Fruit of the Contemplative Life
Fruit of the contemplative life: => Contemplative Blogs => : Michel August 04, 2014, 04:35:38 PM
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L.A. Officials To Send Homeless To Internment Camps, Implanted With RFID Chips: http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/report-l-officials-send-homeless-internment-camps-implanted-rfid-chips/#more-44511
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me. - Martin Niemöller
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I do not find this premise surprising at all; however, Prescott, AZ, still seems like a safe place for the homeless. We can expect that mystics too will be rounded up and "detained" for "their own good" in detention centers.
We can also expect that , just as Nazi Germany did, films will be produced that show that these "detentions centers" will be like country clubs, with shuffle board and basket ball, and tennis, when the residents are really being boiled down for their fat to convert to biodiesel, instead of soap.
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Well said, Jhananda. It's not hard to see that the world is rapidly moving towards a new dark age. The future looks murderous when you consider all the new technology that is available for controlling the masses. There is a multinational effort to develop a brain scanner to decode what a person is thinking. Soon, for the first time in history, there will be no place left to hide in the entire world.
Bertolt Brecht, a German poet and playwright, put it well when he wrote about Hitler's defeat:
"Do not rejoice in his defeat, you men. For though the world has stood up and stopped the bastard, the bitch that bore him is in heat again."
The next bastard has the potential to be far more powerful and terrorizing than anything the world has ever seen.
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You may want to exercise some critical reason here, since the source of that article is Infowars.
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The article was originally written by Mac Slavo and posted on his website: http://www.shtfplan.com/
Alex Jones of Infowars liked the article and posted on his site since it supports his crazy views.
I don't know Mac Slavo well and what he's written could be untrue. But I don't think the credibility of the article is the issue here; rather it's a possible scenario that may play out sometime in the future considering how fettered humans are by greed, hatred and delusion. I consider journalism to be a form of literary fiction rich with a diversity of ideas and opinions.
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Keep in mind I have a lot sympathy for these conspiracy guys. But ultimately I think their views are childish and dangerous. They do not want to embrace an adult vision of the world. At the same time, I understand them, because it's a very reasonable way to react to the way the world is developing right now.
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If there is anxiety or stress about this, why doesn't someone hit 4th jhana and move the mind to see if this scenario will actually play out? Whenever I'm able to reach 4th jhana (my environment is not ideal), I'm able to know whatever I direct the mind to. And surely this is normal, as I've seen it in many teachings and discourses.
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Keep in mind I have a lot sympathy for these conspiracy guys. But ultimately I think their views are childish and dangerous. They do not want to embrace an adult vision of the world. At the same time, I understand them, because it's a very reasonable way to react to the way the world is developing right now.
Noam Chomsky and Chris Hedges are two notable journalists worth taking seriously, in my opinion. I also like to read Ralph Nader. What journalists do you like to read?
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If there is anxiety or stress about this, why doesn't someone hit 4th jhana and move the mind to see if this scenario will actually play out? Whenever I'm able to reach 4th jhana (my environment is not ideal), I'm able to know whatever I direct the mind to. And surely this is normal, as I've seen it in many teachings and discourses.
Next time you hit the 4th jhana find out which scenario will play out so we can all stop reading the bloggers and journalist. Let me know if one day I'll make it to the 4th Jhana. :-)
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Noam Chomsky and Chris Hedges are two notable journalists worth taking seriously, in my opinion. I also like to read Ralph Nader. What journalists do you like to read?
In a sense I am very conflicted Michel. Because in many ways I think I embrace the views of the political right: I like the idea a country is innately good, that its institutions are worth preserving, etc. However, the U.S. is so far to the right that I vote for Democrats.
These days I like to follow economists. Like Paul Krugman, Robert Reich, etc. They tend to have a very good understanding. Chris Hedges is also really great. Finally there is a new book out by the French economist, Thomas Piketty, Capital in the 21st Century, which explains a lot of how the world is developing right now.
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I think if the Buddha were alive today he would be an advocate of some form of social democratic governance with moral responsibilities, not just the government, but for its citizens towards each other.
Economic Teachings of the Buddha - By Bhikkhu Bodhi
Certain modern schools of thought like Marxism regard the economic domain as the primary determinant of social existence and dismiss everything else as mere superstructure, a secondary overlay resting on the material substratum.
Contrary to this view, the Buddha recognizes that there are many interdependent spheres of human activity. These cannot be subjected to any simplistic reduction, but must be seen as interrelated and mutually efficacious. The Buddha took note of the importance of economics in human life and he held that for people to be capable of personal and spiritual progress, the economic foundation has to be secure.
In many sutta’s the Buddha has pointed out that poverty can lead to the decline of moral values - to stealing, lying, murder, etc., and eventually to complete social chaos. He teaches not only that economics largely determines man’s moral condition, but also that the government has a responsibility to correct any extreme economic injustice. He advises the king to look after the economic well being of his subjects. He says that the king has to give seed to the farmers for their crops and feed for their cattle, capital to the merchants and businessman to conduct their business, and jobs to the civil servants, etc.
Generosity
Buddhism promotes economic well being in society by its stress on the virtue of generosity. The Buddha teaches all his disciples, whether monks or laymen, to practice giving, to be generous and bountiful. The wealthy in particular have an obligation to give to the poor, to help and assist the poor.
The things that can be given have been minutely classified as follows:
The basic requirements are:
a.Food
b.Clothing
c.Dwelling places
d.Medicine
Secondary objects:
a.Vehicles
b.Books
c.Utensils, lights, seats etc.
The Buddha especially praises, the giving of food. He says that if people knew the benefits of giving food, they would not sit down to a single meal without sharing it with someone if there is an opportunity for them to do so. He says one who gives food gives the following five things and in return receives these five as its karmic result.
He gives :
a.Life (long life )
b.Beauty (good complexion)
c.Happiness
d.Strength (physical health)
e.Intelligence (mind is able to function properly)
Specific advice to laymen
The Buddha gave the following advice to a group of lay people as conducive to their happiness here and now.
(a) Energy and diligence
You have to be energetic and diligent in performing your job whether it is farming, a trade, business or a profession.
(b) Security
You have to protect your wealth.
(c) Good friendship
Associate with true friends, with wise and virtuous people who will help you and protect you, and guide you in Dhamma.
(d) Balanced livelihood
You should not be too bountiful, spending more than your means allow, and you should not be niggardly, clinging to your wealth. Avoid these extremes and spend in proportion to your income.
Then he gave them advice for their long term benefit: as (a) faith and confidence in spiritual values, (b) generosity, (c) moral discipline and (d) wisdom.
Right Livelihood
The Buddha laid down four standards of right livelihood to which a lay follower should conform.
a.He should acquire wealth only by legal means.
b.He should acquire it without violence.
c.He should acquire it honestly.
d.He should require it in ways which do not harm others.
Use of one’s wealth
The Buddha says that having acquired wealth by the proper means one should spend it for five purposes.
a.To provide for one’s own household, one’s relatives and children.
b.To make gifts to friends, to entertain them, to give them presents.
c.To protect and repair one’s property and dwelling.
d.To pay taxes and make obeisance to the deities.
e.To offer alms and requisites to the monks and brahmins.
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There is a very interesting part of the Mahaparinirvana Sutra where the Buddha talks about the Vajjis. He discusses what virtues cause a nation's rise or decline. Might be worth checking out.
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Be sure to read and digest "The People's History History of the United States" - Howard Zinn. This is a must read for anyone who wants to know what happened rather than what we were taught in school. For example: Native Americans were deliberately given blankets infected with small pox. Stu
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The danger in neurobiology is that people may believe it because it is allegedly scientific. This is not the case. The question to ask is to what extent can the brain be quantified by the brain. Philosophy of mind now includes neurobiology. Stu
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Be sure to read and digest "The People's History History of the United States" - Howard Zinn. This is a must read for anyone who wants to know what happened rather than what we were taught in school. For example: Native Americans were deliberately given blankets infected with small pox. Stu
Thank-you, Stu. I read about that story on the natives and small pox. It looks like an interesting book. It's available from Amazon: http://www.amazon.ca/Peoples-History-United-States-Present-ebook/dp/B00338QF46/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1407363573&sr=8-2&keywords=howard+zinn+people%27s+history
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There is a very interesting part of the Mahaparinirvana Sutra where the Buddha talks about the Vajjis. He discusses what virtues cause a nation's rise or decline. Might be worth checking out.
Thank-you, Alexander. The Buddha offers all of us a blueprint for a sane society. The tragedy is no one seems to appreciate this.
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There is a very interesting part of the Mahaparinirvana Sutra where the Buddha talks about the Vajjis. He discusses what virtues cause a nation's rise or decline. Might be worth checking out.
Conditions of a Nation's Welfare
4. At that time the Venerable Ananda [4] was standing behind the Blessed One, fanning him, and the Blessed One addressed the Venerable Ananda thus: "What have you heard, Ananda: do the Vajjis have frequent gatherings, and are their meetings well attended?"
"I have heard, Lord, that this is so."
"So long, Ananda, as this is the case, the growth of the Vajjis is to be expected, not their decline.
"What have you heard, Ananda: do the Vajjis assemble and disperse peacefully and attend to their affairs in concord?"
"I have heard, Lord, that they do."
"So long, Ananda, as this is the case, the growth of the Vajjis is to be expected, not their decline.
"What have you heard, Ananda: do the Vajjis neither enact new decrees nor abolish existing ones, but proceed in accordance with their ancient constitutions?"
"I have heard, Lord, that they do."
"So long, Ananda, as this is the case, the growth of the Vajjis is to be expected, not their decline.
"What have you heard, Ananda: do the Vajjis show respect, honor, esteem, and veneration towards their elders and think it worthwhile to listen to them?"
"I have heard, Lord, that they do."
"So long, Ananda, as this is the case, the growth of the Vajjis is to be expected, not their decline.
"What have you heard, Ananda: do the Vajjis refrain from abducting women and maidens of good families and from detaining them?"
"I have heard, Lord, that they refrain from doing so."
"So long, Ananda, as this is the case, the growth of the Vajjis is to be expected, not their decline.
"What have you heard, Ananda: do the Vajjis show respect, honor, esteem, and veneration towards their shrines, both those within the city and those outside it, and do not deprive them of the due offerings as given and made to them formerly?"
"I have heard, Lord, that they do venerate their shrines, and that they do not deprive them of their offerings."
"So long, Ananda, as this is the case, the growth of the Vajjis is to be expected, not their decline.
"What have you heard, Ananda: do the Vajjis duly protect and guard the arahats, so that those who have not come to the realm yet might do so, and those who have already come might live there in peace?"
"I have heard, Lord, that they do."
"So long, Ananda, as this is the case, the growth of the Vajjis is to be expected, not their decline."
5. And the Blessed One addressed the brahman Vassakara in these words: "Once, brahman, I dwelt at Vesali, at the Sarandada shrine, and there it was that I taught the Vajjis these seven conditions leading to (a nation's) welfare. [5] So long, brahman, as these endure among the Vajjis, and the Vajjis are known for it, their growth is to be expected, not their decline."
Thereupon the brahman Vassakara spoke thus to the Blessed One: "If the Vajjis, Venerable Gotama, were endowed with only one or another of these conditions leading to welfare, their growth would have to be expected, not their decline. What then of all the seven? No harm, indeed, can be done to the Vajjis in battle by Magadha's king, Ajatasattu, except through treachery or discord. Well, then, Venerable Gotama, we will take our leave, for we have much to perform, much work to do."
"Do as now seems fit to you, brahman." And the brahman Vassakara, the chief minister of Magadha, approving of the Blessed One's words and delighted by them, rose from his seat and departed.
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I think it's interesting how he says in the last one, "protect and guard the arahants." What could that mean? Does he mean not to oppress them? To recognize them? Maybe in India it was easier for a king to recognize his spiritually accomplished. Also, how does that contribute to a nation's well-being?
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I think it's interesting how he says in the last one, "protect and guard the arahants." What could that mean? Does he mean not to oppress them? To recognize them? Maybe in India it was easier for a king to recognize his spiritually accomplished. Also, how does that contribute to a nation's well-being?
I think that the teaching implies that the mystics were the wise ones and therefore they were truly precious, that their wise counsel in matters of government and society should be valued to the utmost, and whenever there's a problems in the affairs of the state or spiritual matters you go to the arahants for counsel.
We've got it backwards here in the West. We put our mystics in jail, torture and put them to death - from Socrates to Jesus Christ, et al. In the West our leaders take counsel from economists, bankers, political scientist and lawyers, etc. - and that's it. It's no wonder we're in deep trouble. The heart and soul of a society should be its mystics. This makes total sense to me.
In the East it's a different matter, it's the other way around. The Buddha was revered by kings and they sought his counsel, built monasteries for him, etc., but that was back in India where they value their mystics. I think a modern example would be the case of Ajhan Chah, the Thervadan monk, who was deeply respected by those in governance in Thailand and they sought out his counsel, and they supported his endeavours financially.
Was there a time when we valued the wisdom of the mystic in the West instead of murdering and marginalizing them? I'm am not a well educated person, so I can't really answer this question properly. But it's in our mythology. We have Arthurian legend, where we have King Arthur being counseled by Merlin, the sage and mystic. Camelot flourished because of this relationship.
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Alexander, you know a lot about Christian mysticism. Do we have any historical examples of genuine Christian arahants who were actually supported by "the powers that be" of their time? I suppose that your answer is probably to be no. Jhananda would have mentioned it. But maybe I missed something?
PS - I reworked my earlier post above in answer to your questions.
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You would think Christianity would have the best record for accepting spiritual people. Since the religion was founded by an arahant who was martyred. But that isn’t true. Most of the people who became saints later on were oppressed by the Church.
Are there exceptions?
Augustine was a bishop in North Africa. He was recognized, and not oppressed. Many people liked him. However, I don’t believe Augustine was a mystic per se. He likely died a nonreturner.
Francis of Assisi was widely liked by people. They thought he represented a true Christianity, in opposition to ecclesiastic corruption. Some people hated him because he exposed their falsehood. But he was so clearly following Christ's precepts that hating him was difficult to justify.
The three great spiritual people of Spain all became more or less approved over time. But it was not immediate. Those were Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, and Ramon Lull. When their holiness became clear the pious Spanish could not do any ill to them.
If we head back towards antiquity, in the Byzantine Empire the Orthodox Church was both the protector and oppressor of spiritual people. It was sometimes better because the Eastern Church was mystical for a long time. The religion had less opportunity to decline because the texts were in their original Greek. The Emperors also needed holy people to legitimize their power. Thus we see many monastics connected to Mt. Athos, the deserts of Egypt, Syria, etc.
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You are a veritable walking encyclopedia on mysticism, Alexander. It is such a delight knowing that you are available to answer our questions. We are getting quite the education. We'll know where to poke around.
Of all the people you mentioned, which ones were true arahants?
Could you now do the same for the Eastern mystics? Who among them were arahants that were valued or supported by those who ruled? Who were oppressed?
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Well, thank you, although I don't think my knowledge is as exhaustive as you think. The person I know the most about is John of the Cross. That is why I am always saying such good things about him. Recently, I have been reading the letters he wrote while imprisoned by the Catholic authorities. It is clear he attained perfection during that time.
By Eastern do you mean Indian or Orthodox? Again I do not know about every spiritual person in history. In the East, I am well acquainted with John Climacus, who wrote the book The Ladder of Divine Ascent. I also have a general knowledge after reading all the Orthodox texts which exist in The Philokalia in English.
It is clear that John Climacus was an arahant. I have a very good opinion of him. However, he lived in isolation in Sinai, so he was apolitical. Many of the people in the Eastern Church would be the same. The hesychast tradition is quite clear about withdrawing from the world. Many of the people who practiced stillness there had clear 2nd jhana attainment. Although not necessarily much higher. The tradition is all about stilling the mind and opening the spiritual heart.
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Let's go through the list. This is what I meant.
Wikipedia's classification of Eastern religions is:
Indian religions
Hinduism
Buddhism
Jainism
Sikhism
East Asian religions
Taoism
Shinto
Confucianism
East Asian Buddhism
Who among them were arahants that were valued or supported by those who ruled? Who were oppressed?
Or even better, who are the mystics that you consider are fully enlightened, living or dead, from any tradition?
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I try to be very conservative in my judgments. I will not say unless I know the person very well. But let's look at some:
Jesus - arahant
The Buddha - arahant
John of the Cross - arahant
John Climacus - arahant
Walt Whitman - nonreturner
Socrates - arahant or nonreturner
Plato - once-returner (?)
Patanjali - don't know enough
Ramana Maharshi - arahant
G. I. Gurdjieff - arahant
P. D. Ouspensky - nonreturner
Friedrich von Hugel - nonreturner
U. G. Krishnamurti - once-returner (?)
Augustine - nonreturner
Eckhart Tolle - once-returner
Dante - arahant (?)
Rumi - arahant (?), don't know enough
Francis of Assisi - arahant (?), don't know enough
Teresa of Avila - arahant (?), haven't studied in depth
Mohammed - arahant (?), haven't studied his personal life enough
R. M. Bucke - once-returner
I would like to be able to list more Indians. But I do not know enough. Either the people never impressed me enough to study them, or I felt they never reached their full stature as siddhas.
Another issue is illiteracy. If there was some sage the King of Magadha always consulted... if there was no written record I cannot know anything. I also will not say unless I know the individual's personal life.
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This is really very great, Alexander. I should have asked you before. I thank-you very much.
I wonder if Jhananda or anyone one else agrees with this list or they might even add to the list?
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Something to keep in mind is we are not supposed to know about these. The four higher people are supposed to be hidden from view. Anyone's word is supposed to be as good as anyone else's. But, if I can judge these correctly, it is because of the following things:
- Reading the Buddha's 4 stages of liberation
- Reading Ouspensky's 4 stages of liberation
- Reading R. M. Bucke's list of people throughout history
- Direct experience in youth with a once-returner and a nonreturner
- Intuitive knowledge of the fetters, and the crises that define each stage
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Alexander, I agree with Michel that this is a very useful list you've provided us. Now I know who to study.
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I try to be very conservative in my judgments. I will not say unless I know the person very well. But let's look at some:
Jesus - arahant
The Buddha - arahant
John of the Cross - arahant
John Climacus - arahant
Walt Whitman - nonreturner
Socrates - arahant or nonreturner
Plato - once-returner (?)
Patanjali - don't know enough
Ramana Maharshi - arahant
G. I. Gurdjieff - arahant
P. D. Ouspensky - nonreturner
Friedrich von Hugel - nonreturner
U. G. Krishnamurti - once-returner (?)
Augustine - nonreturner
Eckhart Tolle - once-returner
Dante - arahant (?)
Rumi - arahant (?), don't know enough
Francis of Assisi - arahant (?), don't know enough
Teresa of Avila - arahant (?), haven't studied in depth
Mohammed - arahant (?), haven't studied his personal life enough
R. M. Bucke - once-returner
I would like to be able to list more Indians. But I do not know enough. Either the people never impressed me enough to study them, or I felt they never reached their full stature as siddhas.
Another issue is illiteracy. If there was some sage the King of Magadha always consulted... if there was no written record I cannot know anything. I also will not say unless I know the individual's personal life.
Most of these people inspired me, so I would expect that they would inspire others to lead a rigorous, disciplined, self-aware, contemplative life.
Something to keep in mind is we are not supposed to know about these. The four higher people are supposed to be hidden from view. Anyone's word is supposed to be as good as anyone else's. But, if I can judge these correctly, it is because of the following things:
- Reading the Buddha's 4 stages of liberation
- Reading Ouspensky's 4 stages of liberation
- Reading R. M. Bucke's list of people throughout history
- Direct experience in youth with a once-returner and a nonreturner
- Intuitive knowledge of the fetters, and the crises that define each stage
I would find it most interesting to see us discuss these lists that you bring up here, Alexander. Perhaps you could start a new thread on this topic, and we could all engage in some comparative critical analysis.
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I would find it most interesting to see us discuss these lists that you bring up here, Alexander. Perhaps you could start a new thread on this topic, and we could all engage in some comparative critical analysis.
I will make a thread about it. I am tired of people making wrong statements about the Noble Ones. It is because they have not been properly educated. The two traps I see are either, 1, people falling into the vice of being too meek and understating what they are; or, 2, coming up with totally their own assessments of the Noble Ones which are not based on reality at all.
I think our friend David a month ago fell into the first trap. He did not spend enough time studying the Noble Ones. So, when he met some actual ones who knew what they were, emotionally he did not know how to deal with that.
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And what would David's username on here be? Or am I completely confused?
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Discerning Attainment: http://fruitofthecontemplativelife.org/forum/index.php/topic,777.0.html
And what would David's username on here be? Or am I completely confused?
http://fruitofthecontemplativelife.org/forum/index.php/topic,743.0.html - fqmorris
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Yes, that is what I thought. I read it a week ago. I feel really bad for the guy, because it's obvious where and how things broke down. I hope he's able to overcome it in this lifetime.
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Excellent article by Chris Hedges titled "How Some Prisoners Are America's Most Exploited Workers"
Opening paragraph:
"Prisons employ and exploit the ideal worker. Prisoners do not receive benefits or pensions. They are not paid overtime. They are forbidden to organize and strike. They must show up on time. They are not paid for sick days or granted vacations. They cannot formally complain about working conditions or safety hazards. If they are disobedient, or attempt to protest their pitiful wages, they lose their jobs and can be sent to isolation cells. The roughly 1 million prisoners who work for corporations and government industries in the American prison system are models for what the corporate state expects us all to become. And corporations have no intention of permitting prison reforms that would reduce the size of their bonded workforce. In fact, they are seeking to replicate these conditions throughout the society."
Full article here: http://www.alternet.org/chris-hedges-how-some-prisoners-are-americas-most-exploited-workers?page=0%2C0
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Interesting point of view. When I spent 5 days in jail for being a dead-beat dad, I found I had no right at all, and if I was lucky, then I got to work in the kitchen all day, where I got a meal, that is it. Yes, I agree prison is the new slavery, but what else are you going to do in prison, but work?
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I know a few ex-cons who discovered jhana while in prison--if that's what you're getting at, jhananda :)
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If this is an omen of things to come then the future looks very dim. Here in Canada we're headed in a similar direction. Our first for profit private corporate managed prison appeared in 2001.
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Why Psychiatry Holds Enormous Power in Society Despite Losing Scientific Credibility: http://www.alternet.org/why-psychiatry-holds-enormous-power-society-despite-losing-scientific-credibility
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Thank-you, Michel for posting this important link. I completely agree with the following quote:
Why Psychiatry Holds Enormous Power in Society Despite Losing Scientific Credibility (http://www.alternet.org/why-psychiatry-holds-enormous-power-society-despite-losing-scientific-credibility)
What’s a guy gotta do around here to lose a little credibility?” asked ProPublica reporter Jesse Eisinger in a 2012 piece about top Wall Street executives who created the financial meltdown but remain top executives, continue to sit on corporate and nonprofit boards, serve as regulators, and whose opinions are sought out by prominent op-ed pages and talk shows.
Wall Street is not the only arena where one can be completely wrong and still retain powerful influence. Influential “thought leader” psychiatrists and major psychiatry institutions, by their own recent admissions, have been repeatedly wrong about illness/disorder validity, biochemical causes and drug treatments. In several cases, they have been discovered to be on the take from drug companies, yet continue to be taken seriously by the mainstream media.
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I thought I'd share this beautiful and sorrowful piece of music for strings by the little known composer Sean Beeson. It titled Light Gracing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkEgfqKU5h4
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A very nice piece, which I enjoyed. Thank-you.
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I just read this article about why it is better to kill than injure pedestrians with your automobile in China. I felt a mixture of laughter and pathos at the complete insanity of humans. It reminded of a chapter tilted "Jolly Hunting in Automobiles" from Hermann Hesse's novel Stepphenwolf.
Why many drivers in China intentionally kill the pedestrians they hit: http://news.nationalpost.com/news/world/why-many-drivers-in-china-intentionally-kill-the-pedestrians-they-hit
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They have a completely different approach to things there. Life is very hard, even harder than it is here, and human life is cheap. That is the situation in places like China. The cause of this seems to be an irrationality in the law... it's more expensive to injure a person than kill him. But, the PRC is too corrupt to fix its laws.
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I think what they have in common with Westerners is placing a higher value on money than human beings. I think that the cultural milieu, the way they penalize pedestrian accidents, and the difficulties of life in China have a certain degree of influence on the way they behave, as you point out. But they are just as fettered by the insanity of greed, hatred and delusion as we are. So they are motivated by the same forces as we are, but under different circumstances. This is the human condition.
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Michel ^.^
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Why Psychiatry Holds Enormous Power in Society Despite Losing Scientific Credibility: http://www.alternet.org/why-psychiatry-holds-enormous-power-society-despite-losing-scientific-credibility
Nice article. I have thought that chemical imbalance was overly simplistic of an explanation. It shows an ignorance of how neurotransmitters work. It reminded me of hitting the side of a TV with your hand to "fix" it. It will make things better temporarily but it ignores underlying causes.
I actually feel that a change in lifestyle, my wife's support, and meditation, cured my depression. I'm totally undepressed as of a few years, and I won't look back to that. There's a sense of "OKness" that I can feel now.
However, a few years ago, we learned that chemical imbalance was the caused depression in nursing school. Seems like that, as the article said, Big Pharma pushed its way into a Community College. Sad.
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follinge, It is the premise here, and by most genuine mystics, that by leading a fruitful contemplative life one is freed of one;s addictions, anxieties, and depressions, etc. So, I am not surprised that you found relief from your depression in the practice of meditation. However, the pharmaceutical industry does not get a cut when we fix our self by leading a contemplative life, so it is not likely that our findings here will ever be funded in a major way.
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For the last year I've been taking pomegranate extract supplements. This article explains why this fruit is worth considering as a part of one's diet:
Why Eating Pomegranate Could Save Your Life: http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/why-eating-pomegranate-could-save-your-life
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I've known about the benefits for a while now and it's also beneficial for diabetics. It is also quite expensive here. I do take it once in a while when I can afford it.
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In Arizona we have so many pomegranate trees, and the taste of the fruit is unique, so not that many people like it, so when pomegranate fruit is in season here, then there are often boxes full of the fruit given away, or they are just left on the tree to rot. So, I have eaten them most of my life, and quite like the taste of the fruit. If I recall correctly, it is high in anthocynin, a natural anti-inflammatory.
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I'm surprised to read both your comments. Pomegranate is very high in sugar.
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Un-fermented fruit is no longer on my diet plan.
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http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Research/Antioxidant-rich-pomegranate-juice-may-aid-blood-sugar-management-for-diabetics-Human-data