There was a young physician, once. He went to his senior colleague, and said – he has some problem with the certain diagnoses of a patient. Then the senior colleague said – oh, nerves and vomiting, is it? Yes, but I don’t find any medical reason for him to be having nerves and vomiting. So the senior colleague suggested, you ask him if he is playing golf. If he is playing, you tell him to stop. If he says, I am not playing, ask him to play. He’ll become okay. Health is like that, really!
Most people are underworked and they have ill health
Some people are overworked and they have ill health. Most people are underworked and they have ill health, today. If you lived here on this planet 200 years ago, physically you would be doing at least 20 times more activity than what you are doing right now, physically. Definitely, isn’t it? You would have walked to this place.You would have done everything with your hands. You would be doing minimum 20 times more activity – I think I am wrong, 100 times, probably. Some of you 250 times!
So, if you were doing that much activity, then I would have told you – take a break, take some rest. Now, the body has not been used. Only by using this body, you can keep it well. When you say health, you are talking about physical health. You must use this body. The more you use it, the better it gets.
A few years ago, when we were a small group of people here, I took them on a trek. So, when we were walking, at that time, almost six weeks before that, a naval helicopter took off from Mangalore… I heard stories about it, I don’t know how far it is true. People said there were some important documents on the plane, and things like that, and… on the helicopter, with 4 senior officers… 3 senior officers and the pilot. The helicopter crashed into the jungle. It’s very thick. Western ghat, the mountain and the jungle is very very thick. And six weeks later, they had not found the helicopter. So, full battalion of army was camped there, combing the jungle from one end to another, to locate this helicopter, and recover whatever they had to recover from that place. So there was a whole battalion of armed personelle, maybe about 200 – 250 people camped, and they were combing the jungles. They have been there for six weeks.
So, when we walked in, we were like…. we were having problems cooking, and everything because it was pouring rain, and we had walked for a whole day and then we walked into this army camp, and made ourselves into uninvited guests, because the food was smelling good. And you really know the value of food only when you’ve used your body like that. You walked 20-30 km in a day. At the end of the day if you’ve not eaten the whole day, you really value food!
So, we walked in and this officer was very generous. He welcomed us, and he was very happy to have us – the captain who was there. And one of the sergeants – in Indian army they are known as havaldars – and this guy just looked at us and asked us, why are you walking? We said, just like that, we want to walk. He couldn’t believe it. Just like that! We are here for six weeks – we are just waiting when this damn thing will be over. Every day we have to walk 20-30 km, searching for this damn helicopter, which we can’t find. And you are just walking for fun! He just wouldn’t believe us. Is it possible, that somebody would just walk for fun! Blisters in your legs, and you know… He just couldn’t believe that. He doesn’t understand what he is doing as a forced exercise in the army is keeping him so healthy and well. Yes! He doesn’t understand that.
If you sufficiently use the body, body has everything to create health for itself
So, health – one of the simplest things about health is just to use the body. If you sufficiently use the body, body has everything to create health for itself. Does it mean to say that’s the only thing, nothing else will happen to me, I will be perfect? I would say – if we physically used our body as much as we should, I would say 80% of the ailments on this planet would just disappear. 80% – the remaining 20%, in that, another 10% is because of the type of foods that people are eating. You change the food habit, another 10% would disappear.
That means only 10% ailment would remain. That is happened because of variety of reasons – one is karmic, another could be atmospheric, and there are other aspects that could have happened in the system, which can be looked at. Out of all the sick people, if 90% of them become healthy just by using the body, and eating the right food, 10% could be easily handled. But now the volume of ailment is so big – because, we don’t eat properly, or we eat very properly, and we don’t use the body properly.
So, apart from this there are other aspects to life… To put it very simply, as you exercise … If you just do this [make a fist and release], 1000 times a day. Just do like this 1000 times a day. And after one month, just see how well your hand will work. Nothing else, just sit here and just do this [make a fist and release], 1000 times a day. After 30 days, you’ll find your hands work wonderfully well. You should do that with your brains. It will work wonderfully well in a months time. If you do that to your heart, it will work wonderfully well. If you do that with your life energies, it will work wonderfully well. When all these things work well – that’s health.
You just have to use your body. Use your head. And use your energies. If these 3 things are well exercised and balanced, you will be healthy.
So, you just have to use your body. Use your head. And use your energies. If these 3 things are well exercised and balanced, you will be healthy.
This happened to me once. This is way back, I’m talking. This was just the 2nd or 3rd BSP – Bhava Spandana Program – I was conducting. And, it was one of those little choultry, where you know, you have to run up the staircase, and up and down, any number of times, because the arrangement was like that. I just counted that day, one particular day – I am teaching, but I had to manage the kitchen, and da da da everything – I went up and down the staircase 125 times in that day. And I felt very healthy at the end of the Bhava Spandana!
I’m sure many of you who’ve volunteered in the Bhava Spandana programs have become very strong and healthy! Sudden burst of activity may lay you down. But if you build activity into your life – physical, mental, and energy – all these things if you build in, health will come. Your body is working well. Your mind is working well. And your energy is supporting the two – making sure nothing goes wrong. That’s health. life is happening in full flow – that’s health.
Health is not an idea. It is not a medical idea. The medical fraternity, and the medical knowledge has become more and more essential because we have built in very very unhealthy lifestyles. Never before in the world, medicine had the kind of importance, as it is having today. Simply because we are becoming more and more sedentary. So, we are becoming more and more unhealthy.
If you allow life to function fully, it is healthy.
100 years ago what a 60 year old person was doing, physical activity, that much activity a 20 year old can not do it today. That means we are just weakening humanity. A degenerate humanity we will become, over a period of time. So… must use it.
Health is not something that you invent. Health is not your idea. Health is life happening well. The life process is happening well – that’s health. Health is life’s way. If you allow life to function fully, it is healthy.
