So You Want to Go to Mars

There are a lot of billionaires, major corporations, resources and technologies aligning right now to make Mars colonization possible within our lifetime. The opportunity is becoming real. The risk is still very great, but the rewards are unimaginable. The Martians colonists will be the start of a completely new human society based on sustainable principles. All of the estimates are that significant steps will be made and a human may step foot on Mars in the next 20 years. Now that is exciting!

SpaceX

SpaceX founder unveils plan to send 80,000 people to Mars

Elon Musk, the founder and CEO of the private spaceflight company SpaceX, has announced an ambitious plan to colonize Mars by shuttling 80,000 pioneers to the Red Planet at a cost of $500,000 a trip. The first phase of the program, which is contingent on the development of reusable rocket that can take off and land vertically, would start off modestly with only a handful of explorers leaving Earth at a time. But in short order, the self-sustaining population could grow into something far greater.

• "At Mars, you can start a self-sustaining civilization and grow it into something really big," - Elon Musk
  

The announcement was made by the billionaire Musk to an audience at the Royal Aeronautical Society in London on November 16, 2012. He was there to talk about his business plans and to receive the Society's gold medal for helping to advance the commercial space industry.

SpaceX is the world's fastest-growing provider of launch services. With nearly 50 launches on its manifest, representing more than $4 billion in contracts, SpaceX continues to push the boundaries of space technology through its Falcon launch vehicles and Dragon spacecraft.

At 9:34 a.m. PDT on March 26, 2013, SpaceX's Dragon returned safely from its second official resupply mission to the International Space Station, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean about 200 miles off the coast of southern California. The spacecraft brought back nearly 3,200 lbs of station cargo and packaging, including space station hardware, supplies and scientific samples. Dragon is the only spacecraft capable of returning a payload of this size to Earth.

SpaceX founder looking for 'colonists', must love space travel. 

Read more: http://digitaljournal.com/article/337983#ixzz2ZMsO4oxu

MARS ONE

The mission, a private venture by the Dutch non-profit organization Mars One, aims to send a crew to the Red Planet in 2022

• More than 78,000 people want to go to Mars -- forever.
• The non-profit group "Mars One" says it is getting flooded with applications to help them set-up a colony on the red planet.
• Only four people will actually get to go.
• You have to send in a one-minute video if you'd like to be considered.
• Take a look at some of the applicants so far at Mars-One.com.
  

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

Link: http://amzn.com/0452011876

Atlas Shrugged explores a dystopian United States where many of society's most productive citizens refuse to be exploited by increasing taxation and government regulations and disappear, shutting down their vital industries. The disappearances evoke the imagery of what would happen if the mythological Atlas refused to continue to hold up the sky.

The theme of Atlas Shrugged, as Rand described it, is "the role of man's mind in existence". The book explores a number of philosophical themes from which Rand would subsequently develop Objectivism. In doing so, it expresses the advocacy of reason, individualism, capitalism, and the failures of governmental coercion.

• My question, "WHAT IF SOCIETY'S MOST PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS LEFT EARTH AND STARTED A COLONY ON MARS?"

Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration by Buzz Aldrin 

Link: http://amzn.com/1426210175

Sixty-six years after the Wright Brothers made history at Kitty Hawk, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped onto the surface of the moon. From that pivotal moment on, Aldrin has advocated for continued and expanded space exploration. Now, he argues that 66 years after the Eagle landed at Tranquility Base, Americans should establish a presence on Mars.

And not just for a single trip or a moment in history. In Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration, Aldrin calls for systematic investment to establish a cycle of transportation and sustained, permanent settlements on the Red Planet.

PLANETARY RESOURCES

http://www.planetaryresources.com/mission/

What if the greatest discovery of natural resources didn't take place on Earth?

There are near-limitless numbers of asteroids and more being discovered every year. More than 1,500 are as easy to reach as the Moon and are in similar orbits as Earth. Asteroids are filled with precious resources, everything from water to platinum. Harnessing valuable minerals from a practically infinite source will provide stability on Earth, increase humanity's prosperity, and help establish and maintain human presence in space.  Check out the YouTube video: http://youtu.be/7fYYPN0BdBw 

ONE ASTEROID MAY CONTAIN MORE PLATINUM THAN HAS BEEN MINED IN ALL OF HISTORY.

WATER SOURCED FROM ASTEROIDS WILL GREATLY ENABLE THE LARGE-SCALE EXPLORATION OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM.

Peter H. Diamandis, M.D.

Planetary Resources Co-Founder, Co-Chairman

Dr. Diamandis is an international pioneer in the commercial space arena, having founded and run many of the leading entrepreneurial companies in the sector. He is Chairman and CEO of the X PRIZE Foundation, best known for its $10 million Ansari X PRIZE for private spaceflight. He is also the Executive Chairman of Singularity University based in Silicon Valley.

How To Talk To A Stone

Saturday was a beautiful day to go hiking so I put my camera in my backpack and headed to the Petroglyph National Monument not far from my house. The dramatic volcanic landscape offers an abundance of textures for the lens to capture.

Side note: Buddhists often compare the quality of consciousness with texture. For example, the smooth mind of the Bodhisattva is compared to the finest silk. What is the quality of consciousness that I will find among the rough volcanic rock?

I also placed in my backpack a book that I am studying. It is titled "Three Texts On Consciousness Only" by Vasubandhu, an Indian Buddhist scholar monk of the fourth century. "Consciousness Only" is a Buddhist school of philosophical thought. It teaches a method to gain enlightenment, freedom and peace. 

Walking in this volcanic landscape I contemplate what it must be like to realize the truth of this teaching. 

Can I be present in the moment without being fooled by my own projections of what I believe to be objectively real and external?

Is the volcanic rock objectively real? Is it as real as my self? Does the stone have a consciousness? If so, does it have a voice that can be heard? 

The natural smoothness of this particular stone seems to hide its true nature. It remains silent to me. Is that because it desires not to interact with me? Or do I choose to ignore the intelligence of this stone and not listen to it? 

I move on down the trail. I meet a different rock that seems more friendly. I sense that this rock does have a story to tell me, so I stop, observe and listen. The stone asks that I slow down my thoughts and listen more closely. I get a glimpse of the stone's deep intelligence. 

I practice patience and slow my thoughts down using meditation on my breath. Now I clearly hear the stone sing a song of its long journey. The song reveals how it came to this place to be here with me. 

As I listen, the stone's story connects me to the warm heart of the Earth, the radiance of the Sun, the openness of the Sky, the strength of the Waters and the vibrant activity of all living creatures. The song refreshes and energizes me.

Oh look, there are chipmunks playing among the stones.

Ancient humans long ago have responded to the stone's song in the unique way that humans know how; with tools and symbols. 

Even though I vibrate at a different frequency than the stone, I realize that the stone is not different than my self. The stone and I are interdependent, we are not separate entities. We travel a common path. 

A bird walks quickly across the stone. The stone travels slowly, but no less deliberately.

The trail of the bird becomes a part of a shared story between human and stone.

The human carving the stone is sometimes aware that the stone is listening to the human. What a great gift to be able to talk to a stone. 

Or is this carving a deception? Are we really just talking to our self? Is the song of the stone only imagined? 

The act of carving symbols into the stone itself becomes symbolic of the fact that human nature is quite special. 

The tools that humans make and wield, our control over animals and plants, and our ability to create symbols all mark humans as unique, separate and superior to this simple stone. 

Instead of talking with stones humans have turned their attention to the symbols they have carved onto the stone. The symbols themselves have become a source of fascination. Are not the symbols just as real as stone? 

Perhaps the concepts that cross the human mind are even more real than the symbols that cross the stone. 

Humans act as if their ability to conceptualize is more precious than even the rarest stone. 

No longer does the song of the stone bring humans joy. The stones fall silent.

The stone has become an object separate from the human observer. It exists externally as the representation of a class of mineral resulting from a series of physical processes over time. Humans have replaced the song of the stone with the story that science has written.  

Humans live, breathe, reproduce, think and create. We mine stones for their raw materials.

Silicon is the most plentiful element on earth it is found in sand. When wind and water carve patterns in stone they create sand.

Silicon is used to create computer chips. Humans create crucibles as hot as a volcano to melt silicon into pure ingots. The ingots are sliced thin into silicon wafers. Humans etch (carve) extremely small patterns onto the silicon wafers to create silicon chips. The small patterns of lines and rectangles are carved into the silicon chip using light and chemicals. The silicon chips become the brains of computers, communication devices and cell phones.

Humans imbed silicon computer chips into just about everything now. Humans call this adding intelligence to a device. In reality, humans have added tiny stones they have carved with light and chemicals to control the device.

Why is it that humans believe stones are dead and dumb, but when humans add a tiny silicon chip to something, then we call it smart?

Phones were invented so humans could talk with other humans. Phones were dumb devices. Lately, humans have added silicon chips to phones and they are now called smart phones.

Humans no longer have the patience to talk to stones. Instead humans love to talk and text on their cell phones. 

The stone still exists. It is just no longer alive to us. Humans define what is dead and what is alive and stones have been deemed rightfully dead.

The stone fits into a conceptual box that humans use to segregate and categorize all dead things. Humans believe that they are completely separate entities from the stone.

Humans conceptualize, and with symbols, create complex tools. The computer is one of the most complex tools. The computer is much better at recording thoughts than stone carvings.

The power of the human mind, mathematics, scientific formulas and computers is very great. Humans have designed an awesome array of tools to extract raw materials from the earth and create machines, cars, computers, smart phones and cities.

Tools are dead things, but some humans believe that one day the computer will evolve into a living, conscious entitty. If humans can carve the right pattern into a small enough space on a silicon chip, they believe the silicon will gain consciousness.

Although humans believe that stones are dead and do not have intelligence, some stones are ground, refined and melted to make computer chips. Perhaps humans of the future can breathe life into these computer chips and stones will attain sentience. Then humans can talk to stones at the frequency of vibration they are comfortable with.

When I meet other humans in the city, sometimes they ask me what I do for a living. I talk, I conceptualize and I write symbols. I record my thoughts on computers and tablets made from silicon chips.

Sometimes I slow my thoughts down, I practice patience, I vibrate at a higher frequency and then I am able to talk with stones.

Life in the city can be stressful. Every now and then I take a trip outside of the city to be with nature. I find that it is a good stress reliever to re-connect with nature. 

I recently took a trip to the Petroglyph National Monument to see how primitive people carved records of their thoughts on stones.

"Consciousness Only" is a Buddhist school of philosophical thought. It teaches a method to gain enlightenment, freedom and peace.

Three Texts On Consciousness Only was written by Vasubandhu, an Indian Buddhist scholar monk of the fourth century. These texts propound the idea that all things believed by the ordinary person to be objective realities outside mind are in truth mere mental constructs. These teachings include the doctrine of emptiness. The texts explain how the cognition of things becomes distorted in humans through the process of conceptualization, false imagination, and discrimination. The texts provide instruction on how to restore the mind to its innate purity and clarity, once more capable of seeing things as they truly are, undistorted by delusion and error.

With Buddhist teachings I have learned how to talk with stones.

Winter Lotus Leaf

After an early morning rain shower the sun was just coming out from behind the clouds. I went to the backyard to breath the newly cleansed fresh air. I noticed in my small pond the rain had formed beautiful beads on top of the aging lotus leaves. The morning sun was reflected and refracted from the almost perfect globes of water. The surface of the miraculous lotus leaf still is capable of repelling water even in a state of decay.

 

I took out my camera with a macro lens and photographed the following close-up scenes. Editing the photos revealed highly textured and contrasting miniature landscapes. The glistening and polished rain droplets almost seem to hover above the rough surface of the lotus leaf. The macro lens with high resolution images further reveals a magnfied scene within each tiny rain drop.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

Wearing the Sun Mask: Giving and Receiving Meditation

A friend recently shared with me difficulties with working in the family business. It felt futile to try to make improvements in order to achieve prosperity. The chaotic family dynamics present  a seemingly insurmountable challenge. How is it possible to attain the focus required to rise above the situation? The tendency to fall into negative patterns constantly inhibits the ability to move forward and achieve the dream of prosperity.

The quest for prosperity is fickle even under the best circumstances. Sometimes it appears very possible, other times it seems impossible. Accepting the chaos is not easy. Even after achieving acceptance, learning how to effectively live within the chaos is more difficult still.

This story reminded me of the "Theater of the Absurd", the existentialist plays and poetry. Have you read some of the plays by Eugene Ionesco, Samuel Beckett and Jean-Paul Sartre? The genre embraces tragic (but somehow comical) studies of characters stuck in chaotic life situations; stuck in samsara. The play "No Exit" epitomizes the condition of suffering. 

The satirists do not provide the instruction on how to exit chaos. It is Buddhism that teaches us that the only escape from samsara is enlightenment.

When we are stuck in chaotic circumstances we feel weighed down by the gravity of our situation. Gravity is all embracing. It is a type of nostalgia for becoming spherical; returning to the womb. But we do not see it as spherical, we perceive it as horizontal. Life is two-dimensional. We are flatlanders and cannot see beyond the horizon.

Succumbing to gravity is a condition of cycling, orbiting and localization. We can think of it as being stuck in a pattern of cyclic existence. The Buddhists call this samsara. We feel as if there is movement, and there is, but there is a lot of going around in circles. We cannot escape from the surface.

Escaping gravity is to be radiant and expand beyond the surface of our situation. It is not easy to rise above and escape the pull of flatland thinking. We must look to the heavens. Our intention must be to focus upward and outward from the surface.

Bucky Fuller said, "Horizontal is to die, vertical is to live."

Rising above the horizontal gravitation-ally challenged existence requires building up a great deal of potential energy. Like a rocket that requires a tremendous fuel supply to reach escape velocity, we must find a source of energy and fuel ourselves for this great vertical journey. 

So we meditate and gather our strength and store up the fuel in our tanks. We do nothing other than sit and breathe; watching our breath go in and out.

Meditation is a subversive method of planning our escape. I say "subversive" in a good way. We subvert our tendency to move sideways, scuttling around the surface like a nervous crab. Instead, we connect with the emptiness of our efforts to find prosperity in this flatland, within samsara. Once we realize the truth of this emptiness we can sit perfectly still and put our mind at rest, abandoning our quest for prosperity.

What, did I say? Abandon our quest for prosperity? This is indeed a subversive thought. However, there is great joy in abandoning prosperity. Through meditation we embrace the simple, profound truth of finding ultimate meaning in the simple act of sitting up straight, breathing in and out. The joy and boundless energy of the cosmos washes over us. We are free of gravity and become a source of radiant energy ourselves. Focused on the single task of breathing in and out we discover an infinite store of radiant energy.

This is the essence of the meditation practice of "Tonglen", the Tibetan Buddhist practice of "Giving and Receiving". We breath in and receive the suffering of all beings trapped in samsara. We breath out and transmit radiant joy and happiness to all beings with the intent to alleviate their suffering. 

Breath in and feel the gravity of all beings' situation. Use the gravity to pull in all the suffering of all beings into a critical mass in the center of your heart. Like our Sun pulls in all surrounding matter and fuses the very atoms together releasing profound life-giving radiant energy, we convert this mass of suffering into boundless joy and radiate positive energy throughout the surrounding universe.

Sun mask sculpture, "Tamanuitera" by James Webster,
a Maori multimedia artist working with wood sculpture,
stone, bone, painting and mural creations.
He comments that his work is
"Art as a passion in life and a journey of discovery."
Pasted from <http://www.carving.co.nz/webster.php> 

We become a living-breathing Sun God. We put on the Sun Mask and shine our light throughout the world. The Sun is the ultimate victor over gravity, using gravity to fuse cold, dark, life-less matter into radiant life-giving energy, the source of fuel for all life in the cosmos. 

Would you like to know how the Sun performs this miracle of giving and receiving? Breath in and breath out, give and receive.

Spheriphor = Tetrahelix + Triskele + Trimurti + Jewel in the Lotus

I created the geometry for the Spheriphor digital art work as an investigation into spherical spirals, but this figure has also led me down deep into multiple levels of insight meditation. If you have been following my blog, you may know that I believe that the root essence of existence is the spiral. I talked about this with my Maori artist collaborator Kura Puke (for I. She also believes spirals to be at the heart of all things.
 

Just recently, during a Vipassana meditation session, I had an insight that emerged from contemplation of the tetrahelix (spiral based on the tetrahedron). I visualized the tetrahelix emerging from a set of 3 vectors that propagate through space. These 3 vectors are the primary (active) system of all phenomena. There is a set of 3 complementary vectors that are secondary (reactive), and together with the primary set of 3 vectors, the tetrahedron (minimum system of Universe) is formed (as per Bucky's Synergetics).
 

Then, I arrived at an internal visualization of the relationships between the 3 primary vectors. This visualization involved a spiraling propagation through space based on 3 parameters: length, angle and twist. I could see that these 3 parameters were the true 3 dimensions of Universe (as opposed to width, height and depth). I made a mental note to create an mathematical computer generated visualization based on this concept.
 

Then all of a sudden the visualization shifted to the Hindu Trimurti. My mental energy shifted from left hemisphere to right hemisphere; the wonders of the corpus callosum.
 

From Wikipedia:

The Trimurti (English: 'three forms') is a concept in Hinduism in which the cosmic functions of  creation  ,  maintenance  , and  transformation  are personified by the forms of Brahmāthe maintainer or preserver Vishnu the creator and Śhiva the destroyer or transformer. These three deities have been called "the Hindu triad" or the "Great Trinity", often addressed as "Brahma-Vishnu-Maheshwara."

Next came the realization of the equivalence of Hindu and Tibetan Buddhist trinities:

1. Vishnu = Sunyata
2. Brahma = Amitabha
3. Shiva = Chenrezig

 

The visualization then shifted again. This time the triad transformed into the Mani; the most beneficial mantra, "Om Mani Padme Hum". I saw the following: 

1. the clear light of creation (Om) radiating from within 
2. the jewel maintaining (Mani) all phenomena
3. sitting on a lotus transforming (Padme) all dualistic views
4. within my human heart (Hum) the most fortunate of all incarnations

In this meditation I attained the most in-depth understanding of the Mani that I have ever realized.

The visualization which emerged from my contemplation of the tetrahelix now circled back to my 4 colored, Triskele version of the Spheriphor. The Spheriphor contains both the 3-way symmetry of the Trimurti and the 4-colored aspects of the Mani. The Spheriphor is truly an all-encompassing spherical-metaphor that represents the complete Hindu-Buddhist psycho-cosmology. 

 
Spheriphor by Tom Greenbaum

 

You can view my Spheriphor study at http://karmatetra.com/ISDE5/spheriphor_study03.htm

Also on the Spheriphor Study 03 page are alternative views of the figure based on a spherical octahedron. The 3 views are based on vertex, face-centered and edge centered perspectives:

• http://karmatetra.com/ISDE5/Images/Spheri-Spiral_50.jpg  My 4 colored Triskele (Celtic triple spiral) version. Do you think that the Celtic mystics were actually peering into the vertex of a spherical octahedron wrapped in spirals like I was?  Also, Hans-Peter Welke fell in love with this image and asked me for permission to use it for the cover of his brochure on the "Corporate Identity Development Process"  See the attachment for the brochure. Hans-Peter credits me for the image on the last page.
• http://karmatetra.com/ISDE5/Images/Spheri-Spiral_52.jpg
• http://karmatetra.com/ISDE5/Images/Spheri-Spiral_49.jpg

 

I would love to make this figure out of glass. I have thought of possible ways to make it out of glass, but it would be a major challenge.

Kumba Kimba the Conga Playing Spirit Guides from Puerto Rico

This story starts off weird and then gets more and more strange. I think you will find it an example of how all things are inter-connected.

The story starts out when I was a little boy and I had two imaginary friends. I used to play with them a lot and I had names for them. I called them Kumba and Kimba. Ask my Mom she will tell you all about it.

Jump forward to the present day. I just got back from Sedona, AZ. I had a great time there. It is a very beautiful town nestled in the middle of an incredible array of natural red sandstone formations. Sedona is also famous for being at the center of spiritual energy vortexes. There are many New Age spiritual centers, with psychics, healers, aura readers and spiritualists on almost every corner. Of course, while in Sedona, I had to have a Kirlian photo taken of my aura. 

The psychic, Jamie Jones-Hoaglund, who took the aura photo is well known. She has appeared on the TV shows, the Bachelorette and Good Morning America. The aura photo and Jamie's reading was amazing. Jamie totally blew my mind with what she said about me. I won't go into all of the details, but one thing in particular she said has stuck with me. There are two bright orbs just above and on either side of my head. Jamie said these are spirit guides or angels. It is very special to have one, but to have two is exceptional.

I had not thought about my imaginary friends Kumba and Kimba in a long time, but it suddenly occurred to me that they might be my two spirit guides! Then I wondered if any one else has a connection to Kumba and Kimba. They might be historical names, or place names, etc.

I just did a Google search for "Kumba Kimba". The search turned up a singular item in which Kumba Kimba is mentioned; it is a song called Kumba Kimba by Sergio "Chino" Ramos, from the Album Kumba Kimba. (Original release date, July 4, 2011 just about one year ago). No where else in all of the internet is Kumba Kimba mentioned together as a phrase.

Some interesting facts about Chino Ramos:

• Chino Ramos was born in New York City, his parents are from Puerto Rico. I too was born in New York City, my parents live in Puerto Rico for 5 months of the year.
• Chino is a percussionist who fell in love with the conga drums at a very young age. I too love the conga drums and have a pair of LP Aspire Sunburst drums (see photo below).
• Chino took percussion lessons in New York City. I never have taken lessons, but I would love to one day.
• The song "Kumba Kimba" is about a drummer without fame or fortune. I need to find out more about the exact meaning and how Chino uses the phrase in context.
• The song is quite successful in Puerto Rico and is a favorite for dancers competing in salsa. I have taken a couple of salsa dance lessons just for fun, I am not any good, but I love to dance.
• Chino loves to "talk with his hands, ringing his drums." When I play the drums, it is an emotional release, I try to be in the moment and allow the spirit talk through my hands.

Some links:

• Buy the song from Amazon at: http://amzn.com/B005A66FNA 
• Listen to a high quality upload of the entire song at SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/dj-walter-b-nice/chino-ramos-y-su-orquesta 
• Check out Chino Ramos and orchestra perform Kumba Kimba in the music video on YouTube: http://youtu.be/G8pePVgJaDM 
• A bio for Chino Ramos in Spanish (Google will translate to English for you) is available at: http://www.guay-ciba.com/rincon/kumba/kumba.htm

Picture of the Kumba Kimba album cover. You can see his influences on the cover (the New York City skyline and the flag of Puerto Rico)

Photo of my LP Aspire Sunburst conga drums

A Flake Of Mica and the Golden Rhombus

When we open ourselves to the ways of Nature and meditate on the structure of natural systems, we are sometimes surprised with gifts of beauty and tokens of our mental journey. Here is a photo of un-cut mica crystal I found on the ground during a recent hike in northern New Mexico.

Natural, un-cut mica in the perfect proportions of a golden rhombus.

Notice in this photo how lines of symmetry within the mica align perfectly with the major and minor axis of the golden rhombus. Readers of this blog may appreciate that my meditations on the proportions of the golden rhombus are extensive. In particular, I have expressed my admiration for this geometric jewel through several kilnformed glass art pieces. You may witness the golden rhombus arrayed in spherical formation as the thirty faces of the rhombic triacontahedron in the photo of my glass art below.

Thirty golden rhombus form the faces of the rhombic triacontahedron.

In northern New Mexico there are many wonderful natural places to explore. Ancient volcanic activity is evident in soothing, mineral rich hot springs. Whenever, I get a chance I love to take advantage of the healing waters, soak away my stress and dissolve my toxic attachments. During a recent trip to the Ojo Caliente hot springs, before immersing myself in the baths, I took a hike in the surrounding hills and was rewarded with the discovery of a perfect golden rhombus mica crystal. How lucky is that?

The Hundred-Character Tablet

I ran across this beautiful Taoist work from the Tang Dynasty and thought of posting it. It is amazing to see the parallels between Taoist and Buddhist philosophies. Would you like to become a Taoist immortal? Or perhaps you would like to take the Bodhisattva Vow and reincarnate in a Buddhist Pure Realm? Choices, choices.

To nourish the vital energy, keep watch in silence;

In order to subdue the mind, act with non-action.

Of movement and stillness, be aware of their origin;

There is no work to do, much less someone to seek.

The true and constant must respond to phenomena;

Responding to phenomena, you must be unconfused.

When unconfused, the nature will stabilize by itself;

When the nature stabilizes, energy returns by itself.

When energy returns, the elixir crystallizes by itself;

Within the pot, the trigrams of kǎn and lí are joined.

Yīn and yáng arise, alternating over and over again;

Every transformation comes like a clap of thunder.

White clouds form and come to assemble at the peak;

The sweet nectar sprinkles down Mount Sumeru.

Swallow for yourself this wine of immortality;

You wander so freely—who is able to know you?

Sit and listen to the tune played without strings;

Clearly understand the mechanism of creation.

It comes entirely from these twenty lines;

A true ladder going straight to Heaven.

You may find other beautiful translated texts of ancient China from both Taoist and Buddhist masters at: http://www.lapislazulitexts.com/translations.html 

Got Milk

As you may know from my previous blog entries I have the autoimmune disease celiac which is an intolerance to gluten, a protein found in wheat. I am very sensitive to ingesting gluten in any of its myriad forms so I am very careful of what I eat. You know the saying, "You are what you eat."

You can imagine that with this sensitivity to gluten and the fact that gluten is found in a wide variety of food stuffs, I do a lot of research into the chemical make-up of food. Wikipedia is a great resource for all sorts of information including the chemical make-up of food. Recently I discovered a correlation between gluten and casein. This could explain my problems with dairy foods that I figured out recently.

Check out this very interesting information that I compiled about a major component of milk, the protein casein:

Casein (from Latin caseus, "cheese") is the name for a family of related phosphoproteins. These proteins are commonly found in mammalian milk, making up 80% of the proteins in cow milk and between 60% and 65% of the proteins in human milk. Casein has a wide variety of uses, from being a major component of cheese, to use as a food additive, to a binder for safety matches. As a food source, casein supplies amino acids; carbohydrates; and two inorganic elements, calcium and phosphorus.

Casein Protein
http://chemistryismyworld.blogspot.com/2011/07/casein.html

 Casein is relatively hydrophobic, making it poorly soluble in water. Special proteases are protein-breaking enzymes needed to break down the milk protein casein.

Uses of Casein

·         Casein paint is a fast-drying, water-soluble medium used by artists. Casein paint has been used since ancient Egyptian times as a form of tempera paint.
·         Casein-based glues were popular for woodworking, including for aircraft, as late as the de Havilland Mosquito.
·         Cheese is typically made when milk is acidified and then coagulated by the addition of rennet, a proteolytic enzyme typically obtained from the stomachs of calves. The solids are separated and pressed into final form.
·         Some of the earliest plastics were based on casein. In particular, galalith was well-known for use in buttons. Fiber can be made from extruded casein. Lanital, a fabric made from casein fiber products, was particularly popular in Italy during the 1930s.

Potential Negative Impacts of Casein on Health

Gluten-free, casein-free (GFCF) diet  - Casein has a molecular structure quite similar to that of gluten. Thus, some gluten-free diets are combined with casein-free diets and referred to as a gluten-free, casein-free diet. Casein is often listed as sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate or milk protein. These are often found in energy bars, drinks, and packaged goods.  NOTE: Since 1999, the website, www.GFCFDiet.com has been assisting parents & individuals with information about The "GFCF Diet".

A person may have a true allergy to dairy due to any of the numerous proteins or other substances in dairy. Lactose comes from the gut lining. Anything that disrupts the gut lining (inflammation, yeast, leaky gut, etc) may disrupt the production and release of lactase into the intestines. Then there is no enzyme to break down the lactose sugar properly...and you get an adverse reaction. NOTE: leaky gut results from celiac disease, so this may be another reason to avoid dairy if you have celiac.

Cancer - Colin Campbell's The China Study (2005), a book about one of the largest nutritional studies ever conducted, describes a direct correlation between casein administered to rats and the promotion of cancer cell growth when exposed to carcinogens.

Autism - Casein has been documented to break down to produce the peptide casomorphin, an opioid that appears to act primarily as a histamine releaser.[15] Some research indicates that this casomorphine aggravates the symptoms of autism.[16] A 2006 review of seven studies indicated that, although benefits were seen in all studies from the introduction of elimination diets (e.g., casein-free or gluten-free) in the treatment of autism spectrum disorders

Got Milk?

Mother Gaia's Gift

By SoLeiNah

An Oasis of Satisfaction

Has appeared unexpectedly

Over the Crest of 

What I thought was just another dune.

I feel bathed in Completion

Washed heart and soul

Isn't that funny

How such significance can

Sneak up on you?

From something that just seemed

And Adventure

A fun Exploration 

Discovery and Delight

Turned  (with no warning)

into something

Much Deeper

And I sink into

A Meditation of 

Awe and Wonder

At the  

Abundance and 

Generosity of

Mother Gaia

I asked for my small cup to be filled

And an Ocean 

Overflowed my cup

And rearranged

My shoreline

My world is somehow different now

There is not enough room in my mind for this

Only the Heart can hold such Mystery.

Lake Heron, Chama, New Mexico
By Thomas J. Greenbaum