Sept 16 1972
So we are advancing in science, but at the same time, the so-called science, at the same time we are creating many disadvantages. Many disadvantages. From practical experience I say that when I came to your country… In India it is very difficult to get a telephone. You have to wait in the waiting list at least for two years or you have to bribe the authorities, say, five thousand, two thousand, like that. So when I got this facility of telephone… Because as soon as I deposited forty dollars… Forty dollars? The next day the telephone was in my room. So I was very glad. But after getting my telephone, I was disturbed always. (laughter) Some of my students asking, phoning me, (telephone sound) cling, cling, and “Swamiji, how you are feeling?” At twelve o’clock at night. (laughter). Yes. So I asked him, it is the time to inquire? I am very sorry. Not only one, I become so much disturbed. Then I asked them, get out this telephone. Yes.
So try to understand. The so-called facility of the modern science means creating so many difficulties also.
Some conclusions–
There are so many things that the “experts” or others say we “need” or need to do. I remember when I was in high school, I went to an eye doctor who told me I needed to wear glasses, but he also told me that when I started wearing them my eyes would get weaker, and the glasses prescription would have to get stronger. So I thought , why should I do this and become dependent upon these eyeglasses? So I never wore them and even up to today, I don’t need to wear glasses. I do have them but only for driving at night, which I hardly ever do.
So I did not listen to his “advice” and am better off for it.
Here is another example- a few years ago, I had what I thought to be an ulcer or something wrong in my stomach, so went to a Doctor and they told me I was having a heart attack ! When about 10 people came into the emergency room I knew I was in trouble. But I felt perfectly alright. So they told me I had to go in an ambulance to the hospital, to which I told them I can drive my car there instead, and they would not hear of that, so I got my first and hopefully last ambulance ride. When I got there the chief cardiologist in the hospital there saw me and wanted me to stay overnight for “observation”, to which I reluctantly agreed. Anyway, early the next morning, after thinking it over, I told them I was going home and would do some research on this andthen-get back to them. So I did some research, went to see a local naturopathic Doctor (only because an ayurvedic one was not available) and between the two of us we formed a regimen for me to follow (mostly it was all my suggestions) and then would see what happened.
So long story short, I did that and 6 months later went back to the cardiologist , did some tests,and he said my heart was now fine and that “ I was the only patient he ever had that never listened to anything he told me” . To which I replied-well Doc, the bottom line is this -what I did worked and it was without any of your chemical drugs ! They also called me a “hostile patient” the one night I had to endure there in the hospital. To this day I am still not sure what happened in my body.
And here is another story and the best one-Srila Prabhupada has told us to grow our own food, live a simple life and chant Hare Krsna and that is what my wife and I have been doing for the past 17 years here on our mini farm. Our health is excellent, by Krsna’s grace, our eyes are without glasses by Krsna’s grace, and we don’t need any physical or mental medications whatsover from the karmi doctors. And we are very happy to live in such a way being without all the nonsense that constantly goes on in today’s modern cities.
One final thought-yesterday when I was laying down after dinner, with all the windows closed, I could hear the faint beautiful sounds of some local song birds out in our trees from around the other side of the house.At first I thought maybe I am just imaging those sounds, so I opened the window and sure enough, you could hear them even better ! The vegetarian, George Bernard Shaw once was told he looked younger than his actual years to which he replied-No I am actually that old, but you all look much older than your actual ages, due to all the rubbish you put into your bodies. So getting old, getting disease is part of life, but there is a standard process given by God that a normal person will take to get to all these “natural” problems. But in this age practically nobody wants to follow the prescribed regimen given in ayurvedic texts for good health.
So one way to do this is to follow the words and advice of Lord Krsna’s representative-simple living, and high thinking. Srila Prabhupada wont steer us wrongly, ever,
as he will always remain —our ever well wisher.
Hare Krsna
damaghosa das
below -that’s me with one of the rolled up grass bales for the dairy cows across the road-they cut my field grass for me for free, and that grass feeds some dairy cows-a good deal for everybody!
