Sickness Is of the Mind

"You cannot judge your progress on your spiritual journey by the presence or absence of physical symptoms." / Photo by Jose Llamas on Unsplash

By the learning of this world, when we think about sickness, we really tend to think about the body primarily. The body does this, it feels this, it feels that, and so on. And then we judge people by the state of their body.

However:

"Remember, sickness is separation and has nothing to do with the body. Don’t try to judge the state of mind of others by the state of their body, because you have no way of understanding the role that that particular body has in the person’s overall Atonement plan." (The Healing Power of Kindness, Vol. 1: Releasing Judgment by Kenneth Wapnick)

This lays it out very clearly that sickness is what is going on in the mind. The thought of separation from God is the thought of ego, and it is really the root of all human suffering.

Cause vs. Effect

The state of your mind is primary because it is at the level of cause, while the state of the body is secondary at the level of effect. However, as this quote lays out, it is possible to be in a peaceful state of mind and still have various symptoms in the body.

The thing is, though, that if you are in such a state of mind, then you are not going to give bodily symptoms much importance. You are not going to suffer because of it.

Even when Jesus was walking on this earth and healing people, he always said something along the lines of, "Your faith has healed you." He wasn't saying that my power has healed you. He was always pointing with this at the mind.

The Practical Balance

Now, I am not saying that you should ignore and not do anything about bodily symptoms. Do not overreact to them, but if there are problems, of course go to a doctor and take the appropriate medications. That is not my point here.

The point is that you cannot judge your progress on your spiritual journey by the absence or presence of various bodily symptoms. There are many symptoms which can indeed go away as your state of mind improves, but there are some which may not.

But if you are in a state of mind of peace, joy, happiness, then it simply won't truly affect you anymore.

"A high-contrast, minimalist photograph of a single beam of light illuminating a small focal point in a vast, dark, quiet room."

The Most Important Thing

I have recently read a powerful book by Adyashanti, and since then I start most of my meditations with the question, "What is the most important thing right now?" And I have found that it's a really powerful practice. He says: You could apply this concept

"A minimalist, high-contrast landscape of a vast horizon completely enveloped in thick, heavy white fog."

How to Be Always Successful?

We could say that most people in the current modern world are almost obsessed with success, with the idea of success. There is so much written and said about "success" or "failure". But what is success or failure really in the world? Is there an absolute

"Minimalist, high-contrast overhead photograph of a single smooth ripple expanding across a completely calm, dark water surface."

Peace Is Not About Productivity

It is natural to feel guilt, demotivation, and anxiety when your actions do not align with your desires and goals. This is from the ego's harsh judgment of yourself. And there is the deeper belief that you need to do something, you need to achieve something to be

"Minimalist, high-contrast overhead photograph of a fractured geometric light fixture with metallic shards surrounding a bright central ring of light."

No One Is Making You Depressed

Recently I saw a post on Reddit which started something like: "The gaming industry is making me depressed." This immediately made me pause. No, no one or nothing is making you depressed. It is very important to realize that you are making yourself depressed. There is no one