Diet And Divination
I could never understand why so little importance is placed on diet in relation to metaphysical studies. You very rarely hear a master talk about the correlation between food and study. I have found that the proper foods and diet along with other lifestyle changes makes all the difference in gaining insight and understanding in Chinese and other metaphysical studies. I am on the 24th day of a 100% raw organic vegetarian vegan diet and I can tell you it is not much fun. No meat, cheese, milk, butter, eggs, sugar, chemical additives, etc. It is basically vegetables, fruits, and nuts. My girlfriend and I try to do a couple 100% raw diets a year and it is a lot more difficult than it sounds. It is almost easier to fast than to go raw. Overall, your physical energy diminishes to a great degree and I can't understand how the raw vegans boast of all the energy they receive from the diet. I don't believe it is a good diet for a long term period, but I am almost certain it has it's benefits for the shorter durations of say up to a few years.
The one certainty is the mental clarity that one receives from eating all raw foods. Your imagination begins to 'kick in' and your creative process begins to pour out. I believe it is a good diet for spiritual progress, but you have to be careful because you can lose a lot of weight if you carry the diet too far. If you are not concerned about losing weight, then I say you will have a lot of fun with the raw diet.
Since ancient times it has been noted how important a diet is in spiritual cultivation. Today's masters don't seem to agree with the ancients as most are stuffing their bellies with pizzas, hamburgers, french fries, ice cream, soda , and a host of other extremely dangerous foods that are poisonous to the body, mind, and spirit. When students attend a seminar, be it Feng Shui, Four Pillars, I Ching, or whatever, they are rarely if ever told about these dietary guidelines. They are being charged hundreds and many times thousands of dollars and they are not even being informed of this important issue. I suppose that one of the reasons is because many modern masters are quite round around the belly and for them to speak of the importance of diet would make them look hypocritical. One Chinese master once told me, and I quote, "If anyone claims to be a master, look at their belly and you'll know if he's lying or not". Anyways, if you're having trouble gaining insight or penetrating certain ideas, try thinking of diet. Short periods of fasting is probably best, grain-less raw foods next, and cooked vegetarian a long way third. If done properly, Fasting or Raw will very likely allow you to conquer many complicated situations and allow you to gain a deeper understanding of metaphysics.