Every year the southern city of China, Yulin celebrates the summer solstice with a festival that involves the slaughter and consumption of as many as 10,000 dogs.  Many petitions have failed in the past but thanks to people taking real action, 100 dogs have been saved by a 65-year-old retired teacher.  Her name is Yang Xiaoyun and she runs an animal shelter in Tianjin and had to travel more than 2,400km (1,500 miles) and spent more than $1,100 to save 100 dogs.

Not everyone in China supports such practices and hopefully more people will get involved to put an end to the madness.

Many argue that there is no difference in the western culture slaughtering farm animals such as cows, but a group of activists in China have accused the festival organizers of ‘unnecessary’ cruelty and torture.  There is no argument that animals all over the world are being tortured, but it is heartbreaking to see what these dogs have to go through.

Source: www.themindunleashed.org | Original Post Date: November 16, 2013 –

Is nonconformity and freethinking a mental illness? According to the newest addition of the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), it certainly is. The manual identifies a new mental illness called “oppositional defiant disorder” or ODD. Defined as an “ongoing pattern of disobedient, hostile and defiant behavior,” symptoms include questioning authority, negativity, defiance, argumentativeness, and being easily annoyed.

The DSM-IV is the manual used by psychiatrists to diagnose mental illnesses and, with each new edition, there are scores of new mental illnesses. Are we becoming sicker? Is it getting harder to be mentally healthy? Authors of the DSM-IV say that it’s because they’re better able to identify these illnesses today. Critics charge that it’s because they have too much time on their hands.

By Wes Annac
Guest Writer for Wake Up World

You probably don’t need me to tell you that spirituality isn’t all about feeling positive or uplifted. The enlightenment path requires us to sacrifice things that hold us back and keep us from making spiritual progress, and maybe this is where the literal notion of religious sacrifice first originated; from the external and even internal sacrifices we have to make on the enlightenment path.

Why do we have to make sacrifices on the spiritual path? Because there are a lot of things here on Earth that stop us from making genuine progress toward enlightenment, so we are best to release or avoid these things if we want to elevate our consciousness and contribute to the awakening of others.

The purpose of self-sacrifice isn’t to boss ourselves around or give up things we cherish, unless they cause serious damage – it’s to detach from things that are destructive or which hold us back, so we can make room for more wholesome elements in our life, that accelerate our evolution.

First and foremost; be a student. If you have nothing to learn, you have nothing to teach. Jump into and enjoy this joyous cycle of experience. ~ Creator

https://thecreatorwritings.wordpress.com/2015/06/24/the-cycle-of-experience/

By John Holland

We are all born with psychic ability. It’s quite natural. Some people call it ‘intuition,’ while others prefer to say they’re ‘extra sensitive.’ As a soul, we have what I like to refer to as our ‘soul senses.’ In other words, it’s when people just feel when something’s right or wrong.

It’s not just limited to feeling, as some people may see images, while others will trust that little voice they hear inside their mind. This natural soul ability is not purely limited to those transcended masters, or to people who have devoted a lifetime of studying and practicing meditation. It’s not about fortune telling, crystal balls, or predicting the future – it’s one of the most natural resources that you can tap into at almost any time!

To be intuitive or psychic is not just something we possess. It’s not like a piece of software you can just download – it’s more a way of being.