Seven Levels Revisited

[Guest guest]

Hi Klara,Thanks for passing this along. Your response is interesting, in your question the role of food v. spirit. Perhaps we have to rethink the concept of what it means to eat a macrobiotic diet, enlarging it to include "eating" mb thought. As Fred Pulver notes, the state of balance can be called love or appreciation, or Ohsawa's term, Supreme Judgment. The closer we get to this, the more balanced, and hence healthy, we are. So you're right, it's not just the peas and carrots. It's the recognition of beauty and wellbeing that comprise health. Faith in something is more important than the thing itself.One way in which I differ from Fred Pulver's thoughts is a contradiction that I see in his writing. He states that, "'From one grain, ten thousand grow,' is an old Japanese saying. If we manifest in our lives this natural abundance, we will never lack anything." Yet he negates this affirmation at the end of his article by drawing attention to issues of lack, writing, "...we allow our own water treatment facilities and food processing plants and manufacturers to offer foods and beverages that are laced with substances hazardous to health....Practicing Macrobiotics makes one acutely aware of the delicate interdependence of humanity, earth, health and wholeness in food, body, mind and spirit." In my worldview, the interdependence of humanity, earth, health and wholeness is not delicate at all, but assured and ever lasting. Focusing our attention on the harmful practices of some water treatment facilities and food processing plants only strengthens them energetically. Thought precedes creation, so let's shift our focus from what we fear to what we desire. That is the power of creation, the true macrobiotics.

twww.TheRiceHouse.com

On Apr 17, 2012, at 11:08 AM, Klara LeVine wrote:

the below was on facebook - I copied Fred Pulver's post together with my comments below it. I love the reference of the importance of 7 - we have that in Judaism, with Shabbat, the day of holiness. We are counting now the Omer, 7 weeks of 7 days, til we reach Shavuot. I also very much appreciate mb's sevel levels of judgment.

Klara

p.s. I know it's long, but worth taking the time out to read

Macrobiotic Ccms ·

Seven Levels RevisitedAccording to Macrobiotic philosophy every process undergoes seven steps, or levels of development.The number 7 differentiates many sequences; for example, the body and hand shows seven divisions, the week is divided into 7 days, the 7-step musical scale, the progression of human physical and spiritual development – in all living forms the presence of seven segments show the octave (7 steps plus one that both ends one cycle and begins the next) is a universal phenomenon, the Law of Harmonics. Everything is composed of vibrations of various frequencies; when the frequencies are harmonized, the organism which is based on the same 7-step sequence experiences a state of well-being. Within ourselves, when energy flows are discordant, we feel ill at ease or

“dis-eased”. We constantly try to maintain equilibrium or harmony of our individual orchestras. When an orchestra plays a piece in perfect harmony, we become transfixed, enraptured with the musician's unified expression of beauty. Resonating within every cell of our bodies, the music evokes a sympathetic response in the central nervous system, which is also based on the same universal law of harmonics. Listening to such music can re-align discordant frequencies emitting from various imbalanced organs and bring about a restoration of harmony. If the music is based on sound harmonics, it can invoke a healing response that brings us back to a state of health.Also, if the human organism is given a chance to remove stress caused by imbalanced diet, strong emotions, worry, anxiety, etc. it can naturally return to a state of equilibrium or harmony. When all bodily functions are harmonized, healing can take place naturally, without any other

intervention or procedure.Macrobiotics emphasizes dietary balance as a way to restore body-mind-spirit to harmonious equilibrium. However, “sacred” (spiritually soothing, harmonizing) music, exercise such as tai chi, posture realignment exercises such as yoga, chiropractic adjustment, energy flow re-balancing via acupuncture etc. can have supportive effects as well. However, if we do other things to balance ourselves but neglect learning how to maintain a balanced diet, life can become unnecessarily stressed, encumbered or complicated. If we include Macrobiotics along with whatever else we are doing to improve our lives, it becomes much easier to achieve and maintain a higher level of well-being.As many people discover, incorporating Macrobiotics properly in daily life can make the need for other practices that restore and maintain equilibrium less necessary as time goes by. Since the desire for freedom is a prime motivation for

doing anything in this world, it can be truly liberating to discover that learning to balance diet according to Macrobiotic principles can free us to pursue whatever dream we feel drawn to pursue. Among all human expression, love can be the most harmonizing. Love can be defined as that which nurtures, heals, makes whole and renews life and free expression. Love is the creative force, upon which the universe and all creation is based, sustained, and renewed, perpetually and constantly. In Yin-Yang or purely mechanical terms, love is the attraction of opposites. Opposites are ultimately vortices or spirals of opposite spin. Polarity is manifested by left or right–hand spin. When two opposite polarities enter each other's field of influence, attraction occurs. When two polarities of the same spin enter each other's field of influence, they repel each other. These purely physical phenomena are readily observable in the interaction of

magnetic fields.It is interesting that left-handedness became stigmatized and given the name “sinister” (from Latin), while right-handedness became associated with righteousness. This is reflected in the positive attributes associated with the word “dexterity”. Most people are right-handed. In some societies, being left-handed was considered abnormal. Yet many left-handed sports figures and people in many other fields are outstanding in their areas of expertise. In Yin-Yang terms, Yin is just as vital to growth, life and movement as Yang is. One cannot exist without the other. The relegation of women, considered as the expression of the more Yin side of life, to an inferior position or role in society, with the accompanying stigma attached to household maintenance, etc. is evidence of the tendency of the dualistic mind to misapprehend the importance of balance and equilibrium of Yin and Yang in all areas of life, and the equal

importance of both aspects of life.One sign of true maturity is the recognition of the importance of females in human society. Indeed, without mothers to bear, nurture and raise children, along with the father's nurturing (Yin) and provident influence, human society would not exist. A society is not truly balanced and harmonious until it honors and attaches full, equal value to both sexes and everything they contribute to life and well-being of others. Macrobiotics recognizes the vital role of dietary balance in the health and well-being of families and society, and holds in highest esteem those who give balanced nurture to the children and families they are part of. Indeed, the quality of humans we create, nourish and raise is the most important activity in society. The quality of life for all humanity depends on the judgment and ability of those who undertake this seemingly modest task. Fundamental change in society springs

from the quality of life we create through our cooking. A tragedy of the times is the terrorist's conviction that fundamental change is only achieved through violence and bloodshed. According to Macrobiotic belief, society only changes fundamentally when the mental and spiritual quality of individuals that comprise society changes. Macrobiotics believes this change must be accompanied by biological, physiological change brought about by Macrobiotic dietary practice to become deep, permanent change.If the dream of terrorists is ultimately to create a better world, it is deeply misguided. This dream would be better achieved by studying fundamental principles by which humanity advances in wisdom and knowledge, as well as social judgment and a sense of decency and mutual respect. Terrorism is doomed to fail because the fundamental change required to build a better world is not achieved through killing people. Macrobiotics believes embracing

differences and connecting in ways that people around the world share in common is the best way to break down the animosity that divides nations and cultures.According to Macrobiotic principles, people should naturally grow through seven levels of judgment and expression, as follows:1) Mechanical2) Sensory3) Sentimental4) Intellectual5) Social6) Ideological7) SupremePeople who are raised on too Yin a diet and lifestyle become dualistic and exclusive. Instead of embracing opposites, they attempt to attack them or exclude them. A truly healthy person welcomes differences, and realizes they are crucial to his or her growth and development. An exclusive person tries to eliminate opposing influences. A healthy person grows through them, and credits them with his or her growth. Most people tend to be exclusive until they attain Supreme judgment. They try to avoid unpleasant things, attempt to get rid of

things they dislike or oppose, relegate them to inferior status, isolate or quarantine them, etc. Wars and violence are manifestations of exclusivity, as are modern medicine, science and religion. The fact that wars, violence and religion have never brought an end to human suffering fails to be noticed by those who participate in these behaviors. Everyone wants to live at peace with their neighbors. Everyone wants to love and be loved, not fear and hate. Supreme judgment is the expression of the highest love. We are given bodies, food, families, sun, air and water. We are given things to do to help our families and friends worldwide. All we need to do is be thankful in our hearts for all we are given and try to return what we are given. In this way we can increase the happiness of others in a never-ending cycle of abundance. “From one grain, ten thousand grow”, is an old Japanese saying. If we manifest in our lives this natural

abundance, we will never lack anything. Our lives will grow in fullness and produce an abundant harvest. Like a fruit tree, if we are pruned back at times (experience setbacks), this simply increases the harvest we eventually produce. With Supreme Judgment, we welcome and are grateful for setbacks or difficulties. We know they will help us grow into a life that produces more abundantly in the future.We can create abundance in our lives by nourishing the tree of our life properly with Macrobiotics. Then, by extending our spirit's roots until they reach life's unending resources, we can bloom like a tree in the desert. Just as trees and other plants have a natural instinct to grow toward their source of life, we do also. Trees that perish when drought comes have unwittingly grown too depend on surface nourishment from waters supplied by artificial irrigation or seasonal rains. Such sources, though attractive, can lead to dependence and disaster

eventually when they are no longer available. Let us learn to tap our deepest resources of being for spiritual sustenance. Life’s abundance manifests from hidden origins. Being Macrobiotic makes one naturally seek out deeper levels of understanding until Supreme Judgment is realized. Eating the modern diet that caters to and maintains lower levels of judgment keeps one attracted to and trapped on the merry-go-round of modern life with all its glitter and thrills. But what happens when the circus leaves town? Seek the deepest levels of awareness and existence. The way up is the way down, the way out is the way in. Eat right and make the within and the without the same, the higher and lower of no distinction, the first with the last. The riches of true life are priceless, and cannot be bought at any price. They can only be realized, and with Macrobiotics, we are given the tools to find them.Lao Tsu said, “Know of the Yang, but

keep to the Yin. Be like a ravine unto the empire”. A ravine is a nourishing, protective place where people congregate to settle, raise crops and families. In Macrobiotic terms, this is attaining the all-embracing Supreme judgment that accommodates everything, and is no longer judgmental or exclusive. It is the state of all-embracing judgment (love) that erases differences and conflicts that exist when viewed from lower levels of love. Lower views are exclusive because they cannot embrace opposition. In traditional societies, the wisdom of elders who had achieved Supreme judgment was respected as a guiding light. Those who ate simple, Macrobiotic-style diets naturally developed this highest judging ability. In today's society, age is associated with deterioration of physical health, memory and mental acumen due to unhealthful diet consumed over many years. Today we need people with Supreme judgment to act as guides for the rest of

humanity, just as Shadrach, Mesach and Abednego, along with the prophet did for king Nebuchadnezzar as recorded in the Book of in Chapter 1 of the Old Testament of the Bible. When the world's peoples recognize the fundamental significance of Macrobiotics for health, order and peace in society, and begin adopting its principles, order and harmony in society will be restored naturally over time. However, until this occurs, trials and tribulations will continue to threaten life as we know it. As more and more people discover the validity of Macrobiotics, the transition to a Macrobiotic world community will continue. Meanwhile, we need to let our food producers know we want our food to remain pure and natural, not genetically modified, adulterated, overly processed, sweetened or laced with chemical preservatives, coloring agents, etc. By shopping wisely and supporting as much as possible those who grow pure and natural foods

locally from small farms, we can do our part to exert the influence that ultimately decides what will be available for us to eat in the future. This issue is vitally important to humanity’s survival. If we can no longer obtain unadulterated, natural Macrobiotic foods, the quality of health will continue to decline, with a rise in degenerative disorders and mental illnesses. At the same time, humanity will experience more and more irresolvable emotional, social and spiritual conflicts. We are afraid of terrorists contaminating water and food supplies, yet we allow our own water treatment facilities and food processing plants and manufacturers to offer foods and beverages that are laced with substances hazardous to health. Keeping our people safe through homeland security measures is important, but it is also important to safeguard our food supplies through more widespread adherence to higher food and beverage quality standards such as

those set by certified organic foods guidelines. Yet even these guidelines are only effective if people support them and shop carefully and wisely. Practicing Macrobiotics makes one acutely aware of the delicate interdependence of humanity, earth, health and wholeness in food, body, mind and spirit.--Fred Pulver

Klara LeVine WOW - I love that you're an idealist. I think we've been through this round before, or at least I have with someone - as much as I love mb and believe how important good clean food is, life is much more complicated than that. I know some amazing people who are healthy because the "food" they digest is spiritual, tho what they put in their bodies you and I may not think wise. I know likewise mb people who are ever so careful with what they eat, but you know, the disease of arrogance or other spiritual malady may hit them. We are all human, hopefully all trying our best. I will spread your good words because I also believe in

them - but I will continue to learn from my elders who are wise but may not be eating mb