  are  the  result  of
recognizing  our  ageless  and  timeless  nature. We  do  so
through  the  practice  of  meditation,  still  observation,
deep  sleep,  and  food  sadhanas,  as  revealed  in  this
book. TAPPING   COGNITIVE
MEMORY
Often  when  we  have  a  gut  feeling,  a  sixth  sense,  or  a
deja  vu,  we  dismiss  it  as  a  moment  of  misperception. Actually,  it  is  during  these  moments  that  we  are  truly
12
jmt,
COSMIC    ROOTS
conscious. The  antics  of  body  and  mind  have  been
quiet  enough  for  a  splinter  of  truth  to  unveil  itself. For  a  moment  we  have  been  linked,  ever  so  frailly,  to
another  bead  on  the  rosary,  or  mala,  of  cognitive
memory. This  memory  guides  us  through  the  beads
of  all  the  lives,  until  the  mala  of  all  existence  is  com-
plete and  we  merge  with  pure  consciousness.We  can
permanently  access  this  essential  memory  only  when
our  actions  become  sadhanas  connected  to  the  earth. During  the  last  year  of  my  bout  with  cancer,  I  had
been  anaesthetized  eleven  times. For  this  reason,  my
final  operation  was  done  without  general  anesthetic. I  remember  that,  through  my  intense  pain,  the  memo-
ries that  came  to  comfort  me  were  serene  and  simple. During  the  eight-hour  procedure,  I  saw  my  guts  pulled
out  of  my  stomach  and  smelled  the  deep  brine  and
blood  of  being. I  heard  my  father  sing  "Red  River
Valley,"  one  of  his  old  favorite  tunes. I  was  taken  back
to  the  age  of  three  or  four  and  heard  the  plop,  plop
of  shoes  on  smooth  black  mud,  as  my  sister  and  I
were  carried  on  a  long  dirt  path  to  visit  my  favorite
aunt. I  felt  the  coolness  of  her  hut,  which  was  daubed
with  cow  dung. The  eastern  light  streaming  in  through
the  small  aperture  of  the  dwelling  enveloped  me,  and
I  was  transported  to  the  truth  of  my  being. My  sister
and  I  must  have  spent  many  days  in  that  faraway  hut,
surrounded  by  the  brambles  of  gooseberry  bushes
and  the  briers  of  sweet  white  flowers. Swathed  in
cognition,  time  stood  still. This  is  an  example  of  how  we  tap  cognitive
memory;  it  is  by  means  of  our  deepest  vibratory
field,  which  lies  within  the  element  of  space. The
gravitational  field  of  space  is  also  the  field  of  sound
and  prana,  or  breath. Our  memory,  held  by  ahamkara,
resonates  within  this  field. When  the  field  of  sound
and  space  is  distorted,  it  directly  impinges  the  prana
body  and  we  begin  to  lose  connection  with  our  eter-
nal vibrations. Humanity's  misuse  of  the  earth's  re-
sources directly  relates  to  the  slackening  of  the  gravi-
tational grasp  of  space. As  a  result,  our  capacity  to
hold  eternal  memory,  which  is  received  through  cos-
mic vibration,  is  wearing  thin. In  meditation,  we  are  taught  to  silence  the  mind
and  sit  in  the  self. In  understanding  this  silence,  we
begin  to  understand  the  self. True  meditation  is  dy- namic; it  goes  far  beyond  sitting  in  silent  postures. When  it  springs  from  a  deeply  conscious  place  within,
meditation  pervades  every  action. The  beauty  of  the  self  is  that  it  shows  us  how  to  step
out  of  our  shadows  and  bask  in  its  light,  if  we  are  alert
and  undistracted  by  the  cacophony  of  living. This
cognitive  self  is  available  to  us  through  our  daily
sadhanas. These  wholesome  practices  refine  our  vi-
bratory powers  and  enable  us  to  strengthen  the  spirit. Through  our  endless  capacity  for  distraction  and  su-
perficial countenances,  we  have  lost  access  to  our  in-
ner guide,  cognitive  memory. Without  it,  we  are  be-
coming a  universe  of  living  amnesiacs. Knowledge  of
the  life  force  is  not  new. We  have  almost  all  known  it
at  some  time  in  our  past,  but  we  have  forgotten. Now
we  need  to  strum  the  chords  of  ahamkara  so  that  we
may  remember  the  immortal  secrets  of  all  life  and
health. We  must  scrutinize  the  mechanism  we  employ  in
accepting  something  to  be  a  truth. More  than  two-
thirds  of  the  information  stored  in  our  present-life
(experiential)  memory  bank  consists  of  invalid  memo-
ries. Every  moment  of  each  day  we  form  opinions
based  on  inaccurately  remembered  or  incomplete  data. In  this  way  we  accrue  false  and  useless  information. These  opinions,  in  their  turn,  are  invariably  filed  into
memory  without  resolve. We  compile  memory  data
with  every  breath. Sifting  through  the  details  of  every
thing  that  comes  to  our  attention  is  a  Stupendous
task. That  is  why  the  ancients  exhort  us  to  listen  with
a  discriminating  heart  and  refrain  from  jumping  to
conclusions. As  we  begin  to  become  more  alert  and
observant  of  our  intake,  we  will  gradually  store  less
invalid  information  in  our  memory  banks. A  valid  memory  is  one  that  can  be  verified  as ,u  c  U
rate  and  which,  therefore,  resonates  with  universal
truth. If  we  refrain  from  condemnation  and  hasty
conclusions,  the  truth  usually  reveals  itself. All  tradi
tions  were  founded  originally  on  universal  truths
Unfortunately,  the  demise  oi  main  ti  adit  ions  is  due,
in  part,  to  the  karmas  accumulated  from  COl  i  upturn,
personal  greed,  and  selfish  power. The  mind  ot  the
universe  is  sustained  in  good  health  only  when  hei
memory  holds  the  imprint  of  valid  experiences. The
human  mind  functions  in  the  same  manner,
13
«
THE    PRINCIPLES    OF    AYURVEDA
lust  as  a  lie  cannot  exist  in  honesty  and  a  fish
cannot  survive  in  clay,  so  the  invalid  cannot  be  stored
in  an  observant  mind. The  practice  of  sadhanas  within
the  harmonic  resonance  of  nature  awakens  us  to  these
memories. They  come  through  our  vibratory  field  in
a  subtle  and  decisive  way,  without


 heat  50  min-
utes. Remove  from  heat  and  allow  pressure  to  fall
naturally. Dry-roast  caraway  seeds  in  a  small  cast-iron  pan
until  golden. Add  seeds  and  corn  kernels  to  oats;
remove  the  cobs  and  discard. Cover  again  without
locking  lid  and  allow  to  simmer  for  an  additional  10
to  15  minutes. (For  conventionsl  cooking,  add  whole
oats  to  7  cups  boiling  water. Cover  and  cook  over
medium  heat  for  40  minutes  to  1  hour.) Remove
cinnamon  pieces  and  serve  dish  warm  or  cool. K,  KV,  KP
Serves  4
2  c  buckwheat  groats
3'/2  c  boiling  water
'A  tsp  turmeric
'A  tsp  chili  powder
Pinch  of  sea  salt
xh  tsp  cumin  seeds
72  c  fresh  peas
Wash  buckwheat  groats  and  add  to  boiling  water  along
with  turmeric,  chili  powder,  and  salt. Cover  and  sim-
mer over  medium  heat  for  25  minutes. Dry-roast
cumin  seeds  in  a  small  cast-iron  skillet  for  2  minutes;
add  roasted  seeds  and  peas  to  buckwheat. Continue
simmering  over  low  heat  an  additional  15  minutes. Serve  hot. Cumin
K,  KV,  KP
Serves  4
V2  cup  split  mung  dhal  (optional)
2  c  hulled  millet
3  c  boiling  water
Pinch  of  sea  salt
Touch  of  ghee
1  tbs  cumin  or  caraway  seeds
Wash  mung  and  millet  thoroughly. Dry  mast  millet
ill  a  large  t-ast-iron  skillet  over  low  heat,  Stirring  m
shaking  constantly  until  di  y  and  golden. Add  to  boil
ing  water  along  with  salt   and   ghee,  and   mung   (i(
desired). I  ovei   and  snninei   ovet   medium  low  heat
loi  1 5  minutes. Dry  roast   seeds   in   a   small   cast  iron   pan   until
golden. Add  to  millet  and  COOk  an  additional  10  nun
utes. Serve  hot. 21  1
jmt,
UNIVERSAL    RECIPES    FOR    EACH    BODY   TYPE
Caraway  Rice
V.  VP. VK
P.  PV. PK  OCCASIONALLY
Serves  4
'/:  c  whole  mung  dhal
2  c  long-grain  brown  rice
372  c  boiling  water
7«  c  minced  onion
l/i  tsp  dark  sesame  oil
Pinch  of  sea  salt
2  tsp  caraway  seeds
Wash  mung  dhal  until  water  runs  clear. Soak  in  2
cups  of  cold  water  for  8  hours  or  overnight;  rinse  and
drain. Wash  rice  until  water  runs  clear  and  add,  along
with  mung,  to  boiling  water. Saute  onion  in  oil  until
translucent  and  add  to  rice  and  mung. Add  salt. Cover
and  simmer  over  medium-low  heat  for  25  minutes. Dry-roast  caraway  seeds  in  a  small  cast-iron  pan
until  golden. Add  to  rice  mixture  and  cook  an  addi-
tional 5  minutes. Serve  warm. Cumin  Quinoa
V,  VP,  VK,  K,  KV,  KP
Serves  4
2  c  quinoa
23A  c  boiling  water
Pinch  of  sea  salt
1  tbs  cumin  seeds
Pinch  of  turmeric
Wash  quinoa  until  water  runs  clear. Add  to  boiling
water  with  salt  and  simmer,  covered,  over  medium-
low  heat  for  7  minutes. Dry-roast  cumin  seeds  with
turmeric  in  a  small  cast-iron  pan  for  2  minutes. Add
seeds  to  quinoa. Continue  to  simmer  an  additional  7
minutes. Serve  hot. Saffron  Basmati  Rice
%m
ALL  TYPES  (K  TYPES,  SPARINGLY)
Serves  4
2  c  brown  basmati  rice
3'/2  c  boiling  water
12  strands  saffron
Pinch  of  sea  salt
1  tsp  ghee
Wash  rice  until  water  runs  clear,  drain,  and  add  to
boiling  water  along  with  saffron  and  salt. Cover  and
simmer  over  medium-low  heat  for  35  to  40  minutes
until  rice  fluffs. Remove  from  heat;  mix  in  ghee. Serve
hot. Sweet  Spiced  Pullau <\\/>
V,  VP,  VK,  P,  PV,  PK
Serves  4
7*  c  diced  onion
74  c  ghee
2  c  bulgur
4  c  water
4  whole  cloves
8  coarsely  crushed  cardamom  seeds
2"  cinnamon  stick  (broken  into  pieces)
72  tbs  unrefined   brown  sugar
72  tsp  sea  salt
In  a  medium  saucepan,  saute  onion  in  ghee  for  a  few
minutes. Stir  in  bulgur  and  saute  over  medium  heat
until  golden  brown. Boil  water  in  a  small  saucepan
and  add  cloves,  cardamom,  cinnamon,  and  sugar;  stir
in  bulgur  mixture  and  salt. Cover  and  simmer  over
low  heat  for  35  minutes. Remove  cloves  and  cinna-
mon. Serve  warm  or  cool. 212
>m
TRADITIONAL    GROUND    DHALS    AND    GRAINS
Quinoa  and  Carrots Tamarind  Rice
ALL  TYPES
Serves  2
1  c  quinoa
l'/2  c  water
V2  c  diced  carrots
1  tsp  roasted  caraway  seeds
P  types:  substitute  1  cup  couscous  for  quinoa. Wash  quinoa  until  water  runs  clear. Place  in  water,
along  with  carrots,  and  bring  to  a  boil. Add  roasted
caraway  seeds. Cover  and  simmer  over  low  heat  for  1 5
minutes. Serve  hot. Yogurt  Rice
^%
V,  VP,  VK
Serves  2
1  c  white  basmati  rice
3  c  water
1  tsp  split  urad  dhal,  without  skins
1  tsp  black  mustard  seeds
1  tsp  sesame  oil
lh  tsp  minced  ginger
2  minced  green  chili  peppers
2  tbs  minced  fresh  cilantro
1  c  fresh  plain  yogurt
'A  tsp  sea  salt
Wash  rice  until  water  runs  clear;  drain. Combine  with
water  and  bring  to  a  boil;  simmer  over  medium  heat
for  25  minutes  until  well  cooked. Allow  to  cool. In  a  preheated  griddle,  roast  urad  dhal  and  mus-
tard seeds  in  oil  until  the  dhal  is  light  brown  and  the
seeds  begin  to  pop. Remove  dhal  and  seeds  from  the
griddle  and  add  ginger  and  chili  peppers  Saute  for  4
minutes  over  low  heat;  add  cilantro  during  the  last
minute. Pour  yogurt  into


 intens ely. If I’m
diagnosing today’ s world, I want to calibrate every politician out there,
every big-time spokesman, everybody who gets on there with a big spiel,
and people’ s stories and excuses. I say, “What’ s the ener gy of this candidate? This candidate tells this story. Is that so? All right, this candidate hung out with so and so. What does thatperson calibrate  at?” I get a whole picture of multiple aspects, because
pretty soon what happens is a whole picture begins to fill in. Your whole
movie set fills in. First you get the walls, then you get the carpet, then your
pictures on the walls and the various actors. And the picture begins to fit in,
and then the storyline becomes quite obvious—why this person said this at
this time. And you constantly verify. Now, people also change. So, you may see a change in a prominent
person. And you can ask, “Is this person still at the same level? Or has this
one been bought out?” Y ou have to be prepared to find out things you’re not
going to like. Of course, don’t forget: the more often you do this, the more things you
calibrate, the more experience you have, the greater your degree of
accuracy. After you’ve done it 10,000 times, you could look at almost
anything and know what it’ s going to calibrate at within a couple degrees. It’s a great learning tool. You learn a lot about your own consciousness. You learn a lot about your own motivations. You’re not going to get an
accurate answer, unless you can remove your own personal prejudice of
wanting this answer or that answer. Somebody that you think is a scurrilous,
horrible person,  you find out that they calibrate over 200. Somebody else
that you think is going to be the savior of the world, you find out they’re
under 200, that they’re actually full of hot wind. They’re a very adept
politician, but a good politician is dif ferent than a statesman. Generally speaking, Americans don’t appreciate the difference. To them,
a politician and a statesman are one and the same. They’re quite different,
and they calibrate quite differently. The politician is interested in me, me,
me, and is very glib. They get what they want for their own personal gain. A statesman is what he is for the sake of the world and the sake of the
country. An example is Winston Churchill: Britain would’ve been beaten
senseless if it wasn’ t for W inston. He calibrated 500. GETTING ST ARTED
You can do muscle testing by yourself. On your left hand, touch your
middle finger and your thumb so that they make an O. Now, with your right
hand, take your forefinger and hook it inside the O. Try to pull the middle
finger and thumb apart. Now, if something is true, you’ll find it takes a lotof effort to try and break that O. If what you’re holding in mind is negative,
you’ll find it’ s weak. Muscle testing can also be cond ucted with multiple people. Here’ s how:
hold your right arm or your left arm out parallel with the ground. Now, have
somebody else press down on your wrist with two fingers—maybe four,
five ounces of pressure. We’re not trying to break the arm down. As always,
the accuracy of this method depends on the consciousness level of the
participants. If you’re both over 200, then the likelihood is you’ll get an
accurate result. Remember: both participants have to be integrous to begin
with. What does integr ous really mean, anyway? It means that you’re more
interested in the truth than trying to prove some preconsidered notion. So, if
I hold something that has a negative energy against the solar plexus of a
person with their arm stretched out to the side and press down on their
wrist, their arm will fall down. Their arm will drop. They’re very weak. If I
think about certain kinds of music such as types of heavy metal or rap, or
pesticides, or anything that’s negative—there’ s a whole lot of things—
within the aura of the person being tested, and I press down, their arm will
go weak. Conversely, if I hold something or someone in mind that is
positive, their arm will go strong. Now, the difference is quite marked. The person who’ s very strong will
be very strong, and with two fingers, you’re not going to push them down. And with some thing that makes them go weak, a child could push them
down with two fingers. When they go weak, they go weak. So, for instance,
if I take a volume by Plato or Socrates and hold it against the solar plexus,
the person goes strong. If I take The Communist Manifesto  and hold it
against their stomach, their arm goes weak. Karl Marx calibrates at 130. You might ask, “How do you know Marx’ s calibration level?” Well,
Marx calibrates over 110, 120, 130. When I get to 130, that’s the end of the
yes and no. Does he calibrate over 130? The answer is no. I can do the same thing with President Reagan. I can do it with Abraham
Lincoln. I can do it with the great pyramids in Egypt. I can do it with
anything on the planet. Truth makes you go strong; falsehood makes you
weak. So, this has a biologic basis. The capacity to discern essence from
appearance is essential for life. If a bacterium doesn’ t know the difference
between that which is poisonous and that which is nutritious, it will soondie... and there won’ t be any bacteria left. Survival depends, from a
protoplasmic point of view, on the capacity to discern that which is pro-life
from that which is anti-life. And falsehood is anti-life, and truth is pro-life. It’s like riding a bicycle. It takes  some experience. Some people are quite
adept at it. First of all, they take my word for what I say as absolute truth,
and don’t put up a lot of doubt blocks and quizzicalness. If I say it works, it
works. If it didn’ t work, why would I say it works? You have to have a
certain trust in the authenticity of people. I share the muscle testing method with people because it’s extremely
helpful. There are societies in which it is very common. When I was in the
East, it was very common. You’d see a person shopping, holding a tomato
in his hand, pressing down on it, and if it went weak it was not a good
tomato. Some people incorporate it into their culture. The fact that truth
makes you strong and falsehood makes you weak seems to be such basic
common sense, you wouldn’ t think that intellectual people would argue
with it. Let’s say I’m the person who’ s doing the testing, and my partner is
resisting, and I’m pressing down  with two fingers. I don’t want to influence
that person’ s thinking or tip them off to what I’m thinking. With integrous
people, you could say it out loud and it’s not going to affect them. But most
people are not that integrous. So what I’ll say is, “What I’m holding in
mind calibrates over 100, 150, 200, 250, 300,” until I get a yes from the
participant. That way, I’m not influencing the answer, because the person
whose arm I’m pressing down on doesn’ t know what I’m holding in my
mind. I don’ t want to contaminate the answer. I’m not going to waste my time getting a false answer, eithe r. People
think, Oh, you’r e out to get a false answer. Why would I waste my time
getting a false answer, chasing my own tail for amusement? I don’t think
it’s very enterta ining. I want to make it count. So I say, “Now, what I’m
holding in mind... calibrates over so and so,” such as political candidates
or programs. I don’t influence the response, because I myself want to know
the answer. If both participants want to know what is the truth for truth’ s
sake, then you’re going to have a successful team. Like anything, it takes a little practice. Some things will blow  you out,
like the negative  heavy metal music we tested. I suggest turnin g off music,
television, and other distraction s. There’ s all kinds of negative energiescoming through, so you’re going to get false negatives. That’ s because of
the background ener gy of the sounds, so you’ve got to turn those of f.
To help resolve doubt, and all the controversies and gossip and all, often I
will get up and say, “This guy calibrates over so and so. I wonder where
he’s coming from. He sounds like about 160 to me.” Well, he was coming
from 160. In other words, I want to confirm my own impression. So, there’ s
perception and then there’ s essence. So what I do is I use calibration  to confirm the essence of a thing—that
I’m not just falling for perception. Because a smooth


 first felt truly prosperous. Those books were her Aladdin’ s lamps. They woke up a potential that
already existed in her. This potential was waiting for her to take the first
step on her healing journey. And here she is now, some 40 years later, one
of the best-selling authors on the planet. “When did you first feel truly prosperous. ” Louise asks me. “When I was 18 years old,” I tell her. “You were very young,” says Louise. “I elected to take my midlife crisis early,” I say. “We shouldn’ t compare our journeys, I know, but sometimes I wish I’d
learned what I know now a lot sooner,” she says. “‘There is a Divine Design for each man. ’” I say, quoting Florence
Scovel Shinn, which makes Louise smile. “So what happened when you were 18 years old. ” she asks. “I met A vanti Kumar, my first spiritual mentor. ”
“What did he tell you. ”
“Well, he gave me a lot of books to read. Books like the Tao Te Ching,
the Bhagavad Gita, The Dhammapada, and Autobiography of a Yogi, which
is where I first learned about af firmations.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: Who encouraged Louise to draw the Buddha?,
A: Her teacher
Q: What was the first step that Avanti Kumar taught Louise?,
A: To recognize and work on her self-love
Q: What is the main message that Louise wants to convey to her students?,
A: That the universe loves and wants them to succeed at everything they do
Q: What is the core of Louise's work, according to the text?,
A: Teaching people to love themselves and receive love
Q: What is the main theme of Louise's book "Life Loves You"?,
A: The importance of self-love and the concept of the universe being a friendly and loving place<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>When Louise and I met
for the first time to discuss this book, I told her that I wanted to explore the
full meaning of her philosophy Life loves you. Here’ s what she had to say:
“To expe rience what Life loves you really means, I recommend you say this
affirmation to yourself: Life loves me, and I love life. You can change it
around if you like: I love life, and life loves me. This is what I say to myself
every day, and I intend to say it every day for the rest of my life.” Thisaffirmation is the inspiration for our seventh and final spiritual practice for
you. When you affirm Life loves me, and I love life, you paint in your
consciousness an unbroken circle of receiving and giving. Life loves me
represents the receiving princi ple, and I love life represents the giving
principle. The full affirmation supports you in receiving and giving love in
equal measure. In truth, giving is receiving. The giver and the receiver are
the same  person. What you give, you receive. And what you receive, you
can give. This awareness is what helps you to be a truly loving  presence in
the world. Your spiritual practice for this chapter is a meditation called Blessing the
World. It is 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


 he wasn’ t there simply to reinforce high-caste
prejudice. “I’m amazed that you care, Y our Highness. From what I can tell,
the young ones seek out the older ones. They move around the forest from
camp to camp, and the day they arrive at some makeshift school, they bow
down before the teacher and ask about the Dharma,  whatever his angle
happens to be. Dharma. The priests filled us with enough of that. ” Dharma
could mean many things—a man’ s occupation, the rules of proper conduct,
a person’ s holy duties as outlined by scripture. In this case it was a
philosophy, a particular teaching that disciples committed themselves to
learn. “And which Dharma is attracting the most followers. ” Siddhartha
asked. The merchant shrugged. “Who can say. The young ones keep
wandering. They’re restless and never stay anywhere very long. ”
Other travelers that Siddhartha came in contact with were just as hostile. They would have been shocked if they could have penetrated Siddhartha’ s
defenses and seen what lay behind his hospitable smile. He belonged to the
same young, restless breed that disappeared into the forest for years at a
time. W ith each passing day he became more and more aware of his calling. Yet, time was pressing. If he stayed in the palace for just a few more years,
the king would be old enough to step aside and bequeath Siddhartha the
throne. He couldn’ t let that happen. Not love, not family, not his own
conscience could force him to betray himself. And this is what you call being true to yourself. Gautama’ s mind wasn’ t convinced. The rain continued to pour from the
sky, and the road was so dark that more than once he slipped into the gullyon the side. There was no use ar guing with his mind, which seemed
untamable anyway. Gautama wondered if he was alone among mortals,
wanting to abandon all that was good in order to suf fer the torment and
uncertainty of the wild world. He’d add that to his long list of questions to
ask his teacher once he found him. If he found him. OceanofPDF. com12
Gautama passed several travelers on the road who could have directed him
to one of the forest ashrams where teachers were located. He greeted them
humbly, letting them decide to accept his company for a few miles or not; a
handful of fered him food for his bowl. But he was reluctant to throw
himself into the midst of a band of disciples. Gautama wanted to learn, but
he didn’ t want to give up who he was. His only model for a spiritual teacher
was Canki, who had a hidden motive for everything he said. It wasn’ t long before he ran across a wandering monk, a thin, sunburned
man who seemed old enough to have had a family with grown children. Gautama expected that the sannyasis he met would be very serious or very
eccentric. But this monk, who gave his name as Ganaka, turned out to be
cheerful and sociable. “I’ve been away for twelve years now, lad,” he said as they walked
along the road. “Y ou meet all sorts. But now the local people know me, and
I’m treated pretty well. Y our first holdup’ s a shock, though. The dacoits like
you to know who’ s boss. ”
“Do you belong to an ashram. ” Gautama asked. Ganaka shrugged. “I’ve visited them. Y ou get too hungry sometimes. ”
“What Dharma do you follow. ”
The older monk gave him a look. “Is that what you’re after. I didn’ t
know you were one of those. ” He had nothing more to say for a while, andGautama wondered with some puzzlement if the word Dharma  had
offended him. How could you be a monk without a teaching. When he
decided to speak again, the older monk said, “Don’ t let them fool you. ”
“Who. ”
“These teachers who promise enlightenment. Listen to the voice of
experience. I’m not enlightened, and you won’ t be either. They’ll feed you a
pack of high-sounding ideas, you’ll work for them year after year, and then
when they’ve worn you out, you’ll leave with the taste of ashes in your
mouth. ”
There was a lot to read in Ganaka’ s bitter tone. In a sympathetic voice
Gautama said, “T ell me your experience. I want to know. ”
Ganaka sighed. “In that case, you’d better have some of my bread. I was
going to save it until you were out of sight. ” He reached into his shawl and
pulled out a lar ge round roti, or flat bread, folded into quarters. He ripped
off half for Gautama, but not before blessing it. “I see myself in you,” the
older monk began. “I left home after my wife died. I was a vendor of ghee
and spices in a village, never rich enough to own a proper store but not poor
either. ”
“And you were devout. ”
“Oh, yes. Raised by a strict father who sent us to the temple for lessons
as soon as we could walk. As a child I believed. Even when my dear
Bhadda died in so much pain, moaning pitifully for her suf fering to end, I
believed. I gave away all my earthly possessions, and with the blessing of
the priests I set out on my journey. ”
“I think you’re still devout,” said Gautama. “Y ou bless your food. Even
when no one is watching, I imagine. ”
“Habit,” the older monk said curtly. “Anyway, the road is a hard life. I
went to visit the forest ashrams, eager as a bridegroom the night after the
wedding. I sat at the guru’ s feet and waited, mouth open like a gaping fish. That’ s why I see myself in you. Y ou want them to drop their wisdom intoyour gaping mouth. Y ou’re prob ably a philosopher. No of fense, but I can
tell by your accent that you never sold rubbish from a stall in the open
bazaar. ”
“I can’ t disagree,” said Gautama diplomatically, caught between smiling
at the older monk, who clearly had been dying for someone to talk to, and
worrying about the tale of disillusion that was about to unfold. Ganaka tore of f a chunk of roti with his yellow teeth. “They’re
shameless, these gurus. The garbage they spew as truth. Do they think
we’re fools. They must, as I found out the hard way. I took some of the
younger disciples aside and joked with them a bit. Little stuf f. Does this
guru get paid by the yarn, like a wandering storyteller. Does he think you
can feed cows on moonbeams. Next thing I knew, I got thrown out bodily,
like I came to steal their shoes. Hypocrisy. ” His voice trailed of f mournfully
as he ran out of spleen. “Moonbeams and hypocrisy. ”
“What did you decide to do. ”
“I couldn’ t go home. I’d given almost everything to the priests, and they
don’t give back. But you’ve got some sense, you could see that I’m still
devout. I pray, and I have a circuit of householders who feed me and let me
take refuge from the storm. ”
“Pardon me, but aren’ t you simply waiting to die. ” asked Gautama.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: Who did Siddhartha refuse to say farewell to before parting ways?,
A: Channa
Q: What did the merchant say about the young ones who seek out teachers?,
A: They move around the forest from camp to camp, and the day they arrive at some makeshift school, they bow down before the teacher and ask about the Dharma.
Q: What did the hermit say was the only way to learn?,
A: Experience
Q: Who did Gautama meet on the road, and what did he learn from him?,
A: He met Ganaka, a wandering monk, and learned that true teaching is not about words, but about actions and the way one lives.
Q: What did Gautama realize about his own thoughts and desires after leaving his father's kingdom?,
A: He realized that he was still struggling with his own desires and attachments, and that he needed to find a true teacher to help him overcome them.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>For weeks he had wandered on until he found Udaka, his next teacher. Udaka wasn’ t a philosopher but a pure yogi, devoting his every moment to
achieving divine union. Because he sat in silence most of the day, Udaka
felt more like the forest hermit, yet he fathered the bikkhus around him
every night and spoke. “Some of you are new here, some have traveled with me for years. Which of you has met God?” he asked. A few of the older bikkhus, after
some hesitation, raised their hands.“You new ones, look around and pay attention. See those with their
hands up? They are the greatest fools, and you must never listen to them,”
said Udaka. Somebody gave a sharp laugh; the older bikk


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


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


  t o  f i n d  l i f e  o u t s i d e  t h e  r e a l m  o f  l o v e  n o  l o n g e r
a c c e p t a b l e. I n  t i m e,  i t  w i l l  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. A n d  b e c o m i n g  u n t h i n k a b l e,  i t  w i l l  c e a s e  t o  e x i s t. M e l t i n g  t h e  W a l l s

H o w  m a n y  t i m e s  h a v e  y o u  s e e n  a  p a t t e r n  i n  y o u r
r e l a t i o n s h i p s  y o u  f e l t  p o w e r l e s s  t o  c h a n g e. H o w  o f t e n  h a v e
y o u  d e s p a i r e d  o f  e v e r  b r e a k i n g  f r e e  o f  s e l f - s a b o t a g i n g
b e h a v i o r. H o w  d e e p l y  h a v e  y o u  p a n i c k e d  a t  t h e  t h o u g h t
t h a t  y o u  m i g h t  n e v e r  g e t  i t  r i g h t. O u r  d e s p a i r  a n d  p a n i c  a r e  n a t u r a l  r e s p o n s e s  t o  t h e
r e l a t i o n s h i p  d r a m a s  w e  c r e a t e  i n  o u r  l i v e s. B u t  o u r  t e a r s  a r e
n o t  w h a t  w e  t h i n k  t h e y  a r e  b e c a u s e  t h e  p r e d i c a m e n t  i t s e l f  i sn o t  w h a t  w e  t h i n k  i t  i s. W h a t  s e p a r a t e s  u s  f r o m  o t h e r s  i s  n o t
j u s t  c o d e p e n d e n c y  o r  n e e d i n e s s  o r  a n y  o t h e r  m e r e
p s y c h o l o g i c a l  i s s u e. O u r  b a r r i e r s  t o  l o v e  r e p r e s e n t  a  c o s m i c
f o r c e,  e n s c o n c e d  w i t h i n  t h e  h u m a n  p s y c h e  i n  a  d a r k  a n d
i n s i d i o u s  w a y,  h o l d i n g  d o m i n i o n —  t e m p o r a r y  t h o u g h
w i c k e d — o v e r  t h e  m e n t a l  f u n c t i o n i n g  o f  t h e  c h i l d  o f  G o d. I t
i s  c o m p l e t e l y  i r r e l e v a n t  w h a t  f o r m  t h e  b a r r i e r  t a k e s. O u r
c o n c e n t r a t i o n  o n  t h e  f o r m  o f  f e a r  i s  a n  e g o  p l o y  t o  k e e p  u s
s t u c k  i n  t h e  p r o b l e m,  l i k e  f i n d i n g  a  t h i e f  i n  y o u r  h o u s e  a n d
s a y i n g,  “ I  h a v e  t o  k n o w  h i s  n a m e  b e f o r e  I  c a l l  t h e  p o l i c e. ”
W h o  c a r e s  w h a t  h i s  n a m e  i s. C a l l  f o r  h e l p  i m m e d i a t e l y. T h e  e g o  i s  o u r  d e e p e s t  e n e m y  m a s q u e r a d i n g  a s  o u r
c l o s e s t  f r i e n d. I t  i s  n o t h i n g  w e  s h o u l d  f e a r,  h o w e v e r,
b e c a u s e  t h e  m o m e n t  w e  r e c o g n i z e  i t  a s  m e r e l y  a  m e n t a l
m i s c r e a t i o n — s i m p l y  a  f a l s e  b e l i e f  a b o u t  w h o  w e  a r e — i t
w i l l  d i s a p p e a r  i n t o  t h e  n o t h i n g n e s s  f r o m  w h e n c e  i t  c a m e. W e  o u r s e l v e s,  h o w e v e r,  c a n n o t  c o m m a n d  i t s  d e p a r t u r e. I t
h a s  a b s c o n d e d  w i t h  o u r  w i l l  a n d  c o n f u s e d  o u r  d e f e n s e s. L i k e  a n  i m m u n e  s y s t e m  d i s e a s e  t h a t  a t t a c k s  i t s  o w n  c e l l s,
t h e  e g o  a t t a c k s  t h e  m i n d  i t  p u r p o r t s  t o  g i v e  l i f e  t o. O n l y
G o d  c a n  h e l p  u s. A n d  H e  w i l l. Section summary:

The passage is about recognizing that our perception of others can be flawed or inaccurate due to personal biases we may hold towards them based on incomplete knowledge, experiences, emotions etc., which leads us away from love for ourselves as well. This has been addressed by Jesus in John chapter where He says "You will know truth" but it's not what you think. The speaker emphasizes this point saying if one accepts their own sinfulness they cannot see another person correctly because there are still dark patterns within oneself. He also mentions Martin Luther King Jr.'s phrase 'Love your neighbor' does NOT mean judge someone else; rather accept yourself first before judging anyone. We must recognize these flaws internally through self-reflection & compassion with God who helps guide each other up until then. Note:
Please provide an accurate concise summery without repeating words/phrases excessively throughout while maintaining specificity regarding key points mentioned. Anti- repetition techniques include paraphrasing similar ideas into new sentences using different wording instead of copying identical phrases multiple times across sections). This allows readers quickly grasp essential concepts even after scanning just partway down page-long texts like yours.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: Who is the primary source of all?,
A: God
Q: What is the greatest enemy of all?,
A: The concept of enemy
Q: What does God command?,
A: Forgiveness
Q: What is the greatest power?,
A: The force of love
Q: What is the greatest illusion?,
A: The illusion of judgment<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>H e  w i l


 c h o l o g i c a l l y  ac o n d i t i o n  i s  o v e r  t h e r e,  t h e n  t h e  s p l i t  b e t w e e n  t h e  t w o  w i l l
b e  r e f l e c t e d  i n  t h e  c i r c u m s t a n c e s  o f  y o u r  l i f e. U s i n g  R i t u a l

O n e  o f  t h e  w a y s  t o  p o w e r f u l l y  a l i g n  a  m a t e r i a l
c i r c u m s t a n c e  w i t h  a n  i n t e r n a l  r e a l i t y  i s  t h r o u g h  r i t u a l. W e
c a n  u s e  s i m p l e  c e r e m o n y  t o  i m b u e  a n y  t r a n s i t i o n  w i t h
e n l i g h t e n e d  u n d e r s t a n d i n g. W e  c a n  d o  m o r e  t h a n  s i m p l y  g i v e  b i r t h  t o  o u r  c h i l d r e n ;
w e  c a n  u p l i f t  t h e  e x p e r i e n c e  o f  t h e i r  c h i l d h o o d  a n d  o u r
r e l a t i o n s h i p  t o  t h e m  t h r o u g h  b a p t i s m,  b r i s,  a  b a b y - n a m i n g
c e r e m o n y,  a n d  s o  f o r t h. W e  c a n  d o  m o r e  t h a n  s i m p l y  w a t c h  o u r  c h i l d r e n  g r o w
i n t o  a d o l e s c e n c e ;  w e  c a n  p r a y e r f u l l y  b i d  f a r e w e l l  t o  t h e i r
c h i l d h o o d  a n d  w e l c o m e  t h e m  i n t o  a d u l t h o o d,  u p l i f t i n g  t h i s
n e w  p h a s e  o f  t h e i r  l i v e s  t h r o u g h  c o m i n g - o f - a g e  c e r e m o n i e s,
b a r  a n d  b a t  m i t z v a h s,  a n d  s o  f o r t h. W i t h  r i t u a l,  w e  d o  m o r e  t h a n  s i m p l y  b e g i n  a  n e w  j o b ;  w e
p r a y e r f u l l y  a s k  t h a t  i t  s e r v e  G o d ’ s  p u r p o s e s  a n d  i n v o k e
s p i r i t u a l  f o r c e s  t o  s u p p o r t  u s  i n  t h e  e f f o r t. W e  d o  m o r e  t h a n
s i m p l y  g e t  m a r r i e d ;  w e  p r a y  f o r  G o d  t o  u n i t e  o u r  h e a r t s,  t o
e n t e r  t h e  m a r r i a g e  a n d  m a k e  i t  a  b l e s s i n g  o n  t h e  w o r l d. W e
d o  m o r e  t h a n  s i m p l y  g e t  d i v o r c e d ;  w e  a s k  f o r  G o d ’ s  h e l p  i n
h e a l i n g  o u r  h e a r t s,  f i l l i n g  u s  w i t h  f o r g i v e n e s s,  a n d  p a v i n gt h e  w a y  f o r  n e w  b e g i n n i n g s. W e  d o  m o r e  t h a n  l o s e  a  j o b ;
w e  p e r f o r m  a  r i t u a l  t o  a s k  G o d ’ s  h e l p  i n  t u r n i n g  t h i s
s i t u a t i o n  i n t o  a  b l e s s i n g,  p r o v i d i n g  a  h i g h e r  f o r m  o f
a b u n d a n c e  a n d  s e r v i c e. W e  d o  m o r e  t h a n  b u r y  o u r  l o v e d
o n e s ;  w e  p e r f o r m  a  m e m o r i a l  s e r v i c e  t o  b r i n g  t h e i r  s o u l s,
a n d  o u r s,  t o  c o m f o r t  a n d  p e a c e  i n  t h e  a r m s  o f  G o d. I n  t h e  s u m m e r  o f  2 0 0 4,  t h e  U n i t e d  S t a t e s  o f f i c i a l l y
u n v e i l e d  o u r  W o r l d  W a r  I I  M e m o r i a l,  h o n o r i n g  m e n  a n d
w o m e n  w h o  f o u g h t  v a l i a n t l y  f o r  f r e e d o m  i n  t h a t  w a r. A
W a s h i n g t o n  m e m o r i a l  h a s  m o r e  t h a n  s y m b o l i c  s i g n i f i c a n c e ;
i t  b e c o m e s  p a r t  o f  t h e  p s y c h i c  l a n d s c a p e  o f  a  n a t i o n,  a s  w e
p e r m a n e n t l y  e n s h r i n e  t h e  m e m o r y  o f  t h o s e  w h o  s a c r i f i c e d
s o  m u c h  f o r  u s. S t i l l,  t o  h a v e  i t s  g r e a t e s t  p o w e r,  a  m e m o r i a l
m u s t  b e  e m o t i o n a l l y  a n d  s p i r i t u a l l y  m e t  b y  t h o s e  w h o  v i s i t
t h e r e. I n  v i s i t i n g  t h e  L i n c o l n,  J e f f e r s o n,  o r  W a s h i n g t o n
M e m o r i a l s,  y o u  c a n  f e e l  t h a t  s o m e  p e o


ary of association with the attractor
many new high-rise apartment buildings
The Last Judgment. Music is in some ways the most subtle, in
fields of classical music whether as
in Canada. Older cultures seem always to
The bequest of the arts to man is internal,
that it is the least concrete, of the arts. performer, conductor or composer. have known the practicality of
beauty: too; in beholding realized beauty, a
However, in bypassing left-brain
Classical music often demonstrates that that which is designed without
sensitivity to the beautiful is inculcated in
rationality to appeal directly to our
extremely high inherent power patterns. beauty quickly deteriorates. Anus, enabling us to discover -and create-our
subconscious right brain sense of pattern,
(160) But of all the arts, architecture is the
architecturally ugly neighborhood
own aesthetic rewards in the apparently
it is at the same time the most visceral
most tangible and influential in the lives
becomes part of a feedback loop of blight
disordered jumble of existence. Art and
and emotional. It also provides the
of men everywhere. W e shop, go to work
and violence; the sleazy, dehumanized
Love are man's greatest gifts to himself. easiest example of how attractor patterns
and seek our entertainment in buildings;
housing projects of urban ghettos
There is no art without love. Art is
order reality: if you wish to comprehend
thus the form of the structure itself,
manifest their weak power patterns as a
always the making of the soul, the craft
the dif ference between chaos andbecause its influence is a background to
matrix for squalor and crime-although it
of man's touch, whether that touch is
meaning, thereby attaining an ef fective
so much human activity, deserves the
must be remembered that depending on
corporeal or the touch of the mind and
definition of Art, simply contemplate the
utmost attention. which attractor pattern one aligns (161)
spirit; so it has been since Neanderthal
dif ference between noise and music. with, the destitution of the ghetto can be
Among all world architecture, the great
times, and so it will always be. Thus we
A description of the creative process by
an excuse for depravity or the inspiration
cathedrals elicit a special awe. Their
find that computer -generated art and
the contemporary Estonian composer
to rise above it. (It is not the facts of
ener gy patterns have calibrated theeven great photographs never calibrate as
Arvo Part, whose work is often described
one's environment but one's attitude
highest among architectural forms. This
highly as original paintings. A most
as transcendental or mystical, condenses
towards them that determines whether
appears to be the result of several factors. interesting kinesiolocicalal experiment,
much of what we have observed
they will be the occasion for defeat or the
Our experience of cathedrals can
which anyone can reduplicate, is to test
regarding the crucial role of artistic
inspiration to victory.) combine a number of arts
the strength of a person who is looking at
simultaneously: music, sculpture,
77
78
ennoblement of humanity. The fine arts
an original painting iand then looking atgenius in the unfoldment of attractor
painting, as welt as spatial design. have always provided the venue fox
a mechanical reproduction of that
patterns:
Moreover, these edifices are dedicated to
man's highest spiritual strivings in the
painting. When a person looks at
T o write I must prepare myself for a long
the divine; that which is begotten in the
secular realm. As far back as the time of
something that has been hand-crafted, he
time. Sometimes it takes five years....In
name of the Creator is aligned with the
the sculptor Phidias in ancient Greece, it
goes strong; when he looks at a
my life, my music, my work, in my dark
highest attractor patterns of all. The
has been the role of the arts to realize, in
reproduction, lie goes weak, and this is
hours, I have the certain feeling that
cathedral not only inspires, but unifies,physical media, ideals about what man
true regardless of pictorial content. An
everything outside this one thing has no
teaches, symbolizes and serves all that is
could and should be, to set down in
original of a disturbing subject will make
meaning. The complex and many-faceted
noblest in man. tangible form, accessible to all, a distilled
the subject go stronger than a copy of a
only confuses me, and I must search for
Beauty in architecture, however, need not
expression of the human spirit. pleasant subject. Dedicated artists put
unity. What is it, this one thing, and how
be expansive nor grand in scale. There
Great art bodies forth the ordered essence
love into their work. There is great power
do I find my way to it? T races of this
are few architectural settings more
not only of human experience but of the
in both the human touch and humanthing appear in many guises and charming than the little thatched
cottages world we live in, too. It is this that we
originality. Therefore kinesiology
everything that is unimportant falls away
dotting the Irish countryside, each one
call beauty. Like the theoretical physicist,
provides a fail-safe detector of art
....Here I am alone with silence. I have
more quaint and picturesque than the last. the artist finds order in apparent chaos. for gery. discovered that it is enough when a
Innate appreciation for the aesthetic
Where there was only a block of
The great psychoanalyst Carl Jung
single note is beautifully played....That
allows in much traditional domestic
meaningless marble, Michelangelo sees
emphasized over and over again the
is my goal. T ime and timelessness are
architecture elegant statements of beauty
the David or Pieta (158) and with his chiselrelation of art to the dignity of man and
connected. This instant and eternity are
and simplicity. removes the senseless stone to liberate
the importance of the human spirit in art. struggling within us.1
W ell conceived public architecture
that perfected image. Contemplating the
Jung himself and his work calibrate
Amongst the arts it is music that most
speaks with historical authenticity of the
random patterns of a meaningless plaster
highest of all the famous psychoanalysts
readily brings tears to our eyes, or brings
beauty of line combined with utility. wall in the Sistine Chapel, he conceives
of history. (Many of the others, aligned
us to our feet, or inspires us to pinnacles
Function and beauty are impressively
through the inspiration of Art a wondrous
with such attractor patterns as material
of love and creativity. W e have alreadyjoined in the great subway stations of
ABC, and then through the technique of
determinism, produces (159) much lower
noted that longevity seems to be a
Russia and in the design and layout of
art, he actualizes the A>B>C we know as
scores.) corollary of association with the attractor
many new high-rise apartment buildings
The Last Judgment. Music is in some ways the most subtle, in
fields of classical music whether as
in Canada. Older cultures seem always to
The bequest of the arts to man is internal,
that it is the least concrete, of the arts. performer, conductor or composer. have known the practicality of
beauty: too; in beholding realized beauty, a
However, in bypassing left-brain
Classical music often demonstrates that that which is designed without
sensitivity to the beautiful is inculcated in
rationality to appeal directly to our
extremely high inherent power patterns. beauty quickly deteriorates. Anus, enabling us to discover -and create-our
subconscious right brain sense of pattern,
(160) But of all the arts, architecture is the
architecturally ugly neighborhood
own aesthetic rewards in the apparently
it is at the same time the most visceral
most tangible and influential in the lives
becomes part of a feedback loop of blight
disordered jumble of existence. Art and
and emotional. It also provides the
of men everywhere. W e shop, go to work
and violence; the sleazy, dehumanized
Love are man's greatest gifts to himself. easiest example of how attractor patterns
and seek our entertainment in buildings;
housing projects of urban ghettos
There is no art without love. Art is
order reality: if you wish to comprehend
thus the form of the structure itself,
manifest their weak power patterns as a
always the making of the soul, the craft
the dif ference between chaos andbecause its influence is a background to
matrix for squalor and crime-although it
of man's touch, whether that touch is
meaning, thereby attaining an ef fective
so much human activity, deserves the
must be remembered that depending on
corporeal or the touch of the mind and
definition of Art, simply contemplate the
utmost attention. which attractor pattern one aligns (161)
spirit; so it has been since Neanderthal
dif ference between noise and music. with, the destitution of the ghetto can be
Among all world


 life physically and men tally. I have never been drunk in my life or smoked more than 5 cigarettes in a day. At the time I was not smoking or
drinking alcohol. Yet I found myself obsessed with thoughts of caffeine, smoking and drinking. Although I have been
a frequent visitor at Chiropractic, Oste opathic and Massage therapists, I had not needed to visit medical doctor for
years. In my desperation I went to an MD who prescribed an anti-stress m edication, a pain reliever, and a muscle
relaxant. I took the prescrib ed doses and fell into a semi coma for 16 hours, and discontinued the med ication. A few
weeks later Marcel came to my home for dinner and gave me your book. Within one week of adding 2-3 quarts of water to my diet noticed I that:
• The pain from the nerve i njury went away  and I was able to beg in exercisin g. •I had m uch less indiges tion and gas. •My urges  and compulsive beh avior lessened  substanti ally or vanishe d. I no longe r had t o fight the ur ge to smoke,
drink, stuff myself or use excessive caffeine. • My energy levels improved. • My thinking and work improved. Please feel free to use me as a reference. I am happy to talk to anyone about water at any time. William E. Gray
Ordinary tap water, unless there is proof of its being contaminated with chemicals and heavy m etals such as lead, is
a good source of sup ply. Ta p water has the protection of chl orine as a bacteria-killing agent. The "bottled water" in
supermarkets is said to be sterilized by the addition of ozone at the time of bottling. Ozo ne, or "super oxygen,"
seems to have a bacteria-killing property. If used in time, bottled water can serve as an alternative source of supply. If you are not sure of your wat er source not being contaminated or containing impurities not safe to drink, save
yourself from this anxiety by installing a small filtration unit on your kitchen faucet. There are very effective carbon or
ceramic filter units that can save you from the hassle of buying water from the stores and having to carry its
containers day in and day out. Eventually, the "point of use" filtration of water will become standard practice in advanced societies that have a
tendency to pollute their drinking water. With the present decline in the fortunes of the municipalities, delivering
quality drinking water in their pipe systems will at one point become too expensive and impossible. It wou ld not be
practical to deliver high quality water to also use for washing and gardening. However, when one develops a taste for other than tap water, if one runs out of supply in the house, the body will be
forced to go without water just because of the difference in taste—a self-imposed preference. Usu ally, the "bad
taste" is a ttributed to dissolved chlorine in the water. Most sales agents who wish to sell water purifiers make issue
of the fact that tap water contains ch lorine. They also point to calcium dissolved in the water, often called "hard
water. " If we fill an open-top jug with water and let it stand in the refrigerator or on the kitchen counter, the chlorine that is
dissolved in the water will evaporate and the smell of it will go too. The water will become "sweet" and very easily
palatable. This is h ow all restaurants serve water—out of a well-iced jug that was filled some time before its use. As
for the calcium in the water, unless the water is truly and heavily calcium-l aden, its use  is perf ectly safe. Not only is i t
safe, it is a cheap source for calcium needs of the body. The calcium is already dissolved in the water and one does
not need to go to the pharmacy to buy calcium tablets to take as a preventive measure against the osteoporosis we
see in the elderly. How and when do you think osteoporosis begins. Actually, many years before it is recognized. When hydroelectric
energy stores become depleted on and off, energy stored in the bondage of calcium to calcium in the cells and
eventually in the bones is used. When one molecule of calcium becomes sep arated from another molecule of
calcium, one unit of ATP is also released. ATP i s one unit of excha ngeable energy. Th e loose calcium is now
available to be shed. When water and calcium are taken in their natural forms, the emergency need for the release
of energy sto red in calcium bondage is decreased. This is why b ones are a great source of reserved energy. The
body is able to tap into this reservoir of energy. In any case, even heavily dissolved calcium in the water will most probably be without adverse effects. I t seems the
body possesses a most delicate need-regulated mechanism of absorption of elements from the gastrointestinal
tract. Most probably, not all the calcium dissolved in even very hard water enters the system. A recent study (in
another country and in a region with only very hard water available for consumption) has shown the calcium-laden
water consumed did not produce any adverse effects on the people who did not avoid drinking the water. In this approach to disease prevention, one will not need to stick to a strict diet manipulation to control this or that
clinical condition as long as water intake precedes food intake. Howev er, one word of advice is to limit fatty and fried
foods. Fats get converted to fatty acids and circulate in the blood. Fatty acids will  replace tryptophan that is attached
to the albumin to be stored and protected while being circulated around in the blood. The liver will attack and destroy
freed tryptophan if its free form in circu lation is more than 20 percent of its total content. In due time, excess fattyfood will deplete the tryptophan reserves of the body. This is o ne of the most important reasons why fatty foods are
not good for health. At the same time, not all fatty acids are bad for the body. In fact there are at least two essential fatty acids that the
body needs all the time and cannot manufactu re. They are: Alphalinoleic Acid, LNA, known as Om ega 3 oil, and
Linoleic Acid, LA, known as Om ega 6 oil. These fatty acids are needed for the manufactu re of cell membranes',
hormones and nerve coverings in the body. Although other fats that enter the body are used for their energy
content, O-3 and O-6 are saved and only used for the manufacture of hormones and in the structure of all of the
membranes inside and covering the cell. In treatment of the diseases that are produced by the damage to the nerve
covering (page 63), the regular intake of these essen tial fatty acids is a must. The richest so urce of O-3 is flax seed, from which flax oil is extracted and sold on the market. Flax oil also contains
some O-6 in its composition. The richest sources of O-6 are safflower and sunflower  oils. Flax oil is already on the
market. Udo's Choice will come to the American market soon. Dr. Udo Erasmus, the author of the book, Fats That
Heal Fats That Kill and based on many years of research, has developed a special mix of the essential oils the body
needs for its different manufacturing programs. Ud o's Choice contains: flax oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil, rice germ
oil, wheat germ oil, oat germ oil, lecithin, vitamin E, and some special triglycerides. Six to  eight grams (a spoonful) of
this mix daily should provide all the essential fatty acids that the body needs. For more information on oils, read his
book. Loss of hair, sterility, weakness, impaired vision, growth retardation, eczema, liver damage, kidney damage, and
other degenerative conditions may also be associated with essential fatty acid deficiency in the body. EASE OF  SLEEPI NG:
Are you having difficulty in sleeping at night. Try drinking a glass of water and then putting a pinch of salt on your
tongue. My personal experience, and observation in others, have shown that one begins falling asleep within a few
minutes. In my estimation, this combination alters the rate of electrical discharge in the brain and induces sleep. Remember not to touch the palate with the salt. It may cause irritation. A cup  of yogurt at night before going to sleep
will also help. It works as if you have taken a sleeping pill. PREVENT F AINTING:
If you are suscep tible to feeling faint after a shower, begin to recognize that the water reserves of your body are not
enough to reach your brain when the blood vessels in the skin open up because of the heat from the hot shower. Always drink water before going under the shower. Drink more water and increase your salt intake if you feel faint
when you stand up. PREVENT A HEART AT TACK:
A friend of mine is now in hospital, having had a heart attack fol lowed by heart arrest. He had collapsed in his office
and had to be resuscitated to begin breathing again. He now has neurological com plications because no oxygen
had reached his brain whe n his heart stopped beating. It is now cle ar from the family that for a number of days prior
to his attack, he had nigg


 dium in which to travel. In
the place I returned to, there was no such medium. I was
truly experiencing the sound of silence. Most important, there was no voice. There was not
even the memory of what it would be like to have chatter
in th at sacred place. It was gone. All gone. All that was
left was awareness of being. I simply existed, nothing
more. This time no stern bec koning entreated me to go
beyond. It was time to come back. The first thing I noticed as I became aware of my
surroundings was that the external energy flows I
experienced earlier had drawn inward. I now felt a very
beautiful flow of energy up my spine to the middle of my
forehead. I had never experienced this before, and
almost all my awareness was drawn to that point. Meanwhile, there was still great pain in my legs, but thatwasn’t a problem. It was ju st the quiet experience of
pain. No complaints, no mental dialogue about what to
do about it. There was simply awareness, completely at
peace with what it was aware of. I manag ed to move my arms enough to unfold my legs
from th e lotus position. They were like dead weight, so I
lay on my side for a while until they came back to life. It
was so peacefu l, so comfortable lying there. In time, I
opened my eyes. What eased in through those openings
was like  nothing I had ever seen or dreamed of before. The wetland area before me appeared like a Japanese
rice paper painting. It exude d gentleness and stillness. The tall grasses swayed in the gentle breeze, but their
movement had a stillness about it. Everything was so
quiet, so serene. The trees w ere quiet, the clouds were
quiet, the water was quiet. There was absolute stillness in
the mid st of the movement of  nature. My body was quiet,
and there were no thoughts at all. I could have lain there
forever melting into the peace that surrounded my sense
of presence. When I finally got up, the movement of my body was
unfamiliar to me. I had never been a graceful person. I
was definitely not the dancing type. But now every
movement of my body was like a ballet. There was a
graceful flow when my arms moved, and I really saw the
difference when I began to w alk. With each step I could
feel eve ry tiny movement of the muscles in my feet. I
flowed from one step to the next, and the movement
itself was intoxicating. The amazing part is that th is state lasted for weeks. When I rejoined my friends  that day, the state didn’t
change. I felt no need to explain or describe what had
happened to me during the  two to three hours I was
gone. I could hardly talk. Everything was so beautiful
and tranquil. The silence, the absolute silence, even
sounds outside did not disturb that stillness. The sounds
were out there, but they seemed so far away from where Iwas seated inside. A moat of thick peace allowed nothing
to reach the citadel of my elevated state. 5. F r o m  A b s o l u t e  P e a c e  t o  A b s o l u t e
T u r m o i l
S helly and I retu rned home from the weekend trip, but I
could not relate to the life I was coming back to. I had
changed completely in a matter of hours. My normal
inner state had been transfor med into a state of absolute
clarity. Neither desire nor fear could touch me in those
early days. Even thoughts faded away before reaching my
seat of awareness. All I remember experiencing at that
time was a powerful, unwavering sense of one pointed
intention— I will never leave this state. No matter what,
I will never allow anything to take me from this place. No voice of my  mind had to say that to me; it was who I
was. I was no longer Mickey  Singer. I was the one who
would never betray that peace or allow anything to
disturb that transcendent stillness. I w as like a ch ild having to learn everything all over
again. I  had to learn to eat in a way that was consistent
with th at pea ce. I used t o smoke pot; I stopped
completely. My  state was cry stal clear, and I didn’t want
to dull it one io ta. I had to learn to go to classes and take
tests while remaining perfectly centered. I was in a
doctoral program, on full fellowship. I had to learn to use
my intellectual mind without disturbing the peace that I
now loved more than life itself. During those next few week s, I felt like I had been
born anew. I found myself y earning to go back beyond. In f act, every t ime I sat down to meditate I was drawn
back into an elevated state. Some veil had been torn
aside inside of me, and it was  now totally natural to passback through it. I started w aking up at three in the
morning to be able to d o prolonged meditations. Throughout the day, I would sit whenever and wherever
I had the opportunity. Only a small part of my life was
about my outer existence. What I was really about was
learning to stay deep inside while my outer life passed
before me, leaving me at peace. I wa sn’t able to stay that detached for long, however. After two to three weeks, the unassailable inner peace
began to develop cracks. These cracks allowed the voice
of my persona l mind to leak  back into my sanctuary of
silence. I struggled to get it b ack. Oh, did I struggle. But
the stru ggling itself was inconsistent with the absolute
stillness. There  was nothing I  could do. I had to just sit in
here helplessly watching as the Land Beyond My Dreams
gave wa y to my noisy inner st ate. It never dawned on me
that I could tr y leaving my outer existence in order to
maintain the inner stillness. That effort would come a
little bit later. Though my deep inner peace had begun to fade, I
never fully returned to my normal state. Even when the
personal mind and emotions started back up, I was much
further behind them than I used to be. There was also
another majo r change: I was now experiencing a
constant flow of energy risin g up within me to the point
between my eyebrows. It formed a vortex of pressure
that forced my attention to t hat point. For example, if I
was looking at something, it felt like I was concentrating
my gaze  throu gh my brow ra ther than through my eyes. This didn’t affect my ability to see; it just kept me closer
to th e meditative state at all t imes. Note that focusing on
the energy flow was not som ething I was doing; it was
something that was happening by itself. I was just aware
that the  flow had never been there before, and now it was
always there. The pull of my attention to the point between my
eyebrows became both my teacher and my friend. Whenmy mental voice had something to say, I now had a
choice—pay attention to the voice or keep focusing on
the inn er flow of energy. I eventually realized that if I
didn’t w ant to listen to the m ental chatter, all I had to do
was slightly increase my concentration on the energy
flow to my bro w. The thoughts would then pass right by
without disturbing me. Letting the thoughts go became a
game to me. A ll of life was a lighter experience than
before. My personal melodrama would still come up, but
it co uld not pu ll me down in to it. I had been gifted with
this inner flow of energy to help me work my way out of
myself. More important, I now knew what it would be
like to get awa y from my personal self. My intention was
firm and resolute—no matter  what it took, or how long it
took—I was going to find my way back beyond. It didn’t take long, however, before outer changes
began in my l ife that rivaled the inner changes I was
going th rough. It started with Shelly. One day she told
me that  it was time to move on. That really threw me for
a loop. Though  we had only been married a year and a
half, th e found ation of my p ersonal life had been built
around her for years. I tried in vain to hold on to her, but
at s ome point I saw somethi ng I had never been able to
see before: the sheer strength of my personality and
intellect had not given her the room she needed to
breathe. If I tr uly loved her, I had to let her go. Right at
that tim e, I had a friend who needed someone to house-
sit whil e he was away. I moved into that house and began
the process of nursing a broken heart. The sud den change in my outer life had a profound
effect on my in ner work. I was already totally committed
to my regular meditations. Exploring the inner state of
deep peace had become


	using	the	Buteyko
Method. Liv	Browning. She	originally	learned	the	Buteyko	Method	as	a	solution	for
her	own	chronic	asthma. She	later	trained	in	1999	under	Jennifer	Stark. She
has	been	asthma	free	since	that	time	and	no	longer	uses	medication. In
December	2000,	she	trained	with	and	earned	additional	certification	from	the
founder	of	the	method,	Dr.	Konstantin	Buteyko. First	Clinical	Trials	of	Buteyko	in	North	America
The	Buteyko	Method	has	produced	tremendous	results	for	a	variety	of
conditions,	most	notably	asthma	and	rhinitis. Several	years	ago,	one	million
dollars	was	donated	by	a	wealthy	family	to	fund	research	after	one	of	its
members	made	an	excellent	recovery	from	asthma. Jennifer	Stark	and	Chris
Bauman	were	involved	with	these	trials,	which	took	place	at	the	Foothills
Hospital	in	Calgary,	Alberta. Results	at	six	months	follow-up	included	a	41%
reduction	in	the	need	for	inhaled	steroids,	with	asthma	control	improving
from	40%	to	79%. Dr	Robert	Cowie,	Chief	Respirologist	at	the	Foothills
Hospital	in	Calgary	stated	the	following:

“I’ve	been	astonished	and	also	very	pleased	with	the	excellent	result. There	is
no	disruption	of	their	life	at	all	by	their	disease:	normal	activities;	not	waking
at	night;	not	needing	to	use	any	reliever	medications. It’s	just	great...75%
control	is	about	as	good	as	anyone	has	got	in	any	study	of	asthma. The	neat
thing	about	it	is	that	it	has	no	side	effects. It’s	very	safe. The	Buteyko
technique	certainly	has	been	shown	to	be	an	important	adjunct	to
treatment.”.....

Publications	by	Members	of	BBEA
Members	of	the	BBEA	have	produced	the	most	detailed	and	popular
publications	on	the	Buteyko	Method. Dr	Artour	Rakhimov	has	written	two
books,	including	Normal	Breathing;	the	key	to	vital	health. This	book	is
without	doubt	the	most	detailed	and	best	researched	publication	on	the
Buteyko	Method. His	other	works	include	a	translation	of	Dr	Buteyko’slectures	at	Moscow	State	University,	and	Oxygenate	yourself:	Breathe	less. His	DVD
lectures	are	entitled	“Breathing	patterns	and	tissue	oxygenation”. Patrick	McKeown
	has	written	a	number	of	books,	including	the	best-seller
Asthma	Free	Naturally	(Conari	Press	2008),	Close	Your	Mouth,	Anxiety	Free:
Stop	Worrying	and	still	Your	Mind,	and	ABC	to	be	Asthma	Free. Other	works
include	a	Buteyko	DVD	and	CD. Buteyko	training	in	the	USA	and	Canada
Each	year,	a	number	of	Buteyko	practitioner	training	courses	are	held
throughout	the	USA	and	Canada. Practitioner	trainers	include	Chris	Bauman
and	Patrick	McKeown. Chris	was	the	first	Buteyko	practitioner	in	Canada	and
trained	under	Jennifer	Stark	in	2000. Patrick	trained	in	Moscow	in	2002	and
is	accredited	by	the	late	Dr	Buteyko. Patrick	has	been	teaching	practitioners
since	2005	and	has	to	date	trained	practitioners	from	11	different	countries.Appendix	TwoWebsites	to	visit

www.ButeykoClinic.com
Worldwide	list	of	practitioners	including	Europe,	North	America,	and	Asia,
practitioner	training,	videos	of	Dr.	Buteyko. www.ButeykoDVD.com
Authors	Buteyko	DVD,	books,	online	courses	and	free	video	segments. www.Buteyko.co.uk
Buteyko	practitioners	in	UK. www.TomHerronExperience.com
Buteyko	Northern	Ireland

www.CorrectBreathing.com
Carol	Baglia,	USA	Buteyko	practitioner

www.AsthmaCare.us
Eugenia	Malyshev,	USA	Buteyko	practitioner

www.ButeykoDVD.com
Online	courses,	books,	information	regarding	the	negative	effects	of	mouth
breathing. www.ButeykoEducators.org
Members	of	non-profit	organisation	Buteyko	Breathing	Educators.Appendix	threeReferences

Chapter	two—The	Buteyko	Method
1)
The	American	Journal	of	Medicine
;	December	1986;	Volume	81;	p989. Hyperventilation	Syndrome	and	Asthma. (Demeter,	Cordasco.) 2)	Cited	in	Multidisciplinary	approaches	to	breathing	disorders	by	Leon
Chaitow,	Dinah	Bradley	and	Christopher	Gilbert. 3)	Gibbs	DM	1992	Hyperventilation	induced	cerebral	ischemia	in	panic
disorder	and	effects	of	nimodipine. American	journal	of	Psychiatry
149:
1589-1591
4)	Ball,	Shekhar	A	1997	Basilar	artery	response	to	hyperventilation	in
panic	disorder. American	journal	of	psychiatry
154	(11):	1603-1604
5)	Balestrino	M,	Somjen	GG,	Concentration	of	carbon	dioxide,	interstitial
pH	and	synaptic	transmission	in	hippocampal	formation	of	the	rat,
J
Physiol
1988,	396:	247-266. 6)	Huttunen	J,	Tolvanen	H,	Heinonen	E,	Voipio	J,	Wikstrom	H,	Ilmoniemi
RJ,	Hari	R,	Kaila	K,	Effects	of	voluntary	hyperventilation	on	cortical
sensory	 responses. Electroencephalographic	 and
magnetoencephalographic	studies,	E
xp	Brain	Res
1999,	125(3):	248-254. 7)
Artour	Rakhimov	Ph.D,
Normal	Breathing-	The	key	to	vital	health
8)
The	Hyperventilation	Syndrome
,	Robert	Fried
9)	Hyperventilation:	the	tip	and	the	iceberg	by	L.C. Lum
Journal	of
Psychosomatic	Research
,	Vol. 19,	pp. 375	to	383. Pergamon	Press,	1975. Printed	in	Great	BritainAppendix	fourAcknowledgements

A	number	of	people	were	instrumental	in	the	creation	of	this	little	book. To	Karen	Kolb,	Joseph	Lawlor,	Valerie	Kerr,	Eileen	O	Connor	and	Kevin
Kelly	for	their	feedback	and	input. A	special	thanks	to	Louise	George	for	her
detailed	analysis	and	suggestions. I	am	deeply	indebted	to	Aurora	Pérez
Machío	for	her	work	in	creating	a	wonderful	cover	and	to	Tracy	for	her	work
in	editing	and	proofing	the	text. Thank	you,	Timm	from	TimmJoyStudios.org.uk,	for	drawing	the	illustrations. I	would	also	like	to	thank	everybody	who	has	attended	my	courses	over	the
past	eight	years. To	fellow	practitioners	Tom	Herron,

Linda	Meads,	Peter	Kolb,	Alex	Spence,	Artour	Rakhimov,	Chris	Bauman	and
more	–	thank	you	for	your	contribution	to	Buteyko	in	the	Western	world. Finally,	thank	you	Sinead	for	your	smile.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        Poor	concentration	is	when	one’s
mind	can	hold	its	attention	for	just	a	few	seconds. The	more	thoughts	you	have	running	through	your	head,	the	lessconcentration	you	have. The	less	concentration	you	have,	the	poorer	your
ability	to	hold	y


aking	single-nutrient	supplements	are	proving
to	be	highly	questionable. The	“take-home	message”:	if	you	want	vitamin	C
or	beta-carotene,	don’t	reach	for	the	pill	bottle—reach	for	the	fruit	or	leafy
green	vegetables. THE	ATKINS	CRISIS
In	case	you	haven’t	noticed,	there	is	an	elephant	in	the	room. It	goes	by	the
name	“low-carb	diet,”	and	it	has	become	very	popular. Almost	all	diet	books
on	store	shelves	are	variations	of	this	one	theme:	eat	as	much	protein,	meat
and	fat	as	you	want,	but	stay	away	from	those	“fatty”	carbs. As	you	have	seen
already	in	this	book,	my	research	findings	and	my	point	of	view	show	that
eating	this	way	is	perhaps	the	single	greatest	threat	to	American	health	we
currently	face. So	what	is	the	story,	anyway. One	of	the	fundamental	arguments	at	the	beginning	of	most	low-
carbohydrate,	high-protein	diet	books	is	that	America	has	been	wallowing	in
low-fat	mania	at	the	advice	of	experts	for	the	past	twenty	years,	yet	people	are
fatter	than	ever. This	argument	has	an	intuitive	appeal,	but	there	is	one
inconvenient	fact	that	is	consistently	ignored:	according	to	a	report
46
summarizing	government	food	statistics,	“Americans	consumed	thirteen
pounds
	[my	emphasis]	more	[added]	fats	and	oils	per	person	in	1997	than	in
1970,	up	from	52. 6	to	65. 6	pounds. ”	It	is	true	that	we	have	had	a	trend	to
consuming	fewer	of	our	total	calories	as	fat,	when	considered	as	a	percentage,
but	that’s	only	because	we	have	outpaced	our	gorging	on	fat	by	gorging	on
sugary	junk	food. Simply	by	looking	at	the	numbers,	anybody	can	see	that
America	has	not	adopted	the	“low-fat”	experiment—not	by	any	stretch	of	the
imagination. In	fact,	the	claim	that	the	low-fat	“brainwashing”	experiment	has	been
tried	and	failed	is	often	the	first	of	many	statements	of	fact	in	current	diet
books	that	can	be	described	either	as	severe	ignorance	or	opportunistic	deceit. It	is	difficult	to	know	where	to	begin	to	refute	the	maze	of	misinformation	and
false	promises	commonly	made	by	authors	completely	untrained	in	nutrition,
authors	who	have	never	conducted	any	peer-reviewed,	professionally	based
experimental	research. And	yet	these	books	are	immensely	popular. Why. Because	people
do	lose	weight,
	at	least	in	the	short	term. In	one	published	study
47
	funded	by	the	Atkins	Center	for	Complementary
Medicine,	researchers	put	fifty-one	obese	people	on	the	Atkins	diet. 48
	The
forty-one	subjects	who	maintained	the	diet	over	the	course	of	six	months	lost
an	average	of	twenty	pounds. In	addition,	average	blood	cholesterol	levels
decreased	slightly,
47
	which	was	perhaps	even	more	important. Because	of
these	two	results,	this	study	was	presented	in	the	media	as	real,	scientific
proof	that	the	Atkins	diet	works	and	is	safe. Unfortunately,	the	media	didn’t
go	much	deeper	than	that. The	first	sign	that	all	is	not	rosy	is	that	these	obese	subjects	were	severelyrestricting	their	calorie	intake	during	the	study. The	average	American
consumes	about	2,250	calories	per	day. 49
	When	the	study	participants	were	on
the	diet,	they	consumed	an	average	of	1,450	calories	per	day. That’s	35%
fewer	calories. I	don’t	care	if	you	eat	worms	and	cardboard;	if	you	eat	35%
fewer	calories,	you	will	lose	weight	and	your	cholesterol	levels	will
improve
50
	in	the	short	run,	but	that	is	not	to	say	that	worms	and	cardboard
form	a	healthy	diet. One	may	argue	that	those	1,450	calories	are	so	satisfying
that	people	feel	full	on	this	diet,	but	if	you	compare	calorie	input	and	calorie
expenditure,	it’s	a	matter	of	simple	math	that	a	person	cannot	sustain	this
amount	of	calorie	restriction	over	a	period	of	years	or	decades	without	either
becoming	an	invalid	or	melting	away	into	nothing. People	are	notoriously
unsuccessful	at	significantly	restricting	their	energy	intake	over	any	long
period	of	time,	and	that	is	why	there	has	yet	to	be	a	long-term	study	that
shows	success	with	the	“low-carb”	diets. This,	however,	is	only	the	beginning
of	the	problems. In	this	same	study,	funded	by	the	Atkins	group,	researchers	report,	“At
some	point	during	the	twenty-four	weeks,	twenty-eight	subjects	(68%)
reported	constipation,	twenty-six	(63%)	reported	bad	breath,	twenty-one
(51%)	reported	headache,	four	(10%)	noted	hair	loss,	and	one	woman	(1%)
reported	increased	menstrual	bleeding. ”
47
	They	also	refer	to	other	research,
saying,	“Adverse	effects	of	this	diet	in	children	have	included	calcium	oxalate
and	urate	kidney	stones	…	vomiting,	amenorrhea	[when	a	girl	misses	her
period],	hypercholesterolemia	[high	cholesterol]	and	…	vitamin	deficiencies
(ref. cited). ”
47
	Additionally,	they	found	that	the	dieters	had	a	stunning	53%
increase	in	the	amount	of	calcium	they	excreted	in	their	urine,
47
	which	may
spell	disaster	for	their	bone	health. The	weight	loss,	some	of	which	is	simply
initial	fluid	loss,
51
	may	come	with	a	very	high	price. A	different	review	of	low-carbohydrate	diets	published	by
researchers	in
Australia	concludes,	“Complications	such	as	heart	arrhythmias,	cardiac
contractile	function	impairment,	sudden	death,	osteoporosis,	kidney	damage,
increased	cancer	risk,	impairment	of	physical	activity	and	lipid	abnormalities
can	all	be	linked	to	long-term	restriction	of	carbohydrates	in	the	diet. ”
51
	One
teenage	girl	recently	died	suddenly	after	being	on	a	high-protein	diet. 52,	53
	In
short,	most	people	will	be	unable	to	maintain	this	diet	for	the	rest	of	their
lives,	and	even	if	anybody	manages	to	do	so,	they	may	be	asking	for	serious
health	problems	down	the	road. I	have	heard	one	doctor	call	high-protein,
high-fat,	low-carbohydrate	diets	“make-yourself-sick”	diets,	and	I	think	that’s
an	appropriate	moniker. You	can	also	lose	weight	by	undergoing
chemotherapy	or	starting	a	heroin	addiction,	but	I	wouldn’t	recommend	those,either. One	final	thought:	the	diet	is	not	all	that	Atkins	recommends. Indeed,	most
diet	books	are	merely	one	part	of	huge	food	and	health	empires. In	the	case	of
the	Atkins	diet,	Dr. Atkins	states	that	many	of	his	patients	require	nutrient
supplements,	some	of	which	are	used	to	combat	“common	dieters’
problems. ”
54
	In	one	passage,	after	making	unsubstantiated	claims	about	the
efficacy	of	antioxidant	sup


	B,	et	al. “Dietary	intakes	and	urinary	excretion	of
calcium	and	acids:	a	cross-sectional	study	of	women	in	China.”
Am. J.
Clin. Nutr. 58	(1993):	398–406. 27
. Hu	J,	Zhao	X,	Parpia	B,	et	al.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        You	told	me	yourself	that	most
neurologists	don’t	like	to	take	care	of	MS	patients. ”	John	could	not	believewhat	he	had	just	heard. In	a	very	tense	moment,	he	said:
Wait	a	minute. I’m	a	doctor. This	is	a	hospital. As	far	as	I	know	our	job
is	to	relieve	the	suffering	of	the	sick. These	are	sick	people. Just
because	other	doctors	can’t	help	them	in	their	suffering	doesn’t	mean
that	we	can’t. Here’s	the	evidence	that	says	we	can. I	have	an	effective
treatment	for	people	who	need	my	care	and	this	is	a	hospital. Will	you
explain	to	me	why	we	don’t	want	to	take	care	of	those	kinds	of
patients. He	continued:
I	want	to	talk	to	the	head	of	the	hospital. I	want	to	explain	to	her	why	I
need	this	program	and	why	the	hospital	needs	this	program	and	why
the	patients	need	this	program. I	want	you	to	get	me	an	appointment. Ultimately	though,	the	head	of	the	hospital	proved	to	be	just	as	difficult. John	reflected	on	the	situation	with	his	wife. He	was	supposed	to	renew	his
contract	with	the	hospital	in	a	couple	of	weeks,	and	he	decided	not	to	do	it. He	left	on	cordial	terms,	and	to	this	day	he	does	not	hold	personal	grudges. He	just	explains	it	by	saying	that	their	directions	in	life	were	different. John
would	prefer	to	remember	St. Helena	for	what	it	was:	a	good	home	to	him	for
sixteen	years,	but	a	place	nonetheless	that	was	“just	into	that	whole	drug
money	thing. ”
Now,	John	runs	a	highly	successful	“lifestyle	medicine”	program	with	his
family’s	help,	writes	a	popular	newsletter	that	he	makes	freely	available
(
http://www. drmcdougall. com
),	organizes	group	trips	with	past	patients	and
new	friends	and	has	more	time	to	go	windsurfing	when	the	wind	picks	up	on
Bodega	Bay. This	is	a	man	with	a	wealth	of	knowledge	and	qualifications,
who	could	benefit	the	health	of	millions	of	Americans. He	has	never	been
challenged	by	any	of	his	colleagues	for	physician	“misbehavior,”	and	yet	the
medical	establishment	does	not	want	his	services. He	is	reminded	of	this	fact
all	the	time:
Patients	will	come	in	with	rheumatoid	arthritis. They’ll	be	in
wheelchairs,	they	can’t	even	turn	the	key	on	their	car. And	I’ll	take	care
of	them	and	three	or	four	weeks	later,	they’ll	go	back	to	see	their
doctor. They’ll	walk	up	to	their	doctor,	grab	their	hand	and	shake	it
hard. Doctor	will	say,	“Wonderful. ”	The	patient,	all	excited,	will	say,
“Well,	I	want	to	tell	you	what	I	did. I	went	to	see	this	Dr. McDougall,	I
changed	my	diet,	and	now	my	arthritis	is	gone. ”	Their	doctor	simplyresponds,	“Oh	my	goodness. That’s	great. Whatever	you’re	doing,	just
keep	doing	it. I’ll	see	you	later. ”	That’s	always	the	response. It’s	not,
“Please,	my	god,	tell	me	what	you	did	so	I	can	tell	the	next	patient. ”
It’s,	“Whatever	you’re	doing,	that’s	just	great. ”	If	the	patient	starts	to
tell	them	they	changed	to	a	vegetarian	diet,	the	doctor	will	cut	in	with,
“Yeah	okay,	fine,	you’re	really	a	strong	person. Thanks	a	lot. See	you
later. ”	Get	them	out	of	the	office	as	quickly	as	they	can. It’s	very
threatening…	very	threatening. ESSELSTYN’S	REWARD
Back	in	Ohio,	Dr. Esselstyn	retired	from	active	surgery	in	June	of	2000	and
assumed	the	position	of	preventive	cardiology	consultant	in	the	department	of
general	surgery	at	the	Cleveland	Clinic. He	has	continued
to	do	research	and
to	visit	with	patients. He	holds	three-hour	counseling	sessions	in	his	home
with	new	heart	disease	patients,	gives	them	research	evidence	and	provides	a
delicious	“heart-safe”	meal. In	addition,	he	gives	talks	around	the	country	and
abroad. In	March	of	2002,	Ess	and	his	wife	Ann,	whose	grandfather	founded	the
Cleveland	Clinic,	drafted	a	letter	to	the	head	of	the	cardiology	department	and
the	head	of	the	hospital	at	the	Cleveland	Clinic. The	letter	started	off	by
saying	how	proud	they	were	of	the	reputation	and	excellence	of	the	Clinic	and
the	innovation	of	the	surgical	procedures,	but	that	everyone	recognized	that
surgery	was	never	going	to	be	the	answer	to	this	epidemic	of	heart	disease. Ess	formally	proposed	the	idea	that	he	could	help	set	up	an	arrest	and	reversal
dietary	program	in	the	department	of	preventive	cardiology	at	the	Cleveland
Clinic. The	program	would	mirror	his	own	and	could	be	administered	by
nurse	clinicians	and	physician	assistants. Ideally,	a	young	physician	with
passion	for	the	idea	would	head	the	program. Ultimately,	every	patient	with
heart	disease	at	the	Clinic	would	be	offered	the	option	of	arrest	and	reversal
therapy	using	dietary	means,	which	costs	very	little,	harbors	no	risks	and	puts
the	control	back	into	the	patients’	hands. You’d	think	that	if	an	opportunity	arose	to	profoundly	heal	sick	people,
and	one	of	the	most	reputable	people	in	the	country	was	going	to	help	you,	a
hospital	would	jump	at	the	opportunity. But	after	being	one	of	the	star
surgeons	at	the	Cleveland	Clinic	for	decades,	after	initiating	a	heart	reversal
study	that	had	greater	success	than	anything	ever	done	at	the	Clinic,	and	after
graciously	offering	a	plan	to	help	heal	even	more	people,	neither	the	head	of
the	hospital	nor	the	department	head	had	the	respect	to	even	acknowledge	that
Ess	had	written	to	them. They	didn’t	call. They	didn’t	write. They	completely
ignored	him. Seven	weeks	passed,	and	finally	Ess	called	the	department	head	and	the
hospital	head,	and	neither	of	them	would	take	his	call. Finally,	after	seven
calls,	the	head	of	the	hospital	got	on	the	phone. This	man	had	praised	Ess	for
years	for	his	research	and	seemed	excited	by	his	results,	but	now	he	was
singing	a	different	tune. He	obviously	knew	exactly	what	Ess	was	calling
about,	and	told	Ess	that	the	head	of	the	cardiology	department	didn’t	want	to
do	it. In	other	words,	he	just	passed	the	buck. If	the	head	of	the	hospital
wanted	it	to	be	done,	it	would	be	done,	regardless	of	what	the	head	ofcardiology	wanted. So	Ess	called	the	head	of	cardiology,	who	finally	took	his
call. The	man	was	abrasive	and	r