The Inner Healer : An Essay By Dr. Bharadwaj

Man is not just the physical body.

The body, as a pedestal, holds several other parts of the human being. Most of these parts remained largely unexplored – especially from the point of view of modern western science.

In ancient India and in a few other ancient oriental cultures, human being, the complex that he is, was more or less completely explored and even explained, documented by seers, rishis and such explorers of true knowledge. There are many oriental and Indian discoveries in the fields of the Spirit, Consciousness which where made when the present intellectual mind, in its present form was not developed. They needed to express their discoveries in the forms and modes not understood by the present intellect.

Therefore unfortunately such treasures of knowledge are as good as not available to us if we approach it from the intellect. If we really care for such knowledge we need to approach those revelations in the right way. Can we deny the very existence of the knowledge itself simply because we are bound by our approaches to it are from the limited intellect in the present? Can we completely deny the very possibility of existence of knoledge other than the intellectul? As of now, it is important to, at least tentatively, concede what we know from the western modern science, of what we are, could be an incomplete knowledge.

Let us examine a certain yogic point of view about healing in the present human organism. In every one of us thee is an Inner Healer. It is this power that heals the body and the Spirit. This power is present universally in every human body. Whatever the system of medicine we follow, Say to overcome a disease, it is this inner power in us that actually responds and heals. There is no other agency. Any external means, if at all necessary, can be of any use to us only to the extent of its ability to facilitate this inherent inner healing power to take over.

What is the nature of this inner healing power? How does it act? Is it truly universal? If it is there in everybody, all the time, how come diseases happen? How come some diseases are considered “incurable”? Does that mean that sometimes at least it is as if that the power is absent? Or is it that sometimes the power remains dormant and looks for some support from the external? – Some kind of consent and an invitation? Can such a support be provided? If so how can we awaken and strengthen the possibility of the powerful action of body’s inner healing powers?

To understand these matters we need to understand two more aspects of the context. What are the conditions under which the healing power and its action are at its peak? And, secondly what are the conditions that make them weak and feeble and push them to the background and become dormant and even seemingly unavailable? There is some light available for us here.

Human being is looked upon by the modern western science as a conglomeration of cells and tissues stuck together by some unknown forces to form the organs and the systems wholly called the body. It concedes, of course, the existence of a vague non-physical entity called mind. It is attempting to study the mind also with the same principles applied to the physical universe. It presumes that the yardsticks need not change, at least as of now. The western science is still in the process of defining this entity called the mind. Western medicine does not recognise the factors beyond the physical body fully and cannot take this non-physical existence into account. It does not acknowledge that the roots of wither disease or of the healing are in the non-physical part of the human being. The western medical science traces the cause of the disease only up to the physical body. Of course it does talk of a few diseases being psychosomatic they are supposed to have been caused by psychological disturbances. But even in the case of such disorders there is an attempt to treat by approaching from the physical means. But this is the farthest that the intellect driven divisive, non-holistic knowledge can go.

This is by no means to debunk or even to discount the modern science. Its relevance in and the contribution to the final holistic model is indispensable. It is thorough going, objective, authentic and consistent within its own parameters. Its role in the human evolution, especially of the material aspects, cannot be ignored or brushed aside.It is a very honest,self critical in its methods. It is making huge progress towards the truth. But its approach is a totally different one.

But here, in this particular context of the healing powers, we are discussing the inherent limitations of all such approaches.

The great Indian medical science, perhaps the oldest documented medical science in the world, looks at the human being radically differently. Its approach is boldly integral and holistic. It has no hesitation in acknowledging the role of certain factors like Grace and a mantra and does not reject them simply because they are inexplicable. Ayurveda approaches the health and disease of a person based on the nature of that person. This nature is unique to that person as well as shared by many of similar kind. They called this individual nature as prakriti.

Prakriti is individual and universal at the same time. It is a fundamental parameter of that person. This prakriti is the basis of diagnosis, management, prevention, cure and the entire treatment. We in India here recognised centuries ago that the individual human nature, representing the universal forces, could not be kept out or sidelined in the context of healing. Rather it ought to be taken in to account. It needs to be understood properly and studied well especially in the context of the larger meaning of the nature.

Any holistic approach has to take into consideration the external Nature also. Of this Nature we are very much a part. The human being is an integral part of the Nature. I fact he is not just a part of Nature but also the latest evolutionary form of the Nature. The Nature in its long long history of evolution, having tried several forms, keeping some discarding others, fossilising some effacing some, had arrived at this wonderful form with all its power and complexity. We carry in our body the whole of this evolutionary power of the Nature. In fact, we too are the Nature. Let us acknowledge. We tend to look for the nature outside us, quite forgetting that we are a part of it. The body being a part of Nature feels a certain kind of oneness with the entire Nature. It relates itself to the Nature and vice versa.

Therefore the human body being a part of Nature is subject to certain natural laws. In order to be healthy and harmonious we need to respect these laws. Our body is inseparably a part of this power called Nature. So long as we remain an integral par of this, so long as we remain in a harmonious relationship with the Nature, we are supported, helped, aided and protected by the powerful healing currents and forces of Nature that are inherently present in the human body also.

Let us discuss now this concept in the context of a smaller and less complex organism. Consider a fresh healthy fruit or a flower or a leaf or a twig of a tree if one is cruel enough to pluck it from its source and leave it cut-off from its source what would happen? It cannot anymore remain fresh and healthy. It withers away and dies. Something similar happens when we humans are separated from the Mother Nature. But of course the process of separation is different and subtle and needs to be understood properly. Here one question comes to our mind, which we really need to examine seriously. How are we actually making this separation from the Mother Nature possible?

Lets look at it. Until the advent of the modern age, there has not been too much interference with Nature. The efforts had been mostly to harness and befriend the powers of Nature. After industrial revolution had become strong, the reductionist trends took root and the attitudes changed. Now, the idea is to dominate, subjugate and enslave the Nature. In fact this attitude is not towards the Nature alone but the entire creation. Man is foolishly attempting to be the whip-lashing master of the entire creation quite forgetting that he is the product of the creation. He seems to be forgetting or choosing to ignore completely that he is an inalienable part of a grand ongoing process. The process has unfolded itself till now and will unfold further. But the approach to dominate to exercise irresponsible authority, whether successful or not has achieved one undesirable result – it has moved us gradually away from the Mother Nature. This cursed approach has systematically alienated us from the source of our wonderful resources. We are being systematically cut-off from the Source. Diseases are the result. Diabolically the methods applied to treat the diseases are taking us further away from the source. Ideally harmonising the powers of Nature would have been a better approach. But unfortunately that is not happening today. The problem is at the attitude level. The process of separation is already set in motion. We are no more under the protective covers of the healing powers of Nature. By and large the picture is gloomy.

While there are certain conditions, which keep the body away from Nature and out of tune with it, there are others that keep the body tuned to the Nature enjoying the harmony and the health that is inherent. Holistic systems of medicine over the ages have discovered these conditions and documented them. Ancient systems have a lot to contribute. Good work is still going on. Even today many wise and responsible souls are working in the right direction. Valuable bodies of knowledge exist here and there. It is for us to make use of them for holistic healing and a healthy life. The task ahead is not easy or simple.

Can you and I as individuals do anything about the ground reality? Can we as individuals escape from the effects of the deeds of a larger humanity? Can we enjoy good health, an inner and outer harmony in the present circumstances? Can we make use of the healing powers that are present and inherent in the Nature and in the human body optimally? In short do we have a hope?

The questions can be answered at different levels and from different angles. There are many ‘solutions‘ and ‘recipes’ around. There are many vendors of a variety of panacea. There are peddlers of euphoria exploiting the confusion. Interestingly many authentic, genuine and helpful movements are also there. Light is available. Help is available. But the sources are only a few. They are buried and lost in a plethora of spurious ones.

It is up to us to do the sifting. It is up to each one of us to look for answers for our questions and it is up to each one of us to explore and discover.You may choose to meet a few well informed people or if lucky may come across some masters and actually interact with them, or you may choose to browse through books, web pages, or look around and get help....Whatever be the method, so long as it is sincere, it would most certainly be a rewarding experience. Sharing of such experiences would enrich the collective approach. We need to act individually before we act collectively in any meaningful manner, whatever be the issue.

If we have value for good health, we need to make a move to awaken,nourish and strengthen our won inner healer and get the result.