2  tsp  walnut  oil
1  tbs  yellow  split  peas
1  tsp  coriander  seeds
{/i  tsp  poppy  seeds
'A  tsp  sea  salt
Garnish:
Minced  fresh  parsley
Soak  wheat  berries  in  2  cups  of  cold  water  for  5  hours. Rinse  and  add  to  boiling  water  in  pressure  cooker
with  cloves,  cinnamon,  and  curry  leaves. Lock  cover
and  bring  to  pressure. Cook  over  medium  heat  for  35
minutes. Remove  from  heat  and  allow  pressure  to  fall
naturally. Allow  to  cool  for  15  minutes. (For  conven-
tional cooking,  add  wheat  berries  to  5  cups  boiling
water. Cover  and  cook  over  medium  heat  for  55  to  60
minutes.) In  a  small  skillet,  heat  oil  and  lightly  brown  peas
and  coriander  seeds;  add  poppy  seeds  and  salt  toward
the  end. Grind  into  a  fine  paste  and  mix  into  wheat
berries. Garnish  with  fresh  parsley  and  serve  warm. 2  15
^mz,
UNIVERSAL    RECIPES    FOR    EACH    BODY   TYPE
Spiced  Rice  and  Millet
V,  VP,  VK,  K,  KV,  KP
Serves  2
1  c  millet  hulled
'/:  c  long-grain  brown  rice
'A  cup  split  urad  dhal,  without  skins
'/2  tsp  black  mustard  seeds
lli  tsp  coriander  seeds
1  minced  green  chili  pepper
2  crushed  dried  curry  leaves
Pinch  of  asafoetida
Pinch  of  sea  salt
Vli  c  boiling  water
Garnish:
Lemon  slices  and  fresh  parsley
V  types:  roast  spices  in  2  teaspoons  sesame  oil. Wash  millet  and  rice  until  water  runs  clear. Air-dry
and  toast  in  large  cast-iron  skillet  until  evenly  golden. In  a  small  skillet,  dry-roast  dhal,  mustard  and  corian-
der seeds,  chili  pepper,  and  curry  leaves  for  a  few
minutes. Add  asafoetida  and  salt  during  last  30  sec-
onds of  roasting. Stir  into  grains. Pour  boiling  water
over  grain  mixture;  cover  and  simmer  over  medium-
low  heat  for  35  minutes. Garnish  with  lemon  slices
and  fresh  parsley. Serve  warm. GRAIN   BALLS  AND   ROLLS
Nori  are  thin  dark  purple  sheets  of  dried  seaweed. Nori  balls  and  rolls  are  just  a  small  part  of  the  majes-
tic tradition  of  Japanese  food  culture. Both  are  com-
pact, lend  strength  to  the  body,  and  require  no  refrig-
eration— a  perfect  food  for  traveling. Seaweeds  are
very  high  in  calcium  and  minerals. Nori  is  considered
the  most  delicious  among  the  various  types  of  sea-
weed. Although  it  is  not  customary  in  the  Japanese
tradition  to  use  other  than  refined  rice,  macrobiotics
has  introduced  the  more  nutritive  brown  rice  in  these
rolls  and  balls. Rice  is  best  for  predominant  Vata  types,  and  occa-
sionally for  predominant  Pitta  types. Couscous,  a
whole  wheat  flour  product,  is  a  good  occasional  alter-
native for  both  Vata  and  Pitta  types. Predominant
Kapha  types  should  use  millet  instead  of  rice  and
wasabi  mustard  instead  of  umeboshi  plum. Since
seaweeds  are  naturally  salty,  both  Pitta  and  Kapha
should  eat  these  items  only  occasionally. Rice  Nori  Balls
v,  VP,  VK
Makes  2  balls
1  sheet  nori  seaweed
1  c  sushi  rice,  cooked
l/i  umeboshi  plum,  pitted  and  halved  again
If  you  have  a  gas  stove,  toast  nori  by  slowly  waving  it
over  a  medium  flame;  otherwise  use  sheet  untoasted. Fold  and  tear  sheet  into  four  equal  pieces. With  wet
hands,  mold  half  of  the  rice  into  a  ball. Press  a  hole  in
the  center  of  rice  ball  and  insert  one  piece  of  umeboshi
plum. Pack  the  ball  again  to  close  the  hole. Place  one  piece  of  nori  on  top  of  ball  and  fold
down  the  points. Turn  the  ball  over  and  add  a  second
piece  of  nori  to  fit  in  between  the  points  of  the  first
piece  and  cover  all  the  rice. Mold  the  ball  again  be-
tween your  palms. Repeat  process  with  remaining
xli  cup  rice  and  2  nori  pieces  for  second  ball. Serve  at
room  temperature. 216
jmtr
TRADITIONAL    GROUND    DHALS    AND    GRAINS
Millet  Nori  Balls
K,  KV,  KP
Makes  2  balls
1  sheet  nori  seaweed
lh  tsp  wasabi  mustard
1  c  millet,  well  cooked  (see  page  170)
If  you  have  a  gas  stove,  toast  nori  by  slowly  waving  it
over  a  medium  flame;  otherwise  use  sheet  untoasted. Fold  and  tear  sheet  into  four  equal  pieces. Add  a  few
drops  of  water  to  wasabi  mustard  to  dilute  into  a  thin
paste. With  wet  hands,  mold  half  of  the  millet  into  a
ball. Press  a  hole  in  the  center  of  millet  ball  and  insert
half  the  wasabi  paste. Pack  the  ball  again  to  close  the
hole. Place  one  piece  of  nori  on  top  of  ball  and  fold
down  the  points. Turn  the  ball  over  and  add  a  second
piece  of  nori  to  fit  in  between  the  points  of  the  first
piece  and  cover  all  the  millet. Mold  the  ball  again
between  your  palms. Repeat  process  with  remaining
'/2  cup  millet  and  2  nori  pieces  for  second  ball. Serve
at  room  temperature. Rice  Nori  Rolls
ALL  TYPES
Makes  about  8  roll  pieces,  2"  wide
2  sheets  nori  seaweed
1  c  short-grain  brown  rice,  cooked  and  sticky
'A  c  carrot  strips,  boiled  (al  dente)
2  long  scallion  greens
xli  tsp  umeboshi  paste
If  you  have  a  gas  stove,  toast  nori  by  slowly  waving  it
over  a  medium  flame;  otherwise  use  sheet  untoasted. Place  nori  on  a  bamboo  sushi  mat. Spread  half  of  rice
evenly  over  a  nori  sheet,  leaving  a  72"  space  at  either
end. Lay  half  of  carrots  and  scallions  parallel  to  and
about  1"  from  bottom  of  sheet  (the  end  closest  to you). Spread  a  thin  layer  of  umeboshi  paste  on  the
bottom  edge  of  rice. Lightly  moist


. LOWER LEVELS OF CONSCIOUSNESS
Now, I just want to show the source of the evil of the ego. Because you
see, consciousne ss began at a very primitive level, the consciou sness level. Over many billions of years, the consciousness level slowly rose. The
consciousness level of life itself, the total consciousness of life on the
planet, has evolved over billions of years, very, very slowly. Sometimes the consciousness level of the animals has kept it up. Even
though man has been lower than 200 many times, there are many animals
on the planet that are over 200. Somebody says, “Well, the consciousness
level of man is at about 204. How come you’ve got life at 212?” It’s
because we got kitties and doggies. A dog’ s wagging a tail is at 500. I didn’ t want to say anything that might hurt people’ s feelings. But cats
and dogs do better than people. Chimpanzees and gorillas, too. You’re safer
with Koko the gorilla than you are with most of the people on the subway. Koko won’ t steal your purse and run. Monkeys, dogs, cats. Of course, the
more cats you have, the higher your level of consciousness. I’m a cat
supporter. Our level of consciousness at home, without the cats, would
probably collapse.Let’s not forget horses, elepha nts, and cows. These are all primarily
herbivores. When you see how life starts out, at the lowest level, and that
we come up through fish, octopus, the Komodo dragon, and other predatory
mammals, you see that life is voracious. Below consciousness level 200, it
only can survive  by eating other s. And then, as the consciousnes s level goes
higher, you get to the herbivores. At consciousness level 200, we have wolves and foxes. Then, all of a
sudden, at the level 200, we shift to zebras, giraffes, deer, bison, domestic
pigs, elk, cows, and sheep. Do you see the shift? You eat grass  and you’re
not harm ing anybody; whereas the dinosaur has to kill. He has to kill in
order to eat. His nature is to kill. The dinosaur is not being bad or evil,
that’s just his nature. He’s reflecting the level of consciousness. So the
people on the planet who seem to be focused on killing do so because their
level of conscio usness is attuned to be less than 200. Therefore, the left
brain, the instinctual left brain  physiology, takes over, in which killing
becomes exciting, fun, and rewarding. We talked about the 400s being, you might say, when humans reach their
greatest intellectual excellence, probably around 350 BC. In ancient Greece,
philosophically, there really hasn’ t been any improvement since that time. And here we calibrate the great books of the W estern world, and we find it’ s
very interesting. Overall, collectively it calibrates around 460. So
intellectual excellence, intellectual truth, and reason are in the 400s. In the
old days, a liberal education meant to study all of these writers. And there is
still a foundation for the study of the Great Books. They advise you to take
10 years. So you spend 10 years studying, and you will then share a
common understanding with all the greatest minds that’ve ever lived—at
least within the intellectual and philosophic realms. So, the difficulty of something of a very low calibration is that this then
starts off a trend that becomes self-propagating, in the form of memes. An
infection like this can then spread throughout the world. People ask me,
“How can I become spiritual?”  Well, I say, “First, just become a decent
human being. Try that. Be considerate, decent. Be responsible. If you say
you’re going to close the door when you leave, please do so.” People have
to be able to count on you. You have to be honest and value wisdom. Wisdom is at 385. Wise people tend to be benign. They’re safe to be with—
as safe as Koko. Humane, happy, and sensible. They’re sometimes called
“the salt of the earth.”There are various energy fields or chakra systems, as I’m sure you’re
aware. One collection of energy is at the lower mind. The lowe r mind is at
155. There’s another collection of energy that we call the higher mind. They
have two different sets of values. What one setting  considers to be valid and
true and ethical, the other considers to be invalid and in fact immoral. The
lower mind, then, is very intere sted in sensationalism, and is very gullible. It’s interested in being smart and exploiting life. So, you might
automatically think of the news. It likes to play off the sensational. It’ll take
some trivial little incident that is of no significance and give it major
airtime. And something that really is of profound importance, and really
threatens all of humanity, they give it only a glance—if that. At 275 and up is the higher mind, and it is moving into thoug htfulness,
balance, and sensitivity to what is appropriate and what is not appropriate. The higher mind tends to look for solutions, and tends to play off
difficulties. So, there’ s a big payof f here. For 85 percent of the people in the
world, their intellect is at this level. In America, only about 50 percent. About 50 percent of people would rather watch something gory and horrible
and sensational than something that is inclusive of beauty. The power of
consciousness is now recognized. Einstein, who was a master of a linear dimension, calibrated at 499, and
he refused to recognize the role of consciousness. He rejected its reality. He
said, “I prefer to think there’ s a distinct, objective, linear reality  out there.”
We’ve calibrated all these things to give you a scientific basis to understand
how the phenomenal world occurs. I always tell people, “Notice that everything is happening
spontaneously.” The limitation of the ego is it thinks there is a personal I as
a cause,  and based on the New tonian principle, a this causing  a that. In
reality, there is no this causing any that. In fact, that phenomenon is not a
possibility, because evolution and creation are one and the same thing. So,
what you see is the emer gence of potentiality as a consequence of
evolution. TRANSCENDING THE MIND AND THE LINEAR DOMAIN
The reason for religious conflict  is a lack of comprehension of the nature
of divinity itself. It sees a God who starts here, and then one day creates all
there is, and disappears. And after you die, you face him and greet him onjudgment day. I don’t know where he goes in the meantime, but he goes
someplace. It’ s because the mind doesn’ t comprehend infinity. To transcend the mind, which  is based on cause and effect, and the
Newtonian paradigm in science, you have to shift to a higher awareness. Stop projecting the idea of causality into the world. There is no causality in
the world—none  whatsoever. All that you perceive, and prove, and think is
so out there is from your head, projected onto the world. Within the world,
there is no causa lity. There is sequence. Sequence is not in the world either. Sequence means you perceived it sequentially. Therefore, you project that it
must be in the world. It’ s your perception  that’ s sequential. How do things come about? The quickest way to enlightenm ent is to
focus and notice that everyt hing is, first of all, absolute ly perfect. Everything is exquisite, perfec t, and beautiful as it is, and things come
about as a result of potentiality actualizing. Potentiality actualizes as a
perceivable reality. So what you’re witnessing, always, is the emergence of
potentiality. The emer gence of potentiality is for this arm to rise. It does it
by itself. You think there’ s a you causing it, but you don’t have anything to
do with it. It rose itself, spontaneously. All that’s occurring spontaneous ly is due to the emer gence of potentiality
as actuality, when conditions are favorable. That’ s nonlinear dynamics,
when conditions are favorable. So, the conditions also have to be favorable. You don’t make the flower grow. I never saw anybody that made a flower
grow. Did you ever meet anybody that made a flower grow? Thank you,
God. When you plant something, you’re taking advantage of what I just got
through explaining. All you’re doing is adding conditions that are
favorable, such as sunlight, water, and fertilizer. But the potentiality is
within  the seed. It actualizes within the phenomenal world, not as causality. You can’ t force the flower to bloom. We need to get rid of the idea of imperfection, because here, it has the
potential to become a rose. The rose is half unfolded. You’re going to tell
me that’s a bad rose? A defecti ve rose? That something’ s wrong with the
rose? No. You see, what happens 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 our Unconditioned Self. This is the
Self that life loves. An inquiry on love is infinite by its nature. Soon Louise and I will work
on the online program for Life Loves Y ou. We’ll create a Life Loves Y ou card
deck, full of spiritual practices and affirmations. We’ll also post a series of
interviews on the Heal Your Life website. These offerings will help to take
the inquiry even deeper. The more we let life love us, the more we can be the person we truly are. The inner work, then, is to disso lve the blocks to love and to keep on doing
so until only love remains. Love  is our true nature. Love is how we express
our heart. Love is our soul’ s purpose. We are here to love the world. We are
here to choose love over fear. This is our gift to ourselves and to each other.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: Who is the author of the book "You Can Heal Your Life"?,
A: Louise Hay
Q: What is the title of the book being discussed in the passage?,
A: Life Loves You
Q: What is the main theme of the book "Life Loves You"?,
A: Exploring the concept of "Life loves you" and the importance of self-love and acceptance
Q: What is the name of the spiritual practice recommended in the book "Life Loves You"?,
A: Blessing the World
Q: Who are the authors of the book "Life Loves You"?,
A: Louise Hay and Robert Holden<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Soil and Health Library
This document is a reproduction of the book or other copyrighted material you
requested. It was prepared on for the exclusive use of Oriana, whose email address is
orianaoriana@gmail.com. This reproduction was made by the Soil and Health Library only for the purpose of
research and study. Any further reproduction or distribution of this copy in any form
whatsoever constitutes a violation of copyrights.Triumph Over Disease
by Fasting And Natural Diet

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

Arco Publishing Company, Inc. New York

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

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

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


,” he said. “I thought it broke the day I left home. But I was naive. When I ended
as Siddhartha, his karma continued to follow me. I feel as troubled as the
day I left my wife and child a year ago. My hunger is for freedom, but the
trap keeps closing tighter. Instead of attacking me directly, the demons sow
discord everywhere around me. There’ s only one thing left to try.” Gautama
had skirted the truth, that the demons actually feared him. “But what are you going to do?” Ananda pleaded, trying not to think
about how alone he would be after this night.Gautama wanted to protect his intentions, but he relented a little. There
was a good chance that he would fail, and if that happened he would return
home, not try to find the next guru. “Death has been stalking me since the
day I was born. Eventually, no matter how hard I struggle, death will win—
the hunter will kill his prey. But until then I have one chance to turn the
tables. If I move quickly, I may be able to kill death first. There’ s no other
way, not if you want to be free.”

IN A COUNTR Y where villages were a day apart and travelers hugged a strand
of road winding through miles of uncharted wilderness, Gautama could
disappear into the green world and never be seen again. He set out to do just
that, but it was too dangerous to go alone. T igers don’ t mind eating
idealists. Therefore, once he had left Udaka’ s camp behind, Gautama
searched for more rigorous company. They would have to be monks. They
would have to be willing not to talk for days or weeks at a time. Finally,
they would have to push their bodies so far that only two choices remained:
bursting through to freedom or perishing in mortal form. Gautama made the same proposition to every monk he encountered:
“Come with me and defeat your karma once and for all. Death is playing a
game with us. It’ s a long game, but in the end the outcome is certain. Now’ s
your only chance to defeat the pain and suf fering that became your
inheritance the day you were born.”
These words were not strange; every holy man knew that the world was
an illusion. The V edas talked about it endlessly. But each monk who heard
Gautama shook his head and looked away guiltily. “Your truth is too harsh,
brother. I’m already living a life that ordinary people consider impossible. One day I will meet God, but if I try to force his hand, the only reward I
may get is that I kill myself.”
Some put it this way, some another, but no one braved Gautama’ s
challenge. The more eloquent he grew, the more reluctant they became. “You look holy, but you may be a silver -tongued demon,” one old monk
reminded him. Eventually Gautama did find company, but not with his
words. He ceased to eat more than a handful of rice a day. His body wastedaway, and as his skin became a taut, translucent membrane clinging to his
bones, Gautama acquired a glow. His hands, which he held out to bless
anyone who asked, looked lar ger, as did his deep brown eyes. This aura of
saintly emaciation attracted five other monks, and once the band had
gathered, Gautama led them upriver into the high country, where they found
a large isolated cave. It was a breathtaking place to suf fer in. The sentinel peaks of the
Himalayas ringed the far horizon. The air was crisp and cold as the first ice
crust on a pond in winter. Gautama would wake up with supersensitive
hearing. The faint air currents sweeping up the valley sounded like the
breathing of the world. But rain made his bones ache, and thunder split his
head open—it would throb with pain for days. For some months he and the
five monks sat in their cave, doing the minimum of speaking, collecting
roots for food, filling their gourds from a stream. At first Gautama was worried that he was indulging himself, because no
matter how austere the conditions, he loved the life of austerity. Perhaps too
much. He tried sitting in the snow for hours to see if he could make his
body hurt so much that it would give up all its hopes for pleasure. Day after
day he repeated this, and then a miracle happened. Through the heavy
falling snow he saw a stranger walking toward him. At first he was only a
blurred dark shadow against the whiteness, but as he came nearer, Gautama
saw that it was not a man who had braved the storm but the god Krishna. He had the most serene and beautiful face; his skin was a deep blue-purple
that was all but black. Gautama prostrated himself in the snow. “I have waited to meet you all
my life,” he murmured. “I have abandoned everything for you.”
“I know,” Krishna said. His voice rang among the mountains like dull
thunder. “Now go home and don’ t do anything so stupid again.”
The god turned his back and walked away. At that instant Gautama
woke up, shivering and starving. The skies were clear; there was no
snowstorm. He returned to the cave but said nothing to the five monks. Maybe he’d only had a dream; maybe Krishna was real. In either case
Gautama was determined not to heed a delusion. But he needed some kindof sign that his war against death was succeeding. All he got was that his
mind started to rebel. At first it complained of being lonely and afraid. It
argued that Gautama was hurting himself needlessly. In this phase the voice
Gautama heard in his head was whining and weak, like a small child’ s. As
the weeks passed, however, his mind grew fiercely angry. Gautama wanted to hasten its surrender, so the more his mind ranted,
the more he deprived himself. He would sit naked all night on a frozen lake
while his mind screamed in agony. If you want to kill me, do it now, Gautama said defiantly. He didn’ t
know who he was addressing, exactly. Perhaps not his mind but Y ama, the
lord of death. When dawn came and he wasn’ t dead, Gautama exulted. He
had gotten his sign, because the cold and the elements had not defeated him. He was still alive, which proved that he was stronger than sun, wind, and
cold. Bolder now, he wanted to push further. More extreme austerities lay
ahead. He could pile rocks on his chest or pierce his cheeks with sharpened
sticks. There were legendary yogis who tore their own arms of f and threw
them into the fire. But the five monks resisted. They had been given no
signs of their own. Gautama knew that he had to preach conviction into his
brother monks. Otherwise, he would open his eyes one day after a cruel
austerity and find that they had vanished. “You doubt my methods, don’ t you?” he said. “Yes,” said the eldest monk, who was named Assaji. “If you could see
yourself, you would be frightened. Why do you think that inviting death is
the way to defeat it?”
“Because when everything else has failed,” said Gautama, “whatever is
left must be the answer. I’ve done nothing yet to earn your respect, but
believe me when I say that I have tried everything to become free. I learned
the Dharma of the higher self, but I never met my higher self or heard a
word from it. I learned the Dharma of the soul, which was supposed to be
my speck of the divine, but no matter how blissful I might feel, the timealways came when I was overwhelmed once more by anger and sorrow. Much the same must be your experience.”
The five monks said nothing, which Gautama took to be assent. “In time I concluded that my struggles could last a lifetime, and to what
end? I will still be a slave to karma and a prisoner in this world. What is this
karma that visits us with so much suf fering? Karma is the body’ s endless
desires. Karma is the memory of past pleasure we want to repeat and past
pain we want to avoid. It’ s the delusions of ego and the storm of fear and
anger that besieges the mind. Therefore, I have resolved to cut karma out by
the roots.”
“How? Y ou think you know something that no one else knows?” Assaji
asked. His rail-thin body already showed the ef fects of years of austerity. “Myself, no. But you live the ascetic’ s life. Haven’ t you already spent
years sitting in silence, repeating your prayers, contemplating images of the
gods, reciting a thousand and eight names of V ishnu?” The eldest monk
nodded. “Has any of it made you free?”
“No.”
“Then why should you continue to do more of what doesn’ t work in the
first place? The temple priests taught you how to reach God—priests who
have not found freedom either, but who claim title to the holy teachings the
way a farmer puts a brand on cattle.” Gautama had eaten nothing for days
and barely slept


  f a c t o r  i n  d e t e r m i n i n g  w h a t
w i l l  h a p p e n  i n  o u r  w o r l d  i s  w h a t  y o u  d e c i d e  t o  l e t  h a p p e n
w i t h i n  y o u. E v e r y  c i r c u m s t a n c e — n o  m a t t e r  h o w  p a i n f u l —
i s  a  g a u n t l e t  t h r o w n  d o w n  b y  t h e  u n i v e r s e,  c h a l l e n g i n g  u s  t o
b e c o m e  w h o  w e  a r e  c a p a b l e  o f  b e i n g. O u r  t a s k,  f o r  o u r  o w n
s a k e s  a n d  f o r  t h e  s a k e  o f  t h e  e n t i r e  w o r l d,  i s  t o  d o  s o. Y e t  f o r  u s  t o  b e c o m e  w h o  w e  m o s t  d e e p l y  w a n t  t o  b e,  w e
m u s t  l o o k  a t  w h o  w e  a r e  n o w — e v e n  w h e n  w h a t  w e  s e e
d o e s n ’ t  p l e a s e  u s. T h i s  m o m e n t  i s  d r i v i n g  u s  t o  f a c e  e v e r y
i s s u e  w e ’ v e  e v e r  a v o i d e d  f a c i n g,  c o m p e l l i n g  u s  t o  g e t  t o
s o m e  r o c k - b o t t o m,  e s s e n t i a l  t r u t h  a b o u t  o u r s e l v e s  w h e t h e r
w e  l i k e  w h a t  w e  s e e  t h e r e  o r  n o t. A n d  u n t i l  w e  m a k e  t h a t  b r e a k t h r o u g h  i n  o u r s e l v e s,  t h e r e
w i l l  b e  n o  f u n d a m e n t a l  b r e a k t h r o u g h  i n  t h e  w o r l d. T h e
w o r l d  w e  s e e  r e f l e c t s  t h e  p e o p l e  w e ’ v e  b e c o m e,  a n d  i f  w e
d o  n o t  l i k e  w h a t  w e  s e e  i n  t h e  w o r l d,  w e  m u s t  f a c e  w h a t  w e
d o n ’ t  l i k e  w i t h i n  o u r s e l v e s. H a v i n g  d o n e  s o,  w e  w i l l  m o v e
t h r o u g h  o u r  p e r s o n a l  d a r k n e s s  t o  t h e  l i g h t  t h a t  l i e s  b e y o n d. W e  w i l l  e m b r a c e  t h e  l i g h t  a n d  e x t e n d  t h e  l i g h t. A n d  a s  w e  c h a n g e,  t h e  w o r l d  w i l l  c h a n g e  w i t h  u s. F r o m  F e a r  t o  L o v e

W e  s p e n d  s o  m u c h  t i m e  o n  u n i m p o r t a n t  t h i n g s — t h i n g s  w i t h
n o  u l t i m a t e  m e a n i n g — y e t  f o r  r e a s o n s  n o  o n e  s e e m s  t o  f u l l yu n d e r s t a n d,  s u c h  n o n e s s e n t i a l s  s t a n d  a t  t h e  c e n t e r  o f  o u r
w o r l d l y  e x i s t e n c e. T h e y  h a v e  n o  c o n n e c t i o n  t o  o u r  s o u l s
w h a t s o e v e r,  y e t  t h e y  h a v e  a t t a c h e d  t h e m s e l v e s  t o  o u r
m a t e r i a l  f u n c t i o n i n g. L i k e  s p i r i t u a l  p a r a s i t e s,  t h e y  e a t  a w a y
o u r  l i f e  f o r c e  a n d  d e n y  u s  o u r  j o y. T h e  o n l y  w a y  t o  r i d
o u r s e l v e s  o f  t h e i r  p e r n i c i o u s  e f f e c t s  i s  t o  w a l k  a w a y …  n o t
f r o m  t h i n g s  t h a t  n e e d  t o  g e t  d o n e,  b u t  f r o m  t h o u g h t s  t h a t
n e e d  t o  d i e. C r o s s i n g  t h e  b r i d g e  t o  a  b e t t e r  w o r l d  b e g i n s  w i t h
c r o s s i n g  a  b r i d g e  i n s i d e  o u r  m i n d s,  f r o m  t h e  a d d i c t i v e
m e n t a l  p a t t e r n s  o f  f e a r  a n d  s e p a r a t i o n,  t o  e n l i g h t e n e d
p e r c e p t i o n s  o f  u n i t y  a n d  l o v e. W e ’ r e  i n  t h e  h a b i t  o f  t h i n k i n g
f e a r f u l l y,  a n d  i t  t a k e s  s p i r i t u a l  d i s c i p l i n e  t o  t u r n  t h a t  a r o u n d
i n  a  w o r l d  w h e r e  l o v e  i s  m o r e  s u s p e c t  t h a n  f e a r. T o  a c h i e v e  a  m i r a c u l o u s  e x p e r i e n c e  o f  l i f e,  w e  m u s t
e m b r a c e  a  m o r e  s p i r i t u a l  p e r s p e c t i v e. O t h e r w i s e,  w e  w i l l
d i e  o


 v e  o f t e n  w i s h e d  s i n c e  t h a t  I  h a d  a s k e d  f o r  m o r e
e x p l a n a t i o n. H e  c l e a r l y  p e r c e i v e d  a n  e t e r n a l  r e a l i t y  t h a t
w o u l d  c a r r y  h i m  t h r o u g h  d e a t h. I t  s h o u l d n ’ t  h a v e  t o  t a k e  d e a t h  t o  m a k e  u s  s o  m u c h  m o r e
a w a r e  o f  w h a t  m a t t e r s  a n d  w h a t  d o e s n ’ t,  w h a t ’ s  e t e r n a l  a n d
w h a t ’ s  n o t. W h y  c a n ’ t  w e  r e m e m b e r  m u c h,  m u c h  s o o n e r
t h a t  l o v e  i s  a l l  t h a t  m a t t e r s  a n d  l o v e  i s  a l l  t h a t  l a s t s. I t ’ s  a s
t h o u g h,  w h e n  d e a t h  i s  a t  t h e  d o o r,  w e ’ r e  g i v e n  a  f r e e  d o s e
o f  s a c r e d  u n d e r s t a n d i n g. P e r h a p s  i f  w e  a s k e d  f o r  i t  e a r l i e r,  i t
w o u l d  c o m e. D e a r  G o d,
M a y  t h e  H o l y  S p i r i t  o v e r s h a d o w  m y  m i n d,
A n d  g i v e  m e  e y e s  t o  s e e. M a y  I  p e r c e i v e  t h e  l o v e  I  k n o w  e x i s t s
A n d  o v e r l o o k  t h e  r e s t. M a y  I  r i s e  a b o v e  t h e  d a r k n e s s  o f  t h e  w o r l d
a n d  m y  m i n d  b e  b a t h e d  i n  l i g h t. M a y  I  b e  c a l m  a n d  c o m f o r t e d
B y  T r u t h. A m e n. D i g g i n g  D e e p

U n d e r n e a t h  t h e  l a y e r  o f  o u r  n o r m a l  t h i n k i n g  l i e s  a  l e v e l  o f
c o n s c i o u s n e s s  t h a t  i s  p u r e  l o v e  a n d  p e a c e. Y e t  w e  c a n n o t
r e a c h  t h a t  c o n s c i o u s n e s s  s i m p l y  b y  d e c i d i n g  t o ;  w e  h a v e  t o
d i g  d e e p  i n t o  t h e  g r o u n d  o f  o u r  i n n e r  b e i n g,  c r e a t i n g  a  s p a c e
o f  l i s t e n i n g  f o r  t h e  “ s m a l l  s t i l l  v o i c e  f o r  G o d. ”  T h e  m o r e
t h i n g s  a r e  h a p p e n i n g  o n  t h e  o u t s i d e,  t h e  m o r e  i m p o r t a n t  i t  i s
t o  f i n d  t h a t  s t i l l n e s s  o n  t h e  i n s i d e. E v e r y  m i s t a k e  w e  e v e r  m a d e  o c c u r r e d  b e c a u s e,  i n  t h e
m o m e n t  w e  m a d e  i t,  w e  w e r e  n o t  i n  c o n s c i o u s  c o n t a c t  w i t h
o u r  h i g h e s t  s e l f. W e  w e r e  n o t  c e n t e r e d  i n  o u r  s p i r i t. T h a t  i s
w h y  m a k i n g  t h a t  c o n t a c t,  a n d  s p e n d i n g  t i m e  e a c h  d a y
f o s t e r i n g  i t,  i s  t h e  s i n g l e  m o s t  p o w e r f u l  t h i n g  w e  c a n  d o. H o w  m a n y  t i m e s  h a v e  w e  m a d e  a  m i s t a k e  t h a t  a f f e c t e d
t h e  r e s t  o f  o u r  l i f e  s i m p l y  b e c a u s e  a t  t h e  m o m e n t  w e  m a d ei t  w e  w e r e  m o v i n g  t o o  f a s t,  a t  t h e  e f f e c t  o f  o u r  s t r e s s  o r
a n g e r  o r  f e a r. W o u l d  w e  h a v e  m a d e  t h a t  m i s t a k e  h a d  w e
r e m e m b e r e d  i n  t h a t  m o m e n t  w h o  w e  r e a l l y  a r e  i n  a  s p i r i t u a l
s e n s e  a n d  w h o  o t h e r s  a r e  i n  r e l a t i o n  t o  u s. A t  t h e  m e r c y  o f
n e g a t i v e,  s h a l l o w  t h o u g h t s,  w e  a r e  b o u n d  t o  m i s p e r c e i v e
o u r s e l v e s  a n d  o t h e r s. W h a t  h a p p e n s  i n  l i f e  d e p e n d s  o n  w h o  w e  a r e  i n  l i f e. W h a t  w e  e x p e r i e n c e  t h r o u g h o u t  t h e  d a y  h a s  e v e r y t h i n g  t o
d o  w i t h  w h o  w e  a r e  t h r o u g h o u t  t h e  d a y. A n d  w h o  I  a m
d u r i n g  t h e  d a y  h a s  a  l o t  t o  d o  w i t h  h o w  I


 y,  I ’ l l  h e l p  y o u! ”
A t  t h a t  m o m e n t,  t h e  c h i l d ’ s  m o t h e r  c a m e  o u t  o f  h e r  s t a l l,
s a w  m y  m o t h e r,  p r a c t i c a l l y  k n o c k e d  h e r  o u t  o f  t h e  w a y,  a n d
g a v e  h e r  t h e  m e a n e s t  g l a n c e  y o u  c a n  i m a g i n e. T h e  l o o k  o f
h u r t  o n  m y  m o t h e r ’ s  f a c e  w a s  p a i n f u l  t o  w i t n e s s. I  t h o u g h t
t o  m y s e l f,  “ W h a t  y o u  a r e  t e a c h i n g  y o u r  d a u g h t e r  b y  m a k i n g
h e r  c o m p l e t e l y  d i s t r u s t  e v e r y o n e  s h e  e v e r  m e e t s  i s  m o r e
r i s k y  t h a n  t h e  r i s k s  y o u  a r e  s e e k i n g  t o  p r o t e c t  h e r  f r o m. ”  I
h a v e  a  d a u g h t e r,  a n d  o f  c o u r s e  I ’ v e  h a d  t o  t e a c h  h e r  n e v e r
t o  g o  a n y w h e r e  w i t h  s t r a n g e r s,  a n d  s o  o n. B u t  n o t  t a l k  t o
t h e m? O r  b e  n i c e  t o  t h e m? O r  b e  o p e n  i n  a n y  w a y? I s  t h a t
t h e  w o r l d  w e  w a n t  t o  c r e a t e? T h e  e g o  w o u l d  p r o p o s e  a  w o r l d  i n  w h i c h  n o  o n e  e v e r
r e c e i v e s  a  s m i l e  u n l e s s  t h e y  “ e a r n ”  i t. A n d  i s  t h a t  w h e r e  w e
d e s i r e  t o  l i v e? T h e  l o v e  a n d  b e n e f i c e n c e  w e  s h o w  e a c h
o t h e r  o n  a  d a i l y  b a s i s —  i n  t h e  g r o c e r y  s t o r e,  s t a n d i n g  i n
l i n e  a t  t h e  b a n k,  w a l k i n g  d o w n  t h e  s t r e e t — c a n  b e  a s
i m p o r t a n t  a s  a n y  g r a n d  g e s t u r e  w e  s h o w  t o  a  s o - c a l l e d
l o v e d  o n e. T o  G o d,  w e  a r e  a l l  l o v e d  o n e s. A n d  w h e n  w e
l e a r n  t o  l o v e  e a c h  o t h e r  a s  H e  l o v e s  u s  a l l,  w e  w i l l  p r e p a r e
t h e  t a b l e  f o r  t h e  l o v e  w e  m o s t  w a n t. E v e n  W h e n  I t ’ s  H a r d

O n e  d a y  I  w a s  t h i n k i n g  a b o u t  m y  n e e d  t o  l o v e  t h e  p e o p l e  I
d i s a g r e e  w i t h  p o l i t i c a l l y. T h i s  h a s  b e e n  p a r t i c u l a r l y  d i f f i c u l t
f o r  m e  i n  t h e  l a s t  f e w  y e a r s,  a s  i t  h a s  b e e n  f o r  m a n y  p e o p l e. I  w a s  a s k i n g  G o d  t o  s h o w  m e  t h e  i n n o c e n c e  i n  s o m e  p e o p l e
t h a t  I  c o u l d n ’ t  q u i t e  s e e  f o r  m y s e l f. I n  m y  m e d i t a t i o n  I  h a d  a  v i s i o n. I n  i t,  I  w i t n e s s e d  a
t e r r i b l e  c a r  a c c i d e n t. I  w a s  t h e  f i r s t  p e r s o n  t o  a r r i v e  o n  t h e
s c e n e,  w h e r e  I  s a w  t h a t  a  m a n  w a s  t r a p p e d  i n  t h e  c a r  a n d
t h e  c a r  w a s  a b o u t  t o  c a t c h  o n  f i r e. I  i m m e d i a t e l y  d i d
e v e r y t h i n g  p o s s i b l e  t o  s a v e  h i m ;  a l l  t h a t  m a t t e r e d  w a s  t h a t
s o m e o n e ’ s  l i f e  w a s  i n  d a n g e r. I  p a s s i o n a t e l y  w o r k e d,
c l a w e d,  s t r u g g l e d — a n d  u l t i m a t e l y  s u c c e e d e d. A f t e r  a  h u g e
a n d  p r o l o n g e d  e f f o r t,  I  f i n a l l y  f r e e d  t h e  m a n  a n d  d r a g g e d
h i m  o u t  o f  t h e  c a r. A n d  w h e n  I  s a w  h i s  f a c e,  I  r e a l i z e d  h e
w a s —  D o n a l d  R u m s f e l d! S o  t h a t  w a s  i t. T h e  m e s s a g e  c o u l d n ’ t  h a v e  b e e n  p l a i n e r. E v e r y  h u m a n  b e i n g  i s  f i r s t  a n d  f o r e m o s t  j u s t  t h a t — a n o t h e r
h u m a n  b e i n g — a


 o n  i m p r i n t e d
o n  t h e  h u m a n  p s y c h e ;  a  r i t u a l i s t i c  b e g i n n i n g  s u m m o n s  t h e
h e a r t ’ s  g o o d w i l l.I f  t h i n g s  a r e  g o o d,  p e r f o r m  a  r i t u a l  t o  p r a i s e  a n d  t h a n k
G o d. I f  t h i n g s  a r e  s a d,  p e r f o r m  a  r i t u a l  t o  c a l l  t h e  a n g e l s  t o
h e l p  y o u  e n d u r e. E i t h e r  w a y,  a  r i t u a l  w i l l  e n v e l o p  y o u  i n  a
l i g h t  t h a t  n o  m a t e r i a l  f o r c e  h a s  t h e  p o w e r  t o  b e s t o w. I t  i s  a n
o u t e r  e v e n t  t h a t  r e a l i g n s  i n t e r n a l  f o r c e s,  l i f t i n g  t h e m  b a c k
u p  t o  w h e r e  t h e y  c a m e  f r o m  a n d  w h e r e  t h e y  b e l o n g. H o l y
r i t u a l  j o i n s  h e a v e n  a n d  e a r t h  t o g e t h e r. T h e n  a  f r a c t u r e d  w o r l d  b e c o m e s  w h o l e  a g a i n  b e c a u s e  w e
d o. P r e p a r i n g  t h e  H e a r t  f o r  C h a n g e

B e f o r e  I  k n e w  I  w a s  p r e g n a n t  w i t h  m y  d a u g h t e r,  I  w a l k e d
a r o u n d  f o r  d a y s  w i t h  a  s t r o n g  s e n s e  t h a t  e v e r y t h i n g  w a s
a b o u t  t o  c h a n g e. T h a t ’ s  a l l  I  k n e w. I t  w a s  o n l y  w i t h  t i m e
t h a t  t h e  r e a l i z a t i o n  o f  j u s t  w h a t  w a s  a b o u t  t o  c h a n g e  m a d e
i t s  w a y  i n t o  m y  c o n s c i o u s  a w a r e n e s s ;  w h e n  i t  d i d,  t h e r e  w a s
n o  w a y  f o r  m e  t o  k n o w — n e v e r  h a v i n g  g i v e n  b i r t h  b e f o r e —
w h a t  a  p r o f o u n d  a n d  f u n d a m e n t a l  t r a n s i t i o n  w a s  u n d e r  w a y. W h e n  m y  d a u g h t e r  w a s  b o r n,  I  l o v e d  h e r,  o f  c o u r s e. B u t
m y  p s y c h e  w a s  a s  t h r o w n  b y  t h e  e x p e r i e n c e  a s  i t  w a s
e x a l t e d. I  s e e  n o w  t h a t  p r e g n a n c y  a n d  c h i l d b i r t h  a r e  r i f e
w i t h  p s y c h o l o g i c a l  a n d  e m o t i o n a l  c h a n g e s  j u s t  a s
s i g n i f i c a n t  a s  t h e  c h a n g e s  o c c u r r i n g  i n s i d e  a  w o m a n ’ s  b o d y. I n  a  m a t e r i a l i s t i c a l l y  o r i e n t e d  c u l t u r e,  o f  c o u r s e,  w e  t e n d  t og i v e  m o r e  c r e d e n c e  t o  p h y s i c a l  c h a n g e s  t h a n  t o  e m o t i o n a l
o n e s,  a n d  t h a t  i s  t o  o u r  d e t r i m e n t. “ S h e ’ s  p r e g n a n t,  s o  s h e ’ s
a  l i t t l e  n u t s  r i g h t  n o w ”  i s  h a r d l y  a  p r o f o u n d  d e s c r i p t i o n  o f  a
p r e g n a n t  w o m a n ’ s  p s y c h o l o g i c a l  c o n d i t i o n. I  w i s h  I  h a d
p r e p a r e d  m y s e l f  i n w a r d l y  f o r  m o t h e r h o o d  a s  w e l l  a s  I
p r e p a r e d  m y  l i f e  e x t e r n a l l y. T h e r e  s h o u l d  h a v e  b e e n  a  r o o m
f o r  h e r  i n s i d e  m y s e l f  a s  c a r e f u l l y  d e s i g n e d  a s  t h e  d a r l i n g
b a b y ’ s  r o o m  f o r  h e r  i n s i d e  m y  a p a r t m e n t. H e r  r o o m  w a s
p a i n t e d  w i t h  p r e c i o u s  p i n k  a n d  w h i t e  c l o u d s,  w i t h  b l u e b i r d s
h o l d i n g  u p  y e l l o w  r i b b o n s  n e a r  t h e  c e i l i n g. B u t  l o o k i n g
b a c k,  I  w i s h  I  h a d  p a i d  m o r e  a t t e n t i o n  t o  t h e  r o o m  i n s i d e
m y  h e a r t,  w h e r e  t h e  i n n e r  d y n a m i c s  o f  m o t h e r h o o d  h a d  j u s t
b e g u n  t o  r e v e r b e r a t e. H o w  w o u l d  I  h a v e  d o n e  i t  d i f f e r e n t l y? I


 say exactly the right thing at
vault. Gracious power patterns those of genius appear obvious.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        W e have made calibrations of various
exceptional physical performance, such
potentially great in all areas of human
High states of consciousness, also, arekinds of rewards of athletic achievement,
as that of the world-famous Sufi dancers
achievement is pride. Pride, calibrated at
frequently experienced by athletes. It is
including movies. Of all of the movies
known as whirling dervishes, who, 175, not only makes the performer go
well documented that long-distance about sport studied, the French film
The through discipline and exhausting weak, but cannot provide the
runners frequently attain sublime states
Big Blue produced the highest
practice, become able to move motivational power of love, honor or
of peace and joy. This very elevation of
calibration. 1 This is the story of the
ef fortlessly through space over long
dedication to a higher principle (or even
consciousness, in fact, often inspires the
world's deep-sea (143) diving champion,
periods of time with dazzling precision. to excellence itself). If we ask a powerful
prolonged transcendence of pain and
Jacques Mayol, the Frenchman who for
The most highly developed martial arts
athlete to hold in mind the hope ofexhaustion necessary to achieve higher
many years, until very recently, held the
clearly demonstrate haw motive and
defeating his opponent, or becoming a
levels of performance. This phenomenon
world retard. The movie calibrates at the
principle are of ultimate importance in
star, or making a lot of money, we will
is commonly described in terms of
extraordinary ener gy level of 700
extraordinary athletic achievement. 2 The
see that he goes weak and we can put
pushing oneself to the point where one
(universal truth). The movie itself has the
mast frequently heard (144) admonition to
down his trained, muscular arm with
suddenly breaks through a performance
capacity to put viewers into a high state
trainees is "stop trying to use force. "3
minimal ef fort. The same athlete holding
barrier and the activity becomes of consciousness; the manager of one
Schools devoted to these arts producein mind the honor of his country or his
ef fortless; the body then seems to move
movie-house which showed it described
masters whose overriding concern is
sport, or the dedication of his
with grate and ease of its own accord, as
audiences wandering out of the theater
victory of the higher self over the lower
performance to someone he loves, or
though animated by some invisible force. last in silence or crying with a joy which
self through control, training and even the sheer joy of maximum ef fort
for The accompanying state of joy is quite
they could not describe. commitment to goals aligned with true
the sake of excellence, goes powerfully
distinct from the thrill of success; it is a
The movie achieves an accurate
power. 4 Alignment with these high power
strong, and we cannot push down his arm
depiction of the world's greatest deep-sea
attractor patterns is not limited to thewith even the greatest ef fort. 69
70
(145) Thus the competitor motivated by
to abandon the power of ethical principle
move from personal pride to an esteem
awareness of that principle in all people. pride or greed, or interested primarily in
and descend to the grossest level of force. which is an expression of unconditional
These heroes and their spokesmen have a
defeating an opponent, will go weak at
There could hardly be a more telling
love, and which honors one's opponents,
potentially powerful influence on all of
the moment of the starting gun and be
example of how submission to a negative
as well, for their dedication to the same
mankind, literally the power to lift the
unable to achieve the maximum attractor field can produce a rapid
lofty principles. world on their shoulders. The nurturingcontinued ef fort necessary for great
collapse of an otherwise promising
The media tend to evoke the downside of
of excellence and recognition of its value
achievement. At times we see an athlete
athletic career. sports and undermine the athlete, because
is the responsibility of all men, because
start badly for such reasons, but, as the
Where higher motivations toward
celebrity status either consciously or
the quest for excellence in any area of
contest progresses and selfish goals are
excellence give access to the realm of
unconsciously elicits this egotism. Great
human endeavor inspires us all toward
for gotten, improve his performance. W e
grace and power, self centered
athletes need to gird themselves against
the actualization of every form of man's
also see the opposite happen when an
motivations of (146) personal gain draw onethis source of contamination. Humility
yet unrealized greatness. athlete starts well because he is almost magnetically into the realm of
and gratitude seem to be the only
competing for the honor of his country,
13. SOCIAL POWER AND THE
force. The reaping of recognition-even in
ef fective shield against the onslaughts of
his team, or of the sport itself, and then
HUMAN SPIRIT
the symbolic form of a medal, let alone
media exploitation. Athletes in the
falters as he nears the goal and the
the financial reward that may accompany
traditional martial arts employ specific
WHEN WE CHEER THE SPIRIT of the
anticipation of personal glory or triumph
it has little to do with true athletic
exercises to overcome any tendency
true athlete, what we applaud is a
over a rival makes him lose strength and
greatness, which proceeds from antowards egotism. The dedication of one's
demonstration of all the significances the
form. attainment of stature of the spirit; it is
skill, performance or career to a higher
word "spirit" entails for us: courage,
One unfortunate sequence of this that we laud in the champion. Even if
principle provides the only absolute
tenacity, commitment, alignment with
consciousness occurs when an athlete
the competitor does not surrender to the
protection. principle, demonstration of excellence,
sets a new record during qualifying trials,
lust for wealth and fame so prominent in
(147) T rue athletic power is characterized
honor, respect and humility. 1 T o inspire
arousing new personal ambitions, and
the case just cited, the drive to attain
by grace, sensitivity, inner quiet and,
implies filling with spirit; dispirited
then during the final competition goes todominance in one's sport, rather than to
paradoxically, gentleness in the non-
means dejected, hopeless, defeated. But
pieces to the puzzlement of the audience. simply manifest all the excellence of
competitive lives of even fierce what exactly does the term "spirit"
If top performers are imbued with the
which one is capable, has its own
competitors. W e celebrate the champion
signify. The collective totality of human
belief that their excellence is not a
corrupting egocentric ef fect, entrainment
because we recognize that he has experience can be comprehended by
personal accomplishment but a gift by the negative forces associated
with the overcome personal ambition through spirit in phrases such as
"team spirit" or belonging to all of mankind as a
level of Pride. sacrifice and dedication to higher when we exhort people to "get into the
demonstration of man's potential, they
There is nothing intrinsically wrong with
principles. The great become legendary
spirit. " That spirit is a highly pragmatic
will go strong and remain so through anysome manifestations of pride. W e all may
when they teach by example. It is not
factor which can determine the dif ference
event. well be proud when we take the
what they have, nor what they do, but
between victory and defeat is well known
The scale of consciousness may be seen
America's Cup or our Olympians win
what they have become that inspires all
by military commanders, coaches and
in one aspect as a scale of ego, with the
medals, but that is a dif ferent kind of
of mankind, and it is that which we honor
CEOs. An employee or other group
level of 200 being the fulcrum at which
pride. It is an honoring of human
in them. W e should seek to protect their
member who doesn't enter into the spirit
selfishness begins to turn to selflessness. achievement that transcends personal
humility from the forces of exploitationof the group enterprise soon finds himself
At the rarefied plane of Olympic pride. W e honor the endeavor, not the
that accompany acclaim in the everyday
without a job or group. competition, the disastrous
personal accomplishment, which is only
world. W e need to educate the public that
(150) From all the above it is clear that the
consequences, both in private and in
the occasion and expression of something
the abilities of these athletes and their
term "spirit" refers to an unseen essence,
public life, of motivations emanating
greater, universal and innate in the
great performances are gifts to mankind
and that although its expression varies
from levels below 200 are all too clearly
human heart


. Do
not sit or stand in one, position too long. Carrots (for their beta-carotene content) are an essential dietary requirement. Beta-carotene is a precursor for
vitamin A and absolutely essential for liver metabolism, apart from its need by the eyes. Some orange juice for its
potassium content should also be added to the fluid intake of the body. Please remembe r, more is n ot bett er. Too
much orange juice will cause problems o f its own. If the body is overloaded with potassium, histamine production in
the body will increase. I have helped people get rid of long-standing asthma attacks b y a simple advice. They were
asked to limit their orange juice intake to one, at most, two glasses a  day—of course replacing the rest of the daily
juice intake by water. At this stage in the book, I would like to inform you that a vast majority of very frequently used medications are either
directly or indirectly stro ng antihistamines. The strongest variety are used in the discipline of psychiatry and for
patients with depression. Many of the antidepressant drugs on the market are antihistamines—so  much so that
some gastroenterologists a re using these ; drugs for the treatment of ulcer patients because they are cheaper. There are many of them on the market and, because of competition, their prices are lower  than the traditional Hz
blocking agents that have cornered the market. This information is given to indicate that the pharmaceutical industry appreciates the significance of histamine
activity in the human body. They are not here to inform us of the role of histamine in water regulation of the body;
they are business enterprises i nterested in marketing their products. The next time your physician prescribes a
medication for you, ask if it has any anti-histamine activity. The antihistamine med ications mil strongly affect the
immune systems of the body at the level of the bone marrow. THE HEAL TH CARE SYSTEM AND OUR RESPONSIBI LITIES
If you have suffered because of the application of "medical ignorance" to your body's earlier calls for wat er, it
becomes the responsibility of your attending doctor to supervise your return to health by tailing off the use of
chemicals for the treatment of chronic dehydration in your body. You should make sure your doctor becomes aware
of the information on water metabolism, and your body's o ther call signals for  water, when dehydration begins to
alter the body physiology. Your doctor is responsible to you and, as your physician, he needs to become informed. It
is your responsibility to help your doctor become aware of the paradigm shift. It is now your responsibility to help
change the health care system to work for you and not the commercial and political aims of its administrators. It may become necessary to pass legislation to exclude dehydration as a causative factor in the production of
disease conditions before any pharmaceutical or invasive procedures are undertaken. The evaluation of drugs for
ultimate use in treatment procedures sho uld be carried out only after patients are fully hydrated and several days
have elapsed before starting the test. After all, the water used in taking a pill is immediately more effective in a
dehydrated person than the chemical composition of the pill. I have explained that the "placebo" effect se en in drug
trials is most probably the result of some correction for the unrecognized dehydration as a contributing factor in
disease production. You are now in "the arena. " You should use your knowledge for the benefit of mankind and try
to bring about the paradigm shift on water metabolism of the body into the everyday practice of medicine. COST SAVINGS TO THE NATION
The paradigm change in medicine, as it has been exposed, when fully adopted and practiced, will save a large
portion of the vast and unnecessar y health care costs a nd expenditure by society. Hype rtension and its associated cardiovascular disorders are costi ng this nation over 100 billion dollars a year. Back
pain translates into an 80-billion-dollar-a-year loss to society. Rheumatoid joint disease is affecting 20 million elderly
people and is co sting this nation many tens of billions of dollars annually—to  name but a few headings. Of the
approximately 850 billion dollars health care costs i n 1992 alone, about 50 to 60 percent are most probably incurred
as a result of primitive errors about chronic dehydration and the associated signal systems that should be translated
as the main thirst indicators of the body. A simple correction of this long-standing scientific m istake can reverse the budget deficit of this nation. In any event,
the paradigm shift will also produce a much  healthier society. It is estimated t hat the ru naway cost of health care in
this socie ty will reach 1. 6 trillion dollars by the year 2000 and will increase to 28 percent of the Gross National
Product by th e year 2010. Even with such  rise in expenditure, no fewer than 50 million people could not afford to pay
the rising costs o f health insurance and will be deprived of adequate coverage. The paradigm shift will reverse  this
"no solution in sight" health care cost sp iraling trend. I invite you to share the information in this book with your relatives and friends. You will be doing them a favor. By
responding positively to this invitation, you will be at the same time helping this nation reduce its health care costs
by at least 60 percent. It is criminal that at the end  of 20th Century, human t hirst for water is stil l being treated wi th
slow poisons. I have a request. If the information in this book helps you, please write me a note about your particular condition and
how increased water intake has helped you. We need to document as much information on chronic dehydration asis possib le. It is a very young science. It needs the input of all who test the information. Your participation will save
others with similar problems from unnecessary suff ering that local dehydration could produce without being so
identified. Like the letters printed in this book, your input can illuminate the path of others in the future. FINALLY
Based on the above physiological approach to disease emergence, it is now p ossible to take a resolute stand to end
major dehydration-produced diseases on earth within two decades. The public must demand the paradigm change
and adopt the new paradigm themselves to free mankind from all the "scientific" misconceptions perpetuated for
profit-motivated business e xpansion within the health care system. My colleagues in the medical profession must
similarly stop treating the signals of dehydration of the body by the indiscrim inate use of pharmaceutical products o r
invasive procedures. In 1990, the president and all the board members of the American Medical Associa tion were sent an invitation by
the Foundation for the Simple in Medicine to share the provided information of the paradigm shift on water
metabolism of the body with their active medical colleagues. Th is letter of invitation was subsequently published in
the 1991 issue of Science In Medicine Simplified. It is also presented in the followin g pages with subsequent
correspondences with AMA. You  are now being informed of som e of the actions taken to bring my findings about
chronic dehydration to you through the members of AMA. This is an invitation that you must forcefully extend to your personal doctor and administrators of the health care
systems in our society. Mor e than enough scientific in formation to demand the necessary change in the present
structure of the health care system is now available. Please do not be indifferent to the pain and suffering of others. Take a resolute stand to stop the present health care sting against those who  do not yet know that chronic
dehydration is the root cause of most degenerative diseases o f the human body. You see, by ch oosing t o keep
silent about the discovery that the human  body has a variety of sophisticated thirst signals, the AMA has converted
its basic ignorance of this fact into a sting operation against the public. Letters published in the following pages
seem to point in that direction. Section summary:

This passage discusses various aspects related to hydration maintenance throughout lifespan. While discussing potential ways

**Please summarize**

(Word Count Limit : **250 words**).<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: What is the recommended daily water intake?,
A: 6-8 glasses of water a day
Q: Who wrote the letter that is mentioned in the text as an example of how water can be used as a treatment for certain conditions?,
A: William Gray
Q: What is the recommended way to increase salt intake when increasing water intake?,
A: Gradually, and by observing the body's response to the increased water intake
Q: What is the recommended way to filter water for drinking?,
A: Using a small filtration unit on the kitchen faucet
Q: What is the recommended daily intake of essential fatty acids?,
A: Not specified in the text, but it is mentioned that flax oil and sunflower oil are good sources<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Ancient Chinese
Sexual Secrets
/or �stem Lovers
VALENTIN CHU
A Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam Book
published by
G. P. Putnam's Sons
New York Most lirchet·'Pulnam books an: ava ilable at special quantity discou nts for
bulk purchases tor saks promotions, premi ums, fund -raising, and educ�
tional needs. S pecial books, m· book excerpts, can also be created to ht
specific needs.... For details. write or telephone Special Markets, Putnam Pubhshmg Group. �00 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016. (212)


 practices enjoying the water. Time
came for my afternoon meditation session, so I hiked up
a hill and found a secluded spot to start my yoga
postures. About halfway through my routine, I began to hear
some voices in the distance. I started to get
uncomfortable, but I was not about to give in to that
scared p erson inside. I just r elaxed more deeply into my
yoga posture, and the anxiety subsided. The next sound that startled me was that of a snorting
horse a  lot closer than th e voices had been. I was
convinced that these were the banditos. I soon heard
both the voices and the horses a stone’s throw from me. Relaxed was not exactly the word that came to mind. Scared, vulnerable, and terribly self-conscious was a
much more accurate description of my state. Everything in me wanted to end my yoga session
immediately and open my eyes to see what danger I had
gotten m yself into. Well, everything except for the core of
self-discipline I had developed for ridding myself of that
scared person inside of me. T he command of steel came
from behind my fears: no way was I going to miss the
opportunity to  transcend all this inner commotion. I
closed my eyes tighter as an act of defiance and took adeep breath. I demanded a state of relaxation in the
midst of the drama. When my usual set of yoga postures was complete, I
normally sat for a half-hour meditation. I watched that
voice pl eading for permission  to skip that step. After all,
the horses had not gone any where. I could clearly hear
their breathing  right in front of me interspersed with the
periodic whispering of their riders. There really was no
decision to be made. I had clearly seen that it was this
scared person inside of me who was holding me back
from wh ere I so desperately wanted to go. I needed to be
free of him. So I took a deep breath and flowed into a
full-lotus position. I began the Mu  sound inside my belly
in a  vain attem pt to drown out what the voice was trying
to sa y. T o me it was like an act of commitment: Which do
you care about, outside or inside. When I finally opened my ey es, I saw two horses right
in front of me. They couldn’t have been more than ten
feet away. On top of the ho rses were two riders who
looked more like ranch hands than banditos. They were
smoking cigar ettes, and one of them was sitting
sidesaddle facing the other rider. When they saw that I
was ba ck in their world, they began to talk to me in
Spanish. I was somewhat  surprised that I could
understand most of what they were saying—and the very
fact that they were talking t o me was definitely a good
thing. I  began to feel relieve d, and the series of events
that transpired next left an indelible impression on my
mind to stop letting that scared person run my life. At some point in our interaction, the ranch hands
asked if it wa s my van parked down by the lake. My
mental voice immediately told me to be careful because
they could rob me. I ignored that interlude and willingly
reached my hand up when o ne of the riders offered to
pull me onto his horse and ride me back to my van. I was
a city boy; riding double on the back of a horse with a
Mexican stran ger while in my bathing suit was not aneveryday occur rence for me. As I rode down the hill, a
peace came over me from h ead to toe. This experience
was so beautiful, and I wou ld have missed it if I had
listened to my scared self. When we reached my van, the cowboy began telling
me that he and others worked this land for a rich
landowner. He  said they were all very poor, and the
landowner did not even allow them to fish in the lake. He
pointed the way to where th ey lived and invited me to
stop by before I left the nex t day. We said good-bye as
though we had been friends for years, and they turned
their horses and rode off. I fe lt so open,  so connected to the experience I was
having. Though I was going through some very deep
changes, I remember thankin g life that night for such a
special day. The pain and turmoil within me were
beginning to subside, but the yearning for the absolute
peace and silence continued to burn in my heart. The next morning after my practices, I packed up to
continue my journey northward. Before leaving, I
decided to drive farther down the dirt road to see if I
could find where the ranch h ands lived. I came upon an
area wh ere the re were fifteen to twenty adobe huts with
thatched roofs. I had read about such things, but I had
never a ctually seen a mud hu t with a roof made of straw. Before I  could decide if I wan ted to go any farther, one of
my new friends from the day before ran out to greet me. I pa rked my va n and followed the excited cowboy as he
introduced his new American friend to the villagers. I
was stunned by how primitive everything was. The huts
were dirt floored and had nothing but square openings
for win dows. There were no doors in the door openings
or windows in the window openings. Many of the people
I met stared a t me as though they had never seen an
American before. I soon found out that many of them
had not. I don’ t think the pes tering voice in my head said
one word for t he hours I was there. It was all so new tome. It was so natural, so down to earth. I sat in a hut
with women breast-feeding their babies. I had never seen
that before. I noticed I actu ally felt ashamed that my
culture had so distorted nature that natural things were
no longer natural. Once w e were back outside, we continued our tour of
the small village. When we approached my friend’s hut,
he aske d me if I knew how t o ride a horse. I told him it
had been years, but that I had ridden before. What I
didn’t tell him was that the last time I rode I was twelve,
and it was at s ummer camp with an English saddle. He
then di d the most unexpected thing. He handed me the
reins to his ho rse and pointed to an open field. This was
no time or place to be timid. I stuck my sandal into the
stirrup and swung myself int o the saddle, just as though
I kn ew what I was doing. I had always thought it would
be wild to gallop a horse across an open field. Somehow
that dr eam was about to be  realized in the middle of
Mexico where I knew absolutely nobody. I got used to
the hor se while some of the villagers gathered to watch,
and then I rod e like the wind across an expansive field. I
was really flying high, very exhilarated compared to the
strict Zen discipline to which I had been holding myself. I s pent a few more hours discussing American life with
some very inquisitive villagers and then began to bid
them farewell. I was invited to stay for dinner, but it was
time for my evening practices. I remembered that my
friend h ad told me that the y were not allowed to fish
even th ough they were struggling for food. I went to my
van and pulled out the large  supply of brown rice and
dried b eans I had stored under the backseat. I handed
them all over to the women preparing the food. The
women were so appreciative that it almost made me cry. This stuff meant nothing to me and so much to them. This was another one of life’s  lessons I never forgot: the
joy of helping people. Before I drove off, they all surrounded my van to say
good-bye. I had lived in sil ence and solitude with no
human contact for almost a month—now I was a
celebrity. How  did this hap pen. To me there was no
doubt a bout how it happened—I had let go of myself and
something very  special had followed. I was willing to face
loneliness and fear and not gr ab for relief. Yet something
happened on its own, withou t my doing it or even asking
for it. The seeds of a gre at experiment were being
planted. Was it possible that life had more to give us
than we could ever take for ourselves. 8. U n e x p e c t e d  I n s p i r a t i o n
I  had grown a lot through my experiences in Mexico. Learning to embrace life as it unfolded around me was
new to me, and  the results had been very freeing. By the
time I returned to Gainesvil le my heart and my mind
were m uch mo re at peace. Pr oblem was—I had no place
to live. My last residence had been in the woods by the
lime pit east of town, so I returned to that secluded
setting and lived there in my van. All I needed in my life
was solitude


possibility	becomes	of	finding	an	outcome. Upon	identifying	the	problem,	connect	with	the	problem	instead	of	running
away	from	it. See	it	as	something	that	needs	to	be	attended	to. I’m	not	saying
avoid	the	problem	or	ignore	it	and	hope	that	it	sorts	itself	out. What	I	am
saying	is	make	an	attempt	to	solve	the	problem	but	without	the	mental
commentary. See	it	head	on	for	what	it	really	is:	something	to	be	addressed. Think	about	finding	a	solution	for	a	few	minutes,	then	drop	the	problem	and
enter	stillness	for	a	period	until	your	mind	settles. Alternate	between	thinking	and	stillness. When	the	time	is	right,	a	creative
solution	will	enter	your	mind. You	will	know	it	to	be	right. You	will	have	a
good	feeling	about	it. A	creative	solution	does	not	arise	from	constant
thought. It	arises	from	a	gap	in	thought,	from	a	cessation	of	thinking. Drop	the
belief	that	constant	thinking	will	solve	your	problem,	as	it	won’t. If	you	don’t	have	a	solution	to	your	problem,	put	a	request	out	there	and	feel
that	a	solution	is	coming. Have	faith	that	it	will	be	sorted	out	at	the	right	time. But	whatever	you	do,	don’t	keep	running	the	problem	through	your	head. Feel
your	inner	body.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: What happens to the mind when you refuse to accept a situation?,
A: The mind creates mental turmoil, and the situation has already happened.
Q: What is the key to a peaceful mind, according to the text?,
A: It is not possible to achieve through constant thinking, but rather by accepting what has happened and letting go of negative thoughts.
Q: What is the author's advice for dealing with a difficult situation?,
A: The author suggests taking a few minutes to think about the problem, then dropping the thought and focusing on the present moment.
Q: What is the author's opinion on the concept of a peaceful mind?,
A: The author believes that a peaceful mind is essential for happiness, and that it is not possible to achieve through material wealth or external factors.
Q: What is the author's approach to dealing with past traumas?,
A: The author advises acknowledging the past trauma without attachment and allowing it to pass, and then moving forward with the present moment.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>you are the happiness you seek   rupert spira
SAHAJAWhenever we are seeking happiness, it is in
fact our innate happiness that is seeking us. The happiness we seek is the happiness we are.’
– rupert spira‘
Rupert Spira is renowned for his ability to
guide people to a direct experience of their
innate happiness or true nature. He is a teacher
of the Direct Path, which is the epitome of the
non-dual understanding that lies at the heart
of all the great religious and spiritual traditions,
such as Advaita Vedanta, Kashmir Shaivism,
Hinduism, Buddhism, mystical Christianity,
Sufism and Zen. You Are the
Happiness You Seek

 Uncovering the Awareness of Being
rupert spiraIn this book, Rupert Spira distils the message of all the great
religious and spiritual traditions into two essential truths:
happiness is the very nature of our self or being, and we share
our being with everyone and everything. Drawing on numerous examples from his own experience,
Spira demonstrates that to seek lasting happiness through
objects, situations and relationships is destined for failure
and disappointment, and skilfully guides the reader to
recognise that we are already the happiness we seek. This book is for anyone who yearns for lasting happiness
and is open to the possibility that it is continuously available
within ourselves, irrespective of our circumstances. Could there be any greater discovery in life than to know
that we are already that for which we long? How may we find lasting peace and happiness? ‘I’ve gained deeper understanding listening to Rupert Spira
than I have from any other exponent of modern spirituality. ’
deepak chopra‘Rupert Spira’s articulate and very intimate style of teaching
is truly transformational. I’ve read and treasure all of his books. ’
– rhonda byrne, author of The Secret and The Greatest Secret

‘Let Rupert Spira, one of the ﬁnest teachers of the present time,
gently guide you home to your innate peace and happiness. ’
– peter russell, author of Letting Go of Nothing
*     *     *
SAHAJA
$21.95    £15.99     SPIRITUALITY
ISBN  978  -1-  68403  - 012  - 5
www.sahajapublications.comYou Are the Happiness You Seek Cover with 12.2mm spine.qxp_Layout 1  21/01/2022  17:39  Page 1you are the happiness you seek   rupert spira
SAHAJAWhenever we are seeking happiness, it is in
fact our innate happiness that is seeking us. The happiness we seek is the happiness we are.’
– rupert spira‘
Rupert Spira is renowned for his ability to
guide people to a direct experience of their
innate happiness or true nature. He is a teacher
of the Direct Path, which is the epitome of the
non-dual understanding that lies at the heart
of all the great religious and spiritual traditions,
such as Advaita Vedanta, Kashmir Shaivism,
Hinduism, Buddhism, mystical Christianity,
Sufism and Zen. You Are the
Happiness You Seek

 Uncovering the Awareness of Being
rupert spiraIn this book, Rupert Spira distils the message of all the great
religious and spiritual traditions into two essential truths:
happiness is the very nature of our self or being, and we share
our being with everyone and everything. Drawing on numerous examples from his own experience,
Spira demonstrates that to seek lasting happiness through
objects, situations and relationships is destined for failure
and disappointment, and skilfully guides the reader to
recognise that we are already the happiness we seek. This book is for anyone who yearns for lasting happiness
and is open to the possibility that it is continuously available
within ourselves, irrespective of our circumstances. Could there be any greater discovery in life than to know
that we are already that for which we long? How may we find lasting peace and happiness? ‘I’ve gained deeper understanding listening to Rupert Spira
than I have from any other exponent of modern spirituality. ’
deepak chopra‘Rupert Spira’s articulate and very intimate style of teaching
is truly transformational. I’ve read and treasure all of his books. ’
– rhonda byrne, author of The Secret and The Greatest Secret

‘Let Rupert Spira, one of the ﬁnest teachers of the present time,
gently guide you home to your innate peace and happiness. ’
– peter russell, author of Letting Go of Nothing
*     *     *
SAHAJA
$21.95    £15.99     SPIRITUALITY
ISBN  978  -1-  68403  - 012  - 5
www.sahajapublications.comYou Are the Happiness You Seek Cover with 12.2mm spine.qxp_Layout 1  21/01/2022  17:39  Page 1you are the happiness you seek
You Are the
Happiness You Seek
Uncovering the Awareness of Being
rupert spira
SAHAJA
sahaja publications

P  O Box 887, Oxford ox1 9pr
www.sahajapublications.com

A co-publication with New Harbinger Publications
5674  Shattuck Ave.
Oakland, CA 94609
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Copyright © Rupert Spira 2022
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responsibly managed forests and recycled materials

 T o be open to the source of all happiness is the highest religion. j. krishnamurti  contents
Acknowledgements                                                                                ix
introduction           A Silent Prayer                                                    1
chapter one              The Search for Happiness                                   5
chapter two            Know Thyself                                                    15
chapter three          Are You My Self? 21
chapter four           The Art of Self-Enquiry                                    27
chapter five              The Essence of Meditation                                33
chapter six               The Ultimate Prayer                                         43
chapter seven          The Silent Presence of Awareness                       53
chapter eight           The Open, Empty, Aware Space                        65
chapter nine             Peace and Happiness Is Our Nature                  71
chapter ten              A


ave	no	overweight	problems. What	is
their	secret. CHART	4. 11:	CALORIE	CONSUMPTION	(KCAL/KG)	AND	BODY
WEIGHT
There	are	two	possible	explanations	for	this	apparent	paradox. First,	even
the	Chinese	office	workers	are	more	physically	active	than	average
Americans. Anyone	familiar	with	China	knows	that	many	office	workers
travel	on	bicycles. Thus,	they	consume	more	calories. Even	so,	we	cannot	tell
how	much	of	the	extra	calorie	consumption	was	due	to	physical	activity	and
how	much	to	something	else,	perhaps	their	food. We	do	know,	however,	that	some	people	use	the	calories	they	consume
differently	from	other	people. We	often	say	that	“they	have	a	higher	rate	of
metabolism”	or	“it’s	in	their	genes. ”	You	know	these	people. They	are	the
ones	who	seem	to	eat	all	they	want	and	still	not	gain	weight. Then	there	are
most	of	us,	who	need	to	watch	our	calorie	intake—or	so	we	think. This	is	the
simplistic	interpretation. I	have	a	more	comprehensive	interpretation	that	is	based	on	our	own
considerable	research	and	on	the	studies	of	others. It	goes	like	this. Provided
that	we	aren’t	restricting	our	calorie	intake,	those	of	us	who	consume	a	high-
fat,	high-protein	diet	simply	retain	more	calories	than	we	need. We	store	these
calories	as	body	fat,	perhaps	weave	it	into	our	muscle	fibers	(we	call	it
“marbling”	in	beef	animals)	and	perhaps	store	it	in	the	more	obvious	places,
like	our	butt,	our	midsection	or	around	our	face	and	upper	thighs. Here’s	the	clincher:	only	a	small	amount	of	calories	needs	to	be	retained
by	our	body	to	cause	significant	change	in	body	weight. For	example,	if	we
retain	only	an	extra	fifty	calories	per	day,	this	can	lead	to	an	extra	ten	pounds
per	year. You	may	not	think	that	this	is	a	lot,	but	over	a	period	of	five	years,
that’s	an	extra	fifty	pounds. Some	people	would	hear	this	and	might	be	inclined	to	just	eat	fifty	fewer
calories	per	day. This,	theoretically,	could	make	a	difference,	but	it
is	entirely
impractical. It	is	impossible	to	keep	track	of	daily	calorie	intake	with	such
precision. Think	about	eating	a	meal	at	a	restaurant. Do	you	know	how	many
calories	each	meal	has. What	about	the	casserole	you	might	fix. What	about
the	steak	you	might	buy. Do	you	know	the	number	of	calories	they	contain. Of	course	not. The	truth	is	this:	despite	any	short-term	caloric	restriction	regimes	we	may
follow,	our	body	through	many	mechanisms,	will	ultimately	choose	how
many	calories	to	take	in	and	what	to	do	with	them. Our	attempts	to	limit
calorie	intake	is	short-lived	and	imprecise,	whether	we	do	it	by	limiting
carbohydrates	or	fat. The	body	employs	a	delicate	balancing	act	and	some	very	intricate
mechanisms	in	deciding	how	to	use	the	calories	being	consumed. When	we
treat	our	body	well	by	eating	the	right	foods,	it	knows	how	to	partition	the
calories	away	from	body	fat	and	into	the	more	desirable	functions	likekeeping	the	body	warm,	running	the	body	metabolism,	supporting	and
encouraging	physical	activity	or	just	disposing	of	any	excess. The	body	is
using	multiple	intricate	mechanisms	to	decide	how	calories	get	used,	stored	or
“burned	off. ”
Consuming	diets
high
	in	protein	and	fat	transfers	calories	away	from	their
conversion	into	body	heat	to	their	storage	form—as	body	fat	(unless	severe
calorie	restriction	is	causing	weight	loss). In	contrast,	diets
low
	in	protein	and
fat	cause	calories	to	be	“lost”	as	body	heat. In	research,	we	say	that	storing
more	calories	as	fat	and	losing	less	as	heat	means	being	more	efficient. I	bet
that	you	would	rather	be	a	little	more	inefficient	and	convert	it	into	body	heat
rather	than	body	fat,	right. Well,	simply	consuming	a	diet	lower	in	fat	and
protein	can	do	this. This	is	what	our	China	Study	data	show. Chinese	consume	more	calories
both	because	they	are	more	physically	active	and	because	their	consumption
of	low-fat,	low-protein	diets	shifts	conversion	of	these	calories	away	from
body	fat	to	body	heat. This	is	true	even	for	the	least	physically	active	Chinese. Remember,	it	takes	very	little,	only	fifty	calories	a	day,	to	change	our	storage
of	body	fat	and	thus	change	our	body	weight. 58
We	saw	the	same	phenomenon	in	our	experimental	animals	fed	the	low-
protein	diets. They	routinely	consumed	slightly	more	calories,	gained	less
weight,	disposed	of	the	extra	calories	as	body	heat
59
	and	voluntarily	exercised
more,
60
	while	still	having	far	less	cancer	than	animals	on	standard	diets. We
found	that	calories	were	“burned”	at	a	faster	rate	and	transformed	into	body
heat	as	more	oxygen	was	consumed. 59
Understanding	that	diet	can	cause	small	shifts	in	calorie	metabolism	that
lead	to	big	shifts	in	body	weight	is	an	important	and	useful	concept. It	means
that	there	is	an	orderly	process	of	controlling	body	weight	over	time	that	does
work,	as	opposed	to	the	disorderly	process	of	crash	diets	that	don’t	work. It
also	accounts	for	the	frequent	observations	(discussed	in	chapter	six)	that
people	who	consume	low-protein,	low-fat	diets	composed	of	whole	plant
foods	have	far	less	difficulty	with	weight	problems,	even	if	they	consume	the
same,	or	even	slightly	more,	total	calories. DIET	AND	BODY	SIZE
We	now	know	that	eating	a	low-fat,	low-protein	diet	high	in	complex
carbohydrates	from	fruits	and	vegetables	will	help	you	lose	weight. But	what
if	you	want	to	become	bigger. A	desire	to	be	as	big	as	possible	is	pervasive	in
most	cultures. During	the	colonial	period	in	Asia	and	Africa,	Europeans	even
considered	smaller	people	to	be	less	civilized. Body	size	seems	to	be	a	mark
of	prowess,	manliness	and	dominance. Most	people	think	they	can	be	bigger	and	stronger	by	eating	protein-rich
animal-based	foods. This	belief	stems	from	the	idea	that	consuming	protein
(a. k. a. meat)	is	needed	for	physical	power. This	has	been	a	common	notion
the	world	over	for	a	long	time. The	Chinese	have	even	officially
recommended	a	higher-protein	diet	in	order	to	encourage	bigger	athletes	and
to	better	compete	in	the	Olympics. Animal-based	foods	have	more	protein,
and	this	protein	is	considered	to	be	of	“higher	quality. ”	Animal	protein	enjoys
the	same	reputation	in	a	rapidly	modernizing	China	as	everywhere	else. There	is,	however,	a	problem	with	the	idea	that	consuming	animal-based
foods	is	a	good	way	of	becoming	bigger. The	people	who	eat	the	most	animal
protein	have	the	most	heart	disease,


	family	stories	about	a	famous
Macilwain	who	had	left	the	family	farm	in	Ireland	to	become	a	very	well-
known	doctor	in	London	in	the	early	1800s. My	father,	who	had	emigrated
from	Northern	Ireland,	had	referred	to	an	Uncle	George	when	I	was	young,
but	I	never	was	aware	of	who	this	man	was. Through	further	genealogical
research,	I	have	come	to	the	near	certain	conclusion	that	George	Macilwain
was	my	great-great	uncle. This	discovery	has	been	one	of	the	more	remarkable	stories	of	my	life. My
wife	Karen	says,	“If	there’s	such	a	thing	as	reincarnation. …”	I	agree:	if	I	ever
lived	a	past	life,	it	was	as	George	Macilwain. He	and	I	had	similar	careers;
both	of	us	became	acutely	aware	of	the	importance	of	diet	in	disease,	and	both
of	us	became	vegetarian. Some	of	his	ideas,	written	over	150	years	ago,	were
so	close	to	what	I	believed	that	I	felt	they	could	have	come	from	my	own
mouth. I	discovered	more	than	my	family	history	while	reading	in	these	august,
history-laden	libraries. I	found	out	that	scholars	have	been	arguing	over	the
nature	of	health	for	centuries,	even	millennia. Almost	2,500	years	ago,	Plato
wrote	a	dialogue	between	two	characters,	Socrates	and	Glaucon,	in	which
they	discuss	the	future	of	their	cities. Socrates	says	the	cities	should	be
simple,	and	the	citizens	should	subsist	on	barley	and	wheat,	with	“relishes”	of
salt,	olives,	cheese	and	“country	fare	of	boiled	onions	and	cabbage,”	with
desserts	of	“figs,	pease,	beans,”	roasted	myrtle-berries	and	beechnuts,	and
wine	in	moderation. 2
	Socrates	says,	“And	thus,	passing	their	days	in
tranquility	and	sound	health,	they	will,	in	all	probability,	live	to	an	advanced
age. …”
But	Glaucon	replies	that	such	a	diet	would	only	be	appropriate	for	“a
community	of	swine,”	and	that	the	citizens	should	live	“in	a	civilized
manner. ”	He	continues,	“They	ought	to	recline	on	couches…	and	have	the
usual	dishes	and	dessert	of	a	modern	dinner. ”	In	other	words,	the
citizens
should	have	the	“luxury”	of	eating	meat. Socrates	replies,	“if	you	wish	us	also
to	contemplate	a	city	that	is	suffering	from	inflammation
We	shall	also	need
great	quantities	of	all	kinds	of	cattle	for	those	who	may	wish	to	eat	them,	shall
we	not. ”Glaucon	says,	“Of	course	we	shall. ”	Socrates	then	says,	“Then	shall	we
not	experience	the	need	of	medical	men	also	to	a	much	greater	extent	under
this	than	under	the	former	regime. ”	Glaucon	can’t	deny	it. “Yes,	indeed,”	he
says. Socrates	goes	on	to	say	that	this	luxurious	city	will	be	short	of	land
because	of	the	extra	acreage	required	to	raise	animals	for	food. This	shortage
will	lead	the	citizens	to	take	land	from	others,	which	could	precipitate
violence	and	war,	thus	a	need	for	justice. Furthermore,	Socrates	writes,	“when
dissoluteness	and	diseases	abound	in	a	city,	are	not	law	courts	and	surgeries
opened	in	abundance,	and	do	not	Law	and	Physic	begin	to	hold	their	heads
high,	when	numbers	even	of	well-born	persons	devote	themselves	with
eagerness	to	these	professions. ”	In	other	words,	in	this	luxurious	city	of
sickness	and	disease,	lawyers	and	doctors	will	become	the	norm. 2
Plato,	in	this	passage,	made	it	perfectly	clear:	we	shall	eat	animals	only	at
our	own	peril. Though	it	is	indeed	remarkable	that	one	of	the	greatest
intellectuals	in	the	history	of	the	Western	world	condemned	meat	eating
almost	2,500	years	ago,	I	find	it	even	more	remarkable	that	few	know	about
this	history. Hardly	anybody	knows,	for	example,	that	the	father	of	Western
medicine,	Hippocrates,	advocated	diet	as	the	chief	way	to	prevent	and	treat
disease	or	that	George	Macilwain	knew	that	diet	was	the	way	to	prevent	and
treat	disease	or	that	the	man	instrumental	in	founding	the	American	Cancer
Society,	Frederick	L. Hoffman,	knew	that	diet	was	the	way	to	prevent	and
treat	disease. How	did	Plato	predict	the	future	so	accurately. He	knew	that	consuming
animal	foods	would	not	lead	to	true	health	and	prosperity. Instead,	the	false
sense	of	rich	luxury	granted	by	being	able	to	eat	animals	would	only	lead	to	a
culture	of	sickness,	disease,	land	disputes,	lawyers	and	doctors. This	is	a
pretty	good	description	of	some	of	the	challenges	faced	by	modern	America. How	did	Seneca,	one	of	the	great	scholars	2,000	years	ago,	a	tutor	and
advisor	to	Roman	Emperor	Nero,	know	with	such	certainty	the	trouble	with
consuming	animals	when	he	wrote
2
:
An	Ox	is	satisfied	with	the	pasture	of	an	acre	or	two:	one	wood	suffices
for	several	Elephants. Man	alone	supports	himself	by	the
pillage	of	the
whole	earth	and	sea. What. Has	Nature	indeed	given	us	so	insatiable	a
stomach,	while	she	has	given	us	so	insignificant	bodies. …	The	slaves
of	the	belly	(as	says	Sallust)	are	to	be	counted	in	the	number	of	the
lower	animals,	not	of	men. Nay,	not	of	them,	but	rather	of	the	dead. …
You	might	inscribe	on	their	doors,	“These	have	anticipated	death. ”
How	did	George	Macilwain	predict	the	future	when	he	said	that	the	localtheory	of	disease	would	not	lead	to	health. Even	today,	we	don’t	have	any
pills	or	procedures	that	effectively	prevent,	eliminate	or	even	treat	the	causes
of	any	chronic	diseases. The	most	promising	preventions	and	treatments	have
now	been	shown	to	be	diet	and	lifestyle	changes,	a	constitutional	approach	to
health. How	did	we	forget	these	lessons	from	the	past. How	did	we	go	from
knowing	that	the	best	athletes	in	the	ancient	Greek	Olympics	must	consume	a
plant-based	diet	to	fearing	that	vegetarians	don’t	get	enough	protein. How	did
we	get	to	a	place	where	the	healers	of	our	society,	our	doctors,	know	little,	if
anything,	about	nutrition;	where	our	medical	institutions	denigrate	the
subject;	where	using	prescription	drugs	and	going	to	hospitals	is	the	third
leading	cause	of	death. How	did	we	get	to	a	place	where	advocating	a	plant-
based	diet	can	jeopardize	a	professional	career,	where	scientists	spend	more
time	mastering	nature	than	respecting	it. How	did	we	get	to	a	place	where	the
companies	that	profit	from	our	sickness	are	the	ones	telling	us	how	to	be
healthy;	where	the	companies	that	profit	from	our	food