The spiritual benefits of fasting and the calorie restriction diet arise because conductivity of nerve and energy goes up. Cell membrane fluidity increases because the cells are no longer coated with junk increasing the availability of receptors for hormones and neurotransmitters. The cells are better "informed" so metabolism improves and they can detoxify themselves properly so there are less stored poisons. This means that metabolism in general can occur at optimum efficiency thus increasing the conductivity of spiritual Presence.
That is the less calories one eats and the higher the nutrition then the easier it is for the body to run through all its cycles with full efficiency. If we start up the digestive process several times a day, every day of our lives, then the body doesn't have time for cleansing /repair/regeneration. So organs congest, plaques are laid, enzyme systems get exhausted and metabolism is generally interfered with. If we load our system with food day after day, then our body is so preoccupied with digestion that it doesn't have the energy, enzymes and immunity for higher functions such as building the "spiritual body," and for higher thinking, psychic and visionary capacities. Such unceasing digestion therefore reduces the amount of light/love flow through the tissues. We become largely a "digestive" animal, with little contact with our psychic, subtle and spiritual capacities.
In considering the need for maximum nutrition with minimal digestion, it becomes apparent that recreational eating is counter productive and will set us back spiritually and energetically. In the philosophy of the calorie restriction system, we need to refine our diet so that we are only eating the most vital, nutritious food, specific to the real needs of our body. This system is focused foremost on efficiency, and thereby getting the digestive process "out of the way" so that higher life processes and experiences can be explored.
This diet is not undertaken in a machine-like punitive fashion, but simply through a hypersensitivity to reality. Hypersensitivity to reality is nothing other than Love! The more perfect the flow of light/love through our tissues, the more spiritual-intuition and intelligence we embody, and the more awareness we can apply to "including and transcending" our digestive function. We use food for self-repression without even knowing it. When we stop doing this we quickly become reacquainted with all our repressed urges and unease: loneliness, horniness, sadness, confusion and other uncomfortable emotions. The calorie restriction diet should enable us to plum the depths of our incarnation in a geometrically accelerating fashion.
Fasting cleans all body tissues including synapses, liver and blood which allows greater conductivity of energy and nutrients. Then a energy source is taken which doesn't weigh the body down such as fresh squeezed vegetable juice or fruit juice...this provides the energy for popping in a fasted-clean body. The mild stress imposed by fasting fortifies the body to stave off degenerative diseases. The continual low-grade stress seems to make the cells stronger.
Hunger increases blood flow in the hypothalamus and other limbic areas. Mark Mattson of the National Institute on Aging says that he believes that the mild stress of fasting increases protein synthesis in the brain. And these additional proteins increase the growth of new nerve cells, as well as shielding the cells from oxidative damage. So fasting increases brain function, offers nerve protection. With a calorie restricted diet there is going to be less oxidation in the body in general. The calorie restriction diet does have spiritual effects in its highest aspect, but that is usually not why people go this route. We usually do calorie restriction for longevity first, then health benefits second. You won't get optimum health out of simply dropping calorie intake.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
The Importance of Fasting - Scientific view
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Yug Purush - Dr. Narayan Dutt Shrimali
Guru means love .... a waft of divine fragrance .......... a reflection of the Lord ............ someone to bow before ......... someone to be devoted to ........ the aim of human life .............. the real essence of life ...... the totality of life ...... One can see him with one's eye, one can touch him, one can feel pure and sacred in his company, one become lost in the self when with him, one can rise above material world and enter the spiritual one in his company. One might not have seen the Lord, but through the Guru one can even have the glimpse of the Supreme.
Does man know anything about Supreme Element whom he calls God, Brahm or Shiva? Can one realise the Supreme who Yogis say is formless and nameless? What is aim of human life? What is true joy? Can one know all this by any way?
Only Guru can make one realise and understand all this. Only he can bestow this knowledge. Only he can make one have a glimpse of the Supreme Element or Shiva. Guru is a link between man and the Divine. Only through the Guru can we fully realise the Brahm, the God or the Supreme. The real goal of human life, the essence of human life, the greatness of human life lies in realising the Supreme who has no form and no name. The Guru gives Him name and a form and helps one have a glimpse of the Supreme Soul. Only thus can one become one with the Supreme. But for this to happen one has to activate one's inner vision. This divine vision can be activated only by the Guru.
Today man seems to be surrounded by mental problems and tensions each and every moment. His life remains disturbed and uncertain. In order to get some peace he visits temples and Ashrams. He meets Sadhus and goes on pilgrimage. In the present age of gross materialism he keeps on trying to get some peace of joy though spiritualism.
Today every human being realises the emptiness and hollowness of materialism. But he is not able to find some way out of this mire. He does not know how to attain totality. He does not know the path that could take him to joy, fragrance, totality, divinity and satisfaction. He does not know of the light that could banish darkness of ignorance from his life, that could bring smile to his lips, that could make his eyes gleam with a joy. In such a situation man needs company of a Guru who could introduce him to this Divine and open up the source of joy for him.
In such situation one name, one divine personality comes to the mind - revered Gurudev Dr. Narayan Dutt Shrimali. He is a divine master in whose company one forgets all one's tensions and problems. Just looking at him one is filled with utter joy and peace. Just touching his holy feet makes the body overflow with divine energy and destroys all passions, weaknesses and ignorance of the person. It is said in the ancient text Yog Vashishth -
A Sadguru is one who activates Shiva element, Brahm element, in the person through his touch, words and presence.Revered Sadgurudev is such a very divine master. It is blessing from the Lord that revered Sadgurudev graced us with his company, instilled divine consciousness into us, activated our souls and led our wandering feet onto the golden path of human life. When we were being duped by pseudo-Gurus he appeared in our lives and led us onto the right path.
The Supreme is said to be formless and immortal. If a form were to be given to Him it would be that of revered Sadgurudev. But not everyone can realise this fact. Only one who has had the glimpse of the Supreme form can realise this fact. Only one who has remained for years in his company can realise his true form. Even if the most unfortunate person constantly seeks his company then a time comes when he has a glimpse of his divine form, when he has a taste of his divine love. When such a realisation dawns that is the golden moment of one's life.
To fully realise his divine form is just not possible. At least it sure is very difficult. He plays all the roles of life - father, friend, relative, brother, lover, husband - with equal ease. With each disciple he is linked by the soul. A common man can only see his physical form which looks ordinary. A common man has limited sense of perception and hence he cannot look beyond a point. He is not able to see or realise his true divine form which is infinite like the ocean.
Lord Ram and Krishna too had ordinary looking physical forms - the same two hands, two feet. They were not extraordinary physically. They did not have four hands to prove their divinity. But the people of their times failed to recognise the divine in them. They only abused these great souls and criticised them.
Only one who has some special capabilities is criticised. But criticism or abuses cannot rob them of their divinity. It is very unfortunate that people realised their greatness only after they have left this world. In the present times we have a divine person in our midst in the form of revered Sadgurudev. His divinity can only be realised from within, I have got a chance to sit in his holy feet and I have had the taste of divine joy that cannot be had anywhere else.
I wandered from place to place to find this joy. I wandered through the Himalayas and searched all caves and unfrequented places for a true master. I met many Sadhus and I visited many Ashrams and places of pilgrimage. But no where could I find peace. I could find no one who had total personality. Wherever I went I encountered deceit. This hurt me deeply.
And at last I found what I was searching for in the divine form of Sadgurudev Dr. Narayan Dutt Shrimali. I found true peace only in his holy feet. I listened to the sermons of several Sadhus but I found that their words are hollow and they had no idea of true knowledge. Real and true knowledge I found in the simple and easy words of revered Sadgurudev.
His aim in life is not to confuse or overwhelm the common man with complex explanation of the spiritual world. Rather through very easy words and in a very easy language he has linked the common man in the spiritual knowledge of our Rishis. He has made difficult spiritual subjects so easy for the common man to understand. The priests had made this knowledge inaccessible for the common man. But now he has just turned the tables on these so-called scholars.
Through his divine discourses revered Sadgurudev has expressed his views and thoughts. In these discourses he has touched upon all aspects of human life. In him can be seen the skill of presenting any tough subject in easy manner and in its totality. One is left amazed listening to his discourses on the Vedas, Upanishads and all ancient texts with equal ease and authenticity. It seems he has all knowledge and all divine verses are stored in his memory. No human being can possibly assimilate all this knowledge in one single life, a Yug Purush (man of this Age).
He has not merely recited verses from texts in his discourses, as most so called Gurus do, rather he has explained the meaning and their relevance in the present times in simple words. He has given a new form the ancient knowledge of our Rishis and instilled new life into it. More than this he has linked all sections of the society to this divine knowledge. Also he has made popular all aspects of this knowledge. Also he has made popular all aspects of this knowledge like astrology, worship procedures, Ayurved and Sadhanas.
He taught man what true love means. He gave a new and pure meaning to the word. He is an epitome of true and divine love and in his company one can know what actually love is.
He stressed on love and beauty of the soul! He presented complex and tough mysteries in very easy words to the common man. He said that love and beauty are the basis of life, Sadhanas, Siddhis and divinity. These are not mere words rather they signify the divine. Revered Sadgurudev is very kind and compassionate. He remains very eager to instill true knowledge into his disciples. For this very purpose he organises Sadhana camps at different places in the country so that he could bestow true knowledge through the medium of discourses, Sadhanas and Dikshas.
Such a great soul rarely incarnates upon the earth. It is after centuries that such a Yug Purush appears to make the people realise the divine, to make the society get rid of evil. Such a Yug Purush is bestowed with all divine virtues, his voice is magnetic, his personality is attractive and he can easily explain even complex subjects in simple words to his disciples. To be in company of such a great soul is greatest boon of human life.
By becoming his disciple and following the path shown by him a person is not just able to fulfil all material wishes and attain to success in the outer world rather he also becomes pure and sacred in his company. Under the cool and divine shade of his personality a person can become great, pure and divine himself. To be near him is the greatest fortune. Sitting in his holy feet is like in the cool shade of a huge shady tree. One finds true peace in his company that one might have been searching for years.
Being with him in the true goal of human life. It is such a Guru who is the Lord, who is Brahm, who is Shiva. It is through him that one can realise the Supreme. In his company one can realise the true goal of human life and also attain it. But for this to happen one needs true devotion, faith and dedication. Only then will he be able to work his magic on you!
