 In spite old clear
contra-indications they continued smoking and behaved carelessly
during the urine.tre~tment. Even then, they have benefited to a great
extent. This is the proof of the curing power of urine. I remembered
the words of the Holy Gita -"Fulfilling the duty even to a small
extent, saves one from great danger.i• How much more benefit cou.ld
one obtain if the path of duty is followed in toto? So is the case with
urine therapy.
AFTERMATH OF CASES
After Shri Raojibhai's death, the work of urine therapy is well
carried on by Bharat Sevak Samaj (Gujarati Branch). But how his
mantle fell on Dr. Paragjibhai D. Desai of Bulsar is shown in the 4th
Part of this book. Many an individual sought advice on urine therapy
from Bharat Sevak Samaj and from Dr. Paragjibhai. So naturally WEAKNESS OF HEART : 83
there accumulated a number of successf!JI cases. The patients so
treated were sufferers of different diseases. They are classified
disease-wise and are given under each disease at the end under the
caption "Aftermath of Cases". Here are given such few cases of
heart-weakness treated successfully. ·
1. Shri N.C. Chashmawala of Surat was suffering from weakness
of heart for the last six years. His age was forty-three. Upto the age
of thirty, he had experienced no disease. At the age?f t~irty-six, he
suddently felt severe pain starting in the back and bnngmg pressure
on the heart. That made him quite uneasy and weak. He could not
walk a few steps ·without taking rest on the way! Friends and
relatives told him that the pain was due to cold. Doctors could not
cure il. By chance he took brandy for its cure and got some relief for
a while. But after a month, the pain recurred and he had to take
recourseto Euopean doctor. From cardiogram it was found o_ut that
he was really suffering from heart-disease. He ~as ad~i.sed.,a
month's rest. Meanwhile his father's friend showed him RaOJibhai s
book on urine therapy. He started urine therapy by drinking and
rubbing urine. He took only boiled food without condiments and
fruits and milk at night. He used to take sun-bath after rubbing urine.
After one month,. he got relief from pain. Even for six months he had
continued drinking urine and stopped its rubbing. He could tak_e
normal food. His digestion has much improved. The members of his
family also began to use urine! His baby of 3 years of age fell down
and became unconscious. By using urine, she was brought to
consciousness and in five minutes began to play! His friend could
get rid of high blood-pressure by urine treatment.
2. Shri Dhir~bhai H. Vakharia, aged fo(ty, is a businessman of
Bulsar. He was suffering from coronary thrombosis for two years and
was not cured by doctors. He took to urine therapy in 1963. He
used to take 8 to 1 0 ounces of urine three times without fast or
rubbing and rested for two months. He has no trouble of heart any
more for the last six years.
· 3. Shri Sampatkumar. Sheth, Barri~ter, High Court, Bombay, 84 : AUTO-URINE THERAPY
(Anand Mahal, Babulnath Road, Bombay-7) was suffering from.
coronary thrombosis. He slowly took to urine therapy and sought
advice from Dr. Paragjibhai personally by inviting him to his place.
Not only could he cure himself by four days' urine fast but became
quite healthy by urinemassage afterwards. He could cure cough and
cold of his son and daughter and two other patients ~y this therapy.
4. Shri Prajna Bhatta of Navagam (Dist. Kheda) had a dilated
heart and suffered from Mitral Stenosis. She used urine living on
simple food. She took urine as well rubMd it. She could cure herself
of the heart trouble and at the same time.got rid of cold and liver
trouble.
5. Shri Ramanlal from Nadiad was suffering from heart trouble for
7 years. He took to urine therapy and cured himself completely. He
has regained so much vigour that he rides a cycle without any strain.
He. qecame a firm believer in urine therapy and cured Shri
Gurudatta Shastri of his deafness only by urine!
6. Shri Jethalal Shah from Bombay had the same good experience
of this therapy. He cured himself of his weakness of heart and his
heart now has become strong enough to allow him to work with full
vigour.
CHAPTER Ill
HIGH BLOOD-PRESSURE
By the end of May 1958, Shri Anubhai Shah of Ahmedabad,
came to me. He reported about his wife's suffering from· high
blood-pressure. He related : "She is forty-five and has constant
headache with throbbing. She has not been able to sleep well for the
last six months because of agony and is unable to take any food. She
was suffering from simple cold and some times from fever also. The
doctor gave her strong injections against cold. She completed a
course of Streptomycin and other injections also but cold persisted.
Her condition went on deteriorating day by day and so I took her to HIGH BLOOD-PRESSURE : 85
an experienced and a highly qualified doctor. He examined her and
was suprised to find out her high blood-pressure. He scolded the
former dodor for not caring to her pressure. Her blood-pressure was
270! And the fight against it started.
"They tried their level best to lower the pressure but with ~~
success. so they suggested an operation which wa~ perf?rmed m
vadilal Hospital and some nerves from left and nght s1de were
removed. But blood-pressure could not be brought below 240~ an~
that too was maintained with the aid of medicine, otherw1se 1t
would rise to 260! Other troubles continued as before.
"Now 1 come to you after utter disappointment as the dodor
declared the case as hopeless.
"Urine therapy gives IT.le a ray of hope that (t may succeed in
bringing down her blood-pressure."
Seeing his firm decision, I advised him to see Dr. Pushpen~ra
Bhatta who is taking keen interest in this treatment and_ to acquamt
himSelf with the method of this treatment and asked h1m to foll?w
his instructions and to see that no other medicine, during the penod
of this treatment, was given to t~e patient.
By misunderstanding rubbin&4Jf urine on the patinet was started
only on soles. Even this limited application worked wonderfully.
After three days' of rubbing,, the tablet.s of medi:ine were_ s~opped.
The blood-pressure did not go higher and Shn Anubha1 JO~ful!y
informed about it on the phone. He expressed his new-born fa1th m
the urine treatment and asked for further instructions.
Though blood-pressure is a common malady, such a high degree
of blood-pressure is still a rate case. I asked Shri Ranjit~hai, w~o had
adopted this treatmeritfor the last four years as a yog1c pract~~e, t~
take over the charge of that lady for t~is treatment. Ra~Jitbhal
himself lived on milk diet and gave his urine to the.pat1ent for
rubbing while her own urine was used for drinking. Th~ lady co~ld
not take food and could. not digest even milk. Ten days of rubbmg
·resulted in the lowering down of blood-pressure from 240 to 225. 86 : AL)TO-URINE THERAPY
She had sleep for two to three hours a day and could digest some
milk. In the next ten days, all pain had gone and blood-pressure
came down to 200. She began to feel comfortable and could sit with
the support of a pillow. She had loose motions which eliminated the
foul matter accumulated in her body. Sleep was longer and
sounder. In spite of all this improvement, there was no relief in the
swe!ling of hands and feet. Anubhai suspected it as the after-effect of
too many injedions. The foltowers of Ayurved diagnosed that she
had Kathodar due to the accumulation of foreign poisons in the
body. Her heart and kidneys also were not functioning properly.
Consequently, though blood-pressur.e came dowrf, the swelling
continued. The treatment of urine was continued and in six weeks,
blood-pressure came down to 1 50. It was no longer abnormal for
her age of forty-five. Now.swelling was the main trouble. The fast
could not be prolonged and so she was given little amount of milk
and lentil soup. The rubbing of urine was continued as before


proved since,  was nothing but a theoretical  fallacy!
And here  to digress for a moment. I grant that it is unwise dogmatically
to assert that any given text of Scripture denotes  this or that, for many
people read into the Bible exactly what they  themselves  wish  to find 26
 there. Nevertheless,  I believed,  and still believe, that the text I have
quoted, and many others also, bear reference  to that vital  fluid which  is
within our own bodies; and believing it, I acted in accordance  with that
belief, to find in the end that it proved to be my physical salvation.
Fortified by my faith  in what I thought to be the correct interpretation
of the text, I fasted  for forty‐five days on nothing but urine and  tap
water‐and this, despite the doctor's assertion that eleven days without
food was the limit to which a human being could go I also rubbed urine
into my body‐a very important  factor in the cure,  with  which  I shall deal
in Chapter  XVII‐ I finally broke  my fast  on raw  beef, and  though it gave
me no discomfort  beyond a ravenous  hunger, I none the less  ate
cautiously  for a time,  and  continued  to drink my own urine, noticing
that its changes in temperature,  quantity, taste, etc., depended  almost
entirely on what I ate or drank, and on the amount  of exercise I took.
At the end of this treatment  I felt and  was "an entirely new  man." I
weighed 140 lbs., was full of vim, looked about eleven years younger
than I actually was, and  had  a skin like a young girl's. I was thirty‐six at
the time, and  am now over sixty. Yet by dint of drinking every drop of
water that I pass, living on a wellbalanced  diet, (*) and  never eating
more  food per diem than I consider the body requires,  I look and  feel
much younger than most men of my age,  and  keep free from  those
major  and minor ailments to which  the body is said to be heir.
(*) See Chapter XVII.
Having now related the essential  details  of my selfcure  and  all that
contributed  to its continuance,  I will merely  add  that in 1918, being
convinced  that knowledge  must  not be selfishly "hidden under  a 27
 bushel," but should be shared with one's fellows, I began to advise and
supervise'  the fasting of others on the same lines. The rest of this book
is therefore  largely devoted to results obtained  on those : suffering
from a variety  of diseases, including medically  diaglosed  cases of cancer,
Bright's disease, gangrene,  and  many others which  from the orthodox
standpoint  are labelled  incurable.

   28
 CHAPTER  V.
GANGRENE

Gangrene,  described  in simple language  as "death  of a part," is
regarded as hopeless  of cure  by the orthodox physician.  "Gangrene  has
set in " is a phrase invariably  accepted as the last stage which  precedes
the almost immediate  decease  of the victim.  Where gangrenes  sets  in
after a finger, toe or limb has been amputated,  it is often  fatal,
especially  in the case  of persons past middle age. All the same, I have
proved that gangrene  can be easily cured.
My first acquaintance  with the ravages of gangrene  was in 1891 when I
was a schoolboy  of ten.  My closest schoolmate  had complained  of face‐
ache  for some days before being taken to a local  dentist for the
extraction  of a tooth far back in the jaw. Unfortunately  some of the jaw
came  away  with the molar, and  gangrene  set in. Drugs and  ointments
were applied to reduce  (or perhaps  better said suppress)  the swelling,
and the boy died  ten days later.
It so happened  that at the same time as my schoolmate  was suffering,  I
also had  a swollen cheek. But the remedy  my mother applied (she was
a farmer's daughter,  by the way) was a very different one from the "
scientific " ones the doctors  had  applied to my young friend.  True, my
own swollen cheek was the result of having been stung by a lot of bees,
owing to my having disturbed  a colony of those interesting  little
creatures.  All the same it was very painful, till my mother completely
cured it by first  bathing my face  in urine and  then binding it up with 29
 pieces of linen wrung out in the same  healing  fluid. My cheek was
normal  in a few hours.
This treatment  was suggested  to the parents of my schoolmate  with
the gangrenous  jaw‐but merely to be rejected with scorn and
expressions  of disgust. I have since come to know  that urine
compresses  combined  with urine‐drinking and fasting could have saved
my unfortunate  friend.
About  a year later a young man  of our  acquaintance  died  of either
gangrene,  medical treatment  for the condition,  or perhaps  both.  While
he was ill, I used to go and read to him; and during one of my visits, the
doctor called. He was a very loquacious  practitioner,  and  after a few
cheering stock phrases, added  that whoever found a cure  for this
dreadful  affliction would merit a crown of gold


<|begin_of_text|>“David is a living demonstration of peace and joy. He uncovered
this state of mind, which is accessible to us all, by living what he
teaches in This Moment Is Your Miracle. Although the process of
transcending fear is not always easy, it is simple, and David’ s
explanations and exercises guide you to claim the happiness that
is your birthright. This Moment Is Your Miracle  illuminates the
pathway to complete awakening, so you can experience the deep
peace and everlasting love that dwells within you, in this very
moment.”
—Corinne Zupko, EdS, bestselling author of From Anxiety
to Love
“It is said, ‘By their fruits ye shall know them’; this book is the
harvest of all the teachings that David Hoffmeister has acquire d
during the learning and living of A Course in Miracles. The joy of
David is his trust, his willingne ss to give freely, and his simple
practice of listening to the Holy Spirit and following His
directions. The resulting inspir ation of this book is due to the
experience of direct communion with the Spirit, and consequently
is a blessing to all who want to live a life of forgiveness and
healing.”
—Nick Davis, founder of the first UK-dedicated Miracles
Centre, The Centre for Inner Peace, and the retreat,
September Cottage; author of An Invitation to the
Awakening Heart
“David Hoffmeister is one of the most authentic teachers of A
Course in Miracles. His commitment to the text comes through in
all of his work. I love David ’s gentle teaching style and his
genuine love for life. David walks his talk!”
—Gabrielle Bernstein, #1 New Y ork T imes bestselling
author of The Universe Has Y our Back“‘Imagine if you were motivate d only by love and nothing else?’
asks David Hoffmeister in his new book, packed with detaile d
explanations, practices, prayers,  and recorded meditations. David
unpacks A Course in Miracles in bite-sized pieces about how to
undo the mind and pump up the volume of Holy Spirit. Dive deep
into this book and you will experience your miracle-mindedness
strengthen as you practice the core teachings of A Course in
Miracles. Move over Ego, we are merging into the ‘Glorious
Flow’!”
—Maria Felipe, author of Live Y our Happy, international
speaker of A Course in Miracles, and ordained minister
through Pathways of Light
“I’ve known David for nearly thirty years. There are several folks
who have dedicated themselves to understanding and living the
principle of A Course in Miracles. In the case of David, it’s clear
that his commitm ent is strong, his vision is sharp, and his ability
to teach brilliant. This Moment Is Your Miracle  is a well-written,
comprehensive explanation of some of the most basic,
revolutionary, and transformative concepts in the Course.”
—Jon Mundy, PhD, author of Living A Course in Miracles,
publisher of Miracles magazine, and executive director of
All Faiths Seminary in New Y ork City, NY
“With his new book, This Moment is Your Miracle, David
Hoffmeister gives the reader a tour de force of spiritu al
knowledge that will result in a major acceleration of their spiritual
path. I’ve known David for many years, and he’s a brillia nt
teacher and writer. This book shows him at his best. I highly
recommend this important work.”
—Gary Renard, the best-selling author of The
Disappearance of the Universe trilogy and The Lifetimes
When Jesus and Buddha Knew Each Other“The journey within is the greatest journey of all. David
Hoffmeister takes us through a journey of self-discovery, inner
truth, healing, and rebirth…. David gives us the tools to face our
fears…. I recommend This Moment Is Your Miracle for anyone
wanting to take the greatest journey of all.”
—Tina Fiorda, coauthor of A Book of Insight
“For both new and seasoned travelers on the path to self-
discovery, this book is filled to the brim with a wealth of
inspiring, practic al material that can lead you straight to the heart
of deep inner peace. These abundant, essential reminders about
the constant and powerful choice for beginning anew are
presented in a bright, masterful, and compelling way. More than
ever, this easy, loving way of living will now feel within reach,
and you can eagerly begin to claim your birthright!”
—Carol Howe, author of Never For get to Laugh
“This Moment Is Your Miracle  brings the luminous love and
transforming clarity contained within A Course in Miracles alive
for a new generation of seekers. With eloquence and grounde d
wisdom, David shows us that miracles are not only possible, but
natural and abundantly available to us all.”
—Miranda MacPherson, author of The W ay of Grace
“David Hoffmeister is a master teacher when it comes to
understanding the profoundly healing spiritual practices in A
Course in Miracles. David shares simple, step-by -step healing
practices that correct the mind and liberate us from the dominio n
of the ego’s false concepts and precepts. A Cours e in Miracles
readers can be deceived into thinking that studying the books will
bring healing, but healing is not an intellectual process, it is a
spiritual awaken ing. With this book, we’re given the practical tips
and tools that bring us to that awakening. This helpful book is amaster ’s guide to practicing A Course in Miracles and living the
teachings moment by moment for true liberation.”
—Jennifer Hadley, spiritual writer, speaker, teacher,
minister, and counselor; founder of the Power of Love
Ministry
“This Moment Is Your Miracle is a heartwarming and heart-
opening read. It creates a sense  of shelter and safety, navigating
you through practical exercises that show you God within and all
around you. You are invited to trust love. You are shown how to
heal obstacles such as fear and guilt. This book prepares you to
surrender to love. There are clear explanations of how life has
distracted your attention, taking  you from the flow of love. This
book is an invitation to recognize your oneness with God and
with the Holy Spirit. It offers intimacy with pure love, for those
who have the heart for it.”
—Jac O’Keeffe, spiritual teacher, author, and cofounder of
the Association of Professional Spiritual T eachers (APST)Publisher ’s Note
This publication is designed to pr ovide accurate and authoritative information in r egard to the
subject matter cover ed. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in
rendering psychological, financial, legal, or other pr ofessional services. If expert assistance or
counseling is needed, the services of a competent pr ofessional should be sought. Distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books
Copyright © 2019 by David Hof fmeister
Reveal Press
An imprint of New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
5674 Shattuck A venue
Oakland, CA 94609
www.newharbinger.com
All quotes from A  Course in Miracles, copyright © 2007 by the Foundation for Inner Peace, P.O. Box 598, Mill V alley, CA 94942-0589, www.acim.or g and info@acim.or g, are used with
permission. I extend my gratitude to the Foundation for Inner Peace for their devotion. Cover design by Amy Shoup
Acquired by R yan Buresh
Edited by Gretel Hakanson
All Rights Reserved
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data on fileThis book is dedicated to the group of people I have lived  with for years
who have dedicated their lives to experiencing the truth within: Living
Miracles W orldwide Spiritual Community. I am honored by your
dedication and devotion and touched by your kindness and generosity. There are no words to adequately express my gratitude.Love is completely transpar ent; it’ s an open
book.Contents
Foreword
Introduction: The Ever -Present Miracle of Now
Part I: The Miracle of Moving Thr ough Separation
Chapter 1. Judgment and Knowledge
Chapter 2. Perception
Chapter 3. Fear
Chapter 4. Guilt
Chapter 5. Private Thoughts
Part II: Miracles W ithin
Chapter 6. Finding T rue Guidance
Chapter 7. T rust
Chapter 8. Acceptance
Chapter 9. Peace of Mind
Part III: Miracles in Relationships
Chapter 10. T ransforming Special Relationships
Chapter 1 1. From People Pleasing to T rue Empathy
Chapter 12. Communication
Chapter 13. Collaboration
Chapter 14. Holy RelationshipPart IV : Being the Miracle
Chapter 15. Healing
Chapter 16. For giveness
Chapter 17. Extending from W ithin
Conclusion: Living in Freedom
Gratitude and Acknowledgments
Resources
NotesForeword
It is easy to talk about spiritual ideas, harder to live them. When a
spiritual teacher  comes along who actually walks the talk, all who look
upon that person  are blessed with a rare opportunity to learn, heal, and
grow. David Hof fmeister is such a one. When I discovered David through his Y ouTube videos, I was deeply
impressed by


, including rheumatoid arthritis, involve autoimmune factors. 15
TREATMENT OF INTRACRANIAL HYPERTENSION
Writing in the June 1984 issue of the journal
Neurosurgery
, three neurologists
described their application of DMSO for the reduction or elimination of
intracranial hypertension (high blood pressure within the skull’s chamber) from
head injury. They discussed their experience in six patients, two who had received
a bolus administration (an intravenous “push” injection) of 10 percent dimethyl
sulfoxide and four who had received a 20-percent solution titrated (measured by
counting drops) against the intracranial pressure (ICP). Five of the patients in this series suffered from severe head injury, and one had
a cortical venous thrombosis (blood clot of a vein in the cerebral cortex)associated with pregnancy. The first two patients were treated with a rapid
infusion of a 10-percent solution of DMSO. Initially, the ICP was satisfactorily
controlled using this method. Over time, however, fluid overload, severe
electrolyte disturbances, and an ultimate loss of ICP control occurred. In
subsequent patients, a 20-percent solution titrated against the ICP was used. Although ICP control was better achieved using this method of administration,
problems with fluid management and electrolytes occurred again despite a high
level of vigilance on the part of the three clinicians. In addition, because of the solvent properties of DMSO and its propensity over
time to dissolve (reduce the potency or concentration of) most standard
intravenous infusion systems, mechanical difficulties in its administration were
encountered in all six patients. In their clinical journal report, the doctors wrote,
“The mechanism of action of DMSO is not well understood. It differs from the
barbiturates, but acts too rapidly to function solely as a diuretic. The drug is
extremely complex to use, and difficulties with its administration may make its
risks ultimately greater than its potential benefits. Until more laboratory data are
available concerning its use and better delivery systems are developed,
neurosurgeons are cautioned against treating intracranial hypertension with
DMSO.”
16
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SUCCESSFULLY TREATED
DMSO finds use in the treatment of multiple sclerosis, in Russia, as revealed by a
1984 clinical journal report. Thirty-four patients with multiple sclerosis were
treated with the Russian branded product named Dimexide (dimethyl sulfoxide). The use of the drug was found
to be desirable, since it had a positive effect on
immunity and antiallergic and reparative action on the injured tissues. The
treatment proved most effective in patients with a remitting course of the disease. In patients with a rapidly progressive course, the improvement was unstable. No
side effects were observed. The beneficial therapeutic effect of dimexide may be
explained by remyelinization (new growth of nerve sheaths), a reduction in the
edema (swelling), and neurodynamic improvement (improved movement of nerve
impulses). 17
NO DMSO TOXICITY IN CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
TREATMENTIn all of his group’s studies, Dr. de la Torre found no significant toxicity involved
with the drug, even with high intravenous doses. He explained, “We took a series
of rhesus monkeys that are phylogenetically very close to man, and injected high
doses of DMSO intravenously for nine days. Before and after, we tested these
monkeys for their serum chemistries, their cardiovascular responses, their
neurological signs, and their ophthalmological changes, if there were any. “Following the toxicity studies, which took eighteen weeks, we concluded that
there were no significant changes in the serum chemistry at any time during the
observation period. These changes were compared to a control series of animals. “There were no changes in the urine, and there were no neurological changes. There were no changes in the cardiovascular responses. There were no ocular
changes. We were curious to see if there might have been some changes in the
refraction or translucency of the lens, since some years previously this had been
reported to have been a problem in rabbits. “One of the ophthalmologists reviewed these animals before and after DMSO,
not knowing which animals had received the drug, and it was concluded that there
were no changes at all in the eyes of these animals. “Then following the experiments, the animals were autopsied and the tissues
examined histologically. No pathologic changes in the histology were found. “So, our conclusion, then, is that DMSO, at least as far as these events were
concerned, is an effective and relatively nontoxic drug as used intravenously. “Our results in spinal cord injury, brain trauma, and stroke have been
confirmed by at least three different groups of investigators in other parts of the
country for each project,” Dr. de la Torre said. “We feel that DMSO is a highly
effective drug in central nervous system injuries.”CHAPTER 10
DMSO Therapy for Mental
Disabilities
Melody Clark had her first psychomotor evaluation when she was six months old. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Dale Clark of Wenatchee, Washington, learned that
Melody would be so severely retarded that in all likelihood she would never
progress mentally beyond the age of six. She was born with an extra chromosome
21—a total of forty-seven chromosomes instead of the normal human forty-six—
making her a victim of Down’s syndrome or trisomy 21. Patients with Down’s syndrome are labeled trisomic mongoloids, because of
certain characteristics peculiar to an individual with three of a particular
chromosome rather than the normal pair of homologous chromosomes. Typically,
the affected child is born to an older mother, although the condition may also occur
in babies of mothers of any age. The overall incidence is about 1 in 700 live
births, but there is marked variability depending on the mother’s age. In the early
child-bearing years, the incidence is about 1 in 2,000 live births; for mothers over
age forty, it rises to about 45 in 1,000 live births. Close to 50 percent of infants
with Down’s syndrome are born to mothers over thirty-five years of age. The babies tend to be placid, rarely cry, and demonstrate lack of muscular
tone. Their physical and mental development is retarded; the mean intelligence
quotient (IQ) is about 50. Facial characteristics differ from the normal: an
unusually small head, flattened at the rear, and disproportionately short; slanted
eyes with folds of skin extending from the root of the nose to the inner termination
of the eyebrow are present. Gray to white spots resembling grains of salt clustering
around the periphery of the iris are usually visible in the period just after birth and
disappear during the first twelve months of life. The bridge of the
nose is flattened,
and the baby’s mouth is often held open by a large, protruding tongue that is
furrowed and lacks the central fissure. The hands of such children are short and broad, with a single palmar crease
(“simian crease”). Their fingers appear short with incurvature of the fifth finger,
which often has only two phalanges. The feet have a wide gap between the firstand second toes, and a furrow on the foot sole extends backward. X-rays of the
children’s hips disclose decreased acetabular and iliac angles, and prior to the
availability of chromosome analysis this was a major finding in confirming the
diagnosis. Congenital heart disease is found in about 35 percent of Down’s syndrome
patients. Thus, life expectancy is decreased by the threat of heart disease and by
susceptibility to acute leukemia. However, many youngsters without a major heart
defect survive to adulthood but not to old age. When Melody Clark was eleven months old, her parents placed her on DMSO
therapy under the supervision of Dr. Stanley Jacob. At that time, she couldn’t
stand because her legs were just like a rag doll’s. She could not roll from her back
to her abdomen. Her eyes were constantly out of focus; she was almost unable to
see. By age eight, Melody had progressed from a severely retarded child to one
who was only mildly retarded—a circumstance that is highly unusual for this
heretofore irreversible condition. After seven years of treatment with DMSO, Melody ran, jumped, turned
somersaults, and played on a trampoline. She was on a second grade level at
school and excelled in arithmetic. She had an excellent grasp of mathematical
problems and was a good reader and a fine speller. She had worked her way up
from a class for “trainables” to a special education class for educable children. She attended Sunday school with normal children and also enjoyed camp with
normal children during the summer of 1980. Equally important is that Melody was
quite popular with her classmates—she was very social-minded. Not only did she advance mentally, but the DMSO therapy brought about
actual physical changes. Her features altered. Melody was born with an extremely
high roof in her mouth, and now it is within the normal range. Her dentist, David K.
Priebe, D.D.S., of the Eye and Ear Hospital, Wenatchee, Washington, testified to
this change. Dr.


marvelous way of healing many maladies. Try spending a
day in an isolated spot, listening only to silence punctuated
by the sounds of natur e—the birds, the insects, the rustling
of leaves, the wind. These are the sounds of healing that
can oﬀset the painful sounds of trucks, cement mixers,
boom bo xes, and the lik e.
Give yoursel f opportuniti es to be in the wilder ness as a
regular part of your life routine. Take a day each month or
week or two to be alone in silence, communing with natur e.
This is the ultimate therapy, and it’s much less expensive
than paying someone to listen! Meditation Not Only Aﬀects Y ou, It Impacts
Everyone Around Y ou
When you’re at peace, you radiate a diﬀer ent kind of energy
than when you’r e stressed or depressed. The more peaceful
you become, the easier you can deﬂect the negative
energies of those you encounter. This is like having an
invisible shield around you that nothing can penetrate
unless it’s at a higher spiritual energy than your shield. A
hostile current is greeted with a smile and an inner knowing
that this is not your stuﬀ. A person who attempts  to bring
you into their misery cannot succeed without your
agreement. Y our meditation practice k eeps you immune.Not only can you deﬂect the negativity of those around you,
but your sense of peace will bring others into harmony with
you. Studies have been done to measur e the serotonin (a
neurotransmitter in your brain that indicates how peaceful
and harmonious you feel) levels of those in the vicinity of a
large group of meditators. Amazingly, just being in the
energy ﬁeld of those who meditate raises the serotonin
levels of the observers. These implications are startling. The
more you achieve peacefulness through meditation, the
more your peaceful state impacts those ar ound you. I ﬁnd that my meditating not only calms me, but has a
soothing eﬀect on my family and those around me. But the
primary beneﬁt is that after a meditation, I ﬁnd it almost
impossible to be annoyed or negatively impacted by
anything, because it brings me inner peace. OceanofPDF.comMaking Conscious Contact
with God
Most organized religions have taken on the task of
explaining God to their congr egations, including all of the
rules that God supposedly has laid out for humankind. However, you cannot come to know God through the
experiences or testimony of others. This must be done by
you. Today, through furth er exploration of medita tion and
silence, we are going to discover how to make conscious
contact with God. I teach a meditation, which I describe in detail and guide
you through  with my voice, in an audio program called
Meditations for Manifesting. This meditation uses the soundof “ahhhh” as a mant ra to keep your thoughts from
wandering during the morning meditation. This mantra
sound is in virtually all names of the Divine. Listen  for it, for
example, in God, Yahweh, Allah, Krishna, Jehovah, Ra, and
Ptah. By repeating this mantra sound, you make conscious
contact with God. The evening meditation uses the sound of
om, the sound of gratitude for all that has manifested in
your life. Repeating the sound of ahhhh  in the morning and
om in the evening for approximately 20 minutes creates an
opportunity for you to experience inner peace and success,
in a way you may have never known befor e. I urge you to
meditate because it will bring you more peace, remove
stress, improve your surroundings, and deﬂect negativity. All
of this and more will deﬁnitely show up when you meditate
on a r egular basis. When you merge into the silence and become one with it,
you also reconnect to your Source and know the
peacefulness that some call God. “Be still and know that I
am God,” says it so beautifully in the Psalms of the Old
Testament. The k ey wor ds her e are still and know. Be still actually means silence. Mother Teresa described
silence and its relationsh ip to God by saying, “God is the
friend of silence. See how natur e—tr ees, grass—gr ows in
silence; see the stars, the moon, and the sun, how they
move in silence… We need silence to be able to touch
souls.” This includes your soul! The second word in the Old Testament observation, know,
refers to making your personal and conscious contact with
God. To know God is to banish doubt and become
independent of others’ deﬁnition and description  of God. Instead, you have your own personal knowing. And as
Herman Melville reminded us so poignantly, “God’s one and
only voice is silence.”Your sense of inner peace depends on spending some of
your life energy in silence  to rechar ge your battery, remove
tension and anxiety, reacquaint you with the joy of knowing
God, and feel closer to all of humanity. The Divine Oneness
God is that which is indivisible. There’s only one
omnipr esent presence called God. This presence is
everywher e and is a force that creates and sustains life. It
can never be divided or cut up into pieces. There’s only one
power in the universe, not two. Everything in your
experience as a human being appears to be in duality,
however. Up exists because of its opposite, down. Light
exists becau se of dark; right exists because of wrong. You’ve never  seen a person with a front who doesn’t have a
back; an outside  without an inside ; a north pole  of a magnet
without a south pole. Our physical world is a world of
dichotomies and combinations of opposites, always
divisible. Silence, howe ver, is the one experience you can have that’s
indivisible. You cut silenc e in half, and all you get is more
silence. There’s only one silence. Therefore, silence is your
one way to experience the oneness and the indivi sibility of
God. This is how you know God rather than having to settle
for knowing about God. This is why you want to meditate. Meditation seems to bring me into contact with a source of
soothing energy that makes me feel deeply connected to
God. You will ﬁnd your answers in the silence. Remember : It’s out
of the void, the emptiness, that everything is created. When
you write a musical note, the silence from which it comes is
just as much a part of the note as is the sound. So it is withhealing any thing or any relationship. Going into the quiet
and listening will inspir e you. I can’t imagine speaking or
writing without ﬁrst going to God in silence. I seek alone
time and space to allow my inspiration to emer ge. Keep Y our Silent Communion with God to
Yourself
Everything that you wish to manifest emer ges from Spirit,
from the silence. You don’t use your ego to manifest. In fact,
ego can inhibit the creative process. For this reason, I urge
you not to divulge your private insights, what you intend to
create. As St. Paul said, “That which is seen, hath not come
from that which doth appear.” When you talk about your
emer ging manifesting ideas and relate your insights to
others, you often feel the need to explain and defend them. What happens is that ego has enter ed. Once the ego is
present, the manifesting stops. Silence is wher e manifesting occurs, so keep your potential
miracles in the treasur ed silence that you embrace  as often
as possible. You can rely upon it and enjoy basking in the
serenity and inner peace that silence and meditation always
bring. OceanofPDF.comGive Up Your Personal
History
For many of us, our past deﬁnes who we are at this present
moment. Today, I want to show you how letting go of the
past can help you move on to live your life more fully in the
present. When a speedboat zooms across the surface of the water,
there’s a white foamy froth behind it that’s called the wake
of the boat. The wake is nothing more than the trail that’s
left behind. The answer to, “What is driving the boat?” is
that the boat moves because of present-moment energy
generated by the engine. This is what makes the boat move
forwar d across the water. Do you think it’s possible for thewake to drive the boat? Can the trail that’s left behind make
a boat go forwar d? These are rhetorical questions with
obvious answers. I’m sure you agree that the wake is only
the trail left behind, and that it’s not what drives  the boat
forwar d.
I’m suggesti ng that you apply this idea to your life. The
wake of your life is nothing more than a trail that’s left
behind you. Thought of in this way, it’s absolutely
impossible for that wake to drive you forwar d. The wake is
not in


05/G17/G12/G10/G0A
I know how to feel good, and I find ways to feel good all the
time. /G1C/G06/G0F/G19/G06/G0E/G09/G0F/G01/G05/G17/G12/G10/G0A
Source energy guides my words, thoughts, feelings, and
choices - to create my highest good, today and every day. /G1C/G06/G0F/G19/G06/G0E/G09/G0F/G01/G05/G17/G12/G10/G0A
I have fun finding things to feel good about. Those fun
feelings prosper me to day and every day. /G1C/G06/G0F/G19/G06/G0E/G09/G0F/G01/G05/G17/G12/G10/G0ACosmic Wealth
 80
I am surrounded by the protective light of divine love, at all
times. I am safe, protected, and loved. /G1C/G06/G0F/G19/G06/G0E/G09/G0F/G01/G05/G17/G12/G10/G0A /G01
I receive the flow of all good and divine blessings, each and
every day. I am grateful. I allow my wealth and well-being to flow. I feel good. I am grateful. I am willing to release my resi stance and set myself free. I am grateful. I live the art of allowing, and I feel my infinite freedom. I am grateful. These lists are just a start. They provide an affirmational
canvas, onto which you can tweak,  add, and delete ideas that
inspire you. It is a fun co-c reative process, to expand the
connections between our physical selves and our Source-ful selves. Affirmations are our prayers to the universe, our
Creator, and the angelic energies that help us to receive our divine good through Source flow. Thus, affirmations are a conversation with the world of Spirit, about what we desire to experience for our expansion and ascension. When we lighten
up, we rise and have a lot more fun! 81
/G14/G15/G0B/G16/G0F/G09/G08/G01/G38/G1A/G09/G18/G09/G0E/G21
The Power of Ping

/G29/G10/G10/G07/G14/G06/G1A/G07/G12/G09/G04/G05/G10/G17/G06/G01/G07/G06/G02/G05/G0F/G10, to glow, and to grow. Examine less. Experience more. Intuit. Follow your animation and attractions. When they are pure of heart and good
feeling, let them lead. /G28 Spirit 8/31/08

 We are all in a journey to feel  good. If we look at how
much we are given, from the non-physical world of magnetics, energies, and vibrations, we alre ady have expansive wealth and
well-being. We already have a huge spiritual bank account,
filled with tremendous prosperity. The universal supply is infinite. The universal intelligence is infinite. The journey is to find our way to remembering. And inherent in the divine design, and our journey to remember, is the role of divine free will. The role of choice. Choice-full expansion. Everything we have discussed so far in this book is an integral part of our individual whole. And yet all of the topics covered in this book involve the energy of the unseen  world. Belief, truth, the
“already is” concept, affirmations, densities, and light are all
vibrations of non-phys ical, “unseen” energy. Yet, they are the
expansive, powerful, interactive, and Source-ful truths that collectively fill our every day earthly experiences and expansions. Clearly, to experien ce more of the light and delight
of the universe, it requires a form  of faith, belief, trust, and
willingness – to begin to see once more with our inner eyes, from
the light of truth and the essence of the pure good feelings indwelling who we really are. Beginning to see with inner eyes expands our perceptual
abilities exponentially. One of th e things we can begin to more
clearly and definitively “see” is  the power of the celestial ping
in our lives. The “ping” is the sentient experience of being in
alignment with Source energy and our inner truth. That “ping” Cosmic Wealth
 82
may be experienced a little differently, from one person to
another. But, essentially, it is that heart-felt good flowing,
blissful, unlimited, empowered, fabulous feeling that we are  in the groove of goodness and we are in the flow of euphoric well-being. That is an inner life cue that we are receiving and allowing all that we need to create all that we desire, to
experience all that we deeply are. It’s the ping! The power of “ping” comes through our inner guidance system. It can be experienced in a small, tender, magical moment with a child, a courageo us and conscious decision to
live our light, a physical manifest ation of a small desire, or a
physical manifestation of a miracu lous blessing. When athletes
use their athletic talents, and invest them, scoring a winning
goal brings the ping. When a writ er uses his writing talent, and
invests  it, book writing flow is a pin g.  When a teacher uses his
teaching talent, and invests  it, the experience of inspired
learning is the ping. When a he aler uses her healing talent, and
invests it, intuitive healing is the ping. Everything and anything
can be an opportunity to “ping” in the flow of our divinely designed selves. We ping when our core vibrational essence is
living in alignment with our ultimate vibrational Source. There are many things that we can deliberately choose  to
induce or create the feeling of the ping. One of the easiest ways I have found to find my flow, when I am feeling good and
wanting to feel even better  /G10/G08 /G01 /G1C/G0B/G04/G03/G01/G21/G01/G12/G0F/G01/G0A/G04/G04/G0C/G02/G03/G0E/G01/G0C/G07/G1C/G01/G12/G03/G11/G01/G03/G04 eding
to rise to a better feeling state, is to listen to music. Not just /G0F/G0C/G1A /G01
/G0F/G08/G16/G02/G13/G20/G01/G01/G21/G01/G12/G0F/G01/G10/G12/G0C/G23/G02/G03/G0E/G01/G12/G22/G07/G08/G10/G01/G10/G0B/G04/G01/G23/G02/G03/G11/G01/G07/G0A/G01/G0F/G08/G16/G02/G13/G01/G10/G0B/G12/G10/G01/G2A/G0D/G02/G03/G0E/G16/G24/G01/G1C/G02/G10/G0B/G01the truth of good feeling, the vibrational harmony with what I want to feel, and that makes my heart /G04/G03/G0C/G0E /G20/G01/G01/G18/G0B/G04/G05/G04/G01/G02 s a kind of
special music in our world today, if you deliberately look for it, that can /G04/G03/G0C/G0E a /G08/G03/G0C/G0E /G09/G01/G02/G0A/G01/G19/G07/G08/G01/G1C/G02/G0C/G0C/G20/G01/G01/G3A/G07/G08/G37/G0C/G0C/G01/G05/G04/G13/G07/G0E/G03/G02/G38/G04/G01/G02/G10/G09/G01/G0A/G07/G05/G01/G02/G10/G16/G01
vibrations simply and easily make you feel good, without effort or exception. Today, many of us listen to music, and the lyrics within
that music, without a consciousness as to the vibrations it is drawing into our inner experience. Some of us may continue to listen to music, that matched one of our /G17/G07/G09/G19/G05/G09 /G01/G14/G02/G22/G05/G12/G10/G02/G07/G03/G12/G0C/G01/G16/G10/G12/G10/G04/G16/G01The Power of Ping 83
or offerings, calling us to resonate vibrationally with perhaps an
outdated vibrational feeling place. Music can either uplift us or
bring us down. It can vibrationally  call us to the past, or to our
present. Do you notice how certain music attracts you on  certain days, while not on others? Do you notice how you might seek out music to induce a mood, a feeling of sentimentality, or a festive atmosphere? Musical tones and rhythms have their own vibrational essence, and the lyrics that often fill the tones and rhythms in those songs also have their
own vibrational essence. I have known melodies and beats that I
enjoy, with lyrics that do not ma tch my vibration. I have also
known lyrics that I enjoy, but with rhythms, melodies, and tones that


 fall)
mid-September  through  mid-November  (fall)
Dewy  season  (late  winter)
56-77  years  of  age
2:00-6:00  a.m.  and  p.m.
KAPHA
mid-November  through  mid-March  (winter)
Cold  and  humid  season
Moonlight
Birth- 1 4  years  of  age
6:00-10:00  a.m.  and  p.m.
PITTA
mid-March  through  mid-July  (summer)
Excess  heat
Sunlight
27—42  years  of  age
10:00  a.m.-2:00  p.m.;  10:00  p.m.-2:00  a.m.
132
jmt. EATING    WITH    THE    CYCLES    OF    N  ATU  R  E  — S  E  AS  O  N  AL    MENUS
PITTA-KAPHA  and  KAPHA-PITTA
14—27  years  of  age
Change  from  spring  to  summer
VATA-PITTA  and  PITTA-VATA
42-56  years  of  age
Change  from  summer  to  fall
VATA-KAPHA  and  KAPHA-VATA
77  years  to  life's  end
Change  from  fall  to  winter
Seasonal  extremes
AVERAGE  DAILY  FOOD  PROPORTIONS
FOR  ALL  TYPES
Grains
Beans
Vegetables
Fruits
Desserts 1  cup  (cooked)
'/2  cup  (cooked)
3  cups
2  cups [/i  cup 18%
9%
40%
25%
8%
100%
SEASONAL  USE  OF  GRAINS  FOR  ALL  TYPES
^FALL Amaranth
Barley  (hulled  and  pearl)
Basmati  rice  (brown  and  white) Bulgur
Cracked  oats
Grain  flours
^  WINTER Medium  grain  brown  i  ice
Millet
Quinoa
Amaranth
Basmati  rice-
Buckwheat
Grain  flours Hulled  barley
Quinoa Rye
Short-grain  brown  rice Wheal  bei  lies
Whole  o.its
133
>m
THE    PRACTICE    OF    AYURVEDA
$)  SPRING
Barley  (hulled  and  pearl)  Cracked  oats
Basmati  rice  (brown  and  white)         Cracked  rye
Bulgur  Cracked  wheat
|||  SUMMER Basmati  rice  (brown  and  white)         Grain  flours
Couscous  Long-grain  brown  rice
Cracked  wheat  Millet Grain  flours
Long-grain  brown  rice
Millet
Noodles  and  pastas
Pearl  barley
AYURVEDIC   IDEAL
In  making  the  transition  to  the  Ayurvedic  diet,  you
may  begin  by  eating  the  quantity  of  food  that  feels
satisfying  to  you,  without  overeating. Many  of  us  have
grown  accustomed  to  consuming  two  to  three  times
more  food  than  we  need. Within  the  realm  of
Ayurveda,  certain  principles  are  normally  recognized
and  honored  when  it  comes  to  eating. According  to
the  Ayurvedic  master  Vagbhata,  after  a  meal  the
stomach  should  be  filled  as  follows:  lh  solid  food,
xh  liquid,  and  lh  empty. Over  the  following  six  months,
you  may  gradually  reduce  your  intake  of  liquids  and
solids  by  about  25  percent  to  reflect  this  ideal. Water
may  be  taken  occasionally  during  the  meal;  taking  a
small  amount  of  warm  water  before  each  meal  is
actually  an  Ayurvedic  prescription. Ultimately,  the  desired  number  of  meals  per  day  is
two — one  taken  between  8  and  10  a.m.  and  the  other
between  6  and  8  p.m.  (Those  engaged  in  hard,  physical
labor  may  take  three  large  meals  a  day.) TRANSITIONAL  MEALS
When  making  a  transition  to  a  healthy  and  balanced
diet,  people  often  feel  deprived  of  their  unhealthy
habits  and  foods. For  this  reason  we  need  to  move
forward  gingerly  and  gently  into  this  new  phase  of
life. Understanding  that  our  old  attachments  and
habits,  even  though  resolved,  can  intrude  on  new
beginnings  makes  it  easier  to  cope  with  them. Be- cause of  the  vulnerable  nature  of  the  mind  and  body
during  transitional  phases,  the  quantity  and  frequency
of  meals  recommended  in  the  menus  that  follow  ex-
ceed the  Ayurvedic  ideal. It  is  important  to  cosset  the
mind  by  providing  frequent  small  meals  that  are  visu-
ally stimulating. The  five  meals  provided  on  each  of
the  following  menus  are  actually  two  snacks  and  three
small  meals. When  we  allow  plentiful  and  enriching
foods,  the  mind  and  senses  are  more  readily  com-
pelled to  let  go  of  old  expectations. Essentially  we  are
flooding  the  organism  with  love  in  the  form  of  vital
food  energies,  in  the  same  way  we  would  nurture  a
battered  child  until  the  old  wounds  heal. TASTES  AND   TEXTURES
OF   A  MEAL
In  the  Vedic  culture,  the  six  tastes  were  combined  and
used  in  every  meal. Depending  on  body  type,  the
tastes  in  one  meal  may  vary  from  sweet  to  pungent. For  example,  a  Pitta  breakfast  might  typically  include
the  sweet  taste  (a  sweet  porridge  of  grains  or  tapioca,
or  sweet  vegetables  or  fruits,  such  as  melon  or  car-
rots) and  even  a  touch  of  bitter  (as  found  in  karela  or
endives). A  Vata  breakfast  might  typically  include  the
sweet  taste  (rich,  creamy  grains)  with  an  occasional
spicy  touch  of  an  idli  and  sambar. A  typical  Kapha
breakfast  might  be  light  and  dry  with  a  pungent  taste,
such  as  a  rye  crisp  or  roasted  grains  with  a  mint
masala  condiment. When  eating  a  meal,  foods  that  are  hard  in  charac-
134
J(Fpr
EATING    WITH    THE    CYCLES    OF    N  ATU  R  E  —  S  E  ASON  AL    MENUS
ter  should  be  eaten  at  the  beginning,  soft  foods  dur-
ing the  middle,  and  liquid  toward  the  end. Some
ancient  Ayurvedic  schools  maintain  that  the  sequence
of  tastes  in  a  meal  should  progress  in  the  order  of
sweet,  salty,  sour,  pungent,  bitter,  and  astringent. More
recent  Ayurvedic  thinking,  however,  supports  a  se-
quence similar  to  that  followed  in  the  West:  Begin
with  salty  and  sour,  progress  to  pungent  followed  by
bitter  and  astringent,  and  end  with  sweet. In  the
preparation  of  these  menus,  I  have  followed  the  more
current  viewpoint. In  the  Festivities  category  of  the  following  menus,
the  six  tastes  are  demonstrated  in  an  exotic  and  dy-


  of  love,  and
the  second  one  of  compassion. I  discovered  the  nature  of  compassion  during  my
cancer  years. My  first  instinct  was  to  distance  myself
from  everyone. My  family  was  already  far  away,  and
this  made  the  distancing  of  myself  from  my  friends
much  easier. I  knew  that  in  the  limited  and  crucial  time
which  I  had,  I  could  not  deal  with  the  fervent  sympa-
thies and  helpless  fears  of  those  close  to  me. It  was  an
entirely  selfish  act,  but  in  the  long  run  it  gave  me  back
my  life  and  also  helped  my  friends  and  family. I  was  not
fortunate  enough  to  have  someone  who  had  survived
cancer  available  to  me,  but  I  found  the  privacy  within
my  self-imposed  isolation  to  be  fundamental  to  my
getting  better. I  had  only  the  burdens  of  my  own  self-
discovery  to  deal  with. It  would  have  been  a  nightmare
to  have  my  family  and  friends  around  at  that  time. For
as  a  victim,  I  stood  closer  to  the  truth  of  my  own  being,
and  thus  to  my  disease,  and  as  such  I  had  the  intrinsic
consolation  of  knowing  that  I  could  uncover  and  dis-
cover the  anger  within  me. This  distancing  gave  me
courage,  support,  and  the  fuel  to  endure. In  these  situ-
ations, family  and  friends  are  always  in  a  seemingly
unfair  position,  for  even  their  love  is  not  an  answer  to
the  victim's  problems. In  such  instances,  it  is  that  very
love  which  deepens  the  chasms  of  pain  and  hurt,  and
this  becomes  a  further  burden  to  the  patient. Throughout  my  stay  in  hospitals,  I  found  compas-
sion to  be  the  salve  that  helped  me. I  was  fortunate  to
have  in  Barbara  Pyle  a  friend  with  this  rare  quality. She
delivered  the  necessities  such  as  bindi  bhaji  and  samosas
(adroitly  under  wrap)  to  my  room  and  never  lingered
332
AFTERWORD
beyond  the  time  it  took  to  greet  me. It  was  years  later
that  I  realized  how  frightened  she  was  for  me  and  how
courageous  she  was  in  hiding  her  fears. This  is  compas-
sion. And  it  is  the  most  selfless  and  divine  action  that
we  can  give  to  those  whose  lives  depend  upon  it. The
suspension  of  norms  and  distancing  of  relationships  do
not  infer  a  finality  to  those  whom  we  love. These  are
temporary  measures,  and  invariably  we  return  to  our
relationships  with  inner  strength  and  more  clarity. SADHANA   OF   TRUTH
Tavat  satyam  jagat  bhati  suktikarajtam  yatha  yavat  na
jnayate  brahma  sarvadhistanam  advayam. The  world  of  duality  is  real  until  the  truth  of  the  supreme
whole  is  recognized  by  you,  like  even  the  silver  on  the
mother  of  pearl. Atmabodha,  Verse  7
The  perception  of  the  external  world  is  neither  direct  nor
immediate,  but  is  dependent  upon  the  sense  and  the  mind
and  is  always  colored  by  them. Swami  Nikhilananda has  its  basis  in  something  else. For  example,  gold  bangles
have  their  primary  nature  in  the  original  material  of
gold,  and  not  in  the  many  forms  of  the  bangles. Essen-
tially, that  which  we  assimilate  through  the  mind,  senses,
and  experiential  memory  appears  to  be  real  to  us,  but
these  appearances  are  often  deceiving. Ultimate  truth
can  only  be  known  through  the  cognate  knowledge  of
the  eternal  self. To  know  the  many  without  knowledge  of  the  One  is
ignorance,  whereas  to  know  the  One  is  knowledge. Ramakrsna
The  method  prescribed  by  the  Vedas  to  determine
the  absolute  nature  of  truth  is  threefold:  through  the
cognition  of  sruti  (scriptural  authority),  yukti  (reason-
ing), and  anubhava  (personal  experience). Any  one  of
these  three  means  will  render  a  partial  truth,  but  when
all  three  means  vivify  the  same  conclusion  we  arrive  at
the  infinite,  absolute  reality  of  truth. Like  even  the  silver  on  the  mother  of  pearl,  what  is
perceived  as  silver  by  the  sight  may  be  only  a
sea  shell. Swami  Dayananda  Saras wati
Truth  is  intertwined  in  all  the  dharmas,  and  all  dharmas
coalesce  in  the  discovery  that  the  self  is  the  cosmic
light — formless,  unassailable,  impenetrable,  and  un-
born. Ultimate  reality  is  a  recognition  of  the  One  con-
sciousness without  the  instruments  of  the  senses  and
the  mind. Our  perceptions  are  led  by  our  fears  and
desires  and  are  conducted  by  the  mind  and  senses. Our
profound  sense  of  duality  creates  infinite  opportunities
for  self-deception,  and  so  the  seers  established  a  method
of  cognizing  the  absolute  truth. Vedanta  does  not  al-
lude to  our  perceptions  of  dualism  as  an  illusion. It
defines  the  observation  of  the  senses  and  mind  to  be
partial  truths,  since  ultimate  reality  is  that  which  is  self-
evident  and  nonpolemic. Through  the  teachers  of  great
knowledge,  it  has  set  certain  criteria  for  the  methodical
unfolding  of  the  knowledge  of  the  true  self. We  perceive
a  division  between  ourselves  and  the  planet,  the  planet
and  the  universe,  and  so  on. These  conclusions  of  what
appear  to  be  truth  are  referred  to  as  mithya,  that  which The  seers  encourage  us  to  refrain  from  absolute
conclusions  unless  we  have  arrived  at  the  whole  of  the
truth  according  to  the  three  criteria  of  observation. In
our  daily  lives,  the  closest  we  come  to  the  recognition
of  truth  is  when  we  sit  in  our  selves. Contemplation  as
a  daily  sadhana  is  essential  for  the  truth  of  all  situations
to  emerge  at  its  own  level. Since  we  cannot  wholly
depend  upon  our  physical  and  emotional  perceptions
to  guide  us,  it  is  essential  to  develop  our  instinctual  sell
This  instinct  will  always  direct  us  to  contemplate  all
situations  of  incongruence. It  is  essential  that  we  learn
to


 got nothing to do with that. Itmerely has to do with this simpl e, very primary type of conditio ning, which
has been favored in our society. You picked it up from your own social
conditioning as a child. That’ s all. The body is experienced in mind, and the
mind is experienced in consciousness. Where you’re really experiencing
that, what you’v e called hunger in the past, is in your consciou sness. And
where is that localized. You’ll notice that it’s only a belief system that
hunger is experienced in the stomach. It’s actually experienced everywhere. The thought that it is in the stomach is just a belief system from  childhood. The body cannot experience anything. Hunger is experienced  in a more
diffused, generalized area. Another techniq ue in letting go of suffering of any kind, whether it’s pain
or illnes s or physical symptoms (in this case, what we’ve been calling
hunger), is knowing that it is nothing but a physical symptom. As I said, it
is being experienced in a diffused kind of way. It’s being experienced
everywhere. Because where do we experience all experience. Actually, it’s
being experienced in an everywhereness rather than a localized situation. The localization is coming from the strong belief systems. W e have all these
thoughts from childhood. As we let go resisting the energy of this sensation,
it finally disappears. • • •
It’s generally thought that these negative feelings are the cause of weight
problems. If you look into it, you’ll see, this is really not so. You’ll see that
negative feelings are the reaction  to the weight problem. Most of us have
been down at the level of guilt. Guilt is an energy field of 30. It’s very
weak. If you try to handle your weight problem or any problem at all—
alcohol, relation ships, you name it—from the level of guilt, you can see
how much energy you’ve got to work with. You’ve got like 30 bucks, as
compared to love, which is 500 bucks. So, 30 bucks isn’t going to buy you
much progress in anything. Not only that, but the energy field is negative,
meaning you’re going to feel lousy about the whole thing. You’re going to
be full of self-h atred, and actually the process itself is destruc tive. People
have actually committed suicide over their weight problems, their self-
indulgence. Even if you don’t handle it from guilt, you move up to
hopelessness, which has an energy field of 50. This means my case is
hopeless. I’ve tried all the diets. I’ve lost the energy to even address thisproblem anymore. I’m the victim of it, and I just surrender to it and give up. I am hopeless. The next level above it is grief. This is the depression about the problem:
the regret, feeling despondent and dispirited, or the fear of the problem and
its consequences. These are all negative feelings, which include thoughts
like I’m going to die of a heart attack  or This disease is going to kill me. This field is full of worry, anxiety, and panic. And of course your self-
esteem is deflated. People with a weight problem often socially withdraw. They compensate in other ways because they feel inadequate due to this
energy field. They’re not inadequate people at all; it’s just that they’re
holding that about their situatio n, and then the negativity of it affects their
emotions. And we move up to the next field, which is anger. The person is angry
about their weight problem, they resent it, they’re full of grievances about
it. At 150, they’re probably going to be more effective utiliz ing anger—
certainly instead  of guilt or hopelessness. If you’re angry enough about
your weight problem, you can move up to pride, which is 175. There’ s a lot
of powe r in pride, but you try to move through pride. It’s not exactly a great
place to hang out in, because of the inflation of the ego that happens there,
so you hopefully move up to courage. Now that you know some tools that are really going to work, you have
the courage to try them out. Courage is at 200, which is a lot of power as
compared to 30 or 50. Courage enables you to face, to cope, to handle, and
what happens there is you become empowered. The truth of it is, you
haven’ t known how to handle it up to now, otherwise you would have
handled it. That’ s the truth of it. You use these releasing techn iques, these
letting-go techniques, and you become detached from the whole problem. If
the weight stays, it stays, and if it doesn’ t stay, it doesn’ t make any
difference. At this point, you say, it’s not apathy, it’s not hopel essness. On
the other hand, you’re released from the weight problem, and therefore
you’re feeling good, and you move up to a willingness. Willingness at 310 is a lot of energy. Compare it to guilt, compare it to
grief. You see how much power you’ve got now. And here you’re in
agreement, you’re aligned with this technique. Your intention is finally up. You’re finally going to handle it, and you accept that it can be handled. You
realize that you’re an adequate person, and you start becoming confident. And there’ s a transformation now occurring because you realiz e the powerto handle this is within you and you start moving up into lovingness. The
desire to really love yourself. To love this body, now that you don’t identify
with it as me. This body is not me. You take off my left leg, I’m still me. You get that the me is me, and I’m not the body. So whether it weighs 200
pounds, or 85 pounds, that whic h I am is unassailable, and I must learn to
love that body now. You begin to really value it, and see that it’s just an
enjoyable little puppet. The body goes about its way, and the less attention
you pay to it, the better it really  handles itself. It just does what it’s doing
automatically. And if you get to love the body, your brain begins to release endorphins. When endorphins are released, a process goes on in consciousness called
revelation. You begin to see things differently. What do you see differently. You see how wonderful your little body is. You begin to love it and get a
kick out of it. When you’re overweight, are you getting a kick out of your
body. No. Every time you look at it, it throws you back into guilt again. At
this level, you start getting a kick out of it. You start getting playful with it,
sort of a joyfulness. A joyfulness and a happiness about the body. It
bounces around, and you’re just sort of dimly aware of it, because you’re
experiencing your existence from a position of allness. Once you become
conscious about where experience is happening, you get that experience is
happening everywhere. You begin to identify with everywhereness, instead
of stomachness or bulgeness, all those localized things. That which I am is a
conscious being. Consciousness is everywhere. I begin to experience my
existence as being almost everywhere in space. We start to come from the Heart about it then. Heart with a capital H. Heart not meaning the physical or gan, Heart meaning that quality of valuing
your existence. Coming from that greatness, coming from the bigness,
coming from the joy of alivene ss, and seeing the body as a contributor to
that, as something that’s enjoyable. It’s something that you can have fun
with, something you can play with, and something to have a good time
with. It’s really  fun to sit down and watch this phenomena happen. It’s
really joyful. Within a day or two, it’s all over. Within a couple of days,
once you’re released off this appetite hunger cycle, the rest of it is
automatic. Y ou don’ t have to do another thing. It’s different than being at the effect of, or run by the guilt. Now you have
choice. Another trick that works is to put an envelope inside your
refrigerator. In the envelope, place a picture of yourself as you as an adult,so that you remember you’ve got a choice of whose arm is going to be
reaching into the refrigerator. Keep the kid out, because the kid is going to
help himself to whatever he wants. The whole thing  becomes a very enjoyable experience, one in which you
truly begin to love yourself. The basis of all these self-healing  techniques
that we talk about are merely ways of loving yourself, ways of really
beginning to value yourself, and that which you really are in truth. You’ll see that the mind, the ego has played a trick on you. You think that
you make a decision, and then the body does that. Actually, it’s doing it by
itself, it’s on automatic. Once you’ve released it out of a nega tive pattern,
the body will just handle itself very well. We know this with scientific
experiments with young children. If you allow them


His charioteers were experienced veterans; they were hard-faced,
merciless men. Suddhodana rode slowly before them, ignoring the strife
only a short distance away. He spoke quietly. “The gods command that
there can be only one king. But I swear that I am no better than a common
soldier today, and you are as good as kings. Each man here is part of me. So
what’ s left for the king to say. Only two words, but they are the two that
your hearts want to hear. Victory. And home. ” Then his command cracked
like a whip. “All together—move. ”
Both armies rushed screaming into the breach like opposing oceans. Violence brought contentment to Suddhodana. His sword whirled as he split
a man’ s head with a single blow. His wall was advancing, and if the gods
willed it, as they had to will it, the enemy forces would open, one corpse ata time, until Suddhodana’ s infantry moved in, a tight wedge gliding forward
on enemy blood. The king would have scof fed at anyone who denied that he
was at the very center of the world. AT THA T HOUR  Suddhodana’ s queen was being carried in a litter through the
depths of the forest. She was ten months pregnant, a sign, the astrologers
said, that the baby would be extraordinary. But in Queen Maya’ s mind
nothing was extraordinary except the anxiety that surrounded her. She had
decided, much too impetuously, to travel back to her mother ’s home to have
her baby. Suddhodana hadn’ t wanted to let her go. It was the custom for new
mothers to go home to deliver, but he and Maya were inseparable. He was
tempted to refuse, until in her guileless way Maya asked his permission in
front of the assembled court. The king couldn’ t refuse his queen publicly,
despite the dangers involved. “Who will accompany you. ” he asked with an edge of harshness,
hoping to frighten her away from this foolhardy plan. “My women. ”
“Women. ”
He raised his hand in grudging assent. “Y ou’ll have some men, whoever
can be spared. ” Maya smiled and withdrew. Suddhodana didn’ t want to
argue, because in truth his wife mystified him. Making her afraid of danger
was futile. The physical world was like a thin membrane she glided over, as
a midge glides over the surface of a pond without breaking the water ’s skin. Therefore, the world could touch Maya, move her, hurt her, but never
change her. The queen departed from Kapilavastu a day before the army. Kumbira,
the eldest court lady, rode at the head of the procession as it moved through
the forest. It was a meager company, consisting of six soldiers too old to
serve in the war astride six nags too weak to char ge the enemy. After themcame four litter bearers, who had taken of f their shoes to negotiate the stony
path, shouldering the tasseled and beaded palanquin bearing the young
queen. Maya made no sound hidden behind the swaying silk drapes, except
for a stifled moan whenever a bearer stumbled and the litter took a sharp
jolt. Three young ladies-in-waiting, who grumbled in low voices about
having to walk, brought up the rear. Gray-haired Kumbira kept her gaze moving, aware of the dangers that
lurked on both sides. This road, which was just a narrow cut in the granite
slope, had begun as a smuggler ’s trail when poached deer hides, spices, and
other contraband were traf ficked to Nepal; it was still favored by bandits. Tigers were known to snatch their prey from terrified bands of travelers in
this area, even in the brightest hour of the day. To ward them of f, the
bearers wore masks facing backward on their heads, believing that a tiger
will only leap from the rear, never directly at a person who is looking at it. Kumbira rode up the trail until she was abreast of Balgangadhar, the
head guard. The warrior regarded her stoically, wincing a little when the
queen cried out again. “She can’ t hold out much longer,” Kumbira said. “And I can’ t make the road any shorter,” Balgangadhar grumbled. “What you can do is hurry,” she snapped. Kumbira knew he was
ashamed at not being with the king in battle, but Suddhodana wanted one
elite guard to honor his wife. With the slightest bow from the shoulders that etiquette permitted, the
guard said, “I’ll scout up ahead for camp. The locals say there’ s a
woodcutter ’s clearing with some huts in it. ”
“No, we move together,” Kumbira protested. “There are other men here to protect you while I’m gone. ”
“Really. ” Kumbira cast a critical eye over her shoulder at the ragged
band. “And who will protect them, do you suppose. ”
THEY WILL TELL YOU  that Maya Devi—the goddess Maya, as she became
known—arrived by moonlight in Lumbini Grove, one of the most sacred
sites in the kingdom. They will tell you that she did not give birth in the
forest by accident. Destiny guided her there. She expressly wanted to visit
the sacred grove because a huge tree stood there like a pillar to the mother
goddess. Maya’ s premonition had told her that this birth would be sacred. In reality she was a frightened, fragile young woman who barely
escaped being lost in the wilderness. And the sacred tree. Maya clung to
the trunk of a lar ge sal tree because it was the closest and most common
tree in the clearing. Balgangadhar had found a sheltered place beside the
trail, and the royal palanquin arrived there only moments before Maya went
into the final stages of labor. The court ladies formed a close circle around
her. She held on tight, and deep in the night she was delivered of the son her
husband the king so desperately wanted. Kumbira died long before the legends grew, so she is not pictured in
them, barking commands to the scurrying women, shooing away the men,
nearly scalding herself to bring a kettle of water on the run from the bonfire. It was she who first held the baby. Tenderly she scrubbed the blood from his
tiny body, making the squalling newborn ready to show to Maya. The queen
lay quietly on the ground, almost listless. The first nursing, an important
ritual in the native custom, would come in the morning. Despite the baby’ s
apparent good health, Kumbira was worried, made anxious by every
nocturnal sound but most of all by Maya’ s labor, which had been too long
and painful. “Now my husband can die happy,” Maya whispered in a tired, weak
voice. “And I will not be cursed when I am gone. ” Kumbira started. How
could Maya think about death at that moment. Kumbira’ s eyes searched the
darkness surrounding their stranded camp. The younger court ladies were
full of praise for the brave new mother, relieved that the ordeal had come to
an end, buoyant at the prospect of returning home to their soft beds and
paramours. Their happiness increased when the full moon, an auspicious
omen, rose over the treetops. “Here, Y our Highness,” said Utpatti, one of the handmaidens, leaning
close. “There is something you must do. ”
Before anyone could stop her, Utpatti opened Maya’ s robe and exposed
her breasts. Embarrassed and confused, Maya quickly pulled her robe
together again with one hand. “What are you doing. ” she demanded. Utpatti drew back. “It will help with the milk, Y our Highness,” she
whispered, looking unsure of herself. She gave sidelong glances at the other
women. “Having moonlight on your breasts. Country women all know
that. ”
“Are you from the country. ” Maya asked. The others tittered. Making a show of not being bothered by them,
Utpatti said, “Once. ”
Maya leaned back again and exposed her full breasts to the moon. They
were heavy with milk already. “I feel something,” she murmured. Her mood had changed; a note of
ecstasy was in her voice, clearing away the pain. If she wasn’ t a goddess
herself, she exulted in being touched by a goddess, the moon. She took her
infant and held him up. “See how quiet he is now. He feels it too. ” At that moment Maya
believed in her heart that her wishes had been fulfilled. There is a name in
Sanskrit that expresses this idea. She lifted the baby higher. “Siddhartha,” she said. He who has attained all desir es. Recognizing
the solemnity of the moment, the court ladies bowed their heads, even the
ever-wary Kumbira. OceanofPDF. com2
The gray rain blanketed Suddhodana and his men as the towers of home
loomed over them. The sentry shouted from


 moms who
suffered PTSD from the 9/11 tragedy and whose babies were born shortly
thereafter showed that their babies exhibited a higher stress distress
response than other babies.17 Other epigenet ic studies have revealed that
seriously stressf ul events are passed down to the next gene ration. For
example, those whose ancestors lived through a famine may have inherited
body traits that hold onto food, which results in a propensity for obesity or
unreasonable attitudes about food; those whose ancestors lived through a
Holocaust or massacre may have a lower stress tolerance level.18
However, not everything deriv es from our nature. Nurture is also a
component in our lives. As we grow aware of our in-built patterns of
distress, we can apply tapping, mindfulness, massage, and other approachesto process them, transform them, and experience relief. Let’s take a look at
working with pattern origins. Exercise: Exploring Origins of Stress
Questions to ask about inherited and default patterns of stress:
Step 1. Write “Stress Release” as a new headin g in your EFT journal. Answer the following questions. When did the central figures in your early
life get stressed? Name some specific times when they or you were stressed. How do you know they were stressed? What happened when  they were
stressed? How did they handle stress? What did you do when you saw they
were stressed? Were certain times of the day, night, or year more stressful
than others? What stressful incidents and stories do you remember growing
up? What stories did you tell yourself as a result of the stress? Where do
you find yourself acting in the same way as your mom or dad without being
able to help it? What stress stories were common in your family? Step 2. Look at your list of early-life stress-stories. The preceding
questions have doubtlessly led you to many specific events. Give each one a
name and rate its intensity. You may tap on them one at a time, using the
techniques that you have learn ed so far, like Tell the Story and Tearless
Trauma. When you tap on each of these stories, you might be surprised at
the flood of emotion that comes up for release. Ancestral Str ess
Consider tapping on what I call “ancestral stress.” In my case, I might tap
on anything that comes to mind about my ancestry, uncenso red. In this,
don’t worry about political correctness, but address any raw, archetypal,
fairy-tale-type fears that come to mind. I’ve personally tapped on thoughts
and fears like the following that have come to my mind:
Even though we’ve been chased out of many a place …. Even though it’ s not been safe to settle down for any length of time ….Even though I don’ t feel safe here …. Even though I have a history laden with fighting and jealous ancestors
…. Even though the Holocaust happened and I get upset each time I think
about it …. Even though we’ve been playing out this issue for centuries …. Stress Patterns That Show Up
as W e Grow Older
When we are in our teens and twenties, we have more “give” in our bodies
—more health, vitality, and flexibility to survive in the face of stressful
experiences. However, as long as we have unresolved stressful experiences
from childhood, we are still experiencing unconscious default stress
patterns. That would be just fine, except that we don’ t stay young forever. Our unconscious stress response patterns build up as we age. At some
point, the bucket gets full and then the stress can affect our emot ional health
and our physical  health. You’ve surely heard things such as: “After the (bad
event), my anxiety got really bad.” Or, “After Mom died, I started having
the pain and went on disability.” In most cases, the problem didn’ t start just
then; it had probably been building for years. It’ s probably been a pattern all
of our lives, only now we have the opportunity to deal with things
differently. When a big event comes along, the bucket spills over immedi ately and
the secret is revealed: your stress response is so big that your body can no
longer keep a lid on it. Your body is just doing what it has always done,
however—listening to your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about something
and then reacting with a biolog ical stress response. That’ s how seemingly
“just one” stressful event can lead to significant trauma. You begin to ask yourself when the first time you felt stress like this was. When’ s the first time you had a feeling in your body that feels like this? What does today ’s feeling remind you of from earlier years? Use your bodyas a guide, pay attention to the sensations that arise, and tap on them. These
often lead a person to a specif ic early childhood event where the stress
reaction pattern originated or the cause of the current-day problem. Traumatic Str ess with a Capital T
Sometimes, just one big traum a has set a stress pattern in motion. Jan
Luther, EFT founding master, talks about this pivotal time as the moment
everything changed—when a person is seriously injured in a crash, an
assault, when a loved one is murdered, and so on.19 When you are working
through trauma tic stress, it can be especially helpful to work with an
experienced EFT practitioner. Belief Systems and Str ess
Until my body’ s breakdown forced me to get off that hamster ’s wheel,
nothing was going to change. Looking back, I can now see that enforced
rest was the best thing that could have happened. The body never lies. I
began listening to my body and partnering with it. I realized that restoring it
was the most productive, loving  thing I could do—for me and my family. It
was a giant step, understanding that the first loyalty I had was to take care
of myse lf. I am a single mama  and the hub of the wheel; more than one
person depends on me being healthy. As soon  as I slowed down enough to actually feel what was going on in
my body and include my body in the process, I became peacefu l rather than
terrified. I didn’ t deny my feelin gs—I leaned into them and embraced them. I tapped on them  along with my judgments and my inner voices. I said no a
lot more, including to myself, and set boundaries around my time. Finally, I
understood my belief until then was that answers to my problems were
outside of me. It turned  out that I had the answers all along, right in my
body. When that top layer of worry, fear, and negative talk was lifted and those
big belief freighters began to turn around, it became clear that the more rest
I got, the less upset I became, the better I felt, and the better I was to my son
and those around me. My stresses didn’ t change, I did. My relationship tostressful situations transformed with me. Work got easier, faster, more
effective, more efficient, and more creative. I was exercising a different
muscle than the default stress response; I was strengthening the muscle of
trust, compassion, and love for myself, somehow all thanks to a total stress
response body burnout. So in fact, stress is a really useful tool, and the
sooner you listen to it the less dif ficult the wake-up call will be. We don’t need to fall apart, get dramatic, or get sick when things get
difficult. Truly, tapping offers a way for us to schedule our temper tantrums
and nervous breakdowns! Tapping can help us determine what is really true,
what is really necessary, and what thoughts, behaviors, and beliefs are
actually driving  more stress our way. Then we can make better decisions,
moving toward a healthier and more ef fective stress responses. “I Can’ t Take a Br eak” Str ess
Stressed-out people believe they can’t take a break or things will fall apart,
even as they know they are living impossible lives. When you feel like it’s
impossible to stop, that’s the most appropriate time to slow down and rest. Belief systems that harm us seem real, but they are not true. For example,
does your family have a belief system that it’s not okay to nap or take time
off or just do something for fun? Y ou might want to work on that one. Exercise: “I Have T oo Much to Do” Belief System
If you believe you have too much to do and can’t take a break (or you can’t
take the time to exercise even  though you love it), try this exercise to
transcend the limiting belief. This exercise is in two parts. Part 1: Decr easing the Intensity
Step 1. What happens when you consider doing something for yourself in
the midd le of your busy day? Something that will help calm you down,
possibly even experience a joy, whether that’s taking five minutes to simply
slow down and breathe or take a nap? Look at that statement again: “I have
too much to do and I can’ t take a break.”Step 2. How true does it feel that you have too much to do and can’t take
a break? Let’s say that 10 is absolutely true, while 0 is not true at all for
you. Step 3. Take a moment to experience the sensations in your body relating
to “I have too much  to do and can’t take a break


 o  w a r,  a n d  o u r  s m a l l e s t  f o r g i v e n e s s  a d d s  t o  p e a c e. M i r a c l e s  a f f e c t  s i t u a t i o n s  w e  w i l l  n e v e r  e v e n  k n o w  a b o u t. *
T h e  b u t t e r f l y ’ s  w i n g s  i n  S o u t h  A m e r i c a  a f f e c t  t h e  w i n d
p a t t e r n s  a t  t h e  N o r t h  P o l e,  a n d  t h o u g h t s  o f  t r u e  p e a c e  i n
I d a h o  a f f e c t  p l a n s  f o r  p e a c e  i n  P a l e s t i n e. W h a t  a ne x t r a o r d i n a r y  o p p o r t u n i t y  a s  w e l l  a s  r e s p o n s i b i l i t y  w e  h a v e,
t o  t r y  t o  g e t  i t  r i g h t. T h e  P o w e r  o f  L a n g u a g e

O n e  o f  t h e  g i f t s  w e  c a n  g i v e  o u r  c h i l d r e n  i s  t o  t e a c h  t h e m
t h e  m e t a p h y s i c a l  p o w e r  o f  w o r d s. “ I  h a t e  s c h o o l, ”
“ E v e r y b o d y  h a t e s  m e, ”  a n d  “ I ’ m  n o t  g o o d - l o o k i n g  e n o u g h ”
a r e  p o w e r f u l  s t a t e m e n t s  t h a t  s e e m  i n n o c u o u s  b u t  a r e  n o t. I t
b e h o o v e s  u s  a s  p a r e n t s  t o  t e a c h  o u r  c h i l d r e n  t h a t  w h a t  w e
p r o c l a i m  t o  b e  t r u e  w i l l  t h e n  s e e m  t o  b e  t r u e. A t  t i m e s  I ’ v e
c a u g h t  m y s e l f  s a y i n g  n e g a t i v e  t h i n g s  I  d o n ’ t  e v e n  b e l i e v e,
g i v i n g  i n  t o  a  k i n d  o f  m e n t a l  s e l f - i n d u l g e n c e  t h a t  i s  t h e
e n e m y  o f  h a p p i n e s s. I n  f a c t,  t r a i n i n g  o u r  m i n d s  i s  a s
i m p o r t a n t  a s  t r a i n i n g  o u r  b o d i e s  a n d  i s  j u s t  a s  i m p o r t a n t  t o
o u r  h e a l t h. B e c a u s e  o f  t h e  w o r k  I  d o,  I  r e c e i v e  m a n y  l e t t e r s  f r o m
p e o p l e  a r o u n d  t h e  w o r l d. T h e r e  h a v e  b e e n  d a y s  w h e n  I  w a s
c o m p l a i n i n g  o r  w o r r y i n g  a b o u t  s u c h  m e a n i n g l e s s  t h i n g s  a n d
t h e n  r e a d  a  l e t t e r  f r o m  a  p a r e n t  w h o  h a d  l o s t  a  c h i l d,  a
s o l d i e r ’ s  f a t h e r  a s k i n g  f o r  a  p r a y e r,  o r  a  p a t i e n t  b a t t l i n g
c a n c e r. M y  p e r s p e c t i v e  w a s  t h e n  r a d i c a l l y  a n d
a u t o m a t i c a l l y  a l t e r e d. I  h a v e  t r i e d  t o  d e v e l o p  t h e  h a b i t  o f
g r a t i t u d e  a n d  p r a i s e,  a s  I  r e a l i z e  h o w  f o r t u n a t e  I  a m  a n d
a f f i r m  i t  w i t h  m y  t h o u g h t s. “ W o w,  w h a t  a  b e a u t i f u l  d a y  t h i si s ” — j u s t  a  s i m p l e  r e m i n d e r  o f  t h e  b e a u t y  o f  l i f e  w i l l
l i t e r a l l y  m a k e  y o u r  l i f e  m o r e  b e a u t i f u l. T h e  m e a n i n g  o f  a n y t h i n g  i s  t h e  m e a n i n g  w e  a t t a c h  t o  i t. I
r e m e m b e r  a s  a  c h i l d  t h a t  w h e n e v e r  I  w o u l d  c o m p l a i n  a b o u t
a  r a i n y  d a y,  m y  m o t h e r  w o u l d  s a y,  “ O h,  n o! T h e  f a r m e r s
n e e d  t h i s  r a i n! ” W h a t  t o  m e  w a s  a  d r a g,  t o  h e r  w a s  a  r e l i e f. A  h o u s e  l o o k s  s o  b e a u t i f u l  a n d  y o u  t h i n k  i f  o n l y  y o u
c o u l d  l i v e  t h e r e,  l i f e  w o u l d  b e  s o  l o v e l y ;  o n c e  y o u  o w n  i t,
h o w e v e r,  t h e r e ’ s  t h e  p r e s s u r e  o f  a  m o r t g a g e  t o  i m p i n g e
u p o n  a l l  t h a t  l o v e l i n e s s. Y o u  t h i n k  a  p u r s e  i s n ’ t  a l l  t h a t
g r e a t,  b u t  t h e n  y o u  s e e  i t  o n  s o m e o n e  e l s e  a


  g a m e  t h a t  w i l l  c o n t i n u e
f o r e v e r  i f  w e  a l l o w  i t  t o. I n  t h e  p a s t  I  d i d n ’ t  r e a l i z e  h o w
p e r f e c t  t h i n g s  w e r e,  j u s t  a s  I  d o n ’ t  a l w a y s  r e a l i z e  h o w
p e r f e c t  t h e y  a r e  n o w. I f  I  h a d  s i m p l y  a l l o w e d  m y s e l f  t o
e n j o y  m y  l i f e  m o r e,  I  w o u l d  h a v e  e n d e d  u p  b e t t e r  o f f  l a t e r
o n. A n d  w h e n  I  a l l o w  m y s e l f  t o  s i m p l y  e n j o y  m y  l i f e  r i g h t
n o w,  I ’ m  g i v i n g  m y s e l f  t h e  b i g g e s t  b o o s t  f o r  t h e  f u t u r e. E v e r y  p o i n t  i n  l i f e ’ s  j o u r n e y  i s  i n h e r e n t l y  p r e p a r i n g  u s  f o r
o u r  f u t u r e  i n  w a y s  t h e  r a t i o n a l  m i n d  c a n n o t  p o s s i b l y
c o m p r e h e n d. Y e t  t h e  t h i n k i n g  o f  t h e  w o r l d  i s  s o  d e v o i d  o f  a n y  c o n c e p t
o f  m y s t e r y  t h a t  i t ’ s  n o  w o n d e r  w e  c a n ’ t  r e l a x  i n t o  i t. W e
t h i n k  w e  h a v e  t o  l e a d,  w h e n  a l l  w e  r e a l l y  h a v e  t o  d o  i s
f o l l o w. I n  w h a t e v e r  m o m e n t  I ’ m  d e e p l y  s u r r e n d e r e d  t o  w h a ti s  i n  l i f e,  t h e n  w h a t  w i l l  b e  i s  p r o g r a m m e d  t o  r e f l e c t  m y
f a i t h  a n d  t r u s t. O n c e  I  w a s  v i s i t i n g  N e w  Y o r k  w i t h  m y  d a u g h t e r. W e
w e r e  h a v i n g  a  w o n d e r f u l  t i m e,  a n d  t h e n  s h e  t u r n e d  t o  m e
a n d  s a i d,  “ I ’ m  s o  e x c i t e d  a b o u t  g o i n g  t o  B o s t o n  n e x t  w e e k,
I  c a n  h a r d l y  s t a n d  i t. ”  I  d i d n ’ t  w a n t  t o  r a i n  o n  h e r  p a r a d e  o r
m a k e  h e r  f e e l  i n v a l i d a t e d  f o r  w a n t i n g  t o  g o  t o  B o s t o n. B u t  I
d i d  m u s e  a b o u t  h o w  t h e  e g o  w o r k s :  a l w a y s  m a k i n g  u s  t h i n k
t h a t  w h e r e  w e ’ r e  g o i n g  n e x t  w e e k  w i l l  b e  b e t t e r,  w h a t  w e ’ r e
d o i n g  a t  t h e  n e x t  j o b  w i l l  b e  m o r e  r i g h t  f o r  u s,  a n d  s o  f o r t h. J o y  c a n  b e  f o u n d  o n l y  o n e  p l a c e  a t  o n e  t i m e :  r i g h t  h e r e,
r i g h t  n o w. R e g a r d l e s s  o f  w h e r e  w e ’ r e  g o i n g  t o m o r r o w,  i t ’ s
i m p o r t a n t  t o  b l e s s  w h e r e  w e  a r e  a n d  e n j o y  t h e  f r u i t s  o f
t o d a y. T h e  t r u t h  i s,  a l m o s t  a n y  e x p e r i e n c e  c a n  b e  m i s e r a b l e
i f  y o u ’ r e  g o o d  e n o u g h  a t  m a k i n g  y o u r s e l f  m i s e r a b l e. A n d
a l m o s t  a n y  e x p e r i e n c e  c a n  b e  e n j o y a b l e  i f  y o u ’ r e  g o o d
e n o u g h  a t  p r a c t i c i n g  j o y. S o m e t i m e s  p e o p l e  t h i n k  t h e y  c a n ’ t  r e l a x  a b o u t  t h e  f u t u r e
b e c a u s e  t h e y  n e e d  t o  k n o w  w h a t  i t  w i l l  b e  f i r s t. I ’ v e  k n o w n
p e o p l e  w h o  s e e m e d  t o  t h i n k  G o d  s h o u l d  s e n d  a  l e t t e r,
t e l l i n g  t h e m  e x a c t l y  w h e r e  t o  g o  a n d  w h a t  t o  d o. “ D e a r
G l o r i a,  t h i s  i s  G o d. I ’ v e  c h o s e n  K a n s a s  C i t y  f o r  y o u,  w h e r e
y o u  w i l l  l i v e  f o r  s i x  m o n t h s  s t a r t i n g  t h i s  N o v e m b e r  a n d
w o r k  a t  C a r t e r  a n d  A s s o c i a t e s. F r o m  t h e r e  y o u  w i l l  m o v e  t o
N e w p o r t  B e a c h,  w h e r e  y o u  w i l l  m e e t


 e s p i t e  a p p e a r a n c e s  a n d  t h u s  i n v o k e  a  m i r a c l e. S o m e t i m e s  w h e n  w e  h a v e  b e e n  d e e p l y  w o u n d e d,  t h e r e ’ s
a  t i m e  d u r i n g  w h i c h  w e  h a v e  t o  l e t  o u r  s o u l s  b l e e d,  t a k e  t h e
p a i n,  a n d  w a i t  t i l l  t h e  c y c l e  c o m p l e t e s  i t s e l f. Y o u  c a n ’ t  r u s h
a  r i v e r  o r  a  h e a r t b r e a k. J u s t  k n o w  t h a t  “ t h i s  t o o  s h a l l  p a s s. ”
T h e  t h r e e  d a y s  i s  r e f e r r e d  t o  b y  a  f r i e n d  o f  m i n e  a s
“ t o m b  t i m e, ”  d u r i n g  w h i c h  i t  m i g h t  s e e m  t h a t  a l l  h o p e  i s
l o s t,  w h e n  i n  f a c t  t h e  m i r a c l e  i s  j u s t  a r o u n d  t h e  c o r n e r. E v e r y  n i g h t  i s  f o l l o w e d  b y  a  n e w  d a y. T h e  e g o  h a s  i t s  w a y
w i t h  u s  i n  c r u e l  a n d  v i c i o u s  w a y s,  t o  b e  s u r e,  y e t  w e  a r e
d e l i v e r e d  b y  G o d  e a c h  d a y  t o  a  n e w  m o r n i n g — t h e
“ p r o m i s e d  l a n d ”  o f  i n n e r  p e a c e. W e  h a v e  a l l  k n o w n  c r u c i f i x i o n  a n d  t h e n  l i v e d  t h r o u g h  a
t o m b  t i m e  w h e n  i t  s e e m e d  a s  t h o u g h  t h e  l i g h t  i n  o u r  l i v e s
m i g h t  n e v e r  r e t u r n. Y e t  t h e  m o v e m e n t  o f  t h e  u n i v e r s e  i s
a l w a y s  i n  t h e  d i r e c t i o n  o f  u l t i m a t e  l o v e ;  i n  t h e  w o r d s  o f
M a r t i n  L u t h e r  K i n g  J r.,  “ T h e  a r c  o f  t h e  m o r a l  u n i v e r s e  i s
l o n g,  b u t  i t  b e n d s  t o w a r d  j u s t i c e. ” T h e  e g o  r o a r s,  b u t  G o d
w i l l  a l w a y s  h a v e  t h e  f i n a l  s a y. O u r  c r u c i f i x i o n s  d e a l  u s  a  m a t e r i a l  b l o w,  b u t  i n  t h e  h a n d s
o f  G o d  t h e  b l o w  c a n  b e c o m e  a  s p i r i t u a l  g i f t. N o  m a t t e r  w h a t
o c c u r s  i n  o u r  l i v e s,  w e  c a n  b e c o m e  b e t t e r  p e o p l e  b e c a u s e  o fi t. I f  w e  h a d  n o t  s t u m b l e d,  w e  c o u l d  n o t  h a v e  g o t t e n  b a c k
u p. A n d  n o w  t h a t  w e  h a v e  g o t t e n  u p,  o u r  b a c k b o n e s  a r e  a
l i t t l e  s t r a i g h t e r  a n d  o u r  h e a d s  a  l i t t l e  h i g h e r. T h e r e  i s
n o t h i n g  m o r e  b e a u t i f u l  t h a n  t h e  m a n t l e  o f  s u r v i v o r. T h e r e  i s
n o t h i n g  m o r e  i l l u m i n a t e d  t h a n  t h e  r e s u r r e c t e d  b o d y,  t h e  n e w
p e r s o n a l i t y  t h a t  e m e r g e s  w h e n  t h e  o l d  o n e  h a s  b e e n  l a i d  t o
r e s t. I n  t h e  w o r d s  o f  C h a r l e s  S w i n d o l l,  a  p a s t o r  a n d  r a d i o
B i b l e  t e a c h e r  i n  t h e  m i d - t w e n t i e t h  c e n t u r y,  “ I  h a v e  t r i e d  a n d
I  c a n n o t  f i n d,  e i t h e r  i n  s c r i p t u r e  o r  h i s t o r y,  a  s t r o n g - w i l l e d
i n d i v i d u a l  w h o m  G o d  u s e d  g r e a t l y  u n t i l  H e  a l l o w e d  t h e m  t o
b e  h u r t  d e e p l y. ”
I  r e m e m b e r  o n c e  w a t c h i n g  R i c h a r d  N i x o n  i n  a  t e l e v i s i o n
i n t e r v i e w  y e a r s  a f t e r  h e  h a d  l e f t  t h e  W h i t e  H o u s e. H e  s p o k e
w i t h  a  w i s d o m  a n d  c o m p a s s i o n  I  h a d  n e v e r  s e e n  h i m
e x h i b i t  d u r i n g  h i s  t i m e  i n  p o l i t i c s. A  p r e s i d e n t  f o r  w h o m  I
h a d  p r e v i o u s l y  f e l t  s u c h  d i s d a i