Dr. Mahavir Raj Gelra
1. Body - Source of Enormous Energy
Mahapragya is a spiritual leader with difference. He accepts the Jain classical view of immortal spirit but acknowledges the fact that the human body too is a source of infinite energy. He explains this in simple terms - spirit cannot be functional in absence of the body, whereas the body cannot perform without the force of spirit. The bond between the two is very strong. Body alone paves the way for spiritual liberation. So, let us understand the body from metaphysical and medical points of view.
1.1. Corporeal and Ethereal Bodies -
At the outset, it is important to define what constitutes a body - the externally visible skin, organs, bones etc. forming the macro-body or the intangible intelligence, karmic body and soul forming the micro-body? Spiritually, the soul is different and separate from the body, but the body functions are complete only when macro (physical and chemical) and micro (karmic and tejas) bodies work in tandem.
People sometimes argue it is the tangible body and nothing else. They cite some ridiculous examples like, weight of the body remains unchanged soon after death implying no micro-body (karmic, tejas) can possibly leave the body. But it is not the physical attributes like weight and power which are important, they are just corporal masks of the ethereal body. What is important is the real guide, driver and director - our micro self - tejas and karmic bodies.
1.2. Thermal Body (Tejas Sharir)
Mahapragya stresses that the presence of the external body is obvious to all, but it is of vital importance that we know our invisible, micro-bodies residing inside ourselves. These micro-bodies are indeed sources of enormous energy. One of these is called tejas (thermal) while the other one is called karman (karmic). Tejas-Sahrir (thermal-body) supplies the necessary energy resources while the karmic body has encrypted intelligence.
Tejas or thermal body is said to regulate our entire metabolism and blood circulation. Person with mild or weak u:tejas-sharir exhibits placid body functions. On the other hand, an active thermal body is indicative of energetic personality. Contemporary medical experts have come face to face with this reality.
1.2.1. Effects of Sun-light
For Jains, traditionally, the body cycles are linked to the sun. But, medical practitioners, too, have established a strong link between bio-clock and the sun. Famous physician Dr. Steevak has established that the sun light supplements our diet. We cannot survive solely on the food in the absence of the sun-light.
In an experiment, Michael and his team conducted some experiments on rats to establish link between food and the importance of sun-light. In first set of experiment, eighteen rats were given low nutrition diet devoid of calcium and phosphorous. In addition, they were kept in dark room. In a few days, they all became weak and fell ill. Then, without changing their diet, they were exposed to sun. The rats quickly recovered within a couple of days and regained their strength. In the second set of experiment, the rats were again confined to dark rooms, were fed the same low nutrition diet, but the food was exposed to sun for a few hours before being consumed by the rats. The rats exhibited no signs of weakness and remained healthy. The obvious conclusion was - sun not only strengthened the digestion in the first experiment, but supplemented the diet as in second experiment.
1.2.2. Atapna
Jains have been conducting such experiments for centuries. They call it atapna. Jain ascetics used to expose themselves to the sun light for hours and refrained from food for days together. This act is called atapna. During this practice, they experienced little hunger as their food needs were fulfilled by the light of sun. Though it was act of penance, its efficacy in preventing the hunger was very well known to the Jain monks. In this kind of practice, they discovered the hidden strengths of their micro-bodies, particularly the tejas.
1.2.3. Food Intake after Sunset
A widely popular Jain practice is to avoid any food after sunset. People attribute several reasons behind it including the inability to cook during night as there was no electricity in ancient times. Some reason that it was to avoid insects etc. But, Mahapragya says that the true reason is far more important and scientific - the digestion of food is accelerated in the presence of sunlight. Our tejas-sharir gets its energy from sun. After sunset, it becomes inactive resulting in diminished digestion and consequent ailments. So the tradition of avoiding food after sunset is not mythical but scientific.
1.3. Ageing
Exterior body is just like a machine or an engine. In fact, it is like a factory. As any other machine, body also needs energy, undergoes wear and tear and ultimately ages to die. We have seen the importance of good and proper fuel, i.e., food for our body. Now we shall analyse the process of its wear and tear, i.e., ageing.
1.3.1. Body is a Machine
Have you ever heard the mechanical sounds produced within yourself by various activities of your internal organs? Mahapragya invites you to such an ecstatic experience through sharir-preksha. When the mental attention attains concentration, our mind blocks the external sounds coming to it. In this stage, one can become aware of the flow of vital consciousness within oneself. A communication is established with the inner self. Scientists too have tried to simulate the meditation like conditions by constructing a sound-proof cabin. Even in spite of the foolproof technology, the sound reaching to their minds continued. It became a puzzle, how the sound can enter a meticulously constructed sound-proof cabin. Ultimately, it emerged that they were listening to the vibrations of their own internal organs like heart etc. The reverberations were caused by the activities of blood flow, nervous and digestive systems.
So, body is like a machine - a very powerful and reliable machine. Scientists, who have constructed the world's tallest buildings, submarines and spacecrafts, are still unable to simulate the body and its organs. With all its amazing activities, the body essentially undergoes the process of ageing.
1.3.2. Process of Ageing
What is age of a human? Is it the number of years one has lived at the time of asking this question? Or is it the number of years one will live before the eventual death? It is in the later sense we shall be treating age. After statistical analysis of growth and decay of an average human body, Dr. Carlson stated that the mathematical model forecasts an age of 150 years for humans. However, going by the stress and polluted environment, we are still far below the magical number of hundred years. In order to reach the peak age of 150 years (no proof of such a human exists so far), Mahapragya says that it is as much important to thoroughly know our ephemeral body as to know the eternal soul.
Normally, first twenty years are of growth, during which the body gains size, weight and strength. Beyond this age, the body decay begins. The first victims are - sight, hearing and digestion. In fact, the flexibility of eye lenses start reducing from ten years onwards. Though this decay is trivial, the real effects of ageing manifest after the age of forty years. After this age, the eye muscles become so rigid that the near-sightedness starts reducing. Reduced night vision and cataract inevitably follow after sixty years of age. Other body capacities like the taste also suffer beyond fifty years. Smell is the next victim; attacked at around sixty. Digestive juices almost reduce to half by that age due to reduced production of pepsin and tripsin.
Can this decay be slowed down, stopped or reversed? A million-million dollar question! Most of the scientific activities in the fields of micro and nano biology are concentrated in this direction.
1.3.2.1. Slowing Down the Ageing process
To live a disciplined, healthy and stress-free life are the only methods known to slow down the decay of body. As in case of any engine, the fuel, exhaust and lubrication are important for its long and trouble-free operation. Abusing the body with stress, smoking, improper diet, alcohol, etc. is the sure way to accelerate the body towards death.
1.3.2.2. Stopping The Ageing process
Scientists have observed the process of hibernation in many species of microbes, insects, frogs and snakes. They found that in extreme winters with sub-zero temperatures, all the body activities come to a standstill. They begin to thaw as temperature increases and the life fills with activities again. A similar logic is applied for humans. In some experiments, the persons in near death situations were persuaded to undergo the similar process of freezing. Their entire blood was replaced with saline liquid and the entire body frozen in liquid nitrogen. Medical experts are hoping to infuse life back to such protected bodies some time in future when the reversal process will be perfected by them. No such resurrection is attempted so far, as the medicos are still not sure of the technique to permeate the life back. All they state that the frozen body is not dead and can be preserved for centuries. They hope, by that time the science will be so advanced that it would be in a position to re-infuse the blood and life back to the frozen body.
1.3.2.3. Reversal of Ageing Process
With the advent of cloning, another possibility has arisen in the recent years. That is to cultivate the different body parts of a human being in the laboratories and replace them in place of the decayed ones. It is just like replacing a discharged battery of a car with the new one, or like replacing a worn out tyre. Very encouraging laboratory tests will make this fiction a reality in very near future.
Going by the various efforts of improving the health, curing of the diseases and the transplantation of affected organs, we are bound to comment that the God has not created the nature, but the nature is incessantly working towards the goal of creating an ever healthy and ever happy human who can be called God.
2. Development of Personality
During the growth of body, along with the physical changes, development of personality goes on simultaneously. While most of the physical parameters remain within the average specified limits, it is the personality which makes a huge difference between the individuals.
Within our body two systems are always at work - endocrine and nervous. Both play vital role in the outcome of personality. Both the systems work in consonance and affect various personality tenets. For example - our thyroid glands - the deficiency in thyroxin makes a person irritable and lazy while the excess of it makes the personality aggressive and over-active. For a refined personality, it needs to be understood and controlled.
The activities of hormones are actually controlled by nervous system through a feedback mechanism (we shall deal with it in detail in later chapters). By the nature of different activities, the nervous system is divided into three streams -
- Ida (Sympathetic nervous system)
- Pingla (Para-sympathetic nervous system)
- Sushumnna (Central nervous system)
A child is hyperactive - it is attributed to the sympathetic nervous system. A person is always fearsome, suffers from inferiority complex - it is result of overactive Para-sympathetic nervous system.
What are the reasons of such a vast diversity in personality traits? Why some are daredevils and others timid, some are extroverts and others introverts, some peace-loving while others are aggressive and violent? The reasons lie deep within our brain and genes.
2.1. Brain-cellsAfter deeply probing the link between our personality, health and behaviour, Mahapragya concludes that the key lies in the brain-cells of every living being. Brain is the controller of all our body activities. Medical scientists have found that seeing, hearing, feeling etc. all happen in the brain; eyes, ears and skin are mere transducers and signal transmitters. Our memories and experiences are stored here. It is the most powerful and intricately designed organ of the body containing billions of cells. We shall describe its various parts and functioning later in the following chapters.
2.2. Memory-cellsIn addition to the functional intelligence, brain is a warehouse of memory cells. Modern brain specialists say that we utilize a mere 4-5 percent of our brain capacity on an average. A genius may deploy around additional 2-3 percent. Huge 92-96 percent of the available capacity lies redundant. It is called Silent area or Dark area. Commenting on this finding, Mahapragya inquests, "In all probabilities, the so called silent area might contain the memory cells of the previous births. It opens a potential field for further investigations."
2.3. GenesApropos to the relational discussions on age, body and mind, Mahapragya states that the childhood is the first chapter of life. A child brings in a lot of good and bad traits with his birth. He is tied in the chain of heredity. His chromosomes contain genes which are pre-programmed to determine his gender and psychological predisposition. Besides, from Jain view point, he is already loaded with the karmas of his previous births. His slate is not entirely empty and clean. Several sketches are already drawn. These hazy sketches of childhood take a clear shape in the presence of several environmental and societal factors. In spite of the pre-programming and pre-conditioning, parents, teachers, friends, society and surroundings play an undeniably strong role in the personality development of a child. This fact leaves a tremendous scope for the cultured and spiritual upbringing of a child. Hormone production of the body plays a very vital role in this, as we shall shortly see.
