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The feeling of self-regulation in the Self is primary. Health in the Body is a natural
consequence.
When the Self has the feeling of self-regulation and there is health in the Body, there
is harmony of theSelf with the Body.
Appraisal of the Current Status
Over the last 100 years or so, there have been significant improvements in terms of
longer life-spans, in dealing with communicable diseases and trauma, but yet,
ensuring health remains a question mark [Link] problem is in the wrong assumptions,
one of which is that human being is the Body. With this assumption, happiness is
sought through favorable sensation through the Body. Further, the assumption that we
will get happiness from sensation through the consumption of physical facility has led
to a high demand for it. Most of the present-day disorders are psycho-somatic in
nature. „Psycho‟ has to do with the Self and „Somatic‟ has to do with the Body.
Disharmony in the Self causes disharmony in the Body causing psycho-somatic
problems. These effects are very prominent when the individual is living with the
assumption “I am the Body”.
The Way Ahead
There is a need to understand human being as it is (as co-existence of Self and
Body). The significant part is having the feeling of self-regulation in the Self. This
can happen only when the Self is in harmony, i.e. there is right understanding and
right feeling in the Self. With a feeling of self-regulation, the Self will naturally
nurture, protect and rightly utilize the Body, resulting in health of the Body.
Key Takeaways
The Body is an instrument of the Self. Harmony of the Self with the Body is ensured
when Self has thefeeling of self-regulation and there is health in the Body.
Programme for Self-regulation and Health
As we discussed earlier, feeling of self-regulation is the feeling of responsibility in
the Self for nurturing, protection and right utilization of the Body. We can now
detail it further:
Nurturing the Body
Nurturing means providing the necessary inputs to the Body. The right inputs nurture
the Body, without disturbing its harmony.
The programme for nurturing and maintaining health of the Body
includes the following:1a. Intake 1b. Routine
2a. Physical Labour 2b. Exercise
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3a. Balancing internal and 3b. Balancing breathing of
bodyexternal organs of body
4a. Medicine 4b. Treatment
1a. The first part is the intake, all that the Body takes in. It includes the air it
breathes, the water it drinks, the sunlight it absorbs, the food given to it and so on.
1b. A regular routine is required in order to keep the Body healthy, like ensuring a
proper programme for sleeping, waking up, cleaning the Body, eating, doing
physical work, etc.
2a. The Body needs adequate movement to maintain health. Labour is the work on
the rest of nature. Few hours of labour a day provides sufficient body movements to
keep the Body in good health. It alsoensures production of physical facility.
A lifestyle which includes appropriate intake, routine and labour, would be generally
sufficient to keepthe Body in good health. However, if we are unable to do that, or
in spite of this effort, there is some disharmony in the Body, there are some more
aspects of the programme for self-regulation and health,below.
2b. If one is not able to labor, s(he) can do exercises for proper upkeep of the Body.
3a. There is a need for keeping the internal as well as the external organs in
harmony by appropriate means like postures, movements etc.
3b. Breathing is a significant activity for the Body. Balancing the breathing of body
is necessary, through appropriate breathing exercises.
For the most part, health of the Body can be maintained by these three (1a, 1b, 2a,
2b, 3a and 3b). Despite these, if there is some problem in the health of the Body then
we take medicine and ultimately,we also take treatment when all this does not work.
4a. The Body is self-organised and naturally in harmony. It is able to recover itself
from many disturbances. But if due to some reasons it runs into disharmony,
medicine is helpful in taking care oflifestyle disorders, non-communicable illnesses
as well as communicable diseases.
4b. In the event the Body is not in a state to recover itself back to a state of harmony,
there is a need fortreatment.
Protecting the Body
Providing a conducive physical environment includes clothing, shelter etc. is all a
part of protection ofthe Body.
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Right Utilisation of the Body
Right utilization of the Body would mean that it is used in the process of fulfilling
human aspiration, which is basically the need of the Self. If one is using the Body in
the process of fulfilling the needs ofthe Self, it is right utilization of the Body. It would
include work with rest of nature to produce physical facility required for the Body.
Revisiting Prosperity in the Light of the Harmony between the Self and the
Body
The need for the physical facility is essentially related to fulfillment of this feeling
of responsibility towards the Body, i.e. we need physical facility for nurturing the
Body (food…), for protecting the Body (clothes, shelter…) and for rightly utilizing
the Body (instruments…) and that‟s it. And if we cansee this clearly, we can also see
that the physical facility required to ensure each one of them is required in limited
quantity. Hence, prosperity is very much possible.
As an exercise, one can list all the physical facilities required for these three
purposes, and see whether they are limited. Next, one can assess the available
facilities, and see if they are more than required. Ifnot, then how much more will be
required can be worked out. This will clearly give a vision for ensuring prosperity.
My Participation (Value) regarding Self and my Body
My participation (value) with my Body is:
Ensuring a feeling of self-regulation in the Self
Ensuring the nurturing, protection and right utilisation of the Body
Ensuring the production / availability of more than required physical facility for
the above
By ensuring these three, the Body continues to be in harmony, it remains healthy.
And one also has thefeeling of prosperity.
Key Takeaways
When the Self has a feeling of self-regulation (the responsibility for nurturing,
protection and right utilisation of the Body), and it is able to fulfil this responsibility,
the Body is in harmony (good health). This feeling of self-regulation is instrumental
in identifying the need for physical facility and ensuringprosperity.
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