The need for spiritual health
At a State level Health
Conclave a very senior doctor of the Country (Prof Dr Akshya Bisoi of AIIMS,
New Delhi who is also the President of AIIMS, Bhubaneswar) lamented that the
spiritual tradition of India has been ignored in the quest for health. He said
spirituality is the core of health. Why did he say that? How does spirituality
matter for health?
Are we just a body? We
are a body. We also have a mind and emotions. But above all we are the spirit.
How do we know?
There is a simple way to
find out. Right now that you are alive, you can be lifted comparatively easy.
But a dead body seems heavier. All have experienced this. It is the spirit that
was carrying the body. Once it is gone the body is dead weight. Essentially we
are the spirit that is carrying the load of the world.
How does the spirit
ensure health?
The spirit is potential
energy. In it is contained the seed of the world. Indian scriptures describe
creation as the separation of the kinetic energy from the potential energy. At
first there was nothing; Then emerged the Golden Womb or the Hiranyagarbha.
That Golden Womb (potential energy) gave birth to the world (kinetic energy).
The world is created,
maintained, and destroyed. But in seed form it is ever present in the Golden
Womb from where it emerges, by which it is maintained, and into which it
recedes again.
The potential energy is
called Brahman. It is present everywhere just like salt is present in the
ocean. It maintains the world.
Spiritual practices,
religious rituals, and mental attitudes seek to tap this potential energy which
contains the potential to heal. This energy has a personality which the
Vaishnav's call Krishna. They say if we can keep Krishna (Vishnu Avatar - the
nurturing force) happy the world will be happy and well nurtured. They do this
through prayers, chanting, kirtan, and devotional service in their heart.
Brahman (ordinarily
called God) can be both with form and without form. When he takes a form we
call him an Avatar. It is mentioned in the scriptures that when the Avatar
appears in the Vishnu form the world is replenished. The Sages can sense that
such an Avatar has appeared when they observe nature in full bloom and
unexpected energy and happiness in all living being. It is like the energy of
the earth receives a boost.
How do we use
spirituality to ensure health? We nurture the energy within us. We tap the
energy that is beyond body and mind.
We ensure energy by
ensuring purity of body and mind. When this is achieved we are aligned with the
ever present energy which then freely flows within us. We tap the energy by
meditating. In meditation we go beyond the mind and thoughts to rest in the
spirit. It renews us. Do we not feel refreshed after sleep? It is almost the
same thing but we do it consciously and by staying aware. The benefits are
greater.
The energy of the body
is derived from the Sun. The solar energy is captured by plants and we eat
those plants. The mitochondria of the body process and release the solar energy
so the body can function.
There is an intricate
energy channel in the body. The dynamo of that energy is in the spine. We also
have an aura which extends much beyond the body. The Avatars have auras that
extend thousands of kilometers. Those who come within that aura experience
changes in the body.
We have forgotten this
wisdom and become trapped in the body. Even as we are alive the body has become
a dead weight. This is the cause of our misery. The elements that constitute us
need their full energy potential to uplift us. When that energy is depleted or
distorted it pulls us down and we experience the negativity that makes our
lives miserable.
What do we do now? We
need to turn towards the ubiquitous energy and request it to set things right.
It is said that when the earth becomes overpopulated and the misguided
population turn destructive the earth assumes the form of a cow to approach
Vishnu and plead for help. When that happens Vishnu emerges into the world as a
Shiva Avatar. The Shiva Avatar appears as a destructive force to destroy the
dead weight and sets right the currents that maintain the world.
That action of the Shiva
Avatar results in destruction. The destruction becomes the avenue for another
cycle of civilization.
Is destruction
inevitable? The human being is Brahman. If at that level there is awareness and
right action, the creation proceeds smoothly. The destruction is staved off.
That awareness and right
action requires the shedding of the ego and the dead weight of worldly
knowledge. It requires humility and surrender to the higher power. However these
are the qualities that we lack in today's world.
Spiritual healing is not
easy. It depends upon grace. However that grace, it is said, is always there.
When we pray or otherwise call on that grace, it always responds. A spiritual
personality who was present in this world for a short time had told us, “The
spiritual world has a similar set up as is prevalent in the world. There is a
President and a governance structure under him. When you call for help from the
President, the solution is transferred to a locality near you. Then it reaches
the spiritual entity that is assigned the task of looking after you. It is duty
of that entity to transfer it to you.”
No prayer goes
unanswered, it is said. The answer may not directly manifest, but it may set
right the conditions or work towards removing the challenges. It can create an
environment and send help that will ultimately solve the problem. All of this
requires faith. Faith gives us patience and positivity.
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