आरोग्य-शास्त्र : भाव विशुद्धि और पवित्रता

Summary

The text discusses health and disease from a holistic perspective, drawing on Jain philosophy, particularly the teachings of Mahavira. It begins by linking happiness (sukha) with health (arogya) and suffering (dukha) with disease (roga). A central question is whether the body's parts (avayava) and the whole (avayavi) can be considered separate. Using the principle of anekanta (non-absolutism), the text argues they cannot be separated; the entire body becomes diseased, not just a single organ. A story illustrates that a wheel is only a wheel when complete, similarly, the whole body is affected by illness. The text emphasizes that a person with strong immunity is not afflicted by suffering, while one with weak resistance is. It contrasts viewing "what disease a patient has" versus "what patient has what disease," prioritizing the patient over the disease. It advocates looking beyond the physical body to the electric body (taijasa sharira), subtle body, mind, emotions, and karmic influences for accurate diagnosis and treatment. A fifth type of suffering, emotional suffering, is added to the four traditional types (natural, physical, mental, accidental). The text argues that the mind does not control the brain; rather, consciousness (chitta) controls the brain, making diseases "psychosomatic" in a deeper sense. The key principle is to treat the patient, not just the disease. A patient's mental strength, emotional purity, and spiritual power are crucial for recovery. The root cause of disease is often the emotional world (bhava jagat) of anger, ego, deceit, fear, and hatred. The concept of adhyavasana (subtle consciousness or intention) is introduced as a cause of disease; wholesome adhyavasana leads to health, while unwholesome adhyavasana invites illness. Finally, the text links disease to karmic theory, explaining that actions like hatred bind karmas (primarily deluding karma) which affect health, and that disease,