suninmyeyes

Yeah it is interesting with the salt connection. A lot of Hindu Yogis do not eat salt at all. I think it has to do with the damage that salt has on us. Here I am talking from personal point and not science . Very often we get cravings for certain foods because of the salt , try that food without salt and you get a different taste all together and will probably eat enough of it to satisfy your hunger and that is it. So it is very addictive . I was salt free for a few years . This year I started salt again and I can feel its effect working so weird in my body . It works as an some sort of irritant and is a cause for dehydration. A lot of people get ill because of dehydration and are dehydrated without even realising. Even common colds could be cut down if one keeps well hydrated. If people were salt free they would not really have much cellulite , or swollen parts of the body - obesity would also not be as present and suffering from many diseases directly or indirectly connected to salt would be less. Food and mind and body are directly connected .

Here is a translation of the Karmapas speech. Karmapa is a Buddhist spiritual leader urging fellow Buddhists to go veggie. I remeber living in a sangha in 2007 and a lot of people going veggie becouse of it. http://sh1.webring.com/people/jk/karmakiwi108/HHVegetarianism.html

Is there anyone enlightened around here? edit:to explain why I ask so it doesent come of disrespectfull, becouse there is a lot of building castles in the sky happening regarding the subject and it would be intersting to discuss enlightement with someone who claims it (not just having glimpses of it). And it was kind of intersting to read the post Vmarco, I do agree with a lot that has been said. Although enlightement is not something I would normally think about or aspire to . Understanding and listening to nature/life - yes.

No one here was saying to my understanding that everyone should become vegeterian. I am personally not of that evangelist opinion , as it is impossible and I like live and let others live. Nature is so wild and versitale , beutiful just that way. Your scenario about exctiontion of animals has some truth to it , it is vast subject to think off with many pros and cons and requires thinking about the results for further future too. Here is an interesting article http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jun/02/un-report-meat-free-diet Being vegan feels just natural and right , I have no doubts about it. I am made to start eating this way, as much as someone may feel so right eating meat diet. As far as vegeterians and their attidudes goes , I hanged out with a lot of anarchists and travellers and artists most of my life who are veggie (just to add-and non veggie too)and except for few exceptions they havent got holier than thou attitude for being veggie for sure. Just a bunch of ordinary folk living the way they find right for themselves. However if you have in mind a lot of Gurus Lotus Feet Very Sensitive and 'Shanti' type of veggie spiritual seekers than yes I have met some of those holier than thou. I have seen this way of eating work for many and have heard of people who just could not live eating this way. At the end of the day we are all different with different mental/spirtual/physical constitutions and roles to play in life.

Interseting thread. I will skip pouring myself a glass of cool meat though if you dont mind.

That was interesting to watch, thank you for sharing.

Ah, he is just being naughty that is all. No cartoons tonight and going to bed early . Also, maybe Sinfests Meat Eating feels therathened by all these vegan/vegeterian talk. Anyway it is just a photo of a tiger having a tigers lunch .

There are plenty of vegans that I know of who are not b12 deficiant. I have not met one personally who is actually(saying this I used to live for many years in communities populated mainly by vegans and vegeterians), this of course does not in any way imply that there is no risk. Or that they just werent aware of deficiancy - I dont know. Yes it is really strange how being vegan brings out hostility in people, there are times when I avoid to mention it. I can understand being reactionary towards hard core vegan 'prophets' who are simply distastesfull and too much and wouldnt want to be associated with some of them. Also there is a lot of harm done IMO by imposing ones beliefs and personal truths. It also brings a lot of guilt in people in some strange way for which I also hope not to induce into others. As we are all different , with different roles to play out in the life . We are all part of this intricate Cosmic Game. Every part of it counts as important.

Twinner , by reading your further responses it seems that your point of view has a lot of some kind of utopian flavour. What we have now and can work with now is whats important. What you say about Polyinesians having sex as way of saying hello and not nurturing longlasting loving relationships is fine for Polynesians at that time, I havent done research on subject so cant comment further. However this would certanly cause different kinds of problems if it was a norm on my way to work. Intimate sharing is intimate sharing , I wouldnt want to be intimate with my neighbour and a lot of different other males for sure, thank you very much. Not my cuppa. Not everyone has a very strong sexual urges either ,some may prefer being intimate just in a loving relationship. During a hard core communist periods they were saying that 'love is only for burgois' . Love had negative connotations and sex was considered a natural function , but this hardened so many people. We are discussing here is not wherether sexual freedom is OK or not , it is how [you do it, under which pretex and about abuse of personal power . This cant be all put under the same bracket(as I tried to explain earlier), sex is not just sex. It does include certain codes of conduct and consideration in this society. Personally I am all for common sensical codes of conduct. They keep society in one peace and can be sobering and much needed points of reference if someone severly lacks common sense. Definitions are needed so the boundaries are not crossed and people dont get mistreated. Otherwise the physically stronger ones, the more powerful ones would always be in a position of power . I also dont think anyone here feels that the guy is evil (as you mention in one of the posts),we are just discussing human behaviour , which may help us all to gain different perspective and maybe deeper understanding of some sort. Just like to finally add that IMO - yes ,there is right and wrong in this relative world and if we want to keep the fire burning just right we better live by those , till respect becomes our natural drive.

You dont know what youre missing out on Vmarco than . The best month of my life was spent living in a cave in a forest by myself , chopping wood and carriying water from the river that was running wild some 20 meters away. Amazing time. Its good stuff chopping wood , carriying water in general - literally and as a metaphor , it has potential to show the interconnectedens and imposibilty of ever being isolated from ignorance`as long as we are alive(note that acting upon the ignorace is very different than being isolated from it). And it kept my granny fit even when 75 years old.

Totally agree that religion is used to manipulate people, among other purposes too and am not religious at all myself . I do continue to draw inspiration from some religious thought sometimes and find it important to discriminate between what is what and what is not. What I am saying is lets not put everything under the same label and lets not dehumanise ourselves in the name of being free of morals. Learning to treat each other right is so important . Being a simply warm hearted person. Blaming the society can often be unproductive as the real change starts from each and every human.

Just like to frame this as an important reminder.

Firstly , a difference between having a shag with a rock star just for a sake of having a shag and this type of case is real and existing. This seem to be a case of false pretenses under the guise of spirituality. There is a difference between cooked potato and potato wedges and a rotten potato . Lets not make a potato porridge out of it all. Demonising and stigmatising in my opinion are overly dramatic and inapropriate (could be a cultural thing , having been brought up in an atehist family and communist country) description of what is being discussed and what the case is all about. Very often sex does not boil down just to - opening legs and sticking it in. There are many finer shades of being involved. Being human beings we have emotions too, and emotional degaradation and/or abuse could be as or even more painful than physical abuse depending on a person. It should not be instantly seperated and swept under the carpet, becouse of lack of reasoning or common sense . Or becouse a person is not being able to judge situation rightly and forsee the outcome. There is an element of hardness to it. I believe in questioning, adressing and recgonising/bringing out this and similar issues (all issues and bothering actually) on individual and social level. Learning to deal and recgonise many finer shades of emotional and mental spectrum , it takes us deeper into our psyche on larger scale.

Yes teacher in meditation is important IMO too, although some people do it alone just fine.

K ,this is an important point to underline and mention and take in consideration. All the darkness coming to the surface makes us open up and enchance the tolarance and adoptability a lot. That process certanly is not pleasent. To live truly peacful life a person needs to be so flexible and adoptable, loving with a massive dose of daring attitude, being able to put up with anything life brings. As life is not full of flowers.

Been vegeterian over 15 years and vegan for past 4 years , havent had any meat ever since and doing just fine. Have no deficiances due to the diet and never take any supplements either since I was I child living in a family home. Lots of fruit and vegetables and herbs are real healers, coupeled with the healthy lifestyle. I dont get any colds either , this is nothing but the true for many years now. My suggestion would be as previous posters mentioned to cut down on sugar and salt. Eventually get rid of preprocessed foods completley. They are even more loaded with chemicals and food colours and what not.Cook for yourself from scratch base ingridients(it can be done real fast once learned) or just have some fruits and veg raw, fresh juices .Eating like this is medicine. edit to add: no tierdness or energy issues with this way of eating , quite opposite actaually. I have more energy and endurance and strenght now than when I was a teen.

That made me giggle, becouse when I ended up at emergency once doctor told that my problems could be much worstend becouse I am much to much protein deficiant (being raw vegan at the time). So he insited on blood tests being done, and of course everything was fine - clear blood test.

Not always though , it depends on the individual. Sometimes excess meditation is just exactly what one needs. I think the key to taking up any spiritual pratice is applying the teachings to the daily life constantly, as well as make sure to polish the heart and make it sparkle. Meditation can be dangerous, but so can crossing the street. Saying that when in Sri Lanka a Buddhist monk was telling me of hospitalization of other monk I knew for developing some strange illnes on his neck becouse of some inccoret practise. He also told of some others who actually cough blood by doing so much vipassana . To me meditation is a best cure ever, and I certany did loads at times and had great expirience and have learned to digest life better becouse of it.

I guess people care becouse it obviously is not in accordance with yogic teaching plus naive man and women are in need of support and not in need of the abuse of their naivety. Human relations should be handeled with utmost care for individual and social wellbeing. It brings satisfaction and makes life on earth a better place. Just had to answer you this as I am suprised by what appeared to me as misplaced nonchalance.

Hello Hot Nirvana, I want to say that just practising what you can and developing patience can be pure gold. There is time for everything. Daily spiritual practise is like a mental bath, very important for that aspect of a hygene. Practising a spiritual technique of choice or temporarily necessityliterally day in day out , years in ,years out..is the best investemt in life. Just keep on spinning . Another thing is passion Scotty has mentioned . Passion for spirtual understanding has such a lovley fragnance, it is almost irresistable to any more spiritually mature teacher and it holds potential to unlock even the most difficult doors. It truly is a magic key. I got teachings offered for free becouse of it not once but many times, even from someone who charges loads. So this things do happen and are a real fertile possibilty.

Wernor Herzogs Happy People - a life in Siberian taiga (cut version unfortunatley) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V26jauHZgtw

I think it has to do with the legends of werewolfs too. In some parts of Eastern Europe and Balkans there is still belief in those creatures today. Especially in certain villages where some incidents have supposed to have occured people wouldnt go to certain places at certain times and literally live in fear of vampires etc. edited - for going way off topic

Happy Friday to you too !

jacklantegi, this is life . We live and learn. Keep walking, the surronding nature changes eventually. Spring replaces winter. Just like that.

Hello, as you can see I am not cat ,but got inspiration to write few words after reading this.. What is underlined - Dont pretend . Most of the people know and understand evil or bad or dangerous , it is encoded in our being ,a common understanding , as well as individual one. Unless there is strong mental or emotional imbalance present. So to dance your dance and fight your battle and learning to adapt it is good to know the steps - understand what is it that 'you' are doing. Life is distortion. One thing has to be put against another thing in order to exist. So distortion has happened , is happening ,will be happening (?) and is not happening at all. If there is no what we percieve as distortion we could not exist on this planet , becouse total balance is as close to destruction as total imbalance. Got to keep the fire burning nicely. So praise 'distortion' ! She is our perfect Mother. I love her distortivness and temperamental outbursts , it dont faze me (well except sometimes). However I know what you mean and trying to convey and it is good, but I felt to potray a different point of view.