long as we are attached to this concept, there will be misery.”
Francis Lucille
“In the biblical parable, the ma n who is identified with the body/mind is the man
who built his house on sand. T o realize one’ s true nature is to build one’ s house on
rock.”
David Bingham
There’ s no search to find the truth because it is what you already are. How could
you search for yourself? It’ s only that the majority of us have been constantly
looking away from our true selves, rather than looking at who we are.
Have you ever looked at one of those pictures where there are two images in the one
picture? When you first look at the picture, you can see one image clearly, but at
first you can’ t s ee the second im age. Y ou try, but the second image seems to elude
you due to your focus on the first image.
Y ou have to cha nge your perspective and soften your gaze ever so slightly  t o see the
other image come into view.
In Rubin’ s famous picture, at first either you see two people looking at each other, or
you see a vase. T o see both images clearly you have to shift the way you’re looking
at the picture.
For most of our lives we’ve been looking at ourselves from the perspective that we
are a body and mind—that we are a person. But to see clearly who we are, just as for
Rubin’ s painting, we have to shift our perspective—ever so slightly.
The RevealLet me ask you one simple question.
Are you aware?
Y our answer must be “yes,” oth erwise you wouldn’ t be aware o f the question I just
asked you. Let me ask you again.
Are you aware?
Y es, you’re aware. Y ou were aware as a baby, through your childhood, your teenage
years, and throughout adulthood. Y ou’ve been aware your entire life.
A wareness is and has been the o nly constant in your life. Y our body keeps changing,
your min d keeps  changing, thoughts, feelings, and sensations all keep changing, but
the one thing that has never changed is your awareness of it all.
And that awareness is who you r eally ar e.
Y ou ar e A war eness.
“Y ou are it. It’ s so close you cannot see it. Y ou look through i ts eyes at the world
around you.”
Jan Frazier, fr om  The Freedom of Being
“When we say ‘I,’ we’ve been  conditioned to believe that we’re referring to the
body, when really ‘I’ is referring to A wareness.”
David Bingham
Y ou are  not a body, a mind, or a bundle of thoughts, feelings, memories, or
sensations. Y ou are the one who is awar e  o f your body, your mind, your thoughts,
feelings, memories, and sensations. Y ou are A wareness itself.
“The moment you meet A wareness something in you recognizes it.”
Mooji
Y ou’re a ware of  reading this book. Y ou’re aware of the sounds around you. Y ou’re
aware of the room you’re in. Y ou’re aware of your name. Y ou’re aware of your body
and the clothes on your body, your breathing, and bodily sensations. Y ou’re aware of
the roof of your  mouth, the sol es of your feet, and your fingers. Y ou’re aware of
your mind, the thoughts in your head, and your feelings and moods.
In fact, you couldn’ t know or experience any of life at all without A wareness.
Y ou Ar e the A war eness That Is  A war e of
Everything
A wareness is what is aware of every single life experience you have. It’ s not the
mind or  the body that is aware of your life. Y ou—the A wareness that you are—are
aware of the min d, thoughts, and the body, and anything you are aware of cannot be
you.
The teac her Sailor Bob Adamson points out that we know we ex ist—of that we have
no doubt. W ell, the only way we know that we exist is our awareness that we exist.
W e m ake the mistake of believin g our awareness that we exist comes from the mind
or th e body, but that is not true. Our awareness that we exist is what we truly are, not
the mind or the body.Just for a moment, imagine you have no body or mind.
T ake away your body.
T ake away your mind.
T ake away your name.
T ake away your life story, which is your entire past.
T ake away all memory, beliefs, and all thought.
And notice what is left.
What is left is simply A wareness.
“If someone were to draw our a ttention to the white paper on which these words are
written, we would suddenly bec ome aware of it. In fact, we were always aware of
the paper but we didn’ t realise it due to the exclusive focus of our attention on the
words. A wareness is like the white paper.”
Rupert Spira, fr om  Being A ware of Being A ware
Just like  the white paper, A ware ness is always present in the background of our life.
W e usua lly give  our exclusive attention to our mind and thoughts and our body and
sensations, beca use they’re very attention grabbing. But we could not experience the
mind and its tho ughts or the bod y and its sensations without A wareness to be aware
of them, just as we could not see any words if it were not for th e background of the
paper the words were printed on.
“Give yo ur attention to this back ground, even a little, and you will discover a whole
new world.”
Hale Dwoskin
“A wareness is the most obvious element of experience and yet the most
overlooked.”
Rupert Spira, fr om  Being A ware of Being A ware
“The subtle thing that is overlooked is that everything is known directly by
awareness, but it’ s assumed th at everything is coming in thr ough the mind. For
instance, the common thing would be to say, ‘I think,’ but actually, if it’ s looked at
carefully, it’ s noticed that there is an awareness of thinking... so the thinking isn’ t
who you are; there’ s something that is aware of thinking.”
David Bingham, fr om Conscious TV
The one  that is l ooking out through your eyes is A wareness! Th e one that is hearing
through your ears is A wareness! W ithout A wareness you wouldn’ t be aware of
anything you see, hear, taste, sm ell, or touch, and you would have no experience of
the information coming in through your senses. Y our senses aren’ t aware; it’ s
A wareness that’ s aware of all of your senses.
“The apparatus with which we see is by itself inert, unable to see. A telescope is
useless without an astronomer behind it. It doesn’ t see anything by itself. Likewise,
the apparatus of mind doesn’ t see anything by itself.”
Francis Lucille, fr om  The Perfume of Silence“Y ou are the A wareness that is aware of everything.”
David Bingham
“This individual  consciousness— our feeling ‘I am a person, a s eparate individual, a
mind or  soul confined within t he limits of a body’—is merely an imagination, a
false and distorted form of our pure consciousness ‘I am,’ but it is nevertheless the
root cause of all desire and all misery.”
Michael James, fr om  Happiness and the Art of Being
“The ‘me’ that we imagine we are is just another thought.”
Kalyani Lawry
“Our real nature, the infinite real self that we are, is simply us minus the mind.”
Lester Levenson, fr om  Happiness Is Free, volumes 1–5
Our mind distorts the world we see by layering veils of thought and belief, one over
the top of each other. Each me ntal veil distorts the world furt her and prevents us
from seeing everything the way it really is.
“The mind will never discover who you are because the mind is the cover -up of who
you are. It’ s only by letting go of the mind that you will discover who you are.”
Lester Levenson, fr om  Happiness Is Free, volumes 1–5
T rying to see the truth with your mind is like trying to see something with a
blindfold on. Y ou need to drop the blindfold to see, just as you need to drop the
mind to see who you really are.
“Attempting to understand cons ciousness with your mind is like  trying to illuminate
the sun with a candle.”
Mooji, fr om  White Fire, second edition
W ithout even realizing it, most o f us are constantly focused on the noise of thoughts
coming from our mind. A waren ess is always present, but when there’ s a break from
the n oise of thoughts, it’ s much  easier to notice it. When thoughts stop, we become
consciously awa re of A wareness, which has been existing silent ly in the background
all along.The Mind’ s Cover -Up
“W e’re so used to knowing ourselves through our troubles, our dramas, and


 and clearing, you move
toward holy relationship. From there you will begin to draw forth more
and more witnesses to your healed mind and to the growing love in your
heart. Y ou will attract vibrational connections. Imagine partner ing with someone or a group of people who, after
you pour your heart out, simply say, “What do you want?” Imagine if
you asked for help or advice, and they simply focused you back to the
desire of your heart rather than giving you their opinions on what you
should do. This is the same as saying, “I love you. I love you. I totally,
unconditionally love you. Now, what do you want? I loved you before
your decision and I will love you after your decision.” It’s really a
beautiful expression of love when you have the strength and confidence
to allow someone to make a decision and love them beyond whatever
that decision is. These relations hips are the beginning of the undoing of
linear, special relationships. They are healing because of their purpose. Your inner calling for holy relationship will bring your whole life in
alignment with this purpose. This is my invitation to everyone: let us
join together in a very trusting relationship so we may hear the answers
that are freely given to us by the Holy Spirit. Inviting the Holy Spirit into Relationships
A holy relations hip is born out of the release of the layers of darkness
below the surface of our awareness. The fastest way to transform a
special relations hip into a holy relationship and wake up to a happy
dream is a combination of silence and committed relationship. Silence is found through short or extended times of contempla tion
and prayer or meditation, quiet times where you are able to go deep
within and expand in Spirit and look at your thoughts and beliefs. Combined with a committed relationship, devoted to forgiveness and
communication, this is the fast track to peace of mind and to
enlightenment. It is a quick, powerful, supportive, and at times, intense
way through the darkness to the light within. It is very helpful to
remember that it doesn’ t really matter what forgiveness and healing look
like in form; it is more about what you want the relationship to be for,what purpose you give to the relationship. When the relationship  is given
over to serve the Holy Spirit’ s purpose rather than the ego’s, the healing
can be very rapid. Holy relation ship is a means to save time for yourself
and the whole universe. The transition from specialness to holiness will result in a gradual
dismantling of the ego that come s from your choice for peace—choosing
this present moment over specialness. It is about self-honesty. It is
always very helpful to take time to pause and remember the purpose of a
relationship. When your mind is ready, you will inevitably invite the
Holy Spirit to come into the relationship. Once the Holy Spirit enters, it
can temporarily become very intense. This is because inviting the Holy
Spirit is asking for a purification to occur, to align the relations hip with
true love. The reason why the relationship can become more intense is
because the ego does not like the new purpose. The ego gave the
relationship the old purpose of personal gratification, dependency, or
getting something from the other, which it wants to use to maintain
itself. When you invite the Holy  Spirit, you unplug from everything that
is not true love,  and if the relationship has deeply rooted habits not
aligned with Spirit’ s purpose, then the whole foundation for the
relationship will start to teeter and shake. This is an important phase of
maintaining trust. You have to allow the Holy Spirit to do the work even
though you may be tempted to give up. It’s helpful at this time to be in
touch with your feelings and be willing to talk about them. When you
shift from attack to love, love is extended and comes back to you. It just
takes willingness to practice. Don’ t let the ego dissuade you. All relationships, even the ones where hatred has entered, can and
will turn into holy or sacred relationships when you give them over to
the Holy Spirit. It is only in that giving that you share the same purpose
and truly have a relationship. From that point on, your alignm ent with
Spirit will create a space for open communication and a nonjudgmental,
safe place where you will stop hiding and protecting feelings. You will
have honest communication; a deeper way of communicating that will
become more and more consistent. Seeing the Truth of Christ in Each OtherRecurring difficulties, perhaps grievances or agendas, or a feeling of fear
or tightn ess around a person happens because you have forgotten the
truth about them, and you have also forgotten the truth about yourself. When you are interacting with a brother or when you are speaking to a
sister, remember that what you say is what you yourself most need to
hear. Are you gentle when you speak with your brother or sister  because
you see the truth  in them? It’s not so much even the words; you want the
love and gentleness of the Spirit. This is what you can offer to every
brother you meet and every sister you think of. Christ is God’ s Son as He created Him. He is the Self we share,
uniting us with one another, and with God as well. He is the
Thought which still abides withi n the Mind that is His Source. He
has not left His holy home, nor lost the innocence in which He
was created. He abides unchanged forever in the Mind of God. Mother Teresa taught this. She told her devotees to see the face of
Christ in everyo ne they look upon. When I heard that, I thought, She’s
teaching holy r elationship. She made it clear that was their only purpose. She believed that holy relation ship is a total commitment, moment to
moment. She taught holy relationship through healed perception and
through service. It wasn’ t about the behaviors; it was about seeing the
face of Christ in every singl e person they met and follow ing the
guidance of the Spirit. You can also see holy relations hip as a relationship between you
and the Holy Spirit. The point of authentic spirituality, of holy
relationship, is to discover the now and the eternal and the power of the
present momen t that is the gateway to eternity. Therefore, holy
relationship is not in a specific form, and so you will not arrive  at some
point in time where you look around in the world and say, “By golly, I
finally reached my holy relati onship, and it looks like I expected.”
Instead, it is a glorious state of mind, a state of nonjudgment. Imagine
how still your mind would be if you were in a state of comp lete rest
where you perceive your partner and everyone else from a place of
complete nonjud gment, where you didn’ t have one single opinion about
them. This align ment and understanding within the relationship  leads to
a powerful connection and to an experience of holiness.Exercise: Uncover the Miracles in Relationships
To listen to a recorded versio n of this exercise and the prayer, go
to http://www.newharbinger.com/41870. There is a tremendous release and deep peace that comes
from meeting yourself and your brothers totally without judgment. A mirac le exists in every relationship, in every moment. To reveal
the miracle, you must eliminate the obstacle hiding it. This
obstacle, which stands between you and others, is a gap caused
by a lack of communication, with other people or with the Holy
Spirit. It is formed from judgments, grievances, blame, hurt, anger,
and all other ego-serving emotions. It is ultimately formed  by the
belief in separation. You are the only one who reinforces the ego’s
ability to separate you from others when you engage and maintain
grievances. Doing this two-part exercise with attention and
willingness has the potential  to remove this obstacle, which was
erected by the ego, and release you, your relationship, and
everyone from darkness to reveal the light of the miracle. You will practice seeing this obstacle as a call for love. This is
how you see it with the Holy Spirit. Part 1. Praying for a Unified Perception
Give yourself plenty of time to quietly go inward with this prayer. You can read it aloud, pause to contemplate it, copy it into your
journal, or post it on your refrigerator as a reminder. You may
repeat this prayer as often  as you want to really focus your
attention on your desire to have an experience of union. Pray for
an experience of these words. My brother and sister and I are the same. I am grateful to have them as a mirror
to see the unhealed thoughts in my mind. I desire to see past all differences,to the truth of who we are. This prayer can give you a glimpse into the nature of the
miracle and the transformativ e shift in the mind from specialness
to holiness. There will be no question of the beauty and validity of
this fresh and new experience. You are opening to the miracle of
releasing the other and yourself from specialness and realizing
your identity is far beyond the ego and far more expans ive than
the thoughts that held you back. Part 2. Contemplating Union
You may now hear the call for love in yourself or your partner and
feel a softening  within. Open to the mind’ s call for love. When you
bring your irritations to the light of love, your relationship


2
CT,NT,PO
James P. Frackelton, M.D., F.A.C.A.M. (DIPL)
24700 Center Ridge Road
Cleveland, OH 44145
(216) 835-0104
FAX (216) 871-1404
CT,HO,NT,PM
Derrick Lonsdale, M.D., F.A.C.A.M. (DIPL)24700 Center Ridge Road
Cleveland, OH 44145
(216) 835-0104
FAX (216) 871-1404
NT,PD,PM
Douglas Weeks, M.D. (D/C)
24700 Center Ridge Road
Cleveland, OH 44145
(216) 835-0104
FAX (216) 871-1404
AC,CT,HO,NT,PM,PMR
Columbus
Robert R. Hershner, D.O. (P)
1571 East Livingston Avenue
Columbus, OH 43255
(614) 253-8733
FP,GP,GYN,IM,P,PD
William D. Mitchell, D.O. (P)
3520 Snouffer Road
Columbus, OH 43235
(614) 761-0555
CD,CT,GP,IM,OSM,PM
Dayton
David D. Goldberg, D.O. (DIPL)
100 Forest Park Drive
Dayton, OH 45405
(513) 277-1722
CT,GP,OSM,PM
Lancaster
Richard Sielski, M.D. (P)
3484 Cincinnati-Zainsville Road
Lancaster, OH 43130(614) 653-0017
CT,FP,NT,PM
Paulding
Don K. Snyder, M.D. (P)
Route 2, Box 1271
Paulding, OH 45879
(419) 399-2045
CT,FP
Youngstown
James Ventresco, Jr., D.O. (P)
3848 Tippecanoe Road
Youngstown, OH 44511
(216) 792-2349
CT,FP,NT,OSM,RHU
OKLAHOMA
Jenks
Leon Anderson, D.O. (DIPL)
121 Second Street
Jenks, OK 74037
(918) 299-5039
CT,NT,OSM
Oklahoma City
Charles H. Farr, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.A.M. (DIPL)
Suite 107
8524 South Western
Oklahoma City, OK 73139
(405) 632-8868
A,CT,NT,PM
Charles D. Taylor, M.D. (D/C)
3715 North Classen Boulevard
Oklahoma City, OK 73118(405) 525-7751
GP,GYN,OBS,PM,PMR
OREGON
Ashland
Ronald L. Peters, M.D. (P)
1607 Siskiyou Boulevard
Ashland, OR 97520
(503) 482-7007
A,CT,DD,FP,NT,PM,YS
Eugene
John Gambee, M.D. (P)
Suite 140
66 Club Road
Eugene, OR 97401
(503) 686-2536
A,BA,CT,PM
Grants Pass
James Fitzsimmons, Jr., M.D. (P)
591 Hidden Valley Road
Grants Pass, OR 97527
(503) 474-2166
A,CT
Salem
Terence Howe Young, M.D. (D/C)
1205 Wallace Road NW
Salem, OR 97304
(503) 371-1558
A,CT,GP,OSM,PM
PENNSYLVANIA
AllentownRobert H. Schmidt, D.O. (P)
Suite 303
1227 Liberty Plaza Building
Allentown, PA 18102
(215) 437-1959
CT,FP,NT,PM
D. Erik Von Kiel, D.O. (D/C)
Suite 200
Liberty Square Medical Center
Allentown, PA 18104
(215) 776-7639
CT,FP,MM,NT,OSM
Bangor
Francis J. Cinelli, D.O. (P)
153 North 11th Street
Bangor, PA 18013
(215) 588-4502
CT,GP,HYP
Bedford
Bill Illingworth, D.O. (P)
120 West John Street
Bedford, PA 15522
(814) 623-8414
AN,CT,GP,NT,Pain Management
Bethlehem
Sally Ann Rex, D.O. (P)
1343 Easton Avenue
Bethlehem, PA 18018
(215) 866-0900
CT,GP,Occupational Medicine,OS,PM
Elizabethtown
Dennis L. Gilbert, D.O. (D/C)50 North Market Street
Elizabethtown, PA 17022
(717) 367-1345
AC,CT,NT,OSM,PM
Fountainville
Harold H. Byer, M.D., Ph.D.
(D/C)
Suite A-101
5045 Swamp Road
Fountainville, PA 18923
(215) 348-0443
AR,CT,DIA,S
Greensburg
Ralph A. Miranda, M.D. (DIPL)
RD #12, Box 106
Greensburg, PA 15601
(412) 838-7632
FAX (412) 836-3655
CT,FP,NT,OME,PM
Hazleton
Arthur L. Koch, D.O. (DIPL)
57 West Juniper Street
Hazleton, PA 18201
(717) 455-4747
CT,GP,PM
Indiana
Chandrika Sinha, M.D. (P)
1177 South Sixth Street
Indiana, PA 15701
(412) 349-1414
AC,CT,NT,PM,S
Macungle
D. Erik Von Kiel, D.O. (D/C)Suite 101
7386 Alburtis Road
Macungle, PA 18062
(215) 967-5503
CT,FP,MM,NT,OSM
Mertztown
Conrad G. Maulfair, Jr., D.O., F.A.C.A.M. (DIPL)
Box 71, Main Street
Mertztown, PA 19539
(215) 682-2104
FAX (215) 682-6693
A,CT,HGL
Mt. Pleasant
Mamduh El-Attrache, M.D. (P)
20 East Main Street
Mt. Pleasant, PA 15666
(412) 547-3576
BA,CT,DIA,GER,OBS,PO
Newtown
Robert J. Peterson, D.O. 64 Magnolia Drive
Newtown, PA 18940
(No Referrals)
North Versailles
Mamduh El-Attrache, M.D. (P)
215 Crooked Run Road
North Versailles, PA 15137
(412) 673-3900
BA,CT,DIA,GER,OBS,PO
Philadelphia
Frederick Burton, M.D. (P)
69 West Schoolhouse LanePhiladelphia, PA 19144
(215) 844-4660
CT,IM,NT,PM
Jose Castillo, M.D. 228 South 22nd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 567-5845, 46, and 47
Mura Galperin, M.D. (P)
824 Hendrix Street
Philadelphia, PA 19116
(215) 677-2337
CT,FP
P. Jayalakshmi, M.D. (DIPL)
6366 Sherwood Road
Philadelphia, PA 19151
(215) 473-4226
A,AC,AR,BA,CT,DD,DIA
K.R. Sampathachar, M.D. (DIPL)
6366 Sherwood Road
Philadelphia, PA 19151
(215) 473-4226
AC,AN,CT,DD,HYP,NT
Lance Wright, M.D. (D/C)
3901 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 387-1200
DD,END,HYP,NT,PM,PO
Quakertown
Harold Buttram, M.D. (DIPL)
5724 Clymer Road
Quakertown, PA 18951
(215) 536-1890A,CT,FP,NT
Somerset
Paul Peirsel, M.D. (P)
RD 4, Box 257A
Somerset, PA 15541
(814) 443-2521
CT,Critical Care,Emergency Medicine,NT
SOUTH CAROLINA
Columbia
Theodore C. Rozema, M.D. (DIPL)
2228 Airport Road
Columbia, SC 29205
(803) 796-1702 or (800) 992-8350
CT,FP,NT,PM
Landrum
Theodore C. Rozema, M


 to act without volitional gain. Actions are
spontaneous and represent potentiality’s expressing as actuality. The
spiritual devotee has dedicated personal life to spiritual evolution and
has aligned with Truth as a map for guidance. A common question to
ask is, “Which option or direction would serve the highest good?”
Those serve who also stand and wait. Sometimes the mind cannot tell
the forest from the trees. In decision-making, it is best to be aligned with context and the field
instead of content. It is difficult at times to differentiate sacrifice from
service. Consciousness at the level of awareness/witness/ observer is
free of involvement. If perfected, however, at a later time it may allow
reparticipation because of noninvolvement consequent to surrender of
attachments, attractions, or aversions. Actions may also representkarmic propensities, and the same course of action may actually have
very different meanings and consequences in different individuals at
different times and circumstances. Therefore, there is no supposed
‘spiritual’ way to be or attitudes to have about worldly events, as there
are actually multiple options. It takes inner discipline and surrender of
attitudes to not fall into the temptation of identifying with a position
about world events. The events of the world trigger responses based on perceptions. It is a
great theater that invites expressions of perceptions, illusions, and
projections of positionalities. One can either turn off the television and
avoid it or see it as a major teaching tool. The panoramic events of the
entire world unfold, representing the multitudinous expressions of the
human ego; thus, the television is its ultimate game board. Perception
may see this reflection of human-ego life as absurd, tragic, or comic. It
can be seen as sad, pathetic, exiting, heartwarming, challenging, or
alternately, as ridiculous. As the television news program says, “You
decide.”
   The real question is, Who is the real ‘you’ that decides? That is the
question to be answered by the spiritual student. The ‘you’ has multiple
options and can choose any of them. Therefore, the world is
kaleidoscopic-tragic-comic-nurturing-absurd-cruel-lovable-ugly-
despicable-deplorable, none of the above, or just a transitory illusion. It
is allegorical. The spiritual advantage of modern life is that life experiences are
speeded up via the media. In a very short time, one can witness what
would have taken multiple lifetimes in previous eras where, for
example, a whole lifetime could be limited to just the experience of a
small space and limited role, such as that of a sheepherder or a village
blacksmith. Now multiple lives, perspectives, circumstances, and
conditions are presented in succession, from grotesque crimes to
coronations, domestic family situations, major wars, and world
catastrophes. Whether to take advantage of the television display of the human ego
or to ignore it and go within are equally serviceable for it is one’s
intention that decides the outcome. Either way requires compassion for
self and others. A certain quantity of suffering is impersonal and
consequent to the physicality of being born a human. Thus, the Buddhaexhorted followers to transcend the ego to avoid rebirth, sickness,
poverty, old age, and death. The world and everything in it is transitory;
therefore, to cling to it brings suffering. As a result, he stressed
detachment. Q: What about the popular exhortations to ‘get involved’ and ‘make a
difference’? A: Compassionate attention, in and of itself, has an unseen influence. The
results of volitional action are consequent to intention and the level of
consciousness. Sometimes the world would benefit more from benign
noninvolvement. Great wars and massive human disasters that go on for
centuries are the result of the ego’s grandiose plans to be involved and
make a difference, from Genghis Khan to Karl Marx, from Adolf Hitler
to current terrorists. Q: How to best serve the world? A: Each individual’s evolution of spiritual consciousness contributes to the
progress of the consciousness level of all mankind. By uplifting the sea,
all ships afloat are lifted. The effect of actions that emerge from
compassion are the result of intention. Human consciousness evolves through learning, which is often
primarily experiential. It is usually presumptuous to assume the
‘purpose’ of witnessed human events. What is deemed appropriate is a
consequence of perception and contextualization. Thus, whether action
is appropriate or not is an option that reflects a prevailing level of
consciousness rather than discernment of the Reality of essence. Everyone is accountable and culpable in accordance with their own
level of consciousness. Whether to ‘get involved’ or not reflects vanity
or compassion is consequent to the overall field of both content and
context. Action or nonaction is the spontaneous response of what has
‘become’ or ‘is’. There is no prevailing rule of appropriate behavior
because effects are consequent to intention. Q: Choices are therefore based on presumption and appearance? A: These are also aligned with stages of spiritual development and their
overall intention. There are periods devoted to learning detachment and
then periods devoted to transcending avoidance. Each has itstemptations and attractions. The specifics of the dualities of each level
of consciousness were discussed in Transcending the Levels of
Consciousness. Q: In addition to what appear to be worldly choices, are there also
karmic influences and propensities? A: Those factors contribute to the problems of choice for they influence
understandings of meaning, significance, and implications of
importance. Evolution leads to discovery that, in turn, reveals nuances,
significances, and inferences for further exploration. That is the nature
of transcendence by which many seeming paradoxes or conflicts
spontaneously resolve due to overall alignment consequent to intention. The overall spiritual process is therefore concordant with a
contemplative lifestyle that incorporates reflection and the development
of discernment. Q: Would the overall consequences of intense inner spiritual focus tend
to result in detachment and noninvolvement in the world? A: As a general trend, that is characteristic. As the ego’s dominance of
perception recedes, so does the appearance of the world and the mind’s
interpretations. Decisions are based on projected perceptions. Thus, the
mind perceives endless illusions, including classifications based on
judgments. Those that are interpreted as ‘good’ options are attractive to
choice and agreement. Thus, all perceptions reflect content. Patterns of conduct result from belief systems consequent to
prevailing social/educational systems that are both explicit and implicit. Thus, ‘duty calls’ in both overt and subtle expressions. To adopt the
pathway of devotional nonduality recontextualizes the obligation to the
pursuit of Truth rather than worldly involvement and action. How best
to serve the world is concordant with comprehension. Q: What is the most serviceable presumptive view of the world for a
spiritual student/devotee/seeker? A: Presume that the world’s actual ‘purpose’ is perfect and fully known
only by God. See it as neutral overall but with the benefit that it
provides optimal opportunity for spiritual growth and the evolution of
consciousness. It is a school for enlightenment and the revelation ofDivinity whereby consciousness/awareness reawakens to its Source. Thus, to pursue enlightenment in and of itself serves the world and God. Q: But what about war? A: This is a favorite question of spiritual students. War is the consequence
of falsity, just as peace is the consequence of Truth. War has prevailed
during ninety-three percent of human history. It is endemic to the ego. To be ‘anti-war’ is also an ego position that presumes omniscience. Therefore, it is more advanced to surrender the world and its wars to
God. To ‘hate war’ is merely another expression of hate, is it not? Better to
love peace and come to nonjudgmental compassion for the world’s wars
and its karmically influenced participants. Would the protester rob
fellow-suffering humans of the opportunity to undo negative karma and
reach salvation? Suffering and death are the consequences of the ego and its
positionalities and perceptions. To best serve the world, seek
Enlightenment and transcend illusions rather than contribute to them. Omniscience is a quality of Divinity, not of human perception. Watch
that the spiritual ego does not become politicized. ‘Do-gooderism’ is a
trap for the naïve and unwary. Be ‘pro’ God’s will and Divine
providence for the world and humanity. How best to ‘serve the highest
good’ is concordant with the prevailing level of consciousness of the
observer. There is no single answer for everyone. OceanofPDF.comCHAPTER 11
Teachers and Teaching
Introduction
The evolved Teacher historically has been the primary source of Truth
and spiritual information. The function has been to inspire, inform, and
convey information that is not obtainable via ordinary mind. The Teacher
has been unique in that the Source of the Knowledge has been intrinsic
rather than external. That the Source of the Knowingness is Self-effulgent
and not the result of linear processing resulted in the use of the descriptive
term ‘mystic’ to denote that the Source of the information is the Self, not
the self or ordinary mind, education,


  of  life,  when  the  means  defy  the  laws  of
universal  dharma,  that  pursuit  becomes  a  living  hell. Dharma,  the  universal  law  of  nature,  is  part  of  every
society,  every  tradition,  every  religion,  as  it  is  part  of
every  human  being. By  common  sense,  we  are  aware
when  we  rub  against  the  grain  of  what  is  right. Through  that  Vermont  winter,  I  cossetted  myself
in  the  warmth  of  a  raging  fire  only  to  feel  the  desolate
cold  of  my  inner  being. How  many  inner  signals  I
must  have  missed  to  find  myself  confronted  with  this
fatal  situation. How  wrong  I  was  in  trying  to  rewrite
my  destiny. For  those  few  months,  my  nightmares
became  reality  as  I  delved  into  all  my  unconscious
jm:. INTRODUCTION
agendas. Cancer,  indeed,  has  a  way  of  knocking  us
down  in  order  to  get  us  out  of  our  own  way. According  to  the  Vedas,  the  ancient  sacred  scrip-
tures of  India,  six  qualities  are  necessary  to  succeed  in
any  venture:  proper  effort;  perseverance;  courage;
knowledge  of  the  given  pursuit;  skill  and  resources;
and  the  capacity  to  overcome  obstacles. While  these
qualities  brought  me  great  success  in  the  material
world,  ironically  I  had  neglected  to  apply  them  to  my
life  as  a  human  being. As  a  result,  my  shallow  success
inevitably  had  to  collapse. I  had  tampered  with  uni-
versal forces  and  thus  was  deprived  of  their  invincible
protection. Finally  I  reached  the  bottom  and  felt  that  to  con-
tinue to  live  would  be  too  brutal. Too  tired  to  pursue
answers  to  the  great  mysteries,  I  prayed  to  quietly  slip
away. In  the  agony  of  this  prayer,  a  vision  of  my  father
appeared. I  had  severed  all  ties  with  my  father  and
family  twelve  years  earlier. As  his  image  appeared  to
me  my  life  began  to  turn  inside  out. The  floodgates  of
cognition  burst  open,  and  memories  of  the  past
washed  through  my  mind. All  the  closets  were  being
emptied;  all  the  monsters  were  pouring  out. As  I  be-
held his  face — humbled  by  the  years,  seasoned  with
wisdom,  quiet  and  compassionate — I  was  startled  not
to  find  the  terrifying  giant  of  my  childhood. He  seemed
to  know  of  my  grief  and  was  appearing  to  remind  me
of  something  I  had  forgotten  since  childhood. That
something  was  karma. The  word  dropped  like  a  bomb. The  inescapable,  the  inevitable. What  was  death  but  a
cosmic  reaction  to  all  actions  in  life,  a  notch  in  the
wheel  of  life,  and  a  guaranteed  rebirth. According  to  the  Vedas,  a  human  birth  is  not  easy
to  achieve. Once  the  human  body  materializes,
whether  we  understand  it  as  due  to  karma  or  to  natu-
ral selection,  the  factor  of  free  will  and  the  power  of
self-reflection  come  into  play. The  human  birth  is  the
only  one  endowed  with  the  capacity  to  make  choices. Each  choice  we  make  fuels  the  turning  of  the  wheel  of
karma. Once  we  recognize  this  innate  power,  we  must
take  responsibility  for  all  our  actions. I  saw  that  to  slip
away  silently  would  only  compound  my  errors. I  would
then  incur  even  more  pain  in  the  next  life  on  the
continuum  of  the  life  cycle. For  death,  according  to
the  laws  of  karma,  is  but  a  brief  silenc  ing  <>f  memory. The  Atman,  which  is  the  immortal  spirit  in  each  of  us,
continues,  as  do  the  collective  memories  of  all  our
lives,  which  serve  as  essential  guides  through  all  time. Our  choices  and  actions  determine  the  nature  of  our
rebirths. We  are  fully  accountable  for  the  choice  to
die,  like  the  choice  to  live. If  death  was  not  the  abso-
lute resolution,  what  was  my  big  hurry  to  stop  spin-
ning the  wheel  of  life? I  had  to  act  according  to  the
dharma. I  had  no  choice  but  to  see  this  birth  through
to  its  proper  conclusion. Cancer  showed  me  the  false
notions  of  my  ways  and  the  truth  of  the  saying,
Dharma  raksati  raksatah:  if  you  protect  dharma,  it
will  protect  you. One  day  after  three  months,  I  left  Vermont  with
the  full  knowledge  that  I  would  live. From  that  day  on
I  felt  death's  grip  loosen. Free  of  my  old  burdens,  I
had  a  lightness  and  a  certain  serenity. I  took  complete
control  of  my  life. Most  of  my  recovery  had  in  fact
occurred  during  those  few  timeless  months. Upon
my  returning  to  the  world  and  having  several  tests,  no
sign  of  cancer  was  present  in  my  blood. Prior  to  Ver-
mont, the  growth  rate  of  my  tumors  had  been  rapid. Now  only  the  tumor  above  one  kidney  remained,  and
it  was  about  the  same  size  as  before. It  was  clear  that
my  purging  had  arrested  the  disease,  and  that  1  was
on  the  winning  side. Since  the  remaining  tumor  was  inoperable,  1  was
presented  with  a  new  set  of  options. A  complete  diet
and  lifestyle  change  was  inevitable,  but  these  changes
would  take  a  long  time  to  finally  rid  my  body  oi  the
tumor. Fears  lingered,  as  I  was  still  unable  to  trust
that  the  intelligence  ol  nature,  my  nature,  would  rid
my  body  of  all  foreign  matter .is  the  connection  to
memory  and  my  inner  being  Strengthened  1  looked
into  a  course  of  chemotherapy  treatment. Although  I
had  lost  faith  in  the  scientific  medical  practices,  I  was
still  dependent  on  the  scientists,  with  then  obsession
to  achieve  the  end  regardless  ol  means. 1  understood
that  before  mv  Vermont  sojourn,  I  had  been  absent
from  m\'  own  healing  process. Now  1  wanted  to  ml
my  body  immediately  of  the  tumor  and  confront  the
challenge  »>t  assuming  lull  responsiblity  foi  my  i<
tions. At  least  I  was  going  to  be  very  present  and
involved  in  the  curative


OLS
Bamboo  mat
Rather  than  a  lid,  the  bamboo  mat  allows  the  food  to
breathe  and  remain  fresh  long  after  it  has  been  cooked. Bamboo  mats  are  available  in  most  Japanese  and
Oriental  grocery  stores. Cookware
If  your  kitchen  is  equipped  with  varying  sizes  of  stain-
less steel  pans,  a  regular  skillet,  and  a  few  cast-iron
skillets  of  varying  sizes,  you  should  be  able  to  prepare
the  recipes  in  this  book. A  cast-iron  skillet  is  used
mostly  for  roasting  (dry  or  with  oil),  as  well  as  for
dishes  with  short  cooking  times. Stainless-steel  pans
are  used  mainly  for  dishes  with  long  cooking  times,
such  as  curries  and  soups. A  pressure  cooker  is  invaluable  for  cooking  grains. I  strongly  urge  you  to  use  one  for  all  "long  cooking"
grains  and  beans. It  produces  a  much  more  nutritious
and  tasty  meal. However,  if  you  do  not  have  one  on
hand,  grains  may  also  be  cooked  in  a  clay  pot,  enamel
coated  cast-iron  pot,  or  a  heavy  stainless  steel  pot. Although  the  recipes  call  predominantly  for  stain
less  steel  and  cast-iron  cookware,  it  is  a  good  idea  to vary  your  cooking  utensils. Use  copper,  glass,  and
occasionally  earthenware  for  a  variety  of  benefits. Ceramic  and  Earthenware  Pots
These  pots  maintain  Earth's  energy  in  the  food  and
are  available  through  most  health  food  stores,  gour-
met utensil  and  equipment  stores,  and  Oriental  gro-
cery stores. Ceramic  Hand  Grater
This  ideal  tool  for  grating  ginger  or  nutmeg  can  be
found  in  natural  food  stores. Cheesecloth
The  use  of  paper  products  inhibits  the  development
of  natural  sadhana  instincts  and  is  discouraged. Cheesecloth  is  suggested  as  an  alternative  to  paper
towels  in  this  book. Electric  Blender,  Grinder,  and  Juicer
When  there  are  no  other  options,  you  may  resort  to
these  appliances. Be  sure  to  use  sparingly. The  hand
grinders  and  mortar  and  pestle  are  far  more  condu-
cive to  the  practice  of  sadhana  and  should  be  used  as
much  as  possible  for  grinding  and  pureeing  needs. Hand  Grinders
These  provide  a  wondei  tul  form  ol  kitchen  sadhana. The  small  version  (#2,  whieh  is  I"  m  diametei  )  m,iv
be  used  instead  of  a  mortal  and  pestle  01  [apanese
suribachi  for  grinding  spues,  nuts,  and  seeds. The
larger  versions  (#2,  at  6"  in  diameter,  and  •"  1,  at  S"  in
diameter)  are  used  lot  grinding  wet  dhals  and  giains
for  idli  and  dosa. They  may  also  be  used  toi  pureeing
vegetables  and  soups  and  loi  pulping  hints .See
Appendix  lor  suppliers. Hand  Stone  (as  Mallet)
and  Grinding  Stone
See  Sadhanas  ol  Spues,  chaptei  8
llM
^
UNIVERSAL    RECIPES    FOR    EACH    BODY   TYPE
Idli  Steamer
Resembling  an  egg  poaching  pan,  the  idli  steamer
consists  of  three  or  four  tiered  trays  containing  three
or  four  molds  each. The  molds  are  perforated,  which
allows  the  steam  to  escape. To  prepare,  with  steamer
trays  disassembled,  lightly  oil  each  mold. Or  you  may
lightly  oil  small  pieces  of  cheesecloth  and  place  in
each  mold;  this  allows  for  easy  removal. Pour  batter
into  each  tray. When  all  trays  are  filled,  assemble
steamer. Idli  steamers  are  available  at  Indian  grocery
stores. Karai
This  forerunner  to  the  Chinese  wok  is  available  in
many  sizes  through  Indian  food  stores. To  prevent
rusting,  the  iron  karai  pans  must  be  seasoned  after
use. Suribachi
Japanese  mortar  and  pestle. Using  a  Suribachi
Tava
Native  to  India,  this  slightly  concave  iron  skillet  is
preferred  over  flat  skillets  for  making  chapatis,  rotis,
and  dosas. Lighter  than  cast-iron,  the  tava  heats  faster
and  reduces  cooking  time. TECHNIQUES
Grinding  Wet  Grains  and  Dhals
Use  a  large  hand  grinder  that  clamps  onto  counter  or
kitchen  table. Place  approximately  1  cup  of  wet  grains
or  dhals  into  mouth  of  grinder. Place  a  bowl  under
the  spout  and  turn  the  handle. If  a  fine  smooth  con-
sistency is  needed,  regrind  the  dhals  or  grains  once
more. Using  this  method,  it  takes  about  30  minutes  to
grind  2  to  3  pounds  of  wet  dhal  or  grain. Wet  dhals
and  grains  may  also  be  ground  in  a  very  large  mortar
with  pestle. Juicing  Fresh  Ginger
If  you  have  a  ceramic  hand  grater  and  plump,  fresh
green  ginger,  you  can  do  this  by  hand. Peel  V:  a  finger
length  of  fresh  ginger  and  grate  to  a  fine  pulp  with  a
ceramic  grater. Wash  your  hands  and,  placing  the
grated  ginger  in  you  stronger  hand,  squeeze  the  pulp
firmly  over  a  small  bowl. Use  the  pulp  to  cook  with  or
to  make  fresh  ginger  tea. Haifa  finger  length  of  ginger
will  make  approximately  two  tablespoons  of  juice. If  fresh  young  ginger  is  not  available,  grate  'A  finger's
length  of  dried  ginger  with  a  ceramic  grater. Use  2
teaspoons  of  this  grated  ginger  in  recipes  that  call  for
2  tablespoons  of  ginger  juice. Making  Fresh  Coconut  Milk
Select  a  fresh  coconut:  shake  it  to  be  sure  there  is
water  inside. The  coconut  should  be  heavier  than  it
looks. Preheat  oven  to  400  degrees  F.  Using  a  sharp
knife  or  ice  pick,  pierce  two  of  the  eyes  and  drain  the
coconut  water. (The  coconut  water  may  be  used  to
drink  or  mix  with  the  grated  coconut  to  form  the
coconut  milk,  below.) Place  coconut  in  heated  oven
for  15  minutes,  until  the  shell  begins  to  crack. Open
the  coconut  with  a  hammer  and  allow  to  cool  for  10
minutes. Pry  nut  pieces  away  from  the  shell  using  a
small  knife,  and  scrape  off  thin  brown  film


 happened. (Great events from
a perceptual viewpoint, not from a spiritual viewpoint.) Man is now in a new dimension, and 207 is critical because it only takes
one feather to tip the balance from negative to positive. Every spiritual
decision we make can tip the scale to the positive side, and that totally
changes the destiny of our life. If you’re out at sea, a change of one degree
in the compass may not seem like much, but after a couple of days of
sailing, you’ll end up on a different continent. So one degree makes quite a
bit of difference. Freedom of choice, then—spiritual choice—is what we’re
confronted with instant by instant. Instant by instant, we’re constantlysaying yes or no to choices. And those choices then determine our spiritual
level and our calibrated level of consciousness and our karmic destiny. THE DUALITY OF THE EGO
This discovery led to my eventually becoming a spiritual teacher. I
wanted to share my own subjective state and things that have never really
been said before. What I teach, I call devotional non-duality. Devotional
because one is in love with the truth. One is in love with the pathway to
God through truth. And non-duality, meaning that to reach a state of
enlightenment, one has to transc end the ego. The ego is dualistic in nature. Human thinking  is dualistic in nature. There’ s an either or, this or that. The
spiritual student is usually confronted. It starts first with confronting the ego
and what has traditionally been called sin (and given all kinds of bad
names). The first thing I wanted my students to understand is the nature of the
ego and to become friendly with it, and understand where it comes from. You have to get away from demonizing it. You can’t see it as an enemy. The
ego is nothing but the animal nature. When you look at the animal kingdom,
all you see is what’ s called the human ego. When we see it in an animal, we
just say, “It’s nature.” But when we see it in a human, we say, “Oh, isn’t
that awful?” No, it’ s not awful. With evolution, we see the emergence of the mammalian brain from the
reptilian brain, and for the first time, we see the emer gence of love. Love
didn’ t emerge on this planet for millions of years, not until the mammalian
brain. When we see a mother bird caring for her eggs and baby birds, it’s
really the mammalian brain that we begin to see. So, we don’t see love until
we see really the emer gence of the maternal instinct. Love doesn’ t appear
until we see the mother ’s concern for the child, the infant, the fledgling. We
don’t see it arising primarily early in the evolution of the animal world. Love begins to emer ge as the expression of the maternal; then you begin
to see love blossom over the ages. Romantic love, which we take for
granted in today’ s world, is a rather recent occurrence. For many centuries,
people didn’ t get married for romantic love; it was a transfer of power. They
got married because the family arranged it. The kings and queens of
England, for all their power, weren’ t free to choose love. They figuredmarriage is one thing, love is another. So romantic love, as we see it, is a
rather recent and modern thing. When people go into spiritual work, they are always concerned about
overcoming the ego. So first we say, recontextualize it as the residual of the
animal within us. The old animal brain is still present in the back of the
human brain, and the prefrontal cortex is a rather recent emer gence. If you
calibrate the level of consciousness of hominids, as they evolve d over time,
you see Cro-Magnon, you see Neanderthal. A Neanderthal calibrates
around 75 (on the Map), a really animalistic level. Although it’s able to
speak and talk, it’s still pretty much an animal. It’s only with the emer gence
of the forebrain and the prefrontal cortex that you begin to see ethics,
morality, spiritu al awareness, and so on. What humans are trying to do,
then, is transcen d domination by their animal instincts. It helps  if you take
the ego out of the viewpoint of sin and begin to see it as animal. What is an
animal like? Well, you can see the human ego on display at any zoo. Go to
the monkey island in the zoo and you see territoriality, you see gangs; they
hang together in groups and then fight over turf. There are always turf wars going on around the world. Then you see the
exploitation or the subjugation of the weak. You see deceptio n and lying
and camouflage, and so all you see in today’ s headlines is the monkey
island with a human expression. Spiritual work is really about overcoming selfishness, self-centeredness,
and egocentrici ty in all of its various disguises. What are the various
disguises? Well, the compulsion to have, to own, to be success ful, to win,
and all the things that we know as egocentricity. How does one then begin
to transcend that? People say, “Well, I’m interested in evolving spiritually. What can I do from a practical viewpoint?” Because all what I’ve just
described can sound quite advanced and quite theoretical  and quite
imposing to somebody who’ s not familiar with the work. Actually, this work becomes rather easy; the more you practice,  the more
you arriv e at the feeling of I knew this all along. Of course, you did know it
all along, but you want to know  how to transform this feeling in everyday
life. So people say, “How can I grow spiritually? Do I have to go
somewhere? Do I have to get a guru? Do I have to join a medita tion group? Do I have to recite mantras or what?”
No, you don’ t have to do that at all.It’s so simple that it’s overlooke d all the time. It’s a decision to be loving
and kind toward all life, includi ng your own, at all times, no matter what. To be forgiving,  to be gentle, to be that which is supportive of life. So that
becomes not what you do, but what you are. You become that which
supports life, supports all endeavors. It encourages those who need
encouragement, and it becomes  the energy of life itself. It beco mes almost
like the manifestation of the Divine Mother, as well as the Divine Father, so
it’s the merging of the two: that which is nurturing and that which is
demanding of excellence. STARTING ON THE P ATHW AY OF NON-DUALITY
The pathway of non-duality, then, is the devotion to spiritual principles,
and as you become devoted to spiritual principles, you’re brought up face-
to-face with the mind’ s propensity for either/or: good or evil, liberal or
conservative. Y ou’re confronted constantly with the so-called polarities, and
to reach a very advanced state of consciousness, it is then necessary to
transcend the so-called polarities of either/or -ness. The ego would have you think that it’s responsible for your survival. Ego
says, “If I wasn’ t so clever... if I didn’ t remind you to take your vitamins
and all, you’d be deader than a mackerel.” The downside of duality, then, is
it creates the illusion that there’ s a separate I that is the cause  of everything
—that there’ s a personal I, separate from the infinite oneness of totality. The
core of the ego is this self-cen tered point, which one assumes to be the
cause of everything. As long as you believe in causality, you are stuck in a
duality of “a this causing a that.” The pathway to enlightenm ent through
non-duality dissolves the opposites. The ego is so impressed by popularity, wanting to be right, vanity, and
pridefulness. Give up the vanity  of wanting to be right. Spirituality is really
a way of being in the world. People think of spirituality in terms of the
ego’s function, of doingness. It’s not a doingness, howev er, it’s a way of
beingness  in the world. It’s a way of being with the world in which one is in
a constant state of appreciation and service. Why? Because you become
discerning of the beauty of existence, to become benign, to be cordial, to be
loving toward all things. If I had not felt loving toward that rattlesnake,
which I will talk about in Chapter 5, I would never have lived long enough
to tell you the tale. The respect for all that exists. Truly spiritua l people arewilling to see the intrinsic beaut y of all of existence. To be benign and to be
unconditionally loving toward all things, at all times. If you want to become spirituall y evolved, it’s very simple. Let’s say the
ideal is, I wish to see the world the way it is. And the only way to see it, the


 inspired by the Buddhist practice of mettā, which is a Pali word
for loving-kindness, universal friendship, benevolence. The meditation has
five parts to it. We recommend  you take between 5 and 15 minutes to do
this practice. As with the other practices in the book, Louise and I
encourage you to do this once a day for seven consecutive days. The more
you do it, the better it gets. Blessing Y ourself:  “There is enough love in you to love the whole planet,
and it starts with you,” says Louise. Begin by affirming Life loves me, and I
love life. Say it out loud. Say it a few times. Complete the sentence One
way life is loving me right now is … Count your blessings. If you find this
difficult, affirm that you are willing to receive and that you are open to all
offers of help. Affirm Today I move into my greater good. My good is
everywher e, and I am safe and secur e. Blessing Loved Ones:  Wish everyone you love a beautiful day today. Affirm for them Life loves you. Pray that they may know how blessed they
are and that they recognize the basic truth about themselves, which is I am
loveable. Be happy for their success, their abundance, their good health, and
their good fortun e. “Remember, if you want love and acceptance from your
family, then you must have love and acceptance for them,” says Louise. Affirm I rejoice in everyone’ s happiness, knowing that there is plenty for us
all. Blessing Your Neighbor hood:  Set up in your mind that you will bless
everyone you meet today. Send a blessing to all your neighbors on both
sides of the stree t. Send a blessi ng to all the parents you normally see at the
school gate. Send a blessing to the local shopkeeper, to the mailman, to the
bus driver, and to every other familiar face in your community. Send ablessing to the trees on your street. Send a blessing to your entire
neighborhood. Affirm Life loves you, and I wish you infinite blessings
today. Bless Your Enemies:  Send a blessing to the people  you’re tempted to
withhold love from. Bless the person you judge the most and affirm Life
loves us all. Bless the perso n you fight with the most and affirm Life loves
us all. Bless the person you complain about the most and affirm Life loves
us all. Bless the person you envy the most and af firm Life loves us all. Bless
the person you compete with the most and affirm Life loves us all. Bless
your enemies, so that you have no enemies. Affirm We are all loveable. Life
loves us all. In love, everyone wins. Bless the World:  Affirm Life loves me, and I love life. Imagine that you
hold the whole planet in your heart. “You are important, and what you do
with your mind makes a differen ce. Send out a blessing to the whole world
every day,” says Louise. Love the animals. Love the plants. Love the
oceans. Love the stars. Visualize newspaper headlines like “A Cure for
Cancer,” or “An End to Poverty,” or “Peace on Earth. ” Each time you bless
the world with your love, you connect with millions of people doing the
same thing. See the world evolving in the direction of love today. Affirm
Together we ar e creating a world in which it is safe to love one another. OceanofPDF. comP o s t s c r i p t
Today, I’ve been working on the final edit of the manuscript for Life
Loves You. Christopher has been playing in my office with his new tracto r. He’s so happy. “It’s the best tractor in the universe, Dad,” he tells me. His
old tractor sits on my desk now, next to the angel Bo gave me and the
picture of Christ holding the lantern. Hollie and I are still amazed at how
this picture appeared in our home. This morning I was thumbing through my copy of You Can Heal Your
Life. I was checking a quote for accuracy. It’s a well-worn copy, several
years old now, and I’ve only just noticed that Louise has inscribed it. The
inscription reads, “Remember, ‘life loves you. ’ Tee Hee. Love  to Robert. Louise Hay. ” The Tee Hee  is underlined for emphasis. Why did Louise write
Tee Hee. I wond er. Did she know something I didn’ t. I smile in gratitude
for the journey we have taken together. My sciatica has healed now. I am free of “sensations,” as Louise puts it. My physiotherapist gave me a clean bill of health a few weeks ago. The
timing of the sciatica was symbo lic. It began just a few days before I started
to write this book. Another coincidence. In You Can Heal Your Life, Louise
describes the probable cause of sciatica as hypocrisy. When I looked closely
at this, I found the place in me where I believe that life loves me, but I also
found shadows, doubts, fears, cynicism, and unworthiness. Life Loves You is a big inquiry. Louise and I took our dialogue as far as
we could together. And there’ s more to go, for both of us. In a recent
conversation, Louise told me, “I still get afraid, and sometimes I doubt that
life loves me, but it happens less now. I know, deep down, that a fear is only
a fear and not the truth. When I find a fear, I meet it with love. And I
remind myself that life is not judging me or rejecting me. Life loves me. ”This book is nearly finished, but it feels like the inquiry has just begun. Each of us has a self-image, an ego, that we hope is loveable, but egos are
full of holes. These holes hide buried fears and doubts, and they cast a
shadow on the world as we see it. Life loves you asks us to dig deep, to
excavate the ground of our being, where our true nature lives. Here is our
buried treasure. Here is where we meet our Unconditioned Self. This is the
Self that life loves. An inquiry on love is infinite by its nature. Soon Louise and I will work
on the online program for Life Loves Y ou. We’ll create a Life Loves Y ou card
deck, full of spiritual practices and affirmations. We’ll also post a series of
interviews on the Heal Your Life website. These offerings will help to take
the inquiry even deeper. The more we let life love us, the more we can be the person we truly are. The inner work, then, is to disso lve the blocks to love and to keep on doing
so until only love remains. Love  is our true nature. Love is how we express
our heart. Love is our soul’ s purpose. We are here to love the world. We are
here to choose love over fear. This is our gift to ourselves and to each other.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: Who is the author of the book "You Can Heal Your Life"?,
A: Louise Hay
Q: What is the title of the book being discussed in the passage?,
A: Life Loves You
Q: What is the main theme of the book "Life Loves You"?,
A: Exploring the concept of "Life loves you" and the importance of self-love and acceptance
Q: What is the name of the spiritual practice recommended in the book "Life Loves You"?,
A: Blessing the World
Q: Who are the authors of the book "Life Loves You"?,
A: Louise Hay and Robert Holden<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Soil and Health Library
This document is a reproduction of the book or other copyrighted material you
requested. It was prepared on for the exclusive use of Oriana, whose email address is
orianaoriana@gmail.com. This reproduction was made by the Soil and Health Library only for the purpose of
research and study. Any further reproduction or distribution of this copy in any form
whatsoever constitutes a violation of copyrights.Triumph Over Disease
by Fasting And Natural Diet

Dr. Jack Goldstein (D. P. M.)

Arco Publishing Company, Inc. New York

Published by Arco Publishing Company, Inc.
219 Park Avenue South, New York, N.Y. 10003
Copyright © 1977 by Jack Goldstein

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Goldstein, Jack. Triumph over disease-by fasting and natural diet. Bibliography: p. 237 1. Ulcerative colitis-Biography. 2. Fasting. 3. Vegetarianism
4. Goldstein, Jack I.. RC862.C6G64 616.3'4 76-44863
ISBN 0-668-04138-2 (Library Edition)

   Here is the inspiring, controversial, true story of a man who was
treated medically for six years for a debilitating disease, ulcerative
colitis, which under standard medical care by qualified and respected
physicians progressed to a point close to death. In the course of his six-year ordeal, Dr. Goldstein changed from a happy, successful, and
confident man with everything to live for to a wasted, drug-infected,
despairing man whose only hope, he was told,


. V aguely Gautama thought it would be nice to be the moon. And then he was. It didn’ t happen immediately. He sat, and the waning moon turned into
a sliver, then a hairline of luminescence in the sky, before it waxed again. He caught a glimpse of it only once a night; otherwise he had his eyes
closed. Nothing was changing inside him. Only by the moon did Gautama
realize when seven weeks had passed. “I’m here. Y ou can open your eyes now.”
Gautama was past having delusions, so the voice must be real. He
opened his eyes. A yogi with long locks and a beard had found him and was
sitting with crossed legs under the tree. The moonlight was bright enough to
reveal the face of the doomed monk Ganaka. “You don’ t have to disguise yourself,” said Gautama. “I was expecting
to see you, Mara.”
“Really?” The form of Ganaka smiled. “I didn’ t want to shock you. I
am, as you know, basically kind.”“Kind enough to show me an image of grief? I am past grieving,”
Gautama said. “Then take this image as a greeting from Ganaka instead. I know him
well,” said Mara. “He is in my care now.”
“Then he must be in a place of torment. But I am beyond horror too. So
tell me quickly why you’ve come, with as few lies as you can.”
“I’m here to teach you. Remember, that was my of fer when you were
young,” Mara said. “But you misjudged me, as everyone does. Now you
must be wiser.”
“You think it’ s wiser to have a demon for a teacher?” As they bantered,
Gautama felt nothing toward Mara, neither fear nor dislike. Even
wondering why the demon had sought him was a faint impulse on the edge
of his mind. “You still misjudge me,” Mara said in a cajoling voice. “I know the
secrets of the universe. No knowledge can be kept from me since my role is
to see into the crevices of every soul. I will share all that I know with you.”
“No.”
“I didn’ t hear that. Y ou’ve craved knowledge ever since I met you. I
saw it in your eyes. Why turn your back on me now? I’m greater than these
yogis you’ve wasted your time with,” the demon said. “The one who wanted to know everything no longer exists,” said
Gautama. “I have nothing left to ask.”
“Stubbornness doesn’ t become you, my friend. I’m disappointed.”
Mara’ s tone of voice was smooth and assured, but he was sitting close
enough that Gautama felt the demon’ s body tremble with suppressed rage. Mara said, “I thought you were above other souls. But if you insist on being
common, let me satisfy what you really want.”These words were greeted with peals of laughter. Through the trees
came three beautiful women carrying oil lamps; incense swirled around
them. As Gautama watched, a pool of water appeared in the forest. The
women began to disrobe, casting glances at him and giggling softly. “My three daughters,” said Mara. “They never fail to charm, so why
pretend? Y ou want them.”
The women had silky pale skin and full breasts. Gautama looked on
while they bathed themselves, using every suggestive gesture they could
find; their hands were delicate, and the way they touched themselves only
faintly hinted at lewdness. “I told them you weren’ t coarse, but as you can see, they will adapt
themselves to your every desire,” said Mara. “Yes, I see that,” said Gautama. “The man who once had a wife no
longer exists. I can accept your daughters as new wives. T ell them to
approach.”
Mara smiled with satisfaction. The three women emer ged from the
bathing pool and draped themselves with gossamer saris that showed their
naked bodies in the moonlight. Mara made a gesture, and the first daughter
knelt submissively before Gautama. “What is your name, beautiful one?” Gautama asked. “I am T anha.”
“Your name means ‘desire.’ I will take you for a wife, but unfortunately
I have no desire for you. If you marry me, you will never feel desire or be
desired ever again. Is that acceptable?”
Before his eyes the lovely face of T anha turned into the face of a long-
toothed demon, and with a howl she vanished from sight. “Let me see your second daughter,” said Gautama. Mara, looking
displeased, waved his hand abruptly, and the second young woman kneltbefore them. “What is your name, beautiful one?” asked Gautama. “Raga.”
“Your name means ‘lust.’ I was born a male, and therefore your appeal
is well known to me. I will take you for a wife, but if we marry, you must
respect my vows. Y our heart of fire will be turned to ice, and you will never
lust or be lusted after again. Is that acceptable?”
In an instant Raga was transformed into a ball of fire, which rushed at
Gautama to sear his flesh. Instead, the fire passed through him and
vanished. “Show me your last daughter,” Gautama said. “The first two won’ t have
me.”
Mara jumped to his feet in a rage. “Y ou treat my gentle girls badly. They only want to serve you, and in return you cruelly abuse them.”
“But your third daughter is so beautiful, I can’ t possibly mistreat her. Bring her to me. I’m sure we will be married,” Gautama said gently. Mara
regarded him with dark suspicion but made a small gesture. The third
daughter knelt before them. “Don’ t ask me my name,” she said. “I am free of all desire and lust. I
am as indif ferent to you as you are to me. W e are perfectly matched.”
“You’re very subtle,” said Gautama. “But I already know your name. It’s Arati, or ‘aversion.’ Y ou want nothing because you hate everything. I
will make you my wife, but only on the condition that you open yourself to
love. Is that acceptable?”
Arati’ s face assumed a look of unspeakable disgust. In alarm Mara
reached his arms out to hold on to her, but he was too late. In an instant she
vanished like the others. The demon gave a howl that grew louder andfiercer until it filled the whole forest. He swelled in size, and the form of
Ganaka dropped away. Mara began to grow his four horrible faces. “I’m going to see you as you really are. Good,” said Gautama. “Arrogance!” Mara screamed. “Y ou shall see me, all right, and the
moment you do, you will die.”
He began to make mysterious signs in the air that Gautama didn’ t
understand, and like magic, the kingdom of the demons descended to earth. The forest floor crawled with poisonous snakelike demons, slithering over
Gautama’ s lap, while batlike demons tried to bite his face. A phalanx of
elephants crashed through the trees, trampling other demons of damned
souls whose bodies were crushed underfoot. Because the demon world
consists of the most disgusting and terrifying forms that the human mind
can conceive of, there was no end to the waves of Mara’ s subjects that
emer ged in the moonlight. Mara himself rode a massive bull elephant that held writhing souls
between its jaws. At first he remained aloof, waiting for his army to
annihilate Gautama by sucking it into a maelstrom of torment. But when he
saw the calmness of Gautama’ s gaze, Mara became agitated. “Resist me all you like. I will never depart from you, and neither will
my subjects. This spectacle is what you will see for the rest of your life.”
“I am not resisting. Y ou are all welcome to stay,” said Gautama. “Y ou
cannot attack what isn’ t here, and I am not here.”
“Not here?” said Mara. “Y ou’re insane.”
“Or perhaps I just lack a soul. Doesn’ t it take a soul to be damned?”
The calmness of Gautama’ s speech not only infuriated the demon king
but caused his subjects to begin to fade away like shadow puppets on a
screen or summer lightning inside a cloud.“Prove it to yourself,” said Gautama. “If you can find my soul, it’ s
yours. I have stopped caring, myself.”
Mara leaped from the elephant and crouched on the ground in front of
Gautama. “Done!” he hissed. He had never experienced any creature,
mortal or divine, without a soul, and now this fool had freely surrendered
his. “Y ou’re mine, and I will claim you when it pleases me.” Every other
spectre had disappeared by now. Mara’ s four malignant faces lingered for a
few more seconds before he too vanished. Gautama doubted he would ever see him again. The existence of his
soul


 s s n e s s  w e  t h i n k  w e  w i l l  f e e l  w h e n  c o n f r o n t e d  b y
t h e  e n o r m i t y  o f  t h e  f o r c e s  t h a t  o b s t r u c t  u s. Y e t,  i n  f a c t,  i t ’ s
w h e n  w e  f a c e  t h e  d a r k n e s s  s q u a r e l y  i n  t h e  e y e — i no u r s e l v e s  a n d  i n  t h e  w o r l d — t h a t  w e  b e g i n  a t  l a s t  t o  s e e  t h e
l i g h t. A n d  t h a t  i s  t h e  a l c h e m y  o f  p e r s o n a l  t r a n s f o r m a t i o n. I n
t h e  m i d s t  o f  t h e  d e e p e s t,  d a r k e s t  n i g h t,  w h e n  w e  f e e l  m o s t
h u m b l e d  b y  l i f e,  t h e  f a i n t  s h a d o w  o f  o u r  w i n g s  b e g i n s  t o
a p p e a r. O n l y  w h e n  w e  h a v e  f a c e d  t h e  l i m i t s  o f  w h a t  w e  c a n
d o,  d o e s  i t  b e g i n  t o  d a w n  o n  u s  t h e  l i m i t l e s s n e s s  o f  w h a t
G o d  c a n  d o. I t  i s  t h e  d e p t h  o f  t h e  d a r k n e s s  n o w  c o n f r o n t i n g
o u r  w o r l d  t h a t  w i l l  r e v e a l  t o  u s  t h e  m a g i c  o f  w h o  w e  t r u l y
a r e. W e  a r e  s p i r i t,  a n d  t h u s  w e  a r e  m o r e  t h a n  t h e  w o r l d. W h e n  w e  r e m e m b e r  t h a t,  t h e  w o r l d  i t s e l f  w i l l  b o w  t o  o u r
r e m e m b r a n c e. R e t u r n i n g  t o  L o v e

I n  1 9 7 8  I  b e c a m e  a  s t u d e n t  o f  a  s e l f - s t u d y  p r o g r a m  o f
s p i r i t u a l  p s y c h o t h e r a p y  c a l l e d  A  C o u r s e  i n  M i r a c l e s ;  i n
1 9 9 2  I  w r o t e  a  b o o k  o f  r e f l e c t i o n s  o n  i t s  p r i n c i p l e s  c a l l e d  A
R e t u r n  t o  L o v e. C l a i m i n g  n o  m o n o p o l y  w h a t s o e v e r  o n
s p i r i t u a l  i n s i g h t,  t h e  C o u r s e  i s  a  p s y c h o l o g i c a l  m i n d  t r a i n i n g
b a s e d  o n  u n i v e r s a l  s p i r i t u a l  t h e m e s. I t  t e a c h e s  p e o p l e  h o w
t o  d i s m a n t l e  a  t h o u g h t  s y s t e m  b a s e d  o n  f e a r  a n d  r e p l a c e  i t
w i t h  a  t h o u g h t  s y s t e m  b a s e d  o n  l o v e. I t s  g o a l  i s  a t t a i n i n g
i n n e r  p e a c e  t h r o u g h  p r a c t i c i n g  f o r g i v e n e s s. Y o u  w i l l  n o t i c e
i t  r e f e r r e d  t o  t h r o u g h o u t  t h i s  b o o k,  a n d  m a n y  o f  i t s
t e a c h i n g s  w i l l  b e  r e f l e c t e d  i n  w h a t  I  w r i t e. W h e n  t h e r e  i s  n os p e c i f i c  r e f e r e n c e  f o r  q u o t e d  m a t e r i a l  o r  c o n c e p t s  f r o m  A
C o u r s e  i n  M i r a c l e s  ( p u b l i s h e d  b y  t h e  F o u n d a t i o n  f o r  I n n e r
P e a c e ),  I  h a v e  a d d e d  a n  a s t e r i s k  t o  m a r k  A  C o u r s e  i n
M i r a c l e s  p r i n c i p l e. A l t h o u g h  t h e  C o u r s e  u s e s  t r a d i t i o n a l  C h r i s t i a n
t e r m i n o l o g y,  i t  i s  n o t  a  C h r i s t i a n  d o c t r i n e. I t s  t e r m s  a r e  u s e d
i n  a  p s y c h o l o g i c a l  c o n t e x t,  w i t h  u n i v e r s a l  m e a n i n g  f o r  a n y
s t u d e n t  o f  s p i r i t u a l  p r i n c i p l e s,  r e g a r d l e s s  o f  w h e t h e r  t h e y
h a v e  a  C h r i s t i a n  o r i e n t a t i o n. S p i r i t u a l  p r i n c i p l e s  d o  n o t  c h a n g e,  b u t  w e  d o. A s  w e
m a t u r e  t h r o u g h  t h e  y e a r s,  w e  a c c e s s  m o r e  d e e p l y
i n f o r m a t i o n  w e  h a d  o n l y  a b s t r a c t l y  u n d e r s t o o d  b e f o r e. T w e n t y  y e a r s  a g o,  I  s a w  t h e  g u i d a n c e  o f  t h e


 i l e. A n d  w h o
w a n t s  t h e i r  l i f e  t o  b e  l e s s  t h a n  i t  c o u l d  b e  e v e r y  o n c e  i n  a
w h i l e? T h e  I n d i a n  g u r u s  a r e  r i g h t  w h o  s a y  t h a t  n o  m a t t e r  w h a t
t h e  p r o b l e m,  t h e  a n s w e r  i s  t o  m e d i t a t e. T h e y ’ r e  r i g h t
b e c a u s e,  a s  E i n s t e i n  s a i d,  w e  w o n ’ t  s o l v e  t h e  p r o b l e m s  o ft h e  w o r l d  f r o m  t h e  l e v e l  o f  t h i n k i n g  w e  w e r e  a t  w h e n  w e
c r e a t e d  t h e m. M e d i t a t i o n  c h a n g e s  t h e  l e v e l  o f  o u r  t h i n k i n g,
a n d  t h a t ’ s  w h y  i t  c h a n g e s  o u r  l i v e s. P a r t i c u l a r l y  t o d a y,  e a c h  o f  u s  c a r r i e s  m o r e  w o r r y  a n d
u p s e t  t h a n  w e  r e a l i z e. I t  b o m b a r d s  u s  e v e n  f r o m  h a l f w a y
a c r o s s  t h e  w o r l d. M u c h  t h a t  w e  t h o u g h t  w e  c o u l d  c o u n t  o n
w e  s u d d e n l y  d i s c o v e r e d  w e  c a n ’ t  c o u n t  o n  a t  a l l. T h e
S e p t e m b e r  1 1  a t t a c k s  o n  t h e  U n i t e d  S t a t e s  h a v e  b e e n  l i k e  a
t i m e - r e l e a s e  c a p s u l e  o f  c o l l e c t i v e  a n x i e t y. I n  a  d a y,
e v e r y t h i n g  c h a n g e d,  a n d  w e ’ r e  b e i n g  f o r c e d  t o  l e a r n  a
d e e p l y  s p i r i t u a l  l e s s o n :  t h a t  t h e  o n l y  r e a l  s e c u r i t y  l i e s  i n  o u r
i n t e r n a l  s t r e n g t h. A n y t h i n g  c a n  h a p p e n  t o  a n y o n e  a t  a n y
t i m e. Y e t  o u r  d i s i l l u s i o n m e n t  s i m p l y  m e a n s  w e  w e r e
l a b o r i n g  u n d e r  a n  i l l u s i o n  b e f o r e — t h i n k i n g  e x t e r n a l  s a f e t y
c o u l d  b e  g u a r a n t e e d. N o w  t h a t  w e  k n o w  w h i c h  h o u s e s  w e r e
b u i l t  o n  s a n d,  w e  h a v e  t h e  o p p o r t u n i t y  t o  r e b u i l d  t h e m  o n
r o c k. E v e r y  t i m e  w e  m e d i t a t e,  i t ’ s  l i k e  w e ’ r e  c r e a t i n g  a
s e c u r e  u n d e r g r o u n d  l o c a t i o n  w h e r e  w e  c a n  r e t r e a t  w h e n
t i m e s  a r e  r o u g h. I n  h i s  b o o k  T h e  S o u l ’ s  A w a k e n i n g,  p h i l o s o p h e r  R u d o l f
S t e i n e r  w r o t e,  “ H e  w h o  w o u l d  c r e a t e  t h e  n e w  m u s t  b e  a b l e
t o  e n d u r e  t h e  p a s s i n g  o f  t h e  o l d  i n  f u l l  t r a n q u i l l i t y. ”
W h e n  w e  m e d i t a t e  i n  t h e  m o r n i n g,  w e  a r e  p l a c i n g  o u r
m i n d s,  e m o t i o n s,  a n d  n e r v o u s  s y s t e m s  a t  G o d ’ s  s e r v i c e. W e
a r e  c h o o s i n g  n o t  t o  b e  m e r e l y  a  j u m b l e  o f  n e r v e s,  s t r e s s,
f r a n t i c  e f f o r t s,  v a i n  i m a g i n i n g s,  a n d  f e a r,  w a l k i n g  a r o u n d  i n
a  b o d y  a n d  p r e t e n d i n g  t o  b e  a  p e r s o n. T h e  p o e t  L o r d  B y r o n
o n c e  w r o t e  o f  h i s  a g e,  “ W e  a r e  l i v i n g  i n  g i g a n t i c  a n de x a g g e r a t e d  t i m e s. ”  A n d  s o  a r e  w e. A  h u g e  d r a m a  i s  b e i n g
p l a y e d  o u t  o n  t h e  e a r t h  t o d a y,  a n d  w e ’ r e  c h o o s i n g  t o  b e  p a r t
o f  i t. W e  a r e  s i g n i n g  u p  f o r  p r o p h e t i c  d u t y. W e  a r e  a s k i n g  t o
b e  u s e d  f o r  a n  e f f o r t  m u c h  b i g g e r  t h a n  o u r s e l v e s. W e  r e a l i z e
t h a t  t h e  e m e r g e n c e  o f  w i s e r,  s t r o n g e r,  m o r e  i n t e l l i g e n t  a n d
c o m p a


 a l e d. I n  a n y  g i v e n  m o m e n t,  t h e  u n i v e r s e  i s  p r i m e d  t o  g i v e  u s
n e w  l i f e,  t o  b e g i n  a g a i n,  t o  c r e a t e  n e w  o p p o r t u n i t i e s,  t o
m i r a c u l o u s l y  h e a l  s i t u a t i o n s,  t o  c h a n g e  a l l  d a r k n e s s  t o  l i g h t
a n d  f e a r  t o  l o v e. G o d ’ s  l i g h t  s h i n e s  e t e r n a l l y  c l e a r,
u n t a r n i s h e d  b y  o u r  i l l u s i o n s. O u r  j o b  i s  t o  t a k e  a  d e e p
b r e a t h,  s l o w  d o w n,  s u r r e n d e r  a l l  t h o u g h t s  o f  p a s t  o r  f u t u r e,a n d  l e t  t h e  H o l y  I n s t a n t  s h i n e  f o r t h  i n  o u r  a w a r e n e s s. G o d  i s
n o t  d a u n t e d  b y  o u r  n i g h t m a r e s  o f  g u i l t ;  H e  i s  e v e r  a w a k e  t o
h o w  b e a u t i f u l  w e  a r e. H e  m a d e  u s  t h a t  w a y,  a n d  s o  i t  i s. S e l f - F o r g i v e n e s s

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


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


 others to serve himself. Power
have seen the almost ef fortless toppling
and certainly had at their disposal
nobility which resides within all men and
appeals to our higher nature, force to our
of communism as a governmental form,
enormous force-the most advanced
unifies them through what can best be
lower nature. Force is limited, whereas
after half a century of the most ominous-
weapons of the day and an esprit de corpstermed the heart. Though the intellect is
power is unlimited. and ultimately inef fectual-military that cemented their might. Such is the
easily fooled, the heart recognizes truth. Through its insistence that the end
confrontation of history. The political
glamour of the formidable. Where the intellect is limited, the heart is
justifies the means, force sells out
naiveté of the Russian people, long used
The weak are attracted to and will even
unlimited; where the intellect is intrigued
freedom for expediency. Force of fers
to the tyrannical rule of czars, did not
die for the glamour of force. How else
by the temporary, the heart is only
quick, easy solutions. In power, the
allow them the civic wisdom to could something so outrageous as war
concerned with the permanent. means and end are the same, but ends
understand that in the name of even occur? Force often seizes the upper
Force often relies upon rhetoric, require greater maturity, discipline and
communism a totalitarian dictatorshiphand temporarily, and the weak are
propaganda and specious ar gument to
patience to be brought to fruition. Great
was being established. Similarly, the
attracted by those who seem to have
garner support and disguise underlying
leaders inspire us to have faith and
German people were deceived by Hitler,
overcome weakness. How else could
motivations. One characteristic of truth,
confidence because of the power of their
who rose to power in the name of
dictatorship be possible? though, is that it needs no defense; it is
absolute integrity and alignment with
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62
inviolate principles. Such figures which the power of the entire United
power base calibrates identically with the
an atmosphere of fear and violence that it
understand that you cannot compromise
States government emanates, in thepower base of the Declaration of comes as a surprise to Americans
abroad principle and still retain your power. Declaration of Independence: "W e hold
Independence and the Constitution; all
that the threat of government intrusion or
W inston Churchill never needed to use
these truths to be self-evident, that all
are essentially concerned with freedom,
police force does not even exist in many
force with the British people; Gorbachev
men are created equal, that they are
liberty and the equality of all men by
foreign countries. brought about total revolution in the
endowed by their Creator with certain
virtue of endowment by a divine higher
It is most important to remember that to
lar gest political monolith in the world
unalienable Rights, that among these are
power. )12
violate principle for practical expediency
without firing a shot; Gandhi defeated theLife, Liberty and the pursuit of
Interestingly, if we calibrate the power of
is to relinquish enormous power. The
British Empire without raising a hand in
Happiness." (calibrated at 700). These
the attractor field of theocracy, we find it
rationalization that the execution of
anger. And we might note that the
sentiments are echoed in the Gettysbur g
consistently lower than that of any
criminals deters crime, for instance, does
seemingly endless Middle Eastern Address where Lincoln reminds us
that democracy which also recognizes the
not hold up under study; and the end does
conflict finally appears to be approaching
this nation was conceived in Liberty and
Creator as the ultimate authority. The
not justify the means. The consequence
resolution, not through violence, but
"...dedicated to the proposition that all
makers of the Declaration of of this violation of principle is reflected
communication, at long last, between the
men are created equal" and that "thisIndependence were astute in drawing a
in the crime statistics of the United
adversaries. nation, under God, shall have a new birth
very clear distinction between that which
States, where murder is so common it
of freedom-and that government of the
is spiritual and that which is religious. does not even make the front pages. Democracy and the United States of
people, by the people, for the people,
And they must have intuitively, if not
America
Because we fail to dif ferentiate principle
shall not perish from the earth." (also
rationally, known the marked dif ference
from expediency, the average person
Democracy is eventually being 700). between the power of the two. Religion is
lacks the discernment to understand the
acknowledged universally as the superior
If we examine the actions and statementsoften associated with force, sometimes
dif ference between patriotism and
form of government. Around the globe
of Lincoln himself during the trying
disastrously so, historically and today;
Patriotism, between americanism and
there is a rising call for freedom; many
years of the Civil W ar, we will find with
whereas spiritual concepts such as Americanism, between god and God,
nations with a heritage of (130) repression
absolute certainty that he was devoid of
loyalty, freedom and peace do not create
between freedom and Freedom, between
are learning the lessons necessary for the
all hatred. He had compassion rather than
strife or conflict, much less war. liberty and Liberty. Thus,
"Americanism"
establishment of liberty. Following malice for the South, for he
understood Spirituality is always associated with
is used as a justification by white
conventional science, historians usually
better than anyone else that the battle was
non-violence.supremacy groups (calibrated at 150) and
try to explain such sequences of political
really between man's higher and lower
If we examine the application of the Bill
lynch mobs, just as war mongering
events through an A>B>C causality; this,
natures. He therefore represented the
of Rights today, however, we find that its
throughout history has been conducted in
however, is merely the apparent "self-evident truths" he referred to, and
power in several areas has dwindled. The
the name of "God." The misinterpretation
sequential unfolding of something with a
personally mourned the price that he
right to freedom from unreasonable
of liberty as license tells us that many
much greater power, the ABC attractor
knew had to be paid." search and seizure, as well as freedom
people do not know the dif ference
pattern out of which a society evolves. (131) The Declaration of Independencefrom cruel and unusual punishment, have
between freedom and Freedom. The power of the United States, or any
states, "W e hold these truths to be self-
both been eroded over the years by
Learning the dif ference between
other democracy, arises from the evident"-that human rights are endowed
expediency. The spirit of the United
principles and their imitators requires
principles upon which it is founded. Thus
by nature of man's creation and are
States Constitution has become experience and educated judgment. The
we can find the basis of power by
inalienable; they do not derive as a fiat
suf ficiently dimmed that laws which are
exercise of such discretion is necessary
examining such documents as the from force, nor are they granted by
any blatantly unconstitutional are frequently
for moral survival in the modern world in
Constitution of the United States, the Bill
temporal ruler. Democracy recognizes
proposed and often passed without a
general, but is imperative in those grayestof Rights, the Declaration of the divine right of the ruled, rather than
murmur of protest. Pockets of of areas, where ethical ambiguity has
Independence and such acknowledged
the ruler. It is not a right by virtue of title,
totalitarianism exist within government
been elevated from convention to art
expressions of the spirit of democracy as
wealth or military superiority, but instead
itself; our society routinely tolerates
form: the political arena and the
the Gettysbur g Address. is a profound statement of the essence of
totalitarian tactics by both (132) federal and
marketplace of daily commerce. If we calibrate the relative power of each
man's nature, defining principles intrinsic
local agencies, manifested in the
line of these documents, we find the
to human life itself: liberty and the
conspicuous use of intimidation. highest attractor pattern of all, out of
pursuit of happiness. (Mahatma Gandhi'sUnfortunately, we have gotten so used to
63
64
inviolate principles. Such figures which the power of the entire United
power base calibrates identically with the
an atmosphere of fear and violence that it
understand that you cannot compromise
States government emanates, in the
power base of the Declaration of comes as a surprise to Americans
abroad principle and still retain your power. Declaration of Independence: "W e hold
Independence and the Constitution; all
that the threat of government intrusion or