Some other articles from current issue

Meditation as an Aid to Mental Health by Dr Prakashvati Duggal
Mental health implies a feeling of well being, physical and mental development according to norms of the group, participation in creative and constructive activities according to norms of one’s age group, feeling happy within oneself and in dealing with parents and peer group without temperamental and odd behaviour regarding toilet, food , sleep, fears, etc.

Mental health is an important aspect of the education of a child. By producing mentally healthy individuals we can bring peace to the individuals who in turn can bring about world peace.

Problems of mental health:- It is generally believed that life has become very complex due to the scientific advancements but as we ponder upon life style in the remote past, it was full of conflict also – even at the time of Patanjali. Patanjali has listed the following problems – sickness, mental laziness, doubt, lack of enthusiasm, sloth, craving for sense pleasures, false perception, despair caused by failure to concentrate and unsteadiness in concentration. These distractions are accompanied by grief, despondency, trembling of body and irregular breathing.

Klesas:- Affliction of mind Klesa is caused by ignorance, egotism, materialistic attachment, aversion and the desire to cling to life’s different modifications.

Vitarkas:- Yamas and Niyamas are the moral codes or ethical virtues to be acquired. There are 10 corresponding vices or anti-ethical behaviour. The anti code is known as Vitarkas, e.g. violence, falsehood, greed, sexual indulgence, possession, uncleanliness, non-contentment, luxury, negligence and dedication to Prakrti.

Meditation:- Meditation is the seventh step in Astanga Yoga or Rajayoga. The first six steps are Yamas, Niyamas, Asanas, Pranayamas, Pratyahara and Dharana, the eighth step being Samadhi. Dharana or concentration is the holding of one object of concentration to the exclusion of all other ideas and mental activities. Patanjali defines Dhyana as Tatra –pratyaya –ektanadhyanam, which means continous flow of mind towards Pratyaya or goal , contemplation or Dhyanam. Just as river continuously flows into the sea, similarly the entire consciousness starts flowing continuously towards the goal.

In simple terms Dhyana or meditation is a pure state of mind, when all negative qualities are reduced and eventually destroyed and burnt, only the positive quality remains.

Various techniques of Dhyana:- Since Dharana leads to Dhyana, the techniques of concentration gradually achieve the meditation stage. The techniques of Dhyana are the recitation of name ‘Om” which expresses Him of course with meditation upon its meaning. Hence coms knowledge of the Atman and destruction of obstacles to that knowledge. In order to resolve our problems we should practice concentration and meditation. To begin with concentration is mastered on the body, i.e. toe to head and Trataka is done. Then at the mundane level it can be applied to mental health problems, behaviour problems and discipline problems.

In a Light Mood by Rashida Jiwani
I had heard that the ageing process brings along with it some problems of low eye sight, less hearing, and less memory. As I am coming close to my sixties, I had some funny experiences with myself.

A few days back, I was in the bank with my husband, waiting in the queue to do some transaction. Just ahead of me was a middle aged man, wearing pyjamas and long sleeved shirt, something typically worn by the ‘Banias’ in the grocery shops. I told my husband, “You know, I think I know this man very well. Is he our Ramesh Bania?” My husband said, “My dear, I appreciate the fact that you know this man, but he is not our Ramesh Bania, he is my uncle and your uncle-in-law”. I was tongue tied due to embarrassment.

The other day I was sitting in the balcony of my house and looking at the garden below. I saw an old man and his daughter-in-law in the garden, taking their evening walk. I said to my husband, “Look at how the world has changed. The wife is sitting at home and the old man is walking with his daughter-in-law”. My husband said, “My dear look carefully. He is not with his daughter-in-law but with his wife.” Another embarrassment.

Well this was about my eyesight. Now, about my weak legs. I had undergone a surgery in my leg sometime back. So, I find it difficult sometimes to overcome small obstructions on the road. I was walking on the road and saw some nice jewellery in the window. I tried to have a look at it. The owner was just closing the shop for lunch. I did not see a small footpath. So my foot got entangled and I tripped. To avoid falling, I caught the hand of the man closing his shop from behind, with two hands, the way the cops catch the thief. The man got a fright and screamed out aloud. I had such a guffow of laughter and some people sitting in the bus and the cars close by did the same.

Actually, I realized that I have inherited all these shortcomings from my parents. Once, my father went for a stroll with my mother at Nariman Point. The two were walking on the long stretch on Marine Drive. My mom was tired after some time so she sat down and my father continued walking and said he would return and pick her up. As he walked some distance, he saw the bus no.5, which used to run the route to my house, leaving from the bus stop. He ran, caught the bus and went home. He saw the door locked and he wondered, where his wife had gone. He took dinner and went to sleep. All this time, my mother was waiting for him. When it was too late in the night, she decided to go home, knowing fully well my father’s forgetful temperament.

Should we be too serious or laugh at our selves as we grow older?