Transformation

A growing body of work suggests that religiosity is typically associated with deontological or non-utilitarian moral judgments. However, recent conceptualizations of utilitarian psychology show that instrumental harm is just one (negative) dimension of utilitarianism. In the new two-dimensional model of utilitarian psychology, impartial beneficence is the second (positive) dimension of utilitarianism. All over the world, religiosity has been linked to the binding foundations (loyalty, authority, and purity), which emphasizes group-binding loyalty. To err is human, to forgive divine means that everyone makes mistakes, but we should try to be like God and forgive one another. Divine basically means relating to, coming from, or like God or a god. It discusses the perception of statues, paintings, ritual instruments and books from a Tibetan Buddhist perspective, examining the iconographic and trigonometric functions of the images, and asserting that a primary purpose is as a ‘support for practice’ (Tib. skurten body-support). Sacred images represent the embodiment of the Buddhas, deities and masters and, once consecrated by lamas, are considered to have the power to confer blessings. Despite the instrumental function of such artifacts, however, it is also possible to identify and delineate a complex Himalayan concept of aesthetics. The text moves on to analyse the effects of the transition of Tibetan Buddhist images into different museological contexts, comparing the display of Tibetan material in the consecrated spaces of Himalayan monastery museums with their exhibition in secular museological sites in the West. monastery museums with their exhibition in secular musicological sites in the West. Outwardly, life in the Spirit manifests itself in two ways. Gifts of the Spirit will enable us to perform some specific function — such as service or healing or leading worship — with effects clearly beyond those of our own making. These gifts serve God’s purposes among his people, but they do not necessarily signify the state of our heart. We are to find out, that is, what prevents and what promotes mercifulness and kindness and patience in our souls, and we are to remove hindrances to them as much as possible, carefully substituting that which assists Christlikeness. Many well-meaning people, to give an example, cannot succeed in being kind because they are too rushed to get things done. Haste has worry, fear, and anger as close associates; it is a deadly enemy of kindness, and hence of love. If this is our problem, we may be greatly helped by a day’s retreat into solitude and silence, where we will discover that the world survives even though we are inactive. There we might prayerfully meditate to see clearly the damage done by our unkindness, and honestly compare it to what, if anything, is really gained by our hurry. We will come to understand that for the most part out hurry is really based upon pride, self-importance, fear, and lack of faith, and rarely upon the production of anything of true value for anyone. Perhaps we will end up making plans to pray daily for the people with whom we deal regularly. Or we may resolve to ask associates for forgiveness for past injuries. Whatever comes of such prayerful reflection, we may be absolutely sure that our lives will never be the same, and that we will enjoy a far greater richness of God’s reality in our lives. In the current world around us there are many who suffer and face grave challenges. We stand in solidarity with them in compassion and by practicing loving kindness to ourselves and all those around us. Taking a couple of stanzas from compassion meditation / prayers, let us engage in the power of prayer that connect us – with our beliefs and ideals more deeply helping us to hold them in our minds as we go about our daily business, and helping us to develop a stronger sense of conviction. Let us pray – may we all be well, happy and peaceful! May we all also have patience, courage, understanding, and determination to meet and overcome inevitable difficulties, problems, and failures in life. May our parents, our teachers and mentors, our friends and may all living beings across the world…be well, happy and peaceful. May they also have patience, courage, understanding, and determination to meet and overcome inevitable difficulties, problems, and failures in life.