thought

[Dan Miles]

A thought is like the first drops of rain. If it is allowed to continue, the water of thought can carve channels, and canyons. With care the habitual ways of thinking can shape and water the fertile fields of our mind. Or, it can erode and destroy our effectiveness; divide us from consciousness. I like to pose ideas and test them; take them to logical conclusions. The best thinking is shaped in the company of other thinkers, and patient listeners.

[Dan Miles]

I would like to ask about plant nutrition. It seems to me that the produce I get in the store is not satisfying somehow. I have read that one factor which may be contributing to the increase in Autism is the lack of nutrition in our food, as well as a reaction to casein. What benefits can be obtained from borage?

[Cyndi LuHu]

> I agree that plants from most stores are not too satisfying. Mostly I think it's because it comes from elsewhere, without thought or care given to the quality of its nourishment. Often our food is raised by conglomerates whose primary interest is the bottom line. Nutrition is secondary, maybe. Appearance is everything. To produce abundantly and blemish-free, foods are subjected to all manner of breeding and chemicals (we all know this and I'm sure that by now the choir is groaning... ) and transported many miles to the consumer. Interesting that nutrition (or lack thereof) is thought to be associated with the increase of autism.
> There are many kinds of nourishment and if we believe that divine consciousness permeates all life, then there may be some sort of intelligence in the foods we consume. Does our food understand that we care about it? Maybe it does. The Anastasia series provokes such thoughtful questioning, as does "Ayurveda, A Life in Balance". Perhaps we have lost or abandoned some important concepts about what sustains us.
> It makes sense to me that if we consume foods that come from the earth we walk upon that we are more in harmony with the minerals and nutrients innate to Place, Place being sacred space, where we live. As such, those foods from our own soils, nurtured by our own hands and looked upon lovingly with our own hopes, are more likely to deeply nourish our needs on many levels.
> About borage... the herbal I most often consult ("The Herb Book", John Lust), says of borage that it is useful in treating fever and restores vitality following illness. It is calmative and anti-inflammatory. Use care in collecting it as it's in the family Boraginaceae (Borage), well-known for tiny, irritating hairs (note from me).
> Another herbal, "The Herb and Spice Companion" (Webb and Craze), claims that it has "mood-lifting effects" and reduces fever. A third herbal I've found helpful ("The Way of Herbs" by Michael Tierra) cautions that it may cause liver toxicity and cancer (mostly, I think, alluding to its near relative, comfrey) and that usage should be closely monitored and administered for only short periods of time rather than lengthy consumption. His usage notes include treatment for heart and lung congestion, fever reduction, and its demulcent (soothing) properties may be effective in treating internal and external ulcers. The seeds are high in gamma linolenic oil (higher even than evening primrose oil).
> All three texts extoll its efficacy in increasing milk for lactating mothers.
> I have no personal experience using borage medicinally. I grew it once, having read that it had a cucumber-like flavor, but found it lacking and not too appealing. But that was many years ago.
> My own sense about growing plants for medicinal use is to use care to plant time-tested varieties ("heirlooms" -- pass on the horticultural wonders and hybrids often found at the nurseries and offered by seed companies) and let it grow near you for as long as possible before harvesting so it can develop an optimal relationship with local conditions where you (the user) are. If you can let it go to seed and allow it to grow in consecutive years, its potency seems to increase. I have no proof of this, it seems right to me. I do, however, have experience with parsley (and a few other herbs) reseeding in my garden and it feels healthful and satisfying when I use them. That may be partially psychological from the joy I feel in growing them for my own use.

[Cyndi LuHu]

> Interesting. Good analogy, the habits of thought producing erosion or fertile fields. Testing for logical conclusions also makes sense to me.
> I think along the same lines, that thoughts are like children, always wanting to play. Without guidance and careful development they can become willful brats and run roughshod over the best of us. Disciplined, they hold great potential. Collectively, they create our sense of reality.
> When I was young I thought that surely the life of a hermit was for me, away from the confusion of traffic and rules and opinions. With maturity, I came to realize that the most valuable thing in life is developing relationships with people to help polish who we are. And we are what we think. In the absence of such friendships, we would likely cease to grow and perhaps eventually succumb to the clatter of an undisciplined mind.
> There is great value in having people in our lives who are willing to exchange ideas openly and critically, but without criticism. "Safe" discussions are important so ideas can be expressed without fear of rejection or ridicule. It generally takes time to build such trust.
> In addition, finding willing thinkers is not as easy a task as one might expect. Our culture does not encourage the generation of honest thought or questioning conventional wisdom.
> We are also limited by our ability to communicate. Although we can agree to the general meaning of words, each of us has unique experiences that imbues variable nuances into our language. Skillful communication is an art. It requires practice and attention.
> Every one whose path we cross can provide us with clues as we journey along our own path. Developing the eyes to see this takes time and patience and compassion.
> I am still learning. The more I know, the more I know there is to know.
> Thank you for sharing your ideas.