 These
Great  Beings  of Light!  The  ignorance  and  fiendishness  of
unfortunate  Individuals,  is but a claw  of the sinister  force,
to spread  their  poisonous  breath  among  the students.
I say to you  Beloved  People  of Detroit,  fiendish  human
Beings  will  pay  the penalty,  as no human  Being  on the
face of This  Earth  can understand;  for the falsehoods  they
have  spread  concerning  the Messengers  and  This  Work—
not the Messengers  so much,  as This  Work,  which  is the
Light  of every  human  Being's  Life.  You  watch!  The  end
of their  rope  is at hand.  Human  Beings  so imbued  with
the fiendishness  and falsehood  as to spread  apparent  opposi-
tion to This  Light,  do it only  to gain  money.  They  have
failed,  as all destructive  forces  must  fail!  I say that  to every
human  being  who  opposes  This  Light;  because  there  is
nothing  the Messengers  give  forth,  which  is not beautiful
and constructive,  and  for the Freedom  of mankind.  It is a
Service  to the Earth  which  has never  been  rendered.
If you allow  yourselves  to be affected  by such  false  things,
you will  pay  the penalty;  and  you  will  continue  in your
limitations.  I speak  with  Authority!  I want  the Blessed  Peo-292 THE  "I AM99  DISCOURSES
pie and Students  to have  their  Freedom;  and  be untouched
by the fiendish  falsehoods  which  are spread.  Therefore,
stand  in the Light  of your  "I AM  Presence,"  Beloved  Ones,
and have  your  Freedom!
When  human  Beings  allow  destructive  qualities  to pour
forth,  they  must  pay  the penalty;  because  it is the Law  of
their  Life!  It is not that  anybody  wishes  anything  upon
them,  but the Law  of their  Life  must  act; and  the qualities
which  those  human  Beings  send  forth,  return  home  to act
in their  worlds.  There  is nothing  can prevent  it but them-
selves;  and  the acceptance  of the Presence  which  dissolves
and consumes  it.
Let me remind  you,  there  is no one thing  so important
today,  outside  of the Acknowledgment  of the "I AM  Pres-
ence,"  as to call It into  action,  to use the Violet  Consuming
Flame;  so all discord  and  accumulation  can  be dissolved
and consumed  from  your  world!  You  cannot  comprehend
what  this means  to you in the intellect;  but if you will  only
give obedience  and  make  the earnest  sincere  Call  to your
Presence;  That  Work  will  be done!  Remember,  when  you
call your  Presence  to form  the Tube  of Light  about  you;
and set the Violet  Consuming  Flame  into  action  and  con-
tinue  It, it is done!  The  Presence  always  answers!  Then,
don't  let your  human  requalify  it again;  or believe  it is not
acting!  If you  do, with  such  a continued  feeling,  you  will
shatter  that  which  you  have  called  the Presence  to pro-
duce  for you;  because  you  are the Authority,  the Decreer
for your  world.  Its energy  will  act according  to your DISCOURSE  XXII  293
Decree—your  feeling,  because  you are a Being  of Free  Will.
It is why,  as you comprehend  these  Simple  Laws  of Life
and set Them  into  action;  you become  an Invincible  Being,
whose  Power  of Light  is the Governing  Intelligence  and
Activity  of your  world.
Beloved  Ones,  Oh,  rejoice!  Do not accept  in your  world,
financial  limitation—or  limitation  of any  kind,  ill health
—or disturbance.  This  Power  of Light  anchored  within
your  Heart  is the Power  of Life,  the Power  of the Universe;
the Greatest  Intelligence  which  exists.  Its Mighty  Energy
released  in the body,  will  dissolve  and  consume,  cause  and
effect,  not only  in the body,  but in the feeling  world  of the
Individual;  and  of every  condition  which  disturbs  you  or
causes  pain  or distress.
If you  realized  it, you  could  stand  and  raise  your  hands
to the Presence,  as if you grasped  the Power,  the Substance
of the Presence  and  drew  It down  on the body.  You  could
draw  it into  your  body  and all pain  and  disturbance  would
be dissolved—which  was  ever  created  there,  and  at once!
You don't  have  to wait  days  and weeks  to do it! Today,  in
the Intelligent  Release  of the Energy  of the Individual  by
the Power  of the  Presence,  YOU  CAN  WITH  THE
HANDS  REACH  INTO  THE  SUBSTANCE  OF THE
PRESENCE  AND  SWEEP  OUT  ALL  DISCORD  IN
YOUR  BODY  OR WORLD.  Try  to feel that,  and  feel the
Authority  of the Presence  which  is All-powerful,  to charge
your  world  with  It and  do it now!  Then,  so quickly  feel
the Freedom  which  is yours,  the Health  and  the Joy! 294 THE  "I AM99  DISCOURSES
You cannot  have  Happiness,  Dear  Hearts,  if your  body  is
racked  with  pain  and distress!  No one can be happy  in that
condition!  Suppose  we took  a body,  for illustration,  which
was racked  with  pain  from  whatever  cause,  it does  not
matter.  If the Individual  in the midst  of pain,  would  stand
and give  his or her attention  to the Presence  and call It into
action  with  dynamic  energy,  in ten minutes;  he or she could
sweep  the pain  out of that body,  and make  no mistake  about
it! It is possible,  if enough  Dynamic  Energy  is released.
I am determined  Individuals  shall  understand  their  Au-
thority  for Health!  their  Authority  for Happiness!  their
Authority  for the Release,  from  the Treasure-house  of their
Presence,  of the money  supply  which  they  require!  By the
Powers  of Light,  I command  that  to take  place  in the feel-
ing world  of mankind  everywhere;  and hold  Its Dominion,
so Individuals  may  awaken  and  be the Glorified  Beings
which  the Light  that  beats  their  Hearts,  entitles  them  to be!
If people  do not love  themselves  enough,  then  I Love
them  enough;  to give  an Added  Assistance  which  will
awaken  them  into  the full  Power,  Authority  and  Glory
of their  own  Beings,  their  Life,  their  "Mighty  I AM"!  They
can call Its Intensified  Power  into  action,  so It may  purify,
cleanse  and  set their  worlds  into  order—to  give  them  the
Happiness  which  comes  alone,  in Perfect  Health  and  the
Acknowledgment  of Life  which  is without  limit!  That
Happiness  is Eternal  for each  one.
Therefore,  today  Great  is your  Privilege!  Great,  Great
is your  Privilege!  Individuals  have  lived  so long,  believing DISCOURSE  XXII  295
they must  still be subject  to the conditions  of their  own  mis-
takes.  Today  they  have  This  Light!  We  know  their  mis-
takes  may  no longer  be allowed  to rule  them.  THINK  OF
IT, THERE  IS NOT  ONE  THING  IN  THE  UNI-
VERSE,  WHICH  CONDEMNS


 medicine to a dehydrated body.
– F. Batmanghelidj,  M.D., watercure.com, Author of – Water Cures: Drugs Kill
   and Your Body’s Many Cries for Water ~You Are Not Sick, You Are Thirsty.Blood Plasma is 90% Water
Sure, blood is thicker than water... but only by about
10%! Blood plasma is 90% water which permits it to
circulate through the body freely. It carries all sorts of
nutrients and gases, organic salts and products, and itemsneeded for body functions, activity and growth.
Everything used by body cells is transported by
plasma, including the material the cell is made from.Anything made by these same cells which is needed in
other parts of the body – or to be excreted – is carried by
the same plasma. Yet plasma remains fairly identical incomposition at all times throughout the body. As it
absorbs foods and fuels from the digestive and respiratory
processes, it has the same substances taken from it bybody tissues, including the kidneys and lungs. If this
important balance is to be always healthy and well
maintained, it’s vitally important to have sufficient purewater for your blood and your entire body.
Water Helps Keep You Cool and Healthy
Automobiles have water in their radiators to help cool
their engines. It’s much the same with the human body.
The reason is that water absorbs heat readily. In livingorganisms, where constant internal temperatures areoften critical, water acts as a vital and efficient coolant.The human body has a constant temperature level.Measured orally, this is
98.6 ° F.  It shouldn’t vary much
despite the climate or temperature surrounding the body.
This internal temperature is controlled by external
skin evaporation to a large degree. Just about a fourth ofthe heat created by the processing of oxygen and foodby the body is eliminated through normal perspirationand the process of breathing. But under exceptionallydry conditions, the body can lose up to a quart of wateran hour through the sweating process alone. Obviously,this water has to be replaced or other functions of thebody are impaired. When it’s cold, the body can actually159
Water flows through every single part of your body, cleansing and
nourishing it. But the wrong kind of water – with inorganic minerals,harmful toxins, chemicals and other contaminants can pollute andclog your body, and gradually stiffening it painfully. – Paul C. Braggcease perspiring and water is further withdrawn into
the tissues. The evaporation of water from skin surfacesresults in cooling – Mother Nature’s air conditioningand fevers are in a way related. When you sweat andfeel hot, perhaps you have a temperature. When yourskin is dry and you feel chills, perhaps your bodytemperature has dipped. These often are signs of illness.
In humid weather, evaporation is more difficult. So
we feel hotter though we’re sweating. Our body has aharder time cooling off and ends up working harder tokeep it cool. Researchers have found that the averageman, doing nothing, will lose about
23 ounces of fluid
via the lungs and skin on a day that has normalhumidity. A long distance runner, on the other hand,will lose as much as 8 pounds. Football players can shedalmost
 14 pounds of water in about an hour’s time!
Because the body is more than 70% water, and
because excretory processes depend so much on it, wateris easy to lose. Many so-called diets are based on lowerwater consumption or increasing water loss. This canbe very dangerous, especially if practiced over a periodof time. Fatigue is one of the first signs of waterdeficiency. It should be heeded by drinking lots of water!
Water – The Body’s Vital Lubricant
The body, in its own way, is greased and oiled
automatically. The body’s basic lubricant is water. Itpermits organs to slide against each other – such as whenyou bend down. It helps the bones to move in theirjoints. You couldn’t bend a knee or elbow without it.Also, it acts as a shock-absorbing agent to ward off injuryfrom blows. Applied hydraulically in various parts ofthe body, it is used to build and hold pressures. Theeyeball is a good example of this particular function ofwater. Muscle tone cannot be maintained withoutadequate water, for the muscles are
w’s water. This is
another reason why fatigue hits the dehydrated body.160The Body’s Three Sources of Water
Your body has to obtain its water somehow, to survive.
The first source  is obvious. You drink water or a fluid
containing it such as fruit juice, soup, beverages and
the like. The second source  is regular foods, which are
mostly water. The delicious organic fruits and vegetables
have the highest water content. Don’t forget your body
is about  70% water. A peach is almost all water, it is 90%.
And even something as dry as a hard roll is 4 water!
The third source  of important water is metabolism.
This is called metabolic water and it’s made by the body
from raw materials taken into the body. In other words,it’s a chemically made water. It results from the cells’
conversion of ingested food to cellular food. A perfect
example of this type of water production is thatbiological water factory known as the camel. Now, the
camel doesn’t store water. It stores fat in the hump on
its back. It also eats carbohydrates. In using these foods,the camel creates a great deal of water as a by-product
and then uses the water in its body chemistry just as if
it had drunk the water! Some insects are able to do thistoo, even though they eat exceptionally dry, low-watercontent foods. The average man consumes only about
22 quarts of water a day by eating and drinking, but he
uses up a full 2w to 3 quarts. The difference in this
amount is his production of metabolic water.
Body Dehydration Causes Health Problems
When the body doesn’t get enough water, it reacts
and suffers! The precious secretions of important glands
are drastically deprived. Saliva dries up and membranes
dry out. We’re thirsty. The body signals quickly that a
drink of water is imperative! After losing more than alittle water without replenishing the supply, other
symptoms develop. Headaches, nervousness, inability
to concentrate, digestive problems and lack of hungerare some of these. Water quickly alleviates these
symptoms. American soldiers in the Arctic experienced
personality problems when forced into low-waterrations. To be deprived of water for just a few days can
be deadly. The body needs 8 glasses of water a day to
ensure health and survival. Do read Bragg Water book.161
The #1 food I recommend is Bragg’s Organic Raw Apple Cider
Vinegar for maintaining the body’s vital acid-alkaline balance.
 – Gabriel Cousens, M.D., Author of Conscious Eating
Astonomers Find Vinegar in Distant Space: In a stellar cloud 25,000 light
years from Earth, researchers found organic vinegar, a molecule thatmay have played a role in the formation of life.   – University of ChicagoThe Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar Drink
Helps Urine Keep A Healthy Acid Balance
This organic apple cider vinegar drink (recipe page
230) taken first thing in the morning, performs miracles,
plus helps keep the urine in a normal acid condition,
for urine is naturally acidic. This shows the kidneys are
doing their duties efficiently, flushing out the body
toxins. The drink is truly amazing and once you starthaving it
3 times a day, you will see the miracles – no
wonder Hippocrates ( circa 400 B.C. ) used it for patients.
Go to any drugstore and get Nitrazine litumus paper.
Dip a small piece of this paper in your urine or saliva
sample before meals. See chart on the Nitrazine container
to determine acidity. If it’s yellow, the urine is normal
(pH 6.0 - 6.8)  – that means it’s acid. Levels of pH below
7.0 are acidic, those above 7.0 are alkaline. The chart
gives truthful figures. Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar, apples,grapes, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, cranberries and
their juices will help keep your urine at normal acidity.
Distilled water is one of the world’s best and purest
waters! It is excellent for detoxification and fasting
programs and for helping detox and cleanse all the cells,
organs, and fluids of the body because it helps flush outso many harmful substances!
(See Bragg Water Book at
bragg.com ). Water from chemically treated public water
systems and even from wells and springs is likely to beloaded with poisonous chemicals and toxic traceelements. Depending upon the kind of piping that thewater has been run through, the water in our homes andoffices, schools, hospitals, etc., is likely to be overloadedwith zinc (from old-fashioned galvanized pipes) or withcopper and cadmium (from copper pipes). These traceelements are released in excessive quantity by thechemical action of the water on the metals of the pipes.162
Pure water is the best drink for a wise man. – Henry David ThoreauPure Water is Essential For Health!
Yes, pure water is essential for health. You get it from
the natural juices of vegetables, fruits and other foods,
or high purity water obtained


 at this very moment to
gain an inkling of the reality is to pray to be able to perceive a taste
of it. Open your inner faculties, your higher self, to an
understanding on the deepest level, my friends.
The Eternal, Divine Laws
God’s love is not only personal in God-manifest within the human
soul, but also in the divine laws, in the being of the laws. The
apparently impersonal love in the laws that are—understand what is
implied in the words “that are”—shows clearly in the fact that they
are made in such a way as to lead you ultimately into light and
bliss, no matter how much you deviate from them. The more you
deviate from them, the more you approach them by the misery that
the deviation inicts. This misery will cause you to turn around at
one point or another. Some sooner, some later, but all must nally
come to the point where they realize that they themselves determine
their misery or bliss. This is the love in the law—this is the “Plan of
Salvation.” Deviation from the law is the very medicine to cure the
pain caused by the deviation  and therefore it brings you closer to
the goal: union with God.
God lets you deviate from the universal laws if you so wish. You
are made in God’s likeness, meaning that you are completely free to
choose. You are not forced to live in bliss and light, though you can
if you wish. All this expresses the love of God.
When you have diculty in understanding the justice of the
universe and the self-respons ibility in your own life, do not think ofGod as “He” or “She.” Rather think of God as the Great Creative
Power at your disposal. It is not God who is unjust; the injustice is
caused by the wrong use of the powerful current at your disposal. If
you start from this premise and meditate on it, and if from now on
you seek to nd where and how you have ignorantly abused the
power current in you, God will answer you. This I can promise.
If you nd the cause and eect in your life, you have no idea what
this discovery will mean to you. The greater the resistance to it at rst,
the greater the victory. You have no inkling how free it will make
you, how safe and secure. You will understand the marvel of the
creation of these laws that let you, with the power current  of life, do
as you please in creating your own life. This will give you
condence and the deep, absolute knowledge that you have nothing
to fear.
The universe is a whole of which humanity is an organic part. To
experience God is to realize oneself as an integral part of this
oneness. Yet in their present inner state of development, most
human beings can only experience God under the dual aspects of
spontaneously active consciousness and automatic law. In actuality
these two aspects form an interacting unity.
The aspect of spontaneous consciousness is the active principle,
which in human terms is called the masculine aspect. It is the life
force which creates; it is potent energy. This life force permeates the
entire creation  and all creatures. It can be used by all conscious
living beings.
The aspect of automatic law is the passive, receptive principle, the
life substance or feminine aspect, which the creative principle
molds, forms, and plays upon. These two aspects, together, are
necessary to create anything. They are the conditions of creation
and are present in every form of creation, whether it be a galaxy or
a simple gadget.
When speaking of God, it is important to understand that all
divine aspects are duplicated in the human being, who lives and
whose being rests upon the same conditions, principles, and laws as
those pertainin g to Cosmic Intelligence. They are both the same inessence, diere ntiated only by degree. Self-realization, then, means
activating the maximum potential of God in oneself.
God Is in You and Creates Through You
God, as deliberate, spontane ous, directing intelligence, does not
did for you but through  you, being in you. It is very important that
you understand this subtle, but decisive, dierence. When you have
an erroneous approach to God in this respect, you vaguely expect
God to act for you, and you resent the inevitable disappointments;
hence you conclude that there is no Creator. If one could contact an
outer deity, one could logically expect it to act for one. But waiting
for responses outside the self means focusing into the wrong
direction. When you contact God within the self, respo nses must
come and, what is more, you will notice and understand them. Such
manifestations of God’s presence within the self demonstrate God’s
personal aspect. They demonstrate active, deliberate, directing
intelligence, forever changing and fresh, adapted in innite wisdom
to any situation. They expres s the Spirit of God manifestin g through
the spirit of the human being.
When you discover yourself and, consequently, the role you play
in creating your fate, you truly come into your own. You are no
longer driven but are master of your life. No longer bound by forces
you do not understand, you can deliberately use these powers in the
most construct ive way, express more of the best of you, expand to
ever greater potentials, add more to life, and therefore derive more
from it.
You must discover this power and the freedom to master your life
by yourself. If life forced you into your true birthright in order to
save you from suering, you would never be a free creature. The
very meaning of freedom implies that no force or constraint can be
used, not even for good or desirable results. Not even the greatest of
all discoveries  on the road of your evolution would have any
meaning if you were compelled to experience it. The choice to turn
in the direction  that will nally yield true freedom and power mustbe left to each individual. Self-discovery—rst on the mundane, so-
called psychological level—when followed through, must lead to the
realization that you are master over the universe to the exact degree
that you master yourself. This self-mastery depends on a thorough
knowledge of yourself and on the depth and width of the concepts
your mind is capable of embracing.
Since you are created in the image of God, you, too, must create.
You constantly do so, whether you know it or not. You create your
life, your fate, your experiences. Every thought, every reaction,
every emotion, every response, every intent, every action, every
opinion, every motivation is a creative process. When one is torn in
contradictions and conicts between mutually exclusive
motivations, when one uctuates between automatic blind reexes
and deliberate action, the result of all this is one’s own creation.
Ideas, intent, thoughts, will, feelings, attitudes as expressed by
conscious beings are the greatest forces in the universe. This means
that the power of spirit is superior to all other energies. If this
power is understood and used according to its inherent law, it
supersedes all other manifest ations of power. No physical power can
be as strong as the power of the spirit. Since the human being is
spirit and intelligence, he or she is inherently capable of directing
all automatic, blind law. It is through this capacity that God is truly
experienced.
When you deliberately contact and request your higher self,
which contains all divine aspects, for guidance and inspiration, and
when you experience the result of this inner act, you will know that
God is present within you. So, my dearest friends, nd out what
distorted image you have of God that stands in the way of your God-
experience as the total, blissful cosmic feeling it is in reality. Make
yourself open to it. May the words I am giving you bring light into
your soul, into your life. Let them ll your heart. Let them be an
instrument to liberate you from illusions. I bless each one of you,
individually and as a whole.  God’s world is a wonderful world and
there is only reason to rejoice  on whatever plane you live, whatever
illusions or hardships you temporarily endure. Let them be amedicine for you, and grow strong and happy with whatever comes
your way. Be blessed. Be in peace. Be in God!
OceanofPDF.com5
Unity and Duality
We live on a plane of duality. All our experiences are ltered
through a dualistic consciousness. The dualistic state is painful,
because we are uctuating between opposing alternatives; we
perceive life as a series of events which we call good or bad. The
most threatening of dualities is that between life and death. Yet we
know that a higher consciousness exists on a unied plane and that
to be in contact  with it is blissful. We strive toward unication, but
how can we attain it without denying parts of our present being?
This lecture explains our dualistic condition and shows how we
can transform those parts in ourselves which prohibit unication.
Greetings, my dearest friends. May this evening be a blessing and
an enric hment for every one of you here and for all who read these
words. May you open your minds and hearts so you can


 ever-present comforter and guide, is always there in the
quiet depths of your mind, waiting for you to come with your prayers,
with your offerings of forgiveness, and with your requests for guidance.The Holy Spirit is always there to help you let go of what you no longer
want and to help you unwind from your faulty perception of the world—
a fragm ented perception that tells you that you are separate from the
unifying love at your core, the love that you are.
If you truly want to experience a lasting sense of peace and
happiness and of love and joy, and want to save time getting there, I
would like to offer you a spirituality that is very practical. In my
experience, it comes down to the formula of 1 percent principle and 99
percent practice. The 1 percent principle must be truly helpful, leading
you out of the illusion of separa tion and not deeper into it. At the end of
the day, focusing much more on the practice of forgiveness rather than
on the theory is the fast track to true peace and happiness. The consistent
practical application of true principle is what makes lasting change.
To help you do this, I am going to take you on a journey deep
within. It’s a journey of self-inquiry and self-discovery that makes
change possible. Without going within, studying your own mind, and
taking a good close look at the false thoughts and beliefs you have about
yourself, you cannot find the answers and change you are looking for.
Throughout the book, I will use the terms “Holy Spirit” and “ego” as if
they are separate, autonomous powers. This way of communicating
about the two different thought  systems in our mind has a purpose: to
acknowledge that the ego-thought system is separate from God. The ego-
thought system, which is separate from your true Self, come s from a
false belief in fear, guilt, and sacrifice. It is behind every doubt, every
feeling of littleness, and every wish for separation. The Holy Spirit’ s
thought system, on the other hand, is something we are relea rning to
think and operate from, bridging the gap of separation in our
disconnected hearts and minds and allowing us to remember our true
identity as Divine Spirit.
The only way out of the ego-thought system is through the doorway
of the moment, this miracle moment that is untouched by any past
association or future anticipatio n. Yet, to live in an experience of the
present moment, we must become aware of and expose our unconscious
beliefs. We need to expose the ego fully, which is nothing more than a
voice of fear and doubt. It is important not to be hard on ourselves when
we fall into the ego’s doubt trap, for here lies our opportunity to raise theego into awareness. And it is only by becoming aware of the ego that it
can be seen for what it is and then forgiven in the light of the Holy
Spirit. We cannot really judge our advances from our retreats. In fact, we
cannot conclude anything as we go through this transformation. So, be
gentle with yourself as you allow the darkness to rise into your
awareness to be released.
As you start to release the attack thoughts, grievances, and
judgments that come up, the world will slowly start to light up. You will
start to see more and more loving reflections. And though it may seem
like there is more light in the world, it is really your mind that is filling
with light again. A devoted practice of bringing all your dark thoughts
and feelings to the light will result in revelations of evermore light and
love filling your mind. The exposure of the ego is an ongoing and
necessary process that precede s the complete joining with the Holy
Spirit. With your willingness, this book will help you take the beginning
steps toward this most glorious experience of becoming happy,
becoming at peace, and finding your true purpose.
The Holy Spirit’ s answer to all of the world’ s seeming complexities
and choices is the miracle. In A Cours e in Miracles, the “miracle” is
defined as a change of perception from fear to love. Although there are
steps involved, with practice, all thoughts of conflict and suffering are
easily raised into the Spirit’ s light and released to free the mind to
experience the miracle. The miracle is never out there, in the future. It is
always right here, in the presen t. It’s merely been covered by the doubt
and fear generated by our mistaken belief that we are separate from God.
The journey within leads us beyond the intellect and into an
experience of pure love, which is our true nature! In order to experience
that feeling of love consistently, however, we have to go through an
experiential purification and transformation process. And it’s interesting
that the word “course” is in the title because at some point when you’re
reading A Course in Miracles, it begin s to dawn on you that this course
is asking you to unlearn  absolutely everything that is unlike your true
nature. So, instead of “doing” a course and “learning” something new,
your mind is being emptied of everything it has ever learned about itself
and the world, which has nothing to do with who you really are.This is why we need mind training. Mind training is training
ourselves to think with Spirit again, with love again, with God again.
Mind trainin g makes the unconscious mind  conscious. I call the
unconscious mind “the unwatched mind,” for it is constantly wandering
and distracting us from rememb ering our true identity. When the mind
wanders into an ego trap, it’s very important to come back to the present
moment and the sense of peace it brings. The practical spiritual  path is a
practice of finding and tapping into the Holy Spirit’ s thought system of
freedom and following it carefully. The practical tools I offer you
throughout this book will support you in finding and establishing this
thought system.
Sometimes peop le ask me if they need to love the ego. We can’t
love the ego since the ego is the belief that there is no love. We can’t
love something that is the total denial of love! The ego doesn’ t really
exist since it is just a belief. So, we are not trying to heal or awaken the
ego. That is impossible. Self-improvement does not solve anything. The
Self that God created does not need to be improved; it is already perfect.
What you can do is expose your ego beliefs, raise them to the light of the
Holy Spirit, and then watch them disappear. This is how you see that the
ego wasn’ t real, and you can have a good belly laugh at it.
Until our belief system is deeply examined, the ego will continue to
have a grip on us. It has control over our roles and responsibiliti es. It has
control over almost everything we do and say. Until we have examined
our mind deeply enough to allow Spirit to use our roles and
responsibilities for a loving purpose, the ego will use them for its own
ends. There is nothing in betwe en: you either let your mind be used by
the Spirit or by the ego. By giving over the roles and responsibilities to
the Holy  Spirit,  they can be repurposed for the Spirit’ s healing  of your
mind. Your career, hobbies, talents, and relationships can all be used in
miraculous ways you never dreamed were possible. I’ve marveled as I
watched all the skills that I had developed be used in comple tely new
and different ways by the Holy Spirit. The practicality of it is amazing. It
is like the unwinding action of turning a screw out of a wall. The ego has
really wound us into this belief system, and that’s why it takes many
gentle turns to come out of it.I am very excited to start this journey with you. When I meet
someone, it is never a fleeting encounter. We are here to truly bless each
other ’s lives, to be of full support to one another. I feel like I am always
meeting my beloved Self. We have a lifelong link; we have a lifelong
connection of awakening to truth together. Even though our bodies seem
to be in different parts of the world, we have a communication link. We
can join together through the power of thought, through the power of
prayer, and through Spirit. It is in our hearts.
The result of this journey is profound beyond imagination. In
spiritual practice, like any other  practice, the more you put in, the more
you will get out. Willingness goes a very, very long way! The tools I will
give you can help you see that the sticky and painful aspects of your
everyday life can ultimately be the springboards to a sustained
experience of profound freedom and joy.
If you have a strong desire to know your beloved Self, know that
the feeling is mutual and that joining together in this unified purpose is
more profound than you might think. Let’ s begin.Part I
The Miracle of Moving Through
SeparationChapter 1
Judgment and Knowledge
One time I was walking with a friend when she spontaneously burst into
laughter and said, “You have a butterfly on your butt!” I looked back,
and, sure enough, there was a butterfly getting a free lift on my backside.
I said, “Okay. Enjoy the ride!” We continued to walk down the road, and
it dawned on me that the butterf ly would be more comfortable riding on


 or less.
(Sleeping became a frustrating problem during the fast, since most of the time is spent
resting in bed and napping at intervals all through the day. This made it quite difficult to fall asleep--I was all "slept" out.) I try not to nap during the day and go to sleep as
late as possible. I think a lot about my family and how they're getting along. I have their picture on my bedside table.
   Tuesday, September 15, 1964 --Fast, 13th day: Weight 125-1/2  pounds; a loss of 1/2
pound from yesterday and a total loss of 14-1/2 pounds after 12 days of fasting.
Continued bowel activity with much gas formation throughout intestinal tract. Some
weakness, but I feel more alert and in good spirits. (I feel much better at this point than when hospitalized 1-1/2 years ago and forced to eat a high-protein diet three
times a day plus a nighttime snack. This was too much food, improperly combined
and too difficult for a weakened digestive system to handle. It continued to overwork
the colon, which needed the physiologic rest now being given.) No insomnia, but sleep sporadic.
   Wednesday, September 16, 1964 --Fast, 14th day (2 weeks): Weight 125-1/4 pounds;
a loss of 1/4 pound from yesterday and a tota l loss of 14-3/4 pounds after 13 days of
fasting. Several B.M.s. with mucus, pus-like material containing some blood. Average
day, except blood pressure is 84/60. Dr. Gross enters my room and asks me if I am
going to fast all day. I stare at him rather surprised, until he laughingly tells me that
today is Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement. Being Jewish, I have fasted
every year on this holiest of days. I have lost track of time here and forgotten about this day, the ironic thing being that I have already been fasting for two weeks. I tell
Dr. Gross I am accumulating a 14-year advance reserve for future Yom Kippurs. (As
of this writing, at 46 years old, 12 years and many long fasts later, my one-day Yom Kippur fasts are "snaps" because the cleane r the internal environment of the body, the
easier the fast. This is why I find it so fascinating and even humorous--my friends and
relatives should forgive me--when I observe Jewish people at the end of Yom Kippur
day in various throes of agony such as headache, nausea, weakness, dizziness, and
even helplessness. A truly healthy individual finds a one-day fast very comfortable
and the rest it affords the body very beneficial.)
   Thursday, September 17, 1964 --Fast, 15th day: Weight 124-3/4 pounds; a loss of
1/2 of a pound from yesterday and a total loss of 15-1/4 pounds after two weeks of
fasting. Blood pressure 90/60. Basically same day as yesterday. The days have been
sunny and mild, so I've been sitting outside when I'm up to it, occasionally ambling
over to the solarium for short periods of sun "au naturel." I'm quite bony now--
somewhat resembling a concentration camp inmate, but not quite that bad. It is a rather strange feeling to see myself in the mirror, but as time progresses I shall look
worse before I look better. I remind myself  of a science fiction movie I once saw
entitled "The Incredible Shrinking Man." The subject of food preoccupies our
thoughts and conversations, but no true hunger or desire to eat.    Sunday, September 20, 1964 --Fast, 18th day: Weight 124 pounds; no loss from
yesterday. Blood pressure 90/66. More mentally alert today. Not as tired or weak. Tongue very coated-have been scraping it each morning. Breath and taste are quite
foul with much salt coming through tongue and mucous membranes of the mouth.
Can't seem to quench thirst. Occasional B.M.s, very foul and consisting of pus-like
material. Sporadic sleep.
   We are able to fast for long periods of time, particularly while resting, because our
bodies live off our stored reserves which we all have in varying degrees. The body has
its own wisdom and takes only what it needs from these reserves, no more and no less. Weight loss is also controlled and rationed by this wisdom. Contrary to
"popular" belief, the body doesn't go into ketosis or acidosis (a low alkalinity of the
blood) from the breakdown of fat, thereby causing death. True, there is some ketosis,
but again the body's own innate wisdom keeps this under control. None of these
things I've just touched upon happen by chance. None of these things occur haphazardly. There is an order based on natural laws-- physiology-- whereby our
bodies, when left unmolested, automatically and efficiently govern themselves and strive to maintain biochemical balance--homeostasis.
   Monday, September 21, 1964 --Fast, 19th day: Weight 123-1/2 pounds; a loss of 3/4
of a pound from yesterday and a total loss of 16-3/4 pounds after 18 days of fasting.
Blood pressure 94/78. If I include the 30 pound deficit from the illness when I began
the fast, then the total weight loss becomes 46-3/4 pounds. Thirst decreased. No headache or vomiting and very little nausea or other untoward reaction thus far.
Several fetid, pus-like B.M.s. Comfortable day. I experience an amazing phenomenon
this 19th fast day: a new surge of energy, no weakness or tiredness, legs have strength
with no weakness (previously, walking was slow-motion), can rise from a sitting or
lying position without light-headedness and am unusually mentally alert. The more toxic load thrown ofd by the body, the clearer the mind and all senses become. These
last three or four days have been quite a period of detoxification through the pus-like
rectal discharges and copious amounts of horrible tasting excretions from the tongue,
mucous membranes, and salivary glands.
   Tuesday, September 22, 1964-- Fast, 20th day: Weight 122-1/4 pounds; a loss of 1
pound from yesterday and a total loss of 17-3/4 pounds after 19 days of fasting. Very
little gas and only one B.M. during the night. No hunger, but my mind is flooded with
thoughts of many succulent and delicious foods this entire day and evening, but for
some strange reason all through this fast my mind continues to see, smell, and taste
hot dogs and beans (one of my favorite dishes when I was a boy). I think of my wife and children each day and anxiously wait for mail to come from home each day. I
eagerly look forward to several nights during the week when I allow myself the
luxury of a long-distance telephone call so I may talk to my wife and hear her voice. I
also think about my practice and whether or not it is still afloat, but periodic letters
from my good friend, Dr. Newton Karp, assure me he is keeping it solvent. That puts
my mind at ease because all my expenses are continuing.
   Thursday, September 24, 1964 --Fast, 22nd day: Weight 122 pounds; a loss of 1/4
pound from yesterday and a total loss of 18 pounds after three weeks of fasting. Blood
pressure 88/64 with good pulse quality. Feel wonderful physically, mentally and
spiritually, except for a slight weakness which is understandable at this stage of the game. Mild light-headedness if I sit or sta nd up too quickly. Thick, foul drainage from
the sinuses all day, resulting in the clearest breathing I've had in years. Two liquid bowel actions today. Dr. Gross checks us in the morning and again in the late
afternoon or early evening. His home is just a few hundred yards away. I have been
asking him to give me some idea how much longer it would be until my fast would be
broken. (I didn't realize at the time that the more serious problems usually require a
longer fast. Dr. Gross knew he would prefer a long fast, if possible, for me. He knew that to break the fast now, when I'm progressing, would not be in my best interest. Yet
he understood my impatient nature and took me through the remainder of the fast by
degrees and subtleties. In other words, I would ask him when the fast would be
broken and he would say something to the effect that since it's mid-week, let's wait
until the weekend. Then when the weekend would roll around, I'd pose the question again and he would give me some logical excuse or reason for fasting a few more
days. This is the way he guided me and it helped because psychologically it divided my fast so I would not have to envision long weeks ahead.)
   Friday, September 25, 1964 --Fast, 23rd day: Weight 121-1/2 pounds; a loss of


 Author, Healing with Water – www.amazon.com We Live in a Sick, Sick W orld
We are independent resear chers and health crusaders
for the tr uth. W e’re loners. No one controls what we
say. No organization dictates to us! W e have no financial
master to ser ve; therefore we can give you the plain,
honest truth. W e love inspiring and guiding you with
our simple, easy-to-follow Bragg Healthy Lifestyle, so
you can enjoy a long, vibrantly youthful life! W e’ve spent
our lives resear ching and studying human health. W e’ve
been tr ying to understand why people become sick,
prematurely old, senile and die long before their time!
It’s our conclusion that man y make themselves sick
and shorten their lives by consuming unhealthy toxic
water and unhealthy foods!
Plus, m any use tobacco and also
consume powerful stimulants
such as alcohol, coffee, diet and
sugared colas. They also ea t high
concentrations of refined white
sugar and its products, refined
white flour products such as
white bread,  pasta, white rice
and salt and salt ed foods. They
often overeat, mostly refined,
devitalized, dead  foods, dair y,
meat and saturated fats! These are the killers that fill the
arteries w ith waxy, clogging cholesterol ( read Bragg Heart Book ).
These bad, unhealthy habits – plus lack of exer cise,
sunlight and fresh air – add
up to physical unfitness.
97% of people today are
physically unfit and 65% are
overweight! Most people eat
such an unhealthy diet that
they suffer from sickness and
fatigue. They drag around all
day and at night are for ced
to take sleeping pills to sleep. When awake, they take
“pep pills” and coffee to stay awake and keep going!
Foods can make or break
your health. You can dig your
grave with your knife, fork
and spoon! Use Caution in
what you eat and drink.
27
We are a nation of pill takers.
Every 24 hours between 50 and 75
tons of pain killers and other
so-called remedies are consumed. Few People Appreciate Health Until Lost
28 Physical fatigue and weariness make them more inactive
than ever. They just don’t have the “Go Power” to lead
active physical lives. As a
consequence, their exterior as
well as interior muscles suffer
from increasing flabbiness. The
greatest “disease” today is the
physical deterioration of the
human body at all ages.
Let’s take a good, hard look
at our young people. Never in
the entir e history of th e world
have so many drugs been used
by people under thirty! Why do
young people turn to drugs to chronic fatigue. He has no
energy, vitality, strength orkeep them going? Just take a ambition. He suffers from
look at the “junk” and “trash” extreme weariness physically
and mentally, which is toxicthey eat – that tells the entire state of physical deterioration.sad story! They do not derive
enough n utrients, vitamins and minerals f rom their daily
diet! In their ignorance, they try to gain energy by using
harmful stimulants such as coffee, sugared drinks,
tobacco, alcohol  and drugs. These d eficient, “d ope
addicts” are in danger of having children who are born
sickly and some with breathing and birth defects!
For many people, health is something they value only
when they have lost it or are in danger of losing it. W e
repeat, “W e live in a sick, sick, world – and it’ s getting
sicker ever y day!” T ake heed, repent and change now!
“Health” is an old Anglo-Saxon word meaning
“soundness.” The ancient Greek concept of “a sound mind
in a sound body” (mens sana in corpor e sana) gives the true
picture of health. W e have to place the adjective “good”
with this word “health” only when we contrast it with the
phrase “ill health” or “lack of soundness.”
This picture shows a victim of
Men do not die; they kill themselves. –  Seneca, Roman Philosopher
The natural healing force within you is the greatest force in getting well.
– Hippocrates, Father of Medicine, 400 B.C. 29 Miracle Mechanisms of the Body
If we had transparent skin and could look inside
ourselves, we would see the lungs taking air into their
delicately fashioned chambers. If we smoked, we would A healthy, energetic body and an alert, keen, healthy
mind make it possible for human beings to cope with
and bear the frustrations, worries, cares, tensions and
stresses of life a nd yet enjoy life and the joys of this world
... even as confused, feverish and mixed-up as it is today!
Where there is vigorous health, there is not even an
awareness of the complex mechanisms and chemistry that
go on inside of us to make this possible. W ithin our
bodies, the most magnificent chemical and mechanical
procedures known and unknown t o man are carried on.
We take our health for granted, as we do the moon
and the sun – usually even neglecting to be thankful.
We get up in the morning after a sound night’ s sleep,
ready to take on the day’ s work and expect to end the
day comfortably tired. It’ s best to earn your sleep with
work and exer cise – then you will sleep better for sur e!
see tobacco’ s vicious nicotine and tars coating these
pink, beautiful, healthy or gans to a sticky, deadly black.
If you smoke – stop now! The str ong sur vive longer!
We would see the heart receiving blood through
numerous intricate channels from the billions of our
body’ s cells and pumping it out, refreshed and purified,
by another route back to these same tissues. W e would
get an exact picture of our arteries, veins and capillaries.
Wecould see how much corrosion is taking place because
of our consumption of the heavy inorganic minerals and
toxic chemicals that are put into our drinking water. If
we could examine our arteries closely, we would see that
calcium carbonate and its associates are lining these pipes
and making them brittle – beginning to literally turn
our bodies into stone. Oh, if ever yone could see what
inorganic minerals do to the arteries – they would be
sure to follow the wise advice given in this book!
Remember, we ar e as young as our arteries!
Nature is the ultimate devine mystery –  www.wyland.com If we could look inside ourselves, we would also see
the digestive tract performing miraculous changes to the
foods and drinks we consume.
Wewould see it transform salads,
raw nuts, seeds, raw and cooked
organic vegetables, fruits and
other healthy foods into vital
substances our bodies’ cells need
and can use. People who live on
dead, devitalized diets would see
how the body’ s chemistr y labors
to handle burgers, hot dogs,
processed deli meats, high fat and sugar foods, ice cream,
candy, colas and all other “fast food trash” that insults,
sickens and clogs their digestive tracts and bodies!
Nitrates and nitrites are
harmful food additives.
If we could get a full view of the
largest or gan in the body, the liver,
we would see how it struggles to
handle alcohol, coffee, tea, cola, soft
drinks and other unhealthy liquids.
We would see the disastr ous effects
of the dangerous inorganic chemicals
that are added to our drinking water
by man. Also, Mother Nature can often do more harm
than man by contaminating water with inorganic
minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium
carbonates and many other substances. Looking closely,
we would see that the liver is hardening into stone.
Thousands of people die from a disease known as
cirrhosis of the liver – fibrosis, which is a hardening
caused by excessive formation of connective tissue
followed by contraction of the liver. Both hard water’ s
inorganic minerals and alcohol consumption hardens
the liver. The world is recklessly consuming toxic alcohol
products which is leading to grave health problems –
please drinkers, bewar e and stop (see www.aa.or g)!!!
30
The health journals all agree that the best and most wholesome part of the
doughnut is the hole. The larger the hole, they say, the better the doughnut.
To fare well imp lies the partaking of such food as does not disagree with
body or mind. Hence only those fare well who live temperately. – Socrates Autonomic Ner vous System
– The Body’ s Communication Network –
Craniosacral or
Parasympathetic System Thoracolumbar or
Sympathetic System Superior
Mesenteric Ganglion
 Inferior
 Mesenteric Ganglion
31
Autonomic Ner vous System, showing its 2 divisions:
the Craniosacral or Parasympathetic System, and
the Thoracolumbar or Sy


loats with gas and the person will feel very
uncomfortable for some time. However, raw yeast is a marvelous source of B vitamins and proteins and can make someone feel
very energetic –if they know how to use it. The secret is to eat live yeast very first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and
then, not eat anything at all for about two hours, giving the stomach acids and enzymes time to kill the yeasts and digest th em
before addi ng sugars from another meal. Some like to eat yeast in fresh cake form, buying it from a bakery. Others prefer dry
granular baker's yeast blended with water into a sort of "shake." This is not a bad place to put your raw egg yoke either. If  you
need it swe etened to drink it, use an artificial or herbal sweetener like nutrisweet or stevia. Live yeast cannot consume milk sugars
very well. So if you can handle dairy, try one or two tablespoons of granulated live yeast, an egg yoke and a little raw milk  or
yogu rt, well whizzed.
    Wheat germ is also a great, rich food, but is usually rancid unless it is taken out of the refrigerated display; unless it is
refrigerated, in a dated package and fresh, don't eat it. Herb teas and roasted grain beverages are healthy beverages, along with
mineral and distilled water avoiding where possible chlorinated and fluoridated water.

Diet Is Not Enough
    Those isolated, long -lived peoples discovered by Weston A. Price had to do hard physical labor to eat, had to walk briskly up
and down steep terrain to get anywhere. But today, few North Americans output very much physical energy in process of daily l ife
or work. Not only cars, but all of our modern conveniences make it possible to live without ever breaking into a sweat. We p ay for
this ease; it costs us a significant degree of health.
    Exercise has many benefits when combined with excellent nutrition. It creates an overall feeling of well -being that can not be
created by diet alone. Exercising temporarily makes the heart beat faster, increasing blood circulation throughout the body right
out to the tips of your fingers and toes. This short -term elevated flow of blood flow brings increased supplies of oxygen and
nutrients to all parts of the body, facilitating healing and r epair. Without revving up your engine every day many of the body's
systems never get the sludge burned out of them and never perform optimally.
    Exercise also changes the metabolic rate so your body burns more calories –not only while you are exercising, but also for a 24
hour period following exercise. This maintains a healthful body weight into old age, or helps to lose weight. Most people fin d that
exercise in moderation does not increase appetite, so that it is possible to consistently burn more calo ries in a day, and gradually
reduce weight if that is desirable. It is necessary to burn 3,500 calories to lose a pound of weight. Most forms of exercise allow you
to burn 300 to 600 calories per hour at a moderate pace which would be achieved by doubling the resting pulse. Without even
considering the weight -loss benefit of achieving a raised metabolism, an hour of daily exercise continued for a week or two
dependent upon the type of exercise and pace should lead to one pound of weight loss if the caloric intake is held constant.
    The flip side of having a higher metabolism is rarely appreciated but is extremely important. Recall the basic equation of he alth:
Health = Nutrition / Calories. Exercise permits a person to eat somewhat more while not gaining weight. If the food is nutrient
rich, the body has a chance to extract more vitamins, more minerals, more amino acids. The person who remains slender by rigi dly
reducing their food intake to near starvation levels may lack vital, health -building nutrition.
    And only exercise moves lymphatic fluid. The blood is pumped through the body by the heart, but the lymphatic system, lacking
a heart, requires muscular contractions to move from the extremities of the body to the central cavity. The lymphatic system picks
up cellular waste products and conducts these toxins to disposal. Frequently, people with rheumatic aches and pains or other
generalized muscular discomforts physicians like to give Latin diagnostic names to can give up taking pain pills if they will  but
begin exercising regularly. Only when they begin moving their lymph can they begin to detoxify properly.
    There is another benefit from exercise which is not to be ignored, and that is that it gives the person a chemical sense of w ell
being. It actually will help to emotionally boost up people who are chronically depressed and make them smile. After a good
workout, especially one done outside, everything seems brighter, more positive; whatever was bothering you somehow just doesn 't
seem like that big of a deal now. I am not making pro -exercise propaganda. This is not a figment of the imagination. An exercis ing
body really does make antidepressant neurochemicals called endorphins, but only after about 45 minutes to an hour of aerobic
workout.
    Endorphins are powerful, with painkilling and euphoric effects equal to or greater than heroin, but without any u ndesirable side
effects. If chemists could learn to cheaply synthesize endorphins I'm sure that millions of people would want to become addic ted to
them. Because I make such a point of getting in my workout every day, my husband has accused me of being an endorphin junkie,
and he is right! I admit it, I'm really hooked on the feeling of well being I consistently get from any sustained exercise. I  defend my
addiction staunchly because it is the healthiest addiction I know of.
    I have also been accused of  carrying exercise to extremes, and I admit to that also. For a few years I trained for Ironman
triathlons. I now think doing ironman distances is immoderate and except for a few remarkable individuals with "iron"
constitutions, training that hard can only  lead to a form of exhaustion that is not health promoting. I have become much more
sensible in my "old" age, and in recent years have limited my participation to the Olympic distance triathlons. I was on the
Canadian team at the World Championship in 1992, and intend to do it again in 1995. I do not find the Olympic distance
exhausting, in fact I think it is great fun and truly exhilarating. I get to see all these wonderful age group competitors fr om all over
the world who look and feel fantastic. It does my soul good to see a group of people aging so gracefully, not buying into the
popular notion that old age is inevitably disabling, depressing, and ugly. Sport brings a degree of balance to my life after spending
so much time in the presence of the sick. I  plan to maintain my athletic activities into old age, barring accident or other unforeseen
obstacles to fitness.
    To maintain basic fitness it does not matter so much what form of exercise is chosen, as long as it is not damaging to the sk eletal
system  or connective tissues. Many people are unable to run due to foot, knee, hip, or back problems, but almost everyone can
walk. Walking outside is better than inside on a treadmill, and walking hills is better than walking on flat ground. Exercise
machines s uch as stationary bikes, cross country ski machines, and stair steppers work well for a lot of people who live in the city,
especially in the winter, or for those who hate exercise. Whatever you choose to do, it is important to at least double the r esting
pulse for 30 minutes no less than four days a week. This is the absolute minimum required to maintain the health and function  of
the cardiovascular -pulmonary system. If your resting pulse is 70, you must walk, jog, ski, bike, swim or what have you, fast
enough to keep the pulse at 140 beats per minute for at least 30 minutes.
    I have a strong preference to exercising outside in isolated places where there is only me and the forest, or only me and the  river.
Running along logging roads in the hilly back c ountry, or swimming in the green unpolluted water of a forest river is a spiritual
experience for me. It is a time to meditate, to commune with nature, and to clear my mind and create new solutions. The repet itive
action of running or walking or swimming, along with the regular deep breathing in clean air, with no distractions except what
nature provides is truly health promoting. Sharing these activities with friends or family can also be great fun and some of the best
in social interactions. It is one of my favorite ways of visiting with people. I don't expect other people to be as enthusiastic about
exercise as I am, but I do hope that everyone will make an effort to be minimally fit as an ongoing part of their health prog ram into
old age.

Diet For A Lon g, Long Life
    Some people not only want to be healthy, but they want to live in good health long past the normal life span projected by
statistical tables for Homo Sapiens. Dr. Roy Walford, a well -respected medical research gerontologist who has been ac tively
studying longevity for many years, is one of those. He has scientifically demonstrated with accepted studies that a qualitati ve life
span up to at


 sufficiently
refined to merge into its source. Others attempt to undermine the apparently
separate self by refusing to recommend any practice that could be appropri -
ated by it and used to validate and substantiate its illusory existence.
     Others, such as the approach suggested here, recommend going directly
to the heart of the matter and investigating the self we believe ourself to be,
thereby revealing its inherently peaceful and unconditionally fulfilled nature.

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

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

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

the activity of the ego

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

T o better understand this, consider the analogy of a rubber ball. In its natural
condition, a rubber ball is in a state of equilibrium. If the ball is compressed,
its natural state of equilibrium is disturbed and a tension is set up within it.
92who is it that suffers?
We could say that the ‘memory’ of the ball’s natural state exerts a force on the
compressed ball, whose purpose is to restore its original condition.
     Likewise, being an apparent contraction of inherently peaceful and un -
conditionally fulfilled awareness, the separate self or ego is always in a state
of tension. This state of tension is, by definition, always seeking to return to
its natural condition of equanimity, openness and fulfilment.
     Whether it does so by seeking objects, substances, activities, circumstances
and relationships, or whether it is engaged in the same search via religious
or spiritual means, it is, without knowing it, responding to the gravitational
pull of happiness within its own being.
     Little do we realise that it is not our self who is seeking happiness; it is
happiness that is seeking our self. As Daniel Ladinsky interprets the Sufi poet
Hafez, ‘Ever since happiness heard your name, it has been running through
the streets trying to find you’. * After all, the separate self is an illusion, and
an illusion cannot do anything, let alone seek happiness.
     What is considered from the illusory perspective of a separate self to be
its search for happiness in the future is, in fact, the gravitational pull that
awareness exerts on its own contracted form in an attempt to restore its natu -
ral, ever-present state of equilibrium, that is, its innate peace and happiness.
We are the happiness we seek.
     In the religious traditions, the gravitational pull that our own being exerts
on its own apparently contracted, limited form is referred to as grace.
As such, grace is not a special moment that is conferred upon us by some
external deity. It is the continuous attraction of our deepest self, inviting us
to return home to the peace of our being.

All psychological suffering is an extension of the two primary activities of seek -
ing and resistance, which are, in turn, the outcome of the belief in being a
temporary, finite, separate self. Suffering is, as such, the inevitable consequence
of the overlooking or forgetting of our true nature, whose nature is happiness.
     Happiness is the nature of awareness; suffering is the activity of the ego.
     Seeking and resisting are the defining characteristics of the separate self
or ego, and therefore the ego is always trying to escape from its current
93* Daniel Ladinsky, ‘Several Times in the Last Week’, I Heard God Laughing: Renderings of Hafiz
(Penguin Books, 2006 ). you are the happiness you seek
experience into the past or future. Thus, the ego considers the now to be the
cause of its suffering. Therefore, it is always trying to avoid it.
     The ego is at war with the now. It is always seeking to replace or resist it.
Seeking propels the ego into the future; resistance drags it into the past.
It is for this reason that those in whom the activity of ego is very strong tend
to live either in the future, in anxiety, restlessness or worry, or in the past,
in regret, disappointment, resentment and nostalgia.
     Of course, the ego (if we may continue to refer to it as an entity) does
not realise that the peace and happiness for which it longs is its very nature
and can only be found in the now, in the depths of itself. Ironically, it per -
petually escapes from the now, the only place where peace and happiness can
be found, into the past or future, the only place where suffering dwells.
     In fact, the vast majority of our thoughts about the past and future arise
solely to accommodate the separate self and its inherent rejection of the now.
Meanwhile, the ego remains unaware that its search for peace and happiness
is, in fact, inspired by the intuition of its own unlimited and ever-present
nature.

the vanishing of the illusion

I understand that the sense of separation is an illusion. However, it is such a strong
feeling, and it seems almost impossible to get rid of it.

Any attempt to get rid of the separate self is predicated on the belief that it
exists as such to begin with. Therefore, in the ultimate analysis, such efforts
substantiate  its apparent existence. The separate self perpetuates itself by try -
ing to get rid of itself.
     T rying to get rid of the separate self or ego is like trying to get rid of the
snake that we believe is coiled up in the corner of the garage. Nothing we
do to the apparent snake


 system is composed of innumerable enzymes. These
enzymes are found throughout the mouth, stomach and intestines.
More than a dozen of them are involved in the digestion and
assimilation of our food. They work in conjunction with the enzymes
that are also found in the atoms and molecules contained in the food
itself.
7 COOKED FOODS
As a rule it will do no great harm to occasionally eat a little cooked
food, but never fried food provided that a sufficient quantity of raw
food is also eaten. We are now living in the Atomic Age, and to slow
ourselves down by eating much cooked food creates a physical and
mental conflict within us which is a handicap blocking the streamline
of our existence.
The juices extracted from fresh-raw fruits and vegetables form
the means of furnishing all the cells in the body with the elements
they need, in the manner in which they can be most readily assimilated.
We must bear in mind that while it is true that cooked and
processed foods sustain life, nevertheless that does not mean that
they have the power to regenerate the atoms which furnish the life
force to our body. On the contrary, progressive degeneration of the
cells and tissues follows the continuous consumption of cooked and
processed foods.
There is not a drug in the world that will supply the blood stream
with anything in a way in which the body can use it for permanent
repair or regeneration.
One can eat four or five big meals a day, and yet the body may be
starved through the lack of the vital elements in the food and the
disturbance of the enzyme balance.
Fruit juices are the cleansers of the human system, but the fruit
should be ripe. An apple a day will keep the doctor away, if we also
eat plenty of other raw food. But fruits, with only three or four
exceptions, should never be eaten during the same meal in which
starches and sugars are included. Fruits in sufficient variety will
furnish the body with all the carbohydrates and sugar that it needs.
Vegetable juices are the builders and regenerators of the body.
They contain all the amino acids, minerals, salts, enzymes, and
vitamins needed by the human body, provided that they are used fresh,
raw, and without preservatives, and that they have been properly
extracted from the vegetables.
Like all the most valuable things in life, the vital part of vegetables
— that which contains the greatest concentrated value — is the most
difficult to reach, being hidden within the fibers. Hence, the need for
a thorough mastication of all raw vegetables.
In the final analysis, raw food is the nourishment intended for
human beings. However, not everyone is able to change the lifelong
habit of eating foods mostly or totally cooked and devitalized, and in
8 their place eat only raw foods. Such a sudden change may cause
disturbances which the individual may not be able to understand, but
which, nevertheless, may be entirely beneficial. Under these
circumstances, it is wise to consult someone who is experienced in
the reactions which may result from such a change. After all, it does
require considerable mental as well as intestinal fortitude to make
this change and to stay with it, but we have found that it pays to do so.
In any event, fresh-raw vegetable juices are necessary as a
supplement to every diet, even when no special diet is followed and
the individual eats anything and everything he pleases.
When a promiscuous unregulated food regimen is followed or
indulged in, such juices are of vital importance because they will
furnish the body the live elements and vitamins deficient in the cooked
and processed foods.
On the other hand, an entirely raw food regimen, without the
inclusion of a sufficient quantity and variety of fresh-raw juices is
equally deficient. The reason for this deficiency lies in the fact that a
surprisingly large percentage of the atoms making up the nourishment
in the raw foods is utilized as fuel for energy by the digestive organs
in their processes of digesting and assimilating the food, which usually
requires as long as 3, 4, or 5 hours after every meal. Such atoms,
while furnishing some nourishment to the body, are mostly used up
as fuel, leaving only the smaller percentage available for the
regeneration of the cells and tissues.
However, when we drink raw vegetable juices, the situation is
entirely different, as these are digested and assimilated within 10 to
15 minutes after we drink them and they are used almost entirely in
the nourishment and regeneration of the cells and tissues, glands and
organs of the body. In this case the result is obvious, as the entire
process of digestion and assimilation is completed with a maximum
degree of speed and efficiency, and with a minimum of effort on the
part of the digestive system.
The important thing is to drink your juices fresh daily, irrespective
of the manner or process by which they have been extracted. Naturally,
the more completely the juice is extracted, the more efficiently it will
work in the body.
MY FIRST CARROT JUICE
My first experiments were made by grating carrots on anything
that would reduce them to a pulp, then squeezing the pulp in a cloth,
9 to get the juice. After discovering the miracle of using that juice so
simply made, I tried making the carrots into pulp by other means
until I could make a larger amount of juice for myself in less time and
with less effort. I soon discovered that these juices fermented and
spoiled unless used immediately, the time element being the factor.
Eventually I discovered a means to triturate (pulverize) the
vegetables into a pulp nearly as fine as apple butter. This split open
the interstices of the cells of the fibers, liberating the atoms and
molecules. Then, by squeezing the pulp in a hydraulic press, I obtained
a virtually complete extraction of the juice, and its quality was
unsurpassed.
Naturally this is an expensive piece of equipment. However, do
not consider the price involved, but rather the investment in health
that pays for itself!
The centrifugal type of juicer which came on the market some
years ago, has been improved over the years and there are some very
satisfactory models on the market. These have their place in the
extraction of juices, in that they are suitable for travel and also for use
in small apartments where space is limited. The juices made with this
type of equipment have been used with benefit by many people. We
need to drink juices daily, irrespective of how they are extracted.
However, the best quality of juice is the cheapest in the long run and
the most effective in nourishing the body.
Any fresh-raw juice is better than no juice at all.
The juice extracted by the centrifugal method should be used
immediately, because unless the extraction of the juice from the fibers
is as complete as it is humanly and mechanically possible to achieve,
oxidation and heat from friction will tend to spoil the juice in a short
time.
In my experiments, I have found that the toxic sprays are retained
in the fibers of vegetables and are not present in the fiber-free juices.
JUICES ARE NOT CONCENTRATED FOOD
Our Creator gave us food both as nourishment and as medicine.
It is only natural, therefore, to use our food with both these goals in
view.
It is foolish to say that juices are a concentrated food. Nothing
could be farther from the truth. A concentrated food is a product
which has been dehydrated, from which its water content has been
dissipated. Juices on the other hand are very liquid food, mostly organic
water of the finest quality with the nourishing atoms and molecules
10 in comparatively microscopic volume. It is the microscopic volume
for which the cells and tissues of the body are starved!
In the extraction of "complete" juices, it is essential that the fibers
be properly triturated (pulverized) in order that the vital elements
may be released into the liquid.
It has been demonstrated by the research of this author, one of the
pioneers in the reduction of raw vegetables into their liquid form,
that the fibers must be properly triturated (pulverized). The juice must
then be expressed from the resultant pulp by a hydraulic or equivalent
pressure. Otherwise, the vitamins, the enzymes, and the entire volume
of vital elements of the vegetables are not likely to be found in the
juice.
However, when extracted, the raw vegetable juices are readily
and quickly assimilated by the human body. Because the juices are
organic or live food, they regenerate the entire body with surprisingly
rapid results.
Under no circumstances consider that fresh-raw vegetable juices
are a concentrated food or medicine when they are in their natural
state. As a matter of fact, they are among the least concentrated, and
yet the most nourishing of our foods.
To dispel such nonsense about the concentrated quality of these
juices, just consider how much more concentrated than the juices are
the following items used as food: soy bean and soy bean flour are
870% more concentrated than carrot juice and 940% more than celery
juice. Popcorn is 2100% more concentrated than carrot juice and
2300% more than celery juice. White sugar is 4200% more
concentrated than carrot juice and 4600% more than celery juice


icillin that ended my
defenses. Later I tried a homeopathic but he was useless.
I did not manage to cure myself until my parents asked
God and he listened to them.
92 My parents went to speak with the father of the temple and he gave us a gift.
U was a book that taught them of Urine-therapy.
In addition the Father commented that another Father had cured himself of the
same problem of epilepsy as I had. My parents told me to do it.
They aJso took it for some sUght diseases that they have.
Thank God we felt very well.
In only two days taking it I have not returned to have any attacks much less to
suffer any colds or flu. I thank God for this medicine that was given to me and for
this faith that always I have had in him. He is the main thing to heal a11 and thanks
to him for this spring of life that returned my health.
TESTIMONY 74*
PROBLEMS lN CARTllAG£S
Lupita S. Castaneda { Mexico }
It had problems of my cartilage.
I am an athlete and I went to tears when I realized I no longer could run any more.
So I began to take Urine for four months and I have felt far better little by little.
Thanks to God I continue running.
TESTIMONY 75 *
HVP£RT£NS10N AND COllTlS
Dr Teresa S. Rivas {Mexico}
I practice different alternative therapies.
Days ago my mother called me by telephone telling me, " Daughter, I am very bad.
I feel that I will die. I have very high pressure and my pupils are very expanded.
My stomach feels very inflamed. 1 feet that 1 am going away to die...
Then I said to her, " Mother, fast for three days and drink your Urine.
Mix the Urine with mud and rub it on the stomach and kidneys ".
I was very surprised when she called me on the following day to say
that she felt like she was 15 years old.
TESTIMONY 76*
VlC£RS GASTR1T1S. COllTlS
Mr. Ramon P. Gonzalez { Mexico }
My sufferings that got better are, ulcers, gastritis
(very acute acidness of my stomach for 45 years), nervous system very altered,
very strong disquiet, insomnia, colitis, and pains of my kidneys.
I am very improved.
93 My problem with my prostate is a burning sensation and hemorrhoids.
They disappeared after taking my Urine from 25th from March of 1995 to date.
I feel better with many energies.
TESTIMONY 77*
D1AB£T£S AND COLlTlS
Ma. Magdalena Bermudez { Mexico }
Without going to a conference,
I began to take my Urine by the desperation from my disease (diabetes).
I listened that they had to make a fast.
1 wanted to prove it's possibilities but my stomach loosened and 1 moved black
particle balls out.
I was scared to make the therapy further.
Later I was told that it was a normal reaction.
I then returned to the therapy and did not take insulin during that month.
A great change came in my body.
My sugar raised and I suffered an infection in my bladder.
J did not stop taking the therapy until this 20th of June.
Already I am cured. Thanks God.
TESTIMONY 78*
F1BROAD£NOMA1' VAR1C£S
Mrs. Queta Aguilar { Mexico }
I initiated the method of therapy the 8th of May of 1998.
I am 40 years of age and my disease is fibroadenoma in left breast
and painful fibroma in right breast.
1 was diagnosed by two doctors.
Studies have not made the problem solvable because I lack economic resources.
I knew of the Urine-therapy but I did not try to do it because It made me sick.
A doctor friend tried to get me to start the method of Urine-therapy
because of the gravity of my problem.
I started a fasting but it was hopeless because of my headaches
yet God and I pushed on to the end.
When finishing the fast the fibroma along with varicos viens disappeared on the
right leg. I wanted to be able to help with my testimony for others.
I am not going to stop Urine-therapy ever. Thanks to Sonia I am cured.
94 TESTIMONY 79*
GASTRlC VLC£RS
Mr. Jose Luis Z. Alvarez { Mexico }
He had problems of gastric ulcers and some stomach problems.
He also suffered very strong pains in the head that really have diminished.
TESTIMONY 80*
ASTHMA,. K1DN£V
Boy Cristian Israel Chavez and Mrs. Ma. Guadalupe T { Mexico }
We began fasting the 2nd of April after hearing the conference that same day.
Near the 25th of April, my son got a cold after taking it,
but thanks to him he now rid himself of asthma and thanks to God taking the
Urine his cure came quick during the first month.
To me when sleeping I hurt my left kidney,
and the pain was so strong that I woke up in the middle of the night.
Now, it no longer hurts nor is my bladder irritated like before.
Thanks to that I could take my Urine as easy as my son.
TESTIMONY 81 *
1NF£CT10N
Mrs. Maria Castel D. { Mexico }
I cured myself of an infection that I had in my navel and also the conduit healed
that unites the navel to the bladder. It did not close by itself but could be united
with surgery. With the Urine It sealed itself.
TESTIMONY 82*
SlNVSlTlS,. lNSOMNlA,. ASTHMA
Mrs. Margarita To Zazua { Mexico }
It has been six years with these diseases. I began with problems like colds.
Little by little I was becoming sick more and more with allergies~ and later itches
throughout my body. I became ill of sinusitis, insomnia, cough, but specifically
with asthma. Taking the Urine f cured all thanks to God.
95 TESTIMONY 83*
R£VMAT1SM,. HYP£RT£NS10N
Mrs. Ma. de J. Esparza { Mexico }
I am cured of rheumatism, the vesicle, blood pressure and other several diseases
that I had. I began with the Urine-therapy the 13th of August of last year
and to date I am very well. Thanks to God and the Urine with its great power I
have been healed as so many people who I know have been healed.
TESTIMONY 84*
DlAB£T£S,. ASTlGMATlSM CHOt£ST£ROl
Susana Ramirez de N { Mexico }
I had several diseases as high triglicerides,
cholesterol, diabetes, mltopia, astigmatism, insecurity, etc.
The Urine-therapy I started on the 5 h day of February of 1997 after seeing a video
of a conference in Guadalajara.
Eight days after I already felt better,
very safe, very content and with a desire to work.
I no longer returned to have pressure. So far I did not see without lenses
, - small letters and now J see perfectly without them.
I --
" TESTIMONY 85*
ASTHMA,. COllTlS
Emma R. of Red Meza { Mexico }
I made the method of Urine-therapy for 2 months. I did three days of fasting per
week and several of my diseases like asthma, colitis left me including body pains.
Now I feel far better.
TESTIMONY 86*
HYP£RT£NS10N,. D1AB£T£S
Octavio S. Avila {Mexico}
For 13 days after taking my Urine, my high blood pressure and diabetes
disappeared. The Urine no longer tastes sweet.
I do not feel weak nor with hunger.
I am cured but I have not made the fasting, but I will.
96 /---TESTIMONY 83*
R£VMAT1SM~ HVP£RT£NS10N
Mrs. Ma. de J. Esparza { Mexico }
I am cured of rheumatism, the vesicle, blood pressure and other several diseases
that I had. I began with the Urine-therapy the 13th of August of last year
and to date I am very well. Thanks to God and the Urine with its great power I
have been healed as so many people who I know have been healed.
TESTIMONY 84*
D1AB£T£S~ ASTlGMATlSM CHOl£ST£ROl
Susana Ramirez de N { Mexico }
I had several diseases as high triglicerides,
cholesterol, diabetes, myopia, astigmatism, insecurity, etc.
The Urine-therapy I started on the 5th day of February of 1997 after seeing a video
of a


ly is overwhelming. It runs simply because it can. Like a misapplied hammer,
the overactive mind takes ra ndom whacks at everything in sight, omitting no
opportunity to judge, balk, interpret, identify with, stew over, start a story about.”
Jan Frazier, fr om  The Freedom of Being
A mind that’ s ru nning on automatic will also constantly tell you there’ s lack in your life
and the world—lack of money, lack of health, lack of love,  lack of time, lack of
resources—and that there’ s not enough to go around. And if you believe it, that will be
what you experience.
Fortunately, you r mind is also a magnificent tool. Y our positive thoughts of what you
want can not only turn your life around but also give you great happiness and joy. If
you only thought about what yo u wanted, your life would be amazing. But many are
caught in the addictive pattern o f believing negative thoughts, and it is freeing yourself
from this loop of negative thinking that is needed and can be done quite easily: your
A wareness will help set you free.
Don’ t Believe the T r oublemakerThere’ s nothing  wrong with the mind; the trouble only begins when we believe its
negative thoughts. When you feel worried, it’ s because you are believing worried
thoughts. When you feel doubt, it’ s because you are believing doubtful thoughts. When
you feel anxious, upset, dishe artened, scared, disappointed, irritated, impatient, re
vengeful, depres sed, hateful, or any negative emotion, it’ s bec ause you are believing
thoughts! And while you hold on to those emotions by continuing to believe your
thoughts, your mind will give you even more of the same. A  depressed feeling will
produce more depressing thou ghts, giving you a depressing perspective of people,
circumstances, a nd events, which makes you feel even more depressed, and around and
around it goes.
“Thought is so cunning, so clever, that it distorts everything for its own convenience.”
J. Krishnamurti, fr om  Freedom from the Known
When we believe the mind’ s negative thoughts, we get pulled into the mind-made
movie, and then we’re guaranteed to experience more stress and suf fering.
“Self-inflicted misery arises when we believe negative thoughts!”
My teacher
“Y ou are  responsible for everything that you feel. They are your feelings, they are your
thoughts. Y ou turn them on, you think them, and no one else but you does it—and you
act a s th ough yo u have no control! Y ou turn a faucet that flows  on your head and you
say, ‘Oh someone is getting me all wet.’ It’ s you who’ s turning on the faucet and
getting yourself wet. So, your direction should be taking full responsibility for what’ s
happening to you. Then you’ll see by looking in the direction of ‘I am doing this’ that
you are! Then when you see that you’re torturing yourself, you’ll say, ‘My gosh, how
stupid can I be?’ And you’ll stop. Instead of torturing yoursel f, you’ll make yourself
happy.”
Lester Levenson, fr om  Happiness Is Free, volumes 1–5
T aking responsibility for everything in our life also means not blaming anyone or
anything else for something that happened. And it means not blaming ourselves.
Blaming is just another repetitive program in the mind. The real you never blames—
only the mind does. What will  set you free from the mind’ s blaming and criticizingways is understa nding that it’ s y our mind  that is the sole cause of negative judgments,
and to stop believing its negative thoughts.
“As long as you think that the cause of your problem is ‘out there’—as long as you
think that anyone or anything is responsible for your suf f ering—the situation is
hopeless. It means that you are forever in the role of victim, that you’re suf fering in
paradise.”
Byr on Katie, fr om  Loving What Is
When we take responsibility for our own life, we no longer allow the ego and mind to
play the role of a victim on our behalf.
“No tho ught eve r can dominate that which perceives the thought. Notice what it feels
like to realize this. Notice that it feels free. This is what stops the unconscious
identification with thoughts. This breaks the chain.”
Peter Dziuban, fr om  Simply Notice
It’ s A wareness that is aware of your thoughts, and it’ s A warene ss that is aware of your
emotions. The one who gets ups et is not A wareness, the r eal  you ; the one getting upset
is your mind. The one who gets angry, hurt, worried, anxious, or  disappointed is not the
r eal  you, it’ s your mind. It only feels like you because you believe your mind is you
and because you believe your mind’ s thoughts.
“Like the scrolling text at the b ottom of the television screen, l et thinking just pass. If
attention is not focusing on the text, then you can be fully present to the whole picture.”
Kalyani Lawry
The Mind’ s Thr ee Thoughts
Although our mind arises out of awareness, as everything do es, our mind is not an
entity or a real thing, even though it sure seems like it is. It’ s simply a mechanical
activity or process, much like a  computer program. And just like a computer program,
it’ s repetitive. In fact, it’ s so repetitive that it only has three dif ferent kinds of thoughts.
“The mi nd measures, compares,  and describes. These three thing s are all the mind does,
over and over and over again.  Check for yourself with any thing you say, or with
whatever though t appears. That thought will either be the mind measuring something,
comparing something, or describing something.”
My teacher
Y our mind measures with thoughts like these: “It will take two h ours to get there.” “I’m
going on  vacatio n in one week.” “How long will it take for m y shipment to arrive?”
“I’ve lost ten pounds.” “I don’ t have enough money.”
Y our mi nd is comparing when  it thinks thoughts like these: “I prefer an SUV to a
sedan.” “I like to walk to work instead of taking the bus.” “She’ s smarter than me, and
way mo re talent ed.” “He’ s going to get the promotion over me, I know it.” “Look at
her. I wish I had her body.” “He’ s not the person he used to be.”
And your mind constantly describes things as if you can’ t see them. But you can see
what’ s h appening in your life ve ry well without mind’ s constant commentating, and in
fact that nonstop chattering prevents you from seeing the world as it really is.
“Our att ention fo cuses mostly on thinking. W e become trapped i n the interpretations we
make and miss out on the fullness of living.”
Kalyani Lawry“The m ind mak es something of everything that comes along. This has become the
default mode. So much so that it little occurs to us that it could be otherwise—that the
mind re ally could for go the ma king-something of everything that comes along. Nor
does it occur to us that the mak ing-something that keeps the mind so enthralled is the
actual cause of s uf fering. W e keep thinking it’ s the stuf f that happens in life that causes
suf fering.”
Jan Frazier, fr om  Opening the Door
When your mind is describing something, it’ s telling a story. It’ s an interpretation of the
world an d realit y—it’ s imagined. Many of the mind’ s fabricate d stories are about you,
and if believed, those stories can not only cause you stress and suf fering but also greatly
limit yo ur life. When you belie ve a negative story, your life will turn into that story!
Y our mind spins up a negative story about you, you add the po wer of belief to it, and
then your mind projects it into the world for you to experience it. It does it with
thoughts like these:
“I’m overwhelmed. I just can’ t seem to get on top of things.”
“I’m no good with money. It seems to slip through my fingers.”
“This disease runs in our family.”
“I’ve got a big problem.”
“I can’ t get past the trauma of it. It will af fect me for the rest of my life.”
“W e were together for years, he was the love of my life, so I’ll never get over him.”
One of the biggest lies our mind  has convinced us of is the story  that we are a body and
a mind. And b ecause we’ve believed it, it has become ou r experience. W e feel
vulnerable, fearful of what might happen to us or others, helpless against life’ s events
and circumstances, and, if that isn’ t enough, many of us are also burdened with the
belief that life w ill come to an end for us when the body dies.  It’ s ironic that the real
you—the Infinite A wareness that you really are—is the direct o pposite of that story the
mind