Body and Mind

Mind and body are deeply connected to each other.

If one becomes weak or sick, the other also gets affected by it. Both have to be healthy and in harmony to enjoy a happy and comfortable life. A too old or a sick person sitting behind the steering wheel of a brand new high power racing car with a turbo engine may not be able to handle it properly. He would still be slow.

Similarly, a young energetic and enthusiastic driver cannot do much with a low power old and broken car. In both cases, there will be frustration.

If the mind is frustrated, depressed and full of anger and hatred, then the body will also get affected and become sick.

And when the body is weak and sick, and experiencing a lot of pain, the mind also cannot be at peace. It also becomes restless and may not be able to think straight.

A happy and content mind in a strong and healthy body equals a happy and peaceful life.

It would be an ideal situation if we have the mind and body in perfect shape and harmony all the time. But we all know that the life is not like a straight, smooth and perfectly paved, clear road. We all go through so many ups and downs in life; physically and mentally. We all face so many different situations every day. As humans, we are bound to get affected by them and according to the situation, we experience happiness and sadness. At one moment, we become overly jealous and anxious, while frustrated, angry and depressed at another. When we lose the equilibrium; when the balance is disturbed, we become restless and the life becomes ‘unhappy’.

What are we supposed to do?

In many cases, we may not have much control over the body. We may come in contact with some virus and become sick. The body may become weak or get damaged because of some serious illness or accident. These and many other circumstances are beyond our control. But with practice, we can have control over the mind. If the mind is stable and does not lose its equilibrium, it can help the body to handle the pain and gain strength. It may even be able to heal some physical ailments.

Baba Avtar Singh ji used to say: “jaise ek tagrha ghorha ik puraani aur tooti phooti gaarhi ko, keecharh me se bhi kisi tarah kheench kar le hi jata hai, usi tarah ek shaant aur dhyaan me jurha huaa man bhi apani taaqat se ek puraane aur kamzor shareer ko sambbhaale rakh saktaa hai”*

“Just like a strong horse can pull an old and broken cart even through the mud, a strong mind can also pull through an old and weak body even in adverse circumstances”

                          ‘Rajan Sachdeva’

* जैसे एक तगड़ा घोड़ा इक पुरानी और टूटी फूटी गाड़ी को कीचड़ में से भी किसी तरह खींच कर ले ही जाता है उसी तरह एक शांत और ध्यान में जुड़ा हुआ मन भी अपनी ताक़त से एक पुराने और कमज़ोर शरीर को संभाले रख सकता है "