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SPIRITUAL
FOOD FOR THE NEW MILLENNIUM
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"By
Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them"
--Matthew 7:20 In 1924, Rudolf Steiner gave
eight lectures on Agriculture establishing the basic
guidelines for what became the "Biodynamic" form
of agriculture. Since
then, biodynamics has become a world-wide movement that
continues to grow along with the consciousness of the
population. Well known for his clairvoyant gifts,
Rudolf Steiner founded the Anthroposophic Society in 1913.
He also started the Waldorf system of Education,
Eurythmy (form of movement), Anthroposophic Medicine and
the Artemisa and Camphill farms that care and provide
support for mentally disadvantaged individuals.
The lectures of Steiner compiled in
the book entitled "Agriculture" were the result
of his being asked by his followers why, as they observed,
was a degradation of the quality of plants taking place. The
answer was based on the very simple premise that the
"soil is sick."
Steiner gave a severe warning in 1924 that the use
of chemical pesticides and fertilizers was poisoning the
soil making it more and more sick, and that this was
affecting plant and animal life and would have serious
consequences in human life. The content of these eight lectures then, is a protocol to heal the soil. Through a healthy soil comes healthy plants, animals and human beings thus restoring "harmony to the universe." Creating and maintaining healthy soil is no minor task. Consequently, the form of agriculture prescribed is very precise, intellectually challenging and labor intensive. For this reason the growth of the biodynamic movement has not moved at a very fast pace as has other forms of agriculture such as organic that started twenty years later. The fundamental conceptual difference between
biodynamic and other forms of agriculture is that real
"healing" does not take place in the absence of
a spiritual component.
Biodynamic agriculture provides this
spiritual component.
No matter how many elements are put together in
whatever combination and although symptoms might be
alleviated, real "healing" cannot take place
without an infusion of spiritual forces.
Jesus Christ illustrated this principle very
clearly. He
did not use herbs, needles or concoctions.
He didn't even touch the individuals who came to
him for healing. It
was His capacity to reach directly into the individual's
spirit and make the correction there that brought forth
the "physical cure" which is a manifestation of
the spiritual healing that had taken place. Rudolf Steiner explains that food grown
biodynamically brings in the cosmic forces necessary for
the spiritual enhancement of the individual.
In fact, when asked by a student, Ehrenfreid
Pfeiffer: "How
can it happen that the spiritual impulse, and especially
the inner schooling, for which you are constantly
providing stimulus and guidance bear so little fruit?
Why do the people concerned give so little evidence
of spiritual experience, in spite of all their efforts?
Why, worst of all, is the will for action, for the
carrying out of these spiritual impulses so weak?" the
thought-provoking and surprising answer was:
"This is a problem of nutrition."
The spiritual infusion is the most valuable asset of
this form of agriculture.
Other benefits are that the plants, vegetables and
fruit are unparalleled in taste and nutritional value.
They are rich in vitamins, minerals and life-force or
"prana". Their
flavor and sense of love-giving properties are striking.
It is truly "Spiritual Food for the New
Millennium" and will help to accelerate the process of
evolution of the planet in the most effective way.
What a significant favor it is to humankind to
infuse love and kindness into our food and thus into
ourselves instead of the violence and anger that are the
natural companions of a competitive
"anything-for-profit" motivation. Biodynamic farming requires a very special kind of
farmer and farm [1]. This
should become more and more common as the level of
consciousness of the planet is raised. As Rudolf Steiner explained, the ideal farm should be
self-contained. This
means that besides the area for farming itself, which should
be as diversified as the climate and soil allows, the
physical layout of the farm should have the following
elements: animals such as cattle, poultry, etc., a pond with
fish, flowers, bees, a reasonable size forest and an
untouched area. Food
for the animals should be grown on the farm following the
same protocol as for the rest of the farm and manure should
be used for composting and fertilizing.
As to the farming itself, it includes crop rotation,
companion planting, composting and knowledge of cosmic
forces in order to schedule daily and seasonal activities in
accordance with their influences [2]. For example, at a certain time of the day
sap flows to the upper part of the plant; depending on the
plant's use, harvesting is either done then or reserved for
another time. The
cosmic calendar specifically determines when the biodynamic
"preparations" should be used.
The preparations are very specific additives that are
part of the catalytic effect between the spiritual and the
physical.[3] Making
and applying these preparations is labor intensive, exacting
and demanding. Just
as any spiritual accomplishment, it demands consistent and
persistent effort. Following this protocol becomes a real challenge for
the farmer. It
is the farmers' energy that is going to influence the kind
of cosmic forces that are to be infused in the plants.
That is why Rudolf Steiner encouraged the farmers to
practice meditation. He
said:
These things that take place through human influence,
though they cannot be outwardly explained, are inwardly
quite clear and transparent.
Moreover, such things will come about simply as a
result of the human being practicing meditation, preparing
himself by meditative life, as I described it yesterday's
lecture." By its very nature the farmers life is conducive to a
spiritual lifestyle. If
we observe what most spiritual traditions establish for
their members these are but natural to the farmer - rising
before sunrise, practice of solitude and silence that
prepare the mind for a state of meditation, physical
exercise and a healthy diet. Farmers like birds and flowers rely on God's
provision for their daily sustenance.
They must learn how to read the skies in order to
nurture and protect their crops.
If the objective is to obtain spiritual food, farming
requires knowledge not only of a scientific nature to deal
with the exoteric aspects of the process, but also knowledge
of a spiritual nature to deal with the esoteric aspects.
The farmer must make studying both of these aspects
part of his daily life.
We can see why we can expect "spiritual
food" from this form of agriculture.
The lifestyle and the mental expansion of the farmer
is a key ingredient. Also, the fact that these farms provide a
valuable supply of fruits, vegetables and grains supports
the practice of vegetarianism which in itself leads to
spiritualization of individuals. On the other side of the spectrum we have the
commercial farming with it's "anything-for profit"
motivation, which in many cases translates into satisfying
shareholders' demands above and beyond any human or
environmental consideration.
One manifestation of this is seen when entering a
grocery store and finding 10% or less of its area dedicated
to fresh produce against 90% or more of boxed devitalized,
processed and chemically loaded unnatural products that are
changing completely the natural eating habits of the
population. Additional
hidden costs are the deleterious effect of unnatural food on
the environment because of the use of non-renewable
resources and because of the waste and contamination that is
a by-product of this modality.
Furthermore, the 10% that is fresh produce comes
mainly from commercial farms that depend on chemical
fertilizers and pesticides that are slowly poisoning the
soil and us. Indeed, this is a contrast to the
biodynamic form of food production. As a response, the organic market is growing in leaps
and bounds. However,
it has grown to the extent that it has gone beyond the point
of being a threat to becoming attractive for "big
industry" which has already started to get its share.
As a result, and to nobody's surprise, signs of decay
are starting to show. Certification
companies are sprouting everywhere and certification is on
the way to becoming a commodity for whoever wants to pay a
certain amount of dollars.
But this is only the beginning of the decaying
process. The
real downside has already started with the proposal of
government regulations with totally watered down standards
that make of the term organic a caricature of what is
normally considered a life-giving, health enhancing plant.
Forget about the spiritual.
The "big industry" has enough muscle to
pass these kind of regulations.
There is even the intention to forbid any private
certifier or provider from establishing standards that are
more strict than the "official" ones thus ensuring
that the deceit to the consumer is perpetrated by anybody
who is in the farming activity and eliminating any
possibility of allowing the population to choose what is
best for its well-being.
Spiritual food, that is food grown biodynamically,
seems to be the answer.
It may well lead to a referendum of planetary
proportions - a very appropriate "field' where
spirituality and materialism will be facing each other. The Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association
started a program by which biodynamic food is made available
to anyone, any place in the United States as it is sent
directly to your doorstep via UPS or the USPS.[4]
Presently, the variety and supply is not large but it
is growing and the Association is engaged in a process of
promoting more farmers to turn to this form of agriculture.
The supply varies with the season but there should be
enough for anyone interested to at least have a hint of how
different this food is. [1]
For a free copy of "The Bio-Dynamic Farmer:
Backbone of a Spiritual (R)evolution" and
"Spiritual Food for the New Millennium - The Spiritual
Impact of Demeter Bio-Dynamic Agriculture on Consumers"
write or call Shanti Yoga, 4217 East-West Highway, Bethesda,
MD 20814;
301-654-4899 or 1-888-384-9642. [2]
The Stella Natura calendar gives exact information
for timing farming and gardening activities such as
planting, harvesting, applying the preparations, etc.
It is available from the Biodynamic Farming and
Gardening Association, Inc. at PO Box 550, Kimberton, PA
19442; 1-800-516-7797. [3]
To learn more about biodynamic preparations, write or
call the Josephine Porter Institute for Applied Biodynamics
Inc. at PO Box 133, Woolwine, VA
24185; 540-930-2463. [4] To order biodynamic food, write c/o Shanti Yoga, 4217 East-West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814 or call 301-654-4899 or 1-888-384-9642
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