“In the diseased condition of the senses there is too much engagement of the senses in increasing material needs. When one comes to see the disadvantage of aggravating the sense activities, one is called a jnani, and when one tries to stop the activities of the senses by the practice of yogic principles, he is called a yogi, but when one is fully aware of the transcendental senses of the Lord and tries to satisfy His senses, one is called a devotee of the Lord.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 2.5.30 Purport)

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There is this thing going around. Normally, you are immune to catching the seasonal illnesses. For some reason, your body is able to fight it off. Perhaps because you maintain a solid and steady routine. You are regular in your habits. You do not eat meals out of time, and neither do you overload on sugar or items which would lead to an imbalance. To put it in modern terms, your macros are solid.

For some reason, this time around you ended up getting the disease that already went through the rest of the family. It is almost a foreign occurrence to you, since you cannot recall the last time you felt this way. It is an overwhelming sense of fatigue. Nothing else, really. Some increase in mucous, which is more of a nuisance. You cannot fall asleep at night since you keep cycling between opening and closing your mouth. You end up capitulating and taking some over-the-counter medication. It goes a long way, but the experience the next day is very strange.

You simply want to lie down. No watching television. No checking the phone. No movement, even. Just lie there, as your mind circles around. In one direction after another. You feel an intense paranoia one moment and overburdened by the upcoming responsibilities the next. You think that you are running away from something chasing you, even though physically you have not moved.

Fortunately, this condition only lasts until the nighttime. You sleep a long time and the next morning you feel completely different. The illness is mostly gone. You made it through. You cannot believe the feeling. It is as if you appreciate everything that life has to offer. Food now has taste. Sounds are no longer irritating. The brightness of the sun is not blinding. There is anticipation over what lies further ahead, on the horizon.

This experience, transitioning from disease to healing, is one way to understand what occurs when following genuine spiritual life. If first targeting the mode of goodness, sattva-guna, Shri Krishna describes the experience as poison in the beginning and nectar at the end.

यत् तद् अग्रे विषम् इव
परिणामे ’मृतोपमम्
तत् सुखं सात्त्विकं प्रोक्तम्
आत्म-बुद्धि-प्रसाद-जम्

yat tad agre viṣam iva
pariṇāme ’mṛtopamam
tat sukhaṁ sāttvikaṁ proktam
ātma-buddhi-prasāda-jam

“That which in the beginning may be just like poison but at the end is just like nectar and which awakens one to self-realization is said to be happiness in the mode of goodness.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.37)

We start off with a handicap of sorts. It is like we have this anchor weighing us down at the beginning of the race. This impediment begins at the time of birth, but fortunately the human being has the expectation to undergo training. The formalized version is known as education. The vidya, knowledge, should ideally be passed down from someone who is versed in the truth, tattva.

तद् विद्धि प्रणिपातेन
परिप्रश्नेन सेवया
उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं
ज्ञानिनस् तत्त्व-दर्शिनः

tad viddhi praṇipātena
paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

“Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.34)

Lacking this education, we will not really enjoy the life experience. If someone says they are enjoying, it is the false kind. This is confirmed by both His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and Prahlada Maharaja. To heal the broken leg is not really happiness. To be temporarily free of the burdens of yelling, screaming, interference, obstruction, and pressure from competitors and rivals brings relief, but relief is not happiness.

There is a healed condition. There is a chance to cure the disease. We change our outlook from material senses to transcendental senses. The object of worship is fully transcendental. Since He is the master of all senses, He is known as Hrishikesha. If we work towards satisfying Hrishikesha, then our outlook will change.

We will appreciate everything that the world has to offer. While time was previously our enemy, it is now our constant companion in creating new adventures which will ideally lead to experiencing the pleasure of the Almighty. We are made to serve Him, after all. Service is in our very constitution, and this realization can only manifest in the healed condition.

In Closing:

Sick for so many days,
Suffering in so many ways.

Awful and fatigued to feel,
But changed when finally to heal.

Like the world opening to pursue,
Similar with ancient wisdom too.

From the tattva-darshi receiving,
In joy and bliss beyond believing.

Categories: disease

Tags: dailyprompt, life, poem, poems, poetry, prabhupada, yoga