utes), then turn them out on large platter. Wash wok and replace over
medium-high heat. Sauce:
1 tablespoon tofu sauce or tamari
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice or dry sherry
1 tablespoon roasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons Hain barbecue sauce or Chinese bean or peanut sauce*
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon hot curry paste (optional) or Vi teaspoon curry powder
2Spaghetti-like noodles made from wild mountain sweet potatoes, available in Asian markets or
natural food stores. 'Available in Asian markets. A FOUR-WEEK EXAMPLE OF THE FITNESS LIFESTYLE • 179 In small bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well, and set aside. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in hot wok. Add noodles, and stir-fry until
warm. Add vegetables and sauce. Toss to combine well. Turn out on
large platter. Serves 2. PERFECT CORN ON THE COB 7 Min. 4 ears of corn
Butter
Sea salt, seasoned salt, or salt-free seasoning
Always store corn in husks in refrigerator. It will keep much better and
longer. In soup kettle, bring water to a boil. Add husked corn, and boil
for exactly 5 minutes. Remove to platter. Add butter and sea salt. Serves
2-4. MAIN-COURSE SALAD DA Y
Remember, for any dinner you may substitute the main-course salad of your
choice. DAY ELEVEN—THURSDAY
BREAKFAST:
Same as Day One. LUNCH:
Fresh fruit or carrot juice (optional)
Continue on fruit with a fruit salad or the Vegetable-fruit Platter (see
page 156)
Have raw vegetables, if desired. DINNER:
1 whole grapefruit
Steak-lovers' Salad * (the Texas Salad)
180 • FIT FOR LIFE STEAK-LOVERS' SALAD 40Min. 3 cups Garlic String Beans (see page 154)
10-12 ounces steak—porterhouse, filet mignon, flank, or whatever cut
you prefer
2 teaspoons safflower oil
1 small red or white onion, sliced
4 cups butter lettuce, washed, dried, and broken into bite-size
pieces
2 cups spinach, stems removed
3 large mushrooms, sliced or cut into matchsticks
Prepare the salad. Prepare Garlic String Beans. While beans are cooking, broil steak accord
ing to taste. Cut into thin diagonal strips and set aside. Heat oil in small
skillet. Saute onion in oil until tender and beginning to crisp. Place let
tuce and spinach in large bowl. Add steak, string beans, onion, and
mushrooms. DIJON DRESSING:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
'A teaspoon Dijon mustard
Vi teaspoon sea salt, seasoned salt, or salt-free seasoning (optional)
lA teaspoon Spike (optional)
Fresh ground black pepper
Prepare the dressing. In small bowl, whisk until frothy oil, lemon juice, and mustard. Add sea
salt and Spike, if desired. Pour over salad. Add pepper to taste. Toss well. Serves 2. Have a fruit snack before bed, as long as four hours have elapsed since dinner. DAY TWELVE—FRIDAY
BREAKFAST:
Same as Day One. A FOUR-WEEK EXAMPLE OF THE FITNESS UFE-STYLE • 181 LUNCH. Fresh fruit or carrot juice (optional)
Energy Salad (see page 149) or Stuffed Pita Sandwich *
DINNER:
Fresh Vegetable Juice Cocktail (see page 152)
Curried Vegetables* and Cucumber Raita,* or Broiled Fish Steaks"
and Dilled Cucumbers*
Sweet Spaghetti Squash *
STUFFED PITA SANDWICH 15 Min. Whole-wheat pita bread, which is readily available, is a great substitute
for regular bread. Warm pitas briefly in oven. Do not toast, because then
they are impossible to stuff. Cut off a thin strip along the top of the pita
and stuff with whatever filling you prefer. Any salad you make, using
fresh or steamed vegetables, or a combination of the two, can be an excel
lent filling for a pita sandwich. Use thicker dressings rather than drippy
ones, which will soak through the bread. Eight years ago, when I was first
testing new recipes, we sold pita sandwiches at our community produce
store. At a time when this type of sandwich was uncommon, these were
extremely popular. Several leaves of lettuce, washed and dried
Several leaves of spinach
1 small tomato (optional) (If you are not going to eat your pita
pocket immediately, you may want to omit the tomato, which has
a tendency to make the pita soggy.) I stalk celery
Vi small cucumber or 1 small pickling cuke
1 small carrot
Vi avocado (optional)
2 cups alfalfa sprouts (optional)
1-2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Vz teaspoon mustard or tamari
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Sea salt, seasoned salt, or salt-free seasoning (optional)
2 whole-wheat pita breads
182'FIT FOR LIFE Finely chop lettuce, spinach, tomato, celery, and cucumber, and com
bine in small bowl. Grate carrot and cube avocado, and add to
vegetables. Add sprouts. Add mayonnaise, mustard or tamari, a squeeze
of lemon, and sea salt to taste. Mix well. Stuff salad into slightly warmed
pita pockets. Wrap in plastic, and store in refrigerator until you're ready
to eat. Serves 2. CURRIED VEGETABLES 30 Min. Basic Indian cooking is actually quite easy. This is an authentic recipe I
learned from a dear friend and enormously talented culinary artist from
Bombay, Mrs. Vasant Ullal. This is a dry curry. A wet curry variation
follows the recipe. 2 teaspoons safflower oil, butter, or ghee (clarified butter)4
Vz teaspoon mustard seeds (optional)
Pinch of asafetida (hingf (optional)
1 tablespoon green chili, minced, bell pepper, chopped (Use green
chili if you like a hot curry.) 1 small cauliflower, cored and cut into small, fine florets
V4—V2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon coriander powder
YH teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon water
1 Vi cups frozen petite peas
3 tablespoons coconut, finely grated
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Juice of Vi small lime
Prepare the vegetables. In a large saucepan with lid, heat oil, butter, or ghee. Add mustard seeds,
asafetida, and green chili or bell pepper. Add cauliflower. Cover and dry-
steam over very low heat, adding sea salt, coriander, and turmeric as
vegetables cook. Stir frequently. Add water if vegetables begin to stick. Cook 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently until cauliflower is tender. Add
4Ghee can be purchased in Indian markets, or you can make it yourself by melting sweet butter and
straining it through cheesecloth. Clarifying removes milk solids and makes butter more digestible. 'Indian spice used as a digestive aid in Indian cooking, available at Indian markets. Use only a
pinch, a little goes a long way. Hing is another Indian name for asafetida. A FOUR-WEEK EXAMPLE OF THE FITNESS LIFE-STYLE • 183 peas, mix well, and cook for 3-4 minutes longer. Stir in coconut,
cilantro, and lime juice. Mix well and heat gently for a few minutes. Serves 3-4. Wet curry variation. Place grated coconut in blender with [A teaspoon cumin, a small slice of
fresh ginger, 1-2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon coriander, Vs teaspoon tur
meric, and water to cover. Liquefy. Add coconut sauce at end of cooking
when adding peas. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Add cilantro and lime juice. CUCUMBER RAITA 10 Min. This is Vasant UHal's recipe for a cooling raita that is traditionally served
with curry. Since it is made from yogurt, it makes a heavy accompaniment
to any carbohydrate, such as the traditional rice or chapatis, so for this
curry meal we substitute Sweet Spaghetti Squash (see page 185) to com
plement the Curried Vegetables and the Cucumber Raita. 1 small cucumber, peeled and coarsely grated
1 Vi cups plain yogurt
2 teaspoons safflower oil
Pinch of asafetida (hing) (available at Indian markets)
Vz teaspoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon Kari leaves (neam) (available at Indian markets)
lA teaspoon sea salt (optional)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
In small bowl, combine cucumber with yogurt. You may want to
squeeze excess water from cucumber before you add it to the yogurt. In
small saucepan, heat oil. Add asafetida, mustard seeds, and curry leaves,
and sizzle briefly. Pour into cucumber-yogurt mixture. Add sea salt and
cilantro. Mix well. Serves 4. BROILED FISH STEAKS 10 Min. 2 8-ounce cuts svvordfish, halibut, salmon, shark, yellowtail, or any
thick fish steak
2 tablespoons butter, melted, or olive oil
184


 Spirit. That is the nature of
Spirit. It is not personal, and it is always extending. The expe rience of
trust, joy, contentment, and peace is a sign that you are in touch with
Spirit, and being  in touch with Spirit is true giving. Receiving and giving
become one.
When your dreams become happy, you know that you’re just at the
point of getting your final lesson. This final insight is learning that what
you have is what you are. This means that “having” is an experience of
your divine Self—safe, free, and at home. Remember that in oneness,
there is no difference between having and being as there is in the dream.
In the state of being, the mind gives everything always. To have is no
longer associate d with an ownership of things or of having self-
importance. Without attachments, you become free. That’ s why Buddha
taught to empty your mind of everything you think that you think and
everything you think you are. He was saying let go of the false
identifications that relate to this world and come into a still, tranquilmind, which is beyond this world. That’ s what Jesus was teaching as
well. Whereas Buddha might have called it the void, Jesus would have
said, “Yes, go into the void and come through the void to the Kingdom
of Heaven, to full joy, to full happiness, to the fullness of Holy Spirit.”
That’ s what this journey is all about!
How to Be Truly Helpful
We all want to do good. And we all do what we believe makes us happy.
Kahlil Gibran wrote a beautiful little book called The Prophet. He said
that when you work, you should work with joy and love. True service
can be an opportunity to let the personality be washed away. There are
many volunteer s of service all over the world. Millions of people are
involved in service, but many of them experience burnout. They burn out
in their volunteerism. How does this happen? The ego must be involved.
The ego will try to hijack service for its own purposes: “Save the hungry,
save the poor, save Mother Earth, save the dolphins, save the whales for
God’ s sake, save the tuna! Save the environment. Save your country.”
They get very angry about the obstacles in the way and eventually angry
at themselves for not being able to cure the problems. This is not going
to work. The ego has hijacked the concept of service. If service  does not
lead to joy, you are following the imposter, the ego.
When I was growing up, people told me to always look out for
number one. And I said, “Who is number one?” They said, “It is you. It
is yourself, David.” They mean t the personality self. But when  you go
into true service, you are turning  that advice around. Always look out for
the One—the One Source. As you give yourself over to this devotion,
the Holy Spirit will give you every step so as to serve in the best way to
heal and undo the blocks to love’ s awareness in your mind.
Everything that we do in forgiveness is so that we can remove those
blocks to love, so we can love God and our neighbor as our self.
Literally, as our self, not like we are loving somebody else— we just
radiate this Self-love. The more we are able to for give illusions, the more
love can pour through our consciousness and the more aware we become
of how powerful that love is. We cannot be conduits for Christ, conduitsfor Spirit, when we are fearful. This means a moment-to -moment
practice of suspending our judgments, doubt, and fear. The light will
wait until we are clear and calm.
A Course in Miracles  offers this prayer: “I am here only to be truly
helpful. I am here to represent Him Who sent me. I do not have to worry
about what to say or what to do, because He Who sent me will direct me.
I am content to be wherever He wishes, knowing He goes there with me.
I will be healed as I let Him teach me to heal.” That is such a beautiful
prayer. I used that prayer every time I would go through a doorway,
entering a situation. Whether I was going to the grocery store, to the
laundromat, to A Course in Miracles  group, to visit my grandmother, to
pick up cat food, or wherever, I would just pause and silently let the
Spirit give me that prayer becau se it would orient my mind to what I was
really going through the door for. I oriented my mind to being there to be
truly helpful rather than to just accomplishing tasks.
I wasn’ t there to get in and out of the grocery store as fast as I could
with the best prices and with the best ingredients. That was the old
pattern. I missed a lot of holy encounters and wasted a lot of time when I
was rushing through, jumping from line to line, trying to save time,
reading ingredi ents on packages, and comparing prices. Grocery
shopping was a long, tedious thing before the Holy Spirit got a hold of
me. Then I woul d pray the praye r. I would go in, usually get some items,
but I would be smiling, meeting people in the aisles, and talking to
people. If the Holy Spirit guided me to a long line, I would go in the long
line and have a wonderful discussion. Even if the cashier was new and
she rang up the wrong price or she dropped the change, I had all the time
in the world, and I could tell her everything is okay.
You become patient and lovin g when you say this prayer. You
become helpful and you’re there  to extend the attitude. You’re not really
there to buy the groceries; that’s secondary. Then you start to apply this
true helpfulness to everything, even at work and with your relationships.
You start saying, “Oh, this is the healing in my mind; this is what my
body is suppose d to be used for.” You get your mind turned around the
right way, and then life gets really gentle, graceful, and flowing.When I was in Bali, I was paying for some groceries, and the
cashier gave me a piece of cand y shaped like a heart. It had the words “I
love you” on it, and the cashier  did the namaste  (a greet ing of love and
respect that inclu des a slight bow with the hands pressed togethe r) to me.
I thought, This is the way to go grocery shopping, instead of “Have a
nice day,” and boom, on to the next one. It was presence; it was so
beautiful. That gives us an idea how we can live our lives with presence,
with grace, with love, and with kindness coming from our heart.
Everything Comes from Devotion; You Don’t
Need to Figure it Out!
In the process of waking up, everyone is given a part to play. But it’s
given from the inside. You don’t even have to figure it out. You can trust
and relax. You can start right now; you can just take some deep  breaths
and say, “I don’t have to figure my life out.” And another deep breath, “I
don’t have to fix my life.” Anot her deep breath, “I don’t have to fix my
body.” Another deep breath, “I don’t even have to figure out how to
maintain this body because when I let go of the ego, everything is given,
everything that the body could need or use is given freely.” Breathe. A
very difficult question that we ponder on Earth is What am I going  to do
for a living? Your living can be given to you moment by moment. All
you need to do is turn your life over to the presence of the Holy Spirit,
and if there’ s a word to say or if there’ s a smile to give, it will happen.
Whatever you need will be given!
Let your life be a life of devotion, with integrity, so you can—in a
friendly way—say, “Come along, come and see, come in closer.” It’s
about transparency. The way you live your life can be extremely
transparent because when your mind holds only what you think with
God, you have nothing to hide or protect. You can afford to be a really
open book when you live a devoted life. You can say to people, come,
come closer, come as close as you want.
Just Extend the Joy Regardless of DifferencesI love traveling around the world meeting so many different people. At
times somebody will come up to me and say, “I’m an atheist.” And we
just have the most wonderful time together. We don’t even have to go
into the issue of belief or unbe lief. We just share the joy and the love.
And the Spirit uses whatever words are needed—if I’m talking to a
scientist, I just zoom right into quantum physics, and they love it. They
light up. And if I’m with somebody who identifies as a Christian, it’s so
biblical. And they’re like, “Yeah! Praise God!” When I’m with
Buddhists, it comes out in the Buddhist way. They say, “Yeah!” We’re
meant to connect and join and rejoice with everybody, not to split hairs
over illusory beliefs. In the end, who


ides. T ransfer to a plate and set aside.
4.  Ad d remaining oil, onion, a pples, sweet potato and reserved flour
mixture (if any) and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes or untillightly browned  and well coated. Add kale and stir to combine. Remove
pot from heat. T ransfer half of the apple mixture to a bowl. L ayer the
reserved pork over the remainin g vegetables in the pot and top with the
reserved apple mixture. Set aside.
5.  In a bowl, combine tomatoes and their juices with lemon juice. Pour over
the layered meat and vegetables. Cover and bake in preheated oven for 1
hour or until vegetables are tender and meat reaches 160°F on a meat
thermometer.
My V ietnamese  Five-Spice Spice Blend of fers a twist on the  more
common Chinese five-spice blend, which you can substitute in this
recipe.
Chopped, frozen  kale (shown here) or spinach are excellent green
vegetables to have on hand for dishes like this one.
A Dutch oven is  a lar ge cooking  pot with a lid used to simmer foods
on t op of the stove or in the oven for long periods of time. It is
traditionally made of cast iron or ceramic-coated cast iron, but
stainless steel versions are avail able. They are heavy, and the lids are
usually dimpled in order to con dense steam and return the liquids to
the pot. If you don’ t have a Dut ch oven, you can use a lar ge cast iron
skillet or a pot, with a lid, that is both flame- and oven-proof.Seasonal V egetable Biryani
Makes 4 servings
Now that people ar e starting to understand the cancer -fighting
pr operties of fruits and vegeta bles, gr eat vegetarian entrées ar e mor e in
demand than ever. This r ecip e offers everything you could want in a
main dish: pr otein (fr om the l entils), fantastic flavour (fr om  the spices,
the tart  cranberries and the coconut) and versatility (you can use
whatever is convenient and on-hand).
3/4 cup dried lentils (r ed, yellow or gr een)
2 tbsp melted coconut oil
1  onion, chopped
2  cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1  tbsp Garam Masala Spice Blend (page 137)
2  tsp Madras Curry Spice Blend (page 139)
1 tsp sea salt
1  cup basmati rice, rinsed and drained
2-1/2 cups vegetable or chicken br oth
2  cups chopped mixed vegetables
1 cup gr een peas, fr esh or fr ozen
1/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins
1/2 cup toasted shr edded coconut, fr esh or dried (optional)
1.  In a saucepan, bring 2 cups wa ter to a boil. Add lentils, partially cover,
reduce heat to lo w and simmer f or 30 to 40 minutes or until tender. Drain
and set aside.
2.  Meanw hile, in the bottom of a  lar ge flameproof tagine or Du tch oven,
heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onion for 5 minutes. Add garl ic, garammasala blend, curry spice blend and salt and cook, stirring frequently, for
1 to 2 minutes or until garlic is softened but not brown.
3.  Add rice and stir well to coat with spices. Add broth and bring to a boil.
Stir in vegetables, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20
minutes or until rice is tender.
4.  Ad d peas and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until heated throug h. Stir in
cranberries and cooked lentils. T o serve, sprinkle with toasted c oconut if
desired.
Fresh s easonal vegetables—asparagus, carrots, parsnips, s quash,
zucchini, cabbage—are perfect for this recipe, but if it is  more
convenient, use 2 cups diced or sliced frozen mixed vegetables.
T o toast coconut: Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange coconut in an even
layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, stirring once or twice, in
preheated oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly brown.Shrimp in Coconut Sauce
Makes 4 servings
This coconut-garam masala-almond combination transforms the
shrimp into a divine dish r eminiscent of faraway Thailand. It is spicy
and yet sweet, and the textur e  of the sauce is thick and cr eamy without
dairy fat. Although this dish is guest-worthy, don’t wait for special
occasions to serve it.
1 tbsp Garam Masala Spice Blend (page 137)
1 tbsp coconut flour
1 tsp sea salt
4 tbsp melted coconut oil
1 onion, chopped
1 leek, white and light gr een parts, chopped
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup sliver ed almonds
1 r ed bell pepper, chopped
1/2 head cauliflower, cut into flor ets
1 can (14 oz/398 mL) coconut milk, divided
1 lb (500 g) shelled and deveined shrimp
1 cup cooked wheat berries or spelt
1.  In a small bowl, combine spice blend, flour and salt. Set aside.
2.  In a Dutch oven or the bottom of a lar ge tagine, heat oil over high heat.
Sauté on ion and leek for 3 to 5  minutes or until translucent. A dd garlic
and alm onds and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Add spice
mixture and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.3.  A dd red pepper, cauliflower and 1 cup of the milk. Cover, reduce heat to
low and cook f or 6 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are ten der. Add
remaining milk and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Re duce heat
to mediu m-low and add shrimp and cook, stirring frequently, until the
shrimp turn pink. Add cooked wheat berries and stir until heated through.
Y ou can substitute the cooked w heat berries with an equal amount of
cooked rice or quinoa.
For extr a flavour, try adding 1 /4 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs
(parsley, oregan o or thyme) or Coconut Gremolata (page 149) at the
very end of Step 3.Spiced Slow-Cooked Chicken
Makes 4 to 6 servings
This r ec ipe is a delicious, easy  weekday meal fix and it is ju st as good,
or even  better, the next day for lunch. (Y ou’ll need a slow cooker to
pr epar e this dish.)
2 tbsp melted coconut oil
2 onions, cut into quarters
1  r ed bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2  tbsp cr eamed coconut
1 cup coconut water or plain water
1 tbsp Garam Masala Spice Blend (page 137)
1 tsp gr ound cumin
1  tsp gr ound turmeric
2  lb (1 kg) skinless chicken thighs
1 can (28 oz/796 mL) whole or diced tomatoes with juices
1 can (19 oz/540 mL) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1.  I n a skillet, heat oil over mediu m heat. Sauté onions and red pepper for 5
minutes or until soft. Add garlic, creamed coconut, coconut water, spice
blend, cumin and turmeric and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and set aside.
2.  In the b owl of a slow cooker, combine chicken, tomatoes and j uices, and
chickpeas. Add reserved vegetables and spices and mix well. Cover and
cook on low for 3 to 4 hours or o n high for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, until chicken
is cooked through and easily pulls apart.If yo u don’ t hav e creamed coconut, substitute 1 cup of veget able or
chicken broth for the creamed coconut and water.
If desired, you can substitute 4 to 6 boneless skinless chicken
breasts for the chicken thighs.Sweet Potato Shrimp Cakes
Makes 8 to 10 3-inch cakes
Make these easy seafood cakes the night befor e for a company-is-
coming appetiz er or main dish, or just for a delicious change. Robust,
sweet co conut is the perfect m atch for seafood—you can use lobster,
crab or  scallops—and the tartly sweet pineapple sauce completes the
dish.
2 medium sweet potatoes, cooked
1  cup cooked shrimp, shelled and deveined, finely chopped
2  tbsp chopped fr esh basil
2 tbsp cocktail sauce or tomato sauce
1 large egg, beaten
1  can (5.4 oz/160 mL) coconut cr eam
2  tbsp unsweetened shr edded coconut, fr esh or dried
1  cup coconut flour or as needed
1/2 cup melted coconut oil or as needed
2  cups Sweet and Sour Pineapple Sauce (page 154)
1.  Preheat oven to 300°F.
2.  In a bowl, mash sweet potatoes. Add shrimp, basil, cocktail sauce, egg,
cream and shredded coconut. U sing your hands, work the mixture into a
smooth batter. Spr


.  If we invest it wisely, there
are no limits to what we can be, do, have, or become.
 These core talents and abilitie s, that Rev. Roth and I
have highlighted here, make my heart smile.  This is not a  finite list, but merely a starti ng point of suggestions.  TheseCosmic Wealth
 72
abilities are significant gifts that we all have /G09/G1B/G13/G19/G0F/G13/G0E/G1F/G01/G08/G13/G1F/G15/G0F/G01/G0E/G10/G17 /G01
within us, that we can consciously embrace and apply – to live the life our hearts desire.  These talents patiently and lovingly rest within our inner non-physical toolbox, awaiting the time in which we will consciously awaken  to exercise and invest them,
in order to ascend to experience the full flow of divine love, transparent truth, and cosmic we alth in our lives.
       73
Chapter Ten:
Affirmations
/G06
Your path upon the earth is an expansive one of gradual
unfoldments.  You cannot pluck /G01/G0A/G07 /G06/G05/G0B/G08/G05/G09/G03/G05 /G0C/G0D/G05/G06/G07 /G12/G01/G24/G06/G0F/G0C/G11/G06
say this /G01/G0A/G07 is it.  I came, I lived, and I am complete.
For every moment yo u are existing, you are expanding.
/G01/G01/G01/G01- Spirit, 2/3/09
/G09
/G01 /G1D/G0A/G0A/G02/G05/G0F/G12/G10 ions are a kind of fertiliz er for the soul.  When
all around us - in our outer world, we may observe things we
do /G0C/G07/G01 wish to experience, the inner world and inner work of
affirmations feeds our spirit - with “good feeling” light-filled
thoughts, that we purposefully implant to attract their vibration into our life experiences.  In other  words, affirmations help us to
vibrate /G07/G0C/G06/G08/G12 /G09/G08/G07/G04/G05, to live life on purpose, to deliberately create
our experiences.  There are many  wonderful spiritual teachers,
who expand on the gift of affirmations in our lives.  Louise Hay, of Hay House, Inc., probably top s that list.  There are many
more.  I simply wish to add a few things here, to note the importance of affirmations in  our lives and our expanding
cultivation of inner wealth.  I thought I would tell a brief story of my own discovery of the benefits of affirmations.  At the time I was first exposed  to the concept of affirmations, I was not aware of them at all in my life, or the lives of anyone I knew.  I was only beginning  to
discover my intuitive gifts.  And I was in the heat of my fire,
and the depth of the darkness, of my karmic appointment at the time.  I had arrived for a scheduled appointment, to meet with  a healer/medium, who trance-channeled spirit guides.  On this particular day, I was fully experiencing the chronic nature of the gravity of my circumstances.  And so I imploringly asked the spirit guides, “ What can I do?”  My willingness opened a
conversation.  The spirit guides looked at me very directly and quite seriously, and said, “Okay.  I have an idea for you.  I think you are ready.”  I was quite excited, because over the course of our Cosmic Wealth
 74
many meetings together, they did not often give me direct
guidance or solutions per se.  I animated a little, and found
myself poised at the ready, fo r this promising and mystical
solution.  The spirit guide proceeded to say that when I was feeling the heart of my darkness each day, that I could say  to myself, “My Mother Earth and My Father God love me perfectly.  My life is perfect.”  I blinked.  I paused and blinked
again, waiting for more.  But that was it.  That was the
“profound guidance.”  I remember thinking that they had lost
their collective mind.  At the time, I could not even imagine
how those words were going to help me survive the hours, days, and years ahead of me.    I did not know then, but I kn ow now, that they had
given me something very powerful.  It was an affirmation.
As powerful creators, our affirmations to ourselves send out  a command to the universe to bring that very thing into our experience.  This was a profound offering, tool, and blessing
from Spirit.  At the time, I was confused and frustrated at the
message I received - because I simply did not understand or respect its power.  But over time, I learned to appreciate the energetic power of affirmations.  How?  By investing them.  By
investing in them.  And several years later, I now essentially eat
affirmations for breakfast, with  regular affirmational “meals”
throughout the day.  It feeds my  spirit, at non-physical levels
that often must be experienced  in order to be known.
 Some of you may be reading this book, feeling similar initial feelings and questions as to how the words on the pages of this book are going to help you.  I can only share my belief that so much of this journey is ex periential, for that  is simply the
divine design of how we expand our inner light.  There is great fun in consciously tweaking our inner thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and actions in the chosen direction we want to go.  But it requires a willingness to believe.  It requires a willingness to
imagine.  It requires an invested  desire to play, or to learn, or to
simply feel better.  We are the only ones who can really do the
fine-tuning within, for we each ha ve a unique read on our inner
guidance system, that is wired just for us and that can be “read”
only by us.  Hearing others’ s tories inspires us, which helps to Affirmations 75
ignite our desire - to feel our or iginal ease, light, wealth, health,
and flow.  But in the end, it is up to each one of us to make the
choice to consciously turn in the direction of light-full  expansion, deliberate creation, and seamless divine flow.  When I began to apply this ba sic formula for affirmations
in my life, there was a lot of trial and error at first.  I wrote down things that other people said and affirmed, that initially
sounded inspirational to me;  only  to realize some time later,
that I wasn’t really connecting with their suggested affirmations
and words (because I had my own unique vibrations and desires).  Eventually, I got into the flow of creating ones that felt good to me, for me.  As I felt the truth of each one more deeply,
because they were my truth, I could access the feeling energy
behind them much more easily.  And I saw more and more things, that I regularly affirmed, come into my experience.  It is
miraculous to see these conceptual desires take flight into our physical experiences.  When only we ourselves  know that we
have planted these affirmatio nal seeds, and we see them
blossom into their physical form, we allow a truer, deeper
sense of belief into our experiences.    Additionally, I found a bette r framework that helped me
to connect with the affirmation process more clearly.  I found it helpful to see the declaration  of my desires as its own distinct
process.  It helped me to see the declaration of my desires, in
sentence form, as the “hardware”  and foundational structure for
my life experiences.  And then it helped me to view the routine
ingestion of chosen affirmations (the soft seeds that make me
feel good every day), as the “softwar e” that fulfills my inner life.
As I committed to regularly f ill my inner life with this
affirmational software, trusting the core foundational hardware,
I began to release my prayer requ ests to Spirit more easily and
more completely.  My ability to trust expanded, and my ability
to receive physical mani festations did as well.
 In our inner life, we all have an inner child to feed.  That inner child is the essence of Source energy.  That inner child likes to play, laugh, be inspired, and feel delighted every day.
It is nourished through our experiences of feeling good.  The more we become conscious of this inner self, this inner child Cosmic Wealth
 76
of the Creator, the more we begin to understand its creative,
delightful, imaginative, and fruit ful nature.  The more we play,
the more we prosper.  Quite the opposite of what the current concrete outer world often suggests.  Yet, it remains the truth of  the divine design.    Many are affirming things every day, as /G12/G0C /G13/G07/G03/G16/G13/G02/G07/G08/G16/G01
creators, unaware of wh at they are drawing to themselves with
their


 As
a  result  of  intensive  processing,  dehydrated  instant
oats,  unlike  old-fashioned  rolled  oats,  have  little  nu-
tritive value.
Although  heating  in  energy  (best  for  Vata  types)
the  rich,  sweet  taste  of  oats  supports  Pitta  as  well  as
Vata.
Barley
Known  as  jawar,  barley  has  been  cultivated  in  India
since  the  Vedic  period.  Once  the  husk  is  removed,  the
remaining  grain — referred  to  as  hulled  barley — is  nu-
tritionally intact.  It  consists  of  a  layer  of  germ  and  pro-
tein known  as  aleurone.  In  the  West,  the  hulled  barley
is  known  as  pot  or  scotch  barley.  When  the  aleurone
layer  is  stripped,  the  ivory  colored  pearl  barley  remains.
In  India,  the  silken,  freshly  ground  barley  flour,  which
has  a  low-gluten  content,  is  often  mixed  with  atta,  or
chapati  flour.  Barley  flour  performs  like  white  flour,
except  it  is  much  more  nutrititious  and  wholesome.
Barley  is  trulv  a  universal  grain  that  has  played  a
role  in  most  cultures.  Until  the  late  1500s  in  Europe,
loaves  of  barley  bread  were  more  common  than  loaves
of  whole  wheat.  In  England,  nannies  fed  barley  water
to  their  wards  to  strengthen  their  constitution.  En-
glish women  still  credit  their  flawless  complexions  to
the  use  of  barley  water.  The  Japanese  make  a  famous
164
jmt.
FOOD    SADHANAS
tea  from  roasted  barley  called  mugicha,  and  Scandina-
vian cooks  make  barley  into  breakfast  porridge  and
dessert  puddings.  The  Chinese  stuff  cooked  ducks  with
barley  and  lotus  seeds. The  Scots  use  it  as  a  "bottom"
for  their  world-famous  whisky,  and  for  nutrition  in
their  thick  (and  equally  famous)  barley  and  leek  stew.
Until  recently  in  the  United  States,  more  than  eighty
percent  of  the  barley  crop  has  been  used  as  feed  for
pigs  and  cows,  with  a  small  amount  used  for  brewing
alcoholic  beverages.
Barley  is  best  for  Pitta  types  and  also  supports
Kapha  types.  Although  cooling  in  energy,  Kapha  does
well  with  this  grain  due  to  its  dryness.
Millet
Known  as  bajra  in  North  India  and  ragi  in  South
India,  millet  is  widely  harvested  from  several  cereal
grasses.  The  two  most  popular  kinds  are  finger  millet
and  pearl  millet,  the  kind  found  most  often  in  natural
food  stores.  Millet  is  the  third  most  used  grain  in
India,  after  rice  and  wheat.  It  grows  well  in  sandy  and
poor  soil,  and  in  hot,  harsh  climates,  thriving  where
wheat  may  be  too  frail.  Freshly  ground  millet  flour  is
often  mixed  with  other  flours  into  flat  breads  or  mixed
with  vegetables.
This  delicious  buff- yellow  grain  is  the  most  under-
estimated on  earth.  It  possesses  more  protein  than
either  oats,  rice,  or  corn  and  at  the  same  time  is  a
perfect  grain  for  losing  weight.  In  northern  India  and
China,  millet  is  used  predominately  by  the  poor,  who
make  delightful  thin  pancakes,  porridge,  and  pilafs
with  this  regal  golden  bead.  In  Africa  and  Ethiopia,
freshly  ground  millet  flour  is  made  into  a  spongy
crepe  that  forms  the  basis  of  a  meal.  In  the  United
States,  millet  is  used  mostly  to  feed  the  birds.  How-
ever, with  the  recent  increase  in  awareness  of  the  whole
foods  market,  millet  is  gaining  popularity  among
humans.
Millet  is  best  for  Kapha  types.  If  it  is  cooked  softly,
it  may  be  used  occasionally  by  Vata  types.  This  grain
is  heating  in  energy.
Rye
Among  the  grains  produced  by  grasses  or  cereal  grains,
rye — along  with  millet  and  barley — is  sorely  underes- timated. Rye  grows  better  in  cold,  wet  climates  where
wheat  fares  badly.  Its  rich  pungency  is  best  demon-
strated in  German  pumpernickel  bread.  The  Russians
and  Scandinavians  seldom  repast  without  freshly-
baked  slices  of  dark  rye  bread.  Scandinavian  rye
crisp  bread,  or  knache,  a  favorite  among  health  food
advocates,  is  baked  from  unsifted  whole  rye  flour.
The  English  and  early  New  Englanders  enjoyed  hot
whole  rye  porridge  for  breakfast,  as  well  as  rye
pancakes,  muffins,  biscuits,  and  popovers.  This  was
before  the  use  of  whole  grains  went  out  of  fashion,
due  to  the  unfortunate  invention  of  instant,
lifeless,  breakfast  foods.  Rye  is  also  available  in  its
cracked  form,  which  is  similar  to  cracked  wheat  or
steel-cut  oats.  Through  a  drying,  steaming,  and
flattening  process  the  rye  berries  are  made  into  rye
flakes,  which  make  a  gentle  and  nutritive  breakfast
dish.  Rye  is  a  deliciously  pungent  food  suited  to  Kapha
types.
Buckwheat
This  edible  fruit  seed  has  been  used  as  a  cereal  grain
for  centuries  in  Asia  and  Europe.  A  beautiful  field  of
white  or  pink  buckwheat  in  full  bloom  is  still  a  com
mon  sight  in  the  Himalayas,  Russia,  China,  and  Nepal.
Related  to  rhubarb,  garden  sorrel,  and  the  dock  lam
ily,  buckwheat  is  known  as  kutu  or  phaphra  in  India.
Much  like  a  wheat  berry,  buckwheat  has  a  hard  outer
shell  which  when  removed  yields  a  seed  called  a  groat.
In  India  this  is  traditionally  ground  fine  and  used  in
a  pakora  or  tempura-style  batter,  used  as  a  dough  fol
poori  (a  thin  fried  chapati),  and  used  toi  making
sweets,  such  as  halva.
When  the  groats  are  roasted,  they  air  called  kasha.
In  Russian  and  Jewish  cuisines,  kasha  holds  a  place  oi
reverence.  Kasha  varnishkas,  or  varnitchkas  (a  torn
bination  of  kasha  and  noodles),  as  well  as  (Ik-  blini  (a
paper  thin  crepe  served  hot)  h


 Animal life is protoplasmic. It does not have
within it any source of energy. It has to acquire it. In order  to survive,
animal life—protoplasmic life, of which humans are, of course, an example
—has to be able to find out what is nutritious and helpfu l and life-
sustaining.
So the first thing the amoeba has to learn is what will increase its strength
and survival, and what will kill it. It therefore has to learn, at a very low
level of conscio usness, what is pro-life and what is anti-life. What is pro-
life makes you strong, vigorous. You multiply and are succes sful. And if
you don’t have the capacity, you die. You only have to make one mistake,
confusing what’ s nutritious and what’ s poisonous. You don’t get a second
chance to relearn, because those who didn’ t learn are dead.
Consequently, the only reason humans are here is because we learned
that. If we hadn’ t learned that, we would’ve been dead a long time ago. So,
protoplasmic entities that fail to learn how to differentiate truth from
falsehood, poisonous from nutritious, don’t survive. The fact that any kind
of organism is still living means  it has within it, innately, some capacity to
discern that which is pro-life from that which is anti-life. If it didn’ t, it
would be dead.
The people in Europe who could not differentiate a dictator who was
malevolent from  a great leader who was beneficial lost their lives. To not
know the difference between that which calibrates over 200 and that which
calibrates extremely below 200, cost 10 million lives. In my lifetime, in
Europe, 10 million people died.  If you hold Hitler in mind, and try to hold
your arm straight parallel to the ground, you’ll find you’re weak. You can
hardly hold up a small book. If you hold Jesus Christ in mind, your arm is
powerfully strong. If you hold Churchill in mind, your arm goes strong.
And if you hold Stalin in mind, your arm goes weak.
Now, this is true even if you don’t know anything about the person. Let’s
say I take a picture of this perso n, and I hold it in mind. The way I do the
test is I ask the person whose arm I’m using. I don’t want to influence their
response in any way, so I’ll say, “What I’m holding in mind calibrates astrue.” Then, I press down. If it’s true, their arm goes strong. If it’s false, it
goes weak.
Or I could say, “It calibrates over 200. Yes? Yes? No. Calibr ates over
300. Yes, no. Okay.” So, what is true, then, is life-sustaining, and what is
life-sustaining, through the acupuncture energy system, in the acupuncture
meridians, makes your body go strong instantly. Once you learn how to
approach it, you know how to handle it, like anything else. Just because you
understand physiology doesn’ t mean you can go without oxygen at 10,000
feet. You can’t. Once you understand the basic principles, muscle testing is
extremely easy.
THE IMPORT ANCE OF INTEGRITY IN CALIBRA TION
Now, about 10 percent of the population cannot use this method, for
reasons we don’t know yet—maybe karmic reasons. People under
consciousness level 200 cannot use it with any degree of accuracy. They
have to be integr ous, and the intention of the question has to be integrous. If
you’re going to use the techni que to find the best way to rob the bank,
you’re not going to get reliable answers!
Let’s say you want to donate money to a fund, and you ask, “This fund is
integrous, yes, no?” And then if you get a yes, you say, “It’s over 200, 300,
400. How integrous is this organization?” And then once you know all that,
you see there are some organizations that sound like the greatest
philanthropies in the world, but they must spend billions of dollars on
advertising. And when you calibrate them, it makes your arm go weak. If
the fund was truly integrous, it would make your arm go strong, would it
not?
Each person is different. I look at it pragmatically, and I use muscle
testing to solve things that are not readily apparent, or to confirm  something
that I presume  is apparent, but I want to make sure that I’m not
misperceiving it. So, you use it sporadically. Sometimes you use it
intensely. When I’m doing research, I use it rather intens ely. If I’m
diagnosing today’ s world, I want to calibrate every politician out there,
every big-time spokesman, everybody who gets on there with a big spiel,
and people’ s stories and excuses.
I say, “What’ s the ener gy of this candidate? This candidate tells this story.
Is that so? All right, this candidate hung out with so and so. What does thatperson calibrate  at?” I get a whole picture of multiple aspects, because
pretty soon what happens is a whole picture begins to fill in. Your whole
movie set fills in. First you get the walls, then you get the carpet, then your
pictures on the walls and the various actors. And the picture begins to fit in,
and then the storyline becomes quite obvious—why this person said this at
this time. And you constantly verify.
Now, people also change. So, you may see a change in a prominent
person. And you can ask, “Is this person still at the same level? Or has this
one been bought out?” Y ou have to be prepared to find out things you’re not
going to like.
Of course, don’t forget: the more often you do this, the more things you
calibrate, the more experience you have, the greater your degree of
accuracy. After you’ve done it 10,000 times, you could look at almost
anything and know what it’ s going to calibrate at within a couple degrees.
It’s a great learning tool. You learn a lot about your own consciousness.
You learn a lot about your own motivations. You’re not going to get an
accurate answer, unless you can remove your own personal prejudice of
wanting this answer or that answer. Somebody that you think is a scurrilous,
horrible person,  you find out that they calibrate over 200. Somebody else
that you think is going to be the savior of the world, you find out they’re
under 200, that they’re actually full of hot wind. They’re a very adept
politician, but a good politician is dif ferent than a statesman.
Generally speaking, Americans don’t appreciate the difference. To them,
a politician and a statesman are one and the same. They’re quite different,
and they calibrate quite differently. The politician is interested in me, me,
me, and is very glib. They get what they want for their own personal gain.
A statesman is what he is for the sake of the world and the sake of the
country. An example is Winston Churchill: Britain would’ve been beaten
senseless if it wasn’ t for W inston. He calibrated 500.
GETTING ST ARTED
You can do muscle testing by yourself. On your left hand, touch your
middle finger and your thumb so that they make an O. Now, with your right
hand, take your forefinger and hook it inside the O. Try to pull the middle
finger and thumb apart. Now, if something is true, you’ll find it takes a lotof effort to try and break that O. If what you’re holding in mind is negative,
you’ll find it’ s weak.
Muscle testing can also be cond ucted with multiple people. Here’ s how:
hold your right arm or your left arm out parallel with the ground. Now, have
somebody else press down on your wrist with two fingers—maybe four,
five ounces of pressure. We’re not trying to break the arm down. As always,
the accuracy of this method depends on the consciousness level of the
participants. If you’re both over 200, then the likelihood is you’ll get an
accurate result. Remember: both participants have to be integrous to begin
with.
What does integr ous really mean, anyway? It means that you’re more
interested in the truth than trying to prove some preconsidered notion. So, if
I hold something that has a negative energy against the solar plexus of a
person with their arm stretched out to the side and press down on their
wrist, their arm will fall down. Their arm will drop. They’re very weak. If I
think about certain kinds of music such as types of heavy metal or rap, or
pesticides, or anything that’s negative—there’ s a whole lot of things—
within the aura of the person being tested, and I press down, their arm will
go weak. Conversely, if I hold something or someone in mind that is
positive, their arm will go strong.
Now, the difference is quite marked. The person who’ s very strong will
be very strong, and with two fingers, you’re not going to push


 to do previously. I kept in touch
with M. after leaving the Manor and followed her remarkable progress. Soon she
could put in a half day of work, though she was quite tired. Her endurance increased
as time went on--and so did her level of health. She was taking no drugs. I received a
Christmas card from M in 1968, two years afte r her first fast and her adoption of the
vegetarian diet and hygienic way of living. I'll try to break down her letter to me,
since M was from Canada but bilingual (on the French side). She said she had taken
subsequent fasts since 1966. "I really think I w ill get rid of this M. S. sickness. I went
to Montreal Expo '67 every night, came back at 12 at night, and worked the next day.
Never tired; always in good shape. I feel like 15. Jack, I tell you it is so good to be alive. I'll never again be unhappy. Nothing upsets me. I have to stop and think that I am an M. S. case. Though I can't but little run yet, I jumped 20 to 25 times in the air
with a rope. The doctors say I have a remission and it will start again but I laugh at that. It is all they can say. I tell them how is it.I have my remission when I want to? I
educate others, for I know many M. S. cases." I received another Christmas card in
1969. To quote in part, M says, "As far as my  health is concerned, I'm almost cured,
though the hardship of life doesn't help. But I am almost cured after four fasts and an adequate hygienic way of living. It's wonderful to be alive again.
   "I have more energy. Never, never tir ed. I feel great, wonderful. I'm always happy
and nothing will darken my future. I found everything when I found the way to walk again. I walk and walk for hours. I feel I am  eternal and I'll never be sick again." What
else can I add at this point? Anything said now would just be anticlimax.
Chapter 9 -- A Glance at Fad Diets
and Food Additives
   Since we are interested in total health, particularly prevention of disease and not just
the health of a part of the body, it behooves us to be aware of other factors that could be detrimental to good health. This chapter will not deal in great depth with fad diets
or food additives, but will give you a smattering of information to enlighten you and increase your awareness. You make your own decisions.
   Gluttony is probably the worst dietetic sin. Most people suffer from overeating--
eating beyond their digestive capacities. They also suffer from the harmful effects of
haphazardly dumping in their stomachs an amazing variety of foods and half-foods in
abominable combinations that would wreak havoc in the strongest of digestive systems. I'll cover the advantages and rati onale of proper food combining in the next
chapter.
   Prevention  magazine, July, 1973, states that "one of the worst things about low
cholesterol diets is that they prohibit you almost entirely from eating liver, eggs, milk,
cheese, beef, and shellfish, all of which are superlatively nutritious foods. Eliminate
these foods from your diet and it is all but impossible to consume the vitamins,
minerals and trace elements you need to keep your whole body in good health." This is a typical example of the common misconception most people have that without
these foods one cannot live in good health. The fact is that it is the very people who
eat these foods who flood the hospitals and doctors' offices with their anemias, arthritis, diabetes, kidney diseases, cancers, so-called allergies, colitis, and an endless
list of degenerative diseases. It is not the scope of this chapter to analyze foods in
depth, but cheese (if natural, unprocessed,  unchemicalized, and unsalted) is probably
the most innocuous of the bunch. The others have long-term harmful effects to the
body. The ideal source of protein, vitamins, minerals, and trace elements comes from the plant kingdom--vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and sprouts in their natural unfired
(raw) state where possible--in which the inorganic elements of the soil are converted
into living organic material, making all these elements biologically charged. If one is
going to eat meat, then the only proper way to obtain all the nutrition is to eat the
animal the way a carnivore would eat it--fresh-killed, uncooked, and including blood, bones, organs, and innards. If one cannot eat it this way, he shouldn't eat it at all.
After all, where did that hunk of beef come from that is so "rich in protein and blood
building elements"? It came from the steer that grazed and ate vegetation--the
"greens." The meat-eaters thus get their protein second-hand in the food chain.
   The Low Carbohydrate Diet  seems to be an unbalanced diet with an overemphasis
on protein. Today, people are over-proteinized and this can put a burden on the liver and kidneys.
   The Nibbler's Diet. --This is for people who think they must be eating all day.
(Probably helps neurotics.)    Good Housekeeping Magazine Snacker's Diet. --Similar to the Nibbler's Diet. To
quote: "The key to this plan is six mini-meals a day so you may eat every few hours and never have time to be hungry." (Must cau se problems, as the digestive system and
body are never given a rest.) Recommended for the in-between snack meals are such
things as jam, crackers, and ice cream which are "especially filling and nutritious."
(What can I say about this junk.) Also allowed are pretzel sticks, shrimp in cocktail
sauce, small cans of juice, and diet soda. Very little raw, fresh natural food is used.
This has got to be a contributing factor in the propagation of disease.
   It's In to Be Thin  and Dr. Cantor's Longevity Diet. --Basically same gimmicks as
other diets.
   Drinking Man's Diet. --I think that if you're not an alcoholic before you start, you
could have a chance at becoming one by the time you're done.
   Eat More to Lose Weight Diet. --Same song. Excess protein, etc.
   Grape Cure. --Foods don't cure!
   Eat Your Way to Health. --Usual theme. Use of supplements is highly recommended.
I like my own idea for a title to this diet: "Digging Your Grave With Your Teeth."
   Biochemic Method. --The use of unlimited types of chemical compounds for each
ailment or desired result. ( Hardly  supplies the requisites of life.)
   Juice Fasting Diet. --Tells of the healing power of juices and what juices are used
for specific conditions. Juices have no power to heal, treat, or cure; juices don't act on
the body, the body acts on the juices. Technically this is not really fasting because
juices are foods and must be handled by the digestive apparatus, but to a lesser degree
of expended energy than solid foods.
   How to Cut Your Food Budget in Half and Still Get Proper Nutrition. --Same story.
But the only way to get proper nutrition is to eat hygienically; that is, a variety of
vegetarian fare: raw fresh fru its, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and sprouts eaten in proper
combination. Of course, if you desire to cut your food budget 100 percent, then fast
(but not indefinitely or you'll also cut your earthly existence 100 percent). Most
people are in need of a fast to sharpen the power of their digestive systems, thereby
allowing the body to properly digest and assimilate (absorb and utilize) these vital foods which in turn contributes to proper nutrition.
   Weight Watchers. --How much canned tuna fish can one eat? There are chemical
additives in their brand of foods. Fresh fruits and vegetables are used, which is fine. One will lose weight, but there is not much chance of evolving robust health that will
continue into later years.
   Alpine Team Training Diet for Women. --This is a good one for cholesterol freaks,
because in addition to black tea or coffee, a few fruits and vegetables, the dieter must consume over 2 dozen eggs a week. Put that in your coronary arteries!    Boston Police Diet. --This diet is against bananas, dates, cherries, grapes, plums,
pears, apples, rice, potatoes, corn, beets, be ans, peas, and carrots. I didn't check to see
if this diet was against Boston baked beans.
   Ice Cream Diet. --Quote: "A fun diet that will startl e your friends and associates." I'd
like to add on to this: "Of course they'll also be startled when you get your first heart
attack."
   The Only Diet That Works.--I thought perhaps someone had the right idea but it
turns out to be composed of the same gimmicks presented in a different way.
   Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution. --Another unbalanced diet that can be dangerous to your
health. It's a low-carbohydrate high-fat and high-protein diet.


 the hub of the wheel; more than one
person depends on me being healthy.
As soon  as I slowed down enough to actually feel what was going on in
my body and include my body in the process, I became peacefu l rather than
terrified. I didn’ t deny my feelin gs—I leaned into them and embraced them.
I tapped on them  along with my judgments and my inner voices. I said no a
lot more, including to myself, and set boundaries around my time. Finally, I
understood my belief until then was that answers to my problems were
outside of me. It turned  out that I had the answers all along, right in my
body.
When that top layer of worry, fear, and negative talk was lifted and those
big belief freighters began to turn around, it became clear that the more rest
I got, the less upset I became, the better I felt, and the better I was to my son
and those around me. My stresses didn’ t change, I did. My relationship tostressful situations transformed with me. Work got easier, faster, more
effective, more efficient, and more creative. I was exercising a different
muscle than the default stress response; I was strengthening the muscle of
trust, compassion, and love for myself, somehow all thanks to a total stress
response body burnout. So in fact, stress is a really useful tool, and the
sooner you listen to it the less dif ficult the wake-up call will be.
We don’t need to fall apart, get dramatic, or get sick when things get
difficult. Truly, tapping offers a way for us to schedule our temper tantrums
and nervous breakdowns! Tapping can help us determine what is really true,
what is really necessary, and what thoughts, behaviors, and beliefs are
actually driving  more stress our way. Then we can make better decisions,
moving toward a healthier and more ef fective stress responses.
“I Can’ t Take a Br eak” Str ess
Stressed-out people believe they can’t take a break or things will fall apart,
even as they know they are living impossible lives. When you feel like it’s
impossible to stop, that’s the most appropriate time to slow down and rest.
Belief systems that harm us seem real, but they are not true. For example,
does your family have a belief system that it’s not okay to nap or take time
off or just do something for fun? Y ou might want to work on that one.
Exercise: “I Have T oo Much to Do” Belief System
If you believe you have too much to do and can’t take a break (or you can’t
take the time to exercise even  though you love it), try this exercise to
transcend the limiting belief. This exercise is in two parts.
Part 1: Decr easing the Intensity
Step 1. What happens when you consider doing something for yourself in
the midd le of your busy day? Something that will help calm you down,
possibly even experience a joy, whether that’s taking five minutes to simply
slow down and breathe or take a nap? Look at that statement again: “I have
too much to do and I can’ t take a break.”Step 2. How true does it feel that you have too much to do and can’t take
a break? Let’s say that 10 is absolutely true, while 0 is not true at all for
you.
Step 3.  Take a moment to experience the sensations in your body relating
to “I have too much  to do and can’t take a break.” Note in your EFT journal
wher e you are feeling any body awareness or sensations about this “too
much to do” belief.
Step 4.  For this exercise, you are going to tap on the most intense feeling
relating to having too much to do. Here’ s an example of a globa l EFT setup
statement you can customize. “ Even though I have too much to do and can’t
take a break (or whatever other phrase comes to mind), I deeply and
completely accept myself.”
Step 5. Tap the EFT sequence of points once or several times, starti ng
with the top of the head, customizing this reminder phrase: “Too much to
do, I can’ t take a break.” Tap until you experience a shift in intensity.
Step 6. What came to mind as you tapped? Anything specific about your
too much to do belief? Jot down any specific events that came to mind
about your setup phrases  such as one person’ s response : “If I don’t get to
these things today, I’ll forget, and important things won’ t get done.” You’ll
use these phrases later to tap on your own and see what’ s underneath the
concerns. Say the statement again to test your progress:  “I have too much to
do. I can’t take a break.” Does it feel as true to you? Are you having as
many feelings about the “too much to do” belief? Have the feelings
changed?
When tapping on a belief like this, you might begin to experience the
belief as less true or insistent. Perhaps you now feel like it’s not necessarily
true all the time; you may realize there are times during your day that you
can—and do—take breaks, for example. Perhaps after a tapping round like
this you might suddenly feel the weight of “too much to do” in your bodyand feel very tired. Or maybe you are feeling sorry for yourself, angry at the
world, or resentful of others. Each of these feelings or thoughts is another
tapping round. T ap on whatever thoug hts come up.
Before we move to the next step, what happened in your body as you
tapped? Are you still feeling the same body sensations as when  you said “I
have too much to do?”  Notice that it’ s common for your body to work along
with you, too. You may be experiencing a whole host of sensat ions as you
tap on “too much to do,” ranging from numbness to tightness in the chest, a
feeling of sheer exhaustion to nausea. Note every physical sensa tion in your
EFT journal, because it means your body is working with you, helping you
understand how stress af fects it. Can you see how many big feelings you are
sitting on that are playing a role in how you are experiencing stress and the
decisions you are making? Decreasing the intensity around the “truth” of
our beliefs loosens up the stress factor in your body, and that’ s a good start.
Part 2: T oo Much to Do—Getting Mor e Specific
What feeling arises when you think about “I can’t take a break. I have too
much to do”? Go ahead and input whatever the feeling is into your setup
statement. Here’ s an example of what I mean: “Even though important
things won’ t get done if I take a break and I feel panic when thinking about
everything I have to do, I deeply and completely accept myself.” Or: “Even
though I have too much to do to take a break and that’s sad, I deeply and
completely accept myself.” We’ll use the example of “sad that I have too
much to do.”
Step 1.  Rate the  sadness  or your own feeling about having too much to do
on the 0 to 10 scale.
Step 2. Customize this example to target your own specific emotion
around “too much to do,” repea ting the statement one to three times while
karate chopping: “Even though I have too much to do, and that makes me
feel sad, I love, honor, and accept myself anyway.”Step 3. Tap the EFT sequence once or more using your reminder phrase:
“I’m feeling (your emotion) that I can’t take a break becau se I have too
much to do.”
Step 4.  Recheck your intensity. If you are feeling relief, then ask yourself
again why you can’t take a break, and no doubt another aspect will appear.
For example, maybe you can’t take a break because you don’t know how to
stop. T ap on that.
If the intensity is the same or higher, it’s time to get more specific. Let’s
get more specific about times you felt sad because of too much to do. Write
your answers down. For example, “I had to miss my son’s birthday party,”
“feeling like my spouse and I are strangers at our anniversa ry dinner,”
“when I was running to catch the train and felt like I was going to collapse.”
You can select one part of any of the above situations and turn it into a
specific event of three minutes or less to tap on. For example, “I had to
miss my son’s birthday party,” a couple  specific events might be: “The
sinking feeling in my stomach when I realized I wouldn’ t make it to the
party on time,” and “The close d, unhappy look on my son’s face when I
came home and they were cleaning up.”
File these important specifics under the Stress Relief section of your EFT
journal for tapping when you are ready and have the time and energy. You
can alwa ys take your work with you to an EFT practitioner, too. And as you
tap on these, they may likely lead you to the core causes of “can’ t take a
break, too much to do.”
While this next bit isn’t part


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


 t  t i m e,  I  t h o u g h t  a b o u t  m y  h i s t o r y
w i t h  t h a t  c i t y  v i s - à - v i s  t h e  m e n  I ’ v e  k n o w n.  T h e  y e a r s  t h a t
t a k e  a  w o m a n  f r o m  y o u t h  t o  m a t u r i t y  a r e  m a r k e d
e m o t i o n a l l y  b y  h e r  h i s t o r y  i n  l o v e.  T h e r e  a r e  p h a s e s  o f
P a r i s,  l i k e  t h e r e  a r e  p h a s e s  o f  c e r t a i n  r e l a t i o n s h i p s :  g e t t i n g
r e a d y  f o r  i t,  b e i n g  t h e r e,  a n d  r e m e m b e r i n g  w h a t  i t  w a s  l i k e.
W h e n  I  w a s  y o u n g,  I  o n c e  w e n t  t o  P a r i s  w i t h  a  m a n  w h o
e n c h a n t e d  m e  a s  m u c h  a s  t h e  c i t y  d i d.  O u r  e f f o r t s  t o  m a k e
t h e  t r i p  h a p p e n  a n d  t h e  t i m e s  w e  h a d  t h e r e  o n c e  w e  d i d  a r em e m o r i e s  I ’ l l  h o l d  d e a r  f o r e v e r.  B u t  d e c a d e s  l a t e r,  t h e r e
w a s  a n o t h e r  m a n.  A n d  w h e n  t h e  s u b j e c t  o f  P a r i s  c a m e  u p
b e t w e e n  u s,  o n e  q u i c k  g l a n c e  s a i d  i t  a l l.
B o t h  o f  u s  h a d  b e e n  t h e r e,  I  c o u l d  t e l l,  a n d  b o t h  o f  u s
h a d  l o v e d  t h e r e ;  I  c o u l d  f e e l  i t.  B o t h  o f  u s  h a d  h a d  d r e a m s
c o m e  t r u e  t h e r e,  a n d  b o t h  o f  u s  h a d  d r e a m s  t h a t  d i e d  t h e r e.
W e  d i d n ’ t  e v e n  h a v e  t o  h a v e  t h e  d i s c u s s i o n,  s o  c l e a r  i t  w a s
i n  t h a t  o n e  s p l i t - s e c o n d  g l a n c e  t h a t  b o t h  o f  u s  k n e w  a l l  s i d e s
o f  i t.  I  r e a l i z e d  t h e n  t h a t  w h e r e  w e  h a d  g o n e  i n  t h a t  m o m e n t
— n o t  i n  s p i t e  o f  t h e  y e a r s  w e ’ d  l i v e d  b u t  c l e a r l y  b e c a u s e  o f
t h e m — w a s  a  p l a c e  m o r e  e n c h a n t i n g  t h a n  P a r i s.

A  N e w  F u t u r e  B e g i n s

A n d  w h a t  o f  t h o s e  w h o  s a y,  “ W e l l,  m a y b e  w e  c o u l d  c h a n g e
t h e  w o r l d — b u t  n o t  i n  m y  l i f e t i m e.  S o  w h y  s h o u l d  I  t r y? ”
A c c o r d i n g  t o  B u d d h i s m,  i t  i s  n o t  w h a t  w e  a c h i e v e  i n  o u r
l i v e s  b u t  w h a t  w e  a t  l e a s t  d i e  t r y i n g  t o  a c h i e v e  t h a t  g i v e s
m e a n i n g  t o  o u r  e x i s t e n c e.  S u s a n  B.  A n t h o n y  n e v e r  l i v e d  t o
s e e  t h e  p a s s a g e  o f  t h e  N i n e t e e n t h  A m e n d m e n t.  Y e t  m i l l i o n s
o f  w o m e n  l i v e  i n f i n i t e l y  m o r e  e m p o w e r e d  l i v e s  b e c a u s e  o f
h e r.  H e r  t i r e l e s s  e f f o r t s  f o r  g e n e r a t i o n s  o f  w o m e n  s h e  w o u l d
n e v e r  k n o w  p r o v i d e d  h a l f  o f  a l l  A m e r i c a n s — a n d  I  t h i n k  t h e
o t h e r  h a l f  a s  w e l l — w i t h  a  g r e a t e r  c a p a c i t y  t o  e x p r e s st h e m s e l v e s  f u l l y.  S u r e l y,  o n  s o m e  h e a v e n l y  l e v e l,  h e r  s o u l
r e c e i v e s  t h e  b l e s s i n g  s h e  g a v e.
A n d  n o w,  i n  o u r  t i m e  a n d  t h r o u g h  o u r  e f f o r t s,  w e  t o o  a r e
c a l l e d  t o  a  g r e a t  v i s i o n :  t o  t h i n k  t h e  t h o u g h t s  o f  a  w o r l d  a t
p e a c e,  i n f u s e d  w i t h  t o t a l  l o v e.  F o r  u n t i l  w e  t h i n k  t h e
t h o u g h t s  o f  p e a c e,  p e a c e  w i l l  n o t  b e  o u r s.  W e  w i l l  e n d  w a r
n o t  b e c a u s e  w e  h a t e  i t  s o


 limitations of our
privileges bring to us the best in life; then, if we are
contented to live one world at a time, we sh all have the best
preparation for the tomorrows (future) as they come. If we
live well today —live for health of mind and body today —
we need not worry about the germs that come tomorrow.

   Those who preach fear of germs today are the mental
offspring of those who have preached fear of God, devil,
hell, and heaven in the past. They do not know that the fear
which they inculcate is more to be dreaded than the object
of their warning. Fear does a thousand times more harm
than any other one cause of Toxemia.

   Nature goes her limit in the prevention or absorption of
any and all poisons. The indurated wall built at the base of
ulceration is a conservative measure —it is to prevent
absorption. In the matter of prevention, nature sometimes
goes too far, and bui lds tumors and indurations so dense as
to obstruct the circulation; then degeneration takes place,
with slow absorption of the septic matter. This poisoning
takes place very insidiously. It is called cachexia, and the
names given to this pathology are syph ilis or cancer; or, if
of the lungs, it is called tuberculosis.

    This may be thought a very great digression from the
subject of Toxemia; but, as all pathological roads lead to
Rome —the unity of all diseases —an apology is not
necessary.

THE MEDICAL  WORLD IS LOOKING FOR CURES

   The medical world has been looking for a remedy to cure
disease, notwithstanding the obvious fact that nature needs
no remedy —she needs only an opportunity to exercise her
own prerogative of self -healing.

   A few years a go a sick doctor offered dollars for a cure
for cancer. If he had known the cause of disease, instead of
being scientifically educated, he would not have died
believing in the possibility of a cure, after nature had
passed her eternal fiat of unfitness in his case. Cancer is the
culmination of years of abuse of nutrition, and years of
Toxemia from faulty elimination. Forcing the bowels to
move is an old and conventional method of so -called
elimination which gets rid of the accumulation in the
bowels, causin g an extra amount of water to be thrown out
by the kidneys and bowels; but this forcing measure adds to
enervation by its overstimulation, and further inhibits
elimination proper —elimination of waste -products in the blood, the source of all disease -produci ng toxins. The most
powerful eliminant is a fast. In other words, give nature
rest, and she needs no so -called cures. Rest means: Stay in
bed, poise mind and body, and fast. Nature then works
without handicaps, unless fear is created by all the old fear -
mongers, professional and lay, sending to the patient the
warning: “It is dangerous to fast; you may never live
through it.” These wiseacres do not know that there is a
vast difference between fasting and starving.

   Here is a hint for those kill -joys who  are afraid to allow
their patients to fast: You know, or think you do, that
people who are forced to stay in bed from injury never do
well, and this is especially true of old people. Why?
Because they are overfed.

GERMS AS A CAUSE OF DISEASE

   Germs as a cause of disease is a dying fallacy. The
bacteriological deadmarch is on, and those with their ears
to the ground can hear it. Intuition is forcing the active
medical minds to fortify against the coming revulsion; they
are buckling on the armor o f endocrinology.
Endocrinology, focal infection, autogenous and synthetic
remedies, vaccine and serum immunization, are some of the high points in the science of medicine today; but there is a
lack of fundamental unity to the system; and nature abhors
chaos as she does a vacuum.

   Toxemia accepts the germ (organized ferment) as it does
the enzyme (unorganized ferment). Both are necessary to
health.

   My theories have received but little attention except from
plagiarists. A few, a very few, physicians know what I
stand for. Those few, however, are enthusiastic, and have
proved to their own satisfaction that the theory has a
universal application. Many attempt to work Toxemia
along with some little two -by-four pet curing system —it
means petting a little personal pride; but it will not work.
Toxemia is big enough for the best in any man.

   What more can be asked by any doctor than a philosophy
of cause that gives a perfect understanding of the cause of
all so -called diseases? To know cause supplies even  the
layman with a dependable cure and an immunization that
immunizes rationally. Dependable knowledge is man’s
salvation; and when it can be had with as little effort as that
required for a thorough understanding of the Philosophy of
Toxemia there is litt le excuse for any man, lay or
professional, to hazard ignorance of it.
   Toxin —the designating poison in Toxemia —is a product
of metabolism. It is a constant, being constantly generated;
and when the nerve -energy is normal, it is as constantly
eliminate d as fast as produced.

   The body is strong or weak, as the case may be,
depending entirely on whether the nerve -energy is strong or
weak. And it should be remembered that the functions of
the body are carried on well or badly according to the
amount of  energy generated.

IMPORTANCE OF NERVE -ENERGY

   Without nerve -energy the functions of the various organs
of the body cannot be carried on. Secretions are necessary
for preparing the building -up material to take the place of
worn -out tissue. The w orn-out tissue must be removed —
eliminated —from the blood as fast as it is formed, or it
accumulates, and, as it is toxic, the system will be
poisoned. This becomes a source of enervation.

   Elimination of the waste -products of tissue -building is
just as  necessary as the building -up process. As these two
important functions depend on each other, and as both depend on the proper amount of nerve -energy to do their
work well, it behooves all people who would enjoy life and
health to the full to understand in  what way they may be
frugal in using nerve -energy so that they may learn how to
live conservatively or prudently, thereby enjoying the
greatest mental and physical efficiency, and also the
longest life. (See chapter on “Enervating Habits.”)

   To the ig norant, thoughtless, and sensual such suggestion
and advice will seem unnecessary, or perhaps the whims or
preachments of a crotchety person, or the qualms of a sated
sensualist; but it is the writer’s belief that the more sober
and thoughtful will welcome  a knowledge that will help
them to become masters of themselves. So far the masses
have trusted their health and life to a profession that has
failed to make good. I say this advisedly; for now the
supposed masters in the profession are looking for the
causes of disease, and it should be obvious to any thinking
mind that, until the cause of disease is found, certainly no
dependable advice can be given as to how to avoid disease.

   Fifty -eight years of independent thinking, unbiased by
sect or creed, ha ve enabled me to discover the true cause of
disease; and it is so simple that even a child can learn to
protect itself against the said -to-be “diseases peculiar to
children.”
   “These are the times that try men’s souls.” If Tom Paine
were here now, he w ould change the wording of that line to
read: “These are the times that try men’s nerves.” Nerve -
energy and good money are the commodities that are spent
very rapidly these days. Chasing the dollar causes great
waste of energy; and the dollar has been chas ed so much
that it has developed wanderlust to such a degree that men
enervate themselves catching up with a few, but prostrate
themselves endeavoring to break them of their wander -
habit. There are many ways to use up nerve -energy. It
should be the ambitio n of everybody to conserve all the
nerve -energy possible for the extraordinary amount
required to keep the speeding -up necessary to adjust
humanity to the automobile pace. This will come in time.

   Man adjusted himself to the change from the ox -cart,
Dobbin the flea -bitten, string -halt, and blind, and the
steamboats, on which our forebears took their honeymoon
trips, to the “steam -cars” and high - stepping bays and
family carriage.

   Many will go into the hands of the receiver before the
nervous syst em becomes adjusted to


 and in
intercourse the degree of penetration varies.
Difficulties arise, however, when there is a marked discre
pancy of genital size betw een partners. Unless care is used, for in
stance, too long a penis or too shallow a vagina could mean pain
and injury to a woman in the heat of passion. On the other hand, a
small penis may give pleasure to neither partner. In extreme cases,
violent penetration by a long penis may lacerate the vaginal vault
and induce life-threatening internal bleeding. Unless a woman
has a loose vagina, literally speaking, too long a penis is a curse
rather than a blessing for her.
Writers of crude pornography the world over extol enormous
penises, as if a woman's sexual pleasure were in direct proportion
to the length of her partner's organ. If so, a donkey would be a
better lover than any hu1nan n1alc. In more sophisticated erotic lit
erature, genital size is scldon1 a matter tor concern. And in prac
tice, in fact, there arc "remedies" for disproportion. To prevent
injury to partners, Frcnchn1en with undesirably long organs usc
bourn·lcts, small thick cushions with a hole in the center which arc
tied with ribbons to the hip s. Perhaps partly because of their char -ANC IENT SECRE TS FO R MODEI �N LOVEHS
acteristic slenderness, the Chinese consider a very long penis a
disadvantage, and a large clitoris repulsive. The ancient Taoist
sexologists valued skill over equipment, and art over skill. As the
n1agician says, it is not the size of the wand, but the magic in it.
Coital fit can be in1proved to a large extent by choosing an
appropriate position for copulation, as shown later in this chapter.
Furthermor e, size should not be the focus. It is not phallic size
but phallic performance, proven through the durability of the
erection, and orgasmic brinkmanship that arc essential for sexual
pleasure.
ORGASMIC BRINK MANSHIP
Talk of sexual pleasure is much ado about nothing, if in coitus a
n1an ejaculates soon after insertion. Here, as we have seen, the an
cient Chinese techniques of male delaying or withholding are of
in1mense value.
First a quick look at the physiology of orgasm. During love
play and coitus, if physical and psychological stimulation con
tinue and intensify, the sexual tension in either or both partners
mounts until it is suddenly discharged. This sexual release is or
gasn1, also known as clin1ax or coming. It norn1ally lasts only a
few seconds, during which an individual undergoes involuntary
n1uscular contractions, experiences ecstatic pleasure, and becomes
oblivious to external surroundings. The French have an apt nan1e
for this sexual lightning: Ia petite mort (the little death).
Male and female orgastns arc not exactly the san1e. In a n1an,
orgasn1 is genitally oriented, explosive, and altnost ahvays acconl
panied by an cjandation of sen 1e11. In a \VOnlan, it is a n1ore dif
fuse. cerebral event, usu�11ly without t:iaculation. Ma ny \VOnlcn,
however. etnit a fluid front the urethra when they are deeply stitn
ulated. The nun's t�jarulation nonnally detnolishcs his erection
and thus tentporarily pn..'Vt'nts continued copulation. His crt·ction
will return tninutes l.lttT if he is young and potent, but hours or
�:vcn days later if he is older or kss potent. A won tan. with the
rapacity t"llr ntultiplc orgasnts within a short tinte, usually has no
such worry. Herein lies.1 potential probkn1 t"l)r a couplt·. And it
was this very problent that inspired ancient Taoists, who prided
thcntsdves in pleasing \\'onten sexually, to devise the trick of
org astni c brink nunsh ip. The 111cchanisn1 of rnall' L:iaculat ion is quite complex. When a
rnan reacht•s orgasrn, invo luntary rnuscks of the prostate, serninal
ducts, and St'rninal reservoirs begin a series of contractions, torc
ing tht' fluids they contain into the urethra. The man has reached
a stage that Mast ers and Johnson call '\jaculatory inevitabi lity":
at this point t:iaculation cannot he stopped. Contractions in the
urethra and prostate now tl.)rce the sen1en out of the penis.
The ancient Taoist s consider ed this proce ss not always inevi
table, and beca use they belie ved that rnost if not all bodily pro
cesses were aftl.·cted by the n1ind, they set out to find a way to stop
or delay it. They devised a nun1bcr of n1ind-body techn iques to
arrest the ejaculation of scn1en, just before the point of "inevita
bility" was reached. Since orgasn1 and ejaculation involve mostly
the autonornic nervous systern and involuntary muscles, a man
n1t1st deliberately usc his n1ind to train his nervous system to in
fluence his body. When he has mastered the technique, a man can
delay ejaculation during sexual intercourse or, if he wants to, avoid
ejaculation altogether.
Mentally, the technique of orgasmic brinkmanship involves a
relaxed approach, deliberate distraction from sexual sensations,
and willpower not to ejaculate. Physically, it requires unhurried,
shallow thrustings; deep breathing; a slowdown, pause, or com
plete withdrawal when sensations mount; and possibly "braking"
with pressure on certain acupoints. Knowing exactly when and
how to apply these measures is not sirnple. It is not always clear
how close one is to the brink. Practice, self-discipline, and pref
erably, a cooperat ive partner arc crucial for rnastering orgasn1ic
brinkmanship.
The Taoist or Zen attitude is advised for men here. Unwind
fully, and enjoy yourself Do not grit your teeth or tense your
muscles; tension is the surest way to premature ejaculation. If you
lose control at first, as will happen with beginners, it is no disas
tcr;just try again. Even a n1aster of brinkn1anship may fall off the
cliff if he is with a new partner. It takes a nun1ber of sessions for
partners to adjust to one another.
When coitus begins, if you, the rnale, and your partner have
enjoyed sufficient love-play and are in a romantic n1ood, the moon
grotto should be well lubricated and the jade stalk quite rigid. Do
not try to penetrate irnmcdiatcly. Instead, usc the tip of the jade
stalk to tease the shaft of the clitoris and the vestibule of the grotto
217 ;\ N < · 1 F N T S 1: C R f T S •= < l R M < l I l E I� N I. < ) V J: I� S
between the inner lips. This will further arouse your partner and
increase lubrication, which reduces friction and makes brin k
manship easier. If your partner wants immediate insertion, resist
and withdraw; then tease her again. This will help build your self
confidence.
Advance the jade stalk tentatively and gradually. One Taoist
school teaches fifteen deep breaths for the man for each inch he
inserts. You need not follow this rigid rule, but you get the idea.
For the manipulation of chi here, deep diaphragm breathing is of
supreme importance. When insertion is complete, remain in with
out thrusting or letting your partner move. When your sensation
quiets down, make shallow, leisurely thrusts. When thrusting,
contract your cinnabar field and anus, and breathe deeply the en
tire time. Avoid deep thrusting during this initial stage.
If any acute sen sation develops, slow or stop your movement.
If necessary, withdraw completely for about 10 seconds; then rein
sert. Your partner may be highly aroused while you try to keep
your cool. Strangely, the more she is aroused, the more self-control
you may develop in lovemaking. Try to discourage your partner
from making any abrupt, impatient movements at this time.
Practice alone can help you sense accurately how close you are
to the brink, and when you should slow down or stop before re
suming coitus. If you sense yourself too close, apply the emer
gency brake: Press your middle and index fingers firmly on the
hui-yin acupoint on your perineum for 4 or 5 seconds, while breath
ing deeply; repeat if necessary. If done in time, this should pre


After tracing his way back through the layers of his experience, discarding
anything that is not essential to him, there is the recognition ‘I am John
Smith’ and, as a result, the immediate end of his suffering. In the absence of
the person King Lear, his suffering simply cannot stand.
     Of course, it is not King Lear who has the recognition ‘I am John Smith’.
There is no such person either to have, or not to have, the experience of being
John Smith. From the illusory perspective of King Lear, it seems that he is
exploring his true nature or practising self-enquiry. However, there is no such
person or entity present either to practise, or not to practise, self-enquiry.
     The person that John Smith seemed to be  – King Lear – and the person
that John Smith really is  are the same person. The former is simply an im -
aginary, self-assumed limitation of the latter. There is only one person: John
Smith concealed or John Smith revealed. The concealing of John Smith’s true
nature was the cause of his suffering; the revelation of his true nature is the
restoration of his innate peace and happiness.

The same happens with our self, awareness. It is awareness itself that freely
assumes the activities of thinking and perceiving, without actually ceasing
to be itself. There is nothing inherently problematic about doing so; indeed,
it enables experience to take place.
     Without ‘clothing’ itself in the activities of thought and perception,
awareness would not be able to perceive or participate in the world. How -
ever, this comes at a price: in so doing, the formless, unconditioned presence
of awareness seems to become qualified by, and subject to, the limitations of
experience. Awareness loses itself, or seems to lose itself, in experience.
     This identification of the presence of awareness with the qualities of ex -
perience constitutes the separate self or ego around whom most people’s lives
revolve. The separate self or ego is, as such, a compound entity whose essence
87you are the happiness you seek
is the presence of awareness and whose personal, limited, separate qualities
are derived from the content of experience.
     All psychological suffering takes place on behalf of this apparently separ -
ate self or ego. That is the price that the nameless, formless reality of unli -
mited awareness pays for assuming a name and a form. Although the separate
self or ego is an illusion, from its own perspective it seems to be very real,
and it suffers accordingly.
     Because the reality of the separate self is the true and only self of unli -
mited awareness, it is only necessary for the apparently separate self to in -
vestigate itself, discarding anything that is not essential to it, until its
essential, irreducible reality of pure awareness is revealed.
     Thus, the apparently separate self or ego who seeks happiness, and the
true and only self of pure awareness whose nature is happiness, are the same
self, partially concealed in the former, fully revealed in the latter.

*     *     *

If the separate self is an illusion, what sense does it make to suggest that it should
engage in some kind of spiritual practice or investigation?

One could argue that it is meaningless to suggest a practice or method to an
illusory self, for the self that seeks happiness is like a wave in the ocean in
search of water. Indeed, one could even contend that any such practice would
further substantiate its illusory existence.
     This may be true from an absolute point of view. However, returning to
our analogy, it is highly unlikely that John Smith would have disentangled
himself spontaneously from his involvement in King Lear’s character without
the intervention of his friend. Therefore, as a concession to the illusory self
of King Lear, it is legitimate, and indeed necessary, to suggest that he explore
his true nature or practise self-enquiry.
     Likewise, it is extremely unusual for our self, awareness, to spontaneously
extricate itself from the drama of experience and recognise its own unlimited
nature, not to mention abide stably as that, without some intervention in
the stream of its experience.
     Although the recognition of our true nature cannot be caused by any
activity, or the cessation of any activity, of the mind, if we prematurely
88there is only one self
subscribe to the belief that there is nothing we can do to bring about the
end of our suffering, and we do not engage in some investigation or practice,
we will tend to remain immersed in a habitual cycle of seeking and resisting,
punctuated by brief periods of peace or joy.
     Therefore, as a compassionate concession to the apparently separate self
or ego that most of us believe and feel ourselves to be, the religious and spiri -
tual traditions elaborate practices or pathways which lead towards the rec -
ognition of our true nature. That is, they take us from the self we seem to be
to the self that we essentially are, from suffering to happiness.
     Some of these practices give the apparently separate self an activity to
undertake, with the intention of gradually purifying it until it is sufficiently
refined to merge into its source. Others attempt to undermine the apparently
separate self by refusing to recommend any practice that could be appropri -
ated by it and used to validate and substantiate its illusory existence.
     Others, such as the approach suggested here, recommend going directly
to the heart of the matter and investigating the self we believe ourself to be,
thereby revealing its inherently peaceful and unconditionally fulfilled nature.

89 chapter twelve
Who Is It That Suffers?
Let yourself be silently drawn by the
stronger pull of what you really love.
rumi

If our essential nature is inherently peaceful and happy, why do we suffer so much?

Let us first make a clear distinction between physical pain, discomfort or
danger and psychological suffering. Pain, discomfort and resistance to danger
arise on behalf of the safety and well-being of the body. They are expressions
of the body’s innate intelligence to protect and preserve itself.
     For instance, if we have a toothache, the pain is an intelligent signal that
the body requires attention. If we are hungry, the mildly uncomfortable sen -
sation indicates that the body requires nutrition. If our house is on fire, our
resistance to the situation arises on behalf of our safety and those in our care.
     By contrast, psychological suffering arises on behalf of the belief that we
are a separate and independently existing self. Imagine, for instance, that
someone says something and we are hurt by it. Who or what is hurt? The
body is obviously not injured by the words. They do not harm our ears or
our head. And the open, empty space of awareness is not hurt; the words
sail through it like a bird in the sky, without harming it in any way or leaving
a trace on it.
     Yet something rises up in us between awareness and the body and says,
‘I feel upset’. Who is that ‘I’? It is an illusory entity, the separate self or ego,
on whose behalf all afflictive emotions arise. It is in response to the discom -
fort of such emotions that most people seek relief in objects, activities, sub -
stances, circumstances and relationships.
     In this approach, we address the root of suffering. We attend to the self
that is hurt rather than to the hurtful words themselves. If that self is seen
to be an illusion, how can the suffering that arises on its behalf remain?  you are the happiness you seek
The suffering dissipates as a result of this clear seeing, and our innate peace and
happiness, which was present all along but veiled by the emotion, is restored.
     The Buddha clearly described this process in the Four Noble T ruths,
which state that there is suffering, it has a cause, there is the possibility of its
ending, and there is a means by which this may be accomplished. Restated
in the affirmative, this might read: there is happiness, it is our true nature,
it may easily be found, and there is a simple and direct path to it.

the activity of the ego

Let us return to the cause of suffering. The separate self or ego is an illusion.
It is an apparent contraction or limitation of our true nature: the ever-
present, unlimited presence of awareness with which all experience is known,
in which all experience appears and, ultimately, out of which all experience
is made.
     This illusory self, feeling itself to be a fragment rather than whole, is al -
ways seeking to complete or fulfil itself through the acquisition of an object,
substance, activity, circumstance or relationship. As such, seeking is the
means by which the ego attempts to restore its innate wholeness.
     Feeling itself to be a fragment, the separate self or ego always feels
threatened and vulnerable. For this reason, it is always in a state of resistance
or defence against anything that it perceives will endanger or diminish it.
     This resistance and defence does not arise on behalf of the safety or well-
being of the body. Its purpose is to protect or defend an illusory psychological
entity. Criticising, blaming, judging, accusing and arguing are some of the
many ways the ego protects and enhances itself, thereby validating and per -
petuating its illusory existence.
     Thus, seeking and resisting – desire and fear – are the two activities that