In the first part it was concluded that low 'sattva' and high rajas and tamas in the mind are responsible for causing various mental and physical disorders. According to Ayurveda one of prime causes of diseases is 'not using the intelligence' (pragyaparadha). It is true that we all have intelligence. Anyone without 'intelligence' out there? :) Yes, we all have intelligence, in fact human beings are the most intelligent race on the planet. But do we really always use it?
Maybe not, specially when it concerns our own body and health. We use our intelligence to solve even the most difficult problems in our outer world like our job, business, family etc. but when it comes to our own body, we don't use it. Let me give you some examples below to prove this.
In India, I often meet patients who come and complain to me that they are suffering from hair loss, acne, pimples, heart burn, hyper acidity, burning in the urine, burning or itching in the skin, hot and sweaty palms and feet. When I ask them, "do you eat chilies and drink 'chai (black tea) or masala chai (black tea with hot spices)?". The answer is big YES- at least 3-4 times a day. Any normal person having heat and burning in the body, if uses his/her intelligence, should not do this because there is already excess heat/fire in the body and chilies and chai/masala chai is heating in nature. This applies to coffee also. There are also people who tell me proudly that they eat "junk' food almost daily. The word 'junk' means garbage, so actually they are saying they 'EAT GARBAGE' daily. Why should someone having intelligence eat garbage?
There are patients suffering from High blood pressure, Diabetes, Thyroid, Migraine, Joint pains etc. for years and taking tablets everyday to suppress the symptoms or to maintain the blood pressure, sugar level, or to kill the pain. When I ask them, "Have you ever used your intelligence and tried to find out the cause of your disease?". The answer is a big "NO". I often compare these people with a person who has punctured tyre in his bicycle for years, and every morning pumps air into the tube, goes to office on bi-cycle and then repeats the same in the evening, but never thinks of fixing the puncture. I am sure we all agree that we will call such a person, crazy or stupid or in Ayurvedic terms 'pragyaparadha' (not using intelligence).
Then there are those who are just slaves of the mind. Whatever the mind says, they do. Body is tired/exhausted and wants to sleep, but the mind wants to watch a movie or chat with a friend on the computer, so the mind will order the legs to go to kitchen, then order the hands to make a strong coffee and pour into the body to forcefully keep it awake. Diseases like OCD (Obsession), Maniac Depression, Schizophrenia, Depression, Psychosis, Negative thoughts/actions and negative emotions occur when we (the souls) become slave of the mind. No use of intelligence again.
Why do we not use our intelligence? Low sattva and high rajas and tamas in the mind. Due to high rajas and tamas the mind is active and confused, very much like a drunk person doing some actions which are not intelligent. When mind is full of rajas and tamas, it behaves like a drunk person. That is why we eat chilies even we have heart burn, that is why we never ask a question why I am suffering from high blood pressure or diabetes for last 25 years, and that is why we wash our hands again (obsession) even though we just washed them five minutes ago.
The solution is simple- Increase Sattva. Increasing sattva or when sattva is dominant in the mind, the intelligence functions, the soul (me or I) am the boss and everything is in order. Lot of people around the world are caught up in this situation. They are trying to get out of this, doing yoga, meditation, chanting mantras and following spiritual practices, but also eating rajasic and tamasic foods (junk food, left over (old food re heated or microwaved), foods with preservatives, meat, highly spiced food, alcohol, caffeine, smoking, drugs) and also following rajasic and tamasic life style (loud music, watching TV and eating, over stimulating the mind with technology, moving/traveling all the time (not sitting quiet at home even on weekends). The result is we are still stressed, unhappy, and sick in spite or making all efforts to attain health and happiness.
We have to increase sattva, decrease rajas and tamas, not be the slaves of mind and senses but be soul, who is the real ME. I need to take control of my system and not give control the mind who is drunk (rajas and tama). I have to be the boss and use my intelligence, and this will happen when I have dominance of Sattva. Read part 3 to know about how to increase Sattva.