Elchanan - Personal Notes [Principles for Vibrant Living: Constructive Use; HBG; Harmlessness] (WAS: Raw Food: Worth Its Weight In Gold ...)

[Guest guest]

Hi Blanc,

 

Happy to share further. I'm guessing that the speaker you heard made that

comment with a certain disdain, yes? So I suggest taking his/her comment

with a grain of salt.

 

Blanc, much of the RF world operates with a very distorted sense of food in

the larger scheme of things. Food is merely one input, among many, to our

overall vitality and sense of well-being. Examples of other inputs are fresh

air, sunshine, physical activity, mental activity, work, play, social

connections, sexuality, and much more. To be fully vital and alive, we

humans need to eat well, interact constructively with the physical world,

engage in pursuits that express our intrinsic sense of curiosity and

wonderment, and more. So no, for me food is not " a religion " .

 

That said, the ministry I serve, in which I live, is called " Vibrant Living

Ministries " . A core theme, a core component of the belief system, involves

exploring and discovering how to live in harmony with Nature's design ... as

opposed to controlling Nature's design. So we have, as a Principal for

Vibrant Living:

 

Every organism nourishes, cleanses, restores, and replenishes itself

through constructive activity (use).

 

In other words, every organism possesses the capacity, to a great extent, to

create its own vitality, its own health and sense of well-being, from the

inside, out. I say " to a great extent " , because certain acts of Nature, such

as hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, famine, and the like can

create conditions that are beyond the responsive capacity of organisms and

therefore fatal.

 

That said, eating becomes nothing more or less than an activity ... an input

....which we may pursue in a more or less constructive manner, that is, in a

manner that is more or less convergent with our design, with Nature's design

for our species. When we eat simply, particularly one food at a time; when

we eat predominantly high-water-content, low-fat, low-protein,

low-indigestible-fiber foods, we eat in accordance with that design. When we

eat in any other way, our systems find ways to cope, but always at a cost in

terms of energy, awareness (and particularly self-awareness, presence,

poise, and the like.

 

Another core component of our beliefs arises from the ancient teaching,

" Thou shalt not kill. " (More literally from the Hebrew, " You no kill. " ) We

need kill no creature in order that we may live and enjoy life to the

fullest. In fact, we can ONLY live and enjoy life to the fullest when we

stretch ourselves, when we consciously choose to stop the killing. For our

species' history well demonstrates that we humans know not how to stop

killing, once we begin. Our genetic knowledge includes the experience, the

learning, of ancient ancestor species that were indeed designed to eat the

flesh of other creatures. We can only step beyond this core programming by

reprogramming our subconscious beliefs and through proactive, conscious

choice.

 

More generally, we hold to two ideas, the Doctrine of Highest and Best Good

and the Doctrine of Harmlessness, which guide our choice-making in almost

every respect.

 

According to the Doctrine of Highest and Best Good, an option can only be in

the highest and best good of one if it is in the highest and best good of

all. This gives us a way to test out our options before we make choices: We

can ask ourselves, " Is this option in his/her/their highest and best good,

as well as my own? " If the answer is " no " , then this option is not in our

own highest and best good, and we are guided toward consideration of other

alternatives

 

This belief might guide our food choices. For example, I am aware that, if I

choose to eat in ways that diminish my own energy and awareness, then I am

disserving the highest and best good of all life. I may therefore

consciously choose to lift myself up toward some higher aspiration.

 

According to the Doctrine of Harmlessness, we seek to harm no part of

Nature, to minimize our impact upon the world around us, to leave the world

a better place than we found it. The specific belief " Thou shalt not kill "

falls within the domain of this larger, more comprehensive one.

 

This belief might guide our food choices. For example, I am aware that

nurturing ecosystems benefits both me all all life around me, whereas

growing food in isolated monocultures does the opposite. I am further aware

that, by eating predominantly fruits and leaves, I leave intact the flora

around me, and I might seek, over time, to create a lifestyle wherein I can

harvest food directly and without taking the plants from which the food

comes.

 

Well Blanc, I hope this sheds a bit more light where you were hoping to have

some light. Write back as you wish.

 

Best regards,

Elchanan

_____

 

Blanc <blancw

February 24, 2009 8:54:12 PM PST

 

Yes, this does answer my question, but it would be interesting to know more

about your transformation. I heard a speaker some weeks ago refer to the

religion of eating raw that some people practice, so it's a bit amusing that

you would be living a combination of eating raw and a ministry. Which was

first, or did one lead to the other?

[Guest guest]

The speaker was referring to the attitude of some raw foodies that

only the " 100% raw " are worthy and that anyone who does not maintain

this maximum percentage is a sinner who has fallen from grace. So I

was bemused at the association between your own raw foodism and a

ministry as well - not that these two are on the same plane as the raw

worshipers, of course.

 

Anyway I'm guessing that it was the ministry which changed your value

system and on account of it you either discovered, or were introduced

to, the ideas of eating raw, rather than that you discovered eating

raw and that it changed your value system so as to go toward this

ministry. It would seem to facilitate going in that direction.

Thanks for the explanation.

 

 

Blanc

 

 

 

On Feb 28, 2009, at 6:58 PM, Elchanan wrote:

 

> Hi Blanc,

>

> Happy to share further. I'm guessing that the speaker you heard made

> that

> comment with a certain disdain, yes? So I suggest taking his/her

> comment

> with a grain of salt.

>

> Blanc, much of the RF world operates with a very distorted sense of

> food in

> the larger scheme of things. Food is merely one input, among many,

> to our

> overall vitality and sense of well-being. Examples of other inputs

> are fresh

> air, sunshine, physical activity, mental activity, work, play, social

> connections, sexuality, and much more. To be fully vital and alive, we

> humans need to eat well, interact constructively with the physical

> world,

> engage in pursuits that express our intrinsic sense of curiosity and

> wonderment, and more. So no, for me food is not " a religion " .

>

> That said, the ministry I serve, in which I live, is called " Vibrant

> Living

> Ministries " . A core theme, a core component of the belief system,

> involves

> exploring and discovering how to live in harmony with Nature's

> design ... as

> opposed to controlling Nature's design. So we have, as a Principal for

> Vibrant Living:

>

> Every organism nourishes, cleanses, restores, and replenishes itself

> through constructive activity (use).

>

> In other words, every organism possesses the capacity, to a great

> extent, to

> create its own vitality, its own health and sense of well-being,

> from the

> inside, out. I say " to a great extent " , because certain acts of

> Nature, such

> as hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, famine, and the like can

> create conditions that are beyond the responsive capacity of

> organisms and

> therefore fatal.

>

> That said, eating becomes nothing more or less than an activity ...

> an input

> ...which we may pursue in a more or less constructive manner, that

> is, in a

> manner that is more or less convergent with our design, with

> Nature's design

> for our species. When we eat simply, particularly one food at a

> time; when

> we eat predominantly high-water-content, low-fat, low-protein,

> low-indigestible-fiber foods, we eat in accordance with that design.

> When we

> eat in any other way, our systems find ways to cope, but always at a

> cost in

> terms of energy, awareness (and particularly self-awareness, presence,

> poise, and the like.

>

> Another core component of our beliefs arises from the ancient

> teaching,

> " Thou shalt not kill. " (More literally from the Hebrew, " You no

> kill. " ) We

> need kill no creature in order that we may live and enjoy life to the

> fullest. In fact, we can ONLY live and enjoy life to the fullest

> when we

> stretch ourselves, when we consciously choose to stop the killing.

> For our

> species' history well demonstrates that we humans know not how to stop

> killing, once we begin. Our genetic knowledge includes the

> experience, the

> learning, of ancient ancestor species that were indeed designed to

> eat the

> flesh of other creatures. We can only step beyond this core

> programming by

> reprogramming our subconscious beliefs and through proactive,

> conscious

> choice.

>

> More generally, we hold to two ideas, the Doctrine of Highest and

> Best Good

> and the Doctrine of Harmlessness, which guide our choice-making in

> almost

> every respect.

>

> According to the Doctrine of Highest and Best Good, an option can

> only be in

> the highest and best good of one if it is in the highest and best

> good of

> all. This gives us a way to test out our options before we make

> choices: We

> can ask ourselves, " Is this option in his/her/their highest and best

> good,

> as well as my own? " If the answer is " no " , then this option is not

> in our

> own highest and best good, and we are guided toward consideration of

> other

> alternatives

>

> This belief might guide our food choices. For example, I am aware

> that, if I

> choose to eat in ways that diminish my own energy and awareness,

> then I am

> disserving the highest and best good of all life. I may therefore

> consciously choose to lift myself up toward some higher aspiration.

>

> According to the Doctrine of Harmlessness, we seek to harm no part of

> Nature, to minimize our impact upon the world around us, to leave

> the world

> a better place than we found it. The specific belief " Thou shalt not

> kill "

> falls within the domain of this larger, more comprehensive one.

>

> This belief might guide our food choices. For example, I am aware that

> nurturing ecosystems benefits both me all all life around me, whereas

> growing food in isolated monocultures does the opposite. I am

> further aware

> that, by eating predominantly fruits and leaves, I leave intact the

> flora

> around me, and I might seek, over time, to create a lifestyle

> wherein I can

> harvest food directly and without taking the plants from which the

> food

> comes.

>

> Well Blanc, I hope this sheds a bit more light where you were hoping

> to have

> some light. Write back as you wish.

>

> Best regards,

> Elchanan

> _____

>

> Blanc <blancw

> February 24, 2009 8:54:12 PM PST

>

> Yes, this does answer my question, but it would be interesting to

> know more

> about your transformation. I heard a speaker some weeks ago refer to

> the

> religion of eating raw that some people practice, so it's a bit

> amusing that

> you would be living a combination of eating raw and a ministry.

> Which was

> first, or did one lead to the other?

>

>

>