Gandhi and health
So we have all heard the great things Bapu has done for the humankind, let alone our country, Hindustan (India). We have heard about his notions on peace, ideas of independence, self-discipline, and intellect: everything justifying the title given to him – the father of the nation.
But a great man like him must have unique rather sober perspective of medicine too, deserving to be penned down like every other aspect of his lifestyle.
Gandhiji incorporated education in health and hygiene in his 18-point constructive programs aimed at achieving complete independence by truthful and non-violent means. He emphasized on vegetarianism, which is inseparable from naturopathic way of treatment. He believed in his famous eleven vows namely
‘Non-violence, Truth, Control over Palate (taste), Celibacy, Physical work, Non-stealing, Non-possession, Fearlessness, Removal of caste barrier, Equality in religion, Swadeshi or self-reliance.’
Few of which showed relevance with his concept of health.
- Truth
Lying is way harder than speaking the truth but living a lie is even harder. Bapu had strong ideas on the fact that life was impossible without truth. “Truth is God” he said. When you lie, you steal away someone’s right to the truth, which is one of the biggest sins in the universe. Truth is happiness and happiness is directly proportional to one’s healthy.
Gandhiji’s model of 3 monkeys is famous in India. He always used to say that,
– Do not see Evil – Bura mat dekho
– Do not listen evil words – Bura mat suno
– Do not speak bad words – Bura mat kaho
These three principles defined his way of life. He believed that truth made our senses aware of the elements of this universe. It made us a better person, gave us a better view of life. Physical and mental health depends upon the kind of thoughts we have control over. Good thinking kept one healthy, preached Bapu.
- Non violence/ ahimsa
Bapu was a devotee of nature and its ways. He believed that nature had created all kind of beings on earth (animals, humans, and plants) with love. Defying his love would be war against nature and oneself. So Bapu preached vegetarianism and condemned the ways of people consuming animals for their own taste buds. What Bapu observed then is what studies show now that Non-vegetarians are 10 times more aggressive than vegetarians i.e. such meals stimulated violent behavior opposing the idea of ahimsa. Hence, Gandhiji criticized it.
All vegetables, cereals are non-aggressive and have positive effect on ones minds
3.Celibacy
The state of abstaining from marriage or sexual relations.
Bapu sermonized this state. He carped the over indulgence aspect of the sexual desires. He didn’t criticize the procreational intentions. Ayurveda and neuropathy, enunciated that the vital fluid, required for the procreation must be conserved and over indulgence was going against nature.
One must have control over his urges to maintain a truthful and healthy life.
Current life situations state how the humankind is averting from this belief and giving birth to life threatening diseases like HIV, AIDS, disturbed relationship, depression, stress, aggression et cetera.
4.Control over palate and taste
This idea is very much relevant Bapu’s faith on vegetarianism.
One must have control over their hunger or the urge to eat. Eating because your taste buds favor it is a sin. Over eating can lead to obesity, which, in today’s world is a foundation of more than a 100 diseases
Calling it misconduct in a way abstained the non-educated population from over eating and also out of fear of defying the nature.
The modern population follows a diet of small meals in short intervals after various evidences stated in the papers, magazines, media, gym instructors and physicians but Bapu had always been confident about it and had strong perceptions of it.
5.Fasting
The women populations of India follow the ritual of fasting very sincerely. The elders claim that it helps to prolong the lives of their husbands (pati ke lambe umar k liye) and it was a way of begging the almighty to fulfill their wishes.
But no one has ever mentioned the right way to fast except Bapu of course.
He believed that Nature is like a big fat grandma with full of love for her children and gifting them on special occasions.
Nature never wanted anyone to be hungry when it had created a whole world filled with sources of food. Nevertheless, people who wanted to must survive their day on fruits and fluids to help eliminate the toxins. The toxins accumulating in our bodies had a great impact on the psychological arena of our minds. It lead to depression, stress, anger and tiredness – all paving a way for debilitating health. After fasting one should come back to normal health in a stepwise manner.
6.Non -steading
Nature is a devotee of essentiality. He never creates what is not necessary. Living with the things we don’t “need” but just “wanted” at the moment is an offense to the universe and its beings. It is this concept that divides the rich from the poor and the rural from the urban. It has given birth to socially hurtful terms like caste systems, reservations, minorities and majorities.
It has been and is yet a threat to our society. The minorities/poor/lower castes suffer a great deal from this offense, which creates an unhealthy impact on their health. The rural population forms India as fluids form our body so a large part of the country suffers from ill health due to such act of defiance, preached Bapu.
7.Physical exercises
We all are aware of the archaic saying – Health is wealth. Regular exercise/ yoga is supposed to be an essential part of our routine every day no matter how engaged we are. It boosts our lifelines and gives us stamina to work more and harder. Exercise is more of refreshment than a tedious job. Our generation believes more in the culture of gyms but little do they know a few yoga asanas can do wonders in little amount of time and equipments. There have been books written by great sportsmen, actors, and philosophers about the importance of exercise in our daily lives.
We all have great desires while we live- to travel, love, succeed, eat and what not!
But we can live more only when we die late, isn’t it?
8.Equality and Prayer
Equality is the base of social and mental health. Any kind of inequality – socially, economically, religiously can disturb the social health or so Gandhiji addressed.
In ancient times, people were under an impression that praying healed the diseases they were suffering from in their lifetimes.
It may sound absurd but there are evidences to this belief and Gandhiji was in support of it.
Prayer is a way of thanking nature for one’s life and the elements of it. Our mind is incapables of being grateful and angry at the same time so Bapu believed that it calmed our souls spiritually. A calm mind is capable of thinking well and is an asset to the human kind. It sets an example for the posterity to come. It is eternal. It is the truth. It is justified.
All the notions followed by Bapu then, have justified its existence in today world very clearly. They are the proofs of the vigilant and profound mind of one of the great men of the century. Mahatma Gandhi believed that in order to paint the society gold, we must educate it with the miracles of nature and introduce the society with the knowledge of simple living, high thinking.