starting with your request: one should work on oneself, not because out of fear of being punished. fear brings more fear, to emotions, consciousness and subconsciousness


here are some quotes on. ofcourse because i was a bit cunty you might be overly critical of these but my point was that bible just purely on the lenght of it is limited
these are from lao tzu, let me know which subjects you want to know more of so we can ponder does the bible really offer so superior guide for every aspect of life


“Simplicity, patience, compassion.
These three are your greatest treasures.
Simple in actions and thoughts, you return to the source of being.
Patient with both friends and enemies,
you accord with the way things are.
Compassionate toward yourself,
you reconcile all beings in the world.”

“Love

Embracing Tao, you become embraced.
Supple, breathing gently, you become reborn.
Clearing your vision, you become clear.
Nurturing your beloved, you become impartial.
Opening your heart, you become accepted.
Accepting the World, you embrace Tao.
Bearing and nurturing,
Creating but not owning,
Giving without demanding,
Controlling without authority,
This is love.”

“Knowing others is intelligence;
knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength;
mastering yourself is true power.”

“A man with outward courage dares to die; a man with inner courage dares to live.”

“If you understand others you are smart.
If you understand yourself you are illuminated.
If you overcome others you are powerful.
If you overcome yourself you have strength.
If you know how to be satisfied you are rich.
If you can act with vigor, you have a will.
If you don't lose your objectives you can be long-lasting.
If you die without loss, you are eternal.”

“When there is no desire,
all things are at peace.”

“A leader is best
When people barely know he exists
Of a good leader, who talks little,
When his work is done, his aim fulfilled,
They will say, “We did this ourselves.”

“The wise man is one who, knows, what he does not know.”

“Close your mouth,
block off your senses,
blunt your sharpness,
untie your knots,
soften your glare,
settle your dust.
This is the primal identity.”

“When people see some things as beautiful,
other things become ugly.
When people see some things as good,
other things become bad.”

"Trying to understand is like straining through muddy water. Have the patience to wait! Be still and allow the mud to settle.”

“The court is corrupt,
The fields are overgrown,
The granaries are exhausted,
And yet some wear clothes with fancy designs and colors,
Hang sharp swords from their belts,
Stuff their bellies with fine food and drink,
This is what is called ‘being proud of being a robber,’
Far is this from the Way.”

“True words aren't eloquent;
eloquent words aren't true.
Wise men don't need to prove their point;
men who need to prove their point aren't wise.

The Master has no possessions.
The more he does for others,
the happier he is.
The more he gives to others,
the wealthier he is.”

“Success is as dangerous as failure.
Hope is as hollow as fear.”

“A good traveler has no fixed plans
and is not intent upon arriving.
A good artist lets his intuition
lead him wherever it wants.
A good scientist has freed himself of concepts
and keeps his mind open to what is.

Thus the Master is available to all people
and doesn't reject anyone.
He is ready to use all situations
and doesn't waste anything.
This is called embodying the light.

What is a good man but a bad man's teacher?
What is a bad man but a good man's job?
If you don't understand this, you will get lost,
however intelligent you are.
It is the great secret.”

“Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt.”

“A great nation is like a great man:
When he makes a mistake, he realizes it.
Having realized it, he admits it.
Having admitted it, he corrects it.
He considers those who point out his faults
as his most benevolent teachers.
He thinks of his enemy
as the shadow that he himself casts.”

“Life must be poetry, a song, a dance, like a flower on the roadside, blossoming for no one in particular, but spreading its fragrance in the wind, and sending it anywhere.”

also what are your views on old testament? do you stand by it 100%

The Old Testament is the Word of God. The writings of the OT were written to the Jewish people, but the Bible says that All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine, for reproof....


Paul's NT Writings are written to the Grace Age Church.

+1 for Jézus!

That is a very good place to start. Let's start with the 3 most important people: me, myself and I. We are not motivated by fear of punishment. You are right in that fear brings more fear to emotions, consciousness and subconsciousness.

So why do we work on oneself? What is our motivation?



Let's keep our actions and thoughts simple, not to overcomplicate anything.
We must show patience and tolerance to those around us so that we can be united in the way things are.
We must show compassion to ourselves so that we can reconcile all beings in the world.

What does that look like in your daily life? What is the end goal?



Embrace Tao and we will feel reborn!
Our vision becomes clear, we nurture our beloved and become impartial.
We open our hearts and become accepted.
We accept the world and embrace Tao.
Bearing and nurturing, creating and not owning, giving without expecting anything in return and controlling without authority.

What does Tao offer that I do not have so that one can become reborn? Who is our beloved?

When we open our hearts, who accepts us when we become accepted?
What does it mean to create but not own? Do we create with the intention of not owning?
What does it mean to give without demanding? Is there truly such thing as an unselfish act? From what I've seen even those who give a lot are doing it for selfish gain in some way, shape or form.
How does one control without authority? What does this look like?

In what way do we know others as intelligence? Is this knowing facts about them which have been revealed to us? Does this extend to those whom I am in competition with and I know their style of play and tactics?
We must know ourselves and how far we are willing to go.

Does mastering others mean being able to give commands so that they obey? If not, what does it mean?



We are smart if we understand others? Does this mean all my studies at School and University were for nothing? Does it not matter how much technical knowledge I have in my area of expertise? I am not smart unless I understand others?
What does it mean to become illuminated? I'm sure it has nothing to do with being rendered luminous by rays of light striking and reflecting?
What if we can't overcome others? I'm sure there are others who are much stronger than me physically.
Does overcoming others meant in a more mental sense? There are those who are in a higher position than me whom I cannot overcome. Am I therefore weak?
The struggle is real, am I therefore weak?
We can be satisfied with hunger only to become hungry again. How long will our satisfaction last? What will we do if we are truly satisfied?

If we have objectives then are we not satisfied?

Is the end goal enlightenment?



Why is a leader best when people barely know they exist? The former President Donald Trump is a perfect example of where that is not the case.

Aren't leaders meant to inspire others to do their best? How can they do so when they talk little?

We know what we do not know, so we do not venture into what we do not know so we are wise.

What exactly is the primal identity after doing all those things?



True, when we see a thing of beauty then whatever blocks that beauty is ugly and we wish it away. If the beautiful thing weren't there then the ugly thing becomes the beauty.

Patience is a virtue.

Is that describing the world? The world has courts that are corrupt, the fields are overgrown, the granaries are exhausted.

Were we not meant to show patience and tolerance to those around us so that we can be united in the way things are? Doesn't that include those who wear clothes with fancy designs and colors, hang sharp swords from their belts and stuff their bellies with fine food and drink?



True, those who are wise do not need to prove that they are to the ignorant.

It would be great to have a servant leader but those in power are those who like to be served. The King wants to own all your best possessions.
Your best friend is only your friend for what you can offer to do for them. The Master is one who takes.



Is planning bad? Is it all about the journey and not the destination? What are you doing if you do not have a destination? Aren't you then a mindless wanderer?
Is there no foundation with which people are to base their concepts? Are we to be completely in the dark?

Does the Master always make time for you? Or do you need to wait until they are available through appointments?

If the good man denies the bad man by writing them as "other" or as someone else who does not matter, strengthens the ego, which is the illusion of separation.
We cannot let our ego overcome us can we? This is the great secret.



When people make mistakes then they will always admit it. They will accept the blame and take ownership for their actions.

Does the world truly act in this way? Do people not rather never blame themselves and always put the blame on someone else other than thyself? Does this therefore mean that nobody is a great man?

Are we to be like the blossoming flower on the roadside, spreading our fragrance in the wind in all directions but at the same time for no one in particular?

Give up your greatest yearnings to grow closer to the Lord this lent season.

i spent my life irreligious. chasing my own lusts.
went on a quest to find the truth of it all God being the last thing on my mind.
am now christian and delivered from alcoholism.
i thought it impossible, maybe 5 years sober now.
what a trip

a study was made
a peahen care little for the display of the peacock
if its not for the pleasure of the peahen, then for the pleasure of who?

Thanks for confirming that all the Gods in existence are man made. A scripture from a religious text proves absolutely nothing, bud. Try again. If you choose to believe, that fine, that's on you. But don't try to cram what you perceive as truth down other ppls throats. That's a huge problem within religious community.

And, of course the bible has a lot of good teachings/life lessons. It was written by men over many years who have gone thru and experienced life itself. Anybody who's experienced life can give life advise lol... That doesn't prove the God of the bible is real. That proves that the ppl who wrote the bible over those many years went thru some shit. Nothing less, nothing more.