Yet,veryfewpeopleaskthisquestioninrelationtotheirbodiesandmind.Whatshouldthebodybe
fed?Isitbuiltforeatingmeat,orvegetablesandfruits?Isitmadeforconsumingalcoholorwater
andjuices?Isitmadeforinhalingcarbonmonoxide(fromcigarettes)?Isitmadeforconsuming
foodsthatarecooked?DothefoodsIeathaveanyinfluenceonmymentalstate?DothefoodsIeat
have any influence on my spiritual development?
Withrespecttothemind,evenfewerquestionsareaskedbymostpeople.Veryfewpeoplebecome
concernedbyegoisticconversation.Gossipingisanintricatepartofmostrelationships.Howmany
peopleaskthemselves,“AmIlisteningtoorlookingatsomethingthatisharmonywithmyspiritual
development?”Obviouslynottoomanydo,otherwisehowcouldthemostpopularandabundantTV
showsbesoapoperas,sportingevents,andpurposelesssitcomsthatinciteviolence,attachment,
greedandsexuality?Howdowatchingtheseliftone’smindtoriseabove“meanness”anddiscover
one’s“dignity”?Inbrief,theydon’t.Thus,justasifyouweretofeedyourvehiclethewrongfuel
therewouldbeseriousproblemsinitsabilitytofunctionoptimally,ifatall,likewiseputtingthe
wrongfoodsinthephysicalandmentalbodiesservetobringillhealthanddisease.Thisimpedes
yourjourneytoattainthatforwhichyouhavebeensearchingallyourlife,everylifetime...abiding
peace and abiding joy, to “Know Thyself.”
Theword“disease”isoftensaidsoquicklythattheimplicationisnotreflectedupon,becauseofthe
emphasisplacedonthespecificnameofthedisease,suchascancer,diabetes,highcholesterol,etc.
However,thisimportantstudymustnotbeoverlooked.Theworddiseaseiscomposedofaprefixdis-
whichgenerallyimplies“alackof,”asintheworddisharmony,whichmeansalackofharmonyand
peace,(i.e.,conflictandstress).Thesecondpartoftheworldis“ease.”Nowwhatdoesthiseaserefer
to?Itreferstotheeaseoneattainsinthestateofoptimumhealth,thatis,thestateofenlightenment.
Sothegreatesteaseisexperiencedwhenoneovercomestheiregoistic(anger,hate,envy,greed,anxi-
ety,etc.)tendencies,andbecomesasaintlyorsagelypersonality.Oneexperiencesabidingpeaceand
joythatisnotshakenordisturbedbyanycircumstance,yetoneremainscompassionateandunselfish.
Soinreality,theworddisease,dis-ease,relatestoalackofspiritualawarenessofone’strueessence,
andthusthetrueessenceoftheotherpeopleandtheworldaroundyou.Thislackofdeepunderstand-
ing(atthesoullevel)breedsadeepfearofthelossofone’slife(death)whichsurfacesasthenegat-
ivementalstatesofthesubconsciousmindintheformoffearofotherlosses.Thusonedevelopsfear
ofloss(anxiety,worry,insecurity,etc.—i.e.,.stress.)withrespecttoone’sjob,status,money,friend,
country,wayoflife,perceivingthesedeepwithintheunconsciousmindasbeingathreattoone’s
verylife,etc.Thesethensurfaceasthenegativeemotionalstatesoftheconsciousmindsuchasan-
ger,hatred,envy,jealousy,greed,lustandfear.Thesenegativementalstatescausethereleaseofab-
normallyhighlevelsofadrenaline,cortisoneandotherstresshormonesinthebody,whichreaphav-
ocinthetissuesandorgans,resultinginphysicaldis-ease.Thisiscompoundedbecausementalunrest
thenincitesstress,whichleadstoaddictivebehaviorssuchassmoking,overeating,emotionaleating