Ankh-Accommodate ☼

Nefertari receives life from Isis.

Ankh

The key of life. Egyptian pharaos are depicted as carrying an ankh or two. The ankh, crux ansata, "cross with a handle," or Egyptian Cross, is a symbol of the power to give and sustain life, as well as a symbol of life too - and also life-giving air and water.

The circle symbolizes godside-infusing life - often the sun - and the cross below represents the material plane. By having ankhs, Egyptian kings symbolised they represented life to their people. Ankhs were also worn as amulets for good living and protection from evil influences in the surroundings. Important ankhs were of gold. Two other amulets were often worn along with it, one for strength and one for health. Accordingly, life, health, and strength are top things to go for; this is at the bottom of the ancient symbols and practices.

To sum up: The ankh is a symbol of the fit way to live - a good life. To cater to life is good. Let the ankh remind you of it, and consider how best to cater to three sides to fortune that should work in unison:

1. CIRCLE. Divine, inner side: Compatibility. Affection.
2. HORISONTAL BAR. Mental: Profession. Intellect. Enjoying the company. Do what furthers, assists, and protects mental health.
3. VERTICAL BAR. Material: Gain status. Bodily life and life-sustaining environments.

To become dry, superficial, and troubled should be avoided. Consider how a large part of the elements that still work in Christianity, are borrowed from Egypt and other orientations in the Roman Empire either.

◎ The ankh was adapted by the Coptic church in time, but what may be better is to adhere to the fundamental meanings here.

1. Accommodate to your benefit, that is, for life-awarding gains

The Early Church took a lot from other religions, such as the bishop's staff

You can eat your cake and have your cake too - at least impress by decor, pomp and texts: If you are hooked on ceremonialism and rituals, make "your own" impressive stuff by taking bits from many others. Young Christianity did. Maybe there was no good law against such "stealing" from others back then.

The bishop's attire and rigorous displays may impresses, but very vital parts of it were taken from other religions of the Roman Empire. Borrowing brought about the bishop's cap, shepherd's staff, and the cross as a Christian symbol came into use only in the 300s. In India and other places there were other crosses in use earlier, for example sun symbols (swastikas). [More]

Also, Christian monasticism was added to the church only after a few hundred years. [Acts 15; 21:25].

The apostles and the Holy Ghost agreed to make life much easier for non-Jews, and established only four requirement for Gentile followers (Christians) with the Holy Spirit in them. They included no to blood food and no wrangled (choked) chickens (animals), and also no to adultery. [More about blood food]

We have not been told if eating a wrangled chicken is better or worse than adultery, or how much better or worse. Or is wishful group guessing what it takes to settle such matters in a cult or better? Better make sure, but how?

We may go on and try to live up to Vedanta to benefit a lot. Essential Buddhist and Vedanta teachings are much alike, and may be combined. As you move on, aligned to Vedanta and its ancient Upanishad-rooted teachings, you may come to realise things for yourself. If you want to avoid being looked on as a crackpot, test your realizations much and carefully before you resort to bombastic talk or deference. It is quite decent, at the very least in step with rational handling. (2)

2. Handling methods may be studied first and then applied

Basic, scientific handling has much in common that is worth going for routinely. Opposite to that, be aware that many hard-hearted ones ensnare others and rise on top of gullible ones. It happens in lots of quarters and sects.

3. Take heed, be neat, and be not among fools, says Buddha to help

Go for cosy living and do not spread yourself thin. Keeping things simple yet adequately, can give some help. (5)

Consider calmly, evenmindedly, the tidings others tell you: putting some into of them a wider perspective could be good. Consider how to to ease the way for deeper awareness and knowledge. Abraham Maslow indicates that nasty ones who go after ill-gotten gains tend to be pitied by self-actualisers. [1987, etc.]

A fair deal is in part to avoid stupid ones well, forms part of the Dhammapada teachings.

Refrain from being exposed in public if there is no dire need for such exposure

An exposed animal often runs many risks. The rich and famous and others in the public eye do too. The limelight drive many into wearing dark glasses and shunning paparazzis in their attempts at protection.

Enlightening stories may first appear to be only for fun, although "many a truth is spoken in jest". We could consider the long-range effects.

Abstain from entering a cult

There is US research by Philip Zimbardo that documents how insecurity is a wide-spread problem among American students. In such waters, sectarians row about, fishing or recruiting. Cults publish books to impress and influence too. Christianity started as a tense sect within Judaism, and grew so large that it is now called a 'religion' by the way. Is a sect better or worse from growing big? Consider the religious wars, the Great Inquisition and much else in the name of God. ✪ 

Better detect troubles ahead to avoid at least some of them. Forewarned is forestalled pretty often. There is foreknowledge based on trends, obvious and other trends, and foreknowledge to go for and benefit from otherwise as well. (8)

So:

In the art of living in freedom, avoid extremism as well as you can. Better accommodate to be enabled to handle Buddha's basic teachings well, and advance in ◦deepening meditation if it is good for you.

Many strive for foreknowledge

It is difficult to foretell, especially about the future. (Saying)

Precognition as a claimed psychic ability to see events is in the future, is also called prescience, future vision, and future sight. Such foreknowledge of an event, is at times said to be a form of extrasensory perception - that is perceiving something without using one's senses. Premonitions and prophesies are also included.

If you are able to foresee or foretell well, you could forestall and save yourself troubles, make more money and find out of things far and wide. In short, foretelling events may bring advantages and even cause a happy, long life. It actually happens. Some things are foretold easily, and others hardly so.

Prognostics is about predicting something or many things. A prediction may be a weather forecast or some other statement about a future event. All weather forecasts are not perfectly correct. Accurate prediction and forecasting are very difficult in some areas.

Useful predictions may help and save many, for example much reliable predictions of when dangerous volcanoes are likely to burst.

In a non-statistical sense, the term "prediction" is often used to refer to an informed guess or opinion. In statistics, prediction is a part of statistical inference, while in science, a prediction is a rigorous forecasting of what would happen under specific conditions.

New theories make predictions so they can be tested out - sooner or later. The special theory of relativity of Albert Einstein could be proved only years after he proposed it.

What about foretelling future events free from outer sources of information? "Those who can, can, and those who can't, can't." After all, not all predictions are completely wrong.

Paranormal or supernatural means to predict include such as prophecy or observing omens. Methods include divining, astrology, numerology, fortune telling, interpretation of dreams, and many other forms of divination.

(A source: WP, "Prediction")

From south Asian religious traditions

A book edited by Knud A. Jacobsen (2011) is devoted to yoga powers gained by the yoga practice of meditation and concentration. Yoga powers include knowing the minds of others, the power to become invisible, A large part of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras and Vyasa's commentary on it are devoted to yoga powers. (Jacobsen 2011, 1)

"How do the yoga powers differ in the various traditions and what are the similarities? Also, how are the yoga powers to be distinguished from other traditions of superhuman powers? When are powers yoga powers . . .?" - Knud A. Jacobsen. Ibid., 2)

Further, "The south Asian religious traditions know many methods to achieve powers other than yoga. Hence, superhuman powers are not unique to yoga." (Ibid., 4)

"The important stories of the Buddha's display of superhuman powers perhaps did not enter into the textual traditions until the early or middle centuries of the Common Era." - Knud A. Jacobsen. Ibid., 6)

"Great yogins are traditionally characterized by attainment of yoga powers and a large part of the Yogasutra is devoted to this topic." - Knud A. Jacobsen.Ibid., 7)

"Yoga powers ('extraordinary abilities directly gained from meditation practice') . . . are called abhinnas and include . . . powers such as multiplication of bodies, disappearing, walking on water, passing through solid objects, flying, the ability to hear sounds from far-off places, knowledge of others' thoughts, recollections of past lives, and the ability to see very distant objects." - Knud A. Jacobsen. Ibid., 18)

Edgar Cayce Readings

To go to sleep or into a trance and speak from that state was a feat that American Edgar Cayce is known for. He is often called "the sleeping prophet." From his "sleep" he said a lot about psychic powers and foretold about future happenings too. He was often wrong; that needs to be said. Nonetheless, there is a book with Cayce readings about awakening one's sixth sense to solve life's problems and seize opportunities (Cayce 2006).

First, as indicated, find self. - Edgar Cayce, reading 440-8 M 23, of 21 Dec. 1933.

From a book by Dean Radin

Patanjali wasn't spinning a fairy tale - precognition is possible. (Radin 2013, 161)

The accumulated evidence is clear: Precognition exists. (Ibid.,177)

Precognition can be used for practical applications. It also indicates that most humans do have at least one of the siddhis that yoga claims to be able to develop. (Ibid., 178)