SAVOR: MINDFUL EATING, MINDFUL LIFE by THICH NHAT HANH & DR. LILIAN CHEUNG

From the Book "SAVOR - MINDFUL EATING, MINDFUL LIFE" by THICH NHAT HANH & DR. LILIAN CHEUNG

Page 49) In fact, much of the world's suffering comes from not eating mindfully, from not looking deeply into what and how we eat. This mindless eating can lead to weight gain and the diseases caused by poor nutrition, and it takes its toll on the health of the planet also. We have to learn ways to eat that preserve the health and well - being of our body, our spirit, and our planet.

Looking deeply at the way we eat from a global perspective, we can see that meat production is a huge drain on the planet. The United Nations report Livestock's Long Shadow, an in - depth assessment of the damaging impact of livestock on our environment, concluded that livestock's negative effect on our environment is massive and that we need to address it with urgency. The report estimates that raising livestock uses 8 percent of our planet's water and contributes strongly to water depletion and pollution. Some scientists have estimated that it takes one hundred times as much water to produce a kilogram of beef as it does to produce a kilogram of protein from grain. Part of the reason that so much water is needed to produce livestock is that cattle are fattened on vast amounts of grain, which requires water to grow. In the United States, cattle consume 7 times as much grain as the U.S. population as a whole.

An Environmental Protection Agency report on U.S. agricultural crop production in 2000 states that, according to the National Corn Growers Association, about 80 percent of all corn grown in the United States is consumed by domestic and overseas livestock, poultry, and fish production. Yet, ironically, more than 9 thousand children die each day from causes related to hunger and undernutrition. It is a painful realization that the grain and resources we use to raise livestock could be used more directly instead to feed the starving and malnourished children in the world.

Furthermore, a 2008 report by the Pew Charitable Trust and the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that factory farming in the United States is taking a heavy toll on human health and the health of the environment - and that keeping livestock in these "concentrated animal feeding operations" constitutes inhumane treatment.

Page 51) Animal waste pollutes the water and air around the farms, causing illness among farmworkers and farm neighbors, as well as land degradation. Heavy use of antibiotics in factory farming leads to new strains of viruses and bacteria resistant to antibiotics, creating "superbugs" that may pose a public health threat to us all. In the report, the experts recommended phasing out and banning the use of antibiotics in farm animals except for the treatment of disease, instituting tighter regulation of factory farm waste, and phasing out intensive confinement systems.

The devastating environmental and societal impact of raising livestock goes beyond the use of water and land to grow food. Our society's hunger for meat contributes mightily to the production of climate - changing greenhouse gases. The livestock industry is responsible for 18 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, a higher share than the entire transportation sector. Seventy percent of forests in the Amazon have been cut to provide grazing land for cattle, and when such forests are destroyed, enormous amounts of carbon dioxide stored in trees are released into the atmosphere. The meat, dairy, and egg industries are also responsible for two - thirds of human - induced emissions of ammonia, which in turn plays a role in acid rain and the acidification of our ecosystem.

The data suggests that one of the best ways to alleviate the stress on our environment is to consume less meat and eat more plant - based food, which results in reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. We do not need cattle to process the food for us. It is much better and more efficient for us to eat more plant - based food and process it ourselves. It may seem like a huge change for many people, but reducing the amount of meat and dairy in your diet is a great way to keep your weight in check, improve your overall health, and take steps toward improving the health of our planet. When we learn to eat more vegetables, grains, and beans mindfully, we will enjoy their taste, and we can be happy knowing that we are supporting a new kind of society in which there is enough food for everyone and no one will have to suffer from hunger.

Page 52)  We must take urgent action at the individual and collective levels. For individuals, going toward vegetarianism can have great weight and health benefits. Vegans and vegetarians tend to weigh less than people who consume animal products; they also tend to have lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers.

Many Buddhist traditions encourage vegetarianism. Although this practice is primarily based on the wish to nourish compassion toward animals, it also offers many health benefits. Now we also know that when we eat vegetarian, we protect the earth and help reduce the greenhouse effect hat is causing her serious and irreversible damage. Even if you cannot be 100 percent vegetarian, being a part  time vegetarian and consuming a more plant - based diet is already better for your own health as well as the health of our shared planet.

You may want to start by eating vegetarian for a few days a month, or you can eat vegetarian only for breakfast and lunch every day. This way, you are already more than half vegetarian. If you feel that you cannot eliminate animal products from your diet for even one meal, simply reducing the portion of meat and eliminating processed meats like bacon, sausages, and ham can lower your risk of colon cancer and your risk of dying an early death from heart disease, cancer, or other causes. This is a good first step to adopting a more plant - based, healthful, environmentally friendly diet.

Using mindfulness to look deeply at what you eat can make it much easier to make such changes, because you realize the benefits they can bring to the planet and yourself - lower weight, lower risk of colon cancer and heart disease, and more energy for doing the things you enjoy. We are "interbeings": we and our environment are interdependent. And even small changes on our part can have a large impact when combined with others. Our market economy is driven primarily by consumer demand. As a population, if a large number of people make even small moves to eat less meat and more plant - based foods, the livestock industry will shrink. Over time, farmers will find other crops to support their livelihoods. Through such collective awakening we can make a difference in the world.

Page 107) Go with plants

A mindful diet for weight loss should first and foremost be a healthy diet - both for you and for the planet. And the first and most essential principle for healthy eating is to shift to a plant - based diet. Asians in particular have practiced vegetarianism for thousands of years.  The ethical and environmental arguments for a plant - based diet are stronger than ever. The health benefits for eating a plant - based diet are equally strong.

Decades of research on hundreds of thousands of men and women has shown that eating a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats and low in refined grains and unhealthy fats can lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Vegans and vegetarians tend to weigh less and have lower blood pressure, lower blood cholesterol, and, in turn, a lowered risk of heart disease than people whose diets include some or all types of animal products, and they may also have lower risk of some cancers. Of course, for optimal health, vegans must take care to get adequate vitamin B12, vitamin D, and other nutrients they may be missing by avoiding animal foods.

There's also strong evidence of the health hazards associated with eating animal foods. The Center for Science in the Public Interest estimates that the saturated fat and cholesterol in red meat, poultry, dairy products, and eggs cause 63,000 heart - disease - related deaths a year in the United States and another 1,100 deaths a year from food poisoning. People who eat meat and processed meat have a higher risk of diabetes than individuals who follow a vegetarian diet.

High levels of red - meat consumption, and any level of processed - meat consumption, raises the risk of colon cancer, and eating meat, especially meat that is cooked to a high temperature, may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer. The Nurses' Health Study II, meanwhile, followed nearly 40,000 women for seven years to determine the relationship between red - meat consumption and the risk of getting early breast cancer. It found that for every additional 3.5 ounces of red meat consumed per day - a portion of meat about the size of a medium fast - food hamburger - the risk of premenopausal breast cancer rose by 20 percent.

You do not need to become a 100 percent vegetarian to achieve the health benefits of a plant - based diet. Several studies have shown that following a "prudent" diet pattern - one that is rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats but does include some fish and poultry - rather than a meat - heavy diet may lower the risk of several deadly and disabling diseases, among them diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and obstructive lung disease, as well as lower the risk of dying from heart disease, cancer, or any other cause. A similar line of research has found evidence that following a Mediterranean - style - diet pattern, which is also plant based but includes dairy and fish, can lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, and cancer, as well as the risk of dying from heart disease, cancer, or any other cause. So you can benefit from becoming even a part - time vegetarian.

Page 108) When it comes to vegetables and fruits, the basic message comes down to 2 words: eat more. People who eat diets rich in vegetables and whole fruits may lower their blood pressure as well as their risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and possibly some cancers. Diets rich in vegetables and fruits may lower your risk of cataracts and macular degeneration, and thus help protect your vision as you age.

The benefits of eating whole fruits and vegetables likely accrue from the nutrients that they provide, as well as from the absence of less - healthy or higher - calorie foods, which they replace on your plate. Fruits and vegetables are loaded with vitamins, such as vitamin C, which gives a boost to the immune system and also acts as a powerful antioxidant, preventing cellular damage from free radicals; vitamin K for strong bones; and beta - carotene, a precursor to vitamin A and also an antioxidant. They are rich in minerals, including potassium, which may help lower blood pressure, and magnesium, which may help control blood glucose. They are also a great source of healthy carbohydrates, including fiber. Special plant chemicals, also known as phytochemicals, that give vegetables and fruits their bright colors may also play beneficial roles in protecting against disease. Lycopene, for example, a pigment that helps make tomatoes and watermelon such a vibrant red, may protect against prostate cancer. Lutein and zeaxanthin, other members of the carotenoid family, may help prevent age - related macular degeneration.

Page 109)To get the benefits of all these protective nutrients, make an effort to choose vegetables and fruits in a rainbow of colors every day. Include dark green varieties, such as broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, and collard greens; yellow - orange, such as sweet potatoes and apricots, carrots and cantaloupe; red, such as tomatoes, watermelon, strawberries, and red bell peppers; white, such as onions, garlic, and cauliflower; purple - blue, such as red cabbage, beets, and blueberries. Make it your goal to consume at least 5 servings of vegetables and fruits a day, since several studies find  that the heart - healthy benefits of vegetables and fruits begin to accrue at this level. More is certainly better. A serving is about 1/2 cup of cooked vegetables or chopped fruit, or 1 cup of salad greens. To make it easier to gauge the portion, devote  1/2 your plate to vegetables or fruits at each meal.

THE PRACTICE of MINDFUL EATING

Page 118) Mindful eating means simply eating or drinking while being aware of each bite or sip. You can practice it at any meal, whether you are alone in your kitchen or with others in a crowded restaurant. You can even practice mindful drinking when you pause to take a sip of water at your desk.


Mindful eating allows us to fully appreciate the sensory delight of eating and to be more conscious of the amount and nature of all that we eat and drink. When practiced to its fullest, mindful eating turns a simple meal into a spiritual experience, giving us a deep appreciation of all that went into the meal's creation as well a deep understanding of the relationship between the food on our table, our own health, and the planet's health.

Engaging in mindful eating, even if for only a few minutes, can help you recognize how the practice of mindfulness encompasses all spheres and activities, including ordinary tasks. Take drinking a glass of water: if we are fully aware that we are drinking the water, and we are not thinking of anything else, we are drinking with our whole body and mind. While eating, we can also be aware of how we feel and of how we consume, whether we are truly hungry, and whether we are making the best choices for our health and the health of the planet.
 
THE 7 PRACTICES of a MINDFUL EATER

Page 124)

1.) Honor the Food. Start the meal with the 5 contemplations, or with whatever traditional grace or prayer you prefer to use to express your gratitude. If you are eating with others, steer mealtime conversations toward the food: acknowledge the local farmer who grew your lettuce and tomatoes, thank the person who prepared the salad; or talk about other topics that help nourish your gratitude and connection to your food and to each other.

2.) Engage all 6 Senses. As you serve and eat your meal, notice the sounds, colors, smells, and textures as well as your mind's response to them, not just the taste. When you put the first bite of food in your mouth, pause briefly before chewing and notice its taste as though it was the first time you ever tasted it. With more practice in engaging all of your senses, you may notice that your tastes change, increasing your enjoyment of what you may once have perceived as "boring" health foods.

3.) Serve in Modest Portions. Moderation is an essential component of mindful eating. Not only does making a conscious effort to choose smaller portions help you avoid overeating and weight gain; it's also less wasteful of your household food budget and our planet's resources.

4.) Savor Small Bites, and Chew Thoroughly. Consciously choosing smaller bites and chewing them well can help you slow down your meal as well as allow you to fully experience the taste of your food. It can also help improve your digestion, since the process of breaking down our foods begins with enzymes in the mouth.

5.) Eat Slowly to Avoid Overeating. Eating slowly may help you notice when you are feeling pleasantly satisfied so that you can stop before you have eaten too much. There is a difference between feeling that you have had just about enough to eat and feeling as though you have eaten all that you possibly can eat. Mindful eaters practice the former so that they are not overtaxing their bodies - or overtaxing the planet's resources - by consuming more food than they need. In Chinese medicine, it is recommended to eat only until you are 80 percent full and never to "top off your tummy," because this weakens the digestive power of your stomach and intestines, putting too much stress on them over the long haul. Of course, avoiding overeating is half the secret to weight control. Getting enough activity is the other half.

6.) Don't Skip Meals. Skipping meals can make it harder to make mindful choices. When hunger strikes us, the strong forces of habit energy may lead us to grab whatever foods are close at hand - be they from a vending machine or a fast - food restaurant - and these foods may not further our healthy - eating or weight - loss goals. It is also good to eat your meals at the same time each day, to help your body settle into a consistent rhythm.

7.) Eat a Plant - Based Diet for Your Health and for the Planet. When mindful eaters look deeply at the meal they are about to eat, they see far beyond the rim of the plate. They see the dangerous toll that eating some types of animal foods can take on our bodies - the higher risks of colon cancer from red meat and processed meats, for example, or the higher risk of heart disease from the saturated fat found in meat and dairy products.

Researchers at the University of Chicago estimate that, when it's all added up, the average American could do more to reduce global warming emissions by going vegetarian than by switching from a Camry to a Prius. Even just switching from meat and dairy to poultry or eggs for one day a week could have a measurable impact on global warming - and a bigger environmental impact than choosing locally sourced foods.
_________________________________________________________________

ABOUT  ZEN BUDDHIST MASTER THICH NHAT HANH

Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh is a global spiritual leader, poet and peace activist, revered throughout the world for his powerful teachings and bestselling writings on mindfulness and peace. He has taken ancient Buddhist teachings and made them accessible and easy to understand for Western people.

His key teaching is that, through mindfulness, we can learn to live happily in the present moment—the only way to truly develop peace, both in one’s self and in the world.
Thich Nhat Hanh has published over 100 titles on meditation, mindfulness and Engaged Buddhism, as well as poems, children’s stories, and commentaries on ancient Buddhist texts. He has sold over three million books in America alone, some of the best-known include Being Peace, Peace Is Every Step, The Miracle of Mindfulness, The Art of Power, True Love and Anger.

Thich Nhat Hanh has been a pioneer in bringing Buddhism to the West, founding six monasteries and dozens of practice centers in America and Europe, as well as over 1,000 local mindfulness practice communities, known as ‘sanghas’.

He has built a thriving community of over 600 monks and nuns worldwide, who, together with his tens of thousands of lay students, apply his teachings on mindfulness, peace-making and community-building in schools, workplaces, businesses – and even prisons – throughout the world.

Thich Nhat Hanh, now in his 88th year, is a gentle, humble monk – the man Martin Luther King called “An Apostle of peace and nonviolence.” The media has called him “The Father of Mindfulness,” “The Other Dalai Lama” and “The Zen Master Who Fills Stadiums.”
____________________________________________________________________

VEGAN DIETS FIGHT ARTHRITIS & CANCER
http://www.scottsbuddhistiveg.blogspot.com/2015/05/vegan-diet-alleviates-arthritis.html

PETA PRIME: Can a Plant-Based Diet Cure Cancer?
http://prime.peta.org/2009/12/can-a-plant-based-diet-cure-cancer

VEGAN DIETS FIGHT CANCER! - from the Huffington Post with Kathy Freston
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/vegan-diet-cancer_b_2250052.html

VEGAN DIETS REVERSE DISEASE - from Scott's Buddhism & Vegetarian Blog
http://scottsbuddhisttveg.blogspot.com/2015/03/vegan-diets-reverse-diseases.html

ANTI - CANCER DIET - by Dr. Richard Beliveau
http://www.richardbeliveau.org/en/cancer-prevention.html?showall=1

FOODS & ARTHRITIS - PHYSICIANS COMMITTEE for RESPONSIBLE MEDICINE http://www.pcrm.org/health/health-topics/foods-and-arthritis

HEALTHY at 100 & THE CHINA STUDY
http://www.scottsbuddhistiveg.blogspot.com/2015/06/live-to-100-by-john-robbins.html

BILL MAHER OP/ED NEW YORK TIMES: FREE the HENS, COSTCO !

FREE the HENS, COSTCO ! - by BILL MAHER
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/10/opinion/free-the-hens-costco.html

I LIKE Costco. We backed the same presidential candidate in the past few elections, and I like its generous wages and willingness to give its employees health care. And of course I agree with it on gay rights.

I’ve also been impressed by Costco’s support for animal protection. For example, the company mandated that its suppliers stop locking pregnant pigs in cages called gestation crates by 2022. So I don’t understand how Costco can justify its refusal to set a timeline for getting rid of eggs from battery cages, which is the third system, along with pork and veal, in the factory farming cruelty trifecta.

According to the industry itself, each hen in a battery cage is given less than 9 inches by 9 inches in which to live her entire life, crammed into a cage about the size of a file drawer with four or more other hens. (Costco sells some eggs that are organic and cage-free, but the vast majority are not.)

Make no mistake about it: Battery cages torment animals. Physically, the animals’ muscles and bones waste away from lack of use, just as yours would if you were unable to move around for two years.

That’s why multiple investigations into battery cages document animals with deteriorated spinal cords, some who have become paralyzed and then mummified in their cages. It’s so common that the industry has a name for it: cage layer fatigue. It doesn’t happen to animals that are allowed to move.

Even after an undercover video recently documented a Costco egg supplier locking birds in cages with the mummified corpses of their dead cage mates, Costco responded that the supplier was “behaving appropriately.”

Mentally, the birds, which can perform comparably to dogs on scientific animal behavior tests, go insane in these tiny cages. Imagine cramming five cats or dogs into tiny cages, hundreds of thousands in each shed, for their entire lives. That would warrant cruelty charges, of course. But when the egg industry does it to hens, it’s considered business as usual.

That’s why, in a ballot measure, the people of California banned the cages in 2008, reportedly by a margin greater than in any previous initiative.

Continue reading the main story

__________________________________________________________________________

EARTH DAY: WELCOME to FACTORY FARM HELL

http://scottsbuddhisttveg.blogspot.com/2015/03/welcome-to-factory-farm-hell.html
__________________________________________________________________________
 

THE PALEO DIET: DEAD LIKE A CAVEMAN - by Dr. Joel Fuhrman

FROM the BOOK "THE END of DIETING" – by Joel Fuhrman, M.D.

Page 43)  One of the most popular diets today is also the most harmful. The Paleo crowd believes that if we eat like our Paleolithic ancestors, then we will be much healthier - practically free of disease. All by eating plates and plates of meat.

Well, not only is this the wrong message, it's not even a new message! The high-protein diet continues to take different names and forms, gaining new legions of meat-loving devotees every generation. First it was known as the Atkins diet, then Sugar Busters. Then it came back as the South Beach diet, and, most recently, the Dukan diet. Now it's the Paleo diet. Regardless of its name or specific iteration, however, it's always the same diet - high protein, low carb, enormous risk.

Our modern diet, the SAD, causes diseases. Eating refined sugar, white flour, processed oils, and commercially processed meats is harmful to our health. But instead of replacing those unhealthy choices with seeds, nuts, vegetables, fruits, and other foods packed with vital nutrients, the Paleo crowd continues to advocate for more meat. They also tell you to stay away from beans and whole grains entirely. This is despite irrefutable evidence that eating beans reduces the risk of cancer and enhances longetivity. The Paleo position is diametrically opposed to the overwhelming scientific evidence that confirms that consuming large quantities of meat is a health risk.

For a normally sized male, a meat-based Paleo diet contains between 150 to 200 grams of protein a day, or roughly 3 to 4 times the daily amount recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

This diet is foolishly and dangerously excessive. All animal products, including meat, fish, and dairy, are rich in substances associated with cancer and heart disease: saturated fat, cholesterol, and arachidonic acid. However, it isn't merely the fat content that makes excessive animal products disease promoting. Animal protein stimulates the rise of cancer-promoting hormones within the body, especially insulin - like growth factor - 1 (IGF-1). When we consume animal protein, the body increases its production of IGF-1. Though IGF-1 is one of the body's most important growth promoters during infancy and childhood, it accelerates the aging process, promoting the growth, proliferation, and spread of cancer cells later in life. Elevated IGF-1 levels are linked to an increased risk of several types of cancers, including colon, breast, and prostate cancer.

Reduced IGF-1 signaling in adulthood, on the other hand, is associated with reduced oxidative stress, decreased inflammation, enhanced insulin sensitivity, and longer lifespan.

Protein-rich plant foods, such as seeds, beans, and greens, don't raise IGF-1 levels, don't contain pro-inflammatory substances, and are rich in anti-inflammatory and life-extending phytochemicals. The secret to long life and successful weight loss is to get more protein from natural plant sources and less from animal products.

Clearly, at this point in nutritional science we have enough studies which show that diets higher in the amount of meat shorten lifespan and promote cancer. And these studies have been consistent in various regions of the world and with various types of meat, implicating many different aspects of meat, including grass-fed meats and the more contaminated commercial corn-fed or grain-fed meats.

But you'd never hear this if you're talking to a Paleo diet advocate. Recently, I attented a medical conference in Denver, Colorado, where I heard Loren Cordain, an exercise physiologist and leader of the Paleo movement, give a talk. In his presentation, he advocated a diet in which 80 percent of calories come from meat. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. That is more than double the high meat intake that Americans already consume! How could he advocate such a cancer-promoting diet? When an astute conference attendee asked Cordain about IGF-1, he replied, irritably and incorrectly, "Only sugar raises IGF-1 levels, not meat." Never mind science; Cordain was staying on message, though he didn't deny the cancer-promoting effects of elevating IGF-1. That animal  protein is the primary driver of higher IGF-1 levels is a fly in the ointment that all Paleo advocates must acknowledge. The clarity of the scientific studies on this issue shows that their favored diet promotes cancer.

A recent scientific study compared the amount of animal products consumed in 157 different countries with high-quality food consumption and disease-occurrence data and noted that cancer rates were highest (with a 15 to 20 year lag time) in populations consuming the most animal products and lowest in those consuming the least. Fewer than 10 percent of calories from animal products correlated with lowest cancer risks (standardized for age).

Page 47) Though some people may experience moderate, short - term weight loss by reducing refined carbohydrates and increasing calories from animal products, such as poultry and other meats, the dramatically dangerous health results are clear over the long term. A number of recent studies confirm this. The Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals follow-up Study, for instance, found a positive association between a diet high in animal protein and cardiovascular mortality. A diet consisting mostly of vegetable sources of protein shared no such link with cardiovascular mortality. Similarly, the Health Professionals Follow-up Study also showed a causal relationship between strokes and ischemic, or coronary, heart disease and high-protein, low-carb diets.

A huge Swedish prospective study also gathered data from more than 40,000 women between the ages of 30 and 49. Researchers followed them for an average of 15.7 years. Women with a diet low in carbohydrates and high in animal protein significantly increased their risk of cardiovascular disease, ischemic heart disease, and ischemic stroke in a dose-dependent manner (that is, these diseases rose in proportion to the increased consumption of animal protein). Researchers also found that for every increase of 5 grams of animal protein and decrease of 20 grams of carbohydrates a day, the risk of cardiovascular disease was increased by 5 percent. The increased consumption of meat has consistently been associated with an increased incidence of type 2 diabetes as well. Even half a serving more of meat a day increased the risk of diabetes by 48 percent in a large study of almost 150,000 individuals.

The EPIC-PANACEA study, one of the largest weight evaluation studies in history, found that meat and poultry intake, after adjustment for calories, was responsible for the highest amount of body fat. What this means is a person who eats meat will weigh more and have more body fat than someone whose source of calories is predominantly from plants, even though the number of calories is exactly the same.

Page 48) The data are overwhelming. Clearly, we need to eat much less animal products.

The Adventist Health Study had the best-controlled data for shedding light on this subject. It compared vegans with flexitarians, that is, people who eat meat only a few times a week. It showed the vegans had an average increased lifespan of 1.5 years compared to the flexitarians eating one or two servings of animal products a week, which is less than 5 percent of total calories. Recently, I have been advocating either a vegan diet or a diet with less than 5 percent of calories from animal products. I think the evidence is now compelling enough to show that even 10 percent, which I suggested as the upper limit in the past, may be too much animal products to optimally protect against cancer, largely because it could add roughly 200 calories from animal products and more than 30 grams of animal protein to your diet a day. Such a level could elevate IGF-1 levels beyond what is optimal in most people.

Regardless of this debatable point of interest, and the difficulty in establishing a precise percentage of safety, it is irresponsible and negligent to advise people to increase their consumption of animal products from 30 percent up to 60 to 80 percent, as Paleo and other high-protein advocates do. No reasonable scientist familiar with the body of literature on this subject would consider this amount safe. I think nutritional scientists the world over would agree that we have to reduce the level of 30 percent by at least half.

Even the dangerous Paleo diet may look acceptable when compared with the SAD. However, only a diet rich in colorful vegetables, both raw and cooked, can ward off disease, reduce fat storage, protect against cardiovascular disease and cancer, and simultaneously stabilize your weight. The Paleo diet is a passing fad that caters to the like - minded meat - obsessed crowd, helping them justify how they want to eat. Every new iteration of high - protein mania succeeds despite cumulative evidence of thousands of studies that consistently shows that the relative healthfulness of any diet is generally proportional to its higher vegetable content and the variety of its vegetable content. Paleo and high-protein diets are only for people who still believe the earth is flat.

It is also worth noting that some Paleo advocates will tell the story that they experienced a "failure to thrive" on a vegan or vegetarian diet. They may report that their body was falling apart and they were dying until they started eating more animal products again. Of course, they didn't try eating higher - protein plant food and more whole - plant fats from high-protein plant food and more whole - plant fats from high - protein seeds and nuts or even some limited amount of animal products in conjunction with more beans. To feel well, they just had to go back to eating lots and lots of meat. These stories merely indicate bias and nutritional ignorance of how to structure a healthy diet and how to achieve nutritional adequacy for a wide range of human needs and requirements. Even those people who require a diet with more protein and fat can achieve that without resorting to a diet loaded with meat.

Page 50

SAMPLE PLANT PROTEIN CONTENT (GRAMS)

28.6    Soybeans, boiled (1 cup)
24.0    Mediterranean pine nuts (1/2 cup)
18.2    Almonds (3 oz.)
17.9    Lentils, boiled (1 cup)
15.3    Kidney beans, boiled (1 cup)
15.2    Spinach, frozen (2 cups)
14.5    Chickpeas, boiled (1 cup)
13.2    Hemp seeds (1/2 cup)
12.8   Sesame seeds (1/2 cup)
11.5   Sunflower seeds (1/2 cup)
11.4   Broccoli, frozen (2 cups)
11.0   Tofu, extra firm (4 oz.)
10.3   Collards, boiled (2 cups)
8.3     Peas, frozen (1 cup)

Page 56)

Fats in nuts and seeds are rich in sterols, stanols, fibers, minerals, lignans, and other health - promoting nutrients that help lower cholesterol. They are linked in numerous scientific studies to a slimmer waistline and longer lifespan.

Researchers have found that including nuts and seeds in your diet can help you lose weight. Although they aren't low in calories and are relatively high in fat, eating them may actually satisfy hunger and suppress appetite. I find that eating a small amount of nuts or seeds helps dieters feel satiated, stay with the program, and have more success at long - term weight loss. Seeds give you all the advantages of nuts, plus more. They are generally higher in protein than nuts and have many additional, important nutrients, such as omega - 3 - fatty acids and anti - cancer lignans.

A recent study compared a traditional Mediterranean diet with one that substitutes nuts for oil. According to the study, the Mediterranean diet minus the nuts did not lessen atherosclerotic plaque. The version that substituted nuts for oil, however, did.

The Mediterranean diet was further evaluated in Spain, randomizing 7,216 men and women to include either nuts or olive oil. The group consuming more than 3 servings of nuts per week had a 39 percent reduced all - cause mortality over the average 4.8 years of follow - up, compared with the group not consuming nuts.

Page 63) Over the past 30 years, evidence on the benefits of consuming nuts and seeds has accumulated. It is now too definitive to ignore. Scores of studies have demonstrated that nuts and seeds help decrease dramatically the occurrence of cancer, heart disease, and strokes, while significantly increasing the average person's life expectancy.

By incorporating nuts and seeds back into my vegan patients' diets, as well as by supplementing these diets with low doses of DHA - a long - chain omega - 3 fatty acid usually found in fish but also available as an algae - derived vegan supplement - I was able to generally cure their symptoms and bring up the low levels of these fatty acids shown in their blood tests.

In fact, the Harvard Nurses' Study, which involved more than 10,000 women, now followed for more than 25 years, found that nuts and seeds shared the strongest link to longetivity. Eating 2 small handfuls a week, according to the study, had as many lifespan - enhancing benefits as jogging 4 hours a week.

Page 77) People do not consider long - term effects of their actions and do not realize that looking at a study that lasts for one or two years is not sufficient to ascertain risks. It would take 20 to 30 years to see pertinent findings of increased risk of cancer. When the atomic bomb was exploded in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in the 1940s, it took 40 years to see the peak in cancer occur from that increased radiation exposure. In general, there is a significant lag time between cause and effect when we are looking at cancer. It takes many years of observation to state an intervention is safe.

Page 78) The link between high - protein diets and breast cancer has not been investigated; however, the vast majority of the studies examining this issue conducted over long periods of time show a clear link with higher meat consumption. To fully appreciate the link between diet and breast cancer, you have to examine early - life diets in detail, not later - life diet, right before the diagnosis is made. This is why epidemiological studies show a strong relationship with animal products and cancer and cohort studies on later - life adults do not.

For example, in the Shangai Breast Cancer Study, they compared the vegetable and soy diet pattern to women eating a higher meat and sweet diet pattern and found a 60 percent increased risk of breast cancer in the meat and sweet group. The concern that this brings up is that many of these low - carb, high - protein dieters are younger and they are maintaining these extreme high - meat diets for many years. -  by Joel Fuhrman, M.D.
_________________________________________________________________

VEGAN HEALTH CLAIMS are ACCURATE

Increasingly, meat eaters are claiming that vegans are exaggerating the health benefits of plant-based diets. Maybe we should ignore the plethora of data showing the benefits of proper vegan diets. Why not hope for a magic pill to deliver us from gluttony and its deadly consequences?

When reading about these nutritional studies, it is worth noting this: beef, chicken, hot dogs, cheeseburgers, and steak and eggs CANNOT cure or improve ANY disease. In fact, these animal proteins stimulate the rise of cancer – promoting hormones such as IGF-1. It is not just the saturated fat and cholesterol in animal products, but insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), that causes disease.

Consider too, that if meat improved or cured cancer, studies would indicate this: cancer patients should eat more hot dogs! Dairy products have not cured any diseases, either.

If meat and dairy shrank tumors, or stopped the spread of cancer cells, then newspapers would publish articles like this: “Meat & Milk Improves Cancer.” You will not read this headline: "Ice Cream and Cheeseburgers Cure Cancer." Even the National Enquirer would not publish these headlines!

THE BASIC RECIPE for DISEASE is THIS:

Too much animal protein = more disease
Too much sugar = more disease
Too much salt = more disease

Interestingly, mega corporations such as McDonald's have spent hundreds of millions of dollars promoting their high-fat, high-salt, high-sugar junk fare. Also, controlling weight is a matter of controlling calories. Controlling calories demands enough willpower to eat only when you are genuinely hungry. There is nothing magical about eating meat, dairy and eggs. One magazine's wonder diet is another publication's road to cancer.

The standard American diet is NOT preventing diseases, and it does NOT improve or cure ANY disease. Telling cancer patients to continue eating what they've been eating is very bad advice.

We already know from the Okinawa Study, the China Study and hundreds of other studies what the optimal diet is for humans. We know that humans are designed to eat a large amount of plants - not animal protein - and millions of people thrive on a vegan or vegetarian diet. Yet, some people tout the so-called Paleo Diet or the Atkins Diet as beneficial for humans, when the evidence shows that Paleo Diets and Atkins Diets are NOT producing the world's longest - lived and healthiest people.

In America, eating sugary, fatty foods is the great American pastime. Eating junk food has become a virtual secular religion based on gluttony and hedonism as the goal of human life. Billion-dollar corporations saturate the American body and psyche with their fat-laden, artery-clogging, cancer-causing garbage fare which is helping to create epidemics of arthritis, cancer, heart disease, strokes, etc.

Considerable nutritional science is behind these therapeutic whole - foods and raw vegan diets. We know the value of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals that are abundant in these diets. Natural - medicine doctors have known for decades that extra amounts of vitamins and minerals far exceeding the so -  called RDA can have powerful preventive and healing effects with minimal side effects, especially when compared to synthetic drugs.

Bad luck or accidents are not the reasons that people develop chronic degenerative diseases, rather, these conditions are earned through years of poor dietary habits and poor nutrition. Consider too, the long-term effects of smoking or exposure to environmental toxins and the source of common diseases is less of a mystery.

Yet, these serious, debilitating illnesses can be reversed. Joel Fuhrman M.D. writes in his book "Fasting and Eating for Health" that he has helped hundreds of patients recover from serious, degenerative diseases by fasting and eating a healthy, low-fat vegan diet. Joel Fuhrman's book should be read and thoroughly digested by all medical doctors and serious laymen.
 
Dr. Dean Ornish mentions in the book "Breast Cancer - Beyond Convention" that "incidences of clinically significant prostate, breast and colon cancers are much lower in parts of the world that eat a predominately low-fat, whole-foods, plant-based diet. Subgroups of people in the United States who eat this diet also have much lower rates of these cancers than those who eat a typical American diet."

Despite increasingly sophisticated methods of diagnosis and treatment, our so-called "War on Cancer" is being lost; cancer is still the second leading cause of death in the United States. The War on Cancer and other degenerative diseases is being lost because the standard American diet is more powerful at creating disease than medical science is at curing it.

We all know that obesity is a national epidemic which is fueled by ceaseless TV commercials reminding us of the joys of gluttony. Where are the commercials reminding us of the health hazards of these foods? Some of these "foods" are so dangerous they should be served with a warning label.

Early detection, surgery and radiation can be very effective treatments against cancer, but they cannot prevent a reoccurrence of the disease, which is quite common. A true cure consists of correcting the underlying causes of the cancer using proper diet, lifestyle and nutrition. And standard medical treatments cannot reverse conditions that are operating concurrently with cancer. For that, a holistic approach is needed.

Actually, few if any diseases, can really be cured by modern medicine. It is a basic fact that drugs and surgery cannot cure disease. A true "miracle drug" would be one with no side effect, and that miracle has yet to occur. All drugs are basically toxins that when injested will accumulate in the body. But a healthy, low-fat vegan diet can allow the body to heal itself because the proper healing environment is created and all obstacles to healing are removed.

Symptoms may be relieved, pain diminished, and offending body parts removed, but the underlying causes of the disease must be addressed for a true cure to occur. Holistic medicine does not view cancer as a localized, foreign invader as much as it is the body's attempt to localize toxins resulting from poor diet, wrong lifestyle and/or a toxic environment.

Cancer and other serious, degenerative diseases are at epidemic proportions because people are not living in harmony with natural laws of diet and healthy living. Eating greasy- fried double bacon cheeseburgers, French fries, double-layer pizzas, ice cream, fried chicken and more has mass appeal, which is why we have massive amounts of disease. It is no great secret that the American diet is highly toxic.

According to Kevin Trudeau's book "Natural Cures They Don't Want You to Know About," the so-called "war on cancer" is a fraud. The book states: "Consider that modern Western medicine has "searched" for the "cause" and "cure" for cancer and other degenerative diseases for well over 100 years and has failed miserably even though:

1.) The mission was entrusted to the "best" researchers in the medical, academic and industrial sectors.

2.) They have private and government contracts with huge amounts of money.

3.) They falsify research procedures, lie about results and cover for each other. Dr. Linus Pauling, PhD., twice Nobel laureate, called the war on cancer largely a failure.

The purpose and driving force of the pharmaceutical industry is to increase their sales of pharmaceutical drugs that treat ongoing diseases, and to find new diseases or rename old diseases to market their existing drugs.

The eradication of any disease inevitably destroys a multi-billion dollar market for prescription drugs as a source of revenue. Therefore, deadly toxic chemical drugs are developed to treat symptoms but not cure anything.

It's been known for at least a hundred years that a natural raw foods diet, colonics, fasting, vitamins and minerals can be used to cure, or at least improve, the majority of diseases. Pharmaceutical companies and the food industry control the media, and they absolutely do not want natural cures for any disease made known to the public.

Millions of people suffer from painful inflammatory conditions. Here again it is NOT meat, dairy and eggs to the rescue - it is fruits and vegetables. Anti - inflammatory eating can be boiled down to six simple rules:

1.) Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables - at least five servings each day

2.) Add flaxseed oil to your diet

3.) Eat very little meat, poultry, cheese, butter, and other animal products - or become a vegetarian or vegan.

4.) Take a multi-vitamin mineral supplement everyday

5.) Eat less

6.) Eliminate or at least decrease junk food intake

As if mountains of scientific evidence are not enough, we also have personal testimonies of people who have lived on a strict, whole-foods vegan diet. Paul Bragg was one such individual and in his book "The Miracle of Fasting" he stated that even though he was past 85 years of age, he could jog several miles, swim, and even perform difficult yoga postures while standing on his head! Imagine Robert Atkins performing such feats.

Robert Atkins himself had suffered a heart attack while eating one of his artery-clogging, fat-laden breakfasts on April 25, 2002. But he and his cardiologist said it was not diet related! Atkins was also clinically obese at the time of death. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out that massive quantities of saturated fat and cholesterol will eventually wreak revenge on the human body. I'd like to see a single legitimate study showing that Atkins dieters are living long and healthy lives.

For some reason, the general public more readily accepts the reality of living - or dying - with serious, self-imposed diseases than it does in changing dietary habits. To become a junk food vegetarian is not the goal. Hundreds of healthy, tasty vegetarian and vegan recipes exist in books, magazines and on the Web. However, to reverse diseases a very strict low-fat, healthy vegan diet is required, although depending on the condition, some people eat a small amount of fish. Sometimes fasting is necessary, which will require expert supervision, depending on the severity of the illness.

Diseases among middle-aged and elderly people is the rule not the exception. The American Medical Association, the media, and most doctors have little appetite for natural healing methods that use diet and/or fasting, and this is a major disservice to the American public. Instead of reading about hundreds of people cured of serious, debilitating diseases using naturopathy, we have been saturated with articles about the Atkins Diet. Where are the studies showing us that Atkins dieters are living long and healthy lives? Where is the evidence showing us that meat and dairy are effective foods to fight cancer, heart disease, or any disease for that matter?

Fighting disease is not only big business - it is serious business. A wise person will reflect on what causes diseases to form and what foods are most effective at preventing or controlling these conditions. An ounce of prevention is worth at least a pound of cure.

- by Scott Palczak
_____________________________________________________________________

1.) DR. FUHRMAN - Smart Nutrition. Superior Health
https://www.drfuhrman.com/

2.) VEGAN DIETS: FIGHTING ARTHRITIS & CANCER http://scottsbuddhistiveg.blogspot.com/2015/05/vegan-diet-alleviates-arthritis.html

3.) PETA PRIME: Can a Plant-Based Diet Cure Cancer?
http://prime.peta.org/2009/12/can-a-plant-based-diet-cure-cancer

4.) ANTI - CANCER DIET - by Dr. Richard Beliveau
https://www.richardbeliveau.org/en/cancer-prevention.html

5.) FOODS & ARTHRITIS - PHYSICIANS COMMITTEE for RESPONSIBLE MEDICINE http://www.pcrm.org/health/health-topics/foods-and-arthritis

6.) PHYSICIAN'S COMMITTEE for RESPONSIBLE MEDICINE - Resources for Health Conditions  http://www.pcrm.org/health/resources

7.) VEGAN DIETS FIGHT CANCER! - from the Huffington Post with Kathy Freston
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/vegan-diet-cancer_b_2250052.html

8.) DR. DEAN ORNISH: Undo Heart Disease with Ornish
https://www.ornish.com/participant-stories/undo-heart-disease-ornish-linda-participant/

9.) NINE NATURAL WAYS to LOWER CHOLESTEROL
http://www.betternutrition.com/9-natural-ways-to-lower-your-cholesterol/

10.) TIME MAGAZINE ARTICLE: WHO REPORT on MEAT CAUSES CANCER http://scottsbuddhisttveg.blogspot.com/2015/12/time-magazine-article-who-report-on.html

11.) FAT, SICK & NEARLY DEAD: Movie trailer and Joe's Fascinating Story http://scottsbuddhisttveg.blogspot.com/2015_11_01_archive.html

12.) Viva! Plant - based Diets & Cardiovascular Disease Fact Sheet 
http://www.vivahealth.org.uk/resources/your-health-your-hands/plant-based-diets-and-cardiovascular-disease-fact-sheet-online

13.) NEW YORK TIMES: THE MYTH of HIGH - PROTEIN DIETS - by Dr. Dean Ornish http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/23/opinion/the-myth-of-high-protein-diets.html

14.) PALEO DIET: DEAD LIKE a CAVEMAN
http://scottsbuddhistiveg.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-end-of-dieting-in-progress-by-dr.html

15.) BEAT CANCER - A Book About Beating Cancer with a Vegan Diet
http://www.viva.org.uk/cancer-truth-last

16.) NATURAL NEWS: A vegan diet offers relief from inflammatory disease and reduces heart disease risk http://www.naturalnews.com/035797_vegan_diet_inflammation_heart_disease.html

17.) AN INSIGHTFUL VEGETARIAN ESSAY & MANIFESTO - by Supreme Master Ching Hai  http://scottsbuddhistiveg.blogspot.com/2015/07/supreme-master-ching-hai-httpwww.html

18.) VEGAN DIETS REVERSE DISEASES
http://scottsbuddhisttveg.blogspot.com/2015/03/vegan-diets-reverse-diseases.html

19.) HEALTHY at 100 & THE CHINA STUDY
http://scottsbuddhistiveg.blogspot.com/2015/06/live-to-100-by-john-robbins.html

20.) WALL STREET JOURNAL: IMPOSSIBLE BURGER is READY for its (MEATLESS) CLOSE - UP
http://scottsbuddhisttveg.blogspot.com/2016/07/wall-street-journal-impossible-burger.html
________________________________________________________________

HOT DOGS & PROCESSED MEATS RAISE RISK of CANCER - May 5, 2005

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A diet containing plenty of processed meats, like hot dogs and sausages, raises the risk of pancreatic cancer, according to a large multiethnic study unveiled on Wednesday.

Researchers found that heavy consumers of processed meats - 40 grams a day or more - were 67 percent more likely to develop cancer of the pancreas than study participants with the lowest intake.

 In addition, a diet rich in pork and red meat - 70 grams a day or more - also increased pancreatic cancer risk by about 50 percent, according to the study.

Meat consumption has been linked to pancreatic cancer in the past, but study results have been inconsistent.

This seven-year study examined the relationship between diet and pancreatic cancer in 190,545 men and women of African - American, Japanese - American, Caucasian, Latino and Native Hawaiian descent.

It is believed that chemical reactions that occur during the preparation of processed meats might be responsible for the association.

The results were reported at a meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in Anaheim, California.
_____________________________________________________________________

 

 

THE GREAT HUGGING SAINT: MATA AMRITANANDAMAYI

FROM the BOOK "GURUS in AMERICA"

For nearly three decades, a tiny Indian holy woman has comforted, blessed, and - many believe - healed millions of devotees of all ages races, religions, and walks of life, simply by her gentle, loving spiritual embraces. Mata Amritanandamayi, the Mother of Immortal Bliss - affectionately called Amma or Ammachi (mother) - has emerged as one of the most prominent female spiritual leaders in the world, commanding a large following of devotees both in her native country and beyond. Likened to Mother Teresa by some and revered as a great mystic by many, this woman from rural south India is regarded by her devotees as the embodiment of the Divine Mother.

In recognition of her contributions to the global community, Ammachi was invited to address the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1993 at which she was named "President of Hinduism." In October 2002 she was awarded the Gandhi - King Award for Non - Violence at the United Nations.

Among the various devotional biographies, the oldest account was written by one of Ammachi's senior disciples, Swami Amritaswarupananda, and it is considered by Ammachi's organization to be her authoritative biography.

Although her hagiographies brim with miraculous stories that serve to legitimate her close relationship with certain deities and affirm that she holds special powers of manifestation, initially Ammachi rejected demands for miracles as proof of her divine manifestation. "My intention" says Ammachi, "is not to show miracles. My goal is to inspire people with the desire for liberation through realization of their Eternal Self. Miracles are illusory. They are not the essence of spirituality."

However, a month later she reportedly convinced skeptics by changing water into a holy milk mixture, and subsequently, many other miracles have been attributed to her, including the widely circulated story of healing a leper.

On Devi Bhava nights, Ammachi is believed to reveal her identity as the Divine Mother, reflected in certain visible changes in her person. In her characteristic third-person style of expression, Ammachi tells a group of disciples: "If you were to really see Amma as she is, it would overwhelm you - you couldn't possibly bear it. Because of this, Amma always covers Herself with a thick layer of maya (illusion). But during Devi Bhava, Mother removes one or two of her veils, revealing a little more of what she really is."

Throughout various spiritual phases, Ammachi strove for God-realization without the meditation of a teacher or guru. She recalls: "I never had a guru, nor was I ever initiated by anyone and given a particular mantra. The mantra I used to chant was "Amma, Amma.” But her disciples revere this uninitiated mystic as the perfect spiritual master (sat guru) who has the power to "directly induce God - realization."

AMMACHI VISITS AMERICA

Ammachi is said to make all the important decisions concerning her ever - growing network of charitable, educational, medical, and religious institutions.

Ammachi first visited the United States in May 1987 at the invitation of her American disciples. Since 1987, Ammachis's spiritual appeal in America has grown so immensely that her U.S. tour has become an annual feature, and in 1989, she established her first U.S. ashram in San Ramon, California.

While the MA Center serves as the U.S. headquarters for the Ammachi movement, local chapters have been established in Seattle, Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, New York, Phoenix, Santa Fe, Boston, and Washington D.C. Efforts are being made to institute local chapters in other major U.S. cities.

My introduction to Mata Amritanandamayi's ashram in San Ramon occurred on June 14, 1999. Arriving at the ashram around 7 p.m., I noted a long line of diverse devotees gathered near the temple door: small children, teenagers, young adults, older men and women, all of various ethnicities, but predominantly Caucasian and non-Indian. While some were clearly first-time visitors like me, most seemed to be regular devotees, evidenced by their dress, speech and familiarity and ease with which they moved around the temple.

Eyes cast down in prayerful meditation, several hundred devotees stood at the entrance of the temple, chanting the mantra "Praise to the Blissful One," or "Om Amriteshwariye Namaha." Suddenly, our chanting grew louder and more intense as a cream-colored Lexus sedan arrived. A tiny Indian woman clad in a simple white cotton sari emerged smiling radiantly at the visibly expectant and excited crowd. She walked briskly into the temple as devotees respectfully knelt, prostrated, or bowed their heads in the palpably charged atmosphere.

Ammachi stood on a decorated floor mat. A female Indian disciple dressed in a white sari performed pada puja, or worship to the lotus feet (pada) of Her Holiness Shri Mata Amritanandamayi. She sprinkled a few drops of water on Ammachi's feet, gently wiped them away, applied sandal paste, and placed three rose flowers and petals on her feet as two saffron-robed Indian monks of the order - simply referred by Ammachi's American devotees as Swamijis - recited the following sanskritic shlokas (verses) in praise of the guru and her feet:

I prostrate to the Universal Teacher, who is Satchitananda (Pure Being - Knowledge - Absolute Bliss), who is beyond all differences, who is eternal, all-full, attributeless, formless and ever-centered in the Self; whatever merit is acquired by one, through pilgrimages and from bathing in the Sacred Waters extending to the seven seas, cannot be equal to even one thousandth part of the merit derived from partaking the water with which the Guru's feet are washed.

A lay devotee offered the waving of a lamp (arati) before Ammachi while another garlanded Ammachi, who in turn blessed them by sprinkling a few rose petals. After the worship of her feet, she walked briskly through the main aisle of the temple, touching and blessing devotees on either side of the aisle, and finally ascended to take her seat on an elevated platform. A young Indian female renunciant delivered a brief discourse on Ammachi's spiritual message, interspersed with several moving anecdotes and testimonials of her special spiritual powers and unconditional love for all. Next came 90 minutes of ecstatic and soulful devotional singing (bhajan) led by Ammachi and her band of gifted Indian musicians.

After the ritual waving of the lamp in front of Ammachi concluded the evening rites, devotees took their place for the spiritual embrace session, called Ammachi darshan. Ammachi hugged each one in turn, uttering tender and loving words in the devotee's ear, and gave each admirer a Hershey's kiss, a few rose petals, and a tiny packet of sacred ash.

EMBODIED GURU, EMBODIED GODDESS

Although Ammachi was never initiated by a guru, her devotees revere her as the sat guru, the true or perfect spiritual master. The guru puja offered to Ammachi each time she enters the temple confirms the devotee's belief in her guru status. She describes herself as a compassionate guru for her devotees. She exhorts her disciples to cultivate attachment to the sat guru as both the means and end of the spiritual quest. When asked whether attachment to the master's external form is necessary to realize the ultimate goal of God-realization, Ammachi responds:

Children, first of all remember that attachment to the Master is an attachment to God. Your problem is that you try to differentiate between God and the true Master. Attachment to a true Master's physical form intensifies your longing to realize the Supreme. It is like living with God. He makes your spiritual journey much easier. Such a master is both the means and the end. But at the same time there must be conscious effort to see the Master in all creation. Being attached to the external form of a satguru is like having a direct contact with the Supreme Truth.

Ammachi's self-understanding as a sat guru is reflected in her teaching roles. She offers formal discourses in her native language of Malayalam, which are translated by a native interpreter. She leads daily devotional singing, teaches meditation, and conducts regular retreats for her disciples.

Along with her role and identity as a sat guru is her self - recognized and self - professed identity as the embodied goddess (devi) - the form much revered by the devotees. Ammachi's goddess identity is revealed in her weekly Devi Bhava when she assumes the mood or form of the Divine Mother for the benefit and at the request of her devotees.

EMBODIED RITUAL: DIVINE HUGS and HERSHEY'S KISSES

In the Hindu tradition, the central ritual moment in worship is the exchange of sight - darshan - between God and the devotee. But disciples of Ammachi are not content with mere sight of her, darshan is reconfigured to include tactile embrace. Darshan of Ammachi becomes a warm, motherly, spiritual hug. This type of darshan is one of the intriguing trademark features of Ammachi's movement and her spirituality.

In the course of my field research, I witnessed hundreds of devotees - many of whom traveled from afar - wait for several hours for just a few pecious seconds of personal darshan with Ammachi. They come with varying concerns, ranging from the completely mundane to the ascetic, and Ammachi greets each on his or her level or need. In the final moments of Devi Bhava darshan, for instance, Ammachi performs nuptial rites for a select number of couples, most of whom are Caucasian devotees dressed in traditional Indian wedding attire.

I, too, went for personal darshan with Ammachi. Just like her devotees, I received much more than I had anticipated, and interestingly, at the precise level of my concern. When I went for my second darshan during a morning session, a trusted Ammachi devotee whom I had interviewed earlier that day introduced me to Ammachi directly, telling her about my scholarly interest in her teachings and movement. After hugging me closely, she turned to Swami Amritaswarupananda who was standing beside her and instructed him to assist me in obtaining necessary literature from the bookstore. Later, as Ammachi was leaving the temple after the morning session, she specifically sought me out in the crowded congregation gathered outside the temple and personally wished me success in my research. She met my specific concern: to learn more about her and her movement so that I could report about each in a scholarly context.

Before devotees are ushered into the presence of Ammachi, they must have proper instructions on darshan etiquette, or "darshan dharma." Then, they are invited into her presence as she sits on a colorfully decorated throne, flanked by male sannyasi who translate devotee's special requests or questions, and a female attendant who ministers to Ammachi's personal needs.

Throughout darshan, the atmosphere and ambience undulates: intense, prayerful, relaxed, and festive at the same time. Devotional bhajans in Hindi and Malayalam led by a group of singers provides the spiritual and musical backdrop. After the darshan, many consume the Hershey's Kiss - the sacred leftover or Prasad - whereas others take it home to keep as a sacred relic.

Whereas on normal days Ammachi hugs more rthan 1,000 devotees, this number is doubled on weekly Devi Bhava nights, when Ammachi wears a bright sari and a silver crown to reveal the majestic glory and tender love of the Divine Mother. In India, Devi Bhava nights attract over 10,000 darshan seekers.

During Devi Bhava nights in America, they hand out a leaflet in the darshan line explaining that receiving a mantra from Ammachi is a serious commitment not to be taken lightly. If after reading the pamphlet, you are serious about receiving a mantra, you stand in a line much shorter than the darshan line. Then, you receive a brief pre-mantra counseling by a long - time devotee of Ammachi who relates the seriousness of receiving a mantra and asks you to decide what kind of mantra you'd like, if its a Krishna mantra, a Devi mantra, a Jesus mantra or a Buddha mantra. You could also ask for a mantra that is not deity-specific. I was told that when it's my turn Ammachi will say the mantra in my ear and repeat it . . . When I got to the front of the line, it was very late, maybe one or two o'clock in the morning . . . She turned to me and smiled . . . Somebody behind her told her what kind of mantra I wanted. She leaned over and pulled my head to her mouth. And she said my mantra twice and the hand that was pulling my head to her mouth was full of flower petals. I don't know how to describe it, but it was very special. Being in her presence, I felt an instant relief.

In the Ammachi movement, darshan is the most intimate, direct, and personal mode of interaction between the spiritual master and her devotees. Given that Ammachi does not deliver many formal spiritual discourses in the United States as she has limited fluency in the English language, darshan also functions as her principal spiritual discourse to her American devotees. Amritaswarupananda explains to the devotees the spiritual significance Ammachi attaches to hugs and kisses. He writes: "Ammachi's hugs and kisses should not be considered ordinary. When Ammachi embraces or kisses someone, it is a process of purification and inner healing. Amma is transmitting a part of Her pure vital energy into Her children. It also allows them to experience true, unconditional love. When Ammachi holds someone it can help to awaken the dormant spiritual energy within them, which will eventually take them to the ultimate goal of Self - realization."

Darshan literally means "seeing." Translated sometimes as the "auspicious sight" of the divine, in popular Hindu devotional scheme, darshan is the auspicious seeing of the deity indwelling in an icon or image whereby the devotee seeks to establish contact with the deity. The act of standing in the presence of the deity and beholding the image with one's own eyes, seeing the divine and being seen by the divine, is a central act of Hindu worship. Though it involves the body, darshan is primarily a mental, spiritual, and mystical contact. Direct bodily contact with the deity is both ritually inauspicious and forbidden for the average devotee.

Physicality is the hallmark of Ammachi darshan. Given her status as the embodied Divine Mother and perfect spiritual master (sat guru), darshan is no doubt the appropriate mode of interaction. But in form and function, Ammachi darshan radically differs from the traditional pattern insofar as it entails close and intense bodily contact in the form of touching, hugging, and kissing. Beyond the ritual and religious contexts, touching and kissing a person of another gender, especially strangers, is taboo in Hindu social relations. But Ammachi embraces, hugs, strokes, and kisses her devotees with total disregard to their gender, moral condition, and physical purity.

From its modest beginnings in the calm backwaters of the Indian state of Kerala, the spiritual movement Ammachi initiated has matured into a dynamic, worldwide phenomenon with a growing and impressive network of charitable institutions and transnational congregations in the West. Her annual tours to the united States and Europe attract thousands who endure great physical and financial hardship to be in her compassionate presence and company in order, as one devotee put it, "to inhale her spiritual power."

Ammachi does not charge a fee for darshan or giving mantras, relying only on freely given donations at the devotees' discretion.

Ammachi calls for her disciples and devotees, in India and abroad, to transcend the historical accidents and cultural constraints of the Hindu religious tradition, and places within her devotee's grasp the core truth and central message of God-realization, achievable through unconditional love to all. In her embodied self as guru and goddess, as well as in her embodied ritual of darshan, Ammachi concretizes and mediates this divine message of unconditional love. - from the book "Gurus in America"
_________________________________________________________________________


FROM THE BOOK "AMMACHI - A Biography of Mata Amritanandamayi


Page 127)  While Sudhamani (Amritanandamayi) was living outdoors, dogs, cats, cows, goats, snakes, squirrels, pigeons, parrots and eagles all sought her company and became her intimate friends. This phase of her sadhana demonstrated the power of love, untainted by attraction and aversion, to bring harmony among animals who are otherwise natural enemies. At a time when her own relatives had abandoned her and were vehemently opposed to her spiritual life, animals stood by her and rendered loyal service.

Page 131) During the period of Devi Sadhana, whenever Sudhamani lost consciousness, weeping to see the Divine Mother, these two pigeons would appear from the sky to sit beside her as if to protect her.

Page 132) Another animal which seemed attuned to Sudhamani was a cat. During the Bhava Darshan the cat would enter the temple and walk around Sudhamani as if doing pradakshina. It would then sit near her for a long time with its eyes closed and seemed to the devotees to be meditating. Once someone tried to get rid of the cat by taking it across the river, but the next day it returned and stayed by Sudhamani's side.

Page 134) One day Sudhamani had an intense feeling that her friend, the black and white dog, would die afflicted by rabies. Shortly thereafter the animal did contract rabies and died as she had foreseen, though without much suffering. When Sudhamani was asked if she was dejected to lose her loyal companion, she said, "I am not at all sad about his death. Even though he died, he will come to me. Therefore, why should I be sad?" Later, she commented that the dog's soul had reincarnated near Idamannel, but would reveal no further details.

Sudhamani once remarked regarding a goat which had great love for her. "On account of a disease of her udders, the goat was struggling for life, about to die. I saw her agony and sat down near her, lost in prayer and meditation. When I opened my eyes I beheld the poor animal approaching me, crawling on her knees. Placing her head on my lap, she quietly died, gazing at my face. Her love was pure indeed."

Some years later, recollecting all these incidents she expressed these thoughts: "How blissful were those days! Strangely enough, those animals could understand my feelings and act on them. If I cried, they also would join me in crying. If I sang, they would dance in front of me. When I lost my external consciousness they would crawl over my body. All the traits of various animals can be found in human beings. When one gets rid of all attachment and aversion and attains equal vision, then even hostile animals become friendly in one's presence."

- from the book "Ammachi - A Biography of Mata Amritanandamayi"
____________________________________________________________________________


AUTOBIOGRAPHY of a SEEKER of SAINTS
http://www.scottsbuddhisttveg.blogspot.com/2015/03/autobiography-of-seeker-of-saints-must.html


DEAR LAMA ZOPA: ADVICE on HELPING ANIMALS
http://www.scottsbuddhistiveg.blogspot.com/2015/06/dear-lama-zopa-advice-on-helping-animals.html


MERCY for ANIMALS
http://www.mercyforanimals.org/the-problem