 Effort is not only
useless but damaging. This concept was voiced by the ve nerable
spiritual teacher J. Krishnamurti, when he said, “Can you
discipline your  mind to be free?” There’s the rub. No matter how
well we train o ur minds, including all kinds of spiritual t raining,
freedom is a state where discipline is totally foreign.
I h ad that in the back of my  mind when I said that the direct
path must be easy, efficient, and spontaneous. If you wa nt to be
here now, which is the state of metahuman, you first have to stop
trying. Meditation gives the experience of not trying, which
surprises almost everyone when they first begin to meditate. The
sense o f self is brought into our awareness, and its presence can,
in fact, be quite strong. It ca n turn into a state of ecstasy, a love
affair with the Divine, as in this passionate outcry from Rumi:
Oh God, I have discovered love!
How marvelous, how good, how beautiful it is!…
I offer my salutation
To the spirit of passion that aroused and excited this
whole universeAnd all it contains.
The usual experience of pres ence is pleasant and far sho rt of
passionate. We  get a clue from Rumi, however, when he points to
the pow er of desire. In his case, desire is an intoxicati on with
divine love. Everyone has d esires, and it is due to the force of
desire t hat we wake up every morning with a will to see what the
day is going to bring. If the day brings moments of aw akening,
then desire has served us in getting unstuck.
Since the sense of self simply is, you can’t desire it directly.
That would be like saying, “I wish I existed.” What happens
instead is that you trick desire into going where you want to go.
(You spirituall y hack into materialism, as a friend put it.) In
Buddhism this comes under the heading of “Use a thorn to remove
a th orn, then throw both tho rns away.” That teaching is famous
and has aroused much commentary. It sounds simple enough to
remove a splinter from your finger by pricking it out with a  needle.
The mental equivalent runs into difficulties. Since we are going to
use desire to go beyond desire, these difficulties need a little
explaining.
Originally, the Buddha seem s to refer to thorns as deep pain
that can not be healed. One of the deepest sources of pain i s fear of
violence, which Buddha spea ks of with personal candor. “Fear is
born fro m arm ing oneself. Just see how many people fight! I’ll tell
you about the dreadful fear  that caused me to shake all over.
Seeing creatures thrashing lik e fish in shallow water, so hostile to
one another! Seeing this, I became afraid” (Sutta Nipata).
We lean forward to hear wha t Buddha’s escape from fear was,
which conjure s up the imag e of the thorn. He goes on, “Seeing
people locked in conflict, I became completely distraught. But
then I discerne d a thorn, diff icult to see, lodged deep in the heart.
It is only when pierced by th is thorn that one runs wild ly in all
directions. So if the thorn is taken out, one no longer r uns but
settles down.”
In pure form, experiencing the thorn of pain in the heart spurs
a person to find inner peace. The teaching is beautiful, but, like the
New Testamen t teachings, it contradicts human nature. Whenpeople are locked in conflict, they are motivated to ramp  up the
conflict, ignori ng the pain in their hearts, or, more likely, taking it
to b e a messag e that they mu st fight on. (To the credit of Buddhist
cultures in Asia, the teaching of peace has brought fewer bloody
conflicts over time, a record o ther faiths might envy. The Buddhist
violence against Muslims in Burma proves that no religion is
immune to violence, however.)
“A thor n to remove a thorn” can be used more psycholog ically
as a tactic for  healing. The goal is to substitute negative, self-
defeating thou ghts with positive, self-enhancing ones. Un der the
name o f cognitive therapy, this approach relies on rationality to
overcome emotion. For example, a patient might complain that
nothing ever works out, th at no matter how hard sh e tries,
everything ends in defeat and disappointment. There’s obviously a
strong emotional charge be hind defeatist thinking. Wh en this
becomes a habit, the first thought that comes to mi nd in a
challenging situation is automatically “Nothing is going to work
out. I know it.”
The usual result is that, inde ed, nothing good happens. There
could hardly be a more p erfect example of a self-fulfilling
prophecy. A cognitive therapist would use a new tho ught to
remove the old one (the thorn that removes the thorn) by pointing
out that good things have h appened to the patient. Life hasn’t
been a string o f endless defeats. Therefore, the rational course is
to think, “This situation may turn out well or badly. No one knows,
so I have a chance to do my best to get a good outcome.”  It’s not
easy to replace pessimism with optimism, since emotions lie
deeper than reason, and telling yourself that something good
might  h appen gives pessimism a ll the opening it needs. With
practice and guidance, habitual negativity can be softened, but
human nature hasn’t been m ade peaceful and fulfilled by the use
of reason.
Finally, there is the second part of the teaching to contend with.
“Use a thorn to  remove a thor n, then throw both thorns away.” In
the pro cess of getting over an illness, you take medicine as long as
it’s needed, then you throw the pills away. But the same thing is
more mysterio us when it com es to the mind. If you use positive
thoughts, for example, to rep lace negative thoughts, you still windup as a posit ive thinker, just as embedded in your story as
someone who is gloomy. It’s better to live in sunshine than in
shade, no doubt. Escaping the illusion is another matter.
Throwing both  thorns away means that the whole scena rio of
pain and pleasure, good and evil, light and darkness, is di scarded.
This is taken t o be Buddha’s essential message. The diagnosis is
accurate, and the picture of being healed—living beyond the grip
of th e drama—is inspiring. The challenge presented to the direct
path is how to make inspiration a living reality.
C l e a r i n g  t h e  W a y  f o r  t h e  S e l f
The answer, as I conceive it, is to use desire as the thorn,
because we all have experienced its double nature. Desire
demands to be fulfilled. If the desire is strong enough, as in
passionate sexual attraction, it is enough to drive people mad. The
thorn causes pain, because it is never enough to have one moment
of f ulfillment— the next desire arrives with a new demand to be
fulfilled. What ’s the other thorn, the one that will end the pain?
Fulfillment itse lf. Moralists who preach against desire, who call it
the work of the Devil or, in Freudian terms, the work of the id, see
with on ly one eye. Desire is as  beautiful as it is treacherous. Sexual
attraction leads to lasting, loving relationships and not just sexual
assault.
I do n’t think anyone would d eny this truism, and we can draw
on i t by  using the thorn of desire to remove the thorn of desire.
But desire for what? If spiritu al traditions have held out th e desire
for love, peace, divine grace, forgiveness, and a ticket to Heaven or
Nirvana, only to fall short in t he end, what is left? The only answer
I can think of is the desire to  be real. The sense of self ul timately
has that to offer, and that alone. There is no stick or carrot, only
the promise that you can be here now, which is how you can
experience reality free of all illusion.
In p ractical terms, the mind can’t learn what it is to be real all
at once. The direct path is s till a path—it takes time. Li fe offersevery im aginable reason to quit the path. Desire lures us to turn
our inte rest elsewhere—the o ld story is very insistent. But you can
cultivate an interest in getting  real. It’s not necessarily har der than
cultivating an interest in wine or stamp collecting or Russian
novels. All that’s needed is curiosity and the flicker of desire
(referred to in the Indian tradition as the spark that burns down
the forest; one urge to escap e the illusion will destroy th e whole
illusion eventually).
The direct path is unique because we are not taught by love,
peace, compas sion, or any other desirable quality our lives can
bring. We are t aught by existence itself.


.	In	other	words,	you	can	become	slightly	more
immune	to	the	effects	of	oxidative	stress.	Research	on	serious	athletes	with	the
highest	training	volumes,	experience,	and	levels	of	fitness	shows	that	they
handle	oxidative	stress	well.
26
So	how	much	is	too	much	oxidative	stress?	Your	body	only	has	so	many
antioxidants	to	combat	free	radicals	before	inflammation	and	the	effects	of
aging	weigh	down	the	beauty	of	your	skin,	hair,	and	body.	Too	much	oxidative
stress	could	deplete	your	antioxidant	reserves.	It	is	generally	believed	that	long,
intense	exercise	such	as	running	marathons	and	endurance	training	causes	more
oxidative	stress	than	humans	can	handle.
27
	During	extreme	and	prolonged
exercise,	your	body	runs	out	of	antioxidants,	allowing	free	radicals	to
overwhelm	your	cells	and	oxidative	stress	to	rise	far	beyond	healthy	levels.
Dr.
James	O’Keefe,	a	cardiologist	who	authored	a	review	for	the
Mayo	Clinic
on	the	adverse	cardiovascular	effects	of	excessive	exercise,
28
	stated	in	a	TED	talk
that	“if	we	went	out	for	a	run	right	now	and	you	ran	hard…by	60	minutes
something	starts	happening….The	free	radicals	blossom,	and	it	starts
burning
	the
heart.	It	starts
searing
	and	inflaming	the	inside	of	your	coronary	arteries.”
29Hearing	the	words
burning,	searing
,	and
inflaming
	to	describe	what	excessive
exercise	can	do	to	your	cardiovascular	function	probably	makes	you	want	to
cringe.	It	sounds	horrifying!	It’s	easy	to	paint	visual	images	around	these
visceral	words.	But	just	as	excessive	oxidative	stress	can	“sear”	your	heart,	it	can
also	“sear”	your	beauty,	showing	up	as	weathered	and	wrinkled	skin.	Remember
that	everything	in	your	body	affects	everything	else.	Earlier	we	talked	about	how
cardiovascular	function	has	an	impact	on	the	distribution	of	beauty	nutrients,
so	the	harmful	effects	described	by	Dr.	O’Keefe	extend	beyond	your	heart	and
include	your	beauty.
If	you	are	a	competitive	athlete,	you’ll	want	to	be	sure	to	eat	a	superior,
antioxidant-rich,	high-plant-food	diet	every	single	day	to	compensate	for	your
intense	training.	However,	being	a	“weekend	warrior,”	or	someone	who	doesn’t
have	as	much	time	to	work	out	consistently	during	the	week	and	slaves	away	for
long	hours	on	the	weekend,	may	cause	a	disruption	to	your	body’s	overall
balance,	or	homeostasis.
30
	As	we	discussed	extensively	earlier,	breaking	up	your
movement	over	not	only	the	week	but	throughout	the	day	is	the	healthiest	and
most	beautifying	way	to	approach	your	exercise	routine.
BEAUTIFUL
SWEAT
While	you	don’t	want	to	overexert	and	deplete	yourself	in	order	to	break	a	sweat,
sweat	in	and	of	itself	is	a	beautiful	thing.	You	may	not	feel	so	beautiful	while	you
are	drenched	and	sticky,	but	after	a	shower	and	perhaps	a	drink	of	coconut	water,
you’ll	likely	feel	more	energized	and	beautiful	than	you	did	before	your	sweating
session.
Sweat,	a	by-product	of	the	circulatory	process	to	cool	down	your	body,	is	a
fantastic	way	to	promote	detoxification.	The	increased	blood	flow	that	comes	with
sweating	increases	your	circulation,	which	improves	your	skin’s	elasticity	and	tone,
making	it	more	beautiful	over	time.	Because	sweating	is	a	great	way	to	promote
more	overall	movement	throughout	your	system,	it	can	even	enhance	digestion
and	help	eliminate
constipation,	thereby	removing	waste	products	and	promoting
youthful	energy	and	beauty.
Through	the	skin,	we	can	detoxify	heavy	metals	(including	mercury	and	lead),
31
pesticides,	herbicides,	and	other	toxins	from	our	system	and	keep	them	from
circulating	within	our	bodies,	where	they	can	contribute	to	inflammation	and	free
radicals,
32
	diminishing	our	health	and	beauty.	Sweating	is	also	a	great	way	to
boost	your	endorphins,
33
	which	can	improve	your	mood	and	make	you	feel
happier.
Some	of	the	most	beneficial	ways	to	break	a	sweat	are	by	moving	outside	in	the
fresh	air.	This	includes	hiking,	biking,	walking,	and	playing	outdoor	sports	like	tennis.
Some	indoor	activities	such	as	yoga	(which	can	also	be	practiced	outside	when	the
weather	permits)	and	dance	or	dance-fitness	classes	can	also	be	highly	beneficial.
There	are	different	forms	of	heated	yoga	that	use	an	artificial	heat	source	in	a
closed	room	with	stagnant	air.	While	this	is	certainly	a	way	to	promote	sweat,	it’s
more	natural	to	pursue	yoga	where	the	heat	builds	from	your	own	breath	andmovement	rather	than	from	an	artificial	source.
Infrared	and	regular	saunas	are	also	great	sweating	resources.	Try	breaking	a
sweat	ideally	twice	or	more	on	a	weekly	basis	throughout	the	year,
hydrating	well
before	and	afterward,	to	get	maximum	beauty	benefits.
Everyone	has	a	different	capacity	for	exercise,	but	working	out	at	a	moderate
to	high	intensity	for	more	than	1	to	2	hours	a	day	can	generally	be	considered
extreme	(unless	you	happen	to	be	an	Olympic	or	otherwise	very	competitive
athlete).	That	being	said,	overdoing	it	is	different	for	each	individual	and	can
shift	over	time.	If	you	naturally	build	up	your	fitness	levels	over	the	long-term,
your	body	can	begin	to	handle	oxidative	stress	levels	better	than	if	you	don’t
work	out	for	months	and	then	jump	right	into	a	killer	workout.	Make	sure	to
progress	at	a	reasonable	pace	and	allow	for	adequate	recovery	time	between
training	sessions.
Listen	to	your	body,	and	be	on	the	lookout	for	signs	of	overtraining,	such	as
feeling	sick,	moody,	anxious,	or	irritated.	If	you	experience	changes	to	your
sleep,	appetite,	performance,	or	libido,	or	feel	chronically	sore	or	achy,
34
	you
just	might	be	exercising	past	your	optimal	limit.	If	you	listen	to	your	body,	you
can	feel	when	you	are	overwhelming	yourself	with	oxidative	stress	instead	of
getting	the	healthy	amount	of	exercise	that	produces	a	toned,	lean	body	and
glowing	skin.
Properly	Timing	Your
Exercise	and	Food
Unless	you	are	an	endurance	athlete	who	needs	to	fuel	up	in	extreme	amounts,
exercising	right	after	eating	a	meal	or	consuming	heavy	snack	foods	is	not
recommended.	This	impairs	your
agni
,	or	digestion,	and	splits	your	energy
between	digesting	and	nourishing	your	muscles	for	your	workout.	Blood	flow	is
pulled	out	of	your	stomach	and	digestive	tract	to	go	into	your	muscles.	It’s	akin
to	multitasking	for	your	body.	Imagine	if	you	had	to	have	a	serious
conversation	while	writing	a	meaningful	e-mail;	your	communication


 superoxide dismutase.
This again raises the question of the appropriate use of MMS therapy. In my article How to Overcome Autoimmune Diseases (14) I
show that most chronic degenerative diseases are associated with nanobacteria and pleomorphic microbes that appear to arise from
the inside, out of diseased body cells, rather than from outside of the body. The main cause of this microbial uprising is seen as the
accumulation of toxic metabolic residues inside the cells, especially af fecting the energy-producing mitochondria.
Experience shows that it is deﬁnitel y beneﬁcial to eliminate the higher bacterial and fungal forms of this microbial overgrowth, and
MMS is an effective part of an integrated antimicrobial therapy. But it is generally not possible even with MMS to eliminate the lower
forms of nanobacteria and endogenous viral particles. Even if one continues with a long-term MMS maintenance therapy, these
microbes will continue to rise up, and the accumulating toxic residues will in time cause increasing health problems in other ways.
Therefore, the rational solution is to remove these toxic residues by the time-honored method of raw-food cleansing combined with
an ef fective antimicrobial therapy.
While some viral infections can be effectively treated with MMS, others such as hepatitis C, Lyme disease and even HIV, while often
showing improvement, are overall much more resistant. On the other hand, there is good evidence that high antioxidant therapy is
very effective against viral conditions. For instance there are countless publications in the literature of Orthomolecular Medicine
(http://www.orthomolecular.org) about the quick and effective treatment of serious viral infections with very high amounts of vitamin C.
Also hepatitis C can be ef fectively treated with high amounts of various antioxidants (15).
Therefore, I believe that it is much more effective to use both treatments in an integrated way. With a serious or resistant viral disease
I would alternate a short high-dose MMS treatment with a longer period using high amounts of a wide range of dif ferent antioxidants.
Oxidants versus Antioxidants
Besides nausea also inﬂammations may arise as a side effect of MMS therapy. To understand this effect we need to have a look at
the function of inﬂammation and the role of oxidants and antioxidants in this process. Inﬂammations increase blood and nutrient
supply to an area and are essential for the immune system to work, and for healing of damaged organs and tissue to occur. If the
immune system is not strong enough to eliminate invading microbes and diseased body cells, originally healing immune
inﬂammations become destructive chronic inﬂammations, and this is a symptom of our present epidemic of chronic diseases.
Oxidants support the immune system by killing microbes outright and by giving the immune system more ﬁrepower. This results in
increased inﬂammation and body acidity when using strong oxidants such as chlorine dioxide. Therefore as during any real health
improvement various healing reactio ns, including temporary inﬂammation s, may develop during MMS treatment. This is beneﬁcial for
healing in the long-term even if uncomfortable in the short-term. For a more detailed explanation of this process called a healing crisis
or healing reaction see www.health-science-spirit.com/healingcrisis.html.10/30/24, 11:26 AM Health-Science-Spirit - Miracle Mineral Supplement
https://health-science-spirit.com/Healing_the_Body/Miracle-Mineral-Supplement.html 4/6Antioxidants have the opposite role to oxidants. They protect our body cells and functions from being oxidized. Oxidation needs to
take place only in well established and protected pathways to generate energy or to eliminate invaders and harmful agents. If we step
up the intake of oxidants, we also need to increase the intake of antioxid ants otherwise we may get unnecessary inﬂammations due
to irritation of tissues and other degenerative changes. An example of this is deteriorating eyesight that may occur when using high
doses of MMS for more than a few days.
Jim Humble’ s position is that antioxidants are not necessary with MMS therapy. He states: “You don’t have to protect the body from
the small quantities ClO2 generated by MMS. It simply does not oxidize  any beneﬁcial bacteria or body cells. No side effects have
been reported in hundreds of thousa nds of clinical trials and tests (16).” I ﬁnd this statement surprising as even from a small number
of users I received several commun ications that I interpret as damage due to antioxidant deﬁciency. Therefore I strongly disagree
with the position of Jim Humble in regard to antioxidants.
My view is supported by Dr Thomas Lee Hesselink (17). In an exhaustive literature search he shows that chlorine dioxide kills the
malaria parasite by oxidizing its vital antioxidants, including glutathione, alpha lipoic acid, and coenzyme A. He writes:”… no amount
of intraplasmodial glutathione (GSH ) could ever resist exposure to a sufﬁcient dose of chlorine dioxide (ClO2). Note that each
molecule of ClO2 can disable 5 molecules of glutathione.” If parasites are being killed by disabling their glutathione and other
essential antioxidants then the glutathione and antioxidant systems in our body will be just as vulnerable.
I believe that all those who live on a conventional diet, or who have an infection or a chronic disease or who smoke or with advancing
age are highly likely to be antioxidant deﬁcient. Any of these conditions will be made worse by having persistent exposure to oxidants,
be it from chlorinated water, polluted air, fried food, or from a strong oxidant such as chlorine dioxide.
The problem is not in chlorine dioxide oxidizing beneﬁcial bacteria or body cells but rather that it reacts strongly with a wide variety of
antioxidants, and so makes an antioxidant-deﬁcient body even more deﬁcient. There is evidence that antioxidant deﬁciency is a main
cause of the accumulation of oxidized waste products and protein debris inside cells that lead to chronic degenerative diseases and
the uprising of nanobacteria and pleomorphic microbes (14).
Therefore, I regard long-term MMS therapy without antioxidant protection as contributing to the development of chronic diseases. It is
important to increase antioxidant intake when using MMS. However, oxidants and antioxidants should be separated during the day or
they may neutralize each other. Jim Humble recommends a 3-hour period of separation, and I agree with that. For instance you may
use MMS before breakfast and at bedtime and antioxidants from mid-morning to mid-afternoon. However, my preference for long-
term antimicrobial therapy is alternating MMS, mainly in non-acidiﬁed form, with other antimicrobials as outlined in the Ultimate
Cleanse.
This does not only apply to antioxidants in supplement form, such as vitamin C and E, B-complex, coenzyme Q10 or grapeseed
extract, Beta 1,3D Glucan and immune stimulants, but also to food high in antioxidants, such as purple berries and juices, fresh fruit,
polyunsaturated oils, turmeric, black or green tea, cocoa and others. Because chlorine dioxide reacts especially well with vitamin C, it
is advisable to take 1 gram or more when on a high dose of MMS for more than a few days to protect oxidation-sensitive structures,
such as heart, brain and eyes.
Conclusion
The discovery of antibiotics was hailed as the greatest advance in modern medical history. I believe the internal use of MMS is even
more important. But just as antibio tics have a darker side by causing dysbiosis and Candidiasis if improperly used without a
fungicide, so MMS carries the danger of causing health deterioration if used without antioxidant protection.
In a more enlightened future when the medical system refocuses on healing rather than proﬁt the treatment of serious infections may
just require one intravenous infusion of acidiﬁed MMS. Until then we have a variety of other methods to choose from.
I believe the most effective approach  for a serious acute infection is a high dose of 15 drops or a high double dose of 10 to 15 drops,
and just accept that you will vomit for a day or two. If the problem is less serious then a double dose of 6 drops followed by another 6
drops an hour later has been shown to be very effective. Even this may cause nausea and some vomiting. Alternatively you may
experiment with absorbing a high dose through the mucous membranes of the mouth or the rectum, depending somewhat on where
the infection is centred.
With a chronic degenerative disease I would alternate short periods of high MMS intake with longer periods of high antioxidant intake
from foods and supplements. In addition I would use other therapies such as cleansing to remove the basic cause of the disease.
I would also apply activated MMS to infected areas close to the skin. When starting on a health program I would ﬁrst attempt
intestinal sanitation and reduction of any microbial load with milder agents, such as Lugol’ s iodine solution before starting with a
gradually increasing dose of MMS as in the standard program.
Presently MMS is still available over the Internet. There are 2 types with slightly different composition. The product used by Global
Light (http://www.globallight.net) and its distributors is made from technical-grade sodium chlorite ﬂakes containing 20% sodium
chloride, while the MMS from Stride  into Health (www.strideinto


 Ashley Cooper, has observed : "The science of medicine
is based on mere guess-work." Sir John Forbes has remarked :
"Notwithstanding the skill of physicians, it is Nature which cures
most men of their diseases. "Dr. Baker tells us : "In cases of night
fever many more patients die of the drugs than of the disease." Dr.
Froth declares that it is difficutl to find a more disbounest profession
than that of medicine. Dr. Thomas Watson writes : "In the most
important matters our profession drifts on a sea of dubious
hypotheses·." Dr. Caswell feels that the human race would benefit
immeasurably if the entier medical pr~fession was ended. Dr. Frank
avers that thousands have been killed in hospitals. Dr. Mason Good
says: "Drugs claim a heavier sacrifice of human lives than do wars,
epidemics and famines." We find that an·increase in the number of
doctors is followed in one place after another by a rise in the
incidence of disease. Large advertisements appear in newspapers
which do not accept other advertisements. When Indian Opinion
used to accept advertisements, its workers had to go about soliCiting
these from others, but as for drug advertisements, their
manufacturers pressed them on the. journal and would even tempt
[us] with large sums. We pay a rupee for medicine which should
cost no more than a pie. Most manufacturers generally do not let us
know what the drugs are made from. A drug-manufacturer recently
brought out a book entitled Secret Medicines, his object being to
ensure that people ·are not misled. He reveals therein that the
ingredients of sarsaparilla, fruit salt, syrup and other well-known
patent medicines, for which we pay from three to seven shillings a URINE THERAPY -ALREADY A SCIENCE : 183
bottle cost from a farthing to a penny. This means that we P~Y from
36 to' 336 times the actual cost of the medicine. The proftt to the
dealer is thus 3500to 35000 per cent.
The reader ought surely to see from all this that it is unnecessa~
for a patient to rush to a doctor or buy drugs in a hur~. But few WI~ I
so forbear. All doctors are not dishonest. That every time the drug IS
harmful, the common man wi.ll not admit. To such persons, one may
say: n Forbear as much as you can. Do not bother a do_ctor as long
as you can help it. If you must call in one, get only a reliable_ person
and, having called him, stick to him. Consult another onl~ ~f h~ so
advises. Your disease is not under your doctor's control. If It IS given
to you to live, you will get well and if, in spite of all that you ~ave
done death comes to your or to your relatives, know that death IS no
I.
more than a transition."...
(From Gujarati : Indian Opinion, 11-1-1913)
The Coll~cted Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. XI
(March 1964), pp. 434-36
CHAPTER Ill
URINE THERAPY -ALREADY A SCIENCE
I have ~ust now read the book Water of Life. T~e autho~ has
mentioned human urine itself as water of life. The unn_e of ant_m_als
also is water of life, i.e. the water produced ~y life or ltvtng
organism. The new system of urine therapy cl_alms that ~ good
number of ailments can be cured with human unne. The ~als~.avas
will disagree with this. They would ask -'Is urine also a ~nnk. But
the author says that while on one hand the human betng spends
thousands of rupees for medicines, on the other they do n?t car~ to
have any benefit from this supreme medicine. Eve~ybody IS advtsed
to drink aut~-urine. It is a panacea for diff~_rent. dtseases. Any~y
can come to me and see that book. Shri RaOJibhal Patel, an assoetate 184 : AUTO-URINE THERAPY
of Gandhiji in South Africa, has written a book in Gujarati entitled
Ma~av Mutra (The Human Urine) on the basis of the book. This
subject ~as also become a science. It is, therefore, advised that in
future urrne and stools should no more be objects of hate.
From an address by Saint Vinoba on 4-4-1959
CHAPETER IV
THE FOLLOW-UP WORK
..E~ery mission. requires a follow-up work. But unlike politics,
m1~S1onary work 1tsefl creates its own missionaries and workers.
u.nne therapy is a missionary work and it has created its own
p1oneers for its development anc;J propagation. It is a universal
remedy and it is developed in different countries to a greater or
lesser e~tent. From the foregonig chapters it can be seen that it was
kn.own.m En~land and Armstrong gave it a scientific form. Protestant
prrests 1n Afnca used to cure the natives by urine therapy of their
own and they had two books on this therapy with them. They gave
them to Dr. Manubhai Patel, District Medical Officer of Mehasana
when he was in Africa. In lnd,ia this therapy was commonly known
to the ~randmothers and the artisans. It is very well mentioned in
Ayurved1c.and other texts. Shri Raojibhai took up Armstrons's thread
a~d experrmented not only on himself but on his relatives and
frrends and the mission spread automatically. So urine therapy
bega~ to ~evelop. Shri Raojibhai was not alone to do
experrmentat10n in the field of urine therapy. Shri Juthabhai Shah
gave Raojibhai Armstrong's book and intorduced him to this
thera~y and at the same time carried on his own experimentation
on urrne. Dr. M~n~bhai. Patel also knew about this therapy from
the Protestant ~ISSionanes in Africa. Some allopathic doctors also
kn~w about th1s therapy and they used it to cure thousands of
pat1ents during the first and second World Wars. All these facts THE FOLLOW-UP WORK : 185
prove the universality of urine cure. But somehow it could not
become popular. It required missionaries for its develpment and
propagation. Armstrong in England did a real pioneering work in this
field. shri Raojibhai took up his mission and gave it a great impetus
not only to. its propagation but to its development by
experimentation. Urine therapy by its very nature is in a way easy
for a trial and hundreds of people took up his suggestion to cure
themselyes by auto-urtne. There were hundreds of successful cases
of urine experiments and the experimenters gladly wrote and
informed Shri raojibhai of their successful urine treatments. It was a
self-styled propagation of urine therapy. But there was the moving
and guiding spirit of Shri Raojibhai to gave impetus to the self-styled
experimenting patients whenever they required guidelines at the
time of difficulty. So the idea of urine therapy caught fire ·and
began to spread automatically. It was as if in the air and at that very
time there were others too, who were independently thinking and
trying to propagate this therapy.
Such a worthy person was and still is Dr. Paragjibhai D. Desai.
He had read Armstrong's book of his own in 1955. He first tried
this therapy on himself and found it very useful. Himself being a
doctor and an eye-specialist, he could very well understand the
limitations and abuses of medical science. He was t.he only popular
eye-specialist in this area of South Gujarat during the years between
the two great World Wars. Being a very experienced doctor and
having an altruistic attitude of mind, urine therapy caught his
imagination and he began to use it on some willing patients and
thus he began to gather sufficent material in support of this therapy.
When Shri Raojibhai began to propagate this therapy he heartliy
welcomed his activity and so naturally after Shri Raojibhai's demise,
his mantle fell on Dr. Paragjibhai's shoulders. Now he is 82, but he
works so hard for its propagation and development that it seems the
spirit of Shri Raojibhai has entered his body! Once somewhat shy,
he has now become an active prapagandist of urine therapy!
Dr. Paragjibhai has already started two urine therapy centres at 186 : AUTO-URINETHERAPY
Bulsar and at Bombay for the last seven years. For sometime he
used to visit Poona and Baroda and Ahmedabad to give guidance to
patients in urine treatment. He was honoured for this philanthropic
work in an assembly at Bombay presided by Shri K. K. Shah,


cations to ‘O.K.’  and ‘Avoid’. For further information see Peter D'Adamo's book or his
web site at www.dadamo.com.
Click here for a Food List for Blood Groups.
Click here for a Detailed Chart of Food Groups and What to Eat for Your Blood T ype.
Disclaimer: The aim of this web site is to provide information on using natural healing methods to aid in the treatment of illness and health improvement.
The author cannot accept any legal responsibility for any problem arising from experimenting with these methods. For any serious disease,
or if you are unsure about a particular course of action, seek the help of a competent health professional.
© Copyright W alter Last & Austpac Productions. All Rights Reserved. | W eb Design by Austpac.10/30/24, 2:48 PM Health-Science-Spirit - Diets for Metabolic Types
https://health-science-spirit.com/Healing_Foods/Diets-For-Metabolic-Types.html 2/2<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Love, Medicine & Miracles
Lessons Learned About Self-Healing from a Sur geon’ s Experience with
Exceptional Patients
OceanofPDF.comBernie S. Siegel, M.D.
OceanofPDF.comD e d i c a t i o n
To the Act of Creation
To my parents, Si and Rose, for showing me how to love and hope
To my wife, Bobbie, for putting up with me and for always being there to
learn from and love
To her parents, Merle and Ado, for their courage and humor
To our children, Jonathan, Jef frey, Stephen, and the twins, Carolyn and
Keith, for all the love and beauty they have brought into our lives
To all my exceptional associates, patients, and friends for taking the time to
teach, support, and accept me
To Victoria Pryor, Carol Cohen, Gary Selden—acknowledging how much
love, acceptance, and for giveness a sur geon requires to complete a book
OceanofPDF.comContents
Cover
Title Page
Dedication
Reflections and Thoughts on Love, Medicine & Miracles
Introduction
I. Minding The Body
1. The Privileged Listener
2. The Healing Partnership
3. Disease and the Mind
4. The Will to Live
II. Embodying The Mind
5. Beginning the Journey
6. Focusing the Mind for Healing
7. Images in Disease and Healing
8. Becoming Exceptional
9. Love and Death
Appendix
About the Author
Copyright
About the Publisher
OceanofPDF.comReflections and Thoughts on Love, Medicine & Miracles
There are several things I am happy to share with you since the writing of
Love, Medicine & Miracles.
I retired from the practice of sur gery in 1989, because by that time more
health care professionals were willing to listen to my message. Once they
understood that my work had a scientific basis, they were willing to accept
it. I no longer had to keep explaining myself but could instead share my
experience and therefore help more people by what I had learned. Ten or
twenty years ago if they listened, they were more likely to ar gue about the
validity of what I was saying. I appeared on all the talk shows as an
excellent source of conflict and controversy. There was much
misunderstanding of the statements I made regarding the role of illness in a
person’ s life. I spent a good deal of time defending myself and explaining
what I meant. The point I was trying to make related to the fact that an
illness had ef fects on a person’ s life beyond just the physical dimension.
There were beneficial side ef fects and a freedom to live that some people
obtained from their disease because it made them aware of their mortality.
Since we are all mortal, why did some people need to be ill to have the
freedom to live their unique lives and experience the beneficial side ef fects?
Today the health professionals and talk shows are asking for
information. I am more often a source of inspiration, not inflammation.
Both doctors and patients need healing and are far more ready to listen and
learn today. As a matter of fact, I recently read a very moving book by a
physician whose wife died of cancer. In the book he apologizes to me. Now,
he and I never met and he has nothing to apologize for, except his previous
beliefs. The message he shares through his writing is that he has learned
that his family had a unique and dif ficult experience, not just a diagnosis
that one prescribed treatment for. My teachings and meditations were
important to him and his wife as they lived the experience. Suddenly hope
and love became very important complementary therapies.
Before writing this introduction I reread my previously published books
and was not disappointed by what I read. There is a good deal of important
and useful information within them. They are good training manuals forthose facing adversity. I am even wiser today, due to my further experience
with adversity and what I have learned since writing these books and
starting Exceptional Cancer Patients in 1978. I want to share what I have
learned in the intervening time.
One of the things I have learned is that I haven’ t discovered anything
new about survival behavior. The message is an age-old one and can be
found in the words of the prophets of the past and those struggling to
survive today’ s difficulties, from exceptional patients to members of
Alcoholics Anonymous and the Marines. Science and medicine certainly
have confirmed through recent research the personality profile and
psychology associated with survival behavior and how they af fect the
body’ s chemistry and healing ability.
Information about healing and surviving has been handed down to us
for thousands of years by all the great prophets and spiritual leaders. What I
have learned is that their message is similar to my own. When one finds a
common theme in the writings of those who are healers, one knows there is
truth in them. If I were rewriting my books today I would be sure to include
the messages of these healers and the most recent scientific support of the
advantages of this kind of behavior and lifestyle.
If I were rewriting Love, Medicine & Miracles, I might consider
changing its title to The Side Effects of Cancer. Healing is hard work, as is
any change one must make in one’ s life. I and others have learned, however,
that the side ef fects of cancer may not all be bad ones. Yes, cancer, can kill
and we tend to think of side ef fects as problems, but there are good side
effects too. An awareness of one’ s mortality can lead you to wake up and
live an authentic, meaningful life. I can read you an article entitled “Thank
God I Have Cancer.” The ‘Thank God’  is for the time the cancer gave the
author to learn about the beauty, kindness and love that are here for us to
share. These side ef fects also produce a longer life as their byproduct.
The ugly duckling had to do a lot of personal work to find himself and
his beauty and to heal his life. He had no support from his family or health
professionals to help him find self-esteem and love. He found it in his
reflection. I feel that a patient should not have to go through the same
struggle. One’ s family and the medical profession should be able to educate
and instruct about appropriate survival behavior when adversity, in the form
of an illness, occurs in life. The issue is not about living forever and testing
God, but utilizing all of the physical and emotional forces available forhealing. The mind and body are not separate units, but one integrated
system. How we act and what we think, eat, and feel are all related to our
health. Physicians should be capable of teaching this behavior to patients. I
spend more time teaching now than ever, and my most grateful patients are
the ones who thank me for teaching them how to deal with all of life’ s
difficulties, not just the physical ones.
Medical education does not deal with many of the dif ficulties
physicians must confront in themselves and their patients. Physicians need
to be good technicians and know how to prescribe, but for healing to occur
they also need to incorporate philosophy and spirituality into their
treatment. We need to feel as well as think. When one’ s existence is
threatened there are more issues and questions to confront than what
medicine to take, or operation to under go. As one woman wrote, we need a
mutual investment society—the patient and the doctors investing in each
other.
So how do you display survival behavior and find a good doctor who
knows how to use his or her expertise and be your teacher? Ask the doctor
if he or she has ever been criticized by his or her family, patients or nurses.
If the answer is yes, that is the doctor to use. Why? Because that is someone
there is hope for. You don’ t criticize someone you don’ t think is willing to
listen, learn and hopefully change. As the poet Rumi said, “Y our criticism
polishes my mirror.” Good doctors understand this. The nurses also know
the capable, caring physicians from their experience with them, so ask their
opinion and don’ t hesitate to speak up if you are not treated with respect.
Submissive behavior is not survival behavior. Be the human being, not the
diagnosis or room number.
I mentioned that as I reviewed my previous writings I felt satisfied with
the


 with any of the anti diabetic
drug the patient might be taking.
Leaf Oil in Premature Greying of Hair
20 Grams of fresh curry leaves are taken and ne paste is made. is is
soaked in 100 ml of coconut oil (or sesame oil) for overnight. Next
day, to this equal quantity of water is added and oil is cooked till the
complete evaporation of water content. You may get around 80–90 ml
of oil. It is ltered and collected.
Regular application of this oil to the scalp helps to reduce greyness of
hair. is promotes hair growth and useful in dandruﬀ as well.
Curry Leaf and Cardamom Powder for Motion Sickness and Food
Poisoning
4 teaspoon of curry leaf ne powder is mixed with 1 teaspoon of
cardamom ne powder and mixed thoroughly.
During journey, this mixture is taken (1–2 pinch) with a cup of hot
water. is reduces the chances of food poisoning and keeps the
digestive tract healthy during travel. Even abdominal blotting and
indigestion and bad breath are also relieved.
Leaf Powder with Honey in Mouth Ulcer
Curry leaf powder is mixed with honey and applied over the mouth
ulcer. 2–3 days medication relieves mouth ulcers. In external wounds
also this can be applied and good results are observed.
Hot Infusion of Curry Leaf in Obesity
5 Grams of curry leaf powder is taken and added to 200 ml of hot
water. is is stirred well, allowed to cool down, ltered.6.
7.When it is lukewarm this is consumed, preferably during empty
stomach in the early morning (before going to walk). Regular practice
for 2–3 weeks helps to reduce the body fat and to decrease cholesterol.
Curry Leaf Head Mask for Dandruﬀ and Head Lice
Fresh curry leaves are collected, pounded to make ne paste. It is made
by mixing with sour buttermilk. is is applied to the scalp and
retained till it dries up (In practice this is covered with a banana leaf).
Later this is washed thoroughly. 2–3 days practice with a gap of 1–2
days in between gives good relief from dandruﬀ and head lice.
Curry Leaf Paste for Acne and Oily Skin
Fresh curry leaves and turmeric (fresh rhizome) are taken and ne paste
is made. is is applied over the lesions of acne. is helps to relieve
the oily skin as well as acne. Even the dark circles and black heads are
also reduced by this.112. 7 Elaichi (Cardamom)
Remedies: Bad Breath, Sore
Throat, Bloating
By Dr. M.S. Krishnamurthy MD (Ayu), Ph.D.
Y
Cardamom is native to the green forests of India. It is used abundantly in
Ayurvedic medicines. It is a common avouring agent in many sweet dishes
worldwide.
Cardamom seed embedded in the pod is the usable part in medicines as well
as culinary preparations.
Botanical name is Elettaria cardamomum and it belongs to Zingiberaceae
family.
Cardamom oil is found to be useful due its antiseptic, diuretic, expectorant,
stimulant, antispasmodic, carminative, digestive, stomachic and tonic eﬀects.
e aromatic seeds are rich in many vital vitamins, including riboavin,
niacin, ascorbic acid etc that are essential for optimization of good health
conditions.
In Ayurvedic system of medicine it is used in several disease conditions
eﬀectively and few important indications are teeth and gum infections, throat
problems, congestion of the lungs, pulmonary tuberculosis, inammation of
the eyelids, gastrointestinal disorders, disintegrating kidney, impotency, erectile
dysfunction, premature ejaculation, gall bladder stones etc.1.
2.
3.
4.
5.It is used as a home remedy in several parts of this country and few
important and eﬀective remedies are referred here below –
Ela Phanta – Hot Infusion for Bad Breath, Sore roat
2–3 Grams of cardamom or its powder is added to 150–200 ml of hot
water and kept for a while till it becomes lukewarm. is is used for
mouth gargling. is helps to relieve nausea, tastelessness, sore throat
and foul smell of the mouth.
Cardamom and Sugar Candy for Cough, roat Congestion,
Dryness of the Mouth etc.
Cardamom and sugar candy are taken in 3:1 ratio and powdered well.
is is chewed in the dose of 1–2 grams 3–4 times a day. is is very
eﬀective in the conditions like cold, cough, throat congestion, asthma,
dryness of the mouth etc.
For Bloating and Food Poisoning
Cardamom, rock salt and ginger are taken in equal amount and ne
powder is made. is is consumed in the dose of 1–2 grams twice or
thrice a day along with warm water. is pacies farting, abdominal
bloating and food poisoning.
Elaichi Pod and Banana Leaf Ash in Hiccup
Dried cardamom pod and matured banana leaf are taken together and
burnt into ashes. is is taken in the dose of 2–3 grams along with
honey and licked. is helps to reduce the hiccup and gastric irritation.
Cardamom Powder Mixed with Jaggery in Travelling Sickness and
Nausea
Cardamom is made into ne powder and kept ready. During travelling
this is taken along with jaggery or water. It is very eﬀective in travelling
sickness and nausea.6.
7.Cardamom Added in Traditional Tea Relieves Head Ache and Acts
as Stress Relieving Agent and Mood Elevator
If cardamom is added to traditional tea or green tea it helps to relieve
head ache and stress due to its good aroma. is acts as a mood
elevator also.
Cardamom Powder Rub to the Teeth to Relieve Bad Breath
In cases like halitosis (bad smell of the mouth/teeth) ne powder of
cardamom is rubbed to the teeth and gums. is is found to be
eﬀective in many people.
Cardamom contains many plants derived alkaloids that are known
for their potent anti-oxidant, disease preventing and health promoting
properties. e main chemical constituents are pinene, linalyl acetate,
a-terpineol, a-terpineol acetate, citronellol, nerol, geraniol, methyl
eugenol, sabinene, myrcene, phellandrene, limonene, terpinene, p-
cymene, terpinolene, linalol and trans-nerolidol.
Cardamom being a choice of general use in day to day food
preparations has several health benets. Also its unique avour and
aroma makes us to appreciate it several preparations. It is the reason in
recent days several modern syrups and linctus too possess cardamom
avour. Instead of using the chemical or synthetic derivatives it is
always better to practice natural extracts instead of mimicking agents
or substitutes of similar physico-chemical nature.1.113. 7 Henna Home
Remedies: Grey Hairs,
Dysuria, Jaundice
By Dr. M.S. Krishnamurthy MD (Ayu), Ph.D.
Y
Henna or Mehandi is more than just a hair coloring herb. It is a very good hair
tonic and strengthens the hair roots. It also possesses anti-fungal and anti-
bacterial properties. It is eﬀective against dandruﬀ and scalp fungal infections.
Botanical name – Lawsonia inermis Linn
Family – Lythraceae
Used part – leaves contain 12–16% of natural dye.
e leaves are coolants and pacify Pitta and Kapha Doshas.
Ayurveda explains about analgesic, cholagogue and anti inammatory
properties. It is a laxative and appetizer too.
Eﬀective Henna Home Remedies
Henna Powder Application and Rinsing of Hair in Greyness of
Hair
Mature leaves are made into ne paste. According to the need liquorice
(Yastimadhu), Indigofera tinctoria (Wild Indigo, neelini), Amla
(Emblica oﬃcinalis) etc are also added while applying this to the scalp,
to get the added benets.2.
3.
4.
5.is is suitable to those who have hair dye allergy and to get long
term health benet to the scalp. In addition it has cooling eﬀect and
prevents from thinning and falling of hair.
Henna Leaf Juice with Sugar Candy in Dysuria and Burning
Urination
10–


 the treatment of Addison's Disease, we have seen some
remarkable results when an ample supply of fresh-raw juices was
used daily in which this chemical composition more or less prevailed.
The diet was held rigidly to the elimination of all concentrated starches
and sugars, all meat of every kind, and all vegetables containing an
excess of potassium over sodium. This narrowed the choice of
vegetables and their juices to: beets, celery, Romaine lettuce, spinach,
46 and Swiss chard. Also included in the diet were fresh pomegranate,
strawberries, tomatoes, and figs, honey, almonds, and beechnuts.
Fresh-raw carrot juice was added to all or any of the above juices
with much benefit. In some extreme cases, some fresh-raw goat s
milk with carrot juice was found helpful.
On this basis, with a regular cleansing program by means of
colonic irrigations and enemas excellent results were obtained.
MUSTARD GREENS JUICE
Mustard greens are valuable in salads. The high content of mustard
oil, when the greens are made into juice, may be irritating to the
alimentary tract and to the kidneys. Mustard greens contain a high
percentage of oxalic acid. They should therefore never be eaten when
cooked. Read the chapter on Oxalic Acid.
Although the juice of mustard greens, by themselves, may cause
some discomfort, nevertheless, a small quantity in combination with
carrot, spinach and turnip juice has been used with much benefit to
help dissolve hemorrhoids.
As in watercress, the sulphur and phosphorus percentage is very
high in the mustard greens, and their effect on the system is almost
identical to that of watercress. See Watercress.
ONION JUICE
Somewhat milder than garlic, with a less pungent aroma, onions
and their juices do, without question, build us up physically to a
remarkable degree, while at one and the same time they tear us down
socially.
What we have said about garlic applies quite fully to the onion
and its juice, bearing in mind that what may be termed the repellent
atmosphere of the garlic and its juice is somewhat subdued in the
case of the onion.
PAPAYA JUICE
While papaya is definitely a fruit and not a vegetable, it is pertinent
to refer to it here because of its remarkable therapeutic qualities.
Until recently this fruit was practically unknown in the North as
it is strictly a tropical fruit.
Like a melon or a squash in shape, it matures in many sizes from
less than one pound to as much as 20 and more pounds each.
47 Its particular qualification for our attention is its juice. When the
green fruit is triturated (pulverized) and pressed it is found to contain
a principle known as papain, which has much the same digestive effect
as pepsin in our digestive processes. It also contains fibrin, a principle
rarely found except in the body of man and animals. This fruit is
readily digestible in gastric and pancreatic juices and is especially
valuable in the coagulation or clotting of blood, either superficial or
internal.
The green, unripe papaya has much more active papain enzymes
than the ripe (this activity being somewhat dissipated in the ripening
processes). The juice of the green papaya has helped correct intestinal
disorders, including ulcerous and more serious conditions in an
incredibly short time.
We have frequently seen the crushed pulp, including the skin, of
the green papaya applied as a poultice to serious lacerations and the
following day hardly more than the scar was apparent. We had a finger
seriously crushed in a machine, and the application of a similar poultice
left the finger usable within two or three days.
As a juice, both the green and the ripe papaya are unsurpassed as
a remedy to help most afflictions of the body. Truly, Nature has given
us in this fruit the most comprehensive means of first-aid in both
internal and external ills.
PARSLEY JUICE
Parsley is an herb.
Raw parsley juice is one of the most potent of the juices. It should
never be taken alone in quantities of more than one or two ounces at
a time unless mixed with a sufficient quantity of carrot or other raw
vegetable juices such as celery, lettuce, or spinach, and even then, in
not too great a proportion in relation to the volume of other juices.
Raw parsley juice has properties which are essential to oxygen
metabolism in maintaining the normal action of the adrenal and thyroid
glands. The elements in parsley are proportioned in such a manner
that they help to maintain the blood vessels, particularly the capillaries
and arterioles in a healthy condition. It is an excellent food for the
genitourinary tract, being of great assistance in conditions of calculi
in the kidneys and bladder, albuminuria, nephritis, and other kidney
troubles. It has been used effectively in dropsy.
It is also efficient in every ailment connected with the eyes and
optic nerve system. Weak eyes, ulceration of the cornea, cataracts.
48 conjunctivitis, ophthalmia in all of its stages or laziness of the pupils
have been effectively treated by drinking raw parsley juice mixed
with carrot juice and with carrot, celery, and endive juices.
Never drink too great a quantity of raw parsley juice by itself, as
its high concentration may result in a disarrangement of the nervous
system. Taken with other juices properly mixed, it is extremely
beneficial.
Strictly speaking, parsley belongs to the herbs classification;
hence, its highly concentrated effect. It is used effectively to help
promote menstrual discharge, particularly in conjunction with beet
juice or with beet, carrot, and cucumber juices. Cramps as a result of
menstrual irregularities have been relieved and frequently corrected
entirely by the regular use of these juices when concentrated starch
and sugar foods have been omitted from the diet.
RAW POTASSIUM BROTH
There are many vegetables rich in potassium, the outstanding of
which are carrot, celery, parsley, and spinach. To obtain the full value
of this potassium element, it should be taken as a drink in its raw,
undiluted state so that the body may absorb and assimilate it
completely in its natural form.
The organic minerals and salts in this combination of raw
potassium "broth" embrace practically the entire range of those
required by the body. Its effect in reducing excessive acidity in the
stomach has been truly remarkable. There is probably no food more
complete in every respect than this for the human organism.
When the sick are unable to assimilate other food, it has been
found that raw potassium broth has usually furnished the nourishment
to bring the patient back to normal. In the case of convalescents, raw
potassium broth is invaluable, and it is astonishing that all hospitals
and sanitoria have not adopted this food as a regular part of their
daily diet.
Some people do not find Potassium as palatable as the straight
carrot juice or some of the other juice combinations. We must bear in
mind, however, that when the body is starved for the live atoms of
food so essential for the regeneration of the cells and tissues of the
body, the time has passed when the matter of taste has any bearing
whatever on the choice of the juices we need.
As we have previously stated no drug in the entire Pharmacoepia
will supply the body with the live organic food atoms, vitamins, and
49 hormones essential for the regeneration of the wear and tear that results
in sickness and disease. Such food is most quickly obtained by the
body when we drink fresh-raw vegetable juices.
The atoms that make up the cells and tissues of our anatomy are
mineral and chemical elements. Our glands, organs, and in fact, every
part of the systems represent combinations of such atoms in certain
definite patterns. It is therefore why we are able to determine that
certain combinations of chemical and live mineral elements in our
food, and particularly in our juices, can nourish corresponding parts
of our body.
PARSNIP JUICE
This juice has a very low calcium content and much less sodium,
but is very rich in potassium, phosphorus, sulphur, silicon, and
chlorine. Because of the low calcium-sodium content, the all-around
food value of this vegetable is not as great as that of some of the other
tubers, but the therapeutic value of the juice of its leaves and root
place it high on the list of beneficial juices.
The rich silicon-sulphur content is most helpful in correcting the
condition of brittle nails. The phosphorus-chlorine elements are of
particular benefit to the lungs and the bronchial system. Thus making
this juice an excellent food for tubercular and pneumonia victims,
and those afflicted with emphysema.
The high potassium content is of such excellent value to the brain
that this juice has been effectively used in many mental disorders.
WARNING:The foregoing applies only to the cultivated parsnips.
The wild variety must not be used in juices because it contains some
poisonous ingredients.
PEPPER JUICE (GREEN)
This juice has an abundance of silicon which is greatly needed by
the nails and the hair. The tear-duct


% of (so-called) HIV positives
studied, challenging much of the basis for current AIDS science and treatment
policy. 58
The same controversy plagues tests that count CD4 helper cells. Not a single
study confirms the most important principle of the HIV = AIDS theory: that HIV
destroys CD4 cells by means of an infection.59 60 Furthermore, even the most
significant of all AIDS studies, the 1994 Concorde study, questions using helper cell
counts as a diagnostic method for AIDS61-and many studies corroborate this. One of
these is the 1996 paper "Surrogate Endpoints in Clinical Studies: Are We Being
Misled?" Printed in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the paper casually concludes
that CD4 count in the HIV setting is as uniru:ormative as "a toss of a coin"-in other
words, not at alJ.62
Following the news that viral load is not an accurate method of assessing or
predicting immune status comes word from the Journal of Infectious Diseases that
helper cell counts may be "less reliable" measures of immune competence than the
AIDS orthodo xy previously believed. The study conducted in Africa by the World
Health Organization (WHO) revealed that so-called HIV negative populations can
have T-cell counts below 350, a number that would, according to WHO guidelines,
qualify for an AIDS diagnosis in HIV posi tive populations. Another "surprising"
conclusion (from the point of view of the HIV =AIDS believers) from the same WHO
study: HIV positives that started AIDS drug treatment with low helper cell counts
had the same survival outcomes as HIV positives that began treatment with high T
cell counts!63
"One of the most spiteful and most unhealing properties of scientific models is
their capability to strike down truth and take its place," warns Erwin Chargaf f, long
time professor at Columbia University's Biochemical Institute in New York. "And
often, these models serve as blinkers, by limiting attention to an excessively narrow
area. The exaggerated trust in models has contributed much to the affected and
ingenuine character of large parts of current natural research."64
The biotechnolog y company Serono illustrates the ways in which such surrogate
marker tests can be misused. The Swiss firm was suffering revenue losses with their
preparation Serostirn, which is supposed to counteract the weight-loss so typical of
AIDS patients. So, at the end of the 1990s, Serono redefined this "AIDS wasting"
and developed a computerized medical test, which would professedly determine
"body cell mass." These tests were actually adopted by doctors.
99 Chapter 3
And so it came about that doctors ordered Serostim when the tests showed
patients had lost body cell mass, a treatment that could easily cost more than
$20,000. The strange thing was that patients who, with the help of the tests, had
been diagnosed with a reduced body cell mass, had in reality not lost any weight at
all. On the contrary, some had even gained weight. The Serostim scheme was finally
busted and, as a legal investigation showed, more than 80% of Serostim prescriptions
had been unnecessarily ordered through the test's application. Michael Sullivan, the
attorney in charge of the investigation, termed the tests ''voodoo" magic, and they
ultimately cost Serono more than $700 million in criminal fines. At that point, this
was the third highest sum ever to be paid in such a judicial process. 65
Dru gs, Medic ines and Malnu trition Lead to AID S
There is much evidence that AIDS-that conglomerate of dozens of well known
diseases -can substantially be explained by the intake of poisonous drugs and
medications (antivirals, antibiotics, etc.) and by malnutrition. 66 Around 80% of all
children declared to be AIDS patients are born to mothers who have taken intravenous
drugs that destroy the immune system. 67 And the first people to be diagnosed as
AIDS patients in the USA were all consumers of drugs like poppers, cocaine, LSD,
heroin, ecstasy, or amphetamines, all of which have devastating effects on the
immune system. 68 69 70 71 72 The American National Institute on Drug Abuse was not
alone in confirming the extreme toxicity and immunosuppressi ve effects of substances
like heroin or poppers (nitrite inhalants) used among gay men. 73
With poppers, the following chemical event takes place: poppers are nitrites, and
when inhaled are immedia tely converted into nitric oxide. Through this, the blood's
capability to transport oxygen is compromis ed; it oxidizes. The first areas to sustain
damages through this oxygen deficiency are the linings of the smallest vessels
(epithelia). When this damage develops malignantly it is called Kaposi's sarcoma-a
vascular tumor that is diagnosed in many AIDS patients. And, as a matter of fact,
tumor tissue is oxidized. 74
This self-des tructive process is particularly noticeable in the lungs, since poppers
are inhaled and dead organic material is produced, which cannot be completely
disposed of by the cells' weakened detoxification systems. At this point, fungi enter
the game. Nature intended precisely this role for them because they eat away all
kinds of "waste." This explains why so many patients, termed AIDS cases, suffer
from pneurno cystis carinii pneumonia (PCP'), a lung disease typically associated
with strong fungal infestation (decay).
* Now called pneumo cystis jiroveci
100 AIDS: From Spare Tire to Multibillio n-Dollar Business
These patients' immune systems are weak ened, which "is the common denominator
for the development of PCP," according to Tinstey Harrison's textbook for internal
medicine. And the "disease [the immune deficiency upon which PCP develops] can
be produced in laboratory rats by starvation or by treatment with either corticosteroids
[cortisone] or cyclophosphami des."75 In other words, with cell-inhibiting substances
that are destructive to the immune system, just like AIDS therapeutics. This makes it
obvious that there is no need for HN to explain AIDS (which is nothing but a
synonym for well-known diseases like Kaposi's sarcoma or PCP).
Correspondin gly, the typical sufferer who is tagged as an "AIDS patient" suffers
from malnutrition; particularly those affected in poor countries, but also many drug
users who constitute the bulk of AIDS patients in wealthy countries. At the same
time, studies show that a stress factor like drugs can trigger a new arrangement of
genetic sequences (DNA) in the cells, whereby cell particles are formed-particles
produced (endogenously) by the cells themselves (and interpreted by the medical
industry as viruses invading from the outside, without any proof)_76 77
The Early 1980s: Popper s and AID S Drugs
Five severely ill homosexual young men became the first characters in the AIDS
story, in 1981. American scientist Michael Gottlieb, from the Medical Center of the
University of California in Los Angeles, had brought these five patients together
after a search of several months, using the highly dubious clustering method (see
chapter 2).78 Gottlieb dreamed about going down in the history books as the
discoverer of a new disease. 79 The afflicted patients suffered from the pulmonary
disease pneumo cystis carinii pneumonia (PCP). This was remarkable, because young
men in their prime years do not usually suffer from this, but rather babies who come
into the world with an immune defect, older adults, or those on immunosuppressi ve
medication (which burdens or damages the immune system).80
The medical researchers apparently took no other factors into account concerning
the causes, as the patients' drug use. Instead, the medical establishment and above
all the Center for Disease Control (CDC) gave the impression that the cause of PCP
was completely mystifying, so the basis was set to launch a new disease. The CDC
eagerly seized up Gottlieb's theses: "Hot stuff, hot stuff," cheered the CDC's James
Curran. 81 It was so "hot," that, on 5 June 1981, the CDC heralded it as a red-hot
piece of news in their weekly bulletin, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
(MMWR), which is also a preferred information source for the media. 82
In this MMWR, it was immediately conjectured that the puzzling new disease
could have been caused by sexual contact, and was thus inf ectious. In fact, there
101 -
Chapter 3
was no evidence at all for such speculation, for the patients neither knew each other,
nor had common sexual contacts or acquaintances, nor had they comparable
histories of sexually transmitted diseases.
"Sex, being three billion years old, is not specific to any one group-and thus
naturally does not come into question as a possible explanation for a new sort of
disease," points out microbiologist Peter Duesberg of the University of California,
Berkeley. "But buried in Gottlieb's paper was another common risk factor [criminally
neglected by the CDC] that linked the five patients much more than specifically than
sex." These risk factors included a highly toxic lifestyle and


 tomato juice, soy sauce, and
vegetarian Worcestershire sauce.
Sweeteners:  Replace ordinary sugar with agave nectar, pure maple
syrup, Sucanat, turbinado sugar, blackstrap molasses, unrefined dark brown
sugar, xylitol, fruit juice, mashed bananas, or applesauce.
Dairy and butter:  Try sliced bananas and fruit and no-oil-added nut
butters on toast in place of butter. Use blended Silken Lite soft tofu in
recipes in place of sour cream and milk.
STORAGE TIPS
Greens
Lettuces and leafy greens will keep much longer if you take a few
minutes to prepare them for the refrigerator. Fill the sink with cold water
and separate the leaves from the head. Remove any brown bits. Allow the
greens to soak for a few minutes or longer to rehydrate themselves. Layer
them in dishtowels or paper towels and place them in your refrigerator ’s
vegetable crisper.
Evert-Fresh bags, available at grocery stores and online, are invaluable
for keeping greens (as well as fruits and vegetables) fresh and crisp.
Avocados and FruitsGuacamole, avocado slices, and peeled or sliced fruits will keep their
beautiful color if you store them in airtight containers or plastic bags with a
dash of lemon or lime juice. Keep the mother seed in with leftover avocado
or guacamole to help prevent its turning an ugly shade of green.
Nuts, Nut Butter, and Flaxseed Meal
These items will last longer without becoming rancid if refrigerated.
Cook Fresh!
Make sure your spices, baking powder, and flours are fresh for optimal
flavor and results.
TIME-SA VER TIPS
• Prechop vegetables and fruits, and store them in airtight containers
in the fridge or freezer.
• Freeze cherry tomatoes as easy additions to any recipe.
• Make extra brown rice, quinoa, and other whole grains for wraps
and leftovers. Store in the refrigerator up to a week.
• Make an E2 spread at the beginning of each week.
• Make an E2 salad dressing at the start of each week.
• Double tofu recipes, and keep cooked tofu for a quick snack or
addition to wraps, salads, and tacos.
• Double muf fin and pancake recipes, and freeze the leftovers—they
are just as delicious when rewarmed a week later.
• Buy a one-gallon Tupperware or similar -type container and toss in a
dry salad, which will last for days.
• Boil water immediately when you start preparing dinner so you
don’t have to wait 5 to 7 minutes before adding pasta, grains,
vegetables, or potatoes.
OceanofPDF.com2
E2 EASY  WEEKL Y PLANNER
The E2 Easy Weekly Planner is a flexible outline that allows you to
pick and choose meals from the E2 Recipes section and plug them into the
E2 Weekly Planner as you see fit.
Most people prefer to start the diet on a Monday, so in general, Day One
will be a Monday and Day Seven will be a Sunday. However, feel free to
start whenever you’d like.
To make it work, all you have to do is check the Weekly Planner
category for that day’ s meal, and then go to E2 Recipes and find it. For
instance, for breakfast on Day One, for an E2 Hearty Cereal Bowl, you may
choose to have Rip’ s Big Bowl. For lunch, it’ s an E2 sandwich; you might
pick the E2 Basics Open-Faced Sandwich. Then, for your comfort plate,
perhaps the Macaroni and Not Cheese, with the Fruit Bowl with Soy
Drizzle for dessert.
The Weekly Planner follows a simple pattern: The weekly breakfasts can
be whipped up in less than three minutes, while the weekend breakfasts
such as pancakes or omelets require some preparation and cooking time.
The weekly lunches require zero cooking time, and take merely three to five
minutes of preparation time—or if you decide to make your lunch from last
night’ s dinner leftovers, just the time it takes to grab something out of the
refrigerator and a fork. (I always encourage people to make more than they
can eat at dinner so they have the option of leftovers for lunch or the
following dinner.)
The dinners are broken up into nine dif ferent categories of familiar foods
with a healthy twist, such as pizza, pasta, soup, salad, bur gers, Tex-Mex
favorites, and stir -fries. There is always something for everyone. Forexample, on pasta night, if you don’ t like mushrooms, you can steer clear of
the Mushroom Stroganof f and dive into Bow Ties with Pesto. Or if on
comfort food night you don’ t care for Macaroni and Not Cheese, you can
settle into Shepherd’ s Pie.
To get started, some people like to pick out seven dinners from the first
week, make a corresponding list of groceries, head over to the grocery
store, and get everything needed to last the week.
If you don’ t feel like generating your own grocery lists, then let us do the
work for you by visiting www.theengine2diet.com, where we have an entire
twenty-eight-day meal planner with accompanying week-by-week grocery
lists. Some people drool over that kind of direction—during the Pilot Study,
more than half the participants used that plan.
Leftovers fr om dinner make a gr eat next-day E2 lunch either
on a bed of mixed gr eens, in between pita br ead, or over br own rice.
Personally, I’ve gone several days in a r ow feasting on E2 dinner
leftovers that ar e often better the next day after all the fl avors have
had that extra time to marinate.
OceanofPDF.com3
E2 RECIPES
E2 Br eakfasts  / 149
E2 Hearty Cereal Bowls / 150
E2 Saturday Specials / 152
E2 Sunday Morning Pancakes and Muf fins / 157
E2 Fruit and Toast / 162
E2 Easy Lunches / 163
E2 Sandwiches / 163
E2 Wraps and Pitas / 168
E2 Lunch Salads / 172
E2 Dinners  / 175
E2 Dinner Plates / 176
E2 Bur gers / 184
E2 Potato Sides / 190
E2 Pasta / 192
E2 Pizza / 196
E2 Comfort Dinners / 201
E2 Stir -Fries / 208
E2 Big Salads / 212
E2 Soups / 217
E2 Tex-Mex Favorites / 222
E2 Dr essings, Spr eads, and Marinades  / 232
E2 Desserts  / 245
E2 Chocolate Knockouts! / 245
E2 Fresh Fruit and Fruit Bowls / 248E2 Cobblers, Cookies, and Pies / 250
E2 Puddings and Mousses / 255
Growing up, I hated vegetables. The only ones I would eat were peas
and corn. I’d make bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches without the
lettuce and tomato, and double up on the bacon and mayonnaise. But over
the last twenty years, I’ve grown to appreciate and love vegetables, beans,
and whole grains, along with the art of cooking them.
To relax your spirit and strengthen your health, following are more than
125 mouthwatering recipes filled with the foods I now love, and love to
serve friends. In fact, every guest who has eaten a plant-hearty meal at our
home or at Engine 2 has declared, “I never knew plant-based food would
taste this good! I’d eat this way if I knew how.”
Well, now you’ll know how. Grab the ingredients, follow the
instructions, and you’re of f to the races with a smile!
E2 BREAKF ASTS.
Breakfast is my second-favorite meal of the day, right next to dinner. It
comes after a forced fast of six to eight hours (unless you’ve been sleeping
at the firehouse, where more likely than not you’ve been up three times
between midnight and dawn), when the body begins revving up its
metabolic engine.
Too many people for go breakfast because they’re in a hurry, don’ t have
an appetite, or are trying to lose weight. But if you skip breakfast, your
body will enter conservation mode and slow down your metabolism in an
attempt to conserve ener gy—a bad move if you’re trying to lose weight.
So make breakfast a priority. Some of these recipes require just two
minutes to prepare, roughly the same amount of time that elapses between
the moment we hear the alarm at the station and when we arrive at the scene
of the incident.
E2 Hearty Cer eal Bowls
Most of the cereals on the grocery store shelves are loaded with
processed junk and should be avoided—they’re candy in a box. I want youto fill up your morning cereal bowl with whole grains containing little to no
added sugars. Start your day with a bang rather than a misfire!
Rip’s Big Bowl
This has been my mainstay breakfast for more than twenty years. I never
get sick of it and no two bowls are ever quite the same, depending on which
fruits are in season and the milk substitute I have on hand.
This was also a favorite recipe for most of the E2 Pilot Study
participants. As a


Your dentist may recommend crowning teeth to “protect” or
strengthen them. Unfortunately, the very concept of crowning
teeth is flawed. First, the enamel  is removed from a tooth to
prepare for the crown. This is permanent and serious damage!
Many teeth, up to 20%, may die after being crowned and will
need to be extracted. For this reason, you should only get
REPLACEMENT crowns and NO NEW crowns. Your metalTHE CURE FOR ALL DISEASES
414crowns can be changed to plastic. (Remember, no metal must be
left under  the crown.)
If you have many crowns, you should have them all re moved
as quickly as possible. But you should not spend more than two
hours in the dentist's chair at any one time. That is too much
stress for your body.
Dr. Clark:  Don 't accept intravenous (IV) treatments
during amalgam  removal. Both IV bags and the supplements
used in them are polluted with propyl alcohol, benzene, and
wood alco hol.
Dr. Jerome:  It is quite all right to have temporary  crowns
placed on all teeth that need them in the first visit. You may then
go back and complete treatment over the next 6 to 12 months. It is
common to find a crowned tooth to be very weak and not worth
replacing the crown, particularly if you are al ready having a
partial made and could include this tooth in it.
Dr. Clark:  We are accustomed to thinking that plastic is
metal-free. This is wrong. The original dental plastic, methyl
methacrylate  was metal-free. But modern plastic  contains
metal. The metal is ground up very finely and added to the
plastic in order to make it harder, give it sheen, color, etc.
Dr. Jerome:  Dentists are not commonly given information on
these metals used in plastics. The information that comes with
dental supplies does not list them either. Most dentists never look
at a dental materials book after they graduate. The ADA,
however, has a library full of such information.21
Dr. Clark:  There are many lanthanide  (Rare Earth) metals
used in dental plastic. Their effects on the body from
dentalware
                                                            21 Call the American Dental Association  at (800) 621-8099 (Illinois
(800) 572-8309, Alaska or Hawaii (800) 621-3291). Members can ask
for the Bureau of Library Services, non-members ask for Public Infor-
mation.FOUR CLEAN -UPS
415have NOT been studied. Yet their cancer-promoting ability is
known in many cases.22 Only metal-free plastic is safe.
Dr. Jerome:  These are the acceptable plastics; they can be
procured at any dental lab.
•Plastic for dentures: Methyl Methacrylate. Available in
clear and pink. Do not use pink.23
•Plastic for partial dentures: FlexiteTM Available in clear
and pink. Do not use pink.
•Plastic for fillings: Composite Materials. This is the mate-
rial that has been used in front teeth for 30 years. It has
been used in back teeth for 10 years. There are many
brands and there are new ones being marketed constantly.
The new ones are very much superior to those used 10
years ago and they will continue to improve. They do,
however, contain enough barium  or zirconium  to make them
visible on X-rays. There are no alternatives available
without these metals.
Dr. Clark:  Composites with barium  are not good, but I
haven't seen enough barium toxicity from fillings at this time to
merit advising extraction instead. Hopefully, a barium-free va-
riety will become available soon to remove this health risk.
Dr. Jerome:  Many people (and dentists too) believe that
porcelain  is a good substitute for plastic. Porcelain is aluminum
oxide with other metals added to get different colors (shades).
The metal DOES come out of the porcelain! It has many techni cal
drawbacks as well. Porcelain is not recommended. Some-
                                                            22 Thulium and ytterbium  have been studied for their tumor -seeking
ability. See page 321 in the book METAL IONS In BIOLOGICAL
SYSTEMS, Vol. 10, Carcinogenicity and Metal Ions. Editor Helmut
Sigel 1980.23 The pink color is from mercury or cadmium  which is added to
the plastic.THE CURE FOR ALL DISEASES
416times the white composite  fillings are called porcelain fillings
but they are not. They also require more tooth structure to be
removed.
If you have a large bridge, it cannot be replaced with a plas-
tic bridge because it isn't strong enough. A large bridge must be
replaced with a removable partial (FlexiteTM).
The methods used to remove metals and infections are tech-
nical and complicated. See dental information in Sources.
Dr. Clark:  I'd like to thank Dr. Jerome for his
contributions to this section, and his pioneering work in metal-
free dentistry. I hope more dentists acquire his techniques.
Horrors Of Metal Dentistry
Why are highly toxic metals put in materials for our mouths?
Because not everyone agrees on what is toxic at what level. Just
decades ago lead  was commonly found in paint, and until
recently in gasoline. Lead was not less toxic then, we were just
less informed! The government sets standards of toxicity, but
those “standards” change as more research is done (and more
people speak out). You can do better than the government by
dropping your standard for toxic metals to zero! Simply re move
them.
The debate still rages over mercury amalgam  fillings. No one
disputes the extreme toxicity of mercury compounds and mercury
vapor. The ADA  feels that mercury amalgam fillings are safe
because they do not vaporize or form toxic compounds to a
significant degree. Opponents cite scientific studies that
implicate mercury amalgams as disease causing. Many dentists
advocate mercury amalgam fillings simply because they are ac-
cepted by the ADA, which they believe protects them from
malpractice litigation. Why risk your health and life on their
opinions? Remember everything  corrodes and everything  seeps,
so amalgams must too.FOUR CLEAN -UPS
417Cadmium is used to make the pink color in dentures! Cad-
mium is five times as toxic as lead, and is strongly linked to high
blood pressure.
Occasionally, thallium  and germanium  are found together in
mercury amalgam  tooth fillings. Thallium causes leg pain, leg
weakness, and paraplegia. If you are in a wheelchair without a
very reliable diagnosis, have all the metal removed from your
mouth. Ask the dentist to give you the grindings. Try to have them
analyzed for thallium using the most sensitive methods available,
possibly at a research institute or university.
I was astonished to find thallium  in mercury amalgam s! It
couldn't be put there intentionally, look how toxic it is:
TEJ500 HR: 3
THALLIUM COMPOUNDS
Thallium and its compounds are on the Community Right To
Know List.
THR: Extremely toxic. The lethal dose for a man by inges-
tion is 0.5-1.0 gram. Effects are cumulative and with continuous
exposure toxicity occurs at much lower levels. Major effects are
on the nervous system, skin and cardiovascular  tract. The periph-
eral nervous system can be severely affected with dying-back of
the longest sensory and motor fibers. Reproductive organs and
the fetus  are highly susceptible. Acute poisoning has followed
the in gestion of toxic quantities of a thallium -bearing depilatory
and accidental or suicidal ingestion of rat poison. Acute
poisoning re sults in swelling of the feet and legs, arthralgia,
vomiting, insom nia, hyperesthesia  and paresthesia  [numbness ] of
the hands and feet, mental confusion, polyneuritis  with severe
pains in the legs and loins, partial paralysis  of the legs with
reaction of degenera tion, angina -like pains, nephritis, wasting
and weakness, and lym phocytosis and eosinophilia. About the
18th day, complete loss of the hair on the body and head  may
occur. Fatal poisoning has been known to occur. Recovery
requires months and may be in complete. Industrial poisoning is
reported to have caused discol oration of the hair (which later
falls out), joint  pain, loss of appetite, fatigue, severe pain in the
calves of the legs, albumin uria, eosinophilia, lymphocytosis  and
optic neuritis  followed byTHE CURE FOR ALL DISEASES
418atrophy. Cases of industrial poisoning are rare, however. Thal-
lium is an experimental teratogen  [used to induce birth defect s
for study]. When heated to decomposition they [sic] emit highly
toxic fumes of Tl [thallium]. See also THALLIUM and specific
compounds.24
Fig. 61 Thallium excerpt.
Thallium pollution frightens me more than


 expensive
restaurant, he put himself on a superior footing in his eyes.  Thus he was
protected from any criticism she might make, giving himself the right to
say, “Look at what I’m providing. How can you be unhappy with me?”
Equality isn’t based upon external factors or images. We all have an
equal right to be appreciated, respected, and understood. Some  men find it
hard to extend this concept to a woman’ s emotions. They were not taught to
value their own feelings, which get expressed only as a last resort. But to
accept another person means accepting her emotions—there is nothing
more basic or intrinsic. If this equality doesn’ t exist, how can spirit really
grow? Spirit isn’ t an emotion, but it provides an opening to our inner selves.
You have to feel that your partner wants to understand you and your
feelings before you can share experiences you barely understand yourself.
Sensitivity.Being able to sense what is going on inside another person is a skill that
has to be developed like any other. It isn’t an easy one to acquir e; you have
to feel secure on the level of intuition, and you need to be able to accept
complexity and conflicting emotions. The question “What are you feeling
right now?” always has the answer “More than one thing.” Sensitivity
requires setting aside your notions of what the other person is feeling, what
you think she should feel, and what you hope she isn’t feeling. Whenever
the ego intrudes, sensitivity cannot be present.
Sensitivity is easily crushed, but there is also social prejudi ce which
holds that women are too sensitiv e (as men see it), and that sensitivity in a
man makes him less masculine. Men therefore can find a ready excuse for
shutting out others by claiming, “I don’t understand why you feel this way”
or “I don’t have the slightest idea what’ s going on with you.” If your
mission in life is to protect your self-image, then opening up to another
person’ s feelings runs contrary to your mission. To be sensiti ve you will
have to abandon  being right all the time, being in control, havin g needs that
must dominate over the needs of others, and so forth.
In terms of Dana and Stephen, it was vital for Stephen not to be sensitive
to any sign of discomfort from the woman he was wooing. He knew only
one mode of courtship—Prince Charming sweeping Cinderella  off her feet
—and princes don’t have flaws. If he sensed that Dana wasn’ t satisfied with
his lavis h generosity, he would have had to face the fact that everything he
was doing was a performan ce. Most of us are made  extremely
uncomfortable by extreme generosity; it has a suffocating effect and makes
the receiver feel inadequate compared with the giver. Dana felt all these
things, but Stephen couldn’ t afford to be sensitive to them; he had no other
way to “love” her, and to have allowed her to say how she wanted to be
loved would have taken power out of his hands, which would have been
intolerable.
Communication.
Communion  is the root word in communication, reminding us that to
communicate with another person isn’t to pass on information. It is to draw
another into union with yourse lf. Women tend to have a more intuitive
grasp of how communication works, for both positive and negative reasons.
On the positive side girls are typically taught from a young age to valuebonding, especially on an emotional level, whereas boys are typically
taught to compe te. In a competi tive situation, silence is often equated with
power. On the negative side, women often don’t expect to have power;
therefore, they can “afford” to expose their feelings and inner conflicts. By
contrast, if a man in power communicates too much of his inner fears,
insecurities, or conflicts, his right to power may be questioned.
These social expectations have a large influence on relationships. A man
may sincerely feel that he has nothing to say about his feelings, and
conversely that women don’t talk reasonably about situations. A woman
may feel “stupid ” when what she has to say is consistently emotional, and
she may conversely feel that the absence of emotional communication from
men means that they are stronger. In Dana’ s story, communication was
confined by the rules of the Cinderella fairy tale. Dana couldn’t easily
express anything outside the boundaries of the story of a working woman
meeting a prince and being carried off by him to great heights of wealth and
power. Stephen’ s vision of what was going on took preceden ce over her
perceptions, reflecting both a breakdown in communication and a loss of
equality.
By the time two people are marr ied, they both know the limits of what to
expect from each other in terms of equality, sensitivity, and communication.
By establishing these factors in the courtship phase, you find out what you
are getting into before limits are drawn.
If you find yourself in a long-s tanding relationship, think back to your
courtship days. Ask yourself what you wanted from a mate back then and
compare it with what you have. Inevitably you will find that equality is
something you both can work on, sensitivity can always be made deeper,
and communication must be worked at every day. Keeping these  alive is the
basis for spiritual growth together, whether you have only just emer ged
from infatuation or have been married for years.
INTIMACY :
THE INNOCENCE OF DESIRE
The issue hovering over intimacy, the next phase of romanc e, is desire.
Desire is a driving force behind love, but it isn’t the same as love, andwhere the two diver ge, many conflicts arise. The ancient Sansk rit word for
desire is Kama, made famous by the book of erotic lore called Kama Sutra,
the “teaching about desire.” But Kama  is a much broader term; it applies to
desires or wishes of every kind.
A formula I learned in my childhood in India, inherited from the ancient
scriptures, holds that life is perfected by achieving four things: Artha,
Kama, Dharma, and Moksha. Artha is wealth, kama is the fulfillment of
one’s desires, dharma is right livelihood or work, and moksha is the
liberation of the soul.
On the path to love, all four aims of life get fulfilled, and this is where
issues arise, since it is still difficult for many people to accept that desire is
legitimate. Desire remains tainted with implications of selfishness and
“lower” drives. The one place in our lives where most of us feel free to
express kama is romance. The erotic longing that is part of romantic love
inspires every lover to merge with the beloved; this is the natural
consummation of attraction between two people.
The great Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore wrote delicately erotic
verses in his adolescence, and one says,
Leaving their homes, two loves have made a pilgrimage to the confluence of lips.
In the law of Love, two waves have swelled, breaking and mingling on two lips.
This may seem like a chaste poem comparing two lovers to religious
devotees making  their way, as Indian pilgrims are wont to do, to the sacred
confluence of two holy rivers. If you understand Tagore’ s original Bengali,
however, you would know that the word for confluence is the same as the
word for the act of making love. Now the poem seems almost sacrilegious,
when in fact it is an unembarrassed blending of flesh and spirit. In the West
we might say that the sacred has met the profane, except that to Tagore, and
for anyone who has fallen deeply in love, the profane is sacred.
The insights of the intimacy phase pertain to the union of flesh and spirit:
Fulfillment is natural and not to be ashamed of.
Ecstasy is a state of the soul transmitted thr ough the body.
Union consists of two people opening to the same Being.These insights are based on approaching desire without guilt or
inhibition. In traditional cultures, however, sexual consumma tion wasn’ t
permitted immediately after two people fell passionately in love, out of a
belief that desire should be postponed. There were many reasons for
imposing a waiting period, but one was the belief that love and desire are
not compatible. Either desire is of the flesh and therefore sinful or else it is
a prize not to be given by a woman until the union is signed  and sealed
through marriage.
Today, in modern society, the consummation of desire comes early,
awaiting nothing but the consent of a man and a woman. Courtship is not
nearly as bound by convention as in the past; it can be as long or as short as
two people want. However, this doesn’ t mean that the issue of desire has
been resolved. Emotional residu es linger from the traditional view, which
by holding out a woman’ s virginity as a sacred prize had a built-in conflict.
You cannot say that desire is sinful while at the same time holding out
sexual fulfillment as a prize. Why would love ever accept a sin as its prize?
Traditional religious teaching has blinded us to the fact that flesh and
spirit are two poles that belong together. Romantic love is undeniably
sexual; yet it contains the potential for great spiritual experiences. The
beauty of sensuality has its