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Why I became a Doctor – a quote for the day

 “We come unbidden into this life, and if we are lucky we find a purpose beyond starvation, misery, and early death which, lest we forget, is the common lot. I grew up and I found my purpose and it was to become a physician. My intent wasn’t to save the world as much as to heal myself. Few doctors will admit this, certainly no young ones, but subconsciously, in entering the profession, we must believe that ministering to others will heal our woundedness. And it can. But it can also deepen the wound . . . You live it forward, but understand it backward.”-Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

The End of the Search for Siddhis…..

This story came up during a conversation with Roshi Joan Halifax last week and I thought before it got lost in my increasingly suspect memory I would record it………

The End of the Search for Siddhis-

This was it. After years of looking I had finally found a fully vetted Vajrayana master of verifiable lineage who was giving teachings and empowerment in the tummo practice. Power in all its forms was my main interest at the time, physical, psychic, financial, political. I was ready to learn this practice and use it and the power it could generate to advance my practice and my life.

Years of martial arts had left me with an injured low back which I disguised with a very erect posture. New to this Sangha, I sat right in front of the Lamas all week long, trying to demonstrate my capacities, hoping they would notice that I sat better and taller than anyone else, that my practice was more advanced, my meditation more stable and single pointed and focused. In my delusion I thought I was as advanced as the Lamas themselves…..and I wanted them to recognize and acknowledge this, or at least praise me for being a great practitioner.

At the end of the week of teaching came the Empowerment, and the complicated visualization practice I thought would give me the ability to withstand cold of any extreme. And after that the chance I had been waiting for, when we could ask questions of the Lamas.

Lama Kenchen Palden Sherab, now deceased, and Lama Tsewang Dongyal, were known as the Khenpo Brothers. Lama Kenchen spoke only in Tibetan, and his brother translated for him. They were, and Lama Tsewang remains, true, stainless, immaculate teachers of the Dharma.

I raised my hand and asked: “How do we know that we are progressing in the practice?” I was expecting a detailed explication of the stages, something along the lines of “First you will notice a gentle warning in the lower belly, this will intensify, and when you truly meld the red and white drops you will produce a heat which will fill your entire body….”.

 Lama Kenchen looked through me for a moment with the clear light of Dharma shining from his form. He knew what I was asking and what I expected as an answer.  He smiled, and said simply: “Well, of course, if your Love and Compassion are increasing, you are doing the practice properly.”

The moment was as close to Satori as anything I have ever experienced. Years of desire for power manifested in hard work and rigorous training appeared as the egotistical foolishness they had been, and disappeared as the realization of the truth of his statement flooded through me.

 I remain grateful beyond words for the graciousness, gentleness, and skillful means with which Lama Kenchen dismantled a big piece of my ego in a moment and set me on a more compassionate path. I hope all practitioners meet with true Dharma teachers such as Lama Dongyal and Roshi Joan and progress in their practice.

May it benefit all and bring harm to none, JR

Chinese Lunar New Year–A Second Chance to get your New Year’s Resolutions Right

 It’s about a month into the New Year. Do you already wish you had a do-over for your New Year’s Resolutions?



If so, you’re in luck. You do.



February 10th is the Chinese lunar New Year. The celebration of the New Year, the Spring Festival, is China’s longest and most important holiday. Because it is based on a different calendar, it falls on a different date between January 21 and February 20 every year.



You can think of Spring Festival as Christmas and New Year all rolled into one. Just like our holiday season, it’s a time of celebration, visiting family and friends, giving gifts and preparing for the next year.



Chinese Lunar New Year: Spring Festival

In China, there are many New Year’s traditions during the 15-day Spring Festival. Many people clean their homes to sweep away the past year and usher in the next. Oftentimes family members travel home for a visit.



Children receive red envelopes, called hóngbo in Mandarin, filled with money from their relatives. 



People hang red lanterns outside their homes to bring happiness and good luck. On Chinese New Year’s Eve families gather for a huge meal and enjoy “lucky” foods together. And, of course, there are fireworks.



The Chinese zodiac has 12 years in its cycle, each one represented by an animal; 2013 is the Year of the Snake. Astrologers say that people born in the Year of the Snake are wise but enigmatic. They are very intuitive and size up situations well, but say little. 



Snakes are refined; they like to dress well and are usually financially secure. They are intense and passionate in relationships, but can become jealous and suspicious. Snakes prefer a calm, stress-free environment.



Recommit to Your New Year’s Resolutions

The Chinese do not traditionally make New Year’s Resolutions like we do in the west, however this is a good time to reflect on the goals you set a month ago. Are you keeping your New Year’s resolutions?



If you’re having trouble, maybe it’s time to take a lesson from the Snakes. Take a quiet moment and reflect on what is stopping you. Do you need to get serious? Do you need additional support? Are your goals genuine – do you want to do them or do you think you should do them? Why haven’t you kept your New Year’s Resolutions?



If your resolutions include improving your health in 2013, I can help you with that. Give me a call and we can arrange an appointment for anything from a tune-up to weight control to mood balancing.



If you need to make a deeper commitment to your resolutions, take a moment and think about what you need to do to keep them. Write down 3 easy action steps.



…and do them. Now.



Use the Chinese lunar New Year as a do-over. Commit to your New Year’s resolutions.



Gong Xi Fa Cái! in Cantonese, Gong Hey Fat Choy!.  Happy Chinese Lunar New Year!


DR. ROSS AND EAST WEST MEDICAL ARTS

 

 

ON THE EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF VACCINATIONS – a STATEMENT AND A CHALLENGE

I
got called out last night by a fellow face booker on a post I made
regarding vaccines. One wonderful thing about this country is people are
able to educate themselves and make up their own minds. I suggest the
following:
1) get a basic education in statistics either from a book
or a one semester class, it wont take more than this to understand 90+%
of the math in most medical studies.
2) look for research that
validates the reduction of either A) incidence or B) virulence of a
given condition in a population which has been vaccinated against that
condition;
3) find out who funded the study and determine if there
is the possibility or likelihood of bias in the premises or methodology
of the study;
4) read the study and determine for yourself if the study meets basic logical criteria in its methodology and conclusions.
As to the issue of mercury in vaccines, see my timeline where there is a post which speaks for itself.
My conclusions as a clinician of 25 years are as follows: the effect of
any vaccine or medication or herb or homeopathic depends on AT LEAST
the following factors:
1) Genetic status of the individual;
2) Nutritional status of the individual;
3) Immunological status of the individual;
4) The individual’s toxic load – the summation of every inflammatory process in the body.
True, millions of people get the flu shot with no apparent immediate
effect. In my practice I get the privilege, if you want to call it that,
of seeing the failures and rejects of modern western medicine, so I get
biased. There are also millions of people who are walking around with
mercury in the teeth with no apparent immediate effect – until “suddenly
and with no reason” they come down with leukemia or a neurological
problem. How can one be sure of the cause? By efficacy of treatment. If
you remove the toxin and the patient’s condition improves, a causal link
may be assumed.
By the age of four a child, if the parent had
followed CDC guidelines, will have had 28 vaccinations. Each one of
these does not exist in isolation but has an effect on immune,
endocrine/hormonal systems, nervous systems, g i systems. Nothing in the
body exists in isolation and you cannot push on one part without a
response in another part. We are raising a generation of fat, fatigued,
depressed children with bad immune and gi systems, when they act up we
give them drugs that further deplete their neurotransmitters and make
them more susceptible to the neurotoxins that are ever increasing in the
environment. To my knowledge have been NO studies done on the
cumulative effect of vaccinations, but we can see the effects in our
sick, sterile, zombie children.
So here is a question: Does Herd
Immunity even exist? How do you know? Can you show me studies that prove
it exists? Can you show me a study that proves reduction in incidence
and virulence of a given condition in a given population innoculated
against that condition? PLEASE POINT ME TO THESE STUDIES. I WILL READ
ANY STUDIES I AM DIRECTED TO AND PUBLICLY RECANT MY POSITION IF YOU CAN
PROVE ME WRONG. ON THE OTHER SIDE, I CAN POINT YOU TO NUMEROUS STUDIES
THAT INDICATE VACCINATION IS DANGEROUS AND OF NO BENEFIT. With Respect,
JR

Water – an Introduction

IS YOUR TAP WATER KILLING YOU? DRINK ONLY CLEAN WATER – TAP WATER IS UNACCEPTABLE AND SHOULD BE AVOIDED AT ALL TIMES.

DO YOU KNOW What people do in that stuff?

Most of our bodies, 50%-70%, IS water. Although we don’t think of it this way, Water is a Nutrient that helps to remove toxins and optimize digestive function. Everyone should drink plenty of pure water throughout the day. Estimates vary as to how much is best, but a guide line is to DRINK ½ YOUR BODY WEIGHT in ounces of PURE WATER EACH DAY. At 120 pounds you would drink about 60 ounces or 2 quarts of pure water daily. Distilled water is the water of choice for people with medical conditions. However, you must be eating quality foods and supplementing properly to maintain mineral levels. Reverse osmosis units produce good quality purified water, close to pure H2O. Most water bottled in plastic is unacceptable. All fluids and drinks should be taken at room temperature or warmed, not chilled or iced.

Municipal water treatment systems do not remove many pollutants, including pharmaceuticals and their by products, and often add chlorine and fluoride, which are toxic to the human body. Avoid unfiltered tap water at all times.

MORE ON DRINKING –

MAKE WATER YOUR BEVERAGE OF CHOICE – Coffee, caffeinated or decaffeinated, is to be eliminated from the diet. Taper off slowly if you take caffeine every day. The alkaloids are damaging to various organs and systems of the body. Carbonated drinks and canned or bottled sodas are also prohibited. Commercial teas contain dyes and should be avoided. Organically grown green tea may be taken in moderation by healthy individuals. Fruit and vegetable juices are highly concentrated products. They should be taken at room temperature in small quantities after diluting with water 10:1, they should be thoroughly swished in the mouth and mixed with saliva before swallowing.

BE AWARE OF THE TIMING OF YOUR FLUID CONSMPTION – Anyone with low digestive acids, low pancreatic enzymes, or digestive issues should drink water ½ hour before meals to avoid diluting digestive fluids. For others, as a general rule, to lose weight drink fluids before a meal, to gain weight drink after a meal, to maintain weight drink with the meal.

Remember to take fluids warm or at room temperature, not chilled. Especially harmful is the intake of cold fluids when the body has become heated through climate or exercise: one should never come in from working outside or exercising and drink refrigerated or iced drinks. CHEERS!



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