The need for spiritual health
Yesterday at a State level Health Conclave a very senior doctor
of the Country (Prof Dr Akshyay Bisoi of AIIMS, New Delhi) 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 and religious rituals 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: The qualities that we lack in today's world.
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