Diseases and Devotion

If you want to know from a modern physician about the concept of diseases, what will he say? You know, he will definitely keep on counting you a number of viruses which are supposed to cause the diseases. You might be surprised; what’s wrong in it? Nothing is wrong here. Yes, of course. Viruses are the cause of diseases.  But to point out to the virus alone as the cause of disease refers to the partial understanding of modern allopath.

But if we have close analysis, then we will come to understand that there is something else also which causes the viruses. Since prior to disease we don’t find any virus in our body. In this matter, Naturopathy goes one step forward – it says because of the wrong habits we don’t eat proper things in proper ways. And due to this the digestion does not happen well. As a result there remain the waste materials which our system is unable to throw. Thus there appears disease due to the viruses caused by the waste materials.  

But Yoga gives a more clear understanding of the diseases. According to Yoga almost all the diseases are caused by the mind, i.e. by the mental disturbances. We don’t notice but it is clear if we become a bit more attentive. When there are mental disturbances like, anger, frustration, hatred etc, we do not feel like eating. Why this? This is because the mind is the master to the body.  In other way whatever you do is decided by the mind. Thus even the wrong actions like consuming unwholesome items like alcohol, tobacco, fast foods etc are decided by the mind which in turn causes the diseases.

Thus it is clear that by the wrong decision of the mind there arise problems in the body. Now you may want to know, “Why does the mind take wrong decisions?” The decision taking depends upon the understanding power of the mind (intellect). And that understanding depends upon the state of the purification of the mind. If the mind is pure then there is good control over the mind.

Then there may appear another question, “How to purify the mind?” Yoga wants to have forceful control over the mind which is more difficult. But Bhakti Yoga (Devotion to God) gives a very easy way to purify the mind. Meditating on the form of God you like, and remembering him always purifies the mind very easily.