| What is stress |
 |
Every era in history had been characterized
by some debilitating disease in the advanced cultures
for instance there were the plagues of the middle ages,
and the ravages of polio and pneumonia in the early 1900s
for the most part these diseases were eliminated when
the environmental condition were improved or when the
germs or viruses were destroyed through drugs.
In modern society we too have a characteristic diseases
but one that is normally considered to be not so easy
to eliminate. It underlies such diverse condition as psychometric
diseases, heart disease and chemical dependency, and it
is a major contributor to disturbance in once emotional,
social and family life. It inhibits creativity and personal
effectivness, and it is present in the sense of general
dissatisfaction that is so obvious in our day to day lives.
The name of this condition is stress,
and it has been called by researchers at Cornell university
medical college, the most debilitating medical and social
problem in the world today. |
| It is hard to imagine how a single cause
can contribute to such a variety of disorders until one
realizes that it is a very fabric of our lives that is
involved. Stress is uniquely different
from what we normally think as a disease. It has no biological
structure such as germs or virus, nor does it lurk in
dark sewers or contaminated water. Rather it is the result
of how our mind and body function and interect.It is the
consequence of how we regulate, or to put it more appropriately,
how we do not regulate the mental and physical functioning
of our being. In a few short words stress is the result
of the way we have consciously or unconsciously chosen
to live. It is the disease created by the abuse we give
our mind and body and it leads to an incredible variety
of symptoms. They may be as innocuous as a temper tantrum
or as a destructive as a heart attack. Stress may show
itself in alcoholism or in dipression.It leads to sleeplessness
and to the common cold. Its symptoms are many, while it
is cause often goes unrecognized and untreated. |
| Solution to stress |
We do a variety of things to cope with
this problem, much of which, however, is only palliative.
For instance, medical treatment is focused upon the
symptoms but does little for the underlying condition
of cause. On our own we smoke, drink, take pain killer,
and sleeping tablets, have massages, watch TV, and go
on vacations. The frequency and variety of its symptoms
are on the increase. One of the reasons for this is
that stress is not a ‘thing’
such as a germ or virus or bad water. It cannot be put
on a slide, nor under a microscope, or bottled, or separated
into categories nor can it be counted. Our past success
in controlling disease to some extant has been because
we could do these things, and this success has blinded
us to the real nature of the problem of stress.
Stress in itself is always harmfull.No
one has ever benefited from stress. Scientific researchs,
however though sophisticated, is aimed only at the physical
level, while stress is a condition of the mind and reflects
its symptoms in the body. Thus, seeking solutions from
the medical end psychological profession can be confusing,
for expert in these fields often do not agree with one
another.
Science can not explain why we have emotions at all
how do we became angry, how we do feel sorrow, why do
we like something and not other things, why are we suffering,
how to get rid of miseries? While are Vedic literatures
analyses rigorously and give confidant answers to all
the above question, Science blinks like a small hopeless
child , It is possible to achieve optimal balanced and
thus stress free living by the method of Meditation
or Transcendental meditation.
Than having to go to a doctor or the drug or drink.
Its focus is the entire person, body, mind and soul,
and this is exactly what is needed to deal with psychosomatic
disease .Interestingly enough, this modern approach
has its roots in Yoga science, One of the ancient discipline
known to man as the Vedas tells us” Since it is
the self by which we suffer, so it is the self by which
we will find relief. |
| Knowledge of the Self |
The Vedas state that consciousness is a
symptom of the soul .In its pure condition, the soul exists
in the spiritual world, but when its fall down into contract
with matter, the living being is covered by and illusion
called false egoism .False ego which means to misidentify
once to the body, be wilders the consciousness when we
look at our hand or leg we say “This is my hand
or This is my leg”. The conscious self, the I is
therefore the owner and observer of the body.Intellectually,
this fact is easily understandable, and by the spiritual
realization that results from meditation or Chanting this
truth can be directly and continuously experienced.
When the living being identifies with the material body
and losses awareness of his real, spiritual self, he inevitably
fears death, old age, and disease. He fears loss of beauty
intelligence, and strength and experiences countless other
anxieties and false emotions relating to the temporary
body. But by meditation even in the early stages we realize
over self to be pure and changeless sprit souls, completely
distinct from the material body. Because the Meditation
is completely pure spiritual sound vibration, it has the
power to restore our Consciousness to its original, uncontaminated
condition. At this point we sees to be controlled by jealousy,
by go try pride, and envy and hatred as Lord Krishna
tells us in the Bhagvad Gita, The soul
is “Unborn, eternal, ever existing ,undying and
primeval”. As our false bodily identification dissolves
and we perceive are true transcendental existence, we
automatically transcend all the fears and anxieties of
material existence. |
| Bring Real Happiness |
| Everyone is thirsting for true and lasting
happiness .but because material pleasure is limited and
temporary it is compared to a tiny drop of moisture in
the desert .It gives us no permanent relief because material
sensation and relationships lack the potency to satisfy
the spiritual desire of the soul. But the meditation provides
complete satisfaction because it places us in direct contact
with god and his spiritual pleasure potency. God is full
of all bliss, and when we enter his association, we can
also experience the same transcendental happiness. |
| Conclusion |
| A news brief in the vegetarian times reported
the researchers at Harvard medical school conducted experiments
on chanting and have found the repeating phrases or words
can be valuable technique in helping to reduce stress.
The test was conducted in two groups One the doing meditation
and the other not doing meditation group. According to
the researcher the meditation group shoed a significantly
higher elevation of measurable chemical in the blood that
normally occurs during relaxation than did the non meditation
group. Meditation produce what Harvard cardiologist
Herbert Benson calls the relaxation response.
We are glad to see that the leaders of the academic world
are discovering some of the benefits of meditation, But
It is also very important to know the best way of doing
meditation. |
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