BHAGAVAD GITA -That which possesses the body is eternal.

[Guest guest]

Hi Dharma,

so sorry to hear about your problems. I believe these should be

attacked on the physical and mental as well as on the spiritual

level. Let me try to put together a few suggestions here. Of course,

I can only speak about what I have found helpful in my own life and

in the lives of those around me; others may have additional or

different suggestions.

On the physical level, I would consider it of the greatest importance

for you to eat only fresh, vibrant, natural food. Not merely

vegetarian food with all of the ingredients boiled to death, but raw,

organically grown fruits, vegetables, sprouts, and grains. Especially

in ME cases but also for general health, fresh grains have been found

to be very helpful. You would need to get yourself a grain mill or a

flaker. Here is the model we use in our home every day:

http://www.juicebars.com/juicers/hawo.htm. I have no connections with

the company except that I bought this stone mill from them.

If it is still available, I would also strongly suggest you get Dr.

Schnitzer's book http://www.dr-schnitzer.de/sin002.htm. This doctor

did an interesting experiment in 1970 or so. He convinced some 3,500

inhabitants of a small German town - Mönchsweiler - to switch to a

(primarily) raw food diet according to his specifications. A year

later statistics of the people who had followed this diet were put

together, and the increase in health and absence of new ailments was

incredible! The above book gives you an excellent eating plan to

follow.

It seems to me that you also need to draw more pranic energy into your

body. For that, you might consider learning the "Energization

Exercises" that Paramahansa Yogananda taught his students. You don't

need to become a disciple for that; you can simply to the

lessons for a small nominal fee, and stop that subscription after

lesson 8 (out of 150 or so) which teaches these exercises. I do these

"Energization Exercises" every day, and have found them invaluable for

me. You may find good results, too, especially in view of the CFS

condition you mention.

On the mental level, you might want to try continuously instilling

joyful thoughts into your brain. This may be done by mental

whispering, similar to Japa. Even if you don't feel that way at that

moment, mentally whisper to yourself, "I am happy", hundreds or

thousands of times a day - and try to feel it, too! May take some

time, but it will surely work. Though this is not a mantram in the

classical sense of the word, you are no doubt aware that thoughts

have the power to create the vibration that corresponds to that which

they connote.

Regarding the spiritual level I don't think you need any advice. The

words of the great saints and sages are there to draw from, and you

know them better than most.

Well, dear Dharma, I hope you don't mind my intrusion into this

thread. I merely tried to write down a few things that I have found

helpful for myself, and I would be happy if some of them would help

you, too.

Warmly,

Michael

[Guest guest]

Dear Dharma,

 

The body has an intelligence of its own - it knows how to breathe, how to keep the heart

beating - also in deep, dreamless sleep. The body knows very well

how to heal itself but this

power will only be unleashed when it receives the proper stimulus: fasting.

Animals know this by instinct, only deluded humans think to know better than nature and

will stuff the body with "healthy and strengthening" food. The effect, fasting by itself will

have on your emotions, will make it more than worthwhile. Drink plenty of pure water,

the feeling of hunger will be gone in less than 3 days.

 

Love,

Jan On 2/5/02 at 11:07 PM Dharma wrote:

Hi Vicki,

A serene spirit accepts pleasure and pain with an even mind , and is

unmoved by either. He alone is worthy of immortality.

These are helpful words for dealing with physical pain. The problem I

have now is somewhat different.

My illness that has returned (CFS/ME/fibromyalgia) causes emotions to

arise - sometimes fears, sometimes depression...

I know who I am, but I live in this body which creates these emotions,

and they aren't easy to deal with. I can only treat the illness - and

we know so little about it - and keep clearing emotions. Myfriend

points out that the opposite of fear is faith. I do have complete

faith that I am guided and watched over - always have been. But it

isn't easy to try to keep this in clear focus when the body is

throwing up more fear. I found your quotation from Ramana very

helpful:

Maharshi :

As one strives to know the "I" , attachments to objects

and degrading thoughts gradually drop away.

The more one does not forget the Self , the more

the elevating qualities can take root.

Holding the awareness of the highest does help, but how to do that constantly during all the hours??

I'm writing about this because I think there may be others on the list with the same problem.

Love,

Dharma

[Guest guest]

Hi Jan,

 

, "jb" <janb@a...> wrote:

> Dear Dharma,

>

> The body has an intelligence of its own - it knows how to breathe,

> how to keep the heart beating - also in deep, dreamless sleep.

> The body knows very well how to heal itself but this

> power will only be unleashed when it receives the proper stimulus:

> fasting.

 

Untested 'here' (at least in recent memory), but it makes sense...

appetite always decreases during illness. If it increases, then it

isn't the kind of "illness" that would be helped by fasting

(some 'sicknesses' can really be a deficiency of some kind or

another).

 

It seems here, fasting ought to terminate when appetite returns (not

to be confused with the feeling in the stomach of emptiness).

 

Tim

[Guest guest]

On 2/7/02 at 1:54 AM fewtch wrote:

 

ºHi Jan,

º

º, "jb" <janb@a...> wrote:

º> Dear Dharma,

º>

º> The body has an intelligence of its own - it knows how to breathe,

º> how to keep the heart beating - also in deep, dreamless sleep.

º> The body knows very well how to heal itself but this

º> power will only be unleashed when it receives the proper stimulus:

º> fasting.

º

ºUntested 'here' (at least in recent memory), but it makes sense...

ºappetite always decreases during illness. If it increases, then it

ºisn't the kind of "illness" that would be helped by fasting

º(some 'sicknesses' can really be a deficiency of some kind or

ºanother).

 

I haven't heard of an illness that increases appetite apart from bulimia...

If its victims would only eat oranges and tangerines at an attack,

it wouldn't be a problem...

The logic, to decide that because colds and flu cause salty mucus to

leave from nose and throat, salt has to be added to food is quite a laugh:

when consuming cooked food without salt, the mucus no longer is salty, which

using the same logic, implies, no addition of salt to food is required

But when consuming raw food containing little protein, only the functional

mucus is formed and illness ceases.

For many, starting to fast will enable the above

observations. The detoxing phase, flooded with salty mucus brings tiredness

and irritation, sometimes even an itchy rash. That is the so called "allergy"

for fruits as some are powerful detoxing agents, like pineapple.

Hence, fasting is NOT for cowards!

 

º

ºIt seems here, fasting ought to terminate when appetite returns (not

ºto be confused with the feeling in the stomach of emptiness).

º

ºTim

 

There has to be discrimination between appetite and hunger - eat when hungry,

forget the appetite or drink pure water. Hunger is painful - whereas appetite

isn't. At the beach, there are always more than enough reminders regarding

"the fate of the body when gratifying appetite": it equals abuse.

Of course, the body 'knows' this and such treatment cannot be labeled as

Ahimsa or love.

 

Jan

[Guest guest]

Hi Holly,

>In a message dated 2/6/02 12:13:28 AM Mountain Standard Time,

>deva writes:

>

><< I'm writing about this because I think there may be others on the

> list with the same problem. >>

>

>You bet. Hi Dharma, I'm so sorry you're not feeling well. To a lesser

>degree, I've been having the same difficulty with menopausal mood swings.

>They are hormonally driven, have no personal content and don't touch the part

>of me that "knows" (so I get in these weird states where I'm mostly in unity

>consciousness but also thinking "who the @#$^ cares!"). I regard these days

>(fortunately, there are only a handful a month) as somewhat unwelcome

>opportunities for practice, and I'm trying St. John's Wort. I completely

>agree with you that observing physical pain is quite different from observing

>bodily-driven emotional pain. I'm sending prayers your way. Love, Holly

 

Thanks so much! I'll keep you in my prayers too.

 

Today on the Opra show I saw Dr. Christine (maybe Christiane)

Northrup, who has just published _The Wisdom of Menopause_. She

seems to know so much that most doctors don't about menopause and

pre-menopause, the various symptoms (many unsuspected), and many

suggestions of what to do to help. I hope you'll find the book.

 

Love,

Dharma

[Guest guest]

Hi Jerry,

In a message

dated 2/5/02 11:13:22 PM Pacific Standard Time, deva (AT) LABridge (DOT) com

writes:

A serene spirit accepts pleasure and pain with an even mind ,

and is unmoved by either. He alone is worthy of

immortality.

These are helpful words for dealing with

physical pain. The problem I have now is somewhat different.

My illness that has returned (CFS/ME/fibromyalgia) causes emotions to

arise - sometimes fears, sometimes depression...

Hi Dharma,

So sorry to hear things have not

improved. My situation is not the same as yours, in that my body does

not in itself seem to cause emotions as you describe. Yet, for other

reasons, l think the net result is similar to yours. After being

besieged by debilitating problems for so long, including the fact that

any attempt to do spiritual practice only increases the energy and

greatly exacerbates these problems, l have long sensed that the only

thing l can do is open my heart. Nothing else feels relevant. Of

course, it's not the easiest thing to do. )

If you mean in relation to other

people you're in contact with, that will be easier for me when I can

be with other people again. Right now, I'm pretty isolated.

I hope soon to be better enough to write more to the list and to

friends and get out, at least to a support group and maybe church and

so on.

If you mean something different,

could you say more?

Love,

Dharma

[Guest guest]

Hi Michael,

so sorry to hear

about your problems. I believe these should be attacked on the

physical and mental as well as on the spiritual level. Let me try to

put together a few suggestions here. Of course, I can only speak about

what I have found helpful in my own life and in the lives of those

around me; others may have additional or different

suggestions.

On the physical

level, I would consider it of the greatest importance for you to eat

only fresh, vibrant, natural food. Not merely vegetarian food

with all of the ingredients boiled to death, but raw, organically

grown fruits, vegetables, sprouts, and grains. Especially in ME cases

but also for general health, fresh grains have been found to

be very helpful. You would need to get yourself a grain mill or a

flaker. Here is the model we use in our home every day:

http://www.juicebars.com/juicers/hawo.htm. I have no connections with

the company except that

I bought this stone mill from them.

If it is still

available, I would also strongly suggest you get Dr. Schnitzer's

book http://www.dr-schnitzer.de/sin002.htm. This doctor did an interesting experiment in 1970 or

so. He convinced some 3,500 inhabitants of a small German town -

Mönchsweiler - to switch to a (primarily) raw food diet according to

his specifications. A year later statistics of the people who had

followed this diet were put together, and the increase in health and

absence of new ailments was incredible! The above book gives you an

excellent eating plan to follow.

Sounds good. Two problems: I'm usually too sick to cook,

though I do cook rice and canned chicken in the microwave. I

have a juicer but can't use that for the same reason - just have to

eat whatever's easy. Second, I'm on a very strict anti-Candida diet

that the doctor gave me. It rules out most grains, all fresh

fruits except a few tropical ones, and so on - not much left to eat.

Your advice sounds very good, when I'm able to follow it.

It seems to me that

you also need to draw more pranic energy into your body. For that, you

might consider learning the "Energization Exercises" that

Paramahansa Yogananda taught his students. You don't need to become a

disciple for that; you can simply to the lessons for a small

nominal fee, and stop that subscription after lesson 8 (out of 150 or

so) which teaches these exercises. I do these "Energization

Exercises" every day, and have found them invaluable for me.

You may find good results, too, especially in view of the CFS

condition you mention.

The bad attack this fall did some damage to the nerves that

govern the heart rate, and I have a fast-heat (tachycardia) problem -

not serious, they tell me, just scary. I'm on beta-blockers

(adrenaline blockers) to control the heart rate. I have (or had)

full Kundalini, but now something - and it must be those pills) is

holding it down. I still have active Kundalini, but not full and

strong, if you know what I mean.

Do you think the Energization Exercises might affect the heart

rate problem? I'm not trying to do anything to change the

Kundalini - the doctor has no idea what efect Kundalini and these

drugs have on each other. If anyone knows of a doctor who has

such knowledge , I'd like to hear about him. Preferably in the

Los Angeles area where I am, but anywhere would do - I could maybe get

my doctor to call him.

On the mental

level, you might want to try continuously instilling joyful thoughts

into your brain. This may be done by mental whispering, similar to

Japa. Even if you don't feel that way at that moment, mentally whisper

to yourself, "I am happy", hundreds or thousands of times a

day - and try to feel it, too! May take some time, but it

will surely work. Though this is not a mantram in the classical sense

of the word, you are no doubt aware that thoughts have the power

to create the vibration that corresponds to that which they

connote.

Excellent idea! My "Joy Symbol" or Mantra is

Beethoven's joy music, but I seem to have some difficulty getting it

going in my head and hearing it well - maybe the brain damage.

BTW, I should say to all that there has been some brain damage -

I have cognitive damage. This does happen with CFS and shouldn't

be permanent, but nerve damage is slow in healing. So if I seem

to misunderstand someone or react in some apparently strange way to

someone's post, please understand and feel free to correct me.

I feel the intuition (and above) is clear, but no matter how

wonderful an intuition, we do have to use the intellect, the old

brain, to express it, and mine doesn't always perform well.

Regarding the

spiritual level I don't think you need any advice. The words of the

great saints and sages are there to draw from, and you know them

better than most.

Well, dear Dharma,

I hope you don't mind my intrusion into this thread. I merely tried to

write down a few things that I have found helpful for myself, and I

would be happy if some of them would help you,

too.

Thanks so much! I am happy, I am happy, I am happy - I'll

remember.

Love,

Dharma

[Guest guest]

Hi Jan,

 

My eyes are giving out, so my answer has to be short. I think I've

answered some of it in another letter. Fasting isn't possible

because I'm on medicines that must be taken with food. I really eat

more than I care for just because of that.

 

Thanks so much for your love and your advice.

 

Love,

Dharma

>On 2/7/02 at 1:54 AM fewtch wrote:

>

>†Hi Jan,

>†

>†, "jb" <janb@a...> wrote:

>†> Dear Dharma,

>†>

>†> The body has an intelligence of its own - it knows how to breathe,

>†> how to keep the heart beating - also in deep, dreamless sleep.

>†> The body knows very well how to heal itself but this

>†> power will only be unleashed when it receives the proper stimulus:

>†> fasting.

>†

>†Untested 'here' (at least in recent memory), but it makes sense...

>†appetite always decreases during illness. If it increases, then it

>†isn't the kind of "illness" that would be helped by fasting

>†(some 'sicknesses' can really be a deficiency of some kind or

>†another).

>

>I haven't heard of an illness that increases appetite apart from bulimia...

>If its victims would only eat oranges and tangerines at an attack,

>it wouldn't be a problem...

>The logic, to decide that because colds and flu cause salty mucus to

>leave from nose and throat, salt has to be added to food is quite a laugh:

>when consuming cooked food without salt, the mucus no longer is salty, which

>using the same logic, implies, no addition of salt to food is required

>But when consuming raw food containing little protein, only the functional

>mucus is formed and illness ceases.

>For many, starting to fast will enable the above

>observations. The detoxing phase, flooded with salty mucus brings tiredness

>and irritation, sometimes even an itchy rash. That is the so called "allergy"

>for fruits as some are powerful detoxing agents, like pineapple.

>Hence, fasting is NOT for cowards!

>

>†

>†It seems here, fasting ought to terminate when appetite returns (not

>†to be confused with the feeling in the stomach of emptiness).

>†

>†Tim

>

>There has to be discrimination between appetite and hunger - eat when hungry,

>forget the appetite or drink pure water. Hunger is painful - whereas appetite

>isn't. At the beach, there are always more than enough reminders regarding

>"the fate of the body when gratifying appetite": it equals abuse.

>Of course, the body 'knows' this and such treatment cannot be labeled as

>Ahimsa or love.

>

>Jan

>

>

>

>/join

>

>

>

>

>

>All paths go somewhere. No path goes nowhere. Paths, places, sights,

>perceptions, and indeed all experiences arise from and exist in and

>subside back into the Space of Awareness. Like waves rising are not

>different than the ocean, all things arising from Awareness are of

>the nature of Awareness. Awareness does not come and go but is

>always Present. It is Home. Home is where the Heart Is. Jnanis know

>the Heart to be the Finality of Eternal Being. A true devotee

>relishes in the Truth of Self-Knowledge, spontaneously arising from

>within into It Self. Welcome all to a.

>

>

>

>Your use of is subject to

[Guest guest]

Hi Dharma,

 

 

Your story reminds of about a year ago when i had a triply fractured foot,

which was considered rather painful so i got a load of painkillers by the MD.

But they had to be used with a "medicine" to circumvent one of the nasty

side effects of that painkiller: ulcers and a perforated stomach!

Fortunately, in my 'case' , under the strain of pain the mind-body

goes into euphoria, which always enables a kind of turbo-speed healing.

 

With your faith in MD's and their medicine, i would have died many

deaths already. Without such faith, my brother still would be alive

too. He had bronchial asthma and was on inhalant. Just having

a girlfriend he used way too much, and was easily irritated which was

a guarantee to get an asthma attack. So when he was alone with a sister

and he got angry over what otherwise would have been a teasing joke,

he got an attack, rushed with the last breath to the tin with inhalant only

to find out it was empty. He panicked and died. It took more than ten years

for my sister to get over it and psychiatric help was to no avail.

 

The only MD who evidenced "true" understanding was one who had worked in the

tropics

for less than pocket money. Instead of relying on drugs he had learned to

observe

and think as 40 years ago in 3rd world countries there were very few drugs and

he was

serving the poor who had no money for drugs. When i came to him with the herpes

(that should be on the lips) on the right cheek, the right eye already was

destroyed

by it but with luck some of the damage could be restored with a cornea

transplantation.

 

Instead of prescribing the usual useless ointments, the MD told that couldn't

work

because the virus lives under the skin where medicines don't come. So with a

pipette,

he took some fluid containing the alive virus out of a few vesicles, made a

wound on the

skin, mixed the fluid with the blood and bandaged the wound. Within a week, the

herpes

was healed and never returned to the cheek. But although the eye has been

operated

on 5 times, it never regained a good sight which "bought" me early retirement..

 

Another good laugh with what from then on i labeled "university quacks" was when

the skin

on my entire body was burned: it had been changed into one second degree burn.

Arriving at the hospital with my parents, the MD's said they couldn't do

anything as

without a skin i should be dead and without a skin they couldn't apply ointments

SO

i couldn't be helped. The 'ordinary' house doctor was less pessimistic and gave

the

minimum amount of antibiotics as to ward off infection without too much a burden

for the kidneys. After 3 weeks, the "should be dead" was vibrantly alive again.

 

As to no surprise, these experiences were instrumental when it comes to

"realization".

 

Love,

Jan

 

On 2/6/02 at 11:33 PM Dharma wrote:

 

ºHi Jan,

º

ºMy eyes are giving out, so my answer has to be short. I think I've

ºanswered some of it in another letter. Fasting isn't possible

ºbecause I'm on medicines that must be taken with food. I really eat

ºmore than I care for just because of that.

º

ºThanks so much for your love and your advice.

º

ºLove,

ºDharma

º

º>On 2/7/02 at 1:54 AM fewtch wrote:

º>

º>†Hi Jan,

º>†

º>†, "jb" <janb@a...> wrote:

º>†> Dear Dharma,

º>†>

º>†> The body has an intelligence of its own - it knows how to breathe,

º>†> how to keep the heart beating - also in deep, dreamless sleep.

º>†> The body knows very well how to heal itself but this

º>†> power will only be unleashed when it receives the proper stimulus:

º>†> fasting.

º>†

º>†Untested 'here' (at least in recent memory), but it makes sense...

º>†appetite always decreases during illness. If it increases, then it

º>†isn't the kind of "illness" that would be helped by fasting

º>†(some 'sicknesses' can really be a deficiency of some kind or

º>†another).

º>

º>I haven't heard of an illness that increases appetite apart from

ºbulimia...

º>If its victims would only eat oranges and tangerines at an attack,

º>it wouldn't be a problem...

º>The logic, to decide that because colds and flu cause salty mucus to

º>leave from nose and throat, salt has to be added to food is quite a laugh:

º>when consuming cooked food without salt, the mucus no longer is salty,

ºwhich

º>using the same logic, implies, no addition of salt to food is required

º>But when consuming raw food containing little protein, only the functional

º>mucus is formed and illness ceases.

º>For many, starting to fast will enable the above

º>observations. The detoxing phase, flooded with salty mucus brings

ºtiredness

º>and irritation, sometimes even an itchy rash. That is the so called

º"allergy"

º>for fruits as some are powerful detoxing agents, like pineapple.

º>Hence, fasting is NOT for cowards!

º>

º>†

º>†It seems here, fasting ought to terminate when appetite returns (not

º>†to be confused with the feeling in the stomach of emptiness).

º>†

º>†Tim

º>

º>There has to be discrimination between appetite and hunger - eat when

ºhungry,

º>forget the appetite or drink pure water. Hunger is painful - whereas

ºappetite

º>isn't. At the beach, there are always more than enough reminders

ºregarding

º>"the fate of the body when gratifying appetite": it equals abuse.

º>Of course, the body 'knows' this and such treatment cannot be labeled as

º>Ahimsa or love.

º>

º>Jan

º>

º>

º>

º>/join

º>

º>

º>

º>

º>

º>All paths go somewhere. No path goes nowhere. Paths, places, sights,

º>perceptions, and indeed all experiences arise from and exist in and

º>subside back into the Space of Awareness. Like waves rising are not

º>different than the ocean, all things arising from Awareness are of

º>the nature of Awareness. Awareness does not come and go but is

º>always Present. It is Home. Home is where the Heart Is. Jnanis know

º>the Heart to be the Finality of Eternal Being. A true devotee

º>relishes in the Truth of Self-Knowledge, spontaneously arising from

º>within into It Self. Welcome all to a.

º>

º>

º>

º>Your use of is subject to

º

º

º

º/join

º

º

º

º

º

ºAll paths go somewhere. No path goes nowhere. Paths, places, sights,

ºperceptions, and indeed all experiences arise from and exist in and

ºsubside back into the Space of Awareness. Like waves rising are not

ºdifferent than the ocean, all things arising from Awareness are of the

ºnature of Awareness. Awareness does not come and go but is always Present.

ºIt is Home. Home is where the Heart Is. Jnanis know the Heart to be the

ºFinality of Eternal Being. A true devotee relishes in the Truth of

ºSelf-Knowledge, spontaneously arising from within into It Self. Welcome

ºall to a.

º

º

º

ºYour use of is subject to