Posts classified under: Household & Environmental

Zhou Miao Fei
Translated by Yan En

Most people live in the cities nowadays. Many have never touched the soil or waded across a stream in their whole lives. We used to have a closer relationship with soil in the past. In the modern times, our feet are cut off from soil by different types of materials, and we educate our kids to stay away from soil, thinking that it is dirty with germs.

But our survival depends on soil. Animals, including humans, need to rely on plants for survival. And plants need sunlight, air, water and soil. Soil dictates the quality of plant growth. If the soil has sufficient nutrients, we will obtain rich nutrients. If the soil is polluted, the plants will be polluted, and the humans who eat the plants will also be polluted.

At present, we often talk about the horror of pesticides. Consuming organic foods has become a trend. Learning to grow veggies and fruits has also become a talking point. The priority of organic farming/gardening is to first grow healthy soil. All organic gardeners know that if one takes good care of the soil, the plants will grow well. Healthy soil benefits animals and humans. Therefore treat your soil well. So how do we take care of the soil? First we have to learn about soil and then cultivate good and healthy soil.

Ideal Soil
An ideal soil is a world of rich organisms and balanced ecology. It is rich with humus, in dark brown color, light, crumbly, and easy to work with. It can retain moisture and yet drain away excess liquid. It is also aerating. It is brimming with active micro-fauna, micro-flora and earthworms. The ideal world of soil is active, lively and ever changing.

Structure of Soil
Soil is a mixture of rock elements, water, air and organic matter. On average it is 45% rock elements, 25% air, 25% water and 5% organic matter. The more organic matter it contains, the more fertile the soil is. The content of organic matter in our modern day soil is probably not even 1%. Thus adding organic matter regularly is the most essential job in caring for the soil. A good veggie bed should have 30cm layer of top soil, which is rich in organic matter and microorganisms. The ratio of the rock elements is moderate with sufficient aeration.

Soil Quality
This refers to the combination of coarse and fine rock elements in the soil, from coarse sand to silt to clay. The ideal ratio is 40% sand, 40% silt, and 20% clay. Rock elements absorb moisture which contains soluble nutrients. The gap among the elements is for aeration. If the gap is too big like between coarse sand granules, then the soil can’t retain moisture and nutrients. If the gap is too small like in clay, then the root can’t extend and breathe.

Rub the soil with your fingers and you’ll roughly know the quality: the coarse granules that feel like beach sand are sand, the smooth one is clay. Mix soil with water and roll it into a longish shape: soil with high content of clay can be rolled without scattering; soil with high content of sand can’t be rolled into a longish shape as it will scatter. The ratio of soil elements in general falls between these two. Different spots in the garden may have different quality. Do the soil test a few more times and you’ll find out the different ratio.

A simple soil test that you can do at home: prepare a tall container, fill it with 7 portions of water and add 3 portions of soil (dig apart the top soil, take the soil from the top to the lower layer. Check soil from different spots separately). Cover the container and shake the container until the soil is mixed evenly. Keep it aside for some time. The granules in the water will separate due to different sizes. The fine granules settle in the bottom, moving up are sand, silt, clay, and then water. The surface may even have half-decomposed twigs and leaves. Looking at the proportion of the different layers, you will know your soil ratio. It is very difficult to change soil quality, but we can add organic matter to improve the soil structure.

Soil Structure
The way soil elements bind together is called soil structure. Brush aside the debris on the surface of soil. Retrieve a handful of wet soil, you will see how soil elements bind together: a well-structured soil has a moderate ratio of sand, silt and clay, mixed with organic matter and they form light and fluffy lumps.

Air in the Soil
Healthy soil needs air. Plant roots breathe within the soil. The microorganisms inside the soil also need to breathe. Certain special bacteria in the soil can transform nitrogen in the air into a form that can be utilized by the plants. So there should be moderate gap among soil elements to allow for aeration.

Soil Moisture
Good quality soil can retain the moisture needed for plant growth, as well as soluble nutrients, while draining away excess liquid. Most plants like soil with good drainage.

The composition of soil may be different in different spots. The effect of drainage is different too. You can observe the drainage effect at home after a heavy downpour. If your soil has more sand, the liquid will drain too fast, and the plants will often wither and appear droopy. If small puddles are formed after a downpour, or the ground remains muddy for several days, then it means that drainage is poor. The microorganisms inside the soil cannot survive; roots soaked in the water will turn pale and rot; leaves will fall and the plants will lack vitality.

Organic Matter
The remains of fauna and flora that are breaking down in the soil contain important plant nutrients. The stabilized organic matter after the decomposition is humus. The dark brown color of good quality soil comes from the humus. They are like a sponge that can retain moisture and nutrients for the plant roots to absorb. They can also bind the rock elements and turn the soil soft, crumbly and fertile. A humid climate and rich microorganisms in the soil can break down organic matter, thus accumulating more humus. A dry and hot climate with little plants and too much tillage will decrease the humus in the soil. The climate in Taiwan is warm and humid with rich varieties of plants. But most of the soil lack organic matter and microorganisms, so there is almost no humus.

Living Organisms in the Soil
There are bacteria, fungus, actinomyctes, ants, beetles, centipedes, spiders, etc. in the soil. The more diverse group of organisms there are in the soil, the healthier the soil is. Earthworms are the most important indicator. They burrow in the soil along with various tiny organisms, letting moisture and air reach the plant roots. Excretions from earthworms are the easiest nutrients to be absorbed by the plants. The microorganisms in the soil can break down organic matter, transforming them into a type that the plants can absorb. Soil is the home to these tiny living beings. They go through the cycle of birth, growth, seeking food, breeding, and death. They rely on soil to obtain food and shelter. When they die, they become the nutrients in the soil.

Soil Nutrients
The nutrients in the soil are continuously lost through rain, over watering, natural decomposition, or being absorbed by plants. Plants are like us, they need their daily meals. To feed your plants, first give your soil sufficient nutrients. Once the soil has organic matter, only then will the living organisms breed and gradually reach a balanced state. It takes at least 6 months to a year to establish the ecological equilibrium. If you have just started growing plants organically, and you think that the soil is lacking nutrients, you may first use organic fertilizer while cultivating the habit of supplementing your soil with organic matter. Organic farming certification unit and environmental groups have information on qualified manufacturers. You can buy mixed compost, animal manure compost and so on. The municipal environmental protection authority, Taiwan Environmental Protection Union and so on also sells compost made of kitchen scraps. Mix the compost in the soil a few weeks before you start planting. During the planting period, add the nutrients once every few weeks.

Soil pH
The nutrients in the soil are absorbed by the plants when they are mostly neutral in pH value. For example, when acidic, nitrogen and sulphur can’t be absorbed; when alkaline, iron and magnesium can’t be absorbed. Plants have their pH preference. Most vegetables like neutral to slightly acidic soil. Organic soil is between neutral and slightly acidic, thus does not need adjustment. Simply sprinkle rock dust once a year. Rock dust can neutralize acidic soil and helps bind rock elements.

How to Increase Soil Fertility and Productivity?

1. Mulch with Organic Matter
All organic gardeners have a good habit – any green organic waste that they come across is returned back to the land. Green wastes come from the kitchen (fruit peels, veggie scraps, tea leaves, material from flower arrangement, etc.), garden, balcony (plant cuttings, old plants, etc.), lanes, roadsides (fallen leaves, etc.). As long as they are plants, they all contain nutrients from the earth, and they should be returned back to the earth. We can continuously and directly put the green stuff on the ground as mulch to cover the soil.

Empty fields, under huge trees, safety island, etc. – places that do not need a great deal of nutrients can be mulched with tree barks, coconut husks, sawdust. These are organic matters that break down slowly. They can protect the soil from wind, sun, and rain, prevent evaporation, enrich microorganisms in the soil, release nutrients after decomposing, and improve soil structure.

2. Use Home-made Organic Fertilizer
We can also turn green wastes into compost through fermentation and then apply it in the soil. There is a huge amount of kitchen scraps created by each family daily. These are good ingredients for making compost. When you start to make compost, you can buy zymophyte, or bring back a few handfuls of fertile soil from the forest or mountain streams. You can also get some compost from your friends who are organic gardeners. Sprinkle some culture at each layer of the compost. This will speed up the process. If you don’t have any existing culture, with patience, population of zymophyte will gradually form in the compost.

Fresh ingredients especially fruit peels and so on will attract fruit flies and other insects during the initial stage of breaking down and fermentation. They are not harmful to humans. They will disappear at the later stage of composting. To prevent fruit flies and insects, use more soil to cover the compost.

3. Making a Simple Compost
Prepare a big flower pot and some soil to make compost on your home balcony. Put a layer of soil, a layer of green wastes, a layer of soil, a layer of green wastes and so on. Sprinkle some water to maintain moisture. All the fine laborers in the soil (the rich microorganisms) will naturally break down the green wastes into organic fertilizer. Green wastes from our home are mostly high in nitrogen and moisture. They break down fast and with the high temperature in the summer, they will be done in just two weeks. When the breaking down process starts, the liquid will be drained out. If the pot you use has no drainage holes, you need to turn the soil for aeration. When there is too much moisture, anaerobic bacteria will grow and foul smell will appear when the organic matter is being broken down. Simply add some soil to absorb the moisture and turn the soil to aerate it. The foul smell will disappear a few days later.

If you have a lot of ingredients, use a big container with drainage holes. Layer the ingredients as mentioned above. Keep for a few months. Sprinkle some water once in a while. Turning the soil is not necessary. But if you turn the soil it will speed up the process.

4. Making High Temperature Compost

• Collect all the organic materials: grass clippings, fallen leaves, kitchen scraps, straw, etc. Finer pieces will break down faster. You can use a leaves grinder or a mower to chop up the materials. Wooden blocks, twigs, newspapers should be chopped up too. Avoid using oil, meat, bones. These will attract cats, rats, dogs and so on, and will slow down the decomposition. Also avoid manure of pet animals and humans, and materials that have been treated with pesticides or herbicides. Find a spot near your veggie farm, pile up the materials on the spot directly or in a container.

• Make a 1-meter fence with wire mesh or untreated wood. This looks neat and can deter cats and dogs. Or buy a ready made compost bin or a turning compost bin.

 

• You need to collect materials that can be piled up to 1 cubic meter. If the pile is too small, it won’t be able to reach 60-70°C. Use a pitch fork to pile up the materials layer by layer: equal amount of carbon material (brown color, woody material such as sawdust, straw, newspapers, etc.) and equal amount of nitrogen material (green color, moist grass clippings, kitchen scraps, weeds, cow manure or horse manure, etc.). Too much carbon material will not generate the high temperature needed, and decomposition will be slow; too much nitrogen material will give off foul smell. When you’re doing the layering, add a few handfuls of soil in between to supplement microorganisms. You may also supplement minerals that are lacking. If there is a sick plant, place it in the middle. Only the heat in the middle can kill the germs.

• Maintain moisture of the pile, but not wet. For high temperature compost, the bacteria need moisture and oxygen to grow. If the materials are too dry during the layering, sprinkle some water at each layer. Cover the top layer with water-proof canvas to maintain moisture. Too wet or too dry will affect the speed of decomposition.

• The bacteria that break down the organic matter need water and oxygen in order to function. The simplest way is to use a pitch fork to turn the pile. Remove the outer layer and pile it on a new spot next to the original pile. Now the outer layer becomes the inner pile. Continue to move the layer so that the inner layer of the original pile becomes the outer layer of the new pile. Loosen up the materials. When it is too dry, sprinkle some water. Aeration speeds up the activity of mircoorganisms and raises the compost temperature. Check the temperature. When it’s too low, turn the pile. Do not let temperature exceed 70°C. Too high a temperature will kill the bacteria. If the pile heats up too much, let it sit for a few days or sprinkle some water to lower the temperature. A high temperature compost will be ready in two to six weeks. By this time the temperature would have stabilized, and you won’t be able to recognize the original materials. The pile will become dark brown, soft and fluffy. It smells like moist forest soil.

5. How to Use Compost

• Raise seedlings: Use a 1cm-holed sieve to sieve out the bigger chunks. Use the compost by itself or mixed with earthworm compost or other potting mix.

• Veggie garden: Every year spread compost on garden soil surface 2.5cm-5cm. For soil lacking in nutrients, you may first spread some organic fertilizer and then compost. You may loosen the soil and mix in the compost evenly or spread it on the surface as mulch.

• Compost tea: Compost can be made into liquid fertilizer and used on saplings or fully grown plants. It can be used throughout the year. Put 1 liter of compost in a cloth bag and hang the bag in 4.5 liter of water for several days. Dilute when used on saplings. Use as it is for fully grown plants.

• Source of bacteria: Compost contains rich bacteria culture for fermentation. It can speed up the decomposition of organic matter and balance the ecology of microorganisms in the soil. After some time when the soil has been spread with compost, you may directly put green wastes on the soil surface. Covered with straw for aesthetic view. The microorganisms and bacteria in the soil will quickly break down the stuff.

 

6. Growing Groundcovers
Landscaping, safety island, roadside empty ground, etc. – can be planted with perennial, short ground-covering plants to protect the soil. They can beautify the view, reduce dust and retain moisture in the soil.

Sometimes the soil is temporarily left unused. We can grow flowers as living mulch while beautifying the surrounding at the same time. What’s even better is that these flowers will absorb the nutrients in the soil to prevent nutrient loss. When you want to switch to another type of plant, just slash the flower plants, chop them up and use them as mulch material or put them in the compost bin.

7. Growing Green Manure
When the soil needs a lot of nutrients during the planting period, you can grow green manure plants such as grains to improve the soil. Two to three months before planting the actual crop, sow the seeds of the green manure crop. Just before they start to flower, slash them and turn them in the soil. After they break down and decompose, they will increase the organic matter and nutrients in the soil. During the fallow period, use the green manure as living mulch to prevent soil erosion.

The best green manure and living mulch plants are legumes. They collaborate with the beneficial bacteria in the soil to turn nitrogen in the air into a form that can be utilized by the plants to increase soil fertility. Sunflowers are gorgeous, fast-growing, and a good green manure. Grow them for two months. When they flower, slash and turn them in the soil. Three weeks later you may grow your crops. Besides increasing soil fertility and organic matter, the hollow stalks of sunflowers increase aeration in the soil.

Once we know the characteristics of soil and the methods to care for soil, we will then understand that only organic farming can cultivate dynamic soil. I keep a small garden at the various places that I have stayed. Initially the garden soil is poor with serious pest problem. I buy fully fermented mixed animal manures as fertilizer (cow, goat, horse, poultry, etc.). Then I start to grow various plants. Meanwhile I collect kitchen scraps and plant clippings to make compost, and I continuously spread the compost in the garden. After a year, the garden would gradually become self-sustainable. Just a garden of several square meters, it is filled with papayas, guavas, passion fruits, Madeira vine, banana shrub, and all sorts of flowering and ornamental plants. On the ground is African Touch-me-not that self-propagates and flowers throughout the year. All my visitors are amazed by the vitality of my garden.

Once a balanced ecology of soil is established, I don’t have to buy fertilizers anymore. I put the kitchen scraps directly beneath the mulch material. They break down and vanish within a few days. The soil becomes more and more fertile; various beneficial insects happily take up residency, e.g. earthworms, bees, mantis, eumeces, etc. – they keep the harmful pests to minimal. I have only one secrete: feed the soil with organic matter!

Soil is our root. I still remember when I followed my father to the river in the outskirts several decades ago. The soil by the river was dark and fertile. When we dug apart the soil, many earthworms in the soil frantically scurried away. Nowadays, the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides is taken for granted. Everyone can buy them, everyone can use them. It seems like everyone only knows how to use chemical synthetics. But our soil is becoming more and more barren. It becomes acidic and losses the nutrients. Even the weeds do not grow. It is worrying: In the near future, will our beautiful island gradually undergo desertification? Will there be any more life left in the soil? Will the spring become silent?

Original article is published in May&Aug 2006 issue of Lapis Lazuli Light magazine (Taiwan)

Zhou Miao Fei
Translated by Yan En

Spring is here! The Melbourne in early October sees shining sun for one moment and drizzling rain the next, and several gusts of wind in between. The locals proudly say, “We have four seasons in a day.” That shows the changeable nature of the weather in Melbourne. Whether it is humor or arrogance, it is because of the clear seasonal distinction that Melbourne has a wide variety of flowers and plants. During springtime, narcissus, cherry blossom, wisteria, photinia, azalea, and countless other flowers are blooming every where. All the bare woods from the winter are now budding with new green shoots. In Taiwan, it is the end of the hot summer moving into autumn.

Having spent many years in New Zealand and Australia, I enjoy natural sceneries the most. I always hope that Taiwan would have such a clean and beautiful environment as well. I often think: In Taiwan it is like springtime throughout the year with a rich ecology. Why not establish it as a garden island? Through detailed observation, I realize that in New Zealand and Australia, the preservation of soil and water is already deeply rooted in the minds of the people. It has become a part of the people’s lives. They will not expose the soil bare and let it get beaten up by the sun and rain. They will mulch the soil surface with thick organic materials to protect the soil and to conserve water. They also plant drought tolerant plants to beautify the environment and to purify the air. Mulching the soil is simple and cheap with numerous benefits. It is a must in gardening and organic farming. Taiwan has started to promote permaculture and encourage sustainability. Can we implement mulching – this method of loving and protecting our earth, and promote it as part of the practices of environmental protection?

Every time I go back to Taiwan, I would pay attention to the ecological environment. I notice that all the soil in the city is left bare and naked under the trees, in the parks, schools and public areas. The soil quality is barren and infertile with little plants that are barely alive. Once the traffic passes by, the dust whirls up and fills the air. What a frightening sight! If you have time, take a trowel to a park, dig in one of the corners. You’ll find that there is no dark brown, soft, fertile soil and there is not much microorganism in the soil. All is quiet and dead, only yellow soil and rocks. I suppose most people don’t know that soil is alive. The fauna, flora and microorganisms in the soil nourish all the living beings on earth. We pack the produce from the soil in bags and bury them in the ground. We don’t return the nutrients back to the earth. We are slowly killing our soil, gradually depriving it of its life force.

To restore soil’s vitality, mulching is one of the fundamental solutions. Mulching is simply to protect the soil by covering the soil with thick organic materials – under the trees, in the gardens, empty fields, even our flower pots at home – cover the soil around the plants. What benefits does it bring?

First of all, mulching the soil can reduce evaporation from 10% up to 50%, therefore reducing water wastage. Mulching can also prevent heat or cold impact, thus protecting the plant roots from damage by extremely cold or hot temperature. Mulching can cut off wind and rain to protect the soil from losing its elements, and to prevent the raindrops from hitting the soil and pressing the soil into a hardened layer. It helps the water to flow evenly into the soil and reach the roots.

Some time after you have mulched the soil, the decomposed organic matter such as leaves and saw dust will enrich the soil with nutrients. The soil will be more aerating with better water penetration. It increases the growth of tiny living beings in the soil such as earthworms and microorganisms. They in turn will further break down organic materials, turning them into nutrients that can be absorbed by the plants. Eventually even hard and solid clay can become loose and soft soil of good quality.

Therefore organic mulch can provide loose soil and complete nutrients. The plants will be healthy with less disease. The produce will be more nutritious and delicious. As the mulch can prevent the splashing of rainwater, it will reduce direct contact of the microorganisms in the soil with the veggie leaves and fruits, thus reducing spotting and rotting. The plants will be in better form.

Mulch can also suppress weed growth. Even if there are weeds growing, they can be easily plucked out. Since mulch can suppress weeds, it can reduce the use of herbicides. Pesticides are not needed too as the plants are healthy. This is beneficial for our health as we can avoid ingesting toxic food leading to poisoning by toxic chemicals. It is also beneficial for the environment as it prevents groundwater contamination.

Everyone can make use of the organic materials from home, garden and surrounding environment as mulch materials, thus reducing garbage and benefit the environment. Schools, parks, safety island, and roadsides – these are places where you can mulch to beautify the surroundings and reduce dust, turning the area into a clean and beautiful city.

Now that we know so many benefits of mulching, then what are the materials? They can be simply categorized as non-organic materials and organic materials.

Non-organic materials include black plastic bags, tar paper, aluminum foil, rocks, sand, etc. They can suppress weeds, prevent evaporation, insulate, and beautify the garden. But they cannot break down green wastes.

Organic materials refer to plants that have once lived – whether fresh, dried or decomposed.

Slightly water the leaves and let them decompose naturally. Few months later they will turn into fertile soil rich in nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Mixed loosely with grass clippings and manure compost – this is the best mulching material.

Weeds, plants that have passed their flowering season, all sorts of garden green wastes can be chopped up and used as mulch. It’s even better to mix with finely chopped twigs and branches. If you know any veggie seller, you can ask for green wastes such as cabbages, cauliflowers, carrot leaves, etc. There are lots of mandarin peels during the winter. Dry them on the balcony and use as mulch, or mixed directly with soil. They will become compost few months later – rich mulch materials.

Animal manure should be decomposed fully and then mixed with other materials, e.g. saw dust and leaves.

Straw, wheat-straw, sugarcane stalks are excellent mulch materials. They break down slowly and release the nutrients gradually – very suitable for plants. Their loose characteristic allows air and water to reach the plants, and they block off the wind and sun. They protect the plants from root rot and other fungus diseases.

Coconut husks and wood chips compressed into small blocks preserve moisture, and are aesthetic and long-lasting. The growing medium for aquatic grass, seaweed, and mushrooms are excellent mulch materials. Pine leaves and pine tree barks are very beautiful. They are suitable for plants preferring acidity, e.g. azalea, camellia, photinia, and strawberry. Comfrey is an amazing plant. It is rich in potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium and vitamin B12. When used as mulch, it is an excellent food for plants.

Besides the dried or decomposed materials mentioned above, grow some small flowers or grass among the plants. This helps beautify the surroundings and the tiny plants are an excellent protection for soil as living mulch. They prevent the wind and sun, and conserve water. Their roots loosen the soil. When they decompose they fertilize the soil. They provide a sanctuary for the tiny living beings in the soil. After their flowering season, they can be slashed and chopped up for mulching; nothing is wasted.

After talking so much about the benefits of mulching and mulch materials, one more thing is lacking – the spirit of experimenting. You can start collecting materials from your surroundings. Return the nutrients from the soil back to the earth. Perhaps you only have a few pots of plants at home. You may mulch the soil around the plant or grow some tiny flowering plants to cover the soil. If you have a small plot of land, use some straw or sugarcane pulp as mulch. Grow some tiny flowers and grass in between the plants. If they get too dense, slash and use them as mulch again. You will find that your soil becomes more and more fertile, and the plants are stronger and happier. If you have a big plot of land, apply the same principles mentioned above. But I’m sure you will know more than I do. So please tell me your secrets. Enough talk, let’s get moving and pamper our soil together – let’s build a more beautiful world for our next generation!

Original article is published in Nov 2005 issue of Lapis Lazuli Light magazine (Taiwan)

Qiu Li Hui
Translated by Florence Tan

In May 2011, a tsunami of scandals erupted in the Taiwan food industry. Plasticizers were added into food additives as clouding agent. The range of food products that was impacted was staggering. This additive was added into many of the food products in the market. This problem occurred not only with small food factories and vendors, but even well-known companies, state-owned enterprises, and even products that have passed the government’s Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification.
In this incident, we saw the Department of Health engaging in inter-departmental efforts to test, inspect and amend the laws (such as increased fines and criminal liability), and striving hard to prevent the public from getting poisoned.
But will these practices really put a stop to contaminated foods? I saw an article in the newspaper written by Huang Shi Zhou[pinyin], a Ph.D student in the Department of Law and Policy, Institute of Public health at the National Yang Ming University. He queried, “What if some manufacturers specially produce one lot of non-contaminated products just for testing purpose?”

The editorial of Lianhe Wanbao also mentioned that

“Taiwanese has a high incidence of cancer. This is definitely closely related to the things we eat, from pesticide residues, antibiotics, to food additives. How much poison do we consume each day? If this case remains as an investigation project, then we are heading the wrong direction.”

I strongly agree with the views of the author. However, in the larger environment, there are too many factors affecting health. Recently, there were some construction works near our area. One day, I smelled strong paint odor. After a check, I found that in order to save costs, the workers were spraying the paint instead of using a brush to paint. The large amount of pollution generated from the fumes has harmful effects on the environment and people’s personal health. I felt sad, what can we do? When I woke up the next morning, I had a strong intuition. I walked to the bookshelf, took out the first magazine I touched, and turned the pages. It was the article “Ethical Enterprises That Benefit The World” by Dr. Chiu-Nan Lai that specially introduced Dr. Mitchell May’s principles. (note 1)

Dr. May shared his business experience in managing the Synergy Company:

“I operated Synergy Company based on ethics. I define ethics as responsibility towards unlimited forms of life.  This is the principle I use in making every business decision.  I consider running a business as my spiritual practice. Of course, other people need not do so.  But everyone should at least have morality, honesty and goodwill. This does not mean giving up our common sense and judgement, or the results of spiritual practices – compassion and a calm mind.  All these attributes should be used in business. Doing business is not about being taken advantage of.  If any of business partners are dishonest, I will stop dealing with them, because we want honesty in our counterpart, and we deal with them honestly.  Just like when we do not want others to contaminate water, then we must not pollute the water.

Many enterprises do not have goodwill because they just care about making money and gaining power.  They will get money and power, but they will not get merits, love, health, and peace of mind which are inner treasures. Operating a morally-responsible business is relatively difficult because we need to consider all aspects. Working hours are longer and more difficult, but our employees find the jobs meaningful and reflect their aspirations and therefore are very committed. It is hard to understand why people do not help others alleviate their sufferings when they have the ability to do so. Socially responsible enterprises have the potential and are profitable. Our company’s growth is higher than the industry average, even though we donate a high proportion of our profits, and our cost of organic or natural ingredients is 2 to 5 times the average (generally, the cost of organic ingredients is only 25% more). We use the best natural ingredients as if they were for the consumption of our own families.

If businesses only think of their own benefits, they are like parasites – in the end, both the hosts and parasites will die. Fortunately, some people have begun to realize this, and businesses have begun to consider the environmental and social impacts of their actions. Knowing an enterprise is like knowing a person. You need time.  More and more people want to run a socially responsible business.  If there are two very similar products, they are willing to spend more money to support this ethical company, because this will benefit the world rather than destroy the world.  Anything that has value requires hard work.  My rewards are blessings and joy.

The temptations in businesses are large, and in itself a deep philosophical practice. Management must hire people with love and morality to work for them, and it is best to have a teacher close by to remind them. The CEO’s job is to be vigilant, and when hiring people, observe whether they have an honest job record, and whether they have a sense of responsibility and take pride in their own work. This is the foundation of spiritual life. A person’s action is more important. At the end of a day’s hard work, I know with a clean conscience that I have benefited this world.”

Lapis Magazine (May 2008) extracted an interview report by the Nutrition Business Journal (December 2007) with Dr Mitchell May, “Honouring a Champion:  Dr Mitchell May, Synergy Company – Awards for Organic Excellence and Sustainability”:
“The Synergy Company and Synergy Production Laboratories are 100% wind-powered. Synergy Production Laboratories grow, develop and manufacture over 250 certified-organic raw materials. All of Synergy’s products and formulas have been organic from day one, free of any additives and made with only “truly natural” compounds – even the cotton used in the bottles is 100% certified-organic.  Additionally, due to the environmental impact, the Synergy Company and Synergy Production Laboratories have also been at the forefront of environmentally-friendly practices.  Synergy invested in and committed its founding to the use of soy ink (to eliminate lead and other toxic compounds) and was the first company to use Ecoform, a biodegradable packaging material.”

Dr. May said, “We have a very, very stringent program and policy to ensure that what is happening is in compliance with what our ecological and social responsible positions are.”

According to my understanding, the ingredients used in Dr. May’s products are full of life force, colours and light. With specialised technologies, these energies are retained in the manufacturing process.  That explains why my family and friends feedback with gratitude after consuming the products; they feel really fortunate because these supplements have brought huge positive effects on their health.  I always enjoy these products; especially when I am unwell, I feel their effects keenly.

In everything we do, first consider how our action bring benefits to others, taking others’ interests as more important than our own interests. If every enterprise and everyone takes Dr. May’s approach, we have hope of turning around the current self-serving business practices that is almost impossible to prevent and stop.

When each of us and every enterprise awakens, it is possible for us to resume and enjoy the fresh air, pure water, natural sweet and high energy fruits and vegetables, and the wide range of nutritious and energised food that our forefathers once enjoyed. Only then are we enjoying the holistic wellness of man and the Earth.

Note:

1. “Ethical Enterprises That Benefit The World” – English version in July 2004 issue of Lapis Newsletter or online at https://lapislazulilight.com/Founder/Index_Lapis_News_From_Founder_Article_16.html

This article is originally published in Chinese in Lapis Magazine (Aug 2008) and is now accessible online at: http://www.lapislazuli.org/TradCh/magazine/201108/20110809.html

Published in the Malaysia Lapis Lazuli Light Magazine Issue no. 13
Translated by Yan En

Mobile phones are so popular in Malaysia that basically each person has one. If you look around, you will see people carrying mobile phones or chatting on the phones next to their ears.

In the past, mobile phone was a communication tool for business and sales persons. But nowadays, it has penetrated into different levels of society – from office workers to homemakers, from college students to primary school kids – they have all become mobile phone users. It is not rare to have 5 to 6 mobile phones within a family. Mobile phone retail outlets spring up like mushrooms in cities; kiosks for mobile phone prepaid cards are everywhere; advertisements of telecommunication companies and mobile phones appear endlessly on TV and newspapers – all of these indicate how popular mobile phones are in our country.

Malaysia is World’s No. 3 in the Growth Rate of Mobile Phone

Malaysia is one of the countries in the world that has the highest usage of mobile phone. The mobile phone market in Malaysia grows very fast, only after China and Japan in the Asia-Pacific region.

According to the latest statistics, mobile phone users in Malaysia has reached 7,260,000, including registered subscribers and pre-paid card users. Five years ago in 1996, the figure was 1,510,000. The use of mobile phone in our country has increased fivefold in just 5 years. This also indicates that currently, 1 in every 3 Malaysians is a mobile phone user.

As there are a huge number of users around, and with the many telecommunication companies competing with each other, they have set up base stations around the country in order to provide better network coverage. In the past one year, not only were more and more base stations built, they were also getting nearer and nearer to humans. Meanwhile, protests and complaints from residents were also starting to emerge, requesting to dismantle the base stations.

Since last year, there has been an increase in news reports on complaints related to base stations. Residents in many big cities and small towns around the country start to complain about their health being affected by base stations. Most of the residents say that ever since a base station has been set up within their residential area, they often experience dizziness, numbness in both arms, difficulties in breathing, insomnia, tinnitus and so on. Some also complain that they have to visit the doctors frequently as they always feel unwell.

In September last year (2001), residents of Kuantan Road in Penang complained about “cancer-causing” base stations, which led to 6 cancer cases in one building. Four of the cancer patients died later on. The news hit the panic button among the public, and fear toward base stations increased. For those who lived next to the base stations, it created mental stress that was not to be neglected. There were also quite a number of base stations set up on the rooftops of tall buildings or retail shops. This led to people questioning the safety of these base stations.

Dismantling Illegal Base Stations

In actual fact, the complaints and doubts from the public have exposed the weakness of our government in its loose regulation over base stations. According to relevant authority, most of the base stations around the country are illegal, only a small number are built with legal approval. According to the guidelines on base stations set by the Malaysian Telecom, before a telecommunication company wants to set up a base station at a certain location, it must apply with the multi-media committee and attain approval from the city council. Otherwise, the authority has the right to dismantle the base station.

The guidelines also show that the structure of the base station must comply with the safety standard; it must be away from residential area for more than 150 meters; the permit must be renewed every year. No matter what, as the guidelines lack legal restraint, telecommunication companies still set up lots of base stations in order to support the increasing demand. Judging from the fact that more than half the base stations in the country are set up illegally, the guidelines above are as good as none.

Recently, one of the city councils has even revealed that the latest guidelines would reduce the original distance between a base station and a residential area from 150 meters to 35 meters. The council makes this decision as there is still no scientific evidence which proves that radiation from base stations would affect human health adversely. This is such a shame. It shows that some people would rather sacrifice the well-being of the people and environment in order to gain certain convenience and benefits.

Undeniably, mobile phone is the most convenient communication tool in our modern lives. It is also a symbol of status. For some of the young people, it is also like a new toy, or even a fashionable accessory that can be changed constantly. The young people particularly like to hang their mobile phones on their waists or around their necks in front of their chests. They also like to add cute little ornaments to their mobile phones. Ever since the short message service (SMS) function was added, mobile phone has attracted many more people. It has become a new channel of communication between people, even more popular than e-mail.

Having a Mobile Phone Next to Your Ear is Akin to Having a Microwave Transmission Tower Next to Your Body

Although the models of mobile phone have become trendier and more user-friendly, we should not be deceived by its appearance and forget that it is actually a small-size electromagnetic station with underlying threats. When we carry it around with us or have it next to our ear, it’s almost like sticking a microwave transmission tower in our brain!

Mobile phone has indeed brought us convenience in communication. Yet at the same time, it has also shrouded our space with the pervading electromagnetic waves, harming our health and destroying our natural environment. If this is the price that we have to endure in order to enjoy the benefits of advanced technology, perhaps we should rethink: is this too much a price to pay?

The Safety Distance Between Base Stations and Residents: 200 meters and above

Mobile phone is actually a mini electromagnetic waves receiver and transmitter. When we are using a mobile phone, it will emit low frequency pulsating wave and high frequency microwave, which is similar to using a microwave oven.

Although the voltage used by a mobile phone is lower than the voltage used by a TV set or a radio, its penetration is much stronger. And human body is a conductor of microwave. When we use a mobile phone, about 20%-80% of microwave radiation will be absorbed by the human body and brain. The rate of absorption depends on the mobile phone model, antenna and its distance from the base station. Generally speaking, telephones without antenna will force more microwave into the human brain, and the farther away a phone is from the base station, the stronger the radiation level is in order to receive signal.

Experts also point out that once you use mobile phone for more than 2 min, its microwave radiation may damage your brain.

Studies done by European scientists find that using a mobile phone is like “cooking” our brain. The studies show that when one is using a mobile phone, the heating sensation in one’s ear, cheek or head will increase 4.8 times. Another Russian studies also find that mobile phone usage can increase skin surface temperature by around 4.7°C. This kind of heating lesion may lead to skin cancer of premature aging.

Experts also think that the negative electromagnetic field emitting by base stations is more than 2 GHz, therefore these stations should be at least 200-400 meters away from humans. Thus it is unwise to have base stations in the city or residential area.

The Amount of Electromagnetic Radiation is Whirling Upward Every Year

From 155 years ago, telegram communication was invented for military needs. It enabled humans to control time and space. This invention undoubtedly shortened the connection among human relations. However, at the same time it “electrified” humans and the whole earth. In recent years, computerized communication technology has swiftly developed in particular. It has also entered the consumer market like the popularity of mobile phone, and the base stations are erected around us like Christmas trees one after another. This has caused more severe damage to humans and the earth by electromagnetic waves.

Below is an extract of a report from the magazine, No Place To Hide. It compares the radiation level between 1978 and 1999. Hopefully it will evoke some concerns and thoughts among those who care about health and the earth.

In 1978, research done by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in USA showed that the average population in a big city faced an average of 0.005 microvolt of electromagnetic radiation per square centimeter. Even population in the two big cities, New York City and Chicago, faced just an average of 0.002 microvolt* of electromagnetic radiation.

Years later, physicist Dr William Lee, PhD., president of AlphaLab, which specialized in manufacturing electromagnetic detecting equipment, revealed that in the outskirt of Salt Lake City at 5pm at that time (in 1999), the electromagnetic level was detected to be between an average of 0.01 and 0.1 microvolt per square centimeter. In other words, it had increased 10 to 100 times comparing to 20 years ago.

Physicist Dr Bill Curry, PhD., president of EMSciTek Consulting Co., said that when he was on a train from Washington to Denver, he detected by the window that the electromagnetic level in Denver was on average 0.1 microvolt per square centimeter. When he passed by New York, the result was an average of 100-300 microvolt per square centimeter. That means the radiation level had shot to 100 thousand times comparing to the New York 20 years ago.

(* Richard A. Tell and Edwin D. Mantiply, “Population Exposure to VHF and UHF Broadcast Radiation in the United States.” The Environmental Protection Agency, USA, June 1978.)

Rachel Tseng

1. Use of anti-EMF sachets (peat moss from Sweden’s virgin forest sewn within organic cotton cloth)

Peat moss has the ability to protect one’s life force, and to prevent the harmful effects of EMF. Cotton cloth can enhance the powers of peat moss.

Put the peat moss sachets on our Dantian (acupressure point or chakra located below the navel) and Mingmen (located on the intersection between the hip and the spine). The sachets can also be sewn onto one’s cap at the crown chakra and third-eye chakra (located between the two eyebrows). They can be directly placed on the electrical appliance itself to avoid EMF interference.

Another way is to purchase peat moss (available from nursery gardens at 5 pounds per packet) and mix it with kelp power in a ratio of 5:1. Put the mixture under the bed within a perimeter of 4 to 6 feet. This will help you discharge the toxins within your body and those from EMF. Change the mixture every six months. The mixture can also be placed within an open container, in front of the television set, on top of the kitchen cabinet, or anywhere where there is a need for it.

2. Using the chakra breathing method by Valerie Hunt (see “Harmonizing Energy for a Healthy Body” in July-Sept 2001 issue of Lapis News or in our web site)

Use of chakra energy can enhance one’s energy levels to help discharge EMF interference and emotional burdens.

3. Special baths

1. Kelp powder bath – Add a quarter cup of kelp powder and soak your body in the bath for 20 to 40 minutes. You can also rub 1-2 (or more) spoonfuls of kelp powder onto your body before taking a shower.
2. Sea salt bath – Add a pound of sea salt and a pound of baking soda to a bath tub of water, and soak your body in it for 20 minutes.
3. Japanese white charcoal bath – Add a pound of Japanese white charcoal to the bath, or soak your feet in it. This has the effect of warming and detoxifying the body. Soak for 20 minutes.
4. Natural clay bath – Mix natural clay to the bath water to increase its conductivity. This helps the body to discharge EMF.
5. Sunshine bath – Avoid the noon sun. Best to do so before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m.. Select a clean and fresh environment, and wear minimum clothes (swimming costume or nude). Face the sun for 5 minutes, and then have the back face the sun for another five minutes. At this time, close your eyes, relax the whole body, and feel the sun’s energy flow into your head, eyes, arms, body, and legs. Visualize the toxins and negative energy in your body seep from your legs into the earth as fertilizer.

4. White charcoal

This protects against EMF and has other special properties. Put the charcoal in places with high EMF radiation such as the computer or television set. You can also put it under the pillow to improve your sleep, or to soak in bath water.

5. Hanna Kroeger’s approach

Find the power cables that lead into your house, and put magnets with pull-force of 20 (each with an index of 10kg pull-force) on each end of the cable. Put a silver wire between the magnets (like a sandwich), and tie with a electrical tape (see Figure 1). The underlying principle behind this method is as follows: Electricity frequencies have amplitudes of 23.5 inches. The combination of magnet and silver wire (called Electrilizer) will reduce the amplitude to 3.5 inches, and thereby prevents the electrical current from having harmful effects.

Dr Lai has investigated the effects of this method, and has found that the EMF interference in her house has really decreased. Furthermore, the cost of this device is low, and is therefore highly recommended.

Note: please contact Lapis office at Tel:6337-5183 to purchase this product.

6. Another Hanna Kroeger’s approach

Negative energy may flow beneath our bed or house. This can arise from EMF of underground electrical cables, deep underground water, or radioactive radon etc. These have particularly harmful effects during our sleep. One simple way to protect ourselves is as follows: Use a coarse copper wire to wrap once round your bed (the easiest way is to wrap it round the mattress). Start from the side of the bed that is facing north, and end on the same side. One end of the wire is upward facing; the other is downward facing. It does not matter which end is considered the top or bottom (see Figure 2).

7. Placement of the wires inside the walls

Most wires located within the walls are of three kinds: live wire (that carries all the voltage), neutral wire (that carries reverse current), and earth wire (that carries no current). During wiring, if the live and neutral wires are placed next to each other, they will neutralize each other’s EMF. Some high-voltage cables use this method of wiring.

8. Reduce the usage of electrical appliances

Reduce the usage of the television set, computer, and mobile phone, especially at night. One reason is that the human’s energy level is generally weaker at night and more prone to harmful effects. In general, remove the sockets of all electrical appliances that are not used (*). Reduce the use of electricity, and use appliances that are energy saving. Buy computers that satisfy Sweden’s TCO standards.

* In U.S., since there is no On/Off switch at the power sockets, it is recommended to remove sockets to totally cut-off electricity. In Singapore, switch off electricity at the power sockets.

9. Switch off the mains

Do so when there is no one at home, and before sleep, retaining only the power for the refrigerator. This is a good overall method for reducing EMF radiation. You can sleep better, and don’t have to worry whether the power socket next to your bed is influencing your head. This also saves electricity.

10. Eat food that has restorative properties

Such food includes green vegetable juice, carrot juice, natural pickled vegetable, wheat grass, natural organic vegetarian food, vitamin C supplements (best to add bioflavonoids, which are available by soaking the skins of organic oranges or lemons in water), fermented food (such as pickled vegetables, yogurt, miso), and seaweeds. These types of food can protect us from various kinds of harmful ions and radiation.

11. Wear attire made of natural cotton or wool (best if organic)

Clothes and socks made of these materials are best. Increase contact with nature, and visit such natural places regularly to discharge static electricity. It is best to either wear straw or cloth shoes, or walk barefooted on the grass. Select spots where no insecticide has been sprayed.

Extracted from Lapis Lazuli Light Magazine 2002 May Issue
Translated by Lapis Lazuli Light Singapore

From Dr Teruo Higa’s Speech

Effective Micro-organism (EM) was originally used in agriculture, especially when technology was being developed to replace chemical fertilisers and pesticides. During the development process, there were many discoveries and one outstanding finding was its ability to eliminate odour and make water clearer. Also, things would not rust or spoil easily.

In a very big barn in Hokkaido, it was observed that when EM was continually used, the cement actually returned to the look of fresh concrete. Even rust from reinforced steel was removed and the surface became bright and shiny. Rakes and some large equipment that were used in the barn regained their shine. Given these incidents, EM should be used broadly since materials can return to their original states. These were recurring incidents.

Antioxidant substances

I conducted some research on the substances that produce these results and discovered that there are no special substances in EM but just antioxidant ingredients. In simple terms, it is like saponin in Korean Ginseng, enzymes in papaya and polysaccharide in other herbs. EM has all these substances. Components of EM also include olizanol (a polysaccharide found in grains such as rice), inosedol and so on.

Various other mineral nutrients such as calcium, magnesium and manganese are presented in the form of chelated substances. These chelated substances are characterized by having an anti-oxidation effect while possessing catalytic actions. There are dozens of these chelates in EM.

In other aspects, in “DNA slices” there are microbial genetic components even though it may not be obvious on the surface. The genetic components feature ingredients that can repair biological genetic defects and restore them piece by piece.

As mentioned earlier, EM has a strong anti-corrosive effect. For example, stapler sometimes gets rusty. Spray on the stapler, wipe it back and forth and the stapler regains its original lustre.

Electromagnetic waves, radiations and waste gases

Whenever I feel uncomfortable with the surrounding environment, I would spray the area with EM. I notice that it could eliminate electrostatic. I sprayed EM on television and even the computer and found that EM could help me withstand harm from electromagnetic waves. I also sprayed EM on the refrigerator, gas stove, etc. I spray EM everywhere. Besides preventing rust, EM can effectively transform the environment to better energy.

It was also proven that EM can prevent harm from radiation. If there is radiation, just spray some EM.

The so-called radiation damage refers to the condition where the initially intact material deteriorates gradually. The reason for this damage is oxidation. The culprit which generates strong oxidative reaction is called “free radicals”. I later found that EM could quickly and effectively eliminate “free radicals”.

EM can be used in various ways. For example, various pesticides have been used in the past and almost all have accumulated in the soil. I sprayed the ground with EM in order to cultivate EM massively. The result was that all the pesticides disappeared without a trace after the first harvest.

Similar incidents also happened in Guam. To date, Japan still bans the use of pesticides like BHC and DDT. A company used huge quantity of these pesticides and received protests from the United States authorities that stressed that if the pesticides cannot decompose and the land is not cleaned up, the company would be penalised. The case dragged on for three years.

In the end, EM was used to remedy the condition. Since a considerable amount of herbicide was used on the land, there was a large quantity of dioxin residues. After using EM, not only did the dioxins disappear, BHC and DDT also decomposed completely. Therefore, EM technology can solve problems caused by dioxins and also break down formation of dioxins. Plastic products, when burned with other garbage in high temperature of 100°C to 500°C would produce hydrocarbons. When EM is added, the dioxins combusted completely above 100°C and no dioxin is produced.

The Unbelievable photosynthetic bacteria

The most important microorganism in EM is called photosynthetic bacteria. These incredible bacteria can generate energy and resist high heat. If the photosynthetic bacteria is mixed with clay and baked at 1000°C, crushed into powder to re-culture, then exposed to UV radiation, they could regenerate. The bacteria cannot be harmed by heat.

Typically, photosynthetic bacteria cannot survive alone. They must be combined with other bacteria. These bacteria can be found in any ditch, but photosynthetic bacteria have to choose which bacteria to bond with. If incompatible, it is impossible for the bacteria to bond.

For example, if methanogens (methane bacteria) or sulphate-reducing bacteria and photosynthetic bacteria are put together, photosynthetic bacteria would almost refuse to split until after the death of the other parties. Then they will continue to grow.

On the other hand, if the photosynthetic bacteria are isolated with lactic acid bacteria or yeasts, incredible proliferation occurs immediately. These are ubiquitous microorganisms and with successful pairing, can produce incredible phenomena and also possesses a wide range of functions.

Regeneration and degeneration

Degeneration of things in nature are caused by oxidation. It is possible to prevent or inhibit oxidation (antioxidation). When anti-oxidation reaches a certain intensity, things will move towards the direction of regeneration. So regeneration and degeneration is dependent on oxidation and anti-oxidation.

Many micro-organisms already have such determining factors. Harmful micro-organisms, such as escherichia coli have strong oxidizing microbial enzymes that can momentarily induce molecules toward destruction.

However, microbes such as photosynthetic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria or natto bacteria can enhance antioxidant power. As substances are induced into the state of regeneration, energy is absorbed swiftly and thus healthy state is restored. Similar explanations may be applied to all lives that exist in the nature.

In Aichi Prefecture, there is a communal vegetable garden that uses EM. Many people shared that their body’s pains was eliminated by just going to that vegetable garden. I, myself, also find it hard to believe.

Eliminating pathogens in the house

I have been wondering if there is any way to utilise EM in civil engineering and architecture. EM has a strong deodorizing ability. Not only can EM remove the smell of urine and faeces, it can also eradicate the smell of chemical substances.

Odour from chemicals is caused by strong oxidation. To prevent mould, ticks, etc. that may cause skin allergy, EM was sprayed indoors continuously. The result is that not only fungi and ticks have disappeared, severe asthma and atopic dermatitis conditions of residents have also vanished.

Today, there are so-called pathogenic or ‘’sick’’ houses. There are claims that inhaling the paint of new building materials or adhesive agents of such houses may cause new occupants to be sick.

To solve the problems of these coatings, raise the EM concentration to about 500 times and keep spraying the rooms. We discovered that since the first day of spraying, odours such as formalin that were emitting from the building materials have disappeared.

Research shows that EM has a very active interface. After using EM, the binding of water molecules simplify and becomes easy to separate. This is why EM has a very effective waterproof function.

 

Use EM to construct a house

The first thing to do when building a house is to transform the bottom layer of the land into healing ground. It was mentioned before that when EM is used continually, the people who work in the fields would become very healthy. So the first step is to start with the land.

In order to have strong activation of EM, spray large quantity of EM around building compound. In Nishiogikubo, Tokyo, an EM building that has a basement and three floors was built. Power consumption in this building is reduced by about 30% a month. There is no smell of paint and other coatings. The concrete surface looks very smooth and does not need special processing.

EM is also used to prevent termites and corrosion of building materials and to treat recycled water. In the termite’s belly, there is an enzyme called lignin. When EM is used, the termites die from diarrhea. So, it is more effective to use EM instead of pesticides.

The same goes for water treatment of the house. Installing more storage tanks is pointless. Even after the dry season is over, the quantity of rainwater stored is still limited, so even if the storage tank is filled with water, it has limited use. The solution is to design a system that can recycle the stored water hundreds and thousands of times.

If this recycled water is used to wash cars, it stops corrosion, saves petrol and prevents static electricity, etc. These are testimonies we frequently hear from the Gushikawa City Library, Okinawa, Japan.

If one dares not drink this recycled water, the water could be used repeatedly for laundry, shower or flushing the toilet. If this water is not enough, rainwater can also be recycled. With the above application, the whole house will be at a high antioxidant state.

 

Reducing power consumption

In Hiroshima, someone did a complete implementation of this recycling system. The electricity usage decreased by 55% and the owner was suspected of manipulating the meter box. Evidence from electricity bills for the past 3 years showed the difference. Comparing the latest bills with those from the two previous years, the bill amount had dropped after using the system.

 

The shaving blade experiment

I would like to invite you to do a validation experiment. Generally hotels provide cheap razors. Please shave with this razor. After shaving, spray the blade with EM. Shave again the next day, and then spray the EM again. Repeat continually. After a month, you will find the blade to be much sharper than it was at the beginning. EM will also sharpen the farm equipment whatever material the farm utensils are made of. One of the reasons is due to gravity wave resonance.

Usually, when material degenerates, energy or light is generated. In the case of EM, we see the phenomenon that energy is being accumulated and this energy restores the material to the normal or even enhanced state. For example, after using a new razor blade, if we immerse it in EM and observe, we find that immediately after use, the blade is slightly dented. The next day, when we look at it under microscope, the blade has recovered to its original state. Our research reveals that compared to the initial measurements, the mass and energy have both increased. The blade was sharper than a week or a month ago. I often bring home cheap razors from hotels. They could be used for almost two months. It really makes a difference. For those who do not believe this, try it!

 

How to create and maintain conditions for anti-oxidation?

Here are a few examples: if there is a potted plant in the house, add about 10 EM ceramic beads into the pot and the indoor air turns fresh and pleasant. If the ceramic beads are placed in the air conditioner outlet or inside the air conditioner, the effect is just as impressive.

Whether it is furniture or interior decoration, EM has a rejuvenation effect for highly-sensitive humans. It can also regenerate all objects. So, when EM combines well with the environment, humans can prolong their lives.

 

Accumulate virtue to receive good fruit

Many things after accumulating to a certain level will on a whole elevate to a higher level. A boat will rise when the water level increases.

All bad things, if done continuously, result in a strong “oxidising” or corrosive environment and the so-called vicious cycle will occur. The same applies to human willpower.

When the cycle becomes good, all the good things will become better, forming a virtuous cycle. The so-called “good fruit” was originally a religious term. When we continually induce virtue, everything will accumulate and lead to a virtuous cycle.

And this EM technology is viewed as a future-oriented “good fruit” technology.

The use of EM technology can contribute to society as well as benefit ourselves. When we contribute to others, it is not to expect their gratitude but to do good and to accumulate hidden merit. This is why I promoted EM via public welfare activities. Now, I uphold the spirit of promoting EM as creating hidden merit.

“Hidden” merit means not expecting anything in return and seeking only to benefit others. Do more good deeds and blessings will follow. But when we expect returns, all merits will vanish.

A thorough application of EM technology will benefit individuals, families, the people and environment. So we treat EM technology as the common property of all mankind. In using EM research institutions as a hub to guide the world with EM-related technologies, we hope that everyone can join this activity in transforming our living space and also benefit from using EM. This will further enhance our living environment. Thank You.

 

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Lapis Lazuli Light.

 

The above is an edited translated extract of the Chinese article published in May 2013 issue of Lapis magazine and is accessible online at: http://www.lapislazuli.org/tw/index.php?p=20130503.html

Arthur Hubbard, Ph.D

WHY WATER IS IMPORTANT TO HEALTH:

Our bodies are about 70 % water. Imagine! A person who weighs 140 pounds actually contains about 100 pounds of water! Fresh vegetables and fruits contain 70 to 80% water. This is abundance of water is important to maintaining balanced metabolism and other body chemistry in plants, animals and humans.
The functions of water in the body are very numerous. Water transports nutrients, minerals, and catalysts [enzymes, vitamins] to the places where they are needed in the body. Water is a “polar” molecule, having positive and negative poles that allow it to act as a solvent for a great many of the life-sustaining processes. For example, the blood, which is mostly water, delivers oxygen, nutrients and electrolytes to the brain, muscles, eyes, digestive system, bone marrow, all the organs, and in fact, to the entire body. In addition, water has a part in moderating the body temperature, as well as in disposing of toxins from the body.
Unfortunately, many people make the mistake of drinking “tap water” from the faucet. Tap water is supplied for multiple purposes, and is mainly intended for agricultural and industrial uses, gardening, laundry and bathing. Because removal of pollutants by filtration is difficult, tap water often contains various toxic impurities resulting from industrial wastes, vehicle exhaust, agricultural chemicals, pesticides, sewage, bacteria, and metals and plastics leached from the system of water pipes. In other words, water contains the same pollutants as are present in the environments as a whole. Water is a powerful solvent for pollutants as well as for desirable substances. To make matters worse, many water supplies are intentionally contaminated with toxic chlorine bleach and fluoride compounds. Drinking tap water tends to transfer a wide assortment of harmful pollutants into the body.
People living in cities tend to be exposed to higher levels of pollution. The levels vary with time because the water sources fluctuate with weather, water demand, water system maintenance and other factors. Thus it is important to lower the burden of pollution on our bodies by searching for sources of clean water.

HOW TO OBTAIN CLEAN WATER:
Installing a water purifying system for drinking water is a most important investment in your health and that of your family. If cost is a problem, you may want to consider sharing a drinking water purifier among several families, as most purifiers are capable of supplying the needs of several families simultaneously.
The recommended type of drinking water purifying systems consists of four stages:

1. The first stage, a “coarse” filter, removes particles of dust, sand, soil, rust and so forth.
2. The second stage, a “fine” filter, removes germs, viruses and microbes.
3. A third stage, a “reverse osmosis” or “RO” filter, removes a large percentage of the dissolved chemicals such as bleach, plastics and heavy metal from the pipes, and industrial/agricultural pollutants. A properly working RO system removes about 98% of the dissolved chemicals from your tap water.
4. The fourth stage removes residual impurities that might affect the odor and taste of the water. A charcoal (carbon) adsorbent is usually used for this purpose.

Reverse osmosis is a relatively new and efficient technique for purification of water. It removes most types of impurities, it can handle large volumes of water, and requires little maintenance. Pollutants are continuously removed with the flowing tap water and do not stay on the membrane. This is unlike the usual “filters” that become clogged or saturated and thus ineffective after a period of usage. The contaminated tap water discarded by the RO filter is insignificant for a properly working system, although the discarded water could easily be collected and used for gardening or toilet flushing.
Clean water is also important for bathing because the skin and the mucous membranes can readily absorb impurities from water, and are very sensitive to toxic pollutants. Although an RO filter does not produce water in sufficient quantities for bathing, one can obtain a filter designed to remove chlorine from tap water prior to use for bathing. This “chlorine filter” is easily installed between the “shower arm” and the “shower head” in most cases.

COMPARISON OF WATER SOURCES:

Water purifiers based on distillation produce water of similar purity to that obtained from four-stage RO systems. However, distillation requires more energy to operate. One can purchase “pure” bottled water in stores, but bottled water is often expensive, the quality is uncertain, and the water may contain impurities from the plastic bottle, the bottle cap, and the apparatus used to bottle the water.

CLEAN AIR IS ALSO IMPORTANT:

Clean air is very important to health! Although a room air filter can improve air quality somewhat, the only reliable sources of clean air are in Nature. Thus, we should choose to live in a forest, or near a natural area where the wind direction is such that air flows from a clean wilderness area to our place of residence. We should avoid residing in industrial areas, near busy traffic locations, or where the wind brings air from industrial centers such as factories, non-organic farms, or golf courses. When it is not possible to build a home in a clean air environment, then it is a worthwhile investment to install a reliable home air purifier.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:

Q:        Neither distilled water nor RO water contain dissolved minerals; would this have any undesirable effects on the body?
A:        The useful minerals are found in foods such as whole grains, breads and noodles, beans, leafy green vegetables and roots such as carrots and beets. Thus, the key to good mineral supply is a balanced diet.

Q:        What is the correct acidity [pH] of drinking water?
A:        Natural water has a pH of about 5.6, which is slightly acidic, due to the presence of dissolved carbon dioxide from the air. Clean water should have a pH between 5.5 and about 8.5; many of the larger pharmacies sell “wide range pH paper” suitable for checking the acidity of water. [Incidentally, most residential four-stage water filters include pushbutton water quality testers so that the user can check to make certain that the system is working. Push the test button about once a month.]

Q:        What about mineral water?
A:        True, naturally occurring mineral water is extremely rare. The so-called “mineral water” sold in stores is usually just ordinary bottled water to which has been added commercial chemicals such as carbon dioxide, flavoring, coloring, sweeteners, preservatives, stimulants, and/or chemicals such as sodium bicarbonate. These commercial concoctions are not recommended. Genuine spring water from an uncontaminated natural spring is also a rarity. The “spring water” sold in stores is often nothing better than bottled tap water or filtered industrial water. Bottled water is preferable to tap water when nothing else is available, but in the long run GUARD YOUR HEALTH BY PURIFYING YOUR OWN DRINKING WATER!

Arthur Hubbard, Ph.D

Microwaves are a form of electromagnetic radiation, as are X-rays, gamma rays, ultraviolet, visible light, radio waves, and radar. Electromagnetic radiation is an electric and magnetic disturbance, a wave that transports energy from a source to a receiver without the actual transfer of material. Wave motion occurs on the surface of the ocean, and the energy of the waves is readily apparent, as are their wavelength and frequency. The wavelength of a microwave is about 15 centimeters [6 inches]. Microwaves have high frequencies, about 1 gigahertz [1 billion cycles per second] or more, and happen to be strongly absorbed by the human body and by moist foods.

A commercial application of microwaves is the “microwave oven” in which food is placed in an electro-magnetically shielded microwave chamber and allowed to absorb microwaves generated by a powerful electronic circuit. Microwaves are absorbed by moist foods because the oven frequency is similar to the rotational frequency of water molecules [about 2.4 gigahertz]. This “microwave excitation” causes water molecules in the food to suddenly become super-heated. Heat rapidly transfers from the super-heated molecules to the surrounding food. The excitation process is not perfectly specific to water, such that other molecules are also excited to some extent. Shielding of a microwave oven is sometimes less than perfect, allowing microwaves to stray into the surrounding spaces. Not all of the microwaves are absorbed by the food, but all of them must go somewhere, and some of them stray into the building via the electrical wiring.

The human body, including the brain and other vital organs, averages about 70% water, and thus the body is a strong absorber of microwave radiation. The health impact of microwave radiation absorbed by the body is a complicated issue that needs much further study, particularly the practical question as to the long term effect of microwave exposure on the health and behavior of people of widely varying ages and states of health, including unborn fetuses.

Foods are complex substances from a scientific standpoint, and the impact of microwave excitation of foods on health and nutrition needs much further study. There have been reports of experiments in which frozen food warmed in a microwave oven was found to have undergone unhealthful changes, and food prepared in a microwave oven produced various symptoms of illness in volunteers who ate the food.

Another commercial device that presently employs microwave radiation is the cellular telephone system in which microwave radiation is transmitted and received by handheld units, “cell phones,” and by a network of powerful transmitters that now dot the globe. Other, safer, frequencies could have been used, but microwave frequencies were chosen for business reasons. Unlike the microwave oven, which attempts to confine its radiation within a shielded chamber, the cellular telephone system broadcasts its radiation everywhere. The world is its oven! The microwave frequencies employed by cell phone networks are in the range from about 0.8 to 2.1 gigahertz and thus are absorbed by the human body as are the frequencies used in microwave ovens. Although the microwave power [energy per unit time] is somewhat smaller for a cell phone than for a microwave oven, the cell phone broadcasts its radiation directly and unhindered into the brain and body of the user and anyone else nearby. Also, the neighborhood transmitter towers broadcast microwave radiation throughout their surroundings at power levels that are typically quite large. People living or working near a functioning transmitter tower are continuously exposed to microwave radiation.

Exposure to radiation as a result of cell phone use can induce “microwave sickness” the list of symptoms of which is “as long as your arm.” Some of the symptoms include inflammations of eyes, ears, nose, mouth and throat, headaches, earaches, insomnia, dizziness, and various mental or neurological disorders. Increased incidence of certain cancers has been reported among cell phone users.

Clearly, caution regarding cell phones and microwave ovens is in the best interest of each individual and of our civilization. What can one do to protect oneself and one’s family? Cell phone use should be limited to genuine emergencies. Microwave ovens, and the food establishments that use them, should be avoided. If cell phone use is mandatory, care should be taken to select a cell phone unit for which the radiation level is as low as possible. Radiation typically decreases as the square of distance from the source, that is, by a factor of one hundred for every ten-fold increase in distance from the source; thus, one should try to keep as far away as possible from radiation sources. Microwaves are absorbed rather efficiently by electrical wiring, resulting in the spread of the undesired signal throughout the building and neighborhood. Meters for measuring microwave radiation intensity levels in units of milli-watts of power per square centimeter of area are available with which to check for relatively strong signals, such as from a cell phone during a call, or from an oven due to imperfect shielding; warning beepers that are sensitive to moderately low intensity levels [micro-watts per sq. cm.] are also available [http://www.LESSEMF.COM].

References:

“Microwaving Our Planet: the Environmental Impact of the Wireless Revolution” by Arthur Firstenberg, The Cellular Phone Task Force, P.O. Box 1337, Mendocino, CA 95460, USA

“Your Community Guide to Cellular Phone Towers,” Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO, 501 Third Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001-2797, USA

Questions? Contact: Lapis Lazuli Light, P.O. Box 42530, Santa Barbara, CA 93140-2530, USA

Rachel Tseng

I am frequently asked of the treasures I have at home. After coming into contact with Dr Lai and the Lapis Lazuli Light Magazine, certain products have been added to my household and have become the family necessities. Not only our family living has improved, but friends around us have also been influenced. Whenever I use these products, I am always grateful to the inventors and promoters who have benefited us tremendously.

I would like to share with you the experiences of using these treasures.

EFFECTIVE MICROORGANISM

Effective Microorganism (EM) was discovered by a horticulture professor in Ryukyu, Japan. He collected 80 cultures that were beneficial to human body and attempted to test their impact on cultivation. After the results on each of the cultures showed no significant difference in their impact, he poured all the cultures together onto a lawn and accidentally discovered to his surprise that the mixture of these human-benefiting cultures highly benefited plant growth. The investigation revealed that the mixture of the cultures could quickly dissolve toxic chemical substance. Adding the cultures to septic tanks causes the water to become clear. This product was later used for purifying polluted rivers.

Although manufacturers state that the product can only be used for agriculture purpose (dilute 100 times, spray along pathway but not directly on the roots of plants), Dr Lai suggested after her experiments that this product can be used in many areas. For example, drinking water that contains EM (one teaspoon to a cup of water) helps dissolve the toxin in the body; adding a small amount of EM into the water used for washing non-organic fruits and vegetables will also help remove some pesticides. Dr Lai has also discovered that EM can elevate overall energy. For instance, adding a small amount of EM into the water for cooking rice, the cooked rice will have a much higher energy; using diluted EM to wipe tables and floors or spray into the air will also increase the energy in the house while having the air cleaning effect; adding EM into bath water (at least one to two tablespoons; you can soak your head as well) helps removing the pollutants accumulated in your body throughout the day.

The first time my husband and I (normal body constitution) drank water with EM, we soon ran to the toilet. From then on I frequently add some EM into drinking water to conveniently detoxify. I even heard from friends (mostly very ill) who drank EM in large amount (half a bowl of non-diluted EM) for detoxification and received good effects. Some friends mix EM with molasses for their children and the children love it. For oral in-take of EM, please pay special attention to the effective date and whether the product smells bad. Make sure the quality of EM is good before drinking. Because of the serious pollution in the environment, we must carefully check if there is any mutation in the culture.

You can also cultivate your own EM. Pour three capfuls of EM into a light-proof container, add same amount of molasses, then dilute with 1000cc of water. Keep the mixture in room temperature for 3 days and it will be ready for use. This home-cultivated EM can be used as a spray for the surrounding environment or sprayed on leftover or waste from kitchen or on compost (this prevents the compost from becoming smelly and speeds up the decomposition). However, home-cultivated EM is not recommended to be used as a culture to make new EM and it is not suitable for oral intake.

The baby of a friend tends to drink bath water while taking bath. I suggested that my friend be a little flexible and add a small amount of EM into the bath water (note: we do not use soap on babies); unexpectedly she found the baby’s prickly heat gone without any medication. She also put EM that has been diluted 1000 times next to the toilet. One capful of the diluted EM is poured into the toilet after passing urine, this way it does not smell even if the toilet is not flushed (what a super saving). You probably think that this is too much trouble. However, if you know that the amount of water used from flushing toilet is ? of a household’s annual water consumption, you would understand why environmental protectionists are making such effort.

My other experience was on insect-infected roots of the lawn at a friend’s home. More and more parts of the lawn had withered, but there were concerns that if pest control company was hired to spray pesticide, the kids would not get to play on the lawn. Thus, my friend asked for my opinion. I reckoned that for plants to have attracted insects, the cause could be an unbalanced soil nutrients; perhaps increasing the richness of the soil will improve the soil condition. So I gave her some organic compound such as rock powder and suggested that she also spray some EM. It turned out that she only sprayed the EM twice (two weeks apart) without doing any thing else, and the withered lawn began to return to shining green. Not only that this method incurred a much lower cost than hiring a pest control company, it also gives consideration to environmental protection.

Mr. You, an old man who had cancer, was suffering from festering pus in both legs, and had trouble healing the wound. Later, whenever his son had free time, he would use EM as hydrogen peroxide solution or iodine tincture to clean the father’s wound, then a thick mixture of friendly bacteria (acidophilus and bulgaricus) is applied. When the application dried up, he soaked the legs in EM to wash off the friendly bacteria. Consequently, both legs recovered completely after repeated treatments.

Given that EM can be used to clean rivers, if every household uses EM, we are not only benefiting ourselves but also helping with the recovery of the earth since EM used will be flushed through the drainage into nature. Thus, whenever people ask if I know of any good staff, my first suggestion is always to buy a bottle of EM for use.

Qi REGULATOR (Pendulum)
This special tube that many people call energy tester is made of copper. It is frequently used to test energy and many are unaware that the tube also has the function of regulating qi.

Using the qi regulator to dowse the energy of food or a person is quite effective because copper is very sensitive to subtle energy and thus moves easily. Besides, copper is heavier than other metals, that makes it easier when it comes to counting the number of rotations. Other than dowsing for the quality of food and whether certain food combination is good or bad, I also use the qi regulator to test and measure the energy of people, the environment (feng shui) or ask questions, but this requires repeated practice (please refer to Dr Chiu-Nan Lai’s book Return to the Bliss of Body)

Recently, I am experimenting the number combinations (discovered by a Japanese, Dong Fang Xingqi [东方兴起]) that Dr Lai told me for preventing microwaves and electromagnetic waves. Simply use a green-ink pen to write down these combinations (microwaves prevention: #95*59#; electromagnetic waves prevention: #535000*5*#) on papers and stick them on mobile phones or electronic equipments; this will lower the interferences of microwaves and electromagnetic waves. The discoverer, Mr. Dong Fang Xingqi also recommends keying in the combination of #535000*5*# into computer, telephone or fax machine once a day to lower the vibrating energy. Whereas for mobile phones, dial the combination of #95*59# at least three times daily. Also, I have followed Dr Lai by pasting papers written with these combinations on windows or keeping them in my pockets. I realized an immediate change in my energy and the house energy. Why don’t you give it a try?

Concerning qi regulating, I remember a story Dr Lai told us during her workshop on regulating qi using a qi regulator. She said when she was in India, she helped someone regulating qi. The person experienced immediate effect after being sick for a long time. So an offer was made to Dr Lai to buy her qi regulator at a high price. The qi regulating process is actually quite simple. Simply hold the qi regulator above the painful or sick area and let the regulator move on its own. If it moves clockwise, it means qi is lacking and it brings in good qi; if it moves counter-clockwise, it means there is bad qi and it is releasing the bad qi. The regulator will keep moving left and right. You may stop when it almost comes to a halt. You can repeat regulating qi at your free time; the frequency depends on your individual need. You may find it difficult to hold the regulator above certain parts of your body. You can ask others to help regulate your qi or you can do it yourself by placing one palm on the part that needs attention to connect the qi while the other hand holding the qi regulator and let it swirl on its own. This is another level of qi regulating, you can even use a drawn human-figure, tell yourself that he figure represents you, then regulate your qi by dowsing on the figure. However, this is a very high level of qi regulating.

In the process of qi regulating, try to visualize sending negative qi into soil as compost. A friend commented that if the visualization is not done with full concentration, sometimes the bad qi would stay around. One method to purify the energy field is: add about 300cc of 60-80% alcohol into a steel cup filled with half a pound of Epsom salts or sea salt. Burn the mixture and walk one round across the room. You will notice that as you pass through areas with more negative qi, the fire becomes fiercer.

When my child is not feeling well, I help her regulate qi so that she recovers faster. But my qi -regulating aid goes mostly to friends. A friend of mine was suffering from stomach ulcer; I happened to have a qi regulator with me, so I helped regulate her qi. Although she did not feel anything special and she could not get the regulator to actually move, she still borrowed it home with some doubt in mind. One day, when she was in a lying position trying to regulate her qi, the qi regulator was making such big circles that it kept hitting her elbow. Only then that she believed the qi regulator moved on its own and not because her hand was shaking.

A friend had a ringing sensation on her left ear, as if she was hearing her own heart beat. Her numerous consultations with doctors told her there was nothing wrong but her own imagination. From her description, I felt that it sounded like qi blockage. So I offered to help her regulate qi. During the regulating process, she could clearly feel a burst of warm energy rushing out. People who are sensitive to qi generally feel warmth, numbness or flow of qi during a qi-regulating process. However, most people may not have these feelings.

Once, I lent my qi regulator to my Tai Chi teacher who was very sensitive to qi. He played with it for two days and told me that even just holding the regulator in the hand, there was a qi-regulating effect. He had once fallen and hurt his back and his qi had not been flowing smoothly around the area. When he held the regulator in his hand during his sleep, the regulator continuously regulated his qi.

Once, a Mrs Ke had a sudden gastric attack and was very anxious. After I helped her regulating her qi, she felt much better and borrowed the regulator from me. But only after two days she returned it because the regulator would not move when she tried it herself. I thought of what my Tai Chi teacher said and explained to her that by holding the regulator in her sleep would also help regulating her qi. I recommended that she try it. Later, she was very happy to share with me the surprising effect that since she has been sleeping with the qi regulator (Mrs Ke cleverly slips the regulator underneath her bra, which means that she has been placing the regulator above her stomach), she can easily sleep for up to five full hours and when she wakes up, her stomach feels soft and comfortable. This is very different from the past as she had frequent micturition; she usually slept for less than three hours and had to get up to go to toilet and then had difficulty falling asleep again, and whenever she woke up, the stomach was very hard.

There was a period of time she slept without the regulator, the frequent micturition problem returned. When she resumed the usage of qi regulator, she unexpectedly experienced walking difficulty after she woke up and went to toilet. Therefore, she returned to bed, and again, smartly moved the qi regulator to her bottom. Twenty minutes later, she got up and was able to walk as usual (my guess was that her qi was blocked between her bottom and the thighs). Over six months later, I visited Mrs Ke again. She told me that the qi regulator has been useful all along. Her daughter said the qi regulator was one of the treasures of the mother.

Another friend shared with me that if one regulates qi right after getting a bump or being scalded, the skin is less likely to get bruises or blisters.

We generally tend to our physical body when we are sick. According to Rudolf Steiner, a human being has four bodies: ego body, astral body, etheric body and physical body. Since it is so, wouldn’t it be faster to directly work on our etheric body when we are sick? This is also why qi regulating is useful. However, if the pain or illness is due to emotional distress, merely regulating qi without thought transformation can only temporarily relieve pain.

The qi regulator I use is a traditional copper tube made of spiral copper wire. The design accommodates faster qi regulating. Actually, in case of urgent need, anything you can conveniently grab, even a string, can be used to regulate qi; it is just that metals transmit qi at a faster speed. For individual qi-regulating conditions, you will need to learn through practice.

WHITE CHARCOAL
White Charcoal is an activated carbon produced from the process of firing wood at the temperature of 1000 degree C. While it is still burning, the wood is removed from the kiln and coated with cooling powder made from ash and soil, and then set aside to cool off. The white charcoal is durable and is hard as metal. Since the countless tiny holes in a piece of white charcoal can absorb contaminants, release infrared, produce ions, induce growth of friendly microorganisms and has a preventive effect against electromagnetic waves, white charcoal can also be used for cleaning air, purifying water, cooking, improving blood circulation and sleep, warming up the body system, getting rid of chill, and strengthening the yang energy. White Charcoal is a very good health product.

I frequently use white charcoal to purify my drinking water and bath water. I was asked how I treat my household drinking water. Firstly, I installed a water filter at the water faucet. Secondly, I store the filtered water in a transparent plastic container and boost the energy of water using a water crystal energizer set invented by Dr Lai’s father (I have experimented it myself: repeatedly charging the water crystal energizer set on water or food; their energy keeps rising. So I usually charge for a few more seconds while chanting mantra and dedicating the merit to the inventors, promoters and water source), and then pour the water into a big jug which has white charcoal and wheat rice stone that further purify water and release minerals into water. Sometimes I also add a tiny bit of EM to increase friendly bacteria in the water.

Of these things, the water filter is replaced once a year, with the cost of about US$50. The small bag of wheat rice stone only shrinks a little after three years of usage, whereas the water crystal energizer set and white charcoal can be used “indefinitely”. With such low costs, I get satisfactorily extra high quality water for the household!

White Charcoal can be used in many ways. There are books on white charcoal available at bookshops. My friend’s mother who had sleep problem placed charcoal next to her pillow to help with her sleep. Friends who use white charcoal for bath (one to two pounds; the effect is even more obvious is chlorine is filtered from the water) all agree that they feel especially light and comfortable. A friend who had lower back pain followed my suggestion of bathing with white charcoal; since then this has become her favourite. She even bought many white charcoal for her friends and relatives. Another friend attempted to wrap white charcoal around a cellular phone antenna and found the interference turned into positive energy. I also heard from Dr Lai that she once had a cough due to EMF interference. She followed her instinct by placing white charcoal on her navel; it turned out that white charcoal even has cough relieving effect.

I feel that besides its numerous wonderful uses, it is most appreciated that white charcoal can be continuously renewed by having it cooked in boiling water for 15 minutes every one to two months (exposing it to hut sun after cooking will better restore its energy). This product is not only healthy but also environmental friendly.

ORGANIC SUNFLOWER OIL
Swishing with organic sunflower oil has always been my favourite way of detoxifying because most detoxification methods more or less involve some reactions, but by swishing with sunflower oil (upon rising or at a set time everyday, swish for 15 minutes, then spit out), toxin from the body is directly extracted through the mouth and hence there is no commonly seen detoxifying reactions. The colour of the oil spit out indicates the level of toxin being extracted. If the oil is white in colour, that means the body has accumulated a lot of toxin, if the colour is close to the colour of oil, it means the body is less polluted.

Before both of my pregnancies, my husband and I were diligent in swishing sunflower oil everyday. We did it until the colour of the spit-out oil was the same as the colour of oil. So I did not get morning sickness during my pregnancy and the babies were born very healthy. Besides, whenever I get sick and have heavy phlegm, I would swish with sunflower oil to get rid of the phlegm. Some friends told me they spit out the oil within 5 minutes of swishing because their mouths were full of phlegm.

My friend, a teacher, used to get lots of phlegm every morning after rising. When she got to school, she always had to clear her throat before she could start talking. She received very good results from swishing sunflower oil and she felt unusually refreshed. Since then this has become her regular morning homework.

Dr Lai said as long as the oil is cold-pressed, it can be used for swishing. The reason for using organic cold-pressed oil is because organic oil has higher energy and yields better detoxification results. There was a short period of time my friend was not able to get sunflower oil, so she replaced it with cold-pressed olive oil. But according to her, the result was not quite the same; her mouth felt very clean but the effect of getting rid of phlegm was not as good as that of sunflower oil.

A young friend who grew up in the US read the magazine article that introduced the sunflower-oil swishing method. Because his Chinese was not very good, he did not fully understand the article. He went home and simply used the vegetable oil that was normally used for stir frying; he just kept the oil in his mouth (but not swishing) for 15 minutes and then spit out. But he told me that it was very effective because a large portion of the pimples on his face was gone.

Another friend has poor lungs since she was little. She said it took her half-a-year to realise the effect. For the first half-a-year, she only spit out white-coloured oil, but after that, bits and bits of solid sputum started to come out. This shows that oil-swishing takes time, patience and persistence. My own experience is that the longer the swishing time, the more toxins are extracted. If I swish for only 15 minutes, the oil spit out probably has its original colour, but if I continue and swish for a total of ? hour, the oil spit out will be white in colour. If I eat out, the oil I spit out the next day is usually whiter.

Additionally, I also use sunflower oil for oil bath (please refer to Return to the Bliss of Body by Dr Lai for details) especially when my qi is weak or when I catch a cold. This is because oil bath has the effect of warming the body and getting rid of chills. Taking oil bath is also very good for the health of a pregnant woman and the foetus.

It seems that I have an endless list of home treasures such as peat moss, electrilizer, qi regulator, water crystal energizer set, friendly bacteria and so on, but you need to try them yourself to actually realise their benefits. I believe there are many Lapis Lazuli members who have great experience with these products. You are welcome to share with us your experience in using them!

Extracted from Lapis Lazuli Light Magazine 2003 May Issue
Translated by Yih Pin Tang