The 5 Grain Bibim-Buddha Bowl
The 5 Grain Bibim-Buddha Bowl
Another full recipe sneak peak from my book, an update on the printing process and an excerpt on Gift Economics
This "Buddha Bowl" type dish has a main theme of Korean flavors but this meal is also a passport and an invitation to embark upon a pilgrimage with your senses to visit several different cultures. It includes region specific ingredients that invite your senses to explore the rich an illustrious culture of northern Japan, the lush and raw beauty of the Hawaiian islands, the plentiful jungles of southeast Asia, the fertile foothills of the Himalayas, the rugged and beautiful mountains of Patagonia as well as the mighty and majestic Great Lakes of Turtle Island (aka "North America".)
This dish includes 5 different ancient 'grains' from three continents and 4 different wild fermented probiotic ingredients with roots in 3 different cultures (including wild fermented turmeric, ginger, kimchi and adzuki bean miso paste).
Containing a diverse range of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, omega fatty acids, beneficial bacteria and polyphenols this meal not only covers all the nutritional bases.. it hits a home run and sends the ball outa the park into the realm of medicinal superfoods.
Turmeric has a long history of being used to dye the robes of Buddhist monks a bright yellow/orange and so it felt it only suiting that I give a nod to their candescent curcumin cloths by including some in the recipe. Brightly colored raw fermented turmeric rhizome is included in both the probiotic roasted red pepper dressing and finely diced and sprinkled in the bowl as is.
The probiotic dressing is a variation of the Korean fermented pepper paste called Gochujang. It includes fermented roasted red peppers, roasted red onions, cayenne peppers, lemon zest, toasted sesame seeds, kimchi brine and adzuki bean miso paste. It is a living dressing with diverse nutrition in of itself which adds another layer of vibrant flavor and nourishing superfoods to the dish.
The great thing about this dish is you can make all the ingredients in bigger batches, place them in serving bowls and then everyone can custom make their own Bibim-Buddha Bowls (to a specific ratios and appearance of their preference.) This also allows one night of cooking to supply several nights of unique and delicious culinary experiences (as you can build your bowl uniquely with the left overs each subsequent night.
Origin of the "Buddha Bowl":
The tradition of mixing greens with a grain and a source of protein, along with condiments can be traced to many cultures, mainly in Asia and in Hawaii.
In the book called "Buddha's Diet", data scientist and Zen priest Dan Zigmond writes:
"Buddha woke up before dawn every morning and carried his bowl through the roads or paths wherever he was staying. Local people would place food in the bowl as a donation, and at the end he would eat whatever he had been given," explains Zigmond. "So that was the original Buddha Bowl: a big bowl of whatever food villagers had available and could afford to share. It was probably very healthy, since Buddha lived before the age of cheap processed food."
To this day Buddhist monks walk around with their bowls to be fill up with whatever people can give, therefore getting a varied selection of titbits in the process. The monks follow the example of Buddha who walked around with his bowl which got filled with whatever villagers could spare.
Buddhist monks are usually vegan or vegetarian depending on where they live and so making a "Buddha Bowl" type dish felt especially appropriate considering the special request that resulted in this recipe's inception. I also feel it is especially suiting this be the last recipe added to the book as Buddhist monks often give selflessly and show great respect and reverence for their fellow beings (human and non-human alike) and thus I feel this title is aligned with the spirit of Reciprocity.
In Korea there are Bibimbaps which consist of rice in a stone bowl, with a topping of greens and other veggies with an egg and/or slices of meat.
In Hawaii, the traditional Poke Bowl sees rice topped with fish and veggies and is a mainstream fare for quick lunches.
The 'Bibim-Buddha Bowl' combines all three of these traditions/concepts in a single distinctive sensory experience.
(my 5 Grain Bibim-Buddha Bowl (before adding the fermented red pepper dressing)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup brown short grain rice
- ½ cup wild rice
- ½ cup mahogany rice (or black rice)
- ½ cup amaranth seed
- ½ cup quinoa
- 1 avocado
- 2 eight oz (227g) packages of organic tempeh
- 2 cups of shiitake mushrooms
- 3 cups of spinach or kale
- 2 medium sized sweet potatoes
- 2 large bell peppers
- 1 bunch of green onions
- 2 red onions
- 2 white onions
- 4 tbsp fresh ginger, diced
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2-3 tbsp diced fermented turmeric rhizome
- 2-3 zucchinis
- 2 medium-large carrots
- 2 cups green beans
- 2 cups purple cabbage, thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp organic dark miso paste
- Juice of one lemon
- Black pepper (to taste)
- hot sauce to taste
- 2-3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp sesame seed oil
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 2-3 tbsp raw honey (more to taste)
- 1-2 fermented hot peppers (or 1 tbsp red chili flakes)
- 1 cup of kimchi (and some brine)
Preparation:
Begin the night (or morning) before making this meal by soaking all the grains (rice, amaranth and quinoa) in filtered water with enough water to cover by at least an inch for expansion. Soak the rice separately from the quinoa and amaranth and also keep the dark colored rice separate from the lighter colored brown rice.
Also begin making the fermented red pepper dressing the night before. Start by roasting 1-2 red onions 1 large bell pepper at 350 until they begin to get crispy edges. Allow to cool and then add to a blender with 2 tbsp miso paste, 1 tbsp raw honey, 1 tbsp ginger, ½ the lemon juice, some black pepper, the fermented hot pepper (or some brine from any fermented veggies and the pepper flakes).
Add 1 tbsp fermented turmeric (or I tsp powdered) and a tbsp or 2 of kimchi brine and blend until smooth.. allow to ferment in a loosely covered container at room temp for 4-24 hours (depending on flavor preference) before using.
Prepare the marinade for the tempeh by adding the soy sauce, 1 tbsp of honey, 3 tbsp diced ginger, 1 tbsp miso paste, the other half of the lemon juice, black pepper, the sesame seed oil, a splash of hot sauce, the maple syrup and 2-3 tbsp of diced red onions. Taste the marinade and if it needs some more kick add hot sauce, if it need some more tang add more lemon, if it has too much zang add more honey or maple syrup. Once ideal flavor is achieved take one quarter of this marinade mixture and set aside.
Begin by cooking the rice and grains (according the the instructions on the packages). For home grown amaranth just cook it like you would quinoa. Add some coconut oil to each while cooking. Set the oven to 350 and cut up the sweet potato and an onion into big chunks. Add some coconut oil and cover the pieces. While that is roasting cut the tempeh rectangles in half down the length and then cut those halves at an angle to make 4 squares. Add these squares to a large bowl and throw the reserved ¼ of the marinade and be sure to cover all the tempeh triangles with some of the marinade. Heat up a medium pot with an inch of water in the bottom and add the tempeh triangles into a metal colander/sieve suspended over the boiling water and place a lid over top to steam them for 5-10 minutes. Once they are steamed take them out and add the rest of the marinade to the large bowl, cover the tempeh triangles in the marinade and then place on a baking tray and put in the oven in a different tray than your sweet potatoes. Slice your zucchini into thick chunks and drizzle with olive oil, place on a baking tray and sprinkle with some black pepper and add those to the oven to begin roasting as well.
After the sweet potatoes and onion have baked for 30 min or so check to see if they are cooked through and remove once they are (setting aside to cool).
Clean and cut your shiitake mushrooms into nice thick bite sized slices and sauté with some oil and black pepper until tender, remove from heat and set aside. Check on the tempeh and zucchinis regularly to see if they are done. Zuccinis should be tender inside and tempeh should be crispy around the edges. Once done remove all items from the oven and set aside while you prepare the other ingredients.
Cut the carrots into thick slices and green beans into bite sized pieces and boil separately so they are cooked but not mushy, drain and set aside.
Cut up the avocado, spinach, green onions, roasted sweet potato and red cabbage into bite sized peices and put in serving bowls (that can be accessed for building people’s individual bibim-buddha bowls.) Add the kimchi to a serving bowl. Add the different types of rice to separate serving bowls and the amaranth/quinoa mix to another. Put some of the fermented red pepper sauce in a bowl for easy access and let the fun begin!
Check to see if any ingredients need to be re-heated before serving and then begin by adding a layer of brown rice to the bottom of a large bowl and giving to each person. Invite people to build their own custom Bibbim-buddha bowls and watch the magic happen! Enjoy!
Recipes For Reciprocity Printing Process Update:
The first few books I had expedite shipped to me (for inspecting and sharing with family and friends) arrived fresh off the presses and they look great!
Here are some pics of the final version of my book fresh off the presses:
I will post another update when the bulk shipment of books arrives and I can begin shipping out physical copies to those interested in purchasing a copy.
Gift Economics As Medicine For Our Ailing Society
(The following is an excerpt from my book pertaining to a concept called Gift Economics which I feel offers some important perspectives and sign posts for us on the fork in the path that lies before us now)
Under our current model of fiat currency ("money" created by private central banks equaling endless debt, which is passed on from governments that borrow onto tax paying citizens) is used for the 'propping up' of our top heavy and hollow economy. This results in human behavior that is highly toxic, sometimes psychotic and detrimental to the environment. This is essentially a debt slavery system that promotes extreme poverty, endless war and a parasitic relationship with the ecosystems that we depend on to survive. This system is not honourable, moral, nor sustainable (and it is certainly not regenerative).
Thus, if we wish for our modern civilization to continue (and seek to leave a world worth living in for our children) we must abandon ideologies and belief systems (such as capitalism) that teach people that the acquisition of material wealth, competition rather than cooperation, and the endless commodification of aspects of nature is what we should strive for as individuals, organizations, communities and nation-states. It is impossible to cling to unnatural concepts like capitalism while simultaneously claiming to care about the future of our children, the integrity of the ecosystems and while claiming to want to help create a more sustainable, regenerative and equitable society in the here and now.
Investing our time and energy in humanocentric systems of thought is a path of stagnation which comforts our ego but does not honor the truth of what we have learned about nature in the past century, nor does it serve to unlock our true potential as human beings. Through embracing humility and reverence, rather than self importance and anthropocentrism we can lend our sentience and free will towards a meaningful path of symbiogenisis between humanity and the many other beings who call this living planet home. I feel this new and ancient path (defined by humility and symbiosis) can serve to align us with a way of living that nourishes the living world that sustains us and encourages the unfolding of ever higher expressions of human potential in the process.
I was introduced to this concept of a “Gift Economy” through an excellent book called "Sacred Economics" by Charles Eisenstein.
Here is a video where he explores these concepts recently
I will also share a quote of his now to further illuminate the nature of our current economic model so that we may be in a better place to see how we need to change it to create a better future.
"Scarcity is built into the money system. On a most obvious level, it is because of the way money is created (as interest bearing debt). When the bank lends money into existence, or the federal reserve creates money, the money comes along with a corresponding amount of debt. And the debt (because there is interest on it) is always greater than the amount of money.
'Growth' is another thing that is built into our money system. Basically 'economic growth' means that you have to find something that was once nature and then make it into a good (or something that was once part of a gift relationship) and make it into a 'service'. You have to find something that people once got for free, or did for them selves (or for each other) and then take it away and sell it back to them somehow."
- Charles Eisenstein
Now here is the good news! We can regenerate our communities and our economy and the garden is a great place to start. When we take time to compost our kitchen and yard waste and build living soils we are giving back to the Earth that has given so much to us. In doing so we are choosing to strengthen the living fabric on which a thriving ecosystem can be nurtured (that will also provide food for you and your loved ones, cutting down on grocery costs, reducing our dependence on and support of the above mentioned toxic industries that do so much damage to mother earth and our fellow species that call her body home).
Composting is medicine for the land and medicine for the soul. It offers us a tangible way to connect with and give back to the living planet that sustains us all. When one looks at the act of composting through a more linear or utilitarian lens it is an act that facilitates the transformation of free materials into something extremely valuable and useful for saving money on grocery and medical bills.
Through offering our hands to accelerate the natural cycles inherent in composting we involve ourselves in the sacred act of reciprocity and begin to nourish a relationship with the living Earth that results in nurturing the Gift Economy and creating True Wealth.
What is a “Gift Economy”?
Many centuries ago in a time before centralized money systems there were indigenous peoples living in connection with the land and each other. While some of these ancient peoples utilized various forms of barter and trade there are also examples of ancient cultures (from several different continents) that not only did not use money.. they apparently did not use "barter" and "trade" as a regular means of commerce either. These cultures were described as operating on a mostly "gift based economy". The innate characteristics of this 'gift economy' would have been effective at mitigating manifestations and behaviors of the ego (like greed, thievery or deceit etc.) because in those tightly knit communities such behavior was easily detected and the individual responsible would have been ostracized (thereby forcing the individual to change their ways or have to fend for themselves). While there would have inevitably been those who sought self interest and greedy behavior in money-less societies.. it would seem to me that they would have a lot less motivation and rewards for doing so in such a situation.
Another way to look at a manifestation of a “gift” based economy is the system of exchange between organisms that takes place in the soil of a mature eco-system. You could describe it as a “soil-stock market” (in which many different individuals make deposits and invest their time and energy and then at some point they are gifted a return on their investment in the form of nutritious food). The soil is a nexus for a constant exchange of the gifts offered by countless species that all do their part to give to the living soil. The cycle of gifts continues as the living soil offers its gifts to the plants and fungi which in turn offer their gifts of nourishment to countless species that in turn deposit nutrients back into the soil to complete the cycle of gifts. Mature eco-systems are so resilient and productive because they are nurtured by myriad cycles of gifts that flow between the species that call that place home. Each being offers it’s own unique gift and in some way contributes to the health of the collective.
The institutions and social structures that are common in modern day society seem to be based on domination, competition, and egotism and not on nurturing. The shift in perspective offered here is to review everything in terms of nurturing, or to phrase it another way, in terms of gift giving. The thread of gift giving and receiving begins in every life in the biological and emotional needs provided by mothers. We are born into a world and showered with gifts.. love, attention, nourishment and beauty all around us. As time goes on in the individual life and in the existence of institutions and social structures, this thread is altered, turned back upon itself, we are programmed to compete, and our innocence and giving nature is used and abused for domination. Rather than a free flowing cycle of gifts, our modern day society operates on “Exchange”. This requires quantification and measurement, an equation between what is given and what is received to the satisfaction of both parties.
Exchange is at odds with gift giving. The competition which is characteristic of Capitalism pushes the exchange way against the gift way.
Even the way most people go about perceiving and engaging in romantic relationships is now often based upon exchange (rather than gift giving). I have spoken with many who described the reason they got married being related to financial security (not their want to share their love with the other).
Giving in order to receive - exchange - is ego-oriented. It is the satisfaction of one's own need that is the purpose of the transaction. Giving to satisfy another's need is other-oriented. These two motivations constitute the basis of two logics, one of which is intransitive (exchange), the other of which is transitive (gift giving).
Exchange creates and requires scarcity. If everyone were giving to everyone else, there would be no need to exchange. The market needs scarcity to maintain the level of prices. In fact when there is an abundance of products scarcity is often created on purpose. An example of this is the plowing under of 'overabundant' crops (which may happen even when people are standing by who are hungry). On a larger scale scarcity is created 1. by the channeling of wealth into the hands of the few who then have power over the many; 2. by spending on armaments and monuments which have no nurturing value but only serve for destruction and display of power; and 3. by privatizing or depleting the environment so that the gifts of nature are unavailable to the many. The exchange paradigm (which includes concepts like “capitalism” and it’s ugly offspring “consumerism”) is a belief system which validates this kind of behavior. Exchange is adversarial, each person tries to give less and get more, an attitude which creates antagonism and distance among the players. Gift giving creates and requires abundance.
Though, when we take a step back and discard all the programming we can see that almost everything from nature to the dynamics of many ancient cultures can be viewed as gift-giving in some form. We can closely observe the many facets of nature in our garden that involve cycles of gifts beings given between organisms and then imagine ways we can emulate these circles of gifts in our daily lives and even in the structure of our larger society.
What does that look like for humans in the context of modern day society?
When we engage in Reciprocity with Mother Earth (through regenerative gardening) and then pass on the gifts she shares with us (in nutritious food, knowledge and heirloom seeds) we nurture the cycle of gifts to flow and grow exponentially. In doing so, we not only increase the resilience and health of our households and communities in the present, we also ensure a brighter future for those who will call this place home after we are gone.
One of the beautiful things about investing in the Earth (through gardening and saving seed) is that we are always gifted more than we need for ourselves. Thus, an investment in the Earth compels us to share the abundance with our neighbors and the communities we are a part of.
This is one expression of what nurturing the “gift economy” and working to regenerate our local communities can look like.
Other ideas could take the form of collectives of people getting together to create community gardens and kitchens in which an abundance of food is grown and shared with each other and those in need. Each person gives a few hours of their time each week to tend the garden and in doing so everyone benefits immensely from the gifts nature provides. Taking such an endeavor a step further could involve setting up after school programs where we teach kids how to cultivate their own food, save seed from crops, and then send them home with the seeds and the knowledge so they can re-create the regenerative abundance where they live.
Another expression of a “gift based economy” is something called “Gift Circles”. These are a simple format for people to bring what they have to freely offer and to ask for what they need without direct barter or obligation. Note there is a difference between a ‘gifting circle’ and a ‘gifting scheme’ (that is really a pyramid scheme). When people gather in person or online because they are recruited and the recruiter receives money or gifts for each person recruited, that is a gifting scheme. True gifting circles can be very beneficial for all involved. They can help people save money and waste fewer resources. They exist in many cultures and communities and help build relationships within those circles. Members may or may not know each other, and they operate in a similar way: members assist each other in fulfilling wants and needs with their many resources. There are also things that have innate value that do not cost any amount of monetary currency that can be part of a gift based economy. When we operate from the heart, we have an abundance to give each other, in different ways. Think of it this way: when you give a smile or hug and someone smiles or hugs back, neither of you has less but actually more of that smile or hug. There are many facets of a gift based economy that work the same way. Knowledge is another thing that in many cases can be gifted freely (which can become part of a circle of gifts where each individuals knowledge serves to enrich the other’s and everyone benefits).
There are some excellent organizations out there dedicated to regenerating communities and nurturing the gift economy like the “Food Is Free Project”, the "Grow Free" movement and the “World Central Kitchen” initiative (and many others). The key factor here is making a conscious decision to give back to the earth through composting, planting seeds, cultivating some beautiful produce, saving seed and then imagining ways that we can invite our neighbors and fellow community members to do the same. This can mean sharing some of our garden bounty with those in need (preferably along with some seeds/seedlings so they can cultivate some of their own produce) or starting a larger scale project and inviting people to participate in cultivating.
Each of us is imbued with innate gifts that we can discover and use in a regenerative and beneficial way.. it is up to each of us to discover what those gifts are and imagine how we can align them with Reciprocity with Mother Earth, regenerating our communities and reshaping systems of monetary exchange.
“What does 'economic growth' actually mean? It means more consumption – and consumption of a specific kind: more consumption of goods and services that are exchanged for money. That means that if people stop caring for their own children and instead pay for childcare, the economy grows. The same if people stop cooking for themselves and purchase restaurant takeaways instead.
Economists say this is a good thing. After all, you wouldn’t pay for childcare or takeaway food if it weren’t of benefit to you, right? So, the more things people are paying for, the more benefits are being had. Besides, it is more efficient for one daycare centre to handle 30 children than for each family to do it themselves. That’s why we are all so much richer, happier and less busy than we were a generation ago. Right?
We in the richest societies have too many calories even as we starve for beautiful, fresh food; we have overly large houses but lack spaces that truly embody our individuality and connectedness; media surround us everywhere while we starve for authentic communication. We are offered entertainment every second of the day but lack the chance to play. In the ubiquitous world of money, we hunger for all that is intimate, personal and unique.
The American Dream betrayed even those who achieved it, lonely in their overtime careers and their McMansions, narcotized to the ongoing ruination of nature and culture but aching because of it, endlessly consuming and accumulating to quell the insistent voice: “I wasn’t put here on Earth to sell a product.” “I wasn’t put here on Earth to increase market share.” “I wasn’t put here on Earth to make numbers grow.“
We protest not only at our exclusion from the American Dream; we protest at its bleakness. If it cannot include everyone on Earth, every ecosystem and bioregion, every people and culture in its richness; if the wealth of one must be the debt of another; if it entails sweatshops and underclasses and fracking and all the rest of the ugliness our system has created, then we want none of it.
No one deserves to live in a world built upon the degradation of human beings, forests, waters, and the rest of our living planet. Speaking to our brethren on Wall Street: No one deserves to spend their lives playing with numbers while the world burns.
For indeed we live in a world of fundamental abundance, a world where vast quantities of food, energy, and materials go to waste. Half the world starves while the other half wastes enough to feed the first half. In the Third World and our own ghettos, people lack food, shelter, and other basic necessities and cannot afford to buy them. Meanwhile, we pour vast resources into wars, plastic junk, and innumerable other products that do not serve human happiness. Obviously, poverty is not due to a lack of productive capacity. Nor is it due to a lack of willingness to help: many people would love to feed the poor, to restore nature, and do other meaningful work but cannot because there is no money in it. Money utterly fails to connect gifts and needs.
In a context of abundance greed is silly; only in a context of scarcity is it rational. The wealthy perceive scarcity where there is none. They also worry more than anybody else about money. Could it be that money itself causes the perception of scarcity? Could it be that money, nearly synonymous with security, ironically brings the opposite? The answer to both these questions is yes. On the individual level, rich people have a lot more “invested” in their money and are less able to let go of it. (To let go easily reflects an attitude of abundance.) On the systemic level, as we shall see, scarcity is also built in to money, a direct result of the way it is created and circulated.
The task before us it to re-align money with the true expression of our gifts. What will it take to shift away from the current money system? So I think that we are going to see a series of crisis moments, each one more severe than the last. And at each crisis moment, we will have a collective choice. Do we give up the game and rejoin with the symbiotic relationships prevalent in nature to provide our basic survival needs, heal our communities, eco-system and re-shape our economy? or do we hold on even tighter to this artificially perpetuated competitive / extractive system? It is really up to us to determine at what point this wake up point will happen."
― Charles Eisenstein
I feel we are now at one of these "crisis moments" Charles spoke of.. a choice point which offers us a pathway to healing, joy, abundance and purpose. The alternative is to hold onto this crumbling system even tighter until the next (more severe) 'crisis moment' comes along.
We live in times when developing a reciprocal relationship with the land where we live is of paramount importance. There is no elected official, institution, guru, priest or any other external force or individual who can do this for you. This is a path you must embark upon with courage and humility.. a path that walks in the footsteps of our ancestors. It requires us to look inward and remember those things that make us come alive. Those innate gifts we possess that we can share with the world for the benefit of all beings. It requires us to work with our hands and see with our hearts... and it begins with a handful of seeds and some tlc.
In a conversation between Charles Eisenstein and Brock Dolman (see: https://bit.ly/3jAyBmC ) they spoke to the imperative of regenerating our inner 'eco-system' in laying the foundation for our efforts to restore the eco-systems around us. I invite you to contimplate something that came up in their conversation when Charles spoke about how important first healing our inner environment is as we strive to go about healing the outer environment. Brock's response spoke to how he agrees and that he feels it is important that we not only work toward local eco-system restoration (guided by watershed restoration) but that we also work to plant the seeds for 'Ego-system Re-storyation' within ourselves.
I feel that in order to begin to build a lasting framework for a regenerative economy (that aligns with 'keeping the gift in motion') we must first re-define what it means to be human.
In order to break from the old paradigm and shape a new one we need to stop seeking outside of ourselves and look inward. As each of us become reacquainted with the part of ourselves that existed before we came into these bodies (and will continue to exist long after) we move into an awareness that involves self-awareness and intuitive discernment
This is the realization/state of being that when embraced by enough people, can be the catalyst for rendering the current system on earth obsolete and planting the seeds for a future of peace, abundance, and equality for all mankind. With this knowing, and the common ground that such a realization and truth bridges between us, “the corporate parasites” that currently thrive on this world would no longer be able to survive. Greed and fear would have no place in the midst of those who understand who and what we truly are, and so, people would not be swayed by those manifestations of the brain nor the illusions of the ego.
The sickness of the mind that is greed and lust for power is a symptom of a society of humans who have forgotten who and what they truly are. Unfortunately, our modern materialistic and fallacious scientific paradigm which teaches that we are molecular machines (that through biochemical electromagnetic functions produce consciousness and self-awareness) created by nothing more than a rare cosmic accident, is one of the main sources for the toxic behavior on earth. As long as people inaccurately view their consciousness as nothing more than a phenomenon produced by their biology, they will live in fear of the perceived finality of death (a misunderstood process). This fear of death leads them to be motivated by primal desires, including seeking out many unhealthy distractions such as material wealth, transhumanist delusions of digital 'immortality' and power to control others.
Thus, while the need for regeneration of the biosphere around us is indeed dire, the need for regeneration and exploration of our inner realms is even more dire. This path we embark upon inwardly need not be defined nor limited by existing idealogies or dogmatic belief systems, the important thing is that the path is embarked upon with genuine humility, open heartedness, courage and in stillness.
Making the choice to go inward and allow our spirit to take the driver's seat is the single most profoundly beneficial and meaningful action one can take to experience a fulfilling life on earth. For not only does inward stillness, exploration and coming to know your eternal self inevitably invoke beautiful realizations and knowledge, it helps one to attain a kind of lasting inner peace, joy, and knowing not attainable through any amount of outside stimuli, whether that stimuli be “education”, religious belief, material wealth, or even intimate connections with other humans. From this perspective we can move forward not purely for the sake of a benefit to ourselves as individuals, but towards a new path where the evolutionary process is consciously determined from within each of us to enrich the collective of which we are an intrinsic part. The transformation begins with each one individual, inside out.
This is the single most important thing we can teach/give our children. If we guide them to look inward, as they grow up they will serve as the spiritual antidote for this world which is currently infected by a rampant ego-disease of the mind.
I hope you enjoy the above recipe and excerpt on the Gift Economy from my book and I look forward to hearing from those of you that attempt to make your own versions of the recipe to hear how it goes for you :)
Well Gavin,in my present condition it'd take me a year to prepare and figure it out.....but,that is likely the Most Beautiful Salad and Presentation I've ever seen! Just Wonderful!
Ah, now I am hungry! That looks really good.