Although any comprehensive study of history will tend to indicate that Earthman is a creature of relatively little true intelligence, it will also show him to have an almost infinite capacity to adapt himself to any circumstance or environment into which his folly may have led him. Thus he has managed to survive the many and varied perils of the Stone Age; the Bronze Age and the Age of Steel. So far, he has also shown some ability to cope with, and perhaps to survive the Industrial Age and the Atomic Age.

Now however, still another basic concept has been born in the whimsical mind of man, another age has dawned, and mankind is rushing headlong into it, even though it may involve more serious threats to man's survival than any of the others. The present era has become known as the age of No Deposit - No Return.

Although man has always tended to be wasteful of his substance, whenever he has had even a momentary surplus, most of his waste in the past could be attributed to carelessness or ignorance, now waste has be-come a goal to be sought for its own sake. An end to be furthered by careful engineering for "Obsolescence," Modular (and repair proof) construction, and a constantly increasing horde of objects designed 'for one time only use.' If the resulting mass of "instant debris" had been designed to be readily bio-degradable or recyclable, this system of deliberate and

2 UNDERSTANDING

planned waste might be nothing more than a whimsically nonsensical symptom of the current belief that 'Prosperity' can exist only when all of the wage slaves of the treadmill are racing at top speed in order to keep the mill turning rapidly. We must make all of our products as quickly and as poorly as possible, so that they will fail quickly, and we will have to make them again. Unfortunately, most of the growing mountains of waste consist of material which has been specifically treated to prevent its returning to the ecological cycle of the planet. At a time when our increasing population is making constantly increasing demands upon the organic elements of the earth's surface, we are deliberately taking much of that material out of circulation, more or less permanently. Since the total amount of organic elements and materials on earth is strictly limited, the question must inevitably be raised. How long can the age of No Deposit- No Return, continue before it ends the Age of Man?

MANTRA YOGA

(This article, by Swami Krishnananda, teacher of Mantra Yoga at the Yasodhara Ashram, Kootenay Bay, Canada, appeared in the Ashram Publications - Ascent it is here reproduced, slightly condensed, with the Special Permission of the Ashram.)

... It has been my experience that music is one of the most effective means of getting in touch with a deep "soul" level of ourselves. This is particularly so when we take the way which goes by the name of Mantra Yoga, which deals with the principles of vibration and sound in very specific ways. This forms a part of a general area of Yoga usually referred to as Nada Yoga, the Yoga of sound.

A mantra is a specific vibration key which contains extraordinary power by virtue of its attunement with elemental cosmic energy, which was perceived intuitively centuries ago by a sage or mystic. In a way all words have power in that they relate to objects or conditions and by their use we conjure up constellations of energy, shape and form in our minds when we think of them. In the Eastern traditions, the nature of thought and the functioning of the mind is a highly developed "science" while in the West we are only just beginning to really understand more deeply the implications of mental energy.

There is a very special convergence of several factors in the practice of Mantra Yoga. Melodic form is combined with the singing and chanting of mantric vibrational patterns with various rhythmic accompaniments. In addition, there is the required emotional involvement and expression, coupled with the control of the breathing process. This powerful combination of factors makes for a very effective way of directing the mind

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1973 3

and creatively expressing emotional energy.

While the application of these principles is by no means limited to the yogic tradition of India - there are parallel techniques in various musical formats throughout the world - I think it can be said that the Yogic approach tends to be direct in regard to employing these techniques for the expansion of consciousness and for the development of the spiritual potential of human beings.

These methods are also direct in the sense that they are effective, particularly in the modern milieu of high noise levels and frenetic mental activity . . . The reduction of mental "noise" is a key factor in the success of yogic practices for it is the prerequisite of single pointed attention which can lead us to different levels of awareness . . .

There are various ways of applying the principles of Mantra Yoga. The most obvious way is the loud chanting of the sacred syllables to the accompaniment of a suitable instrument such as a harmonium,, drums, bells, brass cymbals, guitar, flute, tamboura. It can be done either alone or with a group, although there are subtle differences to both formats. Successful group chanting would be somewhat dependent upon having a sensitive and capable leader . . . the mantras should be learned from a suitable teacher if you wish to practice them alone . . .

The loud recitation of a mantra is another important practice and this is usually done with a mala or rosary which has 108 beads. It is customary to do so many "malas" - a mala being 108 repetitions of the mantra. I n this practice the mantra is not usually changed. The reason is that the mind can become rapidly single - pointed and to reach out beyond our normally conditioned state to experience a deep level of being. Continual repetition of a particular mantra will help us get in touch with its specific aspect of elemental cosmic energy. If we changed the mantra too often we would never experience its "depth".

The next step in mantra practice would be the mental repetition of the mantra which requires considerable ability in concentration . . There is also a practice of writing out the mantra on a sheet of paper ...

The use of repetition is a vital feature in many forms of mental training ... It is a basis for advertising practices, hypnotic and various forms of human conditioning. The power of positive thinking as well as the burden of negative suggestions is dependent to a large extent on the repetition of fundamental statements of belief or fact. In this respect the mantra is used as a healing and purifying power which becomes, by continual repetition, woven into the fabric of the mind . . . a means of purifying and uplifting the unconscious mind ...

I want to return again to consider the chanting of mantras and to re-

4 UNDERSTANDING

iterate my enthusiasms for their use in this way because of their suit-ability for people on all roads of life. Yoga is concerned with the development of the whole human being - that's why there are 40 different kinds of Yoga . . . it seems to me that Mantra Yoga is an extremely valuable tool to be well used in the process of human growth and self expression.

Another point in favour of this method is that it does not matter if you have musical talents or not. If you have a hard time holding a tune chanting mantras is for you!

...an old story from India: There were two devotees of the Lord who wished to get into the Temple of the Most High. One of them began to sing the name of the Lord with an intense desire to be in His Presence. However, he sang with a rather raucous nasal drone but nevertheless with great fervor . . . After a few days, the door opened and the devotee was ushered into the Presence of the Lord Himself. Now, the other devotee began to sing but what music! He sang with velvet notes and soaring melodies of yearning for The Lord . . . Several weeks went by and still this worshipper of the Lord sang, composing ever more beautiful melodies as he went along. Eventually he began to get somewhat disheartened ... One day when he was at his wits end, the door opened and he entered with joy into the Presence of The Lord. However, he did have the presence of mind to ask why he had to wait so long when the other devotee was allowed to enter so much sooner. The Lord told him that He liked his music so much that He couldn't bring himself to open the door any sooner.

So, one way or the other, you will get there. And anyone can say the mantra OM (home without the 'h') which is one of the most important of all mantras. It is the primal sound from which all creation came into expression - the source of Pure Being ...

THE DAY I MISSED CLASS

I confess to "ditching" after lunch. That was the only way to mail a certain box of books in time. Running home for the intended parcel, I carried it unwrapped toward the Post Office. Its lid flapping, and my breath running short, I stopped to rest against a parked car when a voice called out from the sidewalk:

"I don't know you, but I'm gonna help you carry that heavy load."

A middle-aged woman, black as I am white, antic as I am sober, lifted the box, offering in exchange her lightweight shopping bag.

Introducing herself as "Just call me Lu from Kalamazoo", she bore my heavier load right to the counter, then extended a helpful finger while

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1973 5

I taped and tied, talking until the Clerk called, "Lady, you'd better hurry if you're mailing that package today!" Lu carried the parcel to the window.

Sticking at my side as we walked out the now locked doors, Lu asked my name, and if I would remember her. "I'll remember," I promised. "Put your hand on my head," she requested, "and shut your eyes."

As I complied, she placed a hand on my forehead and began: "Our Father, help us to understand why we are here, we who have forgotten how to pray, 'Our Father who are in Heaven. . .' " I found myself joining in unison. Finished, she smiled, waved, and merged with Washington's rush-hour traffic.

The street no longer seemed a street, but a church and a university where one may learn to receive a blessing. The day I missed class, I was in school after all.

Juliana Lewis

THE PHILOSOPHY OF DEFEAT

Nobody likes to lose, but in contemporary American society, failure has become the Unpardonable Sin. This unhealthy attitude toward failure is creating a neurotic nation, a society whose compulsion to win renders it completely incapable of coping with defeat.

The idea of failure and its traumatic effect on twentieth century American man first occurred to me three years ago. I was in Wildwood, a seashore resort, walking with Helen, a friend who was just recovering from a disappointing romance. We happened to pass some older women who were commenting on the general repulsiveness and depravity of youth.

"Spoiled, that's what's wrong with them. They're just plain spoiled," the older woman said. The other nodded in wholehearted agreement. "That's right," Helen remarked to me as we walked on. "That's what's wrong with us. We're all spoiled brats, and when we can't get what we want, we don't know what to do."

A Spoiled Generation?

Helen's bit of melancholy philosophy was a consequence of her recent romantic disappointment. But why had she generalized her experience to apply to the frustrations of the entire younger generation?

That the current generation of youth is indeed a "generation of spoiled brats" is not a new indictment. Much has been said and written about the havoc wrought by parental permissiveness - - and Doctor Spock got all the blame! What else, after all, could have bred such a proliferation

6 UNDERSTANDING

of long-haired dissidents and student rebels? What else could have caused the restlessness of wayward youth and their obvious dissatisfaction with the social status quo?

But blaming the miscarriage of youth on parental permissiveness and labeling the young "spoiled brats" allows the whole problem to be filed neatly away, like the log of an unsuccessful experiment.

To approach the problem this way is quite a temptation, but those who yield to it treat only the symptom, not the disease.

The echo of Helen's words bounced my thoughts to the topic of campus unrest. Could it be that youth, frustrated at finding life imperfect, turns to whatever means it can, even if these are destructive and childish, to vent its frustrations? I thought it not unlikely. But, is youth frustrated because it has been given too much materially. and allowed too much freedom? These are not reasons for frustration. In fact, they are reasons for great satisfaction and contentment. So perhaps, youth's frustration is not a response to permissiveness, but rather a response to finding life so different from youth's expectations. And who is it who instills youth with their great expectations? Parents, and in a broader sense, society itself.

This conclusion led me to examine the expectations bred in twentieth century American man.

Our society is based on a system in which you must win. Capitalism demands success. If you fail in the marketplace, you fail all around. Furthermore, we are born and bred to win. Our entire national heritage is based on our winning our independence, and on the Puritan Ethic - that goodness leads to reward (success) and evil leads to punishment (failure).

From our infancy we are raised on success stories. We are fed on the American Dream and the "breakfast of champions." All of our heroes are winners. Cinderella gets to the ball and the Mets win the pennant. Walt Disney movies and TV westerns, where the good guys always win, conspire to delude us.

And not only are we inundated with personal success stories. We are a nation of winners. America, itself, is never in the wrong and never loses. When Superman fights for "Truth, Justice and the American Way," you know he's bound to win.

This idealized picture of our nation and ourselves has us all brain-washed, a la Pangloss, into believing that twentieth century America is, indeed, "the best of all possible worlds." Youth, in its naiveté and its idealism, perhaps believes this most readily of all. What a rude awakening when youth begins to see things as they really are. And what a frustration

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1973 7

when they find how hard it is to right society's wrongs. Suddenly there are no more heroes. No more supermen, no more dragon-slayers, no more benevolent fairies to set things right.

Is it any wonder that youth rebels? What else can be expected when you raise a whole generation on Santa Claus and fairy godmothers - only to confront them with racial discrimination, pollution, and the Vietnam war? No wonder youth is frustrated. No wonder, even more, that we collectively, as a nation, are completely overwhelmed by our current problems.

Our refusal to accept failure has long been ballyhooed as one of our great national virtues. Our desire to win is commendable, but our compulsion to win is not. It cripples us; makes us impotent in dealing with defeat. We feel humiliated and insecure in the face of failure. We are at a total loss to deal with anything short of victory.

There is only one solution to this problem. It is not a miracle cure, but a slow process of reorientation. America is a young nation. As it grows and matures it must learn and accept its own vulnerability. The possibility of failure must be admitted. The idea of defeat must be incorporated into our national philosophy. As a nation and as individuals, we must cultivate a healthier, more realistic attitude toward failure.

We must all grow up and realize that for every winner, there is a loser. We cannot all win all the time. The "breakfast of champions" is not an immunization against defeat, and while Cinderella may get to the ball, this is no guarantee that we will. In short, America, and Americans, must learn to lose, without despair, and without giving up the battle!

Elizabeth Weckerly

LET'S GET TOGETHER

UNDERSTANDING needs youth action and we can make action, so let's get it together youth!

In UNDERSTANDING everyone is welcome, and there are lots of people active. The Youth needs to be part of this activity, because soon UNDERSTANDING will be in our hands.

Maybe we could start a section in the Understanding Magazine for ideas, poems, thoughts, and just things that we're interested in sharing. All of the "older people" (excuse the term) would get a lot out of young minds, and the young minds need to get in contact with each other!

Then we can correspond and meet. Those of us who can, could go to the Convention(s). We might even form a little club, with this group, and

8 UNDERSTANDING

go on drives and money-making jobs to help the UNDERSTANDING fund. Maybe we could go on trips, sell literature, and tell others about UNDERSTANDING.

You're invited to write to us, sending your name and your ideas! We would also enjoy very much hearing from those in countries other than the USA, because UNDERSTANDING needs to be world-wide.

Valorie and Pete Bohnert

c/o Understanding, Inc.

P. 0. Box #206

Merlin, Oregon 97532

HEALING HANDS

(Allen Spraggett, in the Toronto Sun)

A Roman Catholic nun, who is a brilliant scientist, has uncovered startling evidence that some people have healing hands. Her research indicates that certain individuals, "blessed with healing power", can change the biochemical processes within the human body which deter-mine whether we are healthy or sick.

The effects of this healing power appear to be incredibly selective - speeding up some bio-chemical processes but slowing down others. In each case the specific effect is the one which is conducive to good health.

Sister Justa Smith, a Franciscan nun, is chairman of the natural sciences department at Rosary Hill College, Buffalo, N.Y. She has a Ph.D. in biochemistry and specializes in the study of enzymes.

Enzymes are the substances, sometimes called the brains of the cells, which regulate all our vital body processes - i.e., an enzyme in the brain makes memory possible.

The purpose of Sister Justa's experiments was to find out whether healers could affect enzyme activity, and if so, in precisely what ways. In her first experiment she tested a healer from Montreal, Oskar Estebany, who claimed that when he was in "a prayerful state of mind" a health-giving force flowed from his hands. For 75 minutes, for 11 days, the healer held in his hands a flask containing the enzymer Trypsin which enzyme contributes to the body's ability to digest protein. He dramatically stimulated the activity of the enzyme. Other people who claimed no healing power tried the same experiment with no changes in the enzyme.

Then Sister Justa went a step further. There are certain enzymes which, under some conditions are too active. In such cases, the healing effect would be one which slowed down the enzyme's activity. Sister Justa wondered, if the healer were asked simply to pray over the enzyme,

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1973 9

without being told of its specific properties would he have the proper effect. She also wondered what would be the effect on still another type which for optimum health should neither increase nor decrease.

To answer these questions the nun-scientist used three persons who said they were psychic healers. They repeated precisely what Estebany had done except that the enzyme used was NAD which affects the body's metabolism. All three healers brought about a decrease in the activity of the NAD, without having been told that this was the desired effect. The healing power seemed to know whether an enzyme should be stimulated or retarded for good health.

Sister Justa's experiments have far-reaching implications for medicine and all science. They suggest that healing hands are fact. Human thought can generate a force that heals. And, this force is marvelously selective in its effects on specific bodily processes.

Sums up Sister Justa: "The healer's ability does not affect all enzymes the same way. However, the effects in each case seem to contribute to improving or maintaining health."

Truth needs no shouting.

Beauty no explanation.

Religion no sermons.

Ewart Johnson

The solution to problems and tensions among world nations, and to the impending dangers of war is a spiritual one - a firm conviction that all religions and peoples should come together. This does not mean to give up one's own religion or faith, but to live it and to practice the essence of religion instead of hanging in the superficial rites and rituals which are as different outwardly as the people on the face of this earth are in their clothing and ways of life. The chief hope I see is the hunger for spiritual awakening.

Satguru Kirpal Singh Ji

Nobody can possibly "drop out" of society. They may find a more marginal place, but they'll still depend on the outside world in some way.

Harmut Von Hentig in "Mother Earth News"

Guilt enters through your thinking ill of others. A narrow mind projects a narrow world.

Oomoto (Japan)

10 UNDERSTANDING

world report

U. S. Classrooms

West Omaha Sun, Omaha, Neb., 5-11-72

Learning by comparing is the method used by Dr. Leo E. Missinne, visiting lecturer in the University of Nebraska at Omaha's College of Education. Dr. Missinne has worked, traveled, and studied throughout the world, comparing educational systems.

For the last four years, he has served as Dean of the Department of Education and Psychology at Lovanium University in the Congo, and is on a sabbatical leave from that university.

Dr. Missinne has observed the need for "African teachers in Africa." "The teachers in African schools are for the most part, good teachers. But they have been trained in the European tradition. The values and traditions of Western Europe and the United States are not applicable to African society," said Dr. Missinne. "Africa needs teachers trained in the African tradition."

Having studied educational systems in Belgium, France, Germany, Africa, and now the United States, Dr. Missinne feels strongly that no system is perfect.

"The American educational system is superior in the vast number of possibilities available to students," he said. "A wide range of learning materials - books, electronic equipment, research facilities - are within the grasp of the student."

At the same time, he feels that some American classrooms are too free.

"Students don't know how to use their freedom, and as a result, often display a lack of respect for their schools and their teachers," he remarked.

Looking to the future, Dr. Missinne feels that by studying our own mixed national cultural heritage, Americans will be able to better under-stand different nations and people in the world today.

"By learning to understand and communicate with their own cultural

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1973 11

minorities," he said, "Americans will be able to better understand people in other parts of the world. To understand Mexican-Americans it is

necessary to know a good deal about Hispanic and Indian cultures; to understand a Puerto Rican-American, it is necessary to know something about Puerto Rico itself; to understand American blacks, it is necessary to go beyond the ghetto and back in time to African cultures.

"Technological progress will be the function of technological institutions specializing in certain fields.

"This will result in the development of a new American 'universal university'. This university will recognize first the importance of fundamental intercultural studies and will play a new essential function in the world - that of peacemaker and interpreter between different nations and people."

Faster Than Light

Medford Mail Tribune, Medford, Ore.,

10-24-72

PASADENA (UPI) - A gathering of astronomers was told Monday a galaxy has been discovered that appears to be expanding at a rate faster than the speed of light - theoretically an impossibility.

The meeting of the high energy astrophysics division of the American Astronomical Society also heard a description of "young galaxies" only one one-hundredth as old as most of the others in the universe.

Both discoveries leave astronomers with new puzzles to solve, the speaker said.

The fast-moving galaxy was revealed by Dr. Kenneth I. Kellerman, of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory at Green Bank, W. Va.

It has been a fundamental law of physics that the speed of light, 186 thousand miles per second, is the fastest anything can move.

Recently, however, astronomers have discovered that quasars - mysterious star like objects discovered nine years ago - seemingly expand and contract at faster speeds. Researchers feel that is probably impossible, however, and have been searching for explanations of the illusion.

Kellerman said that in addition to two quasars in which the phenomenon had been noted, there is now also a galaxy which gives the same

12 UNDERSTANDING

appearance, and a fourth object, called the "B.L. Lacert," which was once thought to be a star but is now described only as an "unknown substance."

Dr. W. L. W. Sargent, professor of astronomy at the California Institute of Technology, where the gathering was held, described the "young galaxies" as appearing to be about 100 million years old, compared to other galaxies in the 10 billion year age range.

They are circular in form but contain no nuclei, he said, and appear to be moving, but whether they are expanding or contracting cannot be determined.

(We refer our readers to the book - Atoms Galaxies and Understanding - by Dr. Daniel W. Fry, in which he states that objects can travel faster than the speed of light but that our observation of such objects is limited by the speed of light to return the images to us.)

Hole Down Below

Daily Courier, Grants Pass, Ore., 10-26-72

WASHINGTON (UPI) - Thirty scientists from Japan, New Zealand and the United States next year will drill a hole nearly a mile deep into the bedrock of Antarctica in an effort to learn more about the history of the continent. The purpose of the project is to get information on how Antarctica, once a part of the Southern Hemisphere's ancient temperate zone super continent of Gondwanaland, drifted over the past 200 million years to its present place on the map.

Mysterious Object Over Hanoi

San Francisco Chronicle, 9-30-72

HANOI - A mysterious object appeared in the clear blue sky over Hanoi yesterday, attracting missile fire from the ground but apparently remaining motionless.

As far as this correspondent could judge from the ground with the aid of binoculars, it was spherical in shape and a luminous orange in color, and was clearly at a very high altitude.

Despite the slight breeze at ground level, the object did not move at all during the air raid triggered by its appearance above the North Vietnamese capital.

The sirens had hardly died away when three surface-to-air missiles were launched, and their vapor trails could be seen converging on a luminous point which at first sight seemed to be a parachute.

Watching from the balcony of the AFP office, however, this correspondent saw that the object remained almost immobile in space and was certainly not dropping toward the ground.

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1973 13

Moontime

Daily Courier, Grants Pass, Ore., 11-14-72

MOSCOW (UPI) - Soviet scientists have devised a system of time registration for the moon in lunar stellar days, hours, minutes and seconds, the Tass news agency said.

Scientists at the chief astronomical observatory of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences in Kiev calculated the positions of 72 stars and the planet Jupiter for every 10 days of the lunar year.

"Man has already studied the earth sufficiently well and can determine the coordinates of any point on it quickly and reliably," Tass said. "The conditions on the moon are different. This is why a new space science has appeared - Selenodesia."

Contaminating Other Planets

S. F. Sunday Examiner & Chronicle, 10-1-72

There was a great deal of debate over whether the costly sterilization procedures in handling space probes were really necessary. Some scientists thought earth organisms could not survive space travel anyway; others thought they might.

Cyril Ponnamperuma and Peter Molton of the University of Maryland decided to find out if Escherichia coli B, Serratia marcescens, Aerobacter aerogenes and Bacillus subtilis could survive if they got to Jupiter.

For 24 hours they subjected the common terrestrial organisms to a simulated Jupiter-like atmosphere (a mixture of hydrogen, helium, methane and ammonia at temperatures ranging from minus 196 degrees C to 350 degrees C. A large number of the organisms survived.

Evidence of Loch Ness

Medford Mail Tribune, Medford, Ore., 11-2-72

BOSTON (UPI) - The Loch Ness monster is alive and well. Maybe!

A team of American and British scientists has released pictures and sonar graphs of what they say is a 30-foot long amphibian their equipment tracked last August in Scotland's Loch Ness.

Robert H. Rines, the president of the Academy of Applied Science (AAS), was a member of the team.

Rines isn't saying it is the legendary Loch Ness monster that has been popping up since the Sixth century when it became a part of Scottish folklore.

Then, again, Rines won't say it isn't the monster, nicknamed "Nessie" by Loch Ness watchers.

But whatever it is, Rines said "it is something awfully big that needs explaining."

14 UNDERSTANDING

Specifically what the team has that needs explaining are sonar graphs showing one or two 20 to 30-foot-long creatures and four photographs taken underwater of what appears to be an appendage, estimated at 10 feet long. An enlarged "flipper" at the end of the appendage measures six to eight feet long and two to four feet across, R Rines said experts told him.

Today Trash, Tomorrow Gold

Daily Courier, Grants Pass, Ore., 7-31-72

SAN FRANCISCO (UPI) - Don't sniff at your garbage - think of it as "urban ore."

That's the advice of Fenelon F. Davis, a geologist for the California Division of Mines and Geology who says increasing demands for minerals and new recovery methods will make today's solid wastes tomorrow's treasure trove.

Environmentalists urging recycling of America's growing mounds of garbage have been saying the same thing - arguing that reuse reduces both the disposal problem and the rate of exploitation.

Davis' chief concern is the United States' mineral consumption, which has grown so rapidly since World War I I that the nation is no longer self-sufficient in many resources.

"Meanwhile, a reserve of resources exists in the stockpiles of solid waste which we are accumulating in ever-increasing mounds. These metals and mineral materials in the wastes from our cities, formerly discarded and lost forever, should now be viewed as a renewable resource which can be successfully returned to the economic cycle."

Davis reports that the United States produces 255 million tons of urban waste annually. About 225 million tons are buried in landfills and the other 30 million tons burned in municipal incinerators.

"This waste contains 12 million tons of recoverable ferrous (iron-containing) ores, over 1 million tons of recoverable non-ferrous metals (aluminum, copper, lead, tin, zinc) and 15 million tons of glass," he says.

Little attempt has been made to recover the metals - which make up 11 per cent of urban wastes - because of high costs of separation.

He says federal and state agencies have developed pilot plants and methods in recent years designed to recover iron, non-ferrous metals, plastics and glass from the garbage.

The proper business of living is to enjoy life. To enjoy is to charge with joy - to put joy into, not to take it out from; to increase joy and not to reduce it.

Talbut Mundy

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1973 15

Poet’s corner

THE NEIGHBORS

They came in aproned quiet,

In times of sore distress;

Where illness laid a heavy hand,

Or death made its address.

Fresh cake and bubbling coffee,

Scented the troubled air;

A casserole or potted stew,

Kept warm in its earthenware.

The house was tidied, pillows fluffed,

Soft words were calmly spread

Like butter, melting in the warmth,

Sweetening the daily bread.

Then the aproned neighbor closed the door,

Slipping out in the fading light;

Leaving the sacred watch to God

To tender, through the night.

No words of gratitude suffice

These acts of charity;

But He'll repay, a thousandfold,

Their "cast" on life's rough sea.

16 UNDERSTANDING

So hang your apron next to mine,

Keep your eye on your neighbor's yard;

Our turn will come - when we can be

The earthly hands of God.

Helen Pelosi

CONSIDER THE CONCEPT

In an address at a recent Symposium sponsored by the Academy of Parapsychology and Medicine, William A. Tiller, Ph. D., Professor of Material Science at Stanford University, offered an interesting concept. In his lecture on mankind's developing sensory system - man's evolving capacity to perceive his universe in terms other than physical - he offered this analogy.

Dr. Tiller compared man's groupings with psychic phenomena as comparable to our ancestor's struggles to understand the physical world they inhabited. Just as our forefathers had to develop adequate instruments to measure and control the oftimes hostile environment of their time, we, today, have equally inadequate instruments to measure and map the "inner space" of the mind. There exists no truly adequate body of data by which we can (as yet) cognate this "psychic age of man, which began in the 1970's," let alone any type of general theory to unify the data already gathered.

(As quoted in the ESP Orbit, Sept/Oct 1972)

UNDERSTANDING

We must live the human way -
When every one can make a decision.

And bring revival of Understanding
To all people with clear vision.

With a strong and steady hand,
Who ask their wisdom from above,

And searching pages of the Bible
For the Understanding of love.

Oh, how I long to see a leader
Without a revolting, rebellious heart,

One who rejected love of power,
And let joys of Understanding start.

Helen Seaton

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1973 17

Book reviews

A Television Special

(In lieu of a Book Review we offer our readers this announcement of a Special Program, as given in the NBC Television News of November 2, 1972.)

"In Search of Ancient Astronauts," which depicts the theory that various baffling phenomena of the past, visible in various parts of the world, are the work of visitors from other planets, will be colorcast on the NBC Television Network Friday, Jan. 5 (10-11 p.m. PT).

Rod Serling (host of NBC-TV's "Rod Serling's Night Gallery") will be the off-camera narrator of the special, which will be under the full sponsorship of Quaker Oats Company.

The program is based on the international best seller Chariots of the Gods?, written by Erich Von Daniken. It was filmed throughout the world: England, Egypt, Mexico, Japan, Iraq, Australia, Peru, Yugoslavia and Easter Island.

Criss-crossing the globe, the special presents Von Daniken's evidence in support of his theory that ancient astronauts visited earth ages ago and profoundly altered the life of primitive man.

There are many mysteries offered to illustrate his theory. A clay vase, which is on display in the Bagdad Museum, is also a 2,000-year-old electrical battery. Istanbul's Topkapi Palace houses maps found in the Orient by Turkish Admiral Piri Reis. Dating back to the 1st century A.D., these maps are uncannily accurate and, according to Von Daniken, show the earth as it would have appeared to astronauts high above Cairo.

In Mexico in Central America, in Italy and on a rocky ledge in the Sahara Desert, there are ancient drawings and sculptures depicting strange beings wearing what appear to be space suits, including helmets with

antennae. Von Daniken suggests that if space travelers from another planet were to visit earth, they would have found the environment hostile.

18 UNDERSTANDING

They, too, would have had to travel in self-contained units and, in appearance, they may have resembled modern astronauts.

Von Daniken also suggests that these ancient astronauts would have brought with them superior skills and may have been responsible for the incredibly accurate Mayan calendar, the huge stone carvings on Easter Island, Egypt's massive Pyramids and Stonehenge in England. He also considers it significant that legends of various ancient peoples mention powerful strangers descending on earth in flaming chariots.

In addition to utilizing much hitherto unexplained physical evidence, the program presents the comments of several scientists including Dr. Werner Von Braun and Dr. Harold P. Kline, of NASA's Ames Research Center.

"In Search of Ancient Astronauts" was produced by Alan Landsburg and directed by Dr. Harold Reiml and Don Ringe. The narration was written by Ringe. It is an Alan Landsburg production.

NATURE'S AIR CONDITIONERS

A blade of grass, a sprig of evergreen,

the leaves of a tree do more than maintain

atmospheric balance by liberating oxygen

- the very breath of life. They also help

to cleanse and freshen the air.

Actively growing greenery catches dust,

soot, and obnoxious gases and the odors

attached to them. In time, these are washed

into the soil by rain or sprinkling.

In the process of transpiration, grass, in

contrast to pavements and barren land,

tempers the heat from the sun and

provides natural cooling.

Grass is probably the most important air

conditioner of the world's land mass

because of its extent and continued growth,

even when mowed or grazed every day.

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1973 19

Bulletin board

New Subscription Policies

At the October Annual Business Meeting of Understanding, Inc. a motion was made and passed that, because of ever increasing costs and our considerable publication deficit, the UNDERSTANDING MAGAZINE be issued ten (rather than twelve) times per year. Yearly subscription would remain at $2.50 but single issues would be 30c each. The change to become effective January 1973.

Another motion was made and passed, with the thought of enlarging our readership. The motion stated that for a trial period of one year a Gift subscription be given with each new subscription received, two for one.

While the above practices seem contradictory, the fact is that our required minimum printing order leaves us, at the present time, with a balance of uncommitted copies, thus postage would be our only addition-al expense.

We call upon your understanding of, and cooperation with, our new subscription policies. And, do send in new subscriptions, enjoy the special gift offer, and thus aid in our efforts "to promote a better under-standing among all peoples of earth, and of those not of earth."

The AMA Contest

Our deadline for entries for the AREA OF MUTUAL AGREEMENT proposals contest is November 30th. Copy for this issue of Understanding Magazine - the January-February issue - goes to the printer on November 20th for a December 20th mailing.

So - thus - consequently and therefore - we must keep you in suspense until the March issue, when contest winners will be announced.

20 UNDERSTANDING

However, winners shall be notified personally as soon as contest decisions are reached.

The Outreach of Understanding

Under the guidance of Mrs. Esther Ellsworth, the San Bernardino, California Unit #71 is involved in an interesting program of promoting Understanding. The Unit is providing books and tapes to the penal institutions of California.

The Men's Colony at San Luis Obispo, one of their projects, first learned of Understanding work through a personal subscription to one of the men. Several men from Tehachapi "are now out, doing very well. They visit here at my home," writes Mrs. Ellsworth, "and continue to write, and progress in the rebuilding of life, helpful to themselves and to their fellowmen."

Perhaps as individuals or Units others can do likewise. It is suggested you contact the Chaplain of the institution concerning procedures.

4th Annual Understanding Convention

One Convention closes, another is born! Since September, Mrs. Tahahlita Fry has been in correspondence with possible speakers for the 4th Annual Convention of Understanding, to be held at Merlin. And, already has a confirmation from Rev. Noel Street!

Why not confirm your own attendance? Mark your calendar for Friday, June 22nd, through Sunday, June 24th. We'll be waiting for you.

Change of Address for Librarian

We have been advised that Mr. Raymond H. Hutchings, Librarian for the "Books by Mail" service offered by our Buffalo Unit #37 has recently moved.

Should you wish to borrow one of the many volumes offered our memberships, or merely to request a catalog listing of the texts available, do write to: Mr. R. H. Hutchings, 2046 Sherman Ave., North Collins, N.Y., 14111.

THE LIFE SOURCE

Its very detail open to view in

"FUNDAMENTALS OF THOUGHT"

by L. Ron Hubbard

Send $3.00 to: Book Store U, Founding Church of Scientology,

1812 19th Street, N.W., Washington D.C. 20009

YEAR BOOKS AVAILABLE

1968-1971

Understanding Magazines for

1968-1969-1970-1971

Are now available in convenient Yearbooks.

Price: $2.00 per volume, plus 25c for handling.

Issues 1958 through 1967 at $1.00 per volume, plus 25c handling.

Understanding, Inc.

P. O. Box 206

Merlin, Ore. 97532

THE BOOK OF ENOCH

One of the lost books of the Bible!

(See Understanding, October, 1972, page 3.)

Now restored, faithfully, by
E. Blanche Pritchett, Ph.D.

Your Bible is incomplete without this book. Regular price $25.00.

Special price for responses to this ad:

$15.00

Limited time only.

ORBIT PUBLICATIONS

A DIVISION OF MARCAP COUNCIL Dept. &, Route 4

Arlington, Washington 98223

NOW AVAILABLE

White Sands Incident – Dr. Daniel W. Fry (hardbound) $2.95

Atoms, Galaxies and Understanding

Dr. Daniel W. Fry

(hardbound) $3.00 (softbound) $2.00

Atlantean Fire Crystals &

Physical Basis of ESP

Dr. Daniel W. Fry

(Cassette Tape - 90 min.) - $3.50

Merlin Publishing Company

P.0. Box 105

Merlin, Oregon 97532

Please include postage

ADVERTISING SPACE AVAILABLE

Advertise Your Books,

Activities, etc.,

in Understanding Magazine

Rates:

$8 per quarter page per month

Three months: $16.50

Six months: $33

One year: $66

These rates are for additional insertions of the same copy. The charge for copy change is $3.00 per quarter page. For other rates, please write. If proof is desired, copy must be submitted one month in advance of publication.

Copy limit, 20 lines to quarter page

Memberships in Understanding

Understanding, Inc. is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the propagation of a better understanding among all the peoples of the earth so that they may live in harmony and be better prepared psychologically and sociologically for the space age.

Several types of membership are available to those who wish to support our endeavors either with dollars or with time and service, or both.

The Associate Membership is Two Dollars per year; the Contributing Membership, Ten Dollars per year, including the Understanding magazine; Sustaining Membership, Twenty-Five Dollars per year, including subscription; and Life Membership, Five Hundred Dollars, including subscription to Understanding magazine.

Welcome to the Understanding family!

UNDERSTANDING, INC.

P.O. Box 206, Merlin, Oregon 97532.