Meditation vs. Medication

Meditation vs. Medication

All creatures are health conscious. So too are human beings. All creatures are seeking happiness, and happiness depends on health too. The Creator instilled healthcare instincts in all His children. But it is being seen that animals are more conscious of their healthy habits and health protection than most human beings. Animals and other forms of life do not enjoy the elaborate health care system that human beings take for granted. Yet, individually speaking, most human beings do not follow a healthy lifestyle as expected from their higher developmental aspects. Much more needs to be done.

What is Health?

World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as a complete physical, mental, moral and social well-being and not merely the absence of diseases. To this, we can add spiritual well-being too. Modern scientific researches mention that total health cannot be achieved without spiritual practice daily. Prayer and meditation are vital techniques of spiritual exercises and have proved healing power.

Effects of Modernization

Human beings are paying very high prices for their sophisticated lifestyle, so-called higher development, exploiting nature and ignoring health rules. As a result, they have lost the art and science of total relaxation. So they suffer from various grades of stress and psychosomatic diseases. Many people wrongly believe that pill-pushing, pill-swallowing, heavily medicating the human body and mind system will cure diseases, promote health and hence happiness. Experience teaches that this is far from the truth.

Statistics have shown that in many developed countries more than 40,000 people die annually as a result of medication and complications of therapeutic procedures. Also to add to the complications of medications, parallel therapy systems are being practised. These are known as alternative medicines. Nobody knows or cares to know the number of deaths, disabilities and human suffering occurring due to these extra medications.

Therapeutic index 

No medicine, authentic or alternative, is free from harmful effects to the delicate human system. A fine and delicate balance is maintained between the beneficial and harmful effects of medications. This is called the therapeutic index of any particular medicine. The healthcare personnel tries to do their best. But their efforts are not good enough to avoid suffering as a direct result of medication.

Therapeutic Index
For every drug, there is a dose-response curve for effectiveness and a dose-response curve for toxicity. The concept of therapeutic index refers to the relationship between toxic and therapeutic doses. This pharmacodynamic parameter is relevant to clinical practice because it determines how safe (or toxic) a drug is. The therapeutic Index is an indication of safety. The larger the ratio the safer the drug.

The human mind is largely an unknown entity. Also, many people have no idea or have distorted wrong ideas about The Spirit and spiritual practices. By ignoring The Spirit and the spiritual practices, total health care cannot be achieved. Hence happiness cannot be achieved. Fortunately, more and more medical scientists are recognizing and advising about the healthcare benefits of meditation & prayer.

Meditation and Medication

It should not be misunderstood that medical care should be given up completely. Like everything else, medicines are also the power of God, in an indirect way. They also have a tremendous role in promoting human happiness. But they are not total or complete health givers or healers. More is required. That more is lacking is the daily practice of spirituality through meditation, prayer, spiritual exercises and a balanced lifestyle based upon a positive approach.

Meditation and medication should supplement and complement each other. Both, if used properly, can enrich human life, qualitatively and quantitatively. Also to help us in our efforts for Self Realization. Faith and love for the spirit, the Power of God has to be remembered and practised in our daily life. Our original and classical Kriya Yoga gives us definite techniques. It has to be practised daily to this effect for a balanced material and spiritual life, leading to Self Realization or God-Realization, which is the source of real joy and happiness.

May you practice Kriya Yoga daily, read the Holy Bhagavad Gita daily and lovingly, and enjoy health, happiness, harmony, and Self-Realization.”