 the greater
universe in which we live.
Energy
Ego relates to the heavy matters that accumulate in our
consciousness and so has an energy of inertia (Tamas). It
relates to Apana Vayu or the downward moving Prana that
brings about disease and decay. Ego drives us to fragmen-
tation and ultimately to self-destruction, unless we learn
how to control it. Its energy is negative, or entropy, and
leads to eventual loss of energy.
Function
The ego allows us to identify with and feel one with
things. Through it we build up a self-identity based upon
the objects and conditions we have accepted as our own. It
functions in two ways: 1) self-sense, and 2) mine-ness.*'
Self-sense is the sense of owning a body, through which
we know the body as I or me. Self-sense also expropriates
the mind, identifying with its various thoughts, emotions
and sensations, such as "I am wise" or "I am happy." Mine-
ness is the sense of owning external objects, which we
accumulate around our bodily existence. Through it we
feel that particular objects, like our house, money, or job,
belong to us. Mine-ness depends upon and follows from
self-sense. Through mineness, the ego establishes its terri-
tory and grows and expands in the outer world. As long as
we have a sense of ownership or possession of anything, we
are caught in the ego and its bonds.
The ego, like the sense-mind, has an outgoing energy,
but while the mind seeks enjoyment in the realm of the
senses, the ego seeks to embody itself in a material form.
The ego's identification of the self with a body sets in
motion the entire cycle of rebirth. Ayurveda and the Mind
On the positive side, ego as self-sense provides a focus
of mind. It helps consciousness differentiate who we are
from the external nature. It causes us to evolve a personal
and social existence apart from the instinctual and animal
realm. But ego is not the final goal of Nature's evolution,
nor does it represent who we really are. Ego is the point of
transition between the material and spiritual evolution. It
is an intermediate phase between an outward-directed
mentality under the control of Nature, and an inward-
directed mind in harmony with the Spirit.
The Soul — Our Divine Individuality
Ego is our sense of transient identity, that we are the
creature of a particular life or body. The soul, on the other
hand, is the sense that we are an immortal conscious being,
an individualized portion of Divinity. This soul is called
Jiva in Sanskrit, the life-principle, because it is the source
of all our vitality and energy, both physical and mental. It
is also called Jivatman, the individual or living (Jiva) Self
(Atman). It is our individual portion of the Divine Self
through which we have the sense of "I am." The individ-
ual soul is the higher self-sense behind our individual exis-
tence, our true individuality.
The soul is the entity behind the causal body, composed
of our various kannas, that persists throughout the entire
cycle of rebirth. As a soul we recognize ourselves as immor-
tal conscious beings, bom in various bodies, seeking Self-
realization and liberation. The soul leads us back to unity
while the ego drives us into division and multiplicity.
We are usually not conscious of the soul or reincarnat-
ing entity within us. Nevertheless it creates and sustains
all that we do. The soul exists everywhere in Nature, giv-
ing life and sustaining form in all things. The soul is latent Ego and Self 133
in the elemental kingdom. It sleeps in the plants, dreams
in animals, wakes in human beings, and becomes fully
conscious of itself in Self-realized sages.
Most of us experience the soul (deep feeling) only with
other human beings, with the feeling of love. We do it to
some extent with animals, particularly pets. It is possible
to communicate with the soul in plants and the soul in the
elements as well. We can feel our soul in all existence.
The cosmic counterpart of the soul is God (Ishvara), the
creator of the universe, who is the Lord of all souls and the
dispenser of the fruits of all kannas. As our self-sense
becomes universalized, we can experience the reality of
God within our minds and commune with the Creator. We
feel ourselves as servants or workers for God, following His
will, which is for the full unfoldment of consciousness in
the universe.
Energy
The soul controls all our positive energy, creativity and
vitality. It sustains the master Prana behind our deeper
consciousness (Chitta). All that was said relative to this
applies here as well.
Composition
The soul (Jiva) is the entity inherent in our deeper con-
sciousness (Chitta) as its awakened or Sattvic function. For
this reason, the soul is not always differentiated from Chit-
ta in its pure form or from the awakened intelligence
(Buddhi), both of which function through Sattva. 'File
purification of Chitta and the awakening of intelligence
come about through the soul coming forth and taking
charge of our existence.
The soul (Jiva) becomes conscious through the pure Ayurveda and the Mind
Sattva developed in our various lives. Through it, the
causal Prana (vital force) arises by which we become alive
and animate. The soul is the source of life (Prana), love
(Chitta) and light (Buddhi), which are its three main pow-
ers. Because of it we wish to live forever, to be perfectly
happy, and to know absolute truth.
Functions
The soul works through the power of identification
but, unlike the ego, it expands its field of identification to
include all of which it is aware. It has two main functions:
1) Self-knowledge, and 2) Surrender to God.
The soul's knowledge is Self-knowledge — knowledge
of our true nature as Pure Consciousness. This allows us to
find unity with all that we perceive and opens up all the
secrets of the universe to us. Its main action is surrender to
God (Ishvara-pranidhana) and following the Divine will.
The higher functions of consciousness and intelligence,
like samadhi and intuition, function through it. Through
the individual Self, both consciousness and intelligence
get activated, causing knowledge of truth, immortality
and infinity.*'
To really enter the spiritual path, we must become con-
scious of ourselves on a soul level. This requires getting to
the real soul awareness that lies hidden in our deeper con-
sciousness (Chitta). The soul comes forward when we set
aside our sense of bodily identity and recognize ourselves
as an individualized portion of Divinity. When the soul
comes forth, we set aside our transient ego goals and orga-
nize our lives toward our eternal goal of God-realization.
The soul is the most subtle form of ego or individuality,
through which we can go beyond the ego. Ego and Self 135
The Soul and Healing
Getting to the level of the soul is the key to all fonns
of healing. The soul is the great healer because it is one
with both God and Nature and carries all their powers and
grace. It is not so much that we need to heal our souls as
that we have to become aware of our souls. Becoming
aware of our soul is the deepest healing possible, not only
for the soul but also for the mind. The awareness of the
soul releases all the healing powers inherent within us.
The word soul, however, can have many meanings,
according to different thinkers. Some call soul our emo-
tional nature. Others see it as connected to some heavenly
realm that is our ultimate goal, like an angel. The Vedic
idea of the soul (Jiva), however, is the first individualized
portion of consciousness. The true soul is not an emotion-
al belief, but a state of higher awareness beyond all forms
and preconceptions. It does not belong to any particular
religion and is not in need of salvation. Rather, the soul
itself leads to all redemption and transformation because it
transcends the limitations of the ego, mind and body.
The Supreme Self— Our Divine Nature
The mind is not the source of consciousness or aware-
ness. Any conditioned consciousness — consciousness
dependent upon thought, emotion or sensation — is not
true consciousness at all. It is like a light reflected in a
mirror, not the true source of the light. True consciousness
is beyond all objects and qualities, and not dependent
upon any physical, sensory or mental instrumentality. This
pure consciousness is our true Self. In our unconditioned
Self we are one with all beings. This is the Supreme Self
(Paramatman) of Vedanta, the supreme Vedic philosophy
behind Ayurveda?' 136 Ayurveda and the Mind
The Supreme Self exists beyond both God and the indi-
vidual soul. It transcends all beings, all worlds, and all
three gunas. While conditioned consciousness


 these drugs is often based on trial and
error and though in many cases they do control psychotic symptoms, they
have serious side effects and do not cure the patient. Like most drugs, used
in modern medicine, they are symptomatic, which means that they only
reduce the symptoms without treating the disease. On average anti
psychotic drugs reduce symptoms only by 15-25 %, which means that
75-85% of symptoms are left unresolved.
Before the era of pharmaceuticals ruling medicine, psychiatrists rou
tinely recorded that psychiatric patients not only have psychiatric prob
lems, but are also very ill physically. The most common physical problems
are digestive, cardio-vascular, diabetes, lung and urogenital infections,
autoimmunity and other signs of immune abnormalities. In an old
Textbook of Psychiatry by Henderson and Gillespie, published in 1937, it is
clearly stated: "A thorough physical examination is absolutely essential in
every case - schizophrenics are commonly poorly nourished". Recent
research proves it to be correct. Deficiencies in vitamins (such as niacin or
B3, B6, B12, Bi, folic acid, vitamin C) and many minerals (such as magne
sium, zinc, manganese, etc) are routinely recorded in schizophrenic
patients. A Canadian doctor Abram Hoffer has successfully treated thou-sands of schizophrenic patients with supplementation of B3, B12, folic acid
and vitamin C. An American doctor Carl Pfeiffer has studied more than
20,000 patients and showed that treating them with nutritional supple
mentation and diet can be far more effective, than using prescription
drugs.
Why do schizophrenic patients have nutritional deficiencies? We already
know that the answer will be found only in their digestive systems. A
French psychiatrist Pinel almost 200 years ago wrote, "the primary seat of
insanity generally is in the region of the stomach and intestines". US
Professor Curtis Dohan, MD, devoted many years to researching what con
nection digestive abnormalities in schizophrenic patients may have with
their psychological state. It had been noticed previously that there is a con
siderable overlap between coeliac disease and schizophrenia and Dr
Dohan found that symptoms of schizophrenia could be dramatically
relieved by cutting all grains out of the diet. He also found that some cul
tures in the South Pacific, which never consumed grains, had no
schizophrenia. Only when they adopted a western diet full of grains did
they start getting cases of schizophrenia. Another good example is Ireland,
where people did not consume wheat until the potato famine in 1845.
Before then there were no cases of schizophrenia or coeliac disease
recorded in Ireland. Since adopting wheat as a staple food Irish have one of
the highest incidences of coeliac disease and schizophrenia in the world.
In the late 1970s it was discovered that gluten from grains and casein from
milk can be turned into opiates in the digestive system, which absorb into
the blood, cross the blood-brain barrier and affect the brain. These opiates
were found in the urine of schizophrenic patients and those with depres
sion and autoimmune conditions. Later on Dr Reichelt in Norway and Dr
Shattock in the UK found the same compounds in the urine of autistic chil
dren. That is how schizophrenia and autism found themselves in one com
pany It became clear that both groups of patients could not digest gluten
from grains and casein from milk.
Schizophrenic patients usually develop psychotic symptoms in their
teens or early twenties. However, when I talk extensively with the parents
of these patients, a picture of GAPS emerges. Mothers of these patients
almost invariably have abnormal gut flora and associated disorders. It
means that she would pass her abnormal flora to her baby. A large percent
of schizophrenic patients were not breastfed as babies, which would
further compromise their digestive flora and immune system. From the
childhood health history it becomes clear that the patient was physically ill long before developing psychotic symptoms. Digestive problems,
allergies and reactions to food, eczema, asthmatic episodes, malnourish-
ment, lack of stamina, hyperactivity, attention deficit, dyspraxia, dyslexia,
fatigue, irritability, poor sleep, night terrors are all common. All these
symptoms indicate, that the child had abnormalities in gut flora with
all the usual consequences: malnourishment with multiple nutritional
deficiencies, compromised immunity and toxicity, coming from the gut.
A mixture of these toxins obviously was not right for making the child
autistic for example, but was enough to cause other problems. In
these cases schizophrenia does not come from nowhere, it comes out of
GAPS.
Seeing that schizophrenic symptoms usually appear around puberty it is
reasonable to suspect that puberty plays some role in the onset of
schizophrenia. It is possible that the hormonal turmoil of puberty in some
way interacts with the toxins in the child's body and tips the child into a
psychotic state. It is also possible that the hormones open the blood-brain
barrier for some of the toxins, which were in the child's body al] his/her life,
but could not get into the brain before. Another interesting possibility is
something wrong happening in the maturation processes of the brain.
Apparently through different stages of growth the brain prunes its recep
tors. The most active pruning goes on around two years of age and at
puberty. It is possible that at puberty opioid peptides and other toxins
escaping the gut of the youngster interfere with this natural pruning pro
cess and tip the brain into psychoses. Hopefully, future research
explain these issues. What is obvious is that psychotic manifestation is only
a progression of the physical problems in the child's body and not a new
disease appearing out of nowhere!
The toxicity produced by abnormal microbial mass in the patient's
digestive system affects the brain and causes the symptoms of schizophre
nia. So, in order to help the patient we need to get rid of this toxicity In
order to do that we need to treat the patient's digestive system.
In my clinical experience the same nutritional management, as I pre
scribe for GAPS children, works very well for schizophrenic patients. I
believe this happens because this nutritional management heals the gut
lining and re-establishes normal gut flora. As a result, the patient starts
digesting and absorbing food properly. The gut stops being the major
source of toxins in the body and becomes the major source of nourish
ment, as it is supposed to be. As the nutritional deficiencies and toxicity go
away the psychotic symptoms go away with them. What about the medication?
This is a very important point that has to be taken into account. It is very
rare to see a psychiatric patient, who is not taking anti-psychotic medica
tion. Anti-psychotic drugs change the biochemistry of the brain and,
according to the latest research, even the structure of the brain. Recent
publications in the Lancet and the American Journal of Psychiatry suggest
that long-term use of neuroleptic drugs cause brain atrophy (shrinkage). It
is not known yet whether these changes are reversible. On top of that, anti
psychotic drugs have got a long list of unpleasant side effects and in
essence are toxic. So, it is a logical desire of any patient to come off the
drugs as soon as possible. However, as we detoxify the patient through
nutritional management it is important not to change his/her medication
until the patient is ready for it. I will explain why. When we are sure that
through diet and supplementation the patient's physical and mental state
has dramatically improved and is stable, we can consider removing the
medication. Despite the fact that the pharmacological companies, who
produce neuroleptics, allow to stop these drugs abruptly, there is a consid
erable amount of published clinical evidence to show that ami-psychotic
drugs must be removed very slowly and very carefully. Sudden removal of
these drugs can cause a severe withdrawal reaction because the brain's bio
chemistry and structure need time to re-adjust to life without the drug.
When the drug is stopped abruptly, unfortunately, the withdrawal reaction
is very often seen as a relapse of the disease itself and the patient is
promptly put back on the drugs. It is vitally important to work closely with
the patient's psychiatrist in order to reduce the dose of the drug very slowly
and very gradually in order to avoid the withdrawal reaction. Depending
on the dose of the drug and how long the patient was taking it, this period
can take months, sometimes years (if the patient was on a cocktail of
drugs). Typical symptoms of withdrawal are to be expected in this period:
nausea, vomiting, absence of appetite, headaches, lethargy, lack of energy,
sleep disturbances and mood swings. One of the side-effects of a lot of
neuroleptic drugs is weight gain and water retention. So, weight loss is also
to be expected on withdrawing these drugs. Though the weight loss can be
quite rapid it usually comes down to the normal range for the person and
should not cause any particular worry.
I would like to emphasise again that it is important to build up the
patient nutritionally first and remove the cause of the problem - the GAPS
- before starting the process of drug withdrawal. It is very important for the patient and his/her carers to understand that in this period of drug with


; 180 - Whole Issue.

68.  Kolodynski A.A. & Kolodynska V.V. Motor and psychological functions of school children
living in the area of the Skrunda Radio Location Station in Latvia.  Science of the Total
Environment 1996; 180: 87-93.

69.  Balode, Z. Assessment of radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation by the micronucleus test
in Bovine peripheral erythrocytes. Science of the Total Environment 1996; 180: 81-85.

70. Kalnins T. et al. Measurement of the intensity of electromagnetic radiation from the Skrunda

32
 radio location station, Latvia. Science of the Total Environment 1996; 180: 51-56

71. Szmigielski S. Cancer morbidity in subjects exposed to high frequency (radiofrequency and
microwave) electromagnetic radiation. Science of the Total Environment 1996; 180: 9-18.

72. Becker R.O. & Marino A.A. ‘Electromagnetism and Life’,  SUNY Press, Albany, 1982.

73. Popp F-A. et al.  (Editors), ‘Electromagnetic Bio-Information ’, Urban Schwarzenburg,
Munich, 1989.

74. Smith C.W. & Best S. ‘Electromagnetic Man ’, J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd., London, 1989.

75.  Hyland G.J. The physics and biology of mobile telephony. The Lancet 2000; 356: 1833-1836.

76. Hyland G.J. Scientific Advisory System: ‘Mobile Phones and Health’.  HM Government
1999; Vol. II, Appendix 15, pp.86-91.

77. Sandyk R. and Awerbuch G. The co-ocurrence of multiple sclerosis and migraine
headache: the serotoninergic link. Int. J. Neurosci. 1994; 76: 249-257.

78. Janigro D. et al. Regulation of blood-brain barrier endothelial cells by nitric oxide. Circ.
Res. 1994; 75(3): 528-538.

79. Winkler T. et al.  Impairment of blood-brain barrier function by serotonin induces
desynchronisation of spontaneous cerebral cortical activity: experimental observations in
the anaesthetised rat. Neuroscience  1995; 68(4): 1097-1104.

80. Del Zompo M. et al. Dopamine hypersensitivity in migraine: role in apomorphine syncope.
Headache 1995; 35(4): 222-224.

81. Villeneuve A. Pathophysiology and treatment of negative symptoms. Can. J. Psychiatry
1994; 39(9 Supplement 2) : 53-58.

82. Barbanti P. et al.  Increased density of dopamine D5 receptor in peripheral blood
lymphocytes of migraineurs: a marker of migraine? Neurosci. Letts. 1996; 207(2): 73-76.

83. Visible light and microwave radiation are simply different realisations  of electromagnetic
radiation, distinguished by their frequency and degree of coherence, and by the much greater penetrability of microwave radiation into tissue and bone.

84. Personal communication to the Author, 1998.

85. Although the energy of a GSM  microwave quantum is insufficient to break molecular bonds
(i.e. the radiation is non-ionising), it is possible that it ( i) initiates subtle conformational
changes, resulting in certain undesirable biochemical consequences, ( ii) interferes with the
natural process of DNA repair, resulting in a higher degree of fragmentation than would

33
 otherwise obtain.

86. ‘Mobile Phones and Health’, Report of the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones,
May, 2000.

87. Gandhi O.P. et al. Electromagnetic absorption in the human head and neck for mobile
telephones at 835 and 1900MHz.  IEEE Trans. MTT 1996; 44: 1884-1897.

88. A similar non-uniqueness, it should be noted, also characterises the biological consequences of
microwave heating, where, for example, a temperature rise of 1oC can be either lethal or life-saving
depending on the condition of the person at the time.  Thus whilst there is a uniquely predictable physical consequence of exposure to microwave radiation of a sufficient intensity – namely an
increase in body temperature - the biological  consequence of a given temperature rise cannot  be
uniquely predicted, since this depends on the physiological condition of the exposed, which varies
from person to person.  To cover a reasonable range of conditions, a certain safety margin is incorporated into the permitted microwave exposure intensity; indeed, it is a lack of consensus as to what the magnitude  of this margin should actually be that is partly responsible for the variation in the
exposure intensities recommended by different regulatory bodies.

It is to be stressed, however, that the heating itself always  occurs, irrespective  of the physiological
condition of the person (even whether alive or dead!), quite unlike the situation with non-thermal effects.  It is, of course, this fact that underlies the possibility of using ‘phantom’ heads to determine
SAR values; it should, however, be realised that the reliability of the values so obtained is contingent
on the extent to which the dielectric properties of the synthetic brain fluids used actually approximate
to those in the alive  human brain.  On the basis of what little information is available, the differences
could prove to be significant.

89. New Scientist, Editorial, 4th November, 2000.

90. The carrier frequency is taken into account only in so far as it affects the absorbability of the
radiation through size resonance.

91.  Cherry, N. ‘Criticism of the Proposal to a dopt ICNIRP Guidelines for New Zealand’, Lincoln
University, N.Z., 1998.

92. A good example of such ‘information’ transfer is the ability of a light flashing at a certain rate
(between 15 to 20Hz) to induce seizures in photosensitive epileptics.  It is not so much a question of the amount of energy deposited by the light (which depends on its intensity) that provokes the seizure, but rather the fact that the flash frequency is ‘recognised’ by the brain because it is close to one characterising a particular brain activity - in this case, that associated with seizures.

93. Bise W. Low power radio-requency and microwave effects on human electro-
encephalogram and behaviour. Physiol. Chem. & Physics 1978; 10: 387-398.

94. Hocking, B. et al. Cancer incidence and mortality and proximity to TV towers. Medical J.
Australia 1996; 165: 601-605.

95. Dolk, H. et al.  Cancer incidence near radio and television transmitters in Great Britain.
American J. of Epidemiology 1997; 145(1): 1-9, 10-17.

34
 96. Goldsmith, J.R.  Epidemiological evidence of radiofrequency radiation (microwave) effects
on health in military, broadcasting, and occupational studies. Int. J. Occup. Environ. Health
1995; 1: 47-57.

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 If we are prideful, however, we will have to avoid
the entire subject, because anger will quickly arise as a by-product of the
pride. When we truly value something, we lift it aloft out of the demeaning
tar get range of ar gument.
That which we truly cherish and revere is protected by our own
reverence. If we tell somebody that we do something because we get
enjoyment out of it, there is really nothing much they can say about it, is
there? If we infer that we do it because we are right  in doing it, we will
instantly see their hackles go up because they, also, have an opinion on
what is right.
Our values are preferences. W e hold them because we love them, enjoy
them, and get pleasure from them. If we hold them in that context, we will
be left in peace to enjoy them.
The reason that pride arouses attack is because of the inference of
being “better than,” which is part and parcel of pride. W e see many people
with dietary regimens about which they are prideful; consequently, they are
in constant ar guments over the rightness of their dietary regimens and
nutritional opinions. They even try to impose their regimens on family
members and friends, touting the moral or health superiority of their dietary
practice. In contrast, there are people who follow the same regimens
because they enjoy doing so, because it makes them feel better, or because
it fulfills certain spiritual disciplines; consequently, they are never heard to
be in ar gument, because they have nothing to defend. If someone tells us
that they eat the way they eat because they enjoy it, there is nothing much
we can say about it, is there? If, on the other hand, they infer that theirs is
the right way of eating and, by inference, that ours is wrong, what they are
really saying is that they are better than we are. That always arouses
resentment.
If we don’ t take a prideful stance about our opinions, then we are at
liberty to change them. How often have we gotten stuck in performing
something we really didn’ t want to do, because we had foolishly taken a
prideful stance on an opinion! V ery often we would like to have changedour mind or the direction in which we were going, but we got ourselves
boxed in by having taken a prideful position.
That brings up one of the resistances to surrendering pride, and that is
pride itself. In the prideful position, one of the underlying problems is fear.
W e fear that, if we change our position in a certain matter, the opinion of
others about us will be adversely af fected.
One reason for the need for humility about our opinions is because our
opinions change as we get deeper and deeper into any given subject or
situation. What seems to be so, upon superficial examination, often turns
out to be quite dif ferent when we really get into it. This, of course, is to the
dismay of the politician who makes promises based on fantasies of what is
possible. But as he assumes power, he finds that matters are quite dif ferent
than he had thought. The problems are far more complex. The situation is
really due to the net ef fect of many powerful forces in society. All that
politicians can truly promise us is that they will use the best possible
judgment for the good of all, as they get deeper into each matter.
This evolutionary aspect of life is really all that any of us can promise
ourselves, and this self-knowledge will protect us from disillusionment.
This is the safety of the “open mind” position or what is called “beginner ’ s
mind” in Zen practice. When we are open-minded, we are admitting that we
are not in possession of all the facts, and we are ready to change our
opinions as the situation unfolds. In this way, we do not box ourselves into
the pain of defending lost causes.
This is very true even in areas we think are based on strictly factual and
observable data, such as the field of science. Actually, science deals with
hypotheses, and scientific opinion is constantly in the process of flux and
change. Scientific opinion, much to the surprise of laypersons, is also
subject to fads, passing popularity, paradigm blindness, and political
pressure. For instance, in the field of psychiatry, the subject of the
relationship between nutrition, blood chemistry, brain function, and mental
illness was not popular in the past. The scientists and clinicians who worked
in this area found themselves in the “out” group. As time passed and it
proved that there was value in this field of investigation, popular scientific
opinion changed. Important discoveries were made, and whole industries
came into being to provide products which utilized the basic findings of the
relationship between nutrition and brain function. The subject is now
accepted as respectable, so clinicians and scientists can do research in thatarea and be accepted as part of the “in” group. Pride, therefore, is also
responsible for holding up scientific progress (e.g., global warming
theories).
Pride blinds us to many things that would be profoundly beneficial; to a
prideful mind, to accept them would be inferring that we are wrong. The
more inwardly powerful we really are, the more flexible we become, so that
we are open to all that is beneficial. Pride prevents us from seeing that
which is totally obvious. People die by the thousands because of pride.
They literally give up their health and life itself. Addicts and alcoholics will
go to their death because of the denial inherent in pride: “Other people have
the problem—not me!” Pride prevents us from recognizing our own
limitations and accepting the help we need to overcome them. Our
pridefulness isolates us.
When we let go of pride, help comes into our life to address the
problems with which we are struggling. W e can experiment and prove the
truth of that principle by picking one area in which we are having dif ficulty
and thoroughly surrendering all the pride involved. When we do that, some
surprising things begin to happen. Letting go of pride unlocks the door to
our receiving that which is the most beneficial to us. Are we willing to let
go of pride and feeling superior to others? When we are willing to let go of
the pseudo-security of pride, we experience the real security that comes
with courage, self-acceptance, and joy.
CHAPTER
10
C O U R A G E
The hallmark of courage is the knowledge and feeling, “I can.” It is a
positive state in which we feel assured, skillful, adequate, capable, alive,
loving and giving, with an overall zest for life. W e are capable of humor,
activity, confidence, and clarity. In this state, we feel centered, balanced,
flexible, happy, independent, and self-suf ficient. W e can be inventive,
creative, and open. In courage, there is a lot of ener gy, action, letting go,
capacity to “be there,” to be spontaneous, resilient, resourceful, and
cheerful. In this state, we can be very ef fective in the world.
The Courage to Let Go
The level of courage is very helpful in the mechanism of surrender. In
courage, we know: “I can look at my feelings”; “I don’ t have to be afraid of
my feelings anymore”; “I can handle them”; “I can take responsibility for
them”; “I can learn how to accept them and be free from them”; “I am
willing to take risks, to let go of old points of view and to explore new
ones”; “I am willing to be joyous and share my experience with others”; “I
experience myself as willing and able.”
It is often easy to jump from any of the lower feelings up to courage
merely by af firming our courage to look at and handle our feelings. The
mere willingness to look at and begin to handle them increases our self-
esteem. If, for instance, we have a fear and are unwilling to look at it, then
we feel diminished and our self-esteem is lowered. If we are willing to look
at that fear, examine it, acknowledge its presence, see how it has inhibitedour life, and begin to surrender it, then our self-esteem increases, whether
the fear disappears or not.
W e all know that it takes courage to face fear. W e champion the people
who face their fear and attempt to do something about it. Such courage is
one of the characteristics of nobility and makes a person truly great. Despite
all of their negative programming and despite all of their fear, courageous
people go forward in life, with no guarantee and not even the knowledge
that things are going to get better. So courage increases our self-respect and
brings to us the respect of others. W e no longer need to feel ashamed.
Let’ s look at the example of a man who suf fered from a lifelong terror
of heights. He had worked on being free of the fear for several years and it
had gotten much better, but there was still plenty of it left. This was evident
when he went to the Grand Canyon with a friend. At first, he stood back
about six feet from the ledge. In previous years, he wouldn’ t have gone
within a block of it. Now he stood there, hesitantly. The friend took his
hand, saying, “Come on


 Mrs. Walter for the kind attention and care I received from
her.  I hope to visit you some time again, but presume I shall not see
many of the kind faces I met there.  You, Dr. Walter, have been the
instruments in God’s hands of saving my life, and may the blessing of
God rest on you and your institution, is the wish of
”Your friend,
“Ella M. Conner.”
HEPATIZED LUNG.
The following is from a prominent business man of Lewiston, Me.,
who came to our institution five years ago, suffering from hepatized
lung as a sequel to pneumonia, and restricted by his physicians to a
diet of bread and water. On July 20th, 1877, he wrote :
”I am feeling so good that I thought I must tell you how I am.  I never felt
better in my life. My friends say they never expected to see me alive
when I left for your home a year ago, and now I can do as much work as
any one,” etc.
He now writes :
“Lewiston, December 1, 1880.“Dear Doctor ; I was very glad to hear from you, and to hear of your
prosperity, for if anybody is deserving of it you are, and will be as long
as you are doing the good work you are now at.  I am happy to inform
you that my health was never better than at present, and I feel that to
you belongs the credit for this not only, but even for my life, and I take
every opportunity to advise my fellow-men whom I find in the condition I
once found myself, to go to the Mountain Home—a dear name to me—
for I know that if they take my advice, in the end they will bless both
myself and you.  I have not used one drop of drug medicine since I left
you, and yet my health has been excellent ever since. You are at liberty
to use my name in anyway you wish, in recommending your system of
treating the sick.
“S. W. Cook.”
The reader will notice that our system has not simply cured diseases,
but  has  restored  the  patients  permanently  to  good  health.   It  is
proved by the facts to be not simply a system of stimulation whose
results are delusive, but one which can be trusted for permanent
recovery.
Case of Elder Alexander Warren, Baptist Clergyman, Acton, Ontario.
“This is to certify that I have had tuberculous disease of the lungs for
twelve  years,  the  best  physicians  declaring  both  lungs  tuberculous
throughout, causing cough and frequent hemorrhages. I have tried many
of the remedies of the day ; physicians’ prescriptions and inhalation,
patent medicine, etc., but the disease progressed and cough increased
till I was laid aside from active duties, the pulse ranging from 108 to 120.
In this condition, two years ago, I came to Dr. Walter to try the Nutritive-
cure as a last resort.  I soon began to improve.  The appetite became
good, cough less, and pulse reduced to 70.  I then returned to Canada,
intending to keep up home treatment, but not being then convinced that
the  Nutritive-cure  was  the  only  system  for  me,  I  again  began  drug
treatment, but while the gain under Dr. Walter’s treatment was retained,
I could get nothing by which to make any advance.  The climate of
Nebraska being highly recommended, I went there, but retur ned with
only slight benefit.  I have now come the second time to Dr. Walter’s
Mountain Park, and by the blessing of God on the treatment, I can say
that I am astonished at the rapidity of my improvement.  My prospectsfor  restoration  to  health  are  now  decidedly  good.   I  can  heartily
recommend invalids of all kinds to come to the Mountain Park and be
restored not only, but receive instructions how to live so as to retain
health.
“Alexander Warren.”
THROAT DISEASE.
The  following  is  a  case  of  continually  recurring  tonsilitis,  with
suppuration, that had for a long time defied the skill of physicians.  It
may not be proper to refer to it as an incurable disease, but it was a
very difficult and serious one, and of continual recurrence.  Never
until  he  employed  Nutritive-cure  processes  was  he  permanently
cured.  He spent a winter with us, and suffered more or less during
the time.  We assured him that constitutional treatment, which should
remove impurities from the blood and restore general health to the
organism, alone would remedy the difficulty, and that while we might
benefit the case by local appliances he must expect recovery from
this ailment only in connection with complete restoration of vigorous
health.  We will let him speak for himself, as also for his sister, who
was in serious ill health when she came under our care :
"Hickory, Washington Co., Pa., December 10, 1880.
“Dr. Walter :
“Dear Sir: Your kind letter has been received, and would have been
answered before ; but I have been away from home on my wedding-tour,
having visited friends in Kansas,  Iowa, and Ohio, and having arrived
home to-day, and hasten to reply.“I can say with pleasure that I have been enjoying for along time the
best of health.  When I first came home from your institution I was not
entirely well, but was assured by you that if I would be careful and follow
your  directions,  I  would  entirely  recover  ;  and  I  may  say  that  your
prophecy has been fulfilled.  I do think you understand the treatment of
invalids, and that your home is the place for them.
“I had tried everything for a long time, and could get no relief in any way
until I came under your care.  I think you saved my life, and I thank you
and Mrs. Walter for your kindness to me while at your Home.  My sister,
who was under your treatment last summer, is now enjoying excellent
health, and sends her love to the children, and best respects to you. I
wish you every success.
“Luther M. Morgan.”
CONGESTION OF LUNGS.
The  following  case  is  an  excellent  example  of  the  rapidity  and
promptness  with  which  our  methods  operate.   The  patient.  Rev.
Richard Bleby, now pastor of a large church at Redruth, Cornwall,
England, while spending a little while in our institution, was attacked
with severe congestion of lungs, a disease to which he had been
subject for many years.  When called to him, I found him scarcely
able to speak audibly, very greatly prostrated, spitting blood, etc.,
and immediately ordered for him a hot full bath, which was supplied
in a few minutes, continued for five minutes.  Was then taken out, a
sheet wrapped around him and placed in bed, with four men to give
him  manipulations,  one  at  each  limb.   He  was  thoroughly
manipulated for about ten minutes, when he was covered up in bed,
hot bricks put to his feet, and allowed to rest.  In a few minutes he
was  in  a  high  fever,  showing  that  a  complete  revulsion  in  the
circulation had taken place.  In a few minutes more he was in aprofuse perspiration and entirely relieved.  Being evening he was
advised to go to sleep, which he did, and experienced no further
trouble.  In the morning he was hearty, at noon ate with the family,
and on the Sabbath, three days afterward, preached to us.  In one
hour from the time I was called he was entirely relieved from his
ailment, and his statement was that it was the most severe attack he
had  ever  had.   While  under  allopathic  treatment  he  required  six
months  in  which  to  recover,  but  under  water  cure  he  had  been
relieved in three weeks.  His relief in an hour, and complete recovery
in a night, was something startling to him.  His father, nearly seventy
years of age, afterward came under our treatment, and was very
greatly benefited, and we introduce his testimonial to answer for
both cases.
“Redruth, Cornwall,England, November 5, 1880.
“Dr. Walter :
“My Dear Sir:  l am glad to see that you are still making good progress at
Wernersville.  Richard is just recovering from a severe rheumatic attack,
and congestion of the right lung.  The latter was promptly removed by
packs and fomentations.  For the rheumatism he has had recourse, as
the best substitute available when so far away from Wernersville, to
some T urkish baths at Bristol.  We expect him home to-day, pretty well
restored.
“My health is greatly improved,and I am, I am thankful to say, more
vigorous than I ever expected again to be. I carry out


continuing for forty-two days (or as desired), take a teaspoon of this mix
after savory meals twice daily.
GARLIC : Garlic, well roasted in ghee, supports agni, and thus appetite,
digestion, lactation, grounding, and immunity. It also greatly minimizes the
risk of infection and generally speeds up the post-birth recovery process.
See the “Garlic Chutney” recipe on this page.
SHATAVARI : The herb shatavari (described more in chapter 9) is a beautiful
post-birth breast milk enhancer that also rejuvenates the body in a deep
way, strengthens and nourishes the tissues, and balances the hormones and
moods/emotions. Shatavari is traditionally used to maintain the healthy
production of female hormones. It supports a healthy immune system and
assists in both physical and mental digestion. It is sattvic (pure,
harmonious) in nature, calms the mind, and promotes love and devotion.
You can add shatavari to milk tonics (see this page ), warm smoothies, or
any cookie or laddu  recipe—half a teaspoon is a suf ficient serving. Begin
using shatavari eight or nine days after the birth, when digestion is stronger,
and enjoy for the rest of the postpartum time or longer.
SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
CESAREAN BIR TH: Everyone and every body is dif ferent, so the time
frame for a mama’ s sacred window is simply a recommended amount of
time. But as a general rule, in the case of a cesarean birth the mother will
need extra care and longer time to heal than with a vaginal birth—after a C-
section, the postpartum window traditionally extends to eight weeks.Ayurvedically speaking, when thinking about the healing needed for the
mother, we look at the qualities of the birth. A cesarean birth has increased
exposure to an environment that aggravates vata. The operating room is
cold and bright; the sur gical instruments are cold, sharp, and penetrating; air
can become trapped in the abdomen; and the hospital setting can be
unfamiliar, and therefore unsettling.
Being mindful of the fragile state you may be in after this type of birth,
the following are considerations about “extras” to keep in mind for your
care:
Extra fragility. After undergoing a major abdominal surgery, you will
be in an especially vulnerable state. Following a cesarean birth, you
can receive marma therapy for the first two weeks, and then
abhyanga massages can begin, avoiding the incision site until it is
fully healed.
Extra mobility support.  Especially within the first few days, you
may need support walking, sitting up, holding your baby, getting out
of bed, sitting on the toilet, getting into and out of the shower, and
any other necessary movement.
Extra nutritional considerations.  Rebuilding agni is essential after
a cesarean, as it is for all postpartum mothers, but following a C-
section, the amount of fat and oil (ghee) in agni-building recipes
should be reduced. Excessive oleation can inhibit the reconnection
of the tissues at the incision sites.
Extra care for mentally digesting the experience.  Come to
peaceful terms with your birth story. This is especially necessary for
mothers who have undergone an emergency C-section rather than a
planned one, but it is relevant for all postpartum mothers. Share your
thoughts and feelings with your support person.
Extra attention to swelling.  IV fluids can sometimes cause extra
swelling in the body, and this is especially common for mothers after
a C-section. Gentle massage of the lower legs and feet can helprelieve swelling. Drinking coriander tea will also aid in eliminating
excess fluid. Adding ¼–½ teaspoon gokshura  herb to your milk,
dashamula tea, or soups can reduce fluid retention.
Extra attention to warmth on the abdomen.  As the abdomen
specifically was exposed to the vata-aggravating qualities mentioned
before, it will need extra attention. Applying warmth through the
medium of warm water bottles or bags on the abdomen will bring
vata into balance. After a couple of weeks, a cloth soaked in castor
oil placed on the skin will reduce discomfort and heal the tissues.
Ayurvedic recommendations for enhancing mama’ s physical well-being
after a cesarean birth include these other tips:
Use a warm water bottle over your incision site.
Put 1–3 drops of lavender and helichrysum essential oils on the
bandage or incision site (after removing the bandage) one or two
times daily to prevent infections and speed healing.
Use a hot water bottle to relieve the shoulder and mid-back pain that
may occur five to ten days after delivery.
Wait ten to fourteen days before starting abhyanga massage.
Receive marma therapy treatments until massages begin.
Use less oil, fat, or ghee in all your recipes until the incision site has
knitted back together.
Use a belly wrap.
Use silicone strips for scar healing.
Watch for candida/thrush—reduce sugar to prevent this.
Take a probiotic (mama and baby).
Take homeopathic arnica tablets to help with soreness and pains.
Avoid full baths for six weeks; shower instead.Use the herbal bath recipe on this page  to wash over your incision
and pat dry after showers.
Eat stewed prunes, with a pinch of cinnamon and cardamom, to
support elimination.
Eat almond-date laddus for connective tissue rebuilding (see recipe
below).
Almond-Date Laddus
This recipe for nourishing fruit and nut balls ( laddus ) comes from
Ysha Oakes and appears in her postpartum cookbook Touching
Heaven.  These almond-date laddus build ojas and support the
regeneration and strengthening of connective tissue. Once agni is
strong—usually after about eight days postpartum—eat one of these
laddus in the morning and one in the afternoon.
Ingredients
1½ cups blanched almonds
1½ cups unsweetened fine shredded coconut flakes
⅓ cup gum acacia resin (not powdered)
3 tablespoons ghee
2 tablespoons succanat or rapadura sugar
⅛ cup milk or almond milk
1 teaspoon saf fron threads
½ cup Medjool dates
1 tablespoon ginger powder
1 tablespoon shatavari powder
1 tablespoon cardamom powder1 tablespoon cinnamon powder
Instructions
1.Blanch the almonds by soaking them overnight, then pour boiling
hot water over them and let them sit for a few minutes. Strain the
water out, and peel the skins of f. They should slide right out of the
skins. Discard the skins, then place the almonds in a food
processor and grind into a coarse almond meal.
2.Roast the shredded coconut in a heavy-bottomed large pan until
slightly golden. Set aside in a large mixing bowl. In the same pan,
gently roast almonds until lightly golden. Stir frequently.
3.In the same heavy-bottomed pan on low heat, gently roast the
gum acacia in 1 teaspoon ghee until the gum acacia uniformly
puffs up. Set aside and let cool. Once the gum acacia is cool,
grind it in a food processor with the sugar until the mixture is a
fine powder. Sift the powder through a mesh sieve to separate
any remaining hard pieces, or use your fingers to feel and
separate the hard pieces. Combine gum acacia powder with
almond meal and coconut flakes. Mix until uniform.
4.Bring milk or almond milk to a simmer, turn of f heat and add
saffron threads to steep, then add pitted dates to soften in the
warm liquid.
5.Warm the remaining ghee in pan, then ginger and shatavari. Stir
and cook until you can smell the essential oil of the ginger
releasing, then add the remaining spices—cardamom burns
easily, so watch closely! Once the cardamom and cinnamon begin
to release their aromatics, add the milk, saf fron, and date mixture,
warming the dates until soft.
6.Transfer the paste to the food processor and blend until smooth.7.In a mixing bowl, combine the date paste into the dry mixture;
blend with your hands until the mixture is well combined. Form
into one-inch balls and store in the fridge. Eat two laddus per day
at room temperature.
MISCARRIAGE, STILLBIR TH, ADOPTION, OR  SURROGACY : By definition,
“postpartum” means the time following birth. Many doulas and
practitioners also believe that the time following pregnancy should be
honored especially  when a child has been lost in the pregnancy (because of
miscarriage or stillbirth, for example) or placed in a dif ferent family after
the birth because of adoption or surrogacy arrangements. The woman’ s
body during pregnancy begins under going changes immediately upon
conception, and she will need physical and emotional healing and restoring
after loss no matter the circumstance.
Looking at it through an Ayurvedic lens, vata will be increased due to
the empty feeling that comes with the loss or absence of a baby you were
carrying. Some believe that these circumstances are even more reason to
honor the postpartum window, as there is an emotional heaviness that
comes with any experience of loss. You will need time to grieve your child,
even if it was your choice to


removing the accumulating toxins and wastes from our bodies daily! A
clean internal body operates happily and more ef ficiently.
Ther e you have it – the secret of life in a nutshell! The body
accumulates a certain amount of toxic waste from the food you eat and
drink. As the food passes through the gastrointestinal tract, the great body
intelligence selects nutrients it needs and the waste or residue is passed outof the body. This squeeze and push function requires large amount s of Vital
Force. If a person has low Vital Force, food wastes don’t pass out of the
body in normal time, then toxins build up  causing problems!
The body has a warm temperatu re of 98.6 degrees. If food wastes remain
too long in the gastrointestinal tract, daily toxic poisons build up. Then
auto-intoxication and putrefaction starts to set in. Toxic poiso ns are then
thrown back into the bloodstream and you start to self-poison and self-
pollute! The many dangerous effects of this toxic poison being thrown back
into the bloodstream can become devastating and deadly!
Doctor Super Power Deep Breathing increases the healing currents of Vital Force Ener gy and sends
it thr oughout the body (p gs. 89-90 ). – Patricia Bragg, ND, PhD.
Enervation & Disease: Cause & Effect
Mother Nature always gives warnings when toxic poisons start to build
up in the bloodstream – such as headaches. Some ache, others throb and
then there  are the worst of all, the severe migraine headaches! There are
also many other symptoms of auto-intoxication – biliousness, nausea,
mental depression, irritability, stress, tension and strain. The full list of
symptoms is too long to enume rate here. Toxic Enervation slows down the
eliminative functions not only of bowels, but also kidneys, skin (see page
138), and lungs. Our bodies cannot efficiently eliminate the accumulating
toxic wastes when our Vital Force is in a sluggish, low vibration, enervated
condition!
For every effect there must be a cause!  All disease conditions are
effects of enervation! The basic cause of enervation is a poor diet and an
unhealthy lifestyle. The average  food of civilization has been so perverted
and robbed of its life and energy that most of its vital nutrients have been
removed! You cannot expect to build a high healthy Vital Force on poor
fuel. Most humans in civilization suffer from chronic malnutrition. The
prefix “mal” means ill or bad. So malnutrition means ill nutrition and in
plain words adds up to bad health!
Thy Food Will Be Thy Remedy! – HippocratesIn 400 B.C., on the Chios Island (now Khios) in classical Greece,
Hippocrates, the bearded physician-teacher -Father of Medicine, sat in the
shade of beautiful trees on the hillside. There Hippocrates taught and
enlightened his medical studen ts with these brilliant, factual and ageless
words of wisdom so needed today!
Your Food Will Be Your Remedy... No one, to date, has more
eloquently descr ibed a healthy way of life! The entire Toxicless  Diet, Body
Purification and Healing Syste m is based on this one vital truth. This
System is based on the principle  that with healthy foods and fasting you can
cleanse, purify and rebuild your body and find perfect health again. Yes,
food can be your medicine!
My father, over the course of his entire, long lifetime, proved that within
fruits and vegetables are the amazing natural remedies for most of man’ s
physical problems.
Wisely, Hippocr ates, the Father of Medicine, treated his patients with
amazing raw Apple Cider Vinegar because he recog nized its powerful
cleansing and healing qualities. It’s a naturally occurring antibiotic and
antiseptic that fights germs, viruses, bacteria and even mold.
The medical profession insists that it strives to emulate the Father of all
physicians. Indeed, it requires its practitioners to take the Hippocratic Oath,
one of the most sublime declarations of lofty ethics ever written. Yet today
there are thousands of dedicated bacteriologists, pharmaceutical researchers
and chem ists sitting in gleaming laboratories throughout the world, busily
turning out synthetic, so-called “magic” drug panaceas for every human
misery. Unlike the wise Hippocrates, their unwise battle cry appears to be:
“Thy remedy shall be our newly invented wonder drug.”
The natural healing force within us is the greatest force in getting well.
– Hippocrates, Father of Medicine
The law, “Whatsoever a man sows that he shall also reap, ” is inscribed in flami ng letters upon
Eternity, and none can deny it, none can cheat it and none can escape it. – As A Man Thinketh,
James Allen, British writer,1903
“Fast Relief” Claims Misguide AmericansTV, movies and videos are schoo ls of wrong living, promoting junk foods
and fast remedies, as well as crime, killing and the lowering of our morals
and family principles! We must all protest! This unhealthy and
unwholesome philosophy is accelerating the downfall of America’ s health
and family principles! Look at the TV commercials – the old and new
remedies flash on the screen. We have all heard many claims of Get fast
relief for headaches, with this remedy or the other. Fast relief for acid
stomach, heartburn and indigestion. If your joints and muscles hurt, take
this fast, fast remedy. Not only TV, but also radio, newspapers, magazines
and the web are full of remedies  for all kinds of human physical and mental
ailments.
The unhealthy and anxiety-ridd en Americans by the millions obey the
persuasive mess ages of TV ads that cost the drug compani es millions.
People are lead to believe they can purchase health and energy at store s in
bottles filled with miracle drugs, powders, liquids and pills. They didn’ t
know that true health can be found only by obeying Mother Nature’ s and
God’ s Healthy Lifestyle Laws.
Ailing, sickly people today are constantly looking for an instant “cure-
all”, miracle substance that will restore their lost health, energy and youth!
This Toxicless Diet, Body Purification and Healing System is the intelligent
way to follow the clear -cut Laws of Mother Nature.
Foods Can Make or Break Your Health!
People are so steeped in their health-breaking habits of eating  that they
think some mysterious potion will do away with all of their physical
miseries! They want to circumvent all their bad eating habits. They don’t
even realize that the food they eat can either make you a physic al wreck or
can give you Health Supreme!
The W orld Health Or ganization r eported r ecently that 24.5 million people worldwide – nearly 50% of
the yearly deaths – are victims of just 3 chronic conditions linked to unhealthy lifestyles: circulatory
diseases (especially heart attacks and strokes), cancer and lung disease! – US News and World
ReportUnhealthy Foods and “Dirty” Blood Causes
Illness and Premature Ageing
Most humans will not face the realities of life... they live in a dream
world. When you tell the averag e sick person that all their physical troubles
are due to a “dirty, filthy bloodstream,” caused by an unhealthy diet and
lifestyle, often they are sensitive and insulted. They want all the modern
tests and a specific diagnosis. Then the dear ones want a special name and
then treatment given to their physical trouble or troubles. But they still want
to smok e, drink  alcoholic beverages, tea, coffee, soft and cola drinks and
continue eating lifeless, demineralized, devitaminized, refined, bleached,
dead foods filled with harmful, lifeless calories! (Read pg. 21). They want
their doctor to instantly banish their aches and pains! How can their
physical troubles vanish when the individual keeps breaking important
health laws?
There are No Miracle Cures Except Those
Performed by Mother Nature and God!
This brings us to the Great Law of Compensation. You cannot get
something for nothing! The precious health we teach and write about is a
Super -High Health that you must earn by living a healthy lifestyle! No one
can cure you... NO ONE CAN BANISH YOUR AILMENTS! Health
works with this great Law of Compensation. Health building requires
individual discipline! Your miracle mind and brain must take over the
operation of your precious body, because flesh is dumb! You can put
anything into your mouth and swallow it. Only a clear, intelligent and sound
reasoning mind will carefully supervise what is put in the stomach. Always
remember that what you eat and drink today will be walking and talking
tomorrow. Food  is your fuel! Good healthy food makes fuel that gives good
performance!
Please observe and r espect the Laws of Mother Natur e and God.
Studies show both beta-car otene and vitamin C, abundantly found in fruits and vegetables, play vitalroles in pr eventing heart disease and cancers.
You Become What You Eat and Drink
Because the human body is the most powerful miracle instrume nt, it can
take years and years of the cruelest punishment from an unhealt hy lifestyle.
Then comes the day of reckoni ng when the body reaches its capacity for
being loaded down with unhealthy fats, grease, sugar, salt, preserved,
refined and junk fast foods that produce sick


 Fire Type
CHAPTER TEN
Earth
The Archetype for Earth:  The Peacemaker
Dorothy: Exemplar of Earth
How We Recognize Dorothy As an Earth  TypeThe Evolution of Distorted Patterns of Earth
Richard: Join My Team
So, You Think You’re an Earth  Type
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Metal
The Archetype for Metal:  The Alchemist
Louis: Exemplar of Metal
How We Recognize Louis As a Metal  Type
The Evolution of Distorted Patterns of Metal
Stella: I Live By the Book
So, You Think You’re a Metal  Type
CHAPTER TWELVE
Water
The Archetype for Water:  The Philosopher
Kate: Exemplar of Water
How We Recognize Kate As a Water  Type
The Evolution of Distorted Patterns of Water
Homer: Between a Rock and a Hard Place
So, You Think You’re a Water  Type
T HERAPY
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Acupuncture: A Unied Field of Invisible Channels
Gates Open into a Matrix of Channels
Correspondence Theory and Reorganizing Patterns of Illness
How Does Acupuncture Work, Anyway?The Mechanic and Gardener Revisited
Bioelectric Oscillating Fields
Acupuncture Treatment: What to Expect
Acupuncture First Aid: Acupressure Massage
Fifty Acupuncture Points For Self-Care
How to Locate the Points
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The Cauldron of Chinese Herbs: Wisdom You Can Swallow
In Sickness and in Health
The Chinese Store of Herbal Knowledge
How Chinese Herbs Are Classied: Qualities and Properties
Herbal Properties and Their Eects: Four Examples
Formulating Herbal Prescriptions
Translating Symptoms into Patterns
Translating Patterns into Modular Formulas
Self-Assessment Prole
Symptom Patterns of Depletion and Congestion
Preparing Herbal Tea
Using Chinese Patent Medicines
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Culinary Alchemy: Herbal Food, Kitchen Medicine
Food Ideology West and East
How Is Your Digestion?
Eating: Digestion or Congestion
Establishing the Condition of Earth: Stomach  and Spleen
Dening the Relationship Between Food and Function
What Should I Eat?Learning Herbal Cuisine
Cooking Tips
Pantry Herbs
Simple Recipes to Harmonize Qi, Moisture, and Blood
Ingredients to Eliminate Heat, Cold, Wind, and Phlegm
Recipes for the Five Phases : Seasons and Climates
Herbal Breads and Cakes
Congees and Soups for Common Ailments

Afterword
Acknowledgments
Resource Guide: Finding Practitioners and Chinese Herbs
Notes
Glossary
Herb Names Cross Reference
Bibliography
About the Authors
OceanofPDF.comF OREWORD
FOR OVER  TWENTY-THREE CENTURIES ACUPUNCTURE NEEDLES AND GINseng
have mended what is now one-quarter of the world’s population, yet
it is only in the last two decades that most Americans have even
heard of them. In 1971, the year before the “Bamboo Curtain” lifted,
New York Times  journalist James Reston became ill while on
assignment in China. After having his appendix remove d, he was
treated with acupuncture for postsurgical pain. The front-page
stories he sent home reported, “I’ve seen the past, and it works!” At
that moment Chinese medicine entered mainstream American
consciousness.
Efrem and I began to practi ce acupuncture shortly after that in
1973. Since then we’ve treated thousands of Americans. One was
Sam, a thirty-six-year-old biochemist, who had an excruciating pain
in his abdomen diagnosed by his doctor as gallstones. Although he
felt skeptical about Chinese medicine, he was more frightened by
the prospect of surgery. After two months of acupuncture, herbs,
and dietary modication, Sam expelled scores of stones, and a
sonogram con rmed that surgery was no longer necessary. Esther, a
retired seventy-ve-year-old nurse, had severe arthritis. After a year
she was free of pain and had recovered the use of her joints and
limbs. Fifteen years later she’d had no recurrence. Yet another
person was Suzanne, who at age twenty-eight, after three
miscarriages and two gynecological surgeries, was unable to
conceive. In the eighth month of treatment, she became pregnant
and later delivered a healthy daughter, now a teenager.
These people and many like them had their intellect aroused by
their success with acupuncture and herbs. Having been impressed,
they wanted to be informed. We began writing this book in responseto their request, “Where can I read more about it?” Although other
books exist on the subject, none give the uninitiated a
comprehensive yet comprehensible overview. So we set out to
explain our sense of what Chinese medicine is—how it thinks, how
it works, what it can do.
Numerous schools of thought and various methods are found
within the vast historical tradition of Chinese medicine. It has never
been a monolithic institution. After all, millions of docto rs over the
millennia have practiced its techniques and developed its theories. It
sustained itself in part by adjusting to changing conditions and will
continue to develop dieren tly in each country and era in relation
to the social demands and belief systems that prevail  there. In
Medicine in China: A History of Ideas, Paul Unschuld comments:
The travel of ideas is diere nt from the travel of merchandise.
The latter can be handed on, from one region to the next, by
dierent means of transporta tion, without itself undergoin g any
change. Ideas  must be transmitted by the head, and, of
necessity, will undergo change. Where could a foreign idea be
accepted, assim ilated, or transmitted without being inuenced
by the particular situation it meets, by the changing languages
that serve as its means of transportation, and by the
preconditioned patterns of thought cherished by the nal
receiver?
As Chinese medicine takes root in our terrain, it evolves to adapt
to our environment. Does a botanist hiking along steep slopes move
through the same forest as the native tribesman who once dwelled
among the evergreens? Is a mountain that endures the ages the
same even though climbers see variable landscapes from epoch to
epoch? What the mountain means to people and how they use it
changes with each traveler or caravan. Ideas, more mutable and
malleable than landmasses, are even more liable to change form.
The ancient Chinese had their own mythos, language,circumstances, preoccupations, and we have ours. This book
represents a nexus, a point of convergence, a meeting of worlds.
As we traveled the curved footpaths around mountains of Chinese
medical thoug ht, we made choices about what to include, what to
leave out, and how best to express our version of these ideas.
Between Heave n and Earth  is a product of continuous dialogue
between dual authors—an unnished conversation, the most
coherent statement we can express at this time. It’s not the
denitive summary of Chinese medicine, the last word, but a
starting point for new discou rse that invites the next utterance. The
“we” refers to our collaborative voice, whereas the “I” belongs to
Harriet, who sometimes chooses to convey ideas through her
personal narrative.
Between Heaven and Earth  is a cross-cultural transmission and
transplantation. In transposing Chinese ideas into our own idiom,
our challenge has been to bridge gaps—between mind and body,
theory and practice, therapy and self-care, practitioner and patient,
ancient and modern, convention and invention, East and West. We
have dug into and mined the rich ore of Chinese medicine for the
purpose of creating new metal, a rened alloy. Through cultural
blending, we are transmuting wisdom from early China  into what
has relevance for us today. Welcome to an ongoing process.
We have divided our discussion of Chinese medicine into three
overlapping parts:
• Theory: the ideas—about nature, the human body, and the self
—upon which the medicine is based
• Types: the psychology in Chinese medicine—how ve
archetypes symbolize human character, illuminating  our
personal tao, the way we are
• Therapy: the treatment methods of acupuncture, herbs, diet—
what they are and how to use themThe rst section, “Theory,” introduces you to the essential
principles of traditional Chinese medicine and explains the beliefs
upon which this foreign medicine rests. We also examine how these
beliefs dier from the assumptions we take for granted in Western
medicine—the conceptual baggage we carry with us from home.
After establishing the philosophical grammar, the logic and
vocabulary through which Chinese medicine speaks, you can begin
to acquire the uency to converse in its language.
As we worked on the second section of the book, “Types,” we
played with Chinese theory, elaborating upon it to suit American
conditions and needs. Our intellectual chemistry commingled with
Eastern thinkin g, propagatin g reactions of its own. What  came out
of this was an articulation of the psychology implicit in Chinese
medicine yet not explicitly developed by the Chinese.
For Americans, psychology—the study of how people think, feel,
and behave—captures immense


 is the
warfare of construction and dest ruction more seriously waged
than in the human body. What we call health is but a
condition where the powers of c onstruction are made to excel
the powers of destruction. By correct eating and the pursuit of
natural habits, this condition can be maintained for a great
number of years; but when we aid the forces of destruction by
taking into the body such things as tea, coffee, tobacco,
distilled and ardent spirits, and the host of table condiments
that are in daily use; all of which possess only the elements of
destruction, we must not be disappointed when we find
ourselves devoid of energy and vitality and landed well over
into the great throng of the diseased.
EMANCIPATION OF WOMAN.

IF the study of the natural or elementary food question had for
its object no other purpose than giving to the human family
their birthright of health and years, and aiding their mental
faculties in reaching a higher development, it would be of
sufficient importance to justify the most profound attention of
every woman in a civilized stat e. But when it is considered
that its final solution may not only accomplish this, but
emancipate her from the slavery of the kitchen and the cook
stove, it becomes one of the most important questions that
can possibly engage the minds of intelligent people.
We believe that nature has provided a diet that can be
selected and eaten without changing its form or chemical
properties by the application of either heat or cold, and which
will be perfect. We have proven that if correctly used it will
in all cases bring natural results, which are always healthful
results. We have been led to these conclusions by information
gained from the school of observation and experience at our
own table, as well as by seeing the most obstinate and chronic
diseases gradually disappear from members of our own
family and others under the magic effect of proper feeding,
until perfect health was the result.
Aside from the effect of a natural food diet upon the
health and happiness of people, its most important feature is
that it promises to solve for woman another most perplexing
question, namely, the struggle with the servant.
When the house is provided, and the woman who has
dreamed of a true home is settled therein, it gradually dawns
upon her that instead of being a queen, she is an imprisoned
vassal. She finds that she must stand over a miniature furnace
for an hour in the morning and breathe the poisonous odor of
broiling flesh, and spend another hour among the grease and
slime of pots and dishes, instead of occupying that time
walking in the life-giving sunlight and drinking in nature's
purifying air.
She soon realizes that the fires of the morning are hardly
out until those for the noon are kindled and the labors from
luncheon often lap over into the evening, and those of
evening far into the night. The throne over which she
dreamed of wielding the queenly sceptre has been
transformed into a fiery furnace,  gilded with greasy pots and
plates, blood and bones, over which she has unfurled the
dish-rag, and by the common custom of her country, it waves
over her helpless head as an ensign of her rank and
profession, under which she is really a slave.
The home of which she dreamed has laid upon her a
confinement and labor but little lighter than that which
society puts upon the criminal who has violated its laws, and
whom it has deprived of his liberty.
The picture of a husband and wife growing old together,
walking hand in hand up to the noon of life, and turning over
the hill and marching down toward the evening of old age together is only painted by poe ts and dreamers, most likely
old bachelors and old maids,—it is not true.
The average husband and wife do not grow old together.
The wife spends six or seven hours of each day endeavoring
to prepare food and create dishes that will appeal to and
satisfy the perverted taste a nd appetite of her husband, and
probably the short-notice "friend to dinner." The anxiety and
mental tension that she undergoes from day to day and year to
year wear upon her form and face, and like the long dripping
of water upon the stone, leave their mark. This mark is
nervous exhaustion and premature old age.
It is from this deplorable condition of womankind that
the use of uncooked or natural foods will surely bring relief
and freedom. In hundreds of cases that have come to our
knowledge where this experiment has been honestly tried, it
has resulted in a revolution in the household culinary
department, and in giving the wife enough mental and
physical freedom to allow her to preserve her youthful
charms, which is her solemn duty, and to cultivate those
higher faculties upon which every woman must depend for
attraction and happiness with advancing old age.
It may not free woman wholly from the labors of the
kitchen, but it will prove an important factor in lifting her
mentally, morally and physically into an entirely different
sphere.
It is utterly impossible for a woman to spend six hours
out of twelve in the dense and smoky atmosphere of a kitchen
over a roasting fire, breathing air laden with the fumes of
burning flesh and steaming foods, and give to her progeny
those beautiful faculties which are their birthright, and which
have been the dream of her dreams.
It is also impossible for a woman to construct her body,
her brain and her heart with all their varied sympathies,
desires and emotions out of such material as the flesh of dead
animals, fermented fruit (wine), fermented bread and the
innumerable narcotics and cooke d or devitalized foods with
which the average table is laden, and think beautiful thoughts
and keep her sympathies and senses of justice and mercy in
that beautiful and highly civ ilized realm where the cultivated
and advanced woman, especially the mother,. should dwell.
We are thoroughly convinced,—convinced from
experience, that great school from which all true knowledge
comes,—that the first and most important step in nature
toward making a perfect woman lies in the selection of the
food material out of which the human body and all the
restless flood of emotions that ceaselessly ebb and flow in its
strange mechanism, are made.
THE SELECTION OF FOODS.

IN the adoption of uncooked foods more care in selection is
required than when they are to  be cooked, for in the process
of cooking, mixing and dressing, the real quality, taste and
flavor of the articles, becomes changed, lost and dissipated.
The most inferior articles of food can be cooked and
artificially flavored, as they usually are, and still appeal to
and satisfy the taste.
In all public eating places the special duty of the chef and
steward is to use left-over foods. They are hashed, minced,
flavored, spiced and peppered until the smell from the
fermented or decayed portions is so concealed that they
cannot signal the olfactory nerves; therefore the most inferior
and unhealthy articles can be used which could not be done
were these foods not cooked.
When using uncooked foods the senses of sight, smell
and taste demand the best, and it is only fair that these senses
should be satisfied. It is as criminal to deceive our taste and
sight in matters of food, as it is to obtain money under false
pretense from our friends; and the penalty for this
wrongdoing is more certain to be paid. We often escape
justice in deceiving our friends, but never in deceiving
ourselves. We cannot jump our bail with nature. We are
always caught and punished for two crimes instead of one.
One may be thoroughly convinced that the theory is
correct, but if such articles are selected as do not conform or
appeal to the taste, the effort will prove a failure. Food should
be selected that has ripened on the parent stalk or tree, in the
sunshine, as far as possible. Those who are acquainted with
the curative and life-giving prope rties of air and sunshine will
readily perceive why the selection of thoroughly ripe and full-
grown foods are so necessary.
In selecting an apple of a red variety, get a deep, rich red,
not a pale pink one. The deep red color indicates that the fruit
has ripened on an outer twig of the tree, exposed to the
sunlight; while the paler colors show that it has ripened under
cover of the foliage. This ru le should be observed in the
selection of all fruits and berries, and melons of every kind as
far as possible, the rule being th at whatever color is selected,
get it as pronounced as possible. In other words, get the best.
BANANAS.
Bananas, the second-best article of food known, should
never be eaten so long as a spot of green is visible on the
skin. The majority of people seem to select this most
delicious and nutritious fruit merely to please the eye; and
just when it is at its best, that  is, when the skin is covered
with tiny black spots, or assumes a pied appearance, it is
discarded and considered unfit for use. Where the
consumption of bananas is large enough, they should be
purchased by the bunch,* and where it is not, they


	the	‘I’	becomes	the	imputed
subject	and	the	‘me’	the	imputed	object	of	actions	and	experience.
Q:	As	one	advances	in	consciousness,	the	question	arises,	is	the	great	Oz
the	‘I’,	a	‘who’,	or	a	‘what’?
A:	Because	the	ego	deals	in	form	and	definition,	it	cannot	comprehend	the
Self,	which	is	beyond	all	form	but	without	which	form	would	not	appear	to
exist.	In	Reality,	there	is	neither	subject	nor	object;	therefore,	there	is	no
relationship	to	be	explained.	No	causality	is	necessary,	which	then
precludes	time	and	space,	or	doer	versus	experiencer.
					In	a	peculiar	way,	the	ego	is	caught	in	the	famous	dyad	of	perpetrator
versus	victim.	As	the	subject,	it	imputes	itself	as	cause	and	therefore
perpetrator.	If	it	disowns	that	definition,	it	then	becomes	the	object	and
therefore	the	martyr	or	victim.	The	ego	thinks,	“If	I’m	not	causing
something,	then	something	out	there	is	doing	it	to	me.”	This	is	the	primary
concept	of	today’s	construction	of	social	interaction	in	which	society	is
seen	as	the	alteration	between	victim	and	victimizer.
Q:	How	can	one	get	out	of	this	trap?
A:	Although	various	methods	have	been	described,	one	that	is	helpful	is	to
cease	having	opinions	about	anything.	Because	all	opinions	are	vanities,
they	are	based	on	duality	and	tend	to	reinforce	it.	It	is	observable,	for
instance,	that	spiritual	organizations	that	have	a	very	high	calibrated	rating
have	‘no	opinions	on	outside	matters’.
Q:	After	what	has	been	called	Enlightenment,	what	remains	of	the
former	personal	self?
A:	The	inner	state	is	similar	to	sleep	in	that	there	is	silence,	peace,	and
stillness.	There	are	no	volition,	movement,	or	form.	There	is	an	absence	of
thoughts	or	mental	activity.
					It	takes	volition	and	energy	to	focus	attention	from	the	formlessness	ofthe	Self	to	the	processing	of	information.	Consciousness	in	its	higher	states
merely	notes	the	interaction	of	essences,	presences,	and	significances	as
they	are	prevailingly	held	by	the	world.	To	pay	attention	to	detail	and	form
takes	more	energy	and	is	accomplished	only	by	an	act	of	the	will	as	a
response	to	the	value	of	life.	What	is	left	of	what	the	world	would	consider
the	personal	self	is	a	shadow	of	the	former	persona,	but	it	has	no	desires,
wishes,	or	needs.	It	has	no	desire	to	control	events,	circumstances,	or
people.	It	lacks	nothing	within	itself;	therefore,	it	does	not	seek	gain
inasmuch	as	all	is	complete	at	every	moment.	There	is	not	even	a	desire
for	continuance.	There	is	nothing	one	needs	or	wants	to	experience.
					The	Presence	is	all	fulfilling.	Because	one	already	is	the	All,	there	is
nothing	left	to	desire	as	there	is	no	separation.	There	is	no	future	to
anticipate.	There	is	no	interest	in	acquisition	or	physicality.	Eating	or
maintaining	the	body	arises	primarily	from	the	interest	of	others	in	the
world,	whose	love	sustains	the	ongoingness	of	the	physicality.	There	is	a
delay	in	processing	speech,	events,	or	details	of	form	into	a	level	that	is
more	formless	and	meaningful.	This	translation	is	performed	by	an	aspect
of	the	Self	called	the	Holy	Spirit	that	replaces	what	was	formerly	volition,
selection,	or	mentation.	The	activation	of	the	Holy	Spirit	seems	to	occur	as
a	result	of	volition	and	will,	which	are	associated	with	choice.
					The	central	focus	of	the	ego,	which	was	relinquished,	was	replaced	by
the	more	pervasive	and	powerful	effect	of	the	presence	of	the	Holy	Spirit
that	effortlessly	orchestrates	simultaneity	and	synchronicity	as	it
automatically	sorts	out	the	irrelevant	from	the	relevant	because	it	interacts
only	with	Reality.	Thus,	what	appears	to	be	a	miracle	is	merely	the	action
of	the	Holy	Spirit	sorting	out	the	false	from	the	true	so	that	what	appeared
to	be	imperfection	is	revealed	as	perfection.	To	the	ego,	which	deals	in
causality,	no	such	occurrence	is	logical	or	possible,	but	to	the	Spirit,	this
quality	is	automatic	and	inherent	to	Reality.
Q:	We	often	hear	the	rationalization	that	a	person	needs	some	form	of
ego	in	order	to	survive.
	What	is	the	truth	about	that?
A:	This	is	an	understandable	question	and	rises	from	the	belief	in	causality.
The	ego	as	we	know	it	has	a	large	number	of	complex	operations.	It
imagines	that	there	is	an	‘I’	behind	these	operations.	In	actuality,	these
operations	are	autonomous	and	do	not	require	an	‘I’.The	main	transition
occurs	when	one	no	longer	identifies	with	these	operations	and	no	longer
assumes	there	is	a	volitional,	independent	entity	behind	them.
					This	is	easy	to	understand	if	one	looks	at	one’s	relationship	to	the	body.
Although	people	loosely	call	it	‘me’,	they	do	not	refer	to	their	knee	as‘me’;	they	call	it	‘mine’.	The	knee	is	a	physicality	that	operates	without
thinking.	The	operations	of	the	body	are	extremely	complex,	similar	to
those	of	the	ego,	and	occur	autonomously.	When	one	stops	identifying
with	either	the	body	or	the	mind,	the	functions	continue	autonomously	but
merely	without	an	identification	as	‘myself’.	The	sense	of	authorship
disappears.	Ongoing	survival	is	autonomous,	and	continuance	is	an
expression	of	consciousness	in	its	alliance	with	the	Holy	Spirit.	The
prevailing	conditions	are	related	to	karma	and	operate	impersonally.
Karma	then	becomes	part	of	the	impersonal	conditions	that	are	in	accord
as	appearance.
					By	analogy,	one	can	enjoy	beautiful	music	without	the	ego’s	claiming
authorship	for	the	origination	of	the	music	itself.	The	enjoyment	is
spontaneous.	If	one	claims	authorship	for	the	music,	then	many	anxieties
and	feelings	arise	that	have	to	do	with	belief	systems	about	perfection,
approval,	desirability,	and	acceptance.CHAPTER	20
Duality	versus	Nonduality	Science	versus	Spirit
Q:	How	can	one	clarify	the	relationship	between	science	and	spirituality?
A:	It	entails	simply	being	aware	that	all	life	can	be	described	from	two
different	approaches	or	categories	of	thought:	linear	versus	nonlinear.
					The	domain	of	ordinary	consciousness	(linear)	is	concerned	with	form,
logical	sequence,	and	perception,	which	separate,	define,	and	categorize.
The	scientific	world	is	thus	contained	within	the	Newtonian	paradigm	of
reality	and	its	languaging	and	expressions	as	mathematics,	science,	and
technology.	Explanations	in	the	Newtonian	paradigm	are	based	upon	the
presumption	of	the	hypothecated	process	called	‘causality’.	It	deals	with
forces	and	measurements,	such	as	time,	duration,	distance,	speed,	weight,
and	dimension.	This	mode	of	perception	and	its	languaging	allow	for
relatively	accurate	prediction.	When	events	fall	outside	the	predictable	and
comprehensible	or	that	which	is	explicable	by	differential	calculus	or
measurement


Allow the arteries, veins, and capillaries to accommo date over time to the
increased flow of blood caused by this exercise. At first, practice the pose
once or twice, slowly working up to seven times over a peri od of a few
weeks.
RUBBING THE ARMS AND LEGS:
MERIDIAN MASSAGE
Energy circulates throughout the body along minute pathways called
meri dians. An understanding of the meridians and their vital functions of
providing every cell of the body with energy is mandatory if one is to
master the techniques of the breathing and contemplation exercises in the
system of Internal Exercises.
The means whereby man is created, the means wher eby diseases
occur, the means wher eby man is cured, the means whereb y diseases
arise: the twelve mer idians are the basi s for all theory and trea tment.
The meri dian is that which decides over lif e and death. Through it the
hundred diseases may be treated.
Nei Ching
Regarding the meridians, Dr. Kim Bong Han of the University of
Pyongang in North Korea, after conducting an extensive series of experi
ments, arrived at a conclusion for the actual existence of these pathways of
energy. He reported that the meridians were actually composed of a type of
histological tissue as yet unnoticed by scientists who, prior to Dr. Kim's
experi ments, had believed that the meridians were simply imaginary lines.
He discovered the structur e and function of the meridian system to be
totally different from those of the lymphatic, circulatory, and nervous
systems.
The meridians are symmetrical and bilateral channels with a diameter
ranging between 20 and 50 millimicrons. They exist beneath the surface of
the skin and have a thin membntnous wal l which is filled with a transparent,
colorless fluid. Each of the main meridians develops intricate subsidiar y
160 The lmernal Exercises
branches, some of which supply adjacent areas with energy while others
ultimately reach the surface of the skin. The places at which the branches
reach the skin's surface are the points illustrated on an acupuncture chart.
Often several branches from different main channels converge at a single
point. By stimulating that point, the energy in several channels can be
affected simultaneously. The meridians are encircled by blood vessels that
are especially in abundance around the individual branches stemming from
each of the main channels. (The bleeding that some patients report after
undergoing acupuncture is an indication that the practitioner has narrowly
missed the point on the surface of the skin and pierced one or many of the
vascular vessels surrounding the point.)
After conducting many experiments, scientists discovered that the
meridians are pathways for electricity. This led to the invention of �
machine called the Point-Loca tor, an instrument which indicates the points
where the branches of the meridians reach the skin's surface. At present,
the quality of the impulse that travels along the meridians is the subject of
intensive research among Chinese scientists, while many Western in
vestigators are currently trying to determine possible associations between
the meridians and the autonomic nervous system.
The meridian system, a physiological structure, provides a means by
which many of the energy principles that have been labeled as purely
hypothetical-even to the point where their actual existence has been
questioned-can be proved valid. Since the reality of the meridian system
has been experimentally verified by research ers like Dr. Kim, we can now
conclude that the main functional purpose for which that system exists is to
provide an effective means of transmitting the all-pervading but invisible
energy which animates all manifestations of life. Their subtlety, when
perceived in relationship to even the most microscopic aspects of the
physical body, suggests that the meridians may well be the ''missing link'',
or the threshold between pure energy and its first manifestations as micro
scopic matter.
Although the first scientific proof of the existence of the meridian system
is believed to be the result of Dr. Kim's efforts, conclusive evidence for the
existence of the meridians was found in 1937 by Sir Thomas Lewis of
England. His report, published in the British Medical Journal of February,
1937, stated he had discovered an ''unknown nervous system'' that was
unrelated to either the sensory or the sympathetic nervous systems. Rather
than being composed of a network of nerves, he reported, the newly
discovered system was composed of a network of incredibly minute lines.
161 The Internal Exe rcises
Although his report went relatively unnoticed by his colleagues, it was the
first concrete verification in the West of the physiolo gical system that
Taoists knew to exist thousands of years ago.
Meridi an, a word borrowed from geography, indicates a line joining a
series of ordered points. There are twelve main meridians. A meridian is
assigned to each of the five organs, the six bowels, and the pericardium
here referred to as the Heart Constrictor. (The idea of the six bowels is often
perplexing to those unacquainted with Taoist philosophy. The five organs
are the heart, spleen-pa ncreas, lungs, kidneys, and liver. The six bowels
are the large intestine, bladder, ''Triple Heater'' [an ancient term indicat
ing the internal glandular system], gallbladder, small intestine, and stom
ach. lfte Heart Constrictor or pericardium corresponds to the blood vessel
system. [Please refer to my book The Great Tao for a fuller explanation.])
Each of the main meridians has both a point of entry and a point of exit.
Energy enters the meridian at the point of entry, circulates along the
meridian, flows through the point of exit and on through the point of entry
of the succeed ing meridian. The point of exit on a meridian is connected to
the point of entry on the succeeding meridian by a secondary channel. The
direction of the flow of energy along a meridian remains constant and never
vacillates after flowing through the point of entry. (See figures 83-96.)
The meridians are the means by which the organs and bowels are linked
together, and by which each organ and bowel is enlivened by energy as it
circulates along the meridian circuit. A question that might naturally aris e
as a result of the illustrations depicting the sequence of the mai n meridians
is: ''According to the information given thus far-if an organ or bowel
associated with one of the main meridians were to become diseased,
wouldn't it be logical to conclude that the energy would then be block ed
and be unable to complete its cycle of circulation?'' The answer is no,
because in addition to the twelve main meridians, there are eight extraor
dinary meridians which provide for the circulation of energy when it
becomes superfluous or excessiv e in one of the main meridians.
The eight extraordinary meridians can justifiably be called "lifesavers "
in that they provide for bodily energy to continue its cycle of circulation,
regardless of whether any one of the organs or bowels becomes diseased,
thus blocking the meridian circuit. Taoist teachings explain the pwpose of
the eight extraordinary meridians as being analogous to the d rainage
ditches and dikes that sometimes exist alongside a major river (which, of
course, corresponds to the major meridians). If for any reason the river
should beco me flooded and overflow its banks, the drainage ditches are
162 The Internal Exercises
designed to accommodate the superfluous water. Just so, the flow of
energy along the eight extraordinary meridians is not constant, but is
detennined by the amount of excess energy in the main meridian.
The meridians or energy channels which regulate the liver, pancreas,
and kidneys all come together on the inside of the thighs. These three
meridians come in to energize the entire upper channel of the body. By
massaging these pathways correctly, we are able to stimulate the entire
body, including the sexual organs, as these meridians pass through the
pelvis on their way up the body. In a similar fashion, the gallbladder,
bladder, and stomach meridians run in a downward path along the outside
of the leg. By massaging these pathways, we stimulate the organs and
tissues associated with the meridians.
Upward Massage
By massaging the legs on the inside in an upward manner, we stimulate
the circulation of blood within the lower half of the body. People who have
jobs which require them to sit or stand all day long tend to develop cramps
and varicose veins in their legs. This is because the blood tends to gather in
the feet and legs, which hamper s proper circulation. By stimulating the
meridians of the leg, we can strengthen the healthy flow of blood and
prevent future problems from developing in the legs.
This exercise may be done standing, sitting, or lying down.
1. Place the palms of your hands on the inside of your legs at the
ankles.
2. Slowly bring your palms up your legs, through the inside of your
knees, up your thighs