Dear Charles,
You wrote a wise, caring and important letter to Teresa, (and through her to all the friends on our forum), about the dangers of being trapped by a cult, and indicated some of the weaknesses in a person's thinking that may allow them to be drawn into a cult.
DANGER OF CULTS -- BEWARE!
I didn't know that China was still suffering from that FG cult. I am so sorry to hear about the terrible things the cult has caused again.
I think people in China must be hungry for spiritual knowledge, since the good of it was erased from them with the bad. Now those vulnerable to cults must have an inner void needing to be filled with love, affection, acceptance, and what they think is good spiritual knowledge which will help and guide them in their lives. Since some people are are dangling loose, and turning in the wind without anything inside to stabilize them they easily get sucked into a cult that seems to fill the great need they feel. A cult is, in essence, a false religion.
Once they contact the cult they become psychologically manipulated by the leaders of the cult, and the way it is organized, and they often can't get out any more because they have been trapped psychologically. Sometimes they are also trapped physically. They become tools of the cult. They are mined by the cult.
I hope all friends here will listen to you about the dangers of cults.
You are surprised that I would reply to Facearmy about the I Ching, or Book of Changes.
The I Ching is not part of any cult here. Perhaps in China it is? If so, I will not write about it any more. I think it is a genuine masterpiece. However, even a masterpiece can be misused for wicked ends. Hitler is a prime example of one who misused masterpieces and genius for his own ends.
In my long post to Teresa and Facearmy yesterday about the I Ching, which I promised Teresa to write about I praised it for its understanding of how events unfold.
I never use it for trying to know the future. If we conduct ourselves well in the present, the future will unfold as it should. If we try to know the future, or to change it by "magic" it is not a good thing to do.
I would never use the I Ching for something like trying to make money on the stock market. A fine thing should be treated with great respect. In my opinion that would be a misuse of the I Ching.
I only ever use the I Ching as an aid to my thinking and understanding some difficult situation that I have been unable to resolve. I am very respectful of your country's great ancient masterpiece.
I have cautioned that it should not be used often.
It must be used in a noble manner of spirit.
A person who uses it should be grounded in a code of conduct and understanding like the one that is the basis of all the great world religions. I am not speaking of sects, only of religions. Among them are Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism, Baha'i. All of these forbid murder. All of these agree that there is Something greater than we are, that is the utmost in goodness and that loves us and helps us, and in which we should trust in our hearts. We should not give any usual human being this kind of trust.
Suicide and murder are forbidden in the pure form of the great religions. No one should commit suicide or murder, or theft. You know the Ten Commandments of Moses. I won't repeat them again. If someone only took those Ten Commandments it would give them a strong base for their life and for knowing good from evil.
No one has to join a religion, or a church, or a group, to be good and noble.
It would be enough for the personal life, to follow those Ten Commandments of Moses. Just knowing them and obeying them does not make a person a Jew. It just makes them a follower of a noble path.
Buddha had the Eightfold Path and a Fivefold one. If a person decided to choose those as their inner guide and to follow them faithfully as their commandments for a good and useful life it would be enough. One does not have to join a Buddhist group to do this.
Just know that Moses or Buddha or any of the other founders had excellent knowledge about how to live. Love them for their wisdom, and personally follow their teachings. One does not need to join a group to follow them, and their teachings and laws will never change. They are a rock to trust for life.
I don't want this to get too long. I think I have said what I want to say.
We have an important saying here. It is: "don't throw the baby out with the bathwater." I want to say to you that in China there could be lots of bathwater around the baby, but the I Ching is not bathwater. It is a fine heritage. Don't abuse it.
Remember, in all things the middle way is the best. Anything taken to extreme becomes harmful. I have written here before about cults. Once I posted information about cults. I will repost it now because it is clear that there is still need to know how to recognize a cult.
Charles, thank you again for raising this important matter.
Loving greetings to all,
Mary
