Being Healthy

Guruji spoke to Atma Prakash, “The global human community is the sum total of the national communities on planet earth. A nation is nothing but a large joint family consisting of all citizens of that nation, and their families and communities…

“It is said by the wise that, ‘when there is peace within the individual, there will be peace within the family; when there is peace within the family, there will be peace within the society; when there is peace within the society, there will be peace within the country; and when there is peace within the country, there will be peace within the world.’ This means peace in the world begins with peace within individual human persons…..

“Similarly, any true and lasting social transformation has to begin with and within individual citizens, with and within our own selves, my son. And, a healthy and happy world is possible only with healthy and happy individuals. Do you understand this?’ The Baba asked his disciple. Atma Prakash nodded. 

Guruji continued: “We often forget the fact that the evil in the world are mostly social expressions of the evil within us. Injustice, corruption, rape and murder are only outer expressions of the selfishness, greed, lust and violence lurking within our own selves... 

“A healthy body is the most important requirement for a happy and fruitful life. Most of our sicknesses are created by ourselves, because of our un-natural food habits and life-styles. Then we set up multi-specialty hospitals and spend a lot of money to treat our sicknesses. We refuse to accept the truth that a return to nature is the only way to regain our lost health. It is the only way to live healthy and fruitful lives. 

“A return to nature will imply eating uncooked fruits, nuts and vegetables; drinking unboiled and unchlorinated fresh water, exposing the body to enough sunlight, breathing fresh air, and walking barefoot on mother earth. But we refuse to return to nature, even when we fall seriously sick, though we know pretty well that such a natural life-style alone can cure us of all sicknesses, and keep us healthy and happy,... and this form of natural and non-violent lifestyle alone can help us build a culture of peace on earth… 

“Economics and politics also need to be rebuilt on the basis of such a holistic ecological world view….The true basis of a New Creation,…. of an Integral Revolution,.. that the world so badly needs today,… is a return to nature and natural life-styles…..

“Violence and bloodshed in the world are caused mainly by the greed, anger or frustration accumulated within individuals, communities and nations ….

“Seeds of peace, my son, have to be sown in the hearts and minds of individual human persons. That is why the UNESCO Constitution begins by saying: ‘As the wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that defenses for peace must be constructed’…..

“An inner transformation of the individual and a return to nature and natural life-styles are pre-requisites for any true and lasting social transformation, and for abiding peace in the world… It calls us to develop a unitive divine consciousness. This means a consciousness of our inherent unity and divinity as children of God created in His own image and likeness.. 

“A unitive divine consciousness will develop in us an awareness that we are united with all living beings,… that we are one family bound with a common destiny;... not only the whole humankind, but also, all life and the whole creation… Religions and nation states are smaller families within the larger human family.” The Baba stopped and looked at his disciple. Atma Prakash was all attention.

After few minutes of silence, the Baba continued: 

“The means and ends are inter-related, like a tree and its fruits. Violent means cannot bring peaceful ends. Corrupt means cannot build a corruption-free society or a corruption-free Government….

“Selfish and corrupt Parliamentarians and Legislators cannot bring forth just and righteous laws and rules. Unjust laws cannot build a world of justice…

“Hence, just as inner transformation of the individual and a return to nature and natural life-styles are pre-requisites for any true and lasting social transformation and for abiding health and happiness, right means and right people alone can bring about right ends. Do you understand these realities, my son?’ The Baba asked and looked into the eyes of Atma Prakash.

Excerpts from Integral Revolution