Much Ado About Nothing?

By Jack Ohman, for the Sacramento Bee

Everyone not living under a rock is probably aware of Ebola right now, especially since mainstream attention got a boost when patient zero Thomas Duncan unwittingly imported it into the US from Liberia last October 1. The timing of TV shows like The Last Ship and The Strain have certainly helped thrust the subject of pandemics into the spotlight.

Just like any tragedy, there are many opinions going around, including conspiracy theories. One of the more popular conspiracy theories is the "global depopulation agenda" supposedly being instituted by those working towards a New World Order. In fact, as far back as 2006, University of Texas professor Dr. Eric Pianka advocated the mass culling of 90% of the world's population through the use of an airborne Ebola virus. Creepy, huh?

There are others who contend that it's all an elaborate ploy for pharmaceutical companies to make a killing with vaccines, the way Tamiflu was pushed in the wake of the H1N1 scare. Actually, one of the more far out conspiracy theories I read about came out soon after the disappearance of Flight MH370 back in March. The theory goes that MH370 was actually diverted to the US military base in Diego Garcia via remote control (like a drone) and that a team from the CDC and its counterpart from the People's Republic of China were scrambled and sent there. Since, in hindsight, it turns out the Ebola virus was starting to rage out of control in Africa at about that time, one has to wonder if there really was something to that particular conspiracy theory.

On the other hand, both government and medical officials keep stating that there is nothing to worry about, that Ebola does not spread easily. A few outlets have even mentioned other threats and diseases that kill thousands of Americans each year (also refer to the infographic image) but don't make the news like Ebola does, the implication being that Ebola is being hyped by fear mongers.

Be that as it may, something was lacking in the CDC response to the initial Ebola outbreak. Two healthcare workers got infected after treating Duncan (compare this to Doctors Without Borders where they were able to treat thousands of Ebola-infected patients before doctors started getting infected), there were missteps in decontaminating the apartment complex where Duncan stayed, and one of the infected nurses was even allowed to fly by the CDC despite having a fever.

Even if Ebola was not as scary as portrayed by media, people may have more to be concerned about government ineptitude (or nefariousness, if you believe the "depopulation" theory) than with the virus itself. Add to this the fact that the US continues to accept flights from Ebola-affected countries and hasn't secured illegal immigration in its southern border and it's easy to see why some people think that the US government wants Ebola to spread inside the country.

Nevertheless, there are signs of hope. Aside from the two nurses who were caring for Duncan, no one else Duncan had come in contact with has come down with Ebola and the Spanish nurse who contracted Ebola has apparently fully recovered. Even more goods news is the report that Nigeria has managed to become Ebola free with no new outbreaks for the past 42 days. It's encouraging because Nigeria's case shows that a country doesn't need to be a first world nation in order to effectively handle Ebola.

Still, Ebola remains a major concern. As long as air travel continues unabated across the world, it's still possible for Ebola to slip in even to those countries that have managed to stamp it out or into areas that haven't had an Ebola infection before, as evidenced by the latest news that a New York City doctor who just came from West Africa has tested positive for Ebola. Mutation is also another concern, although health officials keep downplaying that possibility.

But then again, in the book The Hot Zone, author Richard Preston relates a 1989 incident at a primate quarantine facility in Reston, Virginia where an Ebola virus quickly mutated and started to spread among the primates like influenza. When samples were sent to the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), two USAMRIID scientists accidentally exposed themselves to the virus when they wafted the flask. Although airborne and lethal to monkeys, thankfully that particular strain was effectively harmless to humans. However, the incident still shows that the possibility of Ebola becoming airborne is not as remote as we are being told to believe.

Given the above, is there anything the individual can do? The answer is yes. Since Ebola is a virus, the only way to fight it is through the body's immune system. Medical care can only help insofar as providing the patient enough nutrition and keeping the patient hydrated and clean, but the real battle can only be fought by the patient. Therefore, it makes sense to simply strengthen one's immune system and keep it that way, and this would be important even without the Ebola crisis anyway.

Fortunately, instead of sitting down just waiting for a vaccine, there are many natural ways to improve your immune system right now. Turmeric, cayenne pepper, Vitamin D through sensible sun exposure and apple cider vinegar are just some of the natural supplements you can take everyday. Getting enough sleep and exercise (not too much, since overtraining can actually reduce your immunity) also help.

Another important thing to note is that 80% of your immune system is located in your digestive tract, so keeping your beneficial gut bacteria at an optimal level is paramount. You can do this by consuming more fermented foods, kefir and yogurt (go organic, as much as possible).

While doing the above won't guarantee immunity or even survival, better health still leads to a better life even if you never encounter Ebola (and hopefully never will). The important thing is that you can be proactive and not give in to the fear, because the response is literally in your hands!

Ground And Sun Your Way To Better Health

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Grounding (also known as rooting) is an important part of any spiritual exercise. Prolonged meditation can lead to expansion of consciousness and feelings of bliss. While it's tempting to remain in this state, it can also leave the practitioner metaphorically floating and spaced out. In effect, one may be unable to effectively deal with the more practical side of life. Symptoms may include the inability to focus during work, impractical ideas or a constant dreamy, faraway look even when talking to other people. So make sure you ground yourself well after every spiritual exercise that you do.

In addition to its place in spiritual practice, it turns out grounding also has some scientific basis. It has to do with good old-fashioned electromagnetism. The Earth has a negative electric charge on its surface, so when one walks or stands barefoot on the ground, these electrons transfer into the body and bring positive physical effects.

Some studies indicate that the electrons that one absorbs from the Earth result in anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects on the body. Improved circulation, immune responses, heart function and lessened stress responses are among the other noted effects of grounding. Since chronic inflammation is a condition associated with diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, the positive effects of grounding take on even more significance. The Earth is literally the best source of antioxidants and nothing beats the fact that it's all free and relatively easy to access.

Footwear and any type of flooring will block the transfer of electrons so in order to derive any benefits from grounding, you need to be in direct contact with the Earth. You can get a better idea of the science behind grounding through this article in Dr. Mercola's website. While you're at it, you may as well take into consideration the etheric cleanliness of the surrounding area where you plan to do your rooting. Areas in or around septic tanks, garbage dumps or cemeteries, for example, are not ideal places to do grounding. Look instead for peaceful gardens, parks or better yet, areas of natural vegetation such as mountains or farmland.

I like to combine grounding with one other activity: sunning myself. Vitamin D has many benefits such as anti-inflammatory properties, improved immune function and anti-depressant properties. The best (and cheapest) way to get Vitamin D is through sun exposure, which is why it's a perfect combo with grounding because both activities need to be done outdoors.

The length of time that one needs to remain under the sun is dependent on one's geographical location, skin pigmentation, season, ground elevation and time of day. It's all quite complicated, but you can get by with these general guidelines:

1. Sun exposure between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. is considered optimal because you can get the most Vitamin D production for the shortest amount of time.

2. You can stay under the sun until your skin turns the lightest shade of pink. After that point, your body is not producing any more Vitamin D so further sun exposure is not needed.

For those concerned about getting skin cancer, the important thing is not to overexpose yourself. Some studies published in The Lancet and Medical Hypotheses indicate that proper sun exposure actually decreases your risk of skin cancer. Again, balance is the key.

Personally, I set a timer for 10 minutes so that I don't overexpose myself. If the day is particularly hot, drink a glass of water before and/or after sunning yourself to minimize the risk of heat stroke.

This daily grounding exercise has become a mini-meditation for me, sort of like a merging of Heaven and Earth meditation. I give thanks to God for the solar prana and sustenance, usually by silently chanting the Gayatri mantra, and I also give thanks to Mother Earth for the grounding and nurturing. It's certainly a great way to charge up your day.

These components of grounding and sun exposure have been part and parcel of various spiritual disciplines throughout the ages. It's good to know that these spiritual practices are also grounded (pardon the pun) in science and health.

Defining Your Sense Of Self Worth

unlimited-success.co.uk

How does one measure the worth of a person?

One thing about society's concept of worth is that it is too often measured against financial and material accomplishments and achievements. For example, the most beautiful and masterfully crafted works of art would be empty accomplishments if the artist could not afford to send his/her children to school, or pay the rent or mortgage (after all, works of art usually gain value only after the artist dies). It would seem that the situation has reached the point that lack of accomplishment in material or financial matters is considered a form of irresponsibility. But is one's worth only what is reflected in the balance sheet?

In order to look deeper into this, we need to see what happens when things go wrong because this is when most people feel worthless (with others all too happy to sing that chorus). There is a song called Bad Day by Daniel Powter and perhaps it's better known as the song played for eliminated contestants in American Idol 5. But there are really some days when things just don't fall into place and one thing after another goes wrong. Some people have more of it than others but basically, no one is immune from a bad day.

A bad day is probably one of the few things in life that doesn't distinguish between rich or poor, powerful or weak, healthy or sick. When things go wrong, your bank account, degree, your job title or social position will not matter, only your mindset will.

So how do we deal with a bad day? How does one stop from feeling worthless? Since everyone will encounter at least one bad day in their whole lifetime, it's important to grasp at every little positive thing, no matter how trivial it seems. Literally count your blessings! You'd be surprised at just how much good you can find in yourself if you put effort into it, and then the day won't seem so bad after all.

An example of looking for something positive would be a situation that made you pissed off but where you didn't lose control and blow your top. You can either continue being pissed off that the bad situation happened at all, or you can reflect and congratulate yourself that you managed a bit of self control in not blowing your top, especially if this is an improvement over what you may have been likely to do in similar situations before.

Of course, it's important to distinguish between the truly good that you see in yourself versus having an overinflated sense of self-importance. If one has made a mistake, one should correct it. Self-honesty is the only way to avoid the trap of self-delusion. But even then, if you can be honest enough to admit your mistakes, that's one good thing about yourself and you still come out a winner.

The more you build up the list of good things you recognize about yourself, the more your self-esteem grows. The more your self-esteem grows, the more you get a sense of your true worth. When you know what you're worth, you are less likely to be defined by what others say about you or be forced to conform with what society defines as normal. More often than not, we seek acceptance and approval from others, that's why we feel the need to be worth something in the first place. So when we receive any form of criticism or attack, that sense of acceptance and approval is threatened so we feel bad and may even strike back.

Some criticisms are deserved, but other times they are done out of spite, jealousy or misunderstanding. Too much criticism can leave someone doubting one's worth and can lead into a downward spiral of depression. Coupled with some runs of "bad luck" and one can really feel as if the world is out to get them. For most people, these are temporary states that one can easily snap out of. For others, it can become a lifelong struggle to find meaning in life.

Whenever you're down is actually the best time for you to love and accept everything about yourself when no one else will. Your sense of true worth will be the innermost rock that you can grasp and use to hold yourself steady against the tide of trials that life may throw your way. It becomes easier to dust yourself off, be better and try harder. It even becomes easier to be harshly honest with yourself, because you know that no matter how bad you're going to appear under the harsh eye of self-criticism, you still know there's something good in you, you know there is something to accept, and you know there's still something to love. In short, you know your worth and there's no price tag attached to it.

The magical thing is, once you start to truly accept yourself (warts and all), then you start to appreciate what unconditional love must be like. Just imagine, it doesn't matter if you went to college, didn't get that promotion, failed the board exam, have a bum career, don't get along with people. None of it matters, you are simply loved and accepted as you are. You don't even have to do anything or prove anything in order to get it. If there are prerequisites or you need to "earn" it somehow, it wouldn't be unconditional.

The sages say that God is Love, and that His love is unconditional. We are all divine sparks and one with God. Therefore, the very root of love is found within us. We need not search for acceptance and approval from others. There is only one source of genuine acceptance and approval that we need, and we only need to recognize it in ourselves. It makes one think of what the Lord Jesus said, that heaven is within us.

With this recognition of the love within us, I am loved becomes the new mantra and affirmation. Had a bad day? I am loved. Did an irate customer shout invectives at you? I am loved. Passed over for promotion? I am loved. Feel you made the most stupid mistake in the world? I am loved. Were you humiliated in front of others? I am loved. Didn't pass that test? I am loved. Are you persecuted because of your race, creed or religion? I am loved.

Eventually, this type of attitude will not be limited to bad days alone. It will become a new outlook in life, a life that looks and feels fresher simply because you have accepted yourself and know your worth. Of course, nothing happens overnight and we will need to constantly remind ourselves of the fact that we are worth something before this attitude becomes ingrained.

This state is something that is experienced, not imagined. Yet imagination paves the way to infinite possibilities, so imagine it at the start if you must and remember that your true worth is the unconditional love of God that is already yours if you but recognize and accept it.

The Mystery and Magic of Sleep

foxnews.com

Assuming that we get at least 8 hours of sleep each night, that means around one-third of our lives is spent in la-la land. Most people take sleep for granted but there are many instances when we wish we had more of it (just ask any parent with a new-born baby). Although sleep takes up a huge chunk of our time, sleep is still barely understood by science.

We commonly assume that we need to sleep in order to "rest" the body. But just lying down on the bed for an extended amount of time is hardly restful unless it leads to sleep; just ask any insomniac. From a purely physiological perspective, sleep doesn't seem necessary because all bodily processes that occur during the day still continue even in the night when the body is asleep (once an organ stops working, whether in the day or in the night, what we have is a medical emergency). All we know for sure is that sleep is important and that a lack of sleep negatively impacts the body. No one can definitively say why the body needs sleep in order to produce certain chemicals, hormones or undergo other processes that are important for physical health.

For the mystic, sleep takes on even more significance. According to the ancient rishis and sages, we are all swimming in the delusion of maya, a mental projection that is anything but permanent. It is through the Light of the Creator that we get our true sustenance (life force) and for most people, a reconnection with this pervasive life force only occurs unconsciously during sleep. As Paramahansa Yogananda wrote in Autobiography of a Yogi:

The rejuvenating effects of sleep are due to man's temporary unawareness of body and breathing. The sleeping man becomes a yogi; each night he unconciously performs the yogic rite of releasing himself from bodily identification, and of merging the life force with healing currents in the main brain region and the six sub-dynamos of his spinal centers. The sleeper thus dips unknowingly into the reservoir of cosmic energy which sustains all life.

The above words do call to mind the scriptural verses: "God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. 'For in Him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are His offspring.'" (Acts 17:27-28, New International Version)

Yogis and saints consciously connect with this Divine Light through meditation. Since meditation is supposed to consciously connect us with this regenerative cosmic life force, it comes as no surprise that the practice of meditation also has many physical health benefits such as calmness, reduced inflammation and more energy. There are even indications that meditation helps prevent heart disease.

With the many health benefits of meditation, it is no wonder that we often hear of legendary feats and tales of robust physical health at advanced ages that are attributed to yogis, monks and different ascetics. There are even tales of great yogis who do not need to sleep anymore, because they are in constant communion with the Divine Light that sustains all; they can stay in the state of samadhi at will.

The branch of the Rosicrucian Order founded by Max Heindel has a slightly different take on the need for sleep. As detailed in The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception, the physical body needs sleep because it cannot continuously (without rest) house the higher vibrations of divine energy radiating out from the divine spark that animates and controls the physical body. This is why the soul temporarily withdraws itself during sleep in order to allow the body to regenerate itself so that it may properly house the soul upon its return to the body. In this case, sleep is sort of like taking the car to the shop for tune up and change oil after every few thousand miles except that it happens every night.

According to the Rosicrucians, this is the reason why The Christ had to retire frequently to the mountains, so that the body being used by the Christ could be regenerated with the help of initiates of the Essene Order. Furthermore, the body that the Christ was using had to be a specially prepared one (that of a high initiate) so that it could withstand, albeit temporarily, the ultra high spiritual vibrations that the Christ was emanating. Any less spiritually developed and prepared body would otherwise have been obliterated.

Aside from meditation, there are also other sacred rites that are used to connect to the Cosmic Light. One of this is a process by which one may maintain consciousness while in the dream state. This whole art is expounded in the book The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. According to the author, mastering the art of dreaming is important because "If we cannot carry our practice into sleep, if we lose ourselves every night, what chance do we have to be aware when death comes? Look to your experience in dreams to know how you will fare in death. Look to your experience of sleep to discover whether or not you are truly awake."

The above statement may explain why we hear stories of earthbound souls who are not even aware that they are dead and need the help of another party, usually a psychic, to "find the Light." I even read of one account where the psychic released a Roman soldier who was still standing guard at Hadrian's Wall!

Going back to Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, he recommends that men sleep on their right side while women sleep on their left side in order to progress towards achieving dream consciousness. This is not explained in the book, but sleeping on one's right side activates the moon breath, coming out of the left nostril. Sleeping on one's left side activates the sun breath, coming out of the right nostril. To understand the roles of the sun and moon breaths, we need to go on a slight tangent.

The sun breath (HA) is positive, active and electric while the moon breath (TA) is negative, passive and magnetic. As you may have guessed from the terminologies used, HA-TA (Hatha) Yoga refers to the achievement of divine union through controlling the sun and moon breaths. The sun breath (right nostril) uses the pingala channel; the moon breath (left nostril) uses the ida channel.

The ida and pingala twirl around the spine from the base until they almost meet again at the top. When these two channels (breaths) are balanced, a third channel called the sushumna is activated. The relationship of

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these three channels can be found in the symbolism of the caduceus (see image at right). An activated sushumna channel allows the kundalini to rise up from the base of the spine to hit the center of the head and allow cosmic consciousness. The sphere with two wings at the top of the caduceus symbolizes the consciousness taking flight. This is why some meditations are preceded by the so-called balancing breathing exercise in order to activate and balance both the ida and pingala.

If you would like to find out more about the relationship of the sun and moon breaths as well as more on the symbolism of the caduceus, you can read Kosher Yoga by Albert Schutz & Hilda de Schaps, A System of Caucasian Yoga by Count Stefan Colonna Walewski and Achieving Oneness with the Higher Soul by Master Choa Kok Sui.

Now, what do all of the above have to do with the Tibetan yoga of dream and sleep? In Franz Bardon's system of hermetics, it's interesting that Bardon attributes the head area of males to be magnetic (passive) while the head area of females to be electric (active). This seems to run counter to the popular view that males are more aggressive and louder, hence active (electric) while females are more passive and quiet (magnetic). However, in the genital region, the polarities are reversed. Where in males the head is magnetic, the genitals are electric. In females, while the head is electric, the genitals are magnetic.

I'm just theorizing at this point, but perhaps in the case of the male, by lying down on the right side and activating the moon (magnetic) breath, it increases the magnetic vibrations of the head and through reciprocity, the sex region (electric in males) also increase in activation. With the increased current in both head and sex regions, the kundalini is subtly activated enough to propel the consciousness to awareness in the dream state. The same process, except with the polarities reversed, would also apply to females. Whatever the case, the process is supposed to allow one to maintain consciousness in the dream world.

As we have seen, sleep is much, much more than what we think it is. But although we may not fully understand it, the importance of sleep is not in doubt. So always try to get the right amount of it. On the other hand, in the eyes of the mystics we are all actually asleep right now, and what we call the little death of sleep is the joyous repast of the soul as it temporarily rests in the true light of the Creator, and death is the actual joyous waking up into the realness of eternity. Whatever our level of development may be, the message is the same. Sleep well, and sleep wisely!

You Can Heal Yourself (If You Allow Yourself To)

Philippine Star

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to watch Anita Moorjani being interviewed by Karen Davila on ANC News Channel. To those not familiar with her case, Moorjani was suffering from stage 4 cancer and at the height of her illness she slipped into a coma in 2006. Because her organs were failing, the doctor told Moorjani's husband that she didn't have long to live. But to the amazement of everyone, especially her doctors, Moorjani came out of her coma after 30 hours and in a matter of days her cancer had completely disappeared. She went on to write a book detailing her life and near death experience entitled Dying To Be Me. It was published in early 2012 and made it to the New York Times Bestseller List shortly afterwards. The book is also now available in local (Philippine) bookstores.

There have been many cases of miraculous healings and recoveries, so what made Anita Moorjani's case stand out?  What I find striking about Anita Moorjani's story is the message that she brought back with her. Apparently, many people also resonated with the message judging by how quickly her book became a bestseller.

In describing her experiences while on the "other side" Moorjani said that she was pure essence without form. She was met by her deceased father, and although he didn't have any recognizable form, she knew him for who he was. Communication was through telepathy and although she was in a coma for only 30 hours she said it felt like she was in the spiritual realm for many months. This account is remarkable because this is similar to how a lot of esoteric texts describe existence on the other side of death.

Eventually, her father told her that it was not her time and that she had to return to her physical body. Moorjani didn't want to go back, but in the stages before returning she reached a state of pure knowing. She immediately knew why she developed cancer and just knew that she was going to be well once she got back. Central to her message is her assertion that at the core we are all pure love, and she experienced that state of love and bliss while in the spiritual realm. In that love and bliss was a state of oneness with God.

Aside from her story sounding like something out of T. Lobsang Rampa's books, Moorjani's experiences match the accounts of soul-realized yogis and saints and that's what makes her own account really powerful.

Moorjani goes on to say that the problem most people are dealing with right now, and what helped contribute to her cancer, was the state of living in fear. This is not just a fear of accidents or other forms of bodily harm, but a consciousness of fear that drives our decisions. For example, Moorjani says that most of us eat healthy not because we recognize our body as the temple of the Holy Spirit but because we fear getting sick. We keep working not necessarily from the desire to be a good provider for our family but more because we're afraid of what will happen to our family if we lose our job.

Moorjani mentioned that prior to her cancer, she had been living most of her life feeling as if she was letting people down. This sentiment came from the feeling that she never really fit in. She was an Indian who was educated in Britain. And because she was Indian, she never really fit in to British culture. But back in India, she had pick up enough Western attitudes to question some Indian cultural practices such as arranged marriages, so she didn't really fit in to Indian culture as well. And then she lived in Hong Kong. Although she could speak Chinese, again she couldn't fully fit in with the Chinese community in Hong Kong. She spent so much time trying to please others that she never really gave thought to being pleased with herself.

The message then is to look for and recognize the love that is at the core of every person's being, including one's own. With the recognition of that love, fear melts away and only a feeling of oneness remains.

Looking at it from the ordinary person's point of view, fear is the product of need and a perception of lack. Moorjani's message therefore also echoes the words of Jesus when he said:

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Matthew 6:25-33 - English Standard Version)

We all matter whether our station be the highest of the high or the lowest of the low. As long as we're not doing wrong, what are the opinions of others compared to the opinion of God and His love? Isn't the fact that we are alive proof enough that we matter to God? And that is what Moorjani kept saying, that life is a gift.

In the end, Anita Moorjani's story gives a clear demonstration of how one's consciousness affects reality. And when one reaches that state of realizing just how valuable one is in the eyes of God, that one really does fit into the scheme of Creation and is one with God, then true healing begins.

Decoding The RH Bill

The RH Bill, officially named AN ACT PROVIDING FOR A COMPREHENSIVE POLICY ON RESPONSIBLE PARENTHOOD, REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH, AND POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES, took the headlines as one of the most hotly debated topics in the local scene. This topic was relegated to the background by the recent monsoon floods and the tragic death of former DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo. But for sure, the RH Bill issue is just lurking below the surface, ready for any spark to re-ignite public debates.

As with any issue, there are those in favor and those opposed to the RH Bill. Unfortunately, while there have been reasonable arguments raised by both sides, these arguments have often been superseded by hysterical outbursts from the parties involved. It also didn't help that the public's attention was further diverted towards Sen. Tito Sotto's plagiarism-ridden speech. The emotionally charged atmosphere and name-calling under which the RH Bill is being discussed makes it difficult to make an informed opinion about this issue.

For the most part, I have been neutral precisely because of the difficulty in analyzing the information that is coming out of the media. Media can be biased in their reporting, and can often get their facts wrong. However, I discovered something in my readings that leads me to raise some concerns about the RH Bill.  The previous statement is the last thing that pro-RH Bill people would want to hear, but it's important to explain why I have reservations about the bill.

For the record, I disagree with the CBCP's tactics as well as the logic and statements they are coming out with in order to oppose the RH Bill. Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago says it best when she decried the threats the CBCP made against schools and professors as not only a violation of academic freedom but also as acts reminiscent of Church abuse of authority during the Middle Ages. But despite the clumsy public relations antics of the Church, there really are some issues that need to be clarified about the RH Bill.

It all started when I read an article by Jose C. Sison in The Philippine Star. Mr. Sison is a lawyer who writes an opinion article called A Law Each Day (Keeps Trouble Away) where he features different legal case studies in order to highlight certain aspects of the law. While the concept sounds boring, I occasionally read his articles and find them quite informative. He writes well enough that he gets his point across without peppering the reader with too much legalspeak.

In the particular article in question, Mr. Sison alleges that the RH Bill is being lobbied for and sponsored by foreign agencies such as the UN Fund for Population Development and Assistance (UNFPA), the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (incidentally, according to Sison the latter two organizations are global pro-abortion proponents).

Unfortunately, there is only sparse information about the existence of foreign lobbying for the RH Bill so unless the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism does its homework and tries to uncover any records of foreign sponsorship for the RH Bill, this particular subject will remain a matter of speculation. Something like the Freedom of Information Act of the U.S. would help in uncovering any transactions and communications from foreign lobbyists as they are not likely to want traces of their participation to be so obvious to (or easily traced by) anyone, but unfortunately the FOI Bill is nowhere near to being signed into law.

However, the idea of foreign sponsorship for population control measures is not just a product of idle fancy. The following quote from a Wikipedia article about the RH Bill may serve to shed some light on this matter:

According to the Senate Policy Brief titled Promoting Reproductive Health, the history of reproductive health in the Philippines dates back to 1967 when leaders of 12 countries including the Philippines' Ferdinand Marcos signed the Declaration on Population. The Philippines agreed that the population problem be considered as the principal element for long-term economic development. Thus, the Population Commission was created to push for a lower family size norm and provide information and services to lower fertility rates.

Starting 1967, the USAID started shouldering 80% of the total family planning commodities (contraceptives) of the country, which amounted to US$ 3 Million annually. In 1975, the United States adopted as its policy the National Security Study Memorandum 200: Implications of Worldwide Population Growth for U.S. Security and Overseas Interests (NSSM200). The policy gives "paramount importance" to population control measures and the promotion of contraception among 13 populous countries, including the Philippines to control rapid population growth which they deem to be inimical to the socio-political and economic growth of these countries and to the national interests of the United States, since the "U.S. economy will require large and increasing amounts of minerals from abroad", and these countries can produce destabilizing opposition forces against the United States. It recommends the US leadership to "influence national leaders" and that "improved world-wide support for population-related efforts should be sought through increased emphasis on mass media and other population education and motivation programs by the U.N., USIA, and USAID.

In 2000, the Philippines signed the Millennium Declaration and committed to attain the MDG goals by 2015, including promoting gender equality and health. In 2003, USAID started its phase out of a 33-year-old program by which free contraceptives were given to the country. Aid recipients such as the Philippines faced the challenge to fund its own contraception program. In 2004, the Department of Health introduced the Philippines Contraceptive Self-Reliance Strategy, arranging for the replacement of these donations with domestically provided contraceptives.

In August 2010, the government announced a collaborative work with the USAID in implementing a comprehensive marketing and communications strategy in favor of family planning called "May Plano Ako"

The USAID is not just an ordinary aid organization but is frequently a front for CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) operations in underdeveloped countries. As you can see from the above quote, while foreign participation in advocating population control may not be widely publicized, historically speaking it has always been there behind the scenes. But sovereignty issues aside, so what if there's foreign lobbying for population control measures such as the RH Bill?

I've read the text of the RH Bill and one thing I've noticed is how vague and general several of its provisions are. Because of this vagueness, how the bill's provisions will be implemented are quite open to interpretation. For example, Section 20 (Ideal Family Size) states that:

The State shall assist couples, parents and individuals to achieve their desired family size within the context of responsible parenthood for sustainable development and encourage them to have two children as the ideal family size. Attaining the ideal family size is neither mandatory nor compulsory. No punitive action shall be imposed on parents having more than two children.

One of the questions pertinent to the above section is: how exactly is the State to assist couples, parents and individuals? By what standards are "responsible parenthood" and "sustainable development" measured, and which agency is supposed to certify whether a couple, parent or individual is meeting these standards or not? If achievement of ideal family size is not compulsory nor mandatory, what is the point of measuring "responsible parenthood" and "sustainable development" in planning families?

A possible factor to consider when trying to decide if we should the adopt the RH Bill in its current form is the role of pharmaceutical companies. Should the RH Bill be passed into law, it will create a potentially big windfall for those pharmaceutical companies that produce artificial contraceptives. Of course, the letter of the RH Bill states that both natural and other modes of family planning will be promoted. However, there is a loophole here that can be exploited.

Section 24 (Right to Reproductive Health Care Information) of the RH Bill states that:

The DOH and the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) shall initiate and sustain a heightened and nationwide multimedia campaign to raise the level of public awareness of the protection and promotion of reproductive health and rights including family planning and population and development.

If you will refer again to the quote from Wikipedia, Section 24 of the RH Bill is consistent with the agreement with the USAID to "implement a comprehensive marketing and communications strategy in favor of family planning."

The RH Bill however does not specifically limit the promotion of reproductive health to the DOH or PIA alone. This means that pharmaceutical companies can heavily advertise their contraceptive products and still claim that they are giving their support to the government's campaign to raise awareness about reproductive health (just imagine the advertising byline "So-and-so Company, in cooperation with the DOH, supports responsible family planning and reproductive health"), even if the result of heavy advertising may skew public awareness towards the use of artificial contraceptives.

In the United States, there is an advertising practice among pharmaceutical companies called Direct-to-Consumer drug advertising or DTC. The objective of this strategy is to get consumers so convinced of the drug's efficacy that patients themselves will ask their doctors to prescribe the drug in question. Ever since pharma companies adopted this strategy, drug sales skyrocketed, with a 2008 study estimating that every US$1,000 spent in DTC advertising produces 24 new patients who want to take the drug.

Of course, such "in your face" advertising is not allowed here (that I know of) but the reason I used the United States as an example is because U.S. consumers are supposed to be well-educated and critical yet they are so well taken in by these advertising campaigns. So you can just imagine how easy it would be to advertise to the Filipino masses. If you throw in a showbiz superstar or two to highlight contraceptive marketing campaigns, it's more than likely that the Filipino masses can be convinced that artificial contraceptives should be the preferred way to go.

Generally speaking, pharmaceutical companies spend about a fourth of their income - measured in billions of US Dollars - on advertising and other promotions, so they should be able to come up with many creative ways to make the most of any opening they have to promote their products here in the country. Another market opening can be seen in Section 10 of the RH Bill (Family Planning Supplies as Essential Medicine):

Products and supplies for modern family planning methods shall be part of the National Drug Formulary and the same shall be included in the regular purchase of essential medicines and supplies of all national and local hospitals and other government health units.

The passage of the RH Bill will potentially give a huge opportunity to open up a big market and demand for contraceptives, so it's really a great business opportunity if you happen to produce or sell contraceptives. The government will be required to stock up on contraceptives, and at the same time you can convince people (through advertising) to give preference to contraceptive medicines for family planning.

People may say, so what if some companies make a big buck out of it? Pharmaceutical drugs are rigorously tested before being released into the market, so they're safe for consumption anyway. However, there is an expose by a former U.S. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) insider who stated that the U.S. FDA frequently ignored regulations in approving drugs for sale to the general public even before said drugs have been conclusively proven to be safe for human consumption. This is how prescription drugs result in over 125,000 deaths per year in the U.S. alone even when taken correctly as prescribed. You cannot even rely on mainstream media to inform you about incidents involving faulty drugs, such as in this specific case of the Wall Street Journal burying the story of the lawsuit against Merck accusing the pharma company of fraud and lying about the true efficacy of its mumps vaccine.

Such shocking practices as described above are not limited to the U.S. FDA alone. Monsanto, the GMO giant, also has strong lobbying power in Washington so much so that the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) is starting to look like the rubber stamping approval agency of the company. So if you still think that heavy corporate lobbying in government is harmless, think again.

My point is that the above are cases that have happened and are happening in the U.S. If U.S. Federal Agencies could be influenced by big corporate interests, then what more local Philippine agencies?

One may argue that this is all starting to sound like such a big conspiracy theory about corporate greed and sinister motives. Can corporate greed, particularly in the medical industry, really go so far? In order to answer this question, we need to learn how medical doctors keep abreast of the latest developments in terms of medical technologies and new drugs on the market.

Doctors rely on the reports of medical journals to find out if there are new drugs for a specific illness or if there are any new developments on threshold markers that identify one as healthy or not. For example, a blood pressure reading of 120 over 80 is considered normal. But if medical journals suddenly come out and say that based on the most recent studies, a BP reading of 120 over 80 is actually considered hypertensive (high blood), then doctors will use this as basis to start prescribing hypertension medication. That's how much medical doctors rely on these journals. But what if the medical journals themselves were somehow co-opted? This article seems to think that this is the case, and here is the specific quote:

Few doctors are experts in the chemistry and biological impacts of particular medicines, so they rely on honest studies and tests (as reported in credible medical journals) to give them an un-hyped, non-sales-rep picture of the pluses and minuses of the drugs they choose to prescribe to you and me. Unfortunately, this process, too, has been corrupted--drugmakers have regularly paid doctors and researchers to conduct studies and publish results without revealing their financial ties. Pfizer, however, sank this sales-over-science approach to new lows when it launched its antidepressant, Zoloft, in the 1990s. It hired an advertising firm to fabricate "studies," write them up as salutary reports about the drug, pay some big-name psychiatrists a couple of thousand bucks each to put their names on the reports, and convince major journals (read by thousands of doctors) to publish the ghostwritten "findings." About half of the medical articles about Zoloft at that time were ad agency fakes. Journal editors, embarrassed by being scammed, have since imposed safeguards, but many doctors and observers say that up to 20 percent of major journal articles are still being ghosted. 

A specific example of how the above trends have impacted medical practice can be found in the following quote from Dr. Mercola's article regarding the truth about high cholesterol:

Who Decided What Cholesterol Levels are Healthy or Harmful?

In 2004, the U.S. government's National Cholesterol Education Program panel advised those at risk for heart disease to attempt to reduce their LDL cholesterol to specific, very low, levels.

Before 2004, a 130-milligram LDL cholesterol level was considered healthy. The updated guidelines, however, recommended levels of less than 100, or even less than 70 for patients at very high risk.

Keep in mind that these extremely low targets often require multiple cholesterol-lowering drugs to achieve.

Fortunately, in 2006 a review in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that there is insufficient evidence to support the target numbers outlined by the panel. The authors of the review were unable to find research providing evidence that achieving a specific LDL target level was important in and of itself, and found that the studies attempting to do so suffered from major flaws.

Several of the scientists who helped develop the guidelines even admitted that the scientific evidence supporting the less-than-70 recommendation was not very strong.

So how did these excessively low cholesterol guidelines come about?

Eight of the nine doctors on the panel that developed the new cholesterol guidelines had been making money from the drug companies that manufacture statin cholesterol-lowering drugs.

The same drugs that the new guidelines suddenly created a huge new market for in the United States.

Coincidence? I think not.

Now, despite the finding that there is absolutely NO evidence to show that lowering your LDL cholesterol to 100 or below is good for you, what do you think the American Heart Association STILL recommends?

Lowering your LDL cholesterol levels to less than 100.

And to make matters worse, the standard recommendation to get to that level almost always includes one or more cholesterol-lowering drugs.

In the same article above, two experts, Sally Fallon (the president of the Weston A. Price Foundation) and Mary Enig, Ph.D (an expert in lipid biochemistry) have been quoted as saying that high cholesterol is an "invented disease." Sounds shocking? Read the full article to get all the gory details.

The point I'm trying to raise is this: as far as corporate interests are concerned, anything goes when the objective is to earn huge amounts of profits.

Some questions that need to be asked (and answered) include: Have any of the sponsors of the RH Bill attended galas or affairs hosted by pharmaceutical companies or USAID? Are any of the principal sponsors of the bill affiliated in any way (either now or in the past) with organizations who may benefit financially by having the RH Bill passed (this includes being a Board of Trustees member, or honorary memberships, etc.)? In the budget allocation breakdown, were any of the funds sourced from contributions by the UNFPA, IPPF or USAID? What is the market impact, in millions or billions of pesos, should the widespread sale and distribution of contraceptives be permitted?

I'm not sure how much of the above information can be gathered without the Freedom of Information Bill, but someone should at least try.

How you achieve a certain ideal is just as important as the ideal itself (just look at communism, great in theory, but epic fail in implementation). We all want the ideal of responsible parenthood and family planning. However, it's easy to take advantage of peoples' desires for a good thing in order to push forward a hidden agenda, primarily by playing on fear and shame. For example, how often have you seen a variation of this slogan: If you do (or don't do) this, so-and-so number of people will die; prevent more people from dying! Vote yes (or no)! This slogan makes it sound like anyone that disagrees with the slogan is an uncultured, immoral brute. This is why accurate perception is always needed so that we don't get easily taken in by propaganda and mass blind beliefs.

I'm not saying that the above scenarios I presented are the actual forces behind the RH Bill. And I'm not saying we should junk the RH Bill. What I am saying is that we should all take a cold, hard and critical look at the effect the bill may have not only on the population but what it means for big business. And blindly jumping on the bandwagon (whether pro or anti) is not the answer. This issue is more than just about labeling pro-RH people as "immoral anti-life ogres" or anti-RH people as "brain-dead Church clones from the Middle Ages." Whether one chooses to be for or against the RH Bill, everyone owes it to themselves to know what they are standing for (or against) and, just as importantly, why.

Only if these concerns are thoroughly addressed can we be reassured that we are not merely passing a law that gives vested interests carte blanche to make billions of pesos worth of profits at the expense of the Filipino people. To be fair, some news reports say that the sponsors of the RH Bill are planning to introduce amendments to address the concerns raised by opponents of the bill, but again such amendments must be carefully scrutinized to make sure that they are not merely cosmetic changes. Any identified loopholes must be addressed effectively.

I've seen a newspaper ad in movie theatres that claims they "Answer the Questions and Question the Answers" but so far I'm not seeing that type of investigative reporting on the RH Bill issue. To quote from Sun Tzu's Art of War, on the subject of Laying Plans:

It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.

For the sake of our families and for the sake of our health, someone sure as heck should start on those hard questions.

Vegetarianism Explained

The other month I wrote an article where I discussed the pivotal role nutrition plays in our life. Towards the end of the article, I touched upon the Nutritional Typing Method that Dr. Joseph Mercola advises people to follow. To summarize, Nutritional Typing posits that people metabolize their food differently. Because of this, what may be an excellent diet for one may lead to all types of illnesses for another. To use engines as a rough analogy, some people are diesel engines while others are gas engines, so what is fuel for one can lead to engine breakdown for the other. As the great Hippocrates (from whom the Hippocratic Oath originated) said: Let food be thy medicine and let thy medicine be food.

According to Dr. Mercola, he and his team have achieved phenomenal results by treating patients using Nutritional Typing. In Nutritional Typing, there are three types of people: Protein Types, Carbohydrate Types and Mixed Types. Protein Types need more protein and a greater percentage of healthy fats in their diet. Carbohydrate Types need more carbohydrates in their diet and do not metabolize fat so well, although they still need a certain amount of fat in the diet. Mixed Types are a combination of the two, the best of both worlds in a way, but with some of the limitations of both so this nutritional type is also the most challenging to manage.

Your Nutritional Type will determine what you need to eat and in what order. There is a free online test to determine your Nutritional Type and you can try it out by following this link. I myself have been following the general recommendations for my Nutritional Type and have verified some of the benefits mentioned. Of course, I haven't been able to follow the whole nutrition plan 100% because of limitations of what type of food is practical or available locally. Take note that aside from discovering your Nutritional Type, you should still avoid other nutritional disasters such as foods rich in refined sugars, artificial preservatives and trans fats.

Now here comes the ticker. Most spiritual systems advocate vegetarianism to varying degrees of strictness. A Carbohydrate Type would have no problem with being a full vegan as his/her body is built for it. But what happens if the spiritual aspirant finds out he/she is a Protein Type? What does one do?

The reason I'm re-hashing this topic is that earlier in the week, one of my friends referred me to one of the sections in Alice Bailey's Esoteric Psychology I that sheds more light into the role vegetarianism plays and under what conditions it becomes necessary. According to the Master D.K. through Alice Bailey:

It is known esoterically that the vegetable kingdom is the transmitter and the transformer of the vital pranic fluid to the other forms of life on our planet. That is its divine and unique function. This pranic fluid, in its form of the astral light, is the reflector of the divine akasha. The second plane therefore reflects itself in the astral plane. Those who seek to read the akashic records, or who endeavor to work upon the astral plane with impunity, and there to study the reflection of events in the astral light correctly, have perforce and without exception to be strict vegetarians. It is this ancient Atlantean lore which lies behind the vegetarian's insistence upon the necessity for a vegetarian diet, and which gives force and truth to this injunction. It is the failure to conform to this wise rule which has brought about the misinterpretations of the astral and akashic records by many of the psychics of the present time, and has given rise to the wild and incorrect reading of past lives. Only those who have been for ten years strict vegetarians can work thus in what might be called the "record aspect of the astral light." (emphasis mine)

From the above passage, it seems that esoterically speaking there is a very narrow (albeit important) application for vegetarianism. The corollary then is that if one had no intention to become a seer or work with the akashic records directly, then one need not be vegetarian. This is stated in a later passage from the same quote:

But unless the goal of a vegetarian diet is this field of service, the arguments for its following and for that form of diet are usually futile and of no real moment. From the standpoint of the eternal verities, what a man eats or wears are seen in a connotation very different to that of the one-pointed fanatic.

It's interesting because without the above qualifying statements in Esoteric Psychology I, the following passage from Alice Bailey's Esoteric Healing may make little sense:

No set diet could be entirely correct for a group of people on different rays, of different temperaments and equipment, and at various ages. Individuals are every one of them unlike on some points; they require to find out what it is that they, as individuals, need, in what manner their bodily requirements can best be met, and what type of substances can enable them best to serve. Each person must find this out for himself. There is no group diet. No enforced elimination of meat is required, or strict vegetarian diet compulsory.

What Alice Bailey is saying in the above passage essentially supports the notion of Nutritional Typing, and if one is a Protein Type one need not look less at oneself for retaining a meat-based diet unless one intends to work directly with the akashic records. Apparently, the paradox of vegetarianism vis-a-vis spiritual practice has been reconciled. Of course the question is, for a Protein Type would the resulting poor health from following a strictly vegetarian diet be worth the ability to work with the akashic records? It certainly depends on what type of esoteric service or soul mission one is intended to pursue in this incarnation.

One may argue that one needs a healthy body in order to serve properly, and this is for the most part correct. But let me inject a comment made by T. Lobsang Rampa in his books. According to Lobsang Rampa, when the physical body is sick or frail, it is easier to work on the astral and develop one's psychic talents. There seems to be some support for this because we keep hearing accounts of people who had very high fevers, were seriously ill or were on the brink of death who report seeing visions, seeing departed loved ones or having out of body experiences. Perhaps when the physical body is sick, it is closer to death to a certain degree, and so the physical-astral matrix (to use a term from Franz Bardon's teachings) loosens, allowing the astral and mental body to work more freely with less magnetic restriction from the physical shell.

The point of all this is that there are many avenues of service, and there are many ways by which said service may be developed or followed. We all know that each person is unique and the spiritual path does not offer an exception to this rule. But as we strive to live properly, know our soul mission or find the best path to follow in our spiritual quest, the more it becomes important to know thyself.

Let me clarify that by no means is all this the last word on this topic. But it should give you a reference point to build on. The freedom to choose entails the responsibility to know. Know what you are choosing and, more importantly, why you are choosing it. Otherwise, much of our spiritual practice will be for naught since we would end up following dogma and tradition instead of using our God-given mental faculties to make fully informed decisions, decisions that are backed up with an acceptance of the consequences (or benefits) that those decisions may entail.

A Holistic Approach

Have you noticed how majority of our social interactions revolve around food? A family often congregates around the dinner table, where we often trade stories about our day, our neighbors or our relatives. We speak of "dining out" or "coming over for a few drinks." Watching a movie with friends just wouldn't be complete without at least getting together for a snack at a fastfood joint or for coffee at Starbucks.

In a sense, this should be no wonder, because while exercise is very important, it only determines 20% of our health. The remaining 80% is determined by food, or more appropriately, proper nutrition. I suppose this is why people unconsciously place such importance on food, especially in social gatherings. However, most of us fail not only in the quantity of food we eat, but also on the types of food that we ingest (as evidenced by the rising rates of obesity and the upsurge of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease). Just because majority of our health is determined by food doesn't mean that we need to eat a lot of it or spend so much time eating.

Nevertheless, it is just the nature of the current reality we live in that maintaining one's physical health requires so much effort. While medical science has helped spawn the business of conventional medical practice, it has also helped more people understand the relationship certain nutrients have between each other and the health of the physical body.

For instance, Vitamin D3 is essential for calcium absorption and also strengthens our immune system. Calcium is also important in order to maintain a healthy bone density. However, medical findings show that it's actually calcium that can harden in the arteries, thus causing atherosclerosis. Vitamin D3 can actually worsen this condition because it makes the body absorb calcium better. If you want to avoid this situation, then you need to take Vitamin K2 along with Vitamin D3 and calcium. Vitamin K2 prevents the calcium from forming in the arteries, so that calcium goes to the bones instead of the heart.

Vitamin K2 is found in fermented foods such as natto and unpasteurized cheese. However, not everyone has access to fermented food, so most likely you would need to take Vitamin K2 as a supplement.

The above information is available at the website of Dr. Mercola. You can use the search function to research a lot of articles pertaining to different health issues and how to manage them without immediately resorting to prescription drugs or surgery.

One of Dr. Mercola's recurring advice is to reduce, if not totally eliminate, refined grains and fructose from one's diet. His recommendations have to do with how refined grains and fructose are metabolized by the body. To quote from Dr. Mercola's article:

If you need to lose weight, or if you want to avoid diabetes and heart disease, fructose is one type of sugar you’ll want to avoid, particularly in the form of high-fructose corn syrup.

Part of what makes HFCS such a dangerous sweetener is that it is metabolized to fat in your body far more rapidly than any other sugar.

According to Dr. Elizabeth Parks, associate professor of clinical nutrition at UT Southwestern Medical Center and lead author of a study on fructose, published in the Journal of Nutrition just last year:

    "Our study shows for the first time the surprising speed with which humans make body fat from fructose. Once you start the process of fat synthesis from fructose, it's hard to slow it down. The bottom line of this study is that fructose very quickly gets made into fat in your body."

This occurs because most fats are formed in your liver, and when sugar enters your liver, it decides whether to store it, burn it or turn it into fat. Fructose, however, bypasses this process and simply turns into fat.

Additionally, there’s hard empirical evidence showing that refined man-made fructose like HFCS metabolizes to triglycerides and adipose tissue, not blood glucose. And one of the most thorough scientific analyses published to date on this topic found that fructose consumption leads to decreased signaling to your central nervous system from the hormones leptin and insulin.

Because insulin and leptin act as key signals in regulating how much food you eat, as well as your body weight, this suggests that dietary fructose may contribute to increased food intake and weight gain.

Decreased insulin and leptin signaling is also a main cause of diabetes and a host of other obesity-related conditions.

Since most processed food are hidden sources of sugar, it really is better to avoid eating processed food as much as possible and just eat home-cooked, organic food.

Unfortunately, people on the spiritual path are not immune to getting waylaid by the nutritional disasters we inadvertently eat everyday. I say this based on personal experience and through interaction with other people on the spiritual path.

Perhaps in our zeal to protect the environment, heal Mother Earth and to raise our vibrations and consciousness, we have neglected the role that the physical body plays. In my case, I mistakenly thought that my spiritual practice would also automatically translate into a better physical body without having to exert the same effort at achieving physical health as any other person normally would.

I've come to realize that stewardship of Mother Earth begins with stewardship of our own body. After all, our physical bodies are made up of the same materials that Mother Earth is made of (carbon, magnesium, copper, iron, etc.). This means that educating oneself about what exactly makes the physical body healthier is just as important as what one does for others and the environment. In this case, the focus is on nutrition not only because it determines 80% of our physical health, but because our ingrained habits have made the eating (and cooking) of food into an activity that often takes center stage in our lives.

To give an example, if you were a salesman and your car breaks down every few miles, how effective a salesman will you be? Since the body is the vehicle of the soul, the vehicle needs to be in good enough condition in order to be of better service to others. We don't need to become an athlete but we should at least have normal health and energy. Even the Bible agrees, because the body is said to be the Temple of the Holy Spirit.

This now leads me to one other aspect of Dr. Mercola's health recommendations. He advises that people should eat right for their nutritional type. According to Dr. Mercola, people may be classified as Protein types, Carbohydrate types or Mixed types. These types of people metabolize food differently, so the types of food they eat as well as the way they eat them differ. For example, Protein types would do well on an Atkins type diet and they need to take lots of healthy fats. Carbohydrate types would do well on a Fit for Life type (vegetarian) diet and they do not metabolize fat so well (although they still need a certain amount of healthy fats). Mixing up the diets would spell disaster and frequently lead to sickness and reduced energy (it's like the case of one person's food being another's poison). But note though that whatever your nutritional type, you need a combination of protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats. The difference lies in the proportion of each. If you would like to know more about Nutritional Typing and to take the free online test to determine your nutritional type, you may follow this link.

Now, for those on the spiritual path, I know what you're thinking: What if I'm a vegetarian but find out I'm a Protein type? This does present a conundrum, doesn't it? Most spiritual traditions advocate a full vegetarian diet for one reason or the other. However, it's already one's choice on how to handle one's own physical health. I myself am a Protein type and I tried the diet recommendations (I only eat chicken and fish though) and so far I do notice that I feel better after eating, that I don't have as much of those food cravings immediately after a meal (if you still feel hungry after eating a full meal, or you suddenly feel lethargic after eating, it's a sign that you're likely not eating right for your nutritional type).

Just going on a slight tangent, I encountered one site that advocates against full vegetarianism. He says vegetarian diets are not appropriate nowadays because of the changed nutritional content of the soil. He may have some conclusions that go against conventional wisdom so they may be hard to accept, but his thoughts are well argued. Either way, it's an interesting read and he offers even more explanations why he doesn't recommend a full vegan diet.

Going back to the conundrum of what to do if one's nutritional type is not compatible with a vegetarian diet, in the Bible Jesus did say that what comes out of the mouth is more important than what goes in the body. This is in reference to a question posed about the eating of proscribed foods (prohibited foods in Judaism are listed in Deuteronomy I think; allowable foods are called kosher).

The esoteric explanation of Jesus' words is that being of good character is more important than being a vegetarian. Master Choa himself said that it is useless to be a vegetarian if one lies or slanders other people or is otherwise nasty to others. Dirty food only dirties the physical body, but injurious words dirty the soul.

Still, what I'm saying is that this is your body you're talking about, so only you can decide what you think is best for you. Whatever lifestyle you choose to follow, learn to listen to the signals your body is giving you.

The question of one's diet is not an easy thing to resolve, but I hope this article has provided you with enough (pardon the pun) food for thought.

Happiness In Perspective

Happiness is a state of mind more than anything else. A humble street vendor can find joy where a billionaire would only see misery. Perhaps this is why Aristotle said that happiness depends on ourselves. Yet however we view happiness, it is a state that is coveted by all. We have devoted our lives practically to the pursuit of happiness. In fact, this is how a lot of advertisements work, by preying on our desire to be "happy and enjoy life."

Of course, we cannot discount chemical imbalances in the brain that can cause feelings of sadness and depression. For such cases, there are natural and herbal remedies such as the saffron herb that can help mitigate any physical or chemical imbalances.

In any case, I recently happened upon a nice article talking about the 15 Things You Should Give Up To Be Happy. They're all common-sense advice, so try to read that article if you have the time.

Given our apparent obsession with happiness, I started to think through the idea that perhaps happiness is not really the purpose of life. Sounds like heresy, I know, given what I just stated earlier. After all, who doesn't look forward to a Friday night with friends? Or dinner at one's favorite restaurant? Or a dream vacation somewhere? A dream house? A dream job?

Let me clarify by saying that I think happiness is a necessary part of life, like air, but not necessarily the purpose of life. Let's think this through. For those who have meditated long enough, you may have had episodes of indescribable bliss. Many religions and sages have been consistent in mentioning the eternal joy and happiness of heaven, as well as accounts of peace and happiness experienced by some who had near death experiences. Don't we even term any experience of great bliss and happiness as a "taste of heaven?" They are all consistent: in the spiritual realms lie our true state of happiness. If that's the case, then happiness can't be the reason we incarnated. Why give up eternal happiness in heaven for temporary happiness mixed with suffering in the physical world?

There is something about difficulty and struggle (a staple of incarnated life) that is necessary for us. I don't have the answer to what that may be. It's something akin to the age old question: "Why am I here?" But if I were to make a guess, I would say this. When we are happy, we are contented, and when we're contented, we don't want things to change. Inertia builds up. However, evolution requires change and the ancient writings have made it clear that we all need to spiritually evolve. You get the picture.

However we may view our lives, I think it's important that we do not lose ourselves so much in the pursuit of happiness that we forget about everything else that makes life worthwhile, especially in these times when a lot of what we think will make us happy costs money (sometimes a lot of it), leading most people to think that money equals happiness. Yet how many times have we gotten what we desired only to ask: now what?

Albert Pike once said, "What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal." Of course, Albert Pike was a Freemason, but whatever views you may have about the Freemasons, there is no denying the truth of Pike's words. Perhaps this is what will help us view happiness in perspective.

Like A Bolt of Lightning

One of the most difficult aspects about the spiritual path is that it's sometimes hard to determine exactly how much progress one has made. Of course, there are the obvious indicators of spiritual progress such as the development of the virtues, being at peace with oneself and others, etc. But other matters, such as achieving illumination and enlightenment as well as development of the higher subtle bodies, don't present any easy markers of progress. It's not like weightlifting where you can track how much weight you're lifting now versus last week then adjust your workout accordingly.

Therefore, perseverance in the spiritual path is crucial in order to succeed. It's also important to keep an open mind and be aware, because sometimes the direction of one's path can make unexpected turns.

I suppose the best way to illustrate what I'm saying is through an example, and I think one of the better examples would be the story of Mikao Usui, the modern progenitor of Reiki. I say "modern progenitor" because the healing system known now as Reiki has been in existence for thousands of years and has been called by different names, just like pranic healing. Which brings me to one other thing: you may be asking why a pranic healer is talking about Reiki. And I say, why not? Can you imagine if the only type of food in the world was meatball spaghetti? What if I wanted pesto, or friend chicken? Diversity is the spice of life.

We may not understand all the workings of the Universe, but one thing we can be sure of is that everything has its place, and each piece that we find and explore only adds to the wonder that is Creation. Spreading Light to the world is not a competition and any sense of ownership we may have about certain achievements are merely an illusion of duality (you can digest this phrase at your leisure, but for now let's get back on topic).

Before we proceed further, we need to cover some relatively recent history in order to get a more accurate rendition of events. The reason for this will be explained later.

Reiki was introduced to the West by a Japanese-American immigrant by the name of Mrs. Hawayo Takata. She had gone to Japan in the early 1930s and discovered Reiki when she was looking for an alternative means to cure her illness. She then proceeded to learn Reiki under Chujiro Hayashi, a contemporary of Mikao Usui (Mr. Usui had died in 1926). In 1937, just a few years before the outbreak of World War 2, Mrs. Takata returned to Hawaii in order to teach Reiki.

In the 1990s, some Reiki practitioners wanted to do more research on the history of Reiki and through this process discovered that Mrs. Takata took certain liberties in relating how Mikao Usui discovered Reiki. She also embellished certain details about Mikao Usui's life. This development motivated the researchers to gather more information and even visit Japan in order to get a clearer understanding of Reiki's history. The reason it took so long for the different pieces to be put together was influenced by two factors:

1. Mrs. Takata mentioned that all Reiki teachers in Japan had died as a result of World War 2, so she was the sole surviving source of Reiki in the world. Moreover, she forbade any more research into the history of Reiki. Out of respect for her wishes, early authors of Reiki books went with the "official" history as related by Mrs. Takata. It was only after Mrs. Takata's death in 1980 that the restrictions against further research slowly eased.

2. The Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai (the organization founded by Usui after he discovered Reiki) went underground after World War 2 because the Americans banned all forms of alternative healing practices. Only Western medicine was to be used although later on some alternative healing modalities such as acupuncture went through a tedious accreditation process so that they could be publicly practiced again. The Gakkai did not choose this route and instead became a secret society, so secret in fact that hardly anyone in Japan knew about the existence of the organization. Therefore, it was difficult to get any corroborating information about Reiki in Japan.

Fortunately, the researchers mentioned earlier were eventually able to make contact with members of the Gakkai, resulting in more accurate information coming to light. All the details of the revised history as well as the background material can be found at the website of The International Center for Reiki Training. All the information was taken from the book Reiki The Healing Touch by William Lee Rand.

With the above clarification out of the way, let's take a look at certain details of Mikao Usui's life that pertain to the topic I am talking about. The records say that Misao Usui discovered Reiki when he went on a 21-day meditation retreat in Mt. Kurama, where he had started his studies in Buddhism as a child. Interestingly, Mr. Usui did not go to the retreat to learn a healing system. In 1922, Mr. Usui was experiencing a life crisis both in business and personal matters, so he went on the retreat in order to find a way to resolve his problems.

According to the revised history, during one of Usui's meditations, great energy poured down through his crown chakra, filling him with spiritual light along with an understanding of how to solve his personal problems. In his excitement, Usui started running down the mountain and in the process stubbed his toe on a rock. Just like any normal person with a stubbed toe, Usui reached down to cup the bleeding toe in his hand. On doing this, Usui felt energy course through his hand into the toe, stopping the bleeding immediately and making the pain disappear. This is when Usui realized that he had been given the gift of healing (in charismatic Christian parlance, one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit). For the next four years, Mikao Usui devoted his life to spreading Reiki and healing as many people as he could before dying of a stroke in 1926 at the age of 62. But the seed he had planted continued to grow as Reiki is one of the most recognizable energy healing systems in the world today.

Based on the description of great energy coming down to the crown and being filled with spiritual light, we can infer that Masao Usui achieved spiritual illumination or at least a certain degree of it. Not only that, it was the beginning of his soul mission of spreading Reiki to the world. If you would notice, Mikao Usui received illumination at the late age of 58 years old, and while 4 years may not seem like much time to fulfill a spiritual mission (one he seemingly did not ask for, at that), when you are spiritually empowered you don't really need a lot of time.

What does this show us? For one, manifestation of spiritual progress can come like a bolt of lightning out of nowhere and lead us into something we were not even looking for. Second, even though we may not know it, we are being guided in life and led somewhere. If not for Usui's personal problems, he wouldn't have gone on that crucial retreat. If not for stubbing his toe, he wouldn't have immediately discovered the healing energy he was given. More often than not, problems in life are also signals from our Higher Selves to urge us towards a certain direction. Third, illumination is such a coveted spiritual achievement among those who haven't had it, but higher spiritual achievement is a responsibility and involves some type of world service. This is why it can take several lifetimes of preparation and why progress may not always be apparent right until before the moment arrives.

The key then is to always be faithful in our spiritual practice. Like what Jesus said, we know neither the day nor the time, and He will come like a thief in the night. For all we know, any one of us may be called to greater spiritual service tomorrow. This is why we need to be still and be aware of the urgings of our Higher Selves.

Of course, progress in the spiritual path is much facilitated when one is following a true spiritual tradition. In this case, the meditations and techniques are safer and proven, and one also has the wisdom of the guru and his spiritual lineage to rely upon.

Ironically, I learned one of the more subtle twists about persevering on the spiritual path through a boxing website. In that website, the author states that one's goal isn't success. Success is inevitable as long as one perseveres long enough. Rather, the goal is to stay motivated.

Stay true to the course, and someday in this lifetime we may just get that lightning bolt of illumination.