DISEASE CURE (Death of Disease - 4)

Certain Fundamental Definition (Individual, Disease and Cure)

(Excerpts from book: Death of Disease. Author Swami Vijnananand).

1.  In order to look attractive and impressive, an individual takes minute care for garments. But very strangely such care is very strangely totally forgotten in the far more important matter that of health.

The primary task is arriving at the definitions of –

 a)      An Individual

 b)      A Disease (which an individual wants to get   rid of)

 c)      Cure

The book discusses these definitions from important sources and arrives at the following.

Definitions

An Individual – is characterized by five features –

 a)      Every individual stands out distinct from others and distinguishable from all other human beings.

 b)      As an individual, he forms a complete whole. So long he is alive, he is further indivisible.

 c)      His mind and body are inseparably correlated, till he is alive (which factor dominates is a separate issue, which will be considered later).

 d)      Certain physical features may be common between two individuals. But mental factors must have some difference.

 e)      Mind is not visible. However, emotions are expressions of mind and to that extent mind is expressed to others.

Disease – Is a condition of mind where one has lost ease because of any abnormality in mind or body or in both.

Cure – Absence of condition of disease as described above will amount to cure.

Condition of Mind

ｷ                 In disease definition the starting point is 'Condition of Mind'. It needs some explanation.

ｷ                 What is to be stressed is that – unless the mind is taking cognizance, the physical condition of disease assumes a secondary role.

Illustration

(I) suppose there is a big black spot on the left thigh of a person. It will be ignored if it is painless. If the same spot is on the nose, he would lose all his ease. He will rush to consult a doctor and take the recommended treatment. This is because here 'no pain but ego of the person' is involved. He would even invite use of plastic surgery, which is not short of a condition of disease in ordinary sense. This illustration reveals how a painless condition also forces a condition of disease.

(ii) Broken leg is a condition of disease. But after the wound gets healed, whether or not to call the nervousness that continues to exist a condition of disease, remains an individual equation. An ordinary person will develop an inferiority complex, while a king like Taimurlang will intensify his oppression with doubled revengefulness. It is in this light the words 'Condition of Mind' in this definition are relevant and significant.

Conception of Disease

1.  Mere emphasis on 'loosing ease' may not clearly explain our point. The definition made above, includes amongst others the following categories of 'diseases':

       

 i)    Accidents

 ii)   Casualties of War

 iii)  Sufferers in Cold War

 iv) Criminals or prisoners of Jail

 v)   Victims of atomic radiations

 vi) People staying in foreign lands (unlawfully) away from native places

 vii) Individuals inflamed by concepts of race superiority

 viii)   Individuals inflamed by feeling of religious superiority

 ix)  Very high birth rate

 x)   Very low birth rate

The above list can be easily lengthened.

2. The book gives adequate explanation why these groups define sufficient conditions for disease.

3. Some scientists tend to the view that some of the above categories are better classified under the heading 'State of mental uneasiness' rather than as 'sick'. But except group No.4 (Criminals/Prisoners) and 10 (Very low birth rate), any of the above groups will be equivalent to any grave miser-causing disease.

In modern medicine, the conviction has gained ground that very often in the case of a sufferer from greater shock, his minor shock/pain/disease is absorbed. Scrutiny properly carried out indicates that most of the above groups as being victim to disease, though one may differ as to the degree.

Location of Disease

1.  To a question – where the disease is located, the answer normally given is 'body'. We are conditioned to believe so far over a prolonged period. The reasons for the disease normally given are: (a) Bacteria (Infectious disease); and (b) Constitution (of body)

2. Infectious disease – If the origin of infection is bacteria was a true notion, then there appears no valid reason why large number of people remain unaffected in epidemics. (Because every person is subjected to the bacteria say air-born-virus, but everybody does not get effected by it) so besides the 'bacteria' there has to be some other reason.

3. Constitution – If it is assumed that these with sound/healthy constitution are not affected by the disease and disease affects only the weaklings, then we don't find so in practice. Many healthy person (constitutionally strong/stout) catch up disease and succumb to it. And many weak (looking) person remain healthy for a long life.

4.  Thus by a different path, we arrive at the same conclusion that cause of disease neither lies in the bacteria, nor in the constitutional factor. It apparently looks more or less an individual equation and it’s inter relation between constitution and bacteria.

According to many, including some respected doctors, disease on body surface forms merely a visible expression of the afflicted mind (injured mind). The force of mind that plays a role during the state of disease (and also cure process) makes itself (mind) clearly revealed in many instances.

        Faith cure

        Magic cure

        Psychological cure

So-called scientific medical practitioners of today, also held indirectly that patient gets cured because of his faith (and will power also). The 'faith-cure' seen from age old times also endorses a view that mind must be the fundamental basis of disease as well as cure.

5 What constitutes Mind?

Is it merely the function of the brain? Are the limitations of the brain are created by mind? Mind according to us is the energy that persists in our life.

Explanation – A still born (dead on birth) child apparently possesses same features, physique and constitution as a living child. What then is lacking? Certainly the energy!

Though eyelids, ins are present, they remain unmoved. The brightness of iris imparted to it by that energy is absent. (So the difference between a still born and the living child is energy).

6. None dare deny that a mere mechanical body or brain cannot produce life. A super model of computer if compared with brain becomes less than preliminary model.

7. We therefore conclude

7.1 Brain does not solely represent mind. It practically reflects mind as all parts of the body.

7.2 Brain might depend upon matter that builds body as a whole. But that body depends on individual life-giving energy. This energy is the same as mind. The reason is simple that the purpose of mind and energy (in present context, understood as today) remains identical i.e. to shape the individual.

7.3 If mind was a function of brain, all intelligent persons would have been strong minded or healthy. This is not so in actual observation.

7.4 Mind shapes body, consequently the brain. Mind keeps it healthy (brain-body) till the purpose of particular life comes to an end.

7.5 Only the equivalence of mind and life-energy explains satisfactorily the causation or elimination of disease. Doctors also agree this in case of about 90% of the diseases.

7.6 When body of a man, which lives for fifty years, starts decaying and decomposing, then doctor can prevent the damage for say 50 hours. Not beyond (a certain limit). Then who protected the man for fifty years from the occasional diseases?

The energy of mind kept the decay away for fifty years. When the Nature puts aside the charter of energy, the end cannot be avoided.

7.7 The brain dependent mind is a mechanical view and not justified.

7.8 Mind is undeniably considered an essential absolute and distinct from the body. This view is held by many thinkers as well as scientists. However, both the components (mind and brain) continue an indistinguishable whole (one) throughout the life.

If the view that mind or thought springs from the functioning of the brain were true, scientists would have rushed to set right brain instead of mind.

'Mind' can be called by different names (mental faculties, consciousness, thoughts, etc.) but we are using the word 'mind' as it is commonly understandable.

 8.      The mind stands supreme. Mind causes life as well as death. Hence, a great medical authority wondered whether the shock of Napoleon victory at Austerlitz killed Pitt rather than any disease (We also see how a blowing mental agony totally ruins a healthy person overnight).

(To be continued)

Vijay R. Joshi