Ayurveda and politics
First about Ayurveda:
I am reading books devoted to Ayurveda and Chinese medicine (I ruled out Tibetan medicine as inferior to these two). One of them is "Ayurveda and the Mind. The Healing of Consciousness" written by Dr. David Frawley who is a director of American Institute of Vedic Studies in Santa Fe, New Mexico. According to Ayurveda when treating psychological problems and mental diseases one must first heal consciousness. Remember my picture of the subconsious specialist? My idea was not far away from the Ayurvedic take on subconsious, except according to Ayurveda the subconsciousness is not hired by us but rather it is always a part of us but if we train our consciousness well it will have control of the subconsciousness or, basically, the subconsciousness will just keep quiet. What I read in that book explains how our mind works (according to Vedas and Vedic philosophy) and what to do to strengthen it so no mental imbalances ever trouble us. "Ayrveda does not look upon the human being as a limited set of biochemical processes. It views the human soul as pure awareness, linked with but not limited to the mind-body complex, which is its instrument of manifestation. " According to Ayurveda we should develop our awareness not only to prolong our lives and have better energy but because "our awareness is the only thing that we can take with us when we die." (That is, of course, when you believe the soul or the pure energy within us travels when our physical body dies). What I really like about the Ayurvedic approach is that it looks at every person (and every being for that matter) with compassion. The fact that a person is evil, angry, agressive, disonest, doesn't mean he or she has to be this way until he or she dies because that's his or her personality. All negative emotions can be changed into positive emotions, and compassion and selflessness can be developed in a person who doesn't show them initially. The book discusses the tools to help a person develop them. It requires much discipline and consistency but can definitely be done. Since body, mind and soul are connected, the Ayurvedic doctor works on all of them simultaneously. The body must be purified of toxins and the immune system must be strengthened (for this body clensing procedures are administered and physical exercise is to be done - yoga among them); the mind must be calmed down and emptied from wrong impressions and right intake of emotions must be cultivated (through meditation and other technigues); our interactions with other people have to be changed to be harmonious (as our compassion grows); we have to finally look at our soul and develop relationship with it - or develop "communion with the greater universe and the Divine powers at work within it." After our working hard on our body, mind, and soul we may come to the conclusion that the "ego is our sense of transient identity, that we are the creature of a particular life or body. The soul, on the other hand, is the sense that we are an immortal conscious being, an individualized portion of Divinity. " If we begin to feel we are "an individualized portion of Divinity" nothing can sadden us any longer; the feelings of inferiority, worthlessness, and being unloved will be lost. Ayurveda says that the most important relationship we have should be with ourself because all other relationships are temporary. When we develop this love for our Self (nothing to do with egoism - it's not love for Ego but for Self) we will feel happy and complete regardless of external circumstances. I would like to cite a few paragraphs from the book:
"There is a seeking for primary or lasting relationships. All our human relationships are secondary because they are bound by time and must pass away. They only become primary relationships when we see God within the other. Without a recognition of the eternal Being behind all relationships, there can be no fulfillment in any relationship. We are born alone and die alone and can never be one with another physically or mentally, except for brief moments.
Yet we are never really alone. Though we are born and die in a single body, there is within us the consciousness of the entire unvierse, should we choose to look within. We can find all worlds and all beings inside ourselves. Real relationship is to see the Devine in others and in all life. It requires that we relate to our real origin, our real parents, the Divine Father and Mother of the universe, and not just to external bodies and forms."
If anyone wonders about the usage of "God" in this excerpt here's the further explanation (and that is why I also like the Ayurvedic philosophy):
"Each of us possesses an inherent ethical sense, which we call "conscience" - a feeling that certain things are right and others are wrong. Our conscience causes us not to wish harm to any creature and to feel the pain of others as our own. Conscience is a major part of intelligence, which establishes how we value and treat other people.
Directed outwardly, intelligence creates morality, which may be little more than arbitrary customs of a particular society. Directed inwardly, intelligence creates universal ethics like non-violence, which transcend all cultural prejudices. Through our inner intelligence, we act ethically and humanely, not for the material or social gain, or even for heavenly reward, but for the good of all.
Organized religion, with its dogmas and institutions, is another product of the outward-oriented intelligence. It results in the clash of beliefs and their exclusive claims. It ties us to a particular church, book or savior as truth. On the other hand, directed inwardly, true intelligence creates spirituality or the quest for eternal truth beyond name and form. It leads to the truth or our own inner Being, our higher Self in which the insistence upon a belief, saviour or institution appears naive."
In yesterday's paper I read about the famous western neurologists' discovery of a protein which may be responsible for depression. The article said that so many people fall sick with this "debilitating disease" that more research has to be done so in the future a cure is found... Why do these western specialists not look into 5,000 old Ayurvedic practices? The cure for mental instability and diseases of the mind and soul (and "depression" among them) has been found. Not all who suffer instability or are depressed may want to use it but for those who do, it is out there waiting to be used. I have to say, though, that among the doctors I know psychiatrists are the doctors most rigid in their practice, most unflexible to "new" ideas or any health systems which were not thought at their medical schools. For this reason, I believe, instead of broadening their knowlege about the existing old types of treatment, they will work on developing Prozac 2, 3, and 4 (which already is called "vitamin P") and what a joy that will be to the pharmaceutical companies! I also read today an article in a magazine about anti-depressants and its "culture", how the author heard at a party two literary men discuss when to take it: "you take a Prozac pill just before you start writing and take it during the time of your working on the book/article, but if you are planning to spend an intimate evening with your wife (anti-depressants weaken the potency), you should stop taking it 24 hours before..." Prozac seems to be popular as much as Coca-cola and chewing gum. According to the article Prozac is ill-proscribed for 90% of people. I personally think it is so much better not to have to depend on anything, absolutely anything, for one's feeling of happiness and life-fulfillment. I don't know how many people statistically suffer from depression in India and China (Chinese medicine has similar view on mental diseases as Ayurveda). To work on your soul you must have your stomach relatively full and since in these parts of the world food is not so easily accessible as in the developed countries, the Chinese and Ayurvedic principles could be more effective there than here, paradoxically... But I don't know that really... I am just wondering about it and speculating...
About the political situation in Nepal: it is turbulent. The Kingdom of Nepal has a king who possesses all the power and lives comfortably in his palace in Kathmandu. The economy system is basically non-existent. The King has no mind for economy and doesn't care. He gets a lot of help from the governments of developed countries but not much of it filtrates to the people of Nepal (of course, that's how a dictatorship works). What gets to the Nepalis is help from all kinds of charitable and relief organizations. The people are fed up with the present state of affairs. In the countryside the Communist Party of Nepal operates (they are called the "Maoists") and it is in the state of war with the Royal Army. There are also 7 democratic parties organized in a 7-party alliance. Shortly before I came to Kathmandu the 7-party alliance and the kind signed some 12-point treaty to start changing the political system from monarchy to democracy. The Maoists proclaimed unilateral sease-fire to join in the talks. During my stay here I have been observing the turbulent situation: the democratic parties weakness in making the king adhere to the points; the king trying to wiggle out and "outsmart" the parties and secretly deploying the Royal Army in the countryside; the Maoists trying to stick to the proclaimed cease-firege but nonetheless getting involved in killing or capturing soldiers and villagers; villagers dying in the conflict, killed by the soldiers or the Maoists (some supporting the Maoists, some inocent people having nothing to do with the "insurgency" being killed "in error"). All the region surrounding Boughdeau is in the hands of the Maoists - there's no governmental authority there. The first time I went there (since I probably was the only turist venturing in these regions) I was thoroughly interrogated by a Maoist and had to proove I was not the agent of the CIA (my passport was checked in detail and the Chinese and Russian visa was inspected). I told him he is very proud if he thinks the US administration gives a damn about Nepal (I am sure G. W. Bush doesn't even know where it is located on the globe...). Communism is a thing of the past. Terrorism is a big thing now (and not any terrorism, the one directed at the US). And besides, Nepal doesn't have oil or anything of interest to them dudes. I haven't seen anything in the papers about US involvement in Nepalis struggles. I read about the EU pressuring the king to share his power with the democratic parties and to involve the communists as well to prevent the further bloodshed. Eventually, I think, the king will have to share or they will chase him out. The Maoists proclaimed the end of the cease-fire a few days ago and bombed a few buildings in the city of Pokhara (they took out all the people before they detonated the bombs, one person got hurt). Every day in the paper there's news of people being killed in the conflict. The UN posh SUV Toyotas are driving around Kathmandu monitoring the situation (I always wonder why they have to have such luxurious equipment...) and soldiers are stationed at all main intersections, barricaded with sandbags. A few years ago, I was told, bombs were detonated everywhwere, regardless of whether people were around or not. The situation got better since then but no one really knows how long it will take for the country to be stable. At the moment, it seems, all Nepalis would prefer to be somewhere else... People ask me if I can get them visa to go to the US or Europe. Whoever has enough education to get some business visa emigrates. The paper said that 90% of young doctors leave. Soon there will be no mind power to steer the country even if the king does become the representant of the country instead of being its head.
I am reading books devoted to Ayurveda and Chinese medicine (I ruled out Tibetan medicine as inferior to these two). One of them is "Ayurveda and the Mind. The Healing of Consciousness" written by Dr. David Frawley who is a director of American Institute of Vedic Studies in Santa Fe, New Mexico. According to Ayurveda when treating psychological problems and mental diseases one must first heal consciousness. Remember my picture of the subconsious specialist? My idea was not far away from the Ayurvedic take on subconsious, except according to Ayurveda the subconsciousness is not hired by us but rather it is always a part of us but if we train our consciousness well it will have control of the subconsciousness or, basically, the subconsciousness will just keep quiet. What I read in that book explains how our mind works (according to Vedas and Vedic philosophy) and what to do to strengthen it so no mental imbalances ever trouble us. "Ayrveda does not look upon the human being as a limited set of biochemical processes. It views the human soul as pure awareness, linked with but not limited to the mind-body complex, which is its instrument of manifestation. " According to Ayurveda we should develop our awareness not only to prolong our lives and have better energy but because "our awareness is the only thing that we can take with us when we die." (That is, of course, when you believe the soul or the pure energy within us travels when our physical body dies). What I really like about the Ayurvedic approach is that it looks at every person (and every being for that matter) with compassion. The fact that a person is evil, angry, agressive, disonest, doesn't mean he or she has to be this way until he or she dies because that's his or her personality. All negative emotions can be changed into positive emotions, and compassion and selflessness can be developed in a person who doesn't show them initially. The book discusses the tools to help a person develop them. It requires much discipline and consistency but can definitely be done. Since body, mind and soul are connected, the Ayurvedic doctor works on all of them simultaneously. The body must be purified of toxins and the immune system must be strengthened (for this body clensing procedures are administered and physical exercise is to be done - yoga among them); the mind must be calmed down and emptied from wrong impressions and right intake of emotions must be cultivated (through meditation and other technigues); our interactions with other people have to be changed to be harmonious (as our compassion grows); we have to finally look at our soul and develop relationship with it - or develop "communion with the greater universe and the Divine powers at work within it." After our working hard on our body, mind, and soul we may come to the conclusion that the "ego is our sense of transient identity, that we are the creature of a particular life or body. The soul, on the other hand, is the sense that we are an immortal conscious being, an individualized portion of Divinity. " If we begin to feel we are "an individualized portion of Divinity" nothing can sadden us any longer; the feelings of inferiority, worthlessness, and being unloved will be lost. Ayurveda says that the most important relationship we have should be with ourself because all other relationships are temporary. When we develop this love for our Self (nothing to do with egoism - it's not love for Ego but for Self) we will feel happy and complete regardless of external circumstances. I would like to cite a few paragraphs from the book:
"There is a seeking for primary or lasting relationships. All our human relationships are secondary because they are bound by time and must pass away. They only become primary relationships when we see God within the other. Without a recognition of the eternal Being behind all relationships, there can be no fulfillment in any relationship. We are born alone and die alone and can never be one with another physically or mentally, except for brief moments.
Yet we are never really alone. Though we are born and die in a single body, there is within us the consciousness of the entire unvierse, should we choose to look within. We can find all worlds and all beings inside ourselves. Real relationship is to see the Devine in others and in all life. It requires that we relate to our real origin, our real parents, the Divine Father and Mother of the universe, and not just to external bodies and forms."
If anyone wonders about the usage of "God" in this excerpt here's the further explanation (and that is why I also like the Ayurvedic philosophy):
"Each of us possesses an inherent ethical sense, which we call "conscience" - a feeling that certain things are right and others are wrong. Our conscience causes us not to wish harm to any creature and to feel the pain of others as our own. Conscience is a major part of intelligence, which establishes how we value and treat other people.
Directed outwardly, intelligence creates morality, which may be little more than arbitrary customs of a particular society. Directed inwardly, intelligence creates universal ethics like non-violence, which transcend all cultural prejudices. Through our inner intelligence, we act ethically and humanely, not for the material or social gain, or even for heavenly reward, but for the good of all.
Organized religion, with its dogmas and institutions, is another product of the outward-oriented intelligence. It results in the clash of beliefs and their exclusive claims. It ties us to a particular church, book or savior as truth. On the other hand, directed inwardly, true intelligence creates spirituality or the quest for eternal truth beyond name and form. It leads to the truth or our own inner Being, our higher Self in which the insistence upon a belief, saviour or institution appears naive."
In yesterday's paper I read about the famous western neurologists' discovery of a protein which may be responsible for depression. The article said that so many people fall sick with this "debilitating disease" that more research has to be done so in the future a cure is found... Why do these western specialists not look into 5,000 old Ayurvedic practices? The cure for mental instability and diseases of the mind and soul (and "depression" among them) has been found. Not all who suffer instability or are depressed may want to use it but for those who do, it is out there waiting to be used. I have to say, though, that among the doctors I know psychiatrists are the doctors most rigid in their practice, most unflexible to "new" ideas or any health systems which were not thought at their medical schools. For this reason, I believe, instead of broadening their knowlege about the existing old types of treatment, they will work on developing Prozac 2, 3, and 4 (which already is called "vitamin P") and what a joy that will be to the pharmaceutical companies! I also read today an article in a magazine about anti-depressants and its "culture", how the author heard at a party two literary men discuss when to take it: "you take a Prozac pill just before you start writing and take it during the time of your working on the book/article, but if you are planning to spend an intimate evening with your wife (anti-depressants weaken the potency), you should stop taking it 24 hours before..." Prozac seems to be popular as much as Coca-cola and chewing gum. According to the article Prozac is ill-proscribed for 90% of people. I personally think it is so much better not to have to depend on anything, absolutely anything, for one's feeling of happiness and life-fulfillment. I don't know how many people statistically suffer from depression in India and China (Chinese medicine has similar view on mental diseases as Ayurveda). To work on your soul you must have your stomach relatively full and since in these parts of the world food is not so easily accessible as in the developed countries, the Chinese and Ayurvedic principles could be more effective there than here, paradoxically... But I don't know that really... I am just wondering about it and speculating...
About the political situation in Nepal: it is turbulent. The Kingdom of Nepal has a king who possesses all the power and lives comfortably in his palace in Kathmandu. The economy system is basically non-existent. The King has no mind for economy and doesn't care. He gets a lot of help from the governments of developed countries but not much of it filtrates to the people of Nepal (of course, that's how a dictatorship works). What gets to the Nepalis is help from all kinds of charitable and relief organizations. The people are fed up with the present state of affairs. In the countryside the Communist Party of Nepal operates (they are called the "Maoists") and it is in the state of war with the Royal Army. There are also 7 democratic parties organized in a 7-party alliance. Shortly before I came to Kathmandu the 7-party alliance and the kind signed some 12-point treaty to start changing the political system from monarchy to democracy. The Maoists proclaimed unilateral sease-fire to join in the talks. During my stay here I have been observing the turbulent situation: the democratic parties weakness in making the king adhere to the points; the king trying to wiggle out and "outsmart" the parties and secretly deploying the Royal Army in the countryside; the Maoists trying to stick to the proclaimed cease-firege but nonetheless getting involved in killing or capturing soldiers and villagers; villagers dying in the conflict, killed by the soldiers or the Maoists (some supporting the Maoists, some inocent people having nothing to do with the "insurgency" being killed "in error"). All the region surrounding Boughdeau is in the hands of the Maoists - there's no governmental authority there. The first time I went there (since I probably was the only turist venturing in these regions) I was thoroughly interrogated by a Maoist and had to proove I was not the agent of the CIA (my passport was checked in detail and the Chinese and Russian visa was inspected). I told him he is very proud if he thinks the US administration gives a damn about Nepal (I am sure G. W. Bush doesn't even know where it is located on the globe...). Communism is a thing of the past. Terrorism is a big thing now (and not any terrorism, the one directed at the US). And besides, Nepal doesn't have oil or anything of interest to them dudes. I haven't seen anything in the papers about US involvement in Nepalis struggles. I read about the EU pressuring the king to share his power with the democratic parties and to involve the communists as well to prevent the further bloodshed. Eventually, I think, the king will have to share or they will chase him out. The Maoists proclaimed the end of the cease-fire a few days ago and bombed a few buildings in the city of Pokhara (they took out all the people before they detonated the bombs, one person got hurt). Every day in the paper there's news of people being killed in the conflict. The UN posh SUV Toyotas are driving around Kathmandu monitoring the situation (I always wonder why they have to have such luxurious equipment...) and soldiers are stationed at all main intersections, barricaded with sandbags. A few years ago, I was told, bombs were detonated everywhwere, regardless of whether people were around or not. The situation got better since then but no one really knows how long it will take for the country to be stable. At the moment, it seems, all Nepalis would prefer to be somewhere else... People ask me if I can get them visa to go to the US or Europe. Whoever has enough education to get some business visa emigrates. The paper said that 90% of young doctors leave. Soon there will be no mind power to steer the country even if the king does become the representant of the country instead of being its head.
posted by Asia Kabat at 11:18 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home