The Journey from Physical Fitness to Mental Health
It should be realised, however, that there is no greater friend for anyone than God. He is beyond the reach of praise or censure. He does not give up man on the ground of the latter's failure to come up to His expectations. That is why God has been given the appellation, Suhrid (a good friend). God desires no offerings from any devotee. God is the only one friend who confers benefits on devotees without expecting any return. Nevertheless man does not readily accept such a friend. Only the man who accepts God as such a friend and is guided by His advice can understand the full meaning of Divine friendship. Faith of this nature alone constitutes true Jnana. In the comprehension of the truth about the Divine, there are four different approaches. These are: Yastika, Astika, Astika-Nastika and Nastika. Yastika is one, who, on experiencing a Divine fragrance, seeks to find out the source of the fragrance and after a diligent search, gets at the flower which is the source. In spiritual terms, this means that the seeker studies the Vedas, the Puranas, and other scriptures and tries to realise the Divine as revealed by them. Yastikatva means embarking on a diligent search to discover the source of the Real and to experience it. Astikatva is devoting one's entire life to the search for the source of the fragrance. Astika-Nastikatva means, making the search for the source of the fragrance and, on failing in the attempts, giving up the search out of frustration and despair. Nastika is one who denies the existence of the fragrance, because he is afflicted by a disease which prevents him from smelling the fragrance. A Healthy Body and a Healthy Mind Caught up in one or other of these approaches, men spend their lives in a wayward manner. This is the plight of students today. Some of them recognise the fragrance (of the Spirit), some others make the efforts to search for the source, some others are content to enjoy the fragrance without seeking the source and yet others declare that they are quite satisfied with the material comforts of the world and are not interested in anything beyond them. This last category of persons are unable to recognise the basic purpose of life. They seem to consider that the sole aim of life is to acquire wealth, eat, drink and enjoy material comforts. This surely cannot be the main purpose of life. To recognise the primacy of human birth among living beings and yet fail to realise one's inherent Divinity is supremely unfortunate. Man needs a healthy body for a healthy mind, filled with good thoughts. It must be recognised that sports and music have been designed to confer health and happiness on man. But physical fitness alone is not enough. Mental health is equally important. Together with the gross physical body everyone has a Sookshma Sharira (subtle body). One has to take good care of this subtle body also. For this, spiritual exercises will have to be performed which will help one to realise the Divine. There are three benefits to be derived from sports and games - team spirit, mutual understanding and joy. Even if men speak different languages and differ in their habits and cultures, in the field of sports they have a common bond, a spirit of camaraderie. Face with Courage All Ordeals in Life True education consists in the acquisition of good qualities, cultivation of good thoughts, truthfulness, devotion, discipline, and dedication to duty. These are also the qualities that should be acquired through sports and games. These qualities serve to impart to the subtle body health and joy. Seek to acquire the friendship of God, than whom there is no greater friend in the world. You have to face with courage the ordeals in life. When our Institute students go out into the world, they should be able to face all challenges and overcome them. For this purpose, all our Institute authorities and staff have been offering encouragement to our students. I hope that you students will follow the example of these pure-hearted and eminent men and achieve in life equally eminent positions. I am blessing you all and concluding My discourse. Source: Only God is Your True Friend, Discourse 6, My Dear Students Volume 2 -- --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "saimsg" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
