Baba
Namaskar,
As sadhakas, one of our chief duties is to keep ourselves healthy and disease-free. When one's physical well-being is compromised, it is difficult to manage spiritual practices, do dharma pracara, and serve society. Here following is an overview of the various pathys. We should consider their strengths and drawbacks - pros and cons - and know which to select in a time of need.
Now the question is, which system of medicine is best. Certainly every individual has their own opinion. The purpose of this letter is to highlight some important points which Baba has given about the prevailing pathys. To this end, we shall review (a) allopathy (i.e. western medicine), (b) ayurveda, (c) naturopathy, and (d) homeopathy. In addition, we will examine a few of Baba's overarching guidelines about the field of medicine and health, as well as what form it should take in the future.
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Who is the most qualified doctor
Here is one traditional, satirical saying about those pathys where harmful and poisonous medicines are used.
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "Shat ma'ri bhavet vaedhyah. Sahasra ma'ri cikitsakah." (1)
The meaning is: If a doctor kills 100 patients by prescribing the wrong medicine, he is known as a "vaedyah", i.e. a less-qualified doctor; if a doctor kills 1000 persons by administering wrong medicines, he becomes "cikitsak", i.e. a highly-qualified doctor.
So Baba is referencing this satirical proverb where the chief qualification for becoming an expert doctor is how many patients they have killed with toxic medicines. The point being: Prescribing harsh medicines to a helpless patient often leads to catastrophe. Yet this is a common outcome in pathys that use harmful medicines.
Ananda Marga ideology guides us, "The most common method is to fight disease with strong pills and injections. Allopathy, ayurveda and hekemii [hakims] can be included in this group because they use strong medicines and also poison as a medicine, although their methods of diagnosis and remedies differ. In this method of treatment the selection of medicines involves great risk, because more emphasis is placed on the indications of the disease than on those of the patient, and because of the possibility of causing death." (2)
Allopathy: inherent drawbacks
As described above, in allopathic medicine, the selection of medicines often harms and sometimes leads to the death of the patient. Why does this happen? Because allopathic medicines are harsh and have poisonous side effects. In that case, administering medicines can bring about a grave scenario - even death. That is one aspect of allopathy that everyone should know.
Ananda Marga teachings say, "The great danger in diagnosing illnesses and prescribing medicines according to the germs and diseases present in the body is that it is nearly impossible to arrive at a firm conclusion about the precise nature of germs. Whether diseases are caused by germs or germs are created from diseases which are caused by other factors is a matter of controversy. The symptoms of one disease may be identical to those of another, and the remedy for one may prove to be completely ineffective or even harmful in the case of the other. Moreover, as poisons are used, they may seriously affect the vitality of the patient. Just imagine, if the doctor is incompetent or is completely motivated by a business mentality, what will the plight of the public be?" (3)
In addition, allopathy does not cure the problem of the patient nor eliminate the illness. Rather allopathic medicines merely keep the problem in check, in which case one must take that allopathic medicine for the course of their life. So that is another inherent weakness of allopathic medicine.
Thus allopathic treatment has at minimum four distinct flaws:
(a) They use harmful medicines that compromise human health and even kill the patient;
(b) there is an inherent danger in giving medicine based on the germs and diseases present in the body;
(c) the medicine prescribed does not cure the patient of their illness; and, finally,
(d) if the ability or motivations of the doctor are questionable, the result will be disastrous.
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Allopathy: a few strengths
Aside from these aforementioned glaring defects, allopathy, however, does have some strengths:
(a) Comprehensive diagnostic testing.
Although allopathy has made strides in diagnosis, it must be noted that allopathic diagnostic testing is quite invasive and has dangerous side-effects and drawbacks - such as with radiation and CT scans etc. Often times they over-diagnose as well. Yet, no matter how much diagnostic testing is done or not, allopaths do not address the root cause. So their treatment is basically useless. The same medical problem recurs again and again. For example, with an ulcer they do not address the root cause, so that ulcer will crop up again. Same is the case with hemorrhoids, fistula, asthma, and gout etc.
(b) Effective treatment of trauma.
(c) Solid surgical capabilities.
In a nutshell, that is the overview of allopathy. Next we come to ayurveda.
Ayurveda also employs harmful medicines
Many mistakenly believe that ayurvedic medicines are not harmful. But that is just not true. Baba explains that the ayurvedic and unani system of medicines are based on the introduction of strong medicines. Administering such medicine can cause terrible harm.
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "In both systems [ayurvedic and unani system] crude medicine is applied." (4)
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "Ayurveda and hekemii [hakims]...use strong medicines and also poison as a medicine...In this method of treatment the selection of medicines involves great risk, because more emphasis is placed on the indications of the disease than on those of the patient, and because of the possibility of causing death." (5)
So ayurveda lives in the shadows of allopathy as ayurvedic medicines also have harmful extremely harmful effects on the body.
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Foundation of ayurveda is outdated
Baba then reveals one very unique fact: That the entire foundation of ayurveda is outdated.
Ananda Marga philosophy guides us, “There was a time when diagnosing illnesses and prescribing medicines were not very difficult because diagnoses were based on three constituents of the body – air, bile and phlegm – with blood as a fourth constituent. But increased physical and glandular complexity has led to a corresponding increase in the number and complexity of diseases. So to what extent can this method of diagnosis be useful to a doctor? Is it not simply guesswork to prescribe medicines for a particular disease when the medicine is prescribed for the disease but the disease is diagnosed according to the bodily constituents?" (6)
In His above teaching, Baba explains that the entire platform of ayurveda is based on outdated parameters which do not taken into consideration the continued development of the human body and glandular system.
Another important aspect is that surgery is of great value in this modern era, yet pure ayurveda does not include surgery.
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "In the pure ayurvedic system, there is no surgery." (7)
Thus, without surgery, ayurveda is unable to treat a vast array of cases including trauma, blunt trauma, serious medical emergencies, and other critical conditions.
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Conclusion
Although ayurveda does employ strong medicines, some ayurvedic medicines can fully cure a patient of their disease. This is in stark contrast to allopathy where the medicine never fully cures the patient, which is why patients of allopathy will take that medicine so long as they remain alive.
Namaskar,
In Him,
Sakaldev
References
1. Human Society - 1, Various Occupations
2. Human Society - 1, Various Occupations
3. Human Society - 1, Various Occupations
4. Discourses on the Mahabharata, The Medical Science of the Age
5. Human Society - 1, Various Occupations
6. Human Society - 1, Various Occupations
7. Discourses on the Mahabharata, The Medical Science of the Age
== Section: Comment ==
Re: Food for A-grade sadhakasNamaskar.
It is good you have collected different cause of taking even sentient food from a hotel or restaurant will be considered as tamasika (for a spiritual aspirant who follows sattvika diet).
To add this "the person who eats, the person who serves and the cook, who prepares the food and the person who is paying for the food" when their mental condition are sentient, the food will be sentient only particularly for cooked food.
For an example, if somebody in tension or in sad or depressed mood, if he / she takes food that time even the sentient food changes its nature in body.
If the person who is serving is not in sentient mood (greedy, angry, sad, depressed etc.) then even in a margii family one eats food, that will affect our mind and sadhana.
Same way, if the cook is not in sentient mood (may be even a dada, didi or a margii) also affect our mind.
Lastly the person who is paying for food (owner of restaurant or hotel and house owner) if not in sentient mood and the source of income is not in a moral way, that food also affect our meditation.
Baba has instructed WT workers to take only (priityanna), food is offered out of love, not for money purpose or to get blessings or for personal benefits. That is the meaning of the food should not be touched or purchased by the mean-minded people. If there is possibility to carry whole fruits, nuts etc. in the time of travelling, not need to take others cooked food. If that is not possible, then prepare your own food , pack and travel.
in Him,
Ac Shuddhatmananda Avadhuta
- Here is a link to the initial letter on this topic: Food for A-grade sadhakas
== Section: Prabhat Samgiita ==
सृष्टि की रचना से पहले की हालत
(जो साधना का 6th पाठ नहीं करता, वह यह गाना नहीं समझ सकता )
प्रभात सङ्गीत 4493 गान रचे छिले केनो, तुमि जानो...
भावार्थ
बाबा ! हे परमपुरुष ! तुम्हारे काम करने के तरीके कितने अनोखे हैं। केवल तुम ही जानते हो कि तुमने इतने अधिक सुन्दर गीत क्यों बनाए। तुमने कृपा कर अपने गीतों में इतनी मधुर और कोमल लय, तान भर दी है कि वह बेसुध कर सबके मन और हृदय को तृप्त कर देती है।
हे मेरे प्रभु ! इस सृष्टि के बनने के पहले यहाॅं अँधेरा ही था। यह बहुत अधिक घने अँधेरे में भरा हुआ था। इस अँधेरे में कालेपन के अलावा कुछ नहीं था। सभी पञ्चभूत अर्थात भूमि, आकाश ,अग्नि, जल और वायु आदि ,उसी अँधेरे में बीज रूप में डूबे हुए थे। इन जीवों और अन्य रचनाओं का तो कहीं चिन्ह ही नहीं था। किसी भी जीव के लिए आनन्द, प्रेम और आकर्षण सवाल नहीं था क्योंकि वे तो उस समय उत्पन्न ही नहीं हुए थे। आज कोई भी परमपुरुष के उस अकेलापन की कल्पना नहीं कर सकता।
हे परमपुरुष ! इस सृष्टि को आकार देते समय तुमने प्रेम से सोचा कि “मैं एक हूँ, बहुत हो जाऊँ” , इसकी प्रत्येक रचना के साथ मैं अपनी लीला करते हुए सुख और दुख के खेल को खेलता रहूँगा। बाबा ! तुमने फूलों को खिलाकर उनमें रङ्ग भरे और हमारे ऊपर अकारण ही कृपा का प्रकाश डालकर जगा दिया। हमारे हृदयों को आध्यात्मिक सत्य से भर दिया। बाबा ! तुम्हारी लीला की तुलना नहीं की जा सकती है। तुमने इस संसार की रचना की, तुमने प्रभात सङ्गीत की रचना की। इसके द्वारा तुमने हमें वह रास्ता बताया जिससे तुमको प्यार किया जा सके। तुम्हारी लीला अनन्त है, तुम कृपा के सागर हो। (1)
References
1. Sadguru Baba says (in GD, Delhi, 26 Feb 1984) that when writing a Prabhat Samgiita purport then very simple words should be used so that the common mass may understand. The above Hindu purport has been written according to that guideline.
== Section 2: Links ==
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