So hungry...

ZiggySunshinedust

This is a very fine parable and one can learn a lot from it:

There is only one truth (the elephant) and many blind guys searching for it but find different answers.

But most interesting for me seems to be the intention of the raja (who knows the truth) who let gather blind guys (which don't know the truth - and may not want to find the truth) and forces them to a game by investigating predefined and differnt parts of the elephant for each one.

On the one hand: How would one treat such a game? More: how would one treat such a game inventor?
Is he a great pedagog bringing blinds to seeing? Or just only another blind person's guide having lots of fun about the struggeling of the blinds?

But on the other hand it may be useful giving predefined parts of the truth to different individuals which one can call initiating teamwork on investigations - but this the parabel tells don't takes place because they don't took their investigations together to one experience because of their quarrelsome nature.

Thats the main treasure of this parable for me: the quarrelsome nature (egoism) detains them from seeing the truth.

It turns out: the superficial statement seems to be that guys that don't know the real truth (the blind) are ending in useless discussions and lead their scholars into the desert - but a deeper insvestigation would tell them how they can reach enlightment: get together, forget about egoism and collect your wisdom by taking the answer of your neighbour for more serious as your own and than put all together.

Here only the question remains: is the quarrelsome nature (egoism) by accident and final or by design of a really good pedagog who gives it to his scholars for the purpose of advancement?

ZiggySunshinedust

The past few days I've been on a self-imposed short water fast. I've been interested in fasting lately, and I've been reading all about the possible benefits and harmful effects... eventually I decided I wanted to work out an intermittent fasting plan and try it out for a while.

I suppose I'd be lying if I said that part of it wasn't to loose a little excess weight :roll: *sigh*...vanity... but other reasons I've been using to justify this process are wanting to become a more focused and spiritual individual, and wanting to feel like I can start to gain some control over my life... which sometimes feels like it's going haywire.

I don't know if I'll ever have FULL control over my life... I suppose that's impossible. But I've been battling an emotional eating addiction for a long time that just keeps getting worse... all the classic symptoms: a new diet every week, looking for the fast solution, doing well for a while but falling off shortly thereafter, eating for emotional reason instead of biological ones, over-eating, and possibly an underlying fear of being healthy... because that hasn't been my comfort zone.

Anyway, enough babbling. I was wondering if anyone here fasts, or has fasted, or is planning on fasting for any reason. What were your reasons? What would you suggest? How do you not just break down and go to a Wendy's and eat a thousand cheeseburgers?! And how do you think this might help/hurt me in my journey with the Tao?

I know this is something I want to try... but I'd like it to be something that I actually stick to (unlike most things I've started in my life)... maybe that way I can gain some kind of focus.

Any kind of wisdom or advice or criticism is both welcome and appreciated. Thanks!

Lynn Cornish

I went on a watermelon fast once, and another time on the Muktananda 7 day cleansing diet (only steamed vegetables, period). I had heard there were many beneficial effects and I wanted to drop some pounds. But then I learned that after WWII it was found that victims of the concentration camps gained weight faster if they fasted some days, ate the others. It seems that the body perceives it is starving it slows the metabolism way way down, so the net effect is weight gain.

Sooooo....I've finally gotten it together. Spend 5 or 6 hours a week at the gym doing low-impact aerobics and water aerobics and eating no carbs. I just started no carbs Monday, and I've lost 4 pounds! I'm happy!

There is no magic: it's diet and exercise. The good news is that the exercise builds muscle thereby raising metabolism and the no carbs gets rid of my cravings for same. I find if I eat no sugar or refined flour or starchy vegetables I don't want them.

Carl might have some alternative advice...he recently lost lots of weight...but I couldn't do what he did.

Good luck to you Ziggy!

Carl

[cite] ZiggySunshinedust:[/cite]….I know this is something I want to try... but I'd like it to be something that I actually stick to (unlike most things I've started in my life)... maybe that way I can gain some kind of focus.

Any kind of wisdom or advice or criticism is both welcome and appreciated. Thanks!

I’ve found fasting only works when the loss brought greater [chref=44]contentment[/chref]. Despite my wishes, this is something beyond my control. Loss comes; if I end up feeling [chref=15]newly made[/chref] I am invariably pulled to further [chref=16]do my utmost to attain emptiness[/chref]. If the loss has little effect, life returns to normal and further loss soon visits me again. Either way loss will always be present. That [chref=6]valley never dies[/chref].

Loss comes in two forms as I see it. I either pay first, or later. Simply, ‘[chref=41]The way that leads forward seems to lead backward[/chref]’. As you sense this more deeply, you will then be better able to [chref=64]deal with a thing while it is still nothing[/chref]. In effect you will pay up front and avoid the huge interest penalty that comes with paying later.

Right now you are tending to pay later and are unhappy with the interest that accrues. You are going through growing pains everyone passes through to one degree or another. Consider this:

[chref=36]If you would have a thing shrink,
You must first stretch it;
If you would have a thing weakened,
You must first strengthen it;
If you would have a thing laid aside,
You must first set it up;
If you would take from a thing,
You must first give to it.[/chref]

Not that it will help you get where you [chref=71]think[/chref] you need to go, but perhaps it will give you insight on where you are now.