Daily motivationals and aphorisms

                             Dont give up

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, when the road you're trudging seems all uphill, when the funds are low, and the debts are high, and you want to smile, but you have to sigh, when care is pressing you down a bit, rest if you must, but don't you quit. Life is queer with its twists and turns, as everyone of us sometimes learns, And many a failure turns about, when he might have won had he stuck it out:  Don't give up though the peace seems slow,you may succeed with another blow. Success is failure turned inside out, the silver tint of the clouds of doubt, and you never can tell how close you are, it may be near when it seems so far, so stick to the fight when you're hardest hit, It's when things seem worse, that you must not quit.

   - This was sent to me one day by my sister when i was feeling down. Very true words, yes indeed.

Yea though i walk through the valley of the shadow of death, i shall fear no evil : for thou art with me ; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. - Warrior quote from Psalms 23 Holy Bible

    
From: FORTHKNIGHT MINISTRIES (Prayer)
Date: Nov 25, 2008 7:17 AM

They say that behind every cloud is a silver lining
And I guess this is true.

But finding the bright spot behind each cloud
Is largely up to you!

If everything in sight looks hopeless,
Try to find one spot,
That doesn't look quite so dark
It doesn't matter what!

When there's no where to turn that you can see,
It's time to look above.

Our Lord will come into your heart
And fill it with His love!

Think and pray until you see,
Just a glimmer of light.

Then one by one toss the rest behind you,
Until you make it bright!

Talking to God each day will help.

Your troubles He will share.

So if you're troubled with no where to turn,
Just talk to Him - He's always there!

Forthnight ministries

Matthew 6:32-33 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.


We have a cord-free, battery-free alarm clock — we call her Elianna. Like clockwork, at 6:45 each morning our 2-year old daughter, Elianna wakes up and begins calling for us to come and greet her good morning. At this point, my wife and I have come to the conclusion that those 8-hour sleep nights we used to enjoy just aren't going to happen again –at least for a long, long time.


What's interesting to me though, is that when Elianna wakes up, she doesn't wonder if we'll come to her. She waits eagerly and expectantly to see us walk in, sleepy-eyed and morning-haired as we may be. Elianna doesn't wake up worrying about what she'll wear today and if she'll be warm enough. She expects that she'll be changed and dressed up nice and warm when it's cold. She doesn't worry about if or what she's going to eat. She expects that we'll know she's hungry and will serve her a yummy nutritious breakfast. When Elianna falls down, she immediately looks toward us, holding out her hands to receive our hugs and kisses so it will be "all better". She doesn't question whether or not we love her. She's sure of it! Elianna has no worries. She expects that we will take care of her every need.


Don't you wish you were a baby sometimes? No worries — getting pampered and hugged and kissed. Well, I have good news for you — you are a baby! You are the Lord's baby! We are His children and He loves us with an everlasting and perfect love.
He cares for us just like we care for our little Elianna — in fact, much, much more than that!

From this morning on, let's start coming to the Lord as we are — His children! We needn't worry about anything. Our Father awaits the time when we will totally put our trust in Him. He loves us and He knows every one of our needs before even a word is on our lips! Let's practice putting our worries aside and determine to expect our Heavenly father to meet our every need.
And don't forget to take some time out today and say — Abba, thank you for loving me!



FORTHKNIGHT MINISTRIES.

REALIZE

Do we realize?
What do others see?
Do they see my Lord?
Do they just see me?

Do I shine forth His mercy?
Do I shine forth His grace?
Do they just see me
or, my Lord face to face?

Do they see His compassion?
Do they feel His love?
Is it all of this world
or that from above?

Do they hear His voice
or that of my own?
Does the Lord reap the harvest
from the seeds that I've sown?

Do I fall to my knees
crying out in prayer
consoling the broken
and those in despair?

Do I reach out to all
no matter the cost
Spreading the word
and seeking the lost?

Do I shine forth His glory
for all to see
all that He's done
here inside me?

On the day of Our Father
when He takes His stand
will He say, "I don't know you"
or will He say "Here take my hand."?

FORTHKNIGHT MINISTRIES

Daniel 2:20-23
Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; He sets up kings and disposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning, He reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers; you have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king

A WARRIORS HEART

BATTLE RAGES ON
DEEP INTO NIGHT
WOUNDS GET TREATED
BY THE FIRELIGHT

WARRIORS FIND REST
COWARDS WILL RUN
DEATH TO THOSE WHO FLEE
BEFORE WAR IS DONE

WARRIORS ARISE
A NEW DAY AT HAND
BATTLE RAGES ON
IN A FAR OFF LAND

WARRIORS ARE TIRED
THEY MUST REST AGAIN
LEADERS ARE YELLING
CHARGE TO THE END

WARS ALMOST OVER
THE END IS IN SIGHT
THE WARRIORS FOUGHT ON
CLEAR THROUGH THE KNIGHT

WITH ONE FINAL SURGE
A WHITE BANNER WAS RAISED
AND THE WARRIORS CHEERED
FOR THE SOULS THAT WERE SAVED

NOT ONE WARRIOR LOST
VICTORY HAD BEEN WON
JUST AS IT WAS WRITTEN
THUS, IT WAS DONE

FORTHKNIGHT

PSALM 444

I HEARD A VOICE CALL OUT
"COME FORTH APPROACH MY THRONE"
RAISED HIGH INTO THE HEAVENS
TO THE REALM OF THAT UNKNOWN

I GAZED IN AWESOME WONDER
AT THE SPLENDOR OF IT ALL
"NOW WRITE WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN
AND SPEAK OF THAT YOU SAW"

THERE HIGH ABOVE THE EARTH
LOOKING DOWN ON MAN
I SAT AND WATCHED UNFOLD
THE GLORY OF HIS PLAN

HE TAUGHT ME HIDDEN TRUTHS
VISIONS OF THAT TO BE
THE GLORY OF MY FATHER
FOR ALL THE WORLD TO SEE

THE FLAMING ARROWS FLEW
EACH ONE I GRABBED BY HAND
STORED WITHIN MY QUIVER
TO USE UPON COMMAND

I TURNED AND FACED MY LORD
AND BOWED BEFORE MY KING
ANNOINTED IN HIS SPIRIT
AS ANGELS BEGAN TO SING

HE RAISED ME TO MY FEET
EMBRACED ME AS A BROTHER
HIS HAND UPON MY SHOULDER
WE TURNED AND FACED THE OTHERS'

THERE BEFORE US STOOD
A MULTITUDE IN WHITE
NO EYE COULD SEE THE END
ALL SURROUNDED BY THE LIGHT

HAND STILL UPON MY SHOULDER
HE TURNED ME ONCE AGAIN
A GATE AMIDST A WALL
WHERE A CITY STOOD WITHIN

THEN BOWING BEFORE OUR FATHER
KNIGHTED WITH HIS SWORD
SENT FORTH UNTO THE NATIONS
IN THE GLORY OF THE LORD

NOT ONE WORD HAD HE SPOKEN
YET, I KNEW ALL THAT HE SAID
PREPARE OUR FATHER'S CHILDREN
FOR ALL THAT LIES AHEAD

SO CHILDREN KEEP YOUR WATCH
IN WISDOM YOU WILL SEE
HEAR ALL THAT HAS BEEN DONE
KNOW ALL THAT IS TO BE

FORTHKNIGHT

PSALM 7:10-13

MY SHIELD IS GOD MOST HIGH, WHO SAVES THE UPRIGHT IN HEART. GOD IS A RIGHTEOUS JUDGE, A GOD WHO EXPRESSES HIS WRATH EVERY DAY. IF HE DOES NOT RELENT, HE WILL SHARPEN HIS SWORD, HE WILL BEND AND STRING HIS BOW. HE HAS PREPARED HIS DEADLY WEAPONS: HE MAKES READY HIS FLAMING ARROWS.


Christian Glitter by www.christianglitter.com

JOB 32: 18-22
FOR I AM FULL OF WORDS AND THE SPIRIT WITHIN ME COMPELS ME; INSIDE I AM LIKE BOTTLED UP WINE, LIKE NEW WINESKINS READY TO BURST. I MUST SPEAK AND FIND RELIEF; I MUST OPEN MY LIPS AND REPLY. I WILL SHOW PARTIALITY TO NO ONE, NOR WILL I FLATTER ANY MAN FOR IF I WERE SKILLED IN FLATTERY, MY MAKER WOULD SOON TAKE ME AWAY.
JOB 33:2-7
I AM ABOUT TO OPEN MY MOUTH; MY WORDS ARE ON THE TIP OF MY TONQUE. MY WORDS COME FROM AN UPRIGHT HEART; MY LIPS SINCERELY SPEAK WHAT I KNOW. THE SPIRIT OF GOD HAS MADE ME; THE BREATH OF THE ALMIGHTY GIVES ME LIFE. ANSWER ME THEN IF YOU CAN; PREPARE YOURSELF AND COMFRONT ME. I AM JUST LIKE YOU BEFORE GOD; I TOO HAVE BEEN TAKEN FROM CLAY. NO FEAR OF ME SHOULD ALARM YOU. NOR SHOULD MY HAND BE HEAVY UPON YOU.

IN FERTILE SOIL I WAS GROWN
ON A FIRM FOUNDATION I STAND
MY ROOTS ARE SECURED AT THE THRONE OF MY FATHER
MY BRANCHES HAVE NOT BEEN BROKEN
MY LEAVES DO NOT WITHER
FROM THE FRUIT I YEILD DRIPS OIL THAT IS SWEET
MY VOICE IS LIKE ONE WHO CALLS OUT IN THE DESERT
YET, THERE ARE TWO
OUR WORDS ARE NOT OUR OWN
WE DO NOT FEAR, AND WE WILL NOT FALTER
FOR AS FIRE DEVOURS
SO TO THE WORDS FROM OUR MOUTHS UPON OUR ENEMIES
NOTHING DO WE DO ON OUR OWN
ONLY THAT WHICH IS OUR FATHER'S WILL
IN HIS SPIRIT, AND IN HIS POWER WE ARE SENT FORTH
TO PROCLAIM HIS TRUTH
AND IN THIS, WILL THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH BOW BEFORE HIM,
AND PROCLAIM THAT OUR FATHER IS GOD.

FORTHKNIGHT






Isaiah 42:13
The Lord will march out like a mighty man, like a warrior He will stir up His zeal; with a shout He will raise the battle cry and will triumph over His enemies.

TWO AT THE TEMPLE
SENT FORTH FROM THE THRONE
WITHIN SEVEN PILLARS WE STAND
NO TRUTH UNKNOWN

WITNESS TO THE LIGHT
AS PROPHESIED TO COME
OF THAT WHICH WAS
OF THAT TO BE DONE

LET NONE TRY TO HINDER
HIS WRATH SEVERE
HIS WORD ON FIRE
FOR ALL TO HEAR

OUR SWORDS ARE SHARP
IN THE SPIRIT WITH POWER
THE HIGHWAY COMPLETED
FOR OUR LORD'S FINAL HOUR

WHEN THE SIXTH IS SOUNDED
THEY'LL KNOW BY THE BLAST
THREE AND A HALF DONE
THE SECOND HAS PASSED

FORTHKNIGHT

Mark 4:22
For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open, If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.

 

PROVERBS 4:4-9

"LAY HOLD OF MY WORDS WITH ALL YOUR HEART; KEEP MY COMMANDS AND YOU WILL LIVE. GET WISDOM, GET UNDERSTANDING; DO NOT FORGET MY WORDS OR SWERVE FROM THEM. DO NOT FORSAKE WISDOM, AND SHE WILL PROTECT YOU; LOVE HER, AND SHE WILL WATCH OVER YOU. WISDOM IS SUPREME, THEREFORE GET WISDOM. THOUGH IT COST ALL YOU HAVE, GET UNDERSTANDING. ESTEEM HER, AND SHE WILL EXALT YOU; EMBRACE HER, AND SHE WILL HONOR YOU. SHE WILL SET A GARLAND OF GRACE ON YOUR HEAD AND PRESENT YOU WITH A CROWN OF SPLENDOR.

1 SAMUEL 17:45-47
DAVID SAID TO THE PHILISTINES, "YOU COME AGAINST ONE WITH SWORD AND SPEAR AND JAVELIN, BUT I COME AGAINST YOU IN THE NAME OF THE LORD ALMIGHTY, THE GOD OF THE ARMIES OF ISRAEL, WHOM YOU HAVE DEFIED. THIS DAY THE LORD WILL HAND YOU OVER TO ME, AND I'LL STRIKE YOU DOWN AND CUT OFF YOUR HEAD. TODAY I WILL GIVE THE CARCASSES OF THE PHILISTINE ARMY TO THE BIRDS OF THE AIR AND THE BEASTS OF THE EARTH, AND THE WHOLE WORLD WILL KNOW THAT THERE IS A GOD IN ISRAEL. ALL THOSE GATHERED HERE WILL KNOW THAT IT IS NOT BY SWORD OR SPEAR THAT THE LORD SERVES; FOR THE BATTLE IS THE LORDS, AND HE WILL GIVE ALL OF YOU INTO OUR HANDS."

                                    Bushido

Bushido, literally translated "Way of the Warrior," developed in Japan between the Heian and Tokugawa Ages (9th-12th century). It was a code and way of life for Samurai, a class of warriors similar to the medieval knights of Europe. It was influenced by Zen and Confucianism, two different schools of thought of those periods. Bushido is not unlike the chivalry and codes of the European knights. "It puts emphasis on loyalty, self sacrifice, justice, sense of shame, refined manners, purity, modesty, frugality, martial spirit, honor and affection" (Nippon Steel Human Resources Development Co., Ltd. 329).

ORIGINS AND INFLUENCES

                                        Shinto

       The big question of Shinto is ; How can i live the way of the Tao and pay respect to my ancestors ?

     Shinto is the main religion of China and comes from the Chinese religions. The name Shinto it'sself comes from the Chinese words "shen tao" which means "the way of the Gods". Shinto is all about the way of the Tao. Living the right way in the world, as well as some other things too.  Shinto is a combination of some of the teachings of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism along with the worship of ancestors. The souls of dead ancestors are called Kami, and the special tree planted in front of a Shinto shrine is called a Kami Gi (tree God). The kami are everywhere. Shintoism teaches that whenever a person dies, he or she becomes a kami. In most shinto homes there is something called a Kami Dana, a home shrine. The shrine looks like a little dollhouse and is shaped like a big Shinto shrine. You take salt, rice, and water to the shrine for your grandparents who have died and turned into Kami. Some days you take salt and on others you take sake ( sa-ki ) which is rice wine. In some houses they keep a little light on in front of the kami dana always. Some teachings say that the emperor of Japan is a kami, a God named Amaterasu. This teaching encouraged many Japanese people to worship the emperor, but over time, that has changed. In modern times, many Japanese as well as the emperor himself believes that the emperor is nothing more than jus a person, and that he is not a God.

                   Taoism ( Pronounced Dowism)

  The big question of Taoism is ; How can i live my life according to the Tao ?

   Taoism is similar to Confucianism, and the Tao it'self is like the way of heaven (Confucianism) also. The tao is the force of goodness in the world. We can live with the force (living in a good way) or against the force (living in a bad way) and the way you live will determine your outcome. The Tao is like a flowing river, amd in flowing with it, you will beccome very wise. If you go against the river though, you will paddle extremely fast and with much effort, but never get anywhere. taoism teaches that if you go with the way of the Tao, along with gaining wisdom, you will pretty much be able to live forever. All of Taoism's teachings are about how you can get your life squared up with the Tao of the world and live in it's flow. Taoism believes in many Gods, but there is one main Godnamed Yu Huang. Taoism has priests, and someone cannot become a priest unless their father is one. Taoism came from the teachings of two of China's great holy men, the teachers Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu. Many say that Lao Tzu lived at the same time as Confucius, but no one is exact on the knowledge of his (Lao Tzu's) life. Lao Tzu wrote a book called Tao Te Ching which contains the teachings of Taoism. Chuang Tzu lived about 2,300 years ago and was the main teacher of Taoism to many of the people of China.

                        Confucianism

    The big question of Confucianism is ; How can I live by the way of heaven ?

     The way of heaven is like a path we walk on our entire lifetime. It is the power in the world that runs the world.  The Way of Heaven is not God, it is a foprce in the world, like gravity. If we show respact to the power of the force and live accordingly, we will have a good life, and if we go against the force, we will have a bad life. The teacher of this was Confucius. He was a teacher and a holy man on the same scope as Muhummad, Jesus, Buddha, and Moses. confucius lived in China around about 2,550 years ago. He came from a very poor family and he studied hard, taught people how to live the right way, the Way of Heaven. That way, (Confucianism) is the oldest religion in China. Confucius taught that people should be kind to others, he called this Jen. He taught that people should not yell and scream and act out in a billigerent manner. He taught that people should be modest and quiet in demeanor and always try to stay in between the two extremes. Living this life of balance is called Tzu. Confucius did not wriite down his teachings and keep them recorded and archived, so our knowledge of his teachings , beliefs, and ways come from his students. There is a book detailing most of his teachings called the Analects of Confucius. Confucius also taught that people to respec their ancestors. Rhis was done by lighting candles and giving them gifts, although they could not accept the gifts ( the ancestors ) cause they were deceased.  These rituals are for the purpose of showing respect to ancestors are called Li. Confucius also taught people to respect the emperor of china and be good servants to him.

                                         Buddhism

         The big question of Buddhism is ; How can i find enlightenment ?

    Enlightenment  means knowing what is really, really true about the universe.  Enlightenment is called nirvana by Buhddhists. Buddhism is a religion that came from hinduism about 2,500 years ago, so it's big question is like the big question of Hinduism, and enlightenment is similar to moksha. The difference in Hinduism is that for Hindus, we have a soul that is real, and it gets free through moksha. In Buddhism, nothing is really real, including our souls, and learning this is what gets us nirvana. There are many names for an enlightened person ; Buddha, Bodhisattva, or arhat. Siddhartha Gautama was the first Buddha and the best Buddha. It is hard to explain what it takes to become a Buddha. You have to be smart, but wise also, which are two different things. Being smart or intelligent means knowing what is true, being wise means knowing what matters. Buddhists are both smart and wise.

      Siddhartha Gautama lived in India which is the birthplace of Hinduism. It was the teachings in his system of belief that made himthat made his followers leave Hinduism and start the new religion which became Buddhism. One of the Buddhas teachings was that the caste system of Buddhism was wrong. For the Buddha, your caste was unimportant. what matters is how you live your lifeand what you understood about getting free. The teachings of the Buddha are called the dharma. Buddhist monks who live by the dharma of the Buddha are called the Sangha. The following phrase is what all Buddhists say, that makes them Buddhists ;

    To be safe, i go to the Buddha. To be safe I go to the dharma. To be safe, i go to the Sangha.

    This is called the three refuges. The Buddha is the Buddha, the Dharma is the teachings of the Buddha, and the Sangha is the group of Buddhist monks who keep the teachings and take care of the Buddhists who are not monks. After buddha himself 2,300 years ago, the emperor of India named Asoka tried to make all of India Buddhist, but Hinduism was too strong and in favor by the people. After Asoka's attempt, buddhism became a very small religion in India, but a big religion in China, Japan, and Southeast Asia. Buddhism in the south of Asia is called Theravada Buddhism.  It is found in Sri Lanka, Mynamar, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Buddhism, in the North of Asia is called Mahayana Buddhism. It is found in Nepal, Sikkim, China, Korea, and Japan. The branch of Buddhism in Tibet, Mongolia, and parts of Siberia is called Tantrayana Buddhism. In Japan, their system of Buddhism is called Zen. Each branch of Buddhism has it's own name for an enlightened person ; Thervada Buddhism - Arhat Mahayana Buddhism - Bodhisattva Tantrayana Buddhism - Siddha Zen Buddhism - Roshi The holy people of Buddhism who have reached nirvana are at the end of their journey to enlightenment. Every person who has reached nirvana is different from Buddha himself. They reached nirvana by finding it all out on his own. The head of the Buddists in Tibet is the Dali Lama. A Lama is a Buddhist monk in Tibet, the Dali Lama is the head monk. The Lamas believe that there is really only one Dali Lama who keeps getting reborn over and over again after he dies. After the death of the old Dali Lama, a new one is chosen from all the Tibetan Buddhist children by looking at special signs. One of those such signs is that a child picks out belongings of the old dali Lama's things, from a pile of things that look the same. One Dali Lama did so at the ae of five, which is how he was picked. the teaching of nirvana is given to us in Buddhism in four parts, called the 'Four Noble Truths". These are the four noble things that the buddha 9Buddha himself) found out about the world that helped him achieve nirvana. They are the following ; Noble Truth 1 - Dukka ; A life free from suffering Noble Truth 2 - Samudaya ; Suffering comes from us wanting too much in the world Noble Truth 3 - Nirodha ; We can get rid of suffering by not wanting to much Noble Truth 4 - Middle Path ; The path you need to walk on to get rid of suffering. Living not too rich but not too poor, not too fast, but not too slow, etc. The middle path is also called the Eightfold path because it has eight things you must do to rid yourself of the suffering of the world. They are the following. 1 - Seeing the right way 2 - Hoping for the right things 3 - Saying the right things 4 - Doing the right things 5 - Working in the right way 6 - Always trying in the right way 7 - Thinking in the right way 8 - Meditating in the right way In Buddhism anyone can walk the Eightfold Path and get free of suffering by achieveing nirvana, but Buddhists believe that a buddhist monk has a better chance of achieveing nirvana than regular Buddhist followers. The rules of being a Buddhist monk are very strict. A Buddhist can get married but cannot kill anything, lie, steal, smoke, drink or do anything out of the ordinary or crazy. If you are a Buddhist monk, you csnnot do any of these things , plus you cannot even get married, have a job, eat after noon on any day, and can't take money for anything. As a monk, you would not be able to own many thing either. You would be allowed to own one belt , one bowl for begging, one razor, one neddle, and one water strainer. Any posessions given to you are owned by all monks, the collective group known as Sangha. A Buddhist monk can have only three robes. The style of your robe, shows what country (and group of monks) are from. In Sri Lanka, Buddhist monks wear orange robes. The monks in Tibet wear mauve robes, and in Vietnam they wear dark brown robes. There are 227 rules for all Buddhist monks called patimokkha. Monks say all of them every two weeks to see if they violated any of them.

   Buddhists teach that nothing is really real as one of their main principles. They know that if you feel real hunger, you can eat real food, and it will fill you, but deep down the food is not real. Nothing is real. The logic for this belief is that everything comes from something else. beacuse of this, everything is dependent on everything else. Like there cannot be a father without a grandfather and so forth. The word for buddhist believeing everything is not real deep down is called sunya. Trees, dogs, cats, everything seems real, but to them it is not really real. Mahayana Buddhists believe in something that is like God, called Tahatha which means "One Truth" or the "law of the universe" or even "suchness". This is not really God, but is a closer ideal to it than that of other buddhist followers beliefs. They only believe in sunya.

                                                  Hinduism

          The question Hinduism wants to answer most is "how can i get free of being born over and over again in this world ?

   Hinduism is the religion of about 5 out of 10 people in India. Some religions are so mixed into the history of a country that you cannot really divide the religion from the country. Hinduism and India are like that. Hindus believe that we are trapped in this world and that upon death our bodies die, but atman (our soul) gets placed back into a new body and lives again. this is reincarnation, to be born over and over again. Hindus teach also, that the life you live in your new body after you are reborn depends on how good of a life you lived in your old body. This teaching involves the conccept of what is called karma. Karma is the Hindus principle and interpretation of  "what comes around, goes around". it is the teachings that our actions change us, i.e bad actions change us for the worse and good actions change us for the better. If you do good things in your life, you will have / build good karma, and vice versa. The type of karma you build up in this life will dictate the quality of your re-birth, the life you will be born into next. Someone who lived a good life will be reborn as a high lifeform or a lifeform that serves a strong purpose. Someone who led a bad life will be reborn as a low lifeform that serves a low purpose. In addition to that principle, if reborn as a low lifeform, if you do good things in that life, you can steadily work your way up towards rebirth as a high lifeform. If reborn as a low lifeform such as a mosquito, if you only sting bad people, that would improve your karma. overall, each individual has the freedom of choice to decide if they want to build a cycle of good karma for themselves in this life on earth, or a bad cycle of karma for themselves. Karma is the reason that Hindus have a caste system (social order). The castes are called varnas. The following is the system from highest to lowest ;

Kshatriya Caste - The priests, kings, thinkers, and leaders

Vaisyas Caste - Farmers and shopkeepers

Sudra Caste - Workers

Untouchables - People who are below all castes, even the caste considered lowest which is the Sudra caste consisting of workers. The untouchbles were called that because they were not supposed to even be physically touched by the people of the other castes.

Some Hindus do not accept the caste system. Mahatma Ghandi was the most famous Hindu of the 20th century. He helped India get free of British rule and he was also against the caste system. One reason that Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikisim split off from Hinduism is cause the founders of those religions felt the caste system was cruel and unfair. If you were born in a low caste, there was nothing you could do about it in this life. The ideal of karma makes Hindus vegetarians. Being that they believe in reincarnation, and that people may come back as animals in their next life, some Hindus don't eat animals. They see the chicken or cattle being eaten as a possible reincarnated relative or friend. reincarnation sounds good to some people, but hindus dread the thought of having to live over and over. They seek to attain moksha, or to get free of the cycle. To attain moksha, there are four paths called margas or yogas. they are the following ;

Path 1 - Jnana Yoga ; This path is through what we know. It gets you free by thinking, study, and understanding how everything in the world works.

Path 2 - Bhakti Yoga ; This path is through what we feel. It gets you free by prayer.

Path 3 - Karma Yoga ; This path is through what we do. It gets people free by them doing good deeds in the world.

Path 4 - Hath Yoga ; This path is through meditation and bending your body in combination with learning proper breathing. This type of yoga is practiced by many people around the world to stay fit. To keep a more flexible body and feel more vital through proper breathing.

    Hindus know that you can't take care of your soul if you dont take care of your body. Hinduism reminds people that their body is part of their is as much apart of their religion as their mind and spirit.  This is one of the greatest teachings of Hinduism. One of the main teachings of Hinduism is that the world is full of Gods and that their are main Gods who control all others. Brahma is the God who made the world. Vishnu is the God that keeps everything  Brahma made from falling apart. There is a frightening God named Shivawho kills things. These are the three big Hindu Gods. Between them, and the thousands of little Gods, Hindus have a wide choice of what God to pray to and tkae gifts.Although the Hindus believe in many Gods, they all believe that all Gods are apart of a single big truth about the world. Their holy book teaches "truth is one and thwise ones call it by many names".

              Universal Belief & Warrior Philosophy

                                          What is Religion ?

  A religion is many big answers to many big quesrtions backed by other spiritual and philosophical knowledge and beliefs. There are a number of various religionbs in the world. The following (in no order) are some that will be mentioned or discussed in the Universal Belief & Warrior Philosophy System. Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Shinto, Hinduism, Judaism, and others. In many cases, with the larger religions as well as the smaller religions, the smaller ones are believed in by people of smaller places / cultures, opposite for the larger ones. In this, one religion developed or came from another one, with the people of the different place changed or adapted it to their people's land, history, culture and beliefs.  Some of the questions all religions try to answer in some form are ;

1. What is our place in the world

2. How can we live the right way ?

3. How do we pray ?

4. What happens to us after we die ?

    If a spiritual discipline answers these questions, it is a religion. If it does not, then it is not a religion. One religion does not have the right answers to all these questions, because all religions have some good answers to these questions and more. In this system (Universal Belief & Warrior Philosophy) is all about stepping back and taking a look at the fundamentals of multiple religions and types of philosophies, and then based on accumulated knowledge, you compare and draw educated conclusions based on the truth before you, this "Universal knowledge". No matter how much someone loves there specific religion, they should always be willing and open to hearing knowledge and philosophy from other religions. That is where the concept of "Universal knowledge" comes from.

    Some people dislike religion because they feel religiond divide people up. Causing them to hate each other, become violent, or even lead to war. Now if you look at people who are doing good things that contribute to society ; giving out soup to the homeless, volunteering to build homes for people who cant afford to pay for them, those who take care of the elderly, children, and the homeless, those who fight for others rights. All these things and more that people do, they learnedfrom the principles taught in religions. Regardless of which one, they learned to be good people from the spiritual discipline (religion) they follow. Religions teach people to be righteous and do good deeds, not to hate any one or  any other religion. Religions DO NOT TEACH HATE, only PEOPLE TEACH HATE. If any kind of hate is taught by any religion, it is the feelings and opinions of the Minister, Preacher, Priest, or what have you, of that religion. Although religions teach positive things, the teachers of the dont always convey positive messages. The religions themselves are not responsible for what the teachers (establishment) of it teach or represent, in conjunction with it.

    On the opposite side of  the spectrum, look at people who do bad things like rob, rape, and kill for little or no reason.There are people who would harm or kill others cause of the color of their skin, where they are from, or their beliefs, and it does not stop there. There are people who lie, cheat, and steal their way through life, abusing innocent and hardworking people in the process. None of these things were teachings they learned from a religion. They (as we aLL do) have free will to choose and walk that path in life. These peope may have religious faith of some sort, but if they live a life like this, they are obviously not strong PRACTITIONERS of their religion. That, or they believe in a warped version of some religious / spiritual discipline.

     Furthermore from this all, is that a person does not have to believe in a religion to be or any specific religion to in order to be a good person. That may shock or offend some, but it is the truth. A person may not have faith in a religion, but they may live a good or pure life and even do things to help others. Being that they are a good person , then spiritually, they have no worries, because they basically are living the same life a religious person does, only they choose not to get caught up in all the details and other stuff a religion encompasses. These people see that all as unecessary and stressful, so they jus strive to be good people and live righteously and peacefully.

     There are those who believe that their religion is right above all others, and that is okay, it only makes sense they feel that conviction.Then there are others who feel the same, but hate others who believe diffferently, or even fight those who feel differently than they do. They even go as far as to speak untruths about other religions, that type of behavior is not okay. Any righteous person would not do these things in the first place. If you hate or hurt others who do not believe in what you do, or are different than you, then you have not learned what your religion teaches at all. You need to re-evalueate  your beliefs and yourself as a person if you do see things this way.