Can illness be caused by sadhana?

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Sadar Pranam, Patanjali in YogSutras says that yogic exercise brings health and vitality in the body apart from psychic powers and spiritual progress. It is told in Sri Ramakrishna’s life that during Sadhana end his body used to have peculiar glow which attracted every one to him. He prayed to Mother to hide that beauty within. He also used to say that when God takes human body He has to suffer all the handicaps associated with it. Even Sri Rama had to cry and wail when his wife Sita was kidnapped. This is ‘Lila’ (play) of the Lord. This Lila is also to encourage humans to make effort and achieve the highest in this very life as they have done it. In deed repeating God’ name cures a person from his illness as this mantra given by Dhanvantri, doctor of

gods, says: Achuta Ananta Govinda namchchaaranabheshajaat Nashyanti sakalaa rogaah satyam vadaamyaham (By repeating the God’s names ‘Achuta Ananta Govinda’,all ailments can be cured. I am saying the truth, I am saying the truth.) This has been tried and is found to be effective. Therefore to think that Sadhana causes illness does not seem right. Sadhana gives great strength and vitality to body and mind. It is now accepted by modern science also that mind and body are closely interrelated. Sri Ramakrishna however used to say that when a man gets darshan(vision) of the Lord there is a great emotional upheaval in the system and weak bodies do get affected. He used to give an example of an elephant entering a pond. If pond is small, there will be a great commotion when an elephant enters in it, but if it is a huge lake, there will not be much effect. Still the question remains why saints and sadhus suffer various diseases including cancer especially towards the end of their life. Swami Rama, a great Yogi from Himalyas, who lived and taught Yoga in USA in 80’s and 90’s of last century seems to have addressed this as reported in his biography by Mr. Justin O’Brien. He writes in his

biography page 392 as under: “The doctors were baffled, however, by the way his affliction was rampart throughout the entire body, they could not diagnose the kind of cancer he was suffering with. I remembered Swamiji’s question years before asking why ordinary people were getting cancer when it was the yogi’s chosen disease.” It indicates that this disease is self chosen by saints and yogis. Another cause for their suffering bodily ailment is to atone for the Karma of their disciples so that their spiritual progress is unhindered. Sri Ramakrishna had also hinted that his body is suffering for he had taken over the sins of his great devotee Shri Girish Ghose, the great dramatist of his times. He also hinted that by this illness, many with shaky faith will run away and only true Sadhaks will stay with him.

Despite their illness inner joy of true saints never diminishes. Not only they maintain their bliss, but they also continue to spread joy amongst their devotees. Thus it is seen that the disease of saints is self chosen with a purpose and is a part of their important teaching for mankind. Salutations ChetanChetan Merani "Our ideal is not the spirituality that withdraws from life but the conquest of life by the power of the spirit." - Aurobindo.

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