THE SOULAND THE SPIRITUAL DIMENSIONS OF HEALTH
What is Health?
Manypeopledonotunderstandthemeaningofhealth.Healthisthestateinwhichthebodyandmind
donotdistractthevisionoftheHigherSelf.Illhealthisanycondition(physical,mentalorotherwise)
whichrendersthehumanbeingignorantofhisorhertruenatureandtherebycausesthatpersonality
tobesusceptibletothemiseriesoflife.Withthesedefinitionsitmustbeunderstoodthathealthisan
issuethatgoesbeyondthephysicalbody,althoughitincludesissuesofthephysicalnatureofahu-
manbeing.Therefore,thephysicalconstitutionofahumanbeingcannotbethesolecriterionforthe
determinationofwhetherornotapersonisenjoyinggoodhealth.Forexample,apersonmaybe
physicallyfitandyetbetormentedwithmentalcomplexessuchasworries,stress,anxieties,cravings,
passions,etc.Thisisnotgoodhealth.Conversely,anotherpersonmaybeveryillandyetbeintern-
allyjoyous,experiencingthefullnessoflife,peaceandspiritualawareness.Thispersonishealthier
thantheonementionedearlier.Evenapersonwhohascontractedahereditarydiseaseandworksto
overcomeitwithapositiveattitudeisinbetterhealththantheonewithoutphysicaldisease,butliving
indiscontent.Thisisbecausethereisamentalandspiritualdimensiontohealth,whichneedstobe
taken into account.
Thosewhopossessahealthybodyhaveabetterchancetoachievehigherhealth,thatis,healthofthe
mindandsoul.However,thisisnoguarantee.Adversities,illnessesandstrugglesoflifecometoa
personasaresultoftheirownpreviousactions, 62 andfromtheoutsidesuchapersonmayappearto
beexperiencingmisery.However,ifthatpersonfacesthatadversityandenduresorovercomesit
righteously,andlearnshowtoavoidthemistakewhichledthemtotheadversity,theyareinagood
positiontoattainhigherinsight,becausetheyhaveovercomeakarmicentanglement.Therefore,ad-
versity,strugglesinlifeandillnessofthebodycannotbeautomaticallyseenasnegativedevelop-
ments,fortherearepeoplewhosestruggletoovercomeillnesshastransformedthemintobetterhu-
manbeings,whilethereareperfectlyphysicallyhealthypeoplewhocommitsuicideandhurtothers
invariousways.Clearlythesepeoplewhoarephysicallyhealthybutwhocommitsuicide,violence,
etc.,cannotbeconsideredasbeingingoodhealth.Conversely,one’ssocialstatus,levelofwealth,
etc.,arealsonotsignsofhealth.Therearemulti-billionaireswhocontractfataldiseasesandcando
nothingaboutitthroughtheirmoney.Therearethosepeoplewhocaneasilyhealthemselveswhile
thereareotherswhoneedtospendexcessiveamountsoftimeandmoneytoprocurehealing
modalities.
Further,adversityanddiseaseissometimesthesoul’smethodofpromotingachangeinlife.Some-
timestheonlywaythatpeoplewillchangetheiractivitiesorexplorenewoutlooksonlifeistogo
throughtheexperienceofdealingwithalifethreateningdisease.Thus,adversityisoftenawakeup
callfromthesoul.Atothertimes,inordertoatoneforpreviousmisdeeds,apersonmayhaveto
spendalotofmoneyandsuffergreatlyinordertoovercomeadisease.Thesufferingandexpense
sometimescannotbeaccountedforbythediseaseitselfsinceotherpeoplegothroughthesamedis-
easeandhealthemselveswithouttheexcessoftimeandexpense.Inotherwords,thereisakarmic
deptthatneedstobepaid,andthisheavypaymentisduetotheheavykarmicburdenofthepast