You may be of any faith in the world…if you are from a dualist, monotheistic religion, your religions teaches you of the presence of the demon…if you are from an oriental religion then it also teaches that there are evil forces in the world, may be the unhappy dead…if you are an atheist then this article is not for you, your conceptions of evil are limited to social and anthropological analyses of the matter…
a) Some places exude evil, some places seem uncanny and some places attract death. As there are these dark places on this earth, there are also places where holy men have lived. Men and women who have struggled with evil…visit monasteries, Churches, temples, Sufi dargahs, and fire temples (if you are a Parsi). Make sure that fortnightly you visit consecrated places. Just go there. Just be. Your very being is cleansed in such places.
b) Vampires are those people in our lives who suck out our inner strengths. We are left with nothing to carry one…we feel that God has abandoned us…we feel sapped of strength. Too much worldly company withers us. Go where there are monks staying. The Episcopalian communities also have monasteries. You must have monk/nun pals. You will find them as human as you are and sometimes cheap…but remember they are struggling. There is one crucial difference between them and you. They have a certain objectivity and focus in their lives, a certain habitual detachment…being with really holy people will make you more content and ward off evil.
c) Daily make it a habit to pray for at least five minutes. It need not be formal
prayer, just any would do. “Hello God, please take care of all of us in my family. Thanks.” This would do but do it regularly and consciously…those 5 minutes put yourself in the presence of God. Feel God in front of you with all Her/His majesty. Your life has no coincidences; all that good luck comes from God…say thanks to him whenever you can.
d) Never get angry. Anger is more potent than anything else to open up the gates of Hell. Anger clouds the mind and will destroy you. For anger is the hardest to control. When you feel enraged, first, keep shut and then again keep shut. Not other way. And as fast as you can, run to those holy folks I have asked you to get pally with…things will be fine…
e) If nothing is working and you feel overwhelmed with evil spirits, see a psychiatrist first and then if that too fails, then seek exorcism….
Read daily holy quotations here. This site has two new posts everyday. You can take anyone or both or some previous post and pray/meditate on the words. The site also quotes from Holy Rules of Life and simple precepts for remaining sane in a mad world. You can also use the pictures to aid visual contemplation. The trick is to be regular and making haste slowly.
Watch the Exorcist and The Exorcism of Emily Rose to understand what I mean by evil. Read Graham Greene’s The Power and the Glory to understand the subtler shades of evil.
Image: Thanks for the image!
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