The Uncarved Block......cc9

I would like to persuade you tonight to stop thinking.

Yes, that's what I said.....to stop thinking.

In the fast moving world of internet, wi-fi, instant messaging and media, this seems crazy. We must keep up, not so?

For a few moments have a look at the uncarved block and clear your mind. *holding up a wooden block*
I have no intention of asking you to empty your mind, instead to FOCUS on this uncarved block.

This block is simple, plain, natural and honest.

The uncarved block represents the idea that things in their original simplicity contain their own natural power which is spoiled when the simplicity of the thing is changed.

In the simplicity lies the power and rising out of that, wisdom.

Think of the spokes of a wheel converging onto the small emtpy center, where the axle fits to hold the whole cart.
Think of a lump of clay that forms a bowl with the empty space being the very thing that makes the bowl useful.
Think of a window frame that holds an open space for light to shine through.

The chinese word for simple, plain, natural and honest is P'u.
Just simply "P'u".

In Benjamin Hoff's book Tao of Pooh, Winnie the pooh is the epitomy of the uncarved block. He is simple and honest, joyful, fun and spontaneous. He is simple-minded but not stupid and from this state of simplicity he accomplishes much.

The thinkers in the story are Eeyore, Rabbit and Owl.
Eeyore accumulates knowledge to be able to complain about something. The "attitude of Eeyore" is a fretful one.
Clever Rabbit accumulates knowledge in the attempt to seem more clever. He tried to oust Kanga and Roo from the forest on the grounds that they were different. Fortunately cleverness has it's limitations and he had to change his mind. Cleverness tends to ignore the reality of "what is".
Owl accumulates knowledge for the sake of appearing wise. He learns intellectually. He compartmentalizes, categorizes and pontificates. He writes long theses about things we don't understand and pretentious papers with very big words. If you look closely at Owls life then you'll see it's a bit of a shambles, helpless and somewhat disorganised.

When the thinkers want to show off their accumulates knowledge they use the uncarved block as their canvas. Accumulated knowledge shows up better when talking with a simple-minded person, not so?

I'll give you an illustration.

Pooh, Owl, Rabbit, Piglet, Kanga, Roo and Eeyore were all just sitting around when Clever Rabbit piped up, "hey Pooh?, do you even know how to spell Tuesday?". Pooh simply looked at him. Owl knew and was excited to say pompously, "Yes of course everyone knows how to spell Tuesday!", "You spell it with a two because it's the second day. Twosday! and of course the next day is Thirdsday!", looking down at Pooh.
Pooh looked simply from one to the next and said, "but today is the day after Tuesday and it's not Thirdsday, I mean Thursday" Piglet piped up and said "It's today!" Pooh agreed and said "Yes! my favourite day!"

The uncarved block is the most important principal for the Chinese philosophy Taoism which is based on the writings of Lao Tzu who wrote the Tao Teh Ching.

The picture of the Vinegar Tasters tells the story.

Three wise men all with their fingers in a pot of vinegar. One with a sour look on his face the other with a bitter look on his face and the third smiling widely.
The vinegar in the pot is the essence of life itself.
The smiling man is Lao Tzu. He believes that we can change "what is" by having an appreciative attitude and accepting the nature of things as they are.
When the mind gets in the way and interferes with "what is" with arrogance and non-appreciation then it makes us bitter and sour.

Everything has a place and function. fish don't fly and birds don't swim. You cannot put a square peg into a round hole.

From the state of the uncarved block comes the ability to enjoy the simple and the quiet and in that stillness wisdom arises. When you respect your Inner Nature then you know where you belong.
You'll see your life causing an effect without doing. (Wu Wei)
You'll begin to live without effort, like water flowing around rocks.

Simple.
Plain.
Natural.
Honest.

********************************

references.....The Tao of Pooh....Benjamin Hoff.
Tao Teh Ching.....Lao Tzu

I had a lucid dream

My daughter is 27  and I often remark that I should be wearing a WWDD band around my arm. "What would Danny do?" She's often got a very clear wise word and has always struck me as an old soul.

Waking up this morning, but not quite, I always smile to be in a lucid dream.

"I was at a bazaar or at a church fete or a Saturday market of sorts.
I had the kids with me and they were roaming around with their own pocket money and friends, enjoying the freedom to do their own thing. Danny was 10.

I passed a very smart woman with her daughters. They were dressed up in shining clothes and heels. The little girls had makeup on and their hair was sprayed and teassed. I overheard the daughter asking if they would be able to get botox at the market, on her ears because they were sticking out. She stroked her ears gently. I was thinking "what had the world come to?"

I passed Danny every now and then and she gave me a big grin. Her legs striding confidently and her hair long and loose and scruffy. She had on her jodpurs and clunky riding boots. Ice cream in hand, some around her mouth and a balloon on a helium string.
Passing her again I approached as she turned to point her last two inches of cone at me. I walked up to her and had a look. She had scratched out HI on the top of the flattened ice cream in the half eaten cone.
I had chuckle as she bit into the cone and so the greeting disappeared.

As I watched her strut away I wondered at her confidence and safety. I decided to follow her awhile.
I watched as she sat herself down on a bench swinging her feet gently.
A man approached.
He sat down next to her.
I was alert.
He spoke to her and she replied calmly in what seemed to be a long explanation.
He nodded, put some money in her hand and left. She smiled.
Swinging her boot clad feet gently.
I was even more alert.
Another man came and sat down beside her and the same thing happened.
I watched as a few people came and left her and they seemed happier even after putting some money into her hand, which she stuffed into her pocket nonchalantly.
Swinging her boot clad feet gently.
I asked one of the people what was happening at the bench.
The lady smiled.
She's giving us all advice"

CC7 Sugar Rush

Mister Toastmaster, Ladies and gentlemen.
with apologies to the medical doctors in the room in case of errors in the process.

Our body needs sugar!

Now I'm sure you never thought I'd say that.

But yes, our body does need sugar. A daily recommended amount of 25g (fructose).

If you think on these foods then you may get an idea of how much sugar that may be.

A half cup of raisons, cranberrys or dates average at 50g of fructose.

A half cup of mango or prunes around 30g, while a cup of pineapple or paw paw, an apple or a banana will give you 15g.

Berries are the winners here at 10g.
So we decide to be more aware and instead of Cola....... #display cola bottle with sugar content# we buy fruit juice......... #display fruitjuice bottle with sugar content# .....(everyone in the audience should hum and haw here as I take out milk cartons, yoghurt tubs and soups with their equivalent sugar content.....)
I think I made my point. (smiling)

There is fructose in 75% of packaged foods and even in ketchup, flavored water and yoghurt.

Sugar can come as sucrose, maltose, fructose, karo syrup, corn syrup or argave nector.

The nutritional value of fructose or sugar is only carbohydrate and nothing else.

Makes me think of Rachel Vincent's comment on her blog, and I quote,
"...and the words melted like sugar on my tongue - sweet yet insubstansial..."

Sugar is produced from sugar cane and sweet beets. The raw product is boiled up and produces a thick black molasses.

The molasses is spun in a drum with a high centrifugal force and dry sugar crystals spin off. The crystals, if not rinsed are "brown sugar" and when rinsed are pure white sugar.

As we put sugar into our mouths, the taste receptors are activated and secrete saliva. Then the dopamine receptors release seratonin. For the amount of sugar we eat, we will have immediate energy. Insulin will be released to regulate the sugar levels. By the way.......Insulin strengthens the synapses in the brain which if optimal will make for better recall and a clear mind. Anyway.......Excess sugar will get stored as glycogen in the liver and will be released as the body needs it. 

So right here we can see that we don't need to interfere. 

The body has got it.

Probably long before the liver releases the glycogen into the bloodstream as "some other form of sugar the bloodstream can handle", have we reached for the next treat, "to keep us going".

I..... we, then overload on sugar, feeling really good for a short while and then that sugar dumps us. 

A feeling of sluggishness, foggy brain, depression sets in. Our tolerance level is lower and we feel "dof". (An Afrikaans slang word meaning thick or stupid)

Actually the body is struggling to process this overload. If we are sitting on the couch you can imagine that it would be far worse to put the body in such a dilemma than if we were running a marathon and the body could use the sugar immediately.

Of course the minute we feel sluggish or tired, the first thing we may reach for is a sugary treat. Here starts a cycle which becomes addictive. Years of sugar spikes and the bodies struggle to keep processing the sugar we are on the way to insulin resistance and possibly diabetes.

Jamie Oliver said, and I quote, "Sugar is the next tobacco it should be taxed like tobacco and anything else that can destroy lives".

Our next option is to go for an artificial sugar, and there are many....with brandnames

sweetex

xylitol

sweet 'n low

necta sweet

canderel

stivia (no not the green plant but the tube of fine white granules) note to self....this comment is optional :-)

nevella
diabetisweet

equal

sweet 'n "safe" #(implying?)

"nutra"sweet  #also implying? not nutritious surely!

but to name a few. 

These are "chemically produced" powders!

As soon as we taste this, we trick the taste receptors to activate, which tricks the stimulation of dopamine receptors and which in turn tricks the release of Insulin and the liver prepares to receive any excess........what?........the body is expecting sugar......I can only imagine what confusion ensues.

The Irony of this is that if we continue the sugar rush cycle and create an insulin resistance or diabetes where we have to artificially administer insulin, if we don't get the sugar when we need it, the result is possibly a diabetic coma.

Ladies and gentlemen, I would far rather try and regulate my sugar now than end up creating a nightmare.

Lets change our pallets
from sweet to bland

and when we eat an apple
it'll be all too sweet enough.

Mr. Toastmaster.

(1 1/2 minutes over time....eeeeek...8.27)