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Many of us have read or heard the macroteacher/leader say that synthetic clothing is bad for you. Try buying everything in natural fabrics, now-a-days. If one works or plays outdoors in the winter, natural outdoor clothing is especially difficult. And things can be worse if one is a special size. Try convincing manufacturers of clothing that synthetics are bad. What are you going to do, give them a lecture on macrobiotics to prove to them that synthetics are bad? So you can try to communicate to them in their language/context. But if so, what do you say? Or do you give up and "bite the bullet" and wear synthetic clothing? Do you make all your own clothing or just stay indoors? It seems to me that if macrobiotic teachers were to communicate beliefs about the quality of phenomena in the universe (especially as used by humans) then they could at least also explain things in the terminology of the dominant culture so when the students are trying to communicate with others they wouldn't be so handicapped. It seems to me that most of the non-macrobiotically-oriented individuals that are receptive to macrobiotic philosophy (and are willing to learn the terminology as well as the philosophy) are the seekers. The rest are not interested in changing their way of thinking and learning a new language and philosophy. Bob's Aunt and girlfriend (on Bob's insistance) went to the packed classroom in L.A. (1983) to hear the charismatic Dutch-Indonesian lecture on macrobiotics and came out to say that they completely disagreed with that teacher/counselor/leader's point of view! Interestingly enough, most of the folks packing that East-West Center's classroom near Fairfax and Melrose, were wildly enthusiastic (probably because many of them were sick and had come to macrobiotics as their last hope) inspite of the beliefs and opinions communicated by that experienced lecturer. Bob, who had sat at the feet of the Boston Japanese teacher/counselor/lecturer in 74-5, a couple of years later failed miserably at giving a lecture in Chapel Hill, North Carolina partly because he was not prepared, but also part because all he could do was parrot the lecture as given by his teacher. Seven years later, after having had alot more experience and having taken a couple of seminars of communicating feelings (given by Barbara De Angelis and John Gray), Bob gave a lecture in that same classroom at the East-West Center and recieved an ovation from the audience following his lecture (in which he met every individual in the audience and shared his beliefs and understandings as just that). It seems that we are working with fractions and the numerator is macrobiotics and the best common denominator is that which we are all willing to share with each other and that is our feelings. I know that there are some of you who say that you are suspicious of the warm-fuzzies or touchy-feelies but isn't true that you get in touch with that part of yourself at times wither it is with your significant other in an intinate embrace, or when someone or some scene touches you to your very core. Well, this is something that virtually all members of the human race have in common. Who here does not get warm feeling in the prescence of an infant that you have just met? I'm saying that judgement separates us but feelings bring us together and we could best influence each other and the rest of the world (more people will listen), if we blend in more feeling(s) with those thoughts, ideas, opinions, and judgements in our talks, discussions, lectures, and writings. And, by the way, what do we do about that fabric of clothing question? Thank you, very much. Bruce Paine
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