Syariah court lets muslim convert renounce Islam and go back Buddhism.
This is freedom, this is love, this is God.
Malaysia Boleh!
Friday, May 09, 2008
Friday, May 02, 2008
Survival of The Sickest - Must Read
I think I have read a good book. Must read.
The Survival of the Sickest.
Some of the key points noted...
The Survival of the Sickest.
Some of the key points noted...
- Cancer cells require iron to grow, so the body attempts to limit its availability.
- Mother's milk contains lactoferrin - a chelating protein that binds with iron and prevents bacteria from feeding on it.
- Viking men may have offset the negative effects of hemochromatosis because their warrior culture resulted in frequent blood loss.
- Diabetes may have helped European ancestors survive the sudden cold of the Younger Dryas.
- When we are exposed to the right kind of sunlight, our skin converts cholesterol to vitamin D.
- Ultraviolet light detroys folic acid in the body, the darker your skin, the less ultraviolet light you absorb.
- People of African descent have darker skin and are more likely to have a gene that causes them to produce greater amount of cholesterol.
- People of Northern European descents have pales skin and are much more likely to have iron loading and predisposition for Type 1 diabetes.
- People of Asian descent are much more likely to be unable to process alcohol efficiently.
- The current mainstream consensus is that modern humans evolved in Africa around 250,000 years ago.
- In Africa, where the heat was an evolutionary argument against denser body hair, people are prone to sickle-cell anemia, which, as we'll discuss, offers some protection from malaria.
- High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a particularly insidious disease - it's responsible for as much as 25 percent of end stage kidney failure, but it usually has no noticeable symptoms; that's why it's often called the "silent killer."
- Organic plants produce more natural toxic than non-organic plants. Eat your vegetables, your vegetables can kill you.
- Women infected with T.gondii spend more money on clothes and are consistently rated as being more attractive than women without the infection.
- The diarrhea caused by cholera isn't just a symptom - it's a transmission channel. It's how the disease makes it into the water supply and ensures its ability to find new hosts.
- At its most basic, cance is uncontrolled cell growth caused by a mutation in the gene that is supposed to control the growth of the cancerous cells.
- Most scientists don't consider viruses to be "alive", because they can't reproduce or metabolize on their own.
- There are all 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 viruses in the world's oceans. Over the few millions of years, perhaps we've given them the ride of their life and, in return, they've given us the chance to borrow some code from their huge genetic library.
- Researchs have certainly noted that many miscarried fetuses have genetic abnormalities
- Through a combination of epigenetic effects, various genes are turned on and off.
- Pups that were gently licked by their mothers grew into confident rat babies that were relatively relaxed and could handle stressful situations. But rats that were ignored by their mothers grew to be nervous wrecks.
- Children whose parents are overly stressed are more prone to depression and have less self-controlled. Children whose parents are relaxed and available tend to be happier and healthier.
- When cancer cells are successful, it's usually with the help of telomerase. Without telomerase, cancer cells woudl die out after dividing fifty to sixty times, or perhaps a little longer. Many scientists believe cancer prevention is the "reason" cells have evolved with a limit on the number of times they can reprduce.
- Humans (today) are mutant, we mutated by being infected with viruses.
- By default, our body can fight off cancers.
- Genes can be turned on and off due to various factors.
- As a semi vegetarian, I think that vegetarian don't eat vegetables because we like it so much, it is just to survive, thus, don't eat too much. Try to strike a balance.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Caesar 3 : Cartigo
This is a difficult scenario. With frequent attacks. limited farming area and houses keep burning down.
1. Must know how to preserve army, otherwise, you will waste money and funds. Sept 161 BC, army will come from North-East, be sure to get ready army standby at that location because it s very unlikely that you will get to build a lot of walls and towers since that area has high concentration of farming ground. Try to not let any part of the city destroy, especially the farm which otherwise it will throw u into recession. The will be another similar attack on Sept 154 BC (after the attack of local uprising).
2. Build small huts to remote locations where employees are needed, such as location where towers are built. As soon as these places have been attended by employees, remove the these huts (which are unlikely to have full facilities) to avoid it becoming high crime areas. High crime areas are due to resident not having their request met.
3. Try to achieve the population quota by creating new residential area whenever you have enough funds, this is to engage into prolonged wars with enemies which would potentially destroy your city.
4. Without enough food supplier, houses will burn out by itself. Build at least 3 market and prefecture within a 9x9 residential area and import wheat.
1. Must know how to preserve army, otherwise, you will waste money and funds. Sept 161 BC, army will come from North-East, be sure to get ready army standby at that location because it s very unlikely that you will get to build a lot of walls and towers since that area has high concentration of farming ground. Try to not let any part of the city destroy, especially the farm which otherwise it will throw u into recession. The will be another similar attack on Sept 154 BC (after the attack of local uprising).
2. Build small huts to remote locations where employees are needed, such as location where towers are built. As soon as these places have been attended by employees, remove the these huts (which are unlikely to have full facilities) to avoid it becoming high crime areas. High crime areas are due to resident not having their request met.
3. Try to achieve the population quota by creating new residential area whenever you have enough funds, this is to engage into prolonged wars with enemies which would potentially destroy your city.
4. Without enough food supplier, houses will burn out by itself. Build at least 3 market and prefecture within a 9x9 residential area and import wheat.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Caesar 3 : Mediolanum
This is a very dangerous region, with frequent massive enemy invasions which include which include elephants.
Challenges:
1. Building a city which contains 7,000 people.
2. Fighting frequent enemy attacks.
3. Wolf can be a problem initially, killing off immigrants.
Pros:
1. Plenty of farming spaces.
2. Plenty of iron mines and timber yards. Manufacturing weapons and furnitures would bring you abundance of fortunes. Remember to start importing items from traders before they will start buying from you.
3. Plenty of water all along the region.
Cons:
1. Unable to have clay pit, have to import. Pottery shortage is a common thing.
2. Maximum of 7 forts can be built.
Tips:
1. Build multiple residential areas (9x9) and spread them all over the map, starting from the right most region. This is because enemy would gain pathway only through the left most region.
2. Mobilize barrack to a newer residential area because older areas would have no unemployed people, which would slow down the recruitment and training process. If you want to, build more than one barrack to spend up the training process. However, this can only be done in the early stage, before the first barrack is filled with employee. And even with more than 1 barrack, only one of them will have weapons delivered to it and thus training for legion. Training for Javelin and Mounted-horse don't require weapons.
3. Build walls and towers smartly. If you have walls blocking the main path, enemy would try to squeeze into the city through the edge, usually near rocks and jungles let's called it hot-gates. Thus, this creates a loophole where you can actually build walls and towers parallel with these hot-gates, so that as they are busy breaking through the hot-gates, they are being tricked and army from your towers can start killing them. This works!
3. Use different armies for different enemies. Legion is most effective to deal with hand-to-hand, which include grounded armies and archers. Javelin is suitable with short distance attack, most effective with killing elephants. Mounted horse is the weakest army and is useful as backup and also to kill wolf which runs pretty fast. Legion is not effective with elephants.
Kill all elephant first (using Javelin); distract enemy armies with walls and towers, kill the elephants. This will force them to surrender.
4. Legion moves the slowest but they are the bravest. Do not keep Javelin and Mounted-horse out of the fort for too long; their spirit will start to decrease faster than any the Legion. This means that as enemy start to move nearer to the city, you have to start mobilize Legions first (you have to guess which location to mobilize them to because they move quite slow). As for Javelin and Mounted-horse, mobilize them only as enemy are close to walls and towers which would hold them for a while.
5. Build plenty of granaries close to each residential areas. You would probably need at least 7 residential areas (to accommodate 7,000 people) with 1 granary each.
6. You need to have some marble to build medium-sized temple. But don't over produce marble, stop the production if necessary so that you don't waste the warehouses' space.
7. When you are finally able to have around 6,500+ people, reaching 7,000 people may not come very quickly because shortage of pottery may drive people away. Thus the number of people may fluctuate in between 6,800 to 6,500. To win the scenario, just have to build another residential area; 7x7 will be enough.
8. Build appropriate gatehouse in between residential areas. This is a smart move to make sure that prefectures and engineers do not travel to far from the areas which they are supposed to cover.
9. Built plenty of oracles around to keep all gods happy (all the time). Oracle requires marbles but does not need to be manned. Thus, it is good for remote areas where human resource is scare. This can also provide a few doses of 'The Spirit of Mars' whenever necessary.
Refer to previous entry on Syracusae.
Challenges:
1. Building a city which contains 7,000 people.
2. Fighting frequent enemy attacks.
3. Wolf can be a problem initially, killing off immigrants.
Pros:
1. Plenty of farming spaces.
2. Plenty of iron mines and timber yards. Manufacturing weapons and furnitures would bring you abundance of fortunes. Remember to start importing items from traders before they will start buying from you.
3. Plenty of water all along the region.
Cons:
1. Unable to have clay pit, have to import. Pottery shortage is a common thing.
2. Maximum of 7 forts can be built.
Tips:
1. Build multiple residential areas (9x9) and spread them all over the map, starting from the right most region. This is because enemy would gain pathway only through the left most region.
2. Mobilize barrack to a newer residential area because older areas would have no unemployed people, which would slow down the recruitment and training process. If you want to, build more than one barrack to spend up the training process. However, this can only be done in the early stage, before the first barrack is filled with employee. And even with more than 1 barrack, only one of them will have weapons delivered to it and thus training for legion. Training for Javelin and Mounted-horse don't require weapons.
3. Build walls and towers smartly. If you have walls blocking the main path, enemy would try to squeeze into the city through the edge, usually near rocks and jungles let's called it hot-gates. Thus, this creates a loophole where you can actually build walls and towers parallel with these hot-gates, so that as they are busy breaking through the hot-gates, they are being tricked and army from your towers can start killing them. This works!
3. Use different armies for different enemies. Legion is most effective to deal with hand-to-hand, which include grounded armies and archers. Javelin is suitable with short distance attack, most effective with killing elephants. Mounted horse is the weakest army and is useful as backup and also to kill wolf which runs pretty fast. Legion is not effective with elephants.
Kill all elephant first (using Javelin); distract enemy armies with walls and towers, kill the elephants. This will force them to surrender.
4. Legion moves the slowest but they are the bravest. Do not keep Javelin and Mounted-horse out of the fort for too long; their spirit will start to decrease faster than any the Legion. This means that as enemy start to move nearer to the city, you have to start mobilize Legions first (you have to guess which location to mobilize them to because they move quite slow). As for Javelin and Mounted-horse, mobilize them only as enemy are close to walls and towers which would hold them for a while.
5. Build plenty of granaries close to each residential areas. You would probably need at least 7 residential areas (to accommodate 7,000 people) with 1 granary each.
6. You need to have some marble to build medium-sized temple. But don't over produce marble, stop the production if necessary so that you don't waste the warehouses' space.
7. When you are finally able to have around 6,500+ people, reaching 7,000 people may not come very quickly because shortage of pottery may drive people away. Thus the number of people may fluctuate in between 6,800 to 6,500. To win the scenario, just have to build another residential area; 7x7 will be enough.
8. Build appropriate gatehouse in between residential areas. This is a smart move to make sure that prefectures and engineers do not travel to far from the areas which they are supposed to cover.
9. Built plenty of oracles around to keep all gods happy (all the time). Oracle requires marbles but does not need to be manned. Thus, it is good for remote areas where human resource is scare. This can also provide a few doses of 'The Spirit of Mars' whenever necessary.
Refer to previous entry on Syracusae.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Caesar 3 : Syracusae
Tips:
The biggest problem is there isn't enough places to build enough farm to feed 4000 people. (Try to salvage as much as possible, even at the edges.)
Since there are only three types of food available (wheat, vegetable and meat), the solution is to build three major residential locations with each having one granary accepting only 1 type of the foods available. Meats have to be imported. Vegetable can grow faster than wheat.
The economy can be prosperous, start trading early, selling weapons and oil will give you plenty of fortunes. However, be sure to be the first mover to import something first before traders will buy something from you.
The biggest challenge is to get enough food in order to attract 4000 people to the city. Build as large a residential area as possible (to make food distribution efficient). Don't try to build more than 2 residential area. Check out this scenario which can only hold up to 3400 people (fall short of 600). Check out the scenario here.
One backup plan is to increase wages as high as possible and decrease tax at the same time. (This will be the last resort when your city has a lot of funds and just waiting for people to come in).
Make your warehouse distribution efficient.
- Keep one warehouse for each item to be imported near to the dock area.
- Keep one warehouse for each item to be exported or used internally in between docks and factory.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Sierra Pharaoh Tips - Dakha
Following the spirit of previous tips...
Now we have tips for Dakha scenario.
This scenario is even more easier than Bahariya Oasis.
Basically there is not military attack, unless you failed to fulfill the requests from Pharaoh and the tribute (annual fees to be paid).
Just take note a few things:
1. Use policemen to deal with Hyenas (which would kill people).
2. Bricks can make faster money than any other things, however remember to stockpile(one full load of storage yard will do and replenish it as required) it once in a while for Pharaoh requests. Other things which can contribute to good income are wood and grain (also need to stockpile it once in a while; one full load of storage yard will do).
3. Initially, without buying anything from others, people won't want to buy from you either. Thus, you have to buy something from the traders (maybe 1 unit of plain stone and etc) and they will reciprocate.
Keep everybody happy and as soon as you fulfill all the requirements. Victory will come.
Now we have tips for Dakha scenario.
This scenario is even more easier than Bahariya Oasis.
Basically there is not military attack, unless you failed to fulfill the requests from Pharaoh and the tribute (annual fees to be paid).
Just take note a few things:
1. Use policemen to deal with Hyenas (which would kill people).
2. Bricks can make faster money than any other things, however remember to stockpile(one full load of storage yard will do and replenish it as required) it once in a while for Pharaoh requests. Other things which can contribute to good income are wood and grain (also need to stockpile it once in a while; one full load of storage yard will do).
3. Initially, without buying anything from others, people won't want to buy from you either. Thus, you have to buy something from the traders (maybe 1 unit of plain stone and etc) and they will reciprocate.
Keep everybody happy and as soon as you fulfill all the requirements. Victory will come.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Sierra Pharaoh Tips - Bahariya Oasis
Following the tips for Giza, On and North Dashur.
Now we have the tips for Bahariya Oasis scenario.
This scenario is pretty easy, since all trading are done one land which is more efficient than with dock(for sea). And the abundance of wood supplies make economy really easy. So, I only have four tips.
1. Must buy something only can sell something.
2. Never clear off tree areas, otherwise you will run out of supply for woods.
3. Build two infantries and one archer. Beware of massive Bedoiun attack during year 2450BC.
4. Optimizing storage yard. Never let a storage yard to be completely filled up with just one item such as wood or sandstone.
This would make the storage yard workers really boring because they have so little things to do. It is best to fill up storage yard with a majority item (such as woods and sandstone) and minor with barley, flax, reeds and etc (so that these raw materials can be delivered to factories immediately since workers are not too pre-occupied with other things.) Never have a storage yard to be filled up with more than four items, otherwise the workers will be overworked.
If you made it through North Dashur, On and Giza, this scenario will be sure win.
Now we have the tips for Bahariya Oasis scenario.
This scenario is pretty easy, since all trading are done one land which is more efficient than with dock(for sea). And the abundance of wood supplies make economy really easy. So, I only have four tips.
1. Must buy something only can sell something.
2. Never clear off tree areas, otherwise you will run out of supply for woods.
3. Build two infantries and one archer. Beware of massive Bedoiun attack during year 2450BC.
4. Optimizing storage yard. Never let a storage yard to be completely filled up with just one item such as wood or sandstone.
This would make the storage yard workers really boring because they have so little things to do. It is best to fill up storage yard with a majority item (such as woods and sandstone) and minor with barley, flax, reeds and etc (so that these raw materials can be delivered to factories immediately since workers are not too pre-occupied with other things.) Never have a storage yard to be filled up with more than four items, otherwise the workers will be overworked.
If you made it through North Dashur, On and Giza, this scenario will be sure win.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Sierra Pharaoh Tips - Giza
Continuing from previous efforts for On, we now look at the winning strategy for scenario Giza.
Giza:
Challenges:
This scenario may looks easy because you are only required to have two ratings (kingdom and monument), however it will be
harder than you think. You still have to pay your tribute even though you are not require to have any prosperity rating.
Otherwise, Pharaoh army will attack as soon as your kingdom drops to zero.
Beer will be available from a new route to Dendera, after you have deployed Army to help with foreign attack.
The key to wining this scenario is to never ran out of debens. You will have to use your personal savings in the initial
stage.
Once you are able to create an economy which is self sustaining, everything will pretty easy.
As you are expected to play for certain amount of time (since you have to build three monuments), thus this scenario is good
for you to build your personal savings.
Tips:
1. Quickly setup exporting activities for gems and luxury goods. Once you are able to generate income, things should be
pretty easy. Just play in moderation, do not over import things especially limestone in the initial stage. Build more docks
to facilitate the export import capabilities. (at least 2 and even 4)
2. Keep storage for gems, luxury goods, game meat as Pharoah will request for them ocassionally. He will reward you with
copper, limestone, linen (just once) and grain (just once).
3. Have to build at least one fort of archers and infantries because you will need to deploy them to other city for backup.
Thus you should build probably another fort of infantries to backup the city.
4. Funds are limited, you have to import huge amount of limestones, certain amount of woods, clays and weapons. The reliefs
are that you don't have to import beer because the houses are not expected to evolve pass the stage of beer and you get to
export gems and jewellers (Pharaoh will be asking for these too). Don't use up the fund so fast and quickly build a family
mansion as well as a town place.
5. Build as much workcamps as possible to speed up the process of pyramid building.
It took me 882 months to win this scenario.
Giza:
Challenges:
This scenario may looks easy because you are only required to have two ratings (kingdom and monument), however it will be
harder than you think. You still have to pay your tribute even though you are not require to have any prosperity rating.
Otherwise, Pharaoh army will attack as soon as your kingdom drops to zero.
Beer will be available from a new route to Dendera, after you have deployed Army to help with foreign attack.
The key to wining this scenario is to never ran out of debens. You will have to use your personal savings in the initial
stage.
Once you are able to create an economy which is self sustaining, everything will pretty easy.
As you are expected to play for certain amount of time (since you have to build three monuments), thus this scenario is good
for you to build your personal savings.
Tips:
1. Quickly setup exporting activities for gems and luxury goods. Once you are able to generate income, things should be
pretty easy. Just play in moderation, do not over import things especially limestone in the initial stage. Build more docks
to facilitate the export import capabilities. (at least 2 and even 4)
2. Keep storage for gems, luxury goods, game meat as Pharoah will request for them ocassionally. He will reward you with
copper, limestone, linen (just once) and grain (just once).
3. Have to build at least one fort of archers and infantries because you will need to deploy them to other city for backup.
Thus you should build probably another fort of infantries to backup the city.
4. Funds are limited, you have to import huge amount of limestones, certain amount of woods, clays and weapons. The reliefs
are that you don't have to import beer because the houses are not expected to evolve pass the stage of beer and you get to
export gems and jewellers (Pharaoh will be asking for these too). Don't use up the fund so fast and quickly build a family
mansion as well as a town place.
5. Build as much workcamps as possible to speed up the process of pyramid building.
It took me 882 months to win this scenario.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Mortals - what is the best bet ?
According to the movie "Elizabeth the golden age".
"we mortals have many weaknesses, we fear too much, hurt too much, or too soon we die, but we have the chance of love."
Check it out.
"we mortals have many weaknesses, we fear too much, hurt too much, or too soon we die, but we have the chance of love."
Check it out.
Friday, August 03, 2007
Sierra Pharaoh TIps - On
Continuing from previous efforts for North Dashur, we will now take a look at winning strategy for the scenario called "On"
This is how I win the scenario.
On:
Quite a honey moon scenario compared to North Dashur. There will be no army attack (from Pharaoh) as well. There is no need to build any army fortress. This is a fun scenario with many food options (grain, meat and game meat). You need to build three similar medium mastabas which requires a lot of bricks. (Make sure you reserve ample spaces for this purpose).
Challenges:
1. No option to grow barley farm. Has to import either barley or beer.
2. Without buidling a Senet, the culture will never reach 40 (maximum). However, senet should only be built at the end of the game, when you are ready to win which otherwise it will suck in a lot of beers. And since you do not have the capacity to grow barley, it is not good idea to have senets sucking in too much beer.
3. Pharaoh will only ask for two things; limestone and game meat (from hunting)
4. Hipotamus kill people. Build towers on the bank of the river closed to where hipotamus breading ground is to kill of the hipos. This is the most effective way to kill of the hipotamus where two spears from the tower will get one hipo killed.
5. Each island doesn't allow the landscape of housing estate to cater for 4000 people, that would be about 50 units of residences.
Tips:
1. No need to build senet (since it is sucking beer), just need to make sure you build dentist to push up the culture.
2. Import everything as early as possible, which includes clay, pottery, reeds, paprypus, flax, linen, bricks and limestone (generates the most income).
3. No need to over build the temples as at least one each and with more focus on the patron god Ra.
4. Build a personal mansion as early as possible to collect savings. And get rid of crimes minimize the risk of money stolen. You can't get salary when you decided to rule longer after victory!!
5. Straws (Grows from grain farm simultaneously) are required for cattle ranch and also bricks making. Try to have a storage yard of straws.
6. Continuously perform festival to make sure that people don't leave your city. More that 20 months without festival will risk people leaving the city.
It took around 600 months to win the scenario.
More tips to come, stay tuned!
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Sierra Pharaoh Tips - North Dashur
I have been playing this game called Pharaoh by Sierra.
It is an old game, but you may buy it from Amazon.
To play this game, you need to have some skills and techniques. And this website offers much insights. But the walkthroughs isn't comprehensive enough.
I was stuck particularly at the stage of old-kingdom: North Dashur, it took me a few months. But I finally victor after going through some trial and errors.
Here are my tips.
North Dashur:
Challenges:
1. 4 gods. One year can only have 3 celebrations 3 months apart.
2. Need to spend a lot of money in the early stage.
Tips:
1. Increase wages to 31 deben (at least)
2. Start trading early. Serambit will buy a lot of beer. Build the storage yard close to each other and make sure it is easily accesible.
3. Build things slowly, do not rush to build all temples together. Ideally you should have two temples for Ptah (patron) and Osiris (agriculture). Build shrines even things out.
No need to have lavish festival, just make sure that to hold common festival non-stop, every three months. (switch between gods)
4. Keep a storage full of grain. (for pharaoh request).
5. Quickly sell barley and beer. No need to sell other things.
6. Do not let the the kingdom rate fallen completely. Otherwise, Pharaoh army will keep attacking you.
The most important thing is to pay yearly attribute. (This is done automatically, make sure your deben is not negative)
Send gift occassionally to keep Pharaoh happy. Build a personal mansion to collect salary so that you have the money to send gift.
7. It is alright to have tax rate of 8%.
8. Email me (brandonteohno1@yahoo.com) for saved games.
9. Setting priorities is important.
** Priority 1 - 6 mustn't be changed because you will risk people moving away. Setting government as priority is important so that the taxes are collected.
** Whenever foreign army, set the priority to 7.
** Once you have build up a fort of infantry and archer, military can become the last priority, otherwise no one will go and become archer and infantry.
Sometimes you have may to release all priorities if you don't have enough workers. Priority is used at the beginning and ad-hoc (emergency) basis.
The game suggest that the first priority be set to "Food and distribution" while second is "Industry & commerce"
10. Do not over import things. set to minimum import of 200 units.
Once your deben starts to deficit, stop importing especially copper.
The only thing to keep inporting is clay which is very low cost and keep at 200 units.
Import paprypus directly, manufacturing it from reeds is a waste of time and resources.
11. Building a large pyramid doesn't require deben.
The process of building the pyramid.
I. Peasants from work-camp will build the foundation.
II. Once the foundation is done, construction guilds will start to pull stoens (plain stones and lime stones) layer on the foudation.
III. As the first layer of stones are laid, carpenter guilds will need to build wooden staircase to bring construnction guilds to the lext level.
* Only need to have 1 carpenter guild and stonmaster guild.
13. Only need to build one fort of archers and infantries and train them with academy (u also need recruiter and preferrably two units of weapon smith).
Foreign army attacks are of weak nature, except for Pharaoh army which cannot be defeated. Make sure the kingdom rating don't fall to zero.
Pharoah will request for military service. Thus have to build another fort of infantry to fight off one small team of bedouin army attack.
14. How to make sure kingdom rating don't fall to zero ?
15. No need to spend too much money building defensives structures, just setup some towers perhaps.
16. Never let the houses run out of food and pottery. This will drive people away. When this happens, the power priority industry will suffer such as goverment and entertainment.
When there is no enough entertainment, more people will leave. Build more grain farms and pottery makers.
17. You need at least 3000 ppl, thus at least 50 blocks of the largest house. Try to accomodate these 50 blocks in a single area, so that you only have to build just one magistrate court, tax collector and health care.
18. When people started to leave the city due to inadequate food, pottery and entertainment. Setting "entertainment" to a higher priority and increasing the wages will bring people back.
19. Build the limestone quarry and storage yards (for storage of limestone) closest to the pyramid building site.
It took me 886 months to victory.
More tips to come.
It is an old game, but you may buy it from Amazon.
To play this game, you need to have some skills and techniques. And this website offers much insights. But the walkthroughs isn't comprehensive enough.
I was stuck particularly at the stage of old-kingdom: North Dashur, it took me a few months. But I finally victor after going through some trial and errors.
Here are my tips.
North Dashur:
Challenges:
1. 4 gods. One year can only have 3 celebrations 3 months apart.
2. Need to spend a lot of money in the early stage.
Tips:
1. Increase wages to 31 deben (at least)
2. Start trading early. Serambit will buy a lot of beer. Build the storage yard close to each other and make sure it is easily accesible.
3. Build things slowly, do not rush to build all temples together. Ideally you should have two temples for Ptah (patron) and Osiris (agriculture). Build shrines even things out.
No need to have lavish festival, just make sure that to hold common festival non-stop, every three months. (switch between gods)
4. Keep a storage full of grain. (for pharaoh request).
5. Quickly sell barley and beer. No need to sell other things.
6. Do not let the the kingdom rate fallen completely. Otherwise, Pharaoh army will keep attacking you.
The most important thing is to pay yearly attribute. (This is done automatically, make sure your deben is not negative)
Send gift occassionally to keep Pharaoh happy. Build a personal mansion to collect salary so that you have the money to send gift.
7. It is alright to have tax rate of 8%.
8. Email me (brandonteohno1@yahoo.com) for saved games.
9. Setting priorities is important.
- 1 - Food & distribution- Granary
2 - Infrastructure - Firehouse, transportation,
3 - Health
4 - Religion
5 - Industry & commerce- Pottery, brewery, labor & peasant
6 - Entertainment
7 - Government - tax
8 - Education (No priority)
9 - Military (No priority)
** Priority 1 - 6 mustn't be changed because you will risk people moving away. Setting government as priority is important so that the taxes are collected.
** Whenever foreign army, set the priority to 7.
** Once you have build up a fort of infantry and archer, military can become the last priority, otherwise no one will go and become archer and infantry.
Sometimes you have may to release all priorities if you don't have enough workers. Priority is used at the beginning and ad-hoc (emergency) basis.
The game suggest that the first priority be set to "Food and distribution" while second is "Industry & commerce"
10. Do not over import things. set to minimum import of 200 units.
Once your deben starts to deficit, stop importing especially copper.
The only thing to keep inporting is clay which is very low cost and keep at 200 units.
Import paprypus directly, manufacturing it from reeds is a waste of time and resources.
11. Building a large pyramid doesn't require deben.
The process of building the pyramid.
I. Peasants from work-camp will build the foundation.
II. Once the foundation is done, construction guilds will start to pull stoens (plain stones and lime stones) layer on the foudation.
III. As the first layer of stones are laid, carpenter guilds will need to build wooden staircase to bring construnction guilds to the lext level.
* Only need to have 1 carpenter guild and stonmaster guild.
13. Only need to build one fort of archers and infantries and train them with academy (u also need recruiter and preferrably two units of weapon smith).
Foreign army attacks are of weak nature, except for Pharaoh army which cannot be defeated. Make sure the kingdom rating don't fall to zero.
Pharoah will request for military service. Thus have to build another fort of infantry to fight off one small team of bedouin army attack.
14. How to make sure kingdom rating don't fall to zero ?
I. Make sure you fulfill Pharaoh request on time. Keep a storage yard full of Grains, Straws and Barley at all time. (three main things it will request)
It will also request for 24 blocks of limestone at later stage.
II. Don't let you kingdom rating fall by paying annual attributes. This is done automatically every March should your deben is not zero or negative.
III. Keep Pharaoh happy by sending gifts to Egypt occassionally. (Similar to having festivals). You need to build a personal mansion to have savings to send gifts.
IV. Build enough storage yards to accept gifts from Pharaoh. Everytime you fulfill Pharaoh request on time, you will be rewarded with plain stones and coopers (at later stage).
You probably need 4 storage yards just to reserve for Pharaoh's gifts.
Falling either one of these might result in Pharaoh's army attack which will comes in two legions.
15. No need to spend too much money building defensives structures, just setup some towers perhaps.
16. Never let the houses run out of food and pottery. This will drive people away. When this happens, the power priority industry will suffer such as goverment and entertainment.
When there is no enough entertainment, more people will leave. Build more grain farms and pottery makers.
17. You need at least 3000 ppl, thus at least 50 blocks of the largest house. Try to accomodate these 50 blocks in a single area, so that you only have to build just one magistrate court, tax collector and health care.
18. When people started to leave the city due to inadequate food, pottery and entertainment. Setting "entertainment" to a higher priority and increasing the wages will bring people back.
19. Build the limestone quarry and storage yards (for storage of limestone) closest to the pyramid building site.
It took me 886 months to victory.
More tips to come.
Monday, June 11, 2007
The Humanity Of Leaders
Contents copied from somewhere
When we recognize someone as a leader, we often place our faith in that person to a degree that exceeds what is humanly possible. In other words, we expect them to be beyond fault and to not make mistakes. This, of course, is neither realistic nor fair. Just like us, these people are living human lives, and part of the deal is learning through experience and working out our individual karmas. There will always be missteps and things they would do differently given a second chance. If we are to be fair, we must grant our leaders the same forgiveness, compassion, and understanding that we grant our closest friends as they navigate the complex challenges of this human life.
Leaders are special people in that they have the ability to guide and represent large groups of people. In this calling, they agree, to some degree, to be responsible for the well-being of others. Because of this, we hold them up to a higher standard of behavior, and in some ways this is fair. However, we will only be disappointed and disillusioned time and time again if we expect them to be perfect. If they were perfect, they would not be here on earth. Perhaps the most we can expect of our leaders is that they make it a practice to acknowledge their shortcomings and learn from their experiences. Beyond this, when our leaders let us down, it is up to us to forgive and move on. Dwelling on disappointment and negativity creates more of the same.
People who choose to lead are often extraordinary individuals blessed with vision, energy, and charisma. It is their path to inspire, guide, and represent us, but it is not possible for them to never let us down. Leaders are on a path of growth just as we are. Perhaps this is something to remember when we have the opportunity to choose somebody in a leadership role, or perhaps you are ready to step into a role of leadership yourself.
When we recognize someone as a leader, we often place our faith in that person to a degree that exceeds what is humanly possible. In other words, we expect them to be beyond fault and to not make mistakes. This, of course, is neither realistic nor fair. Just like us, these people are living human lives, and part of the deal is learning through experience and working out our individual karmas. There will always be missteps and things they would do differently given a second chance. If we are to be fair, we must grant our leaders the same forgiveness, compassion, and understanding that we grant our closest friends as they navigate the complex challenges of this human life.
Leaders are special people in that they have the ability to guide and represent large groups of people. In this calling, they agree, to some degree, to be responsible for the well-being of others. Because of this, we hold them up to a higher standard of behavior, and in some ways this is fair. However, we will only be disappointed and disillusioned time and time again if we expect them to be perfect. If they were perfect, they would not be here on earth. Perhaps the most we can expect of our leaders is that they make it a practice to acknowledge their shortcomings and learn from their experiences. Beyond this, when our leaders let us down, it is up to us to forgive and move on. Dwelling on disappointment and negativity creates more of the same.
People who choose to lead are often extraordinary individuals blessed with vision, energy, and charisma. It is their path to inspire, guide, and represent us, but it is not possible for them to never let us down. Leaders are on a path of growth just as we are. Perhaps this is something to remember when we have the opportunity to choose somebody in a leadership role, or perhaps you are ready to step into a role of leadership yourself.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Win RM 1,350,000 in Malaysia
With existing of new EON Bank (business or individual) account (current or saving), with an initial deposit of RM 500 and with consistent monthly deposit of RM 500, from 3rd May 2007 to 31st January 2008, one might be blessed with monthly cash prizes.
1st Prize = 1x RM 100,000
2nd Prize = 1x RM 20,000
3rd Prize = 1x RM 10,000
Consolotions = 20x RM 1,000
Go get it now. This is better than lottery. Just try to save RM 500 per month!
For more information, visit any EON Bank branches or call 03-2616 1133 or logon to www.eonbank.com.my
1st Prize = 1x RM 100,000
2nd Prize = 1x RM 20,000
3rd Prize = 1x RM 10,000
Consolotions = 20x RM 1,000
Go get it now. This is better than lottery. Just try to save RM 500 per month!
For more information, visit any EON Bank branches or call 03-2616 1133 or logon to www.eonbank.com.my
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Raining may be good sometimes
Yesterday, I planned to go to MPBJ to purchase monthly pass early in the morning so to avoid jam and crowds. As I was leaving the house, the sky suddenly turned on me, it became black.
I thought, wow…. Why you treat me like this. If it were to rain, convenience would be robbed from me because I have to make use of umbrella and etc. So I decided not to proceed and wait till noon.
As soon as I walked into my office, the sun came out roaring. I thought… oh gosh, this is my bad day.
Then came noon, I quickly jumped into my car and went ahead. And the sky turned dark and darker again. I said to myself .. “God is really against me today, I must have done something wrong.”
Then without doubt, it rained.
I went on…. There were some traffic congestions along the highway, but was okay.
As I was reaching the destination, things were totally out of my expectation.
Rains were slowing down and the best part is that due to the rain, there was no crowd and parking was easy.
So, then I thought “wow!, this is good actually.”
So… this experience improves my IQ (which is that rain does scare away the crowd because everybody was thinking about the same thing …) and definitely … Haha. Great!
I thought, wow…. Why you treat me like this. If it were to rain, convenience would be robbed from me because I have to make use of umbrella and etc. So I decided not to proceed and wait till noon.
As soon as I walked into my office, the sun came out roaring. I thought… oh gosh, this is my bad day.
Then came noon, I quickly jumped into my car and went ahead. And the sky turned dark and darker again. I said to myself .. “God is really against me today, I must have done something wrong.”
Then without doubt, it rained.
I went on…. There were some traffic congestions along the highway, but was okay.
As I was reaching the destination, things were totally out of my expectation.
Rains were slowing down and the best part is that due to the rain, there was no crowd and parking was easy.
So, then I thought “wow!, this is good actually.”
So… this experience improves my IQ (which is that rain does scare away the crowd because everybody was thinking about the same thing …) and definitely … Haha. Great!
Monday, April 23, 2007
Real Jesus..
Real Jesus book...
And this very interesting take..
and ...
God the Creator - refers to our minds, the centre of all creation, as we think and believe so shall it be
God the Son - refers to our body Flesh & Blood just as Jesus was the Flesh & Blood. So are we with all the capabilities, to create and enjoy all things
God the Holy Spirit - refers also to our Spirit, the light that dwells within each of us, yet comes from the same source that the light of the Universe came from.
I know it is tough. I am more bitter than you.
And this very interesting take..
and ...
God the Creator - refers to our minds, the centre of all creation, as we think and believe so shall it be
God the Son - refers to our body Flesh & Blood just as Jesus was the Flesh & Blood. So are we with all the capabilities, to create and enjoy all things
God the Holy Spirit - refers also to our Spirit, the light that dwells within each of us, yet comes from the same source that the light of the Universe came from.
I know it is tough. I am more bitter than you.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Quotes
Try to see beyond prejudice..
"Science must confine its inquiry only to things belonging to the human senses, while spiritualism transcends the senses. If you want to understand the nature of spiritual power you can do so only through the path of spirituality and not science. What science has been able to unravel is merely a fraction of the cosmic phenomena " - Sai Baba
"by understanding the past, we can do a better job of dealing with problems today; and by anticipating what might be on the horizon tomorrow, we can help prepare for a better world" - Waitt Foundation
"I personally think that society is responsible for a very significant percentage of what I've earned. If you stick me down in the middle of Bangladesh or Peru or someplace, you find out how much this talent is going to produce in the wrong kind of soil... I work in a market system that happens to reward what I do very well - disproportionately well. Mike Tyson, too. If you can knock a guy out in 10 seconds and earn $10 million for it, this world will pay a lot for that. If you can bat .360, this world will pay a lot for that. If you're a marvelous teacher, this world won't pay a lot for it. If you are a terrific nurse, this world will not pay a lot for it. Now, am I going to try to come up with some comparable worth system that somehow (re)distributes that? No, I don't think you can do that. But I do think that when you're treated enormously well by this market system, where in effect the market system showers the ability to buy goods and services on you because of some peculiar talent - maybe your adenoids are a certain way, so you can sing and everybody will pay you enormous sums to be on television or whatever -I think society has a big claim on that." - Warren Buffet
"Science must confine its inquiry only to things belonging to the human senses, while spiritualism transcends the senses. If you want to understand the nature of spiritual power you can do so only through the path of spirituality and not science. What science has been able to unravel is merely a fraction of the cosmic phenomena " - Sai Baba
"by understanding the past, we can do a better job of dealing with problems today; and by anticipating what might be on the horizon tomorrow, we can help prepare for a better world" - Waitt Foundation
"I personally think that society is responsible for a very significant percentage of what I've earned. If you stick me down in the middle of Bangladesh or Peru or someplace, you find out how much this talent is going to produce in the wrong kind of soil... I work in a market system that happens to reward what I do very well - disproportionately well. Mike Tyson, too. If you can knock a guy out in 10 seconds and earn $10 million for it, this world will pay a lot for that. If you can bat .360, this world will pay a lot for that. If you're a marvelous teacher, this world won't pay a lot for it. If you are a terrific nurse, this world will not pay a lot for it. Now, am I going to try to come up with some comparable worth system that somehow (re)distributes that? No, I don't think you can do that. But I do think that when you're treated enormously well by this market system, where in effect the market system showers the ability to buy goods and services on you because of some peculiar talent - maybe your adenoids are a certain way, so you can sing and everybody will pay you enormous sums to be on television or whatever -I think society has a big claim on that." - Warren Buffet
Monday, January 15, 2007
It is better not to say anything.. just pray
As I was at the KL Sentral bus stop, I saw people wasting their time. But I can’t blame them because they don’t have many opportunities as I do.
So, my conclusion is that even though I can say to their faces “hey, you are wasting your time and energy….” But at the same time, it is not fair for me to say that because I got nothing to offer. I am not Bill Gates to tell that “hello, why don’t u come to work for me in the R & D department… I give you one year to prove yourself…”
This is like when atheists complain about the significance of religion. But I want to tell atheists this one thing… if you have nothing to offer, then it is not fair to say it. For my case, I believe that true love can cure all sickness, but I can only love one woman. So, I can’t go about curing so many people. And therefore, when other people needed light (out of darkness) and I can’t be there, better let God do the job. If one is an atheist, pray that there is a God so that other people can be loved like you too.
So, I feel that sometimes it is better not to say anything (comments) even though you are convinced that you are right. But just pray for people. Pray that they have more opportunities in life.
People believe what is right and wrong according to their own standards (how they are brought up). You can’t tell them what is right and wrong not until you took responsibilities in them. And "responsibility" is a big word.
So, my conclusion is that even though I can say to their faces “hey, you are wasting your time and energy….” But at the same time, it is not fair for me to say that because I got nothing to offer. I am not Bill Gates to tell that “hello, why don’t u come to work for me in the R & D department… I give you one year to prove yourself…”
This is like when atheists complain about the significance of religion. But I want to tell atheists this one thing… if you have nothing to offer, then it is not fair to say it. For my case, I believe that true love can cure all sickness, but I can only love one woman. So, I can’t go about curing so many people. And therefore, when other people needed light (out of darkness) and I can’t be there, better let God do the job. If one is an atheist, pray that there is a God so that other people can be loved like you too.
So, I feel that sometimes it is better not to say anything (comments) even though you are convinced that you are right. But just pray for people. Pray that they have more opportunities in life.
People believe what is right and wrong according to their own standards (how they are brought up). You can’t tell them what is right and wrong not until you took responsibilities in them. And "responsibility" is a big word.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Invisible hand
I have just read a book.. it is called "I'm not sick, just a bit unwell - Life with Neurofibromatosis" by Yvonne Foong; winner of the 2005 Dream Malaysia Award.
Yvonne Foong was born and raised in Malaysia. She enjoys writting, reading and devoting her time to charity causes and social developments. She has done freelance assignments for newspaper and magazine.
The book is about her story (yes, most people has a story, i know some don't) and her cause.
Interesting quotes from this book...
A Rude Doctor:
- He lacked compassion and the human touch.
- Praise the lord for teaching me so early in life to be grateful for the things that I have.
Rehabilitation:
- It is strange how we have to go through difficult times in order to appreciate the simplier things in life.
- NF has taught me an invaluable lesson, never be ashamed of one's modesty.
The smile on my face:
- Unless she had gone through the same surgery, she could never comprehend my feelings.
When there's a will, there's a way:
- Life may not be a bed of roses all the time, but the human spirit has no boundaries.
Knowing him:
I started to pray...
I told the lord about my life, my dilemmas and my questions about him.
It was as though I was talking to an old friend. As I carried on, the entire room seemed to light up. I was filled with happiness and a poignant feeling came over my heart as though someone had just presented me with a gift.
God must have heard my cries, because soon after, he began revealing my destiny. I hope that my story will inspire million of less fortunate people around the world to continue believing in God and live life to the fullest.
You just have to read it yourself...
Conclusion:
There are three types of people in this world.
1. People who suffer on behalf of others... such as Jesus Christ, Buddha, Yvonne Foong and etc.
2. People who take things for granted.
3. People who bridge the abovementioned two types of people.
I don't suffer from NF... but I was once sicked big time (at least by my standard). I could level with how Yvonne feels about life. I like to consider myself as belonging to type 1, however as it may not seem easy and I think I will settle with type 3; definitely not type 2.
Yvonne Foong was born and raised in Malaysia. She enjoys writting, reading and devoting her time to charity causes and social developments. She has done freelance assignments for newspaper and magazine.
The book is about her story (yes, most people has a story, i know some don't) and her cause.
Interesting quotes from this book...
A Rude Doctor:
- He lacked compassion and the human touch.
- Praise the lord for teaching me so early in life to be grateful for the things that I have.
Rehabilitation:
- It is strange how we have to go through difficult times in order to appreciate the simplier things in life.
- NF has taught me an invaluable lesson, never be ashamed of one's modesty.
The smile on my face:
- Unless she had gone through the same surgery, she could never comprehend my feelings.
When there's a will, there's a way:
- Life may not be a bed of roses all the time, but the human spirit has no boundaries.
Knowing him:
I started to pray...
I told the lord about my life, my dilemmas and my questions about him.
It was as though I was talking to an old friend. As I carried on, the entire room seemed to light up. I was filled with happiness and a poignant feeling came over my heart as though someone had just presented me with a gift.
God must have heard my cries, because soon after, he began revealing my destiny. I hope that my story will inspire million of less fortunate people around the world to continue believing in God and live life to the fullest.
You just have to read it yourself...
Conclusion:
There are three types of people in this world.
1. People who suffer on behalf of others... such as Jesus Christ, Buddha, Yvonne Foong and etc.
2. People who take things for granted.
3. People who bridge the abovementioned two types of people.
I don't suffer from NF... but I was once sicked big time (at least by my standard). I could level with how Yvonne feels about life. I like to consider myself as belonging to type 1, however as it may not seem easy and I think I will settle with type 3; definitely not type 2.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Becoming successful...
To become successful, you gotta be committed to it.
Being committed to something means that you got to live and eat and sleep it.
Other things will be secondary in the interim basis.
But do u have something to fall back to ?
Because when you are totally committed, you gotta dare to fail.
And how to become really daring to fail ?
You need something to fall back to.
My answer is that you gotta look for something abstract as the falling back cushion. Such as being a nice person, being sincere, truthful, caring and etc.
If you are already committed to something such as religion, marriage and etc, you are already successful. The rest are only secondary.
I found a blog entry through a friend who puts it in a different way..
Being committed to something means that you got to live and eat and sleep it.
Other things will be secondary in the interim basis.
But do u have something to fall back to ?
Because when you are totally committed, you gotta dare to fail.
And how to become really daring to fail ?
You need something to fall back to.
My answer is that you gotta look for something abstract as the falling back cushion. Such as being a nice person, being sincere, truthful, caring and etc.
If you are already committed to something such as religion, marriage and etc, you are already successful. The rest are only secondary.
I found a blog entry through a friend who puts it in a different way..
Monday, November 20, 2006
God did NOT create evil - Albert Einstein
This write-up is taken from forwarded email... Don't know how true Albert Einstein was dragged into this but worth a ponder.
Did God create everything that exists? Does evil exist? Did God create evil?
A University professor at a well known institution of higher learning challenged his students with this question. "Did God create everything that exists?"
A student bravely replied, "Yes he did!"
"God created everything?" The professor asked.
"Yes sir, he certainly did," the student replied.
The professor answered, "If God created everything; then God created evil. And, since evil exists,and according to the principal that our works define who we are, then we can assume God is evil."
The student became quiet and did not respond to the professor's
hypothetical definition. The professor, quite pleased with himself, boasted to the students that he had proven once morethat the Christian faith was a myth.
Another student raised his hand and said, "May I ask you a question,
professor?"
"Of course", replied the professor.
The student stood up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?"
"What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?"
The other students snickered at the young man's question. The young man replied, "In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat. Everybody or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-460 F) is the total absence of heat; and all matter becomes inert and incapable
of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat."
The student continued, "Professor, does darkness exist?"
The professor responded, "Of course it does."
The student replied, "Once again you are wrong sir, darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact, we can use Newton's prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of
darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present."
Finally the young man asked the professor, "Sir, does evil exist?"
Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course, as I have already said. We see it everyday. It is in the daily examples of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil.
To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist, sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat, or the darkness that comes when there is no light."
The professor sat down.
The young man's name -- Albert Einstein
A true story per se.
As usual, if anyone finds this entry sensitive. You are entitled to comment in many ways preferred. Living up to the spirit of blogger responsibilities.
Did God create everything that exists? Does evil exist? Did God create evil?
A University professor at a well known institution of higher learning challenged his students with this question. "Did God create everything that exists?"
A student bravely replied, "Yes he did!"
"God created everything?" The professor asked.
"Yes sir, he certainly did," the student replied.
The professor answered, "If God created everything; then God created evil. And, since evil exists,and according to the principal that our works define who we are, then we can assume God is evil."
The student became quiet and did not respond to the professor's
hypothetical definition. The professor, quite pleased with himself, boasted to the students that he had proven once morethat the Christian faith was a myth.
Another student raised his hand and said, "May I ask you a question,
professor?"
"Of course", replied the professor.
The student stood up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?"
"What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?"
The other students snickered at the young man's question. The young man replied, "In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat. Everybody or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-460 F) is the total absence of heat; and all matter becomes inert and incapable
of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat."
The student continued, "Professor, does darkness exist?"
The professor responded, "Of course it does."
The student replied, "Once again you are wrong sir, darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact, we can use Newton's prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of
darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present."
Finally the young man asked the professor, "Sir, does evil exist?"
Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course, as I have already said. We see it everyday. It is in the daily examples of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil.
To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist, sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat, or the darkness that comes when there is no light."
The professor sat down.
The young man's name -- Albert Einstein
A true story per se.
As usual, if anyone finds this entry sensitive. You are entitled to comment in many ways preferred. Living up to the spirit of blogger responsibilities.
Monday, October 30, 2006
I want to apologize
I like to apologize for being insensitive towards my blog entries.
This blog has sometimes being morbid inquisitive, cock-talking and etc.
Sensitivity is an important issue for blogger.
This blog has sometimes being morbid inquisitive, cock-talking and etc.
Sensitivity is an important issue for blogger.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Why i fell in love with u ?
I fell in love with you because ...
1. there are a lot of shit out there... I don't want any of it, i'm sick of it, I only want u.
2. there are a lot of pyscho out there... I think you are not.
3. there are many people who give me trouble... I think you won't give me trouble.
4. there are many things which are unreal ... I think you are the real deal.
In short, you are what is not out there and I think it is worth the risk. even if you say no, still okay.
I swear to god/buddha/allah/krisnan/sai baba that if I'm being unsincered, I would be burnt in hell.
Let me burnt in hell if I were to lie.
Friday, September 01, 2006
Buddhist Chief Monk Dies
Buddhist Chief Monk K. Sri Dhammananda dies on 31st
August 2006.
The Star story..
I remember seeing him a few times.... There is one
time I asked "is it true that by visualizing or
contemplate the transfer of invisible energy towards
someone, that person can benefit something ?"
The chief monk answered, but I can't remember the
exact wording, roughly what he told me was that
invisible energy such as thoughts is more powerful
than you think. He gave an example but I can't
remember.
Thus, let's remember him by wishing that ..
People around us would quickly come to realization
about the real meaning of life and cultivate enough to
seek enlightenment.
Sunday, August 13, 2006
world war and free world
Does this world deserves another world war ?
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Do u believe in end times ?
People are worried that current events in the middle east is a sign towards the end time as prophesized in the bible. [source here]
Well, if you believe in the bible.. . then you have reasons to go nuts...
Otherwise, I attended a talk from a professor specializes in literature... he is a no-christian and he examines current middle-east crisis in a practical manner..
According to him, there will be no war because non of the big powers ever wanted war.. thus, he said current crisis is only a small fight.
Personally, I think that if the world is going into a bad shape, one day it will have to restart the operating system.
Well, if you believe in the bible.. . then you have reasons to go nuts...
Otherwise, I attended a talk from a professor specializes in literature... he is a no-christian and he examines current middle-east crisis in a practical manner..
According to him, there will be no war because non of the big powers ever wanted war.. thus, he said current crisis is only a small fight.
Personally, I think that if the world is going into a bad shape, one day it will have to restart the operating system.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Fwd Email: DONT USE DISPOSABLE CHOPSTICKS
This is a true case, if you don't believe try the following test:
Soak a pair of disposable chopsticks (usually given to you when you buy pack food from a Chinese take-away) for between 3 to 5 minutes inside hot boiling water. Within minutes and right in front of your eyes, you will noticed that some white colouring matter seems to be dissolved into the hot water from the chopsticks.
What is released from the chopsticks is actually a chemical, a bleaching agent.
In a campaign promoting healthy care in Singapore recently, Professor Jackson Mathis reminds people not to use disposable chopsticks, as almost the majority of them are made in or imported from China.
He explained that during the manufacturing process of disposable chop-sticks before the actual production itself, all raw materials are already cover-grown with germs that make the wood materials look like they are coated in multiple colours or are covered with poisonous fungus.
The first process itself is already frightening as the manufacturer starts the process by soaking up the wooden raw materials inside a very big container that is filled with a very toxic and highly poisonous chemical. This chemical is intentionally added in in order to preserve the materials. After a few days of soaking, they are then washed with an even worse cleaning agent, in this case it is a bleaching agent (which chemical ph level is believe to be more Than a thousand times over the general permissible/acceptable international standards). And guess what? These chemicals itself is likely to cause greater harm to our health (if we continue consuming such chemicals into our body on a daily basis) not forgetting that since these chemicals used
are usually carcinogenic in nature, they are likely to cause cancer.
Since his last visit to a disposable chopsticks manufacturing plant in China 5 years ago, Professor Jackson Mathis has immediately stop using such disposable chopsticks anymore.
In Professor Jackson case, just in case if he ever forgets to bring along his own pair of chopsticks for lunch or dinner, he usually make sure that he do not forget to put one pair of it inside his bag since it can be re-use again and again.
Professor Jackson Mathis said: "If you have been using disposable chopsticks in the past, and you insist on continue using them again, please pause and think for a moment. Why is cancer spreading like wild fire these days throughout the world affecting all sorts of people. After that think of how many pairs of disposable chopsticks a factory in China is producing by the minute. The answer itself is right here !"
Best regards,
Margaret Teow
Production Controller
Vesuvius KSR Sdn Bhd
Tel : 603-3176 0508
Fax : 603-3176 0446 - General
: 603-3176 0891 - Production
-end-
Maybe we can start a business selling quality chopsticks to individual. We have to find a way to dry it... the chopsticks can be kept inside a pen container.
Soak a pair of disposable chopsticks (usually given to you when you buy pack food from a Chinese take-away) for between 3 to 5 minutes inside hot boiling water. Within minutes and right in front of your eyes, you will noticed that some white colouring matter seems to be dissolved into the hot water from the chopsticks.
What is released from the chopsticks is actually a chemical, a bleaching agent.
In a campaign promoting healthy care in Singapore recently, Professor Jackson Mathis reminds people not to use disposable chopsticks, as almost the majority of them are made in or imported from China.
He explained that during the manufacturing process of disposable chop-sticks before the actual production itself, all raw materials are already cover-grown with germs that make the wood materials look like they are coated in multiple colours or are covered with poisonous fungus.
The first process itself is already frightening as the manufacturer starts the process by soaking up the wooden raw materials inside a very big container that is filled with a very toxic and highly poisonous chemical. This chemical is intentionally added in in order to preserve the materials. After a few days of soaking, they are then washed with an even worse cleaning agent, in this case it is a bleaching agent (which chemical ph level is believe to be more Than a thousand times over the general permissible/acceptable international standards). And guess what? These chemicals itself is likely to cause greater harm to our health (if we continue consuming such chemicals into our body on a daily basis) not forgetting that since these chemicals used
are usually carcinogenic in nature, they are likely to cause cancer.
Since his last visit to a disposable chopsticks manufacturing plant in China 5 years ago, Professor Jackson Mathis has immediately stop using such disposable chopsticks anymore.
In Professor Jackson case, just in case if he ever forgets to bring along his own pair of chopsticks for lunch or dinner, he usually make sure that he do not forget to put one pair of it inside his bag since it can be re-use again and again.
Professor Jackson Mathis said: "If you have been using disposable chopsticks in the past, and you insist on continue using them again, please pause and think for a moment. Why is cancer spreading like wild fire these days throughout the world affecting all sorts of people. After that think of how many pairs of disposable chopsticks a factory in China is producing by the minute. The answer itself is right here !"
Best regards,
Margaret Teow
Production Controller
Vesuvius KSR Sdn Bhd
Tel : 603-3176 0508
Fax : 603-3176 0446 - General
: 603-3176 0891 - Production
-end-
Maybe we can start a business selling quality chopsticks to individual. We have to find a way to dry it... the chopsticks can be kept inside a pen container.
Friday, July 07, 2006
The Mind Frame Techniques
Dear Friends of InnerTalk,
InnerTalk and Progressive Awareness Research group of companies are the providers of the powerful and proven mind technology – the InnerTalk subliminal mind tool. Our group aims to continuously provide for those who are in search of new insight into the mind power and the power of the subconscious the avenues to do so.
As part of our “Subconscious Mind Series” we are proud to present to the Malaysian public for the first time The MindFrame TechniqueTM workshop by Mr. Terry Winchester, an internationally renowned subconscious specialist and practitioner from South Africa.
The MindFrame TechniqueTM Workshop
Fee (Special Introductory): Before 10th July RM 490; RM 590 per head after 10th July.
Date: 12th July 2006 Wednesday
Time: 9.00 am to 6.00 pm
Venue: Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur
Format: Interactive in nature, seats are limited.
Meals: 2 coffee breaks and 1 holistic lunch are included.
Follow-up workshop: All participants are allowed to attend another future Alpha Mind Power Workshop session as revision course at minimal fee. The fee charge is RM 100 to cover the cost of the coffee breaks, lunch and facility rental.
Course materials: Every participant will be given a MindFrame TechniqueTM training DVD as a self-practice follow up tool.
1. What is the MindFrame TechniqueTM?
With The MindFrame TechniqueTM you will learn to gravitate back to perfect health, tune into the abundance that is all around us and express unconditional love and acceptance in your relationships.
2. How does it work?
The five steps of The MindFrame TechniqueTM will enable you to reach the deep subconscious level of mind and teach you to re-program your life for health wealth and happiness.
Step 1 - Deep relaxation
By entering at the deep 'alpha' state your body will relax completely and your mind will become calm. This first step, in itself, affords you that blissful refreshing rest that we all cherish so much. It is even better than natural sleep because you are in complete control and can turn it on or off at will.
Step 2 - The mental mirror
This simple mechanism enables you to identify your problem and turn it around. As all problems start in the mind and are caused by misperceptions, you have the power at any given moment to choose to reverse your negative pattern. With this method, your problem is gone forever no matter how long it has plagued you for. Whatever image you hold before you will come about.
Step 3 - The finger trigger
The finger trigger is a simple mechanism that will enable you to snap out of any negative frame of mind at any moment simply by clicking the fingers. Once you have installed this trigger into the subconscious mind you literally have the controls at your fingertips and can turn any negative condition into a positive, happy outcome.
Step 4 - The water trigger
The water trigger serves as a back up for the finger trigger. If for any reason you neglect to nip your negative thought pattern in the bud and find yourself in your negative mode again, you simply apply the water trigger. Your problem is automatically reversed and your new positive self-image is energized.
Step 5 - Meditation
This final step deepens your relaxation state and your ability to concentrate your mind: creating tremendous power for your creative process. As well as releasing your untapped potential, it leads to the ultimate goal of mankind, which is to realize the 'True Self'.
Once these five steps have been installed into the subconscious mind with The MindFrame TechniqueTM, you then have all the tools you need to achieve any goal and to turn around any bad habit. You can now begin to manifest the health, wealth and happiness that is your birthright.
The MindFrame TechniqueTM is a very powerful form of psychotherapy and deep relaxation training. The term Psychotherapy really just means therapy of the mind. As all our problems are simply due to faulty thought patterns, the only true form of healing is to "change" your mind.
If we don't deal with the traumatic and fearful experiences we may have experienced in childhood, the subconscious mind will suppress them in order to protect us. These distorted impressions will continue to disturb us until they are brought to Truth. Once this is done, any corresponding disease or psychological disorder will heal. The MindFrame TechniqueTM provides the means to facilitate this natural healing.
This is a process of Holistic Hypnosis, enabling the participant to access the subconscious mind, identify the faulty thought pattern and turn it around. The participant learns to acknowledge any self-created negative aspects, thus enabling complete transformation. This new positive image is the first step towards Self-Realisation. The door to health, wealth and happiness is now open.
About the Speaker:
Terry Winchester
Terry Winchester founded the Winchester Foundation 28 years ago.
Terry is a qualified Hypnotherapist and Psychotherapist who is currently running a Holistic Hypnosis and relaxation clinic in Johannesburg. He has been practicing Holistic Hypnosis and Alpha Training for the last twenty-eight years.
His list of appointments includes:
* Master Hypnotist (The Hypnosis Institute, New York)
* Founder member of "The Winchester Foundation" est. 1972
* Founder member of the British National Council of Psychotherapists (1972)
* Certified member of Mind Development Incorporated, Texas, USA
* Certified member of the International Association of Counselors and Therapists
* Certified member of the South African Yoga Teachers' Fellowship
* Qualified member for the Canadian Institute of Hypnotism (Advanced)
* Member of the International Society for Professional Hypnotists, New York (1973)
* Member of the American Board of Hypnotherapy
* Instructor for The Silva Method International (1980 - 1990)
In addition he has spent twenty years studying yoga and meditation including nine months at the Vedanta Forest Academy in Rishikesh, India.
The Winchester Foundation is set up to conduct Alpha Mind Power Training and has a Hypnotherapy Clinic for the general public. All the seminars and therapies conducted by the Foundation are based on the powerful yet simple MindFrame TechniqueTM.
For those who are interested to attend please contact us at 03-77294745, 012-2998859 or email enquiry@innertalk.com.my. This workshop will sell out as seats are limited and are on first come first served basis. Please call us to reserve your place now.
With thanks, love, light and abundance,
Ewe Tuan Cheng
President
Progressive Awareness Research & InnerTalk, Asia Pacific Region
InnerTalk and Progressive Awareness Research group of companies are the providers of the powerful and proven mind technology – the InnerTalk subliminal mind tool. Our group aims to continuously provide for those who are in search of new insight into the mind power and the power of the subconscious the avenues to do so.
As part of our “Subconscious Mind Series” we are proud to present to the Malaysian public for the first time The MindFrame TechniqueTM workshop by Mr. Terry Winchester, an internationally renowned subconscious specialist and practitioner from South Africa.
The MindFrame TechniqueTM Workshop
Fee (Special Introductory): Before 10th July RM 490; RM 590 per head after 10th July.
Date: 12th July 2006 Wednesday
Time: 9.00 am to 6.00 pm
Venue: Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur
Format: Interactive in nature, seats are limited.
Meals: 2 coffee breaks and 1 holistic lunch are included.
Follow-up workshop: All participants are allowed to attend another future Alpha Mind Power Workshop session as revision course at minimal fee. The fee charge is RM 100 to cover the cost of the coffee breaks, lunch and facility rental.
Course materials: Every participant will be given a MindFrame TechniqueTM training DVD as a self-practice follow up tool.
1. What is the MindFrame TechniqueTM?
With The MindFrame TechniqueTM you will learn to gravitate back to perfect health, tune into the abundance that is all around us and express unconditional love and acceptance in your relationships.
2. How does it work?
The five steps of The MindFrame TechniqueTM will enable you to reach the deep subconscious level of mind and teach you to re-program your life for health wealth and happiness.
Step 1 - Deep relaxation
By entering at the deep 'alpha' state your body will relax completely and your mind will become calm. This first step, in itself, affords you that blissful refreshing rest that we all cherish so much. It is even better than natural sleep because you are in complete control and can turn it on or off at will.
Step 2 - The mental mirror
This simple mechanism enables you to identify your problem and turn it around. As all problems start in the mind and are caused by misperceptions, you have the power at any given moment to choose to reverse your negative pattern. With this method, your problem is gone forever no matter how long it has plagued you for. Whatever image you hold before you will come about.
Step 3 - The finger trigger
The finger trigger is a simple mechanism that will enable you to snap out of any negative frame of mind at any moment simply by clicking the fingers. Once you have installed this trigger into the subconscious mind you literally have the controls at your fingertips and can turn any negative condition into a positive, happy outcome.
Step 4 - The water trigger
The water trigger serves as a back up for the finger trigger. If for any reason you neglect to nip your negative thought pattern in the bud and find yourself in your negative mode again, you simply apply the water trigger. Your problem is automatically reversed and your new positive self-image is energized.
Step 5 - Meditation
This final step deepens your relaxation state and your ability to concentrate your mind: creating tremendous power for your creative process. As well as releasing your untapped potential, it leads to the ultimate goal of mankind, which is to realize the 'True Self'.
Once these five steps have been installed into the subconscious mind with The MindFrame TechniqueTM, you then have all the tools you need to achieve any goal and to turn around any bad habit. You can now begin to manifest the health, wealth and happiness that is your birthright.
The MindFrame TechniqueTM is a very powerful form of psychotherapy and deep relaxation training. The term Psychotherapy really just means therapy of the mind. As all our problems are simply due to faulty thought patterns, the only true form of healing is to "change" your mind.
If we don't deal with the traumatic and fearful experiences we may have experienced in childhood, the subconscious mind will suppress them in order to protect us. These distorted impressions will continue to disturb us until they are brought to Truth. Once this is done, any corresponding disease or psychological disorder will heal. The MindFrame TechniqueTM provides the means to facilitate this natural healing.
This is a process of Holistic Hypnosis, enabling the participant to access the subconscious mind, identify the faulty thought pattern and turn it around. The participant learns to acknowledge any self-created negative aspects, thus enabling complete transformation. This new positive image is the first step towards Self-Realisation. The door to health, wealth and happiness is now open.
About the Speaker:
Terry Winchester
Terry Winchester founded the Winchester Foundation 28 years ago.
Terry is a qualified Hypnotherapist and Psychotherapist who is currently running a Holistic Hypnosis and relaxation clinic in Johannesburg. He has been practicing Holistic Hypnosis and Alpha Training for the last twenty-eight years.
His list of appointments includes:
* Master Hypnotist (The Hypnosis Institute, New York)
* Founder member of "The Winchester Foundation" est. 1972
* Founder member of the British National Council of Psychotherapists (1972)
* Certified member of Mind Development Incorporated, Texas, USA
* Certified member of the International Association of Counselors and Therapists
* Certified member of the South African Yoga Teachers' Fellowship
* Qualified member for the Canadian Institute of Hypnotism (Advanced)
* Member of the International Society for Professional Hypnotists, New York (1973)
* Member of the American Board of Hypnotherapy
* Instructor for The Silva Method International (1980 - 1990)
In addition he has spent twenty years studying yoga and meditation including nine months at the Vedanta Forest Academy in Rishikesh, India.
The Winchester Foundation is set up to conduct Alpha Mind Power Training and has a Hypnotherapy Clinic for the general public. All the seminars and therapies conducted by the Foundation are based on the powerful yet simple MindFrame TechniqueTM.
For those who are interested to attend please contact us at 03-77294745, 012-2998859 or email enquiry@innertalk.com.my. This workshop will sell out as seats are limited and are on first come first served basis. Please call us to reserve your place now.
With thanks, love, light and abundance,
Ewe Tuan Cheng
President
Progressive Awareness Research & InnerTalk, Asia Pacific Region
Friday, June 30, 2006
千萬不可搬動他
患了中風，腦部的微血管,會慢慢的破裂，遇到這種情形，千萬別慌, 患者無論在什麼地方不管是浴室、臥房或客廳），千萬不可搬動他。
因為，如果移動，會加速微血管的破裂所以要先原地把患者扶起坐穩止防止再摔倒，這時開始（放血）.
家中如有專為注射用的針，當然最好,如果沒有，就拿縫衣用的銅針，或是大頭針，用火燒一下消毒，就在患者的十個手指頭尖兒.
（沒有固定穴道，大約距離手指甲一分之處）上去刺，要刺出血來萬一血不出來，可用手擠），等十個手指頭都流出血來每指一滴大約幾分鐘之後，患者就自然清.
如果嘴也歪了，就拉他的耳朵，把耳朵拉紅,在兩耳的耳垂兒的部位，各刺兩針，也各流血兩滴，幾分鐘以後，嘴就恢復原狀了。
等患者一切恢復正常感覺沒有異狀時再送醫，就一定可以轉危為安，否則，若是急著抬上救護車送醫，經一路的顛跛震動恐怕還沒到醫院，他腦部微血管，差不多已經都破裂了。萬一能夠吉人天相，保全老命，能像孫院長，容得勉強行動，那要靠祖上的陰了。放血救命法，是住在新竹的中醫師夏伯挺先生告訴我的。
且是經自己親身實驗。
敢說百分之百有效.
大概是民國六十八年我在台中逢甲學院任教，有天上午，我正在上課，一位老師跑到我的教室上氣不接下氣的說：劉老師快來，主任中風了；我立刻跑到三樓，看到陳幅添主任，氣色不正，語意模，嘴也歪了，很明顯的是中風了。立即請工讀生到校門外的西藥房，買來一支注射用的針頭，就在陳主任十個手指頭上直刺。
等十個手指尖兒都見血了（豆粒似的一滴），大約幾分鐘以後，陳主任的氣色就變過來了，兩眼也有神了，只有嘴還歪著，我就拉搓他的耳朵，使之充血，等把耳朵拉紅就在右耳垂之處，各刺兩針，兩耳垂都流出兩滴血來，奇蹟出現了,大約不到三五分鐘，他的嘴形，恢復正常了，說話也清清楚楚了。
讓他靜坐陣子，喝了一杯熱茶，才扶他下樓，開車送到惠華醫院，打一罐點滴，休息了一夜，第二天就出院回學校上課了。一切照常工作，毫無後遺症。反觀一般腦中風患者，都是送醫院治療時，經過一路震盪血管急速破裂，以致多數患者一病不起，所腦中風，在死因排行榜上高居第二位，其最幸運者，也僅能保住老命，而落得終身殘廢。
這是一個多麼可怕的病症。如果大家都能記住這（放血救命)的方法，立刻施救，在短短時間它能起死回生，而且保證百分之百的正常。
這個急救法，希望大家告訴大家.
那腦中風，在死因排行榜上，就可以除名了。
閱後傳知他人，功德無量
因為，如果移動，會加速微血管的破裂所以要先原地把患者扶起坐穩止防止再摔倒，這時開始（放血）.
家中如有專為注射用的針，當然最好,如果沒有，就拿縫衣用的銅針，或是大頭針，用火燒一下消毒，就在患者的十個手指頭尖兒.
（沒有固定穴道，大約距離手指甲一分之處）上去刺，要刺出血來萬一血不出來，可用手擠），等十個手指頭都流出血來每指一滴大約幾分鐘之後，患者就自然清.
如果嘴也歪了，就拉他的耳朵，把耳朵拉紅,在兩耳的耳垂兒的部位，各刺兩針，也各流血兩滴，幾分鐘以後，嘴就恢復原狀了。
等患者一切恢復正常感覺沒有異狀時再送醫，就一定可以轉危為安，否則，若是急著抬上救護車送醫，經一路的顛跛震動恐怕還沒到醫院，他腦部微血管，差不多已經都破裂了。萬一能夠吉人天相，保全老命，能像孫院長，容得勉強行動，那要靠祖上的陰了。放血救命法，是住在新竹的中醫師夏伯挺先生告訴我的。
且是經自己親身實驗。
敢說百分之百有效.
大概是民國六十八年我在台中逢甲學院任教，有天上午，我正在上課，一位老師跑到我的教室上氣不接下氣的說：劉老師快來，主任中風了；我立刻跑到三樓，看到陳幅添主任，氣色不正，語意模，嘴也歪了，很明顯的是中風了。立即請工讀生到校門外的西藥房，買來一支注射用的針頭，就在陳主任十個手指頭上直刺。
等十個手指尖兒都見血了（豆粒似的一滴），大約幾分鐘以後，陳主任的氣色就變過來了，兩眼也有神了，只有嘴還歪著，我就拉搓他的耳朵，使之充血，等把耳朵拉紅就在右耳垂之處，各刺兩針，兩耳垂都流出兩滴血來，奇蹟出現了,大約不到三五分鐘，他的嘴形，恢復正常了，說話也清清楚楚了。
讓他靜坐陣子，喝了一杯熱茶，才扶他下樓，開車送到惠華醫院，打一罐點滴，休息了一夜，第二天就出院回學校上課了。一切照常工作，毫無後遺症。反觀一般腦中風患者，都是送醫院治療時，經過一路震盪血管急速破裂，以致多數患者一病不起，所腦中風，在死因排行榜上高居第二位，其最幸運者，也僅能保住老命，而落得終身殘廢。
這是一個多麼可怕的病症。如果大家都能記住這（放血救命)的方法，立刻施救，在短短時間它能起死回生，而且保證百分之百的正常。
這個急救法，希望大家告訴大家.
那腦中風，在死因排行榜上，就可以除名了。
閱後傳知他人，功德無量
Avoid eating chicken wings frequently
I got this from forwarded email...
AVOID Eating Chicken WINGS frequently - Especially Ladies
Avoid eating chicken wings frequently - ladies especially A true story... !
A friend of mine recently had a growth in her womb and she underwent an operation to remove the cyst. The cyst removed was filled with a dark coloured blood. She thought that she wouldrecover after the surgery but she was terribly wrong.
A relapse occurred just a few months later. Distressed, she rushed down to her gynecologist for a consultation. During her consultation, her doctor asked her a question that puzzled her.
He ask if she was a frequent consumer of chicken wings and she replied yes wondering! how, he knew of her eating habits.
You see, the truth is in this modern day and age, chickens are injected with steroids to accelerate their growth so that the needs of this society can be met.
This need is none other then the need for food. Chickens that are injected with steroids are usually given the shot at the neck or the wings.
Therefore, it is in this places that the highest concentration of steroids exist. These steroids have terrifying effects on the body as it accelerates growth.
It has an even more dangerous effect in the presence of female hormones, this leads to women being! more prone to the growth of a cyst in the womb. Therefore, I advise the people out there to watch their diets and to lower their frequency of consuming chicken wings!
People who receive this email, please forward it to your friends and loved ones.
AVOID Eating Chicken WINGS frequently - Especially Ladies
Avoid eating chicken wings frequently - ladies especially A true story... !
A friend of mine recently had a growth in her womb and she underwent an operation to remove the cyst. The cyst removed was filled with a dark coloured blood. She thought that she wouldrecover after the surgery but she was terribly wrong.
A relapse occurred just a few months later. Distressed, she rushed down to her gynecologist for a consultation. During her consultation, her doctor asked her a question that puzzled her.
He ask if she was a frequent consumer of chicken wings and she replied yes wondering! how, he knew of her eating habits.
You see, the truth is in this modern day and age, chickens are injected with steroids to accelerate their growth so that the needs of this society can be met.
This need is none other then the need for food. Chickens that are injected with steroids are usually given the shot at the neck or the wings.
Therefore, it is in this places that the highest concentration of steroids exist. These steroids have terrifying effects on the body as it accelerates growth.
It has an even more dangerous effect in the presence of female hormones, this leads to women being! more prone to the growth of a cyst in the womb. Therefore, I advise the people out there to watch their diets and to lower their frequency of consuming chicken wings!
People who receive this email, please forward it to your friends and loved ones.
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
The Buddha Medicine
"The Buddha Medicine"
By Bhikkhu U. Dhammajiva
Edited by: Swedish novice Dhammasami (Samuel Nordius)
"Glad at heart, I pay homage to the supreme sage- the giver of blissful peace, the grate ocean of virtue, the physician for the samsaric ills of beings, the sun that dispel the pitchy darkness of false views!" – Lo-wáda Sangarava, 15th century Sinhalese poem
In Burmese meditation-centers, as in monasteries in most Theravada-Buddhist countries, you often find a peculiar kind of medicine: Yellow Myrobalan nuts (in Pali: Hritaki, in Latin: Terminalia Chebula) pickled in cow’s urine. The Burmese people calls it Pheya-se, ‘The Buddha Medicine’, since it’s based on a recipe found in the oldest Buddhist texts, the Pali Tipitaka. It’s considered to be a panacea for many diseases. But does it really follow the original concept of the Buddha’s recommendation to use muttam (urine) as medicine? That is what I intend to clarify in this article by refering to four of the oldest Buddhist scriptures: 1.) The Vinaya-Pitaka, the ancient collection of Buddhist monastic rules. 2.) The Sutta Pitaka, the ancient collection of the Buddha’s discourses. 3.) The so-called ‘Commentary’ and ‘Sub-commentary’, texts written by bhikkhus(Buddhist monks) in the centuries following the Buddha’s death to clarify the meaning of the texts found in the two collections first mentioned.
In an English translation of the Mahakkhandhaka (a text in Mahavagga found in the Vinaya-Pitaka) the Buddha says:
"The religious life has decomposing urine as medicine for its resource. Thus you must endeavor to live all your life. Ghee, butter, oil, honey, and molasses are extra allowances. "
An alternative translation says;
"Going forth [into the Holy Life] has fermented urine as its support. For the rest of your life you are to endeavor at that. The extra allowances are; Ghee, fresh butter, oil, honey, sugar. "
There are four such necessary supports/resources listed in the Vinaya Pitaka. In Pali, the language of the oldest Buddhist texts, they are called "the Four Requisites", considered to be an absolute minimum for the bhikkhusto be able to live the Holy Life in line with the Buddha’s teaching. The above mentioned item, fermented urine, is the fourth of these resources. All the four must be taught to the newly ordained bhikkhu in the ordination hall immediately after his higher ordination ceremony. It’s the responsibility of the preceptor to make sure that all young bhikkhus knows them according to the following prescription of the Buddha.
"I prescribe, O bhikkhus, that he who confers the higher ordination (on a bhikkhu), tells him the four resources."
These are all the four resources listed in the Vinaya-Pitaka:
1. Robes: robes made of rags taken from a dust heap as a resource
2. Alms food: morsels of food given in alms as a resource
3. Dwellings: a dwelling at the foot of a tree as a resource
4. Medicines: decomposing urine as medicine as a resource
These four requisites/resources the Buddha described as being indispensable or the bare minimum. Accordingly a Buddhist monk must endeavor to live all his bhikkhu life dependent only on them. He who is contented and satisfied with whatever comes across along with these bare minimums is always phrased in the community, as well as in the Commentary, as having contentment with whatever four requisites he has. Whatever extra things he comes across beyond these four items is just a result of his past good deeds, but they are usually also allowed for the bhikkhus. As the founder of the Order, and therefore its first bhikkhu, the Buddha assured all the bhikkhus that the prescribed bare minimums are quite abundant. Besides, they were, at that time, free to find wherever a bhikkhu would go.
In the Vinaya Pitaka, the books of monastic discipline, this medicine (urine) is mentioned in several places. At one occasion, for example, the Buddha recommend the yellow Myrobalan fruits pickled in urine for a monk who was sick with jaundice (probably anaemia) to be taken orally:
"O, monks! I allow that urine and yellow Myrobalan be drunk."
At another occasion the Buddha included urine as an ingredient in a mixture to be used as an antidote for poisonous snake bites. The other ingredients are excrement, soil and hot ash. This quote is from the Vinaya Pitaka:
"For snake bite a medicine may be made of the four great filthy things: excrement, urine, ash and clay. If there is someone present to make these things allowable, one should have him/her make them allowable. If not, one may take them for oneself and consume them."
The Commentary adds that this medicine is not only for snake bites but also for any other poisonous animal bite.
Now, let’s have a look at the second ancient collection of Buddhist texts, the Sutta Pitaka. According to the Ariyavaüsa Sutta in Anguttara Nikaya the Buddha phrases four requisites of noble clans (or lineages of traditions) in nine terms:
"Bhikkhus, these four [requisites] belong to the noble clan, were recognized by those gone by, were honored from the past, recognized by the clan, was not confusing in the past and will not confuse in the future and are not blamed by recluses, brahmins and the wise. What four?"
The following four items are then listed:
1. Robes
2. Alms foods,
3. Dwellings and
4 . (delight in development of) Meditation.
In the two different lists so far mentioned the first one (quoted from the Vinaya Pitaka) says that the four requisites for a monk are 1. robes, 2. alms foods, 3. dwellings and 3. medicines. In the second list (which is quoted from the Sutta Pitaka) the first three are identical to the first list while the forth item in the first list, medicines, has been replaced by (delight in development of) meditation.
The Commentary to the Ariyavaüsa Sutta says that even though the list, as it appeares in the Sutta Pitaka, drops the forth item given in the Vinaya Pitaka (medicines) that item should be included in the second item of the Sutta (alms food). Furthermore, confirming the same idea, the forth item, (delight in development of) meditation, is specified as "contentment with whatever four requisites comes" in the same Commentary. It says:
"Among these four belonging to the Noble clan the first three items, inclusive of thirteen austerities, are elaborated in the Vinaya pitaka while the item of (delight in development of) meditation is elaborated in the rest of the two baskets (pitakas or collections of Buddhist texts)."
To summarize, in the Sutta Pitaka you find only the first three of these four requisites, with no urine or medicines mentioned, but the Commentary says that the forth should be included in the list, in the alms food so that all should be in completion to make delight in development of meditation possible.
Hence decomposing urine as medicine can claim for all the above mentioned attributes, that is: urine was "recognized as a medicine by those gone by, those honored from the past; that it was recognized by the clan; it was not confusing in the past and it will not confuse in the future; and it’s not blamed by recluses, Brahmins and the wise."
I would like to quote another translation of the same Sutta which goes as follows:
"O monks, these four noble lineages pristine [including decomposing urine as medicine], of long standing, traditional, ancient, unadulterated and never before adulterated, which are not being adulterated and which will not be adulterated, not despised by wise ascetics and Brahmins."
The authors of this translation added a footnote saying that in ancient Sri Lanka this was a very popular Buddhist discourse among people of all walks of life and that it became the inspiration for an annual festival. In traditional Sinhalese translations, as in Burmese and Thai ones, the medicine mentioned in the text has been taken to be cow’s urine or, more specifically, Myrobalan fruits pickledin cow’s urine. Owing to this translation some of the attributions of this medicine mentioned by the Buddha doesn’t appeared to be very convincing or practical since it would sometimes be hard for a bhikkhu to find both the Myrobalan fruit and cow’s urine. However, in recent English translations we get some new practical sense to this medicine.
Let me add here that it’s not only in Buddhism that we find urine as a medicine but also in other denominations such as Christianity (in The Holy Bible), Hinduism (in Damar Tantra) and, some claims, in Islam too (in The Holy Koran). These traditions, however, have a somewhat different interpretation than the Buddhist texts on how to use the medicine.
I can think of two reasons for why the usage of urine as medicine resurfaced again contemporaneously in many traditions in our time. The first is the increasing number of complications in the prevailing allopathic or chemotherapeutic treatments of diseases which has made an increasing number of people interested in alternative medicines. The second is the general trend of searching for more holistic health systems, even ancient ones based on different religious lines. Whatever the reasons may be the urine-method has its own intriguing nature and might, I believe, still find a growing group of followers.
A closer look at this therapy, under the current trend, irrespective of creed, one finds a vast number of convincing testimonies and subjective evidences on the benefits of the medicine. Buddhism can contribute in its own way with its canonical and historical references on this subject – provided that its ideas are presented in correct translations! So far we’ve traced some quotations from the Vinaya Pitaka with relevant information prescribed to bhikkhus. However, I think that the commentarial text has interfered in a questionable and imperfect manner. In the traditional Buddhist countries, such as Sri Lanka, Burma or Thailand, no efforts have been made in resent history to get a clear idea of how the medicine was intended to be used, or how it was used at the time of the Buddha.
The increasing amount of literature on the subject, with testimonies and evidences from the other sources, made me think twice and urged me to renew the way I read the quoted passages in the Buddhist canonical sources. I went back to the original scriptures, untouched by the prevalent traditional translations. When investigating the Sutta Pitaka with this inquisitive pragmatic approach I came across the following quotation in the Majjima Nikaya (the Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha), Sutta number 46 called Dhamma Samadana Sutta:
"Bhikkhu, a man would come along suffering from jaundice and he is told: ‘Friend, there is a drink made out of putrid urine, with various kinds of medicines put in it. If you desire – drink.’ When drinking it would not be agreeable to sight, smell or taste but drinking it you will get over your illness. He reflects about it and drinks it. It would not be agreeable to sight, smell or taste, yet he would get over that illness. I say this observance of the Teaching is comparable to this, as it is now unpleasant and brings pleasant results in the future."
The Commentary to this Sutta says:
"[The Pali word] Putimuttan means just ‘urine’. So it’s said, that even if a person is golden in color his body is described as repulsive in the scriptures. Even? born the very same day the vine called Galocilata is also called Patilata (literary: repulsive creeper). Even so, extracted in that very moment, the young (or fresh) urine is called just puti (usually translated as ‘putrid’ or ‘fermented’)."
The Sub-commentary continues to explain:
"[The Pali word] Putimuttan means urine which is repulsive in nature. Tarunan means fresh or young; as it flows out it is warm?. From that urine the early part of the flow is meant here. The urine flowing out from the genital? remains warm due to the body temperature."
These details indicate that the prevailing translations of the Vinaya Pitaka might be incorrect. The Commentary and Sub-commentary leads us to a more practical and pragmatic end, supported by the direct translation of the Dhamma Samadana Sutta. Yet they’re often interpreted as meaning only putrid urine from a cow.
Just by consulting the relevant Commentary and its Sub-commentary all doubts regarding the real meaning can be cleared out. They state that urine – to be specific: one’s own urine – would not be agreeable to sight, smell or taste and accordingly has puti as an adjectival prefix. It is puti not because it is rotten or fermented but because its intrinsic nature is repulsive to the senses. If the common translations are changed in line with this interpretation the basic idea of using urine as a medicine becomes more palatable and, not to diminish, quite agreeable with the current research and literature on the subject.
It’s also interesting to note that the medicine mentioned in the Dhamma Samadana Sutta (one’s own urine mixed up with other herbal medicine) is recommended to any individual who’s suffering from jaundice rather than to a just to the bhikkhus as is otherwise the case in the Vinaya Pitaka. This tells that the medicine was not seen as just a ‘last choice’ but as a truly effective remedy.
Conclusive remarks
In the light of this information we should look again at the very first quotation in this essay. The main theme so far is that repulsive urine as medicine, which is the last of the four requisites for bhikkhus, is considered to be the absolute minimum of medicine that a bhikkhu will need through out his life.
The Pali term Putimuttabhesajja is a compounded term made out of at least three pali roots; puti, muttaand bhesajja. As we’ve already seen this word has been translated as:
1.) Decomposing urine as medicine. Or as: 2.) Fermented urine as support.
The word puti literally means either decomposing or fermented, sometimes translated as rancid or putrefied. Muttam means urine, sometimes translated as cows’ urine, and occasionally as ammonia. Bhesajjammeans medicine.
In the Vinaya Pitaka, whether with the consultation of its Commentary or not, there is little chance to find out what kind of urine is meant because neither the Vinaya nor its Commentary adds any further light on the subject. In the Sutta Pitaka, on the other hand, especially in MN. Sutta No 46 and its relevant Commentary and Sub-commentary, there’s enough evidence to suggest a more pragmatic meaning than that commonly accepted today. "It would not be agreeable to sight, smell or taste" suggests that the adjective putidoes not mean any decomposition, fermentation or putrefaction but that urine is naturally disagreeable to sight, smell or taste – a statement most people would agree with. The original recommendation may not have meant any decomposition, fermentation or putrefaction at all, as the translators’ has interpreted it so far. Nor do the scriptures in any way indicate that it was cow’s urine that the Buddha originally referred to.
The Sub-commentary says: "As urine pass out from the genital it is warm due to the body heat". There is not a word or clue justifying the assumption that cows’ urine is meant.
The interpretation I prefer, on the other hand, is quite in line with the Commentary and the Sub-commentary to the above mentioned Sutta and with the contemporary idea of using one’s own urine. Hence the translation to the first quotations could be rectified as follows:
"The religious life has your own (repulsive) urine as medicine for its resource. Thus you must endeavor to live all your life. Ghee, butter, oil, honey, and molasses are extra allowances."
Or: "Going forth [into the Holy Life] has your own (repulsive) urine as its support. For the rest of your life you are to endeavor at that. The extra allowances are; Ghee, fresh butter, oil, honey, sugar."
Likewise, all other quotations could be corrected accordingly. This should give a radical new approach to the prescription given by the Buddha. It certainly does give a new hope for a healthier lifestyle – not only for the bhikkhus but for all who seek to live a more independent kind of life.
By Bhikkhu U. Dhammajiva
Edited by: Swedish novice Dhammasami (Samuel Nordius)
"Glad at heart, I pay homage to the supreme sage- the giver of blissful peace, the grate ocean of virtue, the physician for the samsaric ills of beings, the sun that dispel the pitchy darkness of false views!" – Lo-wáda Sangarava, 15th century Sinhalese poem
In Burmese meditation-centers, as in monasteries in most Theravada-Buddhist countries, you often find a peculiar kind of medicine: Yellow Myrobalan nuts (in Pali: Hritaki, in Latin: Terminalia Chebula) pickled in cow’s urine. The Burmese people calls it Pheya-se, ‘The Buddha Medicine’, since it’s based on a recipe found in the oldest Buddhist texts, the Pali Tipitaka. It’s considered to be a panacea for many diseases. But does it really follow the original concept of the Buddha’s recommendation to use muttam (urine) as medicine? That is what I intend to clarify in this article by refering to four of the oldest Buddhist scriptures: 1.) The Vinaya-Pitaka, the ancient collection of Buddhist monastic rules. 2.) The Sutta Pitaka, the ancient collection of the Buddha’s discourses. 3.) The so-called ‘Commentary’ and ‘Sub-commentary’, texts written by bhikkhus(Buddhist monks) in the centuries following the Buddha’s death to clarify the meaning of the texts found in the two collections first mentioned.
In an English translation of the Mahakkhandhaka (a text in Mahavagga found in the Vinaya-Pitaka) the Buddha says:
"The religious life has decomposing urine as medicine for its resource. Thus you must endeavor to live all your life. Ghee, butter, oil, honey, and molasses are extra allowances. "
An alternative translation says;
"Going forth [into the Holy Life] has fermented urine as its support. For the rest of your life you are to endeavor at that. The extra allowances are; Ghee, fresh butter, oil, honey, sugar. "
There are four such necessary supports/resources listed in the Vinaya Pitaka. In Pali, the language of the oldest Buddhist texts, they are called "the Four Requisites", considered to be an absolute minimum for the bhikkhusto be able to live the Holy Life in line with the Buddha’s teaching. The above mentioned item, fermented urine, is the fourth of these resources. All the four must be taught to the newly ordained bhikkhu in the ordination hall immediately after his higher ordination ceremony. It’s the responsibility of the preceptor to make sure that all young bhikkhus knows them according to the following prescription of the Buddha.
"I prescribe, O bhikkhus, that he who confers the higher ordination (on a bhikkhu), tells him the four resources."
These are all the four resources listed in the Vinaya-Pitaka:
1. Robes: robes made of rags taken from a dust heap as a resource
2. Alms food: morsels of food given in alms as a resource
3. Dwellings: a dwelling at the foot of a tree as a resource
4. Medicines: decomposing urine as medicine as a resource
These four requisites/resources the Buddha described as being indispensable or the bare minimum. Accordingly a Buddhist monk must endeavor to live all his bhikkhu life dependent only on them. He who is contented and satisfied with whatever comes across along with these bare minimums is always phrased in the community, as well as in the Commentary, as having contentment with whatever four requisites he has. Whatever extra things he comes across beyond these four items is just a result of his past good deeds, but they are usually also allowed for the bhikkhus. As the founder of the Order, and therefore its first bhikkhu, the Buddha assured all the bhikkhus that the prescribed bare minimums are quite abundant. Besides, they were, at that time, free to find wherever a bhikkhu would go.
In the Vinaya Pitaka, the books of monastic discipline, this medicine (urine) is mentioned in several places. At one occasion, for example, the Buddha recommend the yellow Myrobalan fruits pickled in urine for a monk who was sick with jaundice (probably anaemia) to be taken orally:
"O, monks! I allow that urine and yellow Myrobalan be drunk."
At another occasion the Buddha included urine as an ingredient in a mixture to be used as an antidote for poisonous snake bites. The other ingredients are excrement, soil and hot ash. This quote is from the Vinaya Pitaka:
"For snake bite a medicine may be made of the four great filthy things: excrement, urine, ash and clay. If there is someone present to make these things allowable, one should have him/her make them allowable. If not, one may take them for oneself and consume them."
The Commentary adds that this medicine is not only for snake bites but also for any other poisonous animal bite.
Now, let’s have a look at the second ancient collection of Buddhist texts, the Sutta Pitaka. According to the Ariyavaüsa Sutta in Anguttara Nikaya the Buddha phrases four requisites of noble clans (or lineages of traditions) in nine terms:
"Bhikkhus, these four [requisites] belong to the noble clan, were recognized by those gone by, were honored from the past, recognized by the clan, was not confusing in the past and will not confuse in the future and are not blamed by recluses, brahmins and the wise. What four?"
The following four items are then listed:
1. Robes
2. Alms foods,
3. Dwellings and
4 . (delight in development of) Meditation.
In the two different lists so far mentioned the first one (quoted from the Vinaya Pitaka) says that the four requisites for a monk are 1. robes, 2. alms foods, 3. dwellings and 3. medicines. In the second list (which is quoted from the Sutta Pitaka) the first three are identical to the first list while the forth item in the first list, medicines, has been replaced by (delight in development of) meditation.
The Commentary to the Ariyavaüsa Sutta says that even though the list, as it appeares in the Sutta Pitaka, drops the forth item given in the Vinaya Pitaka (medicines) that item should be included in the second item of the Sutta (alms food). Furthermore, confirming the same idea, the forth item, (delight in development of) meditation, is specified as "contentment with whatever four requisites comes" in the same Commentary. It says:
"Among these four belonging to the Noble clan the first three items, inclusive of thirteen austerities, are elaborated in the Vinaya pitaka while the item of (delight in development of) meditation is elaborated in the rest of the two baskets (pitakas or collections of Buddhist texts)."
To summarize, in the Sutta Pitaka you find only the first three of these four requisites, with no urine or medicines mentioned, but the Commentary says that the forth should be included in the list, in the alms food so that all should be in completion to make delight in development of meditation possible.
Hence decomposing urine as medicine can claim for all the above mentioned attributes, that is: urine was "recognized as a medicine by those gone by, those honored from the past; that it was recognized by the clan; it was not confusing in the past and it will not confuse in the future; and it’s not blamed by recluses, Brahmins and the wise."
I would like to quote another translation of the same Sutta which goes as follows:
"O monks, these four noble lineages pristine [including decomposing urine as medicine], of long standing, traditional, ancient, unadulterated and never before adulterated, which are not being adulterated and which will not be adulterated, not despised by wise ascetics and Brahmins."
The authors of this translation added a footnote saying that in ancient Sri Lanka this was a very popular Buddhist discourse among people of all walks of life and that it became the inspiration for an annual festival. In traditional Sinhalese translations, as in Burmese and Thai ones, the medicine mentioned in the text has been taken to be cow’s urine or, more specifically, Myrobalan fruits pickledin cow’s urine. Owing to this translation some of the attributions of this medicine mentioned by the Buddha doesn’t appeared to be very convincing or practical since it would sometimes be hard for a bhikkhu to find both the Myrobalan fruit and cow’s urine. However, in recent English translations we get some new practical sense to this medicine.
Let me add here that it’s not only in Buddhism that we find urine as a medicine but also in other denominations such as Christianity (in The Holy Bible), Hinduism (in Damar Tantra) and, some claims, in Islam too (in The Holy Koran). These traditions, however, have a somewhat different interpretation than the Buddhist texts on how to use the medicine.
I can think of two reasons for why the usage of urine as medicine resurfaced again contemporaneously in many traditions in our time. The first is the increasing number of complications in the prevailing allopathic or chemotherapeutic treatments of diseases which has made an increasing number of people interested in alternative medicines. The second is the general trend of searching for more holistic health systems, even ancient ones based on different religious lines. Whatever the reasons may be the urine-method has its own intriguing nature and might, I believe, still find a growing group of followers.
A closer look at this therapy, under the current trend, irrespective of creed, one finds a vast number of convincing testimonies and subjective evidences on the benefits of the medicine. Buddhism can contribute in its own way with its canonical and historical references on this subject – provided that its ideas are presented in correct translations! So far we’ve traced some quotations from the Vinaya Pitaka with relevant information prescribed to bhikkhus. However, I think that the commentarial text has interfered in a questionable and imperfect manner. In the traditional Buddhist countries, such as Sri Lanka, Burma or Thailand, no efforts have been made in resent history to get a clear idea of how the medicine was intended to be used, or how it was used at the time of the Buddha.
The increasing amount of literature on the subject, with testimonies and evidences from the other sources, made me think twice and urged me to renew the way I read the quoted passages in the Buddhist canonical sources. I went back to the original scriptures, untouched by the prevalent traditional translations. When investigating the Sutta Pitaka with this inquisitive pragmatic approach I came across the following quotation in the Majjima Nikaya (the Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha), Sutta number 46 called Dhamma Samadana Sutta:
"Bhikkhu, a man would come along suffering from jaundice and he is told: ‘Friend, there is a drink made out of putrid urine, with various kinds of medicines put in it. If you desire – drink.’ When drinking it would not be agreeable to sight, smell or taste but drinking it you will get over your illness. He reflects about it and drinks it. It would not be agreeable to sight, smell or taste, yet he would get over that illness. I say this observance of the Teaching is comparable to this, as it is now unpleasant and brings pleasant results in the future."
The Commentary to this Sutta says:
"[The Pali word] Putimuttan means just ‘urine’. So it’s said, that even if a person is golden in color his body is described as repulsive in the scriptures. Even? born the very same day the vine called Galocilata is also called Patilata (literary: repulsive creeper). Even so, extracted in that very moment, the young (or fresh) urine is called just puti (usually translated as ‘putrid’ or ‘fermented’)."
The Sub-commentary continues to explain:
"[The Pali word] Putimuttan means urine which is repulsive in nature. Tarunan means fresh or young; as it flows out it is warm?. From that urine the early part of the flow is meant here. The urine flowing out from the genital? remains warm due to the body temperature."
These details indicate that the prevailing translations of the Vinaya Pitaka might be incorrect. The Commentary and Sub-commentary leads us to a more practical and pragmatic end, supported by the direct translation of the Dhamma Samadana Sutta. Yet they’re often interpreted as meaning only putrid urine from a cow.
Just by consulting the relevant Commentary and its Sub-commentary all doubts regarding the real meaning can be cleared out. They state that urine – to be specific: one’s own urine – would not be agreeable to sight, smell or taste and accordingly has puti as an adjectival prefix. It is puti not because it is rotten or fermented but because its intrinsic nature is repulsive to the senses. If the common translations are changed in line with this interpretation the basic idea of using urine as a medicine becomes more palatable and, not to diminish, quite agreeable with the current research and literature on the subject.
It’s also interesting to note that the medicine mentioned in the Dhamma Samadana Sutta (one’s own urine mixed up with other herbal medicine) is recommended to any individual who’s suffering from jaundice rather than to a just to the bhikkhus as is otherwise the case in the Vinaya Pitaka. This tells that the medicine was not seen as just a ‘last choice’ but as a truly effective remedy.
Conclusive remarks
In the light of this information we should look again at the very first quotation in this essay. The main theme so far is that repulsive urine as medicine, which is the last of the four requisites for bhikkhus, is considered to be the absolute minimum of medicine that a bhikkhu will need through out his life.
The Pali term Putimuttabhesajja is a compounded term made out of at least three pali roots; puti, muttaand bhesajja. As we’ve already seen this word has been translated as:
1.) Decomposing urine as medicine. Or as: 2.) Fermented urine as support.
The word puti literally means either decomposing or fermented, sometimes translated as rancid or putrefied. Muttam means urine, sometimes translated as cows’ urine, and occasionally as ammonia. Bhesajjammeans medicine.
In the Vinaya Pitaka, whether with the consultation of its Commentary or not, there is little chance to find out what kind of urine is meant because neither the Vinaya nor its Commentary adds any further light on the subject. In the Sutta Pitaka, on the other hand, especially in MN. Sutta No 46 and its relevant Commentary and Sub-commentary, there’s enough evidence to suggest a more pragmatic meaning than that commonly accepted today. "It would not be agreeable to sight, smell or taste" suggests that the adjective putidoes not mean any decomposition, fermentation or putrefaction but that urine is naturally disagreeable to sight, smell or taste – a statement most people would agree with. The original recommendation may not have meant any decomposition, fermentation or putrefaction at all, as the translators’ has interpreted it so far. Nor do the scriptures in any way indicate that it was cow’s urine that the Buddha originally referred to.
The Sub-commentary says: "As urine pass out from the genital it is warm due to the body heat". There is not a word or clue justifying the assumption that cows’ urine is meant.
The interpretation I prefer, on the other hand, is quite in line with the Commentary and the Sub-commentary to the above mentioned Sutta and with the contemporary idea of using one’s own urine. Hence the translation to the first quotations could be rectified as follows:
"The religious life has your own (repulsive) urine as medicine for its resource. Thus you must endeavor to live all your life. Ghee, butter, oil, honey, and molasses are extra allowances."
Or: "Going forth [into the Holy Life] has your own (repulsive) urine as its support. For the rest of your life you are to endeavor at that. The extra allowances are; Ghee, fresh butter, oil, honey, sugar."
Likewise, all other quotations could be corrected accordingly. This should give a radical new approach to the prescription given by the Buddha. It certainly does give a new hope for a healthier lifestyle – not only for the bhikkhus but for all who seek to live a more independent kind of life.
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Sai on Diabetes
INTERVIEW WITH SAI ON HEALTH
February 18, 1999 (Thursday) 7:00-8:30 A.M.
Swami: (Looking at N.R.) "What is the treatment for Diabetes?"
N.R.: First diet, then exercise, next pills, and Insulin last, Swami.
Swami: Insulin is not good. It can lower blood sugar very quickly. Then the patient can get sweating and decreased BP and can go even into coma. It is best to avoid Insulin. Tablets are OK.
Swami: What is the cause of Diabetes?
N.R.: Pancreas is the problem, Swami.
Swami: Pancreas is not the real problem. It is mainly wrong diet and lack of exercise. People in South India eat excess rice. People in North India eat excess wheat (chapathis). Both rice and wheat can increase blood sugar very quickly within half an hour after eating. That is why people in South India should eat less rice and people in North, less wheat. Because people in South do not like wheat much, they should eat chapathis. That way,they dont overeat rice. Similarly, people in North should eat rice. That way they do not overeat, because they don't like rice that much.
On the other hand, if you eat corn or ragi (a type of grain grown in South India), blood sugar will rise slowly over 2 to 3 hours. That is healthy. Body can manage such slow increase very well. For those who eat grains like corn or ragi, Diabetes is not a problem.
People should not eat as their tongue dictates. There are 48,000 taste buds in the tongue. Improperly used, they can cause sugar craving and lead to Diabetes. Senses have to be controlled for good health. Similarly, eyes are to be used properly for the health of the body and mind. Sunlight illumines the different cells of the retina of the eye. If the eyes are not controlled to see only good things, they can create craving to see bad things, which in turn brings bad health. So, senses have to be regulated properly for good health. There is some genetic cause also for Diabetes.
N.R.: Yes, Swami. Latest research also is confirming this. Is there anything that Swami doesnt know!
Swami: How is your mother ?
N.R.: Her Diabetes is better, but she has Arthritis.
Swami: What is her blood sugar ?
N.R.: She checks it herself, Swami.
Swami: You are the doctor and you dont even check your own mother! These doctors nowadays dont treat Diabetes properly. Best thing is diet control and exercise. For Diabetes, green leafy vegetables are good except cauliflower. Cabbage is good. All fruits with black seeds like apples, pears, grapes, watermelon etc. are good except custard apple (as it has too much sugar). Papaya is very good. All roots, especially potatoes, have to be avoided.
Swami: (Looking at Gadhias son) "What are you doing?"
Gadhias son: Research for new medicines for treatment of Diabetes, Swami.
Swami: Best thing is diet and exercise.
Swami: (Looking at Dr. Ravi) "What is the cause of heart disease?"
Ravi: Increased cholesterol, increased blood pressure...
Swami: No, it is "hurry, worry, curry". Too much hurry causes worry and stress - not good for heart! See Swami, no health problem! Avoid too much oil in the foods (curry). Eating garlic every day can reduce cholesterol. Almonds without peel can also reduce cholesterol. Soak them in water overnight, remove the peel, and eat in early morning.
Venkat: Isnt garlic rajasic food, Swami? Is it not bad for spirituality?
Swami: Body health first; these gunas (qualities) and spiritual health come next. Without healthy body, you cannot proceed on spiritual path.
One Devotee: How to control blood pressure, Swami?
Swami: Reduce salt. Less salt, less BP; more salt, more BP. If your BP is already low, you can add some salt to your diet to bring it to normal level.
Venkat: Nowadays, there is a new disease frequently diagnosed as
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Patients complain that they dont have any energy to do anything. What is the cause, Swami?
Swami: It is not a disease of "no energy". It is low energy. Nobody can live with no energy.
Venkat: Is there any cause like bacteria or virus?
Swami: No cause like that. It is low energy because these people
waste a lot of energy through bad and polluted thoughts, improper and indiscriminate use of senses. Thus, their energy is drained out and they feel chronic fatigue. If they can replace their polluted thoughts with good thoughts and divert their senses towards the Divine, thus, thinking good, seeing good, hearing good, and doing good, they can recover the lost energy and can get well.
* * * OM TATH SATH * * *
February 18, 1999 (Thursday) 7:00-8:30 A.M.
Swami: (Looking at N.R.) "What is the treatment for Diabetes?"
N.R.: First diet, then exercise, next pills, and Insulin last, Swami.
Swami: Insulin is not good. It can lower blood sugar very quickly. Then the patient can get sweating and decreased BP and can go even into coma. It is best to avoid Insulin. Tablets are OK.
Swami: What is the cause of Diabetes?
N.R.: Pancreas is the problem, Swami.
Swami: Pancreas is not the real problem. It is mainly wrong diet and lack of exercise. People in South India eat excess rice. People in North India eat excess wheat (chapathis). Both rice and wheat can increase blood sugar very quickly within half an hour after eating. That is why people in South India should eat less rice and people in North, less wheat. Because people in South do not like wheat much, they should eat chapathis. That way,they dont overeat rice. Similarly, people in North should eat rice. That way they do not overeat, because they don't like rice that much.
On the other hand, if you eat corn or ragi (a type of grain grown in South India), blood sugar will rise slowly over 2 to 3 hours. That is healthy. Body can manage such slow increase very well. For those who eat grains like corn or ragi, Diabetes is not a problem.
People should not eat as their tongue dictates. There are 48,000 taste buds in the tongue. Improperly used, they can cause sugar craving and lead to Diabetes. Senses have to be controlled for good health. Similarly, eyes are to be used properly for the health of the body and mind. Sunlight illumines the different cells of the retina of the eye. If the eyes are not controlled to see only good things, they can create craving to see bad things, which in turn brings bad health. So, senses have to be regulated properly for good health. There is some genetic cause also for Diabetes.
N.R.: Yes, Swami. Latest research also is confirming this. Is there anything that Swami doesnt know!
Swami: How is your mother ?
N.R.: Her Diabetes is better, but she has Arthritis.
Swami: What is her blood sugar ?
N.R.: She checks it herself, Swami.
Swami: You are the doctor and you dont even check your own mother! These doctors nowadays dont treat Diabetes properly. Best thing is diet control and exercise. For Diabetes, green leafy vegetables are good except cauliflower. Cabbage is good. All fruits with black seeds like apples, pears, grapes, watermelon etc. are good except custard apple (as it has too much sugar). Papaya is very good. All roots, especially potatoes, have to be avoided.
Swami: (Looking at Gadhias son) "What are you doing?"
Gadhias son: Research for new medicines for treatment of Diabetes, Swami.
Swami: Best thing is diet and exercise.
Swami: (Looking at Dr. Ravi) "What is the cause of heart disease?"
Ravi: Increased cholesterol, increased blood pressure...
Swami: No, it is "hurry, worry, curry". Too much hurry causes worry and stress - not good for heart! See Swami, no health problem! Avoid too much oil in the foods (curry). Eating garlic every day can reduce cholesterol. Almonds without peel can also reduce cholesterol. Soak them in water overnight, remove the peel, and eat in early morning.
Venkat: Isnt garlic rajasic food, Swami? Is it not bad for spirituality?
Swami: Body health first; these gunas (qualities) and spiritual health come next. Without healthy body, you cannot proceed on spiritual path.
One Devotee: How to control blood pressure, Swami?
Swami: Reduce salt. Less salt, less BP; more salt, more BP. If your BP is already low, you can add some salt to your diet to bring it to normal level.
Venkat: Nowadays, there is a new disease frequently diagnosed as
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Patients complain that they dont have any energy to do anything. What is the cause, Swami?
Swami: It is not a disease of "no energy". It is low energy. Nobody can live with no energy.
Venkat: Is there any cause like bacteria or virus?
Swami: No cause like that. It is low energy because these people
waste a lot of energy through bad and polluted thoughts, improper and indiscriminate use of senses. Thus, their energy is drained out and they feel chronic fatigue. If they can replace their polluted thoughts with good thoughts and divert their senses towards the Divine, thus, thinking good, seeing good, hearing good, and doing good, they can recover the lost energy and can get well.
* * * OM TATH SATH * * *
Love your arteries, eat your vegetables
If you love your arteries, eat your vegetables. So say researchers who found that mice fed a vegetable-rich diet cut their risk for atherosclerosis -- hardening of the arteries -- by 38 percent. "There is some epidemiological evidence that people who eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, probably more than five servings a day, have a lower risk of coronary heart disease than people who don't," added led researcher Michael Adams, a professor of pathology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, N.C. However, "there are a lot of problems with epidemiological [population-based] studies, a lot of factors that can't be controlled for," he said. For instance, "those who eat a lot of fruits and vegetables are healthier in other ways," such as exercising more, he said, reports Forbes.
Researchers looked at the effects of a 30-percent vegetable diet compared to a non-vegetable diet in a group of mice bred to quickly develop atherosclerosis, the formation of plague on blood vessel walls that causes decreased blow flow. "Although the pathways involved remain uncertain, the results indicate that a diet rich in green and yellow vegetables inhibits the development of hardening of the arteries and may reduce the risk of heart disease," said head researcher Michael Adams, D.V.M. Data also revealed the mice on the vegetable diet had a 37-percent decrease in an indicator of inflammation, which is connected to atherosclerosis development.
Adams noted, "While everyone knows that eating more vegetables is supposed to be good for you, no one had shown before that it can actually inhibit the development of atherosclerosis." He added, "This suggests how a diet high in vegetables may help prevent heart attacks and strokes," informs Ivan hoe.
Researchers looked at the effects of a 30-percent vegetable diet compared to a non-vegetable diet in a group of mice bred to quickly develop atherosclerosis, the formation of plague on blood vessel walls that causes decreased blow flow. "Although the pathways involved remain uncertain, the results indicate that a diet rich in green and yellow vegetables inhibits the development of hardening of the arteries and may reduce the risk of heart disease," said head researcher Michael Adams, D.V.M. Data also revealed the mice on the vegetable diet had a 37-percent decrease in an indicator of inflammation, which is connected to atherosclerosis development.
Adams noted, "While everyone knows that eating more vegetables is supposed to be good for you, no one had shown before that it can actually inhibit the development of atherosclerosis." He added, "This suggests how a diet high in vegetables may help prevent heart attacks and strokes," informs Ivan hoe.
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Sai Baba on food n health
Sai Baba has often spoken about the effect of food on our health. He has referred to it mostly in a general way, telling us to eat Sathwic foods that are fresh and pure, and that are not too spicy or tasty.
He once said: "The Gita(the Indian religious scripture) defines the nature and tastes of the three types of food eaten by man. The food that promotes love, virtue, strength, happines and cordiality is Sathwic; that which influences, arouses, intoxicates and heightens hunger and thirst is Rajasic; the food that depresses, disrupts and causes disease is Thamasic."
On the 8th of October 1983, Baba gave a discourse in which he was much more specific as to what types of food are injurious to our health. The following excerpt from this discourse are taken from the Sathya Sai Newsletter of Arizona, USA, with their kind permission.
"In this world of ours, man is given to experience wealth beyond description. But, out of all the possible types of wealth, it is one's health which is found to be the most valuable possession. In fact it is said that 'Health is wealth.' Without good health , one cannot succeed in even the smallest of ventures. One can have immense wealth and power, but without health these are of no consequence; only with health can one use wealth and authority for some good purpose. But it is a mistake to feel that one's health confers lasting happiness. For what is the purpose of worldly existence? That you might reach something beyond. Unless you have that distant goal set before you, this worldly existence is meaningless. So why do you need to safeguard your health? Not for your worldly existence, but for the sake of experiencing the Atmananda (bliss of realization of the divinity within). And in order to protect your health, you must follow a certain code of conduct."
"Now, in this creation, the different types of life forms have been classified into 8,400,000 species. Out of these 8,400,000 species 8,399,999 types tend to eat food which is not cooked. They eat instead food which is natural and available in their environment. This food which is available to them in nature, does not seem to change them. So you find that these 8,399,999 species of life forms are enjoying peak health. Of course, it does happen that, because of climatic variations and factors which are beyond our control, some of these life forms do also come to grief. But it is man alone who is subject to the most health related trouble. Any number of human diseases are on the increase. The reason is that man does not like to partake of food as God created it. He is the victim of his tongue, which wants to be satisfied in terms of taste, and so his own likes and dislikes come in the way of what he should eat. Man seeks to change the foods available in nature to suit his tastes, thereby putting an end to the very essence of life contained in them. Because he is exterminating the life-giving forces in the food available to him, he is increasingly subjecting himself to disease. So it follows, again, that if man were to eat foods in their natural state, he certainly would not be so subject to disease."
"Now, it is common knowledge that each body, each system, has the governing factors. All these factors should be present in a proper way - anything less or more is bound to put you into disorder. If you want to know the cause of headaches, it is not the head that is at fault. It is the stomach! This is so regarding all the different organs: the stomach is the key point. The stomach digest whatever is given to it and supplies the essence of it to all the organs. This power of digestion given to the stomach is a God given thing. In fact God resides in a Being as this digestive force, which is what governs all the life processes in the body. In order to revere this aspect of God, what is it that you should offer? This God should be given that which is His own creation, not what is made by man. So, if you give to your stomach whatever is available in the natural state, as given to you by God, everything will be fine."
"We tend to eat too much, which leads us to mental disturbance. A limit should be placed on the food that we take. If that limit is exceeded, we are bound to suffer. Food is a necessity, but it should be in the quantity required for sustenance of the body. Exceed that limit, and disorders come your way. Take for instance the heart, which has a certain capacity to pump blood to the rest of the body. It cannot exceed this optimum point. The body requires a certain horsepower for this heart, and that is what God has given it. So, when you build your body beyond the limits of the hearts capabilities, the heart can't function. That is why there is an increase in heart disease."
"The main idea behind all this is that you should limit the amount of food you take. Whatever the food type, if you eat it in moderation all will be well. Food in excess leads to mental disturbance, but food in limited amounts will give you happiness. Eat so that your hunger may be satiated and your body sustained, and not so that your body is enlarged. Every opportunity is available to us, if we only take care of our food habits. Perhaps certain circumstances beyond your control could lead you to distress, but otherwise there is no reason for you to be subjected to disease. If you wish to live longer, to be of service to society, to experience divinity for longer, then keep your food under check."
"In addition, the types of food that you eat should be nutritious. In this world of today, you eat that which has absolutely no innate power to sustain you. For the upkeep of the body you need protein and vitamins of every kind. One vitamin gives you good eyesight; one purifies the blood; a third strengthens the bones. And for all these, proteins are vital. In fact, protein means 'that which protects you'. And food which is not cooked contains the largest amount of protein. Take for instance, the different types of legumes, like mung and dhal. Even foreigners tend to use these - for example, the soybean. Here, the protein content is great. Now, the way to eat peas, beans or lentils, is to soak them in water and let them sprout. In this way they come to you in all their richness. But,because we are victims of our tongue, tastes, whims and fancies, what do we do? Boil them, and further change them by adding oil and various other ingredients. In the process, we deprive them of their basic contents, and deprive ourselves of what they can give us."
"For another example, take fruits which have nothing but vitamins,and vegetables which can give you any amount of strength. What these give us today could be called artificial vitamins. In the old days, the common practice was to give plants manure in its natural state in the form of cow dung. The resulting vegetables might have been small, but they were rich in content. Today, vegetables are oversized, and they lack their former flavour. What is the reason? Plants are now fed with artificial manure, and they really do not have the innate strength which ought to be there. As a result, there is an increase in the number of cancer cases and heart complaints."
"To this day, no doctor has come up with a solution for the problem of cancer. The cause of all this cancer is something worth knowing. Now, some might say that cancer is a direct result of smoking cigarettes. Others might say that air pollution is the cause. These factors might be contributing in a small way, but they are not the primary cause of cancer. The main cause of cancer is refined sugar. The reason for this is that in the refining of sugar, a lot of chemicals are added. And one of these processing chemicals is the powder of bone, which, when you eat the sugar, may get lodged in any part of the body and create problems."
"In what form was sugar eaten in the good old times? Not in this artificial, synthetic one, but as wholesome jaggery(an unrefined brown sugar). Today you find the artificial creeping into everything that you eat - all merely for the sake of money. Now, if your life span is cut short, who is going to finally enjoy all this money? So try to adopt that path whereby you will truly realize yourself. Emperors, mighty and valorous ones, have all gone, leaving behind their wealth. Don't forget your goal, your identity; safeguard your body."
"It is not this material wealth which is important. It is one's own good qualities which are real wealth. Without these attributes, wealth can give you nothing. So here again, 'Rather than wealth, take care of your health, ' it has been said. And what beyond health? What is the fulfillment that you must seek? To get back whence you have come. Atma(the divinity within) is your destination. Until the time that you reach this destination, spend your time, spend your body, spend all that you have in good deeds and doing good to others."
"Embodiments of Love, what is the sum and substance of all that I have been talking to you about? First, health is of paramount importance. Second, for what purpose, for whose sake? So that you might experience the ananda(bliss) of the Atma. Now, you might have health all right, but still not experience this atmananda. What use then, having this health? Certain people who cannot experience atmananda have good health nevertheless. What type of people are they? It has been said very well that these people are those who tend to reduce the world food supply, and are merely a burden to the herd."
"Try to understand who you are, your own reality. If you can't understand who you are, what is the use of your living in this world? So don't make a distinction between that which is this world and that which is beyond this world. Bring the two together, and understand that you have to realize your own true nature and experience the divine ananda(bliss). And, whatever is given to man, try to further it. Love. Don't allow any room for pettiness or narrow outlook. Try to conduct yourself in such a way as not to injure others. Only then will you be sanctifying your existence."
He once said: "The Gita(the Indian religious scripture) defines the nature and tastes of the three types of food eaten by man. The food that promotes love, virtue, strength, happines and cordiality is Sathwic; that which influences, arouses, intoxicates and heightens hunger and thirst is Rajasic; the food that depresses, disrupts and causes disease is Thamasic."
On the 8th of October 1983, Baba gave a discourse in which he was much more specific as to what types of food are injurious to our health. The following excerpt from this discourse are taken from the Sathya Sai Newsletter of Arizona, USA, with their kind permission.
"In this world of ours, man is given to experience wealth beyond description. But, out of all the possible types of wealth, it is one's health which is found to be the most valuable possession. In fact it is said that 'Health is wealth.' Without good health , one cannot succeed in even the smallest of ventures. One can have immense wealth and power, but without health these are of no consequence; only with health can one use wealth and authority for some good purpose. But it is a mistake to feel that one's health confers lasting happiness. For what is the purpose of worldly existence? That you might reach something beyond. Unless you have that distant goal set before you, this worldly existence is meaningless. So why do you need to safeguard your health? Not for your worldly existence, but for the sake of experiencing the Atmananda (bliss of realization of the divinity within). And in order to protect your health, you must follow a certain code of conduct."
"Now, in this creation, the different types of life forms have been classified into 8,400,000 species. Out of these 8,400,000 species 8,399,999 types tend to eat food which is not cooked. They eat instead food which is natural and available in their environment. This food which is available to them in nature, does not seem to change them. So you find that these 8,399,999 species of life forms are enjoying peak health. Of course, it does happen that, because of climatic variations and factors which are beyond our control, some of these life forms do also come to grief. But it is man alone who is subject to the most health related trouble. Any number of human diseases are on the increase. The reason is that man does not like to partake of food as God created it. He is the victim of his tongue, which wants to be satisfied in terms of taste, and so his own likes and dislikes come in the way of what he should eat. Man seeks to change the foods available in nature to suit his tastes, thereby putting an end to the very essence of life contained in them. Because he is exterminating the life-giving forces in the food available to him, he is increasingly subjecting himself to disease. So it follows, again, that if man were to eat foods in their natural state, he certainly would not be so subject to disease."
"Now, it is common knowledge that each body, each system, has the governing factors. All these factors should be present in a proper way - anything less or more is bound to put you into disorder. If you want to know the cause of headaches, it is not the head that is at fault. It is the stomach! This is so regarding all the different organs: the stomach is the key point. The stomach digest whatever is given to it and supplies the essence of it to all the organs. This power of digestion given to the stomach is a God given thing. In fact God resides in a Being as this digestive force, which is what governs all the life processes in the body. In order to revere this aspect of God, what is it that you should offer? This God should be given that which is His own creation, not what is made by man. So, if you give to your stomach whatever is available in the natural state, as given to you by God, everything will be fine."
"We tend to eat too much, which leads us to mental disturbance. A limit should be placed on the food that we take. If that limit is exceeded, we are bound to suffer. Food is a necessity, but it should be in the quantity required for sustenance of the body. Exceed that limit, and disorders come your way. Take for instance the heart, which has a certain capacity to pump blood to the rest of the body. It cannot exceed this optimum point. The body requires a certain horsepower for this heart, and that is what God has given it. So, when you build your body beyond the limits of the hearts capabilities, the heart can't function. That is why there is an increase in heart disease."
"The main idea behind all this is that you should limit the amount of food you take. Whatever the food type, if you eat it in moderation all will be well. Food in excess leads to mental disturbance, but food in limited amounts will give you happiness. Eat so that your hunger may be satiated and your body sustained, and not so that your body is enlarged. Every opportunity is available to us, if we only take care of our food habits. Perhaps certain circumstances beyond your control could lead you to distress, but otherwise there is no reason for you to be subjected to disease. If you wish to live longer, to be of service to society, to experience divinity for longer, then keep your food under check."
"In addition, the types of food that you eat should be nutritious. In this world of today, you eat that which has absolutely no innate power to sustain you. For the upkeep of the body you need protein and vitamins of every kind. One vitamin gives you good eyesight; one purifies the blood; a third strengthens the bones. And for all these, proteins are vital. In fact, protein means 'that which protects you'. And food which is not cooked contains the largest amount of protein. Take for instance, the different types of legumes, like mung and dhal. Even foreigners tend to use these - for example, the soybean. Here, the protein content is great. Now, the way to eat peas, beans or lentils, is to soak them in water and let them sprout. In this way they come to you in all their richness. But,because we are victims of our tongue, tastes, whims and fancies, what do we do? Boil them, and further change them by adding oil and various other ingredients. In the process, we deprive them of their basic contents, and deprive ourselves of what they can give us."
"For another example, take fruits which have nothing but vitamins,and vegetables which can give you any amount of strength. What these give us today could be called artificial vitamins. In the old days, the common practice was to give plants manure in its natural state in the form of cow dung. The resulting vegetables might have been small, but they were rich in content. Today, vegetables are oversized, and they lack their former flavour. What is the reason? Plants are now fed with artificial manure, and they really do not have the innate strength which ought to be there. As a result, there is an increase in the number of cancer cases and heart complaints."
"To this day, no doctor has come up with a solution for the problem of cancer. The cause of all this cancer is something worth knowing. Now, some might say that cancer is a direct result of smoking cigarettes. Others might say that air pollution is the cause. These factors might be contributing in a small way, but they are not the primary cause of cancer. The main cause of cancer is refined sugar. The reason for this is that in the refining of sugar, a lot of chemicals are added. And one of these processing chemicals is the powder of bone, which, when you eat the sugar, may get lodged in any part of the body and create problems."
"In what form was sugar eaten in the good old times? Not in this artificial, synthetic one, but as wholesome jaggery(an unrefined brown sugar). Today you find the artificial creeping into everything that you eat - all merely for the sake of money. Now, if your life span is cut short, who is going to finally enjoy all this money? So try to adopt that path whereby you will truly realize yourself. Emperors, mighty and valorous ones, have all gone, leaving behind their wealth. Don't forget your goal, your identity; safeguard your body."
"It is not this material wealth which is important. It is one's own good qualities which are real wealth. Without these attributes, wealth can give you nothing. So here again, 'Rather than wealth, take care of your health, ' it has been said. And what beyond health? What is the fulfillment that you must seek? To get back whence you have come. Atma(the divinity within) is your destination. Until the time that you reach this destination, spend your time, spend your body, spend all that you have in good deeds and doing good to others."
"Embodiments of Love, what is the sum and substance of all that I have been talking to you about? First, health is of paramount importance. Second, for what purpose, for whose sake? So that you might experience the ananda(bliss) of the Atma. Now, you might have health all right, but still not experience this atmananda. What use then, having this health? Certain people who cannot experience atmananda have good health nevertheless. What type of people are they? It has been said very well that these people are those who tend to reduce the world food supply, and are merely a burden to the herd."
"Try to understand who you are, your own reality. If you can't understand who you are, what is the use of your living in this world? So don't make a distinction between that which is this world and that which is beyond this world. Bring the two together, and understand that you have to realize your own true nature and experience the divine ananda(bliss). And, whatever is given to man, try to further it. Love. Don't allow any room for pettiness or narrow outlook. Try to conduct yourself in such a way as not to injure others. Only then will you be sanctifying your existence."
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