Woke up with a couple hours sleep yet to fit in, not uncommon for me. Thinking about an upcoming devotional meeting, where the first part is devoted to God, and the second part is devoted to waffles. Fine and good, but people often make scrambled eggs and sausage, yogurt and so on. So my plan is to bring alternative comestibles to share. Still, giving in to the desire to eat those other death-dealing foods was my downfall in the past. I have to remember that just because kind souls provided them, no sausages ever actually leaped into my mouth unaided.
Although my newfound belief in and commitment to saving my eyesight, my hearing, my mind, and my organs and limbs, let alone my life, has given me a new sense of life, and a charge every time I make a choice for life and not death in my food choices, it's easy to lose focus. It's easy for my resolve to become eroded by constant exposure to animal sourced foods. I'm sure eventually it will become second nature to make these choices, as long as I never give in. But it's a white-knuckle experience.
So I was thinking about "getting through" the next few socialization opportunities and retaining this focus, and remembered the 23rd Psalm:
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His Name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
My enemies being certain foods, of course, not people! And I promise not to dump oil on my head at the table. And I'm still looking for Shirley, Goodness and Mercy. Sometimes they get lost.
I also ran across this quotation from Shoghi Effendi posted on Facebook, which has to do with teaching the Baha'i Faith, not to do with changing my eating style. Nevertheless, with all due respect to the beloved Guardian, these words seemed most appropriate to my journey:
There is no time to lose. There is no room left for vacillation. Myriads hunger for the bread of life. . . . To try, to persevere, is to ensure ultimate and complete victory.
I hope to do a following post soon to outline why changing away from animal-sourced foods is so crucial to the survival of humankind and to the planet, and why it is so urgent.
Hurrah, thank you and all to my brave friend Rachel who is currently choosing life by doing a juice fast, coincidentally with my choice to turn towards a plant based eating style.
Showing posts with label Baha'i. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baha'i. Show all posts
Friday, November 18, 2011
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Black Bean Soup with Squash
For lunch with the Intensive Program of Growth today I made Black Bean Soup with Squash. I wanted to serve something hearty, hot and delicious, as well as having many valuable nutrients and virtually no not-so-valuable nutrients. People seemed to enjoy this.
Black Bean Soup with Squash
2 cups dried black beans, rinsed, soaked overnight, and rinsed again
1/2 cup red lentils
1 onion
2 delicata squashes, seeded and diced
1 red garnet yam, diced
2 fat organic carrots
1 package of spinach
a few leaves of fresh basil and cilantro
Seasonings to taste: sea salt, smoke flavoring, ground rosemary, cumin, coriander, dill, basil, oregano; 2 cloves garlic, sliced.
Would have been good if I had it on hand: frozen corn, and fresh turmeric root, grated.
Dice onion and place in pressure cooker with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to carmelize while you prepare other ingredients. Dice everything, put it all into the cooker, add beans and red lentils and seasonings, cover with water, put on lid, and cook on high for 10 minutes, allow natural pressure release. Stir in spinach and more fresh cilantro and basil. Serve. Now that you've enjoyed this, it's a Whole Foods Plant Based Diet selection. AKA vegan.
We had this with crusty french bread, sliced sharp white cheddar, and macaroni salad, small mandarin oranges, chips, tea or 100% grape juice. You could also try toasted rye bread with this. [For vegan meal, omit the macaroni salad and cheddar, and make the bread whole grain.]
Black Bean Soup with Squash
2 cups dried black beans, rinsed, soaked overnight, and rinsed again
1/2 cup red lentils
1 onion
2 delicata squashes, seeded and diced
1 red garnet yam, diced
2 fat organic carrots
1 package of spinach
a few leaves of fresh basil and cilantro
Seasonings to taste: sea salt, smoke flavoring, ground rosemary, cumin, coriander, dill, basil, oregano; 2 cloves garlic, sliced.
Would have been good if I had it on hand: frozen corn, and fresh turmeric root, grated.
Dice onion and place in pressure cooker with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to carmelize while you prepare other ingredients. Dice everything, put it all into the cooker, add beans and red lentils and seasonings, cover with water, put on lid, and cook on high for 10 minutes, allow natural pressure release. Stir in spinach and more fresh cilantro and basil. Serve. Now that you've enjoyed this, it's a Whole Foods Plant Based Diet selection. AKA vegan.
We had this with crusty french bread, sliced sharp white cheddar, and macaroni salad, small mandarin oranges, chips, tea or 100% grape juice. You could also try toasted rye bread with this. [For vegan meal, omit the macaroni salad and cheddar, and make the bread whole grain.]
Sunday, December 13, 2009
The Awful Waffles
I share this sad experience so no one else will have to travel the same lonesome path . . .
My circumstances being that I am changing to a whole foods, plant based diet, and that I love to experiment with cooking, most of what I make lately is an experiment. Not all my experiments work out. That's just basically the law of averages. I've created some incredibly good recipes, mostly soups. But. I'm not going to hit 100%.
We went to the Second Sunday Devotional with Waffles [conventional egg and milk waffles, well-made and delicious] this morning. Fired up by the new lectures I've been studying online by eCornell, especially by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr. and Dr. John McDougall on reversing coronary artery disease with a strict plant-based diet, I decided to bring an alternative waffle batter.
I started with a cup of buckwheat* pancake/waffle mix, added a cube of Mori-Nu tofu which in some dishes substitutes very well for eggs. [Both are white, mushy and full of fatty acids.] Then I goofed around by adding about a cup of applesauce and one cup dry oats cooked in soy milk: see, we are already getting way too moist. I added a squirt of agave syrup, and about a tablespoon of grape seed oil because I was hoping to avoid having the batter stick to the waffle iron, which belonged to the host. Thinned out the batter with soy milk. And about a tablespoon of ground flax seed for the health of it.
Okay, first of all, eggs are a binder, sticky, and cause the batter to keep sticking together as the heat coagulates the eggs and cooks the waffles. No eggs, less sticking-together. [On the other hand, we don't want the inner aspect of our arteries sticky, either, which is what eggs and dairy fats accomplish efficiently.] Second of all, buckwheat is not like wheat: it does not have the same level [if any?] of gluten, another sticky, binding quality. Third, too much moisture, so the waffles were never going to cook all the way through. Fourth, the agave syrup, similar to honey, caused a tendency to burn on the outside, while the inside was still uncooked.
We coated the waffle iron surface with olive oil, although we know it breaks down under high heat, but it was healthier than butter. We also added some frozen blueberries, which delay cooking time. After about five or ten minutes the waffler signaled that the waffles were as done as they were going to be. Although we didn't have the scenario of the waffle sticking inside the pan and creating a horrible mess, it took some careful extraction with a plastic spatula to remove it. The exterior was very dark, with an odd, waxy texture. The inside was barely cooked.
While I was fooling around with my initial waffle, my daughter was happily eating those provided by the host; by the time I extricated it from the waffle iron, most guests were moving on to the scrambled eggs and yogurt and working their way out to the living room to visit.
Okay, I thought, this batter won't work for waffles. Too friable. Let's see if it's still fryable. So I tried making pancakes. [I have made successful pancakes in the past with tofu instead of eggs, but I was using wheat, not buckwheat.] Same difficulties, but easier to get the pseudo pancakes to turn in the skillet. Pretty much a failure all around. Here's reason # 437 I'm in love with my husband. He's so positive. Even though, waiting for these monstrosities to emerge from the kitchen, he had to be pretty hungry, he stayed positive. "They could probably have cooked a little more, but they're delicious."
My plans for the leftover batter: see if it will cook up into muffins. Never say die.
Actually, I had fun with all of this. The only truly painful part was that, while I was still struggling with the vaguely pancake-shaped objects in the kitchen that burned on the outside while refusing to cook on the inside, was this: missing the puns I could tell were emanating from the living room. The most unkindest cut of all.
Next time I will bring potatoes.
*Buckwheat, despite the "wheat" in the name, is not related to wheat and not a grain. It is an ancient variety of grass. That makes the cooking properties different.
My circumstances being that I am changing to a whole foods, plant based diet, and that I love to experiment with cooking, most of what I make lately is an experiment. Not all my experiments work out. That's just basically the law of averages. I've created some incredibly good recipes, mostly soups. But. I'm not going to hit 100%.
We went to the Second Sunday Devotional with Waffles [conventional egg and milk waffles, well-made and delicious] this morning. Fired up by the new lectures I've been studying online by eCornell, especially by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr. and Dr. John McDougall on reversing coronary artery disease with a strict plant-based diet, I decided to bring an alternative waffle batter.
I started with a cup of buckwheat* pancake/waffle mix, added a cube of Mori-Nu tofu which in some dishes substitutes very well for eggs. [Both are white, mushy and full of fatty acids.] Then I goofed around by adding about a cup of applesauce and one cup dry oats cooked in soy milk: see, we are already getting way too moist. I added a squirt of agave syrup, and about a tablespoon of grape seed oil because I was hoping to avoid having the batter stick to the waffle iron, which belonged to the host. Thinned out the batter with soy milk. And about a tablespoon of ground flax seed for the health of it.
Okay, first of all, eggs are a binder, sticky, and cause the batter to keep sticking together as the heat coagulates the eggs and cooks the waffles. No eggs, less sticking-together. [On the other hand, we don't want the inner aspect of our arteries sticky, either, which is what eggs and dairy fats accomplish efficiently.] Second of all, buckwheat is not like wheat: it does not have the same level [if any?] of gluten, another sticky, binding quality. Third, too much moisture, so the waffles were never going to cook all the way through. Fourth, the agave syrup, similar to honey, caused a tendency to burn on the outside, while the inside was still uncooked.
We coated the waffle iron surface with olive oil, although we know it breaks down under high heat, but it was healthier than butter. We also added some frozen blueberries, which delay cooking time. After about five or ten minutes the waffler signaled that the waffles were as done as they were going to be. Although we didn't have the scenario of the waffle sticking inside the pan and creating a horrible mess, it took some careful extraction with a plastic spatula to remove it. The exterior was very dark, with an odd, waxy texture. The inside was barely cooked.
While I was fooling around with my initial waffle, my daughter was happily eating those provided by the host; by the time I extricated it from the waffle iron, most guests were moving on to the scrambled eggs and yogurt and working their way out to the living room to visit.
Okay, I thought, this batter won't work for waffles. Too friable. Let's see if it's still fryable. So I tried making pancakes. [I have made successful pancakes in the past with tofu instead of eggs, but I was using wheat, not buckwheat.] Same difficulties, but easier to get the pseudo pancakes to turn in the skillet. Pretty much a failure all around. Here's reason # 437 I'm in love with my husband. He's so positive. Even though, waiting for these monstrosities to emerge from the kitchen, he had to be pretty hungry, he stayed positive. "They could probably have cooked a little more, but they're delicious."
My plans for the leftover batter: see if it will cook up into muffins. Never say die.
Actually, I had fun with all of this. The only truly painful part was that, while I was still struggling with the vaguely pancake-shaped objects in the kitchen that burned on the outside while refusing to cook on the inside, was this: missing the puns I could tell were emanating from the living room. The most unkindest cut of all.
Next time I will bring potatoes.
*Buckwheat, despite the "wheat" in the name, is not related to wheat and not a grain. It is an ancient variety of grass. That makes the cooking properties different.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Principles In Practice
Dropped everything and went to Pierce County Feast, where there was a potluck. I hadn't prepared or brought food, and even though I had some pea soup before I left, by the time consultation was over I was hungry. Every entree had chicken or beef or cheese in it, but I picked at a few tablespoons anyway. Meanwhile I was telling the hostess, since she asked, about the Plant Based Nutrition online eCornell course I'm taking. I got all the way through my China Study Conversation, and suddenly she jumped up. "I forgot! I need to put out the whipped cream for the pie!"
Later we went to Ruby Tuesday where I ate a salad without dressing for the first time in my life, counting various "diets" in the past. I also ate a half baked potato nude except for salt. [It's going to take awhile to get rid of the salt.]
We went grocery shopping, kind of dicey this time as circumstances have made me low in cash. I bought an entire shopping cart full of groceries for less than $100 because, with a few exceptions, I was buying all dried beans and oats, etc, and vegetables. It reminded me of when I was Pearl's age and I rode my bicycle, tricked out with folding pannier grocery baskets, to the neighborhood market and kept a running total of my purchases as I selected groceries, because I was paying with cash.
I'm planning to try out ground flax seed on my oatmeal instead of crushed pecans. The soy milk stays, for now.
Later we went to Ruby Tuesday where I ate a salad without dressing for the first time in my life, counting various "diets" in the past. I also ate a half baked potato nude except for salt. [It's going to take awhile to get rid of the salt.]
We went grocery shopping, kind of dicey this time as circumstances have made me low in cash. I bought an entire shopping cart full of groceries for less than $100 because, with a few exceptions, I was buying all dried beans and oats, etc, and vegetables. It reminded me of when I was Pearl's age and I rode my bicycle, tricked out with folding pannier grocery baskets, to the neighborhood market and kept a running total of my purchases as I selected groceries, because I was paying with cash.
I'm planning to try out ground flax seed on my oatmeal instead of crushed pecans. The soy milk stays, for now.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Coming to a Neighborhood Near You
Baha'is went out in the rain and sunshine Saturday and Sunday to meet people in the neighborhoods and facilitate involvement in community-building activities such as devotional meetings, holding children's classes in their homes, and assisting middle-school age youth to devote their energies to their communities.
Personally I was never receptive to having religious people approach me at my house because experience has proven that they are almost never receptive to hearing what I truly think and feel, their agenda is to change me and save my soul, and they are never receptive to the message of Baha'u'llah.
On the other hand, when I meet people in their home or on their porch, I am interested in them, and I have no interest in changing them.
Surprisingly the people in the neighborhood of Hilltop in Tacoma which we visited were friendly, approachable, and receptive to having people stop by. Whether or not they were interested in what we had to say, they didn't seem hostile or alienated in any way to have us in their neighborhood, and many people were very receptive to meeting us.
Personally I was never receptive to having religious people approach me at my house because experience has proven that they are almost never receptive to hearing what I truly think and feel, their agenda is to change me and save my soul, and they are never receptive to the message of Baha'u'llah.
On the other hand, when I meet people in their home or on their porch, I am interested in them, and I have no interest in changing them.
Surprisingly the people in the neighborhood of Hilltop in Tacoma which we visited were friendly, approachable, and receptive to having people stop by. Whether or not they were interested in what we had to say, they didn't seem hostile or alienated in any way to have us in their neighborhood, and many people were very receptive to meeting us.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Be Thankful In Adversity
Things to be grateful for:
a glorious sunrise
onions
a framed copy of a picture I admired, by & from a friend
Feast
a wonderful gathering at Gig Harbor Saturday
doing two admissions and still getting off work on time because there are two of us
apologies accepted
pressure cookers
having an efficient way to cook beans [at last] [see above]
people who care whether I attend events
still having a daughter
Baha'u'llah
Enayat's hands and heart and voice and spirit
liking my cooking better than the average restaurant's
having someone to clean the kitchen for
having a chance to revise my lifestyle while I still can
a glorious sunrise
onions
a framed copy of a picture I admired, by & from a friend
Feast
a wonderful gathering at Gig Harbor Saturday
doing two admissions and still getting off work on time because there are two of us
apologies accepted
pressure cookers
having an efficient way to cook beans [at last] [see above]
people who care whether I attend events
still having a daughter
Baha'u'llah
Enayat's hands and heart and voice and spirit
liking my cooking better than the average restaurant's
having someone to clean the kitchen for
having a chance to revise my lifestyle while I still can
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Liberty, Equality, Fraternity
The motto for the French Revolution. Too bad some of that fraternity didn't extend to the people under the guillotine.
Liberty: tonight my schedule of working every other weekend revolved a little more, possibly due to a month with five weekends. For the first time in about a year I was able to attend the gathering at Gig Harbor tonight, on the second Saturday. I've missed that house, the people, that fellowship so much.
Two youth played guitar and sang prayers and Baha'i writings. Suddenly I found myself transported back to the house in Pullman where I used to hang out with the Baha'is, and the first time I experienced that particular, indescribable feeling of fellowship and unity. Naturally I fell in love with all the Baha'is. I guess that happens a lot.
Liberty: yesterday I interviewed with the Director of Nursing for the Charge Nurse position at work; one that I already hold but which is being revamped. I felt it went astoundingly well, and was able to talk about many challenges I had faced that turned out well in the end. The DNS mentioned that she liked my Letter of Interest [which I have to say was elegant but blunt. (Previously posted.)] I no longer feel that my job is so threatened. I have felt so supported by everyone's friendship and prayers. So that's a feeling of release.
Liberty: tonight I mentioned my stress level during the eating and chatting portion of the gathering, and some of us spoke about the concept that what we think determines how we feel. If only my thoughts were fewer and simpler, and it was easier to root out which thoughts or assumptions were at the cause of which feelings. My thoughts tend to whirl around as I imagine my life as I know it swirling down the drain. But I have a place to start, anyway.
"The reality of man is his thought."
~'Abdu'l-Baha
P.S.: Chris, I found my wallet in my car.
Liberty: tonight my schedule of working every other weekend revolved a little more, possibly due to a month with five weekends. For the first time in about a year I was able to attend the gathering at Gig Harbor tonight, on the second Saturday. I've missed that house, the people, that fellowship so much.
Two youth played guitar and sang prayers and Baha'i writings. Suddenly I found myself transported back to the house in Pullman where I used to hang out with the Baha'is, and the first time I experienced that particular, indescribable feeling of fellowship and unity. Naturally I fell in love with all the Baha'is. I guess that happens a lot.
Liberty: yesterday I interviewed with the Director of Nursing for the Charge Nurse position at work; one that I already hold but which is being revamped. I felt it went astoundingly well, and was able to talk about many challenges I had faced that turned out well in the end. The DNS mentioned that she liked my Letter of Interest [which I have to say was elegant but blunt. (Previously posted.)] I no longer feel that my job is so threatened. I have felt so supported by everyone's friendship and prayers. So that's a feeling of release.
Liberty: tonight I mentioned my stress level during the eating and chatting portion of the gathering, and some of us spoke about the concept that what we think determines how we feel. If only my thoughts were fewer and simpler, and it was easier to root out which thoughts or assumptions were at the cause of which feelings. My thoughts tend to whirl around as I imagine my life as I know it swirling down the drain. But I have a place to start, anyway.
"The reality of man is his thought."
~'Abdu'l-Baha
P.S.: Chris, I found my wallet in my car.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Leaves and Branches
We attended Feast yesterday evening at Jefferson Park in Tacoma, in the traditional south end of the park beneath the two trees. Usually at least once every summer, Feast, usually held in homes, is held in this park. The Bulletin advertised this as a potluck, so I tried out my pressure cooker to make beans and a dish called Coriander Carrots, from the cookbook by Lorna J. Sass, which I served together over brown rice. I was the only person who knew it was a potluck.
The weather, which has been warm all summer, turned cool and breezy last night, so that by the end of Feast we were quite chilled. I was happy to have a nutritious dish to serve, along with the hostess' nutritious and delicious zucchini bread.
We sat in a circle of chairs, reading from Baha'i Writings and prayers, people I have known for many years, and some I have just met, a circle of unity. Then I looked up and saw the branches of the trees intertwined overhead, so that it was impossible to distinguish which branches and leaves belonged to which trees, although the trunks were far apart on the ground.
It seemed to me that this was our unity, that we "eat with the same mouth"; the unity of the early believers in Iran who never knew whose cloak or shoes they donned before going out of the house to teach.
The weather, which has been warm all summer, turned cool and breezy last night, so that by the end of Feast we were quite chilled. I was happy to have a nutritious dish to serve, along with the hostess' nutritious and delicious zucchini bread.
We sat in a circle of chairs, reading from Baha'i Writings and prayers, people I have known for many years, and some I have just met, a circle of unity. Then I looked up and saw the branches of the trees intertwined overhead, so that it was impossible to distinguish which branches and leaves belonged to which trees, although the trunks were far apart on the ground.
It seemed to me that this was our unity, that we "eat with the same mouth"; the unity of the early believers in Iran who never knew whose cloak or shoes they donned before going out of the house to teach.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Jammin'? Too Bizarre!
Jam N Tube Part Two:
A jam tasting is always an elegant affair, but the setting on Sunday was informal. In the spirit of Unity in Diversity there were jams brought in from everywhere. A true variety of jams, of course tasted on the premier of toasts--a good, basic whole wheat bread with just a hint of butter, not to obscure the delicate flavor of the jam. There was a modest gooseberry, a robust strawberry, quite a few middle-of-the road raspberries, a succinct currant jelly [brought in just in time] and rather a pretentious huckleberry, as well as a good spread of basic marmelades.
Ah, the art of jam tasting! A bracing Earl Grey tea to cleanse the palate. An appreciative sniff, a tentative lick, then to roll the whole bite of jam and toast around to savor the essence of all the delicate flavors. A devotee of jam can divine the year the preserves were put up, the county of origin, and a real expert might identify the actual patch where the berries were picked. Jam tasting can be truly an exquisite experience.
There was some music playing nearby, but I was too involved with the jam to really appreciate it.
Not everyone attending the Jam N Tube on Sunday may have noticed the Jam Tasting, but I had a wonderful time.
A jam tasting is always an elegant affair, but the setting on Sunday was informal. In the spirit of Unity in Diversity there were jams brought in from everywhere. A true variety of jams, of course tasted on the premier of toasts--a good, basic whole wheat bread with just a hint of butter, not to obscure the delicate flavor of the jam. There was a modest gooseberry, a robust strawberry, quite a few middle-of-the road raspberries, a succinct currant jelly [brought in just in time] and rather a pretentious huckleberry, as well as a good spread of basic marmelades.
Ah, the art of jam tasting! A bracing Earl Grey tea to cleanse the palate. An appreciative sniff, a tentative lick, then to roll the whole bite of jam and toast around to savor the essence of all the delicate flavors. A devotee of jam can divine the year the preserves were put up, the county of origin, and a real expert might identify the actual patch where the berries were picked. Jam tasting can be truly an exquisite experience.
There was some music playing nearby, but I was too involved with the jam to really appreciate it.
Not everyone attending the Jam N Tube on Sunday may have noticed the Jam Tasting, but I had a wonderful time.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
The Couch Tuber
Pearl, Enayat and I went to the Jam N Tube Saturday, a fundraiser for the Chilean Temple, for the Baha'is, and a secular fund-raiser as well. I dithered all day about whether to go tubing and finally decided to go for it, wearing my swimsuit, lightweight cotton pants that I expected to dry easily, and a life preserver provided by the Lo's, surprisingly one my size. Fred towed us around the bay, out by their waterfront house beyond Purdy.
We had a sort of tube/inflatable raft with a spot for three passengers. I was expecting speed, but my ordinarily sedentary body and brain were startled and completely unprepared for the up and down, sideways movement of bumping along the choppy water, and by crossing the boat's wake. My partners in the raft, fit thirty-somethings, were having a wonderful time. I was in mortal terror.
Reason, which told me I was quite safe with a very low center of gravity, and handles which my arms are still sore from gripping to save my life, but reason fled, and my brain stem was immediately concerned with imminent death. We had prearranged signals for "speed up", "slow down", and "stop!!" Unfortunately, making a signal involved releasing my death grip on the handles.
At last I made the throat-cutting gesture to stop, and transferred to the boat, feeling the great euphoria of having survived--euphoria which is the bread-and-butter of amusement parks. I am easily amused. Pearl, who was riding in the boat, transferred into the tube, and had a great time.
The outcome? A lot of fun, a new appreciation of the silliness of most anxiety, sore muscles everywhere, and a sunburnt left knee.
We had a sort of tube/inflatable raft with a spot for three passengers. I was expecting speed, but my ordinarily sedentary body and brain were startled and completely unprepared for the up and down, sideways movement of bumping along the choppy water, and by crossing the boat's wake. My partners in the raft, fit thirty-somethings, were having a wonderful time. I was in mortal terror.
Reason, which told me I was quite safe with a very low center of gravity, and handles which my arms are still sore from gripping to save my life, but reason fled, and my brain stem was immediately concerned with imminent death. We had prearranged signals for "speed up", "slow down", and "stop!!" Unfortunately, making a signal involved releasing my death grip on the handles.
At last I made the throat-cutting gesture to stop, and transferred to the boat, feeling the great euphoria of having survived--euphoria which is the bread-and-butter of amusement parks. I am easily amused. Pearl, who was riding in the boat, transferred into the tube, and had a great time.
The outcome? A lot of fun, a new appreciation of the silliness of most anxiety, sore muscles everywhere, and a sunburnt left knee.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
A Light Cast Into the Heart
I have been studying the Kitab-i-Iqan, the Book of Certitude, by Baha'u'llah, and reflecting on the different types of knowledge. A lot of knowledge is obtained by drudgery, by book learning; some by the school of hard knocks; but sometimes one receives a sort of sudden illumination, a sense of certainty. One hears a statement and knows it is true.
This happened to me the day I was listening to my friends Jay and Kristina talk about their switch to a vegan diet. My thoughts were protesting, reminding me of my deep emotional attachment to meat and dairy foods, and I voiced the opinion that I could never give them up. I think that to continue spending a lifetime saying goodbye to each of my favorite foods in turn, as if they were my closest friends, would have been emotionally painful and have made me very ill, indeed.
I think that is when I had this illuminating flash, this realization that I was allowing mere emotional attachment, however compelling and powerful, bar me from acknowledging what I knew at heart was true. I thought: "this is ridiculous!" and the next morning, in a state of near terror, I began putting my new understanding into practice.
Many mornings after that, fiercely and doggedly cutting vegetables for a stir-fry [all I ate in the first two weeks was stir-fry] I mentally chanted this verse:
"Hal min mufarajin, qayrullah. Qol sobhanullah, hovallah. Kollon abadon lahu, va kollon be amrahi qaymun," each silent syllable an emphatic flash of the knife as I desperately sliced up carrots, celery, and any vegetation I could think of.
"Is there any Remover of Difficulties save God? Say: Praised by God! He is God! All are His servants, and all abide by His Bidding." ~ The Bab.
Every stroke of the knife valiantly striving to sever my attachments to food.
Quoted in the Kitab-i-Iqan: "Knowledge is a light which God casteth into the heart of whomsoever He willeth." ~ Baha'u'llah.
This happened to me the day I was listening to my friends Jay and Kristina talk about their switch to a vegan diet. My thoughts were protesting, reminding me of my deep emotional attachment to meat and dairy foods, and I voiced the opinion that I could never give them up. I think that to continue spending a lifetime saying goodbye to each of my favorite foods in turn, as if they were my closest friends, would have been emotionally painful and have made me very ill, indeed.
I think that is when I had this illuminating flash, this realization that I was allowing mere emotional attachment, however compelling and powerful, bar me from acknowledging what I knew at heart was true. I thought: "this is ridiculous!" and the next morning, in a state of near terror, I began putting my new understanding into practice.
Many mornings after that, fiercely and doggedly cutting vegetables for a stir-fry [all I ate in the first two weeks was stir-fry] I mentally chanted this verse:
"Hal min mufarajin, qayrullah. Qol sobhanullah, hovallah. Kollon abadon lahu, va kollon be amrahi qaymun," each silent syllable an emphatic flash of the knife as I desperately sliced up carrots, celery, and any vegetation I could think of.
"Is there any Remover of Difficulties save God? Say: Praised by God! He is God! All are His servants, and all abide by His Bidding." ~ The Bab.
Every stroke of the knife valiantly striving to sever my attachments to food.
Quoted in the Kitab-i-Iqan: "Knowledge is a light which God casteth into the heart of whomsoever He willeth." ~ Baha'u'llah.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Enlighten My Sight
The first pink streaks of dawn are in the sky. I worked last night until after one in the morning, came home and decided to just stay awake to commemorate the passing of Baha'u'llah at three in the morning at our friend Gary's house, so I've stayed up all night. In Tacoma we go by "real" time, rather than Daylight Savings Time, in our celebrations, so by Daylight Savings Time we met at 4 AM. Baha'is celebrate certain holy days at the specific hour of the specific event. Thus the commemoration of the Martyrdom of the Bab on July 9th is at noon; the commemoration of the Declaration of the Bab is 2 hours and 11 minutes after sunset on May 22; and the passing of Baha'u'llah was at 3 AM the morning of May 29, 1892.
There is an evening prayer which has the phrase, "O Lord, enlighten my sight by beholding Thy lights in this dark night . . . "
At these Holy Days which have to do with the Bab and Baha'u'llah, Baha'is often read a prayer named the "Tablet of Visitation." Two phrases reminded me strongly of the Station of the Manifestations of God that was discussed before:
"I bear witness, moreover, that through Thy beauty the beauty of the Adored One hath been unveiled, and through Thy face the face of the Desired One hath shown forth . . . "
And:
"I bear witness that he who hath known Thee hath known God, and he who hath attained unto Thy presence hath attained unto the presence of God."
~ Baha'u'llah
It truly is the dawn of a new day, and the first pink streaks are in the sky.
There is an evening prayer which has the phrase, "O Lord, enlighten my sight by beholding Thy lights in this dark night . . . "
At these Holy Days which have to do with the Bab and Baha'u'llah, Baha'is often read a prayer named the "Tablet of Visitation." Two phrases reminded me strongly of the Station of the Manifestations of God that was discussed before:
"I bear witness, moreover, that through Thy beauty the beauty of the Adored One hath been unveiled, and through Thy face the face of the Desired One hath shown forth . . . "
And:
"I bear witness that he who hath known Thee hath known God, and he who hath attained unto Thy presence hath attained unto the presence of God."
~ Baha'u'llah
It truly is the dawn of a new day, and the first pink streaks are in the sky.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
The Declaration of the Bab
May 21 marks for me my one-month anniversary of abstaining from eating meat or dairy products, and changing, in my fumbling and panic-stricken way, to a whole foods, plant-based diet. I celebrated doubly yesterday, as last evening on my way home from the Folklife Festival, I attended the celebration of the anniversary of the Declaration of the Bab, hosted by my friends Jay and Kristina.
We read about the historical meeting of Mulla Husayn with the Bab at the gates of the city of Shiraz, Iran, in 1844, and how the Bab invited Mulla Husayn to His house and served him tea so graciously, revealing His commentary on the Surrah of Joseph with pen and voice simultaneously. Two hours and eleven minutes after sunset, May 22, 1844, the Bab revealed His Station as a Manifestation of God, and the world was changed, revolutionized, and will never be the same. It was the birth of the Babi, and subsequently the Baha'i Faith, and the beginning of a new era.
I talked more with Jay and Kristina about the Vegan diet, and recipes, and the research by T. Colin Campbell that is the foundation for the book The China Study, and links the consumption of not only foods containing animal fat and cholesterol, but even and especially animal protein, with cancer, obesity, heart disease and strokes, and even diabetes and other autoimmune diseases. This book revolutionized my life, and has galvinized my commitment to averting and reversing these diseases if I can.
What a celebration!
We read about the historical meeting of Mulla Husayn with the Bab at the gates of the city of Shiraz, Iran, in 1844, and how the Bab invited Mulla Husayn to His house and served him tea so graciously, revealing His commentary on the Surrah of Joseph with pen and voice simultaneously. Two hours and eleven minutes after sunset, May 22, 1844, the Bab revealed His Station as a Manifestation of God, and the world was changed, revolutionized, and will never be the same. It was the birth of the Babi, and subsequently the Baha'i Faith, and the beginning of a new era.
I talked more with Jay and Kristina about the Vegan diet, and recipes, and the research by T. Colin Campbell that is the foundation for the book The China Study, and links the consumption of not only foods containing animal fat and cholesterol, but even and especially animal protein, with cancer, obesity, heart disease and strokes, and even diabetes and other autoimmune diseases. This book revolutionized my life, and has galvinized my commitment to averting and reversing these diseases if I can.
What a celebration!
The Mankind is One Seattle Folklife Festival, Part Two
Yesterday I wore the green glass rectangular pendant with the Ringstone Symbol in gold, and it attracted at least five individuals who asked about it, and I was able to teach them about the Baha'i Faith. For people who know how reticent I am about this, this is a miracle in itself. Two out of the five people I spoke with had heard of the Baha'i Faith, and one, a youth with contest entries for a cash drawing, had been to the Baha'i Gardens, i.e. the Terraces around the Shrine of the Bab on Mount Carmel, as well as to the temple in India, lotus-shaped. I tried to describe for him the new temple being built in Chile, near Santiago, with the sail-shaped alabaster panels and the chili-pepper shape, and how it will glow with light.
My first goal was the Hatterdashery, a talented maker of hats and a permanent fixture at the Festival. I had bought a leather cap there years ago which stayed faithfully with me many years and then wandered off to seek its fortune at some point, as all my caps eventually do. I selected a cap made of soft suede, which later I returned to have resized a little smaller, telling him I had been to a psychologist.
I spoke with a very talented vender of hand-made pins etc made with enamel and then silver in the desired shape afixed to that, very beautiful. She had one camel pin, which she found. I mentioned my husband is in New York for his daughter's graduation from Columbia University graduate school. She had paid her way through Columbia University with her art. She said, "I worked like a dog."
While my hat was resized I sat above the fountain watching people play. Before it was redone, the fountain used to consist of several hundred cones, each a spigot for water erupting at random intervals, and the chief amusement was to place cups over the cones and wait for them to shoot into the air, as well as climbing on the fountain. Now the face of the fountain is a giant, smooth dome; more attractive, and safer.
After all this wandering, I came to the Northwest Court, the usual stage for Celtic music. As I approached, I thought, "That band sounds like Lindsay Street. That looks like my nephew Robin on the stage!" This is a band so good I would seek it out even if it wasn't one-quarter populated by my relative, so it was a double pleasure to listen to their music, watch my nephew on stage and feel proud, and a triple pleasure for the serendipity of it all. Then Robin mentioned to the audience that his twins were there. They are almost a year old, and I haven't been to Bellingham to meet them yet.
So here I was beaming and ogling the party in the front row, who probably thought I was a stalker; after the set I came and introduced myself as Robin's aunt. So I got to hold two babies at once for a photo, and allow Hewson to suck on my glass pendant, as it would hurt neither him nor it [Hazel was in the wagon], and see Robin again, too, and meet his wife and her sister and mother. I'm quite pleased with the babies, and they will definitely make the grade. This year I was great-aunt to three babies in all, and now I am glad to have met them all.
Yesterday was a winner, with ample Vitamin D, good music, great shopping [I found a bag from Guatemala with an earth circled with multihued children holding hands. I feel like adding, "Mankind is One" in embroidery.] And several scarves. And actually connecting with people. And it terms of general exhaustion, outstanding.
My first goal was the Hatterdashery, a talented maker of hats and a permanent fixture at the Festival. I had bought a leather cap there years ago which stayed faithfully with me many years and then wandered off to seek its fortune at some point, as all my caps eventually do. I selected a cap made of soft suede, which later I returned to have resized a little smaller, telling him I had been to a psychologist.
I spoke with a very talented vender of hand-made pins etc made with enamel and then silver in the desired shape afixed to that, very beautiful. She had one camel pin, which she found. I mentioned my husband is in New York for his daughter's graduation from Columbia University graduate school. She had paid her way through Columbia University with her art. She said, "I worked like a dog."
While my hat was resized I sat above the fountain watching people play. Before it was redone, the fountain used to consist of several hundred cones, each a spigot for water erupting at random intervals, and the chief amusement was to place cups over the cones and wait for them to shoot into the air, as well as climbing on the fountain. Now the face of the fountain is a giant, smooth dome; more attractive, and safer.
After all this wandering, I came to the Northwest Court, the usual stage for Celtic music. As I approached, I thought, "That band sounds like Lindsay Street. That looks like my nephew Robin on the stage!" This is a band so good I would seek it out even if it wasn't one-quarter populated by my relative, so it was a double pleasure to listen to their music, watch my nephew on stage and feel proud, and a triple pleasure for the serendipity of it all. Then Robin mentioned to the audience that his twins were there. They are almost a year old, and I haven't been to Bellingham to meet them yet.
So here I was beaming and ogling the party in the front row, who probably thought I was a stalker; after the set I came and introduced myself as Robin's aunt. So I got to hold two babies at once for a photo, and allow Hewson to suck on my glass pendant, as it would hurt neither him nor it [Hazel was in the wagon], and see Robin again, too, and meet his wife and her sister and mother. I'm quite pleased with the babies, and they will definitely make the grade. This year I was great-aunt to three babies in all, and now I am glad to have met them all.
Yesterday was a winner, with ample Vitamin D, good music, great shopping [I found a bag from Guatemala with an earth circled with multihued children holding hands. I feel like adding, "Mankind is One" in embroidery.] And several scarves. And actually connecting with people. And it terms of general exhaustion, outstanding.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Dual Station of the Manifestation
In regards to the dual station of the Manifestation of God, that of the human and that perfectly reflecting the divine, Baha'u'llah reveals:
"Say: Naught is seen in My temple but the Temple of God, and in My beauty but His Beauty, and in My being but His Being, and in My self but His Self, and in My movement but His Movement, and in My acquiescence but His Acquiescence, and in My pen but His Pen, the Mighty, the All-Praised. There hath not been in My soul but the Truth, and in Myself, naught could be seen but God."
[Summons of the Lord of Hosts, copyright Baha'i Publishing Trust.]
"Say: Naught is seen in My temple but the Temple of God, and in My beauty but His Beauty, and in My being but His Being, and in My self but His Self, and in My movement but His Movement, and in My acquiescence but His Acquiescence, and in My pen but His Pen, the Mighty, the All-Praised. There hath not been in My soul but the Truth, and in Myself, naught could be seen but God."
[Summons of the Lord of Hosts, copyright Baha'i Publishing Trust.]
Saturday, May 2, 2009
The Ridvan [Paradise] That Changed My Life
I'm still excited about changing to a plant-based whole foods diet. It's still a little scary making sure I figure it out every day what to eat. I spend an hour every day cooking. Making a whole lot of stir-fry vegetables, sometimes with Asian noodles, usually with beans stirred in instead of tofu, since, unless it's precooked to make it firm [as in restaurants], tofu tends to just scramble up. As a graduation I went to two Twelfth Day of Ridvan [this is the final day of this festival] celebrations today centered around food.
The first was a picnic in Puyallup with hamburgers, hot dogs and veggie burgers on the grill. [I don't mind using the same grill or the same utensils as meat products.] I brought my stir-fry, too, which people seemed to like. No cheese on the veggie burger. I remembered the same picnic, same place last year, and sneaking a meat burger. I used to sneak a lot of food, because it was someone else, not myself, I had to please. Clarity makes a big difference.
The second Ridvan celebration was in Tacoma, Azar's annual dinner she gives to host the Baha'is: in her business she is too busy to attend many Baha'i functions, so this is her way to participate and connect with the friends. She prepares an enormous dinner every year, and this year there were platters of turkey, platters of beef and platters of ham, as well as white rice and a Persian dish with spinach, beans and beef. I had some of that, selecting around the beef, as well as vegetables and a pasta dish. I stayed resolute in my decision to skip animal-based foods, so I'm celebrating that.
My first benefit is clarity about what to eat; with the food compulsion I always agonized about it. My second benefit is sort of a serenity and joy. I focus on eating the proper foods and let go of all my other food anxieties. My third benefit is focusing on people, conversation, and friendship, and being fully present, instead of hiding in the process of eating or agonizing.
Hello, my true self. Hello, friends!
The first was a picnic in Puyallup with hamburgers, hot dogs and veggie burgers on the grill. [I don't mind using the same grill or the same utensils as meat products.] I brought my stir-fry, too, which people seemed to like. No cheese on the veggie burger. I remembered the same picnic, same place last year, and sneaking a meat burger. I used to sneak a lot of food, because it was someone else, not myself, I had to please. Clarity makes a big difference.
The second Ridvan celebration was in Tacoma, Azar's annual dinner she gives to host the Baha'is: in her business she is too busy to attend many Baha'i functions, so this is her way to participate and connect with the friends. She prepares an enormous dinner every year, and this year there were platters of turkey, platters of beef and platters of ham, as well as white rice and a Persian dish with spinach, beans and beef. I had some of that, selecting around the beef, as well as vegetables and a pasta dish. I stayed resolute in my decision to skip animal-based foods, so I'm celebrating that.
My first benefit is clarity about what to eat; with the food compulsion I always agonized about it. My second benefit is sort of a serenity and joy. I focus on eating the proper foods and let go of all my other food anxieties. My third benefit is focusing on people, conversation, and friendship, and being fully present, instead of hiding in the process of eating or agonizing.
Hello, my true self. Hello, friends!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Reading The China Study by T. Colin Campbell, PhD
The China Study by T. Colin Campbell, PhD. and Thomas M. Campbell II. This book is giving the evidence, solid scientific studies performed over many years, that demonstrate the connection between eating animal-sourced foods and cancer, heart disease and strokes, diabetes and obesity. [So far.] If you had given me this book three or four years ago, even if I read it, I would have said, "Boooring." I would probably have either discounted the evidence or thought, "Oh, well, that's okay for people who can eat that way [plant-based whole foods] but, poor me."
I have spent the last three years initially changing to more natural foods and whole grains, then attempting to change to a vegetarian diet, which has given me a basis to build on. My mind is like that. I have to assimilate information and apply it slowly. Any lifestyle change with me is complicated by my emotional attachment to food and the process of eating and the way it affects my mood. Perhaps I'm more ready for enlightenment from praying in the Shrines. But for whatever reason, the light has turned on for me. Oddly, once I get it, change can happen rapidly.
My initial reaction to listening to a brief discourse on this subject on April 21st was, "Oh, no! I can't change!" But in my heart I just knew that whether I felt ready or not emotionally, if I am to live the way I want to, I must change.
To quote the author of The China Study, "Yes, changing your lifestyle may seem impractical. It may seem impractical to give up meat and high-fat foods, but I wonder how practical it is to be 350 pounds and have Type II diabetes at the age of fifteen . . . I wonder how practical it is to have a lifelong condition that can't be cured by drugs or surgery; a condition that often leads to heart disease, stroke, blindness, or amputation; a condition that might require you to inject insulin into your body every day for the rest of your life.
"Radically changing our diets may be 'impractical,' but it might also be worth it."
This is the conclusion I have come to. But I had to come to it on my own, hearing and then reading the evidence myself. If it had been forced onto me, I would have rejected it. In America, our lifestyle has become so warped and extreme, that to abandon animal-sourced foods seems extreme. In other parts of the world, and at other times, this would fall well within the bounds of moderation.
I want to share this book with all my friends, with Homeland's medical director. I want to open a nursing home for people which serves a whole foods, plant-based diet [but not if it means any work.] I want to run out and save the world.
I have spent the last three years initially changing to more natural foods and whole grains, then attempting to change to a vegetarian diet, which has given me a basis to build on. My mind is like that. I have to assimilate information and apply it slowly. Any lifestyle change with me is complicated by my emotional attachment to food and the process of eating and the way it affects my mood. Perhaps I'm more ready for enlightenment from praying in the Shrines. But for whatever reason, the light has turned on for me. Oddly, once I get it, change can happen rapidly.
My initial reaction to listening to a brief discourse on this subject on April 21st was, "Oh, no! I can't change!" But in my heart I just knew that whether I felt ready or not emotionally, if I am to live the way I want to, I must change.
To quote the author of The China Study, "Yes, changing your lifestyle may seem impractical. It may seem impractical to give up meat and high-fat foods, but I wonder how practical it is to be 350 pounds and have Type II diabetes at the age of fifteen . . . I wonder how practical it is to have a lifelong condition that can't be cured by drugs or surgery; a condition that often leads to heart disease, stroke, blindness, or amputation; a condition that might require you to inject insulin into your body every day for the rest of your life.
"Radically changing our diets may be 'impractical,' but it might also be worth it."
This is the conclusion I have come to. But I had to come to it on my own, hearing and then reading the evidence myself. If it had been forced onto me, I would have rejected it. In America, our lifestyle has become so warped and extreme, that to abandon animal-sourced foods seems extreme. In other parts of the world, and at other times, this would fall well within the bounds of moderation.
I want to share this book with all my friends, with Homeland's medical director. I want to open a nursing home for people which serves a whole foods, plant-based diet [but not if it means any work.] I want to run out and save the world.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
A Day With My Daughter
I spent the day, a Holy Day, with my daughter. Last night she was soaking the beans I gave her; today I showed her how to get them cooking on low, while we spent an hour with her practicing handling the car, driving around and around a housing development. Then I drove to Trader Joe's hoping to find some good protein sources. In Asian restaurants they have pre-sauteed tofu. They did have baked tofu at Trader Joe's. And some papaya mango salsa, and Pearl selected an orchid for me for Mother's Day.
At home again I showed her how to make the quesadillas I'd been making with corn tortillas: because the tortillas are brittle, it's necessary to make them like tostadas and fold them over when you put them on the plate; after they cook they become flexible. We used her cooked beans, the salsa, and some of the pound of Colby I bought just before I turned the corner and resolved not to eat animal products. She had them with cheese, I'm having them without. And not feeling sorry for myself, either!
My copy of "The China Study" just arrived last night and I'm at least a third of the way through it. I love the way it doesn't preach, nor does it whine about all the poor dead animals we kill every day. It just gives the facts.
Off soon to celebrate the Ninth Day of Ridvan in Northeast Tacoma again, and I hope Jay and Kristina are there so we can talk more. I can use some classes, although getting together with Kristina might be problematical. And I arranged to drive with Pearl about an hour most days until she has her six hours driving time homework done. And I sent away for an owner's manual for her car.
At home again I showed her how to make the quesadillas I'd been making with corn tortillas: because the tortillas are brittle, it's necessary to make them like tostadas and fold them over when you put them on the plate; after they cook they become flexible. We used her cooked beans, the salsa, and some of the pound of Colby I bought just before I turned the corner and resolved not to eat animal products. She had them with cheese, I'm having them without. And not feeling sorry for myself, either!
My copy of "The China Study" just arrived last night and I'm at least a third of the way through it. I love the way it doesn't preach, nor does it whine about all the poor dead animals we kill every day. It just gives the facts.
Off soon to celebrate the Ninth Day of Ridvan in Northeast Tacoma again, and I hope Jay and Kristina are there so we can talk more. I can use some classes, although getting together with Kristina might be problematical. And I arranged to drive with Pearl about an hour most days until she has her six hours driving time homework done. And I sent away for an owner's manual for her car.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Frog Holy Days
Happy First Day of Ridvan.
Early this morning I took my daughter Pearl to her driving test appointment, where she learned what to work on next. Later I signed her up for more driving instruction time. I'm thinking, lots more. Then I took her to breakfast where we ate things that tasted good but will probably give my gall bladder and pancreas, not to mention my arteries, things to talk about for awhile.
Pearl is clearly feeling better. Her husband Charles has brought her frog back over, which he took along when he moved out. Perhaps he thought that in her depressed state she might not take care of it. I said that they may not have custody of children to work out, but just frog custody. She talked about the visiting parenting plan and what holidays the frog might have to share with the parents. I said, "what are holy days for a frog?" She said, just as quick as that, "Good Flyday."
Later, just in time for a nap but not getting one, I drove up to Northeast Tacoma, a thirty to forty-five minute detour across the tideflats to a portion of Tacoma annexed to it, but in no way physically connected. Our friends Jay and Kristina hosted a celebration of The First Day of Ridvan, an event celebrating the time period when Baha'u'llah was about to leave Baghdad under exile to Constantinople, and accomplished two things: he gave all his followers and townspeople time to say their farewells, and he announced publicly for the first time his station as a Manifestation of God for this day, the Founder of a new faith, the Baha'i Faith.
Baha'u'llah spent 12 days in April, 1853 [what passes for April in the Muslim calendar] on an island in the river, a garden he named "Paradise," or Ridvan, where the roses from adoring friends piled up and the nightingales sang all night. We had some music, prayers and chanting, and some history of that time read. It was enchanting.
Kristina teaches nutrition, and she and her husband are "experimenting" with a vegan diet; she referred me to a book named "The China Study." Intellectually I agree, but emotionally I still feel tied to meat and dairy products. I never ate so many hamburgers in one year as when I tried to break away from meat. But wouldn't it be nice to be free of this compulsion? Free to eat completely healthy food all the time?
The nightingales of Eatonville on the muddy shores of Lake Ohop: a frog chorus. They sound good.
Early this morning I took my daughter Pearl to her driving test appointment, where she learned what to work on next. Later I signed her up for more driving instruction time. I'm thinking, lots more. Then I took her to breakfast where we ate things that tasted good but will probably give my gall bladder and pancreas, not to mention my arteries, things to talk about for awhile.
Pearl is clearly feeling better. Her husband Charles has brought her frog back over, which he took along when he moved out. Perhaps he thought that in her depressed state she might not take care of it. I said that they may not have custody of children to work out, but just frog custody. She talked about the visiting parenting plan and what holidays the frog might have to share with the parents. I said, "what are holy days for a frog?" She said, just as quick as that, "Good Flyday."
Later, just in time for a nap but not getting one, I drove up to Northeast Tacoma, a thirty to forty-five minute detour across the tideflats to a portion of Tacoma annexed to it, but in no way physically connected. Our friends Jay and Kristina hosted a celebration of The First Day of Ridvan, an event celebrating the time period when Baha'u'llah was about to leave Baghdad under exile to Constantinople, and accomplished two things: he gave all his followers and townspeople time to say their farewells, and he announced publicly for the first time his station as a Manifestation of God for this day, the Founder of a new faith, the Baha'i Faith.
Baha'u'llah spent 12 days in April, 1853 [what passes for April in the Muslim calendar] on an island in the river, a garden he named "Paradise," or Ridvan, where the roses from adoring friends piled up and the nightingales sang all night. We had some music, prayers and chanting, and some history of that time read. It was enchanting.
Kristina teaches nutrition, and she and her husband are "experimenting" with a vegan diet; she referred me to a book named "The China Study." Intellectually I agree, but emotionally I still feel tied to meat and dairy products. I never ate so many hamburgers in one year as when I tried to break away from meat. But wouldn't it be nice to be free of this compulsion? Free to eat completely healthy food all the time?
The nightingales of Eatonville on the muddy shores of Lake Ohop: a frog chorus. They sound good.
Monday, April 20, 2009
The True Station of Christ, Part Two
Just as I mentioned a few months ago that in life everything has an inward and an outward reality, Jesus Christ really has two stations: the human, and the divine.
Just as I gave the example several months ago: On the last Thursday of November, in the United States, I can eat a meal of turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy, and finish with pumpkin pie; that does not mean I just experienced "Thanksgiving." It is Thanksgiving if I eat with gratitude and in the fellowship of my friends and family, remembering the sacrifice of the early European pilgrims to this continent and the assistence of and their reliance on the Indian natives who helped them to survive; with whom they gathered in a meal of unity and fellowship.
The human station of Jesus Christ really is that of the individual, Jesus. This is the man that walked the dusty, rocky roads of Palestine, sleeping on the ground, the man who had his individual name, "Jesus"; who lived in a certain time, spoke a certain language [Aramaic], dressed according to the times, had certain racial characteristics and facial features, ate certain foods, and lived among a certain people. Baha'u'llah says, ["Book of Certitude" copyright Baha'i Publishing Trust]:
"Thus Jesus, Son of Mary, whilst seated one day and speaking in the strain of the Holy Spirit, uttered words such as these: 'O people! My food is the grass of the field, wherewith I satisfy my hunger. My bed is the dust, my lamp in the night the light of the moon, and my steed my own feet. Behold, who on earth is richer than I?' By the righteousness of God! Thousands of treasures circle around this poverty, and a myriad kindoms of glory yearn for such abasement! Shouldst thou attain to a drop of the ocean of the inner meaning of these words, thou wouldst surely forsake the world and all that is therein . . ."
But even this quotation shares a glimpse of the other station of Christ, the divine.
Viewed in the light of Jesus' human station, "the station of distinction, differentiation, temporal limitations, characteristics and standards," Jesus would manifest "utter destitution absolute servitude, and complete self-effacement. Even as He saith: 'I am the servant of God. I am but a man like you.' "
However, were Christ, the divine station of Jesus Christ, to declare: " 'I am God!' He verily speaketh the truth, and no doubt attacheth thereto."
So what, for the Christian believer, makes the difference? Jesus was the individual: Christ is a perfect mirror, reflecting the Holy Spirit, the words of God for humanity, revealing the Revelation of God, connecting the heart of the believer with her true beloved, God.
Again, great news for Christians: for people who are not Christians, hang on!
Just as I gave the example several months ago: On the last Thursday of November, in the United States, I can eat a meal of turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy, and finish with pumpkin pie; that does not mean I just experienced "Thanksgiving." It is Thanksgiving if I eat with gratitude and in the fellowship of my friends and family, remembering the sacrifice of the early European pilgrims to this continent and the assistence of and their reliance on the Indian natives who helped them to survive; with whom they gathered in a meal of unity and fellowship.
The human station of Jesus Christ really is that of the individual, Jesus. This is the man that walked the dusty, rocky roads of Palestine, sleeping on the ground, the man who had his individual name, "Jesus"; who lived in a certain time, spoke a certain language [Aramaic], dressed according to the times, had certain racial characteristics and facial features, ate certain foods, and lived among a certain people. Baha'u'llah says, ["Book of Certitude" copyright Baha'i Publishing Trust]:
"Thus Jesus, Son of Mary, whilst seated one day and speaking in the strain of the Holy Spirit, uttered words such as these: 'O people! My food is the grass of the field, wherewith I satisfy my hunger. My bed is the dust, my lamp in the night the light of the moon, and my steed my own feet. Behold, who on earth is richer than I?' By the righteousness of God! Thousands of treasures circle around this poverty, and a myriad kindoms of glory yearn for such abasement! Shouldst thou attain to a drop of the ocean of the inner meaning of these words, thou wouldst surely forsake the world and all that is therein . . ."
But even this quotation shares a glimpse of the other station of Christ, the divine.
Viewed in the light of Jesus' human station, "the station of distinction, differentiation, temporal limitations, characteristics and standards," Jesus would manifest "utter destitution absolute servitude, and complete self-effacement. Even as He saith: 'I am the servant of God. I am but a man like you.' "
However, were Christ, the divine station of Jesus Christ, to declare: " 'I am God!' He verily speaketh the truth, and no doubt attacheth thereto."
So what, for the Christian believer, makes the difference? Jesus was the individual: Christ is a perfect mirror, reflecting the Holy Spirit, the words of God for humanity, revealing the Revelation of God, connecting the heart of the believer with her true beloved, God.
Again, great news for Christians: for people who are not Christians, hang on!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
