“There is no need to fear illness but at the same time, we must not take it lightly.” – Josei Toda
Origin of illness
- Disharmony of the four elements
According to many philosophies, nature and things in the universe, including our human body consist of the four elements of fire, earth, wind and water. Disharmony of these elements refers to unseasonable weather and other conditions of discord in our natural world exerting a powerful influence on our human body, causing it to be ‘out of sync’. - Improper eating and drinking
This cause of illness is easily understood. I believe we are all familiar with situation where we fall ill from not eating sufficiently or overeating. Eating unhygienic food and food which are not properly prepared will also cause harm to our human bodies. - Inappropriate practice of seated meditation
Seated meditation is only a metaphor here. What this means here is that our health will be affected due to bad posture, insufficient sleep, exercise and simply being out of rhythm with everyday living. - Attack by demons
Demons generally refer to external functions in our environment affecting our daily lives. These include effects due to the workings of microorganisms such as bacteria and virus, or even stress affecting our mental health. - Work of devils
Devils, in contrast to demons, refer to internal functions in our lives affecting our daily lives. These include various inner impulses and obsessions resulting in bad judgments and wrong decisions. - Effects of karma
The work of karma refers to causes derived from the inner depths of our life. They are inherent due to the karma committed in the past and are manifested as illness.
Preventive Measures against Illness
Naturally, no one wants to be sick. Understanding the above six causes of illness, we can then take proactive steps to prevent illness.
The first thing is to dress according to the changes in our environment by having warm clothes for cold days and cool clothes for hotter ones. We should refrain from overindulging in food and drink. We should also try to have enough sleep and exercise. In this way, we can avoid the first three causes of illness.
The fourth kind will require collective wisdom of the human species. By that, I refer to knowledge and discovery of medical science.
The fifth kind will require a deeper sense of self-discipline. By living a life dedicated to a noble cause and focusing our energies, we can prevent devils from taking advantage of our humanly weaknesses.
Illness from karma however, is rarely prevented. Instead, they are meant to be overcome.
Illness Arising from Karma
There are generally two types of illness which usually occur with respect to karma. They are terminal diseases and chronic ailments.
For terminal diseases, it is important to muster deep conviction and true courage to face the diseases. Hope is a prerequisite to achieve victory. It had been proven that a hopeful patient has a higher chance of recovery than a pessimistic one. The key is to realize that when we suffer from a serious illness, it means that we have a profound mission. The deeper our suffering, the more we can demonstrate the tremendous power of Buddhism when you surmount that suffering and the more you can contribute to kosen-rufu.
Chronic ailment sufferers, however, often find it harder to arouse strong resolve to recover. It is thus, very important to adopt a positive mind towards our chronic ailments and make progressive efforts and at the same thing, summon the expansive life state to be able to take the bad times for granted. It is important to note that no ailments can be an obstacle to our happiness and our efforts for kosen-rufu as long as we can summon the ‘Lion Roar’.
“At life’s most fundamental level, health and sickness are one. There are times when our life manifests a healthy condition and times when it manifests illness. The two conditions are interconnected. Thus, by making earnest efforts in faith, and fighting against illness, we can establish a state of genuine health both mentally and physically.” – Daisaku Ikeda
Wishing all readers of my humble blog good health! =)
