6:26: They have been deceived by the trap of earthly conditions; they have fallen prey to the alluring phantoms of the senses. They are entangled in a net of delusion; they wander in the deep fog of illusion. They are slaves to their urges, captives of their cravings, they are bound and helpless in a chariot drawn by runaway horses, carried swiftly towards the yawning abyss. 6:27: Weak men become drunk with the heady draughts of power and riches; they are carried away by their own arrogance and conceit. They try to turn earthly conditions towards serving their own ends and struggle futilely against The Law. Willing slaves of arrogance and selfishness, helpless victims in the stormy seas of rage, lust and violence, these servants of evil hate the divinity within themselves. They hate and fear the small still voice inside. They stifle it, they smother it under the loud clamour of gaiety. They seek solace in strong wine, in sense-stimulating entertainment and in spirit-poisoning drugs. Stand aside, let them be carried swiftly to the place of sorrow and vain regret. - The Kolbrin Bible – (Celtic Texts of the Coelbook: Chapter 6 – Book of the Silver Bough)

5· Alas for people in this age of residues! The mind's wholesome core of truth has withered, and people live deceitfully, So their thoughts are warped, their speech is twisted, They cunningly mislead others-who can trust them? 6. Alas! How depressing to see the beings of this degenerate age! Alas! Can anyone trust what anyone says? It's like living in a land of vicious man-eating demons - Think about it, and do yourself a big favour. 7· Not long ago, your consciousness was wandering alone. Swept along by karma, it took this present birth. Soon, like a hair pulled out of butter, Leaving everything behind, you'll go on again alone. 8. Of course what we want is our own good, So we have to be honest with our own selves: If we don't accomplish the essence of the Dharma for our own sake, Won't we be ruining our own life? 9· In this dark age, what people think and do is vile. None of them will help you, they'll deceive and trick you; And for you to be of any help to them will be hard; Wouldn't it be best to quit the whole rat race? 10.Though you serve your superiors, they will never be pleased; Though you look after your inferiors, they will never be satisfied; Though you care about others, they won't care about you. Think about it, and make a firm decision. 11. Being learned these days doesn't help the teachings - it just leads to more debate; Being realised these days doesn't help others -it just leads to more criticism; Being in a responsible position these days doesn't help govern the country well-it only spreads revolt. Think about these times with sorrow and disgust. 12. Though you explain, people miss the point or don't believe you; Though your motivation is truly altruistic, people think it's not. These days, when the crooked see the straight as crooked, You can't help anyone-give up any hope of that. 13· "All phenomena are like magical illusions," said the Buddhas; But these days the illusions are more illusory than ever, Trickeries conjured up by devious illusionists- Beware of the illusions of this degenerate age's ways. 14. "All talk is like an echo," said the Buddhas, But these days it's more like the re-echo of an echo. What the echoes say and what they mean are not the same, So don't take any notice of these insidious echo-words. 15. Whoever you see isn't human, but a fraud; Whatever people say isn't right, but just lies. So since these days there's no one you can trust, You'd better live alone and stay free. 16. If your actions conform with Dharma, you'll antagonise everyone; If your words are truthful, most people will get angry; If your mind is truly good and pure, they will judge it a defect. Now is the time to keep your own way hidden. (This whole text refers to the degenerate times but I only shared these verses as the rest speaks of reciting the mantra of Chenrezig (Bodhisattva of compassion) and thought it was best to omit. However, these specific verses seem quite apt for these times.)

"Everything, O Jatilas, is burning. The eye is burning, all the senses are burning, thoughts are burning. They are burning with the fire of lust. There is anger, there is ignorance, there is hatred, and as long as the fire finds inflammable things upon which it can feed, so long will it burn, and there will be birth and death, decay, grief, lamentation, suffering, despair, and sorrow. Considering this, a disciple of the Dharma will see the four noble truths and walk in the eightfold path of holiness. He will become wary of his eye, wary of all his senses, wary of his thoughts. He will divest himself of passion and become free. He will be delivered from selfishness and attain the blessed state of Nirvāna."  XIX - Kassapa - Gospel of Buddha  “They are not sensuality, the pretty things in the world:  a person’s sensuality is volitional lust;  the pretty things remain just as they are in the world,  but the wise remove the desire for them.” Aṅguttara Nikāya 6.63 - Pali Canon "The Dharma of the Tathāgata does not require a man to go into homelessness or to resign the world, unless he feels called upon to do so; but the Dharma of the Tathāgata requires every man to free himself from the illusion of self, to cleanse his heart, to give up his thirst for pleasure and lead a life of righteousness. And whatever men do, whether they remain in the world as artisans, merchants, and officers of the king, or retire from the world and devote themselves to a life of religious meditation, let them put their whole heart into their task; let them be diligent and energetic, and, if they are like the lotus, which, although it grows in the water, yet remains untouched by the water, if they struggle in life without cherishing envy or hatred, if they live in the world not a life of self but a life of truth, then surely joy, peace, and bliss will dwell in their minds." XXIII - Aāthapidika - The Gospel of Buddha And the divinity Sanaṅkumāra also spoke this verse: ‘The aristocrat is best among people who take clan as the standard. But one accomplished in knowledge and conduct is best among gods and humans.’ Majjhima Nikāya 53 - Pali Canon "He who deserves punishment must be punished, and he who is worthy of favour must be favoured. Yet at the same time he teaches to do no injury to any living being but to be full of love and kindness. These injunctions are not contradictory, for whosoever must be punished for the crimes which he has committed, suffers his injury not through the ill-will of the judge but on account of his evil-doing. The Tathāgata teaches that all warfare in which man tries to slay his brother is lamentable, but he does not teach that those who go to war in a righteous cause after having exhausted all means to preserve the peace are blameworthy. He must be blamed who is the cause of war. The Tathāgata teaches a complete surrender of self, but he does not teach a surrender of anything to those powers that are evil, be they men or gods or the elements of nature. Struggle must be, for all life is a struggle of some kind. But he that struggles should look to it lest he struggle in the interest of self against truth and righteousness. He who struggles in the interest of self, so that he himself may be great or powerful or rich or famous, will have no reward, but he who struggles for righteousness and truth, will have great reward, for even his defeat will be a victory." LI. - Simha’s Question Concerning Annihilation - The Gospel of Buddha “I am the owner of my actions, heir to actions, born of actions, related to my actions, and I have actions as my shelter. Whatever I do, for good or for evil, to that will I become the heir.” Aṅguttara Nikāya 5:57 - Pali Canon "The truth is not arbitrary nor a matter of opinion, but can be investigated, and he who earnestly searches for the truth will find it. "The truth is hidden to the blind, but he who has the mental eye sees the truth. The truth is Buddha's essence, and the truth will remain the ultimate standard by which we can discern false and true doctrines. XCVIII - The Three Personalities of the Buddha - The Gospel Of Buddha