David
Lourie
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Writer
29 Albert
Rd Whale Beach NSW 2107 Australia
phone +61 (2) 9918 0879
email
lourie@comcen.com.au
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DOCUMENTARY TREATMENT:
1)
"Karma" [spiritual philosophy]
The Law Of Karma
The Law Of Karma states that for each of your intentional actions (karma), there is a corresponding result, or ‘fruit’ (vipaka) that comes back to you. Naturally, it’s the fruit that people are most concerned with -- whether it constitutes “good” or “bad” results.
The Law Of Karma was originally called The Doctrine Of Cause And Effect. In Buddhist terms, the literal translation of the word karma is “intentional action.” Note that “action” in this context also includes your thoughts and speech, and that the key element is intention.
In karmic terms, beneficial actions produce beneficial results, and harmful actions produce harmful results. So you harvest what you sow. For a harvest of nice fruit, it’s important to always keep your intentional thoughts, speech and conduct beneficial to all concerned, and harmful to none.
The basic idea of karma is conveyed well in the often quoted North American Native expression, “The smile you send out comes back to you.” However, so does the frown!
There is a similar Buddhist saying: “To know your past motives, observe your present circumstances. To know your future circumstances, observe your present motives.” So the grasshopper in the picture above now finds himself in prickly circumstances, due to his past intentions.
The key idea here is that the deed itself is not as important as the intention behind it. So an action which is not intended, or is forced or accidental, does not necessarily produce any karmic result. Similarly, an act which you hope will bring a reward or some kind of merit to you does not necessarily produce a result – especially the desired one!
For example, if you give something to charity with the hope that some reward or karmic merit will come back to you from this, it won’t, because that’s an investment, not a selfless act of giving. To be selfless in giving, you must give without thought of receiving anything in return, and just do it for it’s own sake, perhaps because it makes you feel good. Then you have acted without selfish ulterior motive, and thus produced an act of beneficial karma which will bear beneficial fruit.
A friend of mine once asked me, “If I do something nice to one person, and then do something unkind to another, won’t those two acts cancel each other out, and produce no karmic result at all?”
That’s a common misconception. The results don’t add together like arithmetic. You made two separate actions, and each one will produce it’s own karmic fruit, so you will get two separate results.
Buddhists teach that your karma may not bear its fruit immediately. In fact, it might only arise after years have passed – or even lifetimes. So it behooves us to stay mindful that with our every thought, word and action, we are creating our own future.
It’s interesting to note that Hinduism has an altogether different meaning for the word “karma.” In Hindu terms, “karma” refers to a body of practices and rituals of divine origin, which are deemed necessary for a devout Brahmin to follow in order to help keep the world operating well and smoothly.
The ultimate goal of Buddhist practice is to realise a highly purified state of consciousness (nirvana) that is entirely beyond, and not subject to, the process or effect of karma.
PRACTICAL EXERCISES: Do a random act of kindness for someone who doesn’t know you, and who you’ll never see again, so there’s no chance of any reward coming back to you . . . and observe how that makes you feel. Also, imagine you are on your deathbed, looking back over your life. What do you feel glad about, and what regrets do you have? This exercise helps clarify your true values.
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2)
The Two
Of Us WHAT ARE "BEHAVIOURS?" People in relationships often say to me, "We can't communicate." We all have needs and wants, especially from our loved ones. But in most relationships I’ve seen, there is one universal obstacle to successfully communicating these needs and wants. That obstacle is the habitual behaviours we use, whenever we feel our bundle of needs and wants are is not being satisfied. The trouble is, we're not always consciously aware of our underlying bundle of needs, or the our behaviours that we use to try and get these needs met that go with them it. Obviously, when we’re not clearly aware of our real needs, or our reactive behaviours associated with them, we can’t communicate truly and effectively with others. So what is that villain that robs us of the awareness necessary to communicate our needs effectively? Deep down, it’s really our vulnerability that blocks us. And our “behaviours” that actually function to hide our vulnerability from others – and often from ourselves as well. So what I want to focus on carefully here is our habitual reactions, or “behaviours,” that we use tactically to influence those around us. What we do is initiate behaviours that we subconsciously believe will make others satisfy our bundle of needs and wants.
Here are the usual feelings, needs and wants that people experience in
relationships: WHAT IS “CONFLICT” REALLY ABOUT? The fundamental belief underlying our “behaviours” is that those who are close to us really ought to know exactly what we feel, need and want – and we get hurt when they appear not to. But if we ourselves don’t consciously know specifically, or can’t say, what we need and want, then our assumption that others should know is clearly a false one. And this is the main impediment to communication during the peak times of emotional need. Instead of telling people clearly what our needs are, we use our “behaviours to try to coerce them into knowing. The other person naturally resists coercion, so our attempted coercion is unwittingly creating “conflict.” A COMMON MYTH There are many among us who believe that if their partner understands their needs and wants, this is a true sign of love, and of a strong relationship. But that’s really a myth, and a destructive one. If we take on this belief, we set ourselves up to become unnecessarily disillusioned with our partner and the relationship. I say ‘unnecessarily’ disillusioned, because telepathy is not a reasonable thing to expect from our partners. BEHAVIOURS AT WORK
Here is a typical conversation between a couple Ron and Cheryl
(fictitious names) that shows “behaviours” at work in their relationship
that block effective communication. The husband, Ron, comes home to
find that his wife, Cheryl, did not deposit a cheque as he had asked her
to. What is it that’s really going on in the above dialogue? Ron’s perception is that Cheryl always puts the children’s needs above his. Each time this issue comes up, Ron feels un-cared for and unappreciated. But he can’t come right out and say that to her, because underneath he feels too vulnerable and exposed by those feelings, as if they were perhaps not ‘manly’ enough. He fears that she will laugh at him and his neediness, or trivialise those his vulnerable feelings. As this pattern has continued over time, Ron has become resentful that Cheryl hasn’t picked up the message that he needs to be appreciated. He arms himself with the belief that she should have understood without being told. And he is thus blinded by his own resentment, so he lashes out at her with criticism, subconsciously believing that this “tactic” will coerce her into demonstrating her love and appreciation. But Cheryl, being unaware of his real needs, and being blinded by her own resentment, is unlikely to respond as he wishes. As for Cheryl, she feels really put down and controlled – and, just like Ron, she feels unappreciated. She, too, cannot bring herself to express her real feelings, because she would feel too vulnerable exposing her need to feel valued. She believes he will criticise her even more for being so silly. So Cheryl lashes out with criticism in return, in the hope that he will get the message about her needs (which she feels he should have gotten long ago). But of course he won’t get her message, unless she is able to spell it out clearly for him. But before she has any chance of doing that, she must be able to spell it out for herself first. So instead of communicating our real feelings, we use our behaviours, supported by our belief that these behaviours will influence those around us to achieve the desired response. And we can never break free of this vicious cycle until we become consciously aware of our bundle of needs, the “behaviours” we use, and our beliefs that prop those behaviours up. Instead of doing all this, we engage in “Conflict.” HOW CONFLICT ESCALATES When this pattern of conflict and unexpressed feelings continues over time, the way we react in conflict becomes habitual and ingrained, and it can then be difficult to change. Eventually both parties become so inflexible that communication seems impossible. Our “self-talk” might say something, like, “this is how my partner is, and this is how I am, so nothing is ever going to change.” Here is another example of how this scenario plays out: Liz and Roger (fictitious names) have recently had their first child. Liz is finding motherhood quite difficult, which neither had anticipated. Both believed that Liz would be a natural mother, Roger in particular. He saw her as a kind and loving person who would just fall into the role. Seeing her now, not handling the situation, he feels confused, scared, and can’t understand her difficulties. Liz believes that Roger is critical of her, and doesn’t take her concerns seriously. She thought he would be a kind and supportive partner. But he doesn’t listen very attentively when she describes how difficult things are for her – he says things like “You’ll be ok, just don’t worry about it.” When she continues telling him of her concerns he sighs, looks away and talks about something else. Roger is spending longer hours at work to cover their loss of Liz’s income since the child, and because of this, he expects her to make home life enjoyable for him at the end of the day – he is after all doing his part, why can’t she do hers? Instead she constantly complains and asks him for help and advice when he’s too tired to think. When he tries to cheer her up, all he sees is irritation and anger in her eyes (her behaviour). Obviously she doesn’t appreciate him, or how hard he is working. They have the following conversation;
Liz “You have it easy, you just go to work and have adult
conversation – it’s no fun staying here alone with a child that cries
all day.” Translation: I’m not coping as well as we both thought, and
it scares me that I might not be a good mother. I need you to recognize
my concerns, please help me with it all, and tell me I’m ok. Roger and Liz are both using “behaviours” which neither has seen in each before. Now they are beginning to wonder whether they have made a mistake in marrying, let alone having a child together. This has become a very serious situation, but a successful solution is within reach. However, the solution will only be within reach when the couple’s communication is no longer blocked by their behaviours, which are aimed at coercing the other person, rather than expressing true feelings and fears. Liz believes she has to respond to Roger in this way in the hope that he will understand. The trouble is that he doesn’t, partly because he’s too engrossed in his own anxiety, and partly because she doesn’t understand his issue with her. Also, she isn’t describing to him what is truly happening inside her. Roger believes he has to respond to Liz in the same way for the same reasons. The futility of tactical behaviours is perhaps best shown in the English speaking tourist who is trying to communicate to a local who doesn’t speak English. When the tourist’s first few attempts fail, what does he do? He speaks louder. Does it work? Well, it works about as well as Liz and Roger’s behaviours do. CHARACTER Vs LEARNED BEHAVIOURS Tactical behaviours are not only used in times of conflict. We also use them in our ordinary daily situations – and other people mistake them for our “character.” For example, if I learn that to be kind gains recognition from others, and through that recognition I feel good about myself, then I may "use" kindness as a behaviour to gain validation and esteem. This could well be a positive use of tactical behaviours, although not necessarily. If on the other hand, I find that I am only listened to if I yell and scream at the people around me, then I may "use" my display of anger and aggression as one of my preferred methods of communication (which is usually a negative form of communication). This is not my innate character; this is a behaviour I have learned. COERCION Equally, if people around me experience my sadness, they may rally round in an attempt to cheer me. And we have all seen a child who feels ignored become more and more disruptive until he gains some kind of attention – once again, this is not necessarily positive. So the more threatened or powerless I feel, the more I may intensify the behaviours I believe will get me what I want. This is usually counterproductive, if not downright obnoxious, because the only way these behaviours can work is if the other person feels coerced, and therefore dominated, manipulated or controlled. When these behaviours are used successfully, it’s because the person they’re used against senses the coercion, and feels pressured into responding against their will. What this means is simple: if I do respond to your coercive behaviour, I will resent you. If you ask me to do this regularly, my resentment will increase over time. Eventually I will have to find a way of protecting myself from you, maybe by pushing you away, or maybe by using abusive behaviour to get you to back off – which in turn will cause you to resent me. It would be far more constructive if both parties were able to identify their needs and express them openly, without fear of ridicule or rejection, (respect) instead of using behaviours. DISPLAYING ANGER In my list of behaviours I include the display of anger. I believe the display of any emotion can be "used" to achieve an effect on those around you whether it be sadness, irritability or happiness. Even the display of kindness and depression can be "used," and therefore have a manipulative effect. UNDERSTANDING BEHAVIOURS Behaviours are learned, not inherent. So the common belief that "this is just me – I can't change" is a conveniently self-serving myth. This belief or myth let’s you off the hook, so you don’t have to take responsibility for how you conduct yourself in a relationship. Behaviour is a choice we all make, usually subconsciously. But we would benefit greatly by choosing our behaviours consciously, especially if the ones you have been using aren’t working. It's also helpful to develop awareness of other people's behaviours, and to not simply accept that what they are saying is what they really mean – and then resent them for it. There is a far more constructive way you could live your life in relation to others.
For example: Eventually, through counselling, it is suggested to the father that, when the boy is using this irritating behaviour, he, the father, playfully and gently push the boy back a couple of times, smile at the boy and eventually put his arm around telling him that he is a lovely boy and that he loves him dearly.
The father noted the following change: The understanding behind this intervention is, that at thirteen, the boy is unable to ask his father for a hug, yet is still his child and in need of his father’s affection. The only way he can make contact is to literally try to push his father into it. EMPOWERMENT It’s at least as important to understand your own behaviours as it is to understand the behaviour of others. Once you achieve this self awareness, you are then empowered to see clearly through anyone’s conflicts with you, yours with them, and the associated behaviours that fire the conflict. With this awareness you can get to the real issues, and deal successfully with your relationship problems. By developing this self-awareness, you can learn to work through conflict with your partner / family and establish harmony.
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3)
Ego
Many religions and spiritual schools emphasise the importance of “selflessness.” But we can’t simply switch off the self! So to begin cultivating a selfless attitude, we must initially use our ego in a way that will eventually lead us to getting beyond it.
In common usage, the words "ego" and "self" are roughly the same. They refer to our perception of people’s individuality, or separateness from one another –- I am not you, you are not her, and so on.
But in Buddhist thinking, such apparent boundaries are mere illusions. So the words ego and self represent phantom concepts, which don’t refer to anything ‘real,’ or to anything “out there” as opposed to inside our own mind.
In Buddhist terms, the very essence of a person can be likened to the apparent emptiness of the space between atoms.
So it’s easy to see why at that essential level there is no separation between individuals – we’re all part of the same big pool of empty space. Or, if you prefer, we’re all part of the same pool of “stuff,” like waves crashing on the shoreline are just part of the same stuff as the rest of the ocean, and not separate from it, even though the waves appear to rise up and momentarily become distinct entities, before dissolving back into their source.
The Buddha encouraged us to look beyond that illusory perception, to realise that the true essential nature of existence is characterised by emptiness, which involves no boundaries of form. Thus the idea that “form is emptiness, and emptiness is form.”
That’s all well and good, one might say, but irrelevant to me. After all, to call the concept of self an illusion just seems to be an intellectual game. And if it’s not a game, then it raises a difficult question –- what are we supposed to actually do about our “self” being an illusion?
It’s unrealistic to expect anyone to just say ‘okay,’ and suddenly regard everything as illusion just because some spiritually developed people with exceptional mental clarity have had that insight.
This question of “self” has different answers for people who are at different stages of their spiritual development.
The important issue to me, at this stage of my own development, is not how to rid myself of this illusion right now, but rather how to use it productively in keeping ‘myself’ practicing the Buddha’s Eightfold Path until such a time as I have naturally grown beyond that illusory perception of self.
So it can be a natural progression to get beyond the ego, by using it in the right way to start with.
On this journey, it helps to remember the difference between “ego” and “egotism.” The former is a natural sense of self, albeit illusory, but which is harmless compared to the latter. On the other hand, “egotism” involves a sense of self-importance, conceit and spiritual pride -- like Bodhi in the above cartoon. And egotism is one of the easiest traps to fall into when moving along the Path.
4) What Is Buddhism (in a nutshell)
The Buddha was born Siddhartha Gautama, a prince of the Shakya clan of Northern India, around 500bc. He enjoyed a privileged life of material indulgence until the age of 29, at which time he had a life-changing experience when he travelled beyond the boundaries of his family’s carefully controlled environs, and was profoundly shocked to see the acute suffering that characterises so much of life. He was so deeply moved by this realisation that he left home, renouncing his inheritance and all worldly possessions. He became a mendicant, or spiritual seeker, living a bare ascetic existence in the forest, with only a robe and a begging bowl to his name. He sought out spiritual teachers, and dedicated his life to finding a way out of the suffering that all life seems to entail. After years of extreme spiritual practices such as prolonged fasting with extended periods of meditation, he had a direct realisation of nirvana (enlightenment). This realisation imbued him with profound mental clarity, which enabled him to see beyond the illusions of our sense perceptions and mental conditioning. He become awakened to the true nature of reality (called the ‘dharma,’ or natural law). He came to understand all about suffering, its nature and origin. And he came to understand how one can become liberated from it. His teachings on this subject eventually became systematised, to form what is now called ‘Buddhism.’ What this body of thought offers in practical terms is a method of getting beyond all forms of suffering. This method is called ‘The Eightfold Noble Path.’ After realising nirvana, the Buddha spent the rest of his life travelling throughout India, teaching his ideas and gathering many followers, who learned his philosophy and practiced his methods. Soon after his death, about 500 of the Buddha’s closest followers got together and formalised his body of teachings, and this became the basis of Buddhism. Buddhism is one of the few religions that does not formally address the issue of God, because the scope of the Buddha’s concern was limited to liberation from suffering, and he did not offer formal teachings on any issues ‘of an absolute nature,’ such as God. His general comment on such issues of an absolute nature was that they constitute ‘useless speculations,’ as they are not subject to verification. Now, some 2,500 years later, there are 3 major sects, or traditions, within Buddhism. Buddhist scholars and monks from these different traditions debate the exact meaning of many of the Buddha’s teachings about the dharma. However, his teachings about human conduct are eminently clear, and have left little room for debate, and these teachings are universally practiced in all 3 traditions. A Buddhist’s guiding purpose in life is to be dedicated to kindness, compassion, harmlessness and helpfulness. A Buddhist’s method is to practice practicing the Buddha’s Eightfold Noble Path: 1) Right Understanding, 2) Right Intention, 3) Right Conduct, 4) Right Speech, 5) Right Livelihood, 6) Right Effort, 7) Right Concentration, and 8) Right Mindfulness. By this practice, Buddhists hope to purify their minds and hearts so thoroughly that they eventually realise nirvana, just as the Buddha did, and thereby become liberated from all forms of suffering. And many Buddhists, known as ‘bodhisattvas’, go so far as to delay their own enlightenment until they have helped others advance along the path. * * * * Every healthy person has the natural ability to achieve and maintain his or her optimum weight, without restrictive diets, going hungry or paying for special products, services or courses. Losing weight “naturally” is the only way of doing it healthily, and it’s the only way that actually sticks. However, getting down to your optimum weight from an overweight condition is a gradual process, so it takes patience -- but it’s well worth it in the end, and costs nothing. The good news is that specific yoga postures and a little aerobic exercise can hasten this process. THE 2 CORE PRINCIPLES: There are only two principles you need to understand, in order to gradually and naturally bring yourself down to your optimum weight, and then stay there. They are: A) PROTEIN: Your body cannot store protein. So the protein you eat will not be turned into fat. B) CARBOHYDRATES: What your body can and does store as fat are any excess carbohydrates you haven’t burned off by the time you go to sleep at night. It’s important to keep a balance of protein and carbohydrates. But the key to weight loss is not how much you eat, but WHEN you eat it. Like much of life, success is largely a matter of timing. THE SIMPLE METHOD: To ensure that you have burned off all your carbohydrates before bedtime, all you have to do is avoid eating any after lunch. But for breakfast and lunch, you can eat whatever you like, in reasonable quantities – you don’t have to skimp and go hungry! This simple but effective method is called a “Carb Curfew” – no carbohydrates after lunch. Instead, just protein, greens and vegetables until you go to sleep. DINNER: That means for dinner you can have generous portions of lean protein, such as meat, fish, chicken or tofu. You can also have green vegetables and salads. However, no potatoes or other starchy vegetables, and no refined sugar or flour, no pasta, rice, fruit or milk products (which you should avoid anyway) – nothing high in carbohydrates or fat. Although many legumes (peas & beans) are green, they do have significant carbohydrates. A note about fish: most of it’s farmed nowadays, so try to eat only deep ocean fish. A note about commercial chicken (battery hens): this food is not healthy. If you can’t get organic, or at least free range chicken, eat something else. FOR THE METHOD TO WORK FOR YOU, you must be free of any medical conditions that impede your normal physiological functioning. This healthy precondition can be achieved through the daily practice of moderate exercise and a stretching regime, such as yoga, combined with good quality nutrition and sleep, plus the avoidance of nutritional poisoning by commercial or junk food. NUTRITION: With all the herbicides and pesticides used in commercial farming, it’s appropriate to go organic, or biodynamic, if you have a supply near you. Also, nutritional supplements are helpful to maintain good health. Among the most important are organic flaxseed oil (the preferred source of Omega 3), full spectrum amino acids (without any carbohydrates added), probiotics / acidopholous (for healthy intestinal functioning), fibre concentrate (oat bran or psyllum husks, helps you eliminate fat), and a vitamin supplement such as a multivitamins & minerals capsule, with additional emphasis on vitamins C, D and E). ALCOHOL: If you like a beer or a glass of wine, enjoy it for lunch, but not for dinner, unless you’re doing something to burn it off before you sleep. As an aside, be aware that many practitioners now believe that the carbonation (bubbles) in beer, sparkling wines, mixers and soft drinks has at least as much impact as alcohol, especially for gout. Also, the least harmful form of alcohol is clear spirits. After that is dark spirits, then white wine, then the rest of it, with the sweet desert wines having the most impact. TOBACCO: If you’re into tobacco and can’t give it up, you’d better switch to the organically grown brands, because commercial tobacco has approximately 4,000 chemicals in it (the roll-your-own has even more, contrary to popular belief). If you want to try quitting “naturally,” the easiest way is to keep up the normal frequency of your smoking at first, but gradually over time reduce the amount you smoke by reducing number of puffs you take from each cigarette. For example, just one less puff per cigarette each week will reduce your smoking fairly quickly, but in a tolerable way that gives your body a chance to adjust. PATIENCE: When you make this eating program your unvarying routine, you will very gradually – almost imperceptibly -- lose weight, until you reach whatever is your particular optimum weight, which varies with different people of the same height. This process could take 12 to 24 months, depending on how much weight you have to lose, and whether you exercise aerobically at all (that speeds things up). So patience and persistence are additional ingredients of this weight-loss recipe. Be mindful that this is a NATURAL process, so don’t try to rush it! You will not get quick results like you might expect from a “diet.” That won’t happen with this method – it’s slow, but it’s painless, natural and healthy. BLOATING, or swelling, of the abdominal area is a common condition. It can be caused by gas produced by improper digestion and fermentation, or it can be caused by inflammation in the gastro-intestinal tract. A thorough analysis by an appropriate practitioner is necessary to identify the cause and prescribe the right remedy for your particular condition. FASTING for at least 2 – 3 days is the most potent healing and rejuvenating method this author has encountered. But it only produces effective results when combined with bed rest – no working, computer work or anything that demands physical or mental vitality, which would compete with the energy you should direct into healing during a fast. If you do try to go on a fast and continue to expend physical and mental vitality, you will be able to do it, but only by overtaxing your under-fuelled organs. This means that while you fast you should mainly be resting and meditating, with only a moderate amount of reading or TV. A recommended way to get started fasting is to eat a bite or two of watermelon when you start to feel uncomfortable from hunger. Watermelon is virtually self-digesting, and does not defeat a light fast. Don’t let yourself sink into discomfort when fasting, especially before you’ve established the habit of fasting. The wisdom of making it easy for yourself by avoiding the discomfort of hunger pangs is that you will not be reluctant to go on a fast again, and periodic fasting is extremely conducive to maintaining good health. SLEEP: Sufficient, good quality sleep is essential to arriving at, and staying at, your optimum weight. Sleep deprivation can facilitate weight gain for many. You must get proper sleep to make this regime work. It’s been my own personal experience that consuming caffeine every day can promote weight gain in some people (including myself), probably because of the way it affects the sleep cycle, and also by allowing people to push through their tiredness instead of prioritizing their sleep. A strong pot of Chamomile tea in the evening is a natural, healthy relaxant. And there are others. Breathing exercises are also very potent – just Google “breathing to relax.” It’s also important to avoid stimulation for an hour before bed, including TV, games and computer work. Read a book or magazine instead, or just sit and relax, and let your mind wander where it may. If you have pets, cuddle them. Ask your yoga instructor for a sleep-inducing exercise or posture. EXERCISE: The key is choosing a sport or activity you really enjoy, so it doesn’t require sheer discipline to keep it up regularly. HOW MUCH & WHAT KIND OF EXERCISE: Only a moderate amount of aerobic exercise is necessary for good health and fitness. Aim for 2 to 8 hours per week, spread over as many days as possible, because frequency and regularity amplify the benefits. The ideal is every day. You can be gentle with yourself -- even walking can fill the bill. You don’t need to train like an athlete just to lose weight or be healthy. In fact, excessive training can stress your organs at any age, but especially after the age of 30. MYTH: “No pain, no gain” is only true if you’re going for Olympic gold. For the rest of us, doing anything that causes pain is most likely to be unhealthy. It’s now known that the training required for people to achieve elite competitive sports fitness does have negative impact on their health. So don’t fall into the trap of excessive exercise just to lose weight a little more quickly. Take it easy, and make it painless for yourself! And eat whatever you want -- just not after lunch! EXCEPTION: This weight loss method will not necessarily be successful if you have an organic dysfunction, or a medical condition that blocks the healthy functioning of all your organs, or a genetic predisposition to obesity. If that’s the case, seek professional advice. But if your weight problem is due to factors under your control, then take heart! GENDER: Due to hormonal differences, women have extra challenges in natural weight control that men don’t have to deal with. Be forgiving with yourself if you’re having difficulties, and seek a practitioner’s help. WHY EVERYONE DOESN’T ALREADY KNOW ABOUT THIS SIMPLE, PAINLESS METHOD: Because it’s free and non-commercial. Most diets are commerce-driven, being based on products, courses or packaged services. So no one is out there spending time and money promoting this one. EVIDENCE: The information offered here is based on a large body of anecdotal evidence, gathered over time, in different places by different people. It has also been “verified” by author’s direct experience. I’m in my mid-60’s, and have used this method successfully over the years to keep my weight and basic body shape the same now as when I was on the track team at university. I have had bouts of weight gain from time to time, when I let my regime slip, but I have always come back to my optimum weight by using this method, and that’s where I am now. TESTING: Although this method is based on an enormous amount of anecdotal evidence, it has not been tested “scientifically.” That’s because funding for such research would not result in a commercial product to sell. So, with no potential for profit, no corporation has yet undertaken the effort to formally “validate” the information with costly scientific testing. But that’s not really significant, because of the following: SCIENCE: For your own perspective, here is an observation about “scientific” testing compared to anecdotal evidence. The well established and respected medical journals are careful to protect their reputations by publishing only what they ascertain through their rigorous filtering to be “good science.” However, in many issues of those journals you will read articles that contradict the findings published previously in the same or similar journals, even though those previous articles had been rigorously ascertained to be “good science.” So when the “scientific method” repeatedly contradicts its own findings over time, that indicates, in this author’s opinion, that the scientific method should not have its results regarded as definitive at any point in time. Nor should “scientific results” be regarded as any more reliable than a solid body of anecdotal evidence, such as the kind this article is based on. Pure science in theory can be consistent and reliable. But as practiced by humans, the results are imperfect. VALIDATION: If you would like a properly informed second opinion on this information – an opinion which is not unduly influenced by the pharmaceutical cartels – then show this article to any licensed Naturopath, Herbalist or Holistic practitioner. * * * * |
