Baron Michael Mojohito John Richerson von Tchudi

There’s a lot in my head right now, a lot of responsibility on my shoulders.
I’m quite comfortable in a role of philosopher, vision holder, space holder, and teacher. I find myself now responsible for researching and budgeting, not just for myself, but for provisions for my family – budgeting thousands or tens of thousands of dollars of my parents’ money. Permits, codes, legal requirements that I myself might be comfortable finding ways to slip under the local government, but not others, not an institution.
Many pieces, much to learn, experience to be gained just by doing.
I fear that I don’t hold all of those pieces, that I’m forgetting something, that at the key moment, I won’t have my wits about me. The discussion with the county planning department.
I tend to want to hide, to relax, to not think, but the time for me to perform is now.
Juggling.
Internet, tobacco, reading, drinking, sleeping too much.
Work, job, survival, responsibilities.

A simple and common greeting is to ask a person how they are doing, meaning, presumably, as an inquiry into the current state of the individual’s emotional and mental health. I’ve been finding this question more and more difficult to answer – a simple “Ok” has never seemed sufficient, but lately I feel a mental short circuit when this question is posed to me. My emotional and logical landscape covers the spectrum of “very well” to “very poorly” at any given moment. To respond that I “just am” seems most accurate, but also sounds vague and pseudo-enlightened, of which I am neither. Detailed and specific with language, and I intend to answer every question as if it is posed with a genuine interest, not just as a perfunctory greeting. Enlightenment is something that requires it’s own body of writing just to define; I don’t fancy being in that category.
I can be very well as I am eating healthy food, spending the bulk of my time learning about interesting subjects, slowly developing meaningful relationships, and still have time to reflect.
I can also be very poor because I still struggle with destructive behavior patterns, the coursework is strenuous, I still feel lonely even when around people, and the reflection can be intense and aggressive as my mind seeks to process to completion each and every detail.
I am filled with love, but don’t particularly like people. How am I, you ask?

My mind, perhaps this entity holds some key. It does indeed seem to function rampantly, on its own, and the reigns I put on it can merely guide the stampede of thoughts. I am aware of feeling good, of feeling bad; these things influence – but don’t define – me, whatever “Me” is. There is more than one aspect of the concept of this “me” thing, processes and subroutines that run parallel, concurrently, influencing one another, condensed and broadcast through a body, face, and voice to be received by other humans nearby, each of them their own “me” structure, complete with receptive capability and filters, compiling information to co-create a version of reality that more-or-less works for everyone.

I stub out the slender roll of tobacco before it burns my fingers and throat further. Slip on shoes, other layers of dark color and symbols, shapes that define and contain physical parameters and transmit messages, and step out of the warm and dark and solitary room into a bright cold morning. I don’t hear my neighbors. Walking an unpaved trail through trees, I have in my mind the voice of a new friend, a good friend, conveyed through time and technology and headphones.
The music she has written and recorded and printed and distributed sings of love and self in ways I haven’t thought of in a while, having defined myself through celibacy, relationships indistinct and transient, but now I am in the present with this mournful and hopeful melody guiding my thoughts, considering what I would feel like to have another in my life, sharing a small reality. And I think of her, since as I listen to this music, I think not only of my relationship to it, but also her relationship to it, and my relationship to her. The music, the moment, alone, yet with her voice in my mind, takes me away, and I realize that I have reached the end of the path before I have reached the end of the moment.
I take the headphones out so as to be more aware of the environment I am entering. A lodge crowded with people inside from the cold. I make simple conversation, people accessing only the outer-most layer of the personality-complex, which finds it acceptable to give superficial answers to perfunctory questions. I fill a bowl quickly and leave again. The cold doesn’t bother me. It seems suiting.
I set the bowl down outside to turn music back on. Walk to a spot where it is likely other people will pass by, but unlikely that they will try and speak to me. I look out and down into a landscape of rolling hills. The morning sun pulls moisture up from the earth, and mist begins to rise, becoming low clouds, diffusing the light. In another two hours, the moisture will burn off, and it will be a warm afternoon. I breathe deeply the dense air while it lasts.
And I’m savoring breakfast and staring into the fog and absorbing the music and contemplating gently and I realize why I can’t give a straightforward answer to a straightforward question: there isn’t a cohesive “Me” to give an answer in the first place. There are many “me”s that all want to channel a genuine response through a single source of output, and the transmitter gets confused. Short circuit.
“I” am not limited to a personality-construct that interacts with others and has many techniques to establish itself as a dominant and cohesive unit. There is also a deep and vast existence that underlies all that. This manifestation of conscious energy is stunning, and it is doing very well. It is healthy and expanding and perceives love and beauty in all things. It is the personality subroutine that suffers from weakness, fear and doubt, desire and loneliness.
This explains why I feel so present and capable of offering nurturing and compassion to others who feel suffering, yet rarely feels safe with another person when it is my turn to be vulnerable. The energetic aspect of my existence can hold safety and awareness, while the fragile ego feels that it cannot be related to.
Tears stream down my face into my bowl of miso, and I am vaguely aware that I haven’t eaten much. I try, but food has no taste, so I set the bowl aside and cry quietly to the heavens at the realization of my self-imposed limitations. A person walks past, and I do not know if they see me.
I listen to the music, and hear her words:

Darkness can go on without me, because I no longer fear to face what is coming in it’s place.

I am able to compose myself, contain again the fission reaction of my soul within a rapidly deteriorating sarcophagus, finish breakfast, and move my body. Align my spine, encourage the movement of synovial fluid and cerebrospinal marrow. Stretch the tight muscles of my legs, working daily to reset nerve spindles within the muscle structure, extend the capacity for movement that this machine affords.
Tears have dried on my face, and I don’t expect others to notice. I don’t want to talk about it. It is time now to enter the disorganized training hall, make some part of myself available for learning, continue the expansion of thought and capacity. A new inlet has seeped through into the lagoon of my awareness, adding a fresh source for contemplation and nourishment.
I will hold on to this, gently

I have lived through now in my life with a certain type of lifestyle that allows an easy existence – comfort, luxury, and entertainment have been hallmarks of this mode of living. I have always known, however, that my youth would be the easiest and most ‘fun’ period of my life; eventually, these things would fade and would be replaced with intention, dedication, and discipline towards more advanced goals. I have had many interests but lacked direction: due to easy access to finance, I have had sophisticated audio, video, and computer equipment and world travel at my fingertips, which I have treated as puzzles and toys. I have learned much, but applied little; intellect without application. In recent years, I have seen more and more that the frivolous nature of my investments has been wasteful, and I have discovered deeper needs and interests that attract me. I intend that I will no longer treat my interests as games. I have discovered and decided that now is the time to initiate massive change.
Attending the Heartwood Institute is the first major step on this new path unfolding in front of me.
The time has come in my life when the comfort and ease of childhood must be replaced with dedication and hard work.

I am attending the Heartwood Institute for nothing short of personal transformation. This is the calculated process of using my knowledge and experiences up until this point of my life, combining them with a chosen path and direction, and submitting my whole self to a rigorous training program with the intention of becoming the person that I want to be. The Heartwood Institute offers a multifaceted and immersive environment that will give me the opportunity to make dedicated and intentional change in myself.

In this document, I am establishing my intentions:

Physical and Mental Purification
Destruction of Old Habits
To cleanse the body is to cleanse the mind; as the mind clears, consciousness is able to expand, which facilitates the process of purification. Drugs, alcohol, and poor diet all contribute to a toxic physicality, and thus a poisoned mind. In addition to ill health and disease, depression, self-doubt, low motivation, and lack of creativity are all brain-chemistry related, and can be addressed by the quality of what I put into my body.
At Heartwood, I will live in an environment with the cleanest air and water, organic vegan and macrobiotic diets. I will be away from the chaotic lifestyle I have existed in for so long, and the destructive tendencies that come from that lifestyle. Without constant social pressure, as well as long standing patterns and habits, I intend to break away from drugs such as caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, and marijuana. I will quit smoking and drinking. With nine months living in this environment, I will develop a clarity and peace of mind that I will take with me into the outside world. While I will not make a statement that I will never touch tobacco, marijuana, or alcohol again, I can state firmly that I will break my attraction to these drugs as habitual behaviors and emotional crutches that I stumble with as I react against a world I feel ill at ease with.

Positive Attitude
I am a fairly articulate communicator, and I am effective at explaining and understanding issues and problems and work to find a solution agreeable to all parties; I can facilitate and mediate conflict situations. However, I have the feeling that my day-to-day conversational style seems smug and pessimistic, perhaps even superior and arrogant at times. In this process of transitioning into life at Heartwood and the rigorous education I will undertake there – especially considering the small community of individuals I will be living with, sharing a small room with another person, and the general positive and healing environment – I intend to practice the subtle attitude of humbleness, and cultivate a more sensitive ability to listen and understand, and to give all people the space to communicate freely without passing judgment. I intend to take these new communication skills with me into the outer world.

Development of Discipline
The work gets done. I push myself to study and learn. I stick with most projects I begin, and I don’t abandon a situation when it gets difficult. But discipline is more rigorous than these. I also don’t start new projects because I lack the motivation; I don’t develop creative ideas because I don’t see the point. I hate exercise even as I enjoy being physical. To have discipline means to be able to function through my insecurities, inhibitions, laziness, and overly self-critical attitudes. I will develop discipline at Heartwood in a variety of ways. One is to study the coursework rigorously; this will be the most intensive educational experience I have had to this point, and I will need to apply myself with dedication in order to graduate with Honors. Also, I will participate in Yoga and QiGong exercises, which develop both the physical self and concentration. Perhaps the most difficult will be to chose to function smoothly in a social community environment; I don’t know how I will respond in a community so small and close, since my tendency is to keep to myself. It will take a new kind of discipline for me to extend myself further in all these directions simultaneously.

Meditation and Concentration Techniques
Meditation is a process that seems so simple yet so elusive at the same time. I have practiced occasionally, and perhaps have slipped into a meditative state more often without realizing it – or taking advantage of the peace. Meditation is a powerful technique for calming mental chatter while simultaneously expanding the brain and mind’s ability to process information and emotion. Ironically, I find it very difficult to calm myself enough to make meditation a regular part of my daily life. At Heartwood, I will receive direct instruction as well as live in an environment highly conducive to contemplative thought. Like Yoga and QiGong, it will take a new type of discipline for me to meditate nearly daily, but the time I will spend will increase the level of discipline. With nine months at Heartwood, I intend for meditation to become an integrated part of my life.
Essentially, I will be breaking bad habits immediately, and establishing new, life affirming practices in my daily routine. Over nine months, this will allow my neural circuitry to re-map itself, and when I leave Heartwood I will have a new set of mechanisms for dealing with the stresses of chaotic urban life.

Energy Sensitivity
Chinese medicine is only one philosophy/modality that considers an intrinsic relationship between physical well-being and the body’s energetic makeup. Indeed, the energy systems of the body, documented as meridians and chakras, are but one example of the nature of physical reality – which from a certain perspective, matter and energy are indistinguishable. It could be said that what we perceive as matter is in actuality a complex webwork of energy relationships.
A principle of Zen Shiatsu is that an individual can detect and manipulate the bio-electro-magnetic field of another person’s body to facilitate healing, and this concept is repeated in similar forms in Polarity Therapy, Ayurveda, and the Martial Arts.
My intention in training at Heartwood to become sensitized to the detection of the energy fields of the body, and move my education in this philosophy/science from the realm of academic to experiential.

Health and Healing
Not only am I going to cleanse myself and establish and reaffirm powerful skills for healthy living, I am going to study this process as well, and study it in a way that I can take these and share them with other people. What makes Heartwood such an effective school is that students live in this immersive environment and learn by experiencing the process within themselves.
Traditional Chinese Medicine is an effective modality for a variety of reasons. It is detailed and specific. It functions on many levels; for example, I will learn about the value of whole-foods nutrition. I will also learn about the energetic properties of foods, another layer. And this, combined with Five Element theory and Shiatsu energy and massage techniques create a dynamic and fluid way to approach the subject of healing with a wide variety of people.
There is more to it than this. Why I decide to focus on health and healing is also a question with many answers.
We live in a society where we are inundated with propaganda and imagery designed specifically to influence what we think. Much of this is in regards to perceptions of health as distributed by massive corporate structures who have much more concern with profit than with health. I quote Inga Muscio:
“Loving, knowing and respecting our bodies is a powerful and invincible act of rebellion in this society.”
We must unlearn the disinformation distributed by profiteers so that we can re-learn how to live in a wholesome and healthy way. Attitudes about food are some of the most deep seated suppositions I have encountered, and yet are so basic to survival and quality of life, and – as I mentioned above – are directly related to mental functioning as well. It is here that the process of deconstruction and reeducation must begin.

Personal Transformation
In all of this, my intention is to unlock my inner potential. While Chinese Medicine and bodywork are a set of skills I can use, the experience at Heartwood is about clearing myself to get a better look at my Self, becoming a more complete and integrated person.
I am attending the Heartwood Institute for nothing short of personal transformation. This is the calculated process of using my knowledge and experiences up until this point of my life, combining them with a chosen path and direction, and submitting my whole self to a rigorous training program with the intention of becoming the person that I want to be. The Heartwood Institute offers a multifaceted and immersive environment that will give me the opportunity to make dedicated and intentional change in myself.

Civilized, intelligent creatures have existed on Earth for a lot longer than what is popularly considered under current timelines for the development of life on our planet.
Folks have anticipated that the end of the world will come within their lifetimes throughout all of history. People have always experienced their surroundings, referred to mystical texts, and read and interpreted prophecies to discover that nuclear war, pole-shift, alien invasion, or rapture was imminent – years or even days away, civilization was destined to collapse. Many would perish, but some – those prepared – would survive; bunkers with canned food, souls purified through prayer, and a superior morality would ensure the future of those special individuals, ones with enough foresight, insight, and spiritual guidance.
As is evidenced, however, the end of life as we know it hasn’t occurred, not any time within the last, 50, 000 years, give or take – so a lot of doom-sayers have been seriously incorrect in their interpretations.
Indeed, as young people alive today, we aren’t in very close connection with our heritage. It’s difficult to imagine what our grandparents’ lives were like, let alone two hundred or a thousand years before that. Recorded history is maintained by the victors and oppressors of the past, or at best, the wealthy minority. Those people thought and felt in ways fundamentally different from how we think and feel today, so it takes substantial creativity and conjective projection to even imagine!
So, I’m skeptical.
I’m skeptical of the WOTS theory, if only because I see how easy it is to envision the end-of-life-as-we-know-it, and to believe that we are the ones with enough foresight, insight, and spiritual guidance to predict and prepare for the inevitable. The capacity of human ego to inflate one’s self-worth boggles the mind.

We indeed live in troubled and trying times. Evidence abounds to support a WOTS scenario, but evidence abounds to support just about any imaginable theory, no matter how outlandish it may seem. At the same time, just about anything we can imagine to exist probably does exist, so it goes both ways.
I encourage each of us to consider alternative points of view very seriously. I know that there has been a lot of research done by the people who frequent this forum and by brilliant philosophers and magical scientists of all races and disciplines, and all of it is purely subjective – open to interpretation, regardless of corroboration. For example:
The 2012 end of the Mayan (actually Olmec, but we don’t even know where they got it…) calendar doesn’t actually predict the end of anything other than a cycle of time – no different than a year, decade, or century. The precise alignment of the Egyptian pyramids to reflect Orion’s belt in precisely the year ten thousand four hundred and fifty BC implies… damn, must be important. Stonehenge is a meticulously constructed monument that was likely very important to the people that lived in that part of the world way back in the blissful Unity Consciousness era of Earth’s history. But damn if that stuff makes any sense to humans alive today, at the turbulent end of this phase of Polarity Consciousness (if that particular model of consciousness development can hold any water). The ancient and highly refined spiritual science of Buddhism sees our reality of samsara to be never ending to those who don’t selflessly dedicate multiple lifetimes to the grueling task of spiritual development, and the other realms are accessible only through karmic action or the will of an enlightened being.

I call for each of us to consider alternative points of view very seriously. As well as constructing a spiritual philosophy, one must also deconstruct spiritual philosophy, and consider why it is s/he believes what s/he does. Only through this practice can you be sure you are developing your spirit and consciousness.

Believing you are Right is an extremely dangerous position to be in. One small assumption can block one’s pursuit of Truth.

By “relationship” I refer here to the typical dualistic, monogamous, heterosexual, romantic/sexual partnership, as I understand and am inclined to pursue – and also avoid.

The DRAW
- The primary instinct drawing people into such relationships are twofold:
a) mating instinct
b) need for nurturing companionship
- In addition, there is a factor for the ego-weak (which is most of us): a desire to validate one’s one existence by having it reflected in another person – a devotee.

Why RESIST
- I feel a yearning, somewhere in an emotional center. I believe this is a “spiritual” yearning, but it often takes the form of a desire for companionship or a partner. I am concerned that such yearning could draw me into a relationship; while not necessarily “bad”, this would nonetheless not bring the satisfaction I am seeking.
- “Love” is a generalized thing – a force, as it were, in the universe. While love for a person certainly is possible, it’s more of simply choosing a focal point to project “love” onto. Fondness for particular people is not uncommon, but to call this ‘love’ is not entirely accurate. In other words, “love” exists independently in each individual, and does not require a partner to project onto.
- The infatuation and lust that comes at the onset of a new relationship is distracting from a “spiritual” (or “cosmic) path, and is misleading to the emotional and mental self. While it is important for an individual to learn to understand him/her self – including these extremes of “emotion” – the whole endeavor ought to be avoided for other reasons mentioned.
- Sexual engagement, – specifically ejaculation – is depleting to the male body’s energy and chemical reserves, and unnecessarily taxes the body’s resources. (This can be prevented by mastering multi-orgasmic and semen retention techniques.)
- Relationships tend to bring on stress: questions of performance, reciprocity of emotion, physical satisfaction, abound. Personality conflicts are likely to arise as two people become deeply intimate. The transition from infatuation to partnership is rarely accomplished, but the tendency is to try to sustain infatuation. Thus, most relationships are destined for breakup – often rocky and even more painful. So starting one almost inevitably means dealing with the tumult of ending one.
- See, the prospect of delusion – self and mutual – is high. As one struggles to understand their partner, and themselves within the context of their partner, one often uses techniques of compromising (changing) one’s self to appease the partner/relationship, and justifying behaviors on both ends as reasonable or necessary. A tendency is to ‘work’ on a relationship to make it successful – or at least sustaining, (Rarely is there such compatibility that this doesn’t need to happen.) People don’t want to accept that their “love” is not enough for the relationship, or face the prospect of being alone again. (With sufficiently mature individuals, mutual acceptance of romantic deterioration may allow an amicable and timely separation. Alternatively, such individuals may have a high level of tolerance and acceptance of others’ personality traits – thus allowing a relationship to sustain. Maintenance of personal space and privacy are necessary, but sometimes difficult to establish at the ebb of the infatuation phase.)

Why ENGAGE
I can envision circumstances favorable to becoming involved in a relationship – the circumstances are specific and necessary.
- Sufficient maturity, as mentioned above, could allow two people to come together favorably. Traits include allowing tolerance for personality traits, recognition of difficulty, very and open and honest communication, and room for personal space and time – weeks or months may be necessary.
- A high level of compatibility in terms of mutual goals of “spiritual” or “cosmic” development, as well as being in a similar stage of development. Thus two people could co-contribute to mutual growth and progress.
- A commitment to “spiritual” sexuality: use or training in Tantric sexuality to combine nervous-system energy for meditation to foster rapid growth and consciousness development.
- Though not necessarily monogamous, clearly defined terms and boundaries must be established and adhered to. Trust and commitment are vital, even in periods of little or no contact.
- Individuals may need periods of time to embark on solitary “spiritual” or personal quests. Ideally, solitary progress should be made in such a way that achievements can be shared in the union.
- It must be understood and accepted that changes in the relationship will occur that will mean evolution or devolution – or even dissolution – of the union.

In CONCLUSION
- The possibility of a relationship does indeed exist for me, but it will likely be in the form of a life-partnership with a unique and powerful individual – the likes of which I have yet to encounter and may never encounter.
- Striving or yearning for a relationship is not only deluded, but could easily lead to more failed attempts. Also, this desire – in and of itself – is counterproductive to a “spiritual” or ‘cosmic” path.
- I must make much more personal progress before this yearning is extinguished (thus allowing clarity in making decisions about engaging in a relationship) and I am secure enough to bring something significant and stable to a union. Perhaps many more years are necessary.
- In the meantime, casual relationships are inhibitive of such growth and progress, for reasons detailed above. Attempts at such a relationship when one is not sufficiently prepared can only hurt the development of the self on the path to eventual “completeness”.*
- Relationships should be avoided at virtually all costs – resistance should be exercised at every step.

* – There is something to be said for experience – one must have failed experiments in order to have successful experiments. Growth can occur through difficulty. Aspera non spernit.

21 March 2005
Burger King in Nyugati Station, Budapest, Hungary

Transcribed 12 July 2005
Insomnia Café, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

The line between science and religion has always seemed clear to me. The notion of science actually refers to a very specific method: hypothesis, controlled testing, evaluation of results, scrutiny by peers, repeat. It also implies a certain set of beliefs – called ‘laws’ in the parlance – considered to be true. Conversely, there are unspoken rules, possibilities that are considered to be not possible. These generally fall into a category called Magic, or, more popularly, Religion. I tend to err on the side of science, though perhaps science isn’t the best word, more like pragmatism. There’s a third category, generally held in contempt by both scientists and religious types.

When I was young, I was drawn to unexplained phenomena. At nine years old I gave myself nightmares as my own fascination drew me to research Spontaneous Human Combustion – I stared at gruesome photographs and feared this to be my fate, while learning that the Earth’s own electromagnetic field perhaps had some influence on the flammability of human flesh. Later, I read in depth books on Extra Sensory Perception – research into brain-wave patterns and experiments the Soviets had performed while trying to create super-spies, or perhaps the best athletes or chess players in the world. As a teenager I read about real vampires: historic accounts of anemic villagers going made from famine and drinking the blood of humans – indeed, human blood is absorbed directly through the stomach lining into the body of the drinker, bypassing digestion. I pondered why people in hospitals received transfusions instead of large mugs, until I realized what it must be like to swallow a quart or two of fresh blood.

Now, I never seriously got into aliens, government plots, or conspiracy theories. I mean, those things are all interesting to think about, but they didn’t seem to me to be very practical. That realm wasn’t just unknown, it was actively kept secret, at least until the invading race revealed themselves or the President himself went on TV and said ‘yep, we’ve had antigravity crafts for fifty years now…’. How could I discover something intentionally kept from me? It didn’t feel to have a practical impact on my life, whereas the concept that I myself, with proper training and focus, move an object through space using the force of thought, was deeply enthralling.

As an adult, I read more esoteric and specific writings. Ancient spirituality, modern occultism, quantum physics, practical descriptions of life-force energy, alternate histories of the development of civilization. What struck me most about these texts was how similar they all were. I made connections back and forth between books that were so literal it made my jaw hurt, and so fanciful it was impossible to understand how the author himself believed his own philosophy, and all manner in between. Each topic was written primarily in the context of itself: the witches and warlocks considered that they had found the key to manipulating reality, Taoist sages posed that only through stripping away unnecessary trappings of our lives are we able to truly begin to understand the Chi energy that binds the universe.
Eventually, I saw all of these points of view within a larger context: they are all different models and theories and philosophies describing the same thing, and that that same thing actually, tangibly exists. It is the indescribable something that makes life different from non-life, the spark that makes conscious self-aware creatures different from dogs and bugs. The thing that makes it possible to learn, to become smarter, and to understand. A palpable force that allows 100 year old cigarette smoking Chinese Tai Chi masters able to shove a tree without using muscles. Even science demonstrated in its own self-righteous way that on a small enough level, energy and matter are indistinguishable.

I find all of this fascinating, but it begins to lose its pragmatism, again, my approach to understanding. As my focus broadens, my ability to put my hands on this thing I am learning about diminishes, and it floats into the abstract world of philosophy, where we struggle with ideas instead of practice in our daily lives.

I decided to focus. Something in my daily life, without which I cannot survive. A long standing interest, and that which I can work with with my hands and body. There was no decision to be made: food.
I have had a minor obsession with food that makes my interest in all this scientific/mystic philosophy seem pale. Family friends who have known me longer than I can remember tell me “You were really into your food as a kid… I mean really!” I cook and eat all kinds of things, but in the past couple of years, my interest has been largely with Vegan cooking. Don’t ask me why, I’ve never considered myself a vegan, sometimes vegetarian. I like the challenge of cooking without many of the rich and simple to prepare items that many meals are based around. I also like creating meals that are approachable to anyone: interesting enough for skeptics, but accessible for those with lactose intolerance, and the like. Working together with my brother, we prepared a vegan spinach lasagna for an Italian meat fanatic, who tasted it and didn’t believe that it had no cheese whatsoever, and catered a gourmet meal for 14 people who never even noticed the lack of meat or dairy until we pointed it out at the end of the meal.
I had already made the commitment to organic food, and was moving in a more healthy direction, and I was beginning to read some radical Taoist whole-foods nutrition evidence on food-combining for optimum digestion that seemed impossible to implement, but I began trying. I continue to struggle – particularly working in a fast-paced corporate environment in the financial district of San Francisco – but I have dramatically reduced refined flour and sugar, and eliminated milk, cheese, and meat from my diet. I experimented: cease eating one type of food for a month or two, and re-introduce it to see how my body responded. I was impressed at how my digestion would clog after a burger, and that ice cream induced a hangover that lasted several days. Once the process began, it just seemed natural. A whole-foods, balanced diet, however, is just the beginning.

Both China and India have pragmatic spiritual traditions that span six thousand years or more. There are extensive writings on exercise, medicine, architecture, meditation, enlightenment, and, of course, proper diet. Chinese Taoist philosophy is relatively loosely organized. Sages, adepts, and practitioners have written extensively on their studies and findings, and a large library could easily be filled only with the most important of these texts. Of course, over time, much of this has been re-researched and distilled, and today there is a relatively well-understood approach (which modern lifestyles effectively inhibit). The Chinese approach tends to be on the practical side – there are no Taoist deities, specific rules or laws that one must live by in order to appease the one-ness of the universe; it is a simple and personal relationship with that certain je ne se quoi that is being alive. The Indian tradition of Vedic Science is more structured, but with that structure comes a symbolic system that again blurs the lines between science and religion.