Are we really healthy?(क्या हम वास्तव में स्वस्थ है?)

Most of the people regularly check the common parameters like blood pressure,  blood sugar,  cholesterol, hormones etc, along with the routine eye check up, gynae/ cardic/etc check ups. I ( being a doctor) have seen some people coming regularly for whole body check up.

Agreed….doing a routine check up is good practice to be aware of our health status.  Many times it helps to diagnose few diseases at early stages. We get the proper guidelines to follow certain lifestyle including the good food and exercise habits.

If your all these parameters remain within the normal limits, you take a sigh of relief.
But do you think;  this is all you need to be at peace? You will surely relax for some time but again the play of worry and anxiety will start.

To get rid of these worries and anxieties completely and  to be at eternal peace, we need to check few special parameters,  which are the real enemies of our peace and happiness.

These are the six negativities/षड्रिपु। ( काम/lust, क्रोध/anger, मोह/avarice, लोभ/greed, मद/arrogance and मात्सर्य/jealousy. )

These are the dacoits ( shadripu) residing within our own mind to loot our peace…to loot our ability to seek Atmajnana,  to rob us of the spiritual wisdom..to make us forget our Self .

These negativities bind us to the cycle of birth and death and keep us confined in this material world.

Our goal is not to be fit and fine only at physical level. Our real goal is to attain the Ultimate Truth…our own true nature  using this fit and fine body as an instrument.

So along with the body parameters, one must check these special parameters to know the status of our spiritual health.

Just as we measure the blood sugar levels to know whether our diabetes is under control or not, we have to check the level/ intensity of these six negative emotions in the mind  during the daily transactions in our personal, professional and social life.
Increased levels/ intensity of these emotions are harmful for our spiritual growth.

At every monthend, we must sit for introspection,  and check the levels of these parameters. It requires neither blood sampling nor money but just an honest mind.

#Is the intensity of these emotions reducing day by day?
#How many times we get angry on someone,
# How much time we take to calm down,( if got angry)
#Are we becoming  more and more free from greed, jealousy and pride??

As we grow spiritually, the strength of shadripu / six vices must get weaken. And virtues like love and compassion must get strong.

All these six negativities can be controlled and streamlined if we follow the guidelines given by our scriptures. These are to increse satvic attitude and reducing the rajasic and tamasic attitude by devotion to Lord, selfless dedicated work,  charity, japa, austerity, scriptures study ( swadhyaya), and dhyana.

Thus getting rid of these shadripu enables us to lead peaceful, blissfull and useful life, helping us to be Swasth/ healthy in real sense.

The meaning of ‘swastha/स्वस्थ’ in sanskrit is-
” स्व (own true nature-the Sat Chit Anandam) + स्थ( to be )” ~ Abiding with the Self/True nature( beyond the body mind complex)

Once you are Swasth/ स्वस्थ in real sense, you will not bother much about your body, disease and death. You will take care of the body just for the sake of your spiritual journey without fear and anxiety.
     Hari Om!