 Your highest self has its own language. When your body is
stilled and totally in the present, thoughts disappear. Then you can
start the exquisite process of meditating with sound. It is the magic of
this sound meditation that I am going to explain in the seventh princi-
ple. This is a technique to take you beyond the constraints of the ego
and the mind, to a place within yourself where you can change your
vibrational frequency through the use of the sounds of creation. The act of creation itself is a sound. When understood and put to
use, sound will heighten your awareness of the siddhi consciousness
within you. THE MAGIC OF THE SOUNDS OF CREATION
As you begin to incorporate these ideas of the power of sound into
your consciousness, going beyond the darkness of your mind to the
light of your highest self, think about these words that open the book
of John in the New Testament: “In the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
The word “God” has the same sound that is in virtually all of the
names for the original creator. All recorded history of humankind,
including primitive cultures, Eastern and Western religions and other
traditions, describes a creator of the word and humankind. Here is a
list of names used for the creator. Can you identify the sound that is
consistent in all of these names? Ra Tat
Krishna Sugmad
Rama Gaiana
Buddha Mahanta
116
Manifest Your Destiny
Waaken Tanka Mahavira
Ahdonay Anu
Brahma Khoda
Siddha Akua
Ahura Mazda Atva
Shiva Nanak
Jehovah Osenbula
Maheo Yahweh
Kami Sama God
Nagual Ato
Kali Durga Allah
The obvious sound that is in all of these names for the creator is
the sound aaah. This sound is the sound of creation, and it is the
sound of joy. Aaah expresses a feeling of bliss and joy. The sounds of
creation and joy are synonymous. It is not an accident that the name for the creator in all languages
contains the sound aaah. The sound aaah is the only sound that
humans make effortlessly by simply taking in a breath, and without
moving the lips, tongue, jaw or teeth, letting the sound of aaah flow
out. If you move any of these, the sound changes. Aaah is the sound
of effortless perfection, as is creation itself effortless and perfect. This sound of aaah, the sound of creation, is one that you will
want to use as you practice the language of siddhi consciousness. The
sound takes you beyond the incessant self-dialogue that characterizes
your mind. When you repeat the sound of aaah in connection with
your manifestation meditation practice, you are literally repeating the
name of God. In Reflection of the Self Swami Muktananda gives these words to his
devotees who desire to know more about the state of siddhi con-
sciousness. With eyes brimming with love, sing His name. All inner mysteries will be disclosed. 117
WAYNE W. DYER
Every bird and plant
will reveal itself to you as Brahman. The knowledge of Vedanta will manifest everywhere. O dear one, keep chanting God’s name
while sitting, or standing,
or involved in the world. Never forget Him. Unite your mind with the Self. He explained that these names for God have specific combina-
tions of inherently powerful syllables that have the ability to call forth
the experience of God within us. Ancient sages vocalized the sounds
vibrating in the different chakras of the body during meditation. Making these sounds acquaints us, perhaps for the first time, with
the subtle God force within ourselves. Over two thousand years ago, Patanjali set down his highly cele-
brated yoga sutras, which were designed to guide seekers to the high-
est state of awareness, known as siddhi consciousness. Patanjali is
considered, by millions of people who have studied his yoga sutras,
to be the greatest scientist of the inner world to have ever lived. Patanjali offered this advice to students seeking the power of the
highest state of consciousness: “Repeat and meditate on Aum.” Aum is
a symbol for the universal sound of creation. Patanjali explained that
when the body is left, the mind disappears and what is heard is the
sound of aum. Repeating this sound causes the disappearance of
obstacles and an awakening of a new higher consciousness that is the
creative energy. When we practice we actually become the universal
sound itself. It is the yoga (the coming together) of the observer and
the observed. Continually chant God’s name is the advice of the masters of self-
awareness to those who seek to participate in the act of creating and
manifesting. The sound of aaah is the sound of God. Repeat it sev-
118
Manifest Your Destiny
eral times and you will immediately feel the sense of joy and nour-
ishment that occurs. Make the repetition of the name of God a daily
meditation practice and you will literally transform yourself into this
universal sound of creation. You will become one with the sound
that mediates between the world of form and the highest frequen-
cies of the spiritual world. The aaah sound meditation will benefit from your developing a
mental picture of your own creation capacities for manifesting. One
way to accomplish this is to see yourself as a generator projecting
energy vibrating with the aaah God sound. Picture the sound emanat-
ing through chakra openings in your body, connecting with what you
want to attract or create in your world of form. THE CREATION MEDITATION AND THE TWO MANIFESTING
CHAKRAS
Of the total of the seven chakras of the body there are two that
are significant in learning this manifesting technique. The base
chakra, or the sex center, is one, and the third eye chakra, or the
mind chakra, located between the eyebrows, is the other. Imagine a
channel that exists in your body between the base chakra and your
third eye. You are going to clear this imaginary passageway between
these two chakras and feel yourself open the third eye so that you
can imaginatively project your manifesting energy out of the new
opening. /
The base chakra is the center of procreation. The third eye chakra is
the chakra for the purpose of manifestation. Think of your third eye,
which is invisible to the naked eye, as the part of you that makes
extended contact with the physical world. This third eye chakra can vol-
untarily register or see the vibrations of dimensions beyond the physical
plane, but only when you can convince yourself of this truth and can
119
WAYNE W. DYER
unclog this opening. You are attempting to open this third eye through
the language of your siddhi consciousness, using your rational left brain,
which maintains that this is nonsense, and impossible as well. Now remembering that the sound of aaah is the sound of joy as
well as the God sound (“and the Word was God in the beginning”),
think about the sound that accompanies the process of procreation. The sound of aaah is the most common sound heard in the very act
of procreation, and more often than not, God’s name is repeated as a
soul arrives from the world of the unseen into the world of material-
ized form: “Oh God!” “Oh my God!” “Aaah!”
Initially this may seem amusing, yet it is valid and incontrovertible
that these are universal clues to the process of manifestation. The
energy released through the root or base chakra brings about procre-
ation. And what has taken place? A release of energy from the base
chakra received by another base chakra, and a soul connects to form
from the unseen to the manifested, all accompanied by the sound of
aaah. There is no doubt about this one. The energy released through
the third eye chakra is called re-creation, or manifestation. Learning this technique of sound manifesting involves really noth-
ing more than opening up the channel that exists between these two
chakras in your body. By repeating the sound aaah in the manner |
have described at the end of this seventh principle, and feeling that
energy moving up from the procreation center of your being to the
third eye, and then ultimately opening that third eye with your own
etheric energy by using this sound, you put out into the world an
unconditionally loving energy that will bring about the creation of
your heart’s desire. With manifesting, you send out a release of
energy from the “mind chakra,” or third eye, and connect it to that
which you desire. As Muktananda repeatedly reminded his followers, “Catching a
glimpse of the beauty of reality is a gift made possible through
120
Manifest Your Destiny
Shaktipat (divine energy that is transferred directly) and through the
power of repeating God’s name, whether through chanting, prayer,
or mantra repetition.” And with steadfast practice, as the great
teachers tell us, we will be free of everything that keeps us from living
constantly in the awareness that “all this is God, all this is God.”
(Darshan Magazine, September 1994, p. 3.)


  Diarrhea, p. 307.Medicinal Actions & Uses  The acrid
Korean mint is considered a warming herb in
Oriental herbal medicine ( see pp. 40–43) and is
used to treat “dampness” within the digestive
system. In Korea, as its name suggests, the leaves
are eaten as a condiment to aid digestion. The
herb stimulates and warms the digestive tract,
relieving symptoms such as abdominal bloating,
indigestion, nausea, and vomiting. It is commonly
used to relieve vomiting and morning sickness. Korean mint is used to treat the early stages of viral
infections that feature symptoms such as
stomachache and nausea. A lotion containing
Korean mint may be applied to fungal conditions
such as ringworm. Research  Laboratory experiments indicate
that Korean mint has marked activity against
fungal infections. Related Species  In southern China and
T aiwan, Pogostemon cablin  is used interchangeably
with Korean mint. P. cablin  is a close relative of
the Indian plant P. patchouli, from which patchouli
oil is produced. Korean mint is used to
treat fungal infections
such as ringworm.agave americana (Agavaceae)
Agave,
Century Plant
Description  Succulent perennial with large
rosette of 30–60 fleshy, sharply toothed leaves
that reach a height of 61⁄2 ft (2 m). After 10 years
or more, clusters of yellow flowers, growing to
23⁄4 in (7 cm) across, bloom on a pole-like stem
26–30 ft (8–9 m) tall. Habitat & Cultivation  Agave is native to
deserts of Central America. It is now grown as an
ornamental plant in tropical and subtropical areas
around the world. Part Used  Sap. Constituents  Agave sap contains estrogen-like
isoflavonoids, alkaloids, coumarins, and vitamins
pro-A, B1, B2, C, D, and K.
History & Folklore  Unlike Europeans at
the time of the Spanish conquest of America,
the Aztec and Maya people were skilled in
wound healing. They used agave sap (often
with egg white) to bind powders and gums in
pastes or poultices to be applied to wounds. The Badianus Manuscript (1552 ce ), which was
the first herbal text to list the plants of the New
World, describes an Aztec treatment for diarrhea
and dysentery, in which agave juice, combined
with freshly ground maize ( Zea mays, p. 154) and
extract of bladderwort ( Utricularia  species), is
given as an enema, using a syringe made from the
bladder of a small animal and a hollow bone or
reed. Both tequila and mescal, popular Mexican
alcoholic drinks, are distilled from the fermented
sap or juice of agaves. Medicinal Actions & Uses  Demulcent,
laxative, and antiseptic, agave sap is a soothing and
restorative remedy for many digestive ailments. It is used to treat ulcers and inflammatory
conditions affecting the stomach and intestines,
protecting these parts from infection and
irritation and encouraging healing. Agave has
also been employed to treat many
other conditions, including
constipation, jaundice, liver
disease, and tuberculosis. Related Species  Agave is a
fairly close relative of aloe ( Aloe vera,
p. 60). The two plants have similar medicinal uses. The sisal agave ( A. sisalana ) is cultivated in sub-
tropical America and in Kenya as a source of
hecogenin, the substance that is the starting
point in the production of corticosteroids
(steroid hormones). Cautions  Do not use during pregnancy. Do
not exceed the dose as this may cause digestive
irritation and eventual liver damage. External use
may cause skin irritation.agastache rugosa (Lamiaceae)
Korean Mint,
Huo Xiang (Chinese)
Description  Aromatic perennial or biennial
herb growing to 4 ft (1.2 m). Has a square stem,
triangular leaves, and purple flowers growing in
dense spikes. Habitat & Cultivation  Native to China
and also found in Japan, Korea, Laos, and Russia,
Korean mint grows wild on slopes and roadsides. It is cultivated throughout China and
gathered in summer. Parts Used Aerial parts. Constituents  Korean mint contains a volatile
oil, including methylchavicol, anethole, anisaldehyde,
and limonene. History & Folklore  Korean mint was first
mentioned in a Chinese medicinal text—T ao
Hongjing’s revision of the Divine Husbandman’s
Classic (Shen’nong Bencaojing), which he wrote in
about 500 ce. US_158-179_Abies_balsa_Boswe_serratta.indd   161 26/02/16   12:47 pm
162
other medicinal Plantsagrimonia eupatoria
agrimonia eupatoria (Rosaceae)
Agrimony
Description  Erect, downy, and slightly
aromatic perennial growing to 3 ft (1 m). Has
paired leaves, green above and silvery-green beneath, and small 5-petaled yellow flowers growing on terminal spikes. Habitat & Cultivation Agrimony is a native
European herb commonly found in marshes, wet meadows, and open areas. It is harvested when in flower in summer. Parts Used Aerial parts. Constituents Agrimony contains tannins,
coumarins, flavonoids (including luteolin, a volatile oil), and polysaccharides. History & Folklore The species name
Eupatoria has regal associations. Mithridates Eupator (d. 63 bce), King of Pontus in northern Turkey, was said to have had a profound knowledge of plant lore and antidotes to poisons. Medicinal Actions & Uses Agrimony has
long been used by herbalists to heal wounds because it staunches bleeding and encourages
clot formation. An astringent and mild bitter,
it is also a helpful remedy for diarrhea and
a gentle tonic for digestion as a whole. Combined with other herbs such as cornsilk
(Zea mays, p. 154), it is a valuable remedy for cystitis and urinary incontinence, and has also been used for kidney stones, sore throats, hoarseness, rheumatism, and osteoarthritis. Research Agrimony’s blood-staunching and
anti-inflammatory properties have been established by experiments in China. Related Species Xian he cao (A. pilosa)
is used in China for comparable conditions. Self-help Uses Diarrhea,  p. 307;
Diarrhea in children, p. 318.
agropyron repens syn. elymus repens (Graminaceae)
Couch Grass
Description Vigorous perennial growing to
32 in (80 cm). Has a long, creeping rhizome,
slender leaves, and erect spikes bearing green flowers aligned in two rows. Habitat & Cultivation Found in Europe,
the Americas, northern Asia, and Australia, couch grass is an invasive weed. It is harvested throughout the year. Parts Used Rhizome, seeds, root. Constituents Couch grass contains
polysaccharides (such as triticin), a volatile oil (mainly agropyrene), mucilage, and nutrients. Agropyrene has antibiotic properties. History & Folklore In classical times, both
Dioscorides (40–90 ce) and Pliny (23–79 ce) recommended couch grass root for poor urine flow and kidney stones. In 1597, the herbalist  John Gerard wrote that “Couch-grasse be an unwelcome guest to fields and gardens, yet his physicke virtues do recompense those hurts; for  it openeth the stoppings of the liver and reins [ureters] without heat.” In times of famine, the  root has been roasted and ground as a substitute for coffee and flour. Medicinal Actions & Uses A gentle, effective
diuretic and demulcent, couch grass is most commonly used for urinary tract infections such as cystitis and urethritis. It both protects the urinary tubules against infection and irritants, and increases the volume of urine, thereby diluting it. It can be taken, usually with other herbs, to help treat kidney stones, reducing the irritation and laceration they cause. Couch grass is also thought to dissolve kidney stones (insofar as this is possible), and in any case will help to prevent their further enlargement. Both an enlarged prostate and prostatitis (infection of the prostate gland) will benefit from a couch grass decoction taken over the course of several months. In German herbal medicine, heated couch grass seeds are used in a hot and moist pack that is applied to the abdomen for peptic ulcers. Juice from the roots of couch grass has been advocated for treating jaundice and other liver complaints.ailanthus altissima syn. a. glandulosa (Simaroubaceae)
Tree of Heaven,
Chun Pi
Description Deciduous tree growing to 65 ft
(20 m). Has large leaves with up to 12 lance-
shaped leaflets, and small greenish-yellow flowers. It has an unpleasant odor. Habitat & Cultivation Native to China and
India, tree of


 material such  as cotton. QGeneral caution If there is no improvement,
or if the condition deteriorates, consult a
professional practitioner.General Remedies
Herbs Nettle (Urtica dioica, p. 146), elderflower
(Sambucus nigra, p. 132)Remedy Make a nettle infusion. T ake 12/3–21/3
cups (450–600 ml) a day for 3 months at a time. Alternatively, make an infusion with 1 tsp of each herb to 11/4 cups (300 ml) of water and take daily for 3 months at a time. Herb Baical skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis, p. 134)
Remedy Make a decoction from the herb and
take 11/4 cups (300 ml) a day. Hay Fever
Herb Elderflower (Sambucus nigra, p. 132)Remedy Make an infusion and take 11/4–12/3 cups (300–450 ml) a day. T ake for a few months before, as well as during, the hay fever season.Allergic Rhinitis with Congestion
Herbs Eyebright (Euphrasia spp., p. 209),
common plantain (Plantago major, p. 251), goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea, p. 271), boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum, p. 208)Remedy Make an infusion with one or a mixture
of all of the herbs and drink up to 12/3 cups a day. Note Use this remedy especially for copious, watery
mucus. Herbs Echinacea (Echinacea spp., p. 92),
marshmallow (Althaea officinalis, p. 165),
elderflower (Sambucus nigra, p. 132), thyme (Thymus vulgaris, p. 143)Remedy T ake 1 tsp of equal parts of each
tincture 3 times daily with warm water. Note Use this remedy especially for thick
yellow / green mucus and sinus congestion. General Remedies
Herbs Peppermint (Mentha x piperita, p. 114),
chickweed (Stellaria media, p. 272)Remedy 1 Make peppermint lotion by infusing
1 tsp of herb to 3/4 cup (150 ml) of water. Leave for 10 minutes, then strain and cool. Use to wash gently over the affected skin 2–3 times a day.Remedy 2 Apply chickweed ointment, cream,  or freshly squeezed juice up to 5 times a day.Option Add 2 drops of peppermint oil to  1 tsp of any of the chickweed preparations. Herb Gotu kola (Centella asiatica, p. 76)
Remedy Dust the affected area with powder  2–3 times a day. Alternatively, mix the powder  with enough water to make a thick paste and spread over the affected area 1–2 times a day. Eczema with Weeping Skin
Herb Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana, p. 102)
Remedy Apply lotion or cream up to 5 times  a day (the lotion is preferable). Alternatively,  make a decoction with 2 tsp of leaves to 3/4 cup (150 ml) of water. Leave for 15 minutes, strain, and cool. Use as a wash up to 5 times a day. Herb German chamomile (Chamomilla
recutita, p. 77)
Remedy Make an infusion using 50 g of herb
to 3 cups (750 ml) of water. Apply directly to the itchy area when cool, or add the hot infusion to a warm bath and soak in it for at least 20 minutes. Herb Oats (Avena sativa, p. 175)
Remedy Fill a muslin (or similar) bag with
milled oats and place under a hot tap while running a bath. Relax in the bath for
5–10 minutes. QSeek immediate professional
advice for:
■ Life-threatening allergies, such as asthma. Consult a professional practitioner prior to
taking any herbal remedies for such conditions
■ Any allergy that shows signs of deterioration
after taking an herbal remedy
US_300-307_Allergies.indd   300 26/02/16   4:43 pm301 herbal remedies for home useMild Asthma, Wheezing, & Shortness of Breath
Anemia
High Blood Pressure & ArteriosclerosisAsthma is usually triggered by an allergic
reaction to substances such as pollen, dust,
animal hair, or certain foods, but may also be
related to an infection. The listed remedies will
relieve immediate symptoms, but in order to
find the cause of your ailment, or for long-term
treatment, it is best to consult an herbalist. All
the herbal remedies that are suggested here can
be taken alongside conventional treatment. Herbs such as nettle, thyme, cramp bark, and
echinacea help to ease breathing, while essential
oil of German chamomile reduces inflammation. QGeneral cautions Seek professional help for asthma. Do not stop using steroidal or other inhalants. Their
use should be phased out gradually and only with
professional guidance. There are several types of anemia. Iron
deficiency anemia, caused by blood loss
from a wound or menstrual bleeding, can be
countered with herbs. Bitter herbs, such as
gentian, improve the absorption of nutrients,
and nettle contains plenty of iron. Increase
your intake of other green herbs that
contain iron. QGeneral caution Seek professional advice to
determine the type of anemia you have before
home treatment. Mild cases of high blood pressure and
arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)
can benefit from herbs. Garlic thins the blood,
reduces fatty deposits, and lowers blood pressure;
beetroot and ginkgo aid circulation, reduce blood
pressure, and prevent arteriosclerosis; and ginger
improves circulation, especially to the capillaries. QGeneral caution Seek professional advice, especially
if already taking medication for a circulatory condition.Wheezing & Shortness of Breath
Herbs Nettle ( Urtica dioica, p. 146), thyme
(Thymus vulgaris, p. 143)
Remedy Make an infusion using 15 g of each herb
to 3 cups of water and drink throughout the day. Herb German chamomile ( Chamomilla recutita,
p. 77)
Remedy Make an infusion with 2 heaping tsp of
the herb to 3/4 cup (150 ml) of water and leave to
stand for 10 minutes in a covered saucepan. Remove
the lid, inhale the steam, and strain and drink the tea. Option Use the essential oil in a steam
inhalation, or inhale 2 drops of undiluted oil placed
on a handkerchief. General Remedies
Herbs Gentian ( Gentiana lutea, p. 99), wormwood
(Artemisia absinthium, p. 66)
Remedy T ake 2–5 drops of either tincture with
water, half an hour before meals. Caution Do not take wormwood during pregnancy. Herb Chiretta ( Swertia chirata, p. 273)
Remedy  T ake 5–10 drops of tincture with water
3 times a day before meals. General Remedies
Herbs Garlic ( Allium sativum, p. 59), beet
(Beta vulgaris, p. 178), pomegranate ( Punica
granatum, p. 259)
Remedy  T ake a garlic tablet or eat 1–2 fresh
garlic cloves each day. Drink 1/2 cup (125 ml) of
beetroot or pomegranate juice once a day. Note  These are most effective when used to support a
healthy circulation and prevent illness.Herb Baical skullcap ( Scutellaria baicalensis, p. 134)
Remedy Make a decoction and take up to
11/4 cups (300 ml) a day. Breathing Difficulty & Tight Chest
Herb Cramp bark ( Viburnum opulus, p. 150)
Remedy T ake 1 tsp of tincture with water up
to 8 times a day for 3 days, then reduce the dose
to a maximum of 1 tsp 3 times a day for 7 days. Mild Bronchial Asthma from
Colds & Chest Infections
Herb Echinacea ( Echinacea  spp., p. 92)
Remedy T ake tablets or capsules, or 1⁄2 tsp
of tincture with water 2–3 times a day. Anemia due to Heavy
Menstrual Bleeding
Herb Nettle ( Urtica dioica, p. 146)
Remedy Make an infusion using 25 g of herb to
3 cups (750 ml) of water. Sip the whole dose at
intervals throughout the day. See also Heavy Menstrual Bleeding —
Four Things Soup remedy, p. 315. Herb Ginkgo ( Ginkgo biloba, p. 100)
Remedy  T ake tablets or 1⁄2 tsp of fluid extract
with water twice a day for approximately


 you know everything about food, this book is a must r ead. Bringing balance in our body and our life is something we face daily and to
think we can do that with the foods we consume is quite a discovery. Much
mor e than a diet or a r ecipe book, the wisdom offer ed her e will help you
bring balance and healing in your kitchen and…your life. Obsessed with
counting calories, we overlook the most important ingr edient in our
nutrition, that is the ener gy it holds and imparts to our body and our mind
and how it affects our Consciousness. The wisdom offer ed her e, wher e
A yurveda meets W estern lifestyle, is pr ofound for pr eventing disease and for
healing. The added bonus is the captivating pr ose that will invite you into the book
and will ring true for you. It is a CLASSIC, to be r ead, r er ead, shar ed and
gifted. Every paragraph is an aha moment. Susan Niedzielski B.S. M.A.,
Educator, Y oga T eacher, A yurveda PractitionerCopyright © 2018 Meena Puri / A yurvedic Healing Center LLC. All rights reserved. No portion of
this book may be reproduced mechanically, electronically, or by any other means, including
photocopying, without permission of the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website,
or distribute it by any other means without permission from the publisher. ISBN: 978-1-7328793-1-7
Published by A yurvedic Healing Center LLC
Photos by Simone Kitschke
Cover Design by T revor Stooke
Book Design by Janet Rouss
The Information in this book is based on A yurvedic Principles that have been practiced for thousands
of years. I encourage you to use the information to promote self healing. It is not intended, however,
to replace professional medical care or treatment. For any medical conditions, always consult a
licensed health care professional.A  t r i b u t e  t o  m y  f a t h e r. I f  o n l y  I  h a d  y o u r  w i s d o m.T h e  a r t  o f  h e a l i n g  c o m e s  f r o m  n a t u r e,
n o t  f r o m  t h e  p h y s i c i a n. T h e r e f o r e  t h e
p h y s i c i a n  m u s t  s t a r t  f r o m  n a t u r e,  w i t h
a n  o p e n  m i n d. Phillipus Aur eolus ParacelsusC O N T E N T S
Foreword
Preface
How this book is or ganized
Section I Our Challenges
Chapter 1 Guilt and Shame
Chapter 2 Emotional Hunger
Chapter 3 Our Disconnection from Food
Chapter 4 Overconsumption and Addiction
Chapter 5 Lack of Personal Responsibility
Section II A yurveda Offers Solutions
Chapter 6 A yurveda Fills the Gap
Chapter 7 Consciousness and its Role in Healing
Chapter 8 The Bigger Context
Chapter 9 Our Connection with Creation
Chapter 10 Ener gy, Quality, and Balance
Chapter 1 1 Digestibility
Chapter 12 What Makes Food A yurvedic? Section III Healing: A Collective Concept
Chapter 13 It T akes a V illage
Chapter 14 I Dream of a Dif ferent W orld
Chapter 15 Food is Our Medicine
Section IV Recipes: Let the Healing Begin in Y our KitchenChapter 16 Stocking Y our A yurvedic Pantry
Chapter 17 Be Y our Own Master Chef
Chapter 18 Notes About the Recipes
Chapter 19 Recipes
More About the Author
Bibliography
End notesA C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S  A N D  G R A T I T U D E
Y ears ago, I volunteered to hos t a Y oga Fundraiser to help a student serve
kids in an underdeveloped community in Peru. W e had a great turnout and I
was able to fit 22 students into my small home studio. W e used every inch
of the space in the studio and I managed to teach Y oga while I was
practically plastered to the wall. The high light of  the event was the Indian lunch I had prepared. Plans to eat
outside were undermined by an  unusually strong wind, so at meal-time I
lined my living room and kitchen with tables and chairs. It turned out to be
a memorable experience for all, and, most importantly, we raised over $700. This money went a long way to help the kids in Peru. It was at this eve nt that many participants suggested I teach a co oking class,
as they had real ly enjoyed the lunch. Of course, I laughed it of f as I had
never fo llowed a recipe or mea sured anything while cooking. I did it all
instinctively and by feel. In order to teach, I would have to write out the
exact rec ipes and that felt like a jarring idea; it felt like work I didn’ t want
to do. The sug gestions were sincere and persistent, however. I mentioned the idea
to m y friend, Alison, who no t only gave me encouragement, but also
transcribed a recipe while I talk ed it out. This led to me teaching a class on
the secrets of In dian Cooking in a middle school’ s skills room,  to about 15
people. They not only thoroughly enjoyed the dishes we had prepared, but
really appreciated learning all about the spices; they loved being able to add
new dishes to their repertoire. What followed were more coo king classes and after I grad uated from
A yurveda Schoo l, I started to teach an A yurvedic nutrition a nd cookingprogram right out of my kitchen. I fielded constant requests for a cookbook. That fundraiser meal really was the starting point for this book, which
started out as a way to share the recipes but ended with a lot more than that. I’ve lear ned tha t anything can t urn into the first step towards an unknown
future, o r even to a goal that we may have never imagined. I am grateful to
all t hose who encouraged me  and suggested I write this book. I am
especially grateful to my friend, Alison, who transferred that one recipe
from my head to paper and made me realize that writing a recipe down was
not all that dif ficult after all. W ith the  yoga studio housed right below my kitchen, my students often say
things like, “It smells so good. What are you cooking? Y ou should do a
book!” Thank you for your kind  and encouraging comments, your trust and,
moreover, for appreciating the  meals that I prepare at our meditation
retreats and special events. I h ave thorough ly enjoyed cooking the recipes that you will find in this
book, particularly because of my friend and photographer, Simone
Kitschke. W ithout her, this book would not be possible. W e had many
sessions of cooking, taking pictures, eating and repeating this pattern, and
we had a blast. My Indian pas sion and her German discipline could not
have been a better match, and I can say that we were in the “z one” every
session. Things flowed and came together seamlessly. W e also got
immediate feedback on the recipes from her husband, our “la b rat,” and
Simone called me a mad scien tist better fitted for an entertainment show
than a cooking show. Thank you, Simone! I wonder what we will do next? Many th anks to my editor Susan  Crossman, not only for her support of my
ideas an d passio n but for questioning me enough to pull a boo k out of me
and for being there every time I needed a sounding board. T here are so
many o thers who have contributed to this book through their
encouragement, feedback, support and their trust in me. Amongst those are
my leaf sisters and colleagues Rhonda Egidio and Sue Niedzi elski. I will
always r emember my book being read to me by you both. And thanks to my
business coach, Sherri Richards, who told me it will only take me a month
to write a book; it didn’ t but you did inspire me. I am grateful for Dr. Shekhar Annam bhotla for his continuous support in whatever I do. I amgrateful for my dear client, Chuck Hammond, for trusting in my work and
of fering many valuable suggestions and quotes for the book. I am always
grateful for my family and my friends for believing in me and always
cheering me on. Last but not least, I am grateful for all of my teachers, includi ng the ones
who came in th e guise of tough clients and students. Y ou have taught me
more than you will know. But in particular, I want to of fer my deepest
gratitude to the o ne and only Dr. Paul Dugliss, my teacher and mentor, who
opened the world of A yurveda  and healing to me


com e an old person like
me. Or, if you already are an old person like me, let me help you to ease your steps on the
journey home. My wonderful friends, I urge you to consider the possibility that life was meant to be
happy. Do you believe that? If you do not,  then run, don’t walk, to your nearest bookstore and
pick up a copy of Happier Than God. This is one of the most exciting books I have ever been
given the inspiration to produce, covering with incredible expansiveness the Process of
Personal Creation (what  some call the Law of Attraction) and exploring aspects that have
been largely ignored in other examinations of this life principle. It will explain it all for you! One of the ways that life demonstrates that it was meant to be happy is by giving us the
tools with which to recreate  our experience of life whenever we wish, in whatever way that
we wish. If you haven’t known what those tools are, pay attention to what life is telling you
right now. Listen to what you have been hearing here. And now, having hea rd all of that, it is time for you to make the Eighth Change. This has
to do with the largest umbrella under which you now stand in this present stormy weather
... your umbrella theory about life itself. I invite you now to make... CHANGE #8:
Change your idea about life
Now it is time to consider the whole doggone process. Not just the process of change, not
just the Mechanics of the Mind, not just the System of the Soul, but the entire episode that
we are living from birth to death. What is th is here... what is going on...? Yes, the mind has yearned for answers to these
questions since the mind awakened you to your own existence. The problem is that most of
our ideas have come from before. We take our collective ideas about today  from wh at
somebody else told us about yesterday —and from our own encounters with it. But that makes sense, doesn’t it? Oughtn’t we be learning from our experience? No! Not
if our experience has arisen out of an Imagined Truth rather than the Actual Truth. Not if
our experience has led us to a Distorted Reality rather than the Ultimate Reality. So if we are not to listen to our experience, then what are we to listen to...? Our soul. Our Being. Go back to the top of the clock. Go back to twelve o’clock high. We
should be listening to the soul being, not the human being. And to the connection that our
soul makes with the One Soul there is. I believe that when you make t hat connection (meditate, pray, allow yourself
contemplative moments, quietly read, quietly walk through the woods, quietly bathe and
soak in the warm water of life, quietly write, quietly eat, quietly sing to yourself a song of
the soul)... I believe t hat when you make that connection, you will hear from the still small
voice within that life was not meant to be a struggle. Nor was it meant to be a “test.” Nor
was it meant to be a “baptism of fire” or a “trial” or a “school” or anything at all unpleasan t.
I believe you will hear that, quite to the contrary, life was meant to be an overwhelming
joy from first moment to last; a celebration of who you are and what you are capable of; an expression of glorious and wondrous proportion, the joyful explosion of  Life itself into the
arena of Life itself, expanding Life itself through the process of Life itself. This is true locally, in your own life, and cosmically, in the life of the universe. On
November 17, 2006, the Associated Press reported that the Hubble s pace telescope has
shown that a mysterious form of energy first conceived by Albert Einstein appears to have
been fueling the expansion of the universe for most of its history. Using supernova
explosions to gauge the expansion of the universe, astronomers made a shocking
observation. “It appeared that older supernovae, whose light had traveled a greater distance
across space to reach the Hubble telescope, were receding from Earth more slowly
than simple big -bang theory would predict. Nearby supernovae were receding
more quickly than expected,” the Associated Press story said, adding: “That could
only be true if some mysterious force  were causing the expansion of the universe to
accelerate over time.” (Italics mine.) This “mysterious force” is Life itself. It  is God, Godding. And it is operating inside your
life—inside you—in every moment. When you are quiet with yourself you can feel this
“mysterious force.” Indeed, when you are quiet with yourself you quite literally let the
Force be with you. Now here is wh ere things get interesting. This “force,” or energy, carries data. Indeed, it
is the data itself. Okay? Got that? Energy is data. Data is energy. Have you ever heard anyone say that certain numbers contain “good energy”? It is true. The number nine, for in stance, and equations that produce the number nine (8+1, 4+5, 3x3,
etc.) are all said to be very powerful. I’m not a numerologist, but it wouldn’t surprise me. Acquiring, or accessing, the Data of Life is a matter of quieting the mind so that you can
hear the soul, where that data is stored. Meditation is one way to do this. Everyone has
heard of meditation, yet many people do not really know how to meditate. I’ve been asked
many times in our spiritual renewal retreats if I could offer instruction in the be st way to
do this. Of course, there is no “best way.” My personal way of meditating is by writing. It is for
me a very powerful meditation, and much of the time when I am supposedly writing I am
actually staring off into space, not even thinking, but just being  with what is moving
through me in that moment, and opening —without question, expectation, or
requirement —to what is coming next. (This is, of course, a wonderful way to journey
through all of life.) Although there is no one form of meditation that is  “better” than another, so -called
“sitting meditation” is what most people are most familiar with and want to know more
about. So let me share with you some of my ideas around that. Let’s start by doing a little “quickie” meditation right here and now, jus t to give your
mind a rest. For a brief moment, allow yourself to
Put the book down  Just close your eyes and breathe deeply, taking in three slow “sleeping” kind of breaths. Then just relax and continue being with yourself, quietly, for a while. When you’r e ready, pick up the chapter at... SOME IDEAS ABOUT MEDITATION
One thing I might suggest to people who have a difficult time quieting their mind is the
practice of quiet, sitting meditation twice a day —fifteen minutes each morning and fifteen
minutes ea ch evening. Try, if it is possible, to set a regular time when you will do this. Then see if you can stick
to that time. Yet if you cannot keep such a consistent schedule, know that any time will do,
so long as it is at least twice a day, early and late. When you meditate you may want to sometimes sit outside, if it is nice and warm,
allowing the morning sun to bake you, or the stars to sparkle above you. Inside, you might
sit by a window and let the dawn sun pour in and the night sky enclose you. There is,  as I
said, no “right way” to do sitting meditation. (Indeed, there is no “right way” to do
anything.) One may sit in a comfortable chair, or on the floor, or upright in bed, for that
matter. Choose what works for you. Some people sit on the floor, usually  with no back rest but occasionally against a wall or
something, because floor sitting keeps them more “present” in the space. Some report to
me that if they are too completely comfortable, as in an overstuffed chair or on the bed,
they tend to doze off or  fade away from the moment; and if they are sitting on the floor, or
outside on the grass, that rarely occurs. They are totally mentally “present.”
Once sitting, begin by paying attention to your breathing, closing your eyes, and simply
listening to yourse lf inhaling and exhaling. Be in blackness and pay attention only to what
you are hearing. When you have “united” —that’s the only word I can find that fits here —
with the rhythm of your breath, begin to expand your attention to what your “inner eye” is
seein g.
Usually at that point this is nothing but darkness. If you are seeing images —that is,
“thinking thoughts” of something and seeing those in your mind —work to fade those
thoughts out, like a “fade to black” on the movie screen. Turn your mind to blankness. Focusing your inner eye, peer deeply into this darkness. Be looking for nothing in
particular, but simply peering deeply, allowing yourself to search for nothing and need
nothing. In my own experience what happens next can often be the appearance of what  appears
to be


 building blocks of the u niverse,
you exa mine yo ur bedrock beliefs and sort them out on the way to
arriving at your true source. This task is made easy by two invaluable qualities of mind—
insight and intuition. They are reliable guides when rational
thought falls short. They are reliable even when emotions fall
short. When people speak of “aha” moments, insight and intuition
have cut through a tangled pr oblem and gone directly to th e truth. At such  moments, when the light suddenly dawns, we exclaim, “I
knew it, I just knew it was th is way. ” The beauty of an insight is
that it is self-justifying. You just know. The sen se of self is quiet and so subtle that few people both er to
notice it, but within the self are things we just know. The direct
path as ks us to ferret out the se bits of knowledge, so that they can
be appreciated. The befuddled hero in a romantic comedy typically
quarrels with the lady in his life until he knows—as she k new all
along—that he loves her. We’ve seen this plot a hundred times, but
it still delights us because insight, the moment of “Now I get it,”
brings clarity, and delight often follows. Having insights about a relationship or a tough mathematical
problem or the next chapter in a book you’re writing is quite
specific. Asking for insight into how life works is as nonspecific as
it gets. The direct path comes to our aid by simplifying the
mistaken beliefs we must see past in order to wake up. In fact,
there are only a small handful to consider:
MIST AKEN BELIEF:  I am separate and alone. REALITY :  The separate self is just a mental construct. MIST AKEN BELIEF:  This is my body. REALITY :  The body is part of the play of consciousness, which
is universal, not personal. MIST AKEN BELIEF:  The physical world is the basis of reality. REALITY :  The physical world is one appearance that the play
of consciousness takes. MIST AKEN BELIEF:  My life is bounded by time and space. REALITY :  Everyone lives in the eternal now, which is
boundless. At this point in the book, no ne of these mistakes comes as a
surprise. Now we only need to get over them, which leads to a
sorting-out procedure, as foll ows: At any moment when you have
an e xperience worth noticing, pause and say to yourself, “This is
the play  of consciousness. ” So  that the statement sinks in, it is best
to h ave a sense of self along with it. But that part isn’t ne cessary. Nobody can separate milk from water (even a centrifuge only
separates out the solids from  the liquid), so they must be allowed
to separate themselves. This is a simple, effortless process, but one that requires
patience. By reminding yours elf that any experience is the play of
consciousness, you bring rea lity to mind. You don’t arg ue with
yourself (or anyone else); you  don’t try to be good or wise or better
than ot her people. You neither surrender nor strive. Instead, you
sit f or a  mome nt at the inters ection of awareness and reality, in a
moment of reflection. The experience at hand is life at this
moment, in this  pla ce. By consciously reminding yourself of what
is actually true, you allow the “pull of the self” to bring you home. Because we couldn’t stand  to be wrenched out of  the
conditioned mind all at once, the play of consciousness doesn’t
insist on anything. Life mov es on like a river between its banks. When you say, “This is the play of consciousness,” you aren’t
stopping the river or trying to steer it. You are sitting on the bank
appreciating h ow the river flows. I hesitate to mention t hat this
stance is known as witnessing, because once they hear the word,
many people try to witness o r get frustrated because they aren’twitnessing when they want to. I sympathize. It sounds tempting to
witness with calm detachme nt the death of a loved one, rather
than being plunged into grief. The river follows its own cou rse no matter how we might  wish
it to  move diff erently—it one day moves into grief, sorrow, pain,
and suffering—the whole lot. Then it keeps moving. That’s not
simply sorrow, it’s the inexorable flow that brings us to freedom. We onl y have to allow it, rather than struggling against it. Even
struggle is just another aspect of the river, a small eddy that has no
significance in  the river reac hing the sea. Allowing  is one of the
key words in descriptions of the direct path, but it is another word
I he sitate to mention. People will wind up trying to allow, getting
frustrated that they aren’t allowing when they want to, and so on. In pure form, the direct path is just experiencing the sense of
self and letting it do its wor k without interference. Yet there is
another stage, where silence and flow and the experience of “be
here now” is over and done with. They aren’t the goal, only a
platform for launching the next stage. With the next stage, you no
longer witness the flow—you are  the flow. The play of
consciousness and the self merge into one. Krishnamurti called
this merging “the first and last freedom,” a beautiful phrase. To
make it more than beautiful, you have to experience it—let’s start. We will overturn the cosmos and everything in it. H12

C H O I C E L E S S  A W A R E N E S S
omo sapiens  i s the only species that must try to be
happy. Among all the mysteries that surround being human, this
is one of the most intractable. For centuries our struggle against
the enemies of happiness—violence, anxiety, despair,
hopelessness, a nd depression—has been the price we pay for being
conscious. We suppose, but d o not know with any certain ty, that
other creature s don’t experience these states. When it can no
longer r un with  the pack, an old wolf lies down to die, defeated by
age and  the raw elements of Nature. A human being at any age can
be warm, secure, and physically healthy, yet on the inside has
given up on life. Trying to be happy looks  harder the more deeply you
investigate human nature. Sigmund Freud, who devoted a lifetime
to in vestigating  what makes people tick, ended his days in  London
in 1 939 as a refugee after Hitler brought Austria under German
rule in 1938. As early as 1933, when Hitler first came to power,
Freud’s writings were banned, and as a Jew he was personally at
risk. To a disciple i n England he wrote bitterly, “What progress we
are making. In the Middle Ag es they would have burned m e. Now,
they are  content with burning my books. ” Insisting on staying inVienna, Freud was finally persuaded to flee in the spring  of 1938
when the Gestapo arrested and interrogated his daughter Anna. After paying an extortionate “flight” tax by which th e Nazis
ruthlessly stripped Jews of their money and property, the founder
of psychoanalysis left for England in a state of pessimistic gloom,
wondering as fear and terror  blossomed like a poisonous flower if
it w as asking too much simply to prevent humans from
committing murder. Psychoanalysis has largely faded from the scene, replaced by
drug therapies for mental disorders. No pill for happiness is in the
medicine cabinet, however. In times of relative peace, people
content themselves with a kind of happiness that skims the
surface, findin g love and pleasure when they come along and
doing their best not to get trapped in the bad stuff. Attempting to reshape human nature by probing what makes
us t ick hasn’t succeeded. The direct path is about something
different, sorti ng out what isn’t essential in our lives. P ain and
suffering are not essential. They are part of the drama we’ve
constructed—a very stubborn part—but the drama can be left
behind. There is a level of consciousness that transcends p ain and
suffering. The great insight of the direct path is that everything
depends on your level of consciousness because everything is  a
level of consciousness. Metareality lies right next to everyday
reality, being only a level of consciousness away. (Christian
theology teaches that Heaven is where the soul finds eternal bliss,
but long ago t heologians abandoned the notion that Hea ven is a
physical place, despite the images carried around in our heads of
angels sitting on clouds playing harps or of lambs gamboling
through green meadows—that’s one of the most c ommon
descriptions given when people come back from a near-death
experience, claiming to have seen Heaven. The Catholic
Encyclopedia  d efines Heaven as a state of being attained through
grace. State of being  and state of consciousness  seem synonymous
to me. ) So far we’ve taken the dir ect path


	oil,	using	it	in	your
abhyanga
	practice	or	with
just	a	quick,	modified	hand	or	foot	massage	at	the	end	of	the	day—or	whenever	you	feel	you	need
some	soothing.SHIFT	8:
Address
Specific	Skin	Issues
While	the	ingredients	we	discussed	earlier	will	naturally	boost	your	skin’s	glow
and	vitality,	there	are	some	common	skin	issues	that	respond	well	to	particular
ingredients. In	this	shift,	you’ll	learn	tips	to	overcome	any	issues	that	might	be
plaguing	your	skin. We’ve	also	included	recipes	for	masks	and	tonics	that	were
designed	specifically	for	each	individual	concern. Acne
Acne	is	an	all	too	common	skin	condition	that	can	be	exacerbated	by
impurities	in	your	blood	that	push	out	through	your	skin,	causing	breakouts. Here	are	some	of	the	best	ways	to	cut	down	on	these	impurities	and	create	clear,
radiant	skin:
•
Reduce	consumption	of	oils	in	general	and	high
fat,	heavy	foods. Excessive
oils	in	the	system	can	aggravate	your	moisture	balance	and	clog	the	pores. •
Incorporate	cumin,	turmeric,	and	ginger	when	cooking	to	boost	digestion
and	help	promote	pure,	healthy	blood. •
Eliminate	dairy	from	your	diet,	which	some	research	has	linked	to	acne. 1
•
Take	an	excellent	probiotic	supplement	(see
this	page
)	and	an	oxygen-
magnesium	supplement	(such	as	Detoxy	+),	which	is	a	nonlaxative,	non-
habit-forming,	and	nonirritating	internal	cleanser	that	is	free	of
gluten,
animal	products,	and	corn. Here	are	a	few	good	skin-care	ingredients	to	target	acne:
TEA	TREE	OIL
This	has	antibacterial	and	soothing	properties	and	is	a	great	alternative	to
benzoyl	peroxide,	which	can	be	drying	and	irritating.CLAY
This	is	great,	especially	in	face	masks,	as	it	helps	to	calm	the	skin	and	balance
sebum	production	(see
this	page
	for	more	details). RADICALLY	CLEAR	SKIN	MASK
The	bentonite	clay	in	this	mask	will	help	draw	out	impurities	in	your	skin	and	balance	oils,	while	raw
honey	has	both	antibacterial	and	antiseptic	properties. 1	tablespoon	water
1	teaspoon	raw,	organic	honey
1½	teaspoons	bentonite	clay
Mix	the	water	with	the	honey	first,	then	stir	in	the	clay	and	mix	well	to	form	a	paste. Apply	to	your
entire	face,	being	careful	to	avoid	contact	with	your	eyes. Leave	on	for	about	20	minutes,	then	rinse
well. Try	using	this	mask	once	or	twice	a	week	for	problematic	skin. ALPHA	HYDROXY	ACIDS	(AHAS)
These	help	to	exfoliate	dead	skin	cells,	prevent	clogged	pores,	and	leave	your
skin	smoother	(see
this	page
	for	more	details). ACNE-PREVENTING	TONIC
Used	externally,	cranberries	and	oregano	both	have	some	astringent	properties,	which	helps	cleanse
the	skin	and	balance	its	oils. 2	to	3	tablespoons	filtered	water	plus	a	bit	more	as
needed
1	tablespoon	dried	oregano
½	cup	cranberries	(dried	is	okay)
Boil	the	water	and	stir	in	the	oregano. Turn	off	the	heat,	cover,	and	allow	the	oregano	to	steep	for	15
minutes. Strain	and	set	aside. Next,	puree	the	cranberries	in	a	food	processor	or	blender	(adding	a	few
tablespoons	of	filtered	water	as	needed	for	dried	cranberries). Strain	through	a	cheesecloth. Combine
the	cranberry	puree	with	the	oregano	liquid. Soak	a	washcloth	in	the	liquid,	place	it	on	your	face,	and
relax	for	15	minutes. (Listen	to	some	calming	music	so	you	aren’t	tempted	to	move	around!) Rinse
with	warm	water. Bags	Under	the
Eyes
Poor	drainage	of	fluids	can	contribute	to	puffy,
baggy	under-eye	circles. It’s
important	to	keep	your	circulation	working	optimally	and	prevent	a	buildup	offluids,	which	can	be	done	by	eating	foods	with	balanced	electrolytes	(essential
minerals	that	affect	your	body-fluid	balance,	among	other	critical	processes)
and	avoiding	too	much	sodium. Bags	under	the	eyes	can	also	mean	you	have	a
buildup	of	impurities	from	sluggish	digestion	or	overtaxed	adrenals,	so	be	sure
to	incorporate	lots	of	lemons	and	lemon	water	to	flush	out	your	system	and	to
supply	your	body	with	vitamin	C.	Before	we	talk	about	some	of	the	remedies
for	the	skin	around	your	eyes,	here	are	some	more	tips	to	avoid	or	improve	the
existence	of	bags	under	your	eyes:
•
Increase	your	rest	and	sleep,	especially	if	you’re	a	woman	on	your	moon,	or
menstrual,	cycle;	a	lack	of	sleep	can	exacerbate	the	visibility	of	under-eye
issues. •
Avoid	(or	at	least	cut	down	as	much	as	possible)	on
caffeine	and
alcohol,
which	can	leach	minerals	from	your	system	and	tax	your	adrenals,
contributing	to	under-eye	bags	and	circles. •
Avoid	smoked,	grilled,	or	barbecued	foods,	which	tend	to	be	excessively	high
in	sodium	(as	well	as	nitrosamines,	which	are	considered	carcinogenic). •
Incorporate	coconut	water,	which	helps	balance	electrolytes	such	as
potassium	and	sodium. •
Hydrate	more	in	general,	as	some	research	out	of
Oxford	University	has
shown	the	appearance	of	the	skin	under	the	eyes	is	linked	to	kidney	health,
2
and	your	kidneys	function	best	in	the	presence	of	abundant
hydration. •
Make	sure	to	incorporate	banana	into	your
Glowing	Green	Smoothie	(see
this	page
	for	recipe),	which	is	high	in	B	vitamins	and	potassium;	these	are
great	for	helping	to	keep	your	skin	smooth	and	puffiness	at	bay. •
Cut	out	refined	sugars	and	use	only	stevia	or	raw	coconut	nectar	as	your	go-
to	sweeteners. Unlike	refined	white	or	artificial	sugars,	stevia	and	raw
coconut	nectar	won’t	tax	your	adrenals	and	cause	inflammation,	a	by-
product	of	which	can	be	under-eye	bags	and	puffiness. •
Avoid	consuming	other	foods	with	high	sodium,	such	as	soy	sauce,	close	to
bedtime. This	can	contribute	to	greater
dehydration	throughout	the	night
and	can	cause	you	to	wake	up	sporting	prominently	pronounced	under-eye
bags. Here	are	a	few	good	skin-care	ingredients	to	target	under-eye	bags:
PeptidesLook	for	this	on	ingredient	lists. They	are	great	for	supporting	healthy	collagen
and	elastin	in	the	structure	of	your	skin,	which	will	help	it	stay	taut	and	less
prone	to	bagginess. Topical
Coenzyme	Q10
This	can	support	the	amount	of	adenosine	triphosphate	(ATP),	which
transports	chemical	energy	between	skin	cells	for	improved	overall	function
and	enhanced	skin	repair	and	regeneration. BAG-BANISHING	SKIN	TREATMENT
Almond	milk	is	full	of	vitamin	E	and	is	believed	to	be	anti-inflammatory,
3
	while


 my old
linear days. My diminished motivation to achieve and acquire is particularly
noticeable when it comes to competition. Earlier in my life I was always
having to beat the other guy in order to prove myself. In recent years my
inclination is away from comp etition. I still play tennis, but I send my
opponent good wishes right in the middle of a tough match, and somehow,
paradoxically, I raise my own level of play. I feel this is a natural result of
radiating out from my Self the feelings and thoughts of uncond itional love
and nonjudgment. Cooperation has replaced competition in all facets of my life, and the
results are amaz ing for myself and all the others whom I touch  in one way
or another. I feel strongly attracted to the message in the statement “In a
world of individuals, compariso n makes no sense at all. ” External events
are irrelevant to me except to the extent they produce order or disorder in
the world. I assess whatever I do. If an act produces some kind of harmony
for myse lf and others, it is a positive act. If it creates turbulence  or disorder,
I will work to reverse the impact. I see my mission  as helping others to shift their consciousness, so that all
of their waking thoughts and actions are in the direction of order and
harmony. It means living as if the intelligence behind all form really
matters, and not doing anything that destroys or harms life. Tapping into the
inner energy that is our Self with an accepting attitude contributes to a
personal sense of balance and harmony. As more and more of us evolve to
this personally balanced level, we will create the outer form in our world. In
this way, we will all participate in the transformation of our universe. I revel
in the love of life and learning of my six beautiful children. I teach only
love and I see them treating one another and people outside the family in
the same way. My wife and I have grown to love and respect ourselves and our own
uniqueness, so that we are able to radiate that inner glow outw ard toward
each other. We have a wonderful absence of judgment and negativity
toward each other, because we have both learned to be that way within
ourselves. Disagreements, yes. Disagreeableness, never. I want to emphasize that this new me is still assertive and firm about my
own life. I am not making the case for gushing sugar and honey at the evils
of the world, in the hope that they will disappear. On the contrary, what Iam expe riencing is a much deeper involvement with life, wherein I know
precisely what I am about, and I cannot be deterred from that path. I am
able to stay on my path, doing what I love and loving what I do, precisely
because I have transformed myself from a person who had absolute
judgments which required fixed and rigid responses to a perso n who sees
and knows that any human experience is an opportunity to reflect on where
I am or am not. It comes down to surrendering some old, deeply entrenched
patterns. It means catching myself right in the middle of acting in a
nonharmonious way, and seeing  that this is where I am and also where I am
not right now. Then it means using my mind to be where I want to be inside
of myself, and slowly but surely moving more in the direction of that inner
harmony. Recently I had an experience that illustrates how this works. My wife
told me that one of the children  had done something wonderful in her first-
grade class, and she concluded by saying, “I am so glad that I worked with
her on this project and taught her how to perform in front of the class
without any anxiety or self-dou bt. ” At an earlier time in my life I would
have said, “Wait a minute. I am the one who taught her that behavior, and
you want to take all of the credit. You do that all the time. ” My reaction
now is: “Great. I am so happy that she is gaining confidence, and you are a
great help to her in this regard. ” Inside, I feel I also contributed to her
success, and I can appreciate  my internal feeling without demanding
external acknowledgment. I know that our daughter ’s confid ence is the
result of numerous inputs from both of us, from her own inner self, and
from many others as well. My happiness is for her; it is not based on
needing some credit, or on taking some credit away from  my wife. Competition and turbulence inside me have been replaced by inner peace
and harmony. It is unconditional love, beginning with Self. When you retreat to your peace ful inner solitude, you enter that fourth
dimension that opens up an entirely new world. But, before you can get
there, you may need to examine your resistance to this powerful new idea
of self-transformation. WHY  YOU MA Y BE RESISTING THIS PRINCIPLE

Why would anyone choose to resist this state of being. Possibl y to remain
in the illusion of safety. As long as you are convinced that you are only yourform, you needn’ t consider your own greatness and the risks that go with
transformation. Think about it for a moment. All of the impediments to your success and
happiness can be neatly explained away as simply the boundaries of your
physical existen ce. In this fram e of mind you can decide that other people
are just plain lucky or they were born with advantages you did not get, or
they got all the breaks. These are the thoughts of someone who remains
stuck in form. To experience transformation requires opening up to the
possibility of an entirely new idea. Most of us reject new ideas for the
safety of those to which we have become so comfortably accustomed. It is also quite comfortable and natural to take the opposite position from
that in the title of this book. That is, “I’ll believe it when I see it. And not a
moment before. ” Most people do not like to go beyond their comfort zones. You may know in your heart that life resists purely physical explanations
and that science cannot conclusively answer questions such as “What is
life. Where does it go when it dies. How do I think. ” Despite this
awareness you may prefer to stay with that which you can see— that is, with
form and form alone. Perhaps believing in formlessness is just too spooky
and weird for you at this time. Yet you know in your heart that you have to
be much more than just that body you live in. It is risky in the beginning to toss out all of the old comforts and take the
step that will allow you to interact with your inner beingness. That is where
you live, in that inner place. That is where you feel everything. That is
where all of your thoughts reside. And you may not be quite ready to
explore this place where you have complete responsibility for all that you
are experiencing. You might also resist transforma tion because you are afraid of change, or
of examining something that you do not understand. I call this the head-in-
the-sand approac h to your own spirituality. “Let someone in a pulpit preach
about what I am supposed to do in the spiritual realm. Me. I’ll take care of
paying off my mortgage. All of this mystical stuff is for deep  thinkers or
dedicated religio us believers. ” We have been conditioned to believe that
matters pertaining to higher consciousness are the concern primarily of
organized religi ous leaders. Yet if you consider the teachings of highly
spiritual masters, they all say the same thing in different ways. “The
kingdom of heaven is within. ” “Do not ask God to do it for you, but in factrecognize your own great divinity and magnificence. ” “Look within, not
without. ”
You may feel that an attempt to achieve personal transformation conflicts
with your specific religious training. But nothing that I am writing about
conflicts with the teachings of the spiritual masters. Nothing. Transformation is about love, peace, personal fulfillment, treating others
with respect, and achieving harmony on this planet as one family of man. Nothing I write about is in any way an attempt to criticize or ridicule
anyone’ s religious beliefs. While I find some of the acts that are perpetrated
against human beings in the name of God or organized religion anathema, I
do not find fault with the essential beliefs of the religion. A transformed
being is incapable of behaving in nonspiritual ways toward others. Finally, you may resist this process of transformation because you feel
that you really do not have the capacity to transcend the life that you have
created for yourself. You may feel that you have in fact reached  the limit of
how far you can go, and you do not want the stress and anxiety that goes
with soaring above the life to which you have accustomed yourself. You
may not want to im agine what you can be, because you are not ready to
make that shift,  you want to stay with the familiar and within your own
zone of comfort. Most of your resistance to accepting the possibility of transformation
comes from being willing to carry on pretty much as you always have. Yet,
I know that you would not be reading these pages this moment if you were
not at least curious about the possibility of soaring beyond that which you
have known as your accustome d life-style up until now. And I can assure
you that


 practice. The thumb should be placed by the right nostril
and the ring finger by the left nostril. Close the right nostril with the thumb. Inhale then exhale
through the left nostril, five times at normal speed. Release the pressure of the thumb on the right nostril and
then, pressing the side of the left nostril with the ring finger,
breathe in and out at normal speed five times. This should be
repeated for 25 cycles, one cycle consisting of five full
breaths through each nostril. The student should not breathe
heavily and there should be no sound as the air moves in and
out of the nostrils. After 15 days, move from Stage 1 to Stage 2. Stage 2: Alternate nostril breathing. Close the right nostril with the thumb and inhale through
the left nostril. After completing the inhalation, close the left
nostril with the ring finger and release the pressure of the 81
thumb on the right nostril, breathing out through it. Then in
hale through the right nostril and close it at the end of the in
halation. Open the left nostril and exhale. This is one cycle. The length of the inhalation and exhalation should be equal
(for example, a count of five in and five out, or whatever rate
you find comfortable). There should be no strain under any
circumstances. After a few days, the periods of inhalation and exhalation
should be lengthened, but should not differ from each other
(a 1:1 ratio). Care must be taken not to speed up the counting
during exhalation to compensate for shortage of breath. At the slightest sign of discomfort, reduce the time of each
inhalation and exhalation. After 15 days or more, leave this
stage and practice Stage 3. Stage 3: Antaranga kumbhaka. Close the right nostril and inhale through the left. At the
end of the inhalation, close both nostrils, using thumb and
ring finger, and retain the breath. Exhale through the right
nostril and then inhale through it, keeping the left nostril
closed. Again retain the breath with both nostrils closed as
before. Open the left nostril and exhale, keeping the right
nostril closed. Each action - inhalation, retention, and ex
halation - should be performed to a count of five. This is one
cycle: practice 25 cycles. After several days of practice, alter the periods of inhala
tion, retention, and exhalation to the ratio 1:2:2. In other
words, for an in-breath to a count of five, hold the breath in
side for a count of ten and breathe out to a count of ten. After a few days, increase the inhalation count by one (i.e. from 5 to 6), and the retention and exhalation counts by two. When these longer periods have been mastered to the point
that there is not the slightest discomfort, again increase the
length of each cycle, keeping the ratio the same. After some weeks or months of practice, increase the ratio
to 1:4:2. When this is mastered, change the ratio to 1:6:4; and
upon mastery of this, to 1:8:6. This is the final ratio. 82
When the final ratio can be done for 25 cycles with com
plete relaxation and without the need for a rest, then proceed
to the final stage, Stage 4. Stage 4: Antaranga and bahiranga kumbhaka
(Internal and external retention)
Inhale through the left nostril and retain the breath. Exhale
through the right nostril and hold the breath out. Breathe in
through the right nostril and retain the breath. Exhale
through the left nostril and hold the breath out. This is one
cycle: repeat for 15 cycles. The ratio for this should start at
1:4:2:2 (inhalation: internal retention: exhalation: external
retention). You should slowly increase the respective durations, keep
ing the same ratio. Advanced practitioners can perform
jalandhara or mula bandha (see the section on bandha) dur
ing the internal and external retentions of Stage 4. Precautions: Nadi shodhan should be practiced between
asanas and meditation The breath should not be retained to
the point of discomfort, Each new stage should be attempted
only when perfection is achieved in the preceeding stage. Practice in a well-ventilated room, with great care and only
under expert guidance. Benefits: Because it induces calmness and tranquility of
mind, Nadi shodhan is an indispensable prelude to advanced
meditational practices. All the nadls are cleared of
blockages, the flow of prana in the ida and pingala nadis is
equalized, and the blood system is cleansed of toxins. The
whole body is nourished by the extra supply of oxygen that is
absorbed, and carbon dioxide is efficiently expelled. Stale air
in the lungs is removed. The brain cells are purified, en
couraging the centers of the brain to work nearer their op
timum capacities. (2) Bhastrika pranayama (bellows pranayama)
Sit in padmasana or siddhasana with the head and spine
erect and the eyes closed. Relax the whole body. 83
Stage 1: Place the left hand on the left knee and rest the in
dex and middle fingers of the right hand between the
eyebrows, with the thumb beside the right nostril and the
ring finger beside the left nostril. Close the right nostril with
the thumb. Breathe rapidly and rhythmically through the left
nostril 20 times, expanding and contracting the abdomen. Then, close both nostrils with the thumb and ring finger, and
do jalandhara or mula bandha (See Chapter III pp. 89 -92). Retain the breath for a comfortable period of time, then
release the bandha and exhale. Close the left nostril and
breathe 20 times, again with quick but rhythmical expan
sions and contractions of the abdominal muscles. Then in
hale deeply, close both nostrils, and perform jalandhara or
mula bandha. Hold for some time and slowly exhale. This is
one cycle; perform three cycles. 84
Stage 2: Sit in the same position placing both hands on the
knees. Breathe rapidly 20 times through both nostrils
simultaneously. Then inhale deeply, retain the breath, and
perform jalandhara or mula bandha. After a comfortable
period, release the banaha and breathe out. This is one cycle;
three should be performed. The complete practice of bhastrika includes both stages. Duration: Beginners should perform about 20 repetitions of
rapid breathing. Advanced practitioners may increase grad
ually to 50, and the cycles can be increased from three to
five. Note: In this technique, the lungs are used like a
blacksmith's bellows. Precautions: A feeling of faintness or perspiration in
dicates that the practice is being done incorrectly. Avoid
violent respiration, facial contortions, or excessive body
shaking. If any of these symptoms are experienced despite
correct performance of the method, the advice of a teacher
should be sought. Relax throughout the whole process and rest after each cy
cle. For the first few weeks, bhastrika should be done slowly. The speed of respiration should gradually be increased only
as the lungs grow stronger. Limitations: People with high blood pressure, vertigo, or
any heart ailment, as well as beginners, should not do
bhastrika without expert guidance. Benefits: Harmful substances and germs in the lungs are
expelled. Asthma, tuberculosis, pleurisy, as well as any in
flammation of the throat involving phlegm should show im
provement. Digestion and appetite are stimulated. This
pranayama induces tranquility of mind and is very helpful in
awakening kundalini. (3) Ujjayi pranayama (Psychic breathing)
Ujjayi pranayama is performed by contracting the glottis
in the throat and forming khechari mudra (in which the
tongue is folded backwards so that the underside is pressed 85
against either the back of the hard palate or, preferably, the
soft palate). Breathe deeply and softly, like the gentle snoring
of a sleeping baby. There should be no sensation of breathing
through the nostrils, only through the throat. Ujjayi pranayama may be practiced in almost any
pose - for example, in many of the mudras and with medita-
tional techniques such as ajapa japa (See Chapter IV,p. 123). Duration: It can be performed for several hours. Benefits: This pranayama is very simple to do, but has sub
tle influences on the whole body. It produces a calming
effect on the nervous system, and a serene and pliable state
of mind results. Insomnia sufferers should practice ujjayi pranayama in
sh


ri Raja
Arjan aged 35 has the same disease and he too was fully cur~d by
urine therapy. 3. Shri Raghubirsingh Chaudhari aged 60 (Village Sirbali, ·dist. Merath) ~ad syphilis and there was pus formation and burning
sensation on the spot. He suffered from this disease for two years. He began urine treatment by drinking it thrice a day and putting
urine~soaked pad on the spot during the whole night. He could cure
himself only in three weeks• time and could free himself completely
from such a de-adly disease. CHAPTER XIX
'INTERNAL INJURIES. There is a big trvst for the propagation of naturopathic treatment
at Malad (Bomba¥J and a hospital of naturopathy is run by it. Dr.
Krishna Verma, an expert nature-curist treats the patients here for the
l·ast 40 years. Dr. Verma has written about some successful cases of
~ment witb. u:n1-oe. Her,e is tJ1,e summaliy :
'l§hri R-aojlb'nai Mantbha:i Patel is not a professionad physi-ciafl. H:e i5 a sociail worker amd has published ;hts experieoces of urirte
~erapy Without carif.lg for the popular likes or dtslikes with a
~oothrqpk ~for •t'! Comfl"lt.'fl weJ>fare. I ha•e pyrcl'l.ased and
sa;,dJed ~e ~k ef late Mr. Ar.mstwRg.. rhf! water of Life and
cweft1J~ made afl experime!ilt on a B'lla:tia I ady accotJrdi ng to the
method given in the book. The results were satisfa..;cory. As. a
pl!tysidaA, I was benefi,tednby my own experience also. Here is the
story of the case of tt:le tady. ''The lady slipped and fe:H down. She got some inner injury
resulting in disturbance of menstruation. Ht!r system of digestion
was also affected and the bowels did not work properly. She
developed constipation too. First of all she had allopathic treatment INTERNAL INJURIES : 161
and when it proved useless, Ayurvedic treatment was tried. The
troubles could not be cured. Even chromopathy wa~ tried. But due to·
the absence of diet control and irregular life,,the condition of the
woman became worse day by day and she was so emaciated that
her life was in danger. Some of her relatives advised her to see me. when 1 observed her for the first time, her condition put me in doubt
about the cure and I refused to treat her. But o'lpersistent request, I
admitted her to my hospitaL
11The condition of the patient was then serious. Monthly course
had stopped, motions were almost absent and she-passed har~ly
about 6 oz. of urine in 24 hours. It was of deep chocolate colour ltke
that of a hours and was extermely ill-smelling. lnflammati<>n was on
her hands, feet, breast and eye-lids. "The treatment was commenced on the basis of Armstrong's book
but with a slight difference. She was made to drink as much of
auto-urine as was possible for her. Warm water was also given. She
was daily rubbed with urine and was given a ~unbath. A~er
sometime she was given coconut water in place of pla1n water. W1th
· such a treatment, the quantity of urine gradually increased to 70 to
80 oz. The inflammation was gradually reduced -and other
complaints were also eliminated. Leeches had applied to extract hei
foul blood. With such a treatment the woman was cured and led a
normal life. 11The question is : "Why should not the public at large avail of
this free remedy available ready at hand?11 If anyone wants to
propose it he should prove that urine treatment is ha~tnful i.n some
case or the other; otherwise any anti-propaganda IS agamst the
public interest. Instances quoted by Shri Raojibhai in ~is _article in
June 1958 and in his book Manav Mutra are really convmcmg. They
prove the efficacy of urine in treai:ing various ailments. ·
11Through this book and thearticle, Shri Raojibhai has presented a
simple and readily available treatment for the bene~t of the. common
people and it does not involve an expense of a smgle pa1sa. Every 162 : AUTO-URINE THERAPY
day reader can follow it without incuring any expense or without
~n}' diff~culty. Moreover it can be carried on everywhere and at any
t1me w1th complete ease and freedom -· a thing after Mahatma
Gandhiji's ideas. "Nearly 40 years ago a famous physician of Bombay who was
doctor of medicine from England used to oppose urine treatment. But when during the First World War thousands of soldiers were
successfully treated with urine treatment and the boon of this
treatment came to light, the same expert doctor, who condemned
urine therapy, began to support it!rr. CHAPTER XX
INFLAMMATION OF THE BODY, DISABILITY,
SNAKE-BITE ETC. Mrs. Pashiben (Ramnagar, Sabarmati) got inflammation on her
entire body. She was admitted to the urine therapy centre on
25-4-61 for urine treatment. She was 25 and had been suffering from
inflammation for the past 1.112 years. She had consulted a number of
doctors and Vaidyas without any success. At last; her father-in-law
came to know about urine treatment and decided to admit her in the
centre for treatment. She remained in the centre for 19 days up to 14-5-61. From the
day after her admission she was given the following treatment for 19
·days:
1. Complete fa:;;t for the first two days during which she was
given to drink the entire urine and when thirsty she was given boiled
water. 2. From the third diJ.y, water was stopped and she was given
cow's milk to sip a spoonful every time she was thirsty. Later the
quantity was gradually increased to 3 pints and then to 5 pint INFLAMMATION OF THE BODY, DISABILITY, SNAKE-BITE ETC. : 163
Drinking of entire urine continued as usual during all these days. 3. She was daily rubbed for about an hours with urine which was
3-4 days old. With this treatment for 1 9 days she was 75% cured and on
morning of the 20th day, she took leave from the centre but
continued the treatment at home. On 2-7-61, her father-in-law Shri Mohanlal Tulsiram came to the
' centre and reported that Mrs. Pashiben was completely cured of the
inflammation within 12 days after leaving the centre. Her general
health had also considerably improved and she had resumed her
normal diet. Disability and Discharge : There were a few. diseases which
could not be treated by Shri Raojibhai as such cases did not come to
hif\l duriong his time. Some cases of disability and nocturnal
discharge were treated after his death and they are worth noting. 1. Shri Narshibhai S. Prajapati aged 36 (village Aghat, via
Viramgam) had frequent nocturnal discharges. He came for
treatment in the urine therapy centre from 28-7-62 to 4-8-62. His
weight increased from 70 lbs. to 80 lb. He was completely cured but
still was.advised to continue drinking and massage of auto-urine. •. <
2. Shri Chandrashankar Purani (Rama & Sons Watch House,
Ravpura Road, Baroda) experienced disability. He felt exhaustion by
walking a few steps, had indigestion and felt des·pair in life. He had
constipation too. He took to urine treatment and he got rid of all his
troubles and disability too and regained youth as it were. Snake-bite and Beating: Shri Raojibbai had no occasion to treat
any case of snake-bite. But some cases were treated afterwards. 1. Shri lshwarbhai K. Mehta (Gangasadan, Marave Road, Malad,
Bombay-64) had a good ·chance· to tre~t a case of snake-bite. A
young man of 25 had a snake-bite and was <...iJout to die. His blood
mixed urine was given to him constantly and was continuously
massaged with urine. He was saved. '' I I 164 : AUTO-URINE THERAPY
2. Dr. Nanubhai -Painter (opposite National College,· Bandara,
Bombay-50) has


	fire	in	the	cosmos? For	the	same	reason. Preceding
quantum	physics	by	centuries,	the	Vedic	rishis	said	that	time	and	space	are
projections	on	the	blank	screen	of	consciousness,	the	screen	of	Akasha. In	other	words,	when	you	got	up	this	morning,	drove	to	work,	and	spent
your	day	at	the	office,
nothing	really	happened
	as	you	experienced	it. Time
didn’t	pass,	nor	did	you	move	through	space. This	conclusion	confounds
common	sense	but	is	thoroughly	accepted	in	physics. Let	me	explain. If	you
dream	at	night	of	flying	to	Paris	and	walking	the	streets,	nothing	of	the	sort
actually	happened;	not	only	did	you	go	nowhere	physically,	your	brain	didn’t
even	make	pictures	that	correspond	to	Paris. The	dream	resulted	from	brain
activity	that	can	be	broken	down	into	bits	of	information:	tiny	electrical
switches	were	either	on	or	off,	polarities	of	certain	molecules	were	eitherpositive	or	negative. Your	whole	dream	and	everything	in	it	was	just	a	zero	or
one	game. The	same	is	true	of	the	people	we	watch	on	television. A	character	may
seem	to	live	in	a	house	and	mow	the	lawn. But	the	house	is	actually	a	flat
image	on	the	screen,	and	the	movements	of	people	are	just	phosphors
switching	on	and	off. Again,	a	zero	and	one	game. Nothing	moves	on	a	TV
screen. If	someone	appears	to	run	to	the	left,	it’s	only	a	pattern	of	signals	that
light	up	on	the	left	and	turn	off	on	the	right—the	same	as	provided	by
blinking	Christmas	tree	lights	that	seem	to	move	around	in	a	circle	when	in
fact	all	that	is	happening	is	that	the	string	of	lights	is	going	on	and	off	in	a
pattern	that	makes	it	seem	as	if	motion	is	occurring. You	move	through	time	and	space	in	the	same	way,	as	does	the	Earth	in	its
orbit	and	the	stars	in	the	sky. Quantum	impulses	switch	on	and	off,	and	a
change	of	position	occurs	because	energy	gets	excited	a	bit	to	the	left	or	right
from	the	last	excitation. In	reality	not	a	single	quark	or	photon	changes
position	in	spacetime. But	doesn’t	it	amount	to	the	same	thing? If	an	object
appears	to	move,	why	not	say	it	moves? In	fact,	we	can’t. The	Earth	appears
to	move	around	the	sun,	yet	if	that	were	really	the	case,	it	would	eventually
spiral	into	the	sun	and	be	destroyed. In	fact,	even	though	the	Earth	encounters
friction	in	its	orbit—in	the	form	of	interstellar	dust	and	the	solar	wind—our
planet	never	gets	any	closer	to	the	sun	or	slows	down. This	is	because	every
atom	of	Earth	winks	out	of	sight	and	comes	back	with	the	same	energy	and
mass	that	it	has	always	had. The	zero	point,	it	turns	out,	projects	the	Earth	as
surely	as	a	television	screen	projects	its	pictures. (A	skeptic	would	ask	how
anything	changes	if	the	Zero	Point	Field	constantly	replenishes	the	visible
universe. That	is	a	riddle,	but	its	answer	may	lie	in	two	factors:	the	slow
decay	of	protons,	which	takes	billions	of	years,	and	the	expanding	universe,
which	is	carrying	dispersion	of	energy,	or	entropy,	as	the	original	heat	of	the
Big	Bang	becomes	dissipated. But	folding	these	two	factors	into	quantum
theory	is	far	from	being	achieved.) How	does	all	this	relate	to	the	afterlife? Ask	yourself	a	simple	question. When	you’re	watching	TV,	which	is	more	real,	the	picture	you’re	seeing	or
the	station	that’s	sending	the	signal? Of	course,	the	station	is	more	real,	the
picture	is	only	an	image. Likewise,	Laszlo	says,	the	Zero	Point	Field—
Akasha—is	more	real	than	the	visible	universe. Akasha	organizes	and
coordinates	all	the	projections	we	call	time,	space,	matter,	and	energy. If	this
is	correct,	then	we	have	established	a	foundation	for	several	key	assertions	in
Vedanta:
The	material	world	is	projected	from	a	nonmaterial	source. The	invisible	world	comes	first. It	contains	the	seeds	of	time	and	space. Reality	increases	the	closer	one	gets	to	the	source.To	put	it	in	human	terms,	we	do	not	have	to	fear	that	death	is	a	vanishing
act	because	life	has	always	been	one. What	we	most	value	in	ourselves,	our
capacity	to	think	and	feel,	didn’t	come	about	from	entering	the	physical
world. It	got	projected	into	the	physical	world	from	a	source,	the	Zero	Point
Field,	that	is	the	root	of	consciousness,	extending	back	billions	of	years	and
ahead	into	the	foreseeable	future. Far	from	being	a	religious	vision,	this
model	explains	the	universe	better	than	any	other,	and	gives	us	what	the	rishis
and	modern	physicists	both	demand:	a	bridge	between	mind	and	matter.14
T
HINKING
	O
UTSIDE	THE
	B
RAIN
IF	I	DIE
	and	the	information	contained	in	my	brain	survives,	does	that	mean	I
will	survive? Survival	means	remaining	intact	at	some	level—mind,
personality,	memory,	or	soul—that	is	“me.”	To	a	materialist,	when	the	brain
dies,	so	does	the	person. Fortunately,	over	the	past	two	decades	some
ingenious	experiments	have	raised	hope	that	the	mind	extends	outside	the
brain,	and	that	the	qualities	that	you	and	I	cherish,	such	as	love	and	truth,	may
be	embedded	permanently	in	the	field. The	closer	we	can	get	to	showing	that	the	field	is	intelligent,	the	more
credible	it	will	be	that	our	own	intelligence	can	survive	after	death. One	way
to	approach	this	issue	seems	strange	but	turns	out	to	be	very	fruitful:	animal
telepathy. Many	pet	owners	will	attest	to	the	ability	of	a	dog	or	cat	to	know
what	the	owner	is	thinking. A	few	minutes	before	going	on	a	walk,	a	dog	gets
excited	and	restless;	on	the	day	when	a	cat	is	going	to	be	taken	to	the	vet,	it
disappears	and	is	nowhere	to	be	found. These	casual	observations	led	the
ingenious	British	researcher	Rupert	Sheldrake,	a	trained	biologist	now	turned
speculative	thinker,	to	conduct	controlled	studies	to	find	out	if	dogs	and	cats
can	actually	read	their	owners’	minds. One	study	was	very	simple:	Sheldrake
phoned	sixty-five	veterinarians	in	the	London	area
and
	asked	them	if	it	was
common	for	cat	owners	to	cancel	appointments	because	their	cats	had
disappeared	that	day. Sixty-four	vets	responded	that	it	was	very	common,	and
the	sixty-fifth	had	given	up	making	appointments	for	cats	because	too	many
couldn’t	be	located	when	they	were	supposed	to	come	in. Sheldrake	decided	to	perform	an	experiment	using	dogs. The	fact	that	a
dog	gets	excited	when	the	time	comes	to	go	for	a	walk	means	little	if	the	walk
is	routinely	scheduled	for	the	same	time	every	day,	or	if	the	dog	gets	visual
cues	from	its	owner	that	he	is	preparing	to	go	out. Therefore,	Sheldrake
placed	dogs	in	outbuildings	completely	isolated	from	their	owners;	he	then
asked	the	owner,	at


 smile. Sadness can be lessened by looking in the mirror and smiling, as long as
one is not denying the sadness. Performing will not work, but truly putting
on a smile will create a dif ferent message that is fed back into the nervous
system. You can grieve for a loss, yet still keep yourself from losing all
perspective, all appreciation for the good things that remain in your life. Scientists who have studied responses to stress have found that
ineffectual anger is the emotion most destructive to homeostasis. A serene
acceptance of what is  promotes health, but by keeping the mind clear it also
puts a person in a better position to change things that need changing. Hence, as Dr. Wallace Ellerbroek has written, we should “be keeping
pleasant thoughts in our heads as well as pleasant expressions on our faces,
and behaving in general as if we were not going to our own funerals.”
It is necessary for those dealing with illness to reaf firm themselves
constantly with positive messages. A patient needs to stop getting up every
day saying, “I have cancer. I’m too weak or depressed to do anything,” and
start saying instead, “T oday can be beautiful. Today can be dif ferent
because  of the cancer.” The disease can be a motivator for change. As Lois
Becker wrote in her letter to me,

I think of cancer every day, but I also think of how strong my body is,
how good it feels most of the time. I still talk to my insides. I have a feelingof integration of body, mind and, probably, spirit, which I never before
experienced. Letting go of fear is the sticking point for many people. It’ s easier if you
see every interchange as either a request for or a giving of love. A
frightened person is really saying, “Love me.” But we tend to reject that
person and get angry. Then he or she gets more frightened and often hoards
anger until it hardens into resentment or hate. To hate is easy, but it is
healthier to love. When you’re feeling afraid, if you ask someone for a hug,
for some love, the fear will quiet down. One night I was in the emer gency room to examine a patient, and a man
wandered out of the psychiatric wing. He walked straight toward me—
because of my shaved head, I believe—and started berating me, screaming
about my ancestors and sexual habits. Everyone else disappeared into the
woodwork except the patients sitting up in their cubicles watching. As he
stood there screaming at me, I knew I had to see my patient, and I wondered
how I was going to take care of this situation. I thought about all my
sermons, and I looked him in the eye and said, “I love you.” He stopped as
if he’d been hit in the head with a mallet. He turned around and went
quietly back into his room and sat down. The chief of nursing in the
emer gency room said, “Y ou handled that beautifully.” And I said, “Thanks
for your help.”
Love is incredibly powerful in the midst of conflict. In most families I
have no trouble getting people to say, “I hate you.” “I love you” is much
harder. Patients often must say it by letter or phone before they can say it
face to face—because it’ s the “I love you” that carries the real emotional
power. There really isn’ t anything you can’ t handle. I know that, even though
you may not know it yet. Someone may tell me, “I’m frightened. My
husband has run of f with another woman. I have cancer now, and I’ve got
five kids at home. I don’ t know what to do.” From experience with other
patients I can now tell that person, “Y ou know what’ s going to happen a
year from now? You’ll ask me, ‘Do you know anyone else with a similar
problem? I’ll call them up and of fer my help.’  “You are strong enough to
get through all those things. I know a woman named Emily who was so fearful she wouldn’ t go out
in the rain. She wouldn’ t sign checks, either. She avoided almost all of life’ sjoys and responsibilities. Her husband finally left her, and you couldn’ t
blame him. Then she developed leukemia and went through an incredible
metamorphosis. When last seen, she was at a political rally, yelling at the
top of her lungs. Her husband would remarry the woman she has become. But it took leukemia to get her to wake up and live. For many people, it
takes the knowledge that we won’ t live forever—so why be afraid to love? TRANSCENDING HA TE
Resentments and hate are the obstacles that keep many people from
clearing up their unfinished emotional business and achieving harmony
with others. Transcending fear opens the way to for giveness of those who
have wronged you, and it releases a love that can make you psychologically
immune to your environment. Choosing to love and hold on to the mean ing
of life increases the chances of survival under all conditions. Psychiatrist
Viktor Frankl, a survivor of the Nazi death camps, wrote in his memoir
Man’ s Sear ch for Meaning  that the guards found it easier to kill those who
seemed ready to die than those who looked at their captors, with a spark of
life in their eyes. Love saved Frankl’ s life at one point. When he and his
fellow prisoners were told that a train was going to a work camp where
conditions would be better, he gave his place to someone else. The train
went to one of the gas chambers. Another survivor, Jack Schwarz, has told how he passed out during a
whipping and had a vision of Christ. Filled with love from the image, he
said to his torturer, “Ich liebe dich.” The guard was so shocked that he
stopped, and he was even more astounded when he saw right before his
eyes the prisoner ’s wounds healing within moments. Psychiatrist Geor ge Ritchie, author of Return fr om T omorr ow, tells this
story of “W ild Bill,” one of the death-camp survivors with whom he
worked after the liberation:

[“Wild Bill”] was one of the inmates of the concentration camp, but
obviously he hadn’ t been there long: His posture was erect, his eyes bright,
his ener gy indefatigable. Since he was fluent in English, French, German
and Russian, as well as Polish, he became a kind of unof ficial camp
translator….Though Wild Bill worked fifteen and sixteen hours a day, he showed no
signs of weariness. While the rest of us were drooping with fatigue, he
seemed to gain strength…. I was astonished to learn when Wild Bill’ s own papers came before us
one day, that he had been in Wuppertal since 1939! For six years he had
lived on the same starvation diet, slept in the same airless and disease-
ridden barracks as everyone else, but without the least physical or mental
deterioration…. Wild Bill was our greatest asset, reasoning with the dif ferent groups,
counseling for giveness. “It’s not easy for some of them to for give,” I commented to him one
day…. “So many of them have lost members of their families.”
“We lived in the Jewish section of Warsaw,” he began slowly, the first
words I had heard him speak about himself, “my wife, our two daughters,
and our three little boys. When the Germans reached our street they lined
everyone against a wall and opened up with machine guns. I begged to be
allowed to die with my family, but because I spoke German they put me in
a work group.”
“I had to decide right then,” he continued, “whether to let myself hate
the soldiers who had done this. It was an easy decision, really. I was a
lawyer. In my practice I had seen too often what hate could do to people’ s
minds and bodies. Hate had just killed the six people who mattered most to
me in the world. I decided then that I would spend the rest of my life—
whether it was a few days or many years—loving every person I came in
contact with.” This was the power that had kept a man well in the face of
every privation. I’m not saying all the survivors came through by being able to love the
Nazis as human beings, and I’m certainly not saying everybody else died
because they didn’ t love enough. Many hung on to life so they could be
witnesses to the world. Some did it by turning “hatred into ener gy,” which
was the slogan that enabled the Vietnamese to survive forty years of war
and overcome the Japanese, French, and Americans—but you have to be
careful that you don’ t end up becoming like your enemies. To attempt Wild
Bill’s kind of love just because somebody says it’ s righteous would be a
pathetic hypocrisy. Such love may have little to do with the individuals inthe drama but rather may be a welling forth of a universal power—God or
the basic goodness of humanity—through the deepest wounds of the spirit. What I am saying is that love can save you! You can look at a murderer
with love based on the fact that you know what got