Paul Rodney Turner's Blog, page 4

Keep cursive writing alive and here is why

I've always been a fan of cursive writing and at age 18 I took a course in caligraphy. I was the youngest person in the class at the time, so even back then, 1981 the art form was dying out and becoming uncool for teenagers.

With the ushering in of the computer age and the Internet, caligraphy, penmanship and cursive writing are practically extinct. Most schools don't even teach it anymore. I wonder why?

The controlling powers of this world that simply want a submissive and dumbed-down human race may actually have something to do with this. Common Core requirements in the United States do not mention cursive handwriting after 1st grade. After that, the emphasis quickly shifts to proficiency on the keyboard.

“Cursive should be allowed to die. In fact, it’s already dying, despite having been taught for decades,” said Morgan Polikoff, assistant professor of education at The Univeristy of Southern California.

However, according to Stanislas Dehaene, a psychologist at the Collège de France in Paris, “When we write, a unique neural circuit is automatically activated." “There is a core recognition of the gesture in the written word, a sort of recognition by mental simulation in your brain." A 2012 study led by Karin James, a psychologist at Indiana University, lent support to that view.


Karin James, a psychologist at Indiana University, used a scanner to see how handwriting affected activity in children’s brains.

Psychology Today States:

"Research highlights the hand's unique relationship with the brain when it comes to composing thoughts and ideas. Virginia Berninger, a professor at the University of Washington, reported her study of children in grades two, four and six that revealed they wrote more words, faster, and expressed more ideas when writing essays by hand versus with a keyboard.

"There is a whole field of research known as “haptics,” which includes the interactions of touch, hand movements, and brain function. Cursive writing helps train the brain to integrate visual, and tactile information, and fine motor dexterity. School systems, driven by ill-informed ideologues and federal mandate, are becoming obsessed with testing knowledge at the expense of training kids to develop better capacity for acquiring knowledge.

"There is a spill-over benefit for thinking skills used in reading and writing. To write legible cursive, fine motor control is needed over the fingers. You have to pay attention and think about what and how you are doing it. You have to practice. Brain imaging studies show that cursive activates areas of the brain that do not participate in keyboarding."

Watch this amazing video on the penmanship of Jake Weimann


Psychology Today Article

Perla the piglet was thrown in the trash bin and left to die

Perla was found in a trash bin and brought to Juliana's Animal Sanctuary in Colombia. She had a broken leg, but with a little love and care, she is recovering and has been given a second chance.

To support the work of Juliana's Animal Sanctuary, visit: www.julianasfarm.org

Or support our new crowdfunding campaign at www.YouCaring.com/pola

Pola the freedom-fighting pig gets a 2nd Chance at Juliana's Animal Sanctuary

Pola, the "freedom-fighting pig" is the newest member of Juliana's Animal Sanctuary -- the only sanctuary in Colombia.

For the last 8 years, Pola was living in utter filth, amongst 180 uncaged hungry dogs who constantly harassed her and sometimes tried to tear pieces of flesh from her body. Sadly, they did eat her tail off and parts of her vulva! Pola had no clean soil or grass to play on, but lived amongst garbage and dog feces and was only being fed cheap dog food (that contained pork!).

But she never gave up hope that one day she would be rescued from this hell and be loved.

When I found her I cried in pain. Her so-called "caretakers" told me that if I didn't take her she would be killed. It took me 4 attempts to get her to our sanctuary, including hiring a truck for 4 consecutive days, as well as 13 men, and then building her a new enclosure and home on our farm. But we finally did it and amazingly it was on Colombia's Independence Day, July 20th! And that is why we named her Pola - in honor of "La Pola" the Colombian teenage freedom-fighter.

Pola now joins Balaram, the "gentle giant" and his friends at our sanctuary. www.julianasfarm.org

SUPPORT OUR NEW CAMPAIGN NOW: www.youcaring.com/pola

Beyonce commits to a Vegan Diet - fan backlash or media hype

Last night Good Morning America announced that Monday morning Beyoncé was going to make an announcement, and we were going to LOVE IT  Source: FoodYogi.org -- Apparently most fans assumed it would be talk of a new album or tour; maybe a big donation to a charity or some other sizzling news like she is pregnant. But none of these things happened, rather she announced to the world that she had totally committed to the vegan diet and it was the reason for her great new figure, glowing skin and fresh new outlook on life. Beyonce is such a fan of the work of her dietician, Marco Borges and how the new diet has impacted her life, that she is partnering with him to start a vegan meal delivery service.

Beyonce explained that she is "not naturally the thinnest women. I have curves. I am proud of my curves, and I have struggled since a young age with diets and finding something that actually works; actually keeping the weight off has been difficult for me."

Borges new book, The 22 Day Revolution is based on what psychologists have believed for years, that "it takes 21 days to make or break a habit, so if you adopted a healthy habit over the course of 21 days, on the 22nd day you'd be onto the new habit and that is the magic to sustainability," he explained.


Apparent Backlash 
However, when the news broke some fans were shocked to hear that this was Beyonce's big news and some complained. But how many really? If you believed the mainstream media you'd think that every fan was up in arms about the announcement but are they?

Considering how powerful are the meat and dairy industry, you'd expect they would not be too happy about one of the world's most popular people promoting a dairy and meat-free diet. Consider this:

Tyson Foods is the world's largest poultry and red meat provider. Tyson controls 27% of all meat and poultry sales in the U.S. One out of every four pounds of chicken, beef and pork consumed in the U.S. is a Tyson product. Smithfield Foods is the world's largest pork producer. Smithfield is the largest pig farming operation in the U.S. and a major producer abroad. Smithfield controls 26% of the U.S. pork market, raising 14 million pigs at it's facilities and killing 27 million of the 60 million that went to slaughter in 2006.

Willmar Poultry Company is the largest turkey producer in the U.S. It produces over 45 million turkey poults (young birds) annually at its two hatcheries in Minnesota. The Willmar hatchery is the largest turkey hatchery in the industry and delivers over 600,000 poults weekly to customers. Cal-Maine Foods is the largest egg producer in the U.S. In fiscal 2009, Cal-Maine sold approximately 778 million dozen shell eggs, representing approximately 18% of domestic shell egg consumption. Nestle is the world's leading producer of dairy products.

Dean Foods is the leading producer of fluid milk and dairy products in the United States and the second largest dairy company in the world.

Finally, McDonalds is largest purchaser of beef and the second largest purchaser of poultry in the U.S.

Each of these companies, either directly or indirectly, through their subsidiaries, spends hundreds of millions of dollars on advertising through the mainstream media.

McDonalds alone spent nearly 1 billion dollars in ads in 2013 or 2.7 million per day!

Tyson Foods on the other hand spent $614 million dollars in 2014 and Nestle spent around $800 million in 2014.

You can imagine that any threat to this huge investment in advertising dollars is not going to be welcomed or celebrated by these meat and dairy food companies and since this money is a huge source of income for TV, Newspapers, Radio and Internet companies, they have a vested interest in protecting the brand value of their advertisers.

In other words, news about Beyonce going vegan is not helpful so any kind of negative reaction to her dietary decision is going to favoured over any positive response.

The Game is Changing 
Social media has been a boon to niche markets like veganism. In a survey among U.S. adult consumers by Harris Interactive in March 2014, respondents were asked to rate the importance of the factor 'vegan' when buying foods and beverages. Some 7 percent of U.S. adults indicated to consider the attribute 'vegan' as a very important driver for their food and beverage purchase decisions. However, there is a significant generational difference. About 27 percent of Millennials in the U.S. considered the label vegan on a product as a very or somewhat important factor for their purchasing decision as opposed to 13% for baby boomers.

Considering Beyonce's massive influence on Instagram (35.9 million), even beating out Kim Kardashian (35.7) it is no surprise that her move to a vegan diet is a threat to the old guard of meat and dairy.

My interview on Sacred Space TV in Australia (4 part series)

This is part 1 of 4 parts of an interview I gave in Australia at the Melbourne Hare Krishna temple. Forgive the background noises, especially the occasional plane and coughing and kirtan, I did not realize at the time and boy I wish I had. There is one thing I misspoke in part 4. Correction: Male calves from the dairy industry are fed a LOW-iron diet to make them anemic and their flesh light color. However, on the video I said, "High-iron diet." oops.

Talk at the World Vegan Summit 2015

The mission of the charity I direct, Food for Life Global, is NOT, "feeding the poor" but to UNITE the WORLD THROUGH PURE FOOD. This objective is universal and is based on the principle of spiritual equality as the ultimate solution to poverty and hunger. The inspiration behind Food for Life Global, Srila Prabhupada, told us that we should not discriminate and that our pure food should be liberally distributed. It is this unconditional and liberal sharing of pure vegan food that serves to express (in action) that we love all living beings and that everyone is spiritually equal. Once we establish spiritual equality, we can effectively solve all material problems.

In my talk at the World Vegan Summit I explain this concept and give a summary view of the work Food for Life affiliates are doing all over the world. 

Please share and comment. 

Trekking through the Himalayas (POEM)

On Day 1 we gathered -- at an eco hotel,Excited and hopeful -- that all would go well,Sincere seekers of truth, with hearts filled with love,We prayed the Gods would bless us from those mighty peaks above.
On Day 2 we felt grounded -- as we embraced Mother Earth,Appreciating her artistry in stone carvings, and the birth...
of a Nation full of climbers, with calf muscles like granite,
you won't find stronger men by weight on this planet.
On Day 3 we dove deep -- into the Mother divine -- Manifest as Water -- with qualities feminine,Such as softness, compassion, quiteness and adaptability,as well as nurturing, secretiveness and flexibility.
The mighty Trisuli -- would express her powers 3+Her challenging currents -- were more than ample for all of us,While her chilly waters drenched -- our lust for soft beds,The friendly sun shone boldly and warmed our sorry heads.
The Fire energy roared loudly -- as we sat by the banks,
enjoying smores and good company -- while our egos shrank...
from hardened wood to dark coals -- on a black starry night,
we felt invigorated and thankful -- for the grace of fire light.

Fire energy is masculine -- with the power to destroy,
Manifesting as change, war, and fury -- it can melt metals into alloys,
It's erratic behaviour -- is impossible to contain,
and yet, without it's heat and light -- we could not maintain.

On Day 4, vegan pancakes, adorned our hungry plates,
prepared with love by Juliana -- we all could hardly wait,
We then drove to Pokhara -- to settle down for the night,
the first day of our trek -- was now close within our sights.

On Day 5 we were greeted -- with the most glorious sunrise,
set against a mighty backdrop -- of glorious mountain highs,
As snowy peaks pierced the skyline, and clouds danced around,
We practiced yoga that morning -- our energy unbound.

After a short morning commute -- we arrived at Nayapal,
the starting place of our trek -- a humble village in Nepal,
It was there we met "Yuddhi" a street dog with a smile,
She would walk with us gladly, for the next few miles.


We trekked up and down -- "Nepali flat" we were told,
it wasn't easy for any of us, but thank God it was not cold,
Today would be easy -- compared to tomorrow's big ascent,
Our porters, led by "Babu" walked with focused intent.

We stayed overnight in a guest house, some 1600 meters high,
Although the air was getting cleaner -- we all had sore thighs,
The rooms were very humble and the food simple fare,
but nobody complained -- and nor did anyone care.

Our hearts were being enriched -- with every step we trod,
lifting our heavy boots -- while straining our quads,
On Day 6 we soared higher, up the steps to Ghorepani,over 4000 to be exact, and boy, it was not funny.

By the end of the day -- we were exhausted and very sore,
but elated we had scaled over 1100 meters more.
"This was now getting serious," our minds cried out in pain,
I admired the determination of Ivas, as he focused on the gain.

While Bob and Cyndi took their time -- setting a steady pace,
Juliana shadowed Babu -- with a mountan-climber's face,
Matching his pace all the way, while glaring at his shoes,
The mountain "pokerdot jersey" was hers to lose.

Meanwhile, Billy quietly ascended, holding sticks in both hands,
Like the great men before him, he made proud Deutschland,
Just behind him was Santa, snapping photos all the way,
while encouraging her man, Ivars, to the Gods she would pray.


On Day 7 we arose early -- to catch the sunrise,
scaling the top of Poonhil -- we found clear blue skies.
I did headstands for my album, while we celebrated the new day,
after sun gazing respectfully -- to Gayatri we did pray.


To Juliana's delight -- her friend Yuddhi did appear,
It was some kind of miracle -- she ascended without fear,
She'd never done this trek -- and was barely 1-year-old,
and yet here she was smiling, wagging her tail so bold.


A great day to honour Fire and Air -- combined in one breath,
enriching our lungs and eyes -- we pushed away death.
Onwards went our trekking -- as we headed for Tadapani,
Some 5-6 hours later it was still very sunny.

The weather kept cooperating -- everyday we felt blessed,
Making our trek all the more easier, as we walked in light dress.
Breathing deeply and slowly -- absorbing the mountain chi,
Our faces grew younger -- as they filled with utter glee.

The quality of Air is feminine -- embodying a soft touch,
expansive thoughts, sweet fragrance and detachment as such.
We arrived at the Discovery Hotel, complete with spectacular views,
and bedded down for the night, to start a day anew.

On Day 8 we ventured downward -- to a place called Chomarong,
In the evening, we all spontaneously broke out in devotional song.
After a demanding descent to Jhihu -- that stressed our knees and calves,
It was time to soak our aching limbs in a refreshing hot bath.

The natural hot springs replenished -- our weary sore feet,
As we soaked and wrinkled up -- we shared stories in the heat,
While the rapids churned powerfully -- creating a pleasant natural song,
rain drops fell softly -- it seemed nothing could go wrong.

Returning to our new guest rooms, 30 minutes up the hill,
We witnessed Mother Nature's power -- as hail did fill...
the courtyard beside our rooms -- crashing hard on the rooftop,
If it had come earlier today -- our trek would have to stop.

 But the Gods were blessing us -- it was very easy to see,
Our guide and porters kept telling us -- how lucky we had been,
Clear views, bright colours -- and perfect paths to walk,
The Himalayas were so kind to us - I swear I could hear them talk...

To each and everyone of us -- a personal spiritual song,
One we could personally relate too -- one that would make us strong,
As we expanded our consciousness - to embrace these new ideas,
We felt invigorated like children -- with suction cups for ears.

For today was about Ether -- and the intention it contains,
We should direct our thoughts to positive things -- and eschew all things mundane,
We must master our mischievous tongues -- with pure food and pure talk,
by praising others, giving gratitude and wielding a conscious fork.

On Day 9 we returned to Nayapal -- back to where we had begun,
Feeling tired but satisfied -- the adventure had been so much fun.
As we drove back to our hotel -- Nepalese folk songs played aloud,
As the leader of the group -- I could not be more proud.

That evening I led everyone -- on a visual meditation,
guiding them to each Element -- to pause for appreciation,
How Mother Nature embraces us -- with unconditional love,
How God is ever present -- and not solely in heaven above.

Each element expresses -- in multifarious ways,
Through energy, food, behaviour -- and even what we say,
We are personified energy -- experiencing material form,
It is imperative we realize -- our soul is never born.

For energy is eternal -- just changing shape and space,
What we know of each other -- should be more than just a face,
Look behind the eyes of others -- to see their force inside,
Embrace your soul divinity -- with mountainous pride.


(c) 2015 Paul Rodney Turner

Living without money -- Is that the best answer to peace and happiness?

Is it possible to feel rich without possessions? Can you live happily without money? In the documentary Living Without Money , we meet the German woman Heidemarie Schwermer who made a deliberate choice to live without money 14 years ago.


I have lived without money, maybe not exactly the way Ms. Schwermer has done, but when I took a vow to be a monk at age 19, that came with the condition that I would have very few possessions, would not own property, nor have a bank account, etc.

I had not actually had a bank account even before I became a monk, preferring to trade in cash only. Very old school, you might say. In any case, throughout my time as a monk (14 years) I traveled to at least 40 countries, without ever having a bank account, credit card or health insurance. I totally depended upon the mercy of God for my maintenance in exchange for the service I would render. I would collect money, but always used it for service and never for personal gain. You may be shocked to learn that I never actually opened a bank account or owned a credit card until I was 34 years old.

It was a liberating feeling to not be controlled by money, but one that I had gotten used to. Only later did I fully understood the value of it once I left my vows as a monk and got married. Suddenly, an avalanche of responsibility hit me like a ton of bricks. The complexity of modern lifestyle finally caught up with me. I was trapped like everyone else, it seemed. At least externally.

Money is Energy
It has been 18 years since I left the simple lifestyle of monkhood, but many of the lessons learned still remain strong. Although I now accept money to function in this world, I am certainly not attached to it like most people are. I understand money to be energy, something we use to effect change. However, even though this is a healthy way to view money, it does not dismiss the fact that the economic system that rules this world is exploitive and damaging at its core to the vast majority of the population. Just like a knife in the hands of a gangster can cause harm and yet that same knife in the hands of a trained surgeon can save a life; similarly, money in the control of a sinister, self-serving person can cause havoc while that same money in the hands of a great humanitarian can do miracles. 
Ms. Schwermer and people like her are helping us realize that we do not need to be slaves of this paper-thin economic system to be happy -- that there is an alternative. We can be happy without money. That is a good thing. The problem, however, is how to move enough people to embrace that paradigm without causing harm. We have all become so dependent on paper money. Time is the great healer though and I am sure that in time, this paper system will collapse and a more conscientious and service-based economy will take over. When that happens, is anyone's guess, but it's certainly possible, based on the example of Ms. Schwermer and my own personal experience.

Service-based economy
A few years back, I played with an idea to start a barter-based economic system called BARTZ. I developed the service-based model and was preparing to launch a website to see how it would take hold. Sadly, it never got off the drawing board. I am sure I am not the first to fail in this regard, but maybe, just maybe, people like Ms. Schwermer can inspire enough of us to follow through and believe in the power of one person to make a real difference and affect change. 

The Secret is in the Kitchen
I hope this is true and have dedicated a large part of my life moving in that hopeful direction with my work at Food for Life Global. Our mission is somewhat idealistic, but I believe, very doable, simply because it is based on the solid foundation of universal truth. Everyone eats and food is central to every culture on the planet. Therefore, is it not logical that the solution for real change can be found right in the kitchen? The only thing missing with this notion is the spiritual message that the unconditional sharing of food conveys and that is exactly where Food for Life Global sets itself apart from other non-profit organizations.

We are not a food relief organization, although we sometimes categorize ourselves that way for convenience. We are in fact, a peace organization, with our preferred method of establishing peace being, to liberally share the purest of food. When pure food is cooked with love and then served with love, we communicate through our actions, that we love you; we care about you; we are all family. That is the message that is most needed today -- in a world so divided by race, color, religion, and economics. We are all spiritually equal. 
Now how does this apply to the model of living without money? Simply, if we all believed that we are all spiritually equal, then poverty, hunger and a host of other social problems would disappear overnight. Essentially, we would be achieving the same results that Ms. Schwermer and others are aiming for, but in a way that is both culturally and spiritually significant to every human on the planet. And might I add, way more socially acceptable and enjoyable.

Never underestimate the power of food.

Visit the Food for Life Global website

What was it like being a monk? Do you have a specific question?

My dear friends and readers...

I am wondering what sort of information you prefer to get from me. As you can see, I cover a wide variety of topics, but naturally some articles do better than others.

I love to talk about spiritual perspectives, consciousness, my charity work and numerology, but there are so many other topics untouched that I am happy to share. One in particular was my time as a monk.

What was it like being a monk for 14 years? 

I'd love to get such questions to stimulate new topics to discuss.

In short: being a monk was akin to being a marine, only we never carried a gun and didn't kill people, but the lifestyle was genuinely austere.

I shaved my head, slept on the hard floor without a pillow, took cold showers, arose at 3am, studied the scripture for 2 hours, meditated daily for 2 hours, ate a regulated diet and at regulated times, worked all day and then went to sleep at 9.30pm only to repeat the same over and over again for 14 years. I never had a holiday during that time. I never had a social life outside of the temple functions. I was 100% celibate.  

So please ask a question. Any question you want about my life as a monk.

Over to you.

- Paul

Now 2014 is over what can we expect of 2015

Every year has a flavour or lesson to teach and 2014 was a classic 7 year for most people -- a year of loss, sacrifice, selfless service, contemplation and soul searching. For many it was a down year -- a year to reflect on the blessings of the things and people we lost and a year where progress was slow, but steady.

Next year, will be a year 8 and if all indications are correct, it should be a year where we walk in truth, with confidence and love. It will be a year to express your unique voice and independence, but in doing that you should never lose sight of the people that have helped you get where you are today. The number 8 is famously popular in Chinese tradition as a number of prosperity, leadership and imperial control and even in the Greek Numerological system that is also the case, with many destiny 8 people expressing themselves as leaders of organizations.

If you are in a personal 8 growth year then it is a year where you will come into all kinds of opportunities for financial gain and leadership. You can work out your personal growth year by adding your day + month + 2 + 0 + 1 + 5

8 is also SaturnIn Astrology 8 is the number for Saturn which is named after the Roman god of agriculture, indicates Saturn's connection to prosperity and abundance.

The Saturn symbol is composed of two design elements, the top cross which is symbolic of the function of a intense focus and the culmination of matter. The second component is a crescent or sickle which it signifies receptivity or reaping rewards. This is an interesting feature of the icon because Saturn is often associated with themes of death. In the archetype of death, the sickle is carried to acknowledge the opportune moment of harvesting our current life.

The theme of harvesting associated with Saturn relates to recycling the old for the new. Furthermore, the underlying mythology associated with Saturn reveal that the god Saturn dethroned his father, Uranus, symbolizing the changing of the old regime (death) to a new one (rebirth).

In animal symbolism, Saturn historically governs snakes, mice, foxes, dragons, and nocturnal birds of prey such as the owl. It is interesting to note that the owl is commonly misunderstood as a symbol of death and it appears that this fallacy must have originated from its ancient association with Saturn.
In symbolic alchemy, Saturn doubles as a symbol for lead. Philosophical alchemy explains that lead is a component of transformation brought about from hardening, strengthening and staunch willpower.
In astrology, Saturn rules the sign of Capricorn. This sign, as its ruling planet, moves through life with slower, methodical, purposeful structure. 
I expect 2015 to be a year of leadership, prosperity and renewal for most people and especially those that are destiny 8s. What is your destiny number? Simply add all your birthday numbers together. 
To learn more about your numbers or get a reading, contact me at www.soulyantra.com/numerology