Purchase zyprexa

There are ten distinct benchmarks that indicate our progress, or lack of progress in our practice. These benchmarks also point toward our destiny in the next world.

The first benchmark is knowing for certain that this fabricated personality of ours will not survive death. This we come to understand when we can see the personality for what it is, an invention based merely on thought and memory, a purely material entity that can't survive physical death.

The second is recognizing the futility of relying on religious rituals, beliefs, or dogma to extricate us from our predicament here on earth, instead of hard work of self inquiry.

The third benchmark is when we no longer have any doubt whatsoever that meditation and self inquiry can free us, not only from physical existence, but from existence itself.

When these three very important benchmarks are reached, and we can't reach them by thinking that we have reached them but rather after a definite shift in consciousness occurs where we in many ways become a different person and see things in a completely different light, then we will be reborn back into physical existence a maximum of only seven times.

The fourth and fifth benchmarks are a bit unusual in that merely weakening them propels us into a different destiny than conquering them completely. If we weaken them, we only have to be reborn into physical existence and all its complications one more time. When we conquer these two benchmarks completely, then we will no longer be reborn into physical existence at all.

The fourth and fifth benchmarks are anger and sensory desires, which must be first weakened. This is where we still retain some sense of aggravation and annoyance, and also mild desires for pleasurable things appearing in existence. Then, after they are weakened considerably, and with a deepening self inquiry, they are abandoned completely. Now we have no underlying fear that is the root of anger, and no desires for sensual pleasures, We simply eat when it is time to eat, sleep when it is time to sleep, and work when we need to work.

By conquering these first five benchmarks, we become a sage in the eyes of the world, however, in order to become that which no man or woman can comprehend, and go where no man or woman can imagine — beyond existence both in the world of form and the world of none-form, we must conquer the five remaining bench marks.

These five that remain are the residual desires left over after we believe that we have conquered all of our material desires, and they are quite insidious. The five final benchmarks are; wanting to be reborn into the world of form, wanting to be reborn into the formless realm, spiritual restlessness (still searching), pride or self-righteousness (I know), and finally an enduring belief in an eternal self.

These last five are most difficult to conquer because the one struggling to attain them must disappear completely yet somehow remain and function in the world – this is the only way that they can be overcome.

And in order for this to occur, one must be completely enlightened.

Unless you've been living in a cave, you can't not have seen all the commercials for Lipitor, which is a brand name for a high cholesterol drug. If you've seen these commercials, then you know what the possible side effects and dangers are, since they are now required by law to make them public in all commercials. However, if you haven't seen the ads, then this article will fill you in on the potential dangers of taking the prescription drug Lipitor for your high cholesterol.

The first thing you need to know, before getting into the subject of Lipitor itself, is what high cholesterol is and why it needs to be controlled.

Cholesterol is a fat like substance that builds up in our arteries. We do need a certain amount of cholesterol in order to survive. As a matter of fact, there is good cholesterol and bad cholesterol. When the bad cholesterol levels start to build, that translates into more fat in our arteries. Eventually, what happens is that this fat hardens and clogs up the arteries. Imagine that fat that you drain off the turkey on Thanksgiving and drop into a cup. Check back in a day or so and it has hardened considerably. This is what happens inside our bodies. When that happens, we are prone to heart attack or stroke. What Lipitor does is reduce the level of cholesterol in our bodies. On the surface, this would seem to be something without consequences. However, as with most drugs, there are complications.

Without getting overly technical, what happens to people who take Lipitor is that, over time, usually no more than a couple of years, patients begin to exhibit symptoms similar to Lou Gherig's disease, or ALS. This is a muscular degeneration that takes place. Studies have proven conclusively that this degeneration is a common theme in patients who are taking Lipitor for their high cholesterol.

The alarming part of this is that this is a common side effect and not something that just happens to a few patients. When a common side effect of a drug like this is so serious, questions need to be asked as to whether or not the benefits outweigh the risks. Considering that nobody has proven conclusively that cholesterol is as dangerous as modern medicine says, the risks would seem to be unwarranted.

If you're concerned about what Lipitor might be doing to you, there is a simple alternative to lowering your bad cholesterol level. By simply taking 2,000 to 3,000 units of vitamin C each day, you greatly reduce your risk of having high cholesterol. That in combination with lowering your beef intake should be more than enough to keep your cholesterol level normal.

The dangers of Lipitor are quite real. Consult with your doctor and get the facts.

To YOUR Health,

Steve Wagner

I was reading my e-mail this morning and saw my baby sister had sent me a cryptic little message that said… If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be? I couldn't figure out, for the life of me, why she would send such a message. I had begun to wonder if she might have too much time on her hands and this closes the case for me.

My little sister graduated from college a month ago and has decided she wants to take a year off to see the world before starting her career as a trial lawyer. I am against this idea and told her so, but she has never been one for taking advice. As I click on the reply button to respond to her message, I stop and realize, I don't have an answer to the question. I hit the cancel button instead and read other e-mails awaiting me.

I look at my calendar and sigh - this is going to be a long day. I have a 7:30 appointment with the other partners in my law firm and then, at 9:00, I have to be at a pre-trail hearing for a client we are defending. When I get out of the pre-trial, I have four depositions to take that ought to last about four hours. Then I have to run across town to be at a 4:00 meeting with the district attorney. At 6:00 I am meeting Kate and Bill for drinks and to go over the details of the Harvey case. Finally, I need to work this evening on my opening statement for the case I am representing tomorrow morning.

It is only 7:15 a.m. and I am overwhelmed. I know how to can calm my nerves though. I pull out a pack of cigarettes and relish the rush that comes over me as I inhale the smoke deep into my lungs. I know smoking isn't good for me but I deserve a few vices given the speed and complexity of my life. I am a bit worried about the number of cigarettes it takes a day to calm my nerves and I am going to back off of them just as soon as the big double murder case is wrapped up.

I think back to my sister's e-mail and remember how proud I am of her. I raised her after our parents were killed in a plane crash when I was 25 and she was 10. I am glad I had finished law school and was practicing when I started raising her.

I look at the clock and realize this daydreaming has to stop. My meeting with the Partners is about to begin down the hall. I put out the rest of my cigarette and wish I had done less daydreaming and more puffing. I hadn't taken in enough nicotine to get me through the Partner meeting without getting jittery.

The meeting is over and I am off to my pre-trail hearing. I am grateful the Partner meeting was short today because I needed another cigarette. As I walk to the courthouse I am able to get three cigarettes smoked and once again, I am calm and collected. I am about a block away from my destination when my sister's question popped back up in my mind. What did she do, place a spell on the e-mail to make it so hard to shake?

I am at the courthouse now and I am feeling pretty good with all of the nicotine I put into my blood stream on the walk. The pre-trail hearing is a perfunctory part of the law and it will not take long. The defense attorney will present his position and I will present the our client's position and will all wait to see what the judge decides.

That was pretty easy. The judge released my client on bail and set the trial for three weeks from today. This is plenty of time to put together the case. What I need to think about now is picking up a bite to eat and getting to the location where the depositions are being taken.

I run into one of my favorite little restaurants and order the regular which means a chicken Caesar salad and two double martinis. I have had three more cigarettes since leaving the courthouse and now the martinis will settle the nerves even better.

Lunch is over and I am back in the car driving to take depositions. I ordered one more martini for the road, but drank it before leaving the restaurant. I never drink and drive. I am also having my after lunch cigarette and enjoying it immensely. There is something about a cigarette right after lunch. It is the best.

Whew, that was difficult! Depositions are usually rather boring but I think these today will really help my client's case. I am going to burn the midnight oil following up on a few things. I think my client will be happy to hear what I learned.

Oops, it's time to meet Bill and Kate for drinks and I am just about on time. I want to finish my cigarette before I go into the bar. I don't know why I am so concerned that people will think I smoke too much. I am a big girl.

Drinks with Bill and Kate went well. We got a lot of good planning done for our hearing tomorrow and, I can get the material ready, later this evening, for tomorrow's hearing. I wonder if I may have had one too many cocktails tonight with Bill and Kate? I think I might have had some trouble keeping the facts of the case straight. Boy, I hate it when I let people see me being weak. Got to work on that!

This shower feels great! What a night. Getting to bed at 2:30 a.m. is starting to become a habit. I need to think about the sanity of this. I had my morning wake-up cigarette and it helped me get my feet out of bed and into the shower, My after shower cigarette is helping me get my feet into my shoes and off to work. I need to remember to stop and buy another carton of cigarettes, my stash is getting low.

I look at my car clock and see it is 6:00 a.m., as I pull into the parking lot of the law firm. I have a couple of hours to finish getting ready for the day. When I get to my office I see my computer is flashing I have new mail. I open up my mail service and see my sister has sent me another e-mail. This one says, if I could change one thing about your life, it would be your addiction to cigarettes and alcohol.

Whoa! This knocked the wind out of me. What did she mean my addiction? I am not addicted to cigarettes. Sure I may smoke more than is good for me but I can quit any time. And how dare she say I am an alcoholic! What has gotten into her? Just then my phone rang and it was my sister. She had her e-mail set to let her know when I had read her message.

"Sister, we need to talk," is how she said hello.

I said, "I don't think I have anything I need to say to you sister!"

"Oh, yes we do and I am driving up to see you after work today."

"I have to work late and will not be available to talk with you, so please don't waste your time driving here."

"I have all the time in the world sis, so I will wait until you are done working. I'll see you around 7:00ish"

Just like that she hung up and I was listening to a dial tone. The nerve of her! Who does she think she is? How the heck does she think she knows what I do? I sit at my desk and think about what just happened. I light up another cigarette and draw the smoke into my lungs. The rush of nicotine starts to fill me with calm.

I go to the small refrigerator in my office and take out a bottle of orange juice and take it to my desk. I pull open a side drawer and retrieve a bottle of vodka. This morning is a screwdriver kind of morning, I say to myself, and empty the glass.

I am going to have to really concentrate today. I am running on only a few hours sleep and the thought of my sister coming is a bit unsettling. I throw myself into getting things done all day long and ready myself for the confrontation with my sister. She is as good as her word. She is at my office door at 7:00 p.m. and I am not ready for her. I am scared.

"Hey sis, how's it going," I say.

"Oh, I'm good, how about you?"

"I could have been better if I hadn't read your e-mail and talked with you on the phone."

"Yeah, I know that was hard but to get right to the point, sis, you have an alcohol and nicotine problem and I want you to get help."

"You have always been a direct kind of gal haven't you?"

"I learned it is better to get to the point of things so you can get moving."

"And just how did you come up with your deductions that I have these addictions?"

"I did what you taught me to do, looked for evidence and found what tells me this is an open and shut case."

"This sounds like I have been tried and convicted without having representation or any awareness of the evidence."

"Yes, it might feel that way to you, but let me tell you what my evidence is. Your fingernails have a pale bluing or grayness to them which tells me you are smoking enough to interfere with the oxygen in your blood stream. Your hands also shake and this has been getting worse over the past six months."

"If this is the best you have then you have to know it is pretty shoddy evidence. Have you ruled out that the change in color of my fingernails might be due to some other medical condition just as the tremors in my hands could be medically related too?"

"You are right, it is shoddy evidence. But, since you have agreed these symptoms do exist and you raised the question they might be related to medical conditions, then you would surely agree that getting a complete physical is in order - wouldn't you?"

"I suppose I do need a physical and I will get one just as soon as my calendar has an opening. Now is this the end of your silly suspicion that I have an addiction problem?"

"Actually, no sis, it isn't. I thought you would use a full calendar so I made arrangements with your boss to give you medical leave for two weeks to check out the reason for your symptoms."

"You did what?" The nerve of you! There is no way I will take two weeks off for any reason, let alone this trumped up idea that I am an alcoholic."

"You have no choice sis, your boss is worried about you too and says you have to take the leave."

I am so shocked I have to sit down in my chair. How has my life gotten so out of whack in the matter of a five minute conversation? "How do you know my boss is worried?"

"He called me a couple of weeks back and asked if I would talk to you. He said your work is stellar and that is not the reason for his concern. He has noticed how uptight you are and how, when you leave the room, you come back mellow. He doesn't know what you are on but he knows it is something. He doesn't want you to go so far into whatever you are doing that you ruin your reputation and life. He didn't want to bring this up with you because he knew you would be mortified."

"How many other people think I am addicted to something?"

"He doesn't think anyone else has started to suspect, but he thinks it won't be long so you need to get help right now."

I am still stunned. I need a cigarette and a drink so bad my head is spinning and I feel like I might throw up. I sit in my chair for what seems like an eternity and when I look up I see my little sister looking at me with such love that I start to cry. I cry hard for a long time and she holds me until I am drained.

"Where am I going?'

"To a meditation center for a two week retreat," said my sis.

"Not a drug and alcohol treatment facility, I say?"

"No, not yet, my sis says. I have been doing research into addictions and meditation and I think there is a good chance you can get yours under control through meditation." I also think it will give you a life-long strategy or letting peace into your life."

I was going to go to this place as part of my year off before working so, they said I could make reservations for two. It is all set, we leave in the morning. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel ashamed and disgusted that I let it go this long. I want to go with you to the meditation center. I want to learn how to be at peace and live a full life without cigarettes and alcohol. Let's go."

-Time passes – 4 weeks later-

I am back at work and feeling like a new woman. I actually took a month of leave because I wanted to work as hard as I could on increasing my ability to let go of stress by meditating. I was so touched by the process that I spent every waking hour learning and practicing. I loved focusing on my breathing and relaxing into a state of being at peace with myself and the world. I loved how I felt when my session was over. I felt light almost like air.

I had a life altering experience learning to meditate. I learned the value of letting go and going with the flow of peace. I did miss the nicotine and alcohol for the first few days, but as soon as I learned to relax I was able to use this sense of peace to block the cravings.

Meditation saved me from a life of addiction and when I see others using drugs to cope with stress, I am going to turn them onto meditation. It works.

Surveys of the brain waves of people who meditate on a regular basis show that they're a healthier breed.

The trouble is that most methods of meditation take years and years of practice. Today's society teaches us that we need instant gratification. We're reared on instant this and instant that. So why should meditation be any different?

Traditionally, you'd have learned meditation from a "master". Someone who had spent years honing their craft. You'd envy the way that your master could slip into a meditative state quickly and easily.

Now modern science has discovered ways to get into a meditative state simply by listening to an audio file. This is a specially crafted CD that plays special tones into your ears. These CDs are best listened to with headphones. Transferring them onto your iPod usually involves a loss of quality, which can dramatically reduce the meditation effect. So, for once, this really is a case of following the instructions.

If you're interested in using modern techniques to get the benefits of meditation quickly and easily, you need to search for binaural beats. These programs are designed to quickly drop your brain into a meditative state just by listening. They play two slightly different tones – one into each ear. Typically you'll find programs that will send your brain into either an Alpha state, which is ideal for relaxation, or a Theta state, which is the deep meditation state that Zen monks take years to reach.

The beauty of all this is that modern technology can help you achieve these states almost instantly. Most audio programs will last between 30 and 60 minutes. Play the CD to yourself once a day and, if my experience is anything to go by, you'll start to notice results within a few short days.