Once upon a time, there was a “vedaanti” (a scholar who studied the essence of Vedas). Generally, such people limit their activities to what is minimum required for the body to function. A businessman invited this scholar for lunch at his place with great reverence. The priest agreed. The businessman sent a reminder to the priest one day prior to the agreed date. The priest then checked his calendar and realized that there was a clash of this event with another invitation. He wanted to keep his promise both sides. So, he asked his son to attend the businessman’s lunch.
Priest (father): Son, I need you to go attend a lunch at this person’s house. He invited me with so much reverence, but I realised I have another event at the same time.
Son: But, father I am suffering from indigestion today. I will not be able to have even a single bite. Please excuse me.
Priest: (gets upset): What is the worst consequence that can happen if you have something to eat when your stomach is upset?
Son: The worst consequence… I could die.
Priest: There is no death for the soul. This body will collapse, and you will get another body. Jatasyu druvo mrutyuhu…
Son was shocked at the father’s reaction. Although this sounds like an extreme response from the father, the intent of the story is to depict a very ignorant state of human being, despite being a ‘learned’ individual. This is exactly the current condition of most of us. Our lifestyle (primarily food habits) has become the cause of all diseases. Instead of correcting the lifestyle, we are trying to temporarily fix our health condition using medicines.
In the story, the father is encouraging son to have something to eat despite his ill-health and accept to deal with the consequence. We are also currently encouraging a faulty lifestyle and are getting ready to accept consequences by encouraging more medical colleges, hospitals etc.
Vedas say,
Adyate: atticha bhu:taani tasmaad annam thaduchyutha iti
If you eat it right, it will build you. If you don’t eat it right, it will eat you!
If we go back to the example of ailment in the story, Indigestion is a state of the body that was a result of food taken in. Treatment for a problem lies in the roots of its cause. The ailment was caused by what you ate or how you ate it. So, fix it by correcting what you choose to eat and how you choose to eat.
While food habits (satisfying the senses organ – tongue) play a vital role in one’s health, any other ‘food’ that you are giving your remaining senses are also equally important. Example: a contaminated mind full of unprincipled thoughts is dangerous to himself and the society.
A lifestyle becomes faulty when one adopts unhealthy practices. The unhealthy practices are to do with the kind of ‘food’, the process of ‘giving’ it to your senses. What you eat, what you see, what you hear, what you touch, what you smell and how you do all these affects the condition of your body, your manas, your intellect, and yourself! So, it is quite crucial what and how you feed these organs!
While food habits (satisfying the senses organ – tongue) play a vital role in one’s health, any other ‘food’ that you are giving your remaining senses are also equally important. Example: a contaminated mind full of unprincipled thoughts is dangerous to himself and the society.
Hence, try to spend time and money on growing chemical free vegetables and grains, follow a recommended procedure during cooking (material of vessels to be used on stove, gas to use for heat etc), recommended time to eat, being physically active throughout the day, spending some part of your day discussing spiritually and socially helpful content with family and friends etc. These lifestyle changes are crucial.
JIMS Ayurvedalayam is established with the vision of imparting such values. It believes that when nature has the power to grow us into healthy human beings, it will also have power to heal us when the system is at fault. The ayurvedic medicines are carefully prepared using ancient and proven methods. Thousands of children (with swarnamrutha prashana) and adults are being benefited by the doctors here.
Let’s go back to our roots and use the wisdom of ancient methods to not only treat ourselves for ailments, but also for make healthy lifestyle choices.
– From the discourse of Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamij
– JIMS Ayurvedalayam 2nd Anniversary, 31st August 2019
