Consultations are held at
Elephant
Pharmacy at 1607 Shattuck Avenue at Cedar (7 blocks north of University
Avenue) - 8 blocks walk from the
Downtown Berkeley Shattuck BART station), Berkeley, California 94709
Director:
Losang Jinpa (Michael Reid Kreuzer),
D.Ayur,
Ph.D Buddhist Ayurveda (1)
510-292-6696
Call to Book Appointment
www.Ayurveda-Berkeley.com
Please CALL US,
no e-mail available.
The Medicine Buddha Healing Center, the Ayurveda Healing Arts Institute, Vipashina Buddha College, the Dhanvantari Ayurveda Center, Trayam Ministry, Sai Ayurveda, and the San Francisco Ayurveda Center are all non profit 501(c) religious organizations which practice Buddhist and Vedic Ayurveda, the Tibetan and Chinese healing arts, Yoga, and Jyotish as part of our deeply held religious beliefs. Below is a copy of Medicine Buddha Healing Center's founding Articles of Association and Organization (Creed and Constitution) available for public inspection. We provide these Articles of Association and Organization online in a publicly available form for two reasons: 1. As a 501(c)3 we make them available to the public. 2. We wish to offer these Articles of Association as a template for all healers who consider their healing practice to be their constitutionally protected religion and religious practice and wish to establish a Church for the purpose of more formally and publicly declaring their constitutional rights.
Disclaimer: Material below is
for educational and religious purposes only. This material is not intended as
legal advice, or to replace the services of
qualified legal experts.
We wish to thank for their great inspiration over the years,
Dr. Patch Adams, M.D. of the Gesundheit! Institute (www.PatchAdams.org),
Dr. Larry Wilson,
Candice Cantin Packard,
Dr. Albert Schweitzer
and all men and women
concerned with our freedom and rights under the law.
Here is a copy of the latest full text of the July 2004 revision of the "Articles of Association and Organization" of the Medicine Buddha Healing Center / Ayurveda Healing Arts Institute. Below are only excepts.
Homage to Lord Dhanwanthari - Master Ayurvedic Healer - God of Medicine. OM DHANVANTARAYE NAMAHA
1st Revision, adopted, accepted and ratified by the Founding Board of Directors on August 6, 2002.
Medicine Buddha Healing Center
Medicine Buddha Healing Center
1st Revision, adopted, accepted and ratified by the Founding Board of Directors on August 6, 2002.
We the undersigned members and founders of the non-profit Church called the Medicine Buddha Healing Center, being of legal age and sound mind and body, desiring to reach enlightenment and self-realization and to carry out the Mission of Healing and Education, in order to form a non-profit religious church as a legally binding Non-Incorporated Association[1], certify as follows and do hereby adopt these Articles of Association and Organization, our founding and legal governing instrument and solemnly pledge ourselves to be governed by its provisions.
Name and Association and Declaration
Declaration of Religious Faith, Practices and Constitutional Rights
Ancient Scriptural Language and Sacred Text Study Abroad: A Formal Missionary Exchange Program
Programs, Retreats, and Ancient Religious Holidays Celebrated by the Ministry, Center, and Temple.
Declaration of Belief in Karma and the Three Humors
Initiate’s Declaration of First Amendment Constitutional Rights
Initiate’s “Laying of Hands” is NOT Massage Therapy
Initiate’s Are Not Practicing Medicine, But Are Practicing Religion
Initiates Are Not Practicing Medicine, But Are Practicing Religion
Initiate’s Are Not Practicing Nutrition or Dietetics, But Are Practicing Religion
Medicine Buddha Healing Center and Temple Initiates Refrain from Drugs and Intoxicants:
Shamanistic and Tantric Techniques
Nature of the Church (Ministry, Center and Temple, and its Congregation)
Statement of Purpose of the Church (Ministry, Center and Temple, and its Congregation)
Statement of the Legal Powers of the Ministry, Center and Temple
Statement of the Ministry, Center and Temple Affiliation
No Private Benefit or Inurement by the Church or Its Congregation and Management
Assets Dedicated to our Exempt Religious Purpose:
Membership in the Ministry, Center and Temple
Privileges and Duties of Members of the Congregation
Non-Discriminatory Policy of this Congregation, Ministry, Center and Temple, and its Initiates
Initiates (Ministers) of the Ministry, Center, and Temple
The Officers of the Non-Incorporated Non-Profit Association
Limitation of the Powers of Committees
Amendments to the Articles of Association and Organization
Miscellaneous Articles and Important Legal Statements
Exclusively Religious Purpose, Organization and Actions of Medicine Buddha Healing Center:
Non-Involvement in Political Activity:
Information Provided to Donors:
Public Inspection of Exemption Applications:
Limited to our Non-Profit Religious Purpose
Approval of these Articles of Association and Organization
C1.01: The name of this legally binding and organized Non-Incorporated Non-Profit Association, a religious congregation (Church), shall be “Medicine Buddha Healing Center.” Additional formal legal names shall also lawfully refer to this Non-Incorporated Non-Profit Association as “Dhanvantari Ayurveda Ministry, Medicine Buddha Healing Center, Dhanvantari Ayurveda Temple, Dhanvantari Healing Center, Dhanvantari Ayurvedic Institute, Dhanvantari College of Ayurveda, Dhanvantari Ayurveda College, Dhanvantari Press, Dhanvantari Publishing, Dhanvantari Yoga, Dhanvantari Herbs, Dhanvantari Jyotisha, Dhanvantari Ayurveda.” Dhanvantari Healing Center, Dhanvantari Ayurvedic Institute, Dhanvantari College of Ayurveda, Dhanvantari Ayurveda College, Dhanvantari Press, Dhanvantari Publishing, Dhanvantari Yoga, Dhanvantari Herbs, Dhanvantari Jyotisha, Dhanvantari Academy, Dhanvantari Ayurveda, Dhanvantari Spiritual Journeys” are not “integrated auxiliaries,” nor a “related organizations,” nor “separate legal entities” of Dhanvantari Ayurveda Ministry, Medicine Buddha Healing Center, Dhanvantari Ayurveda Temple, Dhanvantari Healing Center, Dhanvantari Ayurvedic Institute, Dhanvantari College of Ayurveda, Dhanvantari Ayurveda College, Dhanvantari Press, Dhanvantari Publishing, Dhanvantari Yoga, Dhanvantari Herbs, Dhanvantari Jyotisha, Dhanvantari Ayurveda, and Dhanvantari Spiritual Journeys are simply additional legal names for the Association called Medicine Buddha Healing Center.
C1.02: For the purpose of these Articles of Association and Organization and any future By-laws or Amendments, “Medicine Buddha Healing Center” also legally referred to as “Dhanvantari Ayurveda Ministry, Medicine Buddha Healing Center, Dhanvantari Ayurveda Temple, Dhanvantari Healing Center, Dhanvantari Ayurvedic Institute, Dhanvantari College of Ayurveda, Dhanvantari Ayurveda College, Dhanvantari Press, Dhanvantari Publishing, Dhanvantari Yoga, Dhanvantari Herbs, Dhanvantari Jyotisha, Dhanvantari Academy, Dhanvantari Ayurveda.” Dhanvantari Healing Center, Dhanvantari Ayurvedic Institute, Dhanvantari College of Ayurveda, Dhanvantari Ayurveda College, Dhanvantari Press, Dhanvantari Publishing, Dhanvantari Yoga, Dhanvantari Herbs, Dhanvantari Jyotisha, Dhanvantari Ayurveda, Dhanvantari Spiritual Journeys,” shall be hereinafter referred to as the “Ministry, Center and Temple,” as the “Ministry,” as the “Association,” as the “Non-Incorporated Non-Profit Association,” as the “Congregation,” as the “Church,” as “our,” and as “we.”
C1.03: This Ministry, Center, and Temple shall be a Non-Incorporated Non-Profit Association.
C1.04: This Ministry, Center and Temple is organized and publicly operated[2] exclusively[3] for non-profit religious purposes[4] elaborated in these Articles of Association and Organization, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue law. The nature of the business and purposes to be conducted or promoted by the Non-Incorporated Non-Profit Association are to engage, carry on and conduct any lawful act or activity permitted to legal Non-Incorporated Non-Profit Associations and to Churches and in addition to, and without limiting generality of the foregoing, the following is permitted our Non-Incorporated Non-Profit Association:
Our Non-Incorporated Non-Profit Association (Ministry, Center and Temple and its founding congregation) declares and legally claims the following (which shall be described in detail later in the rest of these Articles of Association and Organization):
a.) A distinct legal existence: We are a formal legal entity called a Non-Incorporated Non-Profit Association[5].
b.) A recognized creed and form of worship: Hinduism and all of its religious derivatives, Ayurveda, Yoga, Jyotisha, Vedanta, Buddhism, Chinese Healing Arts and their myriad spiritual practices.
c.) A definite and distinct ecclesiastical government: The Board of Directors, the Congregation Committees and regular Congregation Meetings, and the Organizations within the Ministry, Center, and Temple.
d.) A formal code of doctrine and discipline: The ancient Ayurveda, Yoga, Jyotisha, Vedanta and Chinese Healing Arts Scriptures and Teachings.
e.) A distinct religious history: Our religious tradition dates back to the founding of Ayurveda, Yoga, Jyotisha, Vedanta and Chinese Healing Arts, at least 2500 years ago. The ancient Ayurveda, Yoga, Jyotisha, Vedanta and Chinese Healing Arts Scriptures.
f.) A membership not associated with any other church or denomination: Our congregation is not directly affiliated with an organized religion. Ayurveda, Yoga, Jyotisha, Vedanta and Chinese Healing Arts are not an organized religion in the Catholic, Christian or “Western” sense, nor is it the intent of the Ministry, Center, and Temple to promote its religious philosophy solely without regard to the philosophic or religious tenets and beliefs of those who seek its service. To do so would violate the compassionate and inclusive tenets of Ayurveda, Yoga, Jyotisha, Vedanta and Chinese Healing Arts. Hence, our Ministry, Center, and Temple are open to adherents of any spiritual tradition or of no particular tradition at all.
g.) An organization of ordained ministers ministering to our congregation: We train and ordain Initiates who minister to our congregation.
h.) Ordained ministers selected after completing a prescribed course of study: Ayurveda, Yoga, Jyotisha, Vedanta and Chinese Healing Arts being a religion that encourages scholastic endeavors blended with spiritual practice, we prescribe a thorough course of formal and informal study for our Initiates (Ministers) before ordination. This prescribed course of study is called the: Initiate Training Ordination Program.
i.) A literature of our own: We follow the unique Sutra Scriptures of Ayurveda, Yoga, Jyotisha, Vedanta and Chinese Healing Arts and their liturgical teachings. These ancient Scriptures and Holy Writ are formally taught to potential ordained Initiates and have been rigorously and formally studied by our Initiates.
j.) Established places of worship: Initiates (Ministers) provide regular public worship services at our Ministry, Center and Temple.
k.) Regular congregations: Our Ministry, Center, and Temple publish our regular congregational worship schedule via routine distribution of flyers, advertisements, and via electronic mail or our website. This ensures a regular congregation of worshipers and spiritual practitioners.
l.) Regular religious services: Our regularly published worship services and retreats attract consistent congregations of worshipers and spiritual practitioners.
m.) School for preparation of its ministers: We formally prepare Initiates for ministerial service to our congregation and to support the Dharma (the Ayurveda, Yoga, Jyotisha, Vedanta and Chinese Healing Arts Scriptures and Teachings), and the Sangha (the lay and religious practitioners).
C1.05: Additionally, we wish to confirm that our Ministry, Center, and Temple:
a.) Hold services and meetings on a regular basis;
b.) Have ministers (Initiates) and other representatives;
c.) Have a record of performing Ayurveda, Yoga, Jyotisha, Vedanta and Chinese Healing Arts ceremonies and sacraments;
d.) Ordain ministers (Initiates);
e.) Require some financial support by its members (congregation);
f.) Have a formal existence and operation (as a Non-Incorporated Non-Profit Association governed by the laws of the State of California and organized and publicly operated exclusively for the religious purposes elaborated in these Articles of Association and Organization);
g.) Satisfy all other requirements of Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3);
h.) Have a body of believers or communicants who assemble regularly in order to worship;
i.) Are protected and entitled to and now, hereby claim, any and all rights granted under the First Amendment[6] and the Ninth Amendment of the United States Constitution. Our rights that we claim are not limited to those granted under the First Amendment and the Ninth Amendment of the United States Constitution. This association and its congregation, members, Initiates, Directors, and Officers hereby formally declare: “All rights reserved without prejudice.”
C1.06: Additionally, we wish to confirm that the period of existence of our Non-incorporated Non-Profit Association (Ministry, Center, and Temple) is perpetual.
C1.07: The address of the Non-Incorporated Non-Profit Association's initial
registered office is Berkeley, California 94703. The IRS EIN ______-_________________________ (Employer Identification Number)
Notification Form address[7]
is listed as Berkeley, California 94703 since this is the Ministry’s, Center’s,
and Temple’s initial founding address of the President of the Association and
the registered agent at this address is Ven. Losang Jinpa, a Buddhist
postulant to the Anagarika novice monkhood.
C1.08: The number of trustees (directors) of the Non-Incorporated Non-Profit
Association shall be not less than three and not more than eleven. The number
of trustees constituting the initial Board of Directors is three and the names
and addresses, and position of the trustees are as follows (See Chapter 11 - The
Board of Directors - for details)
Founding President: Rev. Vijaya Stalings President and
Swami Member
e-mail:
Not Available
Telephone: 510-292-6696
_____________________________________________ Date: ___________________
Founding Secretary: Ven. Losang Jinpa Secretary and Initiate
Member
e-mail:
Not Available
Telephone: 510-292-6696
_____________________________________________ Date: ___________________
Founding Treasurer: Rev. Jill Potratz Treasurer and
Initiate Member
e-mail:
Not Available
_____________________________________________ Date: ___________________
The names and addresses of the founders and initial congregation members of the Non Incorporated Non-Profit Association are as follows:
Rev.
Vijaya Stalings Founding President and Swami Member
e-mail:
Not Available
Telephone: Not Available
Ven. Losang Jinpa Founding Secretary and
Swami Member
e-mail:
Not Available
Telephone: 510-292-6696
Jill
Potratz Founding Treasurer and
Initiate Member
e-mail:
Not Available
Telephone: Not Available
C1.09: The “Association Seal” (similar to a Corporate Seal) of the Non-Incorporated Non-Profit Association shall have inscribed thereon the name: “Medicine Buddha Healing Center”
As part of our rights protected under the Articles of the Constitution of the United States of America, we hereby declare the following formal religious tenets and beliefs and practices.
C2.01: Our Ministry, Center, and Temple declares that it believes that all the created universe is an aspect of the One God. We also believe in our separate yet connected manifestations of the One God: Ganesha and the Ascended Masters including the compassionate Kwan Yin (Indian Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva) as well as Patanjali, Dhanvantari, Medicine Master Buddha and Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (Ammachi).
C2.02: Our Ministry, Center, and Temple educates people in the care of their body as a temple of the Soul and as the best means of achieving dharma (life purpose, spiritual duty), artha (resources needed to achieve one’s life purpose), kama (happiness that comes from fulfilling one’s life purpose), and moksha (liberation, freedom, nirvana that comes as a fruit of accomplishing one’s dharma). We believe that one cannot attain spiritual enlightenment, moksha, unless one has health and balance of mind, body, and spirit.
C2.03: Our Ministry, Center and Temple declares that there is evidence that our faith, study, practices and spiritual tradition is rooted in and derived from the ancient teachings of Jyotisha, Ayurveda, Yoga, Hinduism and Buddhism.
C2.04: Our Ministry, Center, and Temple declares that we practice the Way of the Yogi and that there is scholarly, archeological, and anthropological extant evidence that our faith, study, practices, and spiritual tradition are based on the ancient faith, study, practices and spiritual tradition taught in the Religious Sutra Scriptures as elaborated in the following age-old Holy Writ:
1.) The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.
2.) The Bhagavad Gita Scriptures.
3.) The Eight Upanishads Scriptures.
4.) Vagbhata’s Astangha Hridayam and Samgraha Samhita Scriptures.
5.) Sushruta Samhita Scripture.
6.) Caraka Samhita Scripture.
7.) The Brhat Parasara Hora Scripture.
8.) Mantreshvara’s Phaladipika Scripture.
9.) The Atharva-Veda, Yajur-Veda, Sama-Veda, and Rig-Veda Scriptures
C2.05: We declare that these nine key Scriptures written over 1500 to 2500 years ago by famous Hindu, Buddhist and Yogic Sages from India form the unique heart of the religious teachings and practices of our Ministry, Center, and Temple. As part of our Ministry, Center, and Temple, we encourage people to read, chant, study, meditate on, and practice these nine great Scriptures. Using these nine great Scriptures as our core teachings, we formally prepare Initiates for ministerial service to our congregation and to support the Dharma (Hindu and Yogic Scriptures and Teachings) and the Sangha (the lay and religious practitioners).
C2.06. In addition to the above nine core Scriptures, we also encourage the study and practice of the moral, religious and day-to-day teachings of the following texts and teacher’s works which are also part of our Holy Sutra Scriptures: Vriddhajivaka's Kashyapa Samhita Scripture, Madhava’s Nidana Roga Viniscaya, Sharngadhara’s Samhita, Bhava Mishra’s Bhavaprakasha, Jesus Christ’s New Testament, Lao Tsu’s Tao Te Ching, Confucius’s Book of Changes, Huang Di’s Nei Jing, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, and the works and teachings of honored healing wise dharma teachers such as Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (Ammachi), J. Krishnamurti, Vasant Lad, Lapsang Rapgay, Yeshe Dhonden, Tsewang Tsarong, Kelsang Dorjee, Sunil Joshi, Terry Clifford, Patch Adams, Bhagwan Das, P.H. Kulkarni, P.T Ramnarayan Sharma, Prakash Paranjpe, Gyanendra Pandey, K.R. Srikantha Murty, V.B. Athavale, Damodar Joshi, Larry Dossey, Philippe Sionneau, Bob Flaws, Dan Bensky, Peter Holmes, Giovanni Maciocia, Henry C. Lu, Jake Fratkin, Charles Belanger, Daniel Reid, Jinpa Moore, Jinpa Tierra, Paul Pitchford, Candice Cantin Packard, and others.
C2.07: All Sutra Scriptures and Sacred Literature of the Ministry, Center, and Temple or any other books that propagate and reveal the Dharma (the Religious Scriptures and Teachings) exist for the purpose of causing people to encounter joy and avoid misery, to change from falseness and move toward truth, to recognize the original Self (The Divine Nature), and to move into a state of union with God.
C2.08:
a.) Although our Scriptures have been translated to English, in order to fathom their profound meaning in the original language, we encourage our congregation to study Sanskrit, Prakrit, Hindi, Pali, Tibetan, and Chinese languages, as some of our Initiates have done and continue to do.
b.)
To this end, we declare that our Ministry, Center, and Temple and its
congregation and members encourage and financially support our President (the
Rector of the Ministry) and duly and fairly selected Initiates in their
continued study of Ayurveda, Yoga, Jyotisha, Vedanta and Chinese Healing Arts
and related sciences (including Sanskrit, Tibetan and Chinese):
1. sacred site pilgrimages;
2. local USA-based study;
3. study abroad, and;
4. through inviting and sponsoring both secular and clerical
native-speaking Ayurveda, Yoga, Jyotisha, Vedanta and Chinese Healing Arts
practitioners and healers from abroad to come teach at our Ministry, Center, and
Temple as guest Initiates.
c.) To this end, we declare that it is our intent to develop a formal Missionary Exchange Program by working in concert with the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and any foreign consulates or embassies to obtain visas both for our Initiates to travel abroad and Jyotisha, Ayurveda, Tibetan Medicine and Yoga practitioners and healers to obtain “missionary status” visas for exchange visits to come live at and be financially support by our Ministry, Center, and Temple.
C2.09: We observe and celebrate the following holidays and offer the following regularly scheduled educational, Minister Ordination Trainings, religious services, and retreats; additional educational, Minister Ordination Trainings, religious services, and retreats may be established by the President.
January: New Year’s Meditation Retreat.
February: Birth of Ganesha (February 16), Beginning of Lenten Fast.
March: Exalted Buddhist Saint Kwan Yin (Indian Avalokiteshvara) Great Compassion Bodhisattva’s Birthday – Prayer Mantra Recitation and Ceremony, Ides of March Divine Vision Anniversary, Spring Equinox Meditation.
April: Good Friday (Jesus Christ’s Samadhi Day), Easter Sunday (Jesus Christ’s Nirvana Enlightenment Day) Prayer Recitation.
May: Mother’s Day Prayer Recitation.
June: 5 Week Summer Intensive Initiate Sangha-Laity Training Ordination Program begins, Father’s Day Prayer Recitation, Summer Solstice Meditation.
July: Guru Purnima, Mantra Prayer for the Peace and Protection of the Nation
August: Graduation from our Foundation-Level, Intermediate-Level and Advanced-Level 12 Month Initiate Sangha-Laity Training Ordination Program
September: Foundation-Level, Intermediate-Level and Advanced-Level 12 Month Advanced Initiate Training Ordination Program begins and Autumnal Equinox Meditation.
October: Medicine Master Buddha’s Birthday Mantra Prayer Recitation and Ceremony
November: Dhanvantari Meditation, Advanced-Level 2 Month Study-Abroad Initiate Sangha-Laity Training Ordination Program / India Sacred Site Pilgrimage.
December: Winter Solstice Meditation, Christmas Prayer Recitation.
C2.10: We declare that we believe that karma (actions and thoughts made in this life and in past lives of earlier incarnations) influence our health and well-being. Hence, we declare that the Initiates of this Ministry, Center, and Temple teach that each person is responsible for their health and well being and that the choices they make each day will affect their health, inner peace, and spiritual enlightenment. We further acknowledge that all ill health is further affected by our food and drink, our daily conduct (vihara in Sanskrit), the time or season, and by toxic, evil or malevolent matter, energies, spirits (bhutas in Sanskrit). All of these factors cause vitiation, accumulation, aggravation, spreading, deposition, manifestation, and differentiation of the three humors (doshas in Sanskrit) into the body-mind-spirit complex’s tissues.
C2.11:
a.) We declare that we believe in and recognize the Divine Spirit of the Universe (the Higher Self), for the Spirit makes things live or die, to suffer or to be healed. We believe in devotionally surrendering to God. In the Healing Arts traditions that we follow, a healer regards herbs and healing substances, ministrations, rituals, ceremonies, modalities, and regimens, as actual religious offerings to all medicine deities such as Sri Dhanvantari, Sri Ganesha and Sri Medicine Buddha. Sri Vaidya Charaka (one of the Healer-Saint-Sages of our spiritual tradition) affirms, "He who regards kindness to humanity as his supreme religion and treats his patients accordingly, succeeds best in achieving his aims of life and obtains the greatest pleasure."[8]
b.) We declare that we believe that the sacerdotal or spiritual administration of, use of, growth of, harvest of, production of, procurement of, import of, export of, development of, refinement of, study of, formulation of, concoction of, decoction of, powdering of, tincture of, herbal wine of, tea-making of, capsulation of, ingestion of, smoking of, gift of, offering of, non-profit sale of, education on, or spiritual recommendation of (pastoral counseling) by our Initiates to any of our congregation and to others who freely seek our healing items, services and publications (or by our congregation members to each other or to others who seek our services) of any Chinese, Tibetan, Native American, Western, and Indian herbs, foods, oils, ghees (clarified herbal butter), vitamins, minerals, and enzymes as spiritual sattvic (“more pure than kosher”) food supplements (see the Food and Drug Administration’s [FDA] DSHEA Act [Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act ][9]) are an integral part of our ancient religious tenets, beliefs, doctrines and are hence, constitutionally protected religious tenets, beliefs, doctrines and practices. We declare that any governmental (federal, FDA, state, or local) or private attempts to seize, confiscate, appropriate, impound, or commandeer in any way the above declared herbs, foods, oils, ghees (clarified herbal butter), vitamins or minerals (which may be the property of the Ministry, Center, and Temple, its congregation, Initiates, or members) is in violation of our now declared First[10], Fourth, Sixth and Ninth Amendment Constitutional rights. We declare, all rights reserved without prejudice. We declare that any governmental (federal, FDA, state or local) or private attempts to monitor, restrict, regulate, police, standardize, enforce licensing of, illegalize, oppress, suppress, limit, curb, check or control the above declared utilization of such herbs, foods, oils, ghees (clarified herbal butter), vitamins or minerals is in violation of our now formally declared First, Fourth, Sixth and Ninth Amendment Constitutional rights[11]. We declare, all rights reserved without prejudice.
c.) We declare that we believe that the sacerdotal or spiritual administration of, use of, growth of, harvest of, production of, procurement of, import of, export of, development of, refinement of, study of, formulation of, concoction of, decoction of, powdering of, tincture of, tea-making of, capsulation of, rendering of, gift of, offering of, non-profit sale of, education on, teaching of, or spiritual recommendation of (pastoral counseling) by our Initiates to any of our congregation and to others who freely seek our healing items, services and publications (or by our congregation members to each other or to others who seek our services) any gentle means of healing which may include but are not limited to spiritual use of ancient holy herbs (food supplements [see the FDA’s DSHEA Act] (see section C2.11.b. entitled: “Declaration of Belief in Divine Spirit and the Religiously Inspired and Divinely Directed Ministerial Path of our Initiates as a Constitutionally Protected Right”), aromas, healing foods, ancient spiritual practices (including but not limited to astrological upaya, yoga cikitsa, kayachikitsa, amaroli, bala-tantra , matr-roga, agada-tantra, bhuta-vidya, rasayana tantra, vajikarna tantra, darshana, sparshan, prasna, rugna patrakam, nadi pariksha, jhiva pariksha, mala pariksha, mutra pariksha, shabda pariksha, akriti pariksha, drig pariksha, chikitsa, rasayana, shodana, pancha karma, snehana, abhyanga, gandusha, karna purana, pada snehan, svedana, tapa svedan, upanaha swedan, ushma swedan, drava sweda, anagni sweda, nadi swedan, vamana, virechan, anuvasana basti, niruha basti, matra basti, nasya, rakta moksha, shamana, deepan, pachan, ksut nigraha, trut nigraha, atapa, chandra seva, anjana, dhumana, netra basti, shiro dhara, ratna chikitsa, asavaarista, Ghana sara, bhasma, aushadha ghrta, avaleha, vatika or bati, churna, kvatha, pastoral counseling, laying of the hands (based on Indian theories of foot, hand, ear, head reflexology, qi [chi] and meridian or srotas theories) along with anointing, color work, dhumana, turiya polarity, urine therapy, marma point pressure, reflexology, steam, mineral, and herbal baths, prayer practice, chanting practice, meditation practice, Yoga practice, astrological consultations, vastu shastra, spiritual journeys, channeling, ritual food consumption, Indian ghati yantra, Indian agni karma practice, Tai Qi practice, Qi Gong practice, and any other non-invasive, positive means of pastoral caring are an integral part of our ancient religious tenets, beliefs, doctrines, and practices and are hence, constitutionally protected religious tenets, beliefs, doctrines and practices. We declare, all rights reserved without prejudice.
d.) We declare that any governmental (federal, FDA, state, or local) or private attempts to seize, confiscate, appropriate, impound, or commandeer in any way the healing items, products, foods, herbs, oils, books, publications and literature, computers, software, programs, written, audio, visual or electronic computer documents, files, records, or any paraphernalia and equipment (which may be the property of the Ministry, Center and Temple, its congregation, Initiates, or members or of those who freely seek our healing items, services and publications) which may be required by us for any or all of the above declared gentle means of healing is in violation of our now declared First, Fourth, Sixth and Ninth Amendment Constitutional rights. We declare, all rights reserved without prejudice. We declare that any governmental (federal, FDA, state or local) or private attempts to monitor, restrict, regulate, police, standardize, enforce licensing of, illegalize, oppress, suppress, limit, curb, check or control any or all of the above declared gentle means of healing is in violation of our now declared First, Fourth, Sixth and Ninth Amendment Constitutional rights. We declare, all rights reserved without prejudice. See section C2.12.3.c. titled “Initiate’s Declaration of First, Fourth, Sixth and Ninth Amendment Constitutional Rights and Rights Conferred by Article I, Section X of the U.S. Constitution (Part of the Informed Consent and Full Disclosure Form)
e.) We believe that by the grace of the benevolence of Ganesha, and, the Divine Spirit, other medicine deities such as Sri Dhanvantari, Medicine Master Buddha and all of the Great Sage Healers, compassion and loving kindness is placed in the heart of our Initiates to help awaken the healing light within an individual. This healing light is the planting of the seeds of enlightenment.
a.) Each of the Initiates of this Ministry, Center, and Temple, as part of our religious tenets and beliefs, shall endeavor to ameliorate the troubles of the members of this congregation and the troubles of all of those who freely seek the healing items, services, and publications of this Ministry, Center and Temple by educating these persons in the ways of wholistic living and thinking. According to the Buddhist tantric yogi Nagarjuna Bodhisattva in his Sutra Scripture the Sushruta Samhita, “By knowing one discipline alone, one cannot arrive at an proper conclusions. Therefore, a healer should study other arts in order to arrive at correct action.”[12]
b.) Hence, we declare that in striving to fulfill this above cited spiritual healing mission, each of the Initiates of this Ministry, Center, and Temple, as part of our religious tenets and beliefs, shall endeavor to teach, minister and implement the both the letter and spirit of the law of the ancient Holy Sutra Scriptures cited in the above sections.
c.) Hence, we declare that in striving to fulfill this above cited spiritual healing mission, each of the Initiates of this Ministry, Center, and Temple, as part of our religious tenets and beliefs, shall endeavor to teach, minister, implement and encourage the use of “gentle means for healing the body-mind-spirit from its afflictions and sufferings” in order to facilitate the possibility of attaining spiritual enlightenment, liberation, moksha.
d.) Hence, we declare that the Initiates of this Ministry, Center and Temple in fulfilling this religious mission may use any gentle means of healing which may include but are not limited to spiritual use of holy herbs (food supplements [see the FDA’s DSHEA Act] and those items listed in C2.11c which are an integral part of our ancient religious tenets, beliefs, doctrines and practices and are hence, constitutionally protected religious tenets, beliefs, doctrines and practices. We declare, all rights reserved without prejudice.
e.) Hence, we declare that each of the Initiates of this Ministry, Center, and Temple in fulfilling this religious mission claim their natural, God-given rights and constitutional rights as natural persons[13] to perform their ministerial duties for this congregation and for those who freely seek the healing items, services (as described above) and publications of this Ministry, Center, and Temple as protected under the Article Amendment I and Article IX of the Constitution of the United States of America.
C2.13: We declare that the ancient tradition of “laying of hands” or “laying on of hands” is not massage therapy. We declare that in practicing under the auspices of the Ministry, Center, and Temple the ancient spiritual tradition of “laying of hands” that the Ministry, Center and Temple and its Initiates are not offering massage therapy, which is the treatment of soft tissues for therapeutic purposes, primarily for comfort and relief of pain. Massage therapy is a licensed health care, “laying of hands” is not. Although our Initiates may occasionally use effleurage, petrissage, tapotement, compression, vibration, friction, nerve strokes, and gymnastics, and may include the use of oils, salt, hot or cold packs, and water, we declare that our occasional usage of such means during “laying of hands” sacraments and services are not in any way, shape or form to be construed to mean we practice massage therapy, a licensed professional discipline in some locations of the USA. When such techniques may be used by our Initiates, they are for the exorcism and elimination of malevolent, evil, and toxic substances, energies, and spirits (ama, bhuta, unmad, dushtagraha, sarpagraha and visha in Sanskrit) from the body-mind-soul-consciousness complex through the combined use of the chanting of Sanskrit, Pali, Hindi, Tibetan, English or Chinese mantras (prayers) while using the “laying of hands” to transmit such energies deep into the individual’s body-mind-soul-consciousness complex. We note that the American Medical Association (AMA) does not define as remedies steam and mineral baths, sunbathing, and exercise.
C2.14:
a.) We declare that our Ministry, Center, and Temple and its Initiates do not practice medicine under the auspices of the Ministry, Center, and Temple. This declaration does not however, preclude licensed health professionals, who also happen to be Initiates of the Ministry, Center, and Temple from practicing medicine or licensed health care professions independent from the Ministry, Center, and Temple if they are licensed by the State.
b.) We declare that in following the exclusively religious tax-exempt non-profit purposes, duties, and actions of the Ministry, Center, and Temple, that the Ministry, Center, and Temple and its Initiates do not nor intend to “practice medicine”, nor are we “offering or undertaking to prescribe” or intending to prescribe “any drug or medicine” (herbal, vitamin or mineral food supplements are NOT medicine), “offering or undertaking to give”, dispense “or administer any dangerous drug or medicine, or undertaking to perform any operation or procedure.” We further declare that the Ministry, Center, and Temple and its Initiates are not “offering or undertaking” or intending “to diagnose,” to evaluate, to assess, to “correct or treat in any manner or by any means, methods, devices or instrumentalities any disease, illness, pain, wound, fracture, infirmity, deformity, defect or abnormal physical or mental condition of any person, nor are we acting as the representative or agent of any person in doing any of these things.” If a member of our congregation, or any person who freely seeks the healing items, services, and publications of this Ministry, Center and Temple desires to be diagnosed, corrected, treated or relieved of any disease, illness, pain, wound, fracture, infirmity, deformity, defect or abnormal physical or mental condition they should see a duly licensed physician such as a Medical Doctor (M.D.), or other licensed primary care provider (PCP) health professional such as a Doctor of Oriental Medicine (D.O.M.), a Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac.), a Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.) or a Chiropractor (D.C.).
c.) The Ministry, Center, and Temple’s Initiates declare that they do not recommend medical or other therapies, but that they do help to remove factors which prevent the body-mind-spirit complex from being healthy. The Ministry, Center, and Temple’s Initiates declare that they do not treat disease or symptoms, instead they give pastoral counseling and advice for promoting the body-mind-spirit complex’s natural health potential. The Ministry, Center and Temple’s Initiates declare that they do not give medicines or remedies, but they do teach right perspectives on lifestyle and healthy spiritual habits while recommending, suggesting, advising, and offering options to reestablish balance. Our Initiates work with those who freely seek the healing items, services, and publications of this Ministry, Center, and Temple to help spiritually handle, work with, ameliorate, balance, normalize, rectify, tweak, and put right the body-mind-spirit complex’s natural processes and life stages (childhood, adolescence, adulthood, the menstrual cycle, menopause, mid-life, aging, and others) in order to facilitate the possibility of attaining spiritual enlightenment, liberation, moksha.
d.) We declare that all of these above listed practices of our Initiates and congregation are “the practice of religious tenets of our Church, it congregation and its ministers (Initiates) in the ministration to the sick or suffering by mental or spiritual means as provided by the law.”
C2.15:
a.) We declare that we are aware of the FDA’s definition of disease, which is “damage to an organ, part, structure, or system of the body such that it does not function properly (e.g., cardiovascular disease), or a state of health leading to such dysfunction (e.g., hypertension); except that diseases resulting from essential nutrient deficiencies (e.g., scurvy, pellagra) are not included in this definition.”[14] Hence, we declare that our Initiate’s ministrations “do not diagnose, mitigate, treat, cure, or prevent disease” or illness or symptoms as defined by the FDA. We declare that our Initiate’s ministrations do not “augment a particular therapy or drug action that is intended to diagnose, mitigat