 impertinent cab driver, are suf ficient to ruin the day for many
of us. Why is our happiness so fragile that commonplace occurrences can
“ruin” the whole day. In the section on the anatomy of emotions, we have already looked at
the reasons for this. As a result of negative feelings, thoughts, and attitudes,
together with the constant judgment and criticism of other people, we often
feel separated from others. Because of this feeling of inner aloneness and
separation, relationships take on the form of attachments, with all the fear,
anger, and jealousy that accompany any threat to those attachments. The
inner negativity results in such commonly held beliefs as, “Y ou are born
alone and you die alone. ” Nothing, in fact, is farther from the truth. As
recent books on near -death experiences reveal, it is during life that one
often feels alone and, at the moment of death, there is an absolute feeling of
oneness and connectedness (Eadie, 1992; Neal, 2011). Because of attachments, dependencies, and inner smallness, we may
feel weak and limited. The guilty intolerance of our inner thoughts and
feelings are projected onto the world, making the world look like a fearful
place. Because these fears are held in mind, fearful events and experiences
are literally brought into our life experience. Fear results in chronic anger
and makes us prone to attack and to inner emotional chaos. Pain and
suf fering occur, with periodic despair and proneness to emotional upset. The ego-mind, which sees everyone as separate, is envious of anyone else
who appears happier, more successful, or with a better relationship, a better
body, or better connections. Soon, because of a lack of inner clarity about
goals, there is confusion leading to self-pity, envy, and further resentment. Self-condemnation gets endlessly projected onto the world, taking the form
of condemnation from others, which increases further the guilt and feeling
of smallness. For some of us, the only escape is through grandiosity, intolerance,
bigotry, arrogance, and anger, which take the form of cruelty, over -bearingness, brutality, and insensitivity to the feelings of others. Often the
insensitivity comes with self-excuses, such as: “I am an upfront person who
speaks my mind,” or “I am the frank type; you always know where you
stand with me. ” These comments are a cover -up for insensitivity, which
might be better described as gauche. The low self-esteem results in
criticism of self and others, constant competition and comparison,
analyzing, contempt, intellectualization, doubt, and fantasies of revenge. When all of those mechanisms fail, there is the recurrence of apathy and
feelings of hopelessness and victimization. In such a state, we become
progressively alienated because there is so much of ourselves that we must
hide. Our behavior leads to isolation from others and an imbalance due to
over -valuation of the areas of life that do seem to work. Because of this inner chaos, the average person must of necessity stay
unconscious at all times. It is interesting to watch the means that the mind
has invented to accomplish this end. W e watch as a person gets up in the
morning and flips on the radio or the television to immediately get the mind
of f the self and its mental chatter. Despite the extra amusement, thoughts
and feelings tend to arise until the mind becomes preoccupied with the
projects of the day, work, and various schemes of accomplishment or
pleasure. It starts the preoccupation with the body—all of the brushing,
washing, perfuming, powdering, deodorizing and carefully selecting the
clothes for the day. The choosing of clothes brings up all the schedules of
the day, its busyness with activities that have all been crowded into the day:
the endless appointments, phone calls, errands, social engagements, home
responsibilities, and emails. On the way to work or the day’ s activities,
there is the chatting with companions, listening to the car radio, making the
cell phone calls, sending text-messages, and reading the morning newspaper
on the subway. Once at the destination, there follows the preoccupation
with the external events of the day: the business, the deals, the bar gains, the
arrangements, the worries, the manipulations, the endless search for power,
the quest for “strokes,” and the ever -present fear of survival. All of this is
motivated by the desire to somehow derive meaning and security, and to
increase our self-esteem and ensure our self-worth by whatever means. The franticness of the struggle is not really realized until we are
suddenly forced to discontinue it by some external event. Then, we are
confronted with the internal emptiness. This calls for the incessant ingestion
of novels, magazines, television, and websites. Or, the emptiness is avoidedby the constant going to parties, escaping through drugs, numbing out with
a few drinks, watching movies, and pursuing other amusements. W e tend to
do just about anything to avoid facing that feeling of inner emptiness. There is nothing wrong with any of these activities, in and of
themselves. What we want to examine is only the state of consciousness,
the state of awareness, and the manner in which the activities are perceived,
pursued, and experienced. In a state of inner freedom, these same events
and experiences take on a totally dif ferent significance. The identical activities can stem from an inner sense of happiness, self-
worth, and completeness. The same goals can be fulfilled through the
realization of our inner achievement rather than competition with others. Relationships become sharing and loving rather than jealous, competitive,
and driven by the seeking of “strokes” and approval. When we are free of
negative drives, we enjoy gratifying relationships because we love people,
not because we are attached to them. W e can allow the other person to be
free, not subject to jealousy and threat. W e are not the victims of
manipulation by others because we have already found an inner fulfillment. As negative thoughts, feelings, and attitudes are relinquished, we re-
own the power that we had given over to the world. Much of the attraction
of the world is due to the glamorization that we have projected onto it. Questions arise for self-reflection: “Is it really all that money that I want, or
is it the glamour that I have attached to it. What is it that I want from that
job title or from that designation of “Dr. ” and “Esq. ” and “Rev. ”. Is it the
responsibility and activities that go along with it, or is it the glamour and
esteem associated with it. Do I really love that person, or am I in love with
the glamour I have projected onto him or her. ”
The more we let go, the more we de-glamorize the world. The more it
is de-glamorized, the less it runs us. W e are not at the ef fect of glamour and
can no longer be manipulated by it. W e are no longer vulnerable to the
professional programmers of the media and the political and social arenas. W e are no longer at the ef fect of an inner need for approval from others. W e begin to love people for what they are, not for what they can do for
us. W e no longer need to exploit others or try to win them over. As our own
level of guilt decreases, our self-esteem expands. Relationships are now
based on integrity, and we are no longer subject to emotional blackmail. As
a corollary, we stop trying to blackmail others with emotional pressure. Because relationships are based on honesty, and they exist and function on ahigher plane, there is no longer a fear of alienation or feeling of aloneness. The surrendered person no longer needs others for personal fulfillment but
is with them out of choice because of love and enjoyment. Compassion for
others and for their humanness transforms life and all relationships. The State of Inner Fr eedom
What does life become when one continuously surrenders. What is
possible. In the surrendered state, we are independent of the outer world as a
source of satisfaction because the source of happiness has been found
within us. Happiness is shared with others so that, in relationships, the
surrendered person is supportive, sympathetic, encouraging, patient, and
tolerant. There is an ef fortless appreciation of the worth and values of
others and a consideration for their feelings. Power struggles, being “right,”
and proving our point have been relinquished. There is an automatic
nonjudgmental attitude and the supporting of others to grow, learn,
experience, and fulfill their own potentialities. There is an easy-going,
nurturing acceptance of others. W e feel relaxed, vibrant, and full of ener gy. Life events flow automatically and ef fortlessly. W e no longer respond from
a motive of sacrifice or “giving up” something for others; instead, we see
ourselves as being of loving service to others and the world. Life events are
seen as opportunities rather than challenges. The personality is gentle and
open with a willingness to let go and surrender nonstop because of the
unfolding and ongoing inner process of continuous revelation. As the process unfolds, we feel an inner transformation. This leads to a
consistent feeling of gratitude, pleasure, and certainty about our goals. There is a living in the present rather than a preoccupation with the past or
the future. There


 ending. He believed that she was
wrong a nd he was right. He refu sed to accept his wife's decision to choose
for h erself. Because he would not stop contacting his wife, he w as arrested
and sentenced to jail. The man eventual ly realized that he was not giving love when he denied
his wife her freedom to choose what she wanted, and that he lost his
freedom as a result. The law of attraction  is the law of lov e and you cannot
break it. If you violate it, you break yourself.I am  sha ring thi s story because the ending of intimate relationships is very
challenging for some people. Y ou cannot deny someone else's right to
choose w hat the y want, because that is not giving love. It is a bit ter p ill to
swallow when your heart is breaking, but you must respect everyone's
freedom and right to choose. What you give to another person you receive
yourself, and when you deny another person's freedom to choose, you will
attract negative things that deny your own freedom. Maybe the flow of
money to you decreases, or your health weakens, or your job takes a
downturn, becau se all of these things would af fect your freedom. There is
no "other person" for the law of attraction. What you give out to  others, you
give to yourself. Giving love to other people doe s not mean you let people walk all over you
or abuse you in any way, because that's not giving love either. Allowing
another person to use you doesn 't help that person, and it surely doesn't help
you. Love is tough, a nd we learn and grow through its law, and as part of
that lear ning we  experience consequences. So it is not love to al low another
person to use or abuse you. The answer is, get yourself onto the highest
frequency of good feelings that you can, and the force of love will resolve
the situation for you. "Whenever anyo ne has offended me, I try to raise my soul so high that the
offense cannot r each it." (Rene Descartes 1596- 1650)

The Secr et to Relationships
Life pre sents ev erything to you so that you can choose what yo u love. And
part of the gift of life is that you are given all kinds of people,  so you can
choose what you love in those people and turn away from what you don't
love. Y ou are not meant to manufacture love for qualities in a person you
don't love, but simply to turn away without giving them any feeling. T urning away from what you don't love in someone means you're relaxed
about it, and you know life is giving you a choice. It doesn't me an that youar gue with them to prove they'r e wrong or you criticize or blame them, or
that you  want to change them because you think you're right. Because if
you do any of these things, you are not giving love - big time! "Y our ow n soul is nourished wh en you ar e kind; it is destr oyed when you
ar e cruel." (King Solomon Cir ca 10th Century BC in Pr overbs 1 1:17)

When you are on a feeling frequency of love, then only people who are on
the same feeling frequency as you are can come into your life. Y ou know some days you feel really happy, some days you feel irritated,
and othe rs you feel sad. Y ou can be many dif ferent versions of yourself. A
person in a relationship with you can also be many versions, including
happy, irritated, or sad. No doubt you will have seen them being many
dif ferent version s, but every version is still that person. When you're ha ppy,
then only the ha ppy version of other people can come into your life. But
you have to be happy to rece ive the happy versions of other people! It doesn 't mean you are respon sible for other people's happiness, because
everyone is responsible for their own lives and happiness. What it means is
there's nothing else for you to do but to feel happy yourself, and the law of
attraction will do the rest. "Happiness depends upon ourselves." (Aristotle 384-322 BC)

PET s
One way  to take the sting out of confrontational or dif ficult relationships is
to imagi ne peop le as your own "Personal Emotional T rainers"! T he force oflove presents you with a who le array of Personal Emotional T rainers,
disguised as everyday people, but they are all training you to choose love! Some pe ople may be soft Perso nal Emotional T rainers because they don't
push you  very hard and they're so easy to love. Some people may be tough
Personal Emotio nal T rainers because they push you to your lim its, as some
personal physica l trainers do, but they are the ones who are making you
stronger to choose love no matter what. Personal Emotio nal T rainers can use all kinds of situations and tactics to
challenge you, but the thing to remember is that every challenge is
presented so you will choose love and turn away from negativity and blame. Some trainers may challenge you to judge them or others, but don't fall for
that trap. Judgment is negative a nd it's not giving love, so if you can't love
the good in someone or something, simply turn away. Some tr ainers m ay test you by  provoking you to feel reveng e, anger, or
hatred. T urn away by looking fo r the things you love in life. So me trainers
may eve n hit you with guilt, feelings of unworthiness, or fear. D on't fall for
any of them, because negativity of any kind is not love. "Hatr ed paralyzes life; love r eleases it. Hatr ed confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatr ed darkens life; love illuminates it." (Martin Luther King 1929-1968)

If you imagine the people in your life as your Personal Emotional T rainers,
it will help you  with any dif ficult rela tionships. It's the tough trainers who
make yo u stronger and determined to choose love no matter what, but
they're also giving you a message. They're telling you that you've gotten
yourself onto a negative feeling frequenc y - and you need to feel better to
move of f it! No one can com e into your life and af fect you negatively,
unless you are already on the same negative feeling frequency. If you're on
a fee ling frequency of love, it w on't matter how tough or negati ve someone
is, they will not and cannot af fect you!Each person is just doing their job, just as you are doing your job of being a
Personal Emotio nal T rainer to o thers. There are no enemies, there are only
some great PET s, and some tough PET s who are making you great.The Law of Attraction Is a Sticky
Business
The law of attraction is a sticky business. When you rejoice in another
person's good fortune, their good  fortune sticks to you! When you admire or
appreciate anyth ing about another person, you're sticking those qualities to
yourself. But when you think or discuss negative things about someone
else, yo u're sticking those negative things to you too, and you're putting
them into your own life. The law of attraction is responding to your feelings. Whatever you give,
you receive, and so if yo u stick a label on any per son, circumstance, or
event in life, you are sticking the label on you, and that's wh at you will
receive. Now thi s is fantastic news, because it means you can stick everything you
love and  want to you by looking  for the things you love in other people, and
saying yes to them with all of your heart! The world is your catalogue, and
when " you understand the power of your love, it is a ful l-time job n oticing
everything you love in other people. But it's the easiest and best way to
change your whole li fe. It beats struggle and suf fering. All you have to do
is no tice the thin gs you love in other people, and turn away from the things
you don't so you don't give them any feeling. How easy is that? "T aking the first footstep with a good thought, the second with a  good wor d,
and the thir d with a good deed, I enter ed Paradise.” (Cir ca 6th Century
Zor oastrian Religious T ext)
Gossip Is Sticky T ooGossip seems harmless on the surface, but it can cause a lot of negative
things in people's lives. Gossip is not giving love. Gossip is giving
negativity and that's exactly what you receive back. Gossip is not harmful to
the person who is being spoken of; gossip harms those gossiping! When y ou are talking with a fa mily member or a friend, and they tell you
about some negative thing that someone said or did they are gossiping and
they are giving out negativity. As you listen to them, you are giving out
negativity too because you are a feeling being, and you can't hear negative
things without your feelings dro p


middle. Haakaa breast pump. This pump attaches to your breasts easily
and lets you express milk naturally through suction. You can put it on
the breast that babe is not feeding from to catch the extra milk that
comes out. Muslin cotton swaddle blankets. Even if you do not swaddle your
babe, these light cotton blankets are cozy and are the perfect small
blanket for use in the house or while traveling (even if just in the
stroller or car seat!). Burp cloths. Keep these by your bed, near your nursing station, in
the diaper bag, and in any common area around your house. Burpcloths are great not only for catching spit-up but also to catch any
leaking breast milk while nursing! Soft, light, bamboo pajamas for baby. Organic cotton is lovely, but
there is something even lovelier about a newborn in buttery soft
bamboo footie pajamas! The light fabric feels nice on their skin and
can end up being what little babe wears for the first six to eight
weeks of their life, if they wear anything at all! Boppy nursing pillow. This will save your back while nursing! Even
when not nursing, I would use this for my baby to sleep on me
without having to use my arms to hold him. It can also be used to
prop your newborn up after nursing if they are spitting up quite a bit. And finally, these pillows are useful when baby starts to sit up on
their own but needs a little assistance not to fall over. Tip: Get an
extra cover for laundry day. Baby carriers and wraps. You will get great use out of hands-free
carriers once you start moving around the house more. Baby will
benefit from being close to mama’ s heartbeat for as long as possible
and as often as possible. Again, Ayurveda says a baby should not
leave the mother ’s auric field for at least the first six weeks, so this is
a great way to keep them close. Diaper changing pads. You will likely want some portable diaper
changing pads, a plastic foldable one, and some cloth washable
ones (three or four). Changing pads are great to keep next to your
bed or your baby’ s sleeping space during the first few weeks for
midnight diaper changes. And remember to store one in your diaper
bag for on-the-go changes for months to come! Baby lounger. Baby will feel so cozy napping in this little pillow
anywhere around the house in the first several months. It can also
be used as a cosleeper in your bed.Baby bathtub. This can be placed right in your bathtub or sink and
can be used from the first bath to the hundredth! Washable incontinence pads. Get two to four of these and put
them on your mattress under your sheets where you sleep. From
postpartum bleeding, baby poop explosions, leaky pee diapers, and
puddles of breast milk, these will save your mattress. Bedside basket. Get a nice basket and place it next to your bed so
that is easy to access without you having to get up when the baby is
with you. In the basket put everything you might need for you and
your little one—diapers, wipes, diaper rash cream, waterproof
changing pads, a few onesies, and anything else that you will be
using frequently. IS THAT NORMAL? During the early days of motherhood, you will likely find yourself repeating
the phrase “Is that normal?” for just about everything. Of course, always go with your intuition, and when in doubt, ask for
guidance. Call your midwives, your doctors, your pediatrician, your doula,
your lactation consultant, your mom, your mom friends, or anyone you can
get advice from. It is always better to be safe than sorry and it eases worry
to hear “Y es, that is normal” when you are feeling nervous. Here is a list of questions that may come up, and I can assure you: “Y es,
that is normal.”
“Why is her heart beating so fast? Is that normal?”  Babies’  tiny
hearts beat faster than ours. They commonly beat around 120 beats
per minute, which will sound and feel very fast to you. It is normal. “He keeps forgetting to take a breath! Is that normal?”  After
being accustomed to life in the womb, babies need time to learn how
to breathe. They can sometimes forget to take a breath, for up to ten
seconds. If you are noticing this frequently, keep them close to youor even on you, so that hearing your breathing reminds them to take
a breath. If the suspension of breath is longer than ten seconds at a
time, call your pediatrician. Otherwise, it is likely to be normal. “Sometimes she snores in her sleep. Is that normal?”  Babies
have tiny noses. Sometimes they snore until they grow out of it a
month or so after birth. If the snoring seems concerning to you,
contact your pediatrician. If it is just due to their tiny nose, they will
grow out of it—it is normal. “My newborn’ s poop was black and sticky for several days and
now it’ s watery and yellow! It looks like diarrhea!”  The first few
poops after birth will be a black, sticky, tar-like substance called
meconium. This can pass within a few hours, days, or within the first
week or so. After that, the poop will gradually become a yellowish
waterier substance that may be a little mucousy. A breastfed baby
may have poop that looks like it could be diarrhea, but it is just the
normal consistency of baby poop. In fact, for a breastfed baby,
yellow liquidy poop is healthy! “She keeps throwing up all the time! Is that normal?”  Spitting up
and throwing up are two dif ferent things for babies. If your baby is
regurgitating milk or even what looks like curdled milk after eating,
this is spitting up and is likely to be normal. If they are projectile
vomiting (the milk comes out forcefully in a straight line out of their
mouth), call the pediatrician. See this page  on “Spitting up (in
Breastfed Babies)” for more info on this. “He is constantly drinking milk! I feel like I am nursing all day
long! Is that normal?”  Newborn breastfed babies will drink milk
every two or three hours—sometimes more, sometimes less. During
the typical growth spurts—at three days, five days, seven days, three
weeks, and five weeks of age—which can last anywhere from one
day to several days, they may do what is called cluster feeding. Cluster feeding means they nurse constantly on and of f for hours ata time. This is normal and natural, and if your baby wants to cluster
feed, cozy up with a good book to pass the time. They will benefit
from the nourishment of the extra milk, so best to allow them to eat
when they are hungry and stop when they are full. “His skin is peeling. Is that normal?”  Newborn babies’  skin goes
through a lot in the first few weeks. Peeling is a normal occurrence,
as their skin is used to the watery womb, and our world in
comparison is dry and cold. Starting with baby abhyangas after the
umbilical cord falls of f may help with peeling skin. However, it is
nothing to be concerned about and is totally normal. “Her poop is green!”  Yes, green poop is normal for babies! Their
digestion may simply be adjusting to changes in your diet or they
may be teething. In fact, almost all colors of poop can be normal for
newborns. In general, the only color to call your doctor about would
be white poop. “She has blood in her diaper! Is she okay?!”  Sometimes female
infants will get what looks like a mini period in their diaper. It will
probably only show up once or twice. This is normal spotting of blood
due to the hormones in mama’ s milk and not a cause for concern. If
it lasts more than a few days, call your doctor to be sure. BABY BATH TIME
When your baby is first born, you may notice a whitish, waxy coating on
their skin—a protective layer called vernix. In a hospital setting, the
standard practice is to wash this coating of f. Ayurveda advises to leave the
vernix rather than washing it, and instead to massage it gently into the
baby’ s skin until it is absorbed. This natural external barrier has many
benefits including protecting the baby from pathogens, regulating their
body temperature, keeping their skin moisturized, and balancing their pH. According to Ayurveda, a newborn baby can have an herbal bath any
time after birth. The herbs can be the same ones that mama uses for herherbal baths. Fill the bath with lukewarm water, or water just warmer than
body temperature. When you add the boiling water from the herbal
infusion, wait for the bath to cool before putting your baby in. Remember
that their skin is very sensitive and if it feels hot at all to you, it will feel
extra hot to them. The bath given immediately after birth is considered more of a ritual
than a wash to clean them of f. A bath can be calming for your baby and
allow them a smooth transition out of the watery womb and into the world. Once the bath is prepared with the herbal infusion


temperament, always a handicap upon thorough and efficient ac complishment. And it is interesting to speculate upon the kind and
the amount of labor with which the genius in ill health might have enriched the world had he been the possessor of a physical ly
normal body. Would this work have been of a quality surpassin g that which was produced by forced concentration; or would the
physical ease of health have removed the spur of accomplishment. We cannot, if we would not eventually fall short of our desired achievements, afford to discriminate in favor of either m ind or
body. The development of each is equally essential to the greatest and best results from the other. Hence, given a body free from
any organic trouble, the successful enjoyment and prolongation of life is as much dependent upon intellectual developme nt as
upon physical, and vice versa. It is thus apparent that the work that the brain can perform is in highest degree proportional to and dependent upon the phys ical
condition of its body. To repeat, a functionally perfect brain is the product only of a physically perfect body. And it is to be
emphasized that the brain is not a producer of energy, nor of vitality, nor of the mental processes. It acts but as a medium of
reception and transmission, and it in itself no more thinks than do the words that  express a thought. Mind, as received from the
creative source, is perfect; its expression is affected by the functional ability or inability of its human instrument. The mysterious forces, energy and vitality, which are seen manifested in the life o f the body, exist outside of and independent of
the human vehicle. A healthy organism is one that is in position to liberate these principles in the form of power, mental an d
physical, as it is needed in the activities. Human beings possess what are known as the conscious and subconscious minds. The conscious mind controls those acts which
are subject to the will and those thoughts which are produced by brain effort in conscious moments. The subconscious mind cov ers
that which occurs without conscious  perception. The conscious mind could not possibly send messages to the numerous glands
that fit the body for action, nor attend to all the delicate adjustments that enter into the process. The conscious mind in m ost of us
does not even know of the existen ce of the organs and secretions involved. But there is a something in mentality that is without
conscious perception, and that takes advantage of all of the past, gauging means to an end with perfect nicety. Page 60 of  72     All processes of healing are subconscious. Even pain and the distressing symptoms of sickness are to be regarded as benevolent
warnings that sharply remind us of our condition, and that compel the repose which we require, or that deter us from admittin g into
the system substances which are injurio us. They not only point to the existence of a mind that is subconscious, but they indicate
how great a part that mind plays in the curing of every form of disease. Anything that weakens or depresses the subconscious mind
exposes us to disease by making us less able to resist its encroachments. And, on the other hand, we possess such allies and
resources within ourselves that the chief function of the physician should be to awaken in his patients the will to live, and  to
employ every element of resistance wh ich the system itself affords. If humanity since its creation had constantly been caring for its individual bodies, no condition of disease could make its
appearance suddenly. There could be no physical collapse, for cancers, tumors, Bright's disease, diabetes, etc., all require time to
develop, and in a body that is both mentally and physically conscious, their beginnings cannot help but be observed, understo od,
and remedied. For he who is in the habit of caring properly for his body, who understands  and obeys natural physical law, cannot
for one day neglect his course of action, because, subconsciously if not consciously, he is subjected to irritation and disco mfort. To
illustrate, he who is used to pure air cannot endure a vitiated atmosphere, and h e who bathes his body daily, in case of omission,
finds his skin figuratively talking to him because of its neglect. A diseased body is the product of a process development that began with its birth, for every symptom in its finality is
cumulative. T he colds and fevers of infancy and adolescence, the causes of which are imperfectly eliminated, leave their residue to
accumulate until the eventual crisis occurs. And, as in the physical so in the mental realm, disease of the mind, and in it w e include
crime as well as insanity, are symptoms of unbalance, often produced because of physical reaction. Crime begins in small acts,
develops like a cancer, and in reality it is to be regarded as a cancer of the conscious mind, and hence should be treated as  is
disease. Instead, society punishes the discovered victim. Insanity is but another form of unbalance that in many instances aris es
from functional physical disturbance, yet it, too, is handled as is crime, its sufferers being subjected to police authority in ways that
are reminders of the dark ages. And since brain troubles in great part arise from functional physical derangement, their alleviation and cure is to be sought  in
systemic bodily purification. The text fully covers the manner in which the lat ter process may best be accomplished, in fact the
only way in which it can be done. And, could the fast and its hygienic accessories be introduced and scientifically administe red in
all asylums, insane as well as criminal, of the land, numbers of their inm ates would be restored both in mind and in body. And
further, in those in whom mental incapacity is due to organic structural defects that hamper normal function, the form and de gree
of the latter would at once be revealed, and the knowledge thus gained wo uld determine to what extent treatment should be carried. And it is probable that among even these severely afflicted sufferers there might be many who could be brought to mental
responsibility. Apart from its therapeutic worth, a trial of the method in pu blic institutions offers two other points of merit, viz., it
would ameliorate much of the suffering now undergone by stimulated unruly patients who need restraint, and it would lower by
many thousands of dollars the expense of caring for these wards of the  state. But, if not for the sake of those who pay taxes, at least
for the salvation of those detained in asylums for the insane and criminal, the method is entitled to a thorough investigatio n and
trial at the hands of government. To many minds the thought that human life is in any way connected with or dependent upon ordinary natural agencies carries
with it denial of faith in the divine. Reasoning thus, these intellects segregate in toto spirituality from materiality, refu sing to
recognize their manifest interdependence. A calm retrospect of the history of the Christ causes one to know that Jesus, apart  from
his spiritual endowment, was a man in the flesh and of the flesh; that he was subject to the laws of the body, to its nec essities and
to its temptations. It is written, "Jesus was led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when h e had
fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered. " The application of this fragment of sac red history to the subject matter of the text may not be obvious, but brief explanation will
serve to show that the related incident is distinctly pertinent. Fasting the body for the sake of health was understood and f ollowed
by the older civilizations; an d fasting for the attainment of that higher mentality which borders upon spirituality is still employed
by the members of that system of philosophy known as Yoga, in which meditation upon the supreme spirit is inculcated as the w ay
to final beatitude. That  the Christ acquainted with and was learned in these practices is fully substantiated by the evident purpose
and scientific completion of a period of forty days and nights of abstinence from food. Jesus never overturned natural law; h e
worked with it alway s, and his statement concerning prayer and fasting in disease is easy of analysis. "More things are wrought by
prayer than this world dreams of. " And fasting, physical in application, conduces to the highest degree of mental clarity. Th e body,
purified of its dross, approaches more nearly the spiritual vehicle it is intended to be. Successfully conducted to the point of the
return of hunger, the body and its brain are enhanced in substance and in function. In this condition difficulties are solved,
decision s are made, and conclusions are reached with marvelous clearness and despatch. The Gospel relates that Jesus was led up into the wilderness for the purpose of being tempted --a test through which mere man
passes daily, and ofttimes daily fails to meet. But Jesus, before temptation assailed, fasted for the approximate time needful for
physiological purification of the adult body, and the fast concluded, we are specifically told, with its physiologically corr ect
symptom, the return of hunger. We do not e rr, we think, in attributing to the Christ in the flesh the experiences of the flesh. Why
Page 61 of  72 else should he have been subjected to temptation. And physically there must have been need for regeneration, for the incident
occurred just before the beginning of hi s active ministry, when all of his power of endurance was to be called forth, and mental
acuity more than normal was to be commanded at every future moment of


cold by regular treatment of urine therapy.”  Manav Mootra by R. M. Patel  STUFFY NOSE  “The benefits of breast milk are unlimited I'm currently breastfeeding my 11 month old and he loves it I would never give him formula..when he gets a stuffy nose I put it up his nose,when he has gunky eyes I put it in them its amazing,we have not had to visit the so called docs once yet and hope to not ever..his immune system is benefiting so much.”  Letter to Andrew Norton Webber   178 SUN ALLERGY   Mr. L.C., Germany "I was regularly suffering from sun allergy. Since I heard about urine therapy, I just rub my urine on the affected skin parts and usually the allergy rapidly disappears and the skin stops itching." The Golden Fountain by Coen van der Kroon  SURVIVAL  “During the nine-day war in Jordan, the Red Crescent, the Islamic equivalent of the Red Cross, advised people against drinking polluted water by radio broadcasts, saying, ‘Your children are expiring of thirst, we cannot help you except by telling you that you may be able to save their lives by letting them drink their own urine.’ ”  Drink Your Own Water by Tony Scazzero  SURVIVAL  “...two men were forced to spend 13 days on a life raft after their fishing boat sank in the Gulf of Mexico. The article said the two men ‘drank their own urine to stay alive.’ ”  The Outdoorsman’s Emergency Manual by Anthony J Acerrano  SURVIVAL  "A male cook was pulled out of the rubble of the Hyatt Hotel early Monday morning, 14 days after a powerful earthquake devastated the northern Philippines, officials said. Dry, with only minor bruises on his body, he told reporters he survived by drinking his own urine." Kyodo News Service, Tokyo, July 30, 1990, World-wide Case Histories of Urine Therapy by Gary Ward  SURVIVAL  “Luisa Mallorca and Arnel Calabia survived 11 days after being buried by the same disaster. (Hyatt Hotel earthquake)  179 All three survived in part by drinking their own urine.”  Caribarena Antigua, January 27, 2010    SURVIVAL   When Ferdinand Magellan's fleet of five set out to circumnavigate the globe in 1519, the manifest gave each ship "50 casks of water, fresh and pure." It wasn't enough. Of course his crew knew they would have to locate water along the way. Unfortunately, finding themselves in uncharted waters and out of water 18 months into the voyage, they became desperate. With no hope of a fresh water source, they took what was the only recourse. They drank their own urine. Wrote one crewman, "It was surprisingly not unsavory, having no worse a taste than a flagon most foul with rancid port, as many I have tasted before." And after all, it did save their lives. --- From Heartland Healing Center, http://www.heartlandhealing.com/pages/archive/urine_therapy/  SURVIVAL  "In Egypt, rescue workers found a 37-year-old man alive in earthquake rubble. He survived almost 82 hours by drinking his own urine. His wife, daughter and mother would not and they died." ---Tom Brokaw, NBC Nightly News, October 16, 1992, from World-wide Case Histories of Urine Therapy by Gary Ward    SURVIVAL  "Four Sri Lankan commandos who drifted in a boat more than 1,000 miles to Thailand after they had been ambushed and given up for dead were given a rapturous welcome when they returned home. 'They managed to survive on the boat by catching turtles and drinking urine,'a military officer said. Reuter Report, August 14, 1990, World-wide Case Histories of Urine Therapy by Gary Ward   SYPHILIS 180  “One Hariji Shri Raja Arjan aged 35 had syphilis and he was fully cured by urine therapy.”  Manav Mootra by R.M. Patel  SYPHILIS  “Shri Chhaganlal (Mangrol) informs that a farmer aged 30 had syphilis. He was completely cured by urine treatment.”  Manav Mootra by R.M. Patel  SYPHILIS  “R. Chaudbari, age 60, had syphilis, and there was pus formation and burning sensation on the spot. He suffered from this disease for two years. He began Urine Therapy by drinking it three times daily and putting urine-soaked pads on the spot during the whole night. He cured himself in only three weeks and cured himself completely from the deadly disease.”  Urine Therapy by Dr. John O'Quinn  SYPHILIS  Raojibhai has described an interesting case of skin disease of his friend, Shri Juthabhai. He was an old but healthy man living in a jarijan Ashram. Somehow he got syphilis and its eruptions spread everywhere on the body. Shri Juthabhai started fasting with urine and anointing the body with two-three days stored urine. As a result his body became full of big yellow blisters. His appearance became horrible. It continued for six days. Blisters were not subsiding. He then asked one of his friend to anoint the body with force so as to break open the blisters. When his friend did this, Shri Juthabhai's body became white with pus. After this he took bath with luke-warn water and felt immediate relief. Now his skin started regaining its normal condition and in six more days he was completely all right. Shri Juthabhai further disclosed that he had never fasted in his life and it was his first fast but he did not feel any weakness. Urine keeps body nourishing during fast. Miracles of Urine Therapy by Morarji Desai  181   ***************************** T ***************************** TEETH LOOSE  Once I advised a young man with loose teeth to rinse his teeth with urine. He followed the advice but after fifteen days when I met him, he seemed to be discouraged about the results. According to him there was no improvement in his condition and he thought of discontinuing urine therapy. On further inquiry it was revealed that he was taking very hot tea at least four times a day. Hot tea uses to burn his guns and tongue and they were in injured condition perpetually. I asked him how could he hope to get cured under these circumstances. He showed his inability to discontinue the practice of taking tea. However he promised to reduce the quantity and also stop taking very hot tea. After about a month I again met with him. This time he was happy that his condition was better. He was planning to stop the tea altogether to get full benefit from water of life. "Miracles of Urine Therapy" by Morarji Desai  TESTICLE PAIN  “B. Fande, had pain and swelling in his right testicle and thigh. Medicine could not cure him. He  fasted on urine for two days, massaged with urine for 15 minutes daily, used to drink urine about four times a day, and was particular about dieting. He was completely cured.”  Urine Therapy by Dr. John O'Quinn  THORN IN FOOT  Shri Mangilal Malviya who is a naturopath related his experience of urine therapy to Raojibhai. Once he was going through a forest on foot. He was wearing a chapel. A long thorn suddenly penetrated into his left foot. Pain was unbearable. With great difficulty and force he could take out that thorn. Removal of thorn resulted in a gush of blood. He urinated on it and tied a piece of cloth at the spot. Pain vanished and was healed with any pus. Miracles of Urine Therapy by Morarji Desai  THYROID 182  Ma. Rosalba C. of Ramirez. Mexico  "I am 47 years old, I had 5 children. I give thanks to God for the knowledge of urine therapy. Want to give my testimony to all the people of how I am and how I healed. In 1980, I had a very strong car accident, I had to remove the spleen; from there I became sick. In July 1993, after passing through a very sad situation, two brothers were killed and other family problems. I began to suffer from depression, headaches and neck, cramps in the hands and feet, also felt some palpitations too strong, my eyes were deformed, were swollen and exalted. There were nights I could not sleep and suffered from insomnia, I started to lose a lot of weight, I felt like I was drowning, I could not go to the bathroom alone and was very thirsty. I have a brother who is a doctor and started giving me medication, serum injected me and healed me. He had to stay in the hospital where he works after several studies, doctors there told me that my thyroid gland was not working well. I was prescribed pills and was taking them for a year or so. I improved a little, but if I stopped taking the pills, I became shaky. I was sent to another hospital with a specialist to see if he could cure this disease. By then I had a tumor in the neck that was growing and if I stopped taking the medicine the symptoms would return, but I could not take the medication, it was like a drug. In this hospital I was sent to another, to apply nuclear medicine. Radioactive iodine was what I had to take, with which I felt very tired and various other symptoms. I was alone, I was


1½ c. celery
½ c. chopped parsley
• Place the corn silk, tangerine peel, ginger peel, and a bunch of
parsley in a muslin bag and simmer them in the stock along
with the poria and barley for 1 hour.• Diagonally slice the aspara gus and celery into bite-size pieces
and add them to the herb stew, simmering this an additional 15
minutes. • Remove the muslin bag. • Garnish with parsley and serve. Decongest Blood
Promotes circulation, reduces fatty accumulations, count eracts
constriction
Especially benecial for Liver, Heart
1 oz. white peony
½ oz. ligusticum rhz. 3 tsp. turmeric
5 medallions fresh ginger
7 c. vegetable or chicken stock ( this page –this page )
2 leeks (white and pale green portions only)
½ oz. saower
1 c. beets
2 c. eggplant chunks (1 globe or 2
Japanese eggplants)
½ c. rice wine
¼ c. rice vinegar
• Place all the herbs in a muslin bag, and simmer in the stock for
30 minutes.• Chop the leeks, peel and dice the beets, and cut the eggplant
into 1-inch chunks
• Add the beets, leeks, and eggplant, and continue to simmer for
15 minutes. • Add the rice wine and vinegar, simmer 5 more minutes, and
serve. INGREDIENTS TO  ELIMINATE  HEAT, COLD, W IND, AND  PHLEGM
The following are some suggested groupings of ingredients to
address specic conditions. You may devise your own recipes and
prepare these foods in one or more dierent dishes. Dispel Heat
Cools the body, reduces inammation, neutralizes toxins
Benets Heart, Liver, Lung, Small Intestine, Gallbladder, Large
Intestin e, and Bladder
2 burdock roots
1 daikon radish
1 c. tofu
1 c. mung bean sprouts
1 cucumber
Dispel Cold
Warms the body, stimulates circulation
Benets Spleen, Lung, Kidney, Stomach, Large Intestine
1 oz. fresh ginger
¼ oz. cardamom seeds (grated)1 oz. fresh coriander
1 c. mustard greens
½ c. chives
½ c. rice wine or vinegar
Dispel Wind
Soothes the nerves, relaxes the muscles, promotes perspiration
Benets Liver, Lung, Gallbladder
1. oz. Pueraria  root
½ oz. chrysanthemum owers, steeped
½ oz. peppermint or ¼ oz. rosemary leaves
2 whole scallions
1 c. celery
Dispel Phlegm
Helps expectoration and elimination of excess mucus
Benets Lung, Spleen, Stomach, Large Intestine, Gallbladder
½ oz. orange or tangerine peel (1 oz. fresh)
½ oz. apricot or almond seeds
1 fresh pear (diced)
1 c. daikon radish
2 inches fresh gingerRECIPES FOR THE  FIVE PHASES: SEASONS AND  CLIMATES
In winter Qi consol idates at the core, and in summer it disperses
toward the surface. In sprin g Qi mobilizes and begins to expand
outward, and in fall it begins  to coalesce and sink inward. Seasonal
recipes promote these processes, smoothing our transition from one
state to the next. Through the law of correspondence, the foods for
each season benet the Organ Network  associated with it. Spring recipes assist the Liver in moving and discharging Qi and
Blood. Summ er recipes help the Heart  to circulate Blood  and
eliminate Heat. Fall recipes aid the Lung in tightening the surface
(skin) and moistening the Qi, while winter recipes support the
Kidney  in storing, replenishing, and concentrating Essence. Recipes
that benet the Spleen  are good throughout the year, since it is the
job of the Spleen  to generate Qi and Blood  and harmonize the
interaction of all Organ Networks. Regardless of the season, foods that counteract Wind, Heat,
Dampness, Dryness, and Cold protect the body from sudden changes
in the weather. Spring and fall are usually associated with dramatic
variations in temperature, pressure, humidity, and wind, so cooking
with herbs like astragalus, white peony, dioscorea, and fresh ginger
improve the body’s resistan ce to Wind, Dampness, and Cold and
defend it against the acute, infectious illness that often occur at
these times. Even in the tropics, during the winter season, it is still
important to eat foods like dioscorea, lotus seed, and cornus, which
will help the Kidney  to consolidate Qi and Essence  but will notgenerate additional Heat and Dampness. The coolness of northern
regions, even in the summer, may require that warming herbs and
foods continue to be eaten in order to protect the body’s interior
from Cold and Dampness  and to ensure  sucient Qi and Essence  to
survive an even colder winter. Five-Phase Yin-Yang Correspondences
(see larger image)
The following  recipes sustain the Organ Networks  and buer
seasonal stress es. If you are unsure which one to try rst, start with
the recipe to supplement and harmonize Earth —it has a pleasant,
hardy taste and is a choice general tonic.Supplement and Harmonize  Earth
Spleen  congestion occurs when food and uids accumulate, causing
stagnation of Qi and Moisture. Foods that decongest Qi, promote
peristalsis, and eliminate Dampness  are needed. Spleen  depletion results from deciency  and stagnation of Qi,
persistent Dampness, and accumulation of Cold. Foods that tonify
and disperse Qi and eliminate Dampness  and Cold are required. Remedial principle: Tonify Qi and Moisture, disperse Moisture,
activate digestion
1 oz. astragalus root
1 oz. codonopsis root
1 oz. dioscorea rhizome
1 oz. lotus seeds
1 oz. poria curls
12 red dates, soaked and pitted
1 in. fresh ginger, chopped
7–8 c. vegetable or chicken stock ( this page –this page )
¼ c. uncooked white rice
2 carrots
1 yam
½ c. black or shiitake mushrooms (if dry, soaked), slivered
½ c. spinach• Place the astragalus and codonopsis in a muslin bag or tie them
in a bundle with string. Break the dioscorea into half-inch
pieces. • Place the muslin bag, dioscorea, the remaining herbs, and the
rice in the stock and simmer for 1 hour. • While the stock is simmering, dice the carrots and yam and cut
the spinach leaves into 1-inch sections. • Add the carrots, yam, and mushrooms to the herbal stew, and
simmer for 30 minutes. • Remove the muslin bag. Option: After the codonop sis has
cooked it can be removed from the muslin bag and cut into ¼-
inch lengths and added to the stew. • Add the spinach for 5 additional minutes, and serve. The following variations on the basic Earth  recipe substitutes
ingredients that more particularly address specic disharmonies. For Congested  Earth
1 oz. astragalus root
1 oz. lotus seeds
1 oz. poria curls
1 oz. white peony root
12 red dates, soaked and pitted
½ oz. dried tangerine or orange peel, soaked and slivered
7–8 c. vegetable stock
1 in. fresh ginger
1 c. radish
2 beets
½ c. black or shiitake mushrooms (if dry, soaked), slivered
½ c. brown rice
½ c. spinachFor Damp  Earth
2 oz. astragalus root
2 oz. poria curls
1 oz. corn silk (place in bag, along with astragalus)
1 oz. lotus seeds
12 red dates, soaked and pitted
1 in. fresh ginger
7–8 c. vegetable or chicken stock
2 carrots
½ c. turnip
½ c. black or shiitake mushrooms (if dry, soaked), slivered
½ c. chopped parsley or cilantro
½ c. pearl barley
For Dry  Earth
1 oz. polygonatum rhizome
1 oz. lotus seeds
1 oz. poria curls
12 red dates, soaked and pitted
1 in. fresh ginger
7–8 c. vegetable stock
½ c. uncooked white rice
2 carrots
2 zucchini
1 c. tofu
½ c. fresh basil
For Cold  EarthFollow the basic recipe, but
delete  mushrooms and spinach
add another inch of fresh ginger, ½ oz. cardamom, and ½ c. rice
wine
Supplement and Harmonize  Wood
Liver congestion occurs when Heat and Wind  plus stagnation of Qi
and Blood  persist. Foods that clear Heat, moisten Dryness


	is	desired	is	the	witnessing	of	a	sequence;	then	causality	is
implied	as	operating	through	that	sequence. When	observed	closely,	it	will	be	realized	that	sequence	itself,	like
heliotropism,	is	merely	an	intellectual	construct. There	is	neither	a	sequence
nor	a	happening	but,	instead,	successive	points	of	observation	on	an
imaginary	time	scale. At	best,	one	could	see	that	they	obscure	what	appears	to
be	a	change	of	appearance. To	let	go	of	assuming	an	arbitrary,	artificial	point	of	observation	in	time,the	illusion	of	change	disappears. The	assumption	of	a	‘this’	as	compared	to	a
‘that’	is	an	artifact	of	duality	and	an	arbitrary	point	of	observation. In	Reality,	there	is	no	‘this’	or	‘that’,	no	‘here’	or	‘there’,	no	‘now’	or
‘then’. These	are	only	mechanisms	of	mentation,	just	as	locality	cannot	be
described	without	a	basic	point	of	reference. In	Reality,	there	is	no	‘this’	to
become	a	‘that’,	nor	is	there	either	time	or	distance	other	than	the	illusion
created	by	the	arbitrary	selection	of	a	point	of	reference. The	arbitrarily
selected	point-of-reference	locality	is	not	possible	or	describable;	therefore,
Reality	is	spoken	of	as	nonlocal,	beyond	space	and	time. It	is	not	describable
in	those	terms	that	are	only	categories	of	thought	and	abstractions	of	the
reasoning	process. These	are	useful,	however,	to	the	levels	of	consciousness
that	calibrate	primarily	in	the	400s. At	500,	there	is	a	major	paradigm	jump	so
that	what	was	real	now	seems	unreal,	and	what	is	unreal	now	seems	to
become	‘the	real’. Each	level	of	awareness	has	its	own	understanding	of	truth,
and	clarity	comes	from	understanding	this	quality	of	levels	of	consciousness. If	causality	has	no	reality	and	mechanistic	determination	is	not	the
explanation	for	what	we	observe,	what	other	explanation	could	be	substituted
in	the	interim	until	a	greater	awareness	reveals	itself? The	mind	is	life’s
conundrum,	so	we	can	answer	its	questions	with	the	temporary	but	obviously
satisfactory	explanation	of	Creation. If	the	unmanifest	becomes	manifest	through	continuous	creation,	then	no
other	intellectual	devices	or	premises	are	required	as	attempts	to	explain	the
obvious. We	could	say	that	everything	is	created	to	be	self-evolving	because
that	is	intrinsic	to	its	existence	and	the	nature	of	Creation	itself. This
explanation	then	imputes	another	duality,	that	of	‘created’	versus	‘creator’. This	can	be	transcended	easily	by	seeing	the	obvious,	that	Creation	and
Creator	are	identical. In	nonduality,	there	is	no	separation	between	a	creator
and	that	which	is	created. As	limitations	are	released,	the	universe	reveals
itself	to	not	be	different	from	Divinity. As	the	Self	is	realized,	the	divinity	of
all	Creation	in	all	its	expressions	goes	forth	with	shining	power	and
absoluteness. It	is	self-effulgent,	self-revealing,	self-identical,	and	complete	in
total	unity	and	oneness. The	Absolute	is	exactly	that. The	infinite	Presence	within	all	that	exists	is
beyond	all	time	and	space,	forever	complete,	perfect,	and	whole. All	points	of
observation	disappear	and	there	is	the	omnipresence	of	that	which	Knows	All
by	the	fact	that	it	Is	All. As	Reality	stands	forth	in	its	stunning	self-evidence	and	infinite	peace,	it
appears	that	the	block	to	Realization	was	the	mind	itself,	which	is	not
different	from	the	ego;	they	are	one	and	the	same. The	state	of	Awareness	is	the	level	of	‘no	mindedness,’	which	is	not	thesame	as	‘void’	or	‘nothingness’. Those	terms	refer	to	form. The	Ultimate	is
the	realm	of	nonform,	nonlimitation,	and	nonlocality,	and	therefore	of	the
ever	presence	of	the	totality	of	the	All. There	is	only	Existence. Existence	requires	no	cause,	and	to	think	as	much
is	to	create	a	fallacy	of	logic. By	Existence,	we	mean	discernible	through
observation,	and	it	imputes	a	hypothetical	change	of	conditions	from
nonexistent	to	existent. However,	that	which	is	always	was	in	its
completeness	beyond	all	time;	looking	for	a	primary	cause	is	an	artifact	of
mentation	that	arises	along	with	the	concepts	of	time	and	space. Beyond	time
and	space,	there	are	no	events,	no	beginnings,	and	no	endings,	which	are
beyond	the	categories	of	human	thought	or	reason.CHAPTER	8
Beyond	Causality
By	watching	the	phenomenon	of	the	mind	in	its	operations,	its	mechanisms
become	apparent	and	then	tend	to	dissolve. The	presumptions	of	the	mind	are
its	separateness,	its	belief	in	a	progression	of	time	with	its	beginnings	and
endings,	and	the	categories	of	thought	that	constitute	and	ensure	its	survival. To	survive,	the	ego	has	to	believe	it	is	real,	and	that	it	has	a	separate,
independent	existence. The	other	motive	for	its	continuance	is	the	belief	that
through	the	ego	and	its	betterment,	happiness	can	be	found	at	last	and	the
perfect	conditions	for	it	are	secured. Therefore,	the	ego/mind	constantly	seeks
control	and	gain	in	all	its	various	forms	and	appearances. It	seeks	successes
by	whatever	yardstick	it	measures	that	illusory	goal. Happiness	is	always
around	the	next	corner,	so	it	strains	harder	to	achieve	its	goals. At	some	point,	the	illusion	breaks	down	and	the	opening	for	the	start	of
the	spiritual	quest	commences. The	quest	turns	from	without	to	within,	and
the	search	for	answers	begins. With	good	fortune,	one	comes	upon	the
teachings	of	true	enlightenment	and	does	not	deviate	from	the	core	of	those
teachings. Over	time,	many	of	the	explanations	and	understandings	that	were
presented	along	with	the	original	teachings	have	been	lost	and	have	slid
instead	into	misunderstandings. Over	the	centuries,	some	of	the	greatest
teachings	have	been	distorted	to	arrive,	amazingly,	at	their	exact	opposite
meaning. These	then	become	the	basis	of	strife	and	the	obstruction	of	truth. It	is	not	only	useful	but	also	critical	to	have	some	authoritative	source
available	to	recheck	one’s	bearings	and	what	directions	to	follow. It	cannot	be
said	often	enough	that	the	calibrated	level	of	truth	of	any	teacher	or	teaching
should	be	obtained	and	confirmed	before	becoming	a	student	or	follower,
much	less	a	devotee	or	initiate. One’s	commitment	should	be	to	God	and
Truth	only. Teachers	are	to	be	respected,	but	devotion	should	be	restricted	to
only	the	Truth. As	Buddha	said,	“Put	no	head	above	your	own,”	meaning	that
one’s	only	true	guru	is	the	Self	(the	Buddha	nature). The	Self	of	the	teacher	and	one’s	own	Self	are	one	and	the	same. The
teacher	becomes	a	source	of	inspiration	and	information. It	is	the	inspiration
that	supports	the	quest. Does	spiritual	commitment	mean	one	has	to	give	up	the	world? No,	of
course	not. It	means	merely	that	worldly	life	needs	to	be	recontextualized,
restructured,	and	envisioned	differently. It	is	not	the	world	that	is	a	trap	butone


a stubbor n realist, and he r efused. “ Let him hit r ock
bottom,” he said. “That’s his only r eal hope. Short of that,
you won’t be helping him by making this less painful. ”
You and I might think of this as callous advice. But the
phenomenon of hitting r ock bottom is well known in
addiction cir cles. It can pose a ter rible risk, because when
the shadow’s bluﬀ is called, it r esorts to e xtremes of self -
destruction. Ther e is no practical limit to how much
suﬀering the unconscious can cr eate, and we ar e all fragile. Addicts—or any in the grip of shadow ener gies—ar e trapped
in a fog of illusion. Inside that fog, nothing e xists but craving
and the ter ror of not getting a ﬁx. When the perilous jour ney of hitting r ock bottom works,
the reason is that this fog clears. The addict begins to have
thoughts that ar e actually r ealistic: “I am mor e than my
addiction. I don’t want to lose everything. F ear can be
overcome. It’s time for this to end. ” In such moments of
clarity, the power of healing comes fr om the clarity itself. The person smashes thr ough the allur e of self -destruction
and sees how ir rational it is. In clarity the self comes
together and sees itself without blinders. You have only one self. It is the r eal you. It is beyond good
and evil. The shadow loses its power when consciousness stops
being divided. When you ar e no longer split, ther e’s nothing
to see but one self in all dir ections. Ther e are no hidden
compartments, dungeons, tortur e cells, or mossy r ocks to
hide under. Consciousness sees itself. That is its most basic
function, but, as we will discover, fr om this simple function a
new self and eventually a new world can be bor n. The Collective Shadow
Jung’s naming of the shadow wasn’t his major achievement;
neither was his theory of ar chetypes. His major
achievement was to show that human beings shar e a self. “Who am I. ” depends on “Who ar e we. ” Human beings ar e
the only cr eatur es who can cr eate a self. In fact, we must
create one, because the self gives us a point of view, a
unique focus on the world. W ithout a self, our brains would
be bombar ded with a bewildering ﬂood of sensory images
that would not mak e sense. Infants lack a self and spend the
ﬁrst thr ee years cr eating it, fashioning their personalities
and pr eferences, temperaments and inter ests. Every mother
can testif y that the time her baby spends as a blank slate is
minimal, if it e xists at all. W e enter the world not as passive
receivers of sense data, but as eager cr eators. Once you
become a single self with needs, beliefs, impulses, drives,
wishes, dr eams, and fears, suddenly the world mak es sense. “I, me, and mine” e xists for one purpose, to give you a
personal stak e in the world. We all have a self, and we go to gr eat lengths to defend
its right to e xist. But our cr eation is fragile. W e have all
experienced personal crises, such as the sudden death of a
loved one or the discovery that we ar e seriously ill. Any
crisis that attacks our sense of well-being also attacks our
sense of self. If you lose your house or all your money or
your spouse, this e xternal event sends tr emors of fear and
doubt thr oughout the self. At any moment when you feel
that your world is falling apart, what is r eally falling apart is
the self and its conﬁdence that it understands r eality. After
any major trauma to body or mind, it tak es time for the
fragile ego -personality to r ecover. (We are very luck y that an
old adage is true: “Souls don’t br eak; they bounce. ”)
Because we don’t know how we cr eated the self that we
cling to so desperately, the self can surprise and amaze us. Freud sprang a major surprise when he said that the self hasa hidden dimension ﬁlled with drives and desir es that we
hardly recognize. A fter becoming F reud’s most pr ominent
disciple, Jung r ealized that his mentor had made a mistak e. The unconscious isn’t about me. It’s about us. When a
person has unconscious impulses and drives, they come
from the entir e history of humankind. Each of us, accor ding
to Jung, is link ed to a “collective unconscious,” as he called
it. The notion that you and I cr eated our separate, isolated
selves is an illusion. W e tapped into the vast r eservoir of all
human aspirations, drives, and myths. This shar ed
unconscious is also wher e the shadow lives. Some people ar e social, others asocial, but no one can
stand outside the collective self. “We” is a constant
reminder that no man is an island. Jung peeled away the
social surface to e xpose the hidden dimension of “ we. ”
Calling this r ealm the collective unconscious made it sound
more technical, per haps, but the self you and I shar e with
everyone else is basic to our survival. Think of the ways you
fall back on the collective self. Her e are just a few :
When you need the support of your family and closest
friends
When you join a political party
When you volunteer for a charity or a community
When you choose to ﬁght for your country or
otherwise defend it
When you identif y with your nationality
When you think in ter ms of “us versus them”
When a disaster somewher e else aﬀects you
personally
When you ar e gripped by collective fear
It’s a fantasy to believe that you can opt out of “ we,” even
though all of us try to. We want to be seen as Americans butnot the Ugly American. W e sympathize with other ethnic
groups but also feel diﬀer ent, separate, and usually better. In a crisis we want our families as close as possible, yet on
other occasions we insist on being individu als with a life
outside the family. The coalition between “I” and “ we” is an
uneasy one. Jung made it even mor e uneasy. When it comes to the
collective shadow, people struggle to opt out. (Society will
never stop moving in ways we disappr ove of. ) But this is
actually har der than opting out of a family r ole; indeed, the
family is only the ﬁrst unit or level of the collective self, the
one we tend to see fairly easily. At Thanksgiving you can
announce that you’ve changed, that you don’t deserve to be
treated lik e a spoiled ﬁve- year-old or r ebellious teenager. You may not feel that you ar e being hear d. Your family may
have too much invested in k eeping you inside your old bo x. Society, however, is even harsher and less understanding. Society has its invisible hooks in all of us. Y ou can become
a paciﬁst in times of war. That’s an individual choice. Y et it
doesn’t automatically e xtract you fr om the collective
shadow, wher e war is bor n out of rage, pr ejudice,
resentment, old grievances, and the dark underbelly of
nationalism. P erhaps the discr edited ter m of “ racial
memory” is viable, even though it mak es us feel e xtremely
uncomfortable. Y et millions of people ar en’t uncomfortable
making statements lik e “a typical male r esponse” or
“women drivers. ” Gender has tur ned into a hotly contested
allegiance. The collective unconscious has you entangled at
this moment. On the surface Citizen X may be wildly
opposed to Citizen Y, but at the unconscious level they ar e
conjoined, lik e the two ends of a tug- of-war. The choice to opt in or opt out becomes the central issue
of the collective shadow. It gives rise to many questions in
everyday life:
What is my social obligation. What is my patriotic duty. How much should I confor m to or r esist society. How connected am I to other people. What do I owe to the less fortunate. Can I change the world. Asking any of these questions, your conscious mind
cannot give the whole answer—or even the truest answer. Beneath the surface, the collective unconscious is r oiling
with drives, pr ejudices, frustrated desir es, fears, and
memories that ar e part of you because “ we” is your identity
as much as “I. ”
Where’s the Proof. For a long time the concept of the collective unconscious
remained an intriguing theory without much pr oof. No one


Kidney Exercis e
Liver Exerc ise
Sola r Plexus Exer cise
Mer idia n Massage
Deer Exerc ise
Crane Exercis e
Turtle Exe rcis e
Regular Health Maintenance
To be done daily throughout one's life:
Five Ani mal Exer cises
Eight Directional Exerc ises
Twelve Zodia c Exer cises
Twe lve Nerve Exer cises
Meditation
Upon feeling the subtle ener gy flow in the body, one may begin practicing
the meditation :
Meridian Medita tion
Only after masteri ng the Mer idia n Meditation shou ld one begin to
practice the Immortal Breath ing techniqu es. Specific Healing Exercises
These may be practic ed in conjunction with the general health mai ntenance
exerc ises or just for corr ecting spec ific ailments. Weight Reduction Exer cise
Lower Back Exer cises
Stomac h Healing Exerci se
Heart Exerc ises
Abd ominal Strength ening Exer cise
Lung Exer cise
Lower Body and Sexual Gla nds Exercis e
Tec hniques for Relieving Pain
Hand, Arm, and Upper Body Exer cises
209 Taoi.ft Healing Prescriptions
Sun Worship Exercise
Eye Exercises
Internal Organ Relaxation
Relaxation exercises
Breathing Exercises Include:
Crane Exercise
Heart Healing Exercise
Reverse Crane I
Reverse Crane II
Bone Breathing
Brain Cleansing I
Brain Cleansing II
Imm ortal Breathing:
Small Heav enly Cycle
Large Hea venly Cycle
HEALING PRESCRIPTIONS
Arthritis, Rheumati sm, Bursitis, Tennis Elbow:
Turtle
Crane
Deer
Ann stimula ting exerc ises (for tennis elbow, rub until you feel the
ann become hot around the elbo w-f eel the heat in the elbow)
Leg stimula ting exerc ises
Ann and Hand Pressing Exercise (for bursitis or arthri tis in
anns or han ds)
Tec hniques for Relievin g Pain
Asthma:
Crane, Turtle, Dee r-al l practiced together
Lung Exercise
Liver Exerc ise (soothes and stre ngthe ns the nerve s)
210 Taoist Healing Prescriptions
Back Pain:
Lower Back Exercises
Kidney Exercise
Beauty and Fitn ess (rejuvenation)
Deer, Crane, Turtle
Eye Exercises (for wrinkles)
Gum Pressure Exercise
Tongue and Saliva Exercise
Beating the Heavenly Drum
Teeth Clicking Exercise
Weight Reduction Exercise
Solar Plexus Exercise
Head Rubbing Exercise
Breathing exercises
Blood Press ure- High:
Crane, Turtle (avoid Deer until pressure falls to normal)
Brain Cleansing I
Toe wiggling exercise
Blood Pressure-Low:
Deer, Turtle (avoid Crane until pressure comes up)
Brain Cleansing II
Toe wiggling exercise
Bronchitis (throat pains):
Lung exercises
Meridian Massage (especially downwa rd along lung meridian)
Solar Plexus Exercise
Cancer,
Bone:
Kidney Exercise
Lower Back Exercises
Liver Exercise
211 Taoist Healing Prescri ptions
Prev ention :
Crane, Turt le, Deer
Ann stimula ting exer cises
Knea ding shoulder muscles (releases tensi on and stress and opens
meridians which may be blocked)
CelluUte:
Leg stimulating exer cises (rub downward on outside only)
Lower Body and Sexual Gla nds Exerc ise
Common Cold (sneezing, coughing, sinus headache):
Internal Organ Relaxation (brings blood into head and lungs to fight
head cold)
Nose Exercis e (for sinus)
Head Rubbi ng Exercise (pressing points behind head for headache
and tension)
Pressing on either side of the throat on stomach meridian points (this
may cause you to cough at first, but it will eventually stop the
coughing)
Meridian Massage (rubbing downward along the lung meridian for
temporary relief of cold symptoms and lung congestion)
Concentration Problems:
Five Anima l Exerc ises
Concentration Exerc ise
Constipation:
Crane brea thin g
Solar Plexus Exerc ise
Twelve Zodia c Exercis es
Diabetes:
Liver and pancreas rubbing exerc ise
Leg stimulating exercises (espe cially upward rubbing on the inside of
the leg to bring energy into the body)
Deer Exerc ise
212 Taoist Healing Prescriptions
Tongue and Saliva Exercise (for relief of symptoms of thirst caused
by diabetes)
Diarrhea:
Deer
Leg stimulating exercises (upward rubbing on inside of leg only)
Solar Plexus Exer cise
Dizziness (vertigo, nerve imbalance):
Bone Breathing
Ear Exercise
Brain Cleansing ll
Turtle, Crane
Emphysema:
See Asthma
Eye Problems (glaucoma, cataract, near-and far-sightedness, etc. ):
Eye Exercises
Female Problems:
Deer
Kidney Exercise
Leg stimulating exercise (on the inside of legs only)
Sola r Plexus Exer cise
Headache:
Bone Breathing
Eye Exercises
Nose Exercise
Standing Crane
Brain Clea nsin g II
Head Rubbing Exercise (rub points behind head)
Hearing Problems:
Ear Exercise
213 Taoist Hea ling Prescri ptions
Heart Problems:
Heart Exercises
Hepatitis Oiver problems):
Liver Exercise
Hemorrhoi ds:
Deer Exercise (squeezing anal muscles)
Sun Worship Exercise
Impotence (premature ejaculation):
Deer
Brain Cleansing I
Sexual gland exercise
Insomnia
Toe wiggling exercise
Crane breathing
Bone Breathing
Solar Plexus Exercise
Kidney Problems:
Kidney Exercise
Deer
Leg stimulating exercis e (upward on the inside only)
Menstrual Problems:
See Female Problems
Nerve Problems (numbn ess and paralysis):
See also Liver Problems
Crane, Deer, Turtle
Liver Exercise
Rubbing local area until warm to bring in fresh blood and energy
Twelve Nerve Exercises
214 Taoist H�aling Prescriptio ns
Obesity:
Weight Reduction Exercise
Solar Plexus Exercise
Overaci dity:
Crane
Liver Exercis e (calms and balances stomach)
Pneumo nia:
Crane breathing (to help rest lungs, very slowly)
Rubbing downwar d along lung meridian (for temporary relief)
Prostate Problems:
Deer
Refreshing Yourse lf:
Five Animal Exer cises
Eight Directional Exercises
Twelve Nerve Exercises
Deer, Crane, Turtle
Reverse Crane I
Reverse Crane II
Bone Breathing
Energizing and Relaxing Breathing Exercises
Internal Organ Relaxation
Eye Exercises
Sciat ica:
Leg stimulating exercise
Lower Back Exercises
Lower Body and Sexual Glands Exercise
Stomach Problems (ulcers, pain, vomiti ng):
See also Diarrhea
Crane
Solar Plexus Exercise
215 Taoist Healing Prescri ptions
Stomach Healing Exercise
Stomach Problems (nausea from hypoglycemia ):
Liver Exercise
Rubbing across pancreas
Tennis Elbow :
See Arthritis
Teeth and Gum Prob lems:
Mouth Exercises
Thyroid Problems:
Thyroid Exercise
Tonsilitis:
Turtle
Throat rubbing
Tuberculosis:
Crane
Coughing complications:
Rubbing down inside of anns
Throat rubbing
Sweating complications:
Toe wiggling exercise (calming)
Diarrhea complications:
Solar Plexus Exercise
Crane, Deer
Ulcer:
See Stomach Problems and Nerve Problems
216 Taoist Healing Prescriptions
Vomiting :
Crane
Stomach exercises
All illnesses:
Five Ani mal Exer cises
Eight Directiona l Exer cises
Twe lve Zod iac Exer cises
Twe lve Nerve Exer cises Conclusion
When thinking about integrating the system of Internal Exercises (or the
Tao of Revitalization) into our daily lives, it is important to keep in mind
the ancient Taoist proverb which states simply: ulf you do external ex
ercises, you must do internal exercises''. External exercises expend energy
without replacing it, and therefore we feel a need to rest after strenuous
physical activity. On the other hand, Internal Exercises work to conserve
and build up our energy. The proverb continues: ''If you do internal
exercises, you may forget to practice external exercises' '-because one
benefits complet ely through the practice of Internal Exercises. This is not to imply that one should not practice external exercises such
as tennis, running, or golf. The Taoists were only recognizing the fact that,
by themselves, external exercises are incomplete and need to be balanced
by the addition of these simple techniques for rebalancing and supplanting
the loss of energy incurred through external exercises. The Internal Exercises energize, train, and strengthen the internal organs
and tissues so they may become strong and healthy. When


 to be
taking place. While your cognitive apparatus remains totally befuddled,
mysteriously benevolent forces begin to come to your aid. Synchronistic,
unexplainable happenings become more easily accepted, and things that
you were taught are impossible and outside the realm of reality show up. I’ve had to address this questio n of being open to infinite possibilities
during some meaningful and unanticipated events in my recent life. Since
I’ve been practicing what I’ve written about throughout this book, and
living from this God perspective, I’ve experienced many things and events
that I probably would have rejected without this awareness. Then again, I
very likely wouldn’ t have been able to permit these new awarenesses to
penetrate my ego-dominated shell. I am choosing three examples  of my personal experiences that have
recently occurred as I’ve progressed on this path—as a man, a teacher, and
a spiritual being. The First Personal Experience
As I reported earlier in this book, there have been a significant number of
unexplainable orbs showing up in photographs taken of me, particularlywhen I’m speaking before audiences on the subject matter that comprises
the totality of the information in this book. Similarly, these orbs have also
been appearing in photographs  when I’m surrounded by people at these
events—either signing books or simply enjoying the loving, friendly, and
compassionate conversation that occurs at these gatherings. I have no idea
what these orbs are, why they appear now and apparently haven’ t at earlier
times, or if they have any hidden meanings. (See photo insert. ) I have read Klaus and Gundi Heinemann’ s book Orbs: Their Mission and
Messages of Hope, and I encourag e you to do the same. They’ve included
their commenta ry on many photographs taken of these orbs at various
functions throughout the world. Klaus holds a Ph. D. in experimental
physics and has taught at Stanford University, and his wife is a respected
educator in California. Obviously, these are thoughtful, informed people,
whose inquiry into this phenomenon comes from a well-grounded
perspective. The orbs began appearing in my life recently during speeches and
subsequent conv ersational groups. They seem to me to coincide with my
decision to help myself and others live from a higher place of God-
realization throu gh exploring, living, and writing about aspects of God-
consciousness. If you look at the pictures of the orbs in this book’ s photo insert carefully,
you see that a larger one appe ars above my head, and often the room is
filled with small er orbs, almost as a confirmation that the messages of love
that infiltrate the occasion are being witnessed by these mysterious circles
of light. I do not pretend to know what they are or why they are now
making themselves known to me in the manner that they are appearing in
my life. They could be emanations from spirit beings that could be
surrounding me with new energy to heighten my awareness and help me to
clarify my messages. I have no idea—all I know for certain is that all things
are possible, and I’m open to what they may or may not be about. My frien d Linda Millek first acquainted me with these photographic light
emanations during a Hay House Caribbean cruise not long ago. She told me
that 18 years ago, her son had died while saving a friend in an auto
accident. Her son communicat es with her in a channeling fashion, and
circular orbs and other orb shapes appear in her photos when she feels he’s
close to her. As she was telling me this, she said she could feel his presencethere on the ship docked at St. Maarten. She took my picture, and there on
my left and right hips was a megaphone-shaped orb identical to the ones she
had seen in photos at her home. It was on this cruise that the first orb
appeared, which I wrote about earlier in this book.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: What is the author's advice on what to think about before going to sleep?,
A: The author advises against reviewing the day's frustrations and disappointments, and instead recommends assuming the feeling of the wish fulfilled.
Q: What is the author's opinion on the role of the subconscious mind?,
A: The author believes that the subconscious mind is a powerful tool that can create reality, but it can only respond to what you put into it.
Q: What is the author's perspective on the concept of "I am" statements?,
A: The author emphasizes the importance of affirming "I am" statements that align with your highest self, and not the ego.
Q: What is the author's advice on prayer?,
A: The author suggests that one should not ask for something and hope for a response, but instead, one should acknowledge and assume the feeling of the wish fulfilled.
Q: What is the author's perspective on the concept of "I am" and the subconscious mind?,
A: The author emphasizes the importance of assuming the feeling of the wish fulfilled and aligning with the one universal subconscious mind, rather than trying to force the outcome.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>I agreed to go to
Abadiania with her, but as the time approached, I made the decision to stay
here in America, largely because I felt so compelled to write this book. I
needed uninterru pted time to do the work of sitting down and disciplining
myself each and every day for several months in order to complete the
manuscript for the book you are now reading. Rayna spent two weeks at the casa where John of God performs his
surgeries. Although her original  reason for going to Abadiania was for my
healing, she received a surgical procedure herself. While there she sent a
message asking that I have four photographs taken of me. I was instructed
to dress  in white outer garments and have the pictures taken from both
sides, and from the front and back. On Friday she presented them to John of
God and asked if he would allow surgery on me from these photos and from
the long distance between Braz il and Hawaii where I was writing. John of
God looked at the photos and said that he could not do the sur gery because I
needed to be taking special herbs, and without them it would be futile. Rayna, God bless this Divine angel of a woman, doctor, and friend,
obtained the special herbs, and then took them in a cab to a FedEx station.When they arrived three days later, I was told to take eight capsules over a
48-hour period, then have the photos retaken in white and e-mailed to her
immediately. My daughter Serena took the four photos and e-mailed them
to Rayn a. The next day Rayna  called and excitedly told me that John of
God had agreed to participate in the surgery. It would be performed
Thursday at 7 A.M.  (2 P.M. in Brazil), and she gave me very specific
instructions on what I was to do in preparation for the sur gery. At 7 A.M.  that Thursday, I was in bed while this long-distance activity
took place using the new photos. I was open-minded, yet I must confess that
a smidgen of perplexity and skepticism wafted over me at this unusual
transmission of long-distance surgery requiring four photos of me dressed
in white, and that I swallow herb capsules FedExed from Brazil! My cell phone began buzzing with messages from Rayna. I was to go
back to bed and sleep for the next 24 hours. Eat no pepper, pork, or spicy
foods. No exercise, no phones, no writing, no sex, and no massages for
seven days when the sutures were to be removed. My first react ion was that
I couldn’t go back to sleep for 24 straight hours, as I had just awoken from
8 solid hours of sleep. Rayna told me that if I couldn’ t sleep, I was to
pretend  that I was sleeping, and the entities who do the healing would
anesthetize me. Within five minutes I felt overwhelming fatigue. I lay down
in bed and stayed there for the next 24 hours, only getting up twice to eat
something light and to pee. The next day, the idea of doing my normal routine of walking, swimming,
stair-climbing, and weight lifting—which I’ve done daily for the past 35
years—seemed totally out of sync with what I was feeling. Even walking a
few steps took my breath away. When I spoke to Rayna about this, she said,
“You have had surgery. You absolutely must rest for the next seven days, or
you will mess up everything that John of God has done for you.”
So the entire week passed, and my daughter Serena simply took care of
me while I did nothing but rest. My body was detoxifying in a very big way. I went from feeling just fine to coughing up phlegm and having flu-like
symptoms, difficulty breathing, exhaustion, watery eyes, and many other
symptoms. Exer cising in any way was totally out of the question. I spent
one week in a total state of rest. Rayna then told me that the following Wednesday night I would be
having my “sutures” removed, and gave me very specific instructions ofprecisely what I was to do in preparation for my eight hours of sleep while
the entities removed their sutures. Of course I did exactly  as I was
instructed, but that modicum of doubt still swirled around in my mind about
spirits


 what happened? Why is it that we r eached a certain
age, look ed ar ound, and the enchantment was gone? Because we wer e taught to focus elsewher e. We wer e
taught to think unnaturally. We wer e taught a very bad
philosophy, a way of looking at the world that contradicts
who we ar e.
We wer e taught to think thoughts lik e competition,
struggle, sickness, ﬁnite r esour ces, limitation, guilt, bad,
death, scar city, and loss. W e began to think these things,
and so we began to know them. W e wer e taught that things
like grades, being good enough, money, and doing things
the right way, ar e mor e important than love. W e wer e
taught that we’r e separate fr om other people, that we have
to compete to get ahead, that we’r e not quite good enough
the way we ar e. We wer e taught to see the world the waythat others had come to see it. It’s as though, as soon as we
got her e, we wer e given a sleeping pill. The thinking of the
world, which is not based on love, began pounding in our
ears the moment we hit shor e.
Love is what we wer e bor n with. F ear is what we have
learned her e. The spiritual jour ney is the r elinquishment—or
unlear ning—of fear and the acceptance of love back into our
hearts. L ove is the essential e xistential fact. It is our
ultimate r eality and our purpose on earth. T o be consciously
awar e of it, to e xperience love in ourselves and others, is
the meaning of life. Meaning doesn’t lie in things. Meaning lies in us. When
we attach value to things that ar en’t love—the money, the
car, the house, the pr estige—we ar e loving things that can’t
love us back. W e are sear ching for meaning in the
meaningless. Money, of itself, means nothing. Material
things, of themselves, mean nothing. It’s not that they’r e
bad. It’s that they’r e nothing. We came her e to co -create with God by e xtending love. Life spent with any other purpose in mind is meaningless,
contrary to our natur e, and ultimately painful. It’s as though
we’ve been lost in a dark, parallel universe wher e things ar e
loved mor e than people. W e overvalue what we per ceive
with our physical senses, and undervalue what we know to
be true in our hearts. Love isn’t seen with the physical eyes or hear d with
physical ears. The physical senses can’t per ceive it; it’s
perceived thr ough another kind of vision. Metaphysicians
call it the Thir d Eye, esoteric Christians call it the vision of
the Holy Spirit, and others call it the Higher Self. Regardless
of what it’s called, love r equir es a diﬀer ent kind of “seeing”
than we’r e used to—a diﬀer ent kind of knowing or thinking.Love is the intuitive knowledge of our hearts. It’s a “ world
beyond” that we all secr etly long for. An ancient memory of
this love haunts all of us all the time, and beck ons us to
return. Love isn’t material. It’s ener gy. It’s the feeling in a r oom,
a situation, a person. Money can’t buy it. Se x doesn’t
guarantee it. It has nothing at all to do with the physical
world, but it can be e xpressed nonetheless. W e experience
it as kindness, giving, mer cy, compassion, peace, joy,
acceptance, non-judgment, joining, and intimacy. Fear is our shar ed lovelessness, our individual and
collective hells. It’s a world that seems to pr ess on us fr om
within and without, giving constant false testimony to the
meaninglessness of love. When fear is e xpressed, we
recognize it as anger, abuse, disease, pain, greed, addiction,
selﬁshness, obsession, cor ruption, violence, and war. Love is within us. It cannot be destr oyed, but can only be
hidden. The world we knew as childr en is still buried within
our minds. I once r ead a delightful book called The Mists of
Avalon. The mists of A valon ar e a mythical allusion to the
tales of King Arthur. Avalon is a magical island that is hidden
behind huge impenetrable mists. Unless the mists part,
there is no way to navigate your way to the island. But
unless you believe the island is ther e, the mists won’t part. Avalon symbolizes a world beyond the world we see with
our physical eyes. It r epresents a miraculous sense of
things, the enchanted r ealm that we knew as childr en. Our
childlik e self is the deepest level of our being. It is who we
really ar e and what is r eal doesn’t go away. The truth
doesn’t stop being the truth just because we’r e not looking
at it. L ove mer ely becomes clouded over, or sur rounded by
mental mists.Avalon is the world we knew when we wer e still
connected to our sof tness, our innocence, our spirit. It’s
actually the same world we see now, but infor med by love,
interpr eted gently, with hope and faith and a sense of
wonder. It’s easily r etrieved, because per ception is a choice. The mists part when we believe that A valon is behind them. And that’s what a miracle is: a parting of the mists, a
shift in per ception, a r eturn to love. OceanofPDF.comPART I
Principles
OceanofPDF.comCHAPTER 1
Hell
“Ther e is no place for hell in a world whose
loveliness can yet be so intense and so inclusive
it is but a step fr om ther e to Heaven.”

Those passages with double quotation marks ar e
quoted dir ectly fr om A Course in Miracles. Those
passages with single quotation marks ar e
paraphrased interpr etations of that book. A
complete listing of citations to A Course in
Miracles appears beginning on p. 301. M.W. 1. THE DARKNES S
“The jour ney into darkness has been long and
cruel, and you have gone deep into it.”
What happened to my generation is that we never gr ew up. The pr oblem isn’t that we’r e lost or apathetic, nar cissistic ormaterialistic. The pr oblem is we’r e terriﬁed. A lot of us know we have what it tak es—the looks, the
education, the talent, the cr edentials. But in certain ar eas,
we’re paralyzed. W e’re not being stopped by something on
the outside, but by something on the inside. Our oppr ession
is inter nal. The gover nment isn’t holding us back, or hunger
or poverty. We’re not afraid we’ll get sent to Siberia. W e’re
just afraid, period. Our fear is fr ee-ﬂoating. W e’re afraid this
isn’t the right r elationship or we’r e afraid it is. W e’re afraid
they won’t lik e us or we’r e afraid they will. W e’re afraid of
failur e or we’r e afraid of success. W e’re afraid of dying
young or we’r e afraid of gr owing old. W e’re mor e afraid of
life than we ar e of death. You’d think we’d have some compassion for ourselves,
bound up in emotional chains the way we ar e, but we don’t. We’re just disgusted with ourselves, because we think we
should be better by now. Sometimes we mak e the mistak e
of thinking other people don’t have as much fear as we do,
which only mak es us mor e afraid. Maybe they know
something we don’t know. Maybe we’r e missing a
chromosome. It’s become popular these days to blame practically
everything on our par ents. W e ﬁgur e it’s because of them
that our self -esteem is so low. If only they’d been diﬀer ent,
we’d be brimming with self -love. But if you tak e a close look
at how our par ents tr eated us, whatever abuse they gave us
was of ten mild compar ed to the way we abuse ourselves
today. It’s true that your mother might have said r epeatedly,
“You’ll never be able to do that, dear.” But now you say to
yourself, “Y ou’re a jerk. Y ou never do it right. Y ou blew it. I
hate you.” They might have been mean, but we’r e vicious.Our generation has slipped into a bar ely camouﬂaged
vorte x of self -loathing. And we’r e always, even desperately,
seeking a way out


 gy that has split of f from your
total ene r gy fiel d and has temp orarily become autonomous thr ough the
unnatural process of mind identification. It has turned in on itself and
become anti-life, like an anima l trying to devour its own tail. Why do
you thin k our civilization has b ecome so life-destructive. But even the
life-destructive forces are still life-ener gy. When you start to disidentify and become the watcher, the pain-body
will continue to operate for a while and will try to trick you into
identifying with it again. Although you are no longer ener gizing it
through your identification, it has a certain momentum, just like a
spinning wheel that will keep turning for a while even when it is no
longer being propelled. At this stage, it may also create physical aches
and pains in dif ferent parts of the body, but they won’ t last. Stay present,
stay conscious. Be the ever -aler t guardian of your inner space. Y ou need
to be present en ough to be able to watch the pain-body directly and feel
its ener gy. It then cannot con trol your thinking. The moment your
thinking is aligned with the e ner gy field of the pain-body, you are
identified with it and again feeding it with your thoughts. For example, if anger is the predominant ener gy vibration of the pain-
body an d you think angry thoughts, dwelling on what someon e did to
you or what you are going to d o to him or her, then you have become
unconscious, and the pain-body has become “you. ” Where there is anger,
there is always pain underneath. Or when a dark mood comes upon you
and you  start getting into a negative mind-pattern and think ing how
dreadful your life is, your thinking has become aligned with the pain-
body, and you have become u nconscious and vulnerable to the pain-
body’ s a ttack. “U nconscious,” th e way that I use the word here, means tobe iden tified with some mental or emotional pattern. It implies a
complete absence of the watcher. Sustained conscious attention severs the link between the pain-body and
your thought processes and brin gs about the process of transmu tation. It
is as  if the pain becomes fuel fo r the flame of your consciousness, which
then bur ns more brightly as a result. This is the esoteric meani ng of the
ancient art of alchemy: the transmutation of base metal into gold, of
suf fering into consciousness. Th e split within is healed, and you become
whole again. Y our responsibility then is not to create further pain. Let me summarize the process. Focus attention on the feeling inside you. Know that it is the pain-body. Accept that it is there. Don’ t think  about it
— d on’ t let the feeling turn into thinking. Don’ t judge or analy ze. Don’ t
make an  identity for yourself out of it. Stay present, and contin ue to be
the o bserver of w hat is happening inside you. Become aware not only of
the emotional pain but also o f “the one who observes,” t he silent
watcher. This is the power of the  Now, the power of your own conscious
presence. Then see what happens. For many women, the pain-b ody awakens particularly at the time
preceding the menstrual flow. I will talk about this and the reason for it
in more detail later. Right now, let me just say this: If you are able to stay
alert and present at that time and watch  whatever you feel within, rather
than be taken ov er by it, it af fords an opportunity for the most powerful
spiritual practic e, and a rapid transmutation of all past pain becomes
possible. EGO IDENTIFICA TION WITH THE P AIN-BODY
The proc ess that  I have just described is profoundly powerful ye t simple. It could be taught to a child, and hopefully one day it will be one of the
first things children learn in school. Once you have understood the basicprinciple of being present as the watcher of what happens inside you —
and you  “unders tand” it by expe riencing it — you have at your disposal
the most potent transformational tool. This is not to deny that you may encounter intense inner resistance to
disidentifying from your pain. This will be the case par ticularly if you
have lived closely identified wi th your emotional pain-body for most of
your life and the whole or a lar ge part of your sense of self is invested in
it. What this means is that you have made an unhappy self out of your
pain-body and believe that this mind-made fiction is who you are. In that
case, unconscious fear of losing your identity will create strong
resistance to any disidentification. In other words, you would rat her be in
pain — be  the pain-body — than take a leap into the unknown and risk
losing the familiar unhappy self. If th is applies to you, observe the resistance within yourself. Ob serve the
attachment to your pain. Be very  alert. Observe the peculiar pleasure you
derive from being unhappy. O bserve the compulsion to talk or think
about it. The res istance will cease if you make it conscious. Y ou can then
take you r attenti on into the pain -body, stay present as the witnes s, and so
initiate its transmutation. Only you  can do this. Nobody can do it for  you. Bu t if you are fortunate
enough to find someone who is intensely conscious, if you can be with
them an d join them in the state of presence, that can be helpful  and will
accelerate things. In this way, yo ur own light will quickly grow stronger. When a log that has only just started to burn is placed next to one that is
burning fiercely, and after a while they are separated again, the first log
will be burning with much greater intensity. After all, it is the same fire. T o b e such a fire is one of the functions of a spiritual teach er. Some
therapists may also be able to fulfill that function, provided that they
have gone beyond the level of m ind and can create and sustain a state of
intense conscious presence while they are working with you. THE ORIGIN OF FEAR
Y ou mentioned fear as being part of our basic underlying emotional
pain. How does fear arise, and  why is ther e so much of it in people’ slives. A nd isn’ t a certain amount of fear just healthy self-pr otection. If I
didn’ t have a fear of fir e, I might put my hand in it and get burned. The reason why you don’ t put your hand in the fire is not because of fear,
it’ s beca use you  know that you ’ll get burned. Y ou don’ t nee d fear to
avoid u nnecessary danger — just a minimum of intelligence and
common sense. For such practical matters, it is useful to apply the
lessons learned in the past. Now if someone thr eatened  you with fire or
with phy sical violence, you might experience something like fear. This is
an instinctive shrinking back f rom danger, but not the psychological
condition of fear that we are talking about here. The psychological
condition of fear is divorced from any concrete and true im mediate
danger. It comes in many form s: unease, worry, anxiety, nervousness,
tension, dread, phobia, and so on. This kind of psychologica l fear is
always of something that might  happen, not of something that is
happening now. Y ou  are in the here and now, while  your mind is in the
future. T his crea tes an anxiety g ap. And if you are identified with your
mind and have lost touch with the power and simplicity of the N ow, that
anxiety gap will be your constant companion. Y ou can always cope with
the present moment, but you cannot cope with something that is only a
mind projection — you cannot cope with the future. Moreover, as long as you are i dentified with your mind, the ego runs
your life, as I pointed out earlier. Because of its phantom nature, and
despite elaborate defense mechanisms, the ego is very vulnerable and
insecure, and it sees itself as con stantly under threat. This, by the way, is
the c ase even if the ego is outwa rdly very confident. Now remember that
an emot ion is the body’ s reaction to your mind. What message is the
body receiving continuously fr om the ego, the false, mind-made self. Danger, I am un der threat. And what is the emotion generated by this
continuous message. Fear, of course. Fear see ms to have many caus es. Fear of loss, fear of failure, fear of
being hurt, and s o on, but ultima tely all fear is the ego’ s fear of death, of
annihilation. T o  the ego, death is always just around the corner. In this
mind-identified state, fear of death af fects every aspect of your life. For
example, even such a seemin gly trivial and “normal” thing as thecompulsive need to be right in an ar gument and make the other person
wrong — defending the mental position with which you have i dentified