THE PRABHUPADA CONNECTION
Srila Prabhupada on Health
Please note that Srila Prabhupada gave varied instructions about health according to the time, place and circumstances. Prabhupada was not neglectful of his own health or the health of his disciples. In fact, Srila Prabhupada always ended his letters with, “I hope this meets you in good health.” The underlying principle of Prabhupada’s instructions regarding health was “do the needful” for keeping body and soul together in order to serve Krishna; and if irreversible conditions arise then one should carry on serving Krishna as best as possible, always depending on His mercy.
“It is important to keep the body fit and healthy so that we will not meet the obstacle of ill health while serving Krishna. Ill health may hinder one’s service, so, we want to avoid it as much as possible.”
(Srila Prabhupada arriving in Hawaii, 1969)
“You accept these principles of life, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no illicit sex, and there will be no cancer. Those who are strictly on this line, they never suffer from cancer or any such disease. Now take for example me. I’ve come here in this country for the last eight years. How many times have I gone to the doctor? That one heart attack. That is serious, that is another thing. Otherwise, generally how many times have I gone? I don’t pay any bill of doctor. So if we live a very hygienic life, regulated life, there is no question of cancer or any disease. The disease is created by violating nature’s law. One of the causes of cancer disease is this contraceptive method. You can make research on it. So they are on one side discovering contraceptive method, contraceptive chemicals, and on the other side researching for cancer disease. And they say also smoking is one of the causes. So why not give up smoking and illicit sex, contraceptive method? ”
— Morning walk, Los Angeles
May 4, 1973
Prabhupada: “They foolishly say ‘struggle for existence,’ ‘survival of the fittest,’ but who is fit? He does not know. Fittest means one who does not get next a material body. He is fit. Because as soon as you get a material body, nunam pramattah kurute vikarma .. ”
— Morning walk, Hyderabad
August 23, 1976
“So far your health is concerned, Hawaii is very good climate. You can take bath in the sea, and that will keep your health. Take dal, especially urad, a little cheese, peanuts, green vegetables, especially squash leaf.”
— Letter of December 10, 1973
“I am sorry to learn that your health is not very good at the present time. The best thing is that you rest for some time until you are feeling stronger. When J. was feeling very weak, I advised her to take complete rest until she was stronger and then I advised her to go out on sankirtana party. So you may follow the same procedure of taking as much rest as you feel you require, and then when you feel it is all right, you resume your activities.”
— Letter of July 23, 1969
“For your toothache trouble you can brush your teeth with the following mixture: common salt, one part, and pure mustard oil, quite sufficient to make it a suitable paste. With this paste brush your teeth, especially the painful part very nicely. Gargle in hot water, and keep always some cloves in your mouth. I think that will cure your troubles. It doesn’t require to extract any teeth.”
— Letter of February 14, 1969
“Regarding your fasting, if you are sick, then fasting is the best medicine. For disease and unwanted guests, if you do not give them food, they will go away.”
— Letter of January 16, 1975
Srila Prabhupada…”Because this body belongs to Krishna, and we are using it in His service, it should be kept in good working order. A little dal, a little rice, some vegetable and a few chapatties is a substantial diet, along with a little fruit and milk.
Prabhupada would sign his letters, “I hope this meets you in good health.” He was concerned that his disciples led a healthy life, including cleanliness, exercise, and a proper diet. When an early disciple became ill, Prabhupada advised him, “Your first business is to look after your health, because if you don’t feel well everything will be topsy-turvy.” He would sometimes tell sick devotees to suspend work and take complete rest.
“If one can fast, that is tapasya,” Prabhupada said, “but it should not be artificial. Just like Raghunatha dasa Gosvami. He was fasting, but he was not just fasting. People fast artificially and become weak and cannot work; that is not required. If you fast and at the same time you do not become weak, then that is recommended. And if after fasting you cannot do service, then what is the use of fasting? Raghunatha Gosvami was fasting, but he was thrice taking bath and offering obeisances hundreds of times. His regular activities were not stopped, and he was taking every alternate day a little quantity of butter. That’s all. It is not possible to imitate him. We have to work.”
– From the Prabhupada Nectar by HH
Excerpt from “Memories-Anecdotes of a Modern-Day Saint” by Siddhanta das
www.prabhupadamemories.com
“Health is number one, chanting is number two, service is number three and then comes reading”
Prabhupada said, “Don’t leave any one of them out. There is a spirit soul in every single one of them.”
Kusa: I was only able to cook for three days because I ended up having a health issue.
Srila Prabhupada had a sign in the kitchen that said,
“Health is number one, chanting is number two, service is number three and then comes reading”, in that order.
It was hand written by Srila Prabhupada.
He had that made up when Jadarani had come to visit as she hadn’t been taking care of her health.She was working really hard and Srila Prabhupada made the point in what order of importance we were to take life seriously.
Another thing I’ll never forget was the time we were making sprouts for Srila Prabhupada.
Prabhupada said,
“Make sure you get each and every sprout. Don’t leave any one of them out. There is a spirit soul in every single one of them.” So we took that very seriously as well. It was amazing how merciful Srila Prabhupada was, even to a sprout, making sure that they all get equal opportunity to be offered to the Lord.
—Kusa
Prabhupada would sign his letters, “I hope this meets you in good health.” He was concerned that his disciples led a healthy life, including cleanliness, exercise, and a proper diet. When an early disciple became ill, Prabhupada advised him, “Your first business is to look after your health, because if you don’t feel well everything will be topsy-turvy.” He would sometimes tell sick devotees to suspend work and take complete rest.
Srila Prabhupada…”Because this body belongs to Krishna, and we are using it in His service, it should be kept in good working order. A little dal, a little rice, some vegetable and a few chapatties is a substantial diet, along with a little fruit and milk.
Hope this meets you in good health. ~ Srila Prabhupada