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MACROBIOTICS: PRACTICING THE ART OF GREAT LIVING (part 1)

One thing all great disciplines have in common is that, unless approached with a beginner's mind, they can be misinterpreted and transformed into dogma. When this happens, the most valuable, life enhancing and liberating qualities contained in their message can become yet just another stifling set of rules, oppressive and toxic to the human spirit.

In my view, Macrobiotic teachings are no exception, in the sense that, when properly applied towards the goal of self-improvement, they usually bring results that meet and exceed expectations. On the other hand, when Macrobiotic directives are interpreted as moral laws and metaphors are taken literally, its liberating mindset can degenerate into self-righteousness and even fanaticism.

Therefore, before we begin our exploration of Macrobiotics, and in order to set the tone for future learning, let us consider these essential points:

The word MACROBIOTICS (from the Greek MACRO, large and BIOS, life), when understood as "LONG LIFE", refers to the promise of longevity afforded to those who follow its practices. However, it can also be interpreted as "GREAT LIFE", in the sense of recognizing and honoring the truth that all things, great or small, coexist within the same wholeness.

The main symbol of MACROBIOTICS is the image of the Tao, where the two halves of a circle, one black and one white, are seen to complement each other while alternating in their constant motion and containing each the seed of its opposite. From this symbol we learn that opposites, such as light and darkness, day and night, pain and pleasure, bitterness and sweetness, time and space, male and female, youth and old age, life and death, etc. etc., cannot be apprehended as separate phenomena. Rather, like two sides of the same coin, they are aspects of the same unity of being, operating together to bring balance and harmony everywhere in the universe.

Most of the MACROBIOTIC teachings are geared towards an understanding of these two opposite, universally present tendencies, how they manifest in life and how we can utilize their complementary energies to improve our health and well being.

The MACROBIOTIC diet teaches us to harmonize opposite energetic qualities of our food through careful selection of ingredients and mindful preparation of our meals

Since balance is required in order to achieve wholeness, creating equilibrium between opposite tendencies in all aspects of one's life is the main goal of MACROBIOTIC practices, whether applied to its dietary system or to other dynamics in our daily life

According to the MACROBIOTIC philosophy, our individual achievement of balance on the physical, emotional and spiritual levels, is at the foundation of a peaceful society, both in our neighborhoods as well as globally.

World peace, achieved through individual attainment of inner peace, is the ultimate goal of MACROBIOTICS.

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