"Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I undertake to cultivate compassion and learn ways to protect the lives of people, animals, plants, and minerals. I am determined not to kill, not to let others kill, and not to condone any act of killing in the world, in my thinking, and in my way of life."

Life is precious. It is everywhere, inside us and all around us; it has so many forms.

The First Precept is born from the awareness that lives everywhere are being destroyed. We see the suffering caused by the destruction of life, and we undertake to cultivate compassion and use it as a source of energy for the protection of people, animals, plants, and minerals. The First Precept is a precept of compassion, karuna -- the ability to remove suffering and transform it. When we see suffering, compassion is born in us.

"The Queen of Herbs" - is the most sacred herb of India. Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), although also known as Holy Basil, is a different plant from the pesto variety of Basil (Ocimum basilicum). Tulsi has been revered in India for over five thousand years, as a healing balm for body, mind and spirit, and is known to bestow an amazing number of health benefits.

What are the health benefits of tulsi? Tulsi is rich in antioxidant and renowned for its restorative powers, tulsi has several benefits:

• Relieves stress / adaptogen
• Bolsters immunity
• Enhances stamina
• Provides support during cold season
• Promotes healthy metabolism
• A natural immuno-modulator

"Modern scientific research offers impressive evidence that tulsi reduces stress, enhances stamina, relieves inflammation, lowers cholesterol, eliminates toxins, protects against radiation, prevents gastric ulcers, lowers fevers, improves digestion and provides a rich supply of antioxidants and other nutrients. Tulsi is especially effective in supporting the heart, blood vessels, liver and lungs and also regulates blood pressure and blood sugar." Dr. Ralph Miller, former Director of Research for the Canadian Dept. of Health and Welfare.

About 40 percent of patients who receive a prescription for one of the cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins take them for less than one year. The possible reasons: cost, side effects, and a poor understanding of the benefits of the drugs.

So in the July, 2008, issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, a group of researchers from Pennsylvania examined whether an alternative approach to addressing high cholesterol may provide an effective treatment option for patients who are unable or unwilling to take statins. They followed 74 patients with high blood cholesterol who met standard criteria for using statin therapy, and randomly assigned them to either the alternative treatment group or the statin group.

The alternative treatment group participants received daily fish oil and red yeast rice supplements. They were also enrolled in a 12-week multidisciplinary lifestyle program. The statin group participants received 40 mg of a statin drug daily, as well as printed materials about diet and exercise recommendations.