A few weeks back I wrote a blog called Sexy Models with the idea of presenting the mental conceptions or theoretical descriptions are what I’m called ‘Sexy Models’. Universal principles that transcend  and include all key principles of the Kosmos, whether they be the universe, man, consciousness, human social systems, or reality itself.  Or what some refer to as the four domains of the Physiosphere, Biosphere, Noosphere and the Theosphere.

 Anyone who has been on any journey of significance will know that thesemaps act as  guides to the unknown, hidden, or unconscious territory to help bring understanding. Each having its own seductive quality they seek to act as a lens in giving perspective in unifying and objectifying certain truths. A microcosm if you will of the Universe, the psyche, social systems - Reality from the human perspective. I like to call the those that produce such Models the “Map Makers.” 

Lens to Reality

So a few weeks ago I put together a a little You Tube project  that tries to give a glimpse of some of the maps of Reality and consciousess within the Kosmos.  In this fun lttle video there was no time to get into some of the deeper aspects of each of the five men represented. Whether it be the Walter Russell's Octives to Ken Wilburs Qaudriviums or even some of the basic priniples of Don Beck's Spiral Dynamics, (The song ran out) the hope was to at least stimulate or inspire the viewer to seek out and find out more about each of these men.

Synaptic Connections

Feel free to comment on the Video, too long -
not enough content, too much content, etc.

Perception through the lens of true self is truly an EYE opening experience and a glimpse into the supernatural realm of infinite possibilties as the Many Worlds Interpretation (MWI) of quantum physics suggests.

From the point of view of Stillness, Balance and Harmony, we experience no time, no spoon, No thing. We experience neither This nor That, only an overwhelming intuitive oneness of everything that ever was, is or shall be. I like the Hekhalot's use of the idiom "to descend to the chariot" describing the otherworldly journey to the celestial throne-chariot of God, or what I like to refer to as the Omega Point.

Buddha talked of this when he said,

 'Straight' is the name that Road is called, and 'Free From Fear' the Quarter whither thou art bound.  Thy Chariot is the 'Silent Runner' named, With Wheels of Righteous Effort fitted well. Conscience the Leaning-board; the Drapery Is Heedfulness; the Driver is the Dharma, I say, and Right Views, they that run before.  And be it woman, or be it man for whom Such a chariot doth wait, by that same car into Nirvana's presence shall they come.

And Jesus simply says,

                                                     "The Kingdom of God is within you."

Experiencing these states is one thing, sustaining them is something altogether different. I suppose that explains my facination with the way of the Samurai Fencing Masters who maintained a constant state of awareness. A clarity of mind able to stare down a 4 ft. blade of the worlds sharpest steal. 

 The Martial Arts or the Middle way has much to offer us today so I thought I would share this from Takuan Soho whose vow was the enlightenment and salvation of all sentient beings. He was a zen Priest who was invited by the Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu (1604–51) to become the first abbot of Tokaiji Temple in Edo, which was constructed especially for the Tokugawa family.

Takuan Soho
"To think, "I will not think" -
This, too, is something in one's thoughts.
 Simply do not think about not thinking at all."

Takuan died in Edo (present day Tokyo) in December of 1645. At the moment before his death, Takuan painted the Chinese character for dream, laid down his brush and died.

 Here he speaks on the words of Yagyu Munenori of the :
 The Life-Giving Sword: Secret Teachings from the House of the Shogun

"Presumably as a Martial Artist, I do not fight for gain or loss, I am not concerned with Strength or Weakness and neither advance a step nor retreat a step. The enemy does not see me. I do not see the enemy. Penetrating to a place where heaven and earth have not yet divided, where Ying and Yang have not yet arrived, I quickly and necessarily gain effect."

Yagyu Munenori

Presumably indicates something I do not know for sure.

Originally, this character was read with the meaning "lid." For example, when a lid is put on a tier of boxes, although we do not know for sure what has been put inside, if we use our imaginations we will hit the mark six or seven times out of ten. Here also I do not know for sure, but figure tentatively that it must be so. Actually, this is a written form we use even about things we do know for sure. We do this to humble ourselves and so as not to seem to be speaking in a knowing manner.

Martial artist is as the characters indicate.

Not to fight for gain or loss, not to be concerned with strength or weakness means not vying for victory or worrying about defeat, and not being concerned with the functions of strength or weakness.

Neither advance a step nor retreat a step means taking neither one step forward nor one step to the rear. Victory is gained without stirring from where you are.

The me of  "the enemy does not see me" refers to my True Self. It does not mean my perceived self.

People can easily see the perceived self; it is rare for them to discern the True Self. Thus I say, "The enemy does not see me."

I do not see the enemy. Because I do not take the personal view of the perceived self, I do not see the martial art of the enemy's perceived self.  Although I say, "I do not see the enemy," this does not mean I do not see the enemy right before my very eyes. To be able to see the one without seeing the other is a singular thing.

Well then, the True Self is the self that existed before the division of heaven and earth and before one's father and mother were born. This self is the self within me, the birds and the beasts, the grasses and the trees and all phenomena. It is exactly what is called the Buddha-nature.

This self has no shape or form, has no birth, and has no death. It is not a self that can be seen with the aid of your present physical eye. Only the man who has received enlightenment is able to see this. The man who does see this is said to have seen into his own nature and become a Buddha.

Long ago, the World Honored One went into the Snowy Mountains, and after passing six years in suffering, became enlightened.  This was the enlightenment of the True Self. The ordinary man has no strength of faith, and does not know the persistence of even three or five years. But those who study the Way are absolutely diligent for ten to twenty years, twenty-four hours a day. They muster up great strength of faith, speak with those who have wisdom, and disregard adversity and suffering. Like a parent who has lost a child, they do not retreat a scintilla from their established resolution. They think deeply, adding inquiry to inquiry. In the end, they arrive at the place where even Buddhist doctrine and the Buddhist Law melt away, and are naturally able to see "This."

 Penetrating to a place where heaven and earth have not yet divided, where Ying and Yang have not yet arrived, I quickly and necessarily gain effect means to set one's eye on the place that existed before heaven became heaven and earth became earth, before Ying and Yang came into being. It is to use neither thought nor reasoning and to look straight ahead. In this way, the time of gaining great effect will surely arrive.

What is Oxidative Stress

By Darren Owen
From
 Integralskincare

The science of oxidative stress is taking the medical field by storm and is now the most researched topic in medicine today. Why?

 In the past decade our understanding of the molecular machinery that regulates cell behavior has expanded through novel developments in molecular biology and human genomics. Develop0ments that help us better understand cell regulatory mechanisms by which cells perceive, respond, and adapt to changes in their environments. I have a threefold rule or axiom to life that has as one of its pillars environement, and on the other, the relationship to that environment. Today, with the technological explosion of knowledge, we can no see our own internal relationship to the very cells that make up our bodies and the causes for the premature degradation of th ebody thgrough diseases, stress and aging.

Free Radicals

Oxidative stress is the damage caused to cells when there is a build up of free radicals within the body due to normal metabolic processes. Just as pile of wood burns up and produces smoke, or oxidation, so your body burns oxygen rich fuel and releases billions of free radicals in the process.

Free radicals are an unstable electrically charged atom or molecule that has only one quest, it is looking to “balance” itself out by finding a mate. Because it has an odd number of electrons, it 'must' seek to find a 'mate' which is to be found inside the healthy cells of your body. When a free radical begins this quest, it literally begins slamming into the membrane walls of healthy cells to balance. These free radicals will rapidly react to other molecules by trying to 'steal' an electron from another molecule that is more willing to give one up and it is now satisfied. however, the victim molecule is now unbalanced an has itself become a free radical. This sets off an uncontrolled chain reaction within the body that causes oxidative damage to cascade at the cellular level. Imagine billions of your cells taking 100,000 oxidative hits per day as suggested Dr. Ames, a Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of California, Berkeley and a leading researcher in oxidative stress.

This reaction is what causes cellular damage when free radicals break into the healthy cell membranes and may lead to a reaction that causes a bent chromosome which can generate a forbidden clone of cells. A forbidden clone of cells is what causes cancer.

If this oxidation is taking place in your skin, the elastic fibers begin to break down from the damage and you get wrinkles. If the oxidation occurs in the joints, pot marking of the cartilage causes arthritis. It is this oxidative damage to the cell wall membranes that are particularly susceptible to free radicals.

Cell membranes are made up of unsaturated lipids and can breakdown and harden under oxidative stress. It then becomes impossible for the cell to maintain its cellular activities of getting nutrients and signals from other cells to perform operative functions within the body. To better understand this, imagine that every cell in your body is like a house that needs to take in nutrients in and get rid of the waste by products. Failure to take in or rid the cells of energy or entropy will lead to a chemical imbalance and degeneration. Because cells communicate bio-chemically with other cells, anything that interfers with this communication results in ibalance and cause stress to the body. Extensive damage accumulates over time causing a disruption in cellular function leading to cell death and aging and disease. Thus oxidative stress has been associated with the pathogenesis of many human diseases.

This stress can be caused by many factors, but what we now know is that oxidative stress is a key to this process. A process that can be increased further by lifestyle choices such as environmental and lifestyle factors of sun radiation, air pollution, smoking, dehydration, alcohol, lack of exercise, stress and poor nutrition.

Antioxidants to the Rescue

Pomegranates

Researchers have found the antioxidant level in pomegranate juice was higher than
that found in other fruit juices, including blueberry, cranberry,  and even red wine.

To reduce this pathway to aging, cancer and disease antioxidants can be introduced in the body in various ways to help reduce this imbalance and alleviate the stress upon the body at the molecular level. An Antioxidant is a molecule capable of slowing or preventing the oxidation of other molecules.

One of the best ways to appreciate this is imagine a camp fire where heat, smoke and sparks are rising out of the energy release of the wood. Just as your body must metabolize food and maintain a body temperature of 98.8 degrees while chemical reactions occur at the cellular level. A process that is the basis of life allowing cells to grow, reproduce, maintain their structures, and respond to their environments. So too in the body, free radicals produce what is like smoke and sparks of the campfire in the body. To help the body heal itself, Antioxidants can be introduced to help reduce the free radicals and ease the oxidative stress.

Today antioxidants are all the rage with pomegranate juice now found everywhere or the Acacia MLM that your friends are asking you to join. There are many antioxidants on the market that are available with coenzyme Q10 showing much promise.

Antioxidant Rich Raw Fruits and Vegetables

By far the most researched and most accepted method of combating oxidative stress is eating 7 to 11 servings a day of raw fruits and vegetables.

For many years the National Institute of Health, the American Cancer Society, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and every other national health association has emphasized the importance of eating raw fruits and vegetables every day. Antioxidants rich foods protect against damage to cells caused by free radicals.

What is important to note however is that in order to receive the active nutrients within the foods,  they must be eaten raw. What is often not discussed is that heat destroys the enzymes, fibers and other active nutrients within the raw foods. hence the catch 22. How many people really eat 7 to 11 servings a day, let alone raw servings?

The real question is whether or not you feel you are getting enough antioxidants in your diet and if not, should I be taking supplements? As Dr. Ray Strand, M.D. writes,

“Living a healthy life becomes a matter of balance. You must have enough antioxidants available to readily neutralize the number of free radicals your body produces. If you don't, “oxidative stress” will occur. When this oxidative stress is allowed to persist over a prolonged period of time, you will most likely develop a serious chronic degenerative disease.

Since balance is the key, we need to look closely at the individual players that are at war within. The number of free radicals you produce each and every day is never the same. All the pollutants in our air, food, and water dramatically increase the number of free radicals we produce. Enormous stress, excessive exercise, cigarette smoke, sunlight, radiation, and every drug prescribed greatly increase the number of free radicals produced in the body. In fact, there has never been a generation on this planet subjected to more oxidative stress than this present one. We are literally under attack from our polluted environment, stressful lifestyles, and over-medicated society.”