look at the example of an Ouija board, many different entities can communicate through it. Some good, some bad. Why would other divination tools be any different? At what point does the entity incarnate in the tool?

My religious practices and beliefs hedge on being animistic (as well as pantheistic and polytheistic), so that's pretty much why. Everything has a spirit to me. This does not exclude the possibility of something acting as a medium for another spirit. I could work with my favorite tarot deck as if it were a medium, but I strongly prefer to develop a rapport with the Spirit of the Cards instead. For some divinatory systems, like scrying, I don't directly work with specific spirits at all.

Originally Posted by I-Ching

By a "negative entity" I mean an entity that is giving me guidance that is not favourable to my spiritual advancement. I don't mind being corrected, I do mind being degraded.

Nothing I said was intended to be taken personally, much less in a degrading fashion. If you took it that way, I'm sorry. Unfortunately, many occult/metaphysical terms are stupidly nebulous; I probably should have asked what you meant. This begs a question, though. How do you know if guidance is not favorable to your spiritual advancement? Can't lessons be gleaned from everything?

[sound]

Originally Posted by I-Ching

I'm not quite sure what your understanding is. What are your beliefs?

My beliefs vary ... you already identified that earlier

Originally Posted by I-Ching

Speak for yourself.

It was a question of sorts ... I am a big 'believer' in speaking for one self

Originally Posted by I-Ching

I'm not making anything up [as i go along]

How do you manage that? lol

Originally Posted by I-Ching

Speculation is big stumbling block on the Path.

Is the belief in stumbling blocks all that helpful? ... there are alternate paths ... you do realize that dont you?

[athribiristan]

Originally Posted by Gem

its an exersize in intuition isn't it?

Yes and no. While intuition is a great guide in a situation like this, it is not necessary. A proper understanding of energetic theory, a good deal of practice with visualization, and a strong will render the use of intuition moot. If you know how to do it well, you don't have to look.

[Gem]

Originally Posted by I-Ching

Through Divination you can access your Guide at anytime. How do you get Guidance?

Good question... I haven't really thought that through before.

By Practice I mean some form of chanting, prayer, meditation etc. Something more on the level of the mind rather than on the intellectual level.

Me too... I meant the meditation practice.

True, unfortunately many people claim to be spiritual but still engage in these activities

Not quite sure what you mean

Yeah... mostly people have 'good' intentions but that leads to being harmful too... I think pure intentions is different, but let he who has not sinned cast the first stone, I say. err... it's devoid of judgement.