 seeds,
K,  KV,  and  KP:  use  '/.»  teaspoon  almond  oil  and  2
tablespoons  sutt flower  seeds. Wash  landcress  and  boil  for  3  minutes. In  a  casl
iron  skillet,  roast  seeds  in  oil  ovei  medium  heat  foi
5  minutes. Dilute  tamarind  paste  m  2  tablespoons
of  water  and  add  mirin. Add  tamai  ind  mixture  n>
seeds. Remove  greens  from  watei  and  brush  with
tamarind  mixture  with .1  small  natural  bristle  brush. Serve  hot. 2  35
jmt. UNIVERSAL    RECIPES    FOR    EACH    BODY    TYPE
Green  Beans  and  Almonds  with
Oil  and  Vinegar  Dressing
V,  VP,  VK
Serves  2
1  oz  blanched  almonds
V2  lb  green  beans
Blanch  almonds  by  soaking  in  cold  water  for  8  hours. (If  time  does  not  permit,  you  may  use  the  fast  method:
place  almonds  in  boiling  water  for  1  minute.) Trim
ends  of  beans  and  leave  whole. Boil  beans  for  5  min-
utes. Peel  blanched  almonds  and  sliver. Drain  beans
and  toss  with  nuts. Oil  and  Vinegar  Dressing:
xli  minced  garlic  clove
5  tbs  olive  oil
1  tbs  black  mustard  seeds
'/2  tbs  rice  vinegar
In  a  small  frying  pan,  lightly  saute  the  garlic  in  1
tablespoon  of  oil;  add  mustard  seeds  and  roast  until
they  pop. Stir  in  rice  vinegar  and  pour  over  the  beans
and  almonds. Zucchini  and  Cucumber  with  Oil
and  Vinegar  Dressing Glazed  Carrots
t»?M* V,  VP,  VK
Serves  2
1  large  cucumber
1  large  zucchini
Oil  and  Vinegar  Dressing
Peel  cucumber  and  zucchini  and  cut  each  in  half;
remove  seeds  with  an  apple  corer. Slice  into  "A"  half-
rounds. Blanch  cucumber  pieces  in  hot  water  for  30
seconds. Lightly  boil  zucchini  pieces  for  4  minutes. Combine  and  serve  warm  topped  with  oil  and  vin-
egar dressing  (see  preceding  recipe). 1 ALL  TYPES  (K  OCCASIONALLY)
Serves  2
1  lb  baby  carrots,  whole
1  tbs  sunflower  oil
2  tbs  rice  syrup
Pinch  of  turmeric
Pinch  of  salt
'/4  c  carrot  cooking  water
Boil  carrots  until  cooked  but  firm. Remove  carrots
and  reserve  cooking  water. In  a  medium-sized  frying
pan,  heat  oil  and  saute  carrots  for  30  seconds. Dilute
rice  syrup,  turmeric,  and  salt  in  'A  cup  carrot  cooking
water;  add  to  carrots. Heat  and  serve. Escarole  and  Garlic
V,  VK,  K,  KV,  KP
Serves  2
V2  lb  escarole
1  c  boiling  water
lh  tbs  olive  oil
1  minced  garlic  clove
Pinch  of  sea  salt
Wash  escarole  and  cut  into  small  pieces. Add  to  boil-
ing water  for  3  minutes. In  a  small  skillet,  heat  oil  and
saute  garlic  until  golden  brown. Drain  escarole  and
add,  along  with  salt,  to  cooked  garlic. Serve  hot. 236
smt,
UNIVERSAL    VEGETABLE    DISHES
Corn  Balls  and  Red  Peppers •> Hoi
K,  KV,  KP
Serves  2  (Makes  12  balls)
4  ears  corn,  husked
'A  c  toasted  cornmeal
2  c  boiling  water
'A  tsp  turmeric
V4  tsp  coarse  black  pepper
Pinch  of  salt
1  red  bell  pepper
3  tbs  sunflower  oil
Using  a  hand  grater,  grate  kernels  from  each  ear  of  corn
and  mix  into  toasted  cornmeal. Place  the  stripped  cobs
in  boiling  water  for  15  minutes. Add  'A  cup  of  resulting
corn  water  to  corn  mixture. Add  spices  and  salt. Cut  red  pepper  into  thin  strips. Add  1  tablespoon
oil  to  a  preheated  pan  and  saute  peppers  for  3  min-
utes; remove  from  pan. Roll  the  corn  mixture  be-
tween your  palms  to  form  small  balls  1"  in  diameter. Lightly  pan-fry  in  remaining  oil  over  low  heat  in  a
covered  skillet  for  5  minutes;  remove  from  skillet. Garnish  with  cooked  peppers. Serve  hot. Creamed  Squash
v,  VP,  vk,  p,  PV,  PK
Serves  2
1  medium  buttercup  squash
3  c  boiling  water
'A  c  toasted  soy  flour
1  tbs  minced  fresh  cilantro
'A  tbs  minced  fresh  basil
'A  tsp  cardamom  powder
'A  tsp  coarse  black  pepper
1  tbs  ghee
Garnish:
3  sprigs  fresh  mint Wash,  cut  in  half  lengthwise,  and  core  squash. Add  to
boiling  water  for  18  minutes;  reserve  'A  cup  of  cook-
ing water. Preheat  oven  to  500  degrees  F.
Remove  skin  from  squash. Using  a  fork,  mash
squash  and  toasted  flour. Saute  herbs  and  spices  in
ghee  over  medium  heat  for  30  seconds. Stir  into  squash
mixture. Add  reserved  cooking  water,  stir,  and  place
into  a  baking  dish. Bake  uncovered  for  5  minutes. Garnish  with  whole  sprigs  of  mint. Okra  and  Onions
V,  VP,  VK,  K,  KV,  KP
Serves  2
12  okra  pods
'A  tbs  sunflower  oil
1  tsp  black  mustard  seeds
'A  tsp  fenugreek  powder
1  large  white  onion,  sliced  lengthwise
1  tsp  chili  powder 'A  c  water
V"  types:  addlh  teaspoon  sea  salt. Cut  off  hard  ends  from  okra  pods. Cut  diagonally
into  74"  slices. Heat  oil  in  a  medium  skillet  and  saute
mustard  seeds,  fenugreek,  onion,  and  chili  powder
for  3  minutes. Add  okra  and  water. Cover  and  simmei
over  low  heat  for  20  minutes. Serve  hot. 237
J@f,
L1NIVKRSAL    RECIPES    FOR    EACH    BODY   TYPE
Sauteed  Red  Cabbage
K,  KV,  KP
Serves  2
'A  head  of  red  cabbage
1  medium  onion
V2  tsp  sunflower  oil
1  tbs  natural  sauerkraut
Shred  cabbage  and  onion  and  saute  in  oil  in  a  cast-
iron  skillet  over  medium  heat  for  a  few  minutes. Add
sauerkraut;  cover  and  cook  for  15  minutes  over  me-
dium-low heat. Serve  hot. Steamed  Artich


 first begins to happen,  you sort of
remark about it. After a while, you begin to experience that that’s the way
life is. It’s the continuous miraculous. The miraculous is ongoing and
continuous. In this state, everybody becomes stunningly beautiful and handsome. You
are in love. This isn’t about falling in love. You are in love with everything
and everyone, all the time. And you can only see the beauty and perfection
of everything. And then, the state may reach, in the very high 500s, ecstasy. One can
start going into states of indescribable ecstasy, like the opening of a
brilliance within  one’s consciousness. The ecstasy is continuous. At that
point, you can’t function in the world anymore—the ecstasy, as
Ramakrishna described it. I remember going through it myself. For get about
functioning in the world. You can dance. You can dance in an expression of
exquisite ecstasy at the joy of one’ s existence. But you cannot function. And then, one has to surrender that to God. So each step along the way of
the levels of consciousness is surrendering whatever is present ing itself to
God. Finally, even in the state of ecstasy, one has to surrender the state of
ecstasy to God. And then one hits level 600, which is a state of infinite
silence, bliss, and a profound peace beyond all understanding. The peace of
God is beyond psychological peace or emotional peace. It’s a different
dimension. And in that state, you don’t have to eat, breathe, or function. One blisses out, outside of time. Satchitananda  it’s called, classically. And if things are favorable, the body will eventually get fed, move up
and walk aroun d, and survive. If the conditions are not favorable to that
circumstance, which frankly is irrelevant, then the body just topples over
eventually. So about 50 percent of the people who go into a latent state
frankly, leave. The one awareness that is quite obvious in that state is thatyou have permission to leave. Y ou can leave right now, in fact. Y ou can stop
reading. Y ou have permission. So, what’s going to keep the body going. Well, you see, there are no
needs and no wants. Everything is complete and total. The bliss of the state
is that everything is complete. So, from that moment on, if the body
survives, you don’t ever really need anything anymore. People  ask, “What
do you want. ” I don’t want anything. “What do you need. ” Well, I don’t
need  anything. Certain things would be nice, but I don’ t need  them. And so, one is then independen t of the world. What the world says or
does is really quite irrelevant. At that point, it’s impossible to function in
that state. What happens, if you survive, is most people leave. They pack up
everything, say good-bye, and leave. This is what I did. I left the biggest
practice in the country and a very elite lifestyle, and I drove to a small town. In the refrigerator, there’d be a banana, two Pepsis, and a piece of cheese,
and that was fine. What more do you need. OceanofPDF. comChapter 3
SPIRITUAL
CONSCIOUSNESS
Now that you have a clear er understanding of how to calibrate spiritual
truth and the Map of Consciousness, you are ready to begin elevating your
level of spiritual consciousness to its highest potential. In this chapter, Dr. Hawkins will give you several ideas for doing just
that. They include relinquishing  the quest for perfection; following evolved
spiritual values rather than dogmatic religious doctrines; and being
grateful, intr ospective, and compassionate. You are not limited by this world, or even definable, meas urable, and
visible. By looking at the levels  of consciousness on the chart, you can tell
what your spiritual worth is. You want to transcend the world—that is, to be in it, but not of it, not
limited by it. To be limited by it is to buy all of its programs. To buy all of
its programs, you’re going to have to run around and buy every thing that’s
for sale, because if you’re successful, you’ll have new carpets and you’ll
have a new hous e. You can’t possibly meet all the definitions of “making it”
in this world: you should have more friends, you should be handsome, or
you should be six feet tall. There’ s always something you can find fault with when it comes to
yourself; you’ll never be satisfied. The thing is to be happy with what you
are at the mom ent, and also see that you’re an evolving human being. Therefore, you don’t have to be perfect because you’re not required to be
perfect. You’re only expected to make the best possible use you can of the
advantages here, to learn and to grow and to support others, and to be
loving and for giving. And you’re doing all you can do as a human being. BECOMING A SPIRITUAL SEEKER
There are fewer religionists and more spiritually evolved people—more
people who call themselves spiritual rather than religious. It’s because of
the downside of religion, histo rically. Every religion has had historical
events that would disqualify it hypothetically. How can they have made
such a mistake. How can I believe a church that believed in that, or made
that mistake. But what goes on is people will call themselves spiritual;
that’s the most common pattern in today’ s world. They begin to follow
spiritual values and they learn from spiritual teachers, alive or historical. Most spiritual teachers have considerable followings of people who are
interested in evolving and growing, maturing spiritually in their levels of
consciousness. And they may stay there with one teacher, or they may go to
a numbe r of teachers. There was a period of time of being a spiritual seeker,
where you went to lots of lectures by all dif ferent kinds of spiritual teachers. Each one has something valuable that you can pick up from them:
techniques or ways of looking at things, or a blind spot that you weren’ t
aware you had until you hear a lecture on it. So, you seek—you become a spiritual seeker. In a way, spirit ual really
means seeking. See, with religion, you found the answer. That’ s this church
and this denomi nation, and that’s the answer. Now you just have to perfect
how you apply it to yourself. The spiritual person who says, “I’m spiritual,
but not religiou s,” usually becomes a seeker. They go to various lectures,
and they attend meetings and retreats. And they listen to all the different
teachers and learn something from each one. Each spiritual teacher has
something. And what they have may be nonverbal—the subtle enthusiasm
they have for certain concepts, et cetera. And the seeker picks up that enthusiasm. So each teacher has something
to share  and something that can be learned. Most of my own audiences
listen to a number of different speakers. Each of these teachers may be
suitable at various periods of your life. There are certain times when going
on spiritual retreats is extremely valuable, and then there are other timeswhen that’ s just a way of avoiding the responsibilities of life. Y ou really had
a lot you should have done at home this weekend and instead, you went on
a retreat to Cam p Baba. When you get home, the lawn still hasn’ t been
mowed. The kids are still crying. You didn’ t help the kids with their
homework. When you’re running away, you’re really doing it for an
advantage. Most  of these spiritu al things serve a purpose at certain periods
of your life. I’ve noticed most people change their pattern as they go
through life, if they’re going to evolve. Other people just develop a perfect
pattern and stay with that; they stay with that for a lifetime. • • •
To just be gratef ul that you’re interested in the spiritual dimension at all
—that’ s already something to be grateful for. I mean, how many people lead
a blind life. They calibrate at 192 when they come onto the planet, and
when they leave, they calibrate  at 192. No change. So they really blew a
whole lifetime, just doing the same self-centered, greedy things all the time. The Buddha said, “Rare it is to be born a human, rarer still it is to have
heard of enlightenment, and rarest of all it is to have heard of enlightenment
and dedicate oneself to its pursuit. ” That’ s the rarest of all. So to be
dedicated to the searching for the truth, is the rarest of all possible gifts. As a human, you can undo nega tive karma and gain positive karma. And
if you use these  lifetimes on earth wisely, you can reach enligh tenment. So
be grateful that one is a human and that one has heard of the truth. • • •
Be intro spective; you can’t walk around naively oblivious of who you are
and how you come across to people. So you need a certain degree of self-
awareness and the capacity for self-criticalness—to be able to see your
upside, your downside,


 three months,
December 1963. She was also teaching in public school three times a week. How Corinne coped with all these stresses without an emotional crack-up still amazes me
to this day. A most remarkable woman, as you will come to learn. Over the years, I have come in contact with many very sick people and heard them
utter a statement such as, "I wish I was dead." I didn't have much respect for a person
who could make a remark like that. Too dramatic, I thought.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        Soil and Health Library
This document is a reproduction of the book or other copyrighted material you
requested. It was prepared on for the exclusive use of Oriana, whose email address is
orianaoriana@gmail. com. This reproduction was made by the Soil and Health Library only for the purpose of
research and study. Any further reproduction or distribution of this copy in any form
whatsoever constitutes a violation of copyrights. Triumph Over Disease
by Fasting And Natural Diet

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

Arco Publishing Company, Inc. New York

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

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Goldstein, Jack. Triumph over disease-by fasting and natural diet. Bibliography: p. 237 1. Ulcerative colitis-Biography. 2. Fasting. 3. Vegetarianism
4. Goldstein, Jack I. RC862. C6G64 616. 3'4 76-44863
ISBN 0-668-04138-2 (Library Edition)

   Here is the inspiring, controversial, true story of a man who was
treated medically for six years for a debilitating disease, ulcerative
colitis, which under standard medical care by qualified and respected
physicians progressed to a point close to death. In the course of his six-year ordeal, Dr. Goldstein changed from a happy, successful, and
confident man with everything to live for to a wasted, drug-infected,
despairing man whose only hope, he was told, lay in agreeing to submit to one of the most radical and drastic operations known to medical science--a total colectomy, or complete removal of the large intestine and rectum. For the rest of his life he would be forced to wear
a bag attached to his abdomen for the collection and elimination of waste. At this point, tortured by the thought of becoming a physiologic
cripple and even contemplating suicide, he was led to a natural way of
life which incorporated fasting and a vegetarian diet that actually
allowed his body to heal itself. Dr. Goldstein gives a detailed account of a six-week fast he undertook in a controlled environment and under
the supervision of a doctor--which lit erally saved his life. He also
records the day by-day physical and mental changes, which occurred, and describes his new way of life ba sed on the principles of natural
diet. It is an amazing, almost unbelievable, story that offers hope and
inspiration in addition to sound advice on how to achieve your natural radiant good health. Contents
Introduction
Beginning of the End
Downfall
The Agony
Discovery
My Six Week Fast
Breaking the Fast
A Return to Life
The Magnificent Power Of The Body--
Case histories I've observed
A Glance at Fad Diets and Food Additives
Natural Living--Where It's At. Recommended Reading and Bibliography

       Dr. Jack Goldstein was born in 1930 in Detroit, Michigan, and now
resides in Oak Park, Michigan. He attended Wayne State University in Detroit, and received his D. P M. (Doctor of Podiatric Medicine)
degree, with honors, in 1952 from the Illinois College of Podiatric
Medicine in Chicago. After serving with the army in Korea during the
Korean War, 1953-1954, he began private practice of podiatry and foot
surgery in 1954, and is currently practicing in Livonia, Michigan. He is a member of the Michigan State P odiatry Association, the American
Podiatry Association, and the American Association of Hospital
Podiatrists. He is also a member of the National Health Federation,
Consumers For Pure Food, and is on the board of directors of
Americans United To Combat Fluoridation. He is a member of the American Natural Hygiene Society and has served on its board of
directors and is currently president of the Society. He has lectured
throughout the United States and Canada and has appeared on many
local and national radio and television programs. Nature understands no jesting. She is always true, always serious,
always severe. She is always right and the errors are always those of
man. She despises the man incapable of appreciating her, and only to the apt, the pure and the true does she reveal her secrets. GOETHE
  Dedication:
   How does one thank those who are res ponsible for his returning to the human race
and to life. It cannot be expressed with words, but my deepest gratitude and thanks
are given to:
   My dear friend, Carol Leib, who introduced me to the right path; My dear friends,
Dr. and Mrs. Robert Gross, both of whom guided me along that path, picked me up
when I was down, helped me when I needed it and showed such an understanding and
compassion toward me that there was no other way but to recover; and my dear wife and soulmate, Corinne, whose encouragement, optimism, persistence, nagging (Thank God. ), devotion and understanding enabled me to take the path. She gave me the
strength to go on. My book is a result of the efforts of these people. It is an experience in living--an
enlightenment. It does not have an ending, because it is a beginning. The story you are about to read may seem unreal, exaggerated, and even
unbelievable. But whether you like it or not and whether you believe it or not, this is the way it happened. It is truth--every word of it. Truth is, in fact, stranger than fiction. Introduction
   It seems the basic tools of the medical profession are the needle, the knife, and the
prescription pad. Treatment appears to be, for the most part, symptomatic: injecting of
drugs (to do what. ), cutting out of parts (end results of disease processes), and the
dispensing and prescribing of drugs (almost a ll drugs are poisons). None of these tools
supply the requisites of life. Symptoms are masked; problems are palliated. The
patient receives no knowledge or understanding of how to achieve vital health and maintain it. Causes are not removed; and as long as causes remain, then disease, suffering, and agonizing death will continue. The fact that modern medicine has become very effective in the treatment of specific symptoms does not mean that it has
become more beneficial for the health of the patient. Certainly there is a need for qualified  surgeons, emergency care physicians, etc. There are times when surgery is necessary as well as the use of life-saving techniques
and drugs. There is also, because of removal or non-functioning of the thyroid, pancreas, or various other glands, the necess ity for the substitution of these secretions,
the lack of which would result in death. A doctor is also a teacher; yet how many patients, all of whom have the God-given
right to knowledge about their bodies, are ever taught by their doctors the function of
their bodies. It seems that the function of one's body is kept secret--a mystery. Why. So many people have told me they've gone to their doctor only to come away with such instructions as, "Get this prescription  filled and take the medicine as directed. " People are not taught basic prevention of disease (which, as far as I'm concerned, is
the raison d'etre  of the medical profession), but are taught to expect disease as they
get older and to "learn to live with it. " But good health is normal and there should be
no compromise. Many of the health problems of today are the result of apathy, lack of interest, lack
of knowledge, and a disrespect and misunderstanding of the marvelous innate and built-in wisdom and needs of the human body. Most people today want instant cure. They don't care how or why they became sick. They just go to their doctor and say, "Doctor, I'm sick. Cure me. " It just cannot work. The body must of necessity eventually break down when it is neverendingly poisoned
with drugs. When the doctor tries to improve upon nature, it's the patient who takes the risk. It is indeed a strange "science" which teaches us that substances (drugs), which
make us, sick when we are well should be taken when we are sick to make us well. Nature is slow. It takes years to cultivate ill health because the body can take much
abuse, but it also may take years to undo all the damage heaped upon the body by
"normal" living. Nature is slow, but nature is sure. One must have patience, knowledge, and understanding. People have a right to know that there is another approach to health; and this is the
purpose of my book. The story can apply to anyone, and anyon e can identify and


,” he moaned. “Don’ t fill me with false hope.”
“I’m not of fering hope,” said Buddha. “Y our karma brought you to me,
along with the other four. I can see that you will soon be awake.”
“Then why do I have so many impure thoughts?” asked V appa, who
was prickly and prone to outbursts of rage, so much so that the other monks
were intimidated by him. “Don’ t trust your thoughts,” said Buddha. “Y ou can’ t think yourself
awake.”
“I have stolen food when I was famished, and there were times when I
stole away from my brothers and went to women,” said V appa. “Don’ t trust your actions. They belong to the body,” said Buddha. “Y our
body can’ t wake you up.”Vappa remained miserable, his expression hardening the more Buddha
spoke. “I should go away from here. Y ou say there is no war between good
and evil, but I feel it inside. I feel how good you are, and it only makes me
feel worse.”
Vappa’ s anguish was so genuine that Buddha felt a twinge of
temptation. He could reach out and take V appa’ s guilt from his shoulders
with a touch of the hand. But making V appa happy wasn’ t the same as
setting him free, and Buddha knew he couldn’ t touch every person on earth. He said, “I can see that you are at war inside, V appa. Y ou must believe me
when I say that you’ll never win.”
Vappa hung his head lower. “I know that. So I must go?”
“No, you misunderstand me,” Buddha said gently. “No one has ever
won the war. Good opposes evil the way the summer sun opposes winter
cold, the way light opposes darkness. They are built into the eternal scheme
of Nature.”
“But you won. Y ou are good; I feel it,” said V appa. “What you feel is the being I have inside, just as you have it,” said
Buddha. “I did not conquer evil or embrace good. I detached myself from
both.”
“How?”
“It wasn’ t difficult. Once I admitted to myself that I would never
become completely good or free from sin, something changed inside. I was
no longer distracted by the war; my attention could go somewhere else. It
went beyond my body, and I saw who I really am. I am not a warrior. I am
not a prisoner of desire. Those things come and go. I asked myself: Who is
watching the war? Who do I return to when pain is over, or when pleasure
is over? Who is content simply to be? Y ou too have felt the peace of simply
being. W ake up to that, and you will join me in being free.”
This lesson had an immense ef fect on V appa, who made it his mission
for the rest of his life to seek out the most miserable and hopeless people insociety. He was convinced that Buddha had revealed a truth that every
person could recognize: suf fering is a fixed part of life. Fleeing from pain
and running toward pleasure would never change that fact. Y et most people
spent their whole lives avoiding pain and pursuing pleasure. T o them, this
was only natural, but in reality they were becoming deeply involved in a
war they could never win. As the gates of Kapilavastu drew close, Buddha prepared the way. He
sent his presence ahead, and he could feel a growing excitement in
Yashodhara. She ordered her servants to throw away the somber saris of a
widow; she brought out old portraits of Siddhartha to show their son,
Rahula, who might be frightened to see the return of a father he knew only
in the cradle. Every day Y ashodhara performed the same ritual. She would
gather Rahula by her side and sit in the gazebo by the lotus pond, the place
where Suddhodana’ s pleasure pavilion used to stand. The old structure had
been torn down and the courtesans given honest places as serving women. Siddhartha had never visited them. It was one way he could show his
fidelity to Y ashodhara. Now she waited there to show her fidelity to him. Buddha knew that feeling his presence was not enough, though. His
wife was still young; for that matter, Siddhartha would be only thirty-five. There was time for more children. Buddha’ s presence couldn’ t reach this
part of Y ashodhara’ s nature. How could he change her mind without
crushing her? The bliss of wedded life was what she lived for. His mind was preoccupied when the five monks began to stir with
agitation. Buddha looked up the road where they were pointing. A horse
lathered with sweat and streaming with blood was running toward them in a
panicked gallop. The five monks scattered to get out of the way. It was a
powerful black stallion. None of them dared to pull Buddha from harm’ s
way; he stood his ground, and as the animal got near, it reared, slashing out
with its iron-shod front feet. For a second the huge animal balanced in
midair, thrashing. Then its hooves came to earth without hitting their tar get. The stallion trembled with pain and terror, but it didn’ t rear again and
slowly began to calm down. “What happened?” asked Assaji, pressing the cloth of his robe to the
horse’ s worst wound. “Where did this come from?”“Only one thing is possible,” said Buddha. “W ar. We’ll be in the thick
of it soon enough.”
They hadn’ t gone another mile before his prediction came true; the din
of battle could be faintly heard in the distance. “I am the cause of this,” said
Buddha. The five monks protested, but Buddha said no more. The group
had their hands full keeping the wounded stallion from bolting when he
caught the scent of death. More than once Buddha had to pause and look the
animal directly in the eye. “The only way to convince him that he doesn’ t
need to be afraid is to show him that I am not. Animals are wiser than us in
that regard. If they don’ t feel peace, they aren’ t fooled by peaceful words.”
The monks knew that Buddha did not make casual remarks. His every
utterance was dedicated to teaching them the truth. V ery soon the noise of
battle grew loud enough that they could hear steel striking against steel and
the anguished cries of dying soldiers. Buddha stopped and listened. “W ords
of peace fooled my father. Devadatta has tricked him into war.” Then he
pointed away from the conflict. “Home first.” An hour later they saw the
towers of the gates to the capital city. The road widened, and the last
hundred yards were paved with cobblestones. “Who’ s there?” a sentry cried. “One you called Siddhartha,” said Buddha. “I can’ t let anyone in who isn’ t a citizen, and I don’ t know that name,”
said the sentry, peering through a slot above them. He was young, almost a
boy. The real soldiers were all away to do the king’ s killing. “Send for Princess Y ashodhara’ s maid. She will recognize me,” said
Buddha. The sentry’ s face vanished from the top of the gate. They waited,
then the great wooden gates opened just wide enough to admit them and the
stallion. Buddha saw where his wife was. Having heard the name
Siddhartha, she sent her maid scurrying to the gates while she hurriedly
examined herself in the mirror and wrapped herself in a sari threaded with
gold.She was panting and sweating slightly when she seated herself in the
gazebo. Rahula was taking a nap, and Y ashodhara almost woke him up, but
she didn’ t want him to see her weep uncontrollably, so she came alone. The
wind was light, but whenever it turned slightly she could faintly catch the
sounds of war, which increased her anxiety. “My dear.”
She had been so distracted that he was there before she heard him. W ith
a cry, Yashodhara jumped to her feet, ran to Buddha, and threw her arms
around him. She was sensitive to his slightest response, and her heart
swelled when she felt his arms hold her without hesitation. This came as
such an enormous relief that she began to sob. A husband would have said,
“There’ s no cause for that. I’m home now. It’s all right.” Y ashodhara’ s
husband said none of those things. Buddha let go of her, and for an instant Y ashodhara felt completely
abandoned. She wanted to clutch at him, but he raised a finger in a small
gesture, and her arms fell to her sides. “Y ou are my beloved wife. It’ s your
right to embrace me,” said Buddha. “No one shall ever do that again. Not
even you.”
Yashodhara trembled. She had spent years blocking out of her mind any
image of Siddhartha as a monk. Even at that moment she kept her eyes
fixed


 u r s e  i s  a  p s y c h o l o g i c a l  m i n d  t r a i n i n g
b a s e d  o n  u n i v e r s a l  s p i r i t u a l  t h e m e s. I t  t e a c h e s  p e o p l e  h o w
t o  d i s m a n t l e  a  t h o u g h t  s y s t e m  b a s e d  o n  f e a r  a n d  r e p l a c e  i t
w i t h  a  t h o u g h t  s y s t e m  b a s e d  o n  l o v e. I t s  g o a l  i s  a t t a i n i n g
i n n e r  p e a c e  t h r o u g h  p r a c t i c i n g  f o r g i v e n e s s. Y o u  w i l l  n o t i c e
i t  r e f e r r e d  t o  t h r o u g h o u t  t h i s  b o o k,  a n d  m a n y  o f  i t s
t e a c h i n g s  w i l l  b e  r e f l e c t e d  i n  w h a t  I  w r i t e. W h e n  t h e r e  i s  n os p e c i f i c  r e f e r e n c e  f o r  q u o t e d  m a t e r i a l  o r  c o n c e p t s  f r o m  A
C o u r s e  i n  M i r a c l e s  ( p u b l i s h e d  b y  t h e  F o u n d a t i o n  f o r  I n n e r
P e a c e ),  I  h a v e  a d d e d  a n  a s t e r i s k  t o  m a r k  A  C o u r s e  i n
M i r a c l e s  p r i n c i p l e. A l t h o u g h  t h e  C o u r s e  u s e s  t r a d i t i o n a l  C h r i s t i a n
t e r m i n o l o g y,  i t  i s  n o t  a  C h r i s t i a n  d o c t r i n e. I t s  t e r m s  a r e  u s e d
i n  a  p s y c h o l o g i c a l  c o n t e x t,  w i t h  u n i v e r s a l  m e a n i n g  f o r  a n y
s t u d e n t  o f  s p i r i t u a l  p r i n c i p l e s,  r e g a r d l e s s  o f  w h e t h e r  t h e y
h a v e  a  C h r i s t i a n  o r i e n t a t i o n. S p i r i t u a l  p r i n c i p l e s  d o  n o t  c h a n g e,  b u t  w e  d o. A s  w e
m a t u r e  t h r o u g h  t h e  y e a r s,  w e  a c c e s s  m o r e  d e e p l y
i n f o r m a t i o n  w e  h a d  o n l y  a b s t r a c t l y  u n d e r s t o o d  b e f o r e. T w e n t y  y e a r s  a g o,  I  s a w  t h e  g u i d a n c e  o f  t h e  C o u r s e  a s  k e y
t o  c h a n g i n g  o n e ’ s  p e r s o n a l  l i f e ;  t o d a y,  I  s e e  i t s  g u i d a n c e  a s
k e y  t o  c h a n g i n g  t h e  w o r l d. M o r e  t h a n  a n y t h i n g  e l s e,  I  s e e
h o w  d e e p l y  t h e  t w o  a r e  c o n n e c t e d. T h a t  i s  w h y  I  h a v e  w r i t t e n  t h i s  b o o k. I t  i s,  o n c e  m o r e  a n d
h o p e f u l l y  i n  a  d e e p e r  w a y,  m y  r e f l e c t i o n s  o n  s o m e  o f  t h e
p r i n c i p l e s  i n  A  C o u r s e  i n  M i r a c l e s. L o o k i n g  b a c k  a t  A  R e t u r n  t o  L o v e  s e v e r a l  y e a r s  a f t e r
w r i t i n g  i t,  I  w a s  s t r u c k  b y  t h e  e x a m p l e  I  u s e d  o f  h o w  h a r d  i t
c a n  b e  t o  t r y  t o  f o r g i v e  s o m e o n e. I  t o l d  a  s t o r y  a b o u t  a  m a n
w h o  s t o o d  m e  u p  f o r  a  d a t e  t o  t h e  O l y m p i c s  i n  L o s  A n g e l e s
a n d  h o w  I  s t r u g g l e d  t o  w o r k  t h r o u g h  m y  a n g e r  a n d
r e s e n t m e n t. I ’ m  i n c r e d u l o u s  n o w  t h a t  I  e v e r  t h o u g h t
s o m e o n e  s t a n d i n g  m e  u p  f o r  a  d a t e  w a s  a  p r o f o u n d  e x a m p l e
o f  t h e  e g o ’ s  c r u e l t y. I n  t h e  w o r d s  o f  B o b  S e g e r,  “ W i s h  I
d i d n ’ t  k n o w  n o w  w h a t  I  d i d n ’ t  k n o w  t h e n. ”  I t ’ s  p r e t t y  e a s yt o  e s p o u s e  f o r g i v e n e s s  w h e n  n o b o d y ’ s  e v e r  r e a l l y  h u r t  y o u
t o o  d e e p l y. L i f e  w a s  m o r e  i n n o c e n t  f o r  a l l  o f  u s  n o t  s o  l o n g  a g o. T o d a y  t h e  w o r l d  s e e m s  f i l l e d  w i t h  s u c h  s o r r o w  a n d  d a n g e r ;
i t ’ s  n o t  s o  e a s y  a n y m o r e


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


 g e  w e  m i g h t  h a v e  d o n e  a l r e a d y,  i n  o u r  o w n
l i v e s  o r  i n  s o m e o n e  e l s e ’ s. S o m e t i m e s,  w h e n  w e  h a v e  e r r e d,  t h e r e  i s  n o t h i n g  w e  c a n
s p e c i f i c a l l y  d o  t o  m a k e  t h i n g s  b e t t e r ;  i t  w o u l d n ’ t  h e l p  t o
m a k e  a  c a l l,  s e n d  a n  e - m a i l,  o r  w h a t e v e r. B u t  w h a t  w e  c a n
c h a n g e  i s  o u r  t h i n k i n g,  a n d  t h e  r e s t  w i l l  f o l l o w. W e  m i g h t
h a v e  t o  w a i t  u n t i l  a  s i t u a t i o n  c o m e s  a r o u n d  a g a i n,  e i t h e r  i n
t h i s  r e l a t i o n s h i p  o r  i n  a n o t h e r,  a n d  t a k e  a d v a n t a g e  o f  t h e
o p p o r t u n i t y  t o  a c t  d i f f e r e n t l y  n e x t  t i m e. A s  w e  d o,  t h e  n e w
b e h a v i o r a l  p a t t e r n  b e c o m e s  e m b e d d e d  i n  o u r  p s y c h i c
r e p e r t o i r e. I n  t i m e,  i t  r e p l a c e s  t h e  o l d. W h e n  g e m o l o g i s t s  w a n t  t o  s m o o t h  o u t  a  r o u g h  s a p p h i r e
o r  e m e r a l d,  t h e y  d o  i t  b y  r u b b i n g  t w o  s t o n e s  u p  a g a i n s t  e a c h
o t h e r. A n d  t h a t ’ s  o f t e n  h o w  r e l a t i o n s h i p s  a r e :  y o u r  r o u g h
e d g e s  r u b  a g a i n s t  m i n e,  a n d  f i n a l l y,  a f t e r  w e  s u f f e r  e n o u g h,
w e  s m o o t h  o u t. R o m a n t i c  D e l u s i o n s

N o w h e r e  d o  w e  h a v e  m o r e  i l l u s i o n a r y  i d e a s  o f  w h a t  l o v e
m e a n s  t h a n  i n  t h e  a r e a  o f  r o m a n c e. W e ’ r e  t r a i n e d  b y  a
w o r l d  o f  c u l t u r a l  i m a g e r y  t o  b e l i e v e  t h e r e  i s  s o m e o n e,  o n e
s p e c i a l  s o m e o n e,  w h o  w i l l  c o m p l e t e  u s  a n d  m a k e  u s  w h o l e. Y e t  w h a t  w i l l  m a k e  u s  w h o l e  i s  a  d e e p e r  l o v e  f o r
e v e r y o n e. E x c l u s i v e  l o v e  i s  n o t  t h e  p r i z e  i t  p u r p o r t s  t o  b e,
a n d  i n  t r u t h,  r o m a n t i c  l o v e  w o r k s  f a r,  f a r  b e t t e r  w h e n  i t  i s
g r o u n d e d  i n  a  l a r g e r,  m o r e  i n c l u s i v e  l o v e. R o m a n c e  i s  o n e
f o r m  t h a t  l o v e  t a k e s — c e r t a i n l y  a  m a g n i f i c e n t  o n e — a n d  y e t
i t  i s  c o n t e n t,  n o t  f o r m,  t h a t  d e t e r m i n e s  l o v e ’ s  m e a n i n g. I f
w e  a r e  a t t a c h e d  t o  t h a t  p a r t i c u l a r  f o r m  o f  l o v e,  t h e n  w e  a r e
o n  a  s l i p p e r y  s l o p e  t o w a r d  t h e  f i r e s  o f  h e l l. A n d  w h a t  a r e
t h o s e  f i r e s? T h e y  a r e  t h e  a n x i e t y  w e  f e e l  w h e n  t h a t  p e r s o n
d o e s n ’ t  c a l l  o r  a c t s  i n  a  w a y  w e  i n t e r p r e t  a s  u n l o v i n g  o r
d o e s n ’ t  w a n t  u s  a n y m o r e. O n e  o f  t h e  b i g g e s t  m i s t a k e s  w e  m a k e  i n  r e l a t i o n s h i p s  i s
w h e n  w e  g e t  a  f i x e d  n o t i o n  o f  w h a t  l o v e  s h o u l d  l o o k  l i k e. I f
h e  l o v e s  m e,  h e  w i l l  d o  t h i s. I f  s h e  w a n t s  t o  b e  m y  f r i e n d,
s h e  w i l l  d o  t h a t. B u t  w h a t  i f  t h e  f e e l i n g s  w e  w a n t  t h e  o t h e r
p e r s o n  t o  h a v e  s i m p l y  d o n ’ t  e x p r e s s  t h e m s e l v e s  t h e  w a y  w e
t h i n k  t h e y  s h o u l d? A r e  w e  g o i n g  t o  f o r g o  a  l o v e  b e c a u s e  i t
d o e s n ’ t  c o m e  i n  t h e  p a c k a g e  w e  e x p e c t e d  i t


 o w  u n n a t u r a l  o u r  m o d e r n  W e s t e r n  r e l a t i o n s h i p  t o
n a t u r e ’ s  c l o c k. D i d  E d i s o n  r e a l i z e  t h e  h a v o c  t h a t  l a y  h i d d e n
i n  h i s  g i f t  t o  h u m a n i t y? T h e  e l e c t r i c  l i g h t b u l b  w o u l d  c h a n g e
t h e  w o r l d. I n  s e r v i c e  t o  t h e  i n d u s t r i a l  e r a  a n d  i t s  d e m a n d s
f o r  p r o d u c t i v i t y,  w e  t r a i n e d  o u r s e l v e s  t o  s l e e p  w h e n  t h es y s t e m  n e e d e d  u s  t o  s l e e p  a n d  t o  w a k e  w h e n  i t  n e e d e d  u s  t o
a w a k e n. H o w  o f t e n,  t h e n,  w e  m i s s  t h e  s u n r i s e  a n d  i t s  s i m p l e
b l e s s i n g s. T h e s e  b l e s s i n g s  a r e  n o t  m e t a p h o r i c a l. T h e y  a r e
m o r e  t h a n  m e r e l y  b e a u t i f u l ;  t h e y  a r e  a  r e m i n d e r  f r o m  G o d :
“ L o o k  w h a t  I  b r i n g  f o r t h  o u t  o f  e v e r y  d a r k  n i g h t ;  s u c h  i s  t h e
w o r k  I  s h a l l  d o  w i t h i n  y o u. ”
G r o w i n g  o l d e r  i s  a  f o r m  o f  n i g h t,  f u l l  o f  a n g e l s  a n d
d e m o n s  a s  w e l l. W e  a r e  c l o s e r  t o  w i s d o m,  y e t  w e  a r e  c l o s e r
t o  d e a t h. I t  t a k e s  a  l o t  o f  c l i m b i n g  t o  g e t  a  c l e a r  p e r s p e c t i v e :
c l i m b i n g  a b o v e  t h e  t h o u g h t s  a n d  f e e l i n g s  t h a t  w o u l d  k e e p
u s  t i e d  t o  t h e  g r o u n d  w e  h a v e  t r o d  b e f o r e. T h e  g r o u n d  o f
y e s t e r d a y  i s  b a r r e n  n o w. I t s  d r a m a  i s  o v e r. O n l y  t h e  p r e s e n t,
l i v e d  i n  f u l l n e s s  a n d  i n t e n s i t y,  h o l d s  t h e  p r o m i s e  o f  a  n e w
t o m o r r o w. N i g h t  a f t e r  n i g h t,  I  h a v e  l a i n  a w a k e,  m y  e y e s  h a v i n g
p o p p e d  o p e n  f o r  n o  a p p a r e n t  r e a s o n,  m y  b o d y  u n w i l l i n g  t o
f a l l  b a c k  a s l e e p,  m y  h o r m o n e s  n o t  f e e l i n g  l i k e  t h e y  a r e
m i n e  a n y m o r e. F o r  a  w h i l e,  I  s a i d  t h e  u s u a l  t h i n g s  t o
m y s e l f :  “ I  h a t e  t h i s ;  I  m u s t  h a v e  m y  e s t r o g e n  c h e c k e d
a g a i n ;  I  n e e d  t o  b u y  m o r e  m e l a t o n i n ;  t h i s  w i l l  f e e l  s o  a w f u l
t o m o r r o w. ”  Y e t  f i n a l l y  I  n o t i c e d  t h a t  m o r e  w a s  g o i n g  o n :
“ I ’ m  t h a t  a g e,  s o  I ’ m  h a v i n g  a  h a r d  t i m e  s l e e p i n g ”  w a s  s u c h
a  h a n d - m e - d o w n  n o t i o n,  s o  d e v o i d  o f  d i m e n s i o n,  s o
s u p e r f i c i a l  i n  i t s  i n t e r p r e t a t i o n  o f  m y  o w n  e x p e r i e n c e. F r o m
a  s p i r i t u a l  p e r s p e c t i v e,  t h e s e  h o u r s  w e r e  n o t  t i r e d ;  t h e y  w e r e
d e e p l y  a w a k e. T h e  r e s t  w e  s e e k  w e  w i l l  f i n d  n o t  f r o m
s l e e p i n g  b u t  f r o m  w a k i n g. *  I n  t h o s e  h o u r s  t h a t  I ’ v e  l a i n  s o
i n c o n v e n i e n t l y  a w a k e,  I  t h i n k  I ’ v e  b e g u n  a t  l a s t  t o  k n o ww h a t  a w a k e n e d  m e a n s. N o t i n g  t h e  w i t c h i n g  h o u r — 4 : 1 5 — a t
w h i c h  I  a w a k e  m o r e  o f t e n  t h a n  n o t,  s t e a l i n g  o u t s i d e  t o  l o o k
a t  t h e  s t a r s  a n d  m a r v e l  a t  t h e  m o o n,  I  r e t u r n  a g a i n  t o  m y
a n c i e n t  s e l f. I n  t h o s e  h o u r s,  I  a m  n o t  a  m e n o p a u s a l  n u t c a s e. I ’ m  a  m a


cosmic joke is the side-by-side
villains; the fault is in the misalignment
the possibilities of the game. Every detailhealthily by numerous books on the best-
comparison of illusion with reality. of the system itself. of the belief system that we hold has
seller list. But the mind resists change as
Humorlessness, in contrast, is inimical to
If we say that health, ef fectuality and
consequences for better or for worse. It is
a matter of pride. Love of our fellow man
health and happiness. T otalitarian
prosperity are the natural states of being
for this reason that there is no condition
can ensue only when we stop systems are notably devoid of humor at
in harmony with reality, then anything
that is incurable or hopeless; somewhere,
condemning, fearing and hating him. any level. Laughter, which brings
less calls for internal scrutiny rather than
sometime, somebody has recovered from
Such radical change can be disorienting;
acceptance and freedom, is a threat to
the projection of blame on things outsideit through the process we have described. the courage to endure the temporary
their rule through force and intimidation;
the system involved. Attractor patterns
It is instrumental not only in recovery but
discomfort of growth is also required. it is hard to oppress people who have a
obey the laws of their own physics even
for any major advancement of
Recovery from any disease process is
good sense of humor. Beware the
if they are not Newtonian; to for give is to
consciousness to have compassion for
dependent on willingness to explore new
humorless, whether in a person,
be for given. As we have observed
one's self and all of mankind as we go
ways of looking at one's self and life. institution or belief system; it is always
repeatedly, in a universe where through the painful struggles of
This includes the capacity to endure inner
accompanied by an impulse to controleverything is connected with everything
evolution. Only thus do we become
fears when belief systems are shaken. and dominate, even if its proclaimed
else, there is no such thing as an
healers as well as healed. And only thus
People cherish and cling to their hates
objective is to create prosperity or peace. "accident;" and nothing is outside the
may we hope to be healed of any
and grievances; to heal humanity it may
One cannot create peace as such. Peace is
universe. Because the power of causes
malaise, physical or spiritual. be necessary to pry whole populations
the natural state of af fairs when that
is unseen and only the manifestation of
Does all this mean that if we learn to
away from lifestyles of spite, attack and
which prevents it is removed. Relatively
effects is observable, ther e is an operate on the level of unconditional
love revenge.few people are genuinely committed to
illusion of "accidental" events. A we will become immortal? A prime dif ficulty with thoughts and
peace as a realistic goal. In their private
sudden and unexpected event may Unfortunately, the protoplasm of
the behaviors associated with the ener gy
lives, people prefer being "right" at
appear to be random, unr elated to
physical body is vulnerable to its own
fields that calibrate below 200 is that
whatever the cost to relationships or
observable causes, but its actual origin
genetic programming as well as its
they (184) cause counter -reactions. A themselves. A self justified
positionality can be traced thr ough r esear ch. A
external environment. But from the
familiar law of the observable universe is
is the real enemy of peace. When
sudden illness always has discernible
viewpoint of consciousness level 500 and
that force results in equal and opposite
solutions are sought on the level ofantecedents; even accident-proneness above, it appears that death itself is
only counter -force. All attacks, therefore, coercion, no peaceful
resolutions are involves numerous small preparatory
an illusion and life goes on unimpeded
whether mental or physical, result in
possible. steps before "accidents" occur.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        Genius is
a Zen Koan, to a rational impasse from
the right moment, without quite knowing
acknowledge and support life, respect
by definition a style of consciousness
which the only way forward is by a leap
why. Sometimes we would like to
and uphold the dignity of others; grace is
characterized by the ability to access high
from a lower to a higher attractor ener gy
congratulate ourselves for these
an aspect of unconditional love. ener gy attractor patterns. It is not a
pattern. fortuitous events, but in truth we really
Graciousness also implies generosity-not
personality characteristic. It is not
Attractor ener gy patterns have do not know from whence they come. merely material generosity but generosity
something that a person "has," nor evenharmonics, as do musical tones. The
Genius often is expressed through a
of spirit, such as the willingness to
something that someone "is. " Those in
higher frequency the harmonic, the change of perception--a change of
express thanks or acknowledge the whom we recognize genius
commonly
higher the power. What the genius
context or paradigm. The mind struggles
importance of others in our lives. Grace
disclaim it. A universal characteristic of
arrives at is a new harmonic. Every
with an insoluble problem, poses a
is associated with modesty and humility. genius is humility. The genius has always
advance in human consciousness has
question, and is open to receive an
Power does not need to f taunt itself,
attributed his insights to some higher
come through a leap from a lower
answer. The source from which this
though force always must because itinfluence. attractor pattern to its higher harmonic. answer comes has been given many
originates in self doubt. Great artists are
(164) The process of animating genius most
Posing the original question activates an
names, varying from culture to culture
thankful for their power, whatever its
commonly involves first formulating a
attractor; the answer lies within its
and time to time; in the arts of W estern
expression, because they know it is a gift
question, and waiting an indefinite
harmonic. This is why it is said that the
civilization it has traditionally been
for the good of mankind, entailing
interval for consciousness to work with
question and the answer are merely two
identified with the Greek goddesses of
responsibility to others. the problem; then suddenly the answer
sides of one coin, and that one cannotinspiration called the Muses. Those who
Beauty has expressed itself in so many
appears in a flash, in a form which is
pose a question unless the answer already
are humble and grateful for illumination
dif ferent forms in dif ferent cultures
characteristically nonverbal. Great
exists-otherwise there would be no received continue to have the
capacity to throughout various periods of time, that
musicians throughout history have stated
pattern from which the question could be
access genius. Those who arrogate the
we have good reason to say it is in the
that they did not plan their music, but
formulated. 4
inspiration to their own ego soon lose
eye of the beholder. However, we should
rather wrote down what they heard,
(165) Recognized geniuses may be rare, but
this capacity, or are destroyed by their
note that it is only the vehicle of beauty
finished, within their own minds.'TheGenius resides within all of us. There is
success. High power, like high voltage,
that changes; the essence of beauty does
father of or ganic chemistry, Kukule, saw
no such thing as luck or accident in this
must be handled with respect. not change, only the form in which it is
the pattern of the carbon ring or ganic
universe. And not only is everything
Genius and creativity, then, are
perceived. It is interesting that people of
nucleus in a dream. In an illuminated
connected to everything else, but no one
subjectively experienced as a witnessing. advanced consciousness are able to see
moment, Einstein had the revolutionary
is excluded from the universe. W e are all
It is a phenomenon which bypasses the
beauty in all forms. T o them not only is
insight which then took him years to
members. Consciousness is a universal
(166) individual self, or ego. The capacityall life sacred, but all form is beauty. translate into provable mathematics.'quality, like the quality of physicality. to finesse genius can be learned, though
15. GENIUS AND THE POWER OF
Indeed, one of the main problems of
Because genius is a characteristic of
often only through painful surrender,
CREA TIVITY
genius is how to transform that which is
consciousness, genius also is universal. when the phoenix of genius arises out of
perceived in one's private understanding
That which is universal is available to
the ashes of despair after a fruitless
CREA TIVITY AND GENIUS are the
into a visible expression comprehensible
every man. struggle with the


-flowering plum blossoms, which signify sexual plea
sure in old age.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        Ancient Chinese
Sexual Secrets
/or �stem Lovers
VALENTIN CHU
A Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam Book
published by
G. P. Putnam's Sons
New York Most lirchet·'Pulnam books an: ava ilable at special quantity discou nts for
bulk purchases tor saks promotions, premi ums, fund -raising, and educ�
tional needs. S pecial books, m· book excerpts, can also be created to ht
specific needs. For details. write or telephone Special Markets, Putnam Pubhshmg Group. �00 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016. (212) 951-8891. AJeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam Book
Published by G.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: What is the main focus of the book "The Yin-Yang Butterfly"?,
A: The book explores ancient Chinese sexual secrets and techniques, focusing on the connection between sex and health, and their potential benefits for longevity.
Q: What is the author's motivation for writing this book?,
A: The author, Valentin Chu, was inspired by his research on ancient Chinese sexology and wanted to share his findings with a Western audience.
Q: What is the significance of the concept of Yin and Yang in ancient Chinese culture?,
A: The concept of Yin and Yang is central to Chinese philosophy and is used to describe the balance and harmony of opposing forces, including those in the human body.
Q: How did the Chinese approach the concept of alchemy?,
A: The Chinese Taoists believed in the possibility of achieving immortality through alchemy, and they experimented with various potions and elixirs to achieve this goal.
Q: What is the author's purpose in writing this book?,
A: The author aims to introduce and analyze ancient Chinese sexology, providing insights and techniques for modern readers, while also highlighting the cultural significance of the subject.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>As long as he did not behave like a lecher, a sex
ually active old man in traditional China was not consider ed a
dirty old man. Instead he was regarded as a fortunate, healthy
male who enjoyed sex and longevity. Countless paintings, de
signs on porcelain, jade and wood carvings, and embroidered
robes show cloud-shr ouded dragons pursuing and toying with a
giant pearl, which sometimes has flames shooting out of it. This
pearl represents the condensed essence of mingled male and fe
male sexual energy. PRUDI SHNE SS AND LASCIVIOU SNESS
Despite the perv asiv e, even fornulized sexual syrnbolisn1 in art
and elsewh ere, the pcnduh1n1 of sexuality has swung widely
and wildly-in China. An1ong the cultures of the world, China
has known sorne of the n1ost restrictive, as well as son1e of the
most licentious, practices. During the n1ost prudish tirnes, respectable Chinese won1en
could talk to n1cn who were not blood relatives only fron1 behind
a screen. A nuidcn whose bare ann was accidentally touched, or
whose partial nudity was accidentally seen, by a rnalc stranger had
to nurry hirn to preservl' her virtue. A nurried sister could not sit at the san1e fatnily dining table with her own brother. Husbands
and wives were not to touch each other outside their bedroorn. and their clothes were not to be hung next to each other on the
san1e rack. Widows who refused to renurry wer e honored by
their con1nntnities with stone n1onun1ents. Incest taboos were severe, and included a "nanH.' incest,"
which forbade a n1an to tnarry a wonun with the san1e last nan1e,
even if they were not at all relatt·d. ThL' obsessio n with virginity
was ran1pant; in son1e regions a piece of bloodstained cloth had to
be exhibited by the proud husband the n1orning after the wedding
night. In southern China the groon1's fatnily would send a whole
roast suckling pig ceretnoniously through the streets when the
bride visited her family three days after the wedding-but only if
she had been found to be a virgin. Through this ritual the whole
community would know her condition. Suicides. murders. and
bloody clan feuds sotnetimes resulted if a young woman was
found not to be a virgin. On the other hand, an emperor of China might have any
where from 3, ooo to 40, ooo women in his inner sanctum, where,
guarded by eunuchs, he could have sex with any of them. The
feats of some of the most lecherous emperors, empresses, and
aristocrats were faithfully recorded for posterity in official histo
ries and scholarly chronicles. From time to time, sex cults engaged in mass orgies. In the
fourteenth century aristocrats and commoners alike, coached by
cult priests, indulged in such practices. For privacy in warm
weather, participants shielded their windows with tiao-hsien, in
genious blinds made of bamboo slats. They were used so widely
on brothel windows that they eventually came to symbolize these
establishments. (Earlier, tiao-hsien had inspired a foreign visitor
named Marco Polo; the result was the so-called venetian blind.) A top attraction at Chinese festivals in the eleventh century
consisted of wrestling matches between naked women. In some
areas people practiced a custom we might think of as "rent
a-wife," whereby a man could rent a wife from her husband for a
contracted period, whether as a baby-maker or sexual partner. A
famous prime minister of the Sung dynasty was born of such a
contract. In spite of the seclusion of young women, men were
able to seduce them in clandestine liaisons; these have inspired
some of the finest classical poetry and drama. Affairs between When Confucius Wasn't Lookin� T H F S F N S l' A I I A N I> S C A I' f
26 fathers-i n-la w and dau ghters-in-l aw, known as "rakin� ashes" in
Chinese, were prevalent an1ong the royalty during certain eras. In
recent centuries, a standard punishn1cnt for sexual misconduct
was public spanking; a big paddle would be used on naked but
tocks, of men as well as women, right inside the courtroom. NEo-CoNFUCIANISM TAKES OvE R
Up to a thousand years ago, then, sexual life in China was colorful. The Art of the Bedchamber flourished and was practiced openly. During the three centuries of the Tang dynasty (61 8-907), sex
and sexuality were robust and freewheeling, not only in the impe
rial courts but also among the commoners. And women were as
forward as men in their sexual pursuits, seductions, and clan
destine trysts. During the Sung and Southern Sung dynasty, however, neo
Confucianists began to advocate segregation of the sexes even
within the family, and sex for procreation only; und erlying this
was their belief in the inferiority of women. Their puritanical
public stance has dominated China for almost the past thousand
years. The neo-Confucianists were not against sex; they were just
overdecorous prudes, who restricted sex to the sanctuary of the
bedchamb er, outside which they pretended to see no sex, hear no
sex, and speak no sex. They did, though, maintain the old Confucian obsession with
begetting heirs. Even the most diehard neo-Confucianists copu
lated, often spiritedly, to sire sons. In fact, they had utter con
tempt for voluntary celibacy and saw the celibacy of Buddhist
monks and nuns as unnatural. To the neo-Confucianists, family
was the bedrock of social and political systems, so they practiced
polygamy with a straight face. Until the recent past, polygamy had been customary in China. The upper and middle classes practiced it if they wanted, when
they could afford it. They could justify it morally on the grounds
that it was a way to guarantee n1ale heirs to carry on the family
line. The Chinese had a curious form of polygan1y, distinct from
that of other cultures. If a man had several wives, the first re
mained the fen1ale head of the household; she could not be
divorced unless she was caught in serious misconduct. The con-cubines, or subsequent and n1inor wives, had to deter to her. No
one could usurp the tirst wife's status in the fatnily hiL'rarchy. whatever the husband's t�n1otional or sexual preferences. Under
such an all-encon1passing fatnily structur e, ther e cou ld be vir
tually no "scarlet won1


 going to build for my place. Her
twelve-by-sixteen-foot cabin  had no electricity, no
plumbing, no inside siding, and the window openingswere covered with only scree ns and some plastic. It only
took about six weeks to build and cost almost nothing,
but she loved it. I smile no w when I look back at my
initial resistance. I could never have imagined how many
important life experiences of mine would end up being
tied to that cabin. Meanwhile, summer was ove r and the time to start my
classes at Santa Fe was rapidly approaching. I had been
true to my commitment of no t allowing a single thought
to e nter my mind about wha t I was going to teach. How
would I ever know what life was capable of doing if I was
always in control? I walked in to my first class at Santa Fe
completely op en to whatever would unfold. As the
students filed in, I simply q uieted my mind and asked
myself, Do you have something worthwhile to teach
these students? I n my h eart I knew that I had a wealth of
knowledge that would be both interesting and beneficial
to t heir lives. So I took a breath, stood up, and just
started speaking. I couldn’t have known it at the time,
but that exact moment was laying the groundwork for
the next phase of my spiritual journey: becoming a
teacher. The words just flowed out. There was no prior thinking
involved. The first session lai d out the road map of what
we wer e going to do in the class, just as though a
curriculum had  been decided beforehand. It was similar
to when  I was writing that ec onomics paper in my van in
the woods. Except this time, I  was watching a continuous
stream of inspiration turning into a powerful lecture. I
was not doing any of this—I was just aware of it. As t he semester progressed, this kept happening class
after cl ass. I was amazed by  what was being taught in
these classes. It was as thou gh all the knowledge from
my schooling, plus all that I had learned through
introspective m editation and  the relentless watching of
the voice, was being woven together into a cohesive
whole. The premise of the c ourse was centered on thepossibility tha t one underlying truth exists in the
universe, and all of man’s knowledge was just looking at
this tru th from  different perspectives. The exploration of
that pre mise w ould involve physics, biology, psychology,
and religion. What was the p ossibility that they were all
saying the same thing? I had never thought about things
in th is way before. In fact, I had spent my time learning
to not make th oughts a pastime. How could each class
come out so perfectly without my doing it? Nonetheless,
the presentation was unfolding on a class-by-class basis
before my eyes. The success of the classes was overwhelming. I would
start the semester with twent y students in the room, and
by t he end the  count had doubled. I remember one class
where I literally had troub le entering the classroom. Twenty students were registered and another forty or so
were either sitting in class or  listening from the hallway. People would just keep bringing their friends. I was still
into be ing quiet and didn’t want all this to become a
distraction to my practices. So I tried to isolate myself by
coming to school just before class, leaving right
afterward, and not attending any faculty meetings or
school f unctions. It didn’t matter. This was the ’70s, and
I was teaching Universal Th ought in the midst of the
consciousness revolution. Over time, students and their
friends began to show up for the Sunday meditations at
my place. As if that were  not enough, those classes at Santa Fe
laid the groundwork for another very spiritual flow of
events. This time it was regarding, of all things, my
doctoral dissertation. I had been telling Dr. Goffman that
my life had tak en me far from the field of economics, and
I had no intention of writing a dissertation. Nonetheless,
one day  he made me promise, as a personal favor to him,
that I would t urn in something, anything, for him to
read. I had gre at love and respect for Dr. Goffman, and I
saw it as an ac t of surrender to acquiesce to his wishes.That ve ry nigh t, I sat down on the floor of my house, lit
my kerosene lamp, and asked  myself if I had something
to write that was worth such an enormous undertaking. It o nly took a moment to  realize that I did have
something very  important to write, and I would love for
Dr. Goffman to read it. It se ems that life had just given
me the perfect opportunity to write about that voice in
your head and the oneness  behind all of science and
religion—just a s I had been teaching in my classes at
Santa Fe. With th at as the topic, I was filled with inspiration. Though I knew it wouldn’t b e accepted as an economics
dissertation, I put my heart a nd soul into my writing. As
it turned out, the finished document had an unexpected
destiny of its o wn. A professor on my doctoral committee
had a publisher contact m e, and within a year, my
dissertation wa s published under the title The Search for
Truth. Thirty-five years later, that book still sells copies
every month on Amazon—a fitting tribute to the acts of
surrender that brought it into this world. What is important from all this is that if I had listened
to m y own min d, none of this would have happened. By
following the flow of life, instead of my own preferences,
I wa s now a carpenter, a teacher, and a published author. Inwardly, I had grown as w ell. The sharp line I had
drawn between  spiritual and nonspiritual had begun to
fade. The energy I experienced while teaching my classes
at Santa Fe was the same energy I was dealing with in my
yoga and meditations. In meditation, that energy would
flow upward and lift me aw ay from my everyday self. When I  stood in front of a class, the very same energy
would explode into a passionate, heartfelt lecture. Not
only di d I begin to see all this as the flow of spiritual
energy, but I also began t o see that there was no
difference between coming to class to teach and driving
home to do my  meditative practices. I was teaching those
classes because an amazing flow of events had put methere. I was d riving home because an amazing flow of
events had put me there. Neither of these destinations
was decided by me. They were the result of my letting go
of m yself. Little by little, the fabric of my life was
composed of the results of my  surrender. I was becoming
surrounded by a life that ha d been built for me, not by
me. In my wild est dreams, however, I could never have
imagined where this was going to lead me.2 0.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        When artists create a work, they first get the
inspiration, an d then they bring it down to the physical
plane. That process is exactly what happened to me that
night alone in my van. The inspiration for the entire
paper c ame all at once, and then my mind digested it and
gave it form. Instead of a sculpture, a painting, or a
symphony, my  work of art was an economic treatise. It
came from where art comes  from, but the medium of
expression wa s logical thinking instead of marble or
paint. I had no idea where that spark of inspiration came
from. I only kn ew that in the flash of a moment, I had all
the material I needed to write a doctoral-level paper. I to ok the nex t few days to clean up the rough draft,
type it, and tu rn it in. The final typed paper was over
thirty pages long. Not only did I receive an A for that
course, but when my professor returned my paper, he
asked me if I would consider doing my dissertation
under him. I was humbled. As evidenced from this
recounting forty years later, the experience that night
had a profound effect on me. I had clearly seen the
difference between creative inspiration and logical
thought. I knew where thoughts came from, but where
did inspiration  come from. It came from a much deeper
place t han where I witnessed the thoughts. It came
spontaneously, in total silence, with no effort or
commotion. N o matter how hard I might have tried, I
could n ever have written that paper based solely on the
efforts of my lo gical mind. I w ondered if there was a way
to tap into the  brilliance of t hat inspiration on a regular
basis. It would be years, but e ventually I would learn that
one can constantly live in that state of creative
inspiration. 9. T h e  P r o m i s e d  L a n d
I t had been months since my deep meditation experience


 tailored to a particular cir -
cumstance or question, just as a bucket dipped into the ocean will draw out a
measure of water that is uniquely and exquisitely fitted to its own proportions. A true teaching cannot be evaluated by its form or content alone but by
the source from which it originates. Any expression that originates in under -
standing or love contains within it a particular quality, a power even, that
has the ability to take the recipient to the same source of understanding and
love in their self. The teaching is simply the means by which they are given
experiential access to this understanding and love. The finite mind superimposes its own limitations on everything that it
knows or perceives and, therefore, cannot find happiness or know the ulti -
mate reality. For this reason, the teaching will often refuse to entertain the
mind on its own terms and will find ways of exposing and undermining it. As a result, such a teaching may give one person a practice and in the next
moment, in response to another question, refuse to suggest any such practice. For some people, just a few words of guidance will be sufficient. However,
if a person has an inquisitive and sophisticated mind, then it is likely that
they will raise objections and question every aspect of the teaching. If such
a mind is not acknowledged and honoured, it tends to become frustrated
and angry. In order to pave the way for the understanding and love that is the essence
of the teaching to be taken deeply into the heart and body, it will, in such
cases, be necessary to elaborate refined lines of reasoning. For such people,
it is only when the mind’s objections and questions have been met satisfac -
torily that they will be open to a new possibility. In this case, the teaching will give the mind complete freedom to explore
these matters as much as it wishes, and even encourage it to do so, thereby
allowing it gradually, naturally and effortlessly to bring itself to its own end. 32chapter five
The Essence of Meditation
There is a huge silence inside each of us
that beckons us into itself. meister eckhart

The recognition of our true nature is not a new experience that happens
to us. It is the revealing or the noticing of what we always and already are
but often overlook due to our exclusive fascination with the content of ex -
perience. It is we, awareness, who, being intimately one with all experience, seem
to lose our self in it, thereby overlooking our innate peace and happiness. The inevitable suffering that ensues from this is a call from our self to our
self – a call to return home from the adventure of experience in which we
have become entangled. In this recognition we do not cease being one kind of self and become
another kind of self. We simply cease losing our self in or identifying our
self with the content of experience, and we recognise our self as the inherently
peaceful presence of awareness that lies behind it. We cannot become  what we always and already are, and we cannot be
what we are not. We can only cease imagining and feeling that we are some -
thing other than the presence of awareness. Once we have disentangled our
self from the content of experience, our true nature simply shines by itself,
just as the blue sky is revealed when the clouds disperse. disentangling our self

If the forgetting or ignoring of our essential self is the veiling of our innate hap -
piness and the ultimate cause of psychological suffering, then the remembrance
or clear knowledge of our essential self is the means by which this forgetfulness
or ignorance is removed  and our innate peace and happiness revealed. you are the happiness you seek
     If someone believes they have covid-19, they may take a test. If the test
comes back negative, their ignorance of their state of health is simply re -
moved. The removal of ignorance cannot be said to be the cause of their good
health. It simply allows what is already the case to be fully acknowledged. Likewise, the recognition of our true nature is not the  cause  of happiness;
it is simply the removal of the ignorance of our true nature. It is the uncover -
ing of our being, whose nature is happiness itself. Meditation is the relaxing of the focus of our attention from its content,
the disentangling of our self from the drama of experience, and the sub -
sequent emergence of our essential nature of silent awareness. It is simply the process whereby our essential nature or being is revealed,
after it is divested of all the qualities or characteristics that it acquires from
experience. Instead of allowing our attention to become mixed with the con -
tent of experience, we trace it back in the opposite direction. In the absence
of anything to hold on to, attention can no longer stand and is dissolved
in its source of pure awareness. This recognition of the essential nature of our self is traditionally referred
to as enlightenment, awakening, salvation or satori. However, enlightenment
is not an extraordinary, mystical or exotic experience. In fact, it is not an ob -
jective experience at all. Somebody once asked the Zen teacher Shunryu Su -
zuki why he never spoke of his enlightenment experience, and his wife, who
was sitting at the back of the hall, stood up and said, ‘Because he never had
one!’ Our essential being or true nature of pure awareness simply ceases to
be veiled or ‘endarkened’ by experience and, as a result, stands revealed. direct and indirect paths

This return to our being, which is referred to in many different ways in
the religious and spiritual traditions, constitutes the essence of meditation. It is sometimes referred to as the Direct Path, as it is the means by which we
go directly to the happiness that is the nature of our being, rather than via
an object such as a mantra, the breath or a teacher. Ramana Maharshi referred to it as ‘sinking the mind into the heart’. Jesus
referred to it as ‘entering into thy closet, closing thy door and praying to thy
Father, who is in secret’, that is, returning one’s attention to one’s being and
resting there quietly, all alone. 34the essence of meditation
     This return to our being and its inherent peace is often initiated by an
investigation, and hence its name, self-enquiry. However, once the enquiry
has brought about the letting go of everything with which we normally ident -
ify our self, no further investigation is required. Self-enquiry gives way to
self-abiding, self-remembering or simply resting in being, as being. It is in this self-resting that the unlimited and inherently peaceful nature
of our being reveals itself, either gradually or suddenly. The memory of our
eternity emerges, not from the past but from the depths of our being, where
it is lying quietly all the time. Thus, the essence of meditation is simply to be aware of being. And as
we are always aware of simply being, meditation ultimately is not something
we do. It is what we are. In the context of this understanding, what is the purpose of meditations that
involve focusing our attention on something like a mantra, an image, a flame,
the breath or the pause between breaths? Many of us are so accustomed to giving our attention exclusively to the con -
tent of experience that bringing our attention back to rest in the heart of
awareness may, initially, be too much of a confrontation. The gravitational
pull of thoughts and feelings, the experience of the body and world, and the
demand of activities and relationships is simply too strong. So, as a compassionate concession to such a mind, the religious and spiri -
tual traditions suggest a compromise whereby they give the mind an object
on which to focus, by way of preparation for its ultimate subsidence in the
heart of awareness. Such an object is a half-way stage between the finite mind
and its essence. In this case, the mind which is usually dispersed amongst the objects of
experience is brought to settle on a single object. Not only does this bring
the disparate energies of the mind to rest, but it also infuses the mind with
the particular quality of the object itself. For instance, a mantra, although it may be only a single syllable, is the dis -
tilled essence of centuries of understanding and is considered, as such, to
contain this understanding encoded within it. Not only does the repetition
of such a sound bring the mind to rest on a single object, but the pre-verbal
35you are the happiness you seek
understanding that lies within it, in the form of a subtle vibration, gradually
permeates the mind, infusing it with its innate intelligence. The same principle lies behind the power of music. Rock music has the
capacity to arouse and articulate instinctive impulses in the body. Folk music
can awaken the deepest longing in our hearts. And in listening to Bach or
Beethoven, one may intuit that the very structure of the universe is being re -
vealed in a way that can never be grasped by the narrow compass of the mind. It is no coincidence that in classical Greek thought, the Logos or Word
is considered the first form of divine love and intelligence, through which it
manifests as the universe. Conversely, music in general, and a mantra in par -
ticular, are means by which we may return to this love and intelligence. The object could also be the breath. It is significant that in Latin both
the word spiritus,  from which our word ‘spirit’ is derived, and the word
anima, which refers to the soul or individual, can be translated as ‘breath


	not. Or	trust	the	findings	of	some	impressive	research	studies,	large	and	small,
showing	time	and	time	again	that	vegetarians	and	vegans	are	slimmer	than
their	meat-eating	counterparts. People	in	these	studies	who	are	vegetarian	or
vegan	are	anywhere	from	five	to	thirty	pounds	slimmer	than	their	fellow
citizens. 7–13
In	a	separate	intervention	study,	overweight	subjects	were	told	to	eat	as
much	as	they	wanted	of	foods	that	were	mostly	low-fat,	whole-food	and
plant-based. In	three	weeks	these	people	lost	an	average	of	seventeen
pounds. 14
	At	the	Pritikin	Center,	4,500	patients	who	had	gone	through	their
three-week	program	got	similar	results. By	feeding	a	mostly	plant-based	diet
and	promoting	exercise,	the	Center	found	that	its	clients	lost	5.5%	of	their
body	weight	over	three	weeks. 15
Published	results	for	still	more	intervention	studies	using	a	low-fat,	whole
foods,	mostly	plant-based	diet:About	two	to	five	pounds	lost	after	twelve	days
16
About	ten	pounds	lost	in	three	weeks
17,	18
Sixteen	pounds	lost	over	twelve	weeks
19
Twenty-four	pounds	lost	after	one	year
20
All	of	these	results	show	that	consuming	a	whole	foods,	plant-based	diet
will	help	you	to	lose	weight	and,	furthermore,	it	can	happen	quickly. The	only
question	is	how	much	weight	you	can	lose. In	most	of	these	studies,	the
people	who	shed	the	most	pounds	were	those	who	started	with	the	most
excess	weight. 21
	After	the	initial	weight	loss,	the	weight	can	be	kept	off	for
the	long	term	by	staying	on	the	diet. Most	importantly,	losing	weight	this	way
is	consistent	with	long-term	health. Some	people,	of	course,	can	be	on	a	plant-based	diet	and	still	not	lose
weight. There	are	a	few	very	good	reasons	for	this. First	and	foremost,	losing
body	weight	on	a	plant-based	diet	is	much	less	likely	to	occur	if	the	diet
includes	too	many	refined	carbohydrates. Sweets,	pastries	and	pastas	won’t
do	it. These	foods	are	high	in	readily	digested	sugars	and	starches	and,	for	the
pastries,	oftentimes	very	high	in	fat	as	well. As	mentioned	in	chapter	four,
these	highly	processed,	unnatural	foods	are	not	part	of	a	plant-based	diet	that
works	to	reduce	body	weight	and	promote	health. This	is	one	of	the	main
reasons	that	I	usually	refer	to	the	optimal	diet	as	a
whole	foods,
	plant-based
diet. Notice	that	a	strict	vegetarian	diet	is	not	necessarily	the	same	thing
as	a
whole	foods,	plant-based	diet. Some	people	become	vegetarian	only	to
replace	meat	with	dairy	foods,	added	oils	and	refined	carbohydrates,
including	pasta	made	with	refined	grains,	sweets	and	pastries. I	refer	to	these
people	as	“junk-food	vegetarians”	because	they	are	not	consuming	a
nutritious	diet. The	second	reason	weight	loss	may	be	elusive	is	if	a	person	never	engages
in	any	physical	activity. A	reasonable	amount	of	physical	activity,	sustained
on	a	regular	basis,	can	pay	important	dividends. Thirdly,	certain	people	have	a	family	predisposition	for	overweight	bodies
that	may	make	their	challenge	more	difficult. If	you	are	one	of	these	people,	I
can	only	say	that	you	probably	need	to	be	especially	rigorous	in	your	diet	and
exercise. In	rural	China,	we	noticed	that	obese	people	simply	did	not	exist,
even	though	Chinese	immigrants	in	Western	countries	do	succumb	to	obesity. Now,	as	the	dietary	and	lifestyle	practices	of	people	in	China	are	becoming
more	like	ours,	so	too	have	their	bodies	become	more	like	ours. For	some	of
these	people	with	genetic	predispositions,	it	doesn’t	take	much	bad	food
before	their	change	in	diet	starts	to	cause	problems.Keeping	body	weight	off	is	a	long-term	lifestyle	choice. Gimmicks	that
produce	impressively	large,	quick	weight	losses	don’t	work	in	the	long	term. Short-term	gains	should	not	come	along	with	long-term	pain,	like	kidney
problems,	heart	disease,	cancer,	bone	and	joint	ailments	and	other	problems
that	may	be	brought	on	with	popular	diet	fads. If	the	weight	was	gained
slowly,	over	a	period	of	months	and	years,	why	would	you	expect	to	take	it
off	healthily	in	a	matter	of	weeks? Treating	weight	loss	as	a	race	doesn’t
work;	it	only	makes	the	dieter	more	eager	to	quit	the	diet	and	go	back	to	the
eating	habits	that	put	them	in	need	of	losing	weight	in	the	first	place. One
very	large	study	of	21,105	vegetarians	and	vegans
13
	found	that	body	mass
index	was	“…	lower	among	those	who	had	adhered	to	their	diet	for	five	or
more	years”	compared	to	people	who	had	been	on	the	diet	for	less	than	five
years.WHY	THIS	WILL	WORK	FOR	YOU
So	there	is	a	solution	to	the	weight-gain	problem. But	how	can	you	apply	it	to
your	own	life? First	of	all,	throw	away	ideas	about	counting	calories. Generally	speaking,
you	can	eat	as	much	as	you	want	and	still	lose	weight—
as	long	you	eat	the
right	type	of	food. (See	chapter	twelve	for	details.) Secondly,	stop	expecting
sacrifice,	deprivation	or	blandness;	there’s	no	need. Feeling
hungry	is	a	sign
that	something	is	wrong,	and	prolonged	hunger	causes	your	body	to	slow	the
overall	rate	of	metabolism	in	defense. Moreover,	there	are	mechanisms	in	our
bodies	that	naturally	allow	the	right	kind	of	plant-based	foods	to	nourish	us,
without	our	having	to	think	about	every	morsel	of	food	we	put	in	our	mouths. It	is	a	worry-free	way	to	eat. Give	your	body	the	right	food	and	it	will	do	the
right	thing. In	some	studies,	those	who	follow	a	whole	foods,	low-fat,	plant-based	diet
consume	fewer	calories. It’s	not	because	they’re	starving	themselves. In	fact,
they	will	likely	spend	more	time	eating	and	eat	a	larger	volume	of	food	than
their	meat-eating	counterparts. 22
	That’s	because	fruits,	vegetables	and	grains
—as	whole	foods—are	much	less	energy-dense	than	animal	foods	and	added
fats. There	are	fewer	calories	in	each	spoonful	or	cupful	of	these	foods. Remember	that	fat	has	nine	calories	per	gram	while	carbohydrates	and	protein
have	only	four	calories	per	gram. In	addition,	whole	fruits,	vegetables	and
grains	have	a	lot	of	fiber,	which	makes	you	feel	full
22,	23
	and	yet	contributes
almost	no	calories	to	your	meal. So	by	eating	a	healthy	meal,	you	may	reduce
the	calories	that	you	consume,	digest	and	absorb,	even	if	you	eat	significantly
more	food. This	idea	on	its	own,	however,	is


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