. A~er
sometime she was given coconut water in place of pla1n water. W1th
· such a treatment, the quantity of urine gradually increased to 70 to
80 oz. The inflammation was gradually reduced -and other
complaints were also eliminated. Leeches had applied to extract hei
foul blood. With such a treatment the woman was cured and led a
normal life.
11The question is : "Why should not the public at large avail of
this free remedy available ready at hand?11 If anyone wants to
propose it he should prove that urine treatment is ha~tnful i.n some
case or the other; otherwise any anti-propaganda IS agamst the
public interest. Instances quoted by Shri Raojibhai in ~is _article in
June 1958 and in his book Manav Mutra are really convmcmg. They
prove the efficacy of urine in treai:ing various ailments. ·
11Through this book and thearticle, Shri Raojibhai has presented a
simple and readily available treatment for the bene~t of the. common
people and it does not involve an expense of a smgle pa1sa. Every 162 : AUTO-URINE THERAPY
day reader can follow it without incuring any expense or without
~n}' diff~culty. Moreover it can be carried on everywhere and at any
t1me w1th complete ease and freedom -· a thing after Mahatma
Gandhiji's ideas.
"Nearly 40 years ago a famous physician of Bombay who was
doctor of medicine from England used to oppose urine treatment.
But when during the First World War thousands of soldiers were
successfully treated with urine treatment and the boon of this
treatment came to light, the same expert doctor, who condemned
urine therapy, began to support it!rr.
CHAPTER XX
INFLAMMATION OF THE BODY, DISABILITY,
SNAKE-BITE ETC.
Mrs. Pashiben (Ramnagar, Sabarmati) got inflammation on her
entire body. She was admitted to the urine therapy centre on
25-4-61 for urine treatment. She was 25 and had been suffering from
inflammation for the past 1.112 years. She had consulted a number of
doctors and Vaidyas without any success. At last; her father-in-law
came to know about urine treatment and decided to admit her in the
centre for treatment.
She remained in the centre for 19 days up to 14-5-61. From the
day after her admission she was given the following treatment for 19
·days:
1. Complete fa:;;t for the first two days during which she was
given to drink the entire urine and when thirsty she was given boiled
water.
2. From the third diJ.y, water was stopped and she was given
cow's milk to sip a spoonful every time she was thirsty. Later the
quantity was gradually increased to 3 pints and then to 5 pint INFLAMMATION OF THE BODY, DISABILITY, SNAKE-BITE ETC. : 163
Drinking of entire urine continued as usual during all these days.
3. She was daily rubbed for about an hours with urine which was
3-4 days old.
With this treatment for 1 9 days she was 75% cured and on
morning of the 20th day, she took leave from the centre but
continued the treatment at home.
On 2-7-61, her father-in-law Shri Mohanlal Tulsiram came to the
' centre and reported that Mrs. Pashiben was completely cured of the
inflammation within 12 days after leaving the centre. Her general
health had also considerably improved and she had resumed her
normal diet.
Disability and Discharge : There were a few. diseases which
could not be treated by Shri Raojibhai as such cases did not come to
hif\l duriong his time. Some cases of disability and nocturnal
discharge were treated after his death and they are worth noting.
1. Shri Narshibhai S. Prajapati aged 36 (village Aghat, via
Viramgam) had frequent nocturnal discharges. He came for
treatment in the urine therapy centre from 28-7-62 to 4-8-62. His
weight increased from 70 lbs. to 80 lb. He was completely cured but
still was.advised to continue drinking and massage of auto-urine. •. <
2. Shri Chandrashankar Purani (Rama & Sons Watch House,
Ravpura Road, Baroda) experienced disability. He felt exhaustion by
walking a few steps, had indigestion and felt des·pair in life. He had
constipation too. He took to urine treatment and he got rid of all his
troubles and disability too and regained youth as it were.
Snake-bite and Beating: Shri Raojibbai had no occasion to treat
any case of snake-bite. But some cases were treated afterwards.
1. Shri lshwarbhai K. Mehta (Gangasadan, Marave Road, Malad,
Bombay-64) had a good ·chance· to tre~t a case of snake-bite. A
young man of 25 had a snake-bite and was <...iJout to die. His blood
mixed urine was given to him constantly and was continuously
massaged with urine. He was saved. '' I I 164 : AUTO-URINE THERAPY
2. Dr. Nanubhai -Painter (opposite National College,· Bandara,
Bombay-50) has narrated his experience of a prisoner who was
sentenced to whipping heavily. After the beating a co-prisoner
treated him with urine and the victim was readily cured.
CHAPTER XXI
REGULATING POWER OF URINE & CHILD-HEALTH
Dr. Salaria (referred to before) has made deep study of Sushrut.
He holds a licence for surgery and practises the same for the past
many years. So far he must have performed hundreds of minor and
major operations by Ayurvedic method but the truth remains that
not a single operation proved to be dangerous for any patient. Dr.
Salaria has proved that auto-urine is useful in operation to a very
great extent for controlling heart-beats.
In the past months a number of experiments have proved it
beyound doubt that urine has the power of maintaining the
regularity of heart-beats.
Dr. Salaria operated a woman of 45 for appendicitis in May
1 958. An hour before the operation, she was given her own urine to
drink instead of usual injections for controlling heart-beats and then
the operation was performeo. Her heart-beats were maintained
during operation. Dr. Sal aria was encouraged with the success of the
experiments and decided to try it on other patients also. He did
accordingly in nearly 15 cases of operation of tonsil, lipoma (a case
in which there was tumour weighing 2 lb. on the shoulder), cancer
on the right side of the chest and dropsy. In one of the cases, the
patient suffered from a big boil on the region between the right thigh
·and abdomen where the rotten skin had to be excised through
surgery and a new piece of skin was grafted. In all' these cases, the
patients were given their urine to drink before operation which
maintained the regularity of their heart-beats. REGUlATING POWER OF URINE & CHILD-HEALTH : 165
This account clearly proves that the use of urine maintains the
heart-beats of the patient and his blood-pressure also remains
normal. 1 certain that drinking and rubbing of urine togethr regulate
and normalize the high or low blood pressure as the case may be..
Let us see the opposite views also. A famous doctor of
Ahmedabad is my friend. I informed him of Dr. Salaria's
experiement with urine to control heart-beats and also related the
above mentioned cases. My real story did not appeal to him. The
doctor friend declared that unless and until experiments are carried
on scientific lines, he would not be.convinced of my thesis.
My doctor friend may be right as far as his personal experience is
concerned. It is proper on the part of a responsible person fike him
not to give any opinion till he has personal knowle.qge or have
experience about it. But it is also true that if a person is ignorant
about something, he should not oppose it vehemently~ The fact that
urine has power to regulate blood-pressure and strengthen the heart
is supported by my personal experience also.
Child-health : The custom of making children drink their own
urine is still in vogue to cure them of diseases. Shri Keshavbhai
Makanbhai Master, (Hajira, Surat) has sent me a report of his
personal experience of urine therapy:
"My grand-father was a village Vaidya. He used to prepare
Ayurvedic medicines and distributed it among the people free of
cost Folks from nearby villages came to take his medicines.
"Whenever there was an ailing child, my grandfather took him in
his lap and as. the child


‐ treatment  for thyroid
trouble.
(Reported  by the Naturopath,  Mr. 0. Warnock‐ . Fielden.) Lady aged 40.
Long history of drug treatment  since she was 15. In early  life she had
had  injections  during a number of years for over active thyroid, and
also for colds. More  recently she had  had  an operation  with a view to
improving  the circulation,  seeing that when the weather was cold, and
even at other  times, her hands  would go blue.  No improvement  was
noticed  after the operation.  Before  I was called  in, the local doctor had
retired from  the case,  pronouncing  it to be hopeless.  I found her hands
a ‐mass  of pus, moist  gangrene,  and  almost skinless. The necessity for
amputation  of both hands  had been mooted and feared. After making a
start with less  severe measures  such as hot fomentations,  cold
compresses,  urine‐packs, urine drinking in small quantities,  and  an
antiseptic  ointment  to relieve the intense " drawing " pains, I finally
advocated  a complete  fast on urine and  plain water only, at the same
time continuing  the packs. The fast lasted  three weeks, but even after  a
fortnight,  the patient could use her hands and  could knit. Granted that
the urine‐drinking and  the urine‐dressings  were of much value  to the 87
 treatment,  I none the less consider that the' three  weeks'  fast was the
decisive factor in this case,  since it enabled  the drugladen  system to be
drained  of its impurities.
Rash on the arms. Mrs. C. suffered for over three years from an
irritating eruption  on her arms. Had tried  various ointments  and lotions
without  any relief. Wa.; finally induced to try the effect of urine,  which
she dal bed on every  night. The rash disappeared  completely  within a
few weeks. In this  case  no fasting was resorted to or any other
measures.
Large wart on face. Mrs.  C. reports that she employed  the same
treatment  for an unsightly excrescence  on her face, which  in a short
time shrivelled  up and  then fell away, leaving no scar. (All three  of
these cases were supplied by Mr. Warnock‐Fielden.)
Lump on arm. A correspondent  reports the case of a lady who
developed  a nasty blue looking lump about j inch  high, which  she
feared might become malignant.  She was advised  by an acquaintance
to treat it with urine‐compresses,  and in less than three weeks it fell off,
leaving the skin healthy and clean.
A mysterious  case. Male patient about 58. Had been in the hospital for
several weeks for observation  and  treatment,  but  at the end of the
term was  said to be incurable,  and  was sent home to die, but enjoined
to keep in touch  with his local  doctor.  He was given a particular  drug to
take with him which was calculated  to dissolve any food he ate. When,
at the request of a gentleman  I was treating,  I first saw the patient, I
reckoned  he was dying sure  enough, but not from the disease so much
as from the powerful drug (poison) he was being given.  I noticed that 88
 his eye‐balls were much distended,  that he was thin, but not to the
extent of emaciation.  He told me he had  been a careful  eater,  a hard
outdoor  worker, had  kept regular hours, had  never been subject to
colds, had never been bilious or constipated  and  had  never had
diarrhoea.  His  only vice had  been the use of snuff, but he had
discontinued  the habit  a year previously.  I only stayed with him a few
minutes at my first  visit, told him to fast  and  to drink  nothing but cold
water and every drop of urine that he passed  both day and night.  I also
told him (and his wife) not to be surprised  at any symptoms  which
might occur  in the process of elimination.  His stools and ejecta were to
be kept for my inspection.  Three  days later  I called  again, to be shown
two large buckets  full of the foul matter he had  vomited‐ the vomiting
having started 24 hours  after he had taken his first draught of urine.
There  had also been great looseness  of the bowels, and much catarrhal
discharge  from the nose. In fact he had  been obliged  to use a dozen
handkerchiefs,  which  were not only soiled with ropy mucus  but also
with SNUFF ! The fast  was continued,  and  in a week all discharge
ceased. The penance was broken in 10 days‐and the patient  was cured.
At the time of writing he is over 70. This case is interesting  as it serves
to show that with urine‐therapy  it is quite unnecessary  to know  the
name of the disease in order to treat it. It is further interesting  as
showing that a foreign substance ‐snuff in this case‐ may  be lodged in
the tissues for months  after the taking of it has been discontinued,  only
to be eliminated  during a body‐cleansing  fast. Which reminds  me that
the eminent German naturopath,  Louis Kuhne,  relates of a case  where
during the eliminative  treatment  the sweat of the patient had  smelt of
drugs the allopaths had  previously  used to c


 buildings, streets, and people. By the power of our mind. The
mind simply can only see what it believes, which is why we need to
release false beliefs. In the end, the spiritual journey becomes all about
facing this unconscious fear. This is the transformation of the projected
world into peace. When we take steps inward on the way to discover peace and true
freedom, we first encounter the ring of fear, and it usually gets quite
intense. In addition to fear, all of our other emotions are right underneath
the far outer ring of perception as well. This means we really need to get
in touch with our emotions as a starting point. If we ever want  to reach
the point of truth deep within our minds, we need to engage the natural
process of allowing our emotions. The ego tries to control us by scaring
us with many hypothetical consequences, so we push down and suppress
all our emotions. Most of us weren’ t raised to get in touch with our emotions and
thoughts. Many of us, if we were feeling upset, angry, or belligerent,
were told, “Go to your room. ” or “You’re grounded. ” The response
wasn’ t “Oh sweetie, tell me what you are thinking. ” Your parents were
probably not Christlike psychot herapists filled with unconditio nal love
and positive regard. They proba bly didn’ t say, “Let’ s get in touch with
those thoughts underneath the fact that you just punched a hole in the
wall. ” They said, “You are grounded. You will fix that hole in your wall,
and we’re taking  away your allowance. ” We were usually met with a lot
of harshness when our emotions came up. There is a different way of relating with feelings, and when you
understand the metaphysics of the mind, you discover what’ s beyond
your perception down in the levels of mind. You can become much more
sensitive to what’ s underneath the surface. Sometimes in meditation if
you start to sink very deeply inward, a very surprising fear can come up,
and it will seem to come from nowhere. Y ou are getting in touch with the
darkness of the unconscious mind. This is fear that’s buried very deep. It
is the reason why a personal identity was made. The personal identity
was made to cover a very deep fear that you could be separate from God,
from everything, from your Self—that you could be alienated from your
Father and from oneness and be utterly lost. Mystics and saints have
often shared that they encounter this fear when they begin letting go of
their personal identity and they are coming closer to a merge with God. The stillness inside is so powerful that it can seem to burn up the “self. ”
This is a huge threat to the ego, which is why it feels like a burning up or
dissolving. The fear-based ego-belief system  is based on having no safety in a
dark world of hurts and needs, and of believing in the reality of victims
and victimizers. This is so only because of an identification in the mind
with the self as the body. But how could we truly know of safety and
comfort except to identify with something real and true, something that
cannot die or change. Everyone who is asleep and dreaming in this world is actually
afraid of the Holy Spirit. This is so because even though people’ s lives
are not happy and fulfilled in time, there is a familiarity to linear time. The things and activities of linear time are believed to be safe, while theHoly Spirit is associated with the unknown and is something completely
different than anything in time. In the state of oneness, the mind is
naturally at peace. The first fear was the fall from grace. It was a
tremendous shift in mind, from loving, peaceful, and happy to terrifying
and frightening. So, each step that you take with the Holy Spirit will
have some reverberations of fear associated with it. Because even though
you are awakeni ng from a nightm are, the ego is afraid of this awakening. The ego is afraid that it will be annihilated, that it will cease to exist. When we perceive something fearful, we can always allow
ourselves to take a moment to pause rather than react. By taking a
moment to open our minds and invite Holy Spirit into our percep tion, we
invite a miraculo us shift in how we see things, and we can start to let go
of habitual reacting and conditioned behaviors. We open  up to
inspiration. The beauty of the journey to happiness and freedom is that we all
have the power to follow our inspiration and Spirit. We choose this and
no longe r live based on fear of consequences. Otherwise, how would we
ever get past this fear of love. We make a decision to no longer go for
the seem ingly prudent, safe choice based on our past learning. We decide
against the closed loop of the past and allow for the miracle, allow for
the inspiration. Exercise: Looking at Fear
When fear (or other negative, upsetting emotions) comes  up, you
can be alert to it. You can face it with a “bring it on” attitud e where
you’re actually happy that you’ve got something to work with since
releasing fear and doubt is really releasing the grip of a false
identity. This exercise has the potential to help you to deepen in
trust beyond desired results and outcomes—time-based  desires
and wishes that your sleepin g mind hopes to attain and achieve
because of the belief that they are safe and can of fer something of
value. Make sure that you have half an hour to an hour to yours elf. Choose a current life situation that brings up fear or maybe just
some anxiety or worry. It could be around losing a job or a
relationship, or it could be other fear-based issues around family
or friends. Fear can also be disguised as anger because there is
always fear underneath ange r. Try to be aware of other defenses
or self-concept s that may cover the feelings. Take a look at ideas
such as “I am a person who never gets worried, anxious, or
fearful. I am strong and competent. Nothing ever worries me. ”
These may be cover-ups, and you may not yet be aware of a
deeper part of your mind that actually has a lot of fear or anxiety,
which explains why the defense was built up in the first place. Keep this particular fearful life situation in awareness and
relax for a moment. You are now going to look inward, following
these steps. 1. In your journal, write down all your feelings and thoughts
about the situation.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: What is the first step to undo what's blocking us from joy?,
A: To see that the problem is not outside, but rather within.
Q: What is the goal of the spiritual journey?,
A: To return to the light and achieve true perception, which is a unified and peaceful experience.
Q: What is the purpose of the ego's thought system?,
A: To keep us trapped in a cycle of fear, guilt, and anger.
Q: What is the key to healing and self-actualization?,
A: To expose and release all private thoughts and emotions, and to allow the Holy Spirit to guide and heal.
Q: What is the outcome of facing and letting go of private thoughts?,
A: A sense of peace, love, and unity with others, and a deep understanding that all thoughts and emotions are just a projection of the mind.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>You can keep this letter, share
it with a trusted friend, or if you feel like a symbolic act of letting
these old thoughts go, you can even burn it. These though ts have
no effect on your worth. What matters is that you allow ed your
private thoughts to surface, acknowledged them, and then
released them. Take plenty of time to nurtu re yourself and rest after this
exercise. Let any remaining emotions, thoughts, or self-jud gments
pass; let them not hinder the peace that is your birthright. If you
were able to fully give yourself to this exercise, you will feel a
deeper acceptance of yourself and appreciation of the healing you
are experiencing. Part 2:  Venturing into the Open
Slowly go through the following questions one at a time. In your
journal, praye rfully write down your thoughts and responses
without reading ahead to the next question. 1. Choose an intimate relationship or a friendship where you
notice that you hold back from expressing your thoughts
and feelings. 2. Inquire about why you think you hold back from expressin g
your thoughts in this relationship. 3. How do you feel when you are holding back? How do you
react? 4. What are you afraid will happen if you are authentic and
transparent with your thoughts? 5. How would your life be different if you allowed yourself to
express what you are thinking and feeling to those closest
to you?In the Light of Love, Communication Washes
Ego Away
Once you have exposed everyth ing, the Spirit in you will want to extend,
but the ego is afraid of that, so it may be another obstacle to overcome. The ego will want you to hold back, to keep your love, your joy, and
your happiness bottled up. Allow yourself to share, to just let it pour out
so you can start to realize that you don’t need to be afraid of that love. Love pours through us, expresses through us, like a cleansing,


 help from others. Another thing about this
disease, if you can’t get health insurance or [even] if they will [give you
insurance], it’s so high you can’t afford it. That’s the bad side of scleroderma. Now for the good part, the only
ray of hope I’ve had in nineteen years. I went to Portland, Oregon, to see
Dr. Jacob last July. He started me on a treatment with DMSO. After the
first week, I felt better than I had in nineteen years. I could button my own
clothes, reach behind my head. The pain was almost nothing. Four months
later I no longer had chest pains. I have just come through one more winter and it’s the best winter I’ve
had in six years. I had a few bad points where the
pain was pretty rough,
but they didn’t last long. Now when I get ulcers I use DMSO and it clears
them up. Also, I didn’t have any more amputations. I feel that now I might
have a chance to see my children grown and to be able to enjoy my
grandchildren. Please help us, we need you to help us fight for a better, pain-free life.THE NEW TREATMENT FOR SCLERODERMA
Lillie Forister was begging for help not only for her own problem but also for the
approximately 150,000 other Americans suffering from scleroderma. While the
disease itself may not immediately kill them, death in adults follows severe and
progressive muscle weakness, difficulty in swallowing, malnutrition, and failure of
the respiratory system with superimposed lung infection, such as pneumonia. And
as they linger, discomfort in general and pain in particular pervade their lives. The victims of scleroderma experience gradual thickening of the skin of the
fingers, aching in most joints, upset of the gut, extreme fatigue, and muscle
wasting. The facial features turn masklike. The skin becomes taut, shiny, and
inflexible on the fingertips, which develop ulcers. The sclerodermatous patient gets
calcification on bony eminences, friction rubs over the knees and tendon sheaths,
and the formation of large bursae. Contractures of the fingers, wrists, and elbows
resulting from skin hardening prevent fine movements, sometimes even gross
movements, such as Jean Puccio’s inability to drive her car. Internally, there is gastric acidity due to an incompetent functioning of the
lower food tube sphincter. Poor absorption from the small intestine occurs from an
overgrowth of anaerobic bacteria. Large pockets or sacs develop in the large
intestine and biliary cirrhosis develops. The lungs don’t work right and defective
gas diffusion results. Heart failure can hit any time and tends to be chronic and to
respond poorly to medication. Kidney disease is a major cause of death in PSS,
usually signaled by sudden high blood pressure that drugs won’t bring down. And for all these symptoms of scleroderma there is no specific treatment. No
drug has proved valuable—nothing was even somewhat effective—until DMSO. “There is no doubt in my mind, the drug relieves certain types of pain. It is not
a curative agent and all the reports we have read about ‘miraculous and
outstanding’ should be completely disregarded. There
is nothing miraculous about
this compound at all, but it does relieve pain in a temporary manner. It is not a
cure. None of our anti-rheumative drugs are curative. DMSO applied topically is
indeed a safe, therapeutic agent to use,” said Arthur L. Scherbel, M.D., founder of
the Department of Rheumatic Disease at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in
Cleveland, Ohio, and formerly the department’s senior consultant. In his practice, Dr. Scherbel dealt with patients who have very serious diseases
that are challenges to any form of therapy. He is expert in the pathology of PSS. There are no good, highly effective therapeutic agents for the rheumatic connective
tissue diseases of which scleroderma is one. No drug exists today that iscompletely effective and without toxicity for providing the victims with relief, and
certainly there’s no cure. Dr. Scherbel began using DMSO twenty years ago and found that it blocked
pain for sufferers of scleroderma. This pain relief comes about because the
solvent blocks conduction in the small nerve fibers—C&A delta, the fibers
important in the recognition of pain. If 75 percent DMSO is used directly on the
nerve fibers (in laboratory experiments) and not removed, within two days all
nerve conduction will cease. If 100 percent DMSO is put on these nerves, the
conduction block will occur more rapidly and usually will not be reversible. The
conclusion is that the smaller peripheral nerve fibers, when preferentially blocked
by DMSO, become diminished in their central response to a stimulus that
ordinarily would cause pain. 1
The healing of ulcers occurs, as well, and this is more difficult to explain. Marvin F. Engel, M.D., of Brunswick, Georgia, delivered a paper before the
Section on Dermatology of the Southern Medical Association, at its sixty-fourth
annual meeting in Dallas, Texas, November 18, 1970, where he described how the
skin’s blood vessels look after DMSO use in scleroderma. Dr. Engel said, “One
sees dilatation of vessels in the upper dermis and perhaps the increase in blood
flow plays a role. DMSO is known to protect cells and tissue from freezing,
thawing, necrotic cutaneous changes, inflammatory and hemorrhagic processes.”
2
This protection may be related to cellular physiological enlargement. In a two-year study of twenty sclerodermatous patients, Dr. Engel found
beneficial results using DMSO as the exclusive treatment. He said, “They had
increased mobility, rapid relief of pain and healing of persistent ulcers, arrest of
the spread of cutaneous disease, regrowth of hair, and return of sensation and
sweating. There was absolutely no sign of arrest of systemic disease, as shown by
the death of three
patients while on therapy and two in the immediate posttreatment
period, despite evidence of improvement of the cutaneous manifestations of their
disorder.”
Dr. Engel also noted that “the maximal activity of DMSO, after it is
swallowed, is in the organs and the parts of organs primarily involved in the
pathologic changes of progressive systemic sclerosis.... DMSO might halt or
reverse the process of systemic sclerosis.”
As it relates to the following section, what Dr. Engel added is quite significant:
“No evidence of ocular damage was found by funduscopic or slit lamp
examination in any of our patients.”ALLEGED MISREPORTING OF THE SCHERBEL STUDIES
Dr. Scherbel did similar, more extensive studies on patients having scleroderma,
and he performed them under the FDA supervisory investigational new drug (IND)
application number 10-778. This means the investigator and the sponsoring
pharmaceutical company, Research Industries Corporation, were liable to FDA
regulations. Violations of them would be a federal crime. A statement by Jere E. Goyan, Ph.D., former Commissioner of the FDA, made
before the Senate Subcommittee on Health and Scientific Research, included the
following information:
“We are requiring that eye examinations be conducted as part of any study
involving chronic administration of DMSO in order to obtain additional data to
determine whether the drug causes ocular toxicity. The labeling for the approved
human drug product suggests that patients should receive thorough eye
evaluations, including slit lamp examinations, prior to and periodically during
treatment.... We have issued inspection assignments to audit the data of the
scleroderma studies. In all of these investigations our staff is being asked to pay
particular attention to whether or not these studies included eye examinations.”
Dr. Scherbel did his IND 10-778 studies on eleven patients with severe
progressive systemic sclerosis, using DMSO by oral administration. He had them
undergo eye examinations before, during, and after DMSO treatment, in
accordance with FDA rules, for this IND. The patients received a total daily dose
of DMSO ranging from 21 grams to 84 grams in four divided doses diluted in
concentrated juice and crushed ice. The duration of the treatment ranged from 1
month to 22 months with a mean average of 9.4 months. Its results were reported
to Henry Moyle, President of the Research Industries Corporation, Salt
Lake City,
Utah. In his letter, dated May 4, 1977, Dr. Scherbel advised Mr. Moyle that “in
four of eleven patients reported at this time, nuclear sclerosis or progressive
myopia have appeared during the study.”
This report of lens changes with the development of nearsightedness was
alarming news. It might have caused cessation of the investigation if the FDA had
been aware of the reported eye changes in these patients. Agency officials say that
no one at the FDA knew about them until the information was uncovered, almost
by accident, nearly three years later. Michael J. Hensley, M.D., of the Division of Scientific Investigations, Bureau
of Drugs, FDA, told Senator Kennedy how this came about: “It was not officially


 people. From Abraham arose the three great religions
of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Followers of these great religions
became related as “people of the Book,” the Sons of Abraham who,
unfortunately, subsequently engaged in rivalry and bloodshed. Approximately five thousand years prior to the emergence of the
Semitic religions, the great Aryan sages emerged in ancient India. The
influence of these sages is indicated by their extremely high calibrations of
levels of truth as exhibited by the V e d a s and the U p a n i s h a d ’ s teachings
ascribed to Krishna (cal. 1,000). These revelations of spiritual truth are
depicted as ‘nonlinear’ and therefore nondualistic, as were exemplified by
the teachings of the Buddha (cal. 1,000), who appeared in approximately
563 B.C. The teachings of Jesus Christ (cal. 1,000) clarified the relationship
between God and man, and monotheism was later substantiated and
glorified by the teachings of Muhammad (original calibration level 700). Thus, spiritual truth of very high calibrated validity became widelyavailable and spread throughout all human civilization. Even aboriginal
societies and civilizations, such as Native American, spontaneously
discovered the Reality of the Divinity of God and accorded reverence to the
Great Spirit as Creator. The Contrast Between Nonduality and Traditional Religion
The traditional religions involve the requirement for learning or even
memorizing ecclesiastical religious doctrines and their historical or
mythological origins and sources, including even times and places, along
with the citation of authority, precedent, and illustrious figures and
contributors. Also included are religious rules and regulations, as well as
proscriptions regarding lifestyle, dress, hairstyles, etc. In addition,
requirements evolved, such as attendance, membership, and group
commitments. These usually resulted in social/group inclusions and
exclusions that involved group identifications and classifications (e.g.,
believers versus nonbelievers). In addition, there emerged rules of conduct and relationship, including
marriage, procreation, and social and sexual activities based on
ecclesiastical doctrine, correlated with specified ethnic tribal cultures
limited in time and geography. By virtue of their origination, cultural
lifestyles became intertwined with religious teachings that included various
interpretations of the actual teachings of the original great
teacher/founder/avatar. Often centuries elapsed before the teachings, which
had been verbally handed down over time, became translated into written
language. The exact, final wording was often somewhat contentious, and
various factions sought dominance or control; thus, some scriptures were
actually arrived at by virtue of the voting of various groups. Formal
scriptures finally emerged but at a lower calibration level than that of the
original teachings. Error was also consequent to misquotes as well as
editing by sequential scribes. Contributing to the decline was the inclusion of extraneous matters that
were given importance equal to the essentials. A primary value of
traditional religions, however, is that the ‘mystical’ illuminations of the
great founders became languaged and presented in a contextualization that
was comprehensible to larger numbers of people who were neither
spiritually nor intellectually sophisticated. Therefore, myth and fable often
became included for their pedagogical value and appeal. This was ofpragmatic value in that it translated the seemingly abstract to the more
easily comprehensible concrete, literal exemplifications. A brilliant distillation of the essential spiritual truths and the world’s
great religions is exemplified by the following:
  1. Christianity is the path of love and forgiveness. 2. Buddhism is the path of compassion. 3. Judaism is the path of living by sacred law. 4. Baha’i is the path of unity and peace. 5. Islam is the path of submission to the will of God. 6. Confucianism is the path of deliberate tradition. 7. Taoism is the path of ultimate reality. 8. Native American Practice is the path of primal spirituality. 9. Shintoism is the path of tribal ancestry. 10. Hinduism is the path of knowledge, action, and devotion. 11. Science of Mind is the path of the Divine Principle of Love and
Law. 12. The Global Heart Vision is of a world that works for everyone. (Henderson, R., 2005)
Nondualistic Teachings
Concepts and teachings that calibrate below 600 are comprehensible to
the majority of people, and the teachings in the calibration range of the 500s
(Love) have a major influence. Although the perfection of love to the level
of Unconditional Love at calibration 540 is reached by only 0.4 percent of
today’s overall world population, it is nonetheless comprehended as a real,
experiential possibility, and exceptional individuals who continue to evolve
in consciousness to the high 500s are termed ‘saints,’ thereby serving as
models for humanity as a practical goal. The spiritual ecstasy of the very
high 500s is also recorded (e.g., Ramakrishna or the great Christian saints)
and thereby given credence and acceptance as a possible reality for those
who are exceptionally motivated or gifted. At consciousness level 500, there is a major shift of paradigm, and from
consciousness level 600 and up, the spiritual reality is described as ineffable
or mystical. Its nondual quality (i.e., ‘no mind’, or ‘Mind’) makes such a
condition difficult to language or conceptualize and therefore seemingly
limited as an actual experiential possibility. Advanced students are familiarwith the writings of the great sages whose work is characterized by the
Sanskrit terms A d v a i t a and V e d a n t a, about which there is considerable
information available through the writings of recent well-known teachers,
such as Ramana Maharshi or Nisargadatta Maharaj. On a similar level are
the teachings of great, well-known mystics of all religions, such as the
Sufis, the Kabbalah, or the Zohar. Of major importance, and also well
known, are the teachings of the Buddha, the Hindu sages, and the Zen
adepts. Credence as to the actuality and reality of Enlightenment is
supported by the rather extensive literature about such states by well-known
scholars, such as William James, and later scholars of the Zen tradition,
such as D.T. Suzuki and Alan Watts. The difficulty in describing or explaining such states is simply that the
consciousness level of the intellect is limited to the 400s and includes the
presumption of cause and effect. Despite the descriptions, the states
themselves are nonlinear and thus can be alluded to but not accurately
described in familiar language. Despite the limitation of accurate depiction,
the reality of such states is universally recognized, and most recently, such
states have been validated by calibrated levels of consciousness research,
which confirms the Reality of enlightened states of consciousness. Despite
their statistical rarity, such advanced states are inspirational and give
recognition to the potential of human consciousness to evolve. The fact that the enlightened condition is not comprehensible,
explicable, or possible of ‘acquisition’ by the mind/intellect dismays
spiritual seekers; thus, such states may seem unreachable and therefore not
practical as a goal. On the contrary, in actuality, advanced states are
powerfully experiential because the Reality that they confirm and reflect is
already a fact consequent to the very obvious actuality that one already
‘exists’. Thus, every spiritual student already has met the primordial
requisite quality, and it is only necessary to add motivation and
commitment. Thus, the only requirements are, first, to exist, then to have
heard of enlightenment, and then to seek it as a realizable goal. What makes
it seem difficult is the dearth of simple information and clarification, for
experientially the way is innately simple, although at times seemingly
arduous. Another reason that reaching the state of Enlightenment seems
impractical is because the mind conceptualizes in terms of cause and effect,
and students conceive of themselves as being driven (i.e., implying innerwill power, etc.) instead of the reality that they are actually being attracted
by their future destiny.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        O c e a n o f P D F. c o mALSO BY DAVID R. HAWKINS, M. D., PH.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: What is different about the pathway of devotional nonduality,
A:
Q: What is the purpose of the author's work?,
A: The purpose of the work is to provide the essential information needed to successfully pursue the pathway to enlightenment, along with practical guidelines and methods for applying the information to the seeker's personal inner states of spiritual evolution.
Q: What is the difference between the pathway of devotional nonduality and traditional teachings?,
A: The pathway of devotional nonduality eliminates the need for learning or memorizing ecclesiastical doctrine and its historical or mythological origins, whereas traditional teachings require faith and adherence to specific belief systems.
Q: What is the primary focus of the author's work?,
A: The primary focus of the work is to provide the essential information needed to facilitate the spiritual evolution of the individual.
Q: What is the key to achieving enlightenment?,
A: The key to achieving enlightenment is not to acquire or force it, but rather to surrender all dualistic illusions and


 xamples of
such transformations not from the mysterious past, but from within t he contemporary
India. If you need more explanations from the modern Quantum Physics point of view, and do
not feel an expert in physics, please read an excellent book “Super force”, by Paul
Davies, listed in the references. Paul Davies is a respected pr ofessor of physics, and
does a wonderful job of explaining achievements of modern physics to non -experts. It
is really worth the effort to read his book. Another excellent book in this area is “The Brief History of T ime” by Stephen
Hawkins, also listed in the references. 14 Modern medicine: a summary

This chapter is not by any means a complete critical analysi s of modern medicine. Perhaps it could serve as a friendly warning to many of us t o be careful, treasure our
health, and to analyse critically any advice (including mine) because medicine does not
have all the answers. Also, by showing selected limitations of conventional medicine, this chapter invites the
reader to increase his/her awareness of other healing techniques available to all of us
today. 15  • ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

People have been curing themselves in various ways for many thousands of years. Over this time, some techniques have proved to be quite effective and popular. Almost every civilization in the past had its own selection of the  best medical
practices. We are very fortunate today, that some of this informat ion is still
available and we can take advantage of the accumulated wisdom of man y
generations of talented and enlightened people. Please let me point out, that the original principles of orthodox medic ine essentially
support the view, that the patients should be able to seek another opinion. A growing number of people, especially when confronted with a diagnosi s of a
disease considered “incurable” by orthodox medicine (such as advanc ed cancer for
example) turn to alternative forms of treatments, which were prove n through
centuries. To the surprise of orthodox doctors, many of such patients s ucceed in
greatly improving their state of health and surviving for many y ears, against all
predictions and expectations based up on medical statistics. The alternative techniques include, among others:
• Acupuncture
• Massage
• Herbal therapies
• Nutrition and diet
• Fasting (an extreme form of diet)
• Ayurvedic (ancient Indian ) therapies
• Spiritual healers
• Oxygen and ozone therapies
• Meditation and relaxation therapies
• Radionics and electro-magnetic therapies
• Going to famous mineral springs in the mountains (Lourdes in France  for
example), drinking the water and bathing in it. • removing some blood from the body
• going to bed and inducing sweating
• taking sauna

This list is probably not complete, but nevertheless, just by takin g a look at it, it is hard
to notice the extreme diversity of healing techniques. They range from purely physical
methods concentrating on the physical body (herbs, diet, oxygen, massage,
physiotherapy etc.) to purely spiritual methods, totally ignoring  the physical body
(spiritual healing, meditation etc.). Several techniques (Acupuncture,  Ayurveda)
combine the extraordinary accurate and detailed knowledge of both the mi nd and the
body. 16  To me, the most striking is the absence of surgery. I think, there  is a reason for it. The
design of our body is actually perfect. The mind-body system as a whole has been
designed to function perfectly, to defend itself against disease, and to rebuild any
damaged parts for as long as we wish. Our wise ancestors did  not try to improve the
design by removing or changing parts. For orthodox scientists, the most controversial are all spiritual m ethods, in which some
external healer (or even the “patient” himself) controls the he aling of the body by
influencing the state of mind of the patient, and showing his (usually severely inhibi ted)
“subconscious” mind how to perform the required repair job in the most efficient way. I do not like to use the term “subconscious” here. In my experience, such a state of
mind is in many ways superior to our normal conscious state we ar e used to in our
everyday lives. In my opinion, a better description of it would be a “s tate of higher
consciousness” or a “state of connection to a higher intelligence” or  perhaps a “super-
conscious” state. No words can adequately describe such a state, whic h in itself has
many levels, some quite close to our physical body and some very far from it. Some
initial states of higher consciousness are quite easy to learn, while access to advanced
super- conscious states may require many years of or even a li fe time of practice with
an expert guidance. Spiritual healing can be the most spectacular of all healing met hods, but only when the
healer is gifted, that is, he has access as well as a comm and of higher state of
consciousness. Examples of such healing experiences are so memor able, that many of
them have been described in the most important documents of human civil ization such
as the Bible and other scriptures, attracting generations of people over many centuries
to create and support various religions. In more recent times, the reader can find many cases of such heal ing from books
written by professional spiritual healers, like Betty Shine for  example, (see the
References). Researchers and scientists hate deny and ignore such healing, beca use they cannot
“see” the healing mechanism using their instruments, and they ca nnot create such
healing in their laboratories so they can study it. If only they could attain the “super-
conscious” state themselves – they would not only understand the process  of spiritual
healing, but perhaps they would also change their job. The last statement requires some explanation. Those scientists w ho negate the existence
and consequences of the state of higher consciousness do so simply beca use they do not
have to access to it. On the other hand, those who are fully enlightene d – never become
scientists, because they see very little purpose in developing the physical scie nces as we
know them today. To explain this, consider for example why the same scientists, representing the elite of
human knowledge at some stage of development (today), would never think of tr ying to
teach bees to make a perfect nest from carbon fibre. Similarly, after graduating from a  17  university, you would have very little motivation to enroll once again in pr imary school
in order to improve your marks. Attaining higher levels of understanding permanently
changes our perception of reality and direction of development. Most of the healing techniques listed above, require visits to highly skilled and
informed practitioners. This severely limits access of potential  patients of them,
especially when the medical education system favors certain doc trines and the legal
system creates a tight monopoly for practitioners of such doctri nes by making all other
practices illegal. For example, the newly amended Australian health legislation, eff ective from 1 July
1994, threatens to severely penalize doctors incorporating into their pra ctice techniques
of natural health such as nutrition, herbal medicine, homeopathy, ayurvedi c medicine
and relaxation as well as meditation therapy. In many countries it is illegal to practice medicine without  a license issued by the
system, supporting the prevailing medical doctrine. In view of this, the best choice for all people is learn to heal  themselves as well as learn
how to avoid diseases in the first place. The purpose of this chapter is not a comparison or assessment of var ious healing
techniques. Each of them has a deep background in the wisdom and knowledge of
many generations of gifted and enlightened people. Rather than compar ing various
healing techniques, I will try to show the missing link, a common de nominator, uniting
al healing techniques, thereby explaining a key to healing. I will try to explain how and why the study of all known healing t echniques in one way
or another helped me to understand the fundamental principles of heali ng, resulting in
the method presented further in this book. I will refer to various aspe cts of each of the
healing techniques listed above whenever appropriate. 18

THE HUMAN BODY – THE  PERFECT HEALER

If you cut yourself with a sharp object, the wound heals  itself  in a few days. If the
damage is not excessive, the repair job is so perfect, that in few weeks you cannot even
find the location of the cut. All you need to do is not disturb  the healing process – protect the wound from getting
dirty and keep the separated parts together. Now let us analyse in more detail, what exactly happens in such a healing process. When you cut yourself it hurts. The pain informs you, which part of your body requires
attention. When you attend the wound promptly by cleaning it with clean water or your
own saliva and covering it perhaps, the pain is greatly reduced. If y ou do not clean the
wound, it would be automatically cleaned by the blood flowing from it, a nd then the
blood flow would be stopped. During the healing process, the pain is limited or eliminated, unl ess you try to use the
damaged organ too soon – increasing pain informs you immediately that your organ is
not yet ready. The body performs a repair job on itself. All cells which were s eparated by a cut are
growing to join together again. There are many different types of cells a nd tissues being
reconstructed and then connected. Even if some of the tissue is mi ssing,


 com
mon  sight  in  the  Himalayas,  Russia,  China,  and  Nepal. Related  to  rhubarb,  garden  sorrel,  and  the  dock  lam
ily,  buckwheat  is  known  as  kutu  or  phaphra  in  India. Much  like  a  wheat  berry,  buckwheat  has  a  hard  outer
shell  which  when  removed  yields  a  seed  called  a  groat. In  India  this  is  traditionally  ground  fine  and  used  in
a  pakora  or  tempura-style  batter,  used  as  a  dough  fol
poori  (a  thin  fried  chapati),  and  used  toi  making
sweets,  such  as  halva. When  the  groats  are  roasted,  they  air  called  kasha. In  Russian  and  Jewish  cuisines,  kasha  holds  a  place  oi
reverence. Kasha  varnishkas,  or  varnitchkas  (a  torn
bination  of  kasha  and  noodles),  as  well  as  (Ik-  blini  (a
paper  thin  crepe  served  hot)  haw  left  an  indelible
mark  on  universal  cuisine. In  Japan,  soba,  a  i  ich  tasl
ing  noodle  made  from  buckwheat  (lour,  is  anothei
great  addition  to  the  buckwheat  panoply. Perhaps  buckwheal  is  the  only  "grain"  thai  held  a
place  of  true  esteem  m  1  arly  American  cuisine. Mark
Twain  reportedly  became  homesick  foi  buckwheal
cakes  while  msi ting  Europe  m  the  IN  "On   Preshl)  made
165
J@fr
THE    PRACTICE    OF    AYURVEDA
buckwheat  cakes  served  with  pure  maple  syrup  was
among  the  finest  of  America's  first  foods. The  groats,  whole  or  crushed,  roasted  or  unroasted,
are  available  through  most  health  food  stores. Buck-
wheat groats  are  best  suited  to  Kapha  types  because  of
their  somewhat  pungent  nature. However,  when  the
groats  are  mixed  with  wheat  and  a  natural  sweetener,
both  Pitta  and  Vata  types  may  indulge  occasionally. Corn
Native  to  India  and  the  American  continents,  corn  is
a  special  grain. In  India  the  freshly  ground  flour  is
known  as  makkai  atta. Low  in  gluten,  it  is  mixed  with
whole  wheat  flour  to  lend  a  different  texture  to
flatbreads. Like  millet  and  barley,  corn  is  used  mainly
by  the  peasants  in  rural  India. In  ancient  times,  ab-
original tribes  depicted  the  corn  goddess  as  a  symbol
of  fertility  for  both  food  and  humans. There  is  no
sight  holier  than  a  field  of  rice  or  a  golden  field  of
corn. Native  Americans  lived  on  corn  as  their  main  grain. When  the  English  settlers  arrived  in  Virginia  in  1607,
they  found  Native  Americans  eating  foods  they  had
never  seen  before. One  of  these  foods  was
rockahominie,  the  native  word  for  dried  white  field
corn. The  settlers  were  instructed  to  soak  the  dried
corn  in  a  wood  ash  solution  to  loosen  the  husk,  and
then  to  cook  in  water  until  tender. The  settlers  short-
ened the  name  to  hominy. Finely  ground,  this  dried
corn  is  called  hominy  grits. The  Italians  began  harvesting  corn  in  the  mid-
seventeenth  century. The  peasants  of  rural  Italy  dis-
covered that  the  coarsely  ground  cornmeal  made  tasty
polenta,  a  porridge  made  from  a  variety  of  grains
since  Roman  times. Corn  is  planted  abundantly  in  the
north  of  Italy,  where  corn  polenta  often  replaces  the
humble  bread  of  the  mountain  people. Corn  is  excellent  for  Kapha  types,  and  if  it  is  cooked
porridge  style  or  fresh  as  corn-on-the-cob,  slathered
with  organic  butter  or  ghee,  an  occasional  repast  of
this  food  will  also  benefit  Vata  types. Triticale
The  newest  of  grains,  triticale  is  a  crossbreed  of  wheat
and  rye. Its  name  is  derived  from  triticum  and  secale, the  Latin  words  for  wheat  and  rye,  respectively. Since
it  contains  the  characteristics  of  both,  triticale  may  be
used  in  place  of  either  wheat  or  rye. Although
Ayurvedic  thinking  does  not  support  crossbreeding
in  general,  much  less  that  of  different  species,  the
triticale  marriage  has  produced  an  unusual  and  pleas-
ant grain. Triticale  can  be  an  occasional  food  for  all  types. It
is  most  specifically  suitable  for  Kapha  in  the  summer
and  fall,  for  Pitta  in  the  fall  and  winter,  and  for  Vata
in  the  winter  and  spring. Quinoa Called  the  Mother  Grain  by  the  Incas,  quinoa  was
first  harvested  more  than  three  thousand  years  ago  in
South  America. After  the  Spanish  conquest,  the  Incas
began  to  harvest  European  grains  and  ceased  to  use
their  native  quinoa  for  more  than  four  centuries. Quinoa  is  a  distant  relative  to  the  beet,  spinach,  and
Swiss  chard  family. In  fact,  the  leaves  of  the  quinoa
plant  are  cooked  and  used  like  spinach. Like  buckwheat,  quinoa  is  technically  the  fruit  of  a
plant  from  the  Chenopodiaceae  family. While  quinoa
comes  in  an  array  of  colors — pink,  orange,  and  red —
the  variety  available  in  the  United  States  is  a  buff
color. The  resurgence  of  this  stoic  grain  affords  us
many  vital  nutritients. Quinoa,  similar  in  composi-
tion to  milk,  is  the  only  grain  that  contains  the  eight
essential  amino  acids  (proteins)  in  perfect  propor-
tion. Some  of  these  eight  amino  acids,  such  as  lysine,
methionine,  and  cystine,  are  scarce  in  most  plant
sources. Quinoa  is  sweet,  astringent,  and  pungent,
with  a  heating  energy. An  excellent  grain  for  Vata  and
Kapha  types,  it  may  also  be  used  occasionally  in  the
fall  and  winter  by  Pitta  types. Amaranth
Amaranth  was  discovered  in  the  crevices  of  fallen
caves  of  Mexico. It  is  believed  that  this  grain  was
harvested  by  the  indigenous  people  of  Mexico  more
than  six  thousand  years  ago. A  relative  of  the  tumble-
weed  plant,  it  has  similar  properties  to  quinoa  but  is
smaller  in  size. Amaranth  has  the  highest  lysine


 Custard,  315
Mango  Chutney,  308
Mango  and  Melon  Custard,  315
Mango  Chutney,  308
manipura,  32
manomaya,  19
manovaha  nadis,  30
Marzipan  Date  Cake,  319
Masala  Dosa  (Filling),  204
Masalas  and  Condiments,  302-5
masoor  dhal,  172
matardhal,  172
materialization,  process  of,  58
maya,  11 meals. See  also  menus
tastes  and  textures  of,  134-35
transitional,  134
measuring,  for  cooking,  153-54
meat,  178-79 memory. See  also  cognitive  memory
food  as,  15-16
invalid,  13-14 menstrual  srotas,  29
menus. See  also  meals
for  Kapha  types,  144-48
for  Pitta  types,  140-43
for  Vata  types,  135-39
Mild  Garam  Masala,  303
Mild  Sweet  and  Sour  Sauce,  264
Mild  Tamari  Sauce,  278
milk,  176,  178
cows  and,  176-78
lactose  intolerance,  179
recommended  consumption,  179-82
Milk  Dough  (khoa),  184
millet,  165
RECIPES  USING
Crisp  Cooked  Millet,  222
Cumin  Millet,  211
Millet  and  Cauliflower,  209
Millet  and  Corn,  209
Millet  and  Corn  Soup,  283
Millet  and  Mung  Kichadi,  256
Millet  and  Quinoa  Salad,  274
Millet  and  Snow  Pea  Salad,  275
Millet  and  Squash  Soup,  283
Millet  Croquettes,  22 1
Millet  Nori  Balls,  217
Millet  Nori  Rolls,  217
Soft  Millet  and  Carrots,  221
South  Indian  Millet  Balls,  219
Spiced  Rice  and  Millet,  216
White  Basmati  and  Millet,  222
Millet  and  Cauliflower,  209
Millet  and  Corn,  209
Millet  and  Corn  Soup,  283
Millet  and  Mung  Kichadi,  256
Millet  and  Quinoa  Salad,  274
Millet  and  Snow  Pea  Salad,  275
Millet  and  Squash  Soup,  283
Millet  Croquettes,  221
Millet  Nori  Balls,  217
Millet  Nori  Rolls,  217
mind  body,  19-20 mint,  299
Mint  Chutney,  308
mirin,  342
miso,  342
mixed  fruit
RECIPES  USING
Fresh  Fruit  Mold,  316
Fruit  Cake,  318
Fruit  Cobbler,  316
Ricotta  Fruit  Dessert,  315
350
jmt,
INDEX
Universal  Trifle,  314
Mixed  Vegetable  Sambar,  248
Mocha  Mousse,  317
moksha,  2,  8
Mola  Hora,  214
Morning  Booster,  325
mugwort,  299
Mula  Achar  (Daikon  Pickle),  306
muladhara,  31
Mung  and  Buckwheat  Soup,  288
Mung  and  Spinach  Kuttu,  250
Mung  and  Wheat  Berry  Soup,  288
mung  dhal. See  dhal
Mung  Humus,  244
muscular  srotas,  28
Mustard  Greens  and  Asparagus  with
Hollandaise  Sauce,  234
mustard  oil,  175
muth,  172
nadis,  fourteen,  30-31
Narada,  11
Natto-Stuffed  Tofu,  265
navy  beans,  172
nigella  seed,  299
Nimbu  Achar  (Lemon  Pickle),  306
Nimbu  Achar  (Lime  Pickle),  306
noodles,  Japanese
soba,  343
udon, 343
nutmeg,  299
nuts,  tastes  and  energy  of,  69
oats,  164
Oden,  294
Oil  Roti,  208
oils,  174-76
tastes  and  energy  of,  69
ojas,  61
okra
RECIPES  USING
Dried  Masala  Okra,  225
Okra  and  Onions,  237
Rutabaga  Stew  with  Dumplings,  228
Okra  and  Onions,  237
olive  oil,  175
onion
RECIPES  USING
Barley,  Onion,  and  Carrot  Salad,  274
Okra  and  Onions,  237
Pressed  Onion  Salad,  271
Sesame  and  Onion  Sauce,  259
Snow  Peas  and  Onions,  233
Squash  and  Onion  Aspic,  291
Yellow  Squash  and  Baby  Onions,  232
orange
RECIPES  USING
Orange  and  Cherry  Chutney,  309
Orange  Raita,  310
Soy  and  Orange  Peel  Brew,  324 Orange  and  Cherry  Chutney,  309
Orange  Fennel  Dressing,  280
Orange  Raita,  310
Orange  Rasam,  249
osha,  342
Othappam,  202
ovum  and  sperm  dhatus,  health  of,  26,
61
ovum  and  sperm  srotas,  29
Pal  Payasam,  320
panchakarma,  27
panchakosha,  16
Panch  Puran:  Bengali  Masala,  303
Pan-Fried  Tofu,  263
panir  (Curd  Cheese),  184
paprika,  299 parboiled  rice,  161
Pasta  Sauces,  258-60
Payasam,  319-20
payasvini  nadi,  3 1
pea(s) tastes  and  energy  of,  67
dried. See  dhal
RECIPES  USING
Barley  and  Pea  Salad,  275
Buckwheat  and  Pea  Salad,  273
Buckwheat  and  Peas,  2 1 1
Bulgur  and  Peas,  209
Millet  and  Snow  Pea  Salad,  275
Snow  Peas  and  Onions,  233
Steamed  Snow  Peas  and  Acorn  Squash,
232
pear RECIPES  USING
Clay  Pot  Baked  Pears,  314
Pear  Lassi,  325
Pear  Lassi,  325
peera,  342
pepper(s) anchochili,  295
cayenne,  296
Chili,  297,  341
pippali,  342 RECIPES  USING
Brussels  Sprouts  and  Pepper  Rings,  226
Corn  and  Red  Pepper  Aspic,  290
Corn  Balls  and  Red  Peppers,  237
Hot  Pepper  Chutney,  309
Red  Cabbage  and  Pepper  Aspic,  291
Roasted  Peppers,  242
peppercorn,  299 Peppered  Barley  Idli,  205
Peppered  Corn  on  the  Cob,  230
Peppered  Oil,  279
Peppermint  and  Walnut  Mousse,  317
personality


“My teachers were on a dif ferent wavelength from me,” Louise says. What is the purpose of school? My education was a bewildering
experience. I remember scary old teachers, dreaded algebra lessons,
corporal punishment, short playtimes, and for lunch, always blancmange. What is blancmange anyway? Is it even a real food? My school report said
that I was a polite boy who had a lot of potential. Potential for what? I never
found out. I remember being scolded one day for not being original. “Holden, be original!” the teacher shouted. This really hurt me. “I couldn’ t wait to leave school,” says Louise firmly. “You surprise me,” I tell her. “You’re my role model as a lifelong learner
who is always open to learning new things.”
“I didn’ t understand why I had to learn about battle dates, the Industrial
Revolution, and the history of politics,” she tells me. “How did you get on with exams?” I ask. “I failed most of them,” Louise says. A syllabus without a soul: That’s how I describe my educa tion. The
curriculum was based on a narrow definition of intelligence. It was an
intellectual exercise. We focused on “head” intelligence. We studied logicand literacy. We memorized and recited facts and figures. Little attention
was given to the intelligence of the heart and to finding your inner voice. Like Louise, I wasn’ t very academic. My education show ed all my
weaknesses and none of my strengths. “What a distress ing contrast there is between the radiant intelligence of a
child and the feeble mentality of the average adult,” observed Sigmund
Freud. We are each created with a radiant intelligence. It’s in our spiritual
DNA to want to learn and grow. Psychology studies show that young
children, from about three years old, ask as many as 390 questions a day. Any parent can verify these findings. Children are blessed with a love of
learning, and it is either nurtured or knocked out of them. Girls and boys need a fairy godmother to help nurture their love of
learning. A fairy godmother might be a loving parent, a wonderful
schoolteacher, or an eccentric aunt, perhaps. Or maybe the fairy godmother
takes the form of a musical instrument, a pony, or some other great passion. “I loved  to draw and paint when I was young, and I always kept my desk
neat and tidy,” recalls Louise. “I also spent hours and hours reading. I
especially liked fairy tales. My imagination was a safe and wonderful place
to be.”
I rediscovered my love of learn ing when I entered higher education to
study psychology and philosophy. I went from being a C student at school
to an A student who passed exams with distinction. How did this happen? The difference was that I could choose my subjects now. At last, I was
learning about something that interested me. My learning wasn’ t just for a
career or a future income. I was following a passion. And I was finding my
voice. Dwelling in Possibility
Louise and I are having dinner  at her place. We are sitting at the big,
round table with its swirling universe full of galaxies and stars. We are
talking about how the world is not as physical as it looks but is really a state
of mind. I have pen in hand, and we’re drawing up a syllabus with a soul—
a list of classes we wish we’d been taught as children. So far, the listincludes classe s on self-acceptance, love, meditation, nutrition, real
happiness, for giveness, and imagination. “Imagine you could teach one class to every child on this planet; what
would it be?” I ask. “How wonderful!” Louise says. She gives herself a
moment to play with some possibilities. Sensing her readiness, I ask her
what she’d call her class. “I’d teach a class on ‘Making Friends with Your
Mind,’” she tells me with a big smile. “And how would you begin?” I ask. “With mirror work, of course,” she replies, in her matter -of-fact way. “And all the teachers and parents would have to attend, too.”
“What would you teach in your class?” I ask. “We’d start by looking in the mirror and af firming Life loves you.”
“Life loves you, ” I repeat, letting the af firmation sink in. “Then we’d say to our mirror, I love you, I r eally love you,”  she says. “I love you, I r eally love you,”  I affirm. “We’d also say, My mind is very creative, and I choose to think loving
and happy thoughts today,” she says. “That’ s beautiful,” I tell her. “When we love ourselves, we naturally think beautiful thoug hts,” she
tells me. Most of the thoughts we think are not our real thoughts. They are
primarily a gaggle of judgments, criticisms, doubts, and other commentary
we have picked up along the way. These so-called thoughts come not from
the original mind of our Unconditioned Self but from a self-image that
believes the basic fear I am not loveab le. This basic fear is not natural but
learned. All our neuroses stem from it. “Babies don’t criticize themselves,” Louise says. That’ s true. Imagine
meeting a newborn baby that didn’ t like its wrinkles. Babies don’t feel
inadequate. They don’t appear to judge themselves or others as being not
good enough or not cute enou gh or not smart enough or not successful
enough. Babies don’t hold resentments. On the contrary, it’s amazing to
witness how quickly they dry their tears and how easily they let things go. Babies are not pessimistic. They haven’ t given up on the future. They are
still with their original mind, and they dwell in possibility. Your original mind reflects the basic truth I am loveable. It is a
consciousness of love—a radiant intelligence empty of the psychology that
reflects the basic fear I am not loveab le. Michael Neill is an author Louiseand I love and respect. Michael teaches people how to think. “At any
moment you’re either with your thoughts, or you’re in love,” he says. In
other words, you’re tuning in to either the psychology of your self-image or
the pure awareness of your Unconditioned Self. The totality of possibility  is how Louise describes the consciousness of
the Uncondition ed Self. “It’s a phrase I learned from one of my early
teachers, Eric Pace,” says Loui se. “I met Eric at the Church of Religious
Science in New York, when I was in my mid-40s. I’d recently been
divorced. I was feeling unlovea ble and like life didn’ t love me. Eric taught
me that if you change your thinking, you can change your life. Each time
you drop a limitation—a judgment, a criticism, a fear, a doubt—you open
yourself up to the totality of possibilities that exists in the infinite
intelligence of your original mind.”
So how do you experience your original mind? There’ s a beautiful
inquiry I teach in my Loveability  program. If you’d like to try it, all you
need do is make a quiet space for yourself, just as you would  for a basic
meditation pract ice. Let your body relax, place a hand on your heart, and let
your thoughts be still. Then ask yourself this question: What is it like to be
me when I am not judging myself? Repeat this question once every minute
for 15 minutes, and with practice you will surely experience the loving
awareness of your original mind. In a recent Loveability  seminar, I taught this inquiry at the front of the
room to a student named Amanda. Her first response to the question What
is it like to be me when I am not judging myself? was “I’m not sure if I’ve
ever experienced myself withou t judgment.” That’ s how it can feel when
we forget about the basic truth I am loveable. Eventu ally, Amanda found
her flow. By the end of the inquiry, she was “in heaven,” as she put it. In her
feedback to the group, Amanda  said, “I had no idea it could feel this good
to be me.”
I recommend that you follow up this inquiry with a simple exercise. The
idea is to complete the followin g sentence five times: One good thing that
could happen if I judged myself less is … Don’ t edit yourself or judge your
answers. Allow your original mind to speak to you. Let yourself dwell in
possibility. And let the basic truth of who you are inspire and guide you.Suffering fr om Psychology
One of the best classes I ever took was in my first year at Birmingham
City University. It was a talk on cognitive therapy given by a guest lecturer,
Dr. Anderson. The title of the lecture had piqued everybody’ s interest: “Do
you honestly, truly, really believe that a flat tire can give you a headache?”
Physically, Dr. Anderson resembled the actor Dick Van Dyke. He was full
of happiness, and we liked him from the start. Dr. Anderson briefly outlined the history of cognitive psychology. He
mentioned Aaron Beck and Albert Ellis, considered pioneers in the field,
and talked about the recent rise of cognitive behavioral therapy. He was
most insistent, though


. Then moroseness changed
to grief. Suddhodana was certain that he had lost his son. That night the king awoke with a start. A shadowy figure had entered
his rooms. Suddhodana fumbled for the table by his bed, reaching for a bell
to summon the guards. “Don’ t be afraid, father.” Siddhartha’ s voice was soft in the darkness. “I
will fight.”

CANKI SA T IN THE GRANDST ANDS  with the dignitaries, fanned by slaves
waving palm leaves over their heads and charmed by veiled girls passing
sweetmeats. He assumed that his talk with Siddhartha had turned the tide. But still there was danger. The prince had come around, but for how long? He was erratic, unpredictable. The Brahmin remembered the king’ s threat from years ago: Just live
long enough to see what I’ll do to you if this plan fails. As a public show of force, the mock battles were a success. The sheer
bulk of Suddhodana’ s army, and the ferocity of his fighters, impressed the
neighboring rulers and depressed their generals. There was a ripple of shock
when one of the archers mounted on horseback was killed, but Canki had
wandered away by then and witnessed nothing, not even the ladies-in-
waiting who fainted and had to be carried from the scene. By leaving early, Canki had missed the one part of the combats that in
the end really mattered. Siddhartha’ s surrender to his father ’s will was not a sham. He dressed
himself early that morning in his armor, dismissing his father ’s grooms
because he was ashamed to be seen donning so much padding and
protection; he was the one fighter who couldn’ t risk being bloodied. “Not that anyone is going to get near you, much less fight.”Siddhartha wheeled around. Devadatta had come in, not both ering to
knock. He smiled maliciously. “They’ve got you pretty packed in. Why
bother? Y ou could go out there buck naked and nobody would so much as
scratch you. Unless they want to be dragged out of bed tomorrow morning
to kiss the chopping block.”
Siddhartha clenched his jaw. “They have to fight me if I start it first. I’m
not going out there just to watch.”
“Of course you’re not.” Recently Devadatta had become more brazen in
his contempt. He bent over and occupied himself with the intricate thong
laces of his leggings. “You can challenge me if you want,” Siddhartha said quietly. Devadatta burst out laughing. “Y ou can’ t be serious.”
“Why not?” Siddhartha stood up and faced his cousin squarely. The two
were almost matched in height and strength by now despite the four years
separating them. But Siddhartha knew he had one great advantage:
Devadatta was so arrogant that he rarely practiced. He may have lost his
fighting edge without knowing it or being able to admit it to himself. “What weapon?” Devadatta looked intrigued now. “Sword and dagger.” Finished with his equipage, Siddhartha rested his
helmet in the crook of his arm. “They’re expecting me.”
“Naturally. The carnival goes on.”
The two cousins exchanged nods in mock courtesy, and Siddhartha left. When he got to the stables he found Channa holding the reins of his favorite
white stallion. The horse had come to the king from the wilds, and at first
nobody could tame him. But Siddhartha spotted the animal’ s fear and used
it. Every time he brought a stick of sugar cane for the stallion, he would sit
and wait as long as it took for the horse to walk over to him. He never
approached on his own, even if it took an hour for the animal to calm down.When he was tempted enough, the horse wanted to snatch the treat and
run of f, but Siddhartha made sure that his hand always touched the horse
before he released the food. Gradually the white stallion began to accept
being touched as part of being re warded, until the day came when
Siddhartha approached him in public and put a bridle on him, a feat nobody
else had accomplished. From that point on it was only a matter of time
before word went about that the prince had tamed an untamable wild
stallion. On the day when the horse allowed himself to be mounted,
Siddhartha named him Kanthaka. Channa looked restless and disgruntled. “I hope you’re not too bulky in
all that gear. You need to ride properly, remember that,” he grumbled. “Don’ t worry.” Siddhartha knew that Channa’ s resentment wasn’ t
personal. Despite Channa’ s hours of military training beside Siddhartha, he
was technically still a stable boy and not a fighter. Channa said, “I assumed you wanted this one. The king isn’ t risking his
best horses, but he didn’ t exactly say you couldn’ t. He’ll carry you better
than any of the others.” Channa fixed his expert eye on the stallion’ s high
shoulders and wide girth. Siddhartha nodded, stroking Kanthaka’ s flanks. The animal wanted his touch, and although Kanthaka had quivered
nervously at all the neighing and galloping going on around the stables that
morning, he calmed down and waited. Channa managed to crack a smile. “I also assume you know that
someone’ s staring at you. It’ s a mistake, I’m sure. She thinks you’re me.”
A girl had escaped notice following Siddhartha to the stables. Channa
didn’ t know who she was, but as soon as he turned his head Siddhartha
recognized Sujata. She stood shyly in the shadows of a lar ge tree, but the
moment their eyes met, she let the blue silk that half-covered her face drop. Siddhartha was at a loss. “What’ s she doing here?” he mumbled. “I don’ t know. I guess she couldn’ t help herself.” Channa laughed and
gave Siddhartha a hit on the shoulder. “You’ve still got a little time. Go on.”
“It’s not what you think.”“It doesn’ t matter what I think. Go ahead.” Channa was smirk ing now,
and as happens between two young males who talk about everything except
that, his look said, You don’ t know all about women yet? Y ou’d better
believe I do. They were both fairly sure that the other was still a vir gin, but
Siddhartha nursed a suspicion that Channa had more opportunities than he
did belowstairs in the kitchen and scullery, while Channa suspected that
Siddhartha had more chances than he did in the pleasure pavilion by the
lotus pond. This unspoken doubt created a secret between them when there
was no secret to begin with. Neither one dared to find out that the other
knew almost nothing about women. “Let her come to me if she wants to,” Siddhartha declared. He hoped he
could save face and at the same time not risk approaching Sujata—not now,
with someone watching. Luckily, he didn’ t have to. She took a deep breath
and came to him. Throwing aside the daintiness of court women who acted
as if a stable was unholy ground, Sujata walked up to them with her eyes
fixed on Siddhartha. “I came to wish you well. Please be safe today,” she said, her words
coming out a bit too fast and too loud, as words do when they are practiced
in advance. Siddhartha cursed himself inside, knowing that Channa could see him
blush. All he needed to say was “Thank you,” but confusion made him
stammer, “Why would you think I’m not safe?” His tone was brusque, and
Sujata turned a deep scarlet. Humiliation took her breath away, and
Siddhartha died inside that he was the cause. “I mean—” he said, and
stopped. Nobody knew what he meant, least of all himself. It’s unclear whether Channa chose that moment for his first attack of
chivalry, but he coughed and muttered, “I have to find a new bridle. This
one’s too loose.” Then he was gone, and the two were left alone together. Embarrassment momentarily blinded Siddhartha, but as his sight cleared the
first thing he became aware of was Sujata’ s beauty. It had been enough to
make him notice her, then to chase her through the maze. A cloud passed
over him with that memory. He took a step back.Sujata had been looking for the slightest sign of approval, and this step
crushed her hopes. “I shouldn’ t have come. If you can for give me—”
“There’ s nothing to for give. There could never be anything to for give.”
Siddhartha had no idea why he blurted out those last words. But now that
they were out, he took the plunge. “I’ve wanted to see you for a long time. I
didn’ t know if it was right or not. But I’m


 we know. What if we’re
stuck in a cycle of coping behav ior that perhaps worked well once but is not
working so well anymore? What if we have the resources and tools to
handle whatever is underneath our craving—more resources than we did
when we took on the coping pattern as a solution to a problem? We only
need to reboot the part of our body-mind system that is freaking  out for the
craving—and feel the feelings underneath. You track an addiction back;
underneath the compulsion, feelings, and sensations is a memory
(sometimes a good one, sometimes a bad one) associated with the object of
the craving or addiction. Aim Gold Standard EFT at enough core events and their associated
aspects underlyi ng the craving, and the entire issue resolves. The emotion is
disconnected from the crave object or unhealthy behavior—the whole thing
dissolves. Case Study: Zoe’ s CravingsWith Zoe, we started address ing her cravings for Cocoa Kisses from
Hershey’ s, and later we also took care of her Russell Stover fixation. With
this work, her entire issue collapsed. It generalized to other candy and
sweets cravings—remember the Generalization Effect—so she no longer
had the sweet cravings and ice cream marathon challenges. We started the work slowly. I had her put the chocolates she craved in the
other room, where she couldn’ t even see them. Just thinking about them,
Zoe wanted one of those candie s at a level of 10. We tapped on her feeling
of wanting it, including where in her body she was feeling this “wanting,”
which turned out to be in her chest. We tapped on both the body sensation
and the wanting until the feeling and sensation subsided. Then I asked her to get a piece of chocolate from the other room and only
look at it. Now she wanted it again, at a 10—or in her words, “a bazillion.”
One specific aspect was its appearance. Zoe remarked on its “pretty blue
metallic wrapping paper; it’ s like a little present!”
For my part, my brain got very perky, busy making associations. I
remembered Zoe had received a lot of presents from her fathe r, who had
died years earlie r. Could the “Cocoa Kiss Compulsion” have something to
do with that? We tapped on the beautiful present aspect until her “bazillion”
was neutralized to zero. We tapped on the feeling of tightness in her body
when she thought she couldn’ t have it but wanted it so much. This, too,
subsided to zero. However, now the big feelings about missing her father and the way he
had doted on her skyrocketed in intensity in both her body sensations and
feelings about him. We tapped several rounds on different aspects of her
missing him until she was able to talk about it with neutrality. Paying
attention to intuition is important with EFT. I asked Zoe to simply hold the candy in her hand without unwrapping it. Again, we tapped on the incre ase in the “wanting” intensity. When that
subsided, I asked her to unwra p the little kiss. She hesitated—she didn’ t
want to open it and not eat it, it would be wasted. We tapped on her concern
about wasting things, which had been another theme in her growing-upyears. We then tapped on the smell of the chocolate, on the fact that they
were on sale, and like her father before her, she had always  bought candy
on sale. She had associated candy on sale with receiving gifts from her
father and the great love she experienced as a result. We tapped on the fact that she gave much of this candy away to the kids
in her dance studio and to strang ers on the street. We tapped on how good it
felt to give these presents away to others, how “sweet” it was. We tapped on
her need to please others and then how she couldn’ t just eat one but had to
eat a whole bag. We tapped on how bad all this sugar actually was for her. We tapped on every sensual aspect of the candy that gave her intensity. Then we tapped on her own self-talk/inner critic related to the candy: “I
am a pig. I am a glutton. I am not honoring my body. This is disgusting. I
am ashamed. What’ s wrong with me?”
You might think  that because I was a friend of hers, I would have said
something to quickly reassure her: “No, you’re not disgusting and you’re
not a pig! I really admire you.” But that’s exactly what she didn’ t need—
one more person to not listen to her. I needed to validate her feelings and
listen to her without being judgmental to support her as she moved through
her craving addiction. She needed to work through all the negative aspects
first. I knew she wasn’ t those things she was calling herself, but I needed to
meet her at the point where she was standing, not where I wanted her to be. Throughout this round of tapping, I continually checked and rechecked
how she was feeling about wanting the candy in the moment. Zoe’s need
was subsiding as we tapped down all the aspects relating to the craving. Sometime durin g this process, it came to mind that her father had
especially given  her approval when she was giving love away to others
(which later led us to another core issue that was resolved). She came to
understand that by purchasing the candy, she was trying to recreate that
loving, safe relationship she had as a child with her father. “I wanted to be
loved in that same way, and the candy was helping me recreate the feeling.”
Her craving disappeared, never to return. We asked her brain networking
to rewire so that she no longer needed to access the loving mem ories of herfather through these candies—she could have the love and good memories
with her all the time. This is a variation of Gold Standard EFT. (As you
know, even Gold Standard founder Gary Craig is, as of this writing,
exploring a form of EFT—Opt imal EFT—that doesn’ t involve tapping at
all.) Zoe and I tapped for letting candy be candy and love be an emotion,
two separate and distinct things, not mixed together anymore. Here are a few paraphrases of our setups for tapping rounds:
Even though I love this candy, I am choosing to let candy be candy and
love be love. Even though I have associated candy with love, I now
know candy is just a piece of colored sugar and has nothing to do with
the love I feel for my father and the love he shared with me. Even though Dad isn’t with me now, I can feel this good feeling
anytime I think of him; I no longer need candy to experience this deep
love. I’m asking my brain circuitry to redo and reboot so all parts of me
know and live from the space that love and candy are no longer
connnected. I no longer need candy to experience the love. I can
experience that at anytime. After about forty-five minutes, she had no desire for the candy. In fact,
when she did taste it (I requeste d that she taste it—you always need to test
or how will you really know? ), she didn’ t want it. It no longer even tasted
good to her! She never looked back, either, and the craving never
resurfaced. Exercise: Getting Curious about Cravings
We’re going to focus on cravings for food (the ones you can’t control),
although the directions can apply to any type of addiction. Use the craved
object as your tar get when you review the questions in the exercise below.Step 1. Start tapping now as you work. Why harbor unnecessary upset? As you read, tap down the points, from the top of the head through the
under arm point. You can also tap on your fingertips or hold the palm of
your hand against a particular point and massage that area as you read. Step 2. In your EFT journal create a heading: “Cravings.”  List any
cravings that come to mind. Choose just one to start. If just writing your list you feel yourself getting upset or falling into a
crave hole, stop right there. As Buddhist teacher Tara Brach says, “soften”
around the upset, rather than shun it. And start tapping, of course. Use the
Tarzan tap, the fingertip taps, or any other point you like. You can also tap a
Gold Standard EFT basic recipe on the feelings  that have been stimulated,
allowing the intensity to subside before moving on. As I have indicated
before, use your judgment about accessing additional support as you
navigate the exercises. What if you were curious about your craving, instead of angry, ashamed,
or some other challenging emotion? What benefits are you receiving from the craving? For example: It’ s my
pacifier. It makes me feel better. I love it. It helps me feel connected. It
soothes me. I get distracted so I don’ t have to think about all my
problems. What don’ t you want to see, feel, experience, or think abo ut that results
in the craving? Is it to soothe, cover up, or distract yourself from
another issue? For example: It tastes good. It takes my attention away
from my loneliness. It distracts me from how much I hate my job. It
helps me for get how miserable my life is.


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


 r t i o n  o f  a  g r e a t e r  s e l f,  a s  w e  a l l  a r e. I,  M a r i a n n e
W i l l i a m s o n,  c a n  b e  h u r t,  b u t  t h e  g r e a t e r  s e l f  i n  w h i c h  I
d w e l l  c a n n o t. O u r  o p p o r t u n i t y,  w h e n  i n  p a i n,  i s  t o
r e m e m b e r  t h a t  w h o  w e  r e a l l y  a r e  c a n n o t  b e  h u r t. W h e n  w e
l o o k  b e y o n d  t h e  m o r t a l  i n  o u r  p e r s e c u t o r,  w e  c a n  t h e n — a n d
o n l y  t h e n — e x p e r i e n c e  t h a t  w h i c h  i s  b e y o n d  t h e  m o r t a l  i n
o u r s e l v e s. W e  c a n  h a v e  a  g r i e v a n c e  o r  w e  c a n  h a v e  a  m i r a c l e ;  w e
c a n n o t  h a v e  b o t h. *  A n d  I  k n e w  t h a t  I  w a n t e d  a  m i r a c l e. I
d i d  n o t  w a n t  t o  c a r r y  a n y  t h o u g h t s  o f  m a l i c e  o r  r e v e n g e. Iw a n t e d  t o  b e  f r e e  o f  m e a n n e s s  s h o w n  t o  m e,  a n d  p e r h a p s  I
c o u l d  d o  t h a t  o n l y  b y  r o o t i n g  o u t  a n y  m e a n n e s s  w i t h i n
m y s e l f. I f  t h a t  w a s  t h e  l e s s o n,  I  w a s  w i l l i n g  t o  l e a r n  i t. A n d
t h e  l o v e  I  r e c e i v e d  d u r i n g  t h a t  t i m e — f r o m  t h o s e  w h o  b o r e
w i t n e s s  t o  m y  p a i n  a n d  d i d  w h a t  t h e y  c o u l d  t o  b r i n g  m e
c o m f o r t — m a d e  t h e  c r u e l t y  o f  t h e  s i t u a t i o n  b e a r a b l e. I f  w e  a l l o w  H i m  t o,  G o d  c o m p e n s a t e s  f o r  s u c h  d i f f i c u l t
t i m e s  b y  u s i n g  t h e m  t o  t u r n  o u r  l i v e s  i n t o  s o m e t h i n g  e v e n
b e t t e r  t h a n  b e f o r e. I n  t h e  s p i r i t u a l  a s  w e l l  a s  t h e  p h y s i c a l
w o r l d,  w h e n  t h e  s k i e s  a r e  d a r k e s t  w e  g e t  o u r  b e s t  v i e w  o f
s t a r l i g h t. A s  t h e  a n c i e n t  G r e e k  p l a y w r i g h t  A e s c h y l u s  w r o t e,
“ I n  o u r  s l e e p,  p a i n  t h a t  c a n n o t  f o r g e t  f a l l s  d r o p  b y  d r o p
u p o n  t h e  h u m a n  h e a r t  a n d  i n  o u r  o w n  d e s p a i r,  a g a i n s t  o u r
w i l l,  c o m e s  w i s d o m  t h r o u g h  t h e  a w f u l  g r a c e  o f  G o d. ”

T h e  D e e p e s t  W r o n g s

D o  y o u  p r e f e r  t o  b e  r i g h t  o r  t o  b e  h a p p y? *
C l e a r l y,  p e o p l e  d o  t e r r i b l e  t h i n g s  s o m e t i m e s. B u t  i f  o u r
f o c u s  i s  a l w a y s  o n  p e o p l e ’ s  g u i l t,  t h e n  w e  w i l l  f i n d
o u r s e l v e s  l i v i n g  i n  a  d a r k  a n d  v i c i o u s  u n i v e r s e. O u r
c a p a c i t y  t o  s h i f t  o u r  f o c u s  f r o m  g u i l t  t o  i n n o c e n c e  i s  o u r
c a p a c i t y  t o  c h a n g e  o u r  w o r l d. T h i s  d o e s  n o t  m e a n  w e
s h o u l d  l o o k  a w a y  w h e n  b a d  t h i n g s  h a p p e n  o r  c e a s e  t h e
s t r u g g l e  f o r  j u s t i c e. I t  j u s t  m e a n s  t h a t  t h e r e  i s  a  p e r s o n a lh o o k  w e  d o n ’ t  h a v e  t o  s l i n g  o u r s e l v e s  o n t o — t h a t  w e  c a n
a l w a y s  b e l i e v e  i n  t h e  b a s i c  g o o d n e s s  o f  p e o p l e  e v e n  w h e n
t h e i r  b e h a v i o r  d o e s  n o t  r e f l e c t  t h e i r  g o o d n e s s. C o n t r a r y  t o  p o p u l a r  o p i n i o n,  t h i s  i s  n e i t h e r  a  n a i v e  n o r  a
w e a k  p o s i t i o n. I t  d o e s n ’ t  m e a n  t h a t  w e  h a v e  i l l u s i o n s  a b o u t
t h e  n a t u r e  o r  t h e  p o w e r  o f  e v i l. Y e


 r  o f  o u r  t h o u g h t s,
a n d  v e r y  f e w  p e o p l e  j u m p  u p  a n d  d o w n  t o  b e  w i t h  a
n e g a t i v e  p e r s o n. I f  I  w a l k  i n t o  a  r o o m  a n d  s i l e n t l y  b l e s s  e v e r y o n e  i n  i t,  n o
o n e  w i l l  k n o w  e x a c t l y  w h y  t h e y  f e e l  m o r e  p e a c e f u l,  b u t
t h e y  w i l l. W h e n  o u r  t h o u g h t s  a r e  a l i g n e d  w i t h  G o d ’ s,  w e
a r e  l i f t e d  i n t o  a  g r e a t e r  r e a l m  o f  p o s s i b i l i t y  t h a n  o u r  e g o -
b a s e d  t h i n k i n g  c a n  p r o v i d e. I t  i s  n o t  e n o u g h  t o  p r a y,  “ D e a r
G o d,  s h o u l d  I  g o  t o  t h i s  m e e t i n g? ”  I t ’ s  a l s o  h e l p f u l  t o
r e m e m b e r,  b e f o r e  w a l k i n g  i n t o  i t,  t o  p r a y,  “ D e a r  G o d,  n o w
t h a t  I ’ m  h e r e,  I  s u r r e n d e r  t h i s  m e e t i n g  t o  y o u. M a y  I  b e  a n
i n s t r u m e n t  o f  y o u r  p e a c e. A m e n. ”
W e  o f t e n  i g n o r e  t h e  a m a z i n g  p o w e r  o f  p r a y e r,  a n d  f o r  a n
e q u a l l y  a m a z i n g  r e a s o n :  w e  d o n ’ t  b e l i e v e  i t  c o u l d  b e  t h a t
e a s y. Y e t  i s  i t  d i f f i c u l t  f o r  t h e  r o s e b u d  t o  b l o s s o m? I s  i t
d i f f i c u l t  f o r  t h e  s t a r s  t o  s h i n e? P a r t  o f  G o d ’ s  g e n i u s  i s  t h a t
H e  m a k e s  i t  a l l  l o o k  s o  e a s y. W e  k e e p  l o o k i n g  f o r  t h e  w i n g s
o f  a  s p a r r o w  w h e n  t h e  w i n g s  o f  a n  e a g l e  h a v e  a l r e a d y  b e e n
g i v e n  u s. *  W e  k e e p  c l i n g i n g  t o  o u r  w e a k n e s s  w h i l e  o u r  t r u e
s t r e n g t h  i s  h u g e. T r a d i n g  A m b i t i o n  f o r  I n s p i r a t i o n

T h e  p o i n t  i s  n o t  t o  d o  s o m e t h i n g  o r  n o t  d o  i t. T h e  p o i n t  i s  t o
d o  s o m e t h i n g  i f  w e ’ r e  i n t e r n a l l y  g u i d e d  t o  d o  s o  a n d  n o t  t o
d o  s o m e t h i n g  i f  w e ’ r e  n o t  g u i d e d  t o  d o  s o. S o m e t i m e s
p e o p l e  t h i n k  t h e y  h a v e  a  g r e a t  i d e a,  a n d  t h e n  i t  f a l l s  a p a r t. Y e t  i f  t h e  p l a n  w a s  s e l f - i n i t i a t e d  r a t h e r  t h a n  d i v i n e l y
i n s p i r e d,  t h e n  i t  m i g h t  n o t  h a v e  r e f l e c t e d  t h e  b e s t  u s e  o f
y o u r  t a l e n t s  i n  a  p a r t i c u l a r  a r e a. M i r a c l e  w o r k e r s  a r e  w a r n e d  t o  “ a v o i d  s e l f - i n i t i a t e d
p l a n s. ” *  W h a t  t h i s  m e a n s  i s  t h a t  i d e a s  w e  c o m e  u p  w i t h
o u r s e l v e s —  i d e a s  t h a t  c o m e  n o t  f r o m  a  s e n s e  o f  d e e p e r
g u i d a n c e  a n d  i n s p i r a t i o n  b u t  r a t h e r  f r o m  a  s e n s e  o f  a m b i t i o n
a n d  a  d e s i r e  f o r  c o n t r o l — c o m e  f r o m  t h e  e g o  s e l f  a n d  a r e
n o t  b a c k e d  b y  t h e  h e a v e n s. Q u i t e  s i m p l y,  t h e y  a r e  n o t
b l e s s e d. T h e y  m i g h t  b e  g o o d  i d e a s,  a n d  v e r y  w e l l
i n t e n t i o n e d,  b u t  i f  t h e y  d o  n o t  e m a n a t e  f r o m  t h e  H o l y  S p i r i t,
t h e n  t h e y  r e p r e s e n t  “ m y  w i l l ”  a n d  n o t  “ Y o u r  w i l l. ”  O u r
g o o d  i n t e n t i o n s  a r e  n o t  e n o u g h ;  o u r  w i l l i n g n e s s  i s
e v e r y t h i n g. *
O f t e n  I ’ v e  h e a r d  p e o p l e  c o m p l a i n  a b o u t  a  p l a n  t h a t
f a i l e d. “ B u t  i t  w a s