 I feel?, along  with the
commitment to follow the voice of the Holy Spirit, that ultimately will
make it possible to discern between the two opposite thought systems. The more you heal and becom e present, the more you will be able to
identify how the ego’s direction  is always based on fear, while the Holy
Spirit’ s direction always comes with peace, like an all-embracing divine
wave of love. You may now start to realize that if you open your heart up to this
ultimate experience, what you really want and need is true humbleness,
the humbleness of beginning to see that “I do not know.” When youthink you alread y know, you will never ask for guidance. This is why
being in the I-don’ t-know state of mind is so powerful when it comes to
learning to hear and follow the inner voice of God. Allowing yourself to
not know is relaxing, and this is where you can begin to practice your
trust, something  that we will explore and go deeply into in the next
chapter. When you move  toward a life of guidance, you become like a child
who easily lays their old toys aside for a much more fulfilling and all-
inclusive purpo se. Following guidance leads to peace. It leads to
everything that is best for the whole universe. With any decision that
flows very easily, you can trust that Holy Spirit is guiding. You are
meant to have an easy life. It’s the ego that wants to give you challenges
and make things complicated and difficult. The ease and simplicity of
the Spirit are always available, and you can feel them when you are in a
humble state of willingness to follow. With practice, trusting and
following inner guidance becomes very natural.Chapter 7
Trust
Trust is the primary characterist ic we need to cultivate when we start our
spiritual journey. Then other characteristics will follow, such as honesty,
gentleness, and joy. They all rest on trust. This is why trust in the Holy
Spirit is very important. A singer -songwriter friend in Nashville, Tennessee was not finding
any more singin g jobs. The doors were closing. I shared with her that
sometimes we are tempted to ask ourselves or the Holy Spirit, “How can
I keep my job?” even though this is presuming that we should keep our
job. Are we open to widening our view? Maybe there are other prayers
or other questions that we can ask, such as, “Is this the job I should
keep? Is this the job You would want for me, Holy Spirit? Is me working
at this job the best for the whole universe, or do Y ou have something else
for me?” This woman found out that the Holy Spirit had a whole new
life to offer her, a life that would truly get her in touch with her heart’ s
calling, and that is why she could no longer find any singing jobs. She
was ready to trust her next big step in life. The Holy Spirit’s Greater Plan
It seems like when it comes to jobs, careers, relationships, and houses,
we put a lot of importance on these decisions. It is as if we want to
handle it all on our own. We say to the Holy Spirit, “You just help me be
peaceful, and I will handle all the rest myself. I will handle the children,
the job, the house, and the people.” It is as if we are saying, “You give
me the peace, and I will run my life.” We do not realize that these goals
do not go togeth er. When we try to run some aspects of our life, we are
putting our personality first and the Holy Spirit second.Everything is constantly changing in this world. With some of the
changes, we think, Hmm…I like this, and sometimes we think, This is a
threat, and it could be very, very danger ous or risky. When we study or
watch our mind,  we can see that the sense of threat must be coming from
some kind of interpretation or meaning that we give to situations. When
I would have a situation where I could lose my job, I would start paying
close attention to my thoughts and feelings, and I noticed that I was
afraid of the outcome of losing the job. This was because of the certain
meaning and importance I had given to that job. The question becomes,
Can I shift my perception and come to the trust that leads to an
experience of literally being sustained by the love of God? There came a point in my journe y when I realized that I had to trust
that all of my needs would be met. That’ s when I made the decision to
trust that I would be taken care of. And looking back, I see that my needs
have never not been met since. It’s been a beautiful journey of trust and
opening in awareness, and it inspired me to write this poem. Be gentle with yourself on this inwar d journey. Accept the symbols that come to you with gladness and
appreciation. Let the Holy Spirit use the symbols to r emind you of the inner
beauty that is far beyond appearances. Let the colors and the sights and smells and sounds wash thr ough
your mind as r eminders of the vastness and glory of being! Discover the beauty of the Holy Spirit’ s purpose. I Surrendered to Trust and Found Joy
For me, opening to trust starte d with reading. I read everyth ing from
Maslow to Mother Teresa. Like most people, I was searching for a sense
of purpose and meaning, and even a way of somehow understan ding the
human condition. I was searching in philosophy, psychology, and
religion. I felt that there must be something beyond what the world and
society presente d. But I had no clue how to reach it. I explored andinvestigated. Psychologist Abra ham Maslow created the helpful theory
of a hierarchy of needs, which states that we need to meet our basic
survival needs first, before moving on to higher order needs. Mother
Teresa demonstrated the same thing. If someone is sick, hungry, or ill in
some way, their most basic needs must be taken care of first. You
wouldn’ t try to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to a starving child. You
would pick the child off the street, take him in, and then feed the child
and clothe the child. And so, in my developing of trust, reading books about these values
was very helpful. I felt a tickle in my heart, a glee, and joy when I would
come across ideas that really resonated and that I could really recognize
as coming from God. While reading books was a very safe way of
developing trust, starting to follow the Holy Spirit’ s guidance in daily
tasks and movements brought about feelings of trepidation. Fear and
doubt arose because asking where to go and whom to talk to or call was
so coun ter to the way I had been living my life. And yet, I pushed
through my fear and doubt and started following the guidance I was
hearing. And it was amazing. I felt bursts of joy after I got off the phone
and after I visited somebody in the hospital or paid a visit to their house. I was just swell ing with joy because I listened and followed even when
the ego was scared or telling me not to do it. The ego voice in my mind
was saying things like: “You are going to lose your autonomy. You are
going to lose your individuality  if you keep following that voice.” But I
just kept at it. I liked that feelin g of joy! I wanted more of it. I began to
lose myself in that joy, and I started to discover my true Self. I found that
I could trust the little prompts from the Holy Spirit in everythi ng I did. And the more I trusted, the clearer the guidance became, and the more
joyful I got. From Survival to Divine Providence
One morning, I woke up with the Bee Gees’ song “Stayin’ Alive” in my
mind. With it was the uncomfortable feeling that everyone is just trying
to survive in this world, trying to stay alive. Think about how much
energy people devote to this. It’s all about survival, security, safety, and
planning for the future. So much effort is put into keeping the bodyalive. We need to shift our consciousness from putting all that effort and
energy into maintaining the body to putting that same effort and energy
into forgiving our illusory thoughts, feelings, and beliefs, and
remembering Spirit, our natural spiritual reality. We need trust to shift from staying alive and going nowher e to
being alive, to the joy, happiness, and vitality of our Christ being, our
true Self. As we deepen in trust, we see that everything we need will be
provided, withou t our own effort; we won’ t even have to think of it. This
is new and big. You can treat it like an experiment but not like a test
where you, for example, travel to a far-off town with no money to see if
you will be provided for. It’s more than that. It’s saying, “Start ing right
now, right here in this moment, what if I decide to trust that if I’m being
authentic, if I’m being transparent, and if I’m open to healing and
happiness, that everything that I would need for healing and happiness
will be provide d?” This is the promise of oneness, of love


topical treatment with dimethyl sulfoxide the skin lesions improved, but
histological examination still showed amyloid deposits. 9
The Russians stated in a 1988 published paper that they are routinely instilling
DMSO into surgical wounds to speed their healing and to provide general infection
control. As a result, their surgical patients are finding great advantages from faster
postoperative wound closure. 10
Boosting of the immunity among patients suffering from osteomyelitis (a bone
disease resulting from infection) occurred from the adjunctive use of DMSO, as
indicated in another 1986 Russian study. Their bone infections improved markedly
from a boosting of lymphocytes to fight off the chronic disease process. The
investigators stated in their clinical journal article, “The application of Dimexid
and Dekaris [their
two brands of DMSO] is shown to give better results in the
treatment of patients with chronic osteomyelitis.”
11
Orchitis, an inflammation of the testis that causes pain, redness, and swelling
of the scrotum, and may be associated with inflammation of the epididymis (part
of the spermatic duct system), usually is caused by infection. It is a condition that
affects one or both testes as the infection spreads down the vas deferens. The
orchitis may develop in mumps, and mumps orchitis affecting both testes may
result in sterility. Treatment of epididymo-orchitis often is by local support and
administration of analgesics for pain and antibiotics for infection. However, a
Russian urologist, Dr. V.N. Glozman, reported in a November/December 1986
Russian journal of urology that his patients suffering with orchitis and epididymitis
benefitted when he added dimethyl sulfoxide to the treatment regimen. 12
As recently as September 1992, biological physicians reported to the
Pharmacological and Biological Therapies panel of the newly created Office for
the Study of Unconventional Medical Practices that DMSO has found use for
infection with HIV, the virus suspected of causing AIDS (acquired immune
deficiency syndrome). This new office of the National Institutes of Health is
looking at DMSO and other unconventional medical practices as a means of
expanding health care in the United States. DMSO has opened up a way to control practically all infections. Medical
scientists must now experiment with the substance in laboratories and clinics todiscover and label its vast storehouse of applications. For this purpose alone,
DMSO should be legalized for use nationally.CHAPTER 13
Misreporting of DMSO for
Scleroderma and Interstitial Cystitis
It was nine years before that Jean Puccio of Washington, D.C., had had a diagnosis
of scleroderma leveled at her. Supposedly this was a death sentence. But on July
31, 1980, Mrs. Puccio sat smiling at the United States Senate Subcommittee on
Health and Scientific Research and told the four presiding senators her story. DMSO was responsible for the woman’s being free of pain at last and able to work
twelve- or thirteen-hour days as a hair stylist. “I had been going for about a year and a half to the military doctors, and they
did not know what my problem was,” explained Mrs. Puccio. “When I finally got
to Walter Reed Hospital, I stayed a week and they did muscle biopsies and nerve
blocks. I was examined by thirty doctors and several civilian consultants. They
told me that I had scleroderma, which I had never heard of.”
Scleroderma, also known as progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS), is a
potentially fatal disorder of the connective tissues, a chronic rheumatic disease of
unknown cause. It is characterized by fibrotic degeneration and blood vessel
abnormalities in the skin, joints, and internal organs (especially the esophagus,
intestinal tract, lung, heart, and kidney). Advanced diffuse scleroderma is unmistakable, but the disease also exists in a
form in which there is only limited skin change, often confined to the fingers and
face. This variant is generally known as the CREST syndrome, which stands for
Calcinosis (lime salts deposited in body tissues, hardening them), Raynaud’s
phenomenon (spasms of tiny arteries), Esophageal dysfunction (blockage of the
food tube), Sclerodactyl (hardening of the skin on the fingers and toes), and
Telangiectasia (swelling of the small blood vessels). The CREST syndrome may
take many years to develop distinctive and fateful internal manifestations. Thus,
the disease may occur in a mild form compatible
with long life, or it may cause
early death due to heart failure, kidney disease, lung complications, or intestinal
malabsorption with extreme weight loss and weakness. PSS is more common in
women and comparatively rare in children.Learning that she had this serious form of collagen vascular disease, Mrs.
Puccio said to the doctors, “Okay; fine. What are we going to do about it?”
One of the physicians answered, “Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do
about it.”
She wondered, “No medication?”
He said, “No. The best you can hope for is a wheelchair, and within a short
time, you will probably die.”
“I went from doctor to doctor to doctor,” Mrs. Puccio told the Senate
Subcommittee. “I finally found Dr. Jacob through a lady in Pennsylvania. I called
him and went to Portland. Dr. Jacob examined me, and he verified the diagnosis. At that time, I was becoming Oriental-looking; my skin was being pulled back. I
was having difficulty breathing and walking and eating. He put me on topical
DMSO, but it burned my skin, since scleroderma has a tendency to make your
skin tissue thin.”
Senator Edward Kennedy, Subcommittee Chairman, asked about the woman’s
troubles with opening her mouth and her problem with eating, which she had told
him of before the beginning of the hearing. “Because it constricts your tissue, it thickens the tissue, and it makes your skin
so tight you cannot move. It was difficult for me to drive; it was difficult for me to
turn the ignition in my car or turn my body. It was just very difficult.... I have a
letter here from my dentist. He could not do any dental work on me for a while. Now, I can open my mouth like anybody else does.... I went to Dr. Jacob, and
he gave me the medication, which I brought back to Virginia. I painted it topically,
but it burned my skin. I called him back, and he said, ‘Let us try taking it orally,’
so I started taking it orally. Within about six months my condition reversed almost
immediately.... I can do anything anybody else can now. Unfortunately, I have
to be on that drug for the rest of my life.”
Mrs. Puccio also paints on a form of DMSO called 87-2, which was developed
by Robert Herschler (see
Chapter 5
). This is mixed with different chemical
complexes, including urea. It is almost odor-free. She paints it on her skin at night,
and by morning the odor is gone. She is extremely conscious of the odor. When
she drinks it, she said, she does not go out. “I drink it on Saturday, and I am not
out of the house until Monday evening, because I am conscious of it.”
Her eyes were examined every year for the seven years she used DMSO. “I
have not had problems with my eyes,” said Mrs. Puccio. Her statement about
experiencing no eye problems is significant, as we shall see. On April 9, 1980, writing to United States Representative Claude Pepper whohad chaired the House Select Committee on Aging to investigate “DMSO: New
Hope for Arthritis?” Lillie Forister of Artesia, New Mexico, told of her particular
form of arthritis—scleroderma. Mrs. Forister wrote:
I was twenty-five years old with a five-year-old daughter when I was told I
have scleroderma and that there is no cure and very little help for it. About the first thirteen years, it wasn’t too bad. I had ulcers on my
fingertips. I only had pain while the ulcers were healing, and being cold
during the winter months. But the last six years have been something else. In 1974, I had an
amputation of my first toe. And then in 1979, I lost two more. I am
enclosing some pictures so you can get an idea of what has happened to
me. The last five years, during the winter months, the only way to get by is
to live on pain pills and then it doesn’t do the job, just takes the edge off. You lose weight and walk the floor at night, because you can’t sleep for
the pain. The pain is with you day after day ’til you don’t think you can
take it any more. Then the first part of 1979, I started having chest pains and trouble
with my lungs. I couldn’t even clean up one room without sitting down and
resting. I’ve always been able to take care of myself. And it’s very hard
for me to have to accept


 aware
rather than ‘doingness’ per se. Attitudes that may just seem merely ‘nice’ to ordinary mind become
very powerful tools when aligned with spiritual intention and commitment. For instance, to strictly live by the dictum of ‘good will to all life’ is
transformative when energized by the Spiritual Will. The decisions to ‘be
kind to all of life’ or to respect the sacredness of all that exists are powerful
attitudes in spiritual evolution, along with the virtues of compassion, the
willingness to forgive, and seeking to understand rather than to judge. By
constant surrendering, perceptions dissolve into discernment of essence. Supplication and prayer to Divinity are facilitated by a profound and
deep surrender to humility. This humility is merely the truthful
acknowledgment of the actual fact that the ego/mind, by virtue of its
structure and design, is intrinsically incapable of being able to differentiate
truth from falsehood (essence from appearance). Emotion is not an indicator
of truth as it is both reflective and determinative of positionalities and
conditioning. It is important to realize that both the level of consciousness and karmic
propensities are consequences of prior acts of the will. In contrast, in
ordinary worldly life, rewards are based on gain and demonstration of
accomplishments or acquisitions. Surrender and humility are not the same
thing as passivity because, paradoxically, both surrender and humility are
positive acts of the Spiritual Will and are thereby in a positive agreement to
‘allow’ rather than to ‘get’. Focus
In ordinary life, the mind focuses on linear content, specific details, and
emotionalized perception. The ego is thus energized consequent to
projected, inflated estimates of worth or value. The process of energizing
perceptions and desires is based on the ego’s expectations of gratification
and reward. In contrast, in spiritual endeavor, the focus is not on the result
but instead on alignment with an overall field of intention. The ego is oriented towards specifics and the linear content of the field
of vision. Its effect on vision itself is exclusive and limited in order to focusprimarily on the near side of objects (so as to facilitate manipulation). Spirit
is oriented towards context and the whole, and is thus inclusive and focuses
on the far side of objects. Its field is diffuse rather than local. To relate to the overall field rather than become involved in the details
of specifics is characteristic of a contemplative lifestyle, which is conducive
to spiritual evolution. In meditative practice also, there is a shift from focus
on specifics at the outset but then progressive identification with the overall
field and eventually with context itself. When vision is focused on a desired object, the focus is on the near side
of the object. In contrast, looking at what or who is loved results in the
inclusive shift of focus to the far side. In ordinary life, the ego/mind goes from ‘unfinished’ to ‘finished’, and
then from ‘incomplete’ to ‘complete’. In contrast, the spiritual pathway is a
direction and style that goes from complete to complete as evolutionary
states of emergence. Ego positions are interactive and usually represent a
composite. For example, to disassemble anger may require the willingness
to surrender the pride that underlies that anger, which in turn depends on
surrendering a desire. This means surrendering the fear that energized the
desire, which again is related to the undoing of imaginary loss, and so forth. Motivations are thus intertwined and mutually interactive, and operationally
surrendering them leads to the next levels, which are comprised of dualities. The deeper layers, therefore, tend to surface one’s beliefs about God,
programmed spiritual expectations, and belief systems. Spiritual work is
therefore a matter of exploration that transcends mentalized concepts, such
as those of cause and effect. It is helpful to understand that a specific level of consciousness is
aligned with an ‘attractor field’ that, like a magnet, attracts similarities. Although the personal self likes to think that the thoughts going through the
mind are ‘my thoughts’, they are actually only ‘the thoughts’ that prevail at
a given level of consciousness. It is like different depths in the sea attract
different types of fish. Thus, if one’s calibrated level of consciousness is
primarily in the field of pride, then the field itself impersonally attracts
similar supportive thoughts that are quite different from the ones that
prevail with an overall attitude of neutrality or acceptance. Spiritual intention subserves, reinforces, and focuses on witnessing and
observing rather than on doingness or specifics. Spiritual processing is like
positioning oneself in the wind or in a water current.Spiritual motivation, intention, and alignment could be likened to
changing the magnetic or gravitational field of influence by which context
is shifted, revealing a different understanding. For example, a presumed loss
becomes recontextualized as a hidden gain (greater freedom, opening of
opportunities and choices, etc.). By comparison, from the level of Pride, the
options are few and limited, but from Willingness, Surrender, and
Acceptance, the options are multitudinous. The Will
The Spiritual Will is not like the ego’s understanding of will as ‘will
power’, which means emotional force with clenched teeth of exertion and
increased emotionality. The ego-driven will takes energy and is taxing. It
could actually be understood as a form of aggression. In contrast, invoking
the Spiritual Will is like opening floodgates and then standing back. The
ego/will contextualizes events in terms of cause and effect in which the
personal self-will claims credit or blame because it sees itself as a causal
agent. In contrast, the Spiritual Will is not personal but is a quality of
consciousness that changes context by surrender to an invitation to the
power of the Self. The Spiritual Will calibrates at 850, and the personal will
calibrates at only the person’s current level of consciousness. The Spiritual Will, invited by complete surrender, is thus capable of
performing the seeming ‘miraculous’, whereas the personal will,
paradoxically, often automatically triggers resistances, as anyone knows
who has tried personal ‘will power’ to overcome even minor habits. Surrender of the personal will to the Will (Wisdom) of God (or
Providence, Higher Power) signifies relinquishment of control. One can
expect the ego to resist doing so, and it invents excuses, counterarguments,
and multiple fears in order to maintain illusory control. The ego’s positions
are reinforced by pride as well as desire for specific results. Thus, to the
ego, to step back and invite the intervention of Divinity seems like a loss,
whereas, to the Spirit, it is definitely a win. Another limitation of the personal will is that it has no knowledge of
karmic propensities or propitious timing, nor does it have the wisdom
(omnipotence) to comprehend beneficial sequence. The Self orchestrates
with an inner knowingness of capacity. For instance, to try to face a certain
conflict prematurely may be unsuccessful, whereas it would have been
successful after a few other layers of the conflict had been resolved.Alignment of Awareness
Spiritual alignment is with context rather than content. To watch the
mind is far different from identifying with it. To witness and observe are
beneficially removed from the alternative of emotional involvement and
gain-or-loss participation in the world of perception. To watch the mind
from a detached position is educational, nonstressful, and can be done with
equanimity. Whereas the consciousness level of the witness/observer
increases awareness, the ego watches with the expectation of ‘doing’ or
‘getting’ something. With the style of detached observation, the unfolding
of life reveals itself to be the consequence of the spontaneous emergence of
actuality as a manifestation of potentiality when conditions are favorable. By the practice of nonattachment (as compared to detachment), the
spectator viewpoint can be maintained even during participation because
the spectator learns ‘about’ an event but is not ‘of it’. Nonattachment
becomes possible with relinquishment of the desires for gain. With deep
surrender and continued alignment, identification with awareness eventually
disappears along with the loss of identification with the
witness/observer/watcher. The Self is innately complete unto itself and is
therefore not needful nor is it subject to the positionalities of subject/object. The field is independent of content. Consciousness just i s, with no stakes in
the unfoldment of Creation. Eventually, the autonomous spontaneity
whereby potentiality unfolds as Creation reveals that Evolution and
Creation are one and the same thing. Q: Spiritual inquiry starts with acquired information derived from
study, etc. This then results in the obstacle of the mind’s conclusion
that “I know.” How can valid information be held so as not to
create the obstacle of presumption? A: To the seeker of the truth of the inner pathway of nonduality, all learning
is held as tentative until the innate truth reveals itself and is validated
experientially. This process is potentiated by recontextualization. Classically, the recommended position from which to hold information
is clarified by the phrase “So I have heard,” which implies the holding
back of transferring information into a belief system. That information
has become an integrated ‘knowingness’ is indicated by a
transformational change of perception consequent to full understanding. This is often the result of reflection and contemplation.Q: Can you amplify that with an example? A: Both the Buddha and Jesus Christ taught that the basic


A: The author emphasizes that change is a natural and necessary part of life, and that it is essential to let go of resistance and align with the truth of your inner self.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>I t ’s a golden opportunity! Liquid Gold
The Lore and Logic of Using Urine
to Grow Plants
by Carol Steinfeld • Illustrations by Malcolm Wells
5.25 x 8.25 • 96 pages • Many illustrations and photographs
Color cover, black and white and color pages
ISBN: 0-9666783-1-1 • $14.95
Every day, we urinate nutrients that can fertilize plants
that could be used for beautiful landscapes, food, fuel,
and fiber. Instead, these nutrients are flushed away,
either to be treated at high cost or discharged to waters
where they overfertilize and choke off aquatic life. Liquid Gold: The Lore and Logic of Using Urine to Grow Plantstells you
how urine—which contains most of the nutrients in domestic wastewater
and usually carries no disease risk—can be utilized as a resource. Starting
with a short history of urine use—from ritual to medicinal to even
c u l i n a ry—and a look at some unexpected urinals,Liquid Goldshows how
urine is used worldwide to grow food and landscapes, while protecting the environment,
saving its users the cost of fertilizer, and reconnecting people to the land and the nutrient
cycles that sustain them. T h a t ’s real flower power! Liquid Gold features three ways to use urine hygienically and productively for plant growth,
with studies that show the science behind this practice. Several advocates of urine
diversion and their gardens are profiled, demonstrating that using urine for fertilizer is a
feasible, safe, and cost-saving way to prevent pollution and save on fertilizer costs. Whimsical drawings by Malcolm W ells (world-renowned architect, artist, and author of several
books, including The Earth-Sheltered Home, Classic Architectural Birdhouses, Recovering
America, InfraStructures, and How to Build an Underground House ) throughout the book
make this a must for every bathroom library, a great gift for gardeners (and anyone who
urinates), and an enlightening problem-solver for environmental planners dealing with the
nutrient pollution of water. Author Carol Steinfeld is projects director for Ecowater Projects, a nonprofit project that
informs the public about ecological wastewater management solutions. She is the co-author
of The Composting Toilet System Book and Reusing the
Resource: Adventures in Ecological Wastewater Recycling. Her articles have appeared in The Boston Globe, San
Francisco Chronicle, a n dNatural Home Magazine. Available from online book services as well
as your favorite local bookstore. Or, order
from Ecowaters Projects
P.O. Box 1330, Concord, MA01742 USA
Tel. : 978-318-7033
w w w. e c o w a t e r s. o r g
Media inquiries:
i n f o @ l i q u i d g o l d b o o k. c o m
Book includes a 3-inch
“Urine Charge” decal<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        I t ’s a golden opportunity. Liquid Gold
The Lore and Logic of Using Urine
to Grow Plants
by Carol Steinfeld • Illustrations by Malcolm Wells
5. 25 x 8. 25 • 96 pages • Many illustrations and photographs
Color cover, black and white and color pages
ISBN: 0-9666783-1-1 • $14. 95
Every day, we urinate nutrients that can fertilize plants
that could be used for beautiful landscapes, food, fuel,
and fiber. Instead, these nutrients are flushed away,
either to be treated at high cost or discharged to waters
where they overfertilize and choke off aquatic life. Liquid Gold: The Lore and Logic of Using Urine to Grow Plantstells you
how urine—which contains most of the nutrients in domestic wastewater
and usually carries no disease risk—can be utilized as a resource. Starting
with a short history of urine use—from ritual to medicinal to even
c u l i n a ry—and a look at some unexpected urinals,Liquid Goldshows how
urine is used worldwide to grow food and landscapes, while protecting the environment,
saving its users the cost of fertilizer, and reconnecting people to the land and the nutrient
cycles that sustain them. T h a t ’s real flower power. Liquid Gold features three ways to use urine hygienically and productively for plant growth,
with studies that show the science behind this practice. Several advocates of urine
diversion and their gardens are profiled, demonstrating that using urine for fertilizer is a
feasible, safe, and cost-saving way to prevent pollution and save on fertilizer costs. Whimsical drawings by Malcolm W ells (world-renowned architect, artist, and author of several
books, including The Earth-Sheltered Home, Classic Architectural Birdhouses, Recovering
America, InfraStructures, and How to Build an Underground House ) throughout the book
make this a must for every bathroom library, a great gift for gardeners (and anyone who
urinates), and an enlightening problem-solver for environmental planners dealing with the
nutrient pollution of water. Author Carol Steinfeld is projects director for Ecowater Projects, a nonprofit project that
informs the public about ecological wastewater management solutions. She is the co-author
of The Composting Toilet System Book and Reusing the
Resource: Adventures in Ecological Wastewater Recycling. Her articles have appeared in The Boston Globe, San
Francisco Chronicle, a n dNatural Home Magazine. Available from online book services as well
as your favorite local bookstore. Or, order
from Ecowaters Projects
P. O. Box 1330, Concord, MA01742 USA
Tel. : 978-318-7033
w w w. e c o w a t e r s. o r g
Media inquiries:
i n f o @ l i q u i d g o l d b o o k. c o m
Book includes a 3-inch
“Urine Charge” decal

        Section summary: This review describes "Liquid gold" - A comprehensive guidebook written

**Summary:**

Accordingly,

• It highlights opportunities where liquid waste materials like human urea-rich excretions contain valuable resources. For instance, it shares insights into utilizing such substances effectively. This publication provides practical approaches towards efficient reuse/recycling practices through innovative methods. It emphasizes avoiding excessive release; instead advocate sustainable strategies emphasizing health safety aspects. Please correct any grammatical errors if there's need. ).<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: What is the main topic of the book "Liquid Gold: The Lore and Logic of Using Urine to Grow Plants"?,
A: The book explains how to use urine as a fertilizer for plants, and its benefits for the environment.
Q: What is unique about the nutrients in urine?,
A: Urine contains most of the nutrients in domestic wastewater and usually carries no disease risk.
Q: What are the three ways to use urine hygienically and productively for plant growth, as described in the book?,
A: The passage does not explicitly state the three ways, but it does mention that the book provides "studies that show the science behind this practice".
Q: What is the author's background and expertise?,
A: The author, Carol Steinfeld, is the projects director for Ecowater Projects, a nonprofit project that informs the public about ecological wastewater management solutions.
Q: Where can the book be ordered from?,
A: The book can be ordered from online book services, favorite local bookstores, or directly from Ecowaters Projects.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>THE JOY OF PERFECT HEALTH

The reason and the ultimate cure for all diseases. Cure yourself forever! Dr. Tom J. Chalko MSc, DrEngSc, MIEAust. 2 We doubt everything and everybody, except our own ignorance
Master Ching Hai

 To my family, friends and teachers
  Thank you for your love patience and support

 Tom
  3 LIST OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION        5
WHAT’S WRONG WITH ORTHODOX MEDICINE? 7

  Bacteria and viruses       9
 The mind        11
 Medical education       12
 Progress        13
 Modern medicine: a summary     14

ALTENATIVE MEDICINE       15

THE HUMAN BODY – THE PERFECT HEALER    18

HOW WE DEVELOPE DISEASES      20

Diet and its consequences       22

TOXINS IN OUR LIFE       23

 Parasites and toxins       23
 Where are toxins? 25

DETOXIFICATION: A CONDITION FOR HEALING   27

      THE IMPORTANCE OF A PURE MIND     28

TRUE HEALING – PRACTICAL ADVICE     32

 Detoxification        32

 Accelerating the detoxification process    33
  1. Cleaning the bowel      33
  2. Fasting       35
  3. Oxygen Therapies      39
  4. Exercise       41
  5. Sauna       41
  6. Removal of Dental Amalgams    42

 Some unusual effects of detoxification    43

 Diet – minimizing the intake of toxins    44


 glucose  and
vegetable  oil  to  make  it  more  appealing. Generally  the
iron,   B   vitamins,  niacin,  and   thiamin   are   lemlio
duced  into  it,  alter  its  innate  nutrients  have  been
stripped,  thus  the  term  fortified  white  rice. This  prod
ucl  offers  little  or  no  contribution  to  health
Flaked  Rice. Although  dried,  steamed,  and  Hat
tened,  nee  flakes  are  a  gentle  breakfast  cereal  good  fol
all  body  types. 16  1
>m
THE    PRACTICE    OF    AYURVEDA
Each  type  of  rice  bears  a  subtle  difference  in  color,
shape,  aroma,  and  taste. There  are  infinite  varieties  in
India — pearl,  ivory,  pink,  red,  brown,  taupe;  long,
short,  oval,  fat,  thin,  and  wispy. The  following  is  a
variety  of  the  most  commonly  known  rices,  ranging
from  the  staple  rice  to  the  most  exotic. Basmati  Rice
An  aromatic,  nutty  flavored  rice,  basmati  has  been
cultivated  for  centuries  in  North  India  and  Pakistan. Some  villages  in  northern  India  conduct  a  harvest
ritual  of  hulling  and  winnowing  the  grain  by  hand,
with  all  villagers  sharing  in  this  sadhana. Basmati
is  renowned  for  its  long,  slender  shape,  which  length-
ens instead  of  swelling  when  cooked. The  word  basmati
translates  literally  as  the  "queen  of  fragrance." This
sattvic  grain  remains  unrivalled  among  the
aromatic  rices,  due  to  its  exquisite  scent,  which  has
been  likened  to  the  jasmine  flower  and  the  exotic
walnut. Due  to  an  Indian  preference  for  rice  that  cooks
somewhat  dry  and  that  separates  well,  basmati  is  usu-
ally aged  up  to  two  years  before  being  used. Tradi-
tionally, this  rice  is  used  on  ceremonial  occassions
and  in  the  preparation  of  rice  pilafs. Basmati  is  available  in  both  white  and  brown. White
basmati  is  easy  to  digest,  cooling  to  the  digestive  fires,
and  is  held  in  high  regard  Ayurvedically  as  a  cleansing
and  healing  food  for  all  body  types. Brown  basmati,
like  other  brown  rice,  retains  both  the  bran  and  the
germ  of  the  rice  kernel,  giving  it  greater  healing  prop-
erties than  most  other  types  of  rice. Black  Japonica
This  medium-grain  rice,  which  has  a  black  bran,  is
grown  in  small  quantity  by  the  Lundberg  farms  in
California. It  is  used  in  many  gourmet  rice  blends
because  of  its  flavor. Black  japonica  is  sweet  and  slightly
pungent  in  taste. Good  for  Vata  types;  may  be  used
occasionally  by  Kapha  and  Pitta  types. Brown  Rice
Brown  rice  comes  in  long-,  medium-,  and  short-grain. This  rice  has  only  the  hull  removed;  both  the  bran
layer  and  germ  layer  are  left  intact,  clinging  to  the kernels. Brown  rice  has  a  cream  color  and  a  chewy
texture,  due  to  its  high  gluten  content. It  is  superbly
rich  in  minerals  and  vitamins  and  has  three  times  the
fiber  of  white  rice. Generally,  the  medium  and  short
grains  have  more  amylopectin  (a  waxy  starch),  which
gives  them  a  chewier  and  stickier  character  than  long-
grain  rice;  they  also  take  longer  to  cook. The  long-
grain  brown  rice  is  fluffier  and  lighter  when  cooked. All  types  of  brown  rice  must  be  well-cooked  and
chewed  properly  to  facilitate  proper  digestion. Brown
rice  is  best  for  Vata  types. On  rare  occasions,  Pitta  and
Kapha  types  may  indulge. Calmati
Basmati  has  recently  been  cross-seeded  with  an  Ameri-
can long-grain  variety  in  northern  California  to  pro-
duce this  popular  brown  basmati. Italian  Rices
Arborio,  vialone  nano,  carnaroli,  and  padano,  the
most  popular  rices  in  Italy,  are  grown  in  the  regions
of  Piedmont  and  Lombardy. Most  Italian  and  Span-
ish rice  is  medium-grain  and  high  in  starch,  which
makes  the  grains  stick  together. When  cooked  these
varieties  become  soft,  translucent,  and  yet  retain  a
firm  central  core;  they  also  yield  a  top  layer  of  rice
cream. Arborio  is  often  used  to  prepare  the  well  known
Italian  rice  dish  called  risotti. Italian  rice  may  be  sub-
stituted occasionally  in  any  recipe  calling  for  short-  or
medium-grain  rice. These  are  good  for  Vata  types,
may  be  used  occasionally  by  Pitta  types,  and  seldom
by  Kapha  types. Jasmine  Rice
Native  to  Thailand,  this  rice  resembles  the  basmati
grain. It  has  a  rich  fragrance  and  is  silken  to  the  touch. This  grain  goes  through  a  water-milling  process,  which
leaves  it  smooth  and  long. Unlike  basmati,  this  rice  is
not  aged  and  usually  expands  into  a  moist  and
medium-grain  shape  when  cooked. Jasmine  rice  is
now  grown  successfully  in  the  United  States. Its  cool-
ing energy  during  digestion  makes  it  useful  for  cleans-
ing by  those  of  all  types  on  a  healing  diet. As  part  of
a  regular  diet,  like  most  rice,  jasmine  is  suited  to  the
Vata  types. 162
m
FOOD    SADHANAS
Sushi  Rice
This  short-grain  white  rice,  used  in  Japan  for  making
sushi,  can  be  found  in  most  Oriental  food  stores  and
some  natural  food  stores. When  cooked  it  is  softer  and
stickier  than  most  other  types  of  rice  because  of  its
high  starch  content. Best  for  Vata  types,  sushi  rice  may
be  used  occasionally  by  Pitta  and  Kapha  types. Sweet  Brown  Rice
This  sticky  cream-colored  short-grain  rice  is  used  in
East  Asian  cuisines  for  making  desserts. Its  taste  is
naturally  sweeter  than  short-grain  brown  rice. Native
to  both  India  and  Japan,  it  can  be  found  in  some
Oriental  or  natural  food  stores. Best  for  Vata  types,
sweet  brown  rice  may  be  used  occasionally  by  Pitta
and  Kapha  types. Texmati  Rice
A  hybrid  of  Indian  basmati  rice  and  American  long-
grain  white  rice,  texmati  is  also  called  American
basmati. Its


 has healed  hersel   and  now  teaches  others  how  to  cross  over  the  dark  passages to  light  and  life. This  deeply  personal  and  spiritual  offering  is  a  necessity  to everyone  who  seeks  to  know  the  ancient  secrets  of  healing  from  the  Ayurvedas. WMIY  BURNSTEIN,  M.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: What is the recommended consumption of milk?,
A: The text recommends consuming milk in moderation, as it is not suitable for everyone, especially those with lactose intolerance.
Q: What is the recommended way to cook certain grains?,
A: The text recommends cooking grains in a pressure cooker or using modern utensils and methods.
Q: What is the purpose of the book "Diet for Natural Healing"?,
A: The book is a comprehensive guide to Ayurvedic medicine and provides a working guide to the centuries-old healing arts.
Q: What is the recommended diet for Pitta body type?,
A: The text recommends a diet that is balanced and in harmony with the Pitta body type, with an emphasis on cooling and calming foods.
Q: What is the significance of the text's discussion on the five elements?,
A: The text explains the relationship between the five elements (Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Space) and the doshas (Kapha, Pitta, and Vata), emphasizing the importance of aligning with the natural world.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>C an di d a C l ean e r
R epo r t
Yo ur C ur e f or F r e e d o m
fr o m C a n d i d aT ab l e o f C o n t e n t s
Dis c l aim e r
Abo ut th e A uth o r
5 S t ep s T o S u cce ssIn tr odu cti o n
Hist o ri cal E vi d e n ceW h y  Mo st T e r ap i e s F ail
Maximiz e Y o ur  C o mf o r t & S u cce ssT h e S ear c h f o r  th e C ur e
C as e S tu di e s
S pec i al C as e s
Inf o rm ati o n o n T urpe n tin e
C an di d a C l ean e r  F A Q s0 1
0 30 2
0 4
0 5
09
15
18
2 0
2 4
2 5
2 6
0 1
Dis c l aim e r  an d T e rms o f U s e A gr ee m e n t
N ot hing in t his doc ument is int ended t o c onstitut e medic al
ad v ic e or tr eatment. Inf or mation in t his doc ument is a
c ombination of inf or mation f ound in medic al
lit er atur e and
inf or mation ac quir ed t hr oug h c linic al obser v ation b y D r. J ennif er
D aniels in her medic al c linic al pr ac tic e.

T his inf or mation is f or inf or mational pur poses onl y. N ot hing,
inc luding
c ommunic ations w it h D r. D aniels, should be t ak en as
medic al ad v ic e.
B ec ause t her e is al w a y s some r isk in v ol v ed, t he
aut hor of t his doc ument is not
r esponsi ble f or an y ad v er se
det o x if ic ation eff ec t s or c onsequenc es r esulting
f r om t he use of
an y sug g estions or pr oc edur es desc r i bed in t his doc ument. P lease c hec k w it h y our doc t or or nutr itionist bef or e mak ing an y
diet ar y c hang es
or st arting an e x er c ise pr og r am. T he aut hor and publisher of t his doc ument and t he
ac c ompan y ing mat er i als
ha v e used t heir best eff ort s in
pr epar ing t his doc ument. T he aut hor and
publisher mak e no
r epr esent ation or w ar r anties w it h r espec t t o t he ac c ur ac y,
applic abi lit y, or c omplet eness of t he c ont ent s of t his doc ument. T he inf or mation c ont ained in t his doc ument is str ic t l y f or
educ ational pur poses. T her ef or e, if y ou w ish t o appl y ideas
c ont ained in t his doc ument, y ou ar e t ak ing
f ul l r esponsi bi lit y f or
y our ac tions. T he aut hor and publisher disc l aim an y w ar r anties ( e x pr ess or
implied),
mer c hant abi lit y, or f itness f or an y partic ul ar pur pose. T he aut hor and publisher
shal l in no e v ent be held li able t o an y
part y f or an y dir ec t, indir ec t, puniti v e,
spec i al, inc ident al, or
ot her c onsequenti al d amag es ar ising dir ec t l y or indir ec t l y
f r om
an y use of t his mat er i al, w hic h is pr o v ided “ as is ” and w it hout
w ar r anties. A s al w a y s, t he ad v ic e of a c ompet ent doc t or or ot her
healt h pr of essional should
be soug ht. T he aut hor and publisher do not w ar r ant t he per f or manc e,
eff ec ti v eness, or
applic abi lit y of an y sit es list ed or link ed t o in
t his doc ument. A l l link s ar e f or inf or mation pur poses onl y and
ar e not w ar r ant ed f or c ont ent,
ac c ur ac y, or an y ot her implied or
e x plic it pur pose. T his doc ument is © C op y r ig ht b y D r. J ennif er D aniels. N o part of
t his ma y be
c opied, or c hang ed in an y f or mat, sold, or used in
an y w a y ot her t han w hat is
out lined w it hin t his doc ument under
an y c ir c umst anc es.It is bec ause I am passionat e about natur al r emedies and am a true belie v er in
t heir
f asc inating benef it s t hat I c r eat ed and st and b y V it alit y C y c les. 0 2
I ha v e been f asc inat ed w it h healt h
f r om
a v er y y oung ag e. A lt er nati v e
healing has
al w a y s al lur ed me as I
f ound it intr iguing
ho w one c an
heal t hemsel v es w it hout
r esorting t o tr aditional
phar mac eutic al
dr ug s. I dec ided t o appr oac h t his f r om a pl ac e
of lear ning and e x per ienc e.
A c ademics
ha v e al w a y s been m y str ong suit. I
g r aduat ed f r om
H ar v ar d U ni v er sit y w it h
honor s, r ec ei v ed a bac helor’ s deg r ee,
t hen
c ontinued m y educ ation at t he
U ni v er sit y of P enns y l v ani a, f r om
w her e I
r ec ei v ed m y medic al deg r ee. I dec ided
t hat t his w asn ’t enoug h, bec ause I
needed mor e educ ation on ho w t he
healt h c ar e s y st em w or k ed. I att ended
W hart on and r ec ei v ed m y MB A in healt h
c ar e administr ation. T o g et hands-on e x per ienc e, I pr ac tic ed medic ine f or 10 y ear s as a boar d -c ertif ied
f ami l y pr ac tic e ph y sic i an. It w as her e t hat I f ir st obser v ed t he po w er of natur al
r emedies. T hat’ s w hen I st art ed under st anding ho w natur al met hods sti l l


 the basket that Christopher was
holding. “My goodness!” she exclaimed. “You must have been a good girl
and a good boy for Daddy to get you all these treats.” She smiled at me as
she said this. Bo wasn’ t smiling. I knew what she was thinking. I wasn’ t
sure what Christopher was making of all this. I hoped it was flying over his
head. “Well, I’m sure you are very good children. Only very good children
get treats,” she said. We packed our treats into my rucksack and walked out of the shop. After
just a few paces, Bo gave a firm tug on my coat. “Daddy, we need to talk,” she told me. “I thought we might,” I said. “You see, I don’ t want to be a good girl,” she said most adamantly. “What would you like to be?”
“I’d like to be a lovely girl.”
“What’ s a lovely girl like?”
“It’s like this,” she told me. “When I go out people say to me ‘You’re a
lovely girl,’ and all I have to say is ‘Thank you.’”
“Bo, you are a lovely girl,” I said. “Thank you,” she said with a big smile. One of the themes I’ve been exploring in my inner -child counseling is the
pressure I put on myself when I was young to be “a good little boy.” Early
on, I worked out that good little boys didn’ t get shouted at, didn’t get hit,
and didn’t get into trouble. I hoped that if I was always good and never bad,
my parents would never say to me, “We are so disappointed in you.” I hated
it when they said that. However, being good full-time is hard work. You
have to suppress a lot of feelings. You can’t always speak the truth. Sometimes you have to lie. And that feels bad. Trying to be a good little boy is difficult for lots of reasons. For starters,
adults have different versions of what good  is. Your mum and your dad
might not agree on what good is. Your grandparents probably don’t agree
with what your parents think. Your teachers have their own ideas, and so
too do your friends. And everyone changes his or her mind all the timeanyway, and that just makes you mad. You can’t win. It’s so unfair. But you
tell yourself that you mustn’ t say anything because that’ s not good. The more you try to be a good little boy or a good little girl, the more you
have to put on an act. Putting on an act is not innocent. It’s a calculated
attempt to win love and approv al, or, simply to stay out of trouble. Being
good is just one act. Other acts include being strong (“brave little soldier”),
being helpful (“my little helper” ), being nice (“my little angel”), and being
a little adult (“a big girl”). More acts include being an invisible child, the
family hero, a scapegoat, a problem child, and the entertainer. “I tried to be a good little girl at first,” Louise tells me. “But that got me
unwanted attenti on from my stepfather.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        After a recent visit to see Louise in San Diego, I took a British
Airways flight home to London. The flight encountered severe turbulence
nonstop for 90 minutes. We all experienced the turbulence, but we didn’ t
experience it the same way. One lady screamed over and over, “I don’t want
to die. ” She had to be sedated. A few seats away, two young boys met each
violent bump and drop with howls of laughter. They were having a great
time. And then there was the Englishman who sat with his eyes closed,
breathing deeply and af firming to himself, Life loves us,  and All is well. Thought is not reality. I do the schoo l run with my daughter, Bo. It’s a
30-minute trip, depending on traffic. Our journeys are full of conversation. Bo loves her school, but she finds the drop-of f difficult. “I know it’s just my
thoughts, Daddy,” she said one time. “Be kind to those thoughts, and let
them know you’re okay,” I said. Bo was quiet for a while, and then she
asked a question—one of approximately 390 questions per day—which
was, “What is a thought made of. ” What a great question. When we know
that thoughts are just ideas—a version of reality, but not reality itself—it
can make a world of dif ference how we experience life. You can choose your thoughts. Louise and I were out for a walk one day. We were  follow ing a nature trail near her home. Big old eucalyptus trees
shaded us from the bright sun. We got talking about the principle You can
choose your thoughts. “What exactly does this principle mean. ” I asked
Louise. She said, “It means thoughts have no power other than what you
give them. ” Thoughts are just ideas—possibilities in consciousness—that
are only big or powerful if we identify with them. “You are the only thinker
in your mind, and you can choose if your thoughts are true or not,” said
Louise. One of my favorite Louise Hay principles is, The only thing we are ever
dealing with is a thought, and a thought can be changed. Most of the time
when we are in pain, it’s because we are responding to our thoughts about
something. The pain is mind-ma de. It is a sign that we are literally suffering
from psychology. The way out of suffering is to make friends with your
mind and remind yourself that you are the thinker of your thoughts. Happiness is only ever one thought away. For instance:
When your three-year -old son puts the car keys down the toilet again
in order to see the look on your face, you could get angry, or you could
choose a higher thought. When your six-year -old daughter asks you to dress up in her mother ’s
wedding dress, you could be sensible and say “No,” or you could
choose to create a wonderful photo opportunity. When your wife puts your favorite 1989 Bordeaux wine in the
spaghetti sauce, this could be grounds for a major grievance, or you
could choose peace instead. When your computer crashes in the middle of writing a chapter of a
book, you could  declare atheism as revenge, or you could ask for extra
help and guidance. When something doesn’ t go your way, you could think, The world is
against me,  or you could choose to look for a hidden blessing. Power of Inquiry
I was writing an article for a national newspaper. It was not going well. The editor had given me a deadline of “a thousand words by yesterday,
ideally. ” I had been at my computer for more than two hours, and I was still
staring at a blank screen. I had written more than a thousand words already,
but none of them  were any good, according to the voice in my head. That
voice, the one that didn’ t like my writing, was familiar to me. It had a harsh
tone. It felt cold and sharp. It was my inner critic. My inner critic was firmly in charge of my writing that morning. I had a
good idea what I wanted to say, but I couldn’ t get past the first line. Whatever I wrote was being judged by my inner critic as not good enough
or not inter esting enough  or not original enough. I tried to reset myself over
and over again. Deep breath. Sip of coffee. Inspiring affirmation. No luck
whatsoever. I had wasted half a morning, and I felt like tearing my hair out. I didn’ t though, because I’ve tried that before and it doesn’ t work. At least,
it doesn’ t work for me. I was about to let the curtain fall on my career as a writer when I had a
flash of insight. Another voice inside my head spoke to me. This voice
sounded soft, warm, and resonan t. It was kind. This voice said to me, “Your
inner critic has never been published. ” “What. ” I gasped. “Coul d this really
be true. ” Apparently it was. My inner critic—the voice that was coaching
me how not to write my article that morning—had not once been published. For years, I had listened faithfully to the voice of my inner critic, and I
had not once thought to check its credentials. I just assumed that it spoke
the truth and knew what it was doing. But my inner critic had never written
a book. It didn’ t even have a blog. No wonder it couldn’ t show  me how to
write. Wow. I felt a huge surge of relief move through my body. I knew I
had to stay close  to that other voice that had delivered this amazing insight. “What shall I do now. ” I asked the kind voice. “Tell your inner critic to
relax and take the day off,” the voice said. That’ s what I did. And the
writing flowed. “Awareness is the first step to changing anything,” says Louis e. “Until
you are aware of what you are doing to yourself, you will not be able to
make the change. ” That


 on his forearm slowly, delicately,
back and forth, and each blink of an eye was like a door closing, leading to
blackness, before it opened again and the world reappeared. He felt very dif ferent from before—calm, free of anger. Out of the
corner of his eye he could see that the mood of the king had shifted. Suddhodana was returning to reason, and as he did, the thought of loss of
his only son was intolerable. Suddhodana was within half a breath of
stopping the fight. He had yet to register that Siddhartha was about to win. The last thing Siddhartha’ s eye caught was his sword inching closer to its
perfect tar get. Suddhodana shouted, “Stand back, a fighter is down!” He wanted to run
forward and embrace his son. The prince stood over Devadatta’ s fallen
body, panting hard. “Get up,” he said. Devadatta was shaking his head. Instead of delivering
a fatal wound, Siddhartha’ s sword tip had been deflected, slicing the skin
over his heart. He spat out the dust he’d swallowed going down, aiming
deliberately at Siddhartha’ s feet. Siddhartha’ s eyes fixed on the slimy spot it
made. He held out his hand to Devadatta. “Y ou win, if it pleases you.”
Devadatta refused the hand with contempt. “It’ s not going to be that
easy, boy,” he hissed. Siddhartha ignored the jibe and turned around. “I quit this fight,” he said in a loud voice, keeping his eyes away from
the king’ s. “I can’ t prevail over a better man. Give the honor to my cousin.”
Suddhodana shook his head. “Y ou have prevailed. The contest is over,”
he shouted, but few heard him. Screams rent the air be cause, at the moment
when Siddhartha turned away from him, Devadatta lifted his dagger and
raked its rippled blade across the small of his opponent’ s back. Siddhartha
staggered. Devadatta brought back his arm to strike straight up into his
enemy’ s stomach as he doubled over.Siddhartha never gave him the chance. He reached out and grabbed
Devadatta’ s hair with one hand while batting the threatening dagger away
with the other. The gash it made across his palm was insignificant; rage
canceled out the pain. He banged Devadatta’ s skull into the packed dirt. The
first time was enough to make his opponent half senseless, but Siddhartha
repeated the action twice more. Devadatta’ s eyes betrayed panic when he
realized that he was alone and defenseless. The second time his head
smashed against the ground, his eyes glazed over; the third smash, and they
rolled up into his head. Siddhartha paid no attention. He lifted Devadatta’ s limp body of f the
ground in a wrestler ’s hold around the chest, squeezing the breath out of
him. It was remarkably easy to do, as if he were shaking a rag doll. Siddhartha locked his arms into a vice and leaned back, his face to the sky. Inside a voice said, “ This is freedom. This is what the gods feel like when
they mete out death.” Siddhartha believed the voice and waited for the
moment when he would let Devadatta’ s body fall. As his face turned up to the sky, which was still divided between sun
and clouds, his arms felt Devadatta’ s body grow more and more still. Surrender, and be fr ee. For the first time since he could remember, a voice came to him from
another place. Siddhartha’ s grip weakened just a fraction. Surrender, and be fr ee. When the voice came back again, Siddhartha could hardly keep from
shouting back, Haven’ t I alr eady surr ender ed? He had conceded the fight to
his enemy, yet instead of freeing him, it had opened him to treachery. What
was this new surrender? Where would it take him? Siddhartha felt seized
with fear. If he let go of Devadatta, their old enmity would be twice as
strong; he would have failed his father and turned victory into humiliation. None of that mattered now. Deep down he knew what he had to surrender. The voice wanted him to jump into the abyss, a place deep inside and
completely unknown to him. It was the only way out.Devadatta quivered and softly moaned. Siddhartha dropped him without
being aware of his action. He walked to the edge of a clif f—the image in his
mind was as real to him as anything he’d ever seen—and leaped. He saw
his arms fly up and the yawning gulf, like a monstrous mouth, below him. His first impulse was to shriek, so dizzying was the sensation of
plummeting into emptiness. This must be like dying,  he thought. He
couldn’ t feel his body anymore; no sights or sounds reached him from the
outside world. But his worst fears were unfounded. The void was not a
place of destruction and chaos. No, it was very dif ferent. He saw his mother holding a baby in her arms, and her face was the sun. He saw Mara sitting on his throne surrounded by swarming, buzzing
entities, and his face was the night. He saw his father, an infant swaddled in
a suit of armor, crying to be let out because he was suf focating. He saw
Sujata, the stars, Channa riding the white stallion Kanthaka. The spectacle
whirled and slipped past him like painted gossamer, and Siddhartha
laughed, feeling exhilarated. The things that had meant so much were as
thin and fragile as tissue. He kept on falling. The tissuelike images flew apart. It was like
watching the wind scatter leaves, and the leaves were his life. As this life
evaporated before his eyes, Siddhartha felt a shiver, as if someone had
ripped of f his winter coat and left him naked in the cold. But he wasn’ t
naked, and far from dead. Instead of the mask of images and memories,
surrounding him on every side was something pure and free: life itself. He
couldn’ t remember who he was. There was nothing left of his fears and
dreams, nothing to do, nothing to want. He was simply alive, the breath of
the breath, the eye of the eye. The falling sensation ended. Siddhartha was held in suspension, an
invisible spider dangling from an invisible thread. It would have been
wonderful to remain like that. It would have been everything. Then a low
throbbing could be heard like distant thunder, and it rolled toward him, a
wave of thunder that boomed in the night until the muf fled boom turned
into a word. “Son?”Siddhartha opened his eyes. His father ’s stricken face covered the sky. I’m all right,  he wanted to say, seeing the sick worry in the king’ s eyes. No
words came out. They were stifled by Siddhartha’ s emotions. He reached
back in his mind, trying to return to where he’d been after he leaped into the
abyss. There was nothing there. He felt his father lifting his head; other arms were under his legs and
torso. They lowered him onto a litter, and then he was jounced up and down
as the bearers ran with him toward the palace. He was returning to his right
mind now, full of images and memories once again. What had he done to
Devadatta? What would happen to Channa? His whole body felt heavier; it
was being tied to earth again by a thousand threads. Siddhartha struggled,
desperate to break free. Then a physician’ s soothing voice said, “T ry to
calm down. Quit fighting.” Someone pressed a cold slimy thing to his
forehead, and the last thing Siddhartha saw before passing out was the
painted ceiling of his father ’s bedroom, in the image of the sky. “HEAT STROKE, THA T’S ALL. Did you see his face? He was sweating like
mad, then he turned white as a sheet before they carried him of f. He could
have died.”
“He went crazy. It was bound to happen. Don’ t you know the pressure
he’s under? Y ou’d crack too.”
“The wretched boy’ s cursed. My wife has a maid who can see demons. The one she saw around him almost scared her to death.”
The rumor mill at court hummed with excited speculation. No one could
make their favorite theories stick. They were too bewildered over
Siddhartha’ s sudden outbreak of violence. W ould he ever be himself again? The gods of gossip were not sure. After three days the leeching was over,
and the royal physicians, squeezing clotted blood between their fingers,
declared that the worst poisons had been extracted. The astrologers sounded
guardedly optimistic about the transit of Mercury coming to an end after it
had combusted with the sun. In their eyes, malefic forces had taken over
Siddhartha. Suddhodana didn’ t believe any of it


 it subsides. If
you do not expe rience a decrease in your intensity, ask yourself what is in
the way. What’ s the upside of keeping the craving? Tap on that. You may
also consider just setting it aside until later and starting again, or you could
come at it from a dif ferent angle. And of course, you always have the option
to obtain the support of an EFT practitioner experienced in clearing
cravings. Step 5. If you have dropped down below a 2 after tapping on the first
round, ask yourself about the next quality that jumps out at you about your
crave object that makes you want it? It could be a positive or a negative. Here’ s what comes to mind when looking at the M&Ms bag: “the bag is
ugly but the colors inside are so bright and shiny.” Notice that these are
technically three  different aspects (ugly bag, bright colors, shiny colors). When you have several aspects like this that are so closely linked, you
could combine them or start with one of these aspects—the highest one—
then go for the other two once that one subsides. Probably one round would
do it on each. Now rate your intensity of feeling about each quality on the 0
to 10 scale.Step 6. Let’s say you want to combine “bright” and “shiny colors.” Create
a setup phrase focusing on these qualities. For the M&Ms, it would be:
“Even though the colors inside are so bright and shiny and I want them, I
deeply and completely accept myself.”  You would then repeat your EFT
setup one to three times while continuously tapping on your Karate Chop
point. Again, identify where in your body you feel this, you might say:
Even though the colors inside are so bright and shiny and I feel this in my
trembling arms …. Step 7. Go to work on the tap-down points, from the top of the head to
the underarm point using your reminder or problem phrase. (In the case of
the M&Ms: “Bright and shiny  colors—I want them!”) This might also be a
time to try tapping on the finge r points and the Nine Gamut series. You’ll
find these additional tapping points in Chapter 2. Step 7a. You might start experiencing resistance to tapping and giving up
your craving. If this is the case, before you go on to tap on the bright and
shiny color, honor the rebel inside and acknowledge the resistance and fear. You can customize the following examples. Remember to check intensity,
karate chop while saying the statement one to three times, then tap through
the EFT sequence while saying your reminder phrase. Even though I question who I will be if I give this up, I accept  myself
and how I feel. Even though this is the one thing I know that helps calm me down, I
love myself anyway and respect this process. Even though I’m not giving these up and you can’t make me, I
completely accept all parts of me, including the younger me who
maybe didn’ t get enough love or attention when she was growing up. Step 7b. At this point, you might start experiencing some sadness, upset,
loneliness, or grief or any other emotion that at one time wasn’ t okay or
safe to feel. You may not know  where these feelings come from or which
event they may be related to. That’ s okay, tap on it anyway. Focus on thefeeling—it is part of what’ s holding the craving locked in place. I can’t tell
you how many people are surprised at how much emotion they feel at some
point during these exercises. Again, it’s part and parcel of the process—you
are allow ing these trapped feelings to release, but you have to feel them
first. Step 8. Let’s return to “bright and shiny”  from step 7. Once you have
tapped a few EFT sequences  using the reminder phrase, retest your
intensity. If the compulsion toward your crave object because they are
bright and shiny has gone down to a 2 or below, move on to a different
aspect that’ s enchanting you. Step 9. You continue this way, performing the EFT basic recipe and
tapping down the points on every aspect that comes up relating to your
craving until all are neutralized  to zero. You’ll see some suggestions for
amping up the craving and testing for intensity in step 1 1. Note: If you feel suddenly flooded with emotion, keep tapping while
tuned into the feelings; they will pass. When you’re tuned in like this, you
can let go of the words. Step 10. At a certain point, some people will clear the body feeling, the
feeling of the craving, and then get in touch with a specific memory that
happened much earlier in their lives that is where the core disruption
happened. This means the mem ory is linked to the origins of the craving. Maybe Sam, in exploring the origins of his cravings and overeating of salty
foods, remembers back to his childhood, when he used to gobble junk food
before his paren ts got home from work. It turns out he had perfectionist
parents who expected far too much of him, and he turned to food to comfort
and insulate himself against the anxiety he felt when his parents were home. He got approval  from doing what was “beyond his means” but at a cost that
he still is paying off today. How could he clear this? Look for specific
events and apply T ell the Story technique. Some people won’t remember any specific past event, but the intensity of
the body sensations and feelings are still happening. In cases like these, thememory may be “implicit,” meaning not consciously remember ed. You can
go ahead and make up an event in this case and tap on aspects just as you
would a “real” past event. Y ou are still accessing the core disruption. Step 11. Maybe you have resolved the feelings. Maybe you just ate the
crave object. Okay, we will take a moment to tap on being okay no matter
what just happened. Beating yourself up hasn’ t worked, so how about
accepting yourself instead? Even though I just ate the thing I want to get rid of and I can’t stand it,
I deeply and completely accept and forgive myself. (Reminder phrase:
“can’ t stand that I just ate it”)
Even though I feel like I failed, I love myself anyway. (Reminder
phrase: “feel like a failure”)
Even though I feel so much despair and hopelessness because I gave in
again, I love, honor, and accep t myself, even if I never get over this. (Reminder phrase:  “this despair and hopelessness”)
After giving in to a craving, this could be a point where a tapalong can
allow you an emotional break from the deep stuff—like a wayside rest on
the side of a beautiful winding road with an amazing vista in the distance. This is an alternative to Gold Standard EFT. Here you talk through your
feelings, whatever comes up. Y ou can customize as you see fit:
Top of head:  I ate the whole darn thing, and I feel like such a failure. Inside eyebrow:  I was supposed to get over this, not give in to it. Outside eye:  Will I ever get through this? Side of eye:  I have no self-control. Under nose:  I don’t want anyone to know about this. I’m going to keep it a
secret. I’m so ashamed. Chin:  What if I never get over this? Collarbone:  I wish I didn’ t feel this way, but I do. Or maybe it just means
the craving is sitting on some pretty big feelings and hurts.Under arm:  Compassion might be more useful here than beating myself up. I alread y know how to beat myself up. Now, I’m learning self-
compassion. How would it feel to just accept what happened and be okay
with it? Second sequence
Top of head:  Still, I should be able to get over this. I should. I’m strong
enough. I’m good enough. I’m capable enough. Just not about this. And it
matters so much to me. Inside eyebrow:  I’m sad that I can’ t seem to do it. Side of eye: I’m angry that I can’t seem to fix this. I’m mad that the tapping
doesn’ t seem to work … or maybe it’s working too well and bringing up
all the big feelin gs that I didn’ t even know were under wraps …. Maybe
I could give myself some compassion. Under eye: Compassion? Yeah, right. Here I am tapping to give up the
craving, but I gave into it. If feels so disappointing, like I’ll never get it
right. Under nose:  But I want to make this change. It’s hard to feel the feelings
that tapping brings up. That’ s what feels hard. But the feelings are
moving through—finally. Chin:  Am I ready to get over it? Do I really want to? Do I really have to? What if I have to make changes I’m not ready to make? Collarbone: And what if I don’t? What if I don’t have to do anything till
I’m good and ready. Even if I never release this craving, I’m still okay,
lovable, worthy, and sometimes even fun and


 W e  b e c o m e  t h e  l a m p s  t h a t  s h e d  t h e  l i g h t  t h a t
e m a n a t e s  f r o m  t h e  e l e c t r i c i t y  o f  G o d. N o  o n e  f e e l s  d e e p l y  a t
h o m e  o n  t h i s  p l a n e ;  i t  i s  n o t  w h e r e  w e  c o m e  f r o m,  a n d  i t  i s
n o t  w h e r e  w e  a r e  u l t i m a t e l y  h e a d e d. *  I t  i s  a  p l a c e  w e  s t a y
b u t  f o r  a  l i t t l e  w h i l e,  b e a u t i f u l  a n d  b l e s s e d  w h e n  w e  a l l o w
o u r  p e r c e p t i o n s  o f  i t  t o  b e  o v e r s h a d o w e d  b y  H i s,  b u t  a  w a y
s t a t i o n  n o n e t h e l e s s. W e  a r e  h e r e  b e c a u s e  w e  h a v e  a  m i s s i o n :
t o  b e  t h e  l o v e  t h a t  i s  m i s s i n g  i n  a  l o v e l e s s  w o r l d  a n d  t h u s
r e c l a i m  t h i s  d a r k e n e d  w o r l d  f o r  l i g h t. H a v i n g  a n d  B e i n g

W e  c a n  h a v e  i n  l i f e  w h a t e v e r  w e  a r e  w i l l i n g  t o  b e. F o r
u l t i m a t e l y,  b e i n g  a n d  h a v i n g  a r e  t h e  s a m e. W h e n  w e  g r a n t
o u r s e l v e s  t h e  e m o t i o n a l  p e r m i s s i o n  t o  l i v e  t h e  l i f e  w e  w a n t,
t h e r e  i s  l i t t l e  i n  t h e  w o r l d  t h a t  c a n  s t o p  u s. A s  i t  s a y s  i n  t h e
C o u r s e,  w e  d o n ’ t  a s k  G o d  f o r  t o o  m u c h,  b u t  r a t h e r  w e  a s k
H i m  f o r  t o o  l i t t l e. *  O u r  w e a k n e s s  i s  o f t e n  s i m p l y  aw e a k n e s s  o f  f a i t h — b e l i e v i n g  m o r e  i n  t h e  l i m i t a t i o n s  o f  t h e
w o r l d  t h a n  i n  t h e  l i m i t l e s s n e s s  o f  G o d. T o  G o d,  e v e r y  m o m e n t  i s  a  n e w  b e g i n n i n g. A n d  G o d  i s
h e l d  b a c k  b y  n o t h i n g. G o d  w o u l d  n e v e r  s a y,  “ I  c o u l d  h e l p
y o u,  b u t  y o u  m e s s e d  u p  b a d l y  s o  I  d o n ’ t  w a n t  t o. ”  N e i t h e r
d o e s  H e  s a y,  “ I  c o u l d  g i v e  y o u  a  g r e a t  l i f e,  b u t  y o u r  p a r e n t s
w e r e  a l c o h o l i c s  s o  m y  h a n d s  a r e  t i e d. ”  L i m i t a t i o n s  d o  n o t
s t a n d  b e f o r e  t h e  l i m i t l e s s n e s s  o f  G o d,  a n d  i t  i s  t h e  l i m i t s  t o
o u r  f a i t h,  n o t  t h e  l i m i t s  o f  o u r  c i r c u m s t a n c e s,  t h a t  k e e p  u s
f r o m  e x p e r i e n c i n g  m i r a c l e s. E v e r y  s i t u a t i o n  p r o v i d e s  u s  t h e
c h a n c e  t o  l i v e  w i t h  b r o a d e r,  m o r e  a u d a c i o u s  h o p e  a n d  f a i t h
t h a t  a l l  t h i n g s  a r e  p o s s i b l e. G o d  i s  b i g g e r  t h a n  a n y  l i m i t e d
c i r c u m s t a n c e  i n  o u r  p a s t ;  G o d  i s  b i g g e r  t h a n  a n y  l i m i t a t i o n
t h a t  t h e  w o r l d  i s  s h o w i n g  u s  n o w. L i m i t a t i o n s  e x i s t  o n l y  a s
a  c h a l l e n g e  t o  u s  t o  m a t u r e  s p i r i t u a l l y,  a s  w e  r e a l i z e  t h a t
t h r o u g h  t h e  g r a c e  o f  G o d  w e  a r e  b i g g e r  t h a n  t h e y  a r e. B i g g e r  t h a n  f i n a n c i a l  l a c k. Y e s,  b e c a u s e  i n  G o d  y o u  a r e
i n f i n i t e l y  a b u n d a n t. B i g g e r  t h a n  s i c k n e s s. Y e s,  b e c a u s e  i n
G o d  y o u  a r e  i n  t o t a l  g o o d  h e a l t h. B i g g e r  t h a n  t e r r o r i s m. Y e s,  b e c a u s e  i n  G o d  w e  a r e  i n f i n i t e  l o v e,  a n d  l o v e  i s  t h e  o n e
a n d  o n l y  f o r c e  t h a t  h a t e  a n d  f e a r  c a n n o t  w i t h


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

U n t i l  w e  r e m e m b e r  w h o  w e  a r e,  w e  a r e  t e m p t e d  t o  t a k e  o n
t h e  s h a m e  a n d  g u i l t  o f  t h e  e g o. W e  s e e  i t  i n  o u r s e l v e s  a n d
p r o j e c t  i t  o n t o  o t h e r s. W e  i n t e r n a l i z e  t h e  j u d g m e n t  a n d
b l a m e  t h a t  a r e  e n d e m i c  t o  t h e  w o r l d. I  l o v e  t h e  l y r i c  f r o m
t h e  C h r i s t m a s  c a r o l  “ O  H o l y  N i g h t ” :  “ L o n g  l a y  t h e  w o r l d  i n
s i n  a n d  e r r o r  p i n i n g,  ’ t i l  H e  a p p e a r e d  a n d  t h e  s o u l  f e l t  i t s
w o r t h. ”  I f  G o d ’ s


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

W h e r e  w o u l d  y o u  h a v e  m e  g o? W h a t  w o u l d  y o u  h a v e  m e  d o? W h a t  w o u l d  y o u  h a v e  m e  s a y,  a n d  t o  w h o m? * W i t h  t h a t  p r a y e r,  w e  a r e  a s k i n g  G o d  t o  u s e  u s — t o  u s e
o u r  h a n d s  a n d  f e e t  a n d  t h o u g h t s  a n d  f e e l i n g s. A n d  o n c e  w e
h a v e  s u r r e n d e r e d  o u r s e l v e s  t o  b e  u s e d  f o r  a  h i g h e r  p u r p o s e,
w e  g i v e  u p  t h e  o b s e s s i o n  w i t h  p l a n n i n g  t h a t  d o m i n a t e s  s o
m u c h  o f  W e s t e r n  c i v i l i z a t i o n. W e  k n o w  w e  c a n ’ t  k n o w
w h a t ’ s  o n  t h e  o t h e r  s i d e  o f  a  p a r t i c u l a r  t u r n  i n  t h e  r o a d. W e
c h o o s e  t o  w a l k  a c r o s s  t h e  H o l y  S p i r i t ’ s  b r i d g e  o f  p e r c e p t i o n
i n s t e a d,  k n o w i n g  t h a t  t h e  d e s t i n a t i o n  i s  n o t  a s  i m p o r t a n t  a s
w h o  w e  a r e  w h i l e  w e  a r e  w a l k i n g. I n n e r  p e a c e  b r i n g s  m o r e  p o s i t i v e  e x p e r i e n c e s  i n t o  o u r
l i v e s  b e c a u s e  i t  a l i g n s  u s  w i t h  s u p e r i o r  a s p e c t s  o f  o u r  o w n
p e r s o n a l i t y. W e  s h i f t  f r o m  g r a n d i o s i t y  t o  g r a n d e u r  a n d  f r o m
l i t t l e n e s s  t o  m a g n i t u d e. *  W e  a t t r a c t  r a t h e r  t h a n  r e p e l
a f f e c t i o n  a n d  t r u s t,  a n d — j u s t  a s  i m p o r t a n t — w e  d e v e l o p  t h e
p o w e r  t o  r e t a i n  t h e m. I t  d o e s  l i t t l e  g o o d  t o  a t t r a c t  o u r  g o o d
i f  w e  a r e  t o o  f r a n t i c  o r  u n c e n t e r e d  t o  h o l d  o n t o  i t  o n c e  i t
g e t s  h e r e. O u r  S p i r i t u a l  M a g n i t u d e

W h a t  w i l l  h a p p e n  a s  w e  g r o w  i n t o  o u r  s p i r i t u a l  m a g n i t u d e? I n  e a c h  o f  o u r  l i v e s,  i t  w i l l  l o o k  d i f f e r e n t. E v e r y  m o m e n t
h o l d s  i n f i n i t e  p o s s i b i l i t i e s,  a n d  h o w  m u c h  m a g n i f i c e n c e  w e
a l l o w  t o  m o v e  i n t o  u s  a n d  t h r o u g h  u s  i s  d e t e r m i n e d  b y  o u rw i l l i n g n e s s  a n d  r e c e p t i v i t y. T o  w h a t e v e r  e x t e n t  t h e  b l o c k s
a r e  r e m o v e d  t o  t h e  a w a r e n e s s  o f  o u r  d i v i n e  n a t u r e,  t o  t h a t
e x t e n t  w e  a r e  m a g n e t i z e d  t o  t h e  e v e n t s  a n d  s i t u a t i o n s — a n d
t h e y  a r e  m a g n e t i z e d  t o  u s —  t h a t  r e s o n a t e  w i t h  o u r
g r a n d e u r. I f  w e ’ r e  v i b r a t i n g  a t  a  l o w  e n e r g y,  w e ’ l l  a t t r a c t
l o w - e n e r g y  s i t u a t i o n s  ( h o w  m a n y  t i m e s  h a v e  w e  s t u b b e d  a
t o e  o r


 by lower ener gy fields
field which is calibrated for an individual
attractors), account for 72% of society's
Drug and alcohol addiction is a crucial
of anxiety, fear, anger, resentment, etc.at birth only increases, on the average, by
problems. social concern which feeds parallel Rarely does the average person get to
about five points. That an individual's
Nonetheless, it is possible for isolated
problems of crime, poverty and welfare. experience, for instance, love without
level of consciousness is already in ef fect
individuals to make sudden positive
Addiction has proved an intractable
fear, or pure joy, much less ecstasy. But
at birth is a sobering idea with profound
jumps, even of hundreds of points. If one
social and clinical problem, thus far not
these higher states are so powerful that
implications. Consciousness itself, in its
can truly escape the egocentric
understood beyond the most basic once experienced, they are never
expression as human civilization, evolves
entrainment of sub-200 attractor fields,
description. By the term "addiction" we
for gotten and are sought ever after.slowly indeed, through innumerable consciously choosing a friendly,
earnest, mean clinical addiction in the (84)
It is to this experience of higher states
generations. kind and for giving approach to life, and
classical sense of continued dependence
that people become addicted.1 A good
39
40
illustration is presented in the classic
them when they experience them,
balance of nature dictates that to between "haves" and multitudes of
movie, Lost Horizon. Shangri-La (the
because they identify with their lower
artificially acquire that state without
"have-nots." What working classes envy
movie's metaphor for unconditional love
ego states, with their own lowest
having earned it creates a debt, and the
in the lives of upper classes is,
and beauty) calibrates as a concept at
common denominator. A negative self-
negative imbalance results in negativeappropriately, their pleasures, from the
600. Once experienced, it reprograms the
image blots out the joyous brilliance that
consequences. The cost of such stolen
pleasures of the exercise of power in its
experiencer so that he is never (85) content
is the true essence of their identities,
pleasure is the desperation of addiction,
varied forms to the beautiful trophies of
with ordinary consciousness again. The
which therefore goes unrecognized. That
and finally both the addict and society
self-indulgence. The realization that the
hero of the movie discovers this fact
this joyous, peaceful, fulfilling state is
pay the price. pleasures denied oneself are being
when he is unable to find happiness again
really one's own essence has been a basic
Ours is a society which idealizes the
enjoyed by others begets the outrage of
in the ordinary world after returning fromtenet of every great spiritual teacher (e.g.,
pleasureless-hard work, stoicism, self
revolution or, sublimated, the repression
Shangri-La. He then gives up everything
"the kingdom of God is within you").2
sacrifice, restraint, etc.--and condemns
of restrictive laws against the pleasures
in order to seek out and return to that
A "high" is any state of consciousness
pleasure in most of its simpler forms,
of one's peers. state of consciousness, spending years in
above one's customary level of
frequently even declaring these illegal. The moral code thus functions as a
a struggle, which almost costs him his
awareness. Therefore, to a person who
(Politicians, whether secular or rationalized exploitation of the life life,
to find Shangri-La again. lives in (86) Fear, moving up to Courage is
ecclesiastic, understand this phenomenon
ener gy of the masses through a calculatedThis same reprogramming process occurs
a high. T o people who live in hopeless
well. Part of the standard repertoire of
distortion of values. The illusion
in people who have reached high states
Apathy, Anger is a high (for instance,
local politicians to gain headlines today
prof fered is that the more hellish one's
of consciousness by other means, such as
rioters in third-world ghettos). Fear feels
is the public announcement of intent to
life, the more heavenly will be one's
the experience of Samadhi through at least better than Despair, and Pride
prohibit Playboy Magazine in the reward. This distorted coupling of
meditation, or near death experiences. feels far better than Fear. Acceptance is
prisons, for instance, or deny the inmates
pleasure with suf fering has produced a
Such individuals are frequently observed
much more comfortable than Courage;
tobacco or TV. )3 In our society, morally perverse social milieu, in which
to have changed forever. It is not
Love makes any lower state seemunfulfilled promise and enticement are
pain becomes associated with pleasure. uncommon for them to leave all that the
comparatively unattractive, While joy
legiti- (87) mized, but satisfaction is
In this atmosphere the insane alternation
material world represents and become
surpasses all lesser human emotions,
denied. Commercialized sexual allure,
of suf fering and euphoria that typifies
seekers after truth. Many who had
ecstasy is a rarely-felt emotion in a class
for instance, is used to sell products
addiction becomes at least provisionally
transcendental experiences with LSD in
by itself. The most sublime experience of
endlessly, but the enjoyment of actual
tenable, in a deadly antisocial game of
the 1960s did the same thing. Such
all is the state of infinite Peace so
commercial sex is forbidden as immoral. winning and losing the forbidden high.higher states are also attained through the
exquisite that it belies all attempts at
Historically, alt ruling classes have From the same life-view arises
society's experiences of love or religion, classical
description. achieved status and wealth by controlling
current method of "treating the problem"
music or art, or through the practice of
The higher the attainment of each of
society through some form of puritanical
by playing the other half of the game:
spiritual disciplines. these states, the greater is its power to
ethic. The harder underlings work and
(88) denying the substance of abuse. By
The high state which people seek, by
reprogram the subject's entire life. Just
the more meager their pleasures, the
doing so, we have cr eated a
whatever means, is in fact the experience
one instant in a very high state can
richer will be the ruling system, whethermarketplace that is so highly lucrative
field of their own consciousness (Self). If
completely change a person's orientation
that be a theocracy, aristocracy, oligarchy
and easily enter ed that a whole
they are spiritually unsophisticated and
in life, his goals and values. It can be said
or corporate industrial barony. Such
criminal industry flourishes as a
lack a context with which to comprehend
that the individual who was, is no more,
power is built upon the forfeited pleasure
r esult, corrupting life on multiple
the experience, they believe it is created
and a new person is born out of the
of workers. Experientially, as we have
levels. The arrest of a drug kingpin, for
from something "out there" (i.e., a guru,
experience. Through hard-won progress
seen, pleasure is merely high ener gy. instance, has no ef fect at all on the drug
the music, the drug, the lover, etc.). Allon a dedicated spiritual path, this is the
The ener gies of the masses have been co-
problem; before he is even jailed he will
that has actually happened is that, under
very mechanism of spiritual evolution. opted over the centuries to produce for
have been replaced by a new incarnation. special circumstances, they have The permanent high-state experience
that the overclasses the very wealth of
In the recent demise of the South
experienced what is, in r eality, "in
may be legitimately attained only
pleasures denied the underclasses. American drug lord Escobar, he was
her e." The majority of people are so
through a lifetime of dedicated inner
In truth, the pleasure of the life ener gy is
instantly replaced by three new kingpins,
divorced from their own states of pure
work can, however, be reached
mankind's basic capital; robbing man of
so the hydra now had three heads insteadconsciousness that they do not recognize
temporarily by artificial means. But the
this has resulted in the wide division
of one. 41
42
illustration is presented in the classic
them when they experience them,
balance of nature dictates that to between "haves" and multitudes of
movie, Lost Horizon. Shangri-La (the
because they identify with their lower
artificially acquire that state without
"have-nots." What working classes envy
movie's metaphor for unconditional love
ego states, with their own lowest
having earned it creates a debt, and the
in the lives of upper classes is,
and beauty) calibrates as a concept at
common denominator. A negative self-
negative imbalance results in negative
appropriately, their pleasures