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HOL(Y)STIC APPROACH
TO HUMAN AILMENTS
AN INTEGRAL AND
HOL(Y)STIC APPROACH
TO HUMAN AILMENTS:
VITAMIN G, FOOD AND YOGA FOR
PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL
HEALTH
Compiled by
Tumuluru Krishna Murty
Edited by
Dr. Satyaprabha Tumuluru
You know that first you have to plough the land, feed
it with water; then, sow the seed, pluck out the weeds,
guard the crop by a fence, from cattle and goats, and
wait patiently for harvest time.
So also, the heart has to be ploughed by means of
virtues fed with the water of Divine love, before the
seeds of Divine Name are sown,' later, the field has to
be watched and weeds have to be destroyed; it is best
to prevent the cattle of unsteadiness and doubt, by
putting up the fence of Discipline; then, the Name of
the Lord will flower into Meditation and the rich
harvest of Knowledge can be reaped.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
FOREWORD ......................................................................................... 13
EDITORIAL .......................................................................................... 15
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 19
HEALTH AND HUMAN VALVES ..................................................... 29
Health is Wealth .................................................................................. 31
Cultivate Healthy Habits ................................................................. 33
Well or ill ......................................................................................... 35
Human Raft ..................................................................................... 36
Realise the human values first ......................................................... 37
DISEASES AND DIVINITY ................................................................ 39
Value of Health.................................................................................... 40
Excessive activity in any field is harmful to health ......................... 42
Close nexus between the mind and Parana......................................... 43
Mind is the root of bodily afflictions ............................................... 44
Minds role in health and disease .................................................... 45
How to bring about mental transformation? .................................... 46
Diseases of the senses .......................................................................... 48
Give no room for envy..................................................................... 49
Delusions lead to dangerous situations ............................................ 50
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FOREWORD
Health is Wealth, said Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. I have
been listening to this phrase as I grew up. Below is my
understanding of Health is Wealth.
A state of good health can be only achieved when the body and
mind are in good condition. Any imbalance can cause ill health.
Many components cause the body to be in good condition like good
food eaten in sufficient quantity and in a timely manner; clean
water to keep the body turgid and hydrated; and regular exercise to
keep fit and in good shape.
On the other hand, a mind with clean, pure thoughts and devotion
to God is a healthy mind.
Any person who has a healthy body and a healthy mind is truly
wealthy.
In a health system, there are mainly 2 facets: one that is the patient
and the other facet is the health system, which is the doctors. This
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principle of any person who has a health body and a healthy mind
is applicable to both sides of the same coin.
This can be applicable to the common man, who needs to cultivate
good habits and discipline to keep physically healthy as well as
have a clear conscience and a pure mind to be in good mental
condition.
This is also applicable to doctors who need to incessantly pray to
be instruments of the Divine; so they think of what would benefit
their patients and how they could make their patients feel better
soon. This would not only mean giving them medicines but also
tender, loving care which most times works better than the
medicines. Doctors also need to practice what they preach and
strive to eat healthy food and exercise regularly.
The phrase Health is Wealth as Bhagawan has so aptly
announced, is so simple but yet is a profound philosophy. The
compilation of sayings of Bhagawan Integral and Hol(y)stic
approach to common ailments pertains to Health and Health
systems and is a rendition to remind devotees of this profound
philosophy. Each teaching has a simple truthful message that He
imparts to us. I hope that each one of us finds the message desired
by Him for us.
With Pranams at His Lotus Feet,
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EDITORIAL
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living
being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind and
body, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain (as in
"good health" or "healthy"). The World Health Organization
(WHO) defined health in its broader sense in 1946 as "a state of
complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely
the absence of disease or infirmity." 1
Health means the extent of continuing physical, emotional, mental,
and social ability to cope with one's environment. Good health is
harder to define than bad health (which can be equated with
presence of disease) because it must convey a more positive
concept than mere absence of disease, and there is a variable area
between health and disease. A person may be in good physical
condition but have a cold or be mentally ill. Someone may appear
healthy but have a serious condition (e.g., cancer) that is detectable
only by physical examination or diagnostic tests or not even by
these2.
Health is a relative state in which one is able to function well
physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually in order to express the
1
2
15
16
Editorial
Holistic health is based on the idea that you should take care of
your whole body and mind, rather than just treating a part of the
body that is ill. It means having total wellness in your mind, body
and spirit.
Your mind, body and spirit work together to bring you health.
When one part of the system is healed, the other parts are positively
affected as well.
When one is not well, be it in any part of the body, the whole being
is affected. Our feeling of ill-heath affects our emotions and moods
and these lead to stress and our energy levels and efficiency levels
drop. Holistic health implies that the cause of an illness or pain
may not be just physical. Even if one has a physical symptom, the
root cause may be an emotional imbalance.
Health is the essential pre-requisite for success in all aspects of life.
There should be a harmonious blend of religion, philosophy and art
for man to live healthily in the world.
Holistic healing aims to restore any imbalances in the physical,
mental, emotional and spiritual systems. Since spirituality plays an
important role we have played with the word holistic and used the
term Hol(y)stic implying the it is derived from, or associated with
a divine power; its sacred5, its Holy.
Hol(y)stic Approach to health can be achieved when one develops
human values. One can be free from diseases and even enjoy good
health with God's Grace. Thought of Divine is essential to combat
5
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INTRODUCTION
Shareeram Aadhyam Khalu Dharma Saadhanam
(The body is the primary requisite for the achievement of
Dharma).
The body has to discharge a variety of functions for the sake of the
family, the society and the nation. (SSS Vol.28, p. 99)
In understanding and appreciating the integral and hol(y)stic
approach to human ailments we need to consider:
Body
Body is the gift of God. Body grows in four stages Balyam,
(childhood) Kaumaryam, (Youth) Yavvanam (Middle age) and
Vardhakhyam (Old age) When a body is born it is pure and
unblemished; it is not a victim of any of the six enemies of man,
desire, anger, greed infatuation, pride and jealousy. This grows
with food one takes. The body is given to us in order that we may
realise who we truly are, in order that we may recognize its indweller. Without a body we would not be able to know. Him; we
would not be able to perform any activity and follow any Karma.
The body is the chariot (ratha) of the individual (jeevi), who is the
Master. Human birth is the glorious and precious opportunity
amongst all living beings. The human body is the castle from which
19
Introduction
body is essential if one has to achieve the four goal of human life,
namely, Dharma (Righteousness), Artha (Wealth), Kama (Desire)
and Moksha (liberation). (SSS Vol.26, p. 37)
A healthy body is the best container for a healthy mind; illness
makes the mind agitated and anxious. The material and the
spiritual are the two pans in the balance. (SSS Vol.6, p. 109).
Krishna told Arjuna "Child, the body has been given in order to
understand the Dehi, the In-dweller. Use it for the sacred purpose.
Animals and birds have not been given this discriminating power".
(DBG, p. 147)
The body is the temple of God; in everybody, God is installed,
whether the owner of the body recognizes it or not. It is God that
inspires you to good acts, that warns you against the bad. Listen to
that Voice. Obey that Voice and you will not come to any harm.
(SSS Vol.6, p. 28)
The body has to be treated as a wound that has to be washed,
bandaged, and treated with medicated ointment, three to four times
a day. That is the real purpose of food and drink and raiment. Thirst
is the disease; drink is the drug. Hunger the disease; food is the
medicine. Craving for pleasure is the disease for which detachment
is the medicine. (SSS Vol.6, p. 44)
Food
Keeping this in view, man has to has to take medicine for thirst and
hunger and preserve the body healthy to realise the four goals of
human life. Bhagavan has also prescribed the type of food one has
to take and discord other types of Food. Sathwic food is capable of
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strengthening the mind as well as the body. Food which is too salty,
too hot, too bitter, too sweet, or too sour.and it should not be taken
while steaming hot. Food, which fans the flames of thirst, should be
avoided.Rajasic and Thamasic food is not condusive for the proper
development of mind for the pirpose of Spiritual Sadhana.
Practise moderation
You must practise moderation in food, drink, sleep and exercise.
Good food taken in moderate quantities at regular intervals, that is
the prescription. Sathwic food promotes self-control and
intelligence more than Rajasic and Thamasic. So, for spiritual
aspirants, Sathwic food is very necessary. One has to be very
careful about food, especially when one is proceeding Godward
through the steep path of Yoga. (SSS Vol.2, p. 76)
Ati Sarvatra Varjayet' avoid extremes in all cases. If we take
anything in excess, it will ruin our health. But again, if we restrict it
to too little, that will also cause harm, and will affect the health
adversely. You should therefore adopt "moderation" always.
(TTFFW, pp. 18-19)
Food Habits
It is best to preserve ones health by good thoughts and good deeds.
It is best to be vigilant about food habits. (LA, p. 169)
By offering food to `BRAHMAN' it becomes the `PRASAD'.
Whatever has been offered to `Brahman' will become the `Prasad,
which comes to us as a gift of Brahman. The meaning of the verse
is that God Himself, who is in a human form in you, is taking the
food. Therefore, this changes our food into food for God.
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Introduction
Wherever you may go, when you take your food, you should
remember the following three verses, utter them while offering the
food to God and then take the food. Recite them and become
worthy citizens of Bharat.
Recite 24th Sloka in Chapter 4, 14th verse of the 15th Chapter of
Bhagavad Gita and
Asatoma Sadgamaya tamasoma jyotirgamaya
Mrityorma amritamgamaya
Om Shanti, Shanti, Santih.
Even if you are very hungry do not run to take food without first
offering to God. Remember if you sincerely and with faith in God
offer to the Lord the food becomes prasad Recite the above
Slokas.
Bhagawan gives the example of Meera:
The Rana developed hatred against Meera. He was angry that
Meera was freely moving about, ignoring the differences between a
male and a female and thus bringing down the reputation of the
royal family. Therefore, he arranged to mix poison in the milk and
asked her to drink.
Sarva
Karma
Bhagavat
PreethyathamKrishnarpanam Wholehearted offering to God Becomes
Prasadam- Impurities are removedMeera had a habit of offering everything to Lord Krishna before
she partook of the same. She used to carry out her daily routine in
the spirit of Sarva Karma Bhagavat Preethyatham (performing
all acts with a view to please God). Hence, she placed the vessel
containing milk at the altar of Krishna and prayed wholeheartedly
Krishnarpanam! (I offer this to Lord Krishna). That was a
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genuine offering from the depth of her heart. The very next
moment, Lord Krishna partook a portion of the milk and changed
the rest into divine nectar. Mira partook of the left over milk
happily as Lord Krishnas prasadam (sanctified food). Her
brotherin-law was waiting eagerly and anxiously to hear the news
of her death. Man proposes, God disposes! In a few minutes, he
came to know that the poisoned milk did not have any effect on her
and felt deeply disappointed. Meera did not die as expected. She
was her normal self. The reason being, the milk along with the
poison became an offering to Lord Krishna! As a result, the idol of
Krishna made of pure white marble turned into blue! The Rana
arranged to get the small quantity of milk that was in the vessel
tested. It was proved it had no poison in it. Then, what had
happened to the poison that he himself had mixed in the milk - this
was the question that troubled the King. Lord Krishna partook of
the poison, since it was offered so lovingly by His devotee, Meera
in a spirit of Bhagavath Preethyartham (to please God). Hence,
the poisoned milk could not do any harm to Meera, the dear
devotee of Lord Krishna. Whatever one offers to God in a spirit of
Bhagavat Preethyartham, He removes the impurity in it and
sanctifies that offering. (BDW Part 2, p. 120)
Cleanliness is Godliness
All activities of man must result in cleansing his Chita, the levels
of awareness. When these are done as offerings to God, they
advance their cleaning process a great deal. The way he works
shapes the destiny of man. Work is sublimated into worship which
fructifies into wisdom. The flower is Work (Karma), the emerging
fruit is Worship (Bhakthi) and the ripe sweet fruit is Wisdom
(Jnana). It is one continuous and spontaneous process, this spiritual
fulfilment of Sadhaka, the sevaka. They are like Childhood, Youth
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Introduction
26
Introduction
27
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decay and death. The Dweller, the self, within the body, is however
not born, nor does it die. It is the Atma, God. The body is the
temple of God. Hence it is the duty of man to keep the temple in
good condition.
Health is necessary for gaining this world and the next, for earning
worldly and other worldly progress, to realise the very purpose for
which the Self has embodied itself in this human form, namely, to
become aware of its source, the Paramatma. In order to attain this
goal, the ideals of righteousness, prosperity, moral desire and
release from grief have to be practised with the help of a sound
mind in a sound body. (SSS Vol.11, p. 148)
There should be a harmonious blend of religion, philosophy and art
for man to live healthily in the world. In this context religion means
the religion of love. This is the only religion in the world. There is
only one caste, the caste of humanity. One should cultivate human
values for healthy living. This calls for harmony in thought, word
and deed. When you cultivate this harmony you will be free from
desires and fear (SSS Vol.26, p. 43)
Man suffers from two types of ills, physical and mental; the one
caused by the dis-equilibrium of the three tempers of Vaatha, Pitta
and Sleshma (wind, bile and phlegm) and the other caused by the
dis-equilibrium of the three Gunas: sathwa6, rajas7 and thamas8
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30
Health is Wealth
Do realize that man has no contentment
Despite acquiring plenty of riches and luxuries
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31
Well or ill
The Aarogya-nilayam (hospital) is superfluous if the Anandanilayam (the abode of bliss) is efficiently utilised by you, for when
the mind is immersed in Ananda, the body will not suffer from
illness. The body is the vehicle which you have to use for attaining
the state of bliss and so, it has to be kept safe and strong for that
high purpose. It is an instrument for spiritual effort, which has been
earned by the merit of previous births. Every moment, it is
proceeding towards dissolution and so time should not be wasted in
vain pursuits. It is even better to think of the body as mean and low,
rather than raise it to the level of the be-all and end-all of life. Treat
it as a wound, which has to be covered by bandage (clothes),
treated with drugs (food) and washed (drink); you can get rid of
this inordinate attachment, only by that method.
You can get real urge and inspiration to serve others only when you
get rid of the identification with the body. When a man suffers
from acute stomach pain, his eyes water. Why? Because, the
various organs---eye, stomach, etc.---are all of the same body. So
too, when one man suffers, your eyes must shed tears and you must
be urged to alleviate it. This will happen if you know that you and
he are limbs of the self-same Divine Body. The idea of difference
(bheda bhaava), arises on account of the ignorance of the Truth.
When people get angry, they gnash their teeth, but, they take care
not to bite the tongue, for the tongue is theirs; if by chance, the
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tongue is bit, they do not knock the teeth out, for the teeth is theirs.
So too, the sick man, the poor man, the suffering man, the illiterate
man, the wicked man, are all limbs of the same body, of which we
too are parts. The same current activates all. To realise this and to
merge in that Unity is the purpose of this life in the human body.
(SSS Vol.5, pp. 44-45)
Human Raft
Man is the victim of many a pain; to those who identify themselves
with body, life is a series of trouble and misery. But to those who
know that the body is but a vehicle, these cannot cause anxiety.
Bodily health is important, for ill-health affects mental poise and
concentration. When the body is fit, mental functions too run
smooth; when the body suffers, the mind too gets unsettled. So, this
raft called body which is the only means of getting across the sea of
samsara (worldly life), has to be kept in good trim.
Untruth, injustice, anxiety---all cause leaks and loosen the knots of
the raft. With such a poor raft, it is foolish to attempt the crossing.
The raft has to be cast aside when the crossing has been affected;
there is no more use for it. The human raft is the most efficient, for
it is built out of viveka, vichakshana and vairaagya (discrimination,
ability and non-attachment), hard timber that can stand the beat of
wave and the sway of current. If one does not make the best use of
this chance, it may not come again for a long, long time.
Devotion and morality are as important for physical health as they
are for mental health. They free the mind from agitation, they feed
it with joy and contentment; they quieten the nerves and help even
bodily processes. The flowers of this garland were buds yesterday;
they bloomed this morning; they have started to fade now and
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tomorrow they will rot and dry. But, the string that holds them
together interpenetrating them is not subject to such change; it was
string yesterday, it is string now and it will be string tomorrow. The
unchanging Atma and the changing body---analyse them thus and
be convinced of the eternal universal core of your being. As
thinking, discriminating human being, it is your responsibility to
discharge this duty to yourself. And also to your country! For, India
deserved the honour of the "World Teacher" because her people
always insisted on this great responsibility and tried to discharge it.
But, when Indians neglected this and attached value to physical
comfort and social status, the land fell into the morass of
competitive struggle. (SSS Vol.4, p. 144)
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38
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senses, man is forgetting the lasting bliss that can be got from the
Atma within him.
Just as the body is subject to ills arising from vaatha, pitta and
Sleshma, the mind also is liable to ailments from three sources:
mala, vikshepa and aavarana. It is because of these ailments that
man is unable to develop his spiritual nature and acquire
knowledge of the Atma. On account of ignorance of his spiritual
nature, he regards his mundane existence as the only reality. (SSS
Vol.22, pp. 217-218)
Value of Health
Health is an essential requisite of man. The man afflicted with illhealth is powerless to execute even the least burdensome
assignment. The scriptures proclaim that health is the very root of
all endeavour in the four fields of human achievement---Dharma,
Artha, Kama and Moksha (righteousness, wealth, desire and
liberation). Without health man cannot brave temptations, earn a
decent living, fulfil his basic needs or succeed in spiritual sadhana.
Man can engage himself in obligatory and optional functions only
if he is healthy.
Food and recreational habits are the two main causes for ill-health.
Great care has to be bestowed to ensure that injurious tendencies do
not affect these two. At present, though drugs have multiplied and
hospitals have been established in every nook and corner, ill-health
is also widespread. This situation is attributable to the spread of
deleterious food habits and pastimes. (SSS Vol.10, p. 55)
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basis of health of the body and the mind. A healthy human body is
the very foundation for all virtuous and good actions.
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experience how food affects the mind. The cyclic process which
starts with the formation of clouds and ends in the harvest of grain,
determines the kind of food one can have.
Heat (or fire) is the basis of this process. This fire is present within
man as Jataragni, the digestive fire, which accounts for the
conversion of the food consumed by man into various forms of
energy. This fire has to be in proper balance. When the balance is
upset, you have illness. The state of man's body depends on the
maintenance of this balance. Man's entire life depends on
preserving this balance. When is the balance upset? When there is
no mental steadiness. Men today develop all kinds of intellectual
abilities, but they have not learnt how to keep the mind steady.
When serenity of mind is achieved, there will be no disease. Illness
will not approach you at all. (SSS Vol.26, pp. 51-52)
diseases have their origin in the thoughts that fill the mind. Bad
thoughts cause indigestion, affect the heart, bring about variations
in the blood pressure; worries are the cause of many mental
diseases. Diabetes and pulmonary diseases are traceable to mental
causes. (SSS Vol.31, pp. 39-40)
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What are the main causes of ill health? Millions of living beings
grouped as species dwell on the earth; they sustain themselves by
means of food secured from Nature, as provided by Nature. It is
only man that is an exception. In order to cater to his palate and
other senses, he changes the composition and characteristics of the
things provided by nature and prepares, through the process of
boiling, frying and mixing, concoctions which have no vitality in
them. Birds and beasts do not adopt such destructive methods.
They eat things raw and consume the strength-giving vital essence.
So, they do not fall victim to the many ills that man brings on
himself. Plant a boiled pulse in the soil; it won't sprout. How, then,
can it contribute life to the living? The vitamins and proteins that
are valuable ingredients are destroyed while it is cooked to please
the palate! The billions of cells in the body are so inter- dependent
that when one is weakened or damaged, all of them suffer. There is
a limit and a balance which every limb and organ has to maintain.
Insufficient or improper food will endeavour this balance. An
occasional cough helps to strengthen the lungs and to clear them of
extraneous matter, but fits of coughing are signs of positive illness.
Evil thoughts cause ill health. Anxiety, fear and tension also
contribute their share. All these result from greed, greed to have
more things, of power and of fame. Greed results in sorrow and
despair. Contentment can come only from spiritual outlook. The
desire for worldly goods has to be given up. (SSS Vol.11, pp. 148149)
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The senses lose their natural capacities when they are ailing. For
instance, when a man suffers from malaria, the tongue loses its
natural capacity and finds everything bitter including sweets. When
one suffers from jaundice the eye fails to distinguish colours in
their true hue and sees everything as yellowish. Karanaaapaatana
refers to the ailment the mind suffers from on account of afflictions
affecting the senses. (SSS Vol.23) 25-5-1990.
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But to regard the body as real by itself is fraught with danger. You
attach value to various relationships. All these are temporary and
passing. No doubt you have a duty to do by your parents. But this
applies to every relationship, which carries its own specific
obligations. All relationships arise in course of time and end in due
course. They have nothing permanent about them. Hence they are
not Sathya (unchanging truth), but Mithya (momentary).
The third defect is Karana-aapaatana. Karana means instrument.
Aapaatana means weakness. The weakness of the organs is the
third defect. The senses are prone to certain kinds of afflictions.
These afflictions affect the mind and cause mental illnesses. (SSS
Vol.23, pp. 109-110)
Cardiac ailments
The three root causes of cardiac ailments
It is not only unbridled passion which damages the health of man.
Living on ill-gotten money also causes ill-health to some extent.
Living on earnings got by unjust means causes many unknown
diseases to take root in us.
Man today is a victim of worry. What is the cause of this worry?
Lack of contentment is the cause. The rich man is not contented is
spire of the accumulation of wealth. Worry causes hurry and both
together bring about ill-health. So, Worry, Hurry and Curry (fatty
foods) are the root causes of cardiac ailments.
The consumption of large quantities of fat is the cause of
cardiovascular diseases. Doctors advise against the consumption of
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53
Fluorosis
Man's own welfare is bound with that of society
When the village is in the grip of an epidemic like cholera or
plague, the person comes forward to do his best to combat the
spread of the disease, because this may affect his own family too as
they are part and parcel of the village. Thus man is born in society
and grows in society. It is the bounden duty of every one to feel
that his own welfare is bound up with the welfare of all others in
society.
Today we are faced with the menace of fluorosis. If you enquire
into this, we come to know that the problem of fluorosis is not only
55
cause diseases. Polluted food also accounts for the spread of these
disease carrying germs. Meat, fish, black and red salt, black coffee
and tea also cause spread of fluorosis and aggravate it further. To
the extent possible you should change your food habits. Chewing
betel leaves also causes tooth decay. Certain drugs sold in the
market also aggravate this disease. (SSS Vol.27, pp. 42-43)
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Bhavaroga
For some aliments, medicines are prescribed for external
application while for others; they are given for internal use. But, for
this universal ailment of Bhavaroga, the cycle of birth and death,
Sravana and Kirtana and other medicines are prescribed, for
external and internal use. One has to utter as well as hear the Lord's
name. An aspirant might win God's grace and the Guru's grace and
the grace of the devotees of the Lord. 'But all this grace would be
of no avail if he does not secure also another grace, the grace of his
own inner consciousness. (Prema Vahini, p. 19)
Once you cultivate devotion, you develop the capacity to sacrifice
yourself. You expand in love. Then everything that is necessary
will be added on to you. Love is the very life breath of a human
being. Without love you cannot live. Truly, you love only for the
sake of the Atma, your very self, not for the sake of others. But this
sacred love for the self has been diverted towards the body.
Everywhere in the world we find this disease of Bhavaroga, the
disease of identification with the body. (DBG, p. 28)
Students are afflicted by Bhavaroga today, i.e. they are exceedingly
attached to this physical world. There are three categories of
diseased people. They are:
A. People who take the medicine for the disease but do not observe
the necessary diet prescribed for it.
B. People who follow the diet control but avoid taking medicine.
C. People who take medicine and also follow diet control.
Once you cultivate devotion, you develop the capacity to sacrifice
yourself. You expand in Love. Then everything that is necessary
58
you are, you are Mine. I will not give you up. Wherever you are,
you are near Me; you cannot go beyond My reach. (SSS Vol.2, p.
198)
The world is full of people who suffer from insanity, but who are
still outside the asylums! When hatred envelopes a country, even
ordinary sane people go mad and behave like savages. But in the
Mental Hospital, you will find sometimes one type of "mad man."
He sits in a corner, resting without a break, watching the pranks
and the wildness of the other inmates. The doctors will be thankful
to him, for he needs no care; he causes no trouble. His madness
may be melancholia or he may be a jnaani (realised soul). The
God-bound man is like that. He is the only sane man in this mad
world. Whatever happens to you, take it as a lesson to harden your
character and toughen your nerves and heighten your vairaagya
(non-attachment). That will give Peace and Joy. (SSS Vol.2, p.
208)
For the achievement of the four Purusharthas (main goals of life)-Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha (Righteousness, wealth, desire
and Liberation), health is essential. Without good health a man
cannot accomplish even the most trivial thing. Hence, health is
wealth. However, because of the influence of the present Kali
(evil). Age, man is a prey to all kinds of ailments and has no peace
of mind despite the possession of every conceivable kind of wealth
and comforts. There is no dearth of doctors. In spite of the
availability of so many amenities, why is man afflicted with
disease? Indeed, more than physical ailments, mental diseases are
growing limitlessly. Mental sickness caused by tension and worry
gives us so many bodily ailments. Man today is afflicted with
discontent. As one set of desires are satisfied, other desires go on
cropping up. If desires are reduced, contentment will grow.
Moreover, because of the perversions of the Kali Age, the five
basic elements--ether, air, fire, water and earth--are polluted. The
water we drink is impure. The air we breathe is polluted. The food
we consume is polluted. As a consequence the mind gets polluted.
(SSS Vol.28, pp. 181-182)
Thought of Divine essential to combat disease
Apart from the exercise of such care in the food consumed there
should be also Dhaiva chinthana (contemplation of the Divine).
Because people don't think of God they are subjected to a lot of
misery. Without divine thought, man is harbouring two bad
qualities. One is he hides many defects and evil qualities within
himself. The other is he magnifies even minor faults in others.
Because of such evil qualities among human beings diseases are
also on the increase. Apart from these, man's mind is also polluted.
To purify the mind, one should nurture noble and sacred thoughts
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of service to others. One who does not hurt anybody and has
feelings of love and compassion to fellow beings is the greatest of
men. That is why sage Vyasa gave the essence of the Eighteen
Puranas he composed in the aphorism; "Help ever, hurt never."
You should make every effort to avoid harming others in any
circumstance. You are only hurting yourself when you hurt others.
You should not use harsh words. When you develop human values,
you can be free from diseases and even enjoy good health with
God's Grace. (SSS Vol.27, p. 44)
God is the In-dweller in this physical frame. Be aware of Him, all
through life and offer all your activity-breathing, talking, waking,
earning and spending to Him, for, it was by Him and through Him
that you were able to do all these things. To fall ill, and to call in a
doctor - this is something unnatural, debasing. Once you have
offered yourself to God, it must be well with you. There can be
nothing ill. (SSS Vol.6, p. 22)
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You know the Ramayana story, of the crow that teased Sita, that
drew upon itself the ire of Rama that flew in terror all round the
world to escape His arrow, that finally fell before both Ramaa and
Sita in total surrender (Kaav, Kaav); it was saved thereby. The
story says that its eye was damaged by the anger of Rama but it
was granted enough compensation. They both, Rama and Sita,
fondled it and blessed it, pardoning it for its impudence. The cow
too when it voices forth "Ambaa! Ambaa!" is calling on the
Mother, the Jagadamba---the Mother of the Universe as well as its
own Mother. Welcome inspiration from any quarter, for your own
improvement.
When you cultivate the attitude that you are the body, the body will
demand from you more food, more variety in food, more attention
to appearance and physical comfort. A large portion of the food
now consumed is superfluous; man can live healthily on much less.
A good deal of effort and expenditure now spent to cater to taste
and to social pomp can be given up, and health too will improve
thereby. "Mitha thindi, athi haayi"---"Moderate food gives
excellent health". Gourmets only reveal their Tamo guna (quality
of inertia and indolence). Eat to live; do not believe that you live in
order to eat. (SSS Vol.5, pp. 48-49)
Another method of avoiding illness is to diminish mental worry.
The radio, the newspaper and other means of communication or
information cause so much fear and discontent, that worry and
anxiety are increased and the mind of man gets weakened. Parents
talk about their anxiety before their children and so, they start
worrying. There was a six-year old boy who came to Me the other
day, weeping, because his father was involved in debt and was
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surely come when the hospital will be superfluous, since all will be
healthy and free from illness, accepting the Sadhana way, the
Ananda way, to peace and happiness. (SSS Vol.5, pp. 49-51)
mind with the thought of God is the curative drug. For the rest,
regimented diet, sleep, pastimes and activities are effective cures.
The Shastras (scriptures) taught this regimen and the proper mental
attitudes and their teachings are invaluable at the present time.
(SSS Vol.5, p. 48)
Vitamin G
Man is now mistaking his illness and running after wrong drugs. Or
rather, he is mistaking the very nature of his health. He is quite well
but he is deluded into the belief that he is unwell and that he must
quickly acquire the panacea recommended by the most readily
available quack, who flatters you by giving you just the drug that
you desire most. Discovering that there is nothing the matter with
one, is the illumination one gets, with the dawn of Jnana (spiritual
knowledge.)
When the mind of man is unattached to the ups and downs of life,
but is able to maintain equanimity under all circumstances, then
even physical health can be assured. The mental firmament must be
like the sky, which bears no mark of the passage through it of birds
or planes or clouds. Illness is caused more by malnutrition of the
mind than of the body. Doctors speak of vitamin deficiency; I will
call it the deficiency of Vitamin G, and I will recommend the
repetition of the Name of God, with accompanying contemplation
of the glory and grace of God. That is the Vitamin G. That is the
medicine; regulated life and habits are two-thirds of the treatment,
while the medicine is just one-third only. (SSS Vol.5, pp. 52-55)
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Forms of food
THE mind of man is not an organ that can be identified
physiologically; it cannot be touched or operated on by doctors or
surgeons. It is an intangible bundle of resolutions and hesitations;
of wishes and wants; to pros and cons. It has as warp and woof of
the wishes that man entertains with reference to outward objects
and sensations. It easily rushes out after external pleasures and
assumes the shapes of the things it seeks. It can also be turned back
into searching for inner contentment and inner joy. That is why the
mind is said to be the instrument for both bondage and liberation.
Allow the senses to lead it outward; it binds. Allow the intelligence
to prevail upon it to look inward for bliss; it liberates. (SSS Vol.7,
p. 414)
The scriptures classify food as Sathwic, Rajasic and Tamasic and
relate these types to the three mental modes (gunas) of the same
names. (SSS Vol.14, p. 195)
The mind is the puppet of the food that is consumed by man. It is
prompted one way or the other by the subtle pull of the food it is
fed on. The quality of the food determines the direction of the
desire that diverts the mental flow. That is why in the Geetha as
well as in all scriptural texts, Sathwic (pure) food is recommended
for the upward seeking individual. Mind means desire, sankalpa
(resolve), something sought for. When the Formless desired Form,
the Universe arose; so, mind is the creative principle, the maya
(illusion) that desired the very first desire, to be many. When it is
now fed on rajas---passion and emotion, activity and adventure---it
gallops into the world with the plunge of desire! It brings man
deeper into the morass. When it is fed on tamasic (impure) food,
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which dulls inebriates, blunts reason, and induces sloth, the mind is
callous, inert and useless for uplifting man. (SSS Vol.7, p. 414)
70
71
Krishna told Arjuna: Listen, there are three purities to be observed: purity
of the provisions, purity of the vessels in which food is prepared and purity
of the persons who serve the prepared food.
cc No unfair, unjust, untrue earnings should be used for ones maintenance.
These are fouled at the very source. The source as well as the course and
the goal must all be equally pure. The vessel must be clean, free from
tarnish. The person who serves must not only be clean in dress, but clean in
habits, character and conduct. He should be free from hate, anger, worry
72
It is because the sages of India realised this that they laid down
many do's and don'ts for the process of eating, as-for the different
stages of spiritual progress. Our thoughts trail off in directions
determined by the sounds that fall upon the ear. When the sounds
convey rebuke or praise, flattery or challenge, the thoughts too
react correspondingly. When the sounds instil ideas of truth, beauty
or goodness, the mind too seeks the silence of truth, the sweetness
of beauty and harmony, the strength of goodness. (SSS Vol.7, p.
415)
and indifference while serving the dishes. He should be cheerful and fresh.
And he must be humble and full of love. While attending on those who are
dining, he should not allow his mind to dwell on wicked or vicious ideas.
Mere physical cleanliness or charm is no compensation for evil thoughts
and habits. The Sadhaka who has to secure concentration has to be careful
about these restrictions. Otherwise, during Dhyanam, the subtle influences
of the wicked thoughts of the cook and the servers will haunt the Sadhaka.
Care should be taken to have only virtuous individuals around. Outer
charm, professional excellence, reduced wagesthese should not be
allowed to prejudice you in favour of dangerous cooks and attendants.
Examine carefully their habits and their character. The food you eat is such
an important constituent of the physical and mental stuff with which you
have to struggle in the spiritual field. The purity of the mind can be and has
to be supplemented by the purity of the body as well as purity in its
important function, speech. That is the real Thapas; physical, mental and
vocal. The mind should be free from anxiety and worry, hate and fear,
greed and pride. It should be saturated with love for all beings. It has to
dwell in God. It has to be restrained from pursuing objective pleasures. No
lower thought should be allowed to creep in. All thoughts must be directed
towards the elevation of the individual to higher planes. This is the proper
Thapas of the mind or manas. (GV, pp. 251-252)
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74
78
82
83
84
85
The dreams that you experience are actually reactions of your food
and habits. There is an intricate and inseparable relationship
between food, head and God. Food plays a vital role in the spiritual
path. When we consume right kind of food, it helps us in our effort
to understand Divinity.
As is the food, so is the mind. Only one with pure mind can
understand Divinity. In order to cultivate purity of mind, you
should partake of pure and Sathwic food. You should consider food
as God. It is said, Yad Bhavam Tad Bhavati (as you think so you
become). If you consider food as mere Padartha (matter), it will
remain so. Depending on the feeling, it undergoes change. Take for
instance, the magnetic power in the body. It gets transformed into
electric power. It gives rise to sound energy and develops Tejas
(effulgence). Jewellery shines with added brilliance when it is
polished. Tejas, which is known as Chaitanya Shakti (power of
consciousness).
Today man is wasting his energy by entertaining bad thoughts and
feelings. To keep bad thoughts in check, one has to develop divine
thoughts. What are divine thoughts? You should consider
everything a divine. Every drop of blood in your body is suffused
with Divinity. Food generates blood and energy in the body. This
divine energy has to properly utilised by entertaining divine
thoughts. (DD on 13-10-2002 , p. 5)
86
You must seek to know what kind of food you should eat. You
should not consume any kind of food merely to appease hunger.
You must take only Satwic food. Our thoughts are determined by
the kind of food we consume. The body is cleansed by water. The
mind is purified by Truth. It is only when what is conducive to
truth is taken that you can pursue the path of Truth.
As the body is a sacred shrine you should not take in any
intoxicating substances. Articles of food which promote Rajasic
qualities (like anger) should be eschewed. (SSS Vol.23, p. 71)
Mental purity is related to purity of food
Man commits many offences, knowingly or unknowingly, not only
in this life, but also in previous lives. The imprint of these actions
is carried by the Chitta (the associative memory) over many lives.
When the mirror of the mind is soiled by these relics, the mind
cannot perceive anything in its true state. This is the reason why
man is unable to recognise his own true nature.
Hence, it is necessary to cleanse the mirror of impurities on it. How
is this to be done? By regulating one's food and recreational habits.
It is important to ensure that the food that is eaten is obtained by
righteous means. Many of the ills which men suffer today are due
to the fact that the things they consume have been got by
unrighteous means.
Hence, to purify the mind the first prerequisite is pure food. But it
is not always possible to ensure such purity in every respect at all
times. To get over this difficulty, the way out is to make an offering
of the food to the Divine and regard it as a gift from God. To the
question, "Who is God?" the answer is given in the Geetha sloka
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not get such Sathwic food. I do not at all agree with this view.
Dont you get vegetables and edible green leaves in plenty? In fact,
the moment you are born out of your mothers womb, you are
surviving and thriving on your mothers milk or cows milk. Is this
not Sathwic food? Can you not live upon vegetarian diet consisting
of vegetables, green leaves and cows milk? Why should you cater
to dictates of your palate adding chillies, salt, tamarind and spices?
It is only when you gradually reduce these ingredients for taste you
will be able to cultivate sathwa guna. Parents have a great
responsibility in teaching the children about the efficacy of Sathwic
food and getting them accustomed to it from their childhood. On
the other hand, if the parents themselves prepare and serve rajasic
and tamasic food consisting of meat, fish, etc., in their homes, how
can they expect the children to develop sathwa guna? I am of the
view that the children at least should abstain from such rajasic and
tamasic food and demand from their parents only the Sathwic food.
One has to consciously cultivate the habit of partaking of only
Sathwic food. Only then will one will be able to develop sathwa
guna.
All our senses conditioned by tri-gunas and the gunas, in turn, are
conditioned by the food we consume. Hence if we start eating
Sathwic food, undertake Sathwic karmas and move about in the
company of Sathwic friends, I am sure that we can transform
ourselves into Sathwic individuals. It is the bad company that is
responsible for evil qualities. If you want to cultivate good
qualities, you have to eat Sathwic food. In fact, it is the food that
we consume is responsible for all the evil qualities.
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behaviour, they will be very sad and will be unable to share their
distress or anguish with anybody. Hence, it is your foremost duty to
keep your parents happy. If you want to keep your parents happy,
you must tread the right path and keep your parents happy. Only
then will you be able to cultivate good behaviour. There are three
aspects in human life, which are interlinked the thoughts,
behaviour and the end result. As are the thoughts, so will be
behaviour, so will be the result. Teachers expect good behaviour
from their pupils. How is it possible, when the students move about
in bad company, eat wrong kind of food and entertain bad
thoughts? The end result is always bad in such a situation. While
taking bitter food, how can you experience sweetness? In short, the
rajasic and tamasic food that you consume is the root cause for the
bad thoughts that are entering your mind.
All of you must tread the right path. Even if your parents for any
reason offer you rajasic and tamasic food prepared in the home,
you must explain and convince them of the ill-effects of such food,
saying, and Mother! If you serve rajasic and tamasic food to me
thus, I will only get bad thoughts. This is not conducive to good
behaviour on my part. You must also convince them of the need to
prepare and serve Sathwic food to all members of the family. Not
only you should eat Sathwic food, you should also read good
books. Your entire life is dependent upon good food, good thoughts
and good company.
You should not read all sorts of trash like cheap novels, stories, etc.
Such trash will generate bad thoughts in you and pollute your mind.
When you go to a library, you should read the biographies of great
and noble people which will help to cultivate good qualities and
good thoughts in you. One reason for the pollution of young minds
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93
Telugu
|
||
You say that the food is an offering to Brahman. Then where is
Brahman? He is within. So, immediately God replies from within:
Aham Vaishvanaro Bhoothva
Praninam Dehamasritha
Pranapana Samayukta
Pachamyannam Chathurvidham.
Sanskrit
Telugu
- |
||
God says "My dear one, I am in you in the form of Vaishvanara. I
receive and digest the four types of food that you partake of. You
don't need to send any special invitation to Me nor extol Me. I am
yours and you are Mine. I am with you, in you, above you, below
you, around you." God has given you such a great assurance. He
has promised that He will be always with you. But you are not able
to understand this. (SSS Vol.36, p. 71)
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95
In the early hours of the morning, they used to collect some food
and used to carry the same in a bundle, and they would eat this
food during the journey. When it became midday during their
journey, they reached a river and found out a tree with a good
shade. They sat under the tree for their afternoon meal. It was their
habit that every day they would think of God and they would offer
the food to God and then, only, partake of the food. On that day,
too, they started reading the twenty-fifth verse in the Fourth
Chapter of the Gita which commences by saying,
Brahmarpanam, (I offer this food to Brahma). When this verse
was repeated by them, they heard some noise from the Banyan tree
under which they were sitting. They thought that on account of the
breeze, one branch may have rubbed against another branch and
noise may thus have been produced. They were not disturbed by
the noise. They were continuing their prayer. They started
repeating the 14th verse in the 15th Chapter of the Gita. While
repeating that verse, they were totally lost and completely absorbed
in the thought of God and they were thus repeating their prayer.
When this verse was repeated in that manner, they found that a
Mahapurusha, (a great saint) came and stood in their presence.
They got up and paid homage to that great saintly personality and
asked him who he was. He revealed his identity and said that he
was a Gandharva and that he was subjected to a curse by a rishi
several years ago and he was living on that Banyan tree.
He was now liberated from that curse by the prayers uttered under
the tree. This Gandharva then paid homage to these two pundits
and said, I know where you are going and I am fully aware of
your mission. You are going to participate in a meeting which the
king is convening. I have to repay my debt to you for having
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relieved me of my curse. I will enter into the mind of the king and I
will see that you are benefited in many ways.
The scholars entered the congregation arranged by the king, but
they found that the place was packed with many people, and they
could not reach the king. So they were sitting in some corner and
were looking at the king. The words uttered by great saints can
never become untrue. Because of the promise made by the
Gandharva, the king, of his own accord, looked at these two
scholars. The king came to them and made obeisance to them and
requested them to come to the front row and be seated. He also
asked them to exhibit their scholarship. The congregation came to a
close on that day and the king was immensely pleased with the
scholarship exhibited by them and gifted them with several villages
and saw to it that they lived happily for the rest of their lives. Here
we notice that this great saint taught these two persons how to get
over many worldly troubles and obstacles which they came across
and also showed them how to acquire spiritual blessings. Thus, if
one wants to take the path of spirituality, one will find that many
worldly troubles and obstacles come in the way. It is only when we
can overcome these worldly obstacles that are in our way, can we
take the opportunity to benefit from the spiritual path.
Because the pundits could get over the troubles and take to the
spiritual path, they returned to their own village and were
experiencing happiness through the gifts they received.
The purpose of our thinking of this particular verse in the 15th
Chapter of the Gita is to get success in worldly matters and to get
over the obstacles in the matter of pursuing a spiritual path. Here,
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the food we eat determines in many ways what we are going to get
in future for ourselves. The food we eat will determine the type of
ideas that sprout in us.
While taking our food, if we use exciting words, such ideas which
are related to these exciting words will sprout in us also. The lesson
that we should learn is that when we take our bath, when we sit for
dhyana or when we take our food, we should not think of other
activities and other ideas. Too much talk, while we take our food,
will also cause harm to us. We should not give room to any kind of
talk when we take our food. With a happy heart and with a sacred
word, we must undertake to utter this particular verse and then take
our food. In this way, whatever has been offered to Brahman will
become the prasad which comes to us as a gift of Brahman.
The meaning of the verse is that God Himself, who is in a human
form in you, is taking the food. Therefore, changes our food into
food for God. While taking food, we should not be excited, and we
should not get into passion, but we should eat very peacefully.
Even if we cannot perform japa, thapa or yagas, at least if we take
care to see that we eat in this manner, we will develop good ideas.
The nature of the fire will determine the type of smoke that comes
out. The kind of smoke that comes out will determine the type of
cloud that it forms. The type of cloud that is formed will determine
the type of rain which the cloud yields. The type of rain determines
the harvest. The kind of harvest determines the food that we get out
of it. The kind of food we eat will determine our ideas. For all our
ideas, it is our food that is responsible. If we eat Sathwic food,
sitting in a clean place, we will have clean ideas by eating that
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Fasting
Fasting promotes health for the physical body, in the mental realm,
it gives joy and bliss. Unlimited and unregulated food is very
harmful for devotee. Indulging in a variety of tasty food is likely to
lead the devotee into the torpidity and inertia of Tamo-guna. To
think that you can go on enjoying all the tasty dishes to please God
and enjoy the nearness of God, are not compatible. Therefore, right
from the beginning, you must make a determined effort to keep the
tongue under control. Once you gain mastery over the tongue, the
other sense organs will also come under control, automatically.
(DBG, p. 39)
It is wise to prevent disease than run after remedies after it has
happened or grown beyond control. Man does not attend to
precautionary measures; he allows things to worsen and then the
disease is aggravated by fear, uncertainty and anxiety. There is an
axiom believed in by men of old, which says: 'One meal a day
makes a Yogi, two meals a day make a Bhogi and three meals a day
makes a Rogi. Yogi is the contented God-centred man. Bhogi is the
man revelling in sensual pleasure. Rogi is the man ridden by
illness. Yes. The quantity of food intake by the well-to-do is now
much beyond essential requirements. Over-eating has become a
fashion. (SSS Vol.7, p. 101) Today people go on consuming food
at all times, not to mention drinks and snacks in between. With the
result that indigestion sets in. (SSS Vol.23, p. 81)
Man needs food, which supplies him energy equivalent to about
one calorie for minute. Young people should be satisfied with 2000
calories of food per day; for healthy life, man needs only 1500
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calories per day. But now-a- days the food intake has increased
upto 5000 calories. As a result, people suffer from indigestion and
sleeplessness. Loss of sleep gives rise to many ailments. Don't
worry about sleep. If you go to bed without worry, you will get
sound sleep automatically. We suffer from ill-health due to
psychological reasons also. (ICS , pp. 34-35)
The breakfast does not serve to break any fast, for; there has been
no fasting at all! It is as good as a full meal. Lunch is pressed in
and consists of many dishes, chosen for the palate rather than to
assuage hunger. Tea is tea only in name; it includes rather heavy
fare, out of all proportion to the needs of the body. Dinner at night
is the heaviest meal and includes the largest variety and so one goes
to bed, weighted with unwanted stuff, to roll from side to side, in a
vain effort to get a few minutes of sleep. The shortage of food
grains is mainly due to bad and wasteful eating habits; it can be set
right, and people can live longer and more healthily, if only they
eat the minimum, rather than fill themselves with maximum. (SSS
Vol.7, pp. 101-102)
Periodical fasting is prescribed in order to help the system overhaul
itself and to give much needed rest to the processes. (SSS Vol.6, p.
10)
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101
103
105
The other meaning of the term kshetra is field. In this field of the
body, the fruits we reap are dependent on the seeds we sow. If you
sow good thoughts, you reap the fruit of good actions.
Evil thoughts will yield only bad results. The body is thus a field in
which the seeds of merit and sin are sown. In cultivating a field for
growing crops, we wait for the right season and the appropriate
conditions to sow particular seeds. The suitability of a land for
growing a particular crop has to be decided. Sowing cannot be done
indiscriminately. However, for this body, considered as a field,
there are no such constraints. It can be cultivated in all conditions
and at all times. It can be utilised night and day. When you sow
seeds on cultivable land, you may get a good crop or a poor crop.
You may not realise your expectations.
But in the case of the human body, you are bound to reap the fruits
of the good or the bad thoughts you sow as seeds. You will have
cent percent return. As you sow, so will you reap. The crop
depends on your thoughts and the harvest will be determined by
your actions. You must therefore ensure that only seeds in the form
of good thoughts are sown. You should not misuse the body as you
like. (SSS Vol.23, pp. 70-71)
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use of our kith and kin and not for all stray animals to walk in. If
such animals enter, the doors are shut against them. Likewise, the
doors in this sacred body should be kept open only for sacred and
Divine entrants. Only then it deserves the name Kshetra (shrine). It
ceases to be a temple if unholy objects are allowed to enter it. (SSS
Vol.23, pp. 72-73)
111
understood will one be able to lead a full human life. In the absence
of such understandings, man becomes a prey to many difficulties.
There is constant talk about Sadhana but no special sadhana is
needed if one gets at the Truth. All sadhana is aimed at perceiving
the Truth.
During the ensuing fortnight, if you are able to grasp the nature of
the body, the senses, the mind, the Buddhi, and the Atma, which is
the Supreme Witness presiding over all of them, you will be able to
master the mystery of the cosmos (which is made up of the five
basic elements, the Pancha Bhutas). As God is the basis of
everything, you have to develop faith in God. (SSS Vol.23, pp. 7576)
114
Vaak Soucham (Purity of speech): This means that one must speak
the truth. He must be sweet and pleasant in speech and avoid using
harsh words. Excessive talking should be avoided. Purity in speech
implies avoidance of falsehood, garrulousness, abusive language,
slanderous gossip and speech which causes pain to others. Today
there is very little purity of speech. Bad thoughts and bad words are
the order of the day. A vile tongue fouls the mind and dehumanises
man.
Sareera Soucham (Purity of the body): The body has to be purified
by performing Aachamana with water (this ritual involves uttering
the names of the Lord thrice and drinking three spoonfuls of water
from the palm).
When these four kinds of purity are practised, the quality of
Kshama develops to some extent. (SSS Vol.21)
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Meditation
Stick to the Name and Form you like the most
The secret is: you should 'be', but not be as in sleep, when you are
aware deep down within you, that you are. Only, sleep is enveloped
in Maya (Delusion). Awake from that delusion, but immerse
yourself in this sleep that is real Samadhi (Super-conscious state of
Bliss). Japam and Dhyanam are means by which you can compel
even the concretisation of the Divine Grace, in the Form and with
the Name you yearn for. The Lord has to assume the Form you
choose, the Name you fancy; in fact, you shape Him so. Therefore,
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do not change these two, but stick to the ones that please you most,
whatever the delay or the difficulty.
Do not get discouraged that you are not able to concentrate for long
from the very beginning. When you learn to ride a bicycle, you do
not get the skill of keeping the balance immediately. You push the
cycle along to an open maidan and hop and skip, leaning now to
one side and now to the other and even fall with the cycle upon you
on many an attempt before you are able to ride with skill and never
again to worry about the balance. Automatically, you are able to
make the necessary adjustments to correct the balance, is it not?
After getting this skill, you can ride through the narrow streets and
lanes and you do not need an open maidan; you can negotiate your
vehicle through the most crowded thoroughfares. So too practice
will equip you with a concentration that will sustain you in the
densest of surroundings and the most difficult situations. (SSS
Vol.1, pp. 33-34)
First, when you sit for meditation, recite a few shlokas on the glory
of God, so that the thoughts that are scattered could be collected.
Then gradually, while doing japam, draw before the mind's eye the
Form which that Name represents. When your mind wanders away
from the recital of the Name, take it on to the picture of the Form.
When it wanders away from the picture, lead it on to the Name. Let
it dwell either on that sweetness or this. Treated thus it can be
easily tamed. The imaginary picture you have drawn will get
transmuted into the Bhaava chithram (emotional picture), dear to
the heart and fixed in the memory; gradually it will become the
Saakshaathkaara chitram---when the Lord assumes that Form in
order to fulfil your desire. (SSS Vol.1, p. 35)
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123
Such is the deplorable condition of our youth. How then can they
experience the bliss of dhyana (meditation)?
It is imperative, therefore, for everyone to introspect and find out
how much of his time is being spent in the mad race for fleeting
material pleasures and how much is devoted to the thought of God.
The hedonistic man of the present day can spare no time for the
contemplation of Divinity. The gates of Heaven shall be open for
him only if he can think of God now and then. However, everyone
seems to be totally preoccupied with the thoughts of ones children,
friends, relations, money and material possessions. Man is thus
denying himself the bliss of spiritual experience, engaged as he is
in the pursuit of the transient pleasures of the world. Man must,
therefore, divert his vision from the world of temporal joys to the
Bliss of the Atma within.
In the eight fold path of yoga suggested by Patanjali in his Yoga
Sutras, the last three stages are dharana, dhyana, and samadhi.
Dharana thus precedes dhyana. It denotes the fixation of the mind
on the goal of dhyana and involves the preliminary preparations
necessary for dhyana.
One should adopt a comfortable posture for dhyana. The common
practice is to sit, with the hands in chinmudra and with the legs
crossed, on a wooden plank covered with a soft skin or cloth. These
are all, however, part of dharana. Dhyana begins with the process
of gradual identification with the Lord and leads to Samadhi.
Samadhi is the state in which dhyana attains fulfilment. In this
state, the individual rises beyond the objective world of relative
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reality, the subjective identity of himself and even the very activity
that he is engaged in (dhyana). Samadhi is not a state of
unconsciousness; neither does it mean frisking about in emotional
excitement. The word samadhi itself is indicative of its
significance. Sama is equipoise; dhi is intelligence. Samadhi is that
state of intellectual equipoise where the individual transcends the
world of duality and experiences the bliss of divine communion.
Raman Maharishi also conditioned his mind by objective
experience. Every night he used to look at a particular star with
one-pointed attention for several long hours. This strengthened his
dharana and equipped him to undertake dhyana.
Just as mental purity is a necessary precondition for meditation,
mental tranquillity is also equally essential. A restless mind
impedes the processes of both dharana and dhyana. The mind
needs to be given through sleep. Sankaracharya compared sleep to
samadhi, though samadhi confers much greater joy and inner
harmony. Sufficient sleep is needed by an individual to keep his
mind alert and poised for meditation.
There are three direct roads to Godhead. The first consists in the
performance of all actions in a spirit of dedication to God for His
pleasure. The second, in the renunciation of the desire for the fruits
of action. The third, in the identification of oneself with God
through the process of dhyana. Dedication of all actions to God
confers wisdom on the doer. Renunciation of the desire for the
fruits of action bestows mental tranquillity. Dhyana too ensures
inner peace. Dhyana can be practised by allthe old, the young,
the ignorant, the wise, the healthy and the weak. For those who do
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Yoga marga
Can thirst be quenched by water droplets or hunger appeased by
grains of rice? The realisation of the Truth of Creation and the
Creator involves hard discipline and steady faith in the paths
prescribed by the sages. These paths lead man to the goal through
inquiry, devotion, dedicated work, meditation, worship and other
such disciplines.
There is also the process of Yoga (divine communion) which is
widely advocated now-a-days as a means for self-realisation
available to practitioners. It is being taught and propagated as a
sure and simple means of Liberation. Novices and common folk are
misled by the high promises, and they have to be warned in time of
the limits and possibilities of Yoga as now taught and propounded.
The very first axiom of Yoga as a spiritual discipline is to 'conquer
the agitations of the mind.' However, this is more easily said than
done, for the mind has to be dead, not dormant. Of course there are
persons who have achieved this victory, but none of them will be
available to you for guidance in mind-control or mind-conquest.
They would be so sunk in aanandha (divine bliss) that the demands
of the body, the time, the causal chain, etc. can never reach them.
(SSS Vol.13, pp. 218-219)
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128
129
130
131
The vision attained must be of the One without a second; only then
can it be genuine. The core of every being must be recognised as
One.
There was once a Guru (preceptor) who initiated his pupil in the
Naaraayana manthra: Om namo Naaraayana. When the pupil left
his presence, he called him back and gave an additional direction
saying, "Have the form of Narayan (Lord Vishnu) before your
mental eye when you repeat the mantra (sacred formula)." The
pupil left, but the Guru called him back again and told him, "But be
careful that you do not think of a monkey when you are reciting the
Name and contemplating the Form." The pupil agreed, but
whenever he Sat down to meditate, the monkey could not be
pushed aside. He kept telling himself that he should not think of the
monkey but the monkey insisted on peeping into his consciousness.
So he complained to the Guru and asked for his advice.
The Guru said that Narayan is Omnipresent and immanent in every
being and so he can meditate on Narayan as the reality of every
being that appears in his vision. How can you separate some things
as not God and others as God? They are all labs, organs and cells of
His body. If you separate all such limbs, organs and cells, what Is
left of the body?
Therefore do not be led into the yoga marga. It is fraught with
danger since there can be no efficient teachers. But yogaasanas can
always be practised for better health under proper guidance. (SSS
Vol.13, pp. 222-223)
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HEALTH SERVICES:
DOCTORS, HOSPITALS,
PATIENTS AND SOCIETY
ANCIENT KNOWLEDGE
It is meaningless to compare the knowledge of the ancient sages
with that of modern scientists. How many sages performed arduous
penances to acquire divine potencies? Todays doctors perform
surgical operations. They acquire this skill after long training here
and abroad and after many successes and failures. They use
sophisticated instruments. But in ancient times, there was a highly
skilled master of medicine and surgery, the sage Bharadwaja. He
taught surgery to the world. He was the author of the science of
Ayurveda-the Science of Life. People consider that Ayurvedic
medicines do not yield quick results. People today have a craze for
quick results. Quickness may operate both ways. Today antibiotics
are used. A few drops of the medicine bring down the fever, but
later fever goes up, there are also adverse reactions. In the
treatment employed by the ancient sages as a result of their
penances, there were no such reactions. Because of their penance,
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Ancient Practices
One needs self-confidence which is the foundation and this leads to
self-satisfaction, which are the walls. It should be protected by the
roof called self-sacrifice. Previously there were no tents or such
shelters. There were only houses, which had small doors. There is a
reason to build small doors. Whoever comes to our house should be
humble and respectful: while entering the house, everyone has to
bend and come, which signifies humility. For all the relatives who
come for marriage, small houses were built and decorated with
green leaves. Even Rich used to cover and decorate the house with
green leaves. But now they use plastic leaves. There is a reason
why they used green leaves in the olden days. Because of the huge
crowds during the marriage, a lot of carbon dioxide is exhaled
which is absorbed by the green leaves. In addition to this, they used
to sprinkle cow dung water in front of the house, and decorate the
floor with rice flour with different designs. Modern people criticize
such practices as uncultured, but this is not true. The rice flour
patterns and designs on the floor in front of the house besides being
decorative also serves, as food for ants and such other insects and
the cow dung water mix spray will keep away poisonous insects
from the premises of the house.
All the ancient practices contain such implicit meaning and uses.
At this juncture one important aspect has to be mentioned. When a
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This girl started flirting with boys all the time. Hence our Indian
culture is very sacred and its traditions are proven with
experiments. For instance children are born due to the flirting
nature of women in England. After the child is born, the mother
sells it to a medical college for dissection. Is it a mothers heart?
Society is becoming valueless. Only in Indian culture is a mothers
heart existing.
Now boys and girls are educated. What is the meaning of education
and what is the essence of it, and what is its aim? What you are
studying is not true education. Since all of you are going to get
married next year I will tell you something. As soon as you know
that your wife is pregnant, send her to her mothers house. Dont
hold her back. Otherwise both mother and child will become sick
and unhealthy. So be careful and everything will be fine. There are
secrets of nature. Students should incline towards spirituality even
if they do not get proper education. Divinity is present everywhere.
It is there in small things as well as in big things. (M-P, pp. 171172)
138
forgetting the present. The present is only real. Past is past, you
cannot get it back however much you may pray for it. The future is
hidden in the womb of time. It is not possible to visualise it.
Therefore, only the present is important. Unable to realise this
truth, people are worried about the past and future. The foremost
activity man should engage in is service to fellow human beings.
Instead, people are wasting their precious time worrying about
either the past or the future. You should always engage yourselves
in service to fellow human beings. There is no greater sadhana than
such service. Considering the nine paths of devotion, namely,
sravanam (listening), kirtanam (singing), Vishnusmaranam
(contemplating on Vishnu), padasevanam (serving His Lotus Feet),
vandanam (salutation), archanam (worship), dasyam (servitude),
sneham (friendship), atmanivedanam (self-surrender) as the only
important means for salvation, people are engrossed in these
activities. They totally forget the importance of service. Only the
fruits of service will be eternal. We must constantly engage
ourselves in service to others. God has given us this body for that
purpose only. This body is not meant to be engaged in mere eating
and drinking and thus wasting our valuable time. We must realise
the truth that God has given us this body for serving others and thus
help others. There is nothing greater than service to humanity. (SSS
Vol.37, pp. 2-3)
enjoy peace in your life. Today, the boys who sang bhajans are
former students of the Institute.
They have undertaken several service activities to please Swami.
God is not interested in worship and other sadhanas. He is
interested only in service. Hence, undertake service and more and
more service. The best way to love God is to Love all and Serve all.
God is interested only in love and service. If you can recognise the
importance of these two and conduct yourself accordingly, there
can be no greater sadhana. You need not spend a lot of money in
service. Sanctify your life by undertaking loving service. Today,
the old students of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning
brought a cheque for Rs.48 lakhs for presenting to Swami as a
token of their love and service. This amount has been saved by
them from their salaries, by undergoing lot of difficulties. But, to
whom should the amount belong really? This amount is meant to
be utilised for service in the villages. It is for serving the poorest of
the poor.
Therefore, I told them, My dear ones! You deposit the money in
the bank and undertake service activities with the interest accrued
on the amount. Money is of no help in developing good qualities.
Sacrifice alone can develop noble qualities. It is only in sacrifice,
there is real yoga. That is why it is said Thyagenaike
amrutatthwamanasu (it is only by sacrifice that man can attain
immortality).
Today, however, people want bhoga (enjoy material comforts). By
such bhoga, only roga (disease) will be contracted. They cannot
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attain yoga. Hence, you try to attain yoga by thyaga. Only then can
you attain eternal joy. (SSS Vol.37, pp. 3-5)
It is the duty of each and every individual to participate in social
service activities, be it in the village or city. The epic Ramayana
has stressed the need for service at the individual, family, and
society levels. Do not be satisfied by merely serving your parents.
Your life will be sanctified only when you serve society also. When
you obey the divine command and serve Him, not only your life
but also those of your parents and relations will be redeemed.
Before your birth, where is the child-parent relationship; before
marriage, where is the question of wife and husband relationship?
All the worldly relations are like passing clouds, only God is with
you always.
You will be wasting your life, if you do not dedicate yourselves to
the service of mankind. Body is gifted to serve the creator and the
creation. Service to man is service to God. Render service to
society with the feeling that God is present in one and all.
Your education will be in vain if it is not utilized for the service of
the society. O man, why do you feel proud of your education,
which is but a mere waste if you do not worship God and serve
society? Worldly education cannot confer divine grace unless it is
dedicated for the welfare of society. The education you have
received from society must be dedicated to the service of society.
Remember the truth that you are born to serve society. Make no
distinction whatsoever in rendering service. Serve your parents,
brothers, friends, and even beggars alike. Divine grace will flow in
abundance only when you serve with the spirit of humility and
equality.
Service is the easiest path to attain divine grace. Offer service and
receive the love of God. Love and service are like two wings by
which man can soar to higher levels of consciousness. If you have
the spirit of love and service, divine grace will follow you like a
shadow wherever you may be, be it in the forest or in the sky,
village or city, river or mountain cliff.
God has created man in His own image so that his conduct should
be in consonance with His command. You should not cause harm
to anyone, for God exists in all. Always speak with a smile on your
lips. You cannot always oblige, but you can always speak
obligingly. (SSS Vol.32 Part II, pp. 94-95)
type, the Sahaja or the Human type and the Divya or the Divine
type. Man has evolved from the stone through plant and tree, worm
and insect, bird and mammal; but some are still grovelling in the
early stages though they have achieved the human form. (SSS
Vol.2, pp. 68-69)
worshipping him might induce him to take pity on you, but your
illness can be cured only by your taking the drug and obeying the
restrictions on food and drink and on your habit. (SSS Vol.2, pp.
69-70)
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150
types of reactions you usually have from the outer world and three
types of men in whom one or the other predominates: the cotton,
which gets soaked in whatever it gets immersed; the stone, which
escapes from getting affected; and the butter, which is changed by
whatever it comes across, even a little warmth. The "butter" men
are moved by instant sympathy, either at another's joy or at his
grief. Do not, like some mental patients, be always worrying about
some little ailment or another. Have courage that is the best tonic;
do not give up, before you have to. It is not long life that counts; if
you live on and on, a time may come when you have to pray to the
Lord to take you away, to release you from travail. You may even
start blaming Him for ignoring you and blessing other luckier
people with death! By all means, worry about success or failure in
achieving the real purpose of life. And then you will get as many
years as are needed to fulfil that desire. Yearn, yearn, yearn hard;
and success is yours. Remember, you are all certain to win; that is
why you have been called and you have responded to the call to
Me. (SSS Vol.2, p. 78)
It should be calm and dear, so that thought can see into its depths
and get rid of the evil feelings and tendencies it evokes.
Virtue is the panacea for both body and mind. The virtuous person
can be both healthy and happy. How is virtue to be cultivated?
How can it express itself in daily practice? Through service to
living beings, through seva (voluntary selfless service). Virtue must
flow through the triple channel of love, mercy and detachment, in
order to feed the roots of seva. In order to urge humans into the
path of mutual sympathy, continuous compassion and concrete
service, they have been endowed with the instinct of
gregariousness. Man is a social animal. Humans find solitary
living, unnatural and miserable. The Ashrams (monasteries) of
ancient times were academics where mutual cooperation and loving
service were encouraged. The pupils worked as a group, tended
cattle, served the household of the Guru and helped one another in
all respects. (SSS Vol.14, p. 335)
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156
157
158
159
160
161
Fill your hearts with compassion and serve the poor and the needy.
Dont be stone-hearted and money-minded. It is your good fortune
that you have become doctors. Sacrifice is the hallmark of a true
doctor. Serve the poor with love. That alone can redeem you.
Service to the poor is service to God. Sacrifice your life for the
cause of the poor. Service should be your motto. Of what use is the
human life if it is not spent in the service of the poor? (SSS Vol.7,
pp. 305-306)
Money flows if your work is suffused with love and sacrifice.
People will provide munificent funds to support any noble
endeavour. The land of Bharat has been a Punya Bhoomi (Land of
sanctity), Thyaga Bhoomi (Land of Sacrifice), Yoga Bhoomi (Land
of spiritual austerities), and Karma Bhoomi (Land of righteous
action). In fact, there is no dearth of money in India. Doctors
should first and foremost have faith in spirituality. Faith in
spirituality alone can bring about transformation of humanity.
Spirituality is not the celebration of festivals, not even performance
of rituals. True spirituality calls for earnest endeavour to eradicate
all animal qualities. Today humanity has descended to such a
degrading level that men see evil in good, without trying to see
good in evil. (SSS Vol.27, pp. 32-33)
Doctors who are eminent experts in their fields have come to
participate in the symposium here. Sincere efforts should be made
to put your great talents and skill to good use. The climes and
countries from which you have come may be different. But all of
you have one thing in common noble feelings. These noble feelings
are God's gift to man and come by Divine grace.
162
Treat the patients as your own kith and kin. The help which you
extend in good faith to your patients will be rewarded in course of
time. (SSS Vol.27, pp. 32-33)
The essential mark of a hospital is its cleanliness. Clean toilets are
an index of the cleanliness of a hospital. A single flower cannot
make a garland. All the people--the patients, doctors, workers--work in a spirit of harmony and unity. It is this sense of unity
which contributes to purity and this purity of heart secures divinity.
Unity is most essential in all fields of activity-moral, scientific and
spiritual. Purity vanishes in the absence of unity. Divinity will be
absent when there is no purity and unity. Humanity will be
healthier if doctors resolve to offer two days of free treatment every
week. (SSS Vol.27, pp. 31-32)
and love. The kind approach of the doctor will have greater healing
effect on the patients than the medicine itself. Doctors must instil
courage in the patients. Swami wants more hospitals to render free
treatment to the poor. Doctors should cooperate and work with
unity. (SSS Vol.26, pp. 46-47)
considerate while dealing with the poor. Try to give free treatment
to the poor. You should not treat a millionaire and a pauper alike! It
is said, "Vaidhyo Naarayano Harihi" (The doctor is equal to God).
As the Lord has love and compassion, doctors too should have
these divine virtues of the Lord. A doctor devoid of these virtues is
not a doctor at all!
Doctors should win the hearts of the patients by talking to them
with compassion and concern. Diseases are half cured when the
doctors talk to the patients with love and consideration. The sick
and the diseased respond favourably to your treatment once you
start talking to them with love and with a smiling face. But, if you
wear a grim expression, the patient loses heart. Doctors should
administer the injection of courage and encouragement as calcium
administered to the weak. It is essential that doctors should have
the sterling virtues of love and compassion. Compassion is more
important than money. (SSS Vol.27, pp. 29-30)
another in cardiology. If one comes and takes the heart, another the
ear, and so on what will be left? A doctor should have a holistic
view of the entire human body. (M-P, p. 24)
Hospitals
Why Hospital?
Some of you may ask why there should be a Hospital at all, here!
Why should not Baba cure diseases by an exercise of His Will, that
is the question?
The Hospital serves to increase faith, to demonstrate Divinity and
to remove doubt. That is also necessary. Besides, you have to mark
time, in consonance with the song that is sung. There are many who
are hungry for medical treatment and they are satisfied only if
drugs are given and injections administered. Their faith in Grace is
not yet strong. So, a Hospital is required for such. (SSS Vol.3, p.
75)
I establish hospitals for such persons who get mental satisfaction
and peace only when they are treated in the hospitals, unaware that
167
faith in the ever-healthy ATMA is the best tonic and drug. When
they visit these hospitals, they will realise that divine grace is more
potent than all drugs; they will turn God ward and tread the path of
Self- realisation. When asked about secret of miraculous cures, He
answered, it is My experience that I am one with every sentient
being and inanimate object. My love flows out to everyone. I see
everyone as Myself. If a person reciprocates My love from the
depth of his heart, My love and his, meet in unison and he is cured
of his affliction. Where there is no reciprocity, there is no cure. Of
course there are cures which are effected by His mere will. When
Dr. Hislop asked Baba, Does Swami cure a person only when the
Karma is appropriate? He replied, No. If Swami is pleased with
the person, He heals that person at once. Karma cannot come in the
way. If the person has a pure heart, and is living Swamis
teachings, Swamis grace comes to him automatically. (SSS
Vol.5, p. 235)
The will becomes strong when you know that you are a child of
Immortality or a person who has earned the Grace of the Lord.
Medicine and hospitalisation are for those who doubt and hesitate
and argue about this doctor being more efficient than the other and
this drug being more powerful than the rest. For these who rely on
the Supreme Doctor, His Name is the drug that cures. (SV, p. 249)
Everyone working in a hospital, be they doctors, nurses,
paramedical staff or technicians, should have the spirit of unity.
This hospital demonstrates the ideal of unity. All the staff in this
hospital works with a feeling that they belong to one family. Our
hospital stands for unity in diversity. It does not crave for money
and fame. In olden days, education, health care, food and water
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visit the villages, and after winning the confidence and love of the
people, advise them on good food habits and other means of
maintaining health. They must also exhort them to resort to this
hospital as soon as the first symptoms of ill-health are evident.
Early treatment will save the villagers from spending many days in
bed away from the fields. (SSS Vol.13, pp. 135-136)
Cleanliness
The essential mark of a hospital is its cleanliness. Clean toilets are
an index of the cleanliness of a hospital. Our hospital is as clean as
a mirror, as it is kept always clean by the team of dedicated seva
dal volunteers who relentlessly work hard with a spirit of service
and sacrifice. It is not the service of one, but the service of many,
which has contributed to the rapid development of our hospital! A
single flower cannot make a garland. All the people, the patients,
doctors, workers-work in a spirit of harmony and unity. It is this
sense of unity, which contributes to purity and this purity of heart,
secures divinity. This hospital is a direct proof of the presence of
purity, unity and divinity. It is our fond hope that such purity, unity
and divinity should prevail in other hospitals as well! Unity is most
essential in all fields of activity-moral, scientific and spiritual.
Purity vanishes in the absence of unity. Divinity will be absent
when there is no purity and unity. Humanity will be healthier if
doctors resolve to offer two days of free treatment every week.
(SSS Vol.27, pp. 31-32)
hospital are growing all the time. All services are totally free. Not a
paisa is collected from the patients. Such free medical treatment is
not given anywhere in the world. This applies to the Super
Speciality Hospital in Prashaanthigram. Elsewhere hospitals have
become big business. In fact, in every sphere commercialization is
rampant. Education is a business, music is a business, health is a
business. The whole world has become a market place. Welfare
services should be free for all. There are numerous people who
cannot afford the costs of medical treatment. Doctors should render
free service to such persons. My words should not be
misunderstood.
Even in the earning of incomes there should be a limit. Many
doctors lack determination. They join a hospital on a good salary.
But after a month or so, when another hospital offers a higher
salary they go over to the new hospital. How long are you likely to
stay in the other hospital?
When you go like this, you forfeit the confidence of hospital
managements. Even workers behave in this way. They shift from
place to place. The right thing is to stick to a job for three or four
years. Then your work will secure automatic recognition. (SSS
Vol.28, pp. 188-189)
"Old is Gold"
The older technique, though they may not produce quick results,
are slow and sure. The latest techniques appear successful
momentarily but their long term results are not always good. While
the latest technique should be employed where necessary, the
earlier techniques should not be rejected out of hand. "Old is Gold"
The old techniques have the merit of proven value.
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174
176
178
Many are not aware of the genesis of this Institution. What counts
is only action and not advertisement. When a heart operation is
performed, the patient has generally to stay in the hospital for at
least a month. It is no exaggeration to state, with reference to our
hospital, that within a day after the operation, the patient starts
eating on his bed the very next morning. On the third day, he starts
moving about. On the fifth day, the sutures are removed. On the
seventh day, the patients are discharged fully recovered. (SSS
Vol.25, pp. 258-259)
179
VINAYAKA PRINCIPLE
There are some inner secrets that should be noted in the
worship of Ganesh. Bharatiyas make some special offerings to
Ganesh as food offerings. These preparations are made entirely
by using steam instead of heat from a burning stove.
Combining rice flour with jaggery and till seeds, balls are
prepared which are cooked in steam. In Ayurveda this edible
is accorded a high place for its curative properties. The jaggery
in the edible is a remedy for various ailments. The till seeds
serve to purify the arteries. It also helps to improve the vision.
The inner meaning of all this is that the food offerings to
Ganesh have health giving properties. It should be noted that
edibles cooked in steam are easy to digest. In the Super
Specialty Hospital, steam-cooked idlies are offered to heart
patients the very next day after surgery. Oily preparations are
not given. Idlies are given because they are easily digested.
The Vinayaka Principle, in short, symbolises health, bliss,
peace, wisdom, prosperity and many other things.
Unfortunately this truth is not recognised by most people and
they are content to offer some kind of mechanical worship to
any odd figure made of clay and add to the pollution around
them.
- Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
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Mission statement
"Sri Sathya Sai Medical Trust provides free medical care to the sick
and ailing with the dedication, commitment, love and the best of
skills, so that they will be cured in body, mind and spirit. Our
Mission is to provide high quality medical care free of charge to all
irrespective of caste, creed, religion, and financial status in an
atmosphere of love and care."
The super speciality hospitals (run by the Trust) follow the guiding
principles laid down by Sathya Sai Baba
Universal Healthcare: Healthcare should be available to all,
irrespective of caste, religion, nationality, or financial status
De-commercialized Healthcare: Healthcare should be
delivered free of charge
Human Values in Healthcare: Healthcare should be
administered with Love
Spiritualisation of Healthcare: The aim should be to heal the
patient in body, mind and spirit, not merely to cure disease.
Elaborating on the objectives of the hospital, Sathya Sai Baba said
in a discourse on November 23, 1991, "Many persons appealed to
me to set up the hospital in an urban centre. There are many
183
History
Sathya Sai Baba's mother, Easwaramma, "had expressed her desire
that there should be a hospital for all the poor people of Puttaparthi.
Sai Baba had promised her that it would be done at the proper
time." "The foundation of the Prasanthi Nilayam hospital was laid
on 23 November 1954, and the hospital was inaugurated on 4
October 1956. Many devotees toiled to help build the hospital by
carrying stones, bricks, cement, and other articles on top of the
small hill on which it was constructed. The hospital initially had
twelve beds, six of them for confinements, according to the needs
of the time. The hospital catered mainly to the villagers and
devotees. The doctors and the paramedical staff were appointed by
Sathya Sai Baba. They worked voluntarily without any
remuneration. Treatment both for inpatients and outpatients is free.
Medicines, injections, operations, and deliveries are also free. As
the demands on the hospital built in 1954 increased ... the need was
felt for the construction of a new hospital building, equipped with
all medical facilities.
184
189
190
191
194
Cardiology
Urology
Plastic Surgery
Ophthalmology
Orthopaedics
Gastroenterology (Endoscopy)
The hospital is equipped with 300 beds, 11 surgical theatres, five
intensive care units, two cardiac catheterisation laboratories,
medical and surgical wards, and a 24-hour emergency unit.
"Leading doctors specialising in the fields of Cardiology, Cardio
Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Urology, Ophthalmology etc. come
from different parts of the World on their own and render their
services free of cost One of the DNB students of the hospital was
awarded the gold medal by the National Board of Examinations.
Dr. Michael Nobel, great grand-nephew of Alfred Nobel, chairman,
Appeal of Nobel Peace Laureates Foundation states, "The world's
hospitals are filled with expensive and advanced medical
technology. It is also easy to find free hospitals. But the
195
India. Critchlow had never heard of Sai Baba." "The hospital has a
large central building with a magnificent dome which is connected
to four buildings on either side each with a dome. Critchlow was
given three months to complete the design and the hospital was
built in nine months. This according to Prof. Critchlow is a feat
only Sai Baba could perform. The central building represents
Swami (Sathya Sai Baba)'s heart and the others with the connecting
curved corridors represent Baba's two arms embracing humanity."
"The impressive building ... stands as a magnificent temple of
healing, its inspiring architecture imparts an aura of divinity and
peace to all who enter the hospital for investigation or treatment
and to those who work there. Spread over an area of 15,000 sq.
meters, the hospital hosts 300 beds. The hospital, with its beautiful
architecture and serene rural setting, serves not only as a temple of
healing for the body but also for the mind and the spirit."
Sathya Sai Baba says of the building process, "The firm of Larsen
& Toubro are known for their big constructions in India and
abroad. But nowhere else was such enthusiasm and zeal displayed
by the workers engaged in the construction as in this Hospital.
Even the smallest worker did the work of ten persons with zeal and
joy. All workers performed their jobs with enthusiasm and
devotion."
There have been recent improvements since 2002 of rail
transportation to Puttaparthi, one of the reasons being the Super
Speciality Hospital. (From Wikipedia)
197
198
Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, said, This hospital will surely
attain an exalted position. You may not understand now, but you
will surely realise it in future. People belonging to different parts of
the world will come here for treatment. This hospital has such a
divine potential in it. Do not entertain any wrong notions about the
hospital. Earlier when the Super Speciality Hospital was
established at Puttaparthi, people had their misgivings about the
functioning. Now, in the surrounding villages, you dont find
anybody suffering from heart diseases.
Here the treatment will be rendered free of cost to the rich and poor
alike. Even the food will be provided free. Our objective is to cure
the patients of their ailments and send them home happy and
healthy. This hospital will serve the poor for ever/. Some may have
a mistaken notion that it will be a temporary one. All the
institutions established by Sai are eternal!
Addressing the doctors, He said, Fill your hearts with compassion
and serve the poor and the needy. Dont be stone-hearted and
money-minded. It is your good fortune that you have become
doctors. Sacrifice is the hallmark of a true doctor. Serve the poor
with love. That alone can redeem you. Service to the poor is service
to God. Sacrifice your life for the cause of the poor. Service should
be your motto. I have no other desires. I am prepared to sacrifice
even My life to serve the poor. Do at least a thousandth part of
what Swami is doing. Of what use is the human life if it is not spent
in the service of the poor? (SSSm Vol.7, pp. 305-306)
199
creed or religion and at free of cost," said Dr. A. N. Safaya, the exdirector of the hospital.
Ambiance
The Whitefield Super Speciality "hospital is actually known as a
"temple of healing" as it provides medicare in a spiritual ambiance
devoid of commercialism, its employees say. It is not just the stateof-the-art technology or high quality service but the spiritual
ambiance pervading through the campus," says hospital manager.
Satyaranjandas Hegde says, "Those who man the gates, serve at the
reception and counsel patients are all volunteers inspired by Sathya
Sai Baba's philosophy that "seva," or selfless service, is service to
god. People wanting to offer 'seva' are so many that there is a
waiting list for volunteers. We keep rotating them to give everyone
a chance." "It actually makes me feel I am entering a temple and
not a hospital," said Akella Chendrasekhar, medical director of
Wyckoff Medical Centre in New York.
During a visit to the hospital in 2006, former president of India APJ
Abdul Kalam said, "I can see god's mission being carried out here.
The doctors and staff looked to me as angels."
Dr Michael Nobel has said, "I have never seen anything like this on
earth. It is a wonderful feeling, far removed from the national
healthcare in the West, which does not seem to work very well. The
impressive thing about the hospital created by Bhagawan Sai Baba
is the combination of the three aspects: state-of-the-art technology,
free medical treatment and the healing powers of his presence
instilling in the patient the firm belief that he or she will get well."
The hospital is managed by MBA graduates from Swami's
201
OPD
Procedures
Cardiology
972,286
34,377
CTVS
22,368
Ophthalmology
545,197
50,365
Plastic Surgery
15,751
6,749
Urology
546,653
45,640
Orthopaedics
165,230
8,688
GI Endoscopy
6,539
Total
2,245,117
174,726
(From Wikipedia)
202
INDEX
Aham, 83, 94
ailments, 39, 40, 42, 44, 45, 51,
53, 54, 61, 78, 86, 99, 138,
166, 175, 176
Allopathy, 136
Ananda, 35, 65, 69, 74, 82, 83
Anna, 67
Antahkarana, 71, 114
Atma, 30, 32, 37, 40, 41, 58, 59,
102, 103, 105, 110, 112, 114,
117, 148, 154, 157
Ayurveda, 133, 136, 137, 139,
140
Balam, 102
bath, 97, 106, 107
Bhavaroga, 58, 59
Bhogi, 99
bile. See Sleshma
Brahmarpanam, 93, 95
Buddha, 74, 124
Buddhi, 71, 103, 113, 114
Cardiac surgery, 53
chakras, 129, 130, 131
cholesterol, 76, 138
cigarettes, 77
cleanliness, 73, 101, 108, 109,
163, 171
delusions, 50
dharana, 125, 126
dhyana. See Dhayanam
Dhyanam, 73, 119
disease, 15, 29
Doctors, 18, 51, 66, 78, 81, 85,
140, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156,
157, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165,
166, 172, 175, 177
Drumsticks, 76
education, 90, 136, 145, 168,
173, 184
Fasting, 98
fluoride, 56, 57
fluorosis, 55, 57
food, 31, 32, 35, 38, 40, 43, 44,
46, 47, 52, 53, 54, 57, 61, 63,
65, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73,
74, 75, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 83,
84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91,
93, 94, 95, 97, 98, 99, 100,
101, 102, 108, 110, 116, 117,
134, 138, 139, 140, 148, 156,
158, 168,171, 175, 200
Garlic pills, 76
Green leafy vegetables, 76
Gunas, 30
happiness, 29
hate, 73, 101, 147, 151
Health, 15, 17, 29, 30
Health Services, 133
heart, 29, 38, 42, 45, 52, 53, 54,
55, 65, 69, 76, 93, 95, 97,
101, 113, 121, 129, 130, 136,
138, 147, 148, 159, 161, 163,
165, 166, 167, 168, 171, 173,
175, 176, 179, 181, 184, 197,
200
Hospital, 60, 167, 172, 181, 182,
187, 189, 192, 196, 197
ill-health, 31
Illnesses, 65
Jataragni, 44, 94
koshas, 128
Kshetra, 105, 111
Kshetrajna, 105
Maya, 113, 119
Meditation, 119
mental health, 31
mental transformation, 46
Nagarasankeerthan, 116
Non-vegetarian, 78, 85
nurses, 147, 168, 178, 181
onion, 75, 76
Paramatma., 30
peace, 29
phlegm. See Sleshma, See
Sleshma
Physical health, 31
pitta, 40, 137
Pitta, 30
potatoes, 57, 76
prasadam, 93
Prashaanthigram, 172
Rajas, 30, See also Gunas
Rajasic, 67, 70, 71, 72
recreational habits, 40, 87
Rogi, 99
Sadhana, 65, 83, 114, 154
samadhi, 125, 126
Sathwic, 67, 68, 70, 71, 72
Satwa, 30, See also Gunas
Sleshma, 30, 39, 40, 137
Tamasic, 67, 70, 71, 72
Tea, 99
Tomatoes, 77
Vaatha, 30, 39, 137
Vibhuthi, 64
vitamin, 18, 54, 66
Vitamin G, 18, 66
Vyasa, 62, 148, 160
Yoga, 127, 128, 131, 162
Yogi, 99
204
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Beacons of Divine Wisdom [Book] = BDW Part 2. - Vol. II.
Directives and Commands of Sri Sathya Sai Avatar for Spiritual
Transformation [Book] = DTB Vol.7. - Prasanthi Nilayam,
Anantapur District : Sri Sathya Sai Books & Publications Trust ,
1995. - Vol. 7.
Directives and Commands of Sri Sathya Sai Avatar for Spiritual
Transformation [Book] = DTB Vol.4 / auth. S.M.Rao. - Prasanthi
Nilayam, Anantapur District : Sri Sathya Sai Books & Publications
Trust, 1995. - Vol. 4 : 8.
Discourses By Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba [Book] = D3 Vol.3. - 1991. Vol. 3.
Discourses on Bhagavad Gita [Book] = DBG. - 1988.
Divine Discourses [Book] = DD on 13-10-2002 . - 13-10-2002.
Divine Discourses [Book] = DD on 22-10-2005. - 22-10-2205.
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